Elite

Dock Talk at Sabine River 2025

Find out what information the pros were willing to share after practice ends in Orange, Texas.

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Photography by
Andy Crawford
Captions by
Craig Lamb
Following the Lake Fork smash fest, the action moves downriver to the terminus of the Sabine River at Orange, Texas. Here’s the setup. A strong southwesterly wind flow is in the forecast, which goes against the flow of the river. The tributaries are all swollen from days of heavy rain in east and north Texas, where the likes of the Sabine and Trinity rivers form. 
Then you have the overall massive size of the playing field. Will it take the long run to win? Or will it go down nearer the ramp? Welcome to Dock Talk, the Bassmaster Elite at Sabine River edition at the City of Orange Boat Ramp. Questions we ask: How will water color come into play? Will it be about finding clearer conditions? How important will execution be in a venue where a 3-pounder is a big deal? What will be the winning weight? 
Our job is to pose the questions and get the answers. You get to decide if those are true or just dock talk. 
Jason Christie
How will water clarity factor? “Water color doesn’t matter whenever you are fishing isolated cover in shallow water,” Jason Christie said. 
“Problem is water clarity does matter when you have trees getting covered with muddy water up to 6 feet deep.
“If we weren’t flooded as much, it wouldn’t be a factor, but it does with the conditions we have now.” 
Paul Marks
Water clarity. How will it play out? “It’s pretty blown out,” Paul Marks said. “The few places that were clear, I don’t know if they will be in the morning. 
“There’s a lot of water coming down the Sabine from Toledo Bend, and that strong south wind is stacking it up.
“You can only get so far back into the clear water in the flooded woods to find them. I think it will be tough to find clear water. You might have to give it up and fish in the mud. They live in it here anyway.”
Buddy Gross
Is making the long run necessary? “I don’t know because I didn’t stay close,” Buddy Gross said. 
“Bites have been hard to come by, and what you get averages out small (less than 12 inches). 
“I think more than anything, everyone is trying to find clean and stable water. I’ve not really found it without going to Taylor Bayou (one hour boat run), and I’m just not going to go that far.”
Patrick Walters
“We’ve got water coming in (downstream) but it’s not really going out because of that south wind,” Patrick Walters said. “It’s doubling down on the negativity of the fish biting. 
“It’s going to change the fishery; it’s going to fish smaller, even though we have more water and places to fish. 
“It’s harder to find clear water, and on top of that, places where fish are willing to bite. It’s going to fish smaller and be a grinder.” 
Jacob Foutz
The winning weight is going to be and why: “Between 35 and 40 pounds,” Jacob Foutz said. 
“This place is always tough, but this time it’s fishing smaller and tougher given the water clarity and wind. 
“The water is unstable; you get far up the rivers and it’s really high.” 
Blake Capps
Guess the winning weight. “I’m going with a little over 10 each day for 45 pounds,” Blake Capps said. 
“It’s hard to get 2-pounders. Those are quality fish, so it won’t take much to make it into the cut.
“A 3-pounder will be a kicker.”
Chad Pipkens 
Guess the weight. “I’m going with 39 1/2 pounds,” Chad Pipkens said.
“The water is high and muddy. Toledo Bend is releasing a lot of water. I think the wind is pushing it back in and that spreads out what is in here. 
“Add it all up and it will be tougher than normal. The best thing to do is to lower expectations and grind it out. That’s what we are paid to do.”
Drew Cook
How important is execution? “Huge. Ounces are places in the standings,” Drew Cook said. 
“A dead fish penalty. Losing a 1 3/4-pounder is huge here. It won’t take much to crash a game plan.
“You’ve got to catch everything that bites, and you’ve got to make sure you take care of them, because 4 ounces could be about 20 places.” 
Cliff Pirch
How important is execution? “I don’t think there is a time anymore where it’s not critical,” Cliff Pirch said.
“Here though, it is even more, especially because the opportunities for keepers are fewer. 
“I just haven’t seen enough evidence that you can afford to lose anything, of any size. Just losing one fish could set you back outside the cut.” 
Brandon Lester
Execution is key here. Why? “If you lose a 3-plus pounder you’re not going to come back in a place and scenario like this,” Brandon Lester said. 
“All those fans who’ve been wanting an old-school grinder are about to get it.
“With south wind blowing in an already higher tide than normal, dirtier than normal, will make it challenging to keep up with the changes, and come up with a sustainable pattern.” 

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