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FLT Flash! Fishing Report

FLT Bass Blast! 2010

February 6, 2010: I love the smell of two stroke in the morning. Smells like.. Victory.. And you don't have to be on the lake to smell it either.. It looked foggy this AM but I think it was just exhaust fumes from all the boats. But the fog and smoke has dissipated and it is a beautiful day here in Zapata, and I am sure we are headed for the eighties.. But no good thing lasts forever and we are supposed to be headed back to the cold and wet by Tuesday.

There have been some really good fish caught lately, but like I said, there are a LOT of baits in the water. And from the sound of it there will be for the next sixty days. I was speaking with several motel owners here and the word is that they are pretty much booked up thru March. So if you are planning on coming, get on the phone now.

I would love to get on the water, but it has been so busy around here that all I'm getting to do is think about it. We have been busier than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest. And we would like to thank all of you who have stopped by our store. Sometimes when we get covered up we may not get to thank you properly, and I want to make sure you know that your patronage is really appreciated. We can't be here without you.

Soft plastics are still the dominant bait around these parts. The Brush Hog is the best selling thing around, but big Worms and Lizards are catching a lot of fish too. I will have to say that the spinnerbait is probably number two in the catching category, and it is about time. That being said, a friend of ours caught a ten and a twelve ten minutes apart on a football jig. Go figure..

Fish killing is in full swing as well, as many of our visitors are here on a meat run. It is appalling to see the big fish being killed. Nothing changes.. I guess having a payment on a $50K boat has caused these people to drive for days and catch fish to feed the Fam.. Hard times indeed.. I was hoping Osama.. Errr.. Obamma would have the economy fixed by now..

Gary Harlan had a couple of fellers out this week, and Jim and Jack put the smackdown on a few nice fish. They had a ten and two eights and a bunch of other fish.. Show Offs.. Said they caught these in a very short period.. And yes they are all still swimming..

Everything is bigger in Texas.. Those fish have some bellies..

Another ten..

And I must apologize if I have names lost and misplaced. Like I said, It has been nuts around here. Kind of reminds me of the time my old Brittany had four coveys pointed at one time in a fencerow. When they busted he took off and got his privates hung up in barbwire number two.. He ran around Half Nuts till the day he died..

Water temps are on the rise so fishing should be improving today, And I'll report on today's reports ASAP.

February 4, 2010: It is still cloudy here in Zapata, but no rain today. Looks like we will be getting a break from the rain, and some decent temperatures thru the weekend. Hallelujah! We got almost two inches of rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the very back of some creeks are a bit off color. Not that the water has been real clear lately any how, especially in the river creeks I have been fishing. The valley received two to four inches of rain in the last 48, so we should be holding steady on the lake level.

A lot of the main lake pockets are starting to hold a few fish in the shallows, and occasionally there have piles of fish in a fifty yard area. But not all folks are catching a big number of fish. Twenty fish reports seem to be on the upswing, but that is not killing them by Falcon standards. There have been a heard of seven to ten pound fish caught lately, but keep in mind we have a lot of people fishing down here. I don't ever remember seeing this many boats on the lake, especially during the week.

We are probably selling more brush hogs than any other soft bait, but there are a lot of baits that are working. Beavers and Hoo-Daddys have been in demand, and spinner baits are catching fish too, not not as prolifically as the plastics. And don't forget to take some big lizards with you as well. And no one in their right mind will leave the ramp without a pack or two of Plum Ol Monsters.

We have seen some pics of fish that are ready to explode, and I mean they look overstuffed. Kind of like Rosie.. I wonder if daytime TV is taking a page from the Sharelunker program. Cause they have some whoppers on the screen. Those gals are pretty chunky.. Yeah that's it.. They could call it the Air-a-Chunker..

San Antonio Bass Club, SW Research Bass Busters, and the Bass Masters of East Texas are all headed to town this weekend. And if you guys don't have motel reservations then you better bring your sleeping bags. Rooms are at a premium all month long here. And it don't get much better in March. Hope there are some fish left. Bass Champs is on the weekend of the 20th, and a lot of those fellows are here prefishing as well.

The FLT Bass Blast! is coming together and it is scheduled for April 11th. I'm not sure where we are going to weigh in just yet but it will be settled by next week. Click the link above for more details.. And you can E-mail me for an entry if you like.. But you don't want to miss the groceries and door prizes here the night of registration.

I hope to get out tomorrow to fish, as I have not gone out in this mess they call winter.. It is nice to be able to pick the good days to fish just the day before they get here.. I feel sorry for a lot of the guys that scheduled this time weeks before and got stuck with crappy weather.. But.. It Beats Workin!

February 2, 2010: When you live this close to the bottom of the map, it ain't supposed to be this cold.. And cloudy.. And wet.. We got a 1/4 inch of rain night before last, but yesterday we had a nice afternoon to fish.. But nobody told the fish.

Reports yesterday were mostly on the fair to poor side, and all I can attribute it to is the colder water temps that we have had the last few days. Where we were warming to the mid and upper sixties the last week, the last few days have started in the very low sixties, and maybe getting up to 65 in the mid-day.. If the sun was out for a while. But with the predicted cool, cloudy, and possibly heavy rain predicted for the next few days, I can't see the water warming up much past 64 or so in warm spots. There may be an exception or two in protected spots.

Most of the very shallow fish, that were in as little as eighteen inches of water, seem to have backed off to at least five or six feet. And a lot of the staging fish are still out on the edges, in ten to fifteen feet. And they are not in a super eating mood.

There are very few bait fish in water less than fifteen feet, so the bass in the shallows are there for one thing. And it ain't eating. There are huge wads of bait in the twenty foot range, and often times there are fish suspended in and around the schools. I targeted these fish yesterday, but had little luck in getting them to bite. Of course except for some pet fish I did not have a good day. Even the bass have taken a downturn after the State of the Union Speech.

Remember when the State Of The Union speeches actually talked about the state of the union? Instead of a bunch of crap about... Crap... Here's the state of the union.. It pretty much sucks..

Falcon is sitting at 12.36 feet low, and Amistad is at minus 1.94. Pretty good shape for this time of year. Both are letting out about the same amount of water, and we have been holding pretty steady.

Here are the results from the Crappie survey done by TPWD last month. Looks promising.. If we can keep these meat mongers from filling up three freezers with fillets.. It's just ridiculous..

Kathy Smith caught her PB this week.. A 10.44 pound beauty.

I know that when the water stabilizes around 65 or higher, and the sun shines on the water for a few days, this place should go nuts. I just hope it happens this year. But it could be that the next ice age has started and we may never warm up. Pretty soon we will be selling ice augers and tip-ups. And before you know what happened we'll be tipping our jigs with leaches, trolling for walleye, and catching smallies along the rocks..

As a matter of fact, I probably have as much proof that an ice age is on or doorstep as Big Al had that we were headed towards becoming a global inferno. I see that our leaders had a nice time in Copenhagen (not the kind you spit) hobnobbing with other idiots about the disaster on our doorstep. What a crock.. Hundreds of thousands spent on a family vacation for the royalty.. You DO know that Nancy is the Queen of America, don't you?? Just ask her.. But she'll tell you that the rules don't pertain to her and the Fam.. Just you.. If we don't vote them all out we are as stupid as they think we are.. There.. That should brighten your day..

Come on summer!! See you on the water..

January 30, 2009: Pressure: Defined in most dictionary's as the the force per unit exerted against a surface by the weight of the air above that surface. But in this case, I will have to redefine the word.

Pressure on Falcon could be better described as boat weight pressure on the waters surface, causing a squeezality effect on the mass area affected, congested by spheroid fiberglass objects traveling not necessarily on an axis non-congruent with the center of gravity relative to the core flow of the Rio Grande with non-sequetor intervals of nirvana, exasperation, and near orgasm. In other words, there are a hell of a lot of boats here raising the water level, fishing mostly up the river, some filled with some frustrated fishermen, and others who have landed some whales. Which ultimately lead to tall tales.

Today the weather was much improved, as we got into the low-mid sixties, with winds in the 10-15 range, which equated to much improved fishing conditions. And we heard of some good stringers and some big fish caught. The Permian Bass Club is holding their championship here this weekend, and the rumor is that the leader after Saturdays fishing had over 21 pounds.. For three fish. Hopefully I will get all the details soon. A seven pound average does not suck.

If we continue to warm up, things should get out of control here pretty soon. I'm just trying to keep the news about the crazy fishing here on the down low, so things do not get out of hand.. Good luck trying to get a room here in the next 45 days.. See you soon..

January 29, 2010: If I didn't know better I'd say there was a hurricane blowing into town.. But I know it is just global warming sending another cold air mass down the plains. Yesterday we had thirty plus winds from the south.. Today we have the same from the other direction. And it ain't pretty.

But there are some die-hards that are hitting the water as we speak, and of course I gave them the standard warning about the wind.. These are some dangerous waters today. The wind is supposed to lighten up a bit later in the day, and the weekend is predicted to be somewhat calmer, with highs in the 60 degree area.

I can't imagine this north wind being good for the fishing. But at the same time I just looked at the calendar and it is still January. So I can't bitch too much. And then there is always that bad ass cold front that comes in February.. Sometimes late. Just to screw things up once the spawn has really got going. And it is usually a wet one too.. I hate winter..

The phone has been ringing off the hook around here, with people looking for a place to stay in February. But the bad news is that there just ain't much available.. If any. So if you have ANY plans for coming in the next couple of months, get on the phone now. I have never seen it this busy here at Falcon.

There were a couple of groups that found fish yesterday, but most folks gave up after fighting the wind for a few hours. It was not pretty. And if you planned on fishing any kind of open water you were pretty much out of luck. And there are a lot of folks standing around looking at the trees sway in the breeze here this morning. There are however, quite a few folks that drove a long way here to fish, and by golly they are doing it. Hope they can stay dry. Sun is peeking out here at mid day. The south side of the creeks got hammered yesterday, and today the north side is getting it. Hide where you can fellers.. It'll get better. Someday...

January 27, 2010: I have always said that the spawn is the toughest time to fish Falcon. And this early spawn is no different than any other year. And reports have varied wildly as pertaining to results. There have been a few folks that have whacked the fish, and a lot more that have done fair. Reports of thirty or more fish are rare, but then there is always that exception or two. Most two man boats have been averaging ten to twenty fish a day, and the fishing has slowed with the cooler temps and cloudy skies. That's not to say that there has not been some grandes caught.

Most of the bigger fish have come in reel deep water.. That is if you stick your rod in the water and it hits bottom before your reel gets wet, your in the right spot.

I fished six hours on Tuesday, and I had about fifteen fish with the best five going about 31 pounds. But I reached nirvana early as the first fish I boated was an 8-2, and she was in 2.5 feet of water.. My time has come.. But I did catch some nice fish on top of a hump in the Hedieona that had fourteen feet of water on top and deep water right beside it. It also had a lot of brush on it.

I caught all my shallow fish on the Ol Monster in Plum, (of course) and the deeper fish I caught on a Mag Fluke in Watermelon Red or Magic. The shallow flipping bite was so subtle that I was left wondering a few times if I had a bite or not.. And after I pulled the set trigger and started to set the hook on ANY weird feeling I started to catch more fish. Now the Fluke was a whole nother story.. But I was fishing it later in the day, as the sun was warming the Cockles of my heart. Kind of like watching The View.. Makes you hot all over.. But they were nailing the big fluke like it's supposed to be.

I have been trapped in the store the last few days, and the weather is deteriorating as I speak. I am supposed to fish tomorrow, but Jim and the Twins get a rash if I stay wet all day.. So I may pass.

The lake is holding steady, and that is good for the comfort level of spawning fish. Amistad is releasing about 1150 CFS, and we are letting out about 900.. We are currently just a bit over 12 feet low. Water temps were up to 66 on Monday, But I'll wager that they are a bit cooler today.

Several folks have asked about Sugar, and the last reports I have from there have not been good. I know it will come around but it is trailing the action on Falcon so far.

And I hope you guys are not misinterpreting what I am saying in these reports. Yes there have been some good fish caught, and yes some folks kicked their ass.. But not everyone is doing it. It's still fishing..

Charlie Haralsons clients really caught some good fish last week. Here's a 12-2 and an 11 plus respectively..

The Second Annual FLT Bass Blast! tourney is a go, and it will be held on the 11th of April. Food, Goodies, and BS will be aplenty. Come fish with us if you can. Check the link for more info.

Some genius hit our boat trailer again yesterday at the boat ramp. And I am getting kind of tired of it. But at least it was the same fender as last time. I guess some folks get their drivers license out of a happy meal box, and have not yet mastered parking lot navigation or etiquette. Those shiny things on the side of your truck are called mirrors. Please learn to use them. There are other rigs in the parking lot, in case you hadn't noticed. This is not NASCAR and trading paint is not acceptable at the ramp. And thanks for the note..

And speaking of parking lots, why is it that when I park at the store, inevitably some giant woman in a beat up POS parks ten inches from my truck and uses both feet to get her door open. And after she removes about a half a foot of paint off the side of my rig she stands there looking at me like "What?" And usually I will have to rescue her from being stuck between the two vehicles.. Last time I had to use a whole tub of "I can't believe it's not Butter" to lube her ass enough to get her out. And when she busted loose she shot out of there like a cork from a Pop-Gun.. Saved her thirty steps across the parking lot..

I better quit before I get in any more trouble..

P.S. TPWD is here doing a catfish survey on the lake with some deep Gill Nets. Their best five yesterday went over 200.. All the big ones were blues.

January 23, 2010: Stop what you are doing.. Drop that list of chores.. And Roll on down to Falcon. If you can find a place to stay. Finding a room in February in Zapata is like finding a bag of M&M's at a Jenny convention. If one shows up, it could start a stampede..

The fish are headed shallower as I speak, and a lot of fish have been reported caught in as little as two feet of water.. But no fishing pattern comes without a disclaimer.. These fish are not everywhere. But in a lot of creeks there are a lot of fish up shallow.

A brush hog is a good choice, as is a senko in a green or watermelon base. Spinnerbaits are starting to catch more and more fish. In short, your favorite shallow water bait is a good place to start.. I prefer the Zoom Ol Monster in plum, especially if the skies are overcast.. And when the sun comes out, The W/M Red, Gold, or Mardi Gras brush hogs have been very good.

There are five bass clubs in town, and besides that there are no bass boats left in Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas, or Missouri.. Freedom Bass Club, Atascosa Bass Club, Uvalde Bass Club, River City Bass club of Austin, and Helotes Bass Club are all here this weekend. And I hear that in a lot of creeks up the river it is standing room only.. You guys play nice out there.

I heard a mixed bag of results yesterday from the club fishermen, with the big stringers being around twenty pounds. And I did not hear of any monsters being caught in any of the tourneys. I did however hear of a few more tens from folks that are fun fishing. I will post results as they come in, time permitting.. We have been busier than a gun dealer at the NBA All-Star game.. But I'll get it done..

If you are in Zapata next weekend, there is going to be a FREE fishing seminar put on by Bill Slick, who used to fish professionally. It will be held at the Rec Hall at Lakefront Lodge, and it will be from Noon to Three O'clock. You never know when you might learn something new. I also hear there is going to be a Q & A session so if you have something you want to know about, this would be a good place to hear some opinions. This would also be a good place to bring those young-un's for some free instruction. Everyone is welcome, no matter your skill level..

The lake is still inching up, and we are currently sitting at 288.88 or 12.14 feet low. Water temps in protected pockets are up the the high sixties, but mid sixties are everywhere. A few more days of this, and the full moon this weekend should really get them moving to the shallows. And like I said, some of them are already there.

I ask you to please treat these spawning fish with as much care as possible. There are going to be a lot of them caught this year. These big fish are mean, tough, fat, and nasty when they are in the water.. Kind of like Rosie on steroid's.. But in the air they do not do so good. Please get them back in the water ASAP. Our future fishing depends on it. And we want you and your grandkids to be able to enjoy them too.

Ken Caught another beauty this week.. On A Swimbait.. Go Figure..

Dennis Wenzel caught this 10-12 fishing with Doug Fett this week.. Spinner Bait in 18"of water..

And Johnny Romane caught this 10-4 yesterday.. He was guided by his brother Rick Romane I hear.

We have heard of a lot of big fish caught shallow, but like I said they are not everywhere.. But if you ain't here, you won't be here when they are..

January 22, 2010: I know it is Friday, and I don't want to get you in any trouble.. But it just might be the day to drop what you are doing and get yourself down here. The water has warmed to 65 degrees in a few parts of the lake and the shallow bite is on.. Or if it ain't, it's damn close.

Reports of lots of shallow fish caught yesterday, and I mean shallow.. Like three feet. I'm getting goose bumps thinking about it.. As a matter of fact, I did get back out on Wednesday, and I did pretty well in four to six feet of water.. And yes I was about as far up a creek as a man can get.. I was like a fiberglass suppository..

And I was flipping the bushes of course with a Plum Ol Monster.. And catching fish..............

Holy Cow! I started this report at 5:50 this morning.. It is now 7:47 in the PM.. It is crazy around here. There are five bass clubs in town. And a plethora of fishermen from across the southern tier..

More of the same today.. Lots of shallow fish.. Some folks struggled.. Big Lizards with a green base were reported good. The spinnerbait is coming on for the shallower fish. Heard of several fish over ten today. Still some fish in the 10-20 foot ranges, and concentrations of fish are spotty. But the fish are definitely on the way to the bank.

Will try and get a detailed fishing report out in the early AM!

January 19, 2010: Seems like it was just a week ago that we were freezing to death, pissin' and moanin' about how cold it was.. And wet.. And windy.. But we have been blessed with three days of sunshine, light winds, and warming water temps. It has been downright awesome.

I went fishing yesterday, and my goal was to cover a lot of the lower lake. But the fog also decided it was a nice day to be out and it also covered a lot of the lower lake. So I started fishing north of where I had intended to start. I stopped at the mouth of Pierce's cove, and fished a bluff just north of the creek. No one was home but I left a note on the door. I then went to the mouth of the Benevides, and caught a three pounder on a Mag Fluke. Thought I had something going.. I beat the hell out of it for another twenty minutes with nothing to show. I headed in to the creek about a half a mile and fished a shallow flat full of brush and hardwoods, with lots of laydowns. I was surprised to see how clear the water was, and it was easy to see the bottom when the finder said five feet, and if it was rocky I could see even deeper.. And yes I saw some swimming fish. But I could not entice a bite out of any of them. And I saw no nests.. Yet.. But it's coming.

Then I ran to Government cove, and looked for some deep fish on the creek channels. Only small fish were found there, but there are some impressive balls of shad in the creek channels. And then I headed to the Salanaias for an hour or two, and caught only two fish, and their only common thread was that they were both in trees.. One in four feet.. One in fourteen. I fished all the likely looking points and creek edges. But I did not concentrate on anything shallower than ten feet. I probably should have. I fished a couple of pockets on the Mexican side between the Salanaias and Benavides, and never got bit.. So I decided to head to to couple of deep drops in the Tigers and give them a try. Nada.. Finally found a few on a point between the Little tiger and Big Tiger. Eight feet on top and dropping to sixteen. But no real action to speak of.

When I got back to the dock, a local guide was there and we were talking about the deep fish we did not find.

Now see.. Here's the problem.. The proverbial bank beater out in the middle of the lake fishing for deep fish when they have changed zip codes.. I'm an idiot.. Yesterday evening all the folks that caught fish that I talked to said they caught them in less than ten feet of water. Maybe my ship is coming in.. I should have known it as water temps are certainly rebounding faster than I would have imagined. At 10:00 AM at the mouth of Benavides the water temps were 57 degrees. And at 4:00 the water in the middle of Big Tiger was 63.. If this warming trend holds on a few more days, it could be on..

I heard of fish being caught on Traps and spinner baits in a lot of areas. I didn't throw either. And it sounds like the river might be the place to start.. I'm heading there next time I can get out.

There was a fourteen and a half caught this morning. And it's not in the lake anymore.. I'm not happy..

And speaking of not happy, I was reading this morning that the French are pissed off about the US role in the aid project for the people of Haiti, after the massive earthquake that occurred this week. They say we are supposed to be helping them, not occupying the country. I guess we should wait till the French row their aircraft carriers to Haiti and dispense their WW II K rations to the starving refugees. And those K rations were probably left there by American soldiers that were saving their ass... Again.. Euros.. They should probably just take them some wine.. That would help with the unrest..

And another thing that is pissin' me off.. I see all these commercials about the Olympics saying "Go World!" More Socialism.. More brainwashing.. Are yall thinking about this stuff?? What ever happened to good Ol US patriotism and "Go USA!" I say screw the rest of em and let's go over there and kick their ass.. They can play those commercials in Europe..

And one more thing.. Naw.. I'll save it for next time.. This is supposed to be a fishing report..

Greg Ghere caught this 11 pound, 12 ounce monster a couple days ago.. At least she is still in the lake.. Thanks for letting her go Greg and drop by the store for your free Falcon Lake Tackle hat. Better looking than those plastic Nemo's from the state anyway..

January 17, 2010: I know it's been a while since I posted a report, but I have been out trying to kill Bambi. Actually I wanted to kill his father.. But all I killed was some time.. But no time spent in the outdoors is wasted.. And I couldn't have chosen any worse weather, as it rained the entire time. Did you know that a Kawasaki Mule can get stuck?? And the warranty division will not come and get you out either..

I made it back to Zapata yesterday, and I was amazed that I saw the sun shine. And the prediction is for more of the same for the upcoming week.. Can it be true?? Temps in the seventies? I can hardly wait. We have been suffering thru wet, cold, windy, and cloudy conditions for weeks, and some nice weather will surely be appreciated.

It has rained almost three inches here in the last few days, and the lake is still inching up ever so slowly. We are sitting at 288.74, or 12.28 feet low. Amistad is releasing about 800 CFS, and we are turning out 300. So every little bit helps.

Water temps are STILL hanging around 55 degrees. The only thing colder around here is the beer.. But if this warming trend continues, we should start to see a few big mamas start to show up in the skinny water. And by the end of the month, when the full moon arrives, it could be on.

Here's a couple of pics of deep jig fish, the ones I was talking about earlier in the week.. I'd say Ol Will Allen had a good trip.. And they said they caught a lot of fish..

12-2

11-4

I need to teach these boys how to get the fish in the same zip code as the camera..

Most folks around town are at least starting to smile again, due to the sunshine. It do feel good. And lots of folks out on the lake today.

The second annual Falcon Lake Tackle Bass Blast! has been scheduled for April 11, 2010. There will be more details coming shortly, but you can count on good food, lots of door prizes, 100% payback, a low entry fee, and some big sacks of fish. Should be fun. Mark your calendars.. We'd love it if you can come and fish with us.

The Boys are coming on. Gotta go!

January 13, 2010: It is another miserable day here in Zapata, as we can't seem to shake the cold and wet.. And there has been 1.30 inches of rain collected in my gauge in the last two days.. Most of it last night. There is a heavy shower that has been sitting on the dam all morning, and it seems to be just training there..

There have been a few reports of Giants caught the last couple of days. Charlie Haralson's group on Monday had a 11-2, and on their own on Tuesday they caught a 12-4. But they said they caught so many fish over eight that they quit counting.. They are fishing deep. Jigs.. Go figure..

Several other groups that have braved the weather have done well also, but several others said they have struggled. It is all about finding the pods of fish, and like I have said before, sometimes the areas are no bigger than your pickup.

We are also hearing of some shallower fish, with staging bass on the creek edges and secondary points. All we need is some warming water and I think this place will bust loose. It is a bit warmer today, and you can walk around outside without a jacket. But you will get wet.. It is supposed to be Sunday before we see the sun..

We are getting a lot of calls about water levels and conditions, and I have been telling everyone that we have more fishermen friendly conditions this year. We do not have to contend with near as much jungle style vegetation on the banks, and the monkeys will not be stealing your spinner baits when you get hung up in the trees. I had an orangutan whip my ass last year while I was trying to get my crankbait out of a tall willow. Those things are strong..

At least the wind is not blowing.. I guess last week we should have sprinkled the Sure-Life on the fishermen, instead of in the live wells.

Come on Sunshine!

January 11, 2010: Things have calmed down a bit around Zapata, and it is possible to get a motel room again.. At least during the week. And while we are talking about it, if you are planning a trip to Falcon this spring, (if it ever gets here) make you reservations sooner than later.. I hear that it is getting tough to find a room in February.

It is cool and cloudy this morning, but not as cold as the last few days. I am hoping the Spanish speaking air will push the French speaking air back where the hell it belongs soon. Forecasters say we are going to have a short warming spell thru Wednesday, but don't expect any T-shirt weather. This weekend is supposed to be cold and rainy.. Yummy..

We have just about got the store back in order, and my Dr. Shoals inserts are worn out in my tennies.. Thanks to all of you who stopped in and did business with us in the last few weeks. We had a blast talking with yall.

I have been reading a lot of chatter on the internet about the tough conditions that were experienced during the first two days of the tournament, and I find a lot of it quite amusing. Reports of giant sustained waves and people who do not believe it was possible. And the TD should have cancelled the tournament or allowed trailering and Yada, Yada, Yada.. All I can say is the rules were clear when you left the boat ramp. And you are responsible for your own decisions about where and how you fish. And you are primarily responsible for your own safety.

Yes it might suck that your fish are on the south end of the lake. But it is what it is. If it were me, I'd have fished the Veleno. And I might not have weighed in a big bag. But so be it.. I will try and err on the side of safety every time. And that might have made me the first looser.. But that's OK..

Some folks braved the conditions, made the trip, and kicked ass.. More power to you.. But you assume the risk.. No one else..

We tried to warn anyone who would listen that the conditions were going to be brutal. And I don't think anyone was expecting SE breezes at 6-8..

And about those big waves.. I'm sure there are still some doubting Thomas's out there that don't believe that waves can get ten feet high on Falcon. But there are a whole new batch of fishermen that have been added to the witness list that these can and do occur. I, luckily have not been on ten footers, but I have been out a time or two when they were at least seven. E Yo No Quierro Mas.. They were there.. Trust me.. And by the way, it is not uncommon for us to have higher winds than we had last week.

Fish care during this event kind of took the back stage, as there were significantly less fish caught, and water temperatures were frigid. But I still cannot see how letting a fish float around upside down for hours can be good for it. I know I could have helped a lot of fish in the holding tanks on the release boats. I DO believe that fizzing fish works, when done by someone who knows what they are doing. A few years ago brain Surgery was also experimental.. I can tell you that a fish floating on the surface on Falcon will be Pelican and Cormorant bait in a short time.

The fishing remains decent here on Falcon, and if you are accustomed to a little cooler weather then you will have no problem fishing this week. There is no doubt that The Big Brush Hog, in any watermelon based color will catch you some fish. W/M Red or Gold, and Mardi Gras seem to be the consensual favorites. Jigs and big flukes are still accounting for a lot of fish also. Not a lot has changed.. But the Brush Hog seems to be the best.. And throw it in the thickest brush you can find in five to fifteen feet of water.. It is not "ON" in the shallows just yet.. But it is coming..

Water temps are down to 55 in the early AM, and it may pick up a degree or two later in the day, or maybe you can find a slightly warmer pocket here or there.. 57 was about the max heard of yesterday.

The lake level this morning is holding at 288.38, or 12.64 feet low. And we have been holding our own for a few months. Hopefully we can get another good spawn in before the water draw starts up again. Predictions of a good soaking rain for later this week may or may not come true. But if it gets the valley good and wet again I believe we will be spared a major drop during the height of the spawn.. We'll see.

I'm ready for sunshine, shorts, sunblock or sunburn.. Come on Summer.. And seeing a Bikini Top or two wouldn't hurt anything either.. See you on the water...

January 9, 2010: It's Over! And for some it could not come too soon.. After watching Keith Combs weigh the heavy stringer of the tournament at 41-1, I was wondering if day two leader Michael Yoder had the fish to hold on.. But Yoder had a bag of his own.. He brought 27-9 to the scales, and that was enough for the win, with about five pounds to spare. He was not afraid to chase his fish I'll have to admit.. Britches full of Coconuts.. Congrats!

I am sure you will find better written reports on the web than I can write.. But I will post a few comments on the tourney in a day or so.. And here is a link to the full results..

In the Co-Angler division, Steve Hope caught another big stringer, to catapult him from fourth to first. He brought 27-2 to the scales to win the event by 11 ounces. Congrats to both winners!

Pics ©Falcon Lake Tackle

January 9, 2010: The Brass Monkey has been neutered in Zapata this morning, as lows reached the 23 degree mark here at the shop. And I can tell you that nobody was running Mach II on the lake at daylight.

The final ten Pros and Co's are on the water, and after talking with a few of them their expectations are still high, even with the arctic air in town.

There are also 40 teams of College kids that are on the water this morning, fishing from the boats of FLW anglers that did not make the cut. I hear they were scrapping for boats to get them all on the water, as a lot of these guys had all of the cold they wanted in the last two days. Can't say I blame them.

There is a mass exodus from town this morning, with a lot of wound licking going on. It was a tough two days. It will not, however, affect the ten who survived the elements and lived to fish another day. The sun is out in all it's glorious splendor, and no one is happier to see it than me.. Well except those guys fishing.

Michael Yoder has a seven pound plus lead over Richard Cremo, who is a local boy from Laredo. Both guys have weighed in some awesome stringers the last couple of days.. Should be interesting to see what happens. There are two fishermen with 12 pound deficits to make up in third and fourth. But like I said, this is Falcon, and anything could happen. We'll see soon.

