Reservation Number : 34522
Property Name : Hickory Creek Ranch Lakes
Reservation Date : 12/11/2022 All Day -
Total Fish/Sizes : 27 bass; 7 in the 3.5- 5# range; 5 harvested
Lures Used : light Carolina rig with stick worm; dropshot with finesse worm

The heavy rain was forecast to pass through our area between 2 and 5 AM.  Instead, we loaded the truck in the rain as it arrived at 5AM and drove through moderate to heavy rain for much of the 2.5 hour drive to Hickory Creek. Thankfully, the heavier downpours were south of the property and didn’t impact the access road or our fishing.  Ron Dupree and I started out “junk” fishing searching for today’s pattern and really couldn’t establish anything at first. We finally found the first pattern; dragging stick worms on a light Carolina rig from shallow to deep water in front of the pier. This pattern lasted an hour and produced 10 bass including the largest of the day (5#) and 3 more in the 3.5-4# range. Then it abruptly cut off and never reestablished itself all day (we tried it three other times). Several hours of trying other spots (brush piles, the dam, windblown banks, the island...) produced no fish and only a couple of bites. We finally found another pattern in the northwest corner of the lake in less than 18” of water using dropshot and finesse worms.  This pattern produced 13 bass over several hours with three in the 3.5-4.75# range.  Then it too abruptly ended.  We kept trying and trying but no luck.  We left at 4PM.

Fat, healthy bass.  Seven over 3.5#.  5 harvested.  1 topwater / 2 crankbait / 11 carolina / 13 dropshot

Lake still low but not extremely so.  Water was milky with 12-inch visibilty on overcast day.  66 degree water all day. Minimal vegetation except for “witch’s hair” on the bottom.