LAKE GRANBURY

SURFACE AREA: 8,310 acres

MAXIMUM DEPTH: 75 feet

IMPOUNDED: 1969

GRANBURY IS A LONG, WINDING LAKE impounded on the Brazos River. Over

1,000 docks and piers provide excellent cover for bass.

TPWD and local partners have placed artificial fish attractors throughout the lake (Indicate by this symbol... ...on the map).

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, frogs, buzzbaits

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas FishGame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Work the vegetation with white/chartreuse spinnerbaits, frogs of buzzbaits; action good from dawn through dusk.

LOCATION: Lake Brownwood

HOTSPOT: 279 Bridge

GPS: N 31 50.060, W 99 05.985 (31.834333, -99.09975)

Central Texas Current Lake Levels West Texas

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: Minnows, crappie jigs

SOURCE: Lance Benson, TPWD

325-692-0921

TIPS: Work rip rap & pilings; Best action dawn through morning and at dusk.

LOCATION: Lake Cisco

HOTSPOT: Main Lake

GPS: N 32 26.7579, W 98 59.0834 (32.4460, -98.9847)

LOCATION: Lake Granbury

HOTSPOT: Twin Humps Near Town

GPS: N 32 26.404, W 97 46.977 (32.440067, -97.78295)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Soft plastics, spinnerbaits, crankbaits

SOURCE: Lance Benson, TPWD

325-692-0921

TIPS: Cisco Reservoir is a great largemouth bass fishing reservoir. The reservoir has a variety of fishable habitat features such as submersed boulders, fallen timber, aquatic vegetation, and docks. Texasrigged soft plastics, spinner baits, and crankbaits should produce a bite. Watermelon, chartreuse, and brighter colors are great colors for soft plastics.

LOCATION: Lake Leon

HOTSPOT: Main Lake

GPS: N 32 21.63, W 98 40.692 (32.3605, -98.6782)

SPECIES: White bass

BEST BAITS: Holographic slabs in silver and chartreuse

SOURCE: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters

254-396-4855

TIPS: Look for bait congregated on or near the bottom in 15 to 20 feet of water. Look for striped bass and largemouth bass in these same locations. Granbury water temperatures are generally in the 80’s as summer continues with a slow cool down towards fall. Summer patterns will be in effect for September and October. Fishing continues to be best early and late. Passing cool fronts will be the norm rolling into October. Thermoclines will start to disappear, and lake turnover will start with surface cooling. White bass are located near structure and are feeding near drop offs in 15 to 20 feet of water. Slabbing with silver or chartreuse slabs will put white bass and stripers in the boat.

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, trick worms, Senkos, crankbaits

SOURCE: Lance Benson, TPWD

325-692-0921

TIPS: Lake Leon has seen a good influx of water in the last two years. As a result, habitat has very much improved for largemouth bass, sunfishes, and crappie. September should offer good bass fishing along vegetation, docks, and rocky areas. Spinner baits, trick worms, Senkos, and crankbaits should produce a bass bite. Early morning, use topwater baits.

LOCATION: Lake O.H. Ivie

HOTSPOT: Yellow Bluff

GPS: N 31 34.702, W 99 42.759 (31.578367, -99.71265)

BEST BAITS: Soft plastics

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas FishGame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Bass will be holding in trees below 10 feet; good action from dawn to dusk.

SPECIES: Largemouth bass

LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom

HOTSPOT: Broadway

GPS: N 32 52.724, W 98 31.809 (32.8787, -98.5302)

LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom

HOTSPOT: Costello Island

GPS: N 32 54.5126, W 98 27.6275 (32.9085, -98.4605)

(32.889234, -98.526658)

SPECIES: Striped bass

BEST BAITS: Live shad, trolling jigs

SOURCE: TJ Ranft

SPECIES: White, striped bass

BEST BAITS: Crankbaits, live bait, jigs

SOURCE: TJ Ranft

940-452-8439

RanftGuideService.com

TIPS: Fall is here, and fishing is great. Fish are fattening up for the fall run and spawn or faux spawn. You can troll RatLTraps and cranks for white bass and most other fish, but of course live bait is best for quick numbers. We also are still catching nice big stripers down rigging. We use jigs with Mister Twister Curlytails, but a lot of thing work this time of year.

SPECIES: Catfish, crappie

BEST BAITS: Fresh shad, minnows, crappie jigs

SOURCE: TJ Ranft

940-452-8439

RanftGuideService.com

TIPS: Catfish are great north of Costello Island on fresh dead cut bait shad and crappie good in same areas with crappie minnows or crappie jigs. Keep your drag backed off though as you might catch the biggest bass or striper while catfishing or crappie fishing. Start by working the 20 and 30-foot breaklines. The fish use these as natural highways.

LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom

HOTSPOT: Sandy Beach

GPS: N 32 53.354, W 98 31.599

940-452-8439

RanftGuideService.com

TIPS: September and October striper fishing on PK means covering ground and using different tactics daily. Trolling and live bait are solid tactics this time of year. If trolling use jigs that are white, chartreuse, yellow, and the occasional pink. Downriggings are a great way to get the jigs down deeper in the water column, but they aren’t always necessary flatlining jigs out the back while trolling can also produce good numbers of fish. The fish will be transitioning into a fall feeding pattern so always be prepared for some fast action when they decide to feed.

Tides and Prime Times

The following pages contain TIDE and SOLUNAR predictions for our Base Point, Galveston Channel (N 29.317, W 94.88)

Tidal movement and daily phases of the moon have varying degrees of influence on many fish and game species.

AM & PM MINOR phases occur when the moon rises and sets. These phases last 1 to 2 hours.

AM & PM MAJOR phases occur when the moon reaches its highest point overhead as well as when it is “underfoot” or at its highest point on the exact opposite side of the earth from your positoin (or literally under your feet). Most days have two Major Feeding Phases, each lasting about 2 hours.

PEAK TIMES: Our Forecast Calendar uses both Tide and SoLunar projections to predict the best fishing times and days. Generally, if a SoLunar Period (Major/Minor) falls within an hour of sunrise or sunset, fishing conditions should be better. On certain days where Tidal Activity is stronger, the best fishing times may fall ouside the normal SoLunar range. While tides are not a direct factor in FRESHWATER FISHING, SoLunar Activity still accounts for increased feeding activity in freshwater species. It is also a prime factor in the movement and feeding habits of game species.

Tide Conversion Table

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY is shown in the Green Boxes on the Calendar pages. Moon Overhead and Underfoot times are given in the SoLunar Box and illustrated on the Fishing Graph. Use the SOLUNAR ADJUSTMENT SCALE on the map below to adjust times for points East and West of our Base Point at Galveston Channel.

Solunar Adjustment Scale

TIDE PREDICTIONS are located in the White Area at the top of the Calendar Pages. You can use the CONVERSION TABLE below to make adjustments. It is keyed to 23 other tide stations along the Texas Coast (see these map icons: T1 ). Adjust low and high tide times, plus or minus in minutes, from the times given for the Base Point at Galveston Channel.

:: by PAUL FUZINSKI TF&G Contributing Editor