# Trinity river at livingston dam pitifully poor



## FISHROADIE (Apr 2, 2010)

I went to fish the Trinity river below the dam today, the whole time I was driving there I kept thinking I should go to the river above the lake. I should have gone with my gut feeling, fishing was poor. I started at the dam, casting for stripers, nothing. I went down stream to a deep hole I found last time. I then went to the rocks, nothing. I had some worms with me, went back to the deep hole caught one very small catfish. I went back to the dam and fished the cable and the tube. There was something chasing very small shad at the tube. They must have been very small fish because they only tugged on my jig, I went back down river, nothing. On the way back I spotted an alligator on the bank, he was pretty fat, maybe that's where all the fish are, in his belly. I tried one more time at the dam with worms on the bottom, caught a drum. It got off at the boat, landed a very small yellow bass. I got to repay the favor that someone did for me one time below the dam, towed some people that had motor problems back to the ramp. I hope things will pick up soon below the dam. I only saw five catfish caught all day.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

I think you should try the 59 ramp and go up from there next time Roadie.


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## Garagedoorguy (Mar 9, 2011)

I put in at 59 last weekend and went all the way up to the dam chasing whites and cats in different places that i have done great over the past 4 or so years and didnt do anything at all 1 white bass and 2 cats on the left side of the dam ive never seen the fishing this slow and ive fished that river for over 20 years need water bad the river is low i also seen a gator when i was down there about 3 miles down from the dam that looks about the same size when I turned around to get the pic he was gone nice pictures though you got there


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

The lack of shad is very bad, no shad, no fishes. It's a long way down there, but around the hwy 90 bridge area may about the only place the fish are in the lower river now. Thanks for the report gargedoorguy and fishroadie. looks like a bust until the rain and discharge come.
Roadie, the fish you saw chasing shad a the tube could be crappie, jigs worked just barley moving will get some action there this time of year, very small tube jigs.


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## FISHROADIE (Apr 2, 2010)

shadslinger said:


> The lack of shad is very bad, no shad, no fishes. It's a long way down there, but around the hwy 90 bridge area may about the only place the fish are in the lower river now. Thanks for the report gargedoorguy and fishroadie. looks like a bust until the rain and discharge come.
> Roadie, the fish you saw chasing shad a the tube could be crappie, jigs worked just barley moving will get some action there this time of year, very small tube jigs.


SS I am not so sure they were crappie, I did use very small crappie jigs and retrieved them so slow they were dragging bottom at times. There were some gar in there, if they were crappie they were very small.


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

Shadslinger, what species are you referring to in the lower river?


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Redexpress, cats & white bass, maybe stripers. I have caught very big stripers under the railroad bridge there, and nice blue cats on live bait
The white bass are just a hunch, but I know the blue cats there.


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## FISHROADIE (Apr 2, 2010)

shadslinger said:


> Redexpress, cats & white bass, maybe stripers. I have caught very big stripers under the railroad bridge there, and nice blue cats on live bait
> The white bass are just a hunch, but I know the blue cats there.


SS I heard there is a creek north of the railroad brige, on the right that people catch stripers out of. I have google eathed it and it looks like a good creek for fishing, I may have to get down that way in April if things don't change below the dam.


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

Right in my backyard, literally out my back door. Dang that ramp at hwy90 is bad. Guess I'd better go look at it again though. I have heard of folks catching the occasional striper there.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

I fishing under the bridge once and I was catching good fish, stripers, blue cats and crabs when a couple of young boys who's father owned the fish market there on the river told me that when they went to get shad in the morning the stripers would go crazy in the mouth of that creek. 
The boys told me that the stripers would get in the way of the cast net as they tried for shad.
They said that the fish were so loud busting the top that you could not carry on a conversation.
I have always wanted to check that out at first light, but it is a long ways down there so i never made it.
Go try it roadie and redexpress, and give us a report.


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## FISHROADIE (Apr 2, 2010)

shadslinger said:


> I fishing under the bridge once and I was catching good fish, stripers, blue cats and crabs when a couple of young boys who's father owned the fish market there on the river told me that when they went to get shad in the morning the stripers would go crazy in the mouth of that creek.
> The boys told me that the stripers would get in the way of the cast net as they tried for shad.
> They said that the fish were so loud busting the top that you could not carry on a conversation.
> I have always wanted to check that out at first light, but it is a long ways down there so i never made it.
> Go try it roadie and redexpress, and give us a report.


I cant do it for at least 12 days, but if there are no good reports from below the dam, by the time I get back I will be there.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Fishroadie, the Livingston dam has been, and is still at times, the best freshwater fishing in the world. Stick with it, that fancy chopping motor will pay off soon.


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

If any of you go to the hwy90 ramp, a john boat may be the only thing you can launch. The ramp was sanded in bad but an attempt was made to clear it last year. (not by TP&W) It's usable now for small boats. Also don't park your rig under the bridge. There is a tent camp of homeless there. Might ought to park out in the open to prevent any issues. Today I saw a few bank fishermen having no luck. Also someone was throwing a cast net and coming up empty. I'm headed to Riverside tomorrow, but might try the river here next week in my smaller boat.


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