FISHING REPORT

Belton

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 83 degrees; 5.24 feet low. White bass are in small packs patrolling from 25-40 feet deep for shad. The most effective approach this week was to downrig 3-armed umbrella rigs with Pet Spoons about four feet off bottom while watching sonar to both find and catch fish. Once fish were found in solid numbers, we spot-locked the fish and worked the MAL Heavy Lures both vertically by smoking them, and horizontally with a sawtooth method, until they moved on. We then repeated this. Best times are sunrise through 10 a.m. Typical results were 60-90 fish per morning. Small topwater schools can add lots of bonus fish quickly if they show up. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Black bass and smallmouth bass have been good early on main lake points on topwaters and flukes. As the day progresses, slow down and work the drops and ledges with jigs and Carolina rigs. Occasionally you can pick a few fish up deep on crankbaits. Report by Cord Zahn, Belton tournament organizer. Crappie are good biting jigs and minnows in 25-40 feet of water suspended at 15-20 feet in the timber, and on brush piles anywhere from 18-25 feet of water.

Report by Zach Minnix, Jig N Jerk Guide Service.

Granger

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 76 degrees; 0.38 feet low. Black bass are good to five pounds on jigs fished around timber. Crappie are slow. White bass are good to 2.5 pounds on slab spoons fished over humps and road beds. Blue catfish are good on jug lines baited with Zote Soap. Yellow catfish are good on trotlines baited with perch.

Report by Tommy Tidwell, Tommy Tidwell’s Granger Lake Guide Service.

Somerville

FAIR. Stained; 98-103 degrees; 1.06 feet below. Crappie, bluegill, and catfish are good in Somerville Marina early morning and late evening. This pattern should persist throughout the summer. Black bass are good hitting jigs with plastics on rocky points, brush, and on drop-offs in 10-15 feet of water. Crappie are fair on main lake brush piles in 8-18 feet of water using minnows and various colored jigs. The bite is starting to slow with more undersized catches as the water temperature increases. Catfish are good early morning, then the bite slows as the day heats up. Catfish are biting on punch bait with a rod and reel, or jug lines with shad. White bass are good with larger fish showing up for summer. Hybrid bass are good schooling. Both fish hitting jigs bounced into schools or trolling with pet spoons, shad, and pencil minnows in 8-10 feet of water. Report by Weldon Kirk, Fish Tales Guide Service.