Lake Sam Rayburn Fishing Report: Bass, Crappie, and Cats Biting on Minnows, Jerkbaits, and Umbrella Rigs

# Sam Rayburn Fishing Report - November 17, 2025 Well hey there, folks. Artificial Lure here with your Monday morning report from Lake Sam Rayburn. We're looking at some solid fishing conditions today, so let's dive right in. **The Conditions** Sun's coming up at 6:48 this morning and we're looking at a sunset around 5:30. The lake is running a bit low right now—about seven feet down from normal pool—but don't let that discourage you. The fish are still biting, and Big Sam's been producing some serious action. **What's Been Biting** Just last week, we had the Toyota Series opener out here and let me tell you, the fishing was on fire. Brody Campbell absolutely dominated with bags in the upper 20s both days fishing offshore with minnows. We're talking 5-inch Z-Man Jerk ShadZ and Deps Sakamata Shads on 3/8-ounce heads. Kaden Mueck threw down a 28-pound bag on the final day using that same Sakamata Shad setup, and he also ran a Neko rig with Zoom Trick Worms in junebug. The umbrella rig's been a star player too. Guys like Cole Moore and Dakota Ebare were throwing Strike King Rage Swimmers in Carolina chrome, getting results on those offshore drains. For shallow water cranking, a Strike King 6XD worked magic. And here's the thing—lipless crankbaits in shallow grass have been producing quality fish as well. **Species and Tackle** Largemouth bass are the main event, and the state record sits at 16.80 pounds. We've also got solid crappie and catfish populations out here. The all-tackle catfish records show we've got some serious blue cats running over 83 pounds, flatheads just over 84, and channel cats pushing 12 pounds. **Where to Go** Focus on those offshore drains with bait present—not a ton of bait, just small pods. If the wind's cranking, get shallow around any timber or brush piles. The morning shallow bite on drains and hard spots with a jerkbait is legitimate right now, then transition to minnow work later in the day. **Your Tackle Box** Rig up with 10-12 pound braid and a 10-12 pound fluoro leader for your minnow work. For umbrella rigs, go with 20-25 pound fluoro. Rod-wise, you're looking at 7-foot setups for most applications, but grab something in the 7-6 to 7-10 range depending on your preference. Thanks for tuning in, folks. Make sure you subscribe for more Rayburn reports and Texas fishing intel. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease.ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.