Self-chartered Freshwater Fishing Trips

Randy Rowley hosts several self-chartered freshwater fishing trips on central Texas lakes within 100 miles of his home in Leander.  He primarily targets largemouth bass, but can also go after crappie, white bass, hybrids/stripers, and catfish, so he recommends to bring at least one light rod/reel combo (for reel type, line, and lure recommendations see the bottom of this web page).

Do not expect limits on these fishing trips, as Randy has a full-time job, isn’t a guide, fishes on weekends or state of Texas holidays (usually), and fishes on highly pressured lakes.  However, Randy and company often have some success, including:

Randy will fish either Lakes Austin, Bastrop, Belton, Buchanan, Fayette, LBJ, Somerville, Stillhouse Hollow, Travis; a river, such as the San Gabriel off of Lake Granger; or a creek, such as Yegua Creek off of Lake Somerville during the white bass run.  He can take up to three fishermen if fishing with lures (if they’re very experienced or if we’re fishing with live or dead bait or jigging with slabs).  If the fishermen are inexperienced, he’ll only take two.  Trips will usually be six to ten hours, counting travel time, unless the fish are biting well, in which case they may decide to fish later, or if they’re not biting well or at all, in which case they may decide to quit earlier.

They will fish out of Cam – Randy’s 20′ 3″ 2019 Excel Bay Pro 203 with a 115 HP Yamaha motor, an 80 lb. thrust trolling motor, and two fish finders (unless we’re fishing a river or creek during the white bass run, in which case they’ll be on foot) (see below).

Randy usually has at least one of these trips a month during non-duck hunting months (February through September), but will not guarantee a set number of times.

In 2025 Randy started fishing from kayaks on ponds, such as a 35-acre pond near Taylor (where the owner also has a Jon boat that is available for FCS members and guests to use), Lakeline Park pond (Muir Lake), and Lake Decker.  In 2026 he added Divine Lake in Leander.  The Rowley’s have two fishing kayaks – one is often available on Randy’s kayak trips.

Decker and Bastrop have 14″ – 21″ slot limits, which allows you to keep up to five bass under 14″ or up to four bass under 14″ and one bass over 21″.  Any bass between 14″ – 21″ must be returned to the water.  The reason that the authorities have slot limits is those lakes are small and; therefore, can easily be depleted of bass.  Slot limits ensure that there will be a lot of 1 1/2 – 5 lb. bass for people to catch.  Fayette has a 16″ – 24″ slot limit for the same reason (any bass between 16″ – 24″ must be returned to the water).  Its slot limit ensures that there will be a lot of two – seven lb. bass for people to catch.

Costs:

• The participants (excluding Randy, if Cam is being used) will split the vehicle and boat gas (the amount depends on the distance traveled and the number of people sharing the gas), state or county park fees (if applicable), boat launch fees (if applicable), and toll road fees (if applicable).  Randy has to replace Cam’s batteries, trailer tires and wheel bearings, etc., and repair things like Cam’s trolling motor more quickly due to taking FCS members and guests on such trips than he would if didn’t take FCS members and guests on such trips; therefore, he’s exempt from the above expenses.  If you look at what he spends on the above, he guarantees you that he’s not making any money on these trips.  If Randy isn’t bringing Cam, the expenses will be split evenly among the participants.
• We probably will stop at Whataburger on the way to the lake and might stop for brunch on the way home.
• Fishermen can use artificial lures and/or buy live and/or dead bait.  Randy usually fishes with artificial lures.
• If we buy bait and ice the cost will be split by everyone.

What to Bring:

• Freshwater fishing license.
• Rod & Reel combos (at least two in case you break one and no more than five).
• Lures and/or terminal tackle for fishing with live and/or dead bait.
• Tackle box, bag, or backpack.
• Headlamp or cap light (waterproof is recommended).
• Cap/hat (optional) and clothing appropriate for the season.  You never know when it will rain, so bring rain gear.
• Drinks and snacks (optional; drinks are highly recommended).  There are storage compartments in Cam to put your drinks and snacks in.
• Sunglasses (optional, but highly recommended).
• Bug repellent (optional, but recommended)
• Sunscreen (optional, but experts recommend it)
• A fillet knife, knife sharpener, gallon-sized Ziploc bag, and a medium-sized hard or soft ice chest, if fish are kept (Randy usually returns largemouth bass to the water; there will be a large ice chest on Cam to put your drinks in and storage compartments to put your snacks in; leave your ice chest in your vehicle).
• Water shoes or waders (if the water is cold) to help put Cam back on his trailer.

Randy has nine life jackets and three ponchos in Cam, so you won’t need either one.  However, you can bring your own if you want to.

Randy has extras of many of the items that are listed above and will happily loan things if you let him know that you would like to borrow something before leaving.  Of course, if you borrow something and break or lose it he will expect reimbursement, including lures that were borrowed and lost or broken.

