Outdoor Directory

LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: Five Creeks GPS: N 33 54.8339, W 96 42.3959 (33.9139, -96.7066)

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Sassy Shad jigs, live shad SOURCE: Bill Carey 903-786-4477 www.striperexpress.com TIPS: The stripers are running in large schools. Pay close attention to the seagulls as they will locate the stripers ambushing large bait balls. The favorite artifi cial are 4-inch Sassy Shad on a 1-ounce jig head. The best colors are white glow and chartreuse fl eck. Live shad fi shing is also a great way to catch stripers. LOCATION: Lake Waco HOTSPOT: Hog Creek GPS: N 31 30.793, W 97 15.396 (31.5132, -97.2566)

SPECIES: Catfi sh BEST BAITS: Fish the bottom SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fi shgamegear TIPS: Fish the bottom; morning, dusk thru night LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: Big Rocky Creek GPS: N 31 52.794, W 97 23.682 (31.8799, -97.3947)

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Cut bait and live shad SOURCE: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 www.teamredneck.net TIPS: Cast out 30 feet behind boat and turn trolling motor on medium speed and drag baits behind boat in the mouth of the creek and hump just out from creek. Stripers have baits pushed up in the mouth of Big Rocky gorging on them.

Reported by DEAN HEFFNER

WEST TEXAS

HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Fort Phantom Hill Res. HOTSPOT: Main Body GPS: N 32 34.8359, W 99 41.202 (32.5806, -99.6867)

SPECIES: White Crappie BEST BAITS: Jigs SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Offi ce 325-692-0921 TIPS: Fort Phantom Hill has seen a boost in its crappie population since catching water in 2015 and 2016. In December, crappie can be fi shed off the bottom with 1/8-14 oz. jigs. This same location has produced great crappie catches throughout the year.

LOCATION: Lake Granbury HOTSPOT: Lower End Pump Station GPS: N 32 23.014, W 97 42.550 (32.383567, -97.709167)

SPECIES: Striped bass BEST BAITS: Swimbaits, live shad SOURCE: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters 254-396-4855 TIPS: Slow troll using your trolling motor with your bait in 20 to 25 feet of water near channel ledges. Look for birds to point you to active fi sh. Patterns are changing as the water cools. Fish are actively feeding before the winter season. Passing cool fronts continue to dominate the weather pattern.

LOCATION: Lake Granbury HOTSPOT: Blue Water Shores GPS: N 32 23.014, W 97 42.550 (32.383567, -97.709167)

SPECIES: Striped bass BEST BAITS: White fl ukes and bass assassins on a 3/4 jig head. SOURCE: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters 254-396-4855 TIPS: Jigs worked off the bottom in 20 to 30 feet of water where baitfi sh are located. Look for hovering birds and tip your bait with chartreuse dye. Bring your binoculars.

LOCATION: Hubbard Creek Res. HOTSPOT: Hubbard Creek Arm GPS: N 32 46.122, W 99 04.364 (32.768692, -99.072731)

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Shad soft plastics, crappie jigs SOURCE: Glenn Chancellor, TPWD Abilene 325-692-0921 TIPS: December is a great time to hit the Hubbard Creek arm of Hubbard Creek Lake for crappie! Launch at Peeler Park and start fi shing up creek working the large sections of standing timber. Throw small swim shad at standing timber lines and work larger piles with your favorite crappie jig combo.

LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Oil Well Slough GPS: N 32 55.322, W 98 27.857 (32.922033, -98.464283)

SPECIES: Striped bass BEST BAITS: Slabs, jigs SOURCE: Dean Heffner 940-329-0036 Fav7734@gmail.com TIPS: Pay attention to the cold fronts. Stick to natural colors and add some yellow or chartreuse when it’s cloudy. You can still catch some fi sh trolling, but this is the time to be slabbing. Look for fi sh on the 20-foot breakline and keep in contact with the bottom—unless the fi sh are up and active. Then, make long casts under the birds and hop one or two retrieves back to the boat and pause right before you pull it out of the water. Half and one-ounce jigs with Mister Twister curly tails are still deadly and are great to fl atline or vertical jig.

LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Tree Island GPS: N 32 56.337, W 98 25.987 (32.93895, -98.433117)

SPECIES: Striped bass BEST BAITS: Slabs, jigs SOURCE: Dean Heffner 940-329-0036 Fav7734@gmail.com TIPS: Try a technique we call “thumpin’.” You can just thump the bottom of your boat with a rod butt, or check out Bobo’s Thumper (bobosthumper.com). It’s