Honey Hole Fishing Report  Lake Livingston Nov, Dec.

  Well if you are not a hunter the months of November and December are a good time to be on the lake. Most of the Texas lakes are bare of boat traffic at this time of year and the fishing can be excellent. The fish should be start feeding heavily as the water temperatures drop and the fish prepare for the winter. Most of the shad will be in the back of the creeks and pockets in November and when you find the pods of shad you will find your fish.  Last year during this time we had a lot of rain and to find biting fish you had to find the clearer water. Generally you can find the clearer water in the pockets off the main lake or in some of the main creeks that aren’t subject to a lot of run off. Some areas that maintain good watercolor are parts of White Rock Creek, Palmetto Creek and the Penwaugh area. 

 Start your search in the morning with a Leverage Buzzbait or spinnerbait. The watercolor will dictate which color to use. The Leverage baits have the hook attached to a flexible cable, which is set back farther than most baits. This helps eliminate thrown baits and the need for a trailer hook. My favorite color buzzbait to throw is the black neon in a 3/8^th ounce size. Crankbaits will also work well at this time of year and a Firetiger color would be my number one choice. I have started using Storms new Midwart. This bait has a wide wobble and heavy knocking sound that is different than most baits I have thrown. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits are good for producing reaction strikes when the fish are inactive. 

 When soft plastics are your go to bait when the bite gets slow, or the fish are not feeding aggressively try a Sweebo Worm rigged Wacky style with a nail in the head or the new Gambler Ace rigged weightless on a 3/0 Daiichi Bleeding Bait Wacky Hook. Don’t set the hook when fishing these circle style hooks just start reeling when a fish bites it. The hook will set itself. Try these baits in a Green Pumpkin Candy or June bug colors. Throw these baits out and let them sink until your line goes slack then twitch them a couple times and watch for your line to jump or start moving off.

  As we move into the latter part of November and into December you are going to have to slow way down and try coaxing the fish to bite with tubes or jigs and pork. The fish will get really lethargic and reluctant to chase bait. I have actually seen fish suspended in the water as if they were stunned the water has been so cold. Tubes or a jig and pork offer the fish a larger profile bait, which they will prefer to smaller baits at this time the logic being one large meal is easier to get than several small ones. I like to use black and blue and black and chartreuse jigs with rattles on them along with a matching pork trailer. I will rinse a few pork trailers in water the night before and place them in a baggie. Then I will spray a Bang Combo scent in the baggie and let it soak overnight. The scent will leave a trail for the fish to follow and once they pick up the bait they will hold it longer. 

 If you prefer a tube try a 4” Gambler tube in June bug, Black Neon Chartreuse or Black & Blue. I rig these tubes with a 4/0 Daiichi Bleeding Bait Fat Gap Hook and a 1/8 to ¼ ounce Pro Rattlin Worm Weight. Spray all your baits both hard and soft with a Bang Garlic or Combo Scent. With all the new products out there I try to use everything I can within reason to get the advantage over the fish and other fishermen. On the business end of my baits I prefer to use Castaway Rods and Daiwa Reels. Until next year Merry Christmas and buckle that life jacket!!