What's up with BL?

[Reefman]

First, I'm just an office fisherman; I fish BL from early spring to the end of June most years making an average of 8-10 trips per year (fishing BL for over 30 years). Without a doubt this has been my least productive year fishing BL. Started out with limits of nice fish in March and April.....then came May and now June with not many fish to filet. Most years (I keep a log) we would be tearing them up in the lake over the deeper reefs during the month of June. Most areas we have been fishing are holding just a few small dinks with an occasional decent fish.
Have the fish moved out the lake into the Gulf? Has the population of good fish been depleted? Seems there are plentiful bait fish, however, I have noticed not as many mullet schools as I use to see. I just find that BL is just not its normal self. Have any of you the same experience this year?

[Montauk17]

Not as many reports this year that's for sure. I have not fished bl in over a year.

[Duck Butter]

the wiers and the 15 fish limit, no one is catching fish
















































but seriously we had a good trip a couple weekends back despite boat problems, coulda shoulda woulda put a hurtin on em but thats life. Be back there next weekend for sure

[Clampy]

I think the pressure makes it tough if you fish on weekends. Boats running all over and stuff.

[Clampy]

I blame Kevin Ford

[ForkedIslandFabio]

that's not the case with me and my buddies.

[Clampy]

I remember back in early 2000s just crushing damn near every time we went. I still get on them now it just takes me half a day to find them maybe if I got to fish during the week it would be different . I use to be able to pull right up on em and you know there will always be that dude that catches a limit before 7 of his dock or at least claims.

[marshrunner757]

I blame the star tournament and cheap out of state license. Not bashing Texas fisherman at all but my god sometimes I wonder if I've ventured into Texas waters. They are taking over.

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[Jadams]

It's a cycle coming off 2-3 dry years w excellent fishing it's just a slow year...

[omsdubose]

we have been catching limits just about every trip, fished five times so for. just started fishing a few weeks ago. usually start in march.

[Clampy]

I buy more into the cycle theory than anything else but the increased pressure has a undeniable affect not Necessarily on number of fish ( IMO) just constant running all over and terrible fishing practices that make it harder for the weekend guy.

[Jadams]

Pressure definitely a factor catch way better mon theu thurs than fri sat and sun but fishing conditions have been horrible this yr either blowing too hard r slack tides days that have good tide and low winds everything is normal just been lil tough conditions

[Bdub]

Ive been doing pretty good when I can get out there early (on weekends), I notice the bite dies real quick when the boats pour in. Two weekends in a row I watch people run over spots where trout should be or where they were biting 15-30 minutes before. I'm still new/learning big lake but it doesn't take an expert to figure out some of the more simple problems such as that.

[Bdub]

Originally Posted by Clampy

I buy more into the cycle theory than anything else but the increased pressure has a undeniable affect not Necessarily on number of fish ( IMO) just constant running all over and terrible fishing practices that make it harder for the weekend guy.

Exactly, people run anywhere and everywhere...eventually the trout in the lake will go hang out somewhere deep and out of the way.

[Reefman]

Originally Posted by Jadams

Pressure definitely a factor catch way better mon theu thurs than fri sat and sun but fishing conditions have been horrible this yr either blowing too hard r slack tides days that have good tide and low winds everything is normal just been lil tough conditions

Coming from a professional fisherman I appreciate your input. If it gets real tough for guys like you imagine what its like for sports that get on the lake maybe 3-4 times a month. I try not to fish on windy days but ya gotta take 'em as they come. However, I have fished great days with no wind and moving tides and still struggled to find a few; not something I've experienced in the past. Just seems far more effort than ever to find a few.....Then again it could be my ol mojo done hit the road!

[Clampy]

Just seems far more effort than ever to find a few.....Then again it could be my ol mojo done hit the road![/QUOTE]

Man o man did I feel just like this last year. Worst year I ever had but I bounced back just had to rethink my approach.


" Don't Worry Don't be Afraid Ever because Its Just a Ride "

[bgizzle]

Best year of my life this yr. is! There was never an in between stage, fish just spread out. Gotta run n gun to fill da box. Never had to do that as much as this yr. jmo

[Ray]

When we had the drought, we had a lot clearer water also.
I do better in clearer water. And the bait was unreal way up in Lake Charles/Prien area.

[Jadams]

The lake is a month behind... 3 northerners in may delayed shrimp coming in shrimpers just started catching week half ago by now fish should be on reefs and birds should be done... Also the trout bite should be over behind the weirs and its still goin on.... Once shrimp makes it to the marsh all the fish will concentrate on reefs and channel bc that's where all the bait holds there's always a 2 week transition from bird fishing to reefs it's starting to happen now... The night boat just started limiting out on reefs past. 5 days ....the 25 or bust theory is dumb Sabine lake is same as big lake and the fish size isn't struggling neither is numbers ive made 7 trips over there this yr and limited out 6 out of 7 the difference is weirs... I think biggest factor is weirs restricting bait flow 2nd would be pressure and 3rd would be the 3 northerners in may that delayed shrimp coming in just my opinion but as far as too many fish in lake I'm not buying that every1 would be catching... I've talked to biologist and they said on there net surveys they haven't seen size decrease and agree that there is a cycle this spring was best big trout yr in a few years...

[Ray]

The net surveys show a lot of non shrimp bait.
The Brown Shrimp are small, but the White Shrimp are nice.
I keep my big boat next to the LDWF research boats.
Every time I see them, I ask to see their catches.