All posts by admin101

Lake Livingston Fishing Report for 4/22/2019

Lake level at the dam is 132.5 with a discharge of 27,000 cfs.

Lake level at Riverside is 133.5′.

Blue cats have been the main attraction this past week with the water rising again. I tried Crappie early a couple mornings but quickly change over to chasing Blue Cats.  The bite has been steady near the cuts in the river channel near Riverside. This past Friday and Saturday were the slowest days following the cold front along with north wind and rising barometric pressure.  The Blue Cat bite should remain good for the next several days as the river is expected to drop slowly.

Much of Lake Livingston remains off-color. Usually by late April and early May I am boat loading Whites off mid Lake humps. Right now I don’t see that happening.

Lake Livingston is 450 miles of shoreline and over 90,000 acres of surface water.

Good luck fishing!
Dave Cox
Palmetto Guide Service
Lake Livingston

Lake Livingston Fishing Report 4/8/2019

Good fishing for all species  this past week on Livingston. I really get excited this time of year as weather patterns become more stable and water temperatures remain over 65′. The biggest concern affecting patterns on the north end of the lake is run-off from spring rains.

Lake level at Riverside today is 130.7 and 131.2 at the dam with a release of 7,000 cfs.

White bass fair up the creeks with lots of males being caught with some big females still being caught. Whites are being caught on mid-lake humps when the wind lays.

Several nice black bass were caught and released in Thomas lake on Berkly Blue Power worms.

Blue Cats are moving shallow now providing great action early mornings on fresh shad.

Trotlining has been good in the river channel.  Jug lining good in Bethy, Harmon and Kickapoo creeks.

Steady action for Crappie on minnows an jigs fished

4-6′ in brush and boat houses on northern lake creeks.

Lake Livingston consist of over 90,000 acres of surface water and 450 miles of shore line.

Good luck fishing!
Dave Cox

Lake Livingston Fishing Report 4/1/19

This roller coaster weather!
In recent weeks the weather continues to make fishing challenging.  I can’t believe it’s 38′ this morning at Palmetto Lodge.
Lake level at Riverside is 130.8 and muddy. Lake level at the dam is 131.2′ with a discharge of 8000cfs and clear.

We had some good fishing this past week with South wind and falling barometric pressure until late Saturday when the front hit.

White bass are scattered everywhere! Lots of small fish caught in upper lake creeks along with occasional big females still  with eggs.

Crappie were good with most fish being caught from 4 to 6 feet off the ends of laydowns on minnows.  Best bite seemed to be late evening. Bethy, Harmon and White Rock Creek areas were good before the front.

Blue cats have been good on jug lines baited with fresh shad in Bethy and Harmon creeks.

Black bass have been good in clear water pockets off Northern creeks on spinnerbaits and June bug colored Baby Brush hogs.
Good luck fishing and see you on the water!

Dave

Lake Livingston Fishing Report for 3/25/19

Lake level at the dam is 131.44 with a discharge of 16,000cfs. Lake level at Riverside is 131.2 and dropping. Water temp. 65 to 68′.
With recent warming trend and south wind, fishing improved around the lake for all species.
White Bass are at the peak of the spawn with females. They are heavy with eggs and being caught in the upper reaches of northern creeks including White Rock, Harmon, Nelson and Bedias. Road runners, Tsunami Cocktails, Rat-L-Traps and Blue Fox are the best baits fished slow off sand bars.
Crappie was good in same creeks on minnows and crappie jigs fished from 6″ on the banks to 4′.
Black Bass was slow but the water looked great in Bethy and Carolina Creeks and Thomas Lake.
Catfishing slowed in the flats but was better on trot-lines near the river channel mid-lake. Shad have been hard to find but they are now starting to run the bulk heads at first light.
Good luck out on the water!
Dave

Lake Livingston Fishing Report for 3/19/19

Recent fishing for Team Palmetto has been very disappointing.  Expectations have been high, however the bite for all species has been slow. The best trip was this past Tuesday but then the fish took to having lock jaw. This time of year can be feast or famine. North wind, high pressure, ambiant air temps in the 40’s and 50’s. Lake level today is 131.8 at the Dam with a release of 18,000cfs.
Level at Riverside is 132.2 and rising and muddy. Water is backing up the northern creeks.Fishing will improve with warming temps and a south wind.

Lake Livingston Fishing Report 2/25/19

Lake level at the dam is 131.4′ with a discharge of 11,000 cfs. Lake level at Riverside is 131.8.

