Reservation Number : 22425
Property Name : Hat and Star Ranch
Reservation Date : 11/10/2019 PM -
Total Fish/Sizes : 4.5, 3 at 3+, 2<16" culls
Lures Used : Whopper Plopper, C-rig craw

…just to be the man who did not get skunked at Hat and Star.

It felt like 1000 casts before I had the first bite.  My 12YO son and I fished Hat and Star on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon on an immaculate property.  One of my top 3 fave PWF lakes.

We started out hitting the deeper water where several schools of giant (8-9” !) shad were cruising in the middle, suspended around 10 ft in 35 ft of water.  We tried everything, deep cranks, lipless cranks, swim jigs, plastic worms, creature baits on a C-rig, all through the column and bottom too..  After a few hours of not a bite, we moved to the other areas that have produced in the past, back in the creeks and coves, shallow and deep, along the dam, etc..  Finally, Sam got a 14” incher on the C-rig Craw, while I am still 0 for 900 casts.

About an hour before dark, feeling futility, and desperate to try anything to get a nibble, I tied on a whopper plopper and started hitting the banks.  First cast, 4.5lbr, and 3 more just over 3 lbs before dark, all within 5 ft of shore. Sam managed to get one more 15” on a Pop-R.  Man, it sure felt good to reel something in after 4+ hours of slinging hardware.

Ranch foreman came down just before dark, getting ready to bank fish for big blue cats.  He said in the past few weeks they have caught and released 3 bass over 8lbs on these giant cut shad while fishing on bottom for blues.  I guess my shad imitators were just not big enough.         

Water was stained, vis about 18”, temp was 58-60. I was surprised all of the grass is already dead and gone. Water level is about 2 ft below the spillway.