Three Spurs Ranch · Reklaw, Texas

East Texas Fishing Guide

Bass & Catfish · Simpson Lake · Seasonal Tactics · Tackle Intelligence

⟳ Loading live Reklaw, TX conditions…
📅 Seasonal Guide
🏆 Current Patterns
🎯 Equipment
📸 Lures & Baits
⚡ Techniques

Seasonal Guide

Date-based recommendations for Simpson Lake · Reklaw, TX

Get Your Fishing Forecast

Select a date for customized lure and technique recommendations based on seasonal patterns.

🗺️ Simpson Lake — Pond Structure & Hotspots

🟦 Deep Zone · 15–20 ft

Western triangle near dam & drain pipe. 25 ft max at drain pipe left side. Summer bass, big catfish.

Drop shot · Football jigs · Cut shad on bottom

🟩 Mid Zone · 10–15 ft

20 ft right of drain pipe. Active feeding bass & channel cats. Most productive year-round.

Texas rig · Weightless Senkos · 10–12 ft crankbaits

🟨 Shallow Zone · 5–7 ft

Eastern narrow end. Spawning & feeding bass. Best in spring (March–May).

Topwater · Wacky rig · Spinnerbaits

🏆 Honey Hole: Drain pipe area — big fish use it as a highway. Focus on the 15→7 ft depth transition edge where bass ambush prey. After rain, fish the shallow eastern end where runoff concentrates baitfish.

📆 Year-Round Strategy Calendar

❄️ Winter (Dec–Feb) — Hardest / Best for Big Fish

Water Temp: 45–55°F · Fish move to 15–20 ft deepest zones
Best Time: Midday 11 AM–2 PM only
Strategy: Extreme finesse — natural colors, 8 lb fluorocarbon, longest casts possible
  • Finesse worms (drop shot) in green pumpkin
  • Small shakey head near drain pipe
  • 1/16–1/8 oz shaky head worms, dead slow
  • Wait 30–60 seconds between movements

🌸 Spring (Mar–May) — Pre-Spawn to Spawn Peak

Water Temp: 58–72°F · Fish move shallow
Peak Spawn: Mid-April to May in East Texas
Strategy: Transition to shallow cover, beds visible in clear areas
  • Weightless Senko (pre-spawn aggression)
  • Topwater poppers at dawn/dusk
  • Spinnerbait parallel to banks
  • Lizards & craws for spawning beds

☀️ Summer (Jun–Aug) — Deep & Early/Late

Water Temp: 80–90°F · Fish in thermocline (18–25 ft)
Best Times: Dawn + dusk only · Night catfishing
Strategy: Deep structure + topwater windows
  • Early morning topwater (buzzbaits/poppers)
  • Midday: deep drop shot or Carolina rig
  • Night: chicken liver/cut shad for cats
  • Shade & structure transitions

🍂 Fall (Sep–Nov) — Post-Spawn Feeding Frenzy

Water Temp: 65–78°F (cooling) · Fish chasing baitfish
Best Times: All day as temp drops
Strategy: Match the hatch — baitfish patterns
  • Lipless crankbaits for active feeding
  • Swim jigs through mid-depths
  • Jerkbaits as temps drop to 65°F
  • Chatterbaits parallel to structure

🌡️ Barometric Pressure & Fishing Response

📉 Falling Pressure
Best fishing window — fish sense weather change and feed aggressively. Hit it hard with reaction baits. Window is 2–4 hrs before front.
➡️ Stable Pressure
Normal seasonal patterns apply. Fish behave predictably. Standard retrieve speeds and mid-depth presentations.
📈 Rising Pressure
Tough bite — fish turn lethargic. Go finesse: slow presentations, natural colors, long pauses, deepest structure.
⏰ Prime Times Daily:
🌅 30 min before → 1 hr after sunrise
🌇 1 hr before → 30 min after sunset
🌙 Night: catfish in summer
🌡️ Winter: 11 AM–2 PM only
📍 Reklaw, TX Conditions Notes:
Clear water → natural colors, long casts, light line
Stained water → chartreuse/dark, heavier presentations
After rain → fish shallow, eastern inlet area

Current Patterns

Tournament-proven techniques from Sam Rayburn, Lake Fork & Lake Palestine · 2025

🥇 Recent East Texas Tournament Results

Wyatt Frankens: 29 lbs at Sam Rayburn (January 2025) — 6th Sense Ozzie stick bait, wacky rigged

