Lake Blackshear Fishing Report – July 2008

Blackshear: Level: Down 0.1 feet below full pool. Temp: Mid to upper 80s. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Bass fishing is tough right now, said Clint Brownlee. “If I was going tomorrow, I would start out in Parker’s Slough north of the Hwy 289 bridge and throw topwater around the grass beds — something like a frog or a buzzbait. After that, I’d gradually work my way up the river to get in moving water, and I’d be flipping a big worm or a jig ’n pig around wood cover. If you don’t go up the river, I’d do pretty much the same thing: fish topwater early around the grass, then hit boat docks with a jig or a shaky-head worm.”

Crappie: The best bite is over deep brush. Try tight-lining minnows in brushpiles in the 25-foot range. The bite is slow, but they are biting, said Rusty Parker.

Catfish: Good. “You can still catch a mess fishing the sand flats just off the channels,” said Rusty. Rusty typically anchors over a sand flat, broadcasts a catfish bait and catches fish on worms.

Bream: Excellent. Rusty said he and his dad caught a mix of bluegill and shellcracker from the same bed on June 19. “We found a shaded area next to a cypress tree,” said Rusty. “The fish were in about 2 feet of water.” They were fishing crickets and worms under a float and trying to keep the bait just off the bottom.