January 8, 2010: It never really warmed up today, and it is still very cold as predicted today. The weigh in is going on, but I have a bad case of the sniffles and I am not going to hang out too long here.. I'm headed to the shop to watch on the internet.. But I hear the live feed is down.. Small spectator group at weigh in again.. Cold!

January 8, 2010: It's around 30 degrees here this morning, and for Zapata, that's cold. Predictions are for little sun, but lighter winds than yesterday, (thank God) but still out of the north in the 10-20 range. It is fairly breezy here this morning. I am not sure how to figure wind chill, but 65 MPH in 28 degree air has to make it as cold as the atmosphere at Tigers breakfast table.. Brrr.. As a matter of fact, it is so cold that Democrats have their hands in their own pockets..

Fishermen should, however, be able to stand up in their boats today.

There is a lot of talk around about swamped boats, water rescues, and broken toys of all kinds and sorts. There were a lot of people scrambling for parts and pieces yesterday evening, to try and get things patched up and ready for the water again. There is not much in the way of inventory in Zapata when it comes to boat parts and accessories, and there were a few people out of luck. Duct tape is in high demand..

There are a lot of stories circling around, and I am not sure what is true and what is not. But there were darn sure some lifetime stories etched into some memories yesterday. I tried to warn them all..

I was at the weigh in for a while yesterday, but it was too cold for me. There were not a lot of folks there either, mostly only folks associated with the event. It was brutal. We'll see how it goes today.

But for those who did get to their spots, the fishing remained good, as evidenced by the top places. I know a lot of the fish came deep, and a few stringers were caught in the fifteen foot range. I think you will see better overall weights today. But a lot of the folks that had some good fish located in open water are more than likely out of the hunt because of the un-fishability of their spots on day one. But like I always say, this is Falcon and anything can happen. Here's a link to the story on FLW's site.

January 7, 2010: Lots of bad things happened out on the lake today.. Big waves made for big problems. Several boats were swamped.. Several folks parked it on the bank. Some not by choice.. Lots of mechanical failures and damaged equipment. Tales of ten footers abound.. I am sure you will be hearing of a lot of stories very soon.

Game Wardens, Border Patrol, and Helicopters were called out to help locate folks that were stranded. Stay tuned for more.

Here's a link to the standings..

January 7th, 2010: There are some rumors of big stringers, lost motor cowls, busted trolling motors, dead batteries, and ten foot waves. Not to mention a few swamped boats. None of this is in concrete, but I have some of it from fishermen on the water.. There are also a few boats that got off the water real early.. And for good reason. It's a tough day to say the least.. It's less than two hours till the first flight is due in, so we'll know more before too long..

January 7, 2010: Server problems have been plaguing me this morning so I have been delayed in updating the site.. Finally..

January 7, 2010: The fog delayed the takeoff till about 8:25, And the north wind is blowing about 10-15 miles per hour here at the present time.. I have seen it a lot foggier.. But I am sure it is still a little soupy out on the water.. Local channel on TV says wind gusting to 30-35 this afternoon.. Hope not..

January 7, 2010: It's 6:42 AM.. It's so foggy you cannot see across the street.. No Wind in Zapata yet.. But I doubt if they will turn them loose in these conditions.. Weathermen.. Fog was not on the menu.. Wind predicted to hit here sometime mid morning. Big wind..

January 6, 2010: As the start of the FLW tournament approaches, I believe that we have had more people in the store checking the weather than buying baits.. Well just as many anyway..

The blow is supposed to be on tomorrow morning, but until it gets here it's anybody's guess what is going to happen. If the winds get too high, it is possible that tomorrow's day of competition could be canceled.. I'm not saying that it's going to happen. But it would be the prudent thing to do if there are eight to ten foot waves on the big water. I've been there and it's not a pretty site.. And when you mix in some temperatures in the forties, it could be down right unbearable. I don't care how much you could win, it won't make much difference if you are not around to cash the check.

I was at the county ramp around 11:00 this morning, and some of the site is ready to go, but it is a work in progress. Both release boats are in the water, and the weigh line has been set up. But I am not sure if I'd put the pop up covers up over them just yet..

I hear that registration is around six this evening, and I plan on going to hear what they say about the predicted wind.

Today is a beautiful day, with sunshine and light SE winds.. And I heard from a couple of folks that the fish were in the trees.. Shallow.. Wish I was there.

I'm not getting a whole lot of info from most folks, but we are still selling Jigs by the handful, and the big plastic baits are going out the door as well.. Some folks are down-sizing a bit in their purchases in case the high pressure gets them a bit finicky..

I'd like to thank all of you who have come thru our shop, and make our existence possible. We really enjoy meeting you folks from all over the country, and talking fishing. We wish all of you good luck and safe passage.

I was watching the "News" last night, waiting for the weather to come on, and I saw a story on how the Texas roads funds are running low. And of course they were interviewing some talking heads about the "Problem". Of course the problem being that they can't efficiently manage the uncountable amount of money they take from us in Fuel tax, Road and Bridge tax, and a plethora of other taxes they levy that pertain to auto and road use..

Anyway, there was this gal on there saying that the 39 cents collected per gallon of gas sold was not getting it done, and that it had not been increased since the early nineties. But being there is an outrage over increasing the tax per gallon at the pump, they are considering another way to tax you. And they are thinking about a tax based on the amount of miles you drive. Isn't that what is already in place?? Seems to me that the more I drive, the more gas I'll need so I'll just assume that I'll be paying more tax. I can't believe what hear out of these "Officials".

But it got better.. She then said maybe we would just have everyone report how many miles each of us drive so they can tax us on those miles.. I wonder what kind of beaurocracy it would take to manage that entity??

And then it got really good.. Something else they might consider is having a satellite link on each vehicle to track the number of miles driven.. And I thought I had heard of every idiotic idea possible..

I was so aggravated I forgot what the weatherman said..

Now I know I'm gonna claim my boat gas as tax exempt.. It is you know..

I better quit.. I'm getting a headache.. See you soon.

January 5, 2010: As predictions of cold and wind for the FLW tourney this week are spreading, so is the moaning and groaning from the fishermen.. I'm not even fishing and I'm moaning.. I didn't sign up for this crap.. But I there ain't too much we can do about it so we might as well just get our minds right and go deal with it. Pretty easy for me to say from this nice warm office.. I hear there are some seventies coming next week.. Think I'll wait till then.. But I am going upstairs and digging out my wool Package Protector.. Best thing I ever got from Frederick's..

Wednesday is supposed to be a decent day, but Thursday could be wet with winds gusting out of the north.. I was watching the San Antonio weather last night and they said this is some of the coldest air to hit our area in about ten years. I just hope the winds do not get out of control.. But I have to temper this prediction with the fact that it is being made by weathermen.. We'll see soon enough..

There have been some pretty awesome fish caught lately, and a lot of them look like they will explode. Please handle these fish with all the care possible, as they are the future of our lake. Cold water temperatures should help us during this big tournament, and I am hopeful that we will have a minimum of dead fish at the weigh ins. I will certainly be keeping an eye on the fish care during this event.

I hear through the grapevine that FLW will be bringing two release boats this time, and I understand that they do not fizz deep caught fish, or fish that are demonstrating the non ability to swim upright. And I hear that they lower them in cages to deep water and release them. I don't like the non-transparency of this operation. And maybe it is because I don't understand the science. I'm telling you that there are going to be a truck load of deep caught fish. And I can't see how leaving a fish upside down for extended period can be good for it.. We'll see how it goes..

Ray Livingston Caught this whopper just before new years. It weighed 11-8..

This is one of two eight plus fish this youngster caught with Gary Harlan one day this week.. Sorry. Lost the name..

More updates coming.. But if I don't post anything soon, you'll know that Old Man Winter got me..

January 4, 2010: I know it has been a while since I wrote, but it has been crazy around here, plus I fished and prefished the South Texas Five tourney. It's early Monday Morning and I am still tired. I'm getting too old for this stuff..

We had some decent weather over the weekend, although it was a bit cool. Saturday was pretty nice with some mixed sun and clouds, and yesterday was pretty cloudy with a light north wind.. Just enough to make you keep your gear on.. And a damn lot cooler than I like it.. But it didn't rain, and for that I am grateful.

Of course by now you know that the town is full of fishermen getting ready for this weeks FLW event, and it is ON in Zapata.. Restaurants, Motels and yes, even Tackle Shops, are enjoying the busy times. And we have had all we can say Grace over.. Thank You..

The lake level on Falcon is holding steady, and we have caught an inch of water in the last week. We are sitting at 12.65 feet low.. That translates to 288.37. Water temps I saw yesterday were never above 58.7, and they were at 56 in the early am. I hear the south end of the lake is a bit warmer, but I have not been south of marker seven in a while..

Here are a couple of observations I have made in the last two or three days. It looks like the Spanish Armada has invaded Falcon when you get around School Bus and Opec creeks out on the main lake channel. I don't think you can jump from boat to boat.. But some places you certainly don't have to yell to talk to the next boat.

Most of the fish are still being caught deep, but not all of them. There were and are some fish up spawning in the shallows. Yesterday we caught fish as shallow as two feet.. Yes I said two feet. But they were few and far in between.

But the majority of fish are still deeper than ten feet, and we have heard of a lot of fish being caught as deep as fifty. That should help you.. We caught most of our fish in 12-14 feet, but that is where we spent most of our time. We went shallow looking for a fattie to add some weight to our stringer.. Didn't happen..

I hear there is a full field for the FLW (150) and a bunch on the waiting list.. And it seems that not just the guys that didn't make it in are a little PO'd. A lot of the guys that are fishing are wondering why they would not let in all that want to fish to help the purse and number of places paid.. It don't make much sense to me either..

I would imagine that we will see the FLW hardware start showing up here today and tomorrow, and if my lens cap doesn't freeze on my camera I'm sure I'll have some pics of the carnage soon..

And just once I'd like to see the county have something done in preparation for an event here. They have a new road going into the the county ramp. And it is about ready for paving as the curbs and base are in, and they oiled it before Christmas.. There is still no asphalt on the ground and I can see them trying to pave it this week while the parade of the year is going down that same street. Welcome to Zapata.. Where Manana does not necessarily mean Tomorrow.. It just means not today..

The weather is supposed to turn sub-zero just in time for the tourney, and let me tell you that everyone is thrilled at the prospect. Looks like we'll be busting out another big pot of soup. And the overalls. I hate winter..

Yesterdays South Texas Five tourney only had 23 entry's, so you might think that 25 pounds might get you a check.. Not.. It did not get me one either.. You would think that a 9.13 might have you in the hunt for Big Bass Dollars.. Not.. Try fourth..

It took 36 and change to win it. There were three stringers over thirty pounds, and two over 29.. Big bass was a 10.79.. Look for a full report in the tourney section later today, or as soon as I can get to it. There were quite a few FLW fishermen who came to the weigh in to check it out. I think they were impressed..

In any case, things should be interesting around here for the next few days.. And I still have a lot of pics to post and things to tell you.. And I'm working on it.. It's good to be busy..

January 1, 2010: If no one has told you Happy New Year yet, let me be the first. It is crazy today here at FLT, as a ton of people are hitting town for the weekend and to prefish for the FLW. And a lot of snowbirds are hitting town as well. I have a bunch of pics to post and a few things to tell you about... Soon!

Happy New Year!

December 29, 2009: We're about out of pages on the calendar, and the last weekend of 2009 has come and gone. And I am looking at my list of New Years Resolutions and it's getting pretty long. I have decided to remove the social and political commentary from the Flash! Fishing Report... I am no longer going to write about Fat and/or obnoxious TV personalities, Corrupt Politicians, National News, and Pop Culture.. I am going to become more sensitive to the feelings of others.. The New Me will be Leaner... Cleaner... Greener...

Fishing on Falcon is some of the best and some of the worst we have seen in a while. Reports have varied wildly, and I can only blame it on one thing. Water temperature and slow moving fish. I think they would have to speed up to become lethargic. But if you can find a pod or two of these fish you can get fat in a hurry.

Several groups reported thirty pound plus bags yesterday, and we saw a phone pic of a 11-11.. Lots of eights and sevens were reported.. But a lot of them didn't have too many other fish to go with them. And there are a lot of fishermen that struggled to find anything consistent.

There are a lot more people fishing shallow I hear, and some of them are finding fish. I still think that the better numbers of fish are deeper. But the full moon is in a few days and I am sure a few fish will head in to do their spawning even in this cold water.. But I do not personally believe that a large number will be in less than ten feet of water. They're not going there to eat, as there are literally no baitfish in the shallows. So if they're up there, I have to assume they're going there to Spawn.

I hate to sound like broken record, but the same baits are still working that were working a month ago. Jigs, Big Flukes, and Senkos are still the best things going.. But you just watch.. Someone with a huge sack (of fish) will get on the stage at the Stren and say something like "We caught em Carolina riggin' a Zorro Spook in 65 feet of water.." Happens every time.. Sometimes you just gotta show em something different.

One thing is for sure, we don't have to wait too much longer to see what is going to happen.. I'm getting goose bumps..

The South Texas Five tourney is this weekend, and maybe it will shed a little light as to what we could expect in the near future. There will be some pretty good fishermen competing, and a lot of them know the lake pretty well. So tune in Monday for a full report on the outcome..

I have been watching a little football the last week or so, and they keep mixing in all the commercials for prescription drugs. And I love the parts when they start talking real fast about all the side effects that occur in some instances. Of course we all know that Viagra can turn you into an olympic pole vaulter, but some of these quit smoking drugs have some crazy reported reactions. (I tried taking Viagra, but all it did was make my neck stiff. I told the doctor and he told me I was swallowing it too slow..)

A lot of these stop smoking drugs talk about suicide or thoughts of suicide and I just don't think I could take any of them. Too scary for me.. And suicide is no joking matter. But if you killed yourself I guess you couldn't sue em.. Cause you would have to admit that their product worked..

And yesterday I was doing some cooking and in my pantry I found a product that my wife bought.. It said it was "Extra Virgin" Olive Oil. I looked up 'Virgin' in the dictionary and I can't see how anything or anyone could be "Extra" virgin.. I thought that "Virgin" was as good as it gets.. And being Catholic, I know a little about Virgins.. Maybe in this case the word "Extra" is being used as a descriptive modifier.. Or maybe this is the cream of the crop off the top of the regular virgin olive oil.. But I went to the store and I couldn't find any regular Virgin Olive oil.. I'm confused.. Three grades of unleaded, and only one grade of virgin Olive oil.. I dated some girls in High School that were Extra Virgin.. I think I cured a few of them.. But I digress.. Maybe some of you Olive Oil users out there can enlighten me on the facts. I hadn't even thought of Olive Oil since I watched Popeye.. But I'll admit I kind of had the hots for her..

And about this Moron who tried to blow up another airplane last weekend. I got my theories on that. When I get on a plane I like to sit in the back. That way I get to get on last and check out who is on the flight. And I make a mental note of what terrorist lookin Son of a Bitch is sittin where. And if any weird crap starts happening on the flight I'll make his neck look like a straw stickin out of a 44oz Big Gulp and I'll have his Adams Apple in my pocket.. Damn.. Now I'm probably on the watch list..

And all that stuff I wrote in the first paragraph.. Don't believe any of that crap.. It's on!

December 26, 2009: It's the day after Christmas, and I hope yours was all it could be. I think I ate too much.. Three times.. And while I didn't get the Fisbin game I requested, I did get that new Popiel Pocket Fisherman. If it works half as good as the commercial says it does...

But I tried to concentrate on giving, instead of getting this year. I sent the president a pocket mirror, and I sent Rosie a seatbelt extender for all her SUV's.. I tried to send Ms. Pelosi some make up, but the post office returned it to me as non shippable.. I did not know Bondo was on the hazardous shipping list.. I tried..

Falcon has caught a bit of water in the last couple of weeks, and we are sitting at 288.22, or 12.98 feet low. The Valley is wet, release rates are still low, and if all remains the same we should hold steady for the meantime and it looks like we should be dealing with a steady lake level through the Stren event that starts on the 7th of January. Falcon has maintained approximately the same water level for several months and it is possible that we could stay close for the near future. It would be great to get in another spawn without the lake dropping five to eight feet right in the middle of it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed..

We had another front blow through here on Christmas eve, and it did no good for the water temperatures either. Most areas you will find temps in the 58 to 60 degree range, and maybe bit cooler or a bit warmer. We had a couple of sunny days but we are headed back to the clouds for the next couple. And we are still in some of the shortest hours of daylight days of the year, but we have made the switch to getting longer instead of shorter. Thank God.. I hate winter..

The fishing is holding up better that I thought it would with these cold water temps, but nothing has really changed since we last spoke. Deep fishing is still your best chance for putting together a decent stringer, although I did hear of some folks doing good in seventeen feet or so.. Wait a minute. That's still pretty deep..

Brush Hogs are doing really well by all reports, and of course the Watermelon Red, and the Watermelon Magic are two of the best colors going. There have been a lot of big fish caught on Brush Hogs lately. I am sure any creature bait in those colors will get you bit. Mag Flukes are still doing very well when you are around fish, and the W/M Magic, Green Pumpkin Magic, and a new color that Zoom just came out with called Green Pumpkin Blue Flash in the big fluke are good choices. Of course the Football Jig is also still catching a lot of fish.

Someone asked me the other day what kind of rating I would give the fishing. And I had to think about it a bit.. Shallow water fishing, the kind I like, is about a four.. But the deep water bite is about a seven I would guess.. Of course there are some who would give it a ten.. I have not been that lucky. Like I said before.. It is all about spots..

Well I have got to go put together my new Heathkit Side Imaging Depth finder.. If I can find my soldering iron..

December 22, 2009: As the year draws to a close, we find ourselves with some interesting fishing here on Falcon. And the best way I know to describe it is spotty. If you find the right spot, and I mean this might be a little spot, the size of your truck, you just might catch a boat load of fish. And I mean a boat load of big fish. Several people who I have talked to have done exactly this in the last few weeks. But a lot of people I have talked to have not done near as well.

It seems that if you find one of these right spots, it must have the following. It must be near some deep water, and near the river channel is best. It must have some brush on it. And it is certainly beneficial if the bottom is rocky. A quick depth change is a must. Slow, sloping bottoms are not going to do it.. Edges..

Deb Baker and her husband have been having a hell of a week, except that she has been complaining that she hasn't caught a DD in all her time spent here. Well we don't have to listen to that anymore.. On the 9th of December she caught this ten pound plus fish, and you'd think that would keep her happy for a while.

But on Sunday she went and outdid herself, by catching this 13-3. It was caught on a brush hog in around twenty five feet of water. Her and her husband Jim have caught four fish over ten pounds in the last two weeks, and they said when this fish was caught, they had a forty pound stringer in thirty minutes and quit right after this big fish was caught. And evidently they were still biting.. Congrats on the great fish.

The thirteen was submitted to you know where, and I hate to see it happen. I would much rather see that fish spawn in Falcon, and leave her genes here, than send her fry to some other lake that probably doesn't need them any more than we do. Those fry are not coming back to Falcon. I heard yesterday that the fish is doing fine.. I hope so.. We'll see.

If you love Falcon, and you catch a thirteen pound fish, you are faced with a problem. Are you going to do what's best for the lake, and release her as soon as humanly possible, or or you going to subject her to possible death, and surely remove her fry from the lake. I know what I would do.

And you cannot tell me that taking big fish out of Falcon Lake will benefit Falcon Lake. It don't wash.

I'll remind you of FLT's offer again. If it is humanly possible, we will meet you on the lake with your monster fish with our certified scale and a great digital camera. We will weigh and photograph your fish so you can get her back in the lake as quickly as possible with proof of your catch. And she can go on about her business of making more Falcon trophies... For Falcon.

I know it's your choice.

December 20, 2009: I've been sitting here looking at the results for the electroshocking survey that was taken here on Falcon a couple months ago, and either I need another cup of coffee or wait till it's later than 5:30 am.. But I think I have it figured out..

And I think that if you see more dots it's a good thing.. You can see that there are a lot more fish in the bigger sizes that were collected this year, but the overall "Fatness" or Rosie style fish is a bit lower.. But not a lot.. And this could be caused by a few factors. The most likely being that there is such a large number of fish competing for the food supply. I do not think that there is a food shortage here on Falcon, but the fish might have to be working a bit harder to catch it. You've seen those movies where the King and Queen are sitting in their thrones and there are some servants fanning them with palm leaves and stuffing them with grapes and mutton legs.. Well that's how the fish have had it here on Falcon for the last few years. And by no means am I saying that the decadent lifestyle of the bass here on Falcon is over.. But a grape or two may have fallen off the cluster.

There are a lot of factors that affect shocking results here on Falcon, and water level fluctuation has the biggest effect on the fish data from year to year.. There are also a lot of other variables to consider. Time of year the fish were sampled and what was the water temp when it happened. We all know that in November we can have water temps in the middle sixties or in the upper seventies. And that has a lot to do with where the fish are hanging out. And keep in mind that the shocking techniques used are only effective down to about eight feet. And when this survey was done, most of the fish catching by anglers was happening in the 12-18 foot range.

Also you have to remember that we nearly doubled the size of the lake last year, so the fish are spread out over a much larger area. But this crop of bass that was hatched last spring has the potential to populate the entire lake with adult bass in the next year. And they are growing like weeds.

Aging from this batch of tested fish showed that Falcon bass on the average reach legal size in fourteen months. I have seen them do it faster, but it is sometimes hard to tell exactly when they were born as these Falcon fish spawn whenever they take a notion.. Maybe since Budweiser quit the Sharelunker sponsorship we can at least get them to let us use their "Born On" dating on our fish like they have on their longnecks.. Then' we'd know for sure..

In any case all TPWD can do is be consistent with the testing method, and report the results and use them as a comparison in the long run. Overall the outlook is good, and we should continue to see fishing here on Falcon remain some of the best around. BTW.. This report also means that there will likely be no stocking in Falcons near future, just in case you were wondering.

A report on the crappie here on Falcon is forthcoming ..

December 19, 2009: Sorry for the slow updates here lately.. I have been spread thinner than Rocky Mountain air. And I am feeling a little light headed..

Zapata has turned into a rain forest here lately and this week we got another inch and a half this week. And I am getting damn tired of all the cloudy skies and gloomy cold days.. But it is winter and I guess I can't change the seasons.. The valley also got some more good rains and I am feeling like the lake should be spared a monster drop in level till a lot of the spawn is done.. But I have seen them take a lot of water out even when I thought it was wet.. We'll see..

Deep water fishing remains good, and the football jig is still the bomb as far as deep water tactics go. We have heard from a lot of folks new to Falcon, that they are just looking for a lot of contour lines on their electronic charts, and fishing the breaks, not unlike we have been talking about the last few weeks. Thirty feet, plus or minus, still seems to be the best place to start. The big flukes are doing well also, and any big plastic will catch fish i the same areas. And odds are that if you get on some fish they will bite whatever you get in front of them.. But I know they will bite the jig and fluke.. Fish slow.. And then slow down..

Christmas is on the doorstep and a lot of folks have off the week between then and the end of the year, and it sounds like bunch of them are heading down for a few days. Hopefully we will get some weather that will allow comfortable fishing. A big cool front is supposed to get here on Christmas eve, so maybe we will be headed to a warming trend after the weekend. But for the meantime, we are supposed to be in the seventies for the next three days.. I can't wait..

I have a bunch of pics and info to share with you in the next few days, and as soon as I get it all sorted out I will have it posted. I have results from the shocking survey that was completed a month or so ago, and a report on a crappie survey that was just done this week.. TPWD says that both are looking good. I agree..

See you soon.. Get down if you can.. The fish are still biting!

December 15, 2009: If you like fog, then Zapata has been the place to be.. So this is how those politicians live every day of their lives.. Wondering around lost.. Unable to see..

This morning is fairly clear, but we have a cold front on our doorstep again, and it is supposed to get nasty. Oh Boy.. Yesterday the fog never disappeared, and it was two O'clock before you could see across the lake. It was thicker than Grizzly-Bear Pubic-Hair, I guarantee.. Of course I had to go out in it because it was the only day that was supposed to get up to sixty for the next few.. And the last few really stunk..

I put an extra twenty feet of line on my Fluke Rod just so I could get down to where the fish are reported to be.. I think I hooked a submarine one time..

I fished nothing but deep water, and I caught few fish for six hours of fishing. But in my defense I was fishing a lot of deep spots that I had not fished before or in ages, and in six hours of fishing I boated eight fish out of nine bites. I'd of gotten the ninth one too but my hands were otherwise occupied.. So it is not that I fished poorly, it was just that I was not fishing near biting fish, or I was not throwing what they were wanting to eat. Best one was about a four pounder..

Water temps were 61.something everywhere I went. I charted a lot of fish in these deeper waters, but who knows what kind of fish they were. They can make a metal detector tell you whether you have found a pirates gold tooth or a lug nut off a 51 Buick.. Seems like they could make a Fish Finder find fish.. The kind I want to find.. You build that sucker and you'll make Bill Gates look like he's broke.. I know you fishermen..

This 10-11 was caught in the Salado.. Not sure just where.. Doug Fett found him..

The FLW Stren is just around the corner, but before that is the first stop on the South Texas Five circuit. I know a lot of locals have been looking for a tourney to fish so this will give them a chance to scratch their itch. This is a team event but you can fish alone if you wish. It is coming up Jan 3rd. But you already knew that.

We are getting a lot of calls for licenses and info for January, so I expect that it is going to be a pretty busy start to the new year. And like I said, there will be more things headed our way.

There's still fish to catch and you're running out of time to use up the last of your vacation days.. Suppose to be nice this weekend so you might want to tie in a PTO day and come and chase em.. Besides, those Christmas Lights can be dangerous..

December 12, 2009: It's cold and dark here today, with temps hovering around 50 degrees.. But it's a hell of an improvement from yesterday as we never got out of the forties and there was a light rain and mist that fell most of the day.. If you fished, you are a better man than me. I'm just not that mad at em.. (Woulda been a hellof a day for a fifty dollar hooker and Motel 6)**

So I did not get a lot of reports, but I did hear from a couple of boats, and some of them actually caught some nice fish, and some good numbers. Most all the reported catches were fish that were relating to the river channel or deep creek channels. So not a lot has changed. Deep slow moving baits are still the best bet for any consistent bite.

There are a lot more folks fishing today, and I am sure I'll hear more this evening.

Water temps are down in the mid fifties by most reports, and as long as we get no sun on the water and continue these cold nights I do not anticipate any appreciable increase in temperatures. And on Falcon, cold water equals much less active bass.

There are already a lot of Stren anglers in Zapata doing some scouting for next months tourney. And I reckon that the day after Christmas there will be a lot more headed this way. I see that the field is supposed to be 150 pros, but I heard that they will let more enter if there are enough co-anglers. But that is just hear-say so I really do not know.. But interest seems high. We'll see.

If your bass club is fishing Falcon in 2010, I'd love to get a copy of your schedule and include you on our Tournament Page. So when you decide on your 10 dates please let me know. We already have a decent list of tourneys for the next year, and the first for 2010 will be the South Texas Five that will be held on January 3rd. That's new years weekend so go easy on that partying.. Registration will be here at Falcon Lake Tackle on Saturday evening of the 2nd.. If you have any questions about this event you can call Bill Stipp at 361-318-9205. We have entry forms here at FLT so if you need one just give us a call and we'll fax it to you..

There will be a few other open tourneys pop up I am sure, including our second annual Bass Blast! that should be firmed up for April real soon.. Still working out a date that might work. Look for more info soon on that one. We have a few more things being discussed around here, but for now, they are no more than talk. But some of it sounds interesting..

I am just jacked up to get in the shallows and start whacking some spawning fish. This fishing deep crap is way down on my list of favorite things. I want to get in the shallows and kick some ass.. But it appears that I may have to wait a while.. I going out right now to install that new Keel-Shield Ice Breaker on my boat..

Merry Christmas!!

** We here at Falcon Lake Tackle do not condone the use of hookers or the French owned Motel 6

December 10, 2009: It's a cool and overcast morning here in Zapata.. You should have been here yesterday.. Partly cloudy and a light breeze and shirt sleeve temperatures.. Today you need your jacket.. And a sock hat ain't a bad idea either..

I fished Tuesday, and it was surely the nicest day of the week so far. It did not get to the predicted high of 80, but it wasn't bad. And like I planned, I headed up the river to check out some traditional spawning grounds.

The water there is a degree or two warmer than the main lake, but not a lot warmer. And after doing several hours of research, I concluded that the fish are just not quite ready yet to get back in those flats near the creek channels. I caught a few buck bass, and a lot of first year fish that are under legal size. But looking at the big picture I believe that all the females are still out on the river channel. I did not catch one fish over three pounds. And while the fish just are not there yet, I am happy knowing. But when they do get there, I want to be the first to know. I'll keep you posted.

In the past I have seen these fish move up quicker than Rosie can unwrap a Twinkie.. So I need to check on them every few days in case the migration gets underway..

This fish was found floating this week with a fair sized tilapia in her mouth.. But she survived the ordeal thanks to some very observant fishermen.. And no, I do not think that your big swim bait is too big..

And Michael Lueken caught this 10-6 pig earlier this week too..

For cold weather the fishing is doing pretty well. But I am not too mad at them just yet and I'll fish on warmer days.. Lots of people in town this week, and SW Research Bass Busters are also here this weekend for their club tourney. Supposed to warm up a bit for the weekend, and we're looking forward to that.