Chris Miller: Bassmaster Open win (February 2025) — Strike King Z-Too jerkbait, 9 lb 6 oz kicker

1

Wacky-Rigged Stick Baits

Why it's working: Slow, erratic fall with enticing shimmy triggers pressured fish. Effective in 80–90°F thermocline zones (18–25 ft) where oxygen concentrates.
✅ YOU HAVE — Tournament Grade:
Yamamoto Senko 5" Watermelon Red — THE gold standard
YUM Dinger Watermelon / Owned Flake — perfect for wacky

Current best colors: Green Pumpkin (dominant), Black/Blue (secondary), Junebug (drop shot)

Rigging Details

Hook styleStraight-shank + O-ring
Target structureDocks, submerged veg, rocks
Line8–10 lb fluorocarbon
RodMedium-light spinning
RetrieveDead fall, minimal action
2

Texas-Rigged Soft Plastics

Ranked #1 year-round technique for East Texas ponds. Pitch/flip presentations around docks with rocks producing consistently. Weight selection key to bottom feel.
✅ YOU HAVE — Complete Arsenal:
ZOOM Brush Hog Watermelon Candy & California 420
Big Bite Baits Tour Professional grade
Rage Tail Green Pumpkin Sapphire
Gamakatsu + Tungsten Tournament terminal

Weight Selection by Condition

Light structure, finesse3/16 oz tungsten
Wind / deeper3/8 oz bullet
Heavy cover1/2 oz + EWG hook
Finicky fishGo lighter, slower
3

Lipless Crankbaits

Lake Fork guide James Caldemeyer's March 2025 data: Berkley Warpig lipless crankbaits producing exceptional results. Vibration and flash excels in stained water (1–4 ft visibility).
✅ YOU HAVE:
Multiple lipless cranks in your hard bait collection with solid size and color variety for East Texas stained water.
🎯 UPGRADE OPPORTUNITY:
Red patterns dominating 2025 — red, chrome, white, chartreuse in 1/4–3/4 oz. Try aggressive rips with 2–3 sec pauses. Hit grass edges at 3–8 ft.
4

Chatterbaits & Bladed Jigs

Berkley Slobberknocker showing exceptional versatility. White, white/chartreuse, green pumpkin working on Lake Fork points at 2–8 ft. Trailer selection critical.
✅ YOU HAVE:
Spinnerbaits with similar flash/vibration profiles. Chartreuse/white combos translate directly to this presentation style.
🎯 ADD THIS:
YUM Yumbrella Flash Mob Jr. systems winning at Sam Rayburn. 3/16 oz bottom arms, 1/8 oz middle wire, 3.5" Pulse swimbait trailers.
5

Topwater — Early/Late Windows

Summer water temps 80–90°F push topwater to narrow windows. Texas Parks & Wildlife confirm excellent early morning action around grass and pond weed throughout East Texas.
✅ YOU HAVE — Excellent Arsenal: Frogs, buzzbaits, poppers, walk-the-dog style baits. Frog bite strongest during July–August over surface vegetation. Focus on 15-min windows at first and last light.

🌸 Pre-Spawn Transition — Starting NOW (March 2026)

March is the critical pre-spawn transition in East Texas. Water temps rising from 50s toward 60°F. Bass beginning staging behavior near spawning flats. This is one of the best feeding windows of the year.

Next 60 Days Forecast

MarchPre-spawn staging · medium depths
April (mid)Peak spawn begins
April–MayFull spawn · beds visible
Late MayPost-spawn recovery · big females

Right Now — Best Baits

Weightless SenkoSlow sink, staging bass
Suspending jerkbaitCold fronts after
Shaky headRocky structure transitions
SpinnerbaitMoving water/wind banks

Equipment Setup

Rod, reel, line, and terminal tackle recommendations for Simpson Lake

🎣 Spinning Setup — Finesse

Rod7'0" M/L spinning
Reel2500–3000 size, 6.2:1+
Main line10 lb braid
Leader8–10 lb fluorocarbon
Best forSenkos, drop shot, wacky rig
Clear water rule: Drop to 6–8 lb fluorocarbon leader in winter. Longer leaders (12–18 ft) with high-viz braid main line.

🎣 Baitcaster Setup — Power

Rod7'3" M/H casting
Reel7.3:1 ratio baitcaster
Main line15–17 lb fluorocarbon
Heavy cover50–65 lb braid
Best forTexas rig, crankbaits, jigs
High gear ratio (7.3+) critical for picking up slack when fish run at you. Essential for jig fishing around the drain pipe area.

