Lake Ray Hubbard Fishing Guide Report
Lake Ray Hubbard winter fishing is here. It has been a weird fall with the warmer weather and light winds at times. But it is officially winter according to the farmers almanac. Lake Ray Hubbard can hold some great winter fishing at times. We pay for living in Texas in the summer with the constant heat , but we are rewarded in the winter. There will be days on the water that by 12:00 pm you are wearing your T-shirt. The fall bite was ok this year, but never got really going. Fishing is a funny business at times, we rely on patterns that the fish and bait hold to year after year.
White Bass Patterns
Lake Ray Hubbard in the winter months mean that the shad have moved out to the deep water huddled into large schools. The white bass and hybrids will follow these schools. It is almost like a migration at times. I will start out on the southern part of the lake out from the red barn cove area and as the months go by I move north. Usually time February rolls around I am drifting the flats out from Chandlers Landing marina. Now don’t get confused when I say flats, I don’t mean skinny water. I am fishing water 30-40 ft deep at certain parts of the lake. Even though it is deep, it is pretty much fishing flat bottom. The fish most of the time will suspend 5-10 ft off of bottom. I am a winter drifter fisherman, that means I like to set up the boat on a certain path and drift. I use 2 large drift socks to slow the boat down on windy days. Covering more water gives you a better chance to run into the large schools of fish. Some people spot lock their trolling motors but I find drifting more effective. Another thing to remember is the winter time is “thumping” season. We actually thump the bottom of the floors of our boats to draw the fish in. I use a mechanical device that provides that sound but you can use a stick with a rubber end on it also. I don’t know why it works, but it does. If you google thumping a boat, its documented that people have been doing it for thousands of years. It is really effective as the water cools and usually by April I am putting it up for the winter. When I scout an area I am looking for bait balls , the more bait the better chance of fish being in the area. You will also mark fish but usually in a scattered pattern. The thumper is what gangs them up. The bite can be very soft and at times you will miss more fish than you catch. Be sure to present your bait just a few inches above where you are marking fish. The presentation is called dead stick, you just hold the lure still sometime with a really slow raise.
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| Bait balls and fish |
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| thumper on |
White Bass Lures
I use a couple different set up in the winter time. It all depends on how hard the wind is blowing. If you have a light wind I will use a 1/2 jig head with a 3 inch fluke and above that about 2 ft a single hook with a 3 inch or 2 inch fluke. I will also use a 1/2 small slab on bottom at times if they seam to want a smaller bait. When the wind picks up I have heavier jib heads but with short shank hooks that will hold the same plastic. Some that I know will also add a stinger hook to the jig head. I do not usually do this as it presents a danger to guest more often than not. But it is a very effective way to increase hook ups with a light bite. Colors usually don’t matter, although I primarily use shad colored plastics with chartreuse jig heads our slabs. |
| Property of Moe's Tackle dead stick set up |
Lake Ray Hubbard Fishing Guide
We target White Bass year round . Lake Ray Hubbard has a great white bass and hybrid Striper population. For more information on Lake Ray Hubbard Fishing Guide, follow this link.