Denison Dam's Tailrace Fishing: Top Lures and Baits for Striped Bass

Between November 2007 and mid-July 2009 we collected data from area fishermen, our Field Team's fishing reports, and onsite observations when fishing for Striped Bass at Denison Dam.

Preliminary analysis of the data showed interesting trends in lures and baits. And, despite the limited data, we considered the results warrant a follow-on effort to validate the findings.

Subsequently, we offer our readers an opportunity to rate the lures and baits listed in our article - "Denison Dam's Tailrace Fishing: Top Lures and Baits for Striped Bass Fishing".

In doing so, we hope our readers' feedback will serve to validate the findings and ultimately help others enjoy success when fishing the tailrace.

Good Luck and Good Fishing!

Denison Dam Tailrace

Checked out Denison Dam Tailrace this evening in hopes of Striped Bass. Good news - limits were being taken. Bad news - no one from our team caught anything. Tried Live Perch, Rattletraps, Pencil Poppers, and Jigs. Those that were into fish were taking them on Pencil Poppers, Rattletraps, Bombers, and Live Perch. Key to success was the right lure/bait in the right location!

Click-on COAF Bulletin Board to post comments about fishing in the area.
Click-on Surfcasting Without Surf to checkout a new article created by the Field Team.
Click-on COAF Fishing Leader Board to checkout top fish caught this year by our readers.

Texas Rainbow Trout Fishing Article

FYI: The Field Team posted a new article, Texas Rainbow Trout Fishing - Top 5 Lures and Baits for Community Lakes. We understand the weather is hot and the Winter Trout Stocking is a long way off but our thoughts are to write about colder weather fishing to help us beat the heat. Check it out when you get a chance!


Click-on COAF Bulletin Board to post comments about fishing in the area.
Click-on COAF Fishing Leader Board to checkout top fish caught this year by our readers.

Bratonia Park @ Lake Lavon

Checked out Bratonia Park at Lake Lavon. Caught a few Shad, Ghost Minnows, and Perch. Then, juglined for Catfish. No luck but had several strikes. Just could not hook-up; need to sharpen the hooks better next time. Click-on COAF Fishing Leader Board to checkout top fish caught this year by our readers.

July 6, 2009 - Plano East High School Pond

Fished the pond at Plano East High School. Been interested in fishing it, just have not been able to do so until this afternoon. Managed to catch a 12" Bass flyfishing an Olive Wooley Bugger!

Also, posted the Hubpage article about making a Tennis Ball Fishing Float. May be useful for some Surfcasters looking to cast for distance!

Click-on COAF Fishing Leader Board to checkout top fish caught this year by our readers.

Celebration Park - East Pond: 20" Catfish and others!

Checked out Celebration Park's East Pond for Catfish. Used Bread for bait and light spinning gear. Caught 12 Catfish. One of which went 20" in size. Submitted the picture to the COAF Fishing Leader Board. Believe it meets the 15" minimum for Catfish. Click-on COAF Bulletin Board to post comments about fishing in the area. Click-on Surfcasting Without Surf to checkout a new article created by the Field Team. Click-on COAF Fishing Leader Board to checkout top fish caught this year by our readers.

Juglining at Lake Lavon and FYI: COAF Fishing Leader Board

Juglining at Lake Lavon: Caught a few Shad at Highland Park, and then took the Jon Boat out for some juglining. Unfortunately, Catfish were not cooperating. Did manage to hook into a Gar. For your information: We started a COAF Fishing Leader Board for 2009. It is a partner website that invites our readers to post pictures of fish caught in the community lakes and ponds in the cities of Allen, Plano, Frisco, and Mckinney. It intends to post the top 3 Bass, Catfish, and Bluegill/Sunfish caught by area fishermen in 2009. Criteria for submitting a fish are noted in the website. As a general rule, once the top 3 fish of a category are posted, they will remain on the list until another fish "bumps" one from the list. Also, the top 3 fish are determined by length only and submittal of a fish are based on the honor system. There are no prizes for being in the top 3 but feel free to enjoy the bragging rights! Good Luck and Good Fishing! Click-on COAF Bulletin Board to post comments about fishing in the area. Click-on Surfcasting Without Surf to checkout a new article created by the Field Team. Click-on COAF Fishing Leader Board to checkout top fish caught this year by our readers.

Bethany Lakes - July 4, 2009

Fished Bethany Lakes this morning. Tough go with no success in the Upper Pond (horseshoe shaped pond), Main Pond, Canal, and Waterfall. Did get a few strikes in the Back Pond and noticed some Bass in the shallows. Stopped by the Feeder Creek and caught Sunfish/Bluegill flyfishing a nymph. Click-on COAF Bulletin Board to post comments about fishing in the area. Click-on Surfcasting Without Surf to checkout a new article created by the Field Team.