Jigs are still king, and the big fluke is still working well. And if you want to catch some decent fish, stay deeper than ten feet.. And thirty feet is not too deep. There are some fish that are grouped up in spots, and we heard that from several people. So if you catch a couple in a tight area, fish it thoroughly and you might find a boat load. Bring your coat!

December 8, 2009: We're back at work this morning, and it is a dark and wet morning to start the day. But we are promised a warm and sunny day with a high around 82.. Sounds like heaven in December to me.. Of course this is on the heels of one of the coolest snaps in recent years, as lows got down around to 26 degrees here in Zapata over the weekend, depending on who you talked to.. That should be illegal.

And I hear that the water temps are around 62-64 degrees, and that is dangerously close to the slow bite zone for the fish here on Falcon. But at least that might keep some fish out of the freezers of some folks here in town.. The meat hunters are here in full force.. Greedy Son of a Bitches..

The lake is holding it's own as far as water level goes, and I was doing a quick look back for the last few months. Four months ago, were were at 11.19 feet low. One month ago were were at 13.31 feet low, and today we are at 13.24 feet low, where we have hovered around for the last two months.

Zapata received some awesome rain last week before the cool front arrived, and here at FLT we received a hair over two and a half inches.. We were overdue by a long shot and it was good to see. The valley also got some good rains so that will alleviate the need for a lot of pre irrigation this spring. But most of the valley has had a good wet fall and winter and hopefully the sub moisture that the farmers need to plant will already be in the ground.

Release rates from Falcon are low,at around 500 CFM, and Amistad is letting out about 800 CFM. We will hold steady if these rates continue, and that is good for fish in the pre-spawn mode. We will see what the water levels do as the spawn gets into high gear here in the next month or so..

And Yes, I said Spawn.. This is Falcon and it is not far off.. If I get the chance I am busting out of here this afternoon and I am headed to the river to check out some of my traditional early spawning areas.. I might be jumping the gun a bit, but those fish will not be far away from those areas. You are going to see some Toads in the next few months, and hell.. I wouldn't mind catching a few of them..

I have been fishing in water that is deeper than I like, (like over six feet) but it won't be long till it is Jimmie time again and I will be kicking their butts in some skinny water.. There is just nothing like 65 pound braid on a Falcon EL Toro rod, doodlesocking the bushes in six feet of water, and when you get a bite it is on!! Hookset and fish removal all in one motion.. If you're lucky.. Those big ones don't come out so easy..

Two springs ago in the Texas side of Chapote Creek there was a hogfest going on in there.. Water levels were similar and I am optimistic that it will occur again this year.. I am talking about the day after Christmas.. And a DD on the line would be better than an Ipod in the stocking..

In any case I hope to have some first hand knowledge to pass along soon.. And I have a few pics to post that I also need to get to..

But all reports I have heard in the last 12 hours tell me that the better fish are still deep.. Jigs are still doing well, and the big fluke is no fluke..

See you on the water!

December 6, 2009: FLT will re-open Monday (tomorrow 12-7) in the PM. Thanks to all of you who e-mailed your thoughts and prayers to us concerning our Dad. And thanks for your patience while we were with our family during this difficult time. We look forward to serving you and hope to see you soon!

December 2, 2009: If you follow this site then you know that our Dad has been battling a sudden reoccurrence of cancer for the last few weeks, and it has been a difficult time for us. He lost his fight this afternoon, and we are at a loss that is hard to describe. A lot of you have met him in our store, but I know many of you have not. He never knew a stranger, and if you look up generosity in the dictionary his picture is there. He was the kindest and most forgiving person I have ever met. And believe me Tommy and I needed a lot of forgiving.

So please bear with us for the next few days.. The store will be closed till sometime next week. Thanks to the many of you who have called and e-mailed your best wishes to us and to him. Your kindness will never be forgotten, and your prayers have all been felt.

November 30, 2009: The smell of hot peanut oil is fading from the air in Zapata, and the only thing left from Thanksgiving weekend is the Turkey Taco in my lunchbox.

The front that was expected showed up during the dark period, and my storm door tried to pull my elbow out of socket as I came out of the house this morning. Don't look too promising if you were planning on wetting a line today. And if you get on the water, your line won't be the only thing that gets wet.

There is no rain here yet, but NWS says we have 100% chance of it.. That should jinx it.. And looking at the radar it looks like the wet stuff should get here this later this morning. We'll see.

You shudda been here yesterday.. There was a little breeze in the morning, but by mid-afternoon it laid down and it was gorgeous. So I decided I better get on the water before it turns to winter..

I put in about 3:30, and headed up the river as I only had a couple of hours to fish. And while I was going into the mouth of a creek I ran over a waypoint I had on a ridge that sticks out to the creek channel.. There were fish all over the Depth Finder.. Of course I did not stop. Because I knew that there were fish on better spots farther back in the creek. And after fishing those better spots for an hour with only one fish to show, I figured I'd go try that first ridge, which by the way, was much nearer to the river channel.

And like the old saying goes, "Even a blind hog finds an acorn now and then." I had a four in a row streak, and a five in a row streak. I ended up catching seventeen fish in a half hour stretch, and I pulled up the trolling motor as the sun was setting. All these fish but one were caught on a Mag Fluke in W/M Magic or W/M Red. They wouldn't bite a Dinger, but I did catch one on a brush hog. Hell if I know.. And the only reason I switched to W/M Red was because I ran out of the Magics.. I caught two that might go four pounds, and there might have been two non-keepers in the mix. No Whoppers.. But it was damn sure fun to get out a bit and get my line stretched.

And like I have been saying, these fish were all on the slope of a point that was fourteen on top, and twenty six on the drop. And I caught fish from top to bottom. And I fished two other very similar ridges and the fish were just not on them.

So all I can take from this adventure (besides a big smile) is that it is still a bit of a hunt and peck pattern.. But the fish are probably on the other two ridges I fished today.

Several groups that I talked to this morning, And yes, there are people headed out there in this mess, said they did good yesterday, with some bigger fish reported. Deep rocks seem to be the common denominator.. But then they have been for weeks.

Chris Conner caught this 10-5 over the weekend, and they had several other quality fish.

BJ Smith caught these two eights on some of his custom painted crankbaits..

Anyway, I guess we will have to wait out this winter invasion for a few days.. I hate the cold..

November 28, 2009: You know, I love analogy's, and if you compared today's weather to a beautiful woman, you would have to say it was a Heather Locklear kind of day. It is beautiful with low winds, partly cloudy skies and highs supposed to reach the eighty degree range. Tomorrow is supposed to be a bit of a Jaclyn Smith kind of day, slightly darker, a bit cooler, but still ravishing.. (I love brunettes too..) And on Monday it is supposed to turn Rosie.. Cold, Dreary, and just plain nasty..

You young guys can Google Jaclyn Smith...

The Jig bite is one of the few bright spots here on Falcon as far as the fishing goes, and it is probably your best chance to catch a decent stringer of fish. There have been a few reported success stories on several other baits, but the jig seems to be the most prevalent in any good fishing tale around here right now.

I spoke to a couple of guys who reported that the buzzbait bite was quite good yesterday all the way till noon as the cloud cover never really let up. And I know that early on rocky banks you can do some good with the noisy blade. Besides that, it is fun to throw..

I am not trying to cast a disparaging shadow on the fishing, but it is not what we are used to here at Falcon. But there have been some groups of fishermen doing pretty well.

Falcon is sitting at 287.73, or 13.29 feet low. Amistad is at 2.12 feet low, and both lakes have been holding darn near steady for the last month or so. Our water temps have dropped to the mid sixties here on Falcon, and I told you many times before, these fish don't like cold water.

There are a whole lot of guys who did not stick around to help with the dishes after Thanksgiving dinner, and they are all down here. And it seems that Turkey sandwiches are the favorite boat lunch this week. Don't forget the Miracle Whip.. Those squeeze bottles rock..

I have ignored the hunters it seems this year, but not on purpose. Let me tell you that if you like huntin' them duck, then Falcon is the place to be. Everyone that I have talked to that likes pursuing the critters is killing easy limits in short order. The river is the place to be, and the creeks around White House, Chapote, and all the little feeder creeks from Zapata to the Burro are loaded with birds. Now I don't know a Gadwall from Merganser, but I hear that there all sorts of birds around here. I love wing shooting, but I am not too keen on eating ducks. And having to figure out whether to shoot one or not does not play to my strong points.. I have a bad case of "If it flies it dies" syndrome.. So I would probably shoot every illegal bird around.. And I'd love to kill about a thousand Cormorants.. Per hunt.. So maybe it is best that I leave my 1100 in the house..

There have been some awesome Bucks killed around here, but the price of hunting is getting a bit out of hand. I hear that there are a few less hunters this year than last, and I guess we will have to blame it on the economy. We'll see in the near future if things get a bit more affordable with the lowered demand.

I hope that you were able to spend some time with Family and Friends this weekend, whether you are fishing, hunting, or just hanging out ODing on football in the den.. And yes, eating turkey sandwiches. And don't forget to remember all of our Troops that are not where they would like to be this weekend. Thanks to all our Armed Forces, past and present, that are allowing us to lay around and bask in the freedom of the USA. God Bless and protect you. Enjoy the rest of your long weekend..

I'll have more details on the fishing soon..

November 23, 2009: Things are a bit crazy this week for me, and I have been spending a lot more time in a deer blind than in a bass boat.. And more time than that digging post holes, cutting wood, burning brush, and basically just plain slave labor around my Dads ranch. I'm still on the bottom of the totem pole..

We got a half inch of rain Zapata last Friday, and it is good to be able to wear your contact lenses outside.. At least that what my brother says.. It was nice to see, and we have definitely had some cooler starts to the day.

Fishing remains a bit on the sketchy side, and if you are going to catch any numbers it sounds like you need to be fishing deeper than our Falcon norm. Most fish are coming between ten and twenty feet, and deeper won't hurt. I hate it, but that's the way it is.. Big soft plastics and Jigs are still king..

I wish I could say that fishing is awesome, but I can't. I have talked to more people who have struggled catching fish than I have talked to that have done well. And I hear the last couple of days have been the same. But hope springs eternal in the human breast and a lot of fishermen are still out there giving it the old College Try. And I'll be doing the same.. But not till Friday.

And in the spirit of Thanksgiving we'd like to thank all of you for your patronage all year long. We are truly blessed to be where we are and we could not be here without you, Our Customers. We'd also like to thank all of you who have written, called, and e-mailed with regards to our Daddy. He is holding his own for the meantime, and we are taking it day by day.

Don't forget to thank the ones in your life that have made a difference to you. And don't forget to thank God that you live in the good old USA.. Have a great Thanksgiving and we'll see you Friday!

P.S. The store will be closed on Thanksgiving Day!

P.S.S. Thanks for those crawdads!

November 19, 2009: It's been a cool cloudy day here in Zapata, with a few peeks of sun in-between. Temps have stayed in the mid seventies all day, and it was a pretty good day for fishing. And some of the folks I talked to did pretty fair. The buzz bait bite was reported very good early this am, and it lasted longer than usual according to Buzzbait Guru Jimbo Beard. He said rocky points were the key.. Shallow.. And a lot of the fish they caught were five to seven pounders. I gotta get me some of that if I ever get out of here..

I also talked to several other fishermen who did pretty good, catching fifteen to twenty fish per boat.. And that is not great by Falcon standards, but I guess it will keep you awake.

The Watermelon Magic Mag Fluke is still one of the best producers at present, and Jigs and Senkos are right there with it. There are a lot of folks throwing crankbaits, and I am hearing mixed reviews on them. I think it is always about being around the fish.. But I guess that is always true.

But there is a consensus that drops and depth changes are key to holding any numbers of fish. Long points and humps and breaks are the required ingredient for any grouped up fish. You can flip a mile of brush, and you are going to catch some fish, but to get on em' you have to be near some deep water..

Tommy Law and Doug Fett went to Las Blancas in Mexico yesterday, and Doug caught a hellova fish that went 11-2.. We hear the lake record was 10.50, but in Mexico who really knows. In any case it's a whopper. Las Blancas is known as a numbers lake but in the last few years we have been hearing of more and more big fish being pulled out of the grass. If you like fishing Hydrilla, you'll like Las Blancas.. And it's only an hour from FLT..

And here's a pic of whopper as well. This is a Rio Grande perch, and Falcon has a lot of them. It's markings are distinct, with all the dots all over them.. They are a beautiful fish, and when covered with cornmeal and deep fried they really look good. And they are the toughest perch on the planet.. They are a heck of a Yellow Cat bait when baited live, and I have seen them stay alive on a trotline for a week. You can't kill em' with a ball peen..

I can't believe all the Christmas commercials already on TV, as I haven't even chopped the head off my turkey yet. But give me a couple of days and I'll be on her like Slick Willie on an Intern.. But I'm stuffin' her from the other end.. (I'm sorry.. I'm sorry.. Don't call, I apologize..)

Remember when the day after Thanksgiving was the green flag for Christmas advertising? I guess that has been out the window for quite a while.. And why do I have to watch a commercial during a program?? I am sure you have noticed the little advertisements in the bottom corner of your set.. It was bad enough when CBS put that evil eye in the bottom corner of the picture.. Always looking at you.. Now it's like picture in picture on the bottom of the screen. I think I'm gona go back to my 13" TV so it doesn't look so annoying.. Or maybe I'll just move a pot plant in front of the bottom corner.. It sure is fun to bitch.. And I do believe that there have never been so many channels on TV, and so little to watch. I'll see you later.. Jeopardy is coming on..

November 17, 2009: The phone has been ringing quite a bit the last week, and it appears that there are still a lot of folks headed this way in the coming year, despite of the poor economic outlook. I guess fishing is as good a way to deal with hard times as standing around waiting for things to get better. A mans gotta do something to keep his mind clear.. I always looked at fishing as therapy anyway.

And evidently a lot of you do too..

The fishing is less than stellar at present, and I am not sure whether it is getting better or worse. Like always some are catching fish, and some are struggling. And an average day of fishing by most accounts is yielding from ten to thirty fish, and thirty is on the high end for a lot of boats. There are always some exceptions.. It is not the Falcon from just a month ago.

I am hoping the fish are just in a transitional state getting used to the cooler water temps. The lake is holding about steady, and we are at 13.27 low, where we have been hovering for the last few weeks. Water temps are right at 70-72 degrees, or at lease they were just before this last front.

People who are catching fish are doing best on creek channel edges, and I will have to guess we are in a bit of a pre-spawn pattern. But fish are being caught everywhere, and that is part of the problem. They are in two to thirty feet of water, and some stories I have heard say that there are fish biting in 35 plus feet of water.. They are safe from me..

Shiela Meyer caught this fish while fishing with the Atascosa Bass Club last weekend, and it weighed 8.97.

And here's a couple of cartoons that have nothing to do with fishing.. But I thought I'd pass them along.. You may have seen them before..

November 14, 2009: Well hopefully you survived your case aboutand you are still swinging at em today.. Because as FDR said "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." And my only fear is that I won't get to fish enough. And lately my fishing days have been as rare as fat cheerleaders.. But I did get out on Thursday.. And did pretty good. And you won't believe how shallow some of the fish were.. I caught one up against a fence where the bottom wire was not wet.. Till the fish jumped over it anyway..

I fished way the heck up the Veleno on the creek channel edges and in the bushes in the middle of the creek where the water was about six to eight feet deep. Some of the water on the edge was no more than eighteen inches deep, and we caught a few fish out of it. That my kind of fishin.. I only have twelve feet of string on my rigs..

I then went to the Hedieona, and fished some deeper ridges and humps and that creek has a lot of little fish in it. Another specialty of mine..

And in my continuing electro-shocking test, I have come to a conclusion that fish after being shocked don't bite within the next couple of days.. You didn't think that I would ignore them did you?? But they did ignore me.

I fished several areas where we had good results with the shocking rig, and as of this date I have caught a total one fish from three locations. I wondered what the results would be, and there could be many answers as to why I did not catch any fish from the areas we shocked. It could be that I just suck at fishing, or that the fish just were not biting. Or I was throwing the wrong baits. Or it was the wrong time of day. Or the shocking messed up their eating habits.. Or they all left cause they felt discriminated against.. Hell if I know. But I didn't catch any of them.. I'll give em a week and see what happens..

But Jim Bashum caught this 10-2 a couple of days ago, his best Falcon fish..

There are quite a few folks around this weekend, but only one bass club that I know of, and that is the Hawg Hunters from San Antonio. I believe they are doing a paper tourney, but I'll let you know what I hear..

There is a tournament at Choke Canyon tomorrow, to help the Jane Behnken family with some medical bills. It is a three fish, team tourney.. You can register late at Calliham boat ramp in the morning. $150 entry.. If you are looking for a good way to spend your Sunday and help out a good cause.. Call Kit Getchell at 817-454-0007, or Jim Criswell at 830-313-2771 for more details..

See you later.. Enjoy your weekend..

November 12, 2009: Fishing remaining good here on Falcon, although I am not doing much of it. We did have over forty pounds before lunch yesterday though..

The boys from TPWD Inland Fisheries are in town this week, conducting their annual fall electro-fishing survey, and we got the opportunity to go along for the ride, and net a few fish. And let me tell you this would be the ultimate prefishing tool.. I gotta get me one..

Randy Myers, Johnny Dennis, and Jimmy Cordova from TPWD are some dedicated professionals, and I asked them a million questions. And they answered most of them..

The bass in Falcon at last testing are 82% Florida strain. Their goal is to get that number as high as possible. And it is the highest of the three big lakes in our area. These fish collected will be DNA tested and aged and will will provide valuable data to plan for the future. About a dozen bass were retained for testing, but none of them over fifteen inches. Now for the good part.

Only one bass over ten pounds was caught, but there were a couple of eights and several sevens. But keep in mind this shocking system only is effective to about eight feet deep. And therefore we only worked areas in that range and shallower. And these spots that were sampled were picked randomly.. In some spots I thought I would fish here, but a lot of them I would not have given a second look. Fish were found in all of them, but the numbers varied greatly. And some spots that looked great to me produced few fish.

One large tree produced an easy twenty fish. I was not along on that outing, but Tommy has it indelibly ingrained in his head.. I might have to hypnotize him..

This data goes a long way in deciding which lakes get stocked, and I don't believe we have had a substantial stocking since 2003. We have a LOT of juvenile fish in the lake, which I was sure of.

Most all of the fish were fat and healthy. I will have the final results of survey posted in a week or so.

Don't stick your toes in the water!

Fishing is still decent here.. The rut is a ways off around south Texas so you better get down here and get you some..

November 9, 2009: Please forgive my absence from the page for a while.. I am trying to spend all the time at my folks I can.. And although my Dad is not doing well, he is still able to issue orders and supervise quite well.. I have spent the last five days cutting wood, picking up brush, hauling hay, making sausage, and hiding in the pasture.. I was going to milk some cows, but the only one I could catch had only one teat down there.. And I couldn't get it pointed at the bucket..

There are a lot of folks in town, as more and more Snowbirds make their way out of the Midwest, and we have a whole new population of temporary citizens that have heard the word about Falcon. Seems that many folks are here that were here last fall, trying to repeat their experience from last year.

If you go back one year, Falcon was on a rise of several inches a day, and in Mid October we were at 296.35, or 4.67 feet low. In mid November we were 1.5 feet overfull, or 302.52. Currently we are at 13.31 feet low, which converts to 287.71. We have held about dead level for the last week. We are still releasing a bit less water than Amistad, though release rates are up from last week. Amistad has dropped to 2.01 feet low. And releases from the Rio Conchos have been cut to near zero.

My fishing report for today will have to be second hand, and believe me, I don't like it any more than you do. But I have some info that I deem pretty reliable so I'm going to pass it along to you.

There are still fish in two feet of water, and fish in thirty feet of water. And if I was fishing, I would pick my comfort zone and work it hard. The flipping bite is still pretty strong according to reports, and brush hogs, both large and small are doing pretty well in the shallow bushes. Once again, try to target drops on points and ledges with bushes on them. It does not have to be a big drop off either.. Just a quick depth change of a few feet can hold fish. I was just talking to Charlie Haralson, and he said they are catching fish from the bank to thirty plus feet. And a lot of the deeper fish can really be ganged up he said, and it is not uncommon to catch good numbers from the same spot. He also said that if you don't get bit pretty quick, get along little doggy..

Scattered is still the term I am using most.. And that's what they are.. But if you fish the channel edges, dropoffs, and intersections, you will catch fish.

Not a lot has changed since I last wrote it appears.. As I have been writing this, I have spoken with several fishermen just off the lake, and most all of the have reported decent results, but nothing spectacular. Soft plastics and jigs are still the top baits I hear.. I am going to call the fishing good, but not great.

But the there are always exceptions to the rule. I was talking to Alton Jones a couple weeks ago at a restaurant, and he said he had just had the best day of his life, from a fishing standpoint. He said they had caught five for 46.25, easily the biggest stringer he had ever been around. And he called last week and said that they had eclipsed that mark, as they had a five fish stringer that 50.5 pounds. And I apologize for not getting the pics up sooner, but I have not been around anything that resembles an internet connection..

Here's Altons E-Mail..

"James,  Two weeks ago I thought I had my best day ever when we caught 5 
that weighed 46 1/4.  That's until this week when we returned to the 
same spot and caught 5 that weighted 50 1/2 pounds!  I was fishing 
with Bruce Stanton and Andy Carroll from PRADCO and Ronnie Manrose 
from Bass Pro Shops.  One of these photos is Andy Carroll with a 
9-12.  The other is me holding a 9-8 I caught and an 11-2 that Ronnie 
Manrose caught (one of our many double hookups for the day).  Ronnie 
is recovering from rotator cuff surgery so I volunteered to hold the 
fish up for him.  All the monsters came on a Fat Free Shad.  Anything 
shad colored worked.  On Tuesday we caught 19 bass over 8 pounds, 9 of 
which were over 9, 2 were over 10, biggest was 11-2.  I'll probably 
never have another day anywhere like that."

Never say Never.. This is Falcon...

But you don't have to be a Bass Masters Classic winner to catch some good fish on Falcon.. You just have to be here at the right time and place.. And throw an Ol Monster in Plum.. Like Nadine Saur..

Nice catch Nadine.. Watch out Alton!

November 4, 2009: Winter has arrived in Zapata, and the high temps for the next few days are predicted to be in the mid eighties, and you couldn't order the weather any nicer. And as an added bonus light winds from several directions have been the norm for the last few days, and it is predicted to remain the same through the weekend. So if you are looking for a good stretch to fish you might consider this one.. Of course one caveat is that these predictions are made by the National Weather Service, and their margin of error is rather high.. But at least I like the way they are thinking right now..

The fishing has been a bit spotty, but things seem to be settling down a little the farther we get from the last frontal passage.. What I hate is the full moon out all night, as I personally believe it to be bad for daytime fishing, at least till midday. But it is waning and darker nights are on the way.

The fishing should be good this weekend, just before the next cool front, which is predicted to be mild, and with darker nights. That's my theory any way, and I am sticking to it.

Now I am not saying the fishing is bad, but it is not what it was a month ago, as the fish are not climbing in the boat and opening your tackle box. They are however, very catchable.

Fish over ten pounds have taken a bit of a vacation for the last week or so from what I am hearing, but smaller fish, under fourteen inches can drive you crazy. I was fishing a hump in the Hedieona on Sunday afternoon and I could have caught more of them than Rosie could eat. The lake is full of last years hatch... And they'll tear the tail off a worm quicker than a cat can lick his ass.. (Sorry about that.. That's one of my Dad's favorite expressions)

I am not sure what this winter and spring will bring. I know that there will be a ton of good fish caught. I know there will be a ton of good fish slaughtered on the meat boards. I know there will be an army of people who are starving to death driving their Motor Homes and New Trucks and New Bass Boats to Falcon so they can feed their family and the entire neighborhood where they live. And I wonder how they can justify killing all those big fish.

Here's a News Flash.. There are a limited number of big fish in Falcon! Quit killing them! Eat all the little fish you want. There are lots of them. And I have no problem with that.

But it makes me wonder how someone who loves to fish, loves to catch a big fish, comes to Falcon so they can catch a big fish, catches a big fish, has his buddy take a picture of him with his big fish, extracts so much joy from catching a big fish, and then kills the very thing that brought him the pleasure he was seeking and spent some much time, money and effort to pursue.

I'll admit I'm pretty dense.. But I don't get it..

These fish are not like a throw a way camera.. They're recyclable! You can put them back.. You can catch them again!! Really!!

All right I am off the box..

Fish are still relating to structure and break lines, and drains and intersections are still the key to catching consistent fish. Depths vary, but fish are being caught from three feet to thirty, and that's what's making it a little tough. Best numbers of fish are are still being caught in the ten foot range, and flipping or casting to the brush seems to be getting the best results. The bite is still very subtle on the soft plastics, and like I have said a hundred times before, when in doubt, set the hook.

I am going to say that fishing is still good, but it is not easy. You have to work at it a bit, but that makes it all the more gratifying when you figure them out. It is hard to pick a best bait right now, as all are working, but on a day to day basis any one might outshine another. Start with your favorite and adapt as needed. But the Plum Ol Monster ain't a bad choice..

Falcon water temps have dropped to the 74 degree range, and temps will probably remain close to that for the next week or two. We are sitting at 287.91, or 13.29 feet low. Falcon is releasing about 900 CFM at the moment, and Amistad is is turning loose about 1900 CMF. That should hold us steady if nothing changes. Amistad has actually caught a little water, and it came from the Rio Conchos as we talked about a week or so ago.. Amistad is currently 1.94 feet low.

One of our local wardens, Jake Cawthon, found this fish on the lake, and managed to perform a perch-e-otomy and save both fish. Keep your children close to shore..

October 31, 2009: Happy Halloween! If you're into that sort of thing. I think there is enough scary stuff going around without having to have a day to celebrate it.. Just look at the national headlines.. But if you want to get a Skull and Bones Tattoo I guess it is your business.. That's why I love America.. You can still let your freak flag fly..

And speaking of Tattoos.. I have watched a couple of NBA games this week. Eee Gadds.. I haven't seen that much ink since they tried to do a life sized drawing of Rosie.. And while I am on sports, there is another thing I have noticed lately. Cause I am an observant kind of guy.. And I think it is very discriminatory, and I will go as far as saying that we need to get the government involved to stop this practice.

Almost all of the Cheerleaders at the pro football games are rather large chested specimens. Almost all of the Cheerleaders/Dancers or whatever you call them in the NBA are rather flat chested.. This is a blatant case of discrimination against large chested women by the NBA, and it must stop. I'm not just making this up, I checked it out. You might not be thinking about this kind of stuff, but this is how rights are slowly eroded in this country.. And I for one am not willing to just sit in my Lazy Boy and take it. This problem needs to be nippled.. errr.. Nipped in the bud.. I'm on it and I am collecting evidence to substantiate my case..Exhibit "A"

Exhibit "DD"

The fishing here on Falcon is doing just fine, and jigs are still the best thing going, according to all reports. Reddish Brown, or Black and Blue seem to be the best, and a craw pattern trailer that matches your jig is a sure bet. I have seen few crawfish that are blue, but these fish here at falcon seem to like em..

Your favorite soft plastic will still catch them, and the Ol Monster in Plum, Junebug, Redbug, or Watermelon Magic is a good choice. The Mag Fluke and the Senko are still working well also.

The fish are somewhat scattered, but the good news is that they are scattered most everywhere. From shallow to deep, fish can be caught using a wide variety of baits. Like I always say, put on your confidence bait and throw it. It will work.

Someone asked me yesterday how I thought the fishing was on a scale of one to ten. I said it was around a 7.5, with a peak and valley here and there. The cool fronts that have passed through have tightened the fish up a bit. Don't get in a hurry with your presentations, and you will do better. These fish can be a bit lethargic, especially the day after a front.

We are supposed to be in the eighties for the next few days and I expect the fish to go nuts about Monday. Hopefully I can glean a little first hand knowledge for you in the next few days. This morning it got down to 50 degrees, and it was down right cool. It is in the upper seventies this PM and it is a gorgeous day.

Lots of snowbirds are rolling into town, and if you frequent some of the RV parks it is easy to see the increase in activity. All is as it should be.. It's Halloween!

October 30, 2009: The wet and cold never got here, but cool and breezy did. The front that blew in yesterday afternoon brought some gusty winds and big waves, but it did not hit here till around five O'Clock. And it petered out around eleven this morning, but there was still a light north wind this afternoon. And a north wind on Falcon does for fishing what Pelosi does for politics.. Neither one is good.. But I can't do too much about either.

A few folks came in the store this afternoon and said they did fair, but no one I talked to said they caught any big fish. Most reports consisted of fish caught in the less than legal to three pound size.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a Chamber of Commerce Day, as is Sunday and into next week. All we need is the south wind to return.. And it will shortly.. Trust me..

There are no big tourneys in town this weekend, but Austin Bass Club is here, and maybe one other.. So there is plenty of room for you.. If you're not headed to the deer lease. And speaking of which, there have been plenty of hunters in and out of the store the last few weeks.. The deer I have seen look pretty slick, although we had some dry conditions this summer.. But eating that brush makes them horns grow..

Falcon has dropped a little over the last two weeks, and so has the water temps. High seventies should be prevalent this weekend, but with a little sun on the water it could make it back to eighty.. But cooler nights and shorter days will inevitable have our water cooler soon. The fish know winter is coming, and they have been doing a pretty good job of fattening up for winter.. These fish are chunky and scrappy.

