Lake Travis Bass Fishing

Lake Travis boasts some of the best fishing out of all the local Austin lakes. With crystal clear water and ample cover, Lake Travis is teeming with game fish, including our personal favorite… the largemouth bass! 

Lake Travis is known for its beautiful scenery, large houses and boats, Devil’s Cove, and abundant fish populations. Whether you are local to Austin or just visiting, don’t forget to pack your fishing gear! Rent a captained boat, go out with a guide, or just hit the shoreline at one of Lake Travis’ beautiful parks. While largemouth bass can be rather elusive, try these tips for a successful day on the water. 

1. Choosing the Right Equipment

    Lake Travis is well known for its clear water, often times offering visibility in excess of 10 feet. Clear water means bass can be line shy, so avoid using that extra heavy set up you have sitting in the garage from your last fishing trip to the coast! I recommend a medium action rod spooled with 12-15 pound test fishing line. Anything heavier is unnecessary and can hinder the fish from biting. 

2. Lure Selection

    While the choices of what lures to use when it comes to bass fishing are endless, there are three baits in particular that always work on Lake Travis. 

    Drop shot rig- a drop shot is a rig tied up so that you have a small 1/0 hook about a foot above a small lead weight. I recommend a 6 inch straight tail worm in a natural color such as watermelon red or green pumpkin. Fish this set up along the bottom with small twitches of the rod tip while making sure to maintain bottom contact. 

    Swimbait- Lake Travis has an abundant population of Threadfin Shad, a delicacy to largemouth bass. Rig a ¼ ounce lead head onto a 4 inch paddle tail swimbait. The kicking action of the swimbait as you reel it in mimics the movement of the bait fish bass feed on. Choose lifelike colors such as pearl or silver. Cast this bait out as far as you can and slowly reel it back in. Focus your casts around cover you see in the water such as rocks, brush, or docks. 

    Texas rig- A Texas rig consists of a worm hook and a small bullet weight fished along the bottom of the lake. I recommend a 4/0 offset shank worm hook and a 7 inch curl tail worm. Purple or green pumpkin are excellent colors to trick a hungry bass into biting. When rigged properly this bait is quite weedless and excels being dragged along the bottom bumping into rocks and brush with an occasional pause to allow the fish a chance at an easy meal. 

3. Where to Fish 

    Largemouth bass are ambush predators and are very structure oriented. Bass prefer places where they can conceal themselves to dart out and catch their prey, while expending as little energy as possible. Large rocks, points that extend out into the lake, the areas around docks, and bushes in the water are all excellent places to find these hard fighting fish. Avoid simply casting out into open water, rather focus your casts at any good looking cover you find. You can use Float On for boat rentals to get out on the lake with a captain to show you some good spots too.

If you decided to head out on the lake and cast a line, don’t forget that in the state of Texas all anglers 17 and older need a fishing license. A one day fishing license is inexpensive and can be purchased online from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s website. 

If you would like to learn more about bass fishing, fish out of a tournament rigged bass boat, and use top of the line gear, consider booking a trip with professional fishing guide Tyler Torwick of Torwick’s Guiding Service. More information about trips, rates, and availblity can be found on his website at https://www.torwicksguidingservice.com