# Lake Livingston ?



## Dwight (Dec 15, 2007)

How's the fishing below the dam right now? I know fishing is better when the water is steady at the gates. but was curious what's biting over there right now.


----------



## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

I have not talked to anyone but I will be going tomorrow and will let you know how I do.

Matt


----------



## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

At noon today 9/23 the river flow was 11200 cfs. If you plan to wade I would suggest you bring the tall pair of stilt.<G> Boats with BIG anchors seem to be in vogue right now. What do you suggest SS?


----------



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/tx/nwis/u...&format=gif_default&period=7&site_no=08066250

The flow seems to be stabilizing, so in a day or two fishing should be good. I have done well for catfish the same day a high discharge gets steady but not on whites or stripers, wait a day is what I say. then it all should be biting good.
Anchoring is always a problem for me back there for me now that I am disabled with a bad back. The best anchors back there are homemade ones with rebar attached for gripping, it is wise to always take 2 back there, even if you can't get sideways to make for better casting 2 are required sometime to keep from being blown past the restricting line with a South wind. 
BTW a care rim does work well especially with a couple of pieces of short rebar tacked on.


----------



## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

I have some homemade anchors that I use and they hold really good. They are made from a 5 inch drill pipe with a round plate welded to the bottom. It will just fit inside a milk crate for transporting so it does not damage my boat. They also have a threaded adapter welded into the top for the rope to be tied onto. I also have some drill pipe that is 1 inch thick and a foot long with a piece of chain welded on to them that holds also but when it is really high I use the bigger anchors. Hopefully tomorrow will be good at least for some blues.

Matt


----------



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Matt I bet you catch them, the discharge has been steady all day and the blues should be frisky!


----------



## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

I sure need a better anchor(s) for fishing that area. Most of my farm junk goes into the ponds for structure, but need to find some for a good anchor system. Once my 10 ft striper rod gets here and get an anchor rigged up, I'm headed back down there myself to get after some of those hybrids and big stripers. 

That's some kind of action...when they are turned on.


----------



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Meadowlark, what kind of rod are you getting? I did not take my Diawa Eliminator that day we went, but it is really more fun to fish with as it has a softer tip, the Amercianrodsmith does well in a head wind however.


----------



## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Matt, Those anchors sound like they'll do the trick. But a bit heavy for us old coggers. I'll leave the steep ramps, muddy banks and swift water to you young bucks.
I'm as happy as a hog in the sunshine just drifting jugs and chasing those zebras on the pontoon. It has an electric winch that sucks uo the 28 lb mushroom and 100 ft of 1/4 inch kevlar in 60 seconds. I don't even leave my seat. 
Looking forward to hearing you'll's reports.


----------



## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

shadslinger said:


> Meadowlark, what kind of rod are you getting?


I looked at Academy in Lufkin and Kingwood and all they had in 10 foot was the Ugly Stick in heavy action. Its just too stiff for me so I went online to Stripersonline.com . Several guys there recommended the Lamaglass rods and I've also heard they are very good rods. I ordered the Surfking 10 foot model. Looking forward to loading it up soon.


----------



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

I went to the link and checked them out, looks like a very good striper rod for below the dam, 3 to 8 oz lures, 17 to 40 line, mod/fast, perfect. Let me know when you are ready to go again i want to se it in action.
I just got back from the overlook, only 2 boats out not much happening, very rough standing waves. If the rain does not start back, and the North wind lays some, I will go to the lake later.


----------



## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

I was in one of those boats below the dam. I caught a limit of whites and a few stripers. Only 2 of the stripers were keepers and they hit a zara puppy while I was fishing for the whites. Did not have much luck on the cats. Caught 8 blues and none of them were big ones but they will eat good. Also caught a couple of gar and was fishing on the west side and couldn't figure out what was pulling on my line and everytime I would set the hook it would get off. So I tried to reel it in slowly and got one near the boat and it got off. I was not drinkin my whiskey this morning but I swear it was a crab. I would have thought they would be gone by now.
25 white bass
2 stripers
8 blue cats
2 gar
I guess for an old geezer that ain't too bad for a day like today.

Matt


----------



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Where did you catch the stripers? at the cable or back from it?


----------



## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

In the mouth!!!! LOL!!!
A little further back than I was the other day I saw you and Meadowlark out there and a little more over to the west.

Matt


----------



## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

That is good news, catching them past the cable, only when a lot of them are there do they bite that far back. I gotta go help out with my folks, leave today, so you guys catch as many as you can before I get back. Cause when i do....


----------



## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Now that the flow below Livingston has every one excited do not forget the special bag limits there. See below. I copied and pasted from TP&W rule book.
*Trinity River*


From the Lake Livingston dam downstream to the FM Road 3278 bridge, striped bass minimum length limit=18 inches and daily bag=2.
From the Lake Livingston dam downstream to the FM Road 3278 bridge, blue and channel catfish minimum length limit=12 inches and daily bag=10, of which only 2 fish can be 24 inches or larger.
Below Lake Livingston between Polk and San Jacinto counties, the daily bag for shad=500 and the possession limit=1,000 fish in any combination.


----------



## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Sunbeam said:


> Now that the flow below Livingston has every one excited do not forget the special bag limits there. See below. I copied and pasted from TP&W rule book.
> *Trinity River*
> 
> 
> ...


Shouldn't the first item read :

From the Lake Livingston dam downstream to the FM Road 3278 bridge, *striped bass and hybrid striped bass (in any combination)* minimum length limit=18 inches and daily bag=2. ??


----------



## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

I think it is 2 stripers and or hybrids in any combination between the dam and 3278. Below the 3278 bridge you can have 25 cats. I had to watch for the 24 inch lenght on the cats last winter. It is some really fantastic rod and reel fishing for blues below the dam. Fishing under a float about 3 foot deep. Several days we had to release fish that were oversize but I prefer to eat the ones that are around 5 lbs. I will be back down there in the morning trying to get some more.

Matt


----------



## s2kteg (Jul 14, 2006)

what about the white bass


----------



## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

whites bass = 25 limit , 10 inch minimum lenght


----------



## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Yes MDL that has been the policy in the past. The regs in my post were copied and pasted from the TP&W web site Thursday. I think they omitted the hibred by accident. I guess you could keep five and then argue in court.


----------

