June and what it has to offer us. First of all did you know that June is the official month to take a kid fishing? Thats right every year the Parks and Wildlife Dept set up a special weekend for you to take a kid fishing and if you don’t have your license well thats OK to because everyone gets to fish that weekend for free, and now that you know, theres no reason to not take your kid and any of his or her friends with you so get out on the water.
Now here is what you can expect when you go fishing this month. Most all our lakes are back to normal you will find Lake Palestine to be full pool and Lake Fork still low by about 4 foot and Lake Tyler still about 4 1/2 feet low. Lake Palestine is clear for the most part on the south end and stained to muddy up north. Lake Fork is clear over most of the lake but way back in your feeder creeks you will find the water off colored to stained, you will find surface temps ranging from the upper70’s in the mornings and 80’s in the evenings. Fishing overall has been very good on all three lakes lakes.
Now let’s talking fishing, did you know that June is the official month for top-water fishing? Well it is and if you love watching the fish blow up on that favorite top water lure as I do then you won’t hesitate getting to the lake. As all of us know there are many kinds of top-water lures and here are a few of my favorite, first it’s a frog type lure and it’s called the Hawg Frawg made by the fine folks at the Mister Twister Lure Company. The Hawg Frawg is a soft plastic lure that looks like a frog, and can be worked slow up over and through grass, weeds, Lilly pads and even around brush. You can also work it fast by simming it across the surface like a buzz bait. Bass just can’t stand it when the Hawg Frawg comes to call. When working the Hawg Frawg I hope you have a good heart and a slow reflex because this is what it takes to fish it. When a bass strikes he will blow up underneath the frog to stun it and then turn around and come back to eat it. When this happens do the 1,2,3 count and then set the hook and you should have him on the line. Remember you set the hook to fast and you will miss him.
Other great lures will be the chugger style lures like the old famous Heddon Chugger that us old timers grew up with and now the new style called The Yellow Magic man oh man these things catch fish. Well there are probably a hundred more top-water lures out there on the market so I can’t mention them all but the main thing is dig out your top-waters and start fishing.
Bass will be good up north on the creeks and on the river where you find grass or weeds along your channels and in or near the sloughs that run off the main channels. The best lures to use will be yellow magic poppers, Mr. Twister Hawg Frawgs and the all time famous Shimmy Shaker in the blue fox color. The shimmy shaker is not a top-water lure but when you add the Hawg Frog as a trailer it will buzz up next to the top making a comotion that big bass just can’t resist. Fish each of these lures early and late for best results.
Down south you will find bass doing very good on your main lake points and back up in your main lake pockets. The best lures will be again the Mr. Twister Hawg Frawg, the Shimmy Shakers in the blue fox color and yellow magic poppers early and late, in the mid day when it begins to get hot go to a big crank bait or a Carolina rig using a French fry in a water melon color.
Remember that you can go home a winner if you fish slow, so cover your water well and present your lures in a manner that looks normal to the fish and then hang on..
Crappie can be caught in water depths of 14 to 18 feet where you find brush or some sort of structure. Bridges offer lots of good cover and are very good when the temperatures begin to heat up. The best baits to catch your crappie on are the Mr. Minos made by the Mr. Twister Lures. The Mr. Mino is one of the very best crappie jigs I think I have ever fished with in all my years of fishing. They come in several colors so get by your local tackle store and ask for them by name ask for the Mr. Mino made by Mister Twister lure company.
If you are out on lake Palestine and run short of your Mister Twister Products then stop in at The Lake Palestine Resort they have several Mister Twister products for you to choose from.
Sand bass will be good early and late in June working your main lake points with Rat-L-Traps and chrome/blue and jigging spoons and try the Yellow Magic lures on them when they are on the surface.
Catfish will be good in the shallows on punch bait and liver around brush or docks. Fish slow , work your areas good and you will always go home the winner.
Until next month remember to keep only the fish you can use and release the rest so that our kids to can enjoy the great sport we call fishing
By: Ricky Vandergriff
