As of May 31, 2010 Sam Rayburn has a current water level of 162.98 which has the lake about one and a half feet below full pool. There is a pretty good morning bite on top waters around the pads and peppergrass followed by a mid day lull and a strong evening bite. The morning and evening bite for me has been best on ribbits and yellow magics. If the wind is blowing they will also eat a buzz bait pretty good. I generally throw both the ribbit and the buzz bait on a PG104-7’6” with 50 lb. braid and the yellow magic on a PG143-6’10” with 14 lb. monofilament. Try targeting pads and peppergrass that have either shad or brim moving around in them. After the top water action slows down you can either fish the same areas with a wacky worm or look for the hydrilla and throw Texas Rigs and crank baits. I have been throwing either a green pumpkin or a red bug trick worm on both rigs with a PG144-7’0” and 15 lb. fluorocarbon. I have mostly been throwing a Strike King series five in one of the various shad colors on the outer edge of the hydrilla in eight to ten feet of water. Most of the better fish I have been catching have been caught by flipping either a 1 oz. black blue jig or a big worm with a ½ oz. weight on the outer edge of the hydrilla. I have been flipping both the worm and the jig on a PG104.5 with 65 lb. braid.

Good Luck,
Danny Iles

www.johnstonsfishing.com