Friday, May. 7, 1999

Getting fresh

Too much saltwater in your diet? Try the lake

By DAVID SIKES
Staff Writer

   When gulf breezes develop into vexing gales, three area reservoirs offer local anglers a fresh and tempting alternative to saltwater fishing.

Area lakes

   Lake Corpus Christi (formerly known as Lake Mathis), Choke Canyon Reservoir and Coleto Creek Reservoir are between 60 and 90 minutes away from Corpus Christi. The lakes' verdant shores provide a more serene setting for anglers looking to escape the wind, waves and coastal hubbub of area bays.
   You might even find shade in summer.
   Popular species of freshwater gamefish include largemouth bass, crappie, white bass, striped bass, bluegill, drum and catfish. These lakes also hold garfish and carp, which only a handful of anglers target.
   Freshwater fish bite year-round, but the best action begins in March and generally runs through the fall.
   Saltwater fishing will always be number one in the Coastal Bend. But finicky weather and incessant coastal winds tend to wear on even the saltiest of salts.
   That's when it's time to dust off those spinnerbaits and plastic worms and head inland.
   

Lake Corpus Christi

   Oft-neglected Lake Corpus Christi near Mathis is the freshwater body nearest to Corpus Christi.
   The lake is best known for its catfish.
   But bass fishing at Lake Corpus Christi has been a well-kept secret that is spreading.
   In recent years, the lake has seen dramatic fluctuations in water level because of drought, mandatory water releases and problems with Wesley Seale Dam.
   At low lake levels, piers and boatramps sit far above the water line, taking away fish habitat and making access difficult. But when the lake is allowed to rise, vegetation that inundated its muddy shores is flooded, providing lots of cover for fish.
   There are concerns among locals that this ebb and flow is disruptive to the spawn, or worse. Some believe retreating waters could destroy fertilized fish eggs, eliminating entire generations of fish.
   But through it all, fish stocks have survived.
   The lake is packed with submerged structure, including trees and fish-holding brush.
   Guide Richard Smith routinely catches bass by targeting out-of-the-way creeks and sloughs, which are thick with vegetation and structure. Creek banks lined with sapling willows are among his favorite haunts.
   Smith also fishes the underwater humps, dropoff and points, depending on weather and water conditions.
   

Choke Canyon

   The same patterns hold true at Choke Canyon, which also has suffered its share of ups and downs.
   Currently, the lake is experiencing an up in both its lake level and fishing action.
   In fact, bass fishing overall at Choke has been pretty good since 1997, though there were several slow periods and a questionable spawn this year.
   Meanwhile, Choke's higher water has some hopeful anglers forecasting a full-fledged return of big bass and full stringers, while others are more cautiously optimistic.
   But even if promises of a bass boom aren't fulfilled, local guide Elroy Krueger says there's plenty of drum and catfish action to be had.
   Tasty and easy to catch, freshwater drum - aka gaspergou - can grow to more than 20 pounds, but landings generally run between four and six pounds. Their broad bodies and wide fins make them powerful fighters.
   Drum tend to congregate in 15-25 feet of water over rocky or gravely bottoms.
   Most drum anglers anchor their boats and jig a lure called a Gay Blade off the bottom. But there are a couple of spots - one near the dam and one at a rocky point in Calliham Park - that are also good for catching them from the bank.
   Bright sunlight is best for drum fishing.
   

Coleto Creek

   At Coleto Creek, drum fishing hasn't caught on.
   That's because anglers are too busy snagging Florida and northern bass, hybrid stripers and catfish, thanks to the recurrence of hydrilla each spring, when the shallows are teaming with spunky bass.
   The body of exceptionally clear water serves as a cooling pond for a CP&L electric plant, making it a little warmer than other Texas reservoirs.
   In anglers' terms, that means the fish are active year-round.
   The warmer water means bass head for cooler, deeper water in the summer, prompting anglers to target the creekbeds.
   Plastic worms rigged Carolina style are the staple bait of Coleto's hydrilla beds.
   One of the good things about Coleto Creek is its small size, which makes the chore of finding fish a lot easier. You don't have to go far to find hydrilla bottoms, isolated islands of brush and submerged structure.
   In winter, find Dike No. 2 on the Turkey Creek arm and your search is over. Into this normally quiet creekbed is where partially-cooled warm water is released into the main lake.
   You might encounter a traffic jam.
   Then again, you might be too busy to notice.

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