Come and get em..

October 28, 2009: Fishing remains good here on Falcon as the water temps cool a bit and we head into fall here in south Texas. And one thing to keep in mind this time of year is that we will have to be dealing with changing weather conditions on a daily basis. Winds before a frontal passage can be brutal from the south and in the next two hours it can be roaring out of the north.. Make yourself aware of approaching fronts this time of year.

Fall has set itself up to be wet so far in south central Texas, although we have been skipped a bit by the rain in Zapata. But the country around us is looking pretty darn good, and definitely much greener that in the last year and a half. San Antonio has erased a 12" shortage in the last three months.. Welcome to Texas.

There have been some excellent reports coming in from local guides, and from some visiting fishermen. I have not personally been on the water in a week, so I have no first hand knowledge to pass on.. But I hear that the jig bite is still going strong on anything rocky. Big soft plastics are still catching a lot of fish, like always.

I appreciate all of you who have e-mailed with regards for my Dad, and we are doing the best we can. Please be patient with me on the fishing reports as I will post whenever possible.. No internet at my folks house..

The FLW Stren series has finally announced what everyone has known, that they are headed to Falcon on Jan 7th.. They have cut the field to 150 Pros and 150 Co's.. If you are planning a fun trip to Falcon, that might be a week you want to avoid.. All the details are on the FLW site.. And I am sure we will have plenty to talk about before, during, and after the tourney.

No big events are scheduled for Falcon till January, although there will be plenty of fellows here prefishing for the Stren event I am sure.. And there appears to be a big population of Snowbirds headed our direction again this year, if I am interpreting my e-mail and phone calls right.

And while the OPEC tourney did not take place this year, after being held for 15 consecutive years, there is talk of holding a tourney next year in the same timeframe. We wanted to put something together this year, but it takes a lot of prep work to promote and run one properly, and we did not feel like we had the time needed to do it right. Look for a similar format, with a whole new name and organization next fall.

The FLT Bass Blast! is going to be held again this year and we are looking at dates that would work. Last year we had it in April, two weeks before Bass Champs, in an effort to get some folks to fish that might be prefishing for BC. This year BC is coming in February, and I am not sure when we will hold the event. But look for a decision soon. It might just work in Feb.. I certainly like the cooler water temps..

One thing about getting out of Zapata for a few days is that you can get a steak that was not cut out of a saddle.. The other day I had one and I swear that it had a bullet hole in it..

I have a few pics to post and will ASAP. Fishing is good.. Watch the weather. Come when you can...

October 26, 2009: It was a fine day for fishing on Sunday, maybe a a bit breezy at times, but fishable. And the Bass Federation fellows had a pretty good day. See top finishers on tourney page.

Our Dad is having some health problems and I may or may not have access to the net so please bear with me for the immediate future as far as reports go.

Jigs, Jigs, Jigs.. Throw em.. They're catching a lot of fish.. The Mag fluke is still doing well as is the Senko in a variety of colors. The fish are feeding up for winter and creek channel edges and drains are where they are preferring to hang out.. Rocky drops, with quick depth changes are still doing the best, and there are fish from two feet deep to thirty.. Come get you some!

October 25, 2009: First day info on the Bass Federation is on the Tourney page.

October 23, 2009: I am not sure what you are doing today.. But it is Friday and the meat is on the pit.. If you are in Zapata about 6:30 this evening you might want to stop by the store.. We'll cure that rumbling in your tummy. Clear skies.. 75 degrees with light winds.. Fish are biting.. You should be here...

October 22, 2009: All the rain that was predicted remained just that around here.. Predicted.. And no great amounts of rain fell in the mountains of Mexico either, so I don't see a continued release of a lot of water out of Lake Luis Leon on the Rio Conchos.. But there is a bit of water headed to Amistad, although it will take a little while to get there. We got drizzled on here this morning, but that is about all.

Yesterday the wind blew, and fishing any non protected areas was tough. This morning it was clear, but it has clouded over, yet I don't think there will be any appreciable rainfall.. Winds are light and I am hearing no complaints about the weather after yesterday. We are supposed to cool off a bit in the next couple of days, but not cold by any means. Winds are predicted to be low for the next couple of days, and highs are being guessed at around 85.

Prefishing for the Bass Federation Championship has started today and there are a few folks taking advantage of the practice time. I heard there will be a little less than 40 anglers in the event, so there will still be plenty of room for you. We're feeding them tomorrow evening here at the shop, so if you see smoke and smell brisket in Zapata it will be us.. But don't worry, we are trained professionals. Atascosa bass club is also here this weekend.

There are still fish at every depth, and most can be enticed to bite. Your kind of fishing is working right now.

Ashley Porter caught her all time Big Bass here on Falcon a couple of weeks back. It was an eight plus.

Art VanNostrand caught this 10.49 pounder on a buzzbait during the Sun Country Championship. That'll spill your coffee..

Shawn Setliff caught this 10.24 this week..

There's more bigguns biting.. Come and get em..

October 20, 2009: There have been a bunch of folks in town for the last couple of weeks, and I would have to say that the fishing for the most part has been very good. Some have struggled, but a lot of folks have whacked them. In the Uvalde Bass club tourney on Sunday there were two stringers over thirty two pounds. And there were a lot of other good bags and nice fish weighed.

It seems that the key to catching some better fish is to concentrate on edges and drop offs. Creek channels with small drains that come out to the channel are holding a lot of fish. These intersections can concentrate the fish in a small area, and when you find one you can get fat..

But ledges and points dying into creek channels are also holding a lot of fish. I am fishing the contour lines of some deeper points and catching quite a few fish. But the one thing that is best is a quick depth change, no matter where it is. I don't care if there is three feet of water on top and drops to ten, or fifteen feet on top and drops to twenty two.. Both are holding fish.

And for these rock oriented fish I believe right now there is nothing better than a jig. A football head in a craw pattern, or a Black and Blue with similar trailer is wearing them out. I have spoken with many people this week that agree with me.. Throw the jig.. Catch a Pig..

There are also a wave of spawning fish right now on Falcon, and this is not at all uncommon. A bunch of bloody tailed fish with swollen bellies have been caught in water just deep enough to keep their nipples from rubbing the bottom.. So don't be afraid to fish some skinny water as well. Several folks I have talked to this week said that they have seen big fish chasing in the shallows and have caught double digit fish by tossing a spinner bait at them. So throw at a swirl as soon as you can and you might get a big surprise..

Falcon is not known as a topwater lake but that might be changing. This summer has been really good in the low light periods for bank running, surface feeding fish. Once the sun is on the water you can hang it up, but if you can retrieve your bait right along a rocky bank you can get your arm broke.. A buzzbait has been best, but a walking bait like a Spook or similar will also catch fish. The soft frog and the Rage Tail from Strike King are also good choices.. And it's a damn fun way to catch fish..

The soft plastic bite is still king for numbers, and the flipping bite on Falcon never goes away. An Ol Monster or a brush hog will get you bit in bushes on the end of most points. Bites are still very subtle, so when in doubt, set the hook..

There is an interesting little scenario playing out in the eastern Pacific, and it bears watching. Hurricane Rick is headed into the Cabo area, and it is possible that its remains will settle over the Sierra Madre's in Central Mexico. I don't know if you are paying attention, but this sounds a little similar to last year..

There are two lakes of interest on the Rio Conchos chain that flows north into the Rio Grande above Presidio. Not a lot of rivers flow north in the Northern hemisphere, but this one does. And the big lake of the two, Boquilla, is at 88.5 % of capacity, and Luis L. Leon, a much smaller lake below it is at 128.77% as of yesterday morning. They are releasing no water from Boquilla, but they are letting out almost 3600 CFS out of Luis Leon.. Maybe they are getting a bit nervous.. It will take a while but this water will eventually find it's way into Amistad, via Big Bend, and then into Falcon.. When they decide to let us have it..

It will be interesting to watch for the next few days anyway.. It all started simply enough last year.

This weekend we have a small club or two in town, and the Bass Federation Nation South Championship here at Falcon. I hear there are thirty eight or so fishermen who qualified to fish the championship, so there will still be plenty of room for you here if you are thinking of heading our way.

We look forward to seeing you, and if you need anything while you are in town holler at us and we will do our best to help you out. I'm going to get my raincoat...

October 17, 2009: After day three of the Sun Country Championship the team that led from the get go ended up leading wire to wire. Beckner and Pullen had a slightly smaller bag on the final day, but their total weight of 79.99 was more than four pounds better than the second place team of Mike Chisum and Joe Bennet, who jumped all the way from 12th place after day two. Their three day total was 75.75. They had a big fish that went 9.78 on day three and that helped move them way up the board. Day two's fourth place team of Trent and Alek Loukas finished third with three days worth that went 70.88.

We helped with fish care and it was good to hear and see the concern for the fish by all the anglers in the tourney. They put the fish first and it was our pleasure to help with release and fizzing. Like always a few fish did not survive, but the numbers were low.

I attended Uvalde's weigh in at Redwood this afternoon and they did pretty fair. I will post a report on the tourney page..

October 16, 2009: PM.. After day two of the Sun Country Championship tourney, the top of the leader board did not change. The team of Beckner and Pullen are still on top with a two day weight of 54.07. Making the jump from eighth to second was the team of Jeff and Sheri Jorde, who have caught 50.36 pounds of fish after day two. In third is Kevin Smith and Josh Tidenburg, who have gathered 48.87 pounds. They were in sixth after day one. The big bass of the event was brought in by Buddy and Mary Stanford on day two, and it went 10.77. Greg and Lamont Gizzi caught the second heavy bass of the event yesterday and it weighed 10.19.

The final weigh in will take place this afternoon at three, and there are only about five or six teams that legitimately have a chance to pull of the win. And some of them would really have to whack the big ones to get there. But this is Falcon, and anything can happen.

October 16, 2009: I know I said I would get the results from Sun Country posted yesterday, but I got them late on Wednesday and had a small emergency to deal with yesterday. I had to go to Sugar..

But after day one Kyle Beckner and Michael Pullen were leading the affair with a stringer that went 26.54 pounds. In second was Butch and Angie Colantonio with 25.46, and in third was Todd Town and Jerry Greer with 24.85. I hear yesterdays heavy bag was 28 something, and I will post the results after day two asap.. I will also report on our trip to Sugar on the Mexican lakes page.

October 15, 2009: It's a beautiful day here on Falcon, and the fishermen and women are on the lake. Here's a few pics I promised..

Brian Martin

Richard Slaughter

Sandy Cox

Victor Shepherd 10.99

Wayne Shepherd

October 14, 2009: One might think that a lot of the fishermen here on Falcon work for the Secret Service or something.. Cause they are not telling me a whole lot. I guess I am on the need to know basis.. And a lot of this info is definitely above my pay grade.

But a few of the locals are still catching a lot of fish, and I know a lot of the Sun Country folks are too.

The biggest complaint I have heard is that the fish are everywhere, which has made them a bit hard to pattern. Almost everyone has said that they are catching fish from two to thirty feet.

Jigs are catching a lot of fish, and a black/blue jig with matching trailer is doing well. Senkos, Big Worms, and Spinnerbaits are also catching a lot of fish..

With the changing weather patterns we have been having things are changing from day to day. We were cool and cloudy on Sunday and Monday, and this morning it was foggy till 10:30 or so and then summer came back. And tomorrow it is supposed to be around 99 degrees with light winds. And a lot of the folks here are not too used to this kind of heat. Sunblock sales are good. Thursday night we are supposed to get a cool front, so that should really mess up any pattern that might be working the next couple of days.

Falcon has dropped an inch or so in the last few days, and we are at 12.70 feet low. Release rates remain slow at about 900 CFS, with Amistad releasing just slightly less. Water temps here this morning were at 83 degrees.

The first weigh-in for the Sun Country group is tomorrow at three, and I plan on being there to get a first hand report. We are helping out with a fish tank and some grunt work if needed, but they seem to be pretty well organized. They will have three flights that weigh in so the fish should be handled in a timely manner. These are a great group of guys and gals. But I would not mistake it for being non competitive..

I have a lot of fish pics to post and tomorrow I will get to work on them.. It's good to be busy..

Uvalde Bass Club will be in town this weekend, and I don't know of any other clubs that might be here. There's plenty of room for you so come on down!

October 10 2009: A deep inhale is often followed by a big exhale, and yesterday all the wind that was sucked to the north got returned to us via a blustery cool front that hit town mid morning. And it was accompanied by a nice drop in temperatures which was a welcome relief to the near 100 degree heat and high humidity that had been plaguing us for the last week. It is cloudy and cool here today, and not the blue skies we were promised. But it ain't all bad..

The Sun Country invasion has begun, and it appears that there will be a pretty good representation from their circuit here at Falcon. Expectations are high, and rightly so. There were some good fish caught yesterday, and I have heard of some darn fine results so far today.

Prefishing for the Sun Country Championship starts tomorrow, and the competition starts Wednesday. We'll let you know how they do. Several clubs are competing as I write, and some of the fishermen did real well in practice.

You never know what you might catch here on Falcon, and one of our visitors thought he had the lake record yesterday.. For a minute. But I am sure this was his personal best for this species. He even got his bait back. I'd have cut the line...

I am really in a pissy mood as I got passed over for another big accolade this week. And I was sure I was a shoe in for the recognition, as I have done a ton of social work and lobbying in advance of the announcement. And I really hate it when I get beat by the B team. Two weeks in a row where I have underperformed. (But frankly I am more pissed about doing poorly in the tournament) Obama winning the peace prize is like Rosie winning the on The Biggest Looser.. Unthinkable..

I can remember a time not that long ago that the USA led the world from a position of Strength, Example, Generosity, and a time tested Resolve, that we would not be dragged into the world arena of mediocrity by bowing down to anyone, and lowering our standards to theirs.

And I have never seen such a inference that we should feel guilty because our standard of living is higher than the rest of the world. And I am all for helping the rest of the world improve their standards. But they have to be willing to do their share of the work. We got to where are (were) by busting our asses every day and not accepting the status quo. And I am not putting myself above anyone, from any country, but I there is no question that the USA is the greatest country ever on the planet. And thinking so is not a crime, and that is what has made it what it is (was) today. Be proud, not ashamed..

I'm off my soap box now..

The Sun Country Invasion is in full force!

October 8, 2009: To say it is windy down here would probably not be quite accurate. I put my cat outside and she came back with no hair. And I hadn't seen one that way since I tried out my Dads new Norelco one Christmas morning back in the third grade.. Cats look funny when they are naked... My Mom made me sleep with that cat for two months till her hair grew back..

There are quite a few folks rolling into town, and the Canyon Bass Club from the San Marcos area looks to be well represented for this weekend. I understand that the South Houston Bass Club is also headed our way and I heard of another small club that is planning on being here as well.

They should find the fish cooperative with any luck at all, if they are able to discern a bite with this gale a blowing. And when the wind blows this hard I usually have a flare up of D-D. No, not E-D.. D-D. Detectile Dysfunction. It is just plain hard to detect a bite with these light biting fish with high winds..

I just took the flags down to save about a months worth of wear on them.. You have to really want to fish to be on the water today.. I think it is a good day to have a bass club poker game.. I'll let you know when it quits..

October 7, 2009: Full results from the SA Metro tournament have been released, and they are as follows:

Club Championship:
1st - Rebel Bass Club - 356.38#
2nd - SABC - 325.61#
3rd - Universal City Bass Club - 282.68#
4th - Helotes Bass Club - 254.93#
5th - SwRI - 242.33
6th - SAPD - 221.87#
7th - Alamo Bass Club - 203.41#
8th - Freedom Bass Club - 166.07#

*These club weights consist of the best of each club's top 8 weights for 2 days.

Individual Heavy Stringer:
1st - Eric Tauer - Rebel Bass Club - 66.31#
2nd - Richard Drake - SABC - 55.92#
3rd - Wayne Tauer - Rebel Bass Club - 52.38#

Big Bass Saturday:
1st - Bumpy Jurica - Universal City Bass Club - 9.93#
2nd - Tracy Tolbert - SABC - 9.70#
3rd - Richard Drake - SABC - 9.51#

Big Bass Sunday:
1st - David Glenney - Universal City Bass Club - 8.86#
2nd - Glenn Hahn - SABC - 8.68#
3rd - Wayne Bell - SABC - 8.64#

Ladies Money Pot:
1st - Janet Zipperer - Freedom Bass Club - 33.23#
2nd - Carol Ingram - Helotes Bass Club 27.38#
3rd - Debbie Hunter - Rebel Bass Club - 27.01#

Tournament of Champions (TOC):
1st - Eric Tauer - Rebel Bass Club - 66.31#
2nd - Richard Drake - SABC - 55.92#
3rd - Wayne Tauer - Rebel Bass Club - 52.38#

TOC Big Bass:
1st - Tracy Tolbert - SABC - 9.70#
2nd - Richard Drake - SABC 9.51#
3rd - Scott Von Strohe - Rebel Bass Club - 9.18#

Ladies TOC:
1st - Carol Ingram - Helotes Bass Club - 27.38#

TOC Juniors:
1st - Payden Tolbert - SABC - 31.57#


Tournament Stats:
# Angler's Fishing: 205
Total Weight of Fish Weighed in: 3,799.61#
Total # of Fish Weighed in: 1,207
Average Weight of Fish Weighed in: 3.12#

The Frontera Tournament held out of Nuevo Guerrero over the weekend also had some awesome stringers weighed in, and a bunch of local boys took the top three places. Tim Griffin of Zapata who single sticked the event had a monster stringer on Sunday to come out of the pack for the win. Most of the weights I have are unofficial, But it took over sixty pounds to get in the top two. Charlie Haralson and his partner finished second, and Jim Edwards and Speedy Collett finished third, after leading on day one.

Fishing is still very good, but as always some did better than others. Our water temperature is still 85 degrees so if you are fishing a tourney down here be sure and take precautions to keep your fish alive, and to keep yourself well hydrated. It has been very hot and sticky. Lake levels have been stable for the last few weeks, and we are sitting right at 12.5 feet low. Bring your Valium.. Fishing slow is the ticket..

October 6, 2009: Most of you know I was down in Mexico last weekend enforcing a no fly zone around Lake Guerrero. And the fact is that we stopped more flights than the Obama Administration. We were using Surface To Air (SAMS) weapons and we shot down many approaching targets. Of course some of them got through our line of defense and will have to be handled by the next group of volunteers. We shot so many birds we could probably keep Rosie alive for a day.. But I digress..

And while I was gone I received a bunch of pictures of fish caught and released, and many of them good ones. And with all the tournament activities of the last weekend I have not been able to get them posted, and I have misplaced a name or two that go with the pics. Please forgive me if I foul yours up.. Or have lost it..

Chase James caught this 8.64 a few weeks back. Another good man ruined..

Frankie caught this 11.7 on the 27th of last month..

The Jason Parsons Project caught this fish a few days ago.. It went 10.8

And a few days back I posted a couple of pics, one of a fish that bit off more than he could chew, and one of a bobcat. Thanks to Tom Walls for the great pics. The bobcat picture belongs in a magazine.

I have a few others to sort out and will add them soon. As of this AM I still do not have the full and final results of the Metro or the Frontera tournament. Will post as soon as I get them..

October 5, 2009: All the commotion from the weekend has died down here in Zapata, and we are back to the work a day world that Monday brings. And I know you are too.. Some folks left town happy, and some left town with less than a smile on their face. I am somewhere in between.

First of all I would like to thank all of you who came through our store, both this weekend and in your trips previous, weather prefishing for this weekend, a club tourney, or just hanging out. We could not be here without you and we do not want you to think that we take you for granted. But sometimes when we are hip deep in people we may fail to thank you properly for stopping in. Thank You!

Congratulations to Rebel Bass Club, who won the event for the third straight year. They also set a new record for the all time heaviest weight for the event. Eric Tauer from Rebel also set two new records I understand, with over thirty two pounds on Saturday, and over thirty three on Sunday. That's backing it up..

San Antonio Bass Club finished second, and several of their members also had some awesome stringers on Saturday. There were five or six bags over thirty pounds weighed on Saturday, and I doubt if many other lakes can produce like that. But we see it here time and time again. And for several good reasons.

Falcon as a fishery is pretty darn unique, and if you have fished here a time or two then you would probably agree with me that Falcon is a special place. And I want to keep it that way. And I don't know a single person that does not want it to remain the same.

But there are different levels of passion for the lake, and the fish, and some fishermen are somewhat apathetic about the survival of their fish. Makes no sense to me if you love fishing, but I see it all the time.

When I got to the Metro weigh in on Saturday, I was disappointed to see the number of dead fish. And I am not going to go pointing any fingers but I am going to make some suggestions.

Going to a Three Fish Tourney is the first thing that should be implemented. Forty percent less fish would be transported, and that would greatly lessen the strain on the livewells. And we would see an instant forty percent reduction in fish deaths. And yes it is fun to say that I caught five for thirty nine pounds, but folks would be just as impressed with your twenty five pound three fish stringer..

There should be two different weigh stations, one on the waters edge for those who come by boat, and one on top for those who trailer. We have plenty of clubs with scales, so at least two at each location should be utilized.

When you register, you should be asked which you plan to use, and your weigh slip would be at the designated area. That way cut off times could still be easily enforced. If you changed your mind, it would be your job to chase down your weigh slip.. On time.. Having a weigh station at the state park is another good idea..

The required use of official weigh bags provided by the weighmasters should be in BOLD CAPITAL LETTERS IN RED on the entry form. Limiting the number of fish in bags is a good thing. And I don't think that a lot of people knew that was the desired intent. I knew, but I asked at registration.

Professional fish care after the fish are weighed would be a tremendous plus. And here's another thought. TPWD does not spend a lot of money stocking Falcon, due to its natural ability to provide adequate numbers of fish. And I am not bitching too much about it. Falcon is unique, and often we do not need supplemental stocking. But the biologists that work for them could probably be persuaded to come down here with their trailers and handle the weighed fish. If the event is held again here on Falcon I will be glad to lobby for same. Every five pounder they save is worth a whole lot of dollars when you compare it to the cost of hatching, growing, and delivering fish. We may not need the fry they produce, but we could sure use their help with saving some of ours.

I have written many times about the way I handle my fish in the livewells with very good success. It is not hard, and most modern boats have adequate aeration to do most of the work. But it does take a little babysitting to insure their best chance of survival. If you really care about the future of bass fishing, this should be a No-Brainer to you. Not every bass caught will survive, but we can improve their chances with a minimal amount of time spent.

I know that putting together a crack weigh in team from a group of volunteers from long distance is a difficult thing to do. And as far as I know, it is a pretty thankless job.

I hope we can all take a lesson from Saturday and make it better in the future.. Your fishing pleasure and my job depend on it!

Will post expanded results when I get the official report. And I've still got all these pics to process!!

October 4, 2009: There are a lot of boats in town this weekend, as expected. And there were a lot of fish dragged to the scales at the SA Metro Tournament, as there were at the Frontera Tournament also held here this weekend, out of Nuevo Guerrero. There are over two hundred fishermen in the Metro, and around eighty boats in the Frontera I understand.

Heavy stringer in the Metro group was a bit over 32 pounds, (five fish) and in the Frontera, which is a team event, the leading weight was similar. There were four or five stringers that were over thirty pounds in the Metro. And after day one, the team from San Antonio Bass Club is leading by a few hundredths of a pound over San Antonio Rebel Bass Club. That's about as close as it gets.

The weigh in at Metro did not go as smoothly as planned, and there were more dead fish that anyone would like to see. But I think we can all learn a lot from this experience. And I have a few ideas that I will share with you. But right now I have more to do than I can handle.. Look for a full report and details of all the weekends happenings in the very near future..

October 2, 2009: Things are a bit crazy around here this morning, and surprisingly we have a lot of folks here fishing that are not affiliated with any of the tourneys going on this weekend. Looks to be a busy period for the next few days.

There was a big rain in Eagle Pass and Laredo while I was gone, and it has the river on the rise a bit, but the biggest difference will be in water color, not water level. We have caught about an inch in the last week.

I heard reports yesterday of good success, and some poor results as well. I got back in town about 2:30, and it is good to be back home.. (And the doves were glad to see me leave.) I love going to Mexico, but I thank God every day that I live in the USA.

I have not been on the lake all week of course, but I have heard that not a lot has changed in the last few days as far as baits go. Big worms, big spinnerbaits, and assorted soft plastics are catching the lions share of fish.

I doubt if I will be getting any specifics on the fishing till Sunday evening, as all of the folks around here are pretty closed mouthed. Nothing like a big tournament to squelch the flow of info. But I do not think a lot has changed. We'll know more soon.

I have a bunch of photos to process and will try and post them later today.. But I am sure this PM is going to be crazy.. See you then!

September 26, 2009: Falcon is still fairly busy with fishermen, and the fall bite is on. We are down to around 90 degrees for the highs, so winter is definitely here.. I had to wear a jacket yesterday. But thankfully the sun popped out and I quit shivering.. I hate winter..

There is not a lot of info being disseminated about what the fish are doing, other than biting. With the Metro tourney coming up next weekend, everyone seems to have a case of lockjaw.. But the fish don't. It is easy to hear stories of lots of fish being caught, but the how's and where's are a little harder to come by. If you ask one of the tournament fishermen where they caught their fish the conversation will change directions faster than a jackrabbit with Wiley Coyote on his tail.. But I'll tell you what I know..

Most any rocky bank with trees and bushes on it is probably holding fish. A drop or quick depth change is a definite plus, and some ledges are loaded with fish. Depth does not seem to be a big factor for numbers, but bigger fish seem to be a bit deeper.. I was fishing in the Cough-Hack-Cough yesterday on a hump that had nine feet of water on top, and dropped off to twenty four on one side. It was loaded with fish.. Lots of small fish. But a few fatties mixed in.. Casting on top and working the bait down the slope, With the wind, was awesome. Fished a bluff and the same thing.. Fish are holding on these quick depth changes..

With all that being said, there are still a lot of fish in the bushes on most any point, semi point, or jut out in the brush line. If you find these mini points with some sort of drop on the end you can wear them out. Also inside mini coves or indention's in the brush line can hold fish. Change is good.. Did I just say that??

And any tree or hardwood that looks out of place is a must to fish..

I have heard from a lot of folks on a lot of baits and there is nothing that will not catch a fish right now. Put on your confidence bait and throw it. It is still the best bait in your box.

I have a few favorites right now and in no particular order they are the Plum Ol Monster,The Mag Fluke in Watermelon Magic, A Senko in Baby Bass or Green Pumpkin Purple, and the Watermelon Red Mag Lizard or Brush Hog.

A chart/white spinnerbait has caught a lot of fish lately, and so has a buzzbait.. Early.. But we have been selling every soft plastic known to man and getting reports of good results with most all of them.. Put your favorite on and use it. Them fish will be on you like a dirty diaper..

This years Metro tournament could be a record setter, and you could end up with your livewells full of big fish. Please use all the precautions possible to help keep your fish alive. Cool water and Catch and Release in your livewells will help. And if you walk in the store next Friday or Saturday and say you read it here I will give you $2 off a bottle of C&R.

A couple of Mississippi boys made their way to Falcon this week and whacked a few nice fish.. More Falcon enthusiasts.. I think they'll be back..

Jerry Keley-Fluke Fish.

Mike Spooner.. 9-08 Spinner Bait

There must be something in the water that the Kittys are liking here lately..

I wouldn't try to pet him though..

And Washington take heed.. Sometimes you can bite off more than you can chew..

I must apologize for loosing the name of the fisherman who sent in these two last photos.. Please e-mail me and I'll give you credit. That cat pic is awesome.. I wonder how it would have acted if I threw a cast net over it.. Couldn't be any worse than the time I giged a beaver..

And I did not get to thank the no driving fellow who hit my truck in the parking lot at the boat ramp last weekend. Thanks for leaving a note... But it must have blown off..

I'm headed deep into Mexico for the next few days to kill some of those pesky White Wings. (I hear they have a problem down there and I love to help.) And they don't have any internet connection there.. So I'll see you next Thursday or so.. Lord willing..

September 24, 2009: The Metro Registration and Banquet has been relocated to the Exhibit Hall in North Zapata. It is at 2321 Glenn Street. If you are coming from Laredo, you turn on 23rd St. and go two blocks to Glenn. You can't miss it.. If you are coming in on 16, turn right (North) on Hwy 83, and go 10 blocks to 23rd. Or you can punch in the address in your GPS thingy and that woman will tell you how to get there.. Something innately wrong with that.. I'll buy one when Sam Elliott does the directions..

It's rainy, drizzly, and 62 degrees here this midmorning.. Lovely fishing weather.

But a day or two ago Larry Day caught this 11-1 in two feet of water on a spinner bait.. Chart and White.. Go figure.

This is definitely duck hunting weather.. Today I'm making Chicken Noodle..

September 23, 2009: A few folks got to witness what rough water is here on Falcon yesterday, as the squall line that moved through south Texas hit Zapata. There were several reports of eight foot plus waves.. Yikes! That would make you feel like Little Rubber Ducky in Michael Jackson's bathtub.

I could tell the fishermen that were on the lake by the relieved look on their faces. And their wet money.. It Happens. There ain't a big enough boat made to make that ride any fun.

