Duck Hunting Lake Livingston: The Jungle

ARTICLES BY DAVE

December Forcast: Hunting “The Jungle” for Mallard & Wood Duck
CONTACT: David S Cox – Palmetto Guide Service – www.palmettoguideservice.com
Email – dave@palmettoguideservice.com
Phone – 936-291-9602
TIPS: The Jungle area of Lake Livingston is known for it’s Mallard and Wood Duck Hunting along with other species of Puddle Ducks.

The Jungle is one of the places to be in December if you are looking for a trophy Mallard or Wood Duck to mount. The Jungle area is boat access only being north of the 190 bridge and west of White Rock creek. The area is public hunting so get there early. Often it is worth the effort. Check with the Trinity River Authority for rules and regulations for hunting here. Scouting before hand is necessary. Water levels can fluctuate with current conditions. The Jungle can be hard on equipment and mankind. Concealment is imperative for success with late season Mallards. Smaller decoy spreads and a minimal amount of calling works best in December. Always respect other hunters and good luck Duck hunting Lake Livingston!

BANK ACCESS: Highway 356 to Outback Marina or Charlie’s boat ramp.

Top Dog in My Blind

Dave S. Cox with Goober
As a waterfowl hunter we have tools for success. A good retriever is one of those tools. Putting more birds on the strap, your dog however is more than a tool. A family member and your best friend.

It has been said, “a man is lucky to have one great retriever in his career.”

Rustie was with out question my great dog in my career. Back in the day, we were both good.

Now in his third full time season hunting, “Goober” is no less than a incredible retriever. The grandson of “Drake Golden Power” a red Golden. His mother was “Robyn Red Breast,” also a red Golden.
Goober now at 6yrs old is truly a master hunter in my book. Picked from Robyn’s last litter by my Grandson Hunter Henry who named him Goober when he was born because he looked like a sack of “goober” nuts i’m always eating.

Hunters dog Goober has taken a lot of time and patience to train. First I had to build his confidence while setting some rules in life. I didn’t hunt him much for two seasons while I let him grow up. I always felt if I could harness his speed, power and nose he would be a great one.

Goober has matured now and has realized retrieving a Duck or Dove is his thing in life. His maneurism and blind etiquette are impeccable.
Recently after a Teal hunt in a flooded rice field Goober found seven missing ducks including two cripples.
My client suggested I re name him “Sir Goober” out of respect.

Goober will be in my duck hunting tool box now as long as we both can hunt.

Goober, family member and best friend. Now, i am learning from Goober that I
have been blessed with two great retrievers in my life.

Lake Livingston Fishing Report – 2/24/2020

Lake Livingston
Lake level at the dam is 132 with a discharge of 28,000cfs. River level at Riverside is 133.2 with a slow drop. Temp is 55 to 60.
Black Bass slow this past week with best fishing in clear areas. Penwaugh an Thomas Lake produced fish to 4lbs.
White Bass still slow with some males being caught in upper creeks. Moving water should put the Whites in the creeks.
Upper river is off for Whites.
Crappie patterns washed out with this rain .
Blue cats on the north end have been excellent in the back water running off from recent rains. Blues 2 to 10lbs taking fresh and fished tight lines on the bottom in 4 to 6ft water. Shad have been hard to catch.
Thanks and good luck Fishing Lake Livngston.
Dave Cox
Palmetto Guide Service

Lake Livingson Fishing Report 11/17/19

Some good duck hunting on Livingston this past week with the strong cold front that blew threw. Fishing suffered with north wind and cold. Lake level at the Dam is 131.15′ with a release of 2000cfs. Level at Riverside. Is 130.06′
Water temp. 55/57
Upper lake is off color, lower lake clear. Good fishing should return with
the warming trend predicted next week.
Good luck fishing.
Dave

Lake Livingston Fishing Report for September 30th, 2019

Lake Level at the dam is 130.15 with a discharge of 1250cfs. Lake level at Riverside is 129.75.
Great fishing continues with out much change in the conditions this past week.

Fishing below the dam slowed from it’s recent pace.

White’s good on lower lake humps 15′ to 17′. Lots of short fish on the 190 road bed. Sporadic schooling lower lake and in the river channel near Riverside. Lots of short fish Riverside
area along with some really nice Hybrid White’s 16 to 23″ caught on lipped crank baits and live shad under a popping cork worked in the cuts.

Crappie fishermen are doing fair working jigs around the stumps in the river channel north of White Rock.

Good Black Bass fishing also in the River on June bug lizards and red neon craw worms worked around lay downs.