Back to Lake Lavon

Went back to Lake Lavon to checkout some of the fishing areas we visited over the past few weeks. Noticed a lot of parking areas roped off this trip. Not sure why other than it is the 4th of July Weekend. Two places we stopped at were Brockdale Park and Highland Park. Brockdale was a bust but did allow us to test out a "Tennis Ball Fishing Float" - fishing float made from a tennis ball. Will write an article on how to make one and provide a link. Highland Park was good for Shad, else it was slow fishing and hot temperatures. May have to move away from the bank and use the jon boat or kayak. Click-on COAF Bulletin Board to post comments about fishing in the area. Click-on Surfcasting Without Surf to checkout a new article created by the Field Team.

A Few Shad at Highland Park

Stopped by Highland Park @ Lake Lavon; caught a few Shad by the boat ramp. Others were fishing but the bite was slow.

Click-on COAF Bulletin Board to post comments about fishing in the area.
Click-on Surfcasting Without Surf to checkout a new article created by the Field Team.

Slight Delay In Posting.

Having a slight delay in posting fishing reports. A lot of excuses but bottom-line, my fishing line is dry.  Do have some suggested reading for those that are interested.

 

Posted by one of our Field Team members in yesterday's Mobile Blog Feed is a HubPage article, "Fishing Denison Dam's Tailrace".  It has some useful information on fishing the tailrace.  It also has a supplementary article, "Fisherman's View of Denison Dam's Tailrace", that has embedded maps that support the HubPage article.

 

May be worth a read.

Hot Day and No Play!

Was a hot day! More important, was unable to hit the area lakes and ponds this weekend.  Did finish up a HubPage article, "Fishing Denison Dam's Tailrace".  Check it out when you get a chance. May be of interest to some of our readers.

 

Have heard a few reports from the Field Team that fishing in the area remains good.  Just plan to follow  the summer pattern of early morning and late evening fishing trips.

Highland Park @ Lake Lavon

Stopped by Highland Park this evening hoping to catch some Shad. Caught a few but not near the numbers as were caught yesterday. Also, caught and released some fingerling yellow(?) or white(?) bass.



Click-on COAF Bulletin Board to post comments about fishing in the area.
Click-on Surfcasting Without Surf to checkout a new article created by the Field Team.

Highland Park @ Lake Lavon

Fished the boat ramp at Highland Park. Caught a fingerling Catfish, a small Yellow Bass, and a Gaspergou. All were caught using Surfcasting gear and Nightcrawlers for bait. Saw others catching Gaspergou (Freshwater Drum) on Shad. Also, Shad were in the area and within cast net range of the boat ramp.

Click-on COAF Bulletin Board to post comments about fishing in the area. Click-on Surfcasting Without Surf to checkout a new article created by the Field Team.

Celebration Park - June 21, 2009

Stopped by the East Pond at Celebration Park this evening. Fished a Popper without success. Did have a lot of small Bluegill striking the Popper but no hook-ups.

Also, noticed Catfish were swirling on the surface at Bread someone had fed to the Ducks. Should have brought Bread but had opted to stick with a Popper.

FYI: The Field Team has started a bulletin board and posted an article for our readers. Feel free to check them out when you get a chance. See links below.

Click-on COAF Bulletin Board to post comments about fishing in the area.
Click-on Surfcasting Without Surf to checkout a new article created by the Field Team.

Lake Lavon - June 20, 2009

Took the opportunity to scout out a few areas around Lake Lavon this morning. Checked out the Bridge off of FM3286, Highland Park, and Brockdale Park. Overall fishing seemed slow but did notice some action by Highland Park - Shad by the Boat Ramp and a Gaspergou (Drum) caught on a Nightcrawler. Click-on COAF Bulletin Board to post comments about fishing in the area.

Back to Brockdale Park for more Surfcasting

Back to Brockdale Park for another go at White Bass with Surfcasting Gear. Unfortunately, fish were not cooperating. Not a strike. That said, did not see any schools boiling on the surface like on the other trips. Regardless, was able to get some practice casting for distance!






Click-on COAF Bulletin Board to post comments about fishing in the area.

Bethany Lakes - June 19, 2009

Had a go at Bethany Lakes this afternoon. Started out at the Back Pond without a strike. Opted to cast a few fishing flies in the Feeder Creek and hooked 6 Sunfish. All were caught on a Yellow Foam Rubber Spider Variant. See picture below. FYI: Started a bulletin board for our readers to post comments about fishing in the area. Feel free to comment. Click-on COAF Bulletin Board to post comments about fishing in the area.

Archgate Park in Plano

Stopped by Archgate Park in Plano this evening. Caught a Bluegill on a Bubble and Popper Rig. Hooked but lost a Bass while landing near shore. Switched to a Roadrunner without success. Promising location but fishing from the bank is challenging as the brush is much higher since our last visit. Click-on DFW Fishing News for more fishing information in the Metroplex area.

Surfcasting for White Bass

Back to Brockdale Park at Lake Lavon this evening. Hit the point with Surfcasting Gear again and managed to hook 5 White Bass. One was a keeper, the rest were too small. Regardless, released them for another day. Click-on DFW Fishing News for more fishing information in the Metroplex area. Or, go to Texas Rainbow Trout Fishing - Community Lakes for trout fishing information on community lakes in the area.