It did not rain at the shop yesterday, but parts of town got a good soaking. I hear that Beacon Lodge got and inch plus, while all we got was the smell. We did get a half inch during the dark period.. And we're dang glad to have it. It is damp and cloudy, 67 degrees with a nice mist on occasion, and I only wish I could be out there. Days like today are the reason I don't fish many tournaments.. But I bet the topwater bite might be good.. I hear that it was awesome in a spot or two yesterday morning. Tommy Laws clients had over thirty pounds yesterday morning on buzzbaits before eight thirty.. Here's one of em..

Charlie Haralson just left the store, and he was telling me how he got to test his new boat yesterday. He confirmed the eight to ten footers.. But he said the fish were going crazy before the front hit.. They also had a thirty plus best five.. Seems like there is a lot of that going on lately..

The Metro tourney in two weeks should have some awesome stringers, given that conditions are good. I hear thru the grapevine that we should have 200 plus fishermen (and Ladies) here for the event. I also hear that registration and the banquet ARE NOT going to be held at the Civic Center. Here we go again. There will be an announcement very soon as to where.. Times should remain the same. And as soon as I know for sure, I will post it here. (Hopefully later today.) It's no big deal, but I'd like to get it right the first time for once..

Yesterday I also heard that the "Frontera" circuit from Mexico has moved their tournament from Las Blancas to Falcon for the same date.. They had about 85 teams at Sugar last month. It's going to be busy on the lake, so take your patience with you.

I'm going to make a pot of soup..

September 21, 2009: Sorry I haven't written in a while, but I have been busier than Monicas dry cleaners.. But I'm trying to catch up.

There were seven bass clubs fishing Falcon yesterday, and six on Saturday. And they kept us steppin and fetchin for a few days. Hope we had everything you needed.. Those Watermelon Magic Flukes are the toughest ticket around. We'll try and have some more before Metro.

And speaking of Metro, we could have just about had the tournament this last weekend.. As about all the clubs in metro were down here for their monthly, and of course to do a little poking around before the annual affair. It should be a lot of fun.

I believe this list to be accurate, but I apologize if I missed anybody or included anybody, and I will have tourney results in the tourney section posted as I get them. I was on the water this weekend also, and was not able to attend any weigh ins or chase results.

And I believe that these clubs were here over the weekend: San Antonio Bass Club, Universal City Bass Club, Southwest Research, Alamo Bass Club, Rebel Bass Club, Houston Oilmans Bass Club, And the Alice Bass Club was here yesterday. And the results from most reports were pretty darn good. But there is not a lot of info being shared right now in front of this Metro event.

The lake is pretty much holding steady at 12.61 feet low, and we have been in this holding pattern for a few weeks. And the fish seem to like it. Water temps are at 84 degrees, and that is still a bit warm, so take precautions to keep your fish alive in the wells till weigh in. I used Catch and Release and a couple of bags of ice a day this weekend and had good luck, but did loose one fish that was caught first thing in the morning. I slowly cooled the water to about 75 degrees and kept it there plus or minus a few degrees. It defiantly helps.

We are distributors for the Koolwell system, a pretty neat gadget that circulates your livewell water through a cooling radiator, which you keep ice on top of.. Installs pretty easily in most boats, and most folks can install it themselves. Comes with everything you need and retails for $249. If you fish a lot of tournaments it might be worth your while, and it will certainly help keep your fish alive. One dead fish is bad, and it can cost you some money at times. But nothing we do will prevent all fish deaths. (Short of quitting fishing.) It's going to happen. But I feel better making an effort..

There were many twenty pound plus stringers weighed in over the weekend, and several that approached thirty. I had one of the best days of my life on Saturday. And I will be posting club results as I get them.

John Lorenz caught this whopper last week.(Ol Monster) I'll be posting more photos soon..

Till Metro is over and passed, I am sure what I hear will be limited. But I will tell you what I did to catch fish. A Mag Fluke In W/M Magic was our best bait over the weekend. A W/M Red Brush Hog was also good. And the Ol Monster in Plum still caught a lot of fish as well. We flipped brush in eight to ten feet of water on Saturday, and we fished totally different on Sunday, as we fished deep ledges and points, all with at least fourteen feet of water on them. We flipped a little on Sunday, but not a lot. We used 1/4 to 1/2 oz weights, depending on wind and depth. I believe you can catch fish a lot of places on the lake right now doing what you like best.

I am still crying in my coffee after watching the Cowboys last night. But that is one hellofa stadium ain't it? I guess I never knew that the Cheerleaders have their own locker room. I just figured that they got out of their car looking that way. I also heard that Texas Stadium cost $35 million to build in the seventies. And that the new HD screen in the new stadium cost $40 million.. I guess $200 for a new fishing rod isn't that bad...

See you soon!

September 16, 2009: Things are hopping around Falcon Lake Tackle this week, as a lot of folks prepare to make their way here in the near future. And after talking to a lot of folks on the phone, I'll have to say that expectations are high. And rightly so. If you make the trip down here in the near future, I don't think that Falcon will disappoint.

I was talking to some newcomers yesterday, and they said their best five fish went 39 pounds, and they had one at the boat that could have eaten their biggest fish.. Of course I asked them "Where in the hell were you fishing??" They were a little bit excited. Said a lot of their big fish came on a spinner bait.. In very shallow water. Your results may vary..

But overall the fishing remains good, and I have to rate it somewhere around an 8.. Which ain't too bad. Some folks always end up on a pile of big fish, and some folks struggle.. Sounds like fishing to me.

The lake has held steady at 288.43 for the last few days; that's 12.59 feet low. And for this time of year, we're in pretty good shape. We have actually caught about five inches of water in the last ten days.

Leroy Medford caught this 10-2 last weekend on Falcon. He's been on here before..

I got to watch a little football over the weekend, and I for one am damn glad to see the season get started. If your a Texan, there's not much to see in MLB, as both the Astros and the Rangers are doing their usual flame out and I just can't take watching it any longer..

And I am sure this is a sexist attitude, but what is up with all the women commentators and the side line analysts in skirts (Or pantsuits) during football games? I know that a lot of women love football. And I have no problem with that. But it is a mans game. I do love the cheerleaders, and as far as I am concerned seeing them is worth the price of admission.

There were a lot of years that the Boys were not worth watching. And the five second shots of the gals before commercials were the only thing worth seeing. But that is where I think it should stop. And if I see any male cheerleaders on the sidelines I will boycott the whole damn thing altogether. And it's just my opinion, but I don't see how someone who has never put on a jockstrap can explain what it's like to get knocked out of one.. What is Don Meridith doing these days anyway??

I am sure the WNBA has room for some of them over there.. (Now there's an exciting sport.)

But I digress.. Not a lot has changed in the past few days.. And all the methods you like to use to catch fish are still working.. Better get down here before the word gets out that the fish are biting..

September 13, 2009: Falcon has caught about four inches of water in the last week, and we should get a few more before the river settles down. The dirty water line in the river had made it as far south as marker 14 yesterday afternoon, which is basically the mouth of the Salado. The water is not chocolate, but it is off color. It probably will not affect the back portions of creeks, especially those who do not angle to the north. The bulk of the water should be hitting the top of the lake last night and today. But this is not going to put "feet" in the lake. Rain is out of our forecast till Tuesday.

There are a lot of people in town this weekend, and yesterday there were probably 35 rigs parked at the county ramp. McAllen Bass Anglers are holding their monthly tourney here this weekend, but I have not heard what is leading it after day one.. I'm sure I will.

Next weekend several bass clubs invade town, including SABC, Rebel, UCBC, and the Houston Oilman's tourney will be going on as well. So it should be one of the busier weekends we have seen in a while, on paper anyway. And in three weeks, The San Antonio Metropolitan League of Bass Clubs will be holding their city championship here on Falcon. So if you are headed down, you might find it a little crowded at the ramps those weekends.. Plan accordingly. But there is PLENTY of room on the lake. And fish seem to be most anywhere.

I have been fishing pretty hard lately, as I have a couple of tournaments to fish in the next month. And I am very confused as where to start. A lot of the fish I am catching are a bit of hit and miss, and I figure that sooner or later I'll run into some at one spot or another. Cause I seem to run into some decent fish most every trip. And I think you will too if you keep moving and fishing likely looking spots.

We caught a good many fish yesterday, and naturally my wife boated the biggest. And it was on the second cast of the morning. Just over five pounds but mean as they come. We also had several other five to seven pound fish on the line, but none of them made it to the boat. The biggest was a sevenish that jumped three feet high, gave me the "Fin" ger and spit my worm. Guess she really didn't like garlic after all..

If there is anything that is working as well as the Ol Monster it has to be a senko, and I threw a watermelon red one yesterday and had good luck. And I'm not using anything fancy, just some out of our bulk bin. Green Pumpkin Purple is still a good choice in the Dinger brand. (Yum)

I guess we'll see what the fish will do with the slight increase in water level, but I really don't think it will affect them any. Some off colored water in the top of the lake will probably be the only change.

It was nice to see UT make it all the way to the Versus channel yesterday, up from Pay Per View.. But I did get to See all the Oklahoma games. I think next week they play Sister Margaret's School for Blind Girls.. That should get national attention. Probably put it on Nickelodeon.. (No offense meant to Sister Margaret's) I better check my package..

Thank God Football Season is here..

September 11, 2009: It's been eight years since the attack on the World Trade Center and America, and every time I think about it I still get pissed. I hope you do too. Please take some time out of your day today to remember those who were murdered. We were, and still are, all affected by the attack that day.

I fished about six hours yesterday, and I will rate the trip as pretty good. We caught about 25 fish, but nothing over five pounds. We had a dry spell or two, and we had some hot and heavy action as well. It's like Real Estate, it's all about Location..

Most fish we caught were in six to ten feet of water, but that is what I have been targeting lately. And maybe that is why I am not catching a lot of bigger fish. But I like getting my line stretched and catching more fish is more fun to me. But I know I am fishing close to some big ones. And maybe I'll hit one in the head.

The big fish bite may be a bit slower than last month, but the numbers of fish are still very good for most folks. Yesterday we caught fish on spinnerbaits, big worms, Senkos, and small worms and brush hogs. I don't think it really matters too much. Just get it in front of one.. He'll take care of the rest. And there are fish chasing bait all over the place. If you can throw something, anything, at them pretty quick odds are that they will whack it. I caught several throwing a big worm at the splash and reeling it in like a crankbait. They are in an eating mood.

We have caught a couple of inches of water here on Falcon, and there is a little surge in the river between here and Laredo. We could catch a few more inches with what is in the pipeline. They have slowed releases from the dam to a little over 400 CFS, and Amistad is still releasing about 1200 CFS.

A lot of the country around us is really wet, but here at the shop we have been pretty much skipped. The southern end of the lake and east and west of us have gotten in on some good rains. Hope we get a bit more sooner or later. All of Texas has benefited from the low sitting over us the last few days. Lots of stock tanks have been filled up that have been low or dry for a year or two. Hopefully we will get them all to the top this go-round.

And it has been a damn sight cooler this last two weeks as well. Highs have been in the low to mid nineties. But the humidity around here is quite high and if the wind stops in the PM it can get pretty uncomfortable on the water. And winds have been light the last couple weeks also.

Activity on the weekends has begun to pick up, and it is going to get busier in the next month or so. Lots of tournaments are on the schedule and a lot of folks have been here prefishing for them. It is not uncommon to see 25 trucks at the county ramp here lately.

Some of the fish we have been catching look like they are about to explode, and it is pretty common to see a tail or pinchers hanging out of their gullets. Along with your giant brush hog.. Not sure where they're planning to put the extra. But I guess that is how they grow to keeper size in a year, or very shortly thereafter.

We have added a ton of new stuff here at the shop and hopefully we will have most anything you need when you get here. And as always holler at us if we can track down something for you.

See you when you get here..

September 9, 2009: It's Wednesday morning in Zapata, and I was just looking at the forecast for the rest of the week. The experts have us at a 50% chance for rain for the next five days during the evening hours. But what I want to know is, if there is a 50% chance of rain for the next five days, what are the chances that they are right? Being they are right less than 50% of the time, I am going to have to say that the real chance for rain is actually about 25%.. Give or or take a shower or two.. Some of you guys might not be thinking about stuff like this..

The fishing has remained good here at Falcon, with some folks reporting that they have had some of the best fishing in recent memory over the last few days. I have to agree. The fishing is certainly the best it has been since the lake filled up.

There were several ten pound plus fish caught over the long weekend, and one over twelve I saw a picture of. (I'm still waiting on the e-mail.) But there were quite a few boats on the water, probably the busiest weekend we have seen around here in a couple of months.

The Coast Guard has a couple of guys down here riding around with the Border Patrol and they are doing on the water boat inspections. And you should all the time, but make sure you have your safety equipment up to snuff before you hit the water. They took twenty minutes out of our day.. "We're from the Government and we're here to help.."

We weren't in my boat so I bit a hole in my lip and didn't say much. But I am sure the Coast Guard is here to insure my safety. That's why they were wearing guns. This ain't the Coast.. And we ain't pirates. And I think that we have plenty of Law Enforcement from the great state of Texas to make sure we are taking care of ourselves. Just my two cents.

Like I have said, If your dumb enough to go boating without respect for the unexpected, you could get what you deserve. But government thinks that we are too stupid to take care of ourselves.. And that is the part that irks me..

The lake is kind of in a holding pattern as far as water level goes, and we have been just about steady for the last ten days.. Local rains have helped a bit, and lessened releases certainly can't hurt. The valley got more good rain yesterday, and maybe that will slow the drop here a bit more... We are right at 13 feet low.

Leroy Medford caught this 10-2 on Sunday morning on his second cast. Ol Monster Plum.. Go Figure.. I hear that every Academy store is South Texas is out of em.. Come see us if you need some..

We caught a lot of fish yesterday on the Plum Ol Monster, but we also caught a lot on the Yum Dinger.. W/M Red was good and so was the laminate Baby Bass color.. Our big fish was a seven plus and we caught a couple of fives, but most of them were in the three pound range.. Just good solid fish.. And they have an attitude..

It's gonna start getting busy around here in the next few weeks, with a lot of tournaments scheduled in October. Now is a good time to beat the crowds, and get em while the getting is good.

September 5-6th, 2009: You know, my Dad is a wise man. (Although I did not think so from 1972 till about 1979) And he always said that "There's water in every cow track on opening day of dove season." And for the most part, there's always a good possibility that it will be raining on opening day. We got 1.45 inches Friday evening and into the night.. Praise the Lord! But the only problem is that there's no cow tracks that hold water.. It's hard to make a track in the dust that will hold any..

I started this report on Saturday, but it has been too busy to get it finished up. There are a lot of folks in town this weekend, enjoying the extra day off, and I have to say that a lot of them started a day or two early. And while Americans are the hardest working people on the planet, they're also pretty good at figuring out how to stretch a three day stint into four.. But the way I have it figured is that there is just so much work to get done, and we'll do whatever it takes to make it happen when we get back to it..

Almost every person I spoke with yesterday said they were catching good numbers of fish. There were a couple that said they had so-so days, but most whacked the numbers pretty good. There was however a lack of double digit fish. But lots of six and seven pounders were reported. I did not get out..

And as I have said before, there is not much that is not working. You should be here.

I was talking with my wife yesterday, (I usually try to avoid it) and she said that I know everything.. I have to agree with her this time.. In fact, I think I am going to start writing a help column. I think I have the answer to most any question..

For example:

Dear Dr. Hymer, I am 26 years old, and I cannot get a girl friend. Even when I shampoo my Mullet, put Armor All on my Pintos tires, and take off my McDonalds uniform the girls still will not talk to me.

Please Help!

Desperate Dan in Houston

P.S. My sister says I'm a good kisser...

Dear Desperate.. I can tell by your letter that you are serious about your condition. And you probably didn't even know you had a condition. But being highly trained I can read between the lines. And my heart goes out to you.

Pull your head out of your ass you incestuous idiot! Move out of your Mamas house, sell your Nintendo to some other worm with no life, and get a job on a construction site where your pasty butt might get some sun. Pull your pants up, Turn your hat the right way. Pull the fender out of your eyebrow and if by some miracle you actually get to talk to a girl, try not to start the conversation with "Do you want me to supersize it for you?"

Now quit kissing your sister and go clean your room.

Hoping that helps, Dr. Hymer

I think I hit that one out of the park.

And inevitably there will be the questions on Physics..

Dear Dr. Hymer..

Why is Rosie Fat?

Dunkin Doughnuts in Georgia..

Dear Dunkin..

To say that Rosie IS fat would be a misnomer.. She would have to be all fat to say that she is fat. She simply HAS a lot of fat. Please try to be more sensitive in the way we talk about people. I would hate to hurt anyone's feelings.

Dunkin, Rosie has a lot of fat thru no fault of her own. Her condition is caused by three things.. Knives, Forks, and Spoons.. And I am working with the Obama administration to get these things outlawed. These items cause thousands more deaths in America each year than guns, and it is high time we quit having people with a lot of fat die because of these simple items. Now enroll yourself in a sensitivity training class..

Good Luck! Dr. Hymer

Well.. I have a lot more letters to answer so I better close..

Get yourself down here while the fish are still going crazy!

September 4, 2009: The lake level here on Falcon is not dropping as fast as it was a week or so ago, as release rates have been reduced to about 1900 CFS. Amistad has also slowed their release to about 1200 CFS. We are sitting at 13.06 feet low. There have been some spots where rain has climbed half way up the gauge south and east of us, and that is helping with water needs. We have been pretty much skipped here in Zapata.. But it has rained all around us.. El Tigre Island camp had 2" a couple days ago. We got two drops.. But it did settle the dust.

I was on the lake yesterday and the water temps at 1:00 were in the 84 degree range, and that is down several degrees from a couple weeks ago. We have not hit 100 degrees in a few days, and are not predicted to for the next five. When the water temps drop a few more degrees, things could get serious around here..

It may be necessary to take a urine bottle with you in the boat because if you hang it over the side you could get injured.. Try explaining that one to Mama..

Young Jarred Masso made his first trip to Falcon last week, and he had never caught a bass before. He caught several along with this seven pound plus fish.. Another good young man ruined..

I saw a small rattlesnake on the lake yesterday, in the middle of the lake.. What he was doing way the hell out there I have no idea.. So be on the lookout wherever you are.. This one was only 12" long.. And I am thinking a bass may cure this one at this size..

The fish are still very active, and catching good numbers in the shallows is pretty easy. And catching a good fish mixed in is a good possibility. But the bigger fish seem to be coming a bit deeper, out to 20 feet. There are a lot of fish in the bushes in 10-15 feet of water.. And if you know where there are some shallow ledges, I'd definitely check them out..

There is not a creek on the lake that does not have fish in it as far as I can tell. And I have tried to check them all personally this last couple of weeks.. But there is a lot of water to cover.. You better get down here and give me a hand.

I know a lot of you are headed to the lease for dove season, and if I was able to I would also. Next weekend a bunch of them are going to die.. I'll try to deal with the guilt... I love that stuff.

I guess all the Hoopla is dying down about the passing of Ted.. Thank Goodness. And I know I gave Michael Jackson a little grief after he went to the Disco in the sky, or the Petting Zoo.. Or wherever he ended up.. But as far as I know he never killed anybody.. It is Friday...

Enjoy Your Day Off!

Happy Labor Day!

September 3, 2009: I forgot it was Tommy's birthday.. And I went fishing.. And didn't remember till I was on the lake.. (Whacked em)

So please send Tom an e-mail to tell him Happy Birthday.. It will annoy him and I'll enjoy it.. Thanks

September 2, 2009: I am going to have to get my thesaurus out to find some way to adequately describe the fishing on Falcon right now. It's so easy even a cave man can do it.. There have not been a lot of giants caught, but there have been some awesome numbers. There are still a lot of fish shallow.. But there are also a lot of fish in the Huisache trees in 12 to 16 feet of water. These deeper fish are tough to get out, and you need some heavy braid and a good heavy rod to have a chance. And when you get a bite you better be bringing them out of the trees as fast as possible.. Because they will weave you a blanket in the bottom of the trees in the blink of an eye.

I am using 65 pound braid, and it is not too heavy. In the trees in the deeper water it is not unusual to loose about a third to a half of the fish. So try to knock them silly when you set the hook, and get windin'. This is not a place for Mono or fluoro.. Jigs are also working very well in the trees.

You know I have my favorites when it comes to flipping, but your favorite will work just fine too. Confidence is still the best bait in your box. The bites continue to be very subtle, and many times all you feel is a little resistance, or notice your line on the move. And if you have any questions about where to start, just stop by and we'll point you in the right direction. But like I said before, even Ray Charles can catch these fish.

I spent the last two days on Sugar, and of the sixteen hours I spent on the water, less than half were spent fishing. We were mostly on a scouting expedition, and you know I am all about the research.. And I am sure we found some spots that will hold fish like Rosie holds a twinkie come fall.

And I also found that Tecate Light actually does not lead to long term pain relief.. Actually the opposite may be true..

We stayed with Noe at Club Sugar Lake, and the hospitality and food were excellent.. We were the only ones there on a Monday and Tuesday.. So that will tell you about the pressure on the lake. The rooms are clean and comfortable, and it got down to minus 16 degrees at night.. And the fish are big and mean. We did not catch a monster, but caught some nice fish in the five to seven pound class.. But the odds of catching a double digit, or even a teenager bass are probably as good there as anywhere in the world. If you want to put together a trip down there holler at me and I will get you hooked up with the right people. It is a place where you can put it in neutral and enjoy the slow pace. Or you can get out there and bust it.. Your choice.

And for you sunrise nuts like me here's another.. It was sent to me by one of our customers..

I will be updating the tourney page today.. There have been some pretty darn good results..

We have received the blessing of about 1/2 inch of rain in the last few days, but some parched areas around us have done a lot better. Good to see the farmland in south Texas get a drink.. Although not all areas got it.. I am hoping this hurricane in the Pacific will swing some moisture our way. And for the last couple of days we have not reached 100 degrees and it feels awesome. In fact, it is down right pleasant..

You better get down here before I soremouth them all.

August 30, 2009: I meant to post a fishing report yesterday, but something got in the way.. And it had scales on it.. And some of the scales were pretty big.. Actually, I have put in two days in a row of hard fishing, and I have got to say, that the fishing is good.. It's very good.

I talked to a lot of people yesterday evening, and all of them caught a lot of fish. Atascosa Bass Club and SAPD are both holding club tourneys here this weekend. I hear that 29 plus is leading Atascosa, and I am not sure what exactly is happening with SAPD..

There were a lot of good stringers caught yesterday, and some big numbers of fish were reported. I had a good day on Friday, but the better fish got the best of me.. Yesterday I fished better and did not let them whoop up on me as much.. I had 27 plus pounds yesterday, but that's nothing to brag about right now.. But I caught a bunch of five pounders.. And that is always fun..

Friday evening we had some big thunderstorms just north of us, and at the last minute they decided Hebbronville needed the rain worse than us and they headed east. And some real dry country got a good downpour.. Yesterday evening the storms blew up again, and we actually got to see it rain.. Certainly not all we need, but it was a welcome sight to see and smell the wet air.. We got about 1/4" here at the shop.. But rain is in the forecast for the next couple of days and maybe we'll get a bit more..

I am not sure if I told you in my last report, but the fishing is good here a Falcon right now.. It probably does not matter too much what bait you are throwing when it comes to soft plastics. I have sold dozens of different baits to dozens of different people in the last two days, and they all say they are whacking them on "this" bait.. And Big Worms, Mag Flukes, and Brush Hogs are probably the best thing going. Of course the Senko, a Spinnerbait, or even a crankbait will get you bit.. Name your poison.. It's all working.

The bigger fish we caught were all in a bit deeper water, between ten and fifteen. I am so excited that the fish are so turned on it is hard to stay in the store.. Did I tell you It Is On!

I used up all the stores inventory of Plum Ol Monsters in the last two days, and till tomorrow I'll have to fish with the Mag II. We are having trouble keeping the Zoom Mag Fluke in Watermelon Magic on the rack. We order all they have from every supplier we know, and they seldom have enough to make me back off.. We have sold over two hundred packs in the last month.. That is one hot bait..

Buryl Avery Caught this whopper this week..

And this young feller caught a nice one too..

And we have been having some of the most awesome sunrises in the last week or so..

And even the birds were hamming it up for the camera on Friday.. What do you call this critter?

I was trying to say something nice about Ted Kennedy..... I'm still trying to think of something..

The lake is still dropping, but it is slowed somewhat. There have been some rains above and below Falcon, but no drought busters. We are right at 13 feet low. But what the lake does in the near future it is hard to say.. But the fishing is superb right now.. Get down here..

August 26, 2009: I didn't forget to write.. Just been real busy.. Whackin' the crap out of the fish.. It is on here on Falcon.. I took my wife fishing today (Nobody else will do it) and we hammered the fish. Nothing big, but she did have one on that was an "Oh my God!' fish.. Of course getting her to set the hook properly was a problem for the first few hours. But she got the hang of it after a bit.

The small fish are going crazy, and we caught 25-30 that were in the two to three pound range. A few a bit bigger, and a dozen or twenty that were not keepers. We caught ten out of the same tree on the end of a point, and every one was about two an a half pounds. (14 feet of water)

We fished the mouth of Salado, and all over the big part of Salado, and we caught fish on EVERY stop. It was big fun. And 90% of the fish were in the bushes.. I just hate flipping trees..

And you are probably tired of hearing it, but we used every Plum Ol monster we had in the boat. But it did not seem to matter too much as I caught fish on ten different baits. If you could flip it, it caught fish. But I was staying with the darker colors..

We got on the water at 10:00 and got off at 3:00. I am still trying to get the grin off my face.. It was awesome..

I spoke to three guides today and they all whacked them as well. And a couple of them caught some DD fish. I did not.

There is not a tree on the lake that can't have fish on it right now.. I hope I have made this report sound positive enough.. I'm telling you.. It is on!

The lake is continuing its slow decline, but it has backed off the inch a day a bit. Falcon has slowed to a release rate of 2800 CFM, which is still substantial. We are sitting at 12.78 feet low, or 288.42 as of this morning. Water temps this PM were still in the 90 degree range. Amistad has been stuck on a release rate of about 2100 CFS for two weeks. They are at 1115.27, or 1.73 feet low.

One thing is for sure, the lower Falcon gets, the better the fishing will be. There are a lot of hardwoods starting to pop out here and there, and they are holding fish, especially if there is a bush next to them. Get your bait right down the trunk, work the shady side, and hold on.

The flats across from Beacon on the Mexican side are still holding a lot of fish.. Like they have been for months.. But they are biting as good or better than they have all year.. I think the fishing is a good as it has been since the lake filled up. Did I tell you It Is On?

It's been a good while since I told you to quit your job and get your arse down here.. I'm telling you now. As slow as the economy is they won't miss you at work for a day or two..

On a slightly different subject, I want you to know that I bought a DNA kit, and I am testing the McDonalds burgers to make sure they are 100% Angus beef. I know their commercials say they are, but I thought I tasted a bit of Guernsey in my last Big Mac. What the hell is up with that.. Before long they might be slipping in some Herefords or some Santa Gertrudis.. And we could not have that.. And if you are in Australia I heard they had some Kangaroo in there a few years back. I think it was called the Hop Along Burger..

And just FYI.. The nose and tail are also 100% Angus.. If you can tell what kind of cow the meat comes from in your burger, you have a much more sophisticated palate than me.. But I like Chef Boy-R-Dee Ravioli.. So that gives you a reference point.

I have decide to quit any Political opinion in this fishing report.. Except for Monday, Wednesday, and maybe Friday if something pisses me off. I hate to go into a weekend in a bad mood. But being I had such a good day fishing I'm not gonna get all riled up today.. And I'll try to post sooner than later.. But the fish are biting! Did I tell you It Is On!

I don't know if you are following the Little League World Series, but we are.. It is the first time in history that a team from San Antonio has made it to Williamsport.. And they are kicking ass. And if you think about it, this is probably the first time in a lot of kids lives that they get to figgure out that the United States is going to kick their ass. Don't matter the game, the fight or the location.. The US is going to bring it.. You go Guys...

Kind of preconditions the foreigners for the rest of their lives.. Get used to it.. (Could be something Freudian in that)

There is a good team from Mexico just across the border from McAllen, just south of us. They take baseball pretty serious down here too. Hopefully we'll play them in the finals. We could market it as the Rio Grande Shootout.. But that name may already be taken by local law enforcement and the drug smugglers.. We probably need to appoint a baseball Czar..

One of our customers took this pic of a kitten on the bank the other day.. That's great camo.. Said the cat could care less if they were there..

Come see us.. It's On!

August 22, 2009: There was a UHO in the sky over Zapata yesterday, and many of us gathered around trying to figure out what it was. I took a picture and posted it on the internet asking if anyone knew what it was. It took a while to get an answer but someone from the Northeast finally e-mailed me and told me it was a cloud.. Still don't believe it but I guess the unidentified hovering object mystery has been solved.. The e-mailer even said that these objects often block the sun where he lives, and on occasion that water drips down out of them.. I am not really sure I believe him, cause you know what kinds of tales those Yankees can spin.. (Don't get excited.. You know that the term "Yankee" is a term of endearment.)

But even if it is true, neither one happened.. It is hot and dry.

But the days are getting a bit shorter, and that in itself has caused out water temps to decrease slightly, and I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Fall is on the way.. I can feel it.. And we haven't been 109 in weeks.. We are however going to keep our 100 degree streak alive for the foreseeable future.

