# Livingston LMB?



## txbass1 (Aug 15, 2018)

Anyone been having any luck finding LMB on Livingston? Zeroed on Sunday and that's not something I'm accustomed to doing! Pretty frustrating honestly. Thank you for any suggestions.


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## SetDaHook (Oct 21, 2010)

Creeks with natural shorelines, and boat docks are going to be your best bet, but you prolly know that already. They are here and are not heavily fished except for tournaments.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

LMB just like crappie, bream and other nest building fish just don't do well in Livingston. Lots of food but poor spawning habitat and millions of carp and buffalo to eat the eggs. A fifty pound male blue cat can protect a nets. A two pound LMB has no chance.
I remember in the early 70's when the 14 to 16 inch LMB were as thick as the white bass are now. But alas Livingston LMB hay days are gone.


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## GT11 (Jan 1, 2013)

There are some up the creeks at first light, but if you want to catch a bunch of fish, switch to white bass fishing!


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Sunbeam said:


> ....
> I remember in the early 70's when the 14 to 16 inch LMB were as thick as the white bass are now. But alas Livingston LMB hay days are gone.


That ^^ is interesting. My first recollection of LL at all was probably 1970 or 1971, the lake was very new. My dad took me up there, and we were at what I think was called Galloway's Marina at that time, but not sure. It was near the mouth of White Rock to the lake, by "The Jungle." Apparently we arrived just in time to see tournament LMB fishermen coming in for the weigh-in of a tournament. I don't remember the bass being particularly large, but to this day I have never seen as many LMB as those guys were carrying on stringers over their shoulders.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Whitebassfisher said:


> That ^^ is interesting. My first recollection of LL at all was probably 1970 or 1971, the lake was very new. My dad took me up there, and we were at what I think was called Galloway's Marina at that time, but not sure. It was near the mouth of White Rock to the lake, by "The Jungle." Apparently we arrived just in time to see tournament LMB fishermen coming in for the weigh-in of a tournament. I don't remember the bass being particularly large, but to this day I have never seen as many LMB as those guys were carrying on stringers over their shoulders.


Right on Donald. In the early 70's the bass fishing from Galloways up to the highway 19 bridge was fantastic. No huge fish except that stray that came from one of the flooded oxbows along the river.
The LMB heaven was known as the Jungle. That miles long stretch of timber that was not harvested due to the rapid filling of the lake.
I carried two guns in my old Skeeter front steering bass boat. A 410 for the snakes and other small vermin trapped in the high spots in the Jungle.
A US Army 30 cal carbine for the wild hogs and gators.

The first ten pound bass I ever remember seeing was caught off the bank right next to Hanks Marina gas dock.
An old black lady was cane pole fishing with a cork and minnows.
I was fueling Jimmy Mc Castlins boat when we heard her yelling.
I looked up in time to see that 16" calcutta pole bent double as she threw this huge fish up on the bank. Whoop! It lands in the dirt ten feet behind her. Jimmy says that is a bass! No way I reply. Jimmy runs up there and picks up the huge bass covered in dirt and leaves. His Deliar scales indicated 10 pounds even after washing it off.
She put it in her tow sack tied at the edge of the water. It was the lake record for about an hour before she got home.


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## txbass1 (Aug 15, 2018)

GT11 said:


> There are some up the creeks at first light, but if you want to catch a bunch of fish, switch to white bass fishing!


HAHA! I get it. We've had a place up there for @ 15 years and that is what I have stuck to doing to get bites- especially for the kids.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Sunbeam said:


> ...
> The LMB heaven was known as the Jungle. â€¦.


I always bass fished in the Kickapoo Creek area, myself.

Remember Big John's Marina? I'm sure you do. Big John Brightwell moved up to the lake from the Clear Lake area and that's where I knew him.

The Jungle was probably the best known bass area, but Kickapoo was one of the best kept secrets around. There was no 'net to get the potlickers going back then and some absolutely tremendous bass fishing. Great memories.


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## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

I was with the League City Bassmasters along with Myrtice Driskell and Big John's was one of our marinas along with Hank's , Galloways, Stanfords and Bridgeport? at the big bridge. Almost sank our bass club there one weekend when a norther came thru. Closest I've come to sinking.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

wwind3 said:


> I was with the League City Bassmasters along with Myrtice Driskell ....


I met him and/or knew him somewhere along the way. Did he fish the salt a lot? West Bay? Upper Galveston Bay? Definitely remember that name but can't bring up the context.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Bass Fishing especially Livingston bass fishing has changed so much in the last 45 years that only us old timers can even imagine what a wild west type fishing existed back then
If a remember the limit in 1970 was 10" and 15 possession.Danny Davis, his dad Paul and I guided during the weekdays. We all had weekend jobs.
We catered to large parties where we could take six guys in three Skeeter or Falcon bass boats. We normally met our clients at Bridgeport at 7AM. We did this because the operator gave us a kick back on all the tackle he sold the clients plus if we brought them in for lunch our meals were free.
We got $40 then later $50 per head to fish from 7:30 to 2 PM with time off for lunch.
We fished the whole water column. Top waters in the early morning and crank baits to worms in the heat of the day,
I would love to have a dollar for every person I taught to worm fish.
The afternoon session was white bass fishing just below the High 190 bridge.
At that time the there was no limit or minimum size on whites. They schooled on top by the acres in the afternoon sun. A top water fishing heaven for real light tackle. A white or chrome Little George was the bait of the day is they did not stay on top.
Before heading under the bridge we always made it clear that you could catch all you wanted but we only cleaned 25 per boat.
Most all LMB were kept. All fish were cleaned at the Bridgeport cleaning tables.
I never guided during the early spring due to the hundreds of crappie fishermen. I opened Triple Creek at 5 am on Friday morning and closed a 8 pm Sunday night.
There are about 13 dozen crappie size minnows in a pound. On a good week end I could sell 500 pounds. That is over 2000 bags of three dozen for a dollar. I got so good I could count 36 to 40 minnows, sack, O2 fill and tie off in 45 seconds.
Those were the days. Would I do it again. Not a chance. Wet nursing a bunch of amateurs is a hard way to make a living.


