The weekly fishing report as compiled for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for Oct. 21 and also available on the internet at https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/recreational/fishreport.phtml:

NORTHEAST

ATHENS: GOOD. Water lightly stained; 71 degrees; 0.20’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on shad colored crankbaits, bladed spinners, and Texas-rigged plastic worms working the drop-offs, brush piles, and flooded timber. Crappie are good with minnows in standing timber and boat docks. Catfish are good on prepared bait and cut bait. Sunfish are good on cutworms and crickets.

BOB SANDLIN: GOOD. Water clear; 71 degrees; 0.72’ low. Black bass are good on swimbaits, crankbaits, and long Texas-rigged plastic worms in 18-28’ near humps, pond dams, and boat docks with some bass in 3-7’ early with topwater and plastic frogs. Crappie are good on minnows and shad colored jigs in brush piles, bridges in 15-25’. Catfish are good on cut bait and punch bait in 12-25’ near baited holes.

CADDO: GOOD. Water lightly stained; 72 degrees; 0.35’ high. Largemouth bass are good in shallow water near grass beds and weed lines working, chatter baits, and skirted jigs in 3-5’. Texas-rigged plastic worms and crankbaits are productive in deeper water near timber and vegetation lines. Crappie are good on minnows near brush piles and timber edges. White bass are fair on swimbaits and slabs in the main lake. Chain pickerel are slow. Catfish are good on prepared bait and nightcrawlers in 12-20’ fishing baited holes near channels and timber edges.

CEDAR CREEK: EXCELLENT. Water lightly stained; 71 degrees; 0.60’ low. Largemouth bass are good working topwater plugs and jerk baits early on creek ledges, main lake points, and near boat docks and retainer walls. Shaky heads, jigs, and crankbaits fished near boat docks, brush piles, and timber are productive later in the day. Hybrids and sand bass are off main lake points and humps with slabs, swimbaits, and live bait. Crappie are excellent with jigs and minnows in brush piles, boat docks, and bridges in 15-28’. Catfish are excellent in 12-25’ with punch bait and cut bait.

FORK: FAIR. Water lightly stained; 71 degrees; 1.98’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on shaky heads, crankbaits, and skirted jigs near heavy timber, roadbeds, brushy points, and rocky shorelines. White and yellow bass are fair in deeper water with slabs and jigging spoons. Crappie are fair on minnows in 18-25’ in brush piles and standing timber near creek ledges or drop-offs. Catfish are good on punch bait in 12-24’.

JACKSONVILLE: GOOD. Water clear; 73 degrees; 0.17’ low. Largemouth bass are good with purple or dark blue finesse worms, white spinners, and medium-sized crankbaits near docks, rip-rap, brush and brush piles. Crappie are good on minnows and gray jigs in 14-25’ around submerged structure and brush piles. Catfish are good on cut shad, earthworms, and punch bait.

LAKE O’ THE PINES: GOOD. Water stained; 71 degrees; 0.15’ high. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged plastic worms, jigs, and crankbaits in 8-24’. Crappie are good on minnows in the standing timber areas along the creek channel, bridges, and brush piles in 15-28’’. Catfish are good with cut bait or punch bait.

LAVON: GOOD. Water lightly stained; 73 degrees; 1.67’ low. Crappie are excellent on minnows or minnow-tipped jigs fishing 12-24’ over brush piles and bridges. White bass are excellent in the 20-30’ bouncing slabs and heavy spoons. Look for birds diving over feeding schools of white bass. Black bass are good on cranks, wacky worms, and jerk baits in 12-24’. Catfish are good on punch bait in 14-25’.

MARTIN CREEK: FAIR. Water lightly stained; 72 degrees; 2.14’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on spinners, jerk baits, and wacky worms in 8-18’. Crappie are fair on minnows in 12-28’ in timber and brush piles. Catfish are good on punch bait in 12-25’.

