Lake Jackson Fishing Report – July 2007

Jackson: Level: 1.5 feet below full pool. Temp: 83-85 degrees. Clarity: Very clear.

Bass: Fair. The nighttime tournament bite has been improving a little bit; it’s now taking 8 and 9 pounds on average to win Berry’s events. “The night bite should improve even more,” said guide Aaron Batson. The deep bite should only get stronger with hotter temps. Look for the big crankbait and Carolina-rig bite to get good. I like a Norman DD22 or a Mann’s 20+ in shad colors. Work the big plug on points and humps in 12 to 15 feet of water near old channel ledges. If there is some brush present work a Carolina-rigged Zoom Magnum Lizard in junebug or redbug colors. I like a 2-foot leader with a 4/0 hook. Early mornings and late evening I run way up the South and Yellow rivers and look for mayflies. Throwing small crankbaits and topwater baits around the hatch will produce some bites. Use something with a bream-type pattern/color. Pitch 3/8-oz. jigs in green colors with a black or brown Zoom Super Chunk up the rivers. Work the logjams and blowdowns to get a kicker bite.” Eric Perkins has been on a great morning bite. “You can’t go wrong with topwater early, like a Rico, Pop-R, Spook or Sammy. If you find some bugs hatching I like a black/brown jig and a Zoom Big Salty Chunk in green pumpkin. It looks just like a bug falling or coming through the water. Also a black ChatterBait will get ’em, too. I was getting a lot of bites the other day, like 10 or 12 hook-ups on a Fish Head Spin but couldn’t stick ’em or keep them hooked. They were out on some deeper summer stuff in 12 to 15 feet of water. I know I could have put the Spot Remover and a cut-tail worm on them or maybe a Norman DD22 and probably caught them. If people would fish for these spots the same way they do at Lanier they could really do good. The same type places, deeper points the rock-bluff banks and brushpiles, are great. The spots are growing up, and they act a lot like they do at Lanier.” When you pull up on these places throw Staysee 90 jerkbaits, Fish Head Spins with a small fluke and any kind of jig-head worm. Eric said the big crankbait bite will get better, and July is awesome for the big crankbait, but usually he does much better in the evening or at night with it.

Crappie: Poor. “The crappie-fishing report stinks,” said Bobby Berry. “The only fishermen who have been successful have been those fishing at night under Water’s Bridge, Barnett’s Bridge and at the powerlines.” He said the best bite is on minnows between midnight and 4 a.m.