Blue cats steady on trot lines with some nice Flat Heads now being taken on limb lines baited with live perch.

Good luck fishing.
Dave Cox
www.palmettoguideservice.com

Lake Livingston Fishing Report` 9/14/2019

by David Scott Cox
Palmetto Guide Service
H3AUTO GROUP
Charlie’s Worms
Bimini Bay Outfitters
Tsunami Airwave Rods
Red Ninja outdoors
Bethy Creek Resort

Like us on Face book (Lake Livingston Fishing Guide Palmetto Guide Service)
www.palmettoguideservice.com

Normal Lake Level – 131.0
Current Lake Level – 131.13
Release – cfs. 1,250
Water Temperature –79-85’
Water Clarity – upper river clear, lower lake clear, mid lake clear, upper creeks clear

FISHING FORECAST.
Some of the best fishing of the year is happening now and should continue through the month of September. The Lake has settled down after all the incredible spring flooding. All species of fish are biting and fall fishing on Lake Livingston is looking good.
Lake Livingston consist of over 90.000 acres of water and 450 miles of shore line

SPECIES REPORT:
White Bass: Stripers and White Bass are good below the Dam.
Throw a Zara Spook with a pet spoon trailer early morning
for Stripers and Whites. Look for surface schooling fish here.
Also, some schooling action now in the Pine Island area and east side of the old 190 road bed. Also look for schooling Whites mid – morning around Dove Island. Good action for Whites on the old 190 road bed jigging White slabs and trolled pet spoons. Lots of short fish being caught here. Whites and Hybrids good in the river channel cuts north and south of Riverside. Some schooling action here also.
Throw imitation shad medium diving crank baits early then troll pet spoons around the cuts and points.

Black Bass: Blacks taking craw jigs fished around the deeper boat houses mid and lower lake. Throw medium diving crank baits around the rock in Bethy Creek.

Crappie: Excellent action for Crappie now in northern creeks off the river. Fish minnows in the deep cut banks around laydowns.

Catfish: Blue Cats steady on trot lines baited with fresh shad set around the old river channel north of the 190 bridge. If the wind lays fish fresh chicken liver dropped around the old sunken bridges on the old road bed.

Teal Hunting: Good numbers of Teal now in the Jungle and Robbs Lake. Look for Teal on the shallow mud Flats.

Good luck fishing.
Dave Cox
www.palmettoguideservice.com
Like us on Facebook at ” Lake Livingston Fishing Guide Palmetto Guide Service”.

Lake Livingston fishing report for 8/18/2019

Lake level at the Dam is 130.09

Continued good action on Livingston.

White Bass, Stripers below the dam.
Look for surface schooling fish
Some nice Hybrids caught here.

Also some schooling action now in the Pine Island area and east side of the old 190 road bed.   Good action for Whites on the old 190 road bed jigging White slabs and trolled pet spoons. Lots of short fish being caught here.

Whites and Hybrids good in the river channel cuts north and south of Riverside. Some schooling action here also.
Throw imitation shad medium diving crank baits early then troll pet spoons around the cuts and points.

Black Bass slow, taking craw jigs fished around wood.

Crappie have slowed now in northern creeks off the river. Fish minnows in the deep cut banks around laydowns.

Blue Cats steady on trot lines baited with fresh shad near the old river channel. Jug fishing good at night in Turkey creek.

Good luck fishing.
Dave Cox
www.palmettoguideservice.com
Like us on facebook at ” Lake Livingston Fishing Guide Palmetto Guide Service.

LAKE LIVINGSTON FISHING REPORT FOR 8/11/2019

Lake level at the Dam is 131.13 with a release of 1,250cfs.
Some great action now for White Bass, Stripers and Blue Cats below the dam. Throw a Zara Spook with a pet spoon trailer early morning
for Stripers and Whites. Look for surface schooling fish.  Also some schooling action now in the Pine Island area and east side of the old 190 Road Bed. Also look for schooling Whites mid-morning around Dove Island.   Good action for Whites on the old 190 road bed, jigging white slabs and trolled pet spoons. Lots of short fish being caught here. Whites and Hybrids good in the river channel cuts north and south of Riverside. Some schooling action here also.
Throw imitation shad medium diving crank baits early then troll pet spoons around the cuts and points.

Black Bass slow taking craw jigs fished around the deeper boat houses.

Excellent action for Crappie now in northern creeks off the river. Fish minnows in the deep cut banks around laydowns.

Blue Cats steady on trot lines baited with fresh shad set around the old river channel north of the 190 bridge. If the wind lays fish fresh chicken liver dropped around the old sunken bridges on the old road bed.