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PALESTINE: GOOD. Water clear; 73 degrees; 0.28’ low. Largemouth bass are good working Texas-rigged worms, shaky heads, and small crankbaits near boat docks, drop-offs, and rocks. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs around bridges and timber in 15-25’. Hybrid stripers are good on live bait, A-rigs, and swimbaits. White bass are good on slabs and jigging spoons. Look for birds diving over feeding schools. Catfish are good on punch bait, chicken liver, and cut bait.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: GOOD. Water lightly stained; 69-74 degrees; 0.85’ low. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits, jigs, and Texas-rigged worms fishing near boat docks, points, creeks, and drop-offs. White bass and hybrids are good on slabs and jigging spoons or deeper near main lake points, flats, and humps. Crappie are good on minnows or downsized jigs on bridge pilings, timber, and in brush piles. Catfish are excellent on cut bait and live perch. Bream are good on live crickets or worms near boat docks, brush, and rocky shorelines.

SULPHUR SPRINGS: GOOD. Water lightly stained; 73 degrees; 3.02’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged plastic worms and crankbaits near brush piles, drop-offs, and fallen timber. Crappie are fair on minnows in 18-28’ near brush piles and standing timber. Catfish are good on cut shad and prepared bait in 10-20’.

TAWAKONI: EXCELLENT. Water lightly stained; 71-74 degrees; 1.57 low. Catfish are excellent on live bait and cut bait. Largemouth bass are good on medium-sized crankbaits, June bug or watermelon colored plastic worms, bladed jigs, and swimbaits. White bass and hybrid stripers are excellent on live bait and slabs, with some fish schooling on the surface. Use sonar to locate fish in deeper water near ridges, flats and humps in the main lake. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs around brush piles, docks, and bridge pilings.

TEXOMA: GOOD. Water lightly stained; 73 degrees; 3.47’ low. Striped bass and white bass are good on live shad, swimbaits, and slabs. Diving birds are marking feeding schools feeding on the surface throughout the lake. Largemouth bass are fair fishing Texas-rigged plastic worms, jigs, and diving crankbaits in 16-28’ with some fish moving into shallow water in the 3-10’ range. Crappie are fair on minnows near boathouses, timber and brush piles in 15-25’. Catfish are excellent on cut bait and punch bait.

TYLER: GOOD. Water clear; 73 degrees; 0.25’ low. Black bass are good on plum, or cranberry Texas-rigged plastic worms skirted football jigs and shad like crankbaits fishing docks, timber, and creek mouths. Crappie are good on minnows and grey jigs in brush piles, structure, and timber in 18-25’. Catfish are good on punch bait and cut bait. White bass are good in 18-30’ on jigging spoons, swimbaits, and slabs.

SOUTHEAST

HOUSTON COUNTY: FAIR. Water stained; 72 degrees; 0.21’ low. Black bass are good moving to some soft points and continuing on vegetation with weighted worms and crankbait. Crappie are good on piers with increases at night. Bream and bluegill are good using live worms and power bait pellets. Catfish are good on shad, prepped dough balls.

SAM RAYBURN: GOOD. Water stained; 73 degrees; 3.71’ low. Largemouth bass continue to be good with consistent locations in creeks, timber, and brush working topwater, spinners, and worms. White bass are fair working points and mid-depth brush below 25’. Crappie are good on jigs in natural and unnatural structures. Catfish are good on live and stinkbait.

TOLEDO BEND: FAIR. Water stained; 69-72 degrees; 3.96’ low. Black bass are good as oxygen turnover has loosened and is leading to some shallower fish but typically still below 10’. Topwater can be successful on vegetation edges with jigging spoons, worms with a weighted leader, and crankbait. White bass are fair fishing brush piles near 22’. Crappie are excellent, suspended over brush close to 10-12’. Bream are good with small jigs and crickets. Channel and blue catfish are fair on stinkbait.

TWITTER: @PhilHicksETFS

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