Tailrace Action Remains Steady.

Back to Denison Dam this morning. More small Stripers but did manage two that went about 16". All were caught on Shad. Another fun but hot and tiring day! FYI: Game Warden checked our cooler as we were leaving. We were good but heard others did not fare so well. Fishermen beware and follow the regulations. Click-on COAF Fishing Leader Board to checkout top fish caught this year by our readers.

4 Bass and a Bluegill

Fished Bethany Lakes this morning, and caught 4 Bass and a Bluegill. Bass were small with one fingerling that attacked the fishing fly. All were caught on an Olive Wooley Bugger fished with short pulls on the retrieve. Did hit Lake Lavon the day before for Shad. Caught enough for a trip to the Tailrace. May make a run this weekend for another go at the Stripers.

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

Morning Bite at Denison Dam - One 20.5"

Fished the morning bite a Denison Dam this morning. Mostly small Stripers to keep things interesting but did manage to land one that went 20.5". All were caught on Shad. We did see others fishing live Perch racking up some nice stringers of 18"+ Stripers. Stuck it out till the early afternoon and managed to catch a few on Cork and Jig Rigs using 3" Wildeyes for the jig. Fun but hot and tiring day! Click-on COAF Fishing Leader Board to checkout top fish caught this year by our readers.

One on a Damsel Fly.

Fished Bethany Lakes this morning. Tried the Upper Pond and the Canal without success. Got a couple of strikes in the Main Pond but was unable to set the hook fast enough. Managed to catch one Bass that went about 12" in size. Caught him on an Olive Damsel Fly. Click-on COAF Fishing Leader Board to checkout top fish caught this year by our readers.

Highland Park Shad.

Stopped by Highland Park @ Lake Lavon for Shad. Caught a few by the boat ramp. Good to go for a trip to Denison Dam Tailrace later this week.



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

Another Go at Denison Dam.

Decided to hit Denison Dam again this morning. Spent yesterday afternoon catching Shad at Highland Park on Lake Lavon. Was tough going with "onesite, twosies" but caught enough for a trip to the Tailrace. A few rainshowers on the way, else it was dry at the Tailrace. Steady action on small Stripers like we had Friday evening. Also, caught a few small Catfish. Fished with Shad under a float and on the bottom. Caught fish using both techniques but noted the larger fish tended to strike on the bottom-rig. Observed others having similar results and a few working on some nice stringers when we left. Not a bad morning. Do bring SHAD for bait!

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

Denison Dam Stripers - Small but Steady Action.

Fished Denison Dam Friday evening. Steady action on small Stripers with 40+ caught and released. Size ranged from 12" to 14" and were caught on Cut Bait - Shad. Did try a Cork and Jig Rig with similar results - small Stripers. Also, others using Ghost Minnows were getting hits as well. Click-on COAF Fishing Leader Board to checkout top fish caught this year by our readers.

Denison Dam - July 18 PM to July 19 AM

Decided to hit Denison Dam hard this weekend. Arrived around 10PM, July 18 and departed the following morning. Started the trip fishing the Texas Wall, struck out but did observe others having consistent action on Striped Bass, small Catfish, and in once instance, a large Catfish that went well over 3 feet in length. Moved downriver around 2AM, July 19. Partner and I caught three small Stripers using Bombers and had steady strikes but no hookups using live Perch. Although the fishing action was slow for us, others enjoyed steady action and nice stringers. Kept fishing in hopes the action would pickup. It finally did at sunrise! Had a blast catching small 12" to 14" Striped Bass on a modified cork and jig setup. Bite lasted about 40" but did make up for the slow action earlier. Click-on COAF Fishing Leader Board to checkout top fish caught this year by our readers.

Fishing With Bread

Posted another HubPages article, Fishing with Bread, that may be of interest to our readers. Relates to catching Catfish using bread for bait in community lakes and ponds. Check it out some time!

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

Bethany Ridge Park - July 17, 2009

Fished Bethany Ridge Park and caught a couple Bluegill flyfishing. Also, fished for Catfish using Bread for bait, had a few strikes but no hookups. FYI: Checkout our article - "Denison Dam's Tailrace Fishing - Top Lures and Baits for Striped Bass"!

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

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.