🪝 Terminal Tackle Inventory

Hooks

Gamakatsu Octopus 1/0Wacky / weedless Senko
Gamakatsu Offset 2/0–4/0Texas rig / general
VMC 3/0Brush Hog, creature baits
Mustad KVD 3/0YUM Dinger variations

Weights

3/16–1/4 oz tungstenFinesse, clear water
3/8–1/2 oz bulletWind, heavy cover
1/8–1/4 oz shaky headDrop shot / shaky

🐱 Catfish Setup

Rod7'0" M/H medium action
ReelAbu 6500 or similar
Line20–30 lb monofilament
Hook3/0–5/0 circle hooks

Bait Priority (Seasonal)

Falling pressureLive bait, fresh cut shad
Stable / risingChicken liver, punch bait
Year-roundNightcrawlers on circles

Lures & Baits

Your complete tackle inventory — click any photo to enlarge

🎯 Hard Baits & Lures

Crankbaits, lipless cranks, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, topwater — 24 baits

🪱 Soft Plastics — Worms & Sticks

Senkos, dingers, finesse worms, ribbon tails — 17 baits

🐸 Hollow Body Frogs

Surface frogs for topwater action over vegetation — 3 baits

🦞 Crawfish & Craw Baits

Craw-style soft plastics for flipping and jigging — 1 bait

📷 Pond & Field Photos

Simpson Lake, Three Spurs Ranch — 4 photos

Fishing Techniques

Presentation guides, retrieve styles, and East Texas-specific adjustments

🎯 Wacky Rig — Step by Step

Most consistent rig year-round on Simpson Lake. O-ring prevents bait from tearing and extends life 3–5x per bait.

Setup

  • Slide O-ring to center of Senko or Dinger
  • Hook through O-ring (not plastic) — Gamakatsu 1/0 octopus
  • Weedless version: add weed guard to hook
  • 8–10 lb fluorocarbon, spinning rod

Retrieve

  • Cast to target, let sink on slack line
  • Watch line for sideways movement (strike indicator)
  • One small twitch, let it fall again
  • In winter: 30–60 second pauses between twitches

🎯 Texas Rig — Flipping & Pitching

Setup

  • Slide bullet weight onto line (pegged for heavy cover)
  • Gamakatsu EWG offset hook — 3/0 standard, 4/0 large baits
  • Rig plastic weedless through head, skin-hook point
  • 15 lb fluorocarbon or 50 lb braid in cover

Retrieve Options

  • Drag: Slow drag on bottom — winter / clear water
  • Hop: Short lifts, fall — bass follow on drop
  • Pitch: Skip under structure with underhand cast
  • Flip: Pendulum flip for tight targets

🎯 Drop Shot — Deep Finesse

Setup

  • Palomar knot, 10–18 inch tag end below hook
  • 1/0 hook nose-hooked or wacky-style
  • Cylinder or round drop shot weight (1/8–1/4 oz)
  • 6–8 lb fluorocarbon — critical in clear water

Best Applications for Simpson Lake

  • Drain pipe area (15–25 ft deep zone)
  • Winter bass suspended over structure
  • Post-cold front inactive fish
  • Shake in place — rod tip only, no rod movement

🎯 Topwater Strategy — East Texas Timing

East Texas ponds heat up fast in summer. Topwater window is 15–30 minutes. Be on the water before sunrise. Leave after the bite dies, return at sunset.
🐸 Frog
Over surface mats, lily pads, slop. Walk across cover. Pause near openings. Best July–September. Let fish fully eat before setting hook.
💥 Buzzbait
Parallel to bank edges. Keep rod tip up to keep bait surfacing. Dawn only. Steady retrieve, never stop. Treble trailer reduces misses.
🎭 Popper/Walker
Walk-the-dog retrieve: slack-reel, slack-reel rhythm. Point rod down. Best in calm, low-light. Pause after splash = most strikes.

🐱 Catfish Techniques — Simpson Lake

Bottom Rig Setup

  • 1–2 oz egg sinker, barrel swivel, 18" leader
  • 3/0–5/0 circle hooks — no-snag hookset
  • Dead bottom presentation: set rod in holder
  • Fan cast to deep zone near drain pipe

Best Spots & Times

  • Deep zone: 15–20 ft near dam (summer)
  • Thermocline transitions: 10–15 ft
  • Night summer fishing — most productive cats
  • After rain: fish the runoff inlet end