But I have told you many times that the fish like it hot, and they are as active as they have been in a long time. And unless some reelection posters for Nanci Pelosi with her picture on them get dropped into the lake, I can't see the fish's stomachs souring any time soon. They're eating everything in sight.

The guides around here are still putting the smackdown on the fish. And catching a 30 plus pound stringer with most any of them is pretty common. I doesn't happen every day, but it happens a lot. And bigger bags are common too.

I sold twenty bags of Plum Ol Monster worms yesterday, and those were to repeat customers.. From the day before.. That bait is wearing them out. Of course there is nothing wrong with a lot of other baits right now, and I do not mean to infer that it is the only thing that is catching fish. But I am not ready to go Obama on it just yet.. I'm not ready to change..

You may just possibly have sensed a bit of animosity on my part with regards to our current public SERVANTS in Washington. On the whole I do not believe that they even know what service is, much less care about what the working man in this country wants or needs. And what we want is pretty simple.. They could probably figure it out if they glanced over The Constitution. It's not that difficult.

I had a dream last night.. It was 2006.. Unemployment was at 4.5%. The stock market was around 14,000, and there was a positive feel in the country.. It seemed so real... Like it really could have happened.. But it was just a dream.

Sorry for the diversion.. I must have drifted off..

Tommy went to Sugar yesterday, and they did fair.. Not sure why we are headed there with the fishing like it is on Falcon. But it is a day off. He took a pic of our two favorite restaurants.. One on the water.. One on the way..

And the Gar fishermen/hunters are still whacking the big ones.. Starting Sept 1 only one gar per person may be taken per day. These big gar are 50 years old.. And I hear that the monsters are up to 75 years of age.. The big one in the bottom of the boat will go 200 or more.. 7' plus.. Yikes..

See you on the water soon.. And oh, by the way.. Don't change on my account...

August 20, 2009: I would like to say that the fishing here on Falcon is good, and it has been a while since I gave the lake a number rating. (1-10) And for numbers right now I will have to give it an eight. In a good days fishing it has been very common for two fishermen to catch 25-40 fish. With a few good fish mixed in. And if you stay in the shallows, you can quite possibly increase that number with a little luck.

I talked to a couple of folks yesterday that had a fantastic numbers day, with about fifty fish caught.. One man in the boat.. It is happening pretty regularly.. But not everyone is doing it.. Hence the eight rating..

I fished the morning yesterday, and had a pretty good time of it. I got out too late to enjoy the early top water bite, but I did do some good flipping a new bait, The Plum Colored Zoom Ol Monster.. And let me tell you, That thing catches fish.

I had the best luck fliping bushes on points and humps, and I did not target much water deeper than ten feet, And in fact I did best in water around six to eight feet deep. And I caught a couple in water where you could see the bottom.

Road beds on most any part of the lake have been putting out a lot of fish. Right down the middle, or in the bushes in the bar ditches.. They're everywhere.. And if you are a first time visitor to Falcon, this is a pretty good place to start.

The San Antonio Bass Club is in town this weekend holding a club event, and they are fishing a paper tourney format. I commend them for their concern for the fish. You club presidents should consider this during the hot summer months. Our water temps are still an easy 85 degrees.. If you try it, you'll like it.. Or having everyone weigh their fish in the boat and charting their weights is just as good and probably more accurate.. Most everyone has a good digital scale and they are very accurate for the most part.. We have tested dozens of them and they are all within a ounce or two. And we'll be glad to test yours anytime if you bring it in..

I don't think that there is a bait that will not catch some fish right now. But the big worms, Mag Flukes, Spinner and Buzz and Chatter baits, and Senkos seem to be doing the best. But tie on your confidence bait and go to work. And I guarantee you that confidence is the best bait in your box.

Water releases from Amistad and Falcon remain about the same as the last few days.. Look for Falcon to continue its drop.. And look for the fishing to continue to be good..

Yesterdays sunrise was spectacular..

And don't worry about the Cormorants.. There's hardly any left..

The guides here are wearing out the fish.. It's like they fish every day or something. And Sugar has produced some more monsters the last week or so.. Crankbaits..

And about that new bait.. It was a new package..

August 17, 2009: Falcon continues its slow decline in water level, and the decline has remained pretty steady at about an inch a day. We are sitting at 11.91 feet low. Water temps are still right at 90 degrees in the afternoon.

But the hot water has not deterred the fish from biting.. Not in the least.. I have told you that these Falcon fish like it hot, and right now the fish are very active.

If there is anything better than the spinnerbait, then flipping bushes in five to seven feet with big worms or brush hogs is it. I am not saying that there are no deeper fish.. But the shallow fish are pretty easy pickins.. And most of them are in the bushes less than ten feet deep.

It's 9:21 in the AM and Charlie Haralson has already e-mailed me two pics from the water.. This technology stuff might catch on one of these days.. But I'm gonna take the battery out of his phone..

Left 9-8 -Right 9-0

These fish were evidently caught a bit deeper..

It takes a bit of courage to fight the heat and wind that we have this summer here on Falcon. But it can be very rewarding.. It's really not too bad till after two O'clock.. Then it's siesta time.. But it beats playing Red Rover..

And I hear that the Government has a new spin on Red Rover.. Goes something like "Red Rover, Red Rover, you workers bend over.." Who the hell was Red Rover anyway.. I think he may have been the first guy ever to eat an egg.. It takes a lot of guts to say, "I'm gonna eat the next thing that comes out of that Chickens ass." ( I apologize for the improper and tasteless use of the language..) Either he had a lot of guts or he was pretty damn hungry.. And I'd say he got lucky the egg was next.. Hell, I love ass apples.. Fry them up with some meat from a pigs ass and you got you some mighty tasty breakfast.. This is getting pretty asinine..

Charlie just sent me another picture... I gotta go edit my block sender list..

August 15, 2009: I have been looking forward to this day for a while.. So I can stand in front of the Texas license machine for hours on end.. Beats driving fence posts.. But not by too much.. Today is the first day you can buy your 2009-2010 hunting and fishing licenses.. And BTW.. All license fees will increase by about 5% this year.. The Super Combo is going to be $68.00.. We call it the full meal deal.. And it covers what most of us need.. And just as a public service don't forget that your fishing license will expire at the end of the month.. And Yes I will gladly sell you one..

We have six full time game wardens now here in Zapata county.. And they are on the lake a lot and making a difference in the netting problems on the Texas side. Glad to see that we are finally getting the manpower we need to make a difference.. And if you are headed out on the water on Falcon, there is a good chance that you will get checked for safety equipment.. So make you sure you have all the required equipment for your boat and passengers.. It's for your own good..

Shallow fishing is still the order of the day for numbers here, and occasionally you will latch on to something big and mean.. And I ain't talkin about Rosie.. Although proportions may be similar..

It's been nothing but work around here, as we have a few projects going on. But we'll try not to destroy the "charm" of our building.. I was on top of a ladder yesterday and I was having a flashback to my old profession.. Gives me chills just thinking about it..

This bass was caught off the bank at the county ramp yesterday. Picture does not do it justice..

There have been few people in town the last couple of weeks, and the fish are getting pretty rested up. It has been pretty good fishing for the few that are here. Deeper fish are usually better fish, but it is hard to ignore the 2-3 pound fish up in the shallows eating everything in sight. The baitfish are unbelievable. We went on an after dark rescue mission last night, and wherever the spotlight was on the water, shad were jumping like crazy.. Looked like piranha.. But with smaller teeth..

August 13, 2009: I have been goofing off for a couple of days, and Tuesday and Wednesday are good days to do it here on Falcon. Yesterday was the lightest wind day we have had in weeks, and it coincided with a scheduled fishing day for me.. Imagine that.. And you know I have been preaching the shallow water bite the last week, or rather the last month.. So I figured there has to be some deep fish biting somewhere.. So I fished my way to the Tigers via a bunch of rocky points on the Texas side on the way there. And I was rewarded with several buzzbait fish, and some pretty impressive blow-ups.. Even if you don't catch em, it's fun to throw.. But I did not tear em a new one..

And when I got to the Tigers I had already made up my mind to fish three specific spots.. A hump in the mouth of the Tigers, A roadbed in Goose Bay, And a point in Big Tiger across from Velas.

The hump I was thinking of fishing was still in 40 feet of water.. Deeper than I like and my electronics showed no fish on it.. So I headed to the roadbed in Goose Bay. The water has dropped some since I was there last and the trees in the bar ditch were sticking out of the water pretty good.. But I started in about six feet and worked out to about eighteen. I caught a couple small fish, missed a few, and basically fished like a man with a broken arm.. Maybe my biorhythm was off or something..

Anyway, I moved to the deep (22 ft) point in the Big Tiger, west bank before you get to the Vela Camp. It drops off to about 30 feet on the end of it and it has a bunch of brush growing on top.. I have whacked them there in the past many times.. And I was determined to catch some deep fish.. I'm tired of catching three pounders every other cast in the shallows.. (Well.. Maybe not quite every other cast...)

Anyhow I tied on a big red and black jig and screwed a trailer on her and chunked it out on the end of that point.. And as soon as I hit a tree I got a bite and got wrapped up by what felt like a decent fish. And after a game of tug-of-war I broke off.. (I hate Fluorocarbon) And being too lazy to tie on another jig, I grabbed my rod with a big 7" dinger on it and chunked it out there. And immediately caught a three pounder.. Figured I had it Figured out.. But a dozen more casts provided no more bites..

By now it was mid-day and remember I told you that there was no wind.. It was hot..

So I headed back towards the house.

And a good thing too because Andy finally e-mailed some pictures from their trip last week. And it appears that they did pretty good..

The lake is dropping at a pretty fast pace, and is consistent with the last week or so. It has dropped .47 in the last five days.. Right at an inch a day. As of this morning we are at 289.45, or 11.57 low.

I saw a bunch of thunderstorms above Amistad again in the last few evenings, and I hope they will turn into water in the lake. Because I guess till they get a flood above Del Rio they're not going to let any water out of Amistad.. They are releasing a third less water than us, and the Valley is thirsty. And fall crops are being Pre-irrigated for right now..

Hopefully we will be allowed a bit of water from the powers that be come springtime..

Shallow bite is still on.. Better get down here before they change their minds..

August 9, 2009: It's Sunday morning here in Zapata, the morning rush is over, and the wind is blowing.. But it has not kept too many folks off the water.. The shallow water bite is still on, and it really doesn't seem to matter what bait you are throwing. But something that is moving seems best.. Especially shallow.

A spinerbait, chatterbait, or a hopping jig seems to be getting a lot of attention. Especially around the shallow rocks. And some soft plastics are catching fish in trees a little deeper.. But the fish seem to be pretty active all over the lake.

I am not sure where the lake level is headed, as we continue to release about 2750 CFS, with Amistad releasing only about 1200 CFS. And I spoke to a couple of farmers this weekend that said they are fixin to water a bunch of land in the valley and try to make a fall crop. Hopefully the release rates we are seeing will be enough to cary them through.. When I crossed the bridge at Roma on Monday, it was easy to see the current in the river.. We have dropped 5.5 inches in the last five days.

There is a little depression forming off the coast of Africa, and imagery from the Shadnick shows that this one could turn into something. It's a long way off and a long shot, but I am inviting it into the gulf.. I'm not looking for a Cat 5 but a tropical depression could help with our lack of rain depression.. And being the Economy sucks so bad maybe we could move it to Cuba and it would draw a storm or two our way. Couldn't hurt..

I love the direction that our country is headed right now, because it surely won't be long till subsidies are passed out to the fishing industry, and ultimately to fishermen. And I think it is high time we pass out a few bucks to people who need a fishing fix. And I propose that we start a new plan called "Cash for Lunkers." Trade in your old personal best for a new and bigger bass, and get rewarded by the Federal Government.. You want a bigger one anyway..

And I think we could tie all this into the new health care plan. I know for a fact that fishing is one of the most therapeutic treatments that a person can experience. Just the thought of going fishing can release endorphins from the medulla oblongata, resulting in a mental state that can only be compared to nirvana. And once you are on the water.. Well I don't have to explain that to you..

And during the right conditions, an elevated heart rate can occur, and you all know that doctors recommend that you elevate your heart rate for twenty minutes at least three times a week. And you don't even have to wear a jogging bra..

And speaking of the government, I have a few ideas for some catchy slogans that might pull us through..

How bout "All men are created equal, and it is governments job to keep them that way."

Or how about "America.. Striving for Mediocrity."

Or maybe even "Socialism.. Look what's its done for Europe!"

I better quit cause it is only going down hill from here..

But don't worry.. Your elected officials have the best health care in the world, so they'll be around to take care of us for a long time.. I'd like to get on their plan.. Their retirement ain't too bad either.. Maybe I can get appointed as the Bass Czar...

August, 6, 2009: There are a few things of note going on around here this weekend. And one of them is a little south of us at Sugar Lake. The annual Bass Champs "Texas Vs Mexico" shootout is being held this Saturday and Sunday. And while it may not be a battle of the same magnitude as when Captain Kirk fought the Gorn, it will be interesting to see what happens. I am sure that there will be some impressive weights brought to the scales.

And on a sad note, I hear today that the annual OPEC tournament for this year has been canceled. I know many look forward to fishing it each fall, including me. There goes my chance at a repeat..

But who knows, maybe something else will pop up in that timeframe.

I have talked to a lot of people who just can't stand it and a few of them are headed this way this weekend. And I don't think the lake will disappoint. I have not talked to a single person that said the fishing stunk..

Spinnerbaits and chatterbaits are working in the flats.. Soft plastics and cranks a bit deeper.

I talked to Andy and Opey and they said when they get back from Mount Pilot they were going to hit the water. And they said they would give me a report when they got done. And wouldn't you know it with toady's modern technology they sent me an action photo during their trip..

And I know I told you that I took my daughter and one of her friends fishing last week. And let me tell you they were lousy tippers.. And I don't usually post pictures of smaller fish on the site, but ladies, kids, and first bass ever caught get an exception.

Charlotte here was last seen putting an "I'd Rather Be Fishing" bumper sticker on her car..

August 5, 2009: Boy.. Just about the time I think I can sit on my butt and relax a bit I get all these pictures and hear all these stories about all the big fish that are being caught.. And I'm in here in the shade.. Guess I won't be catching any fish like this..

Young Ryan here caught his personal best fish last week here on Falcon, and he joins a long list of others that have done the same this year.

And local Tim Griffin, who is no stranger to big fish, also caught a 13 plus fish with this 13.40 pounder he caught two Mondays ago..

And then today I hear of another thirteen plus fish caught here in the Veleno yesterday. Pictures forthcoming I hear.. I have a few theories on why these fish are up semi-shallow, but you would call me crazy.. And I have heard tell today of several other decent fish that were caught.. Now granted.. Not everyone that fishes is catching a monster.. But a higher percentage than is normal sure have.. Full moon tomorrow night.. Watch out for more big fish on the move.. Owoooooooo...

August 4, 2009: Good fishing is still being reported by the few fishermen we have here on Falcon, and some great fishing has been reported by some. Surprisingly the top water bite very early has been a bright spot for several people. Buzzbaits seem to be the best option for surface presentations, but we have gotten a few reports that a spook or similar has caught a few fish. I need to get out there early enough to give it a go. I went to Sugar yesterday with less than great results, and hindsight tells me that I should have fished here. But like I have said before, I need to leave the country to get a day off.. Mexico lakes page has been updated.

Bass Champs has released their 2010 schedule and they are going to visit Falcon on February 20th, an earlier date than usual, but one I endorse. I ran into Jeff Welch at Sugar, and we were discussing the impact on the fish that the schedule might make. While more fishermen will want to weigh their fish (instead of opting for the bonus no weight drawing) because the points chase, I still believe that the cooler water temps will make all the differece in fish survival. On the 20th of February last year, water temps were right at the 65-67 degree mark, and when Bass Champs was here in April, the water was right at 80. And it is very possible that April water temps can be in the mid eighties around here. Remember when BASS was here?

I'm looking at the calendar and checking for conflicts in an effort to come up with a date for our second anual FLT Bass Blast tournament. We'd like to schedule it in an effort to allow you to use it for an excuse to pre-fish. We're always thinking of you...

And if you haven't been able to make to Falcon in a while, we understand.. We'll guard the fort till you can make it back here.

I caught a bit of the weigh-ins at the Forrest Wood Cup on the internet, and saw the final standings and weights. I'm glad I live in Texas. And I certainly can't speak for any of the anglers, but I'd just bet that if you asked them they would not have picked Three Rivers as a venue for the event. I know it is still fishing, and it is the same for all the fishermen, but I personally like to see a few more and a lot bigger fish come to the scale. And congrats to Hackney.. He did pretty decent down here as I recall a few short month ago. But I think his check was a little better this time. And unlike the fish, the $$ are the same in all the states. This might jump him a tax bracket or two.

I've got a lot more to say about Tax Brackets.. But I'll save it for another day.

August 2, 2009: Things have been a little crazy around here on the lake. There is next to nobody fishing, but the numbers of good fish caught lately as been unreal.. And with daytime highs in the 105 range, you can't blame anyone for staying away. Of course if you want to catch some nice fish, a little heat shouldn't stop you.

Pancho Benavides caught these pigs fishing with Charlie Haralson this week. They caught a few more to boot. I hear that they had about a 40 pound five fish sack. And it has been pretty common lately.

Courtney Hobgood was in town from Gainesville and caught this fish last week. This fish weighed 8-3 and he also had a 7-13. I hear he was coached by his wife on the fine points.. Looks like it worked..

And yesterday Zapata local Jack Moore went fishing with Tommy Law, and they too had a hell of a day, with several over eight and this whopper that went thirteen even. It was caught on a Ol Monster in Redbug. So was the thirteen from last week. There is something in the water around here.. And a lot of it has scales.

Falcon is continuing its slow drop, and we are down to 290.39, or 10.63 feet low. Water temps are an easy 90 degrees in the PM and it doesn't look like it will cool off anytime soon.

The Mag Fluke in Watermelon Magic seems to be the best big fish bait going right now, and if it is not, then the Senko style baits in Green Pumpkin with Purple in it has to be. The spinnerbait in chartreuse and white will catch a lot of shallow fish, and there are a lot of shallow fish. And if you are paying attention a lot of fish will show you where they are. And if you can get a bait in front of them fairly quickly, many times they will hammer you. I just hate it when that happens.

I am headed to Sugar this evening for a day and a half, and I can't figgure out why.. But I will post a report on Sugar when I get back. And I hear that Speedy Collette had another incredible stringer over there this week. Still waiting for all the details. It's my job to keep you abreast of the happenings down here and I don't want to be considered a goldbrick. So I'll do my duty and let you know what happens.. Somebody's gotta do it..

I can stand the heat, so I'm headed to the kitchen..

August 1, 2009: The second annual "Whiskers and Tails" kids catfish tourney was held here in Zapata at the County ramp this morning, and the turnout was awesome. We had 232 fisherkids and let me tell you that enthusiasm was not a problem. Space was. If you have ever fished off a crowded party boat or Bob Hall pier when the fishing was hot then you know what I mean. It was a blast..

The Sponsors and Volunteers did a tremendous job managing the crowd, and providing a prize for every single kid that participated. Prizes ranged from some pretty awesome bicycles to soccer balls, to fishing rigs and tackle boxes and a plethora of other cool stuff. Top finishers of the event received trophies and special recognition. This is one of the most fun events that we have ever participated in. If you have some time to give next year it will put a smile on your face I guarantee.

We also had a group of Orphans from Laredo that made the journey.. A bus full. And I spent my time baiting, retying, and mostly untangling fishing lines. I haven't tied this many knots since my little sister threatened to tell Momma that I put the cat in the washing machine on the spin cycle. It took em two hours to untie her..

And I made a few new fishing friends along the way.

The fish were not too cooperative this year, but it did not discourage the anglers. I'll try and post a list of the winners later. But there were no losers in this crowd.

BTW.. The big fish are on the bite here on Falcon and I will return you to your regularly scheduled report muy pronto. There have been a lot of big fish caught in the last two weeks. Not sure just why but I'm not going to question it.. Will post some new pics ASAP.

July 29, 2009: It is always good to get back home, but I wish I could have dragged some of the cooler weather and green grass from east Texas back with me. The grass was so tall in a lot of places that when you saw a cow, you couldn't see the part where the milk comes out.. I bet it tickles when they walk through the grass.

But if you like your fishing itch scratched, then a place like Zapata is more for you. While I was gone, there were some whoppers caught here at Falcon, not the least of which was this 13.77 pound, 28.25 inch long beast that was caught by Sean Weida. And if you are wondering about the weight, you'll be glad to know it was weighed on our certified scale.. These guys also caught two other fish over ten pounds.. The big fish was caught on a Ol Monster in red Bug. Sounds like they had a good trip.

Sean Wieda 13.77

There were also a lot of other good fish caught while I was away, and several of our local guides have been doing pretty darn well with their customers that are not afraid of a little hot weather. I understand that a lot of these fish are still being caught with Senko style baits, and with big worms.

Paul Helms 9-12

9.2

Roy Nagy 11-11

I don't have names for a couple of these guys so if you can help me fill in the blanks I'd appreciate it.

Falcon has fallen to 290.73, or 10.29 feet low. And it looks like the trend will continue with Falcon releasing more water than Amistad. Amistad is about eight inches low.. It is hot and dry here in Zapata, and we are closing in on a record for most days over a hundred along with a lot of other south Texas cities. San Antonio should break their record for most days over 100 today, and we are just now in the Dog Days. But if you ask me, it beats shivering.

I want to know where all the hurricanes are that were predicted for this year.. The gulf has been flatter than Ellen Degeneress. I mean really.. What is the point of predicting the number of Hurricanes for each year? There is some government spending we can get rid of.. These guys can't predict yesterdays weather, much less months in advance..

While I was on the road for a few days, I had the opportunity to do some fishing, but I also saw a lot of things through the windshield. And I have come to the conclusion that we must all be thought of as idiots by TXDOT. The fact is that there is hardly any room left for any more road signs along our highways. In some places the view of one sign is blocked by another.. And if you are coming out of Podunkville where the speed limit is 35 and you get out of the city limits, and there is a sign that says Speed Limit 45 and you go a half mile and a sign says speed limit 55 and you go another half mile and the sign says speed limit 70.. I kept thinking that I should see a sign that says Light Speed permitted in this area. Of course mixed in all those speed limit signs were a couple of "Texas Historic Trail", "Hurricane Evacuation Route", "Texas Tropical Trail", "Watch For Ice on Bridge", and "Turn Around, Don't Drown" signs. And I have just scratched the surface. I could go on and on but you get the idea.. Just jump the speed limit to 70 and save the resources..

And if you were out in the morning and had to scrape ice off your windshield and you are wearing a coat.. You should have enough sense to "Watch for Ice on Bridge".. And if you are stupid enough to go Bass Boat with your Hyundai crossing the creek on the way home that you lived near for forty years, then maybe Darwin was right.. We may just need a few more low water crossings to help improve the gene lines of the human race.

Check out any country intersection you might come to.. There are at least twenty signs (Four Directions) associated with each crossroad.

And I had the pleasure of driving through Austin.. IH 35 Sunday early afternoon.. I figured everybody would still be eating after church.. WTF? I like Austin but I could not even imagine having to get around in that town.. And what were all the "We should all kill ourselves for the good of the planet", Hybrid driving, greenies doing in the left lane honking the horn and telling me to get my country ass out of their way.. I hope their batteries held up.

And a lot of things I saw in East Texas were really neat, but I gotta tell you that the people around there don't get in too much of a hurry.. It would probably take a week for them to Spontaneously Combust.. But friendly they are and they have a lot more water than we do..

And here's another thing you need to know about the Eastern region of Texas.. If the last three signs you saw were for Baptist Churches.. Turn around, because you won't drown.. At least not in anything with alcohol in it.. It is a good idea to pack your refreshments with you.. Cause while there is a lot of water around, it's pretty dry..

We fished Richland Chambers and caught a lot of White bass, Yellow Bass, (a first for me) and a few Hybrid stripers.. Easy pickens.. And a lot of fun..

Well I gotta get back to work, as I have a lot to catch up on. And I know I am gonna be stretched thinner than the floor tile in front of Rosies refrigerator.. The fish are biting at Falcon if you can stand a bit of heat.. See you soon.

July 24, 2009: I have been on the road for a day or two.. And I know I am a bit behind on a report or two.. I have all the results from UCBC bass clubs tourney over the weekend, and a few pics and I will post ASAP.

I had dinner yesterday at the Kings Inn on Baffin Bay, and lunch at Water Street Oyster Bar in Corpus today. I did catch a few specks off the dock under the lights last night. But I gotta admit that it ain't like setting the hook on a Falcon Fattie.. I am headed to Medina lake tonight to put the smackdown on a bunch of Hybrids.. And on Monday I am going to catch a boat full of whites on Richland Chambers.. And it might be a bit cooler where I am headed..

I may not be able to fit in my britches if I keep eating like I have been.. And I plan on testing a few restaurants I have heard about..

For those of you stopping by for a fishing report I wish I could help you.. I recommend that you call Tom at the shop. Sorry for the inconvenience.. But I will be back up and running in a couple of days.. But I hear the Salado is still good.. Spinner baits.. Chart and White.. Senkos out on the drops.. (Sounds like more of the same)

The lake is dropping slowly, and you can see it on the trees and bank.. It is not like the bottom is falling out, but we are loosing a little water slowly.. We need a big rain in a big way..

I'll be checking my E-mail and updating the site as internet connections become available..

July 21, 2009: Things have calmed down a bit this week and Monday was a good day for taking a nap or cleaning out the tackle box. I did the later as I just can't sleep when it is light out. But I have been known to nod off in my chair.. And of course anytime I am fishing a soft plastic the odds of me being asleep are high..

The wind gave us a break over the weekend, but it is back with a vengeance yesterday and today.. I went out yesterday morning about eight and decided I'd run down to marker eight and check out some water I had been thinking about.. Big Mistake.. I felt like a James Bond Martini by the time I got there, and fishing the open water I had in mind was pretty much out of the question.. So I fooled around a couple of hours in some back water and then I put it on the trailer.. But it was good to get out and get some sun.. and surf.. I did catch three fish but my heart wasn't in it..

That's not much of a fishing report.. But here is what I did hear from folks over the weekend. Shallow.. Lots of fish caught in four and five feet of water, which I can attest to.. Find some spots near the bank, or some shallow flats where there are a lot of shad and throw your favorite bait.. It doesn't hurt if your bait looks like a shad either. But a Senko will work too. The spinnerbait is still getting bites, and smaller baits are not a bad thing. I am liking a double gold willow leaf spinner bait, you pick the skirt.. Doesn't seem to matter to much.

For the next 45 days, I imagine we will see more of the same around Falcon. High temps and windy conditions will be the order of the day. I was looking at imagery from the Shadnick this morning and I see no tropical activity worth reporting. I did zoom in on a couple of beaches in the Cancun area to make sure everything is all right down there on the Yucatan Peninsula.. Everything looked fine.. And some things looked really fine.. I think if I ever quit this gig I would head down there and apply for a sunscreen applicators job. All my coaches said I had a great set of hands..

I can see myself now.. Bright red Speedo.. Oversized codpiece.. And a camo ammo belt with SPF lotions ranging from 15 to 85.. Maybe I better stick to selling bait..

I'll have final results of the UCBC tournament posted ASAP.. Those guys (and Gals) did pretty well given the temps and winds..

Looks like a lot of clubs will be holding their Sept tourneys here at Falcon in preparation for the Metro tourney in October. It is still going to be hot and the water temps will likely be in the upper eighties.. Please consider going to a three fish limit and early weigh ins to try and help mitigate fish deaths during these hot times.

Mauricio Garza caught this 11-8 a few weeks ago.. That's a Pig!

See you soon!

July 19, 2009: There are quite a few people in town this weekend, and we had several groups from across the country here during the week, including a bass club from Opelousas, LA, who made the trip all the way to Falcon to hold their fishin' contest. And we had another contingent from the west coast, who were here for about 10 days enjoying some of our big fish, and they went home with a few stories to tell..

And UCBC is in town this weekend and they brought about forty fishermen to Zapata to hold their monthly tournament. I went to their weigh in yesterday and they looked hot.. And they were.. After day one the top three were Alan Parks with 27.26, Chris Short with 24.22, and William Edgar with 22.57.. I'll update the tourney page with full results later.. Jenny Mergle had 19.05 to lead the woman's division..

Falcon is still hanging in there with water levels remaining just above 291. But for all practical purposes, we are at ten feet below full pool. We had a little popcorn shower cross northern Zapata yesterday afternoon, but it missed us here at at the shop.. Maybe today..

Kathy Starr form Arkansas who looks fairly happy holding up those fish.. She fished with Charlie Haralson earlier in the month.. But I lost this pic for a while.. She let her husband come along too..

Tami Curtis was here for a week or so catching some of our Falcon bass..

And Chris Ricci caught this 10-2 on Thursday last week to cap off a weeks worth of fishing. Not a bad way to finish up.

We certainly need some rain in the area, and I can see not a lot of promise in the near future.. And activity in the gulf seems to be non existent. What happened to all those Hurricanes that were predicted?? Being a weatherman is the only job you can have and be wrong every day, and still be employed.. Just show me the radar.. I'll figure the rest out by myself..

