My oldest son and I did a father/son trip out to Heartland this past weekend.  We were the only ones out there and were able to fish all of the lakes.  Below is a brief description of the lakes and what we caught and what worked.

We fished Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning beginning at 6 am.  The weather was consistent all 3 days which was hot and humid with intermittent cloud cover.  Pretty breezy during the mid-day but we took refuge in the AC on Friday and Saturday from around noon until 4.

Home Place Friday AM

Caught around 20 to 25 up to 3.5 lbs. with 8 culls.  Frogs in the pads early. Had probably 20 blowups but only connected on a few.  Then TR soft plastics with a small bullet weight in the timber.   Worms, Lizards, Craws.  Chatterbaits and keitech Swimbaits accounted for a few. 

Leakey Friday PM

Caught 6 up to 3.5 pounds with a 6 lb. kicker. Chartreuse square bill and silver rattle trap in the creek channel.  The 6 came on a trigged lizard.  Tried for some bigger fish in the deep creek channel with some 6xd cranks but nothing.

Beaver Saturday AM

Caught 2 around 2.5 lbs on Swimbaits on the pond dam near the launch.  Lost a big one in the creek channel on a weightless Senko.  That was it for beaver.  Pretty slow.  No frog bite early and the wind kicked up pretty bad around 9.  We left by 10 am. 

Hawg Trough Saturday PM

The wind laid down in the afternoon with partly cloudy skies.  Caught 8 with 5 all in the 3 lb range and a 6.5, 7 and 8.  Top 5 would have been around 28 pounds I’m guessing.  All on Carolina rigged white flukes. They were hammering the flukes on the ridge (marked by poles) and near the large feeder dock. I’ll try to attach pics of my son’s 6.5 which was just shy of his personal best and the 8 lb which is probably my official PB.

Home Place Sunday AM 

Caught around 10 to 3 lbs. with 2 culls.  Same as Hawg Trough with Carolina rigged white flukes.  All in the timber.  They were hammering the fluke again.  Caught a 2.5 that I swear was a 5 or 6.  Took me into a log on 20 lb fluorocarbon.  Finally got him out and my son was ready to net this beast and then we saw it and started laughing.  Left around 9:30 to get back to Fort Worth.

These lakes are a blast to fish and they are in great shape.  If you haven’t tried them do your self a favor and get out there.   Craig Brown is a gracious and knowledgeable host.