Thursday, March 28, 2024

Check out species and spawning temperatures

Posted


HOOD OUTDOORS

As a licensed professional fishing guide, Michael Acosta shows you how to find them. A Granbury resident of more than 35 years, he has been fishing all of his life, and has been a licensed guide since 1998.

We have been reporting on the spawning white bass and crappie for over a month.  Some of the spawns are still ongoing, but some are mostly over.  I have also been receiving questions concerning when the other species spawn.  Here is some information that I dug up. 

Realize these numbers are general numbers (averages) as the weather may dictate a warmer water temperature before the fish are ready to spawn. These are good numbers to give you some idea of when the fish are most comfortable and typically when they spawn. 

SPECIES                 PEAK FEEDING TEMP   ACTIVE RANGE           SPAWNING TEMP

Blue Gill                            69                            60-80                            70-78

Crappie                              71                            60-75                            55-68

Smallmouth Bass              68                            60-75                            62-68

Largemouth Bass               70                            60-75                            62-65

Channel Catfish                 60-75                       60-75                            75-78

White Bass                        55-75                       50-80                            50-55

Striped Bass                       60-70                       55-75                            62-65

Hybrid Striped Bass          60-70                       60-75                            ------ 

The weather this winter has been different for sure.  We had the real cold spell and then it warmed up pretty fast.  The white bass (sand bass) spawn is close to the end.  Many of the white bass are back in the main lake.  

Crappies have been in the shallows and many are still there.  The crappie spawn is ongoing as well, though I believe most of the fish have spawned.  Striped bass are spawning as well on many areas of the lake as well as upstream in the river.     

The water temperatures are also well into the largemouth bass spawning temperatures.  Many of the black bass (largemouth) are on or near their bedding areas. 

Catfish and Blue-gill on this list are the last to spawn, but their time is quickly approaching for sure.  .                                                                              

HOOD COUNTY FISHING REPORT

Water temperatures are around the 70-degree mark and the spring feeding frenzy continues. Full moon will be here this weekend, which should put many of the spawning fish in motion.

Good crappie catches on minnows and jigs continue to be reported on many areas of the lake. Largemouth bass are good to 7 pounds on soft plastics fished in the backs of coves and creeks on the beds. 

Striped bass to 10 pounds are possible on live shad fished from Indian Harbor to the Shores near channel breaks.  Catfish are being caught in numbers in the shallows on cut bait on many areas of the lake. 

White bass (sand bass) are fair to good on slabs fished on humps and feeding flats near DeCordova and Indian Harbor.  Some white bass catches continue to be reported in the river near Tin Top. 

Lake Whitney action around McCown for whites and stripers are good on slabs and live bait.  

Possum Kingdom Lake striped bass are good to 13 pounds on live bait fished from the Peanut Patch to Costello Island.