Any hunter out there worth his weight in salt will tell you that the off season just hurts. It hurts his mood but it goes a little deeper than that. Sometimes it will hurt his marriage, his job and other important things of that nature. I know what you’re thinking; this guy is a counselor now!  No I am not, but I do know the feeling of drool running down my mouth on a summer day when I see an east Texas deer near the old home place.  This is what I refer to as the off season sickness. When there is no hunting, very little shooting and a lot of dreaming!

I have found that a good weekend in the outdoors will subdue this awful feeling until hunting time rolls around again. There is no better way for me to get that quick fix than to load up the fishing equipment and head east to Lake Tawakoni.  I was very fortunate to have been raised between two of Texas’ greatest lakes. Lake Fork, the bass capitol of Texas in the east and Lake Tawakoni to the west.  I spent many days on both those lakes reeling in some of the finest memories of my life with family and friends.   

I set out during the last week of July with two of my fishing buddies to catch some hybrid striped bass and white bass at Lake Tawakoni.  These are commonly referred to as “sand bass” and are found in schools around the lake. Tawakoni is located about 40 miles east of Dallas and there are plenty of places to camp and put the boat in. Impounded in 1960 Lake Tawakoni is 36,700 acres and has a maximum depth of 70 feet. It’s home to large mouth bass, catfish (local favorite) and white/stripped bass. 

We chose to stay at the Lake Takakoni Point L State Park on the south shore. I highly recommend it to anyone because it is so clean, quiet and comfortable. The friendly staff will help you get situated in one of the many campsites. The sites have electric and water hook ups, grills and level tent spaces.  This is also home to the most beautiful boat ramp on the lake that will accommodate three boats at one time, so no waiting in line.  An added feature is that the best fishing spots are only a short drive away. 

We set out on a Tuesday morning looking for the sand bass. The trick here is to look for the birds.  These birds will search for large schools of bait fish that “pop” the top of the water and when you see this you know the fun is about to begin. Just about 7:30 that morning we found the first school. The water was rolling with bait fish and the birds were eating well.  I decided to fish with a slab-type lure that mimics a shad bait fish. Casting out to 25 yards and reeling in at a smooth pace landed me a nice sand bass that was about 14 inches long. That was the beginning of a wonderful morning as Dwayne and Heath reeled in their first fish of the day. We kept this up for about 2 hours, chasing the bait fish and filling up the live well. It was not uncommon to bring in three fish at a time and fight over the pliers to get hooks out.

Once the heat set in the fish went deep and we went back to camp. That little excursion got us a fine dinner for the night though.  The afternoon trip was not successful at all but the hot days of summer don’t favor these fish. I recommend a morning trip for the sandies and the afternoon trips for catfish.

Some things to consider when you visit Tawakoni are first and foremost your tackle.  Bait casting reels work great with 10 to 18 pound line. Stock up on the spoons, slabs and anything that’s shinny.  The point is to have that lure look like a shad.  Next, get some sun protection.  Make sure the sun block is of a respectable label and last for several hours. Don’t let nasty sunburn ruin the trip.  If you want a great meal bring the cooker. We breaded the fillets and deep-fried them with patatos and some other munchies.   And finally, pick a good place to stay. I have made my recommendation but I have supplied a link below that can help you find a place the suits your needs. 

Don’t let the off season get you down. This is the best place to get a kid hooked on fishing.  When they get tired of catching them you know they will come back for more later. Click on this link below for more information and email me with any questions you may have.  Good luck.

www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fish/infish/lakes/tawakoni/lake_id.htm

Jeff Smith, BNA Field Editor

Jds0601@airmail.net

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