I talked to a lot of folks over the last few days, and a lot of them yesterday. And I made a few recommendations here and there. And I gotta tell you that the spinner bait bite has been good in many areas of the lake. I had a bunch of folks tell me that the bite was good on the blades, but a few said it was not so good. As a matter of fact, some said it sucked. But it has been working for a lot of folks. Me included.. And the common factor for most folks that caught fish was that they were fishing in water less then ten feet deep. So I am going to broaden my recommendation to tell you that if you fish your favorite bait in water from one to ten feet deep around the bushes you are going to get bit. I am personally putting my boat in about six feet of water and throwing a Jo-Baby spinner bait in Gold Shad, which is a double gold willow leaf with a gold skirt with some fleck in it.. If the water is a little more stained, a Chart and White with gold blades will work a little better. And a lot of fish are whacking the blades.. A start and stop retrieve seems to work best..

A Senko or brush hog in the same area will also work.. And in the brush hog the W/M Orange flake is a good choice.. It has big orange flake and has been producing well for a while..

And crazy as this sounds, a Beetle Spin run between the bushes was catching a lot of fish yesterday.. Now I know the heat is getting to me.. More on that later..

July 15, 2009: There has been a lot of discussion on the internet lately about the Sharelunker program, why which lakes get stocked and why some get skipped, whether we are trying to grow a world record bass in Texas, what the importance of genetics has to do with bass size and growth rates, and about biomass.

And I will be the first to admit that I am no biologist, but I have read and do read most anything that comes down the pike about bass. Some I agree with, some I think is absurd. I have a lot of experience with private ponds and lakes up to 12 acres in size, and I have seen the rise and fall of good fishing in lots of impoundments all over south Texas.

Most of you that know me already know that I am not a fan of the Sharelunker program. I think it was a neat experiment, but it has shown no improvement in the size of the biggest bass in Texas. And before you get all excited about me picking on the program, do the research as I have done and you can't help but come to the same conclusion. And don't confuse my dislike of Sharelunker with my love for TPWD. I think they are doing a great job with the bass across the state of Texas. And they have a lot of ground (water) to cover. And there is no way that all lakes will ever be treated the same. And rightly so. And if you want them to distribute all stockings evenly, we would most likely destroy a lot of our premier fisheries. Look what Title 9 did for College athletics.

So in my opinion, and evidently TPWD thinks the same, different lakes have to be treated differently. Because no lakes are created equally, and no lake remains the way it was created. Most every lake I have ever heard of has it cycles of boom and bust, and I believe that PAW does its best to place attention where it is most needed. But there are a lot of things to take into consideration. And the biggest of them is MONEY.

I am sure that getting the most bang for the buck goes a long way towards where stocking and resources go. Lake Fork is within an hours drive of few billion people, so there will be a good portion of energy spent there to keep it the big bass capitol of Texas. And you can't argue with the numbers. It cranks out big fish every year. Here's a Fork stocking report for the last few..

Lake Conroe is within a short drive of a few folks also, and here's the stocking records for it.

Lake Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend are both surrounded by a lot of folks and here's their stocking records.

Alan Henry has cranked out some big fish, but it is not in a super high density area.

Lake Amistad is in the middle of nowhere, (you know I love you guys) and it receives some attention, but there are some skips in the stocking years. And right now I think it could use some help. And talk about fishing pressure..

Choke Canyon is within an hour and a half drive from San Antonio, but it has been treated like a bit of a stepchild.. And with all the pressure on Choke and the lower water levels, look for for a decrease in the numbers and size of fish caught there next year.

And talk about the middle of nowhere, Falcon is close to nothing but a good chicken fried steak. And I doubt if there is any quality lake that gets less attention than us. Makes sense.. I have heard all the reasoning why Falcon is stocked less than most lakes. Proximity to big populations. Netting. Drastic water level changes. And results from shock surveys say we don't need a lot of stocking. So be it. It doesn't bother me too much. Would I like to have some fish put in the lake? It never hurts to put a new bull on the heard every now and then. So bring em when you can TPWD.. But right now we're fine.. And our being somewhat isolated is a good thing for the fishery. You gotta be coming here to get here.

There are a lot of other fine lakes out there that I skipped over for no particular reason, other than time and space. But you can see all the lakes stocking reports here..

But this is about Falcon, and there are a few things that have relevance here that might not elsewhere. Let's talk about Biomass. The ability of a body of water to support a certain amount of fish. And all lakes and ponds find their natural level of numbers and size of fish they can maintain. And it is constantly changing in most big lakes. Forage populations have the biggest impact on the amount of fish a lake can support. And I am not talking about a certain number of fish, but total weight. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that if there is little food supply, the size and growth rate of fish heads south. And conversely, if there is an abundance of food, the opposite occurs. I am sure many of you have fished stock ponds and tanks and caught 12" fish after 12" fish.. And why no big ones you ask.. Too many fish.. The water body simply cannot maintain more healthy growing fish with a limited supply of food. Basically stated, it can support only X pounds of fish. And that is true for ANY body of water. But keep in mind, this number changes drastically on many lakes.

Here's the formula I use for growing big pond fish. If you have caught an eight pounder, everything under four has to go. There is no way you can catch all the little fish out of a pond. And if you want your big fish to keep growing, got have to take out all the smaller fish up to half the size of your biggest fish. It works. If you catch a ten, the fives have to go..

Falcon is in feast mode right now when it comes to forage. And it's a good thing as the recruitment from this years spawn was fantastic and they are eating everything in site. The shad are so thick in many areas you'd swear that you could walk across them. It could have been here that Jesus did it.. Many of these shad are becoming bass as we speak.

Currently at Falcon we have more water than fish, but the numbers of bass are expanding to where fish will inhabit most every area of the lake by spring. If you want to catch fifty fish by noon, come here next February. I've seen it too many times.. Most will be 12-15 inches, but it will be a lot of fun.

So what can we do as anglers to improve Falcon? I guess it depends on what your definition of improvement is. I am always harping on the Catch and Release plan for bass over Four pounds. I believe eating smaller fish is probably a good thing for most lakes. I love catching fish, and if I am reeling in a 12 incher that is fun to me.. But I really love catching some big ones mixed in. If you catch a big fish and are going to release her, make it a as easy on the fish as possible. You know how..

If you are fishing a tourney and have a big bag of fish in the live well.. Take care of them.. You know how, but you must make the effort. Bass survival during tournament fishing has a lot more to do with how the fish has been treated in the boat than any thing else. You know how, but you've gotta do it. And keep in mind that having a ten pounder in the well is a lot like putting Granny in the trunk of the car and driving to Abilene.. She can survive it, but you gotta take precautions. (In no way do I recommend that you put Granny in the trunk)

Scheduling a five fish tourney in the summer months with weigh-ins after 1:00 are pretty much a death sentence for a lot of fish in our part of the country. The water is simply too hot. And right now it is in the 90's.

There are a few things we have no control over, and we will have to live with them. Low water levels which are a fact of life here on Falcon. Cormorants. Netting, both legal and illegal. Overfishing.

Is overfishing a real problem here on Falcon? We certainly had more people here in the first quarter than ever in history. And fortunately the lake was overfull and we had a jungle on the shore lines. If not the crowds that were here would have caught a million fish..

And we certainly had our share of meat hunters here. It was disgusting to see the six thru ten pounders getting filleted. I cannot figure out why someone wants to eat a giant fish.. I know it is legal. But it's just plain stupid..

In any case, the near future for Falcon looks bright. And if we all do what's best we will have good fishing here for years to come. And the neat thing is that we all know what the best thing is.. Take care of the fish you don't plan to eat. So we all have a chance at catching them another day. Your Grand kids will appreciate it..

July 13, 2009: - Part II I just read what I wrote this morning.. Musta notta been any cafeine in my coffee. But I did get to go fishin.. I fished from nine till one, and had a pretty good outing..

And yes I caught a bunch of fish on a spinerbait.. Double Gold willowleaf blades, with a light colored skirt.. White, or Chart and White, but the gold shimmer skirt was best. I also caught several on the Dinger in the Green Pumpkin Purple.. I know.. I know .. I always bitch about the Dinger or Senko.. But suddenly I have gained confidence in it and for the last couple of months I have been catching a lot of fish on it.. Maybe you can teach a middle aged dog new tricks..

I fished mostly water that was around six feet deep, but caught a few shallower. And my best numbers were in the Salado and the Hedieona. I did catch my Dinger fish on a ridge in the back of Hedieona. Brush on top with about fourteen feet under the boat, but twenty five to thirty near by. And I had one that tried to drag me out of the boat.. Just grabbed it and took off and I did not get a chance to try and tear her head off.. But for a minute there, it was on! Have to add her to the many "One that got away" stories.

I missed at least as many fish on the spinner bait that were hitting the blades. But I'm gonna cure em with the super sneaky hook added to the blade.. It worked last year..

I'll admit that I had a tip on the bait and area.. But the area did not seem to matter as I caught fish in several areas on the spinner.. The best fish I boated went about six, and I caught several fours on the Dinger. Big fish was on the spinner bait. I think I'm gonna throw it more..

Falcon is still dropping ever so slowly, and Amistad is letting out a couple hundred CFS more than we are. We are 9.73 feet low. Water temps are still at 90 in the afternoons, and visibility is two feet or so up here on our end of the lake.

I know there are a few of you headed this way this weekend for club tournaments, and you need to be prepared to keep your fish alive. It's a tough proposition this time of year, and I would sure like to see TD's go to a three fish limit. And a paper tourney ain't a bad thing either..

I am sure we will continue to suffer under these hot conditions for the next couple of months, and odds are that our water temps won't get below eighty for 90 days. So do what you can to preserve the fish you catch.

July 13, 2009: The high temps around have dropped off to about a hundred, and a lots of folks are enjoying the cooler temperatures.. I know I am.. And later this morning, I'm gonna hit the water for a few hours, and see what I can find.

There were a few tournaments in town over the weekend, and from what I gather, their weights were less than spectacular, but there were a few big fish weighed in. I talked to several fishermen (and women) who had never been here before, and they were pretty pumped up about the meanness of the fish. It's always fun to hear someone say "These SOB's are mean!" I agree..

I have been busier than a three legged cat with diarrhea, but my rat killing is about done with. And I have a lot of stuff to tell you.

You know my first love is Falcon lake, and it has been for forty years. And yes I do Piss and Moan about a lot of things that happen around here, but I also like to celebrate the good. And I have some of both to do..

And while the fishing on Falcon is decent right now, the fishing at Sugar is...Well it is un describable.. Not every day do you catch a twelve pounder.. But it could happen. And I am not talking to the guides that have been.. I'm talking to their customers.. And I have a lot of personal experience there myself. That lake is just nuts right now.. It's an expensive trip over there, but if you have gotten your stimulus check, this might be a good place to spend it.. See our guide page for a list of those that can get you there..

BTW.. Does anyone know the origin of the phrase to "Piss and Moan?" Looked on the net a bit but nothing jumped out at me.. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that it came from the Medieval times when gonorrhea was so prevalent.. But I digress... Again..

The spinner bait bite has reportedly been very good.. And I'm on my way out the door to test it.. And I'll post a report later today on what happened..

July 10, 2009: Well it finally happened.. It actually rained in Zapata.. And not a sprinkle but a good soaking 1.40 inches.. That was on Tuesday evening, and I was out of town for a couple of days since then, and have not had a chance to post the news.. So there is still hope for you.. If it can rain here it can rain anywhere.. And the cooler ground kept us from the 105 temps for a couple of days. But that's the predicted high for today..

There are a few bass clubs in town this weekend, and I reckon that the heat ain't what's on their mind. But I won't let them out of the store without the FLT heat warning.. Be prepared.

The fish are still cooperating on Falcon, and being in the right spot at the right time can turn a good day into something special. We have had a lot of folks tell us that they are catching 30-40 fish per day, and with some good ones mixed in.

The Mag Fluke is still catching some good numbers of fish. I am not sure the color is as important as the presentation or location. Dragging one on a short Carolina Rig or Texas rigging it will get you bit. The Dinger or Senko is also a great choice right now. Fish either of these baits in the submerged bushes and trees in zero to twenty feet of water. Fish slow. I am finding that if I fish a spot for fifteen minutes and don't get a bite it is best to move on. Duh.. But fish a likely looking spot very thoroughly before you give up on it.

Topwaters early are catching some fish, and some good ones. Stick baits like the Spook or Spook Jr, a buzzbait, or dare I say it, a frog will work for the first hour.

Later in the day a crankbait with some Chartreuse or brown in it is a good bet. Throw it near rocks with brush. You'll loose a few, but you'll catch some fish..

The second annual "Whiskers and Tails" Catfish tourney for kids is approaching rapidly, as it is scheduled for Aug 1. If you live in the area and have kids that want to fish this is a great opportunity. Food and drinks will be provided along with bait. Stop by the store for a registration form. This is a "Free" event and some good prizes and awards will be presented.

The lake is holding its own, and if anything we are dropping ever so slowly. We're at about 9.5 feet low. Water quality is good all over the lake with a bit more visibility on the south end, probably about 2.5 feet. We have also heard of some decent catches from the river above Zapata, but I'm not falling for that again..

Tommy is out of town for the next 11 days, so I will not be doing much fishing for a while. Or much else for that matter.. Send food and drink to James, care of Falcon Lake Tackle..

July 7, 2009: We only got up to 107 yesterday, so I reckon a cool spell has started here in Zapata. And while this is a bit of a warm spell, it is nothing compared to 1998. Going on 100 degree streaks is one of the things we are famous for. The local weatherman in Laredo had a report on all time heat events, and we are not even getting close.. So don't believe em' when they tell you the sky is falling.. It is just letting the sun shine..

Over the Fourth of July weekend things were pretty quiet, and I still have not heard how the big Mexican tournament turned out. But I am sure I will.. And I'll let you know what I hear.. I goofed off yesterday and admit I am running behind. I worked on my tan yesterday, and I'll post a report on Sugar later.

And speaking of Sugar, I think I saw Michael Jackson in a Bass Cat flipping a line of trees up the San Antonio river. So if I was you, I wouldn't let my kids out of my sight. This thing might not be over just yet..

And what the hell is it with this crap anyway. If I hear any more I'm gonna puke. Bury the child molester (allegedly) and get this garbage off my TV.. This guy was nothing but a freak show for years..

And what the hell does this have to do with fishing, you might ask.. Nothing. Just my opinion. But I feel better now.

It's hot, but the fishing can still be good, if you are in the right spot at the right time. And who knows, you just might catch a thriller!

July 5, 2009: When you break a record for high temperature in July in Zapata, it's usually way up there. And yesterday we broke the old one, as we hit 108.. Beats 28 but it was a little uncomfortable for anyone out after two O'clock.. But we did have our share of never-say die fishermen who braved the elements and put in some long hours.. And some of them were rewarded with some nice catches.. Others were not as fortunate.

The Salado has been a bright spot over the last couple of days, and the Veleno has been decent too. And a lot of folks were fishing close to home as the winds have been pretty starchy.

I fished Friday till about one, and we had decent numbers, but our biggest fish was just over three pounds. A firetiger crankbait caught her and several others. We also caught fish on the Ol Monster worms, and Green Pumpkin Purple Dingers. We did best in the Coyote on the right hand side on the point about halfway back. We fished from eight to twenty feet deep, dragging our baits through the treetops, just like we have been doing for months.

Brad Odom brought this fish by the shop real quick to get her weighed.. 9-8.. She's back in the lake..

Yesterday, being it was the 4th of July, we felt obligated to do out patriotic duty and we had a few briskets on the pit. There was smoke in the air all day from BBQ pits in Zapata, and smoke in the air all night from all the fireworks. The display was not as good as usual, and I am going to blame it on "These hard economic times." Usually the neighborhood right behind our shop spends all the rent money on fireworks. Not quite Sea World, but pretty good.

And I have to imagine that as days to Bar-B-Que goes, The Fourth of July is way up there. And as a matter of fact, The Fourth has probably seen more weenies than Michael Jackson. But I digress..

There was a team tournament held out of Nuevo Guerrero this weekend, and I hear that 29 plus was leading it after day one.. I am sure I will hear the final results sooner or later, and I will post them ASAP. Seventy six teams were participating.

It's hot. Fishing is Fair.. And I must be crazy as I am headed to Sugar tomorrow. I'll let you know how we do..

July 1, 2009: Rain everywhere.. Except in Zapata.. Actually we could smell it yesterday, and it smelled good.. Kinda like standing outside Lubys.. But you can't go in. And as long as we continue suffering from Rain Deprivation Syndrome, it's not going to cool off any.

The fishing, however, has been decent if you can stand the heat. When you put on early in the morning, it is actually cool going across the water.. And try to remember that feeling after noon.

The Salanaias has been a bright spot as of late, and if you are familiar with heavy machinery you know where I am talking about. The creek with the bulldozer on the east bank has been putting out some good fish. Points and brush lines that end near the channel are holding fish. There are a couple of tank dams in there that are pretty good too. And for that matter, any tank dam you know of is worth looking at right now.

And I know I am sounding like a broken record, but it is still all about points and deeper ledges. Especially for the quality fish. There have been a lot of numbers caught shallow, especially early. And the top water bite has been decent in the early am.. And I mean early. After the first hour you can put it in the box.. Rattle traps in shad or baby bass or crawfish patterns will catch shallow fish in and around the shallow brush, and it is a good thing if you are near a rocky bank.

I heard from a few fishermen who fished with guides that they did real well fishing jigs, in a brown or crawfish pattern, on some deeper water humps. The Senko and the Mag Fluke are also working well. The Green Pumpkin Purple Dinger is my favorite right now. I hate a Senko.. But if it works, I'll throw it.. And I am a braid freak, but the heavy Fluoro will get you more bites. I hate it too..

Most of these fish have been pretty spot specific, and if you fish a point or hump for ten minutes and don't get bit, It's time to move on to the next one. And I don't see this pattern changing any time soon.

Falcon is sitting at 9.34 feet low a of this morning, and we are releasing about 1850 CFS. Amistad is still nine inches overfull, and they are releasing about 2225 CFS. And by the time that water gets here, most of it has been sucked out. But it has helped us to fall slowly, and we thank them for the water. Now let more out..

Water temps are right at ninety in the afternoons, and that is not likely to change anytime soon either. The forecast thru next wednesday is for highs in the 105 neighborhood. Makes 98 sound cool.

I hear thru the grapevine that the FLW Stren series IS coming back in January. And why not. I also hear of another big event in the early spring. More details to follow as things become more concrete.

June 28, 2009: The last weekend of June is about gone, and so are a lot of the old records for high temperatures in south Texas. Not so much us down here, but lots of places north of us have been smoking.

When you break a record in Zapata, it's really hot, and we haven't done it yet. And that high pressure is on us like Rosie on a Lazy Boy, and it takes something special to get it off. We need one of those Mezio-Convector thunderstorms to break out in west Texas and push this thing out of here.. I don't really know what that means, but I always liked the way it sounds.

And speaking of the end of the month, I was looking a the calendar and the Month of October is getting really busy. San Antonio Metro League of Bass Clubs is holding their championship here the weekend of the 3rd and 4th. Sun Country out of New Mexico announced this week that they will be holding their championship here at Falcon from the 14th thru the 16th. And of course OPEC is always scheduled for third weekend of October, which is the 17th and 18th. And to finish the month off, Texas Bass Federation Nation will be holding their championship the weekend of the 24th and 25th.

Sounds like I better fatten up before the fall comes. Cause it sounds like they're going to run us ragged around here.. Sounds like fun.

Atascosa bass club is here this weekend, and I hear that 29.87 is leading it after day one. Big fish was a 10.37 on Saturday. I hear that big flukes were the ticket for the big stringer.. They have been good. We'll have a full report tomorrow.

Craig White 29.87

David 24.00

June 26, 2009: I am not sure if the state of Louisiana is under a hurricane warning or what, but the second half of the states population is in Zapata this week. The first half came in January.. And I guess a lot of folks decided to stretch the Fourth of July holiday out a bit.. It's busy around here. But not to worry.. There is plenty of room for you.

Falcon has slowly declined to 9.17 feet low, and for this time of year, we are sitting way above what has become known as "normal." Amistad has caught about 1.5 feet of water in the last week or so, due to some big rains in their immediate watershed. Awesome.. They are back up to .89 overfull. I hope they'll share.

I just cannot tell you how excited I am about the coming spring, cause catching big numbers of small bass is going to be crazy. These babies are already eating baits the same size as them, and it is going to be nuts. We have a heck of a population of six to eight inch bass, and mark my words, they will be thirteen to fifteen inches in February. And about as fat as a pig. (Thought I was going to say Rosie didn't you?)

Most of the folks we talk to, especially the ones that have not been here before, always comment on how mean the fish are here. And short of a smallie, I don't think there is any meaner or stronger bass anywhere. When you catch your first three pounder here, you'll swear you've got a six on the other end. These fish have definitely not been to anger management class.

We have had a few days of low winds, and it has greatly helped the fishing. Open water main lake points have been fishable again, and a slow presentation of a big Senko of Mag Fluke has been very good. Paying attention to your line is a must, especially with the fluke, as the pickups have been very light. But when you stick em, all hell breaks lose.. And hopefully your line won't.

The rain south of us petered out before it got here this week, and we are still hot and dry. If you are headed this way, prepare yourself for the hot conditions. Drink lots of liquids and take all the sun protection you have with you. It'll make your day, and night, much more pleasant.

The Fourth of July Holiday is just around the corner, and it means different things to different people. For some it is just an extra day off, but for others it is much more. It is not just the day that our founding fathers declared our independence, but it is the day that we celebrate our freedom. The blood of many a better man than me has been shed to guarantee you and I the freedoms that we take for granted. Please remember all those that have given us these freedoms by their sacrifice, in the past, and those that are protecting our freedoms now. God Bless You All.. And Happy Fourth of July!

June 23, 2009: The wind has finally laid down for the time being, as a small wave from the gulf has approached the Brownsville area, and it would be a great day to fish. Partly cloudy skies are also inhabiting the area and that is helping keep the temps down a bit.. At least maybe we won't make the triple digits for a day or two.

I was at the ramp with a cast net this morning, and I took a pic of some of the baitfish we see a lot of. Of course two of the species I see often did not show in the net today. We don't have a lot of threadfin shad, but we occasionally see a few. And tilapia in the two to three in size are everywhere.. But not today.

The fish on the right in the pic is a common perch that we have tons of. And they get a lot bigger and we have several varieties that get down right huge. This species does not.

Second from the right is a shad that we have tons of, and is the most common one we see. They have a black dot right behind their gills, and a chartreuse stripe down their middle. Could be why the sexy shad pattern works so well down here.

In the middle is another common shad we have, and it has a distinctive black stripe in the tail and many of them have the stripe continuing to their mid-section. I often make a black stripe on a shad pattern crank bait with a sharpie marker and it does make a difference.

Fourth from the right is a minnow/carp looking critter that is common here, and he has a blueish belly and a pointy nose.. Not as common as the other two shad.. And not sure what you call him.

On the left is what I believe to be a baby Tilapia, and this one is about 1.75 inches long. When they get a little bigger, those bars get a little broader and they take on more of a perch shape.. None of the ones in the three or four inch size showed up today.. They have a distinctive barring pattern in their coloration. I'll get a pic of a bigger one soon.

Contrary to popular belief, we do not have a lot of Threadfin shad. Some, but not a lot.

So if you're throwing something that swims, looks, or tastes like any of the above, you might get bit.

June 22, 2009: I have been on the road for a few days, and I gotta tell you that Texas is getting no smaller. It's good to be home. And not a lot has changed since I have been gone. It is still hot, dry and windy in Zapata.

Falcon has dropped to 292.07, or 8.95 feet low. I'm not complaining.. Where are all those hurricanes they predicted? Until they can tell me when and where I think they can throw that early prediction stuff out the window. But I guess that would put a lot of folks out of a job.. "And in these tough economic times..."

Falcon is releasing slightly more water than Amistad, so the slow fall should continue. I drove across Amistad on the Hwy 90 bridge a few days ago.. It's as big as I've ever seen it.. And they caught me with my dynamite before I could get to the base of the dam.. I just had enough to make a small hole.. Don't know why they got so mad.. It does look good..

Fishing has remained a little tough on the fishermen here at Falcon. The weather is as much a factor as the bite, but neither is stellar. I'm gonna drop my rating to a 6.25.. There are still fish being caught, but we are not setting any records..

When you are staring through the windshield for hours on end, your mind starts to wonder. At least mine does. And I was thinking.. If we can change the genealogy of big bass to make them bigger, can we change the eating habits of buzzards? If we could get them to eat used tire parts we could really have something. Hell, they're already all along the highways, and they wouldn't have to be retrained. Think of the clean up costs we could save.. There are tire parts all over the place. Just a thought.

Well as soon as I figure out what I'm doing and digest a fishing report or two I will post the latest.. And next time I drive that far I better be pulling a damn boat...

Hope you had a great Fathers Day!

June 18, 2009: In keeping with my baby bass study, I thought I'd show you a pic or two of what is swarming the shallows. And if I had any sense, I'd have taken a pic of the shad and tilapia that are also in the mix.. We'll do it next week..

Fish on left is 3.5 inches long.. If only my taxidermist could paint like that..

This fish is 6.25 inches long.. And built like a ten pounder.

These fish are fat and sassy, and are eating shad like a kid eats cookies. It has been very common to catch a small bass, less that three inches long, with a two inch shad sticking out of its mouth. So it starts at an early age. Get ready for next spring.. Cause these fish will be eating everything in sight..

Happy Fathers Day!

June 17, 2009: Falcon has started a very slow decline in water level, with release rates from Falcon and Amistad being about the same according to the Aquastick Network. Amistad is .89 feet low, and Falcon is hanging in there at 8.76 feet low. Water temps here at Falcon are starting out around 83-85 in the morning.

We have been under the influence of a high pressure area that has pounded us with a strong southeast wind, and brought a lot of hot air up from the Chihuahuan desert. We need a front to head into Texas and push this thing somewhere.. I really don't care where.. Let someone else enjoy it for a while.

And it's a good thing that TV has gone all digital because all the antennas in Zapata are bent over.. Hope you got your converter box.. I was never so glad to see a campaign come to an end.. At least not since Johnson vs Goldwater.

The fishing has been a little tougher the last few days, and I am not sure if it is because the fish aren't as active as they have been, or because the wind is blowing so hard it is near impossible to fish any open water. And fishing most anything on the main lake has been a struggle. Big boats and Big weights required..

I heard a story this week about a cage in the lake that had several big bass in it. It was found by some fishermen and it appeared to be a old metal dog kennel. The fish were released I hear.. But I have not gotten proof of anything nor have I personally spoken to the folks who found it. But I am sort of a conspiracy theorist and if this is true I can only believe it was there for one thing. I hate freakin' cheaters.. More details as they become available.. And I'm working on it..

But for the most part, all remains the same as we head into the third week of June. Summer time is definitely here and deepwater fishing after 10:00 is the norm. Early on there is a bit of a topwater bite, but it usually disappears after the first hour.. Try a Spook or a Buzzbait near rocks or near brush lines in the shallows.

Big plastics still out producing most other baits.. And Jigs are catching more and more fish.. It's that time of year.

I have been continuing with my "Study" of the baby bass on the lake. In my cast net samples we are getting more and more bass in the 6" size, and none of the 2" fish we were catching a few weeks ago. Of course the net brings back plenty of fish in the 4" size also. I am not sure how long these youngsters will inhabit the shallows, but it is interesting to see the numbers and size of the fish we are catching. Many of these fish will not survive to adulthood, and I can tell you they are perfect Cormorant food right now. And we have plenty of Cormorants.. Now there is a good problem for TPWD to attack. I guarantee you that thousands of baby bass are getting eaten every day here on Falcon. I can see no benefit from these birds, and I'd like to see Noah come back and get the last two. This species is out of control in south Texas and it is time to do something about it. I rate them right there with mosquitoes or fleas. Wouldn't bother me if they went extinct. Now there's your nice thought for the day.. See you on the water..

June 14, 2009: There are a couple of bass clubs in town this weekend, and they are having decent success from the reports we are hearing. Uvalde's two top stringers were 28 plus and 26 plus we hear.. I have been at Choke for a couple of days so I missed the weigh in.. McAllen bass club is also fishing this weekend and they are weighing in at the state park.

Falcon is still hanging right around 8.5 feet from full, and there is still a bit of water in the pipeline. Amistad is still holding its own with a decent flow in the river above it. I'll have to admit that we have been pretty lucky in the water department this year.. We are used to seeing a lot worse.

The second annual "Whiskers and Tails" kids fishing tourney is scheduled for early next month, and I'll have all the details posted here this week. If you live around Zapata you need to get your kids and come on down. Some great prizes were given away last year, and we'll do it again.. It will be held at the County Ramp.. Look for more details soon..

Bob Stevens caught this 11-11 last week, and he said he had another one on in the same spot that was just as big.. Sounds like a good place to drop the anchor.

I fished a one day Club Tourney at Choke Canyon yesterday, and it was the first time I had been on Choke in at least two years. And I had heard that it has been crazy over there, and it's true.. There were boats everywhere. I hope the pressure doesn't kill it..

June 10, 2009: I was just looking at the forecast for the next few days, and Holy Cow! is is going to be hot. Highs are supposed to be in the 105 range with heat indexes off the scale. Seems we have a bit of this desert air from Mexico sitting on us for the next week.

I fished till one yesterday and it was pretty comfortable with the breeze blowing.. But if you are going to be out there till three or four you need to prepare. The sun down here will take your skin off like Bar B Qued chicken if you don't take some precautions..