Expectations

These fishing trips are a service to FCS members and guests, but Randy will enforce the below expectations:

• Follow Randy’s instructions and abide by the FCS Bylaws Regarding Conduct.
• Pay your fair share of truck and boat gas and park entrance fees/boat launch fees.
• Pay for items (that are not yours) that you broke or lost (including lures that you borrowed and broke or lost).
• Help (including helping get Cam back on his trailer).
• Be prepared to fish (if Randy or others must help you rig properly while on the boat, it takes away from their fishing time).  This does not apply to new fishermen.
• Talk quietly (fish can hear you and will swim away from the noise).
• Show up.
• Be on time.
• Don’t have a pattern of canceling at the last minute.
• Read Randy’s emails and don’t ask questions that have already been answered in his emails (and you would have known the answers if you had read his emails).
• Return Randy’s phone calls and/or emails, if he asks a question or asks you to acknowledge something.

Let Randy know if you have any questions.

How to  cast a spinning reel.

How to cast a baitcasting reel.

Rod & Reel recommendations for Bass and Bay Fishing

See Baitcasting Rods & Reels for Freshwater and Bay Fishing.

Lure recommendations for Bass Fishing

Topwaters – walk-the-dog zigzag lures like River2Sea’s Rover, Lucky Craft’s Sammy and Gunfish, Heddon’s Zara Spook and Zara Spook Jr., Xcalibur’s Spittin’ Image, and Rapala’s Skitter V; poppers like Heddon’s Chugger Spook and Hula Popper, Storm’s Rattlin’ Chug Bug, and Rebel’s Pop-R; torpedo lures like River2Sea’s Whopper Plopper and Heddon’s Baby Torpedo; and Buzz baits like Booyah’s Buzz Clacker.  Colors – bass, shad, chartreuse, bone, and clear.  For lakes with a lot of grass (such as Bastrop, Decker, and Fayette) you can add frog-colored soft plastic frogs such as River2Sea’s Phat Mat Daddy, Bully Wa II, and Spittin’ Wa, Lunkerhunt’s Lunker Frog, Strike King’s KVD Sexy Frogs, American Baitworks’ Scum Frog Bigfoot, Scum Dog, and Scum Frog Popper, and toad style baits such as Stanley’s Ribbits.

Lipless crankbaits – Rapala’s Rippin’ Rap and Rattlin’ Rapala, Xcalibur’s Xr75 or Xr50, Strike King’s Red Eye Shad, 6th Sense’s Quake 70, 80, and THUD and Snatch 70X, Berkley’s Warpig, BOOYAH’s One Knocker, Yo-Zuri’s Rattl’n Vibe and 3DB Vibe, and Bill Lewis’ Rat-L-Trap.  Colors – bass, shad, perch, red (best in spring), and chartreuse (best in the summer).

Crankbaits – Norman’s Deep Little N and Little N, Strike King’s Pro-Model 3XD and 3XD, Rapala’s DT-10, DT-8, DT-6, Scatter Rap, and Shad Rap, 6th Sense’s Crush 250 MD, Curve 55, and Cloud 9 C6 and C10, Bomber’s Flat A, 5A, and 6A, Bandit’s 100, 200 and 300 Series, and Storm’s Wiggle Wart.  Use the same colors as the lipless crankbaits.

Deep diving crankbaits – Norman’s DD-22, Bomber’s Deep Fat Free Shad and Fat Free Shad, Strike King’s 5XD, 6XD, 8XD, and 10XD, and 6th Sense’s Cloud 9 C15, C20, and C25 and Crush 300DD and 500DD.  Use the same colors as the lipless crankbaits.

Square bill crankbaits – River2Sea’s Biggy Poppa, Strike King’s KVD 2.5, Rapala’s Crankin’ Rap 03, Storm’s Arashi, Spro’s Little John, Zoom’s W.E.C. E-1, E-2 and E-3, Luck-E-Strike’s Rick Clunn RC2, 6th Sense’s Fishing Crush 50X and Cloud 9 Magnum Squarebill, Yo-Zuri’s 3DB, BOOYAH’s XCS Series, and Rebel’s Bluegill.  Use the same colors as the lipless crankbaits.

Jerk baits (stick baits) – Bomber’s Long A, Rapala’s Husky Jerk and X-Rap, Smithwick’s Rattlin’ Rogue, and Storm’s Thunderstick.  Same colors as the crankbaits.

Spinnerbaits/chatterbaits (aka bladed swim jigs and vibrating jigs) – white, yellow, chartreuse, combo white/yellow or white/chartreuse, watermelon (green), red (in the spring), and black/blue or black/red when it’s dark or there is a heavy overcast.  I prefer spinnerbaits with two blades over one.  The type is not that important but I tend to prefer the Colorado blade, as they dive deeper.  Spinnerbait brands include River2Sea, Nichols, Strike King, BOOYAH, Terminator, and War Eagle.  Chatterbait brands include Z-man, Strike King, BOOYAH, and Terminator.  Spinnerbaits on steroids include Umbrella/Alabama rigs.

Slabs/spoons – 1/2 – 1 1/2 ounce in white, silver, chartreuse, or combos of those colors.  These are particularly good for white bass, hybrids, stripers along