Lake Casitas Fishing Report

The spawn is over at Casitas and bass have fully transitioned into hunting shad. Water temps are now in the low 70s, and shad are schooling up all over the lake. Some anglers are reporting 20+ fish days running underspins, jerkbaits, Keitech swimbaits, and A-rigs. Bass seem to be all over the water column... some in open water, others holding off points and transition zones, and even some pushing into the backs of coves. No matter where you decide to fish, shad is the color and lure pattern. Most fish are 1–2 pounds, but reports also mention some bigger ones, up to 7 pounds. It may seem obvious, but if you can get live shad, it's the ultimate bait for both numbers and size right now.

Anglers have been waiting all March on the bass bite at Casitas to full take off, and with water temps now sitting in the mid-60s, that wait is over. Bass are pushing hard into the shallows and feeding aggressively, primarily in prespawn mode, but some fish are getting onto beds.

The bulk of fish are coming in the 1-2 pound range off shallow cover on T-rigged Senkos and dropshots, with the occasional 4-5 pound fish mixed in. Early morning topwater has been productive too, with prop baits (Chappo) drawing strikes in the backs of coves before the sun gets up (3-4 pound fish). The real giant females are still in 20-30 feet of water but should be making their move shallow soon. Front-facing sonar guys are chasing these fish deep in the meantime.

A giant 3 pound, 17 inch black crappie was caught off one of the docks last week. And carp guys are hooking some big ones late in the day.

Water levels are coming up fast after the latest storms, with Casitas now close to full pool. Temps are holding around 56–58 degrees, which has kept the bass active and should continue to do so as long as water stays in the mid-50s or higher. Most of the action has been deep, with fish holding roughly 30 to 40 feet down. Shad imitations are doing most of the work… swimbaits, underspins, and spoons, along with worms and Senkos, have all been producing. Electronics are a big help right now for dialing in structure and suspended fish.

Crappie have also been biting within that same depth range as bass, while a few catfish are being picked off the bank by anglers soaking mackerel.

The last trout plant was back in early November and reports have been quiet since, but another stocking is expected within the next couple of weeks.