Fishing Report: Sam Rayburn Heats Up for Early & Late Bites on Bass, Crappie and Cats

Hey Sam Rayburn anglers, Artificial Lure here with your September 10th fishing report straight from the pines and heavy cover of East Texas’s most legendary reservoir. Sunrise rolled in this morning at 7:04, and you can expect sunset tonight at 7:35, so there’s a solid 12 and a half hours of daylight to work those coves and channels. The weather’s fair, sitting in the low 80s at first light and creeping toward the mid-90s by late afternoon, with light southeast winds making for mellow boat rides and good casting conditions. Solunar forecasts are looking promising today: the major fish feeding times are smack in the early morning from 7:03 to 9:03, then again in the evening from 7:30 to 9:30. If you get out early or stick around past supper, you’re lining up with some peak activity windows. The moon’s just 15% waxing crescent, so early risers have the advantage with natural low-light conditions giving predatory fish the edge — and you, if you’re working the right lures. Now, let’s talk recent action. According to local guides and anglers checking in at the ramp, Sam Rayburn’s bass bite has been hot and steady. Folks are reporting consistent limits of largemouth, with some four- to six-pound fish being pulled from both deep grass lines and shallow timber. A few over-eights have been documented in the tournaments last weekend, especially from south-lake hydrilla pockets and main-lake humps. Crappie hauls have also been good, with anglers vertical jigging brush piles and loading coolers — slabs up to 15 inches aren’t rare for those staying mobile. As for what’s working: the best bass catches right now are coming on Carolina-rigged soft plastics — green pumpkin lizards, watermelon red trick worms, and black-and-blue creature baits. The grass edges and creek channel drop-offs have been especially productive in 8 to 15 feet. If you’re chasing a reaction bite, throw a white or chartreuse ChatterBait or square bill crankbait around scattered grass and standing timber; late morning will favor the switch to a Texas-rig or even a shaky head when the bite gets picky. Crappie anglers are having success with small jigs – monkey milk, electric chicken, or classic chartreuse/white. Minnows are always solid if the bite slows, especially around submerged brush at 12-18 feet. If you want bream for the frying pan, worms and small beetle spins along the banks at coves and creek mouths can fill a bucket quick. For catfish, punch bait and cut shad along creek channels in 20–25 feet are pulling in blues and some big channels. Nighttime lines have been especially active, but you’ll still have luck during daylight if you anchor up around a channel bend. A couple of hot spots to put on your GPS: Hanks Creek north of the bridge is seeing schoolers busting shad on the points at first light, and Five Fingers is loaded with brush holding both bass and crappie. Don’t overlook the Buck Bay area — word is the hydrilla’s thick and there’s been a morning frog bite that’ll get This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.