# LLdam



## saved (Feb 1, 2014)

Just a little information since TRA is not posting. As of this morning the dam has all 12 gates open and flowing 10,000 to 12,000 CFS. My guess is the fishing is not going to be any good for several days and perhaps a week. At this posting the lake is .63 above pool.


----------



## Northern fisherman (Sep 16, 2014)

Thanks can't wait till it gets right


----------



## parfume4 (Sep 7, 2016)

Thanks for the updates. It does help my decision where to fish for the weekend.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Thanks for the update, I wish TRA would get their site functioning again.


----------



## saved (Feb 1, 2014)

The flow is now about 15,000 CFS.


----------



## mustfish (May 26, 2010)

saved said:


> The flow is now about 15,000 CFS.


Yep,drove by there today could not believe all 12 gates were open!


----------



## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

Another slug headed down going to stay open a couple weeks probably at this pace.


----------



## saved (Feb 1, 2014)

For now it looks like they have leveled off around 18,000 CFS. I was on the lake yesterday and it was high, but still reasonably clear.


----------



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

I revived this post because it seemed the most appropriate for the info at this time regarding the TRA web site.

My web site is old and outdated and needs redoing, but dang at least it works. It shows people where, when, what, and has a slide show of pictures.
I know TRA has more resources to bring to the table, and they still can't get it right.
Tell us how many gates are open. 
If nothing else, do that accurately and we will be happy as fishermen who fish there.

Right now, and probably for some time to come, their web site will tell you a lot of inaccurate and out of date information when it comes to how many gates and or flow is coming through the dam.

Here is where to go to find the most recent change in flow coming through the gates.

http://twitter.com/LivingstonDam

I suppose there is the chance that the lag in time and thus misinformation is needed.
In which case I understand.


----------



## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv/?site_no=08066250


----------



## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Click on the web site above. Sign up for them to notified you by email which ever threshold you want. They been emailing me for the past 6 years every time the flow is within 3000 - 6000cfs or if there's any changes in flow. That is the threshold I sign up for. Accurate readings every days.


----------



## Sac-a-lait Trey (Jun 10, 2015)

*Another option*

At a forum in January, Mark Waters (perfect name for a guy who works for TRA) told us the best way to learn the current discharge rate is the recorded message at:

936-365-3922


----------



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Y'all don't get it.
I want to go to a web site along with all of the other weather solunar etc and see the actual discharge on my screen.
I don't want to make a call or receive annoying emails.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## denimdeerslayer (Feb 23, 2012)

So does this mean all the larger stripped bass will go over ****?


----------



## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Sac-a-lait Trey said:


> At a forum in January, Mark Waters (perfect name for a guy who works for TRA) told us the best way to learn the current discharge rate is the recorded message at:
> 
> 936-365-3922


Sorry, but that recorded message doesn't get updated often. In fact it can go for many days and not be up-dated.

*SS* suggestion seems good for those that understand twitter. 
Or, the USGS flow at Goodrich can be good, although there is a time lag from a gate change to show up at Goodrich.


----------



## 3StoogesFishing (May 4, 2010)

Just drove over the LL Dam and two gates are open and 4 boat at the cable. I watched one person that has not been to the cable before and they will need some fiberglass repaired soon. Good Luck it you go down to the LLD. Be safe


----------



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Just got back from fishing for a while today below the dam.
The body count was one 16" wiper, six alligator gar, fifteen drum to 12# and one giant yellow bass, (14" ) and five carp that were caught on cut mullet? 
The carp were the best fighting fish of the day even though the biggest was under 10# and the others around 6 to 8 pounds.
I hope this does not cause a stamped of hyped up carp fishermen from all over the world and over extend that fragile fishery.


----------



## Sac-a-lait Trey (Jun 10, 2015)

shadslinger said:


> Just got back from fishing for a while today below the dam.
> The body count was one 16" wiper, six alligator gar, fifteen drum to 12# and one giant yellow bass, (14" ) and five carp that were caught on cut mullet?
> The carp were the best fighting fish of the day even though the biggest was under 10# and the others around 6 to 8 pounds.
> I hope this does not cause a stamped of hyped up carp fishermen from all over the world and over extend that fragile fishery.


