OK Folks,
I made it back! I left home at 5:12 am this morning and was ready to put in on Lake Naconiche at 6:17 am. The weather was warm, cloudy, little foggy and with about a 10 mph breeze. There was only one other boat which was leaving the ramp as I arrived.
I decided to go up Naconiche Creek with the wind at my back – to drift and fish along the way. I went to the very end of the lake up the creek which was ok going but I had to paddle into the breeze all the way back. It took almost an hour of paddling to get back to the launch.
Lake Naconiche is beautiful, especially this time of year with high, steep banks covered with radiant hardwood foliage. As some of you have pointed out, there is abundant bird activity on and around the lake. And yes, Julie, I also noticed the red-headed woodpeckers. And I did see a beaver.
A word of caution though, Naconiche is covered in dead, tall standing timber. I could touch a tree with my paddle and the whole tree would shake – not very stable. And the best fishing is in the timber. An experienced Jacksonville fisherman warned me last week to be careful around the timber and I do the same for you. I can just see a dangerous situation in the spring with a lot of boats in the timber and then getting some high winds. Just remember that if you are over there.
My fishing was nothing to write home about but I did catch three species – bream, catfish and bass. The bass fishing was just hard – I changed baits all morning but caught the 2 bass on a silver fluke, my favorite soft plastic. And I caught the bass on consecutive cast! Two catching cast in a row out of 300 cast – go figure?
I took out at 12:30 pm – hadn’t stood up for six hours. I’m tired.
Anyway it was a good day. I’m glad I went; Naconiche is a neat lake. I think it has the potential to produce some big fish; what’s caught in February and March in the next few years will tell the tale.
Directions:
Lake Naconiche is about 11 miles north west of Nacogdoches, Tx.
You go north out of Nacogdoches on Hwy 59 toward Garrison for about 10 miles and turn left on Tx 2435 then about 2 miles there is a sign, turn left on CR 137 (?) to the entrance.
Details:
It is a new county water supply lake and was opened for the public last Sept. It was stocked for fish and at first folks were catching 70 per day up to 10 lbs. but I guess the fish wised up.
The fee is $5 for vehicle, boat and one person and $1 for each other person.
Everything is nice and new.There are restroom facilities.
You can google search it.
It is a neat lake. It is also for swimming, skiing and duck hunting.
One downside to the physical plant is the parking lot is a walkuphill from the launch.
On a personal note, the watershed creating Lake Naconiche is partly from a historic spring on the previously used Boy Scout camp, Camp Tonkawa. This camp around Garrison was attended by most East Texas Boy Scouts of my part of this generation. I was on the staff of Camp Tonkawa during my high school summers. Camp Tonkawa was closed in 1964 and the East Texas Boy Scout Camp became Camp Pirtle on Lake Murvaul where it remains today. Today the property is Camp Tonkawa Springs RV Park.
We’ve got a month left of deer season. I have drawn a string which is another story I will finish or..
Till we put in again,
Michael
By: Michael Banks, DDS, Friends of the Neches River
