Livingston

[ron]

We live on the bay in Galveston and fish there as much as we can but want to get some freshwater fishing in.Can anyone tell us about Livingston and where to go?We found a lodge there called Waterfront lodge,looks clean and has a ramp.We have a GPS and a lakes card so any numbers would be great,or maybe you dont fish numbers in lakes like we do in the gulf.It will be me and my wife and we would like to get up there this weekend if we can get into some cats and crappie.White bass would be good also.At night I might set out some dough bait since wife has never caught a big carp,they do put a good fight and are alot of fun.

[bueyescowboy]

Hum Waterfront....you'd almost be in my neck of the woods. Well to start off here lately with the north winds howling....your best bet would have been to go to the big 190 bridge....which would be the other bridge west from waterfront on 190(or the (kickapoo)bridge by waterfront may do but the big one does better...bigger cats). No need for boat...but what I would or should have done would be to go to the free public boat ramp on the west side of the big bridge or in that area at 5:45 am bring 4 or 5 rods and reels, cast net, bucket, some weights, and some hooks. Either off the bridge (which you may have to walk some) or off the boat ramp, I would have cast net for some shad. Put shad in bucket. then set your rod up as such: put the weight on bottom, then a hook about 6 inches up. Put a shad on the hook and cast. About daybread if the shad are spawning you ll see them jumping all around the banks. If you see that, you should start getting bites. This will go on till about 9:30....10:00 am Cats will stop biting time to pack up and go clean fish. Now thats because we have been dealing with monsoons...not fun in the boat.....next...if the water likes you...And is calm..get in the boat and go to any bulkhead...or the bridge (either bridge but big one is better but hard to get to on water best to use the free boat ramp) and repeat...catch shad ...put on hook cast....here lately the cat have been right up against the bulkheads. If you don't see the shad going crazy you might have to look for another spot...again this will happen between daybreak and 10 am.
Do you know how to get out of waterfront on the water? if not ..heres how...go along side of kickapoo bridge...till the opening under the bridge...then head south you should see your in the channel on deep finder....head for the point staight and to the right...then kinda run the edge...just follow the edge around...as you round the first point you'll have to cross....there's a white boat house I believe as you round the bend...I head directly away from the boat house (and head directly for in when i return) go across till you on the edge again and follow it around. Stumpy in that area...if you don't know what your doing...the way I just said most of the stump are visible..but it makes it easier if your sliding around at daybreak or night time....always fun to run through stumps at night. Anyway, as you follow that edge you ll come to the main lake. You should be on the east edge...as the edge ends, right where the edge kinda ends and the main lake begins is a wonder point to fish....numbers gps numbers....stumps are better to go off of....ha ha but for me thats the truth. If you have your map you can see about following the edge out of there. That point will go from about 8 ft drops off to about 16 ft. You ll find the white bass on top of the hump or on the side. I jig with a slime green jig there. I like slime green but white may work. Others too, but I like slime green seems I catch more fish with that color. but that all depends. Ok from that point if you want to go to dove island head almost due west...that will get you on the main lake and theres some good fishing in that area but I don't know the humps. Humps is where you ll find the white bass. But you almost have to know where to look.
I am futher down south ...so if you head almost south from that point...you have to go kinda south then east (there are stumps southwest of that point avoid that area..not fun) but go south...you ll see a red roof house near the point on the other side. Hard to miss the red roof house....to the east of that house near the bulkhead is a hump..I have heard of others doing good there..also a good area to jug fish, and it looks good on depth finder once again going from about 8 ft to 15 ft but I haven't done good there. whew are we having fun yet are you lost....ok heres more...do you know what jug fishing is...wonderful for romanic nights on the lake....get you some 1 liter jugs paint white if possible...tie a 3 ft string on neck....put hook on end....maybe a little weight to hold shad down.....catch shad place on hook throw jug overboard...and watch it float....when the jug starts bouncing around time to collect catfish. My gang likes to fish like this....they drink more beer that fish but they like this type....and it works...i throw about 10 to 15 jugs group them together and chase them.
ok next....are you ready...look on your maps see the railroad tracks coming from penwaugh area going to 190 big bridge.....if your at the red roof house southwest from that point towards the middle of the lake is a good place to fish....its called the bucket....because back in the day there was a pole with a bucket on it...no more bucket but there is a pole sticking up in the middle of nowhere....so how do you find it...no numbers hum....as you head out to the middle...look back you should start seeing an antena tower (how do you spell that....you know a tower thing) anyway there is a tower all the way across the lake (on the west side) and if you look theres one toward waterfront. line up the one on the east bank with the one on the west bank (this will put you in the middle of the lake and line up with the one at waterfront area...when all them line up look around especially to the southwest area for a pole sticking up in the middle of no where....there is the bucket....about 20 yards due west of that pole is a ridge (railroad tracks) goes from about 12 ft to 22 ft...the best humps are west of that pole...jig or troll in that area......now be careful and stay north of that pole till you get on the west side there are actually 3 stumps in that area but someone wanted the makers more that us.
Have I lost you...copy and print bring it with you and it will make some sense....if I ve scared you with the stumps the reason I know how to get in and out of waterfront is because that use to be the only area to get beer on the lake....so hence you will know how to run that area good for beer run...i quit drinking now they sell beer everywhere...wanna go more...so we are in the middle of the lake on the railroad tracks...almost due south of dove island...see that on the maps....ok head south (be careful due south from 20 yds west of the pole is a stump about 20 yds south of the pole ....hidden but its there i ve seen it...so just ease away after your 100 yds south your clear...head south there will be a point, to your right there will be another point and the open lake past that(indian hill point or indian hills) but you want the point straight ahead probably marked as alligator alley on maps....there is a blue house on the corner, and a nice brick house. the brick house has some cement columns out in the water with nothing..but that will let you know your in the right area....on that point and actually on indian hills point, are good fishing for white bass. On the point with the brick house if you look south into that cove you ll see a big round building....I call it the bird house..most call it the gazebo...its good to fish around. All in that area there are humps some better than others but you never know where the white bass are.....
now all them areas are good for jugging(not jigging we jig for white bass and jug for catfish)....i like to jug around the red roof house....there is a cove in that area by the hump....and it does pretty good.....if I ve completely lost you....hum...remember the terms....bucket...dove island....and gazebo....then as your out on the lake ask people .... but generally I have ran you from waterfront over to the east side of the lake then south along the bank. You can stay on that east bank and you ll come to the red roof house. Pretty easy. Sorry I don't have numbers......but that should get you some cats...you never know....maybe some white....
crappie and black bass are at penwaugh slough...gotta go

[dbullard]

Ron you will be in the Kickopoo creek area of the lake.I don't fish over there so I can't give you any numbers.For catfish the shad are running the banks early morning and the catfish are following.Fish early morning from 5' into 1' where the shad are and use shad for bait.I will throw some rods out With a cork and the hook 12-18 inches under it up close to bulkheads also throw some out on the bottom a little deeper.
There should be plenty of bulkheads around the lodge .You can also look for snowy egrets lining the shore line feeding on shad.Let the fish run with your cork and take the slack out then set the hook . good luck DB