The best lures to use on Canyon Lake near New Braunfels, Texas
Canyon Lake is a multi-species playground - largemouth, Guadalupe bass, smallmouth, striper, white bass, and even the hard-fighting "mean mouth" hybrids. The hydrilla is the thickest I've ever seen it and the largemouth are in it good, so most of what I throw here is built around grass and timber. If you want to see how it compares to the other lakes I guide, here's my rundown of the best bass fishing lakes near Austin.
Punch and flip the hydrilla
The grass is where the quality largemouth live on Canyon right now. A Texas-rigged creature bait or worm punched through the thick hydrilla, or flipped to the edges and holes, is the most dependable way to pull a big one out of it. In recent years it's taken over 20 pounds to win tournaments here, and most of that weight comes out of the grass.
Frogs over the mats
When the hydrilla tops out near the surface, a frog worked across the mats draws vicious blow-ups. It's one of the most exciting ways to fish the lake, and the mats are exactly where the bigger bass sit waiting.
A frog is hard to beat over Canyon's thick hydrilla.
Crankbaits and swimbaits on the timber
The bass hold on timber here too, so if there are trees or brush piles around, you need to be fishing them. A crankbait or swimbait run past the wood gets those reaction bites, and a fluke or worm is great for picking the cover apart more slowly.
A fluke shines around Canyon's timber and brush.
Topwater and spoons for the schools
Spring, summer and fall, the striper and white bass school up and feed ferociously. When they bust the surface, a topwater or a jigging spoon dropped into the school is a blast and a great way to fill the day with fast action between largemouth bites.
Slow down for the bigger bass
Same rule I preach everywhere: when you want a bigger bite, slow down. Work your worm or jig slower than you think you need to around the grass and timber, and you'll turn up the quality largemouth - and maybe one of the big mean mouths this lake is known for.
Tell me what you'd like to target and we'll build the day around it. Let me know if this helps, and if you'd like me to put you on them, book a trip and we'll go.