# Lake Palestine Fishing



## Fish-N-Fool (Sep 7, 2012)

We are headed to Lake Palestine next Friday (1/18) to see if we can round up some crappie and hybrids. We will be staying at Lakeside Getaway near the Hwy 155 bridge. Has anyone fished the lake in the past few weeks and if so, how did you fare? Looks like the weather next weekend will be clear and cool out. Any reports or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.


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## Red3Fish (Jun 4, 2004)

A buddy of mine has a place on L Palestine. This time of year, we usually drink whisky and tell old lies! LOL 

The lake is 1' low right now, and there are numerous areas with stumps still standing right under the water. If you are not familiar with the lake, take heed of the stumps. Lake Palestine can get pretty rowdy with a 20 knot wind too!

This time of year, a lot of folks jig for crappie right under the 155 bridge, or minnows. The pillars are numbered every 5 on the South side of bridge. Usually jig or soak minnows from about 12' on down. We usually did better from about piller 20, on to the west (numbers getting bigger). 

Can't help you much on the hybrids.....usually in summer time you can catch a lot of undersized ones trolling along the bridge on the South side, about 20 yds out from bridge....there is an old road bed there that parallels the bridge. #13 pet spoons behind a 10' diver. Might try that and see what happens...most are about 15".

Here is a pic of a few we caught last Jan. Not many, but the big one was 16 1/2".

PS Oooooppps.....TWO years ago, the other pic is from spring in 6' of water.

Later
R3F


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## FISHROADIE (Apr 2, 2010)

Those are some nice looking black crappie, I am shocked fishermen drinking whiskey and telling lies, that area is the Bible belt of Texas.


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## sea hunt 202 (Nov 24, 2011)

Yep I used to live in Tyler and as a kid I hunted palestine lake before they flooded it into such a large lake. Some huge cat's in there


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## Red3Fish (Jun 4, 2004)

Tks everyone....here is the story on the 19 Black Crappie....

* Palestine Trip 3/16 thru 3/20 *

The lake is now full, at pool level 345'!! Water everywhere, where there used to be desert. Water under the docks!

Went by the Neches and Kickapoo on 31, and they are both running high, muddy and out of their banks....prolly be Sun or Mon before down and a little clear. Then it should be "on" for sand bass along them.

Fished Sat., didn't find the fish.....caught 3 brim for our jug lines, and one ole catfish. Went to a little cove and saw some guys catching crappie on minnows. Quite a few crappie!

Went back to the cove the next morning with 6 dozen minnows, and got 19 nice sized male crappie 12" to 16", all males with only two throwbacks. Not a single female. Also picked up 2 catfish and two sand bass. We got 4 catfish off our juglines (2), one about 4#, two about 2#, and a 14". Three of the bigger catfish were on one jugline, and they had towed it about 100 yds. from where we put it. We had a pretty "sporty" ride back across the lake with winds about 30 mph. Foul weather gear, and life jackets on!!

Next day, we have a game plan now, and head back to the cove with another 6 dz. minnows. Gonna load the boat up with big ole crappie, right? Nope, something changed! We got 6 crappie and 7 or 8 eater catfish. There were big ole bass busting the water both days all over the cove!! We had sacrificed going after the big ole bass for those stubborn crappie. We saw one bass clear the water, and she had to be 9# or 10#!!! Oh, well, best laid plans of mice and men etc.......LOL. Another roller coaster ride back across lake with lots of spray and big bumps!! Only one catfish on juglines.

There was big, ugly things on the radar coming, so we pulled boat out and drank whiskey, the rest of trip! Must have rained 3" overnight and the next day.

Buddy had to be back Wednesday, and nearly cried that we couldn't go back after all the bass we saw. I mean like 12 or 15 BIG blasts on the surface each day, a lot coming completely out of the water.

I have a love/hate relationship with crappie!! They seldom fail to frustrate me! LOL

Good Fishing All,
Later
R3F​


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