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## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

Meadowlark said:


> I met him and/or knew him somewhere along the way. Did he fish the salt a lot? West Bay? Upper Galveston Bay? Definitely remember that name but can't bring up the context.


I think he may have had a TV show at one time and I think he and his wife Pat started a Mr and Mrs Bass Tournament deal. Probably in the 80's


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## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

Meadowlark===I have a map put out by the Houston Bass Club around that time. Bet you remember some of those guys. I may try to post some of their pics of them and their fish. The catch and release bassin' men today would have a coronary if they saw these pics!


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## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

wwind3 said:


> Meadowlark===I have a map put out by the Houston Bass Club around that time. Bet you remember some of those guys. I may try to post some of their pics of them and their fish. The catch and release bassin' men today would have a coronary if they saw these pics!


Here we go...â€¦.dang I'm gettin' old.....


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Great, great pictures. I really enjoyed seeing them. Thanks.


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## dk2429 (Mar 27, 2015)

I kinda grew up fishing Livingston. Never caught a LM to brag about, but have caught plenty of whites and stripers out there. I'd stick around where you're at at Conroe before I drove to Livingston after LM.


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## SetDaHook (Oct 21, 2010)

That's so funny looking at those pictures of heavy stringers. And you're right Norm, today's LMB fisherman would have a heart attack looking at those pics of dead fish being brought in. You even mention keeping a LMB, to even some on this board, and it's like Dracula seeing a cross. My how times have changed. Great pics...


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

All the LMB caught get eaten. Back when the fishermen and their families ate them. Now days the alligator (gar and lizard) eat them or worse they die from Ick and other fungus caused by mishandling. 
Saw a write up few years back that stated some research about damage caused by holding a larger bass by the lower jaw. It dislocated some small bones in the hinge portion.
I am not against catch and release but if the anglers are serious why not go all the way as in other fisheries. Limit lures to one barbless hook. Then release would be as simple as possible.
I know it will never happen. Until it does don't be so sanctimonious about saving the species when some good old boy with a family takes a few fish home to eat. He is not hurting the population more that the CPR guy.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Sunbeam said:


> I am not against catch and release but if the anglers are serious *why not go all the way as in other fisheries?* Limit lures to one barbless hook. Then release would be as simple as possible.


Also, in some fisheries they use a cradle net which is wet and in the water first, and the fish stays in the water the whole time. When those are used correctly, they may really work.


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## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

Sunbeam said:


> All the LMB caught get eaten. Back when the fishermen and their families ate them. Now days the alligator (gar and lizard) eat them or worse they die from Ick and other fungus caused by mishandling.
> Saw a write up few years back that stated some research about damage caused by holding a larger bass by the lower jaw. It dislocated some small bones in the hinge portion.
> I am not against catch and release but if the anglers are serious why not go all the way as in other fisheries. Limit lures to one barbless hook. Then release would be as simple as possible.
> I know it will never happen. Until it does don't be so sanctimonious about saving the species when some good old boy with a family takes a few fish home to eat. He is not hurting the population more that the CPR guy.


Bingo!


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## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

..another cool thing about this map and several others I have from that time from--AID maps,etc are the sponsors ads--and how many companies, marinas, etc no longer exist.


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## txbass1 (Aug 15, 2018)

I appreciate all of the replies and if nothing else got to see some old school fishing photos, which I love. Thanks guys.


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## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

In the 70's we lived in Jungle Village a mile or so up the road from Galloway's Marina. My older brother worked there as stocker/flunky. I spent many summer days all day long fishing the covered docks and crappie house at Galloway's. I remember the bass tournaments and all that. I remember once watching a tournament group take off. One didn't move on out at top speed like the rest. He waited till every one else left then started fishing right there in the marina. I saw him catch the big bass of the tournament right by this gas sign that was in the water. I think it was a Gulf sign but not sure.


Daddy did not bass fish he was a crappie man and trot liner and caught lots of crappie and big cats. Me and my brother read to many BASS magazines and started bass fishing. I learned to fish a worm on LL in the Jungle, shot my first duck in the Jungle too.


There was lot's of bass then. When the boat was broke down or Daddy said it was too rough my brother and I would walk the bank from our house to Galloway's catching bass all the way. My brother caught one about 5 lbs. on a chrome blue back Rat-L-Trap and ran all the way back home to show Daddy.


We spent many night tied up to a tree on the river channel at the edge of the Jungle catching tons of crappie and white bass under the light of a Coleman lantern.


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## ccketchum (Oct 18, 2010)

those old pics of ray craft boats and paper graphs bring back memories for sure . we sometimes put in at parr's on white rock , caught a few up that way .


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## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

...night fished where White Rock hits the river one night under the lanterns. Filled up a fish basket and the trap door sprung open and the fish escaped. Got more minnows and filled 'er up again. Ran out of minners and caught them on a frayed up Winston cigarette filter and also a bare gold hook--crazy times early 70's


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