Destination: Lake O.H. Ivie

Tips for fishing Lake O.H. Ivie in the summertime

LURES TO PACK

Angler Bill Hunter III of nearby Sweetwater, Texas, caught one of several 13-pound fish from the lake in April 2010. He suggests anglers bring a good supply of 6- and 8-inch Texas rigged lizards for pitching to the numerous visible bushes and trees in the spring.

BEST TIMES TO GO

Jerry Hunter of Elm Creek Village says the peak time for the big fish is as expected: February and March. However, a 13-pound fish was caught in July 2009 by local guide Jeff Walker, and the first fish to break the 13-pound mark in 2010 was weighed in January.

BEST TECHNIQUES

During the summer months, Hunter likes to fish Carolina rigged soft plastics or jigs on the ledges, humps and creek channel drops in 18 to 25 feet of water. When the hydrilla mats the surface, anglers can punch the edge of the mats for quality fish.