YOUR LAKE TEXOMA FISHING GUIDE

Only seven lakes in the United States have naturally reproducing striped bass, and this is one of them. The treasured man-made reservoir is fed by the Red River and the Washita River and known for once in a lifetime and, more importantly, affordable striper fishing trips! The large schools of shad, sandy shores, and excellent spawning rivers allow for this fish to reach an average size of 10 to 20 pounds.

If you're with the little ones and would love to fill your cooler with some tasting eating, then a half-day crappie fishing is the perfect family fishing trip!

Another everyday local favorite is to cast your line with a fishing charter along the shores of the Washita River arm or the Denison Dam for some Largemouth Bass or Smallmouth Bass.

The first and most important thing to know before you book your trip is that Texas and Oklahoma share this lake, so if your fishing trip is on a boat, then you'll need to obtain a Lake Texoma Fishing License. These can be purchased at a low price of just $12 at your local Walmart, online, or nearby marina. If you're fishing from those shorelines of Texas or Oklahoma, then you will only need a license for the state your casting from.

• If you catch a Smallmouth Bass or Largemouth Bass, it will need to meet a minimum length of 14 inches for you to place it in a live well or cooler. White Bass or often called "Sand Bass" have a daily bag limit of 25 fish per angler, and this fish species don't have a minimum length requirement.
• If you want to enjoy the world-class fishing experience of Striper fishing on Lake Texoma, then you will need to know there is not a minimum length for hybrid striped bass or striped bass. However, there is a limit of 2 kept over 20 inches per day. Culling of this fish is strictly not allowed.
• Blue catfish and Channel Catfish must be at least 12 inches in length, and the daily limit per angler is 15 fish kept. If you want to catch a trophy on Lake Texoma, you can keep one blue catfish 30 inches or greater. Flathead catfish have a minimum length of 20 inches and a daily bag limit of five.

If you're wanting to catch Stripers on Lake Texoma, the time of year you're wanting to catch fish will affect how you land a big fish.

Live bait is beneficial during the late summer months of July through September. Silver spoons and topwater lures, such as plugs, will drive them crazy and into your boat during this time too. As the fall turns to winter, try fishing with one of our striped bass lure favorites, swimbait, for some fast striper action. When the weather starts to get really cold, your Texoma fishing guide or captain could introduce you to the dead sticking technique.

Deadsticking is a prolonged presentation of a soft plastic lure to the slower moving fish in cold water. You will cast your texas rigged lure to the best fishing spot and let it settle to the bottom, then just let it rest, and fish will come back in and take a bite!

During summer and the warm nights, book a Lake Texoma guided fishing trip for trophy-sized catfish. Try using cut-up baitfish tied to your hook. Other popular catfishing methods include juglines and trotlines.

The Lake Texoma fishing reports for white bass tell us that fishing with a silver spoon during the spring will give you a fast action affordable fishing trip perfect for the whole family.

The best time of year to make your friends envy your catch is between January and May. Why those months? Well, look at the fishing records for this lake, and that will tell you all you need to know. The record striped bass weighed in at 35.12 pounds and was caught in April, the blue catfish weighed in at an impressive 121.50 pounds and was brought to the angler's boat in January.

If the late winter and early spring aren't the best options for you and your fishing buddies, bring plenty of cold drinks, sunscreen, and sunglasses and set out for the dam in June. After you get back with a cooler full of striped bass and sand bass, head to the Kingston Bass Festival for sights, sounds, and food from the local area.