Just relocated to Dallas and decided to hire a guide to learn Texoma quicker. Their regulations are much different as no minimum size and can only keep 1 over 20". My wife and I had our limit of 10 each in about an hour and a half mostly 15-18" fish. Our guide told us it was slow due to full moon. They are waiting on surface fishing to pickup as that gets really going in June. They limit out nearly every trip and there are 300 guides on Texoma. Live Shad is bait of choice this time of year fishing 50’ down.
That kind of stinks, I leave a spot when i am catching 16" to 18" fish. But I guess at least the numbers are good. It would seem near impossible to maintain any kind of size to the fish with that many guides pulling fish out of it.
Texoma is an interesting system. High mineral content water makes for good natural reproduction. In fact they have too much reproduction and so much so that their fish grow considerably slower there than anywhere in SC. Wish we had a problem with too much reproduction.
Here is an excerpt from a draft article I found “The high level of striped bass recruitment in Lake Texoma has permitted exceptionally liberal harvest regulations, because of the need to reduce small fish numbers and maintain acceptable growth rates. Approximately 200 striped bass guides operate on the lake, resulting in a level of harvest that few fisheries can support. In a 1997 to 2000 survey, guided trips account for 60% of the directed effort for striped bass and comprise 77% of the total harvest (Moczygemba and Hysmith 2005). Since the establishment of the current regulations the striper population remains stable and the majority of anglers are satisfied with their Lake Texoma fishing experience; one of the few examples of the desires of the angling public aligning with the production capabilities of the resource.”
quote:
Originally posted by rasputenscApproximately 200 striped bass guides operate on the lake, resulting in a level of harvest that few fisheries can support.
Wow…After seeing this thread I looked up the area of both lakes and thats the equiviant of Lake Murray having 110 striper guides.
'07 198 DLX Carolina Skiff
FS90 Suzuki
that could be a blast on ultralight tackle