Fish Catching Travel
My brother Jeff, our friend Clyde from Arkansas, and I headed to Falcon for 4 days of fishing. Now the reports we had been reading were not promising by Falcon’s standards. In fact, some of the help I got prior to going from folks at the 2Cool and Austin Bass Fishing sites pretty much confirmed those reports. I would like to thank all of you who gave us a heads up, it helped us in our game plan. So with high hopes we checked in to Beacon Lodge, unloaded our stuff, and were in the water by 9:30 Wednesday.
What else can you say about Falcon. 8lbs. 5ozs.
My first view of Falcon, I have not been there in a while, put the 36 foot drop in perspective. It would definitely be like fishing a whole new lake, and it was. Now instead of giving you a blow by blow, day by day story, lets just get to the point. What on and how did we catch them?
First, we did not ever managed to catch more than 20 fish in one day. It averaged about 15 a day. But our good fish strike percentage was high, 20% of the fish we caught were good ones. Reviewing the notes on the better fish, and those would be the ones from 5 up on the scale, 2 came on a Strike King jig with a Rage Tail Craw in the watermelon red and black, 1 came on a pink fluke, 3 came on a small blue and silver Rapala Husky Jerk (more on that one later), and 6 came on crankbait. The best crankbait was a Strike King XD5 in the Gizzard Shad, but Jeff caught one of his good ones on a Rapala DT20 in a chartreuse color.
The jig fish were on heavy cover, and we just were tossing it in the mess. I think if we had stayed with the jig more we would still have caught good fish just fishing that. The lighter jig was clearly better and the Rage Craw helped it fall nice and slow. With my superior skill I did manage to lose one on the jig, and that does not happen all that often so it was obviously operator error. The crankbait was best used at a medium retrieve with the rod held down at the water’s edge. We caught a few sticking the rod in the water to get that little bit of extra depth. And the good run Jeff had on the jerk bait was with a jerk/jerk/ stop, jerk/stop retrieve. Those fish came in about 1 foot of water in the middle of the day with no wind and high sky, go figure. And we also caught a few on spinnerbait, but they were just fish.
We caught fish in the following places, in School Bus, in the bank just above it on the main lake where there are a series of points, the main lake stretch below School Bus a mile or two down lake where the bank was clear with good rock and gravel, and Pierce’s Cove on the left hand side from the point until about half way back on the left side. But the real jackpot where we took 2 over 6, 1 over 7, and 1 over 8 was the rocky points on the right on the main point at the mouth of the Arroyo Del Tigre.
So before I go on with how, how about a few pictures? As we go along these are close to the order we caught them over the 4 days. Of course we CPR’d everyone of them.
My first bite! Love that Rage Craw.
Shoedog’s first good one on a pink fluke.
Shoedog’s birthday 6’4″ on a crankbait.
Clyde gets with the program. A nice one on the Strike King XD5.
This one was 7’6″ and came on the same XD5 in the Gizzard Shad.
So how did we actually catch them, lets just take it by area. First, the 3 or 4 points above School bus on the main lake always gave up a couple of fish the 2 or 3 times we fished it. In fact, I caught my last good one the last hour of the trip. All of the fish there came on crankbait in 6 to 10 feet of water just cranking from the brush line to the deepest point our crankbait did not hit the bottom. The best place of course were the points, and though we caught fish in that area, only 1 made the good one list.
School Bus itself was an interesting story. It had a lot of traffic the first day, but after that not to bad. obviously deer season affected the pressure, and that week will probably become an annual trip for us. Of our good fish, several came in there. You could catch fish in there, but we never got a real pattern on which bait they preferred. And though we caught fish scattered in most of the front half of the cove, the best bank was the second point on the right. They were in the brush line in about 1 – 3 foot of water related to the wood. That is where I caught my first good one on a jig, where Clyde caught his beautiful one on the same jig, and just down from that point on the right Jeff caught one of his good ones on the pink Fluke. We caught a few on spinnerbait in there, but they were not much, though we did see a guy catch a big one on it.
Let me stop to make a couple of points. First, the best bite for big fish came in the middle of the day. In fact, though we managed a couple of the ones you see early or late, most came in the middle of the day. Second, it was definitely one of those “they were where they were”, and we fished plenty of places that were barren. Third, find some rock associated with a point near the mouth of about anything and there were some fish. And finally, if you caught a good fish it paid to either re-fish the spot, or stay on that place and fish it carefully and slow. Here is what can happen if found the right spot, and then threw the right bait, and had some patience. We just kept looking for rock, and most of the time it held at least one. You just had to stick with it.
Shoedog with fish number one off one place on the blue and silver Rapala Husky Jerk.
And he does it again.
And he finishes off his run on that bank. All these were caught on that jerk bait and weighed a total of 21lbs. 14 ounces on the digital scale. Not a bad three fish average and a heck of string on your birthday weekend. Congratulations!
Next was the area below School Bus on the main lake where the channel marker is closest to the bank where there are a series of points with rock on them. As you run down the main lake you can see the area where there is little standing timber with points and rock. That is the place. Let me say this right now, if the bottom had mud it just was not right. So if you see the ducks milling around an area, forget it. They were on soft bottom and you could save some time by not fishing it. We caught several there and I caught my biggest of the trip, 7’6″ on a XD5. Most of the fish on that crankbait came by cranking it down fast to hit bottom, and then slowing down just enough to tick the bottom. And one tip, be sure to bring a lure retriever. We only lost one crankbait and saved at least 10 with it, it is a valuable tool.
Next was Pierce’s Cove. The fish were on the points on the left going in until about half way back on the left. Clyde lost a big fish on a umbrella rig, the only real bite we had on one. We caught several on spinnerbait, and Jeff caught a 6’4″ on a crankbait. We never had a great run in there, but there were fish, and like all the places we have talked about, there seemed to be a good one in most places, we just never caught the “big one.” Oh well, when catching the size we were catching it is hard to complain.
And the last place we found them was the mouth of the Tiger. It was the afternoon of the third day when we stopped on the point going in on the right. There is a series of small rocky points with great deep water. As we headed down the bank we noticed occasional fish working right on the bank. Jeff pulled out the jerk bait, and of course we gave him some crap, and then he reeled off 3 fish that weighed 21′ 14″, shows what we know. They were right on the bank on the flat rocks right on those points. And to go along with it there were some really big crappie there chasing shad also. We just stayed way off and worked it over good. That afternoon the jerk bait was the way to go.
We refished it the next day and though it was not as hot for big fish, Jeff caught a 6′ 13″ on a crankbait, we did catch a lot more fish. But as it was our last day we started there, and the fishing got better as the day went along. And one word to the idiots in the white Triton that moved right in on us. You guys are clueless. Sitting right on top of those shallow small points not only had you literally right on top of those big fish, which was the reason you only caught one there, you messed us up. So you classless fools, if you see someone on a bank, do not move in on them and f’ it up for both us and you. This was clearly a case of I have a fancy bass boat and therefore I have the right of way in front of you because I am a big bad bass fisherman. We did not say anything, there is no fixing stupid.
Both times we fished it there were fish right on the bank chasing small 2″ shad. Jeff’s choice of the jerk bait was a wise one. And the 3 crappie we caught on it were not that bad either.
Jeff’s 6’13” on a DT20, cranking with his rod stuck in the water. This fish came out of 15 foot plus and was his last good one of the trip.
And the crappie on that bank weren’t bad either. Wanted you to see the size of the jerk bait. That is the same one he caught the 3 that went 21+ on the day before.
I had actually brought 3 spinning rods in case we wanted to crappie fish. And of course where were they? In the room. Here are a few more random pictures to finish off this report.
It really surprised us that Clyde’s best fish of the trip only weighed 5+. This was the best looking fish of the trip, and if she makes it this is the kind that will easily top 10 when she grows up. She came out of 1 foot of water in School Bus on a jig and frog.
Clyde with another good fish. I so wanted him to catch a “big one” but it was not to be. He just had to suffer with a few like this one. And there is that XD5 that worked so well for us.
This was my last bite of the trip. Nothing like starting and ending your trip with a good fish. He also came on the XD5. When I got him out of the net you could just see the very tip of the bill on that crankbait, this one literally ate it and was a great way to finish.
It is hard to really classify our trip. As you can see it really had it moments. There has been alot of chatter on the net on whether Falcon is in decline. Our trip did not really answer that question. The fishing was slow, but the average was great. Though we did not catch a monster, we were happy. Maybe it is not up to Falcon standards, but when you combine a 36 foot drop with heavy pressure it is sure to have an affect. And having guided on highland lakes that had that kind of fluctuations, I can tell you that it messes them up. Until Falcon has stabilized for a long period, combined with some real winter weather, it will be hard to tell. Of course if an area is promoted like Falcon is by those with a vested interest then they should not be surprised if it is affected. Put the best bass fisherman from all over this country on the lake and it is going to hurt. And who knows how many of those double digit fish have been removed to either be mounted, or god forbid, eaten.
But no matter what, Falcon is sure a great fishing hole. And for those of us not hot shot bass fisherman, catching nice fish like those above is a treat. So our results will have no affect on me. I plan on being back down there soon. And one thing we did not do, that I promise I will do before the water comes back up, is waypoint all the rock piles out of the water right now. If you are going to fish Falcon in the future there may never be a better time to mark your map and GPS. And if the water comes back up, you will have a gold mine of spots. Think about it.
So a good trip for Shoedog on his birthday weekend. He really toted the note down there, and he caught as many good ones as Clyde and I together. It was Clyde’s first trip, but it will not be his last.
We stayed at Beacon Lodge. I have made multiple trips to Falcon but had not stayed there. Beacon will be it from now on. If you have read my reports in the past you know I have not said where I stayed, and there is a reason for that. The other “resorts” I have stayed at on Falcon were in a word, dirty. Beacon was clean, the rooms got maid service everyday, and the ramp was great with plenty of parking. They were accommodating, and I would recommend them to anyone compared to those other places that shall remain nameless. It is ok to be old and worn, but there is no excuse for dirty. So if you head down that way check them out. Tell them fishcatchingtravel.com sent you.
http://www.beaconlodgezapata.com/
So combined with the POC report below you have our 5 day fishing trip with Clyde. A good time was had by all and it will not be Clyde’s last trip to Falcon with us. So whether Falcon is in decline, or just slow, it is still one great lake.
Thanks for reading my stuff.
Good Luck and Tight Lines.