Good luck fishing.
Dave Cox
www.palmettoguideservice.com
Like us on facebook at ” Lake Livingston Fishing Guide Palmetto Guide Service.

Lake Livingston Fishing Report for 7/17/2019

 Lake Livingston Fishing Report`

July 17,2019

David Scott Cox

Palmetto Guide Service

H3AUTO GROUP

Charlie’s Worms

Bimini Bay Outfitters

Tsunami Airwave Rods

Red Ninja outdoors

Bethy Creek Resort

Like us on Face book:

(Lake Livingston Fishing Guide Palmetto Guide Service)

https://www.facebook.com/Lake-Livingston-fishing-guide-Palmetto-Guide-Service-118384388194339/

www.palmettoguideservice.com

Normal Lake Level – 131.0’

Current Lake Level – 131.4’

Release – cfs. 8,000

Water Temperature –77- 78’

Water Clarity – upper river channel muddy, mid lake clearing, lower lake clear. upper creeks clear

FISHING FORECAST:  Following a wet spring through early summer Lake Livingston is settling down now to normal summer patterns with some great fishing. Whites are being caught now in good numbers on mid and lower lake humps. These typical summer patterns have been slow to come this year as the lake settles out following all the rains. Use your electronic fish finders and GPS now to look for White Bass to be stacking up on mid lake and lower lake humps.   Find the fish on your graph and jig a “Tsunami Zombie Eye jig” off the bottom.

 Look for Whites and Stripers to surface school now.  This can be some of the most exciting fishing of the year.  I am always looking for birds working over schooling White Bass. Try to quietly get up wind of the schooling fish and let the wind blow your boat into the feeding frenzy. Almost any bait will work now. One of my favorites is a Pop r or a Zara spook with a Pet Spoon tied on the back for a trailer. You will catch Whites two at a time with this rig. When fishing in August I like to get on the water early and get off early, often through fishing by 10:00 am.

Lake Livingston consist of over 90.000 acres of water and 450 miles of shore line. Good luck fishing!

 SPECIES REPORT:

Black Bass {largemouth} Fish lower lake boat houses and rocky points. Throw Norman medium diving crank baits around rocky points.  Flip June Bug Baby Brush Hogs now in Kickapoo Creek. Throw white spinner baits around shallow wood and rocky points.  Some good fish still being caught on Charlie’s jigs fished around docks in Newton, upper Carolina and Bethy creeks.

Catfish.    Good catfishing on jug lines in Penwaugh Bay and the mouth of Kickapoo creek. Rod and reel baited with chicken liver good on the 190-road bed. Key on the old bridge structure.  Fishing for Blue Cats on rod and reel has been good in Harmon creek under the bird roost.

  Crappie. Look for Crappie In the deep holes in the creeks near cut banks.  Bethy, White Rock and Harmon should be good now.  Use minnows and jigs on a slip cork about 4’ down as water temperature rises.

White Bass.  Whites are stacking up on mid lake and lower lake humps near the 190-road bed and Pine island.  Look for schooling Whites under the birds. Pay close attention to the wind now fishing open water.     GOOD LUCK FISHING LAKE LIVINGSTON

Lake Livingston Fishing Report for 6/22/2019

Lake level at the dam is 132.32 with a discharge of 32,800 cfs.

Level at Riverside is 134.4 and slowly falling.

White bass have begun showing up on their normal summer patterns being caught around Pine Island, trolling pet spoons and jigging slabs on 17 foot to 21 foot humps. Also some whites schooling in Thomas Lake.

Black Bass good in Thomas Lake on crankbaits.

Catfish bite in the river near Riverside has not been good. Jug lining in Harmon creek for blue cats good and popping corks baited with fresh shad has been good for blues in Harmon Creek.

Things are slowly returning to normal with good fishing ahead.
Good luck fishing Lake Livingston.

Lake Livingston Fishing Report for 5/11/2019

Lake level at LL dam is 132.7 /  release of 72,600 cfs

Riverside 132.6′

Flooding here with many ramps on the north end closed. Cancelled guide parties recently due to conditions.

I have been cleaning and re-spooling reels while watching the rain fall at Palmetto Lodge in Riverside.

Fished for Black Bass and Crappie last Monday with out a single bite.
Sunday and Tuesday we loaded the boat with Blue Cats out of Bethy Creek Resort, even catching an occasional gator gar.

Best bite was in the river channel near cuts on fresh shad Carolina rigged on the bottom.  Shad were scattered and harder to find. No report on lower lake White Bass.

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