The lake is on a slow rise following recent local rains and new water coming down from Dallas area.

Overall fishing slowed the past few days for all species. Upper lake creeks turned off color. The river at Riverside is off color.

White Bass fishing slowed in Harmon and White Rock creeks.  The slow rise should send the Whites far up the creeks to spawn in the next week or so.

Some nice Black Bass were caught in Carolina and Newton creeks on crawlfish crank baits and jigs worked around boat houses.

Before the front Crappie were shallow on the banks.

Blue cats good on trot lines baited with shad in the River.  Jug line fishing good in Bethy and Carolina creeks.

Good luck fishing.

Dave

www.palmettoguideservice.com

Lake Livingston Fishing Report 2/17/2019

Lake Livingston lake level at the dam is 131.4 with a discharge of 8000 cfs.

Level at Riverside 131.2

Water temperature in upper lake creeks is 55 to 58′.

Overall fishing slowed following the recent cold snap.  River channel near Riverside remains off color. Mid lake and lower lake clearing.

Lots of small White Bass in upper lake creeks biting green jigs and 1/4 oz. Tsunami Cocktails near sand bars.  Larger males and a few big females caught in deeper holes 6 to 10′ on trolled 1/4 oz white twister tail jigs.

Before the cold snap Crappie fishing turned on in White Rock and Harmon creeks.  Some really nice Crappie caught recently  on live shiners near wood in the cut banks fished 4 to 6′.

Blue cats slow on drifted shad lower lake. Good on jug lines baited with fresh shad drifted in Bethy and Carolina  bays.

Black Bass slow.

Lake Livingston Fishing Report 2/11/2019

The cold snap the past few days slowed the fishing down as it was really heating up. The bite for all species will rebound with the next warming trend.

The white bass are moving up in the creeks with mostly males being caught on slow worked jigs in the deep holes near sand bars.

Largemouth bass fishing improved with warming water temps. coming out of Kickapoo Creek on June Bug Baby Brush Hogs.

Crappie slow with mostly short fish coming 6′ near bottom.

Lake Livingston Fishing report 2/3/19

Great news from Lake Livingston. The lake is returning to normal after reaching near record levels this winter.  The big news is the white bass are moving into upper lake creeks for their annual run. Good numbers of fish caught the past few days on green or yellow jigs and Tsunami inline spinners. Water was still murky in most areas but clearing.
Blue Cats good on jug lines baited with shad and drifted in 6′ water.

Black Bass slow.

No report on Crappie.
Thanks for fishing with Palmetto Guide Service on Lake Livingston!

“D’ S” Super Baits

With all the great fishing going on at lake Livingston I am often asked the question. What are you throwing?  Now, let me answer the question.    Through  the summer months the answer is ” D’ S” SUPER BAITS.  Called slab or jigging spoon “D’ S”  is in the top of its class in this type of bait.  These baits are hand made locally with attention to detail.  Taking a closer look, first is the paint. High gloss paint coated and sealed.  I have caught many fish on one bait and at days end the paint is not scratched or chipped.  Next,  the most recent versions are imprinted with fish scale sides and inset high quality dual color eyes.  The baits come with split rings front and back with high quality treble hooks matched to size.  The baits are made in three different weights.  For simplicity I call them small, medium  and large.  The one I use primarily is the medium. While all three sizes will work under varing conditions  I consitantly have best luck with the medium.  I sometimes change to the large if I am fishing deeper than 17′ or targeting larger stripers.

One day last September we were fishing the cuts in the river at the crack of dawn.  Whites suddenly started exploding on the surface in a feeding frenzy.  I was shocked and dishearted as cast after cast with jigs and crank baits produced only occasional strikes.  I could see shad fleeing for their lives as the water boiled with surface feeding Whites.  I have got to do something different and quick I thought to my self as the sun rose in the east.   “D’S” Super Slab.  I thought.  I grabbed a rod with a medium  already tied on.    A half  dozen cast produced only a couple keepers.  Then the light came on, match the hatch I thought to myself.  Looking at the size shad running for their lives I tied on the small “D’S” Super Bait. Every cast now produced a strike.  Before the sun hit the water we had our 50 fish limit.

Considering color,  white is hard to beat.  If the water is a little murky I will try the green.  Some times it doesen’t matter white or green.

Now, answering the often asked question.  I’m throwing “D’ S”  SUPER BAITS.

“D ‘S ” Super Baits can be found at Kickapoo Bait and Tackle in Onalaska, Texas.