Hi Ya'll, Jason Barber here with the www.kingscreekadventures.com lake and fishing report for Cedar Creek Lake. The lake level is at 3.37' low and the water temps are in the mid to high 40's. The water clarity is slightly stained to very stained going south to north. Right now the Catfish and Sand bass/Hybrid striper bite is on!
Crappie are still in the winter pattern but with each string of warm days there are a few fish caught in shallower water from 4 to 10' so search accordingly. The last fish I caught were in 41' of water and near the bottom. Jigs and minnows will both work just fish slow and deliberately and you should find fish. Stay in water 30 to 50' and use your graph to locate fish near the bottom and try them.
Catfish are good on cut shad or rough fish drifted along the bottom in deep water on the southern half of the lake. Drift long stretches in 20 to 50' of water and within a couple of long drifts you should get bit. Put your lines out and cover lots of water with a fresh bait every 30 minutes for best results. Use heavy tackle because the likelyhood of catching large fish is good this time of year. The other method that works is the extreme opposite. Go north and fish points, tree lines, and flats in 2 to 10' of water, anchor on most areas and fish for twenty to thirty minutes and move on if no fish bite. You can drift some of the open areas and do well on certain days.
Sandies and Hybrids are deep, use plastic shad immitations on a jig head or small swimbaits in 25 to 50' of water on the lower end of the lake. use as light of a weight as possible but use enough weight to fish effectively according to the wind and tackle you have. Try holding your bait 5 to 10' off the bottom, moving it as little as possible for best results. A number of colors will work, presentation is everything with this pattern you just have to fish extremely slow. Baits from crappie sized jigs to 5' flukes will work, just look for fish on your graph and you should do well. Drifting along is good when there is little wind but anchoring is best if it's windy. Feel free to move around to stay warm, any noise you make in the boat will really attract these schooling fish so make some noise by tapping and bumping the boat. I know this goes against everything we've been taught, but try it and the fish will come to you... "THIS WORKS"!
Largemouth are scattered right now, you can catch fish in 20' of water on brushpiles and you can catch fish on docks with as little as 2' of water on them you just have to fish slow and not expect alot of bites. Jigs, plastics, rat-l-traps and spinnerbaits will all work on different days, just experiment until you catch a fish and go from there. Rocks are holding fish as well so give the dams and bridges a shot and you will be close to the fish there.
Thanks as always for reading my report and feel free to give me a call. I reccomend setting up a day to fish with me right away. The fishing is really good right now and it will change up in the next 30 days for sure. If you want in on this great winter fishing I want your business!
Jason Barber... 903-603-2047 or 903-887-7896