The lake is holding level at 292.62, or 8.4 feet low.. And that is up almost a foot from a couple weeks ago. Water temps are an easy 85 in the mid days, so if you are fishing a tourney here this weekend, make preparations to take care of your fish.. It will take some attention to keep them alive. Do your best..

Every now and then you need to prove a thing or two to yourself, even though you know the answer in advance.. And I know the river above Hedieona has been pretty dead, but I had not been there in a couple months and I just know that one of these days it's going to bust loose.. Well I got news for you.. It hasn't busted loose yet..

We fished the Mexican side of Chapote Creek, and the Colondrina a good ways up the river.. Some awesome looking water if ever there was any.. And places where I have caught one million, two hundred eighty six thousand, five hundred and forty one fish in the past, were almost fishless. Oh, we caught a few, but it was still poor fishing. So we headed back to the Salado and caught a few fish in some of our spots that have been producing in the past few weeks. And sure enough they still did. The best fish we put in the boat was between five and six, and like always, The biggest one spit the bait after performing some aerial acrobatics.. But she was around nine to ten.. But I didn't hook it or I am sure it would have been guessed closer to eleven..

I was fishing with Doug Fett, as he got a new boat and I hadn't ridden in it yet. But it was a fun day and after all was said and done, there was more said than done.. But that's the beauty of fishing.. Always leave some for tomorrow.

And I know you know that I am always wondering about things that a lot of sane folks wouldn't consider. Like how come the faces of the Presidents on Mount Rushmore don't have any nose hair.. Or is Nancy Pelosi's or Jerry Jones' plastic surgeon better. Have you ever had one of those annoying Clown dudes making those balloon creatures right next to your table.. While they're twisting and bending and stretching those things I'm just sitting there waiting for them to pop.. Puts me on edge.. That's the same way I feel when either Jerry or Nancy is on TV.. Looks like their faces could pop at any second.. Gives me the creeps..

Anyway, I digress... But what I was wondering about was why can't TPWD catch their fish for Sharelunker with electro shocking? Maybe it is ineffective on bigger fish.. I dunno.. And if that is the case then all this is a moot point. But it would darn sure be more efficient. You could have your transport trucks right there.. Water tanks prepped and no long waits in livewells and minnow tanks.. Just go to a lake where all the monsters live and Zap em.. Then we could save millions on the Pomp And Circumstance of the Share Lunker program and still have all the benefits. "And in these tough economic times" a little belt tightening would be good. (BTW.. All license fees are going up 5% this year.. And be warned, TPWD says this will only keep them even.. Translation. Look for price increases again in the near future..)

But I don't look for any of this to happen.. As a matter of fact, I can't see why they don't helicopter to the long destinations to pick up the fish. It's only money.. And there's helicopters just sitting there..

I am not sure how to define success with the Sharelunker thing.. But I will have to admit it is one of the best publicity stunts to ever come along. And you can not look at the numbers objectively and tell me that it (Sharelunker) has increases the size of the fish we are catching today. And don't confuse the stocking of Florida strain bass with the Sharelunker program.

I guess my point is, "What is enough?" We can continue to spend millions on unproven programs and as long as it is in the name of "progress" who could be against it.. I am sure we will be putting a man on Mars in the near future.. While people are starving to death right here on earth.. But it's in the name of progress!!

The fishing is still doing pretty darn good overall.. I think if you don't mind the heat you will do just fine. Take lots of water or similar with you in the boat. And let us know if we can help you in any way..

P. S. We got in some of those W/M Magic and Green Pumpkin Magic Super Flukes and Mag Flukes.. You better hurry..

I feel better now...

June 8, 2009: I helped run the weigh in over the weekend for the API tourney, and I have to tell you that I am a little intimidated by the weights that were brought to the scales. I couldn't do it.. At least not right now. But lots of these guys figured it out and the top seven or eight teams had some awesome weights.

The winners are listed below, but here are a few more details from the event.

On day one, there were seven stringers over twenty pounds brought to the sales. That's out of twenty two teams. There were thirteen stringers over fifteen pounds.

On day two there were still three bags over twenty, including the heavy bag of the tourney that weighed in at 25.61 pounds. And keep in mind this is a three fish event.. There were eight bags over fifteen pounds weighed in on Sunday.

They paid out six places and if you had a 6.25 pound average for your six fish you did not get a check.. Get out of here.. I guess the fishing was pretty good. There are always some fishermen who figure them out, and a few who struggle, and I have personally been on both ends of the scale. But overall I have to say that the results were pretty damn good. There were very respectable weights three quarters of the way down the board.

And on another note, I happened over the final results for the Sharelunker for 2008-2009. Seems like every year there is a lake or two that turn out a mess of big fish. Seems like this year it was Conroe and Choke. Or at least that's the two I have heard most about.

But I had this great idea while channel surfing the TV the other day. If TPWD wants to grow a bigger fish, and eventually grow a new world record, we should quit messing with the Florida's.. That's right.. We need to use New Yorkers.. Extrapolate some DNA from Rosie and in a few years Whammo! New State record!

But I am not sure if Pizza and Fried Chicken will come out of the fish feeders at Athens.. We may have to get the legislature to earmark some funds for modifications..

It's going to be hot this week, but the fishing is getting the same way.. There are a couple of bass clubs headed to Falcon this weekend and they should whack em'.. Come see us..

June 8, 2009: Just a quick update on the API cause it is Sunday and I am basically lazy..

After day two, with six fish weighed per team:

1st Tom Haralson and Mike Bower 49.91

2nd Tim Griffin and Leopoldo Garcia Jr. 42.21

3rd Jim Parker and David Herzog 42.06

The average fish weight of the top three teams was 7.41 pounds.. Get outta here.. That's awesome!

Full report tomorrow.. I'm headed to Laredo to get some cigars..

June 7, 2009: I know this is not the tourney page.. But just a quick update on the API.. After day one:

1st Place: Terry Nunn and Mance Richardson 24.35 with a 11.29 Big Bass

2nd Place: Tom Haralson and Mike Bower 24.30 with a 9.07 Big Bass

3rd Place: David Herzog and Jim Parker 22.83 with a 8.13 Big Bass

Keep in mind folks this is a three fish tourney.. There are also several more stringers over 20 pounds and a lot of teens.. Will post final and full results tomorrow..

June 6, 2009: It was a busy Friday around these parts, with lots of fishermen in town, including Alamo Bass Club. They are fishing out of the State Park. The API tourney is running out at Beacon. I went over to the Captains Meeting last night and visited a bit, and it appears that the number of kitchen passes issued was lower than expected. There were twenty two teams entered as of last night, with a few more expected this morning.

I'm going to go help at the weigh in and I'll give an update on what's happening. I do believe that the organizers were expecting a little better turnout, but it is hard times in the oil business right now. And I'm talking about the folks who work everyday in the field.. Not the guys on Wall street. There are a lot of folks in our area that are out of work.. But don't worry.. I am sure Obamma is on it..

It is supposed to be around a hundred degrees today, with lots of sun, and a little breeze to keep you cool. And if anything, the wind has been less than predicted the last day or two. Now that's unusual. If you are planning a trip to Falcon this summer, there are a few things you must remember. And I am always talking about taking care of the fish, but I want to talk about taking care of you.. And I don't want to act like your Mamma, but boy you better pay attention. The sun down here can eat you up.

A big hat that covers your head in shade is a real plus. If it is breathable it is even better. If you are light skinned or not too used to the south Texas sun you need to get you a couple of long sleeved, light colored, light fabric shirts. Light Khaki pants are a good choice also. Blue jeans are a heat magnet. Get some loose fitting clothes in a light color and you will thank me later.

Sunblock is a must.. Apply a good quality sunscreen liberally several times a day. We've got some stuff here at the shop that is Falcon Tested.

Sunglasses.. Good ones.. Get em..

Stay Hydrated.. If the wind lays and it is gets hot you will loose your juice in a hurry. Water or a water based non alcoholic drink is best. (Gatorade, Propel, yada, yada..) Drink it even if you think you are not thirsty..

If you follow these few rules you can fish the hottest of days and survive with few after effects. I can't help you with those sore arms from fighting the fish.. You'll just have to sack up..

This Public Service Announcement is now over.. Now get down here and catch these fish or I'll have to do it..

June 5, 2009: Hot and steamy is the order of the day here at Falcon, and very light winds have been making it hard to stay on the water in the afternoons. We have been in the upper nineties most days this week, and the weekend looks like more of the same. So if you're headed out there, take and drink plenty of liquids. And beer don't count.

And I'm starting to think that a cowboy hat in a bass boat ain't a bad idea. The chin strap looks kind of funny though.

The lake is at 292.62, or 8.4 feet low. There is still more water coming out of Amistad than there is going out of Falcon, but it's not enough to make a big difference in the lake level. I went to Sugar this week, and when I crossed the bridge in Roma, it was easy to see that the water is way down from a month ago. Falcon is releasing about 500 CFS a second, down from 6000 to 9000 CFS a few months ago. A mere trickle.

The Valley has been getting hammered with some good rains in the last few weeks, including this week, and water for lawns and irrigation should be at a minimum for the near future.

The last couple of days here on Falcon have been a little tougher according to several fishermen I have talked to. But I have also heard some good things from a couple others, so I am not sure what to think. I have not been on the lake since last Sunday, and I hate to speak from second hand knowledge. But here is what I hear from a few folks I know well. Big Dingers in Green Pumpkin Purple are working well. Big worms, in a dark color, are doing good in the bushes in about 15-20 feet of water. And W/M Red Brush hogs are working well as always. So it sounds like more of the same. Long points are still the best place to start. Fish from the bushes you see till you get to twenty five feet and you will run into some fish. You can also catch these same fish with a crankbait, but you are going to loose a few along the way. And as always, keep your eyes open for chasing fish. They may show up anywhere throughout the day.

We'll see what kind of fish are caught tomorrow in the API tourney, and then we'll have a better idea of what is happening. It looks like they are going to have a pretty good turnout, and I plan on going to the registration this evening to see what's what.

June 2, 2009: It was announced yesterday that the San Antonio Metropolitan League of Bass Clubs has chosen Falcon for its annual championship tournament in October. The dates will be the 3rd and 4th, and October is shaping up to be a busy month here on Falcon. The annual OPEC tourney is scheduled for the weekend of the 17th, and the Texas Bass Federation South Division is holding their championship tournament on the weekend of the 24th and 25th. I better order some more stuff..

I can tell you that all the businesses in Zapata look forward to having you here. And of course we here at FLT will go out of our way to help you in any way we can.

Meanwhile the fishing on Falcon is doing pretty darn good. I'm not sure what the water level will be in October, but the last couple of years it has been close to or higher than it is now. But who knows what the summer will bring. Hurricane season started yesterday. And I know many of you do not like the higher water levels, as it has made the fish a little tougher to catch. We all struggled in January and February when we are usually whacking them. But it is a good thing in the long run, believe me.

You cannot throw a cast net anywhere in the shallows without catching a lot of baby bass. And what amazes me is that a three inch bass has the tail of a two inch shad hanging out of its mouth.. I've seen it a lot. I know that these bass are called Micropterus Salmonides, but I think they are Lovelace bass.. They can swallow some huge stuff.. (Sorry.. I tried to resist.) And they are growing at an incredible rate. There are a lot of the early hatch that are five and six inches long.. And a lot of the December bass are bigger and will be keepers in February.

These fish are so voracious, that it is a good thing that they do not get up to fifty pounds. If they did you could not let your kids go swimming. I had a friend who went skinny dipping the other day and he darn near got circumcised..

In any case, come see us if you can. I don't think you will be disappointed with the fishing.

June 1, 2009: Yesterday was a warm and muggy day, and about 6:30 it turned into a wet and windy evening. It rained.. Hard. We got an inch and a half in about forty five minutes, and Zapata county had a flash flood watch out for about an hour. Hope no one got caught on the lake.. It popped up in a hurry..

The lake has caught a bit of water in the last week, about four inches, and we are sitting at 292.27. And in the month of May, we lost a total of 2.07 feet. And in the last month we got about 3.2" or rain here at FLT. That's unofficial of course, but the country is looking pretty good.. It was sure dry for a while headed into May.

The API tourney is coming up this weekend, and it is limited to employees of Oil and Gas related businesses. But around these parts that does include a lot of people. All activities will take place at Beacon, and if you want more info call Jim Parker at 361-947-9800. I hear there are around forty teams pre-registered but that is hearsay.. We'll see pretty soon.

Harrison Schuhmacher caught this 10.57 pounder fishing with Jim Edwards last week. They had a thirty pound plus stringer to go along with her.. Of course that is a good start..

Brandon Law caught this nice fish while fishing with his Dad, Tommy. I think it was nine something.. Both of these fish caught on points.. With Brush.. You might want to check out some of those places if you make it down here..

Well, if you get a little time off, Zapata is a good place to use it.. I believe you can catch some fish about now. And if you don't have a hall pass, you can always do what I do..

And just in case you haven't heard.. Licence Fees Increase in O9.

May 31, 2009: There are few fishermen in Zapata this weekend, but most of them here have found the fishing pretty decent. I fished Friday and Saturday, and had similar results both days, fishing the same patterns in two different locations on the lake. On Friday I fished the upper end, namely the Salado and the Hedieona. Deep points with brush are still producing the best numbers and size of fish.

Yesterday I fished the Tigers and Goose Bay, and a few points on the way back to Zapata. Any deep point can have fish on it, but there are always some that are better than others. Duh...

I fished big worms, and had decent luck both days. But I never caught a fish over seven pounds in the two trips. I also caught a good number of fish on crankbaits, and the craw patterns with a lot of red in them are working well on rocky stuff. Shad or Bass patterns are working well also as there are fish chasing shad most everywhere. And if you can get a bait in the general area of a chasing fish within a few seconds, odds are that you are going to catch him. These generally are not big fish but once in a while you will get a nice surprise.

Deep rock piles and humps are starting to produce a few fish also. Many of these fish are larger, but their numbers are a little spotty. And you can fish a few without getting bit. Some of the guides here are doing real well, as they have a few spots where some bigger fish are congregated. I have a few pics to post and will asap.

But for the time being, long main lake and big creek points are still best. Get you a big dark colored worm and fish them out to twenty-five feet deep. The new Zoom Green Pumpkin Purple Gold Ol Monster is whacking them pretty good. That's a mouthful.. Any more flake and there won't be any plastic to hold the worm together..

If you have ever dreamed of hiring a guide and going to Sugar, then now is the time to sell that ten speed hanging in the garage and do it.. Lots of big fish and big numbers being caught there right now..

See you soon!

May 28, 2009: The monsoon season has arrived here in Zapata, and if you have been paying attention the last couple of years, you will remember that June and July have been some of our wettest months. And we have been enjoying some nice rains over the last few weeks. We have received about an inch of rain here at the shop in the last twelve hours. The Valley has also received a lot of beneficial rains which has reduced the need for irrigation water from Falcon. And for the last few days, Amistad has been releasing more water than Falcon. And with the local rains, Falcon has actually caught an inch or two of water in the last week. Last night Laredo and points north and west got some good rain, and we should see a bit of that in the river in the next 24 hours. It's all good. We are sitting at 291.91, or 9.11 feet low.

We have heard of lots of good catches, and a few great ones. Thirty plus pound stringers have been common, fishing with a lot of the guides here on Falcon. These bigger fish are starting to group up in a lot of places, and if you find one, you can catch some real quality in a little bit of time.

The common factor is still points with rocky bottoms, and a big worm like the Ol Monster, Bass Pro Shops Squirmin Worm, or anything similar have catching a lot of fish. Big crankbaits are also doing well, but you are going to loose a few while fishing these brushy areas. Any point, long or short, wide or narrow has the potential to produce some big fish. But of course, not all points are created equal. Deep ledges, or quick drops are great places to try.

I personally believe that the fishing on Falcon is as good as it has been for the last eight months. And if you have a day or two to figgure them out, you should be able to catch some good numbers of quality fish. All you need to do is get down here.

Jimmy Steed Caught this 11.8 yesterday, but he did not have a camera man along with him. He says he caught several eights also.

Todd Kreuger caught this 9.2 over the last weekend, another fellow with a Falcon personal best.

The big fish are on the bite. Come if you can.

I will be posting a report on Sugar and Las Blancas on the Mexican Lakes Page.

May 25, 2009: I hope you are enjoying your day off, if indeed you are not working. I know in this 24-7 lifestyle there are always people working. Including me.. But hell, when you love what you do it ain't too tough..

I was in the Tigers yesterday, and I couldn't believe how many boats were in there.. Like it was a holiday or something. And a lot of folks were catching fish, but as always, some more than others. I found a lot of fish on a couple of points, and it wasn't rocket science. If you keep your eyes open, many of these smaller fish will tell you where they are. They are chasing shad in lots of areas. And it is not unusual to see a lot of floating dead shad in areas where fish are feeding. I am sure that there is all kinds of carnage going on under the water that we do not see.. And all you have to do is look at a shad wrong and it's over.. They are the Weakest Link. And pretty much on the bottom of the food chain. Ever try to keep one alive in a bucket? It ain't easy.. Like keeping Rosie alive on three fried chickens a day.. Tough proposition..

As of this morning, according to the Aquastick network, Amistad is at 1116.88 feet, just a hair under full pool. And they have been nice enough to share some of their water with us. Thanks guys. We are down to 291.85, or 9.17 feet low, and in the last seven days we have lost only three inches.. Beats that foot and a half we were dropping a few weeks ago. And release rates from Falcon and Amistad are down..

But back to the fishing. Better fish are still coming from deeper water, probably in depths from 12-20 feet. I heard of three ten pounders over the weekend, and I have a pic of a couple. But one of them was caught in six feet of water. You can never fish too shallow on Falcon.. There are always shallow fish. And that's a good thing or I wouldn't catch squat..

Big worms are still king in the deeper water, weather you fish them on a rig or straight up. I am not going to tell you which one I caught them on yesterday.. You already know. But the method remains the same.. Find a point that tapers out towards the creek or river channel and fish the brush you cannot see. Many of these fish are suspended in the trees and will hammer anything you drag through there. When you feel your bait coming up a tree, let it hang out in there a moment and then slowly let it crawl out the top and then let it fall. Most bites are coming on the fall after exiting the tree. I love that kind of stuff..

Secondly,the crankbait bite has been awesome where the fish are schooling and chasing shad. I killed them again yesterday on the Slick in Deep Little N. The Lavender Shad has been great, and the Tomato Craw Red or Green is still catching a lot of fish anywhere there are rocks. Cause right now, Rocks=Crawdads.

Our Buddy Gene caught this 10.54 pounder on Friday. I am going to teach them to get the camera in the same county as the fish one of these days..

We have had very little wind for the last seven days, and fishing has been quite nice.. I forgot that you don't have to run the trolling motor all the time.. And it is nice to run the lake from top to bottom and not get foam in your Big Red.

Enjoy your day off if you got one.. Come see us when you can.. And don't forget to Thank A Vet!

May 22, 2009: Fishing remains fairly good here on Falcon, and some might say that it is awesome. I will have to say it is somewhere in between. There is no reason that you cannot come to Falcon right now and catch some good numbers of fish. And if you hold your mouth right, you just might get that pig you are looking for.

Kevin Skloss caught this 10-9 last weekend, but he did need supervision from his Dad.

Mike Stringer caught this ten plus beast last week.

And Daniel Elias Caught this 12-5 Hog a couple weeks ago..

Somebody is always catching a big fish around here..

It's Memorial Day weekend, and most folks just think of it as another holiday. A long weekend to fish, golf, relax, or whatever.. And while I don't rate it with Christmas or Thanksgiving, I do give it a lot of credence.. When you stop and think about all the things we take for granted in this country, you need to stop and thank a Veteran for providing all the freedoms and rights you have.

You can write anything you want on a piece of paper, make a declaration, issue a resolution; you can scream it from the rooftops. But till a Soldier put his butt on the line nothing ever happened.. Never forget the Sacrifice that so many thousands gave so that you can dye your hair green, protest in the streets, live your life in whichever fashion you wish, or just go fishing.. Make an effort to to say "Thanks". It's the least you can do..

It's all good down here. Have a great weekend..

May 20, 2009: If you're one of the lucky ones that is down here this week, you are getting some of the best fishing conditions that we have had in a month. Semi stable water conditions, highs in the 80's, and very light winds.. Definitely Chamber of Commerce weather. I have no idea why I am in the shop.

We have been getting reports of fifty or more fish being caught by several groups of anglers. And one thing has been common; long points. With rocks is better. Fishing the tree tops. Let your bait hang in the submerged bushes a bit, and when you pull it out you are likely to get bit. In these same areas, the Deep Little N in the Tomato Craw Red or Green has also been very good. I need to order some more.. When you catch a fish and they have crawfish tentacles or pinchers hanging out of their gullets it is a pretty good bet that they just might be eating some crawdads..

This fish was found dead floating with a steel leader hanging out of her mouth. Not sure if the hook got her or the triple meat Whataburger stuck in her throat did her in.. Thanks Chad Stephan for the pic..

Generally there is just not a pattern that will not catch fish right now. You should be here..

I got a few e-mails about Robert (Our Cat) and that got me to thinking about another pet story. When we were growing up, we always had projects going on around the house, and generally us boys were out with Daddy in the garage.. It beat cleaning toilets..

And one Saturday we were changing the oil in all the cars and my sister came out to the garage and said that Mom would not let her walk the dog because she was in heat. And not knowing what that meant, she came out to tell Daddy that, and see if she could get Mom overruled. And she said that Mom said that the dog had a certain smell and what was all that about. Well my Dad, being the nature expert he was, took some gasoline on a rag, and rubbed it on the dogs butt. He told my sister that would take the smell away and he figgured he would not have to do any more explaining. He told her to just go around the block once and come right back.

In about ten minutes my sister was back, but with just the dogs leash. My Dad asked where the dog was and my sister said, "She ran out of gas about half way around the block. But don't worry, cause now another dog is pushing her home."

May 19, 2009: I was just looking at the weather forecast for the next five days. Winds predicted to be 5-10 for the next five days? Highs in the eighties and low nineties? Fish are biting? It just might be time to quit your job and make a Beeline for Zapata.

While I stunk it up over the weekend, many fishermen did pretty well. And as I hear tell, a lot of locals did real good yesterday, including my brother, so you know the fish must be biting.

May 18, 2009: I have been trying to write a fishing report for three days.. But things have been a little busy around here and I just haven't gotter done. Tom was at Choke on Saturday at Bass Champs, My bass club was in town, We had house guests, and I fished Saturday and Sunday..

The fishing was a little tougher this weekend, and I haven't heard all the results from the clubs that were in town. But in our Club, we had a feller catch 21.eighty something yesterday.. Three fish.. Ouch.. We went to a three fish format due to the hotter water temps. I think it is a good idea. And even I can usually catch a limit.. He caught all his fish on a Watermelon Red Brush Hog.. Go Figure..

Crankbaits are still catching a lot of fish, and I have heard good reports on most anything in a bass or shad or crawfish color. And I can attest that the Tomato Craw Green in Deep Little N will catch em. My partner wore em out on it. And catfish like it too.. We also fished a lot of plastics, but the Plum worm was still the best producer for us.

On Saturday we received and inch and a half of rain in the afternoon and evening. And when it rained, it poured. And the early shower was just in time for 3:00 weigh in.. If you weren't wet from the ride in, it got you putting the boat on the trailer.. And I don't mean a drizzle..

That was the first appreciable rainfall in Zapata in months.. And boy it is nice not to have dust in the air..

The Valley also had the same showers track down the river, and I hope this will lessen the thirst for Falcon water. As of this writing there is still some water coming from Amistad, and Falcon has caught an inch of water. But my site on water flows is down, and right now I am not sure what is going out the gates here on Falcon. BTW.. It is 60 degrees here in Zapata this morning.. No wind.. Why am I in here??

Last Friday I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Jaime Gutierrez from Nuevo Guerrero. He was raised in the Old Guerrero, and he was the president of the association who raised funds and refurbished the old church in Old Guerrero. And he also shared some pictures with me of the old Plaza and I scanned them. This picture was taken from the top of the Hotel, the tall walls you see south and west of the church. And as you can see, this was quite a town in it's time. This picture is circa 1950.

If you look in the top right of this pic, you can see the Salado River edge in the distance. This really wasn't that long ago..

I'll have some results from the Bass Clubs posted as I get them. In the mean time, it's still 61 degrees.. I'm going outside!

May 15, 2009: There are Five bass clubs in town this weekend that I know of. SWRI, Rebel, Alice, Quality, and McAllen. So we should see some good fish caught over the weekend. And if you are not here yet, I can tell you that some of your clubmates are here looking around.. You better hurry up.

They are still letting a pretty good amount of water out of Amistad, and it is down to 1117.3. Still 3/10ths over full. And the drop on Falcon has slowed to about an inch a day. That's a good thing. So if you remember the last couple of years when we whacked them at ten feet low, you should retry some of your old haunts. As Jerry Jeff Walker would say, " Let me put myself back in that place again."

May 13, 2009: Some folks say that I have been on the water a lot lately.. And I'm not gonna mention any names.. But even my cat is looking at me funny.

I have been out there trying to rediscover what the lake looks like at about ten feet low. And of course I have been picking crankbaits off tree limbs like Christmas ornaments. There is not a lot to do in Zapata.. And I have also invented the ultimate shad keep em alive bucket.. It may look like a 16 gallon shop vac on the outside.. But only to the untrained eye.. Cause when I'm fishing a tournament, I don't want my minnows dying..

I have spent a lot of time in the Salado, a place I have avoided like the Plague for the last few months. And a lot of my time I have spent on graph watching looking at my old spots at this water level. Some of them are gonna be awesome any day.. That is any day that the wind will allow you to fish some wide open water.. And when people see me that far from the bank, they probably think that I am broke down.. I'm still trying to learn to fish water that's over my head deep. And you might not believe it but there are some fish out there...

Here's a pic I took the other day and when I put it on the screen I thought it was at Amistad.

And here's a pic of a tank dam that never really produced for me the way I thought it should. It's just SE of the Elephant Rocks..

I just knew when there was eight feet of water on this baby I was going to rewrite Moby Dick.. Not.. But I did crawl across the top last year before the lake crested the dam with a spinner bait. There were a lot of three pounders in that tank..

Main lake points are still where the majority of Bigger fish are coming from. In depths from 12 to 20 feet seem to be best. I'm still not fishing them.. Hell, anybody can go out there and catch a ten pounder.. I'm trying to do it in three feet of water.. That takes talent.. But so far I have not exhibited too much..

But Gabe Lugo put the smackdown on a whopper this week. This 10.5 is his personal best and I will have to say that at 12 years he beat me to the ten pound club by a long shot.. Good going Gabe!

There have been a lot of quality fish caught in the last few weeks. It is hot, but if you can stand the heat you can catch some fish. We have had several groups in town this week that have done very well. And a couple of them have never been here before.. But it looks like they'll be back.

One thing is for certain. The summer patterns are in full effect. There are fish from one foot deep, to thirty feet deep. Shad are all over the banks. Shady areas are holding fish. Ledgy areas are holding fish. The water temps are around eighty five and the fish are very active.. If you can find a rocky point or ridge, with a little brush on it, that runs on out to a dropoff or ledge, you will catch some fish there. I promise.. Pick your favorite bait and throw it..

Thinking about that cat reminded me of a cat we had when we were kids. He was a natural bobtail, Half Manx, Half Panther, and two thirds pissed off.. And while he loved us as kids, he had little tolerance for other cats or dogs. And we raised Brittany's and this cat would soon indoctrinate all the new pups as to who was the king around the house. And he loved messing with the dogs.. We had a low roof on the front porch, probably eight feet on the dripline.. And this cat would sit on the edge, and wait for one of the dogs to come by. He would jump off the roof, rake em' across the butt, and haul it up a tree.. And sit there smirking at them like he was thinking "Didn't see me up there did you, dogbreath?"

This cat used to walk down the top rail of a chain link fence like it was two feet wide. He fathered dozens of bobtailed kittens during his reign, and if there was another cat around, he was either going to whip it, or make love to it.. Or maybe both.

But the classic of all classics with Robert, (His name was Bob but we called him Robert for long) was the time he got into it with the neighbors dog.. They had two Irish Setters.. They were good at barking.. And Robert would strut down their fence line about two feet from the fence, while these two dogs would be going crazy. He never even gave them a glance as he walked along..

But one day, One of those dogs got out of the fence (they lived across the road). And of course what was bound to happen sooner or later happened. That dog saw Bob making his after school rounds and made a Beeline for him. And what happened next was something to see.. Most cats would have headed up a tree or jumped a fence.. Bob hunkered down like Dick Butkis and waited for the dog to make it through the A gap. And when he did, that cat Jack In The Boxed his ass and attached himself to the face of that dog. He had a mouth full of ear, two front claws full of lips, and two back legs diggin out red hair like it was going outta style. It was awesome. That dog never looked at that cat again.. You can't make this stuff up. I loved that cat..

But I digress.. There are a couple of Clubs coming to town this weekend, and I know Bass Champs is at Choke. And I heard a rumor that Bass Champs might move Falcon up on its schedule next year.. I hope so.. Please let me know if you have heard anything similar. Take plenty of ice and Catch And Release with you this weekend to Choke or Falcon.. The water is 85 over there too. Cool the water after you put your big fish in.. Slowly. Good luck out there and we'll see you on the water!