Wow, that is quite a variety! 
I hope you CPRed all of those carp, so as not to upset the fragile fishery!	:biggrin:


----------



## dbullard1 (Jun 29, 2016)

shadslinger said:


> Just got back from fishing for a while today below the dam.
> The body count was one 16" wiper, six alligator gar, fifteen drum to 12# and one giant yellow bass, (14" ) and five carp that were caught on cut mullet?
> The carp were the best fighting fish of the day even though the biggest was under 10# and the others around 6 to 8 pounds.
> I hope this does not cause a stamped of hyped up carp fishermen from all over the world and over extend that fragile fishery.


Darn I need some cut bait!!!


----------



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

It was a Texas trash fish trifecta 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## whsalum (Mar 4, 2013)

"Triple T " as we call it in Hicksbaugh :doowapsta:doowapsta


----------



## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

I knew I was missing out!


----------



## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Hmmm, since Loy caught a lot of good bait yesterday, I wonder if he will be drifting for cats today.


----------



## parfume4 (Sep 7, 2016)

shadslinger said:


> Just got back from fishing for a while today below the dam.
> The body count was one 16" wiper, six alligator gar, fifteen drum to 12# and one giant yellow bass, (14" ) and five carp that were caught on cut mullet?
> The carp were the best fighting fish of the day even though the biggest was under 10# and the others around 6 to 8 pounds.
> I hope this does not cause a stamped of hyped up carp fishermen from all over the world and over extend that fragile fishery.


I am surprised that not many white bass there.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Tails-Up (Mar 4, 2017)

Where's all the white bass? This time last year it was a free for all.


----------



## parfume4 (Sep 7, 2016)

That is also my buddy's recall from his last year fishing journal


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Just my thoughts on the missing white bass.
I have seen the white bass coming storming up the river late before, but those years there was a trickle of them before hand. That's not so this year. Late januauary and early Febuauary there were some spawning white bass, but not as many as I thought there would be given discharge conditions. Which were very good for a spawning run, though not enough shad at first.
Now there are shad everywhere and there has been for days and still no white bass.

Where did they go? There were untold numbers of them washed through the gates the last three years. The last two years the white bass numbers below the dam were dense in sparing and summer. 
Where did all of those fish go?
They only live about three to four years, so the oldest of that "washed through the gates" bunch are about aged out.
And the stripers too, they were thick as tics on a hound last year.
And I have not seen many, just washed through wipers.
So my thought is the river is too tough of an environment for them with all of the alligator gars, eagles, gators, and illegal fishermen.
Not enough of them seem accounted for any other way.
I hope they prove me wrong and show up in huge numbers soon.


----------



## retiredfisher (Jan 29, 2017)

The numbers of Whites were there, but not much for size. I was only keeping 1 out of 4 caught. Not near the fish in the creeks now that were there in Dec. and Jan. I didn't catch any in the river at all. I did catch some Hybrids in the river N. of the Hwy 19 bridge in Dec.


----------



## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

The spawn can be very unpredictable. I have had some of my best catches in Dec and Jan up river. And some as late as mid Feb. But the recent couple of years flooding has changed everything it seems. A lot of tight lips this year but you can bet somebody would be bragging! Just not a strong run.


----------



## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

I believe they are there in the River somewhere. We have to remember there is what 80 to 90 or so miles of river between the dam and the bay. Most of this river is inaccessible. No boat ramps not even very much bank access. I have ventured off looking for them a couple times and believe that I found a large school on one trip back in December, but I could not get them to bite.


----------



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

I really would like to know if they are stacked up in holes down river, just to know. Because like Dale said, there are no public ramps and the river is tough going in moderate to low flows. So there could be untold riches of white and striped bass to be had and not many people would know.
I am not going to go fishing down the river and can be trusted with any information PMed about monster schools of white and striped bass down the river, honest.


----------



## saved (Feb 1, 2014)

There are now 4 gates open at the dam with around a 4000 cfs flow. I went to the dam today and fished the cable. There is signs of shad coming over the dam as the birds gather at the second spillway. 

There was 4 other boats, and lots of people on the banks, but no one was doing any real catching. I was able to snag a couple cats in the 10 and 15 pound range. I also did catch one hybrid, but nothing else. Throwing that big pole, 15 footer, wore me out.

Most everyone was catching cats.

Perhaps next week if the water flow stays at this level things will open up a little.


----------



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Thanks for the update saved.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

I remember a few years back you could not find a white below the dam until the summer.
It is about as bad as I have seen it below the bridge going down river. Way toooo much debris and some places that you used to go are too shallow at 3 gates. Boulders and big stumps in places that used to be safe to navigate. Down by the big sandbar on the left it is really shallow at 3 gates and tricky getting thru there. My Kenner runs really shallow but I had a couple problems getting thru at 3 gates.


----------



## WesQ (Nov 25, 2012)

shadslinger said:


> I really would like to know if they are stacked up in holes down river, just to know. Because like Dale said, there are no public ramps and the river is tough going in moderate to low flows. So there could be untold riches of white and striped bass to be had and not many people would know.
> I am not going to go fishing down the river and can be trusted with any information PMed about monster schools of white and striped bass down the river, honest.


Me too!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## megjur (Jan 4, 2006)

Is there bank access to the north side? Haven't been up there in years. Thought I'd give it a try this week.


----------



## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

Went Sunday afternoon. It was a bit slow, I had been catching plenty eating size blues and drum, with the occasional gar. This time I only managed two cats. Shad are starting to get thick.

I did see a few whites being caught on live shad on bottom, but you had to be in the "Spot" to get hit. I had several taps and momentary hook ups that I am sure were whites but could not get them to commit.


----------



## HGX_Fisherman (Feb 26, 2009)

Mattsfishin said:


> I remember a few years back you could not find a white below the dam until the summer.
> It is about as bad as I have seen it below the bridge going down river. Way toooo much debris and some places that you used to go are too shallow at 3 gates. Boulders and big stumps in places that used to be safe to navigate. Down by the big sandbar on the left it is really shallow at 3 gates and tricky getting thru there. My Kenner runs really shallow but I had a couple problems getting thru at 3 gates.


Dang Matt, I've seen your boat and for you to have trouble floating by, that's something.

That debris is a problem from the dam all the way down to I-10. There's still big buildups on the bridge pilings going under the freeway. No idea when they'll clean those up.


----------



## megjur (Jan 4, 2006)

Anybody know about bank access?


----------



## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

megjur said:


> Is there bank access to the north side? Haven't been up there in years. Thought I'd give it a try this week.





megjur said:


> Anybody know about bank access?


There is some legal but private bank access. IMO the access is better on the east side than the west. Pay for your pass at Browder's 3278 Marina, a couple miles west of the river at the end of the dam. Then you can turn into Browder's property from either just east of the bridge (FM3278) or just west of the bridge.


----------



## megjur (Jan 4, 2006)

Whitebassfisher said:


> There is some legal but private bank access. IMO the access is better on the east side than the west. Pay for your pass at Browder's 3278 Marina, a couple miles west of the river at the end of the dam. Then you can turn into Browder's property from either just east of the bridge (FM3278) or just west of the bridge.


Thank you, I appreciate the info.


----------



## saved (Feb 1, 2014)

Went to the dam today and it was dead. Even the birds were not moving.

Some friends say they are catching on the lake side so that seems to be the place.


----------



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Fishing in the lake is ery good saved, I am surprised it's still a no show below the dam.
The TPWD will be coming for stripers for their stocking program soon.


----------



## saved (Feb 1, 2014)

shadslinger said:


> Fishing in the lake is ery good saved, I am surprised it's still a no show below the dam.
> The TPWD will be coming for stripers for their stocking program soon.


You called it close. TPW was out this morning collecting fish.


----------



## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

saved said:


> You called it close. TPW was out this morning collecting fish.


How did they do Saved? Where you able observe the catch?


----------



## saved (Feb 1, 2014)

SeaOx 230C said:


> How did they do Saved? Where you able observe the catch?


I only saw them setting up and did not stick around to watch how things went. I did pass by again a couple hours later and they were still there working, but I cannot tell you much about how it was going.

I did go down to the sand bars and threw a cast net but no shad was around.


----------



## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

Thanks for the info Saved!!!!! I'm sure they will get their fish in the end, there are some fish there even when it seems barren. Some years they get em easy and quick some time it takes bit longer. They have been known to make two runs at it also.


----------



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Just what I was thinking SeaOx 230C, they get them even when nobody is catching them on rod and reel. And when they drop those electrodes in the water nothing bites, way down the river to the first sand bar at least.
When they go to lunch the bite will be back like it was, whatever it was.


----------

