What's Biting
I'll periodically post fishing reports that could be of interest to you in planning your trip to Lake Palestine.
Check this page often for updates.
Article, 6 Aug.
Updated: Tue Aug 7, 2018
Article, 6 Aug.While the fishing has been slow during this very hot and dry July, there has been time to review some aspects of equipment and techniques of fishing locally. One of the questions that often comes up concerns good tackle for the average fisherman, someone who fishes not just for bass, but goes after whatever may be biting during any particular time of year here in East Texas.
I've found a good all round rod and reel combination that fits this task, that is inexpensive, flexible, easy to use, and works. It allows all kinds of fishing for both experienced and inexperienced fishermen, for fish ranging from bluegills to blue catfish.The rod I favor is a 6 1/2 foot spinning rod, two-piece and medium action.
"Spinning" means that this type of rod does not have the finger piece, or "trigger", right below the reel seat. This rod can be taken apart and easily be kept in a corner or carried for an outing, is light weight, yet can handle most fish from the small ones that hang around boat docks to the heftier ones out around the lake structure.
The "medium action" label usually means that the rod has a relatively stiff lower section near the handle or butt, but more flexibility near the tip, allowing easier casting, especially of lighter lures and rigs. That more flexible tip also makes it easier to feel and to see "nibbles" and bites when fishing for fish that are not hard strikers. These rods are available at most local tackle stores and WalMart and are usually in the $15 to $30 range.
For a reel to go with this rod I recommend an open face spinning reel. This is the type that has the baile, or wire, that must be flipped open to allow casting or the line to come out. This type of reel is meant to mount under the rod and the handle, or crank, to be turned with the left hand for a right-handed person. Most of these reels have a screw-out handle the allows it to be placed on the other side for right-hand cranking, and most also have a reverse and anti-reverse switch.
The reels that go best with the rod described are small, with a front hub of about 2 inches in diameter and a main reel frame of no more than about 3 inches. These reels should also be in the $15 to $30 range.
The line to go on the reel should be light and flexible. The monofilament nylon, that often comes already on these reels, is good but has the bad tendency of memory, or coiling, especially when first being used after a non-use period, when using light rigs, or when cold. I recommend a braid line that avoids this coiling. A good size for line is the "20 lb test/6 lb diameter equivalent" braid. These lines cost about $11 to $15 for a 150 yard spool, but only about 30 to 40 yards are normally loaded onto the small reels, especially if the reel has 10 to 30 yards of nylon mono loaded on first as backing or filler.
This combination of rod, reel, and line should be suitable for everything from rainbow trout fishing in the parks, white bass fishing in the creeks, perch fishing near the piers, bass casting around the shore lines, and catfishing in the deep.
Newer Fishing Reports
If you're interested, you can see what the conditions on Lake Palestine were like on:
Older Fishing Reports
If you're interested, you can see what the conditions on Lake Palestine were like on:
