Rayburn Bite is On - Fall Crankbaits, Jigs, and Suspended Crappie

Howdy folks, this is Artificial Lure bringin’ you the Lake Sam Rayburn fishing report for Friday, November 14th, 2025. If you’re planning on getting lines wet today, you picked a good’un—weather’s coming in crisp this morning, with sunup at 6:44 AM and wind likely out of the north, keeping things in the mid-50s early and warming up to the high 60s by afternoon. Expect sunset around 5:22 PM, so there’s a healthy day’s worth of fishing ahead. Now, we’re sittin’ near the new moon, so tides aren’t much concern on a reservoir, but you best believe that moon’s got ‘em a little active. According to Solunar Forecast, your best bite today will be from about 8:00 to 10:00 AM and then again from 8:25 to 10:25 PM, right about the time that sun’s getting low and the moon peeks out. Fish’ll get up and roam just a little more lookin’ for shad, so time your runs accordingly. Water’s fallen about two feet since August, as shown on some recent drone surveys, revealing fresh structure and pushing bait into the mid-depths and pockets with some warmer surface water. Around now, you’ll find threadfin and gizzard shad up shallow in the mornings, moving to creek channels and inside ditches by late morning. Hybrids, largemouth, and occasional meanmouths—all active right around those schools. Now for the big question: what’s biting? TPWD and recent major tournament reports say bass catches have been strong. Tournament anglers last weekend came in with respectable limits—plenty of healthy largemouth, with a few over 6 and 7 pounds, and even some hefty spotted bass in the mix. Crappie are starting to bunch up on submerged brush—try 16–22 feet for slabs. Catfish are hungry as always, prowling flats and the deeper timber. Best baits right now: if you’re chasin’ largemouth, locals and pros alike are whacking them on: - Big-lipped crankbaits (chartreuse or sexy shad workin’ wonders) - Carolina-rigged creature baits on mid-lake ridges - 3/4 oz football jigs in watermelon red or green pumpkin on point drops and shell beds - Crock-O-Gator Head Knocker buzzbaits and white chatterbaits if there’s wind or cloud cover - If you spot bass or crappie on suspended shad, toss a flutter spoon or a small swimbait just below the pods Crappie are stacking on those brush piles—jigging a live minnow or a chartreuse/white tube jig is deadly. For cats, a punch bait or chicken liver fished on bottom near creek mouths will fill a stringer quick. As for hot spots, look to Five Fingers for early shad runs, especially those little side cuts where bait balls gather, and Veach Basin for deeper stump flats—both producing this week. Don’t overlook points at Needmore and the Buck Bay area early, and if you get a cloudy afternoon, put your trolling motor down on the south end near the dam riprap for that last-hour kicker. All in all, Sam Rayburn’s grouchy, mean, and fishin’ real big—as always. Clean your livewells and check your knots, ‘cause big ones are biting and it’s a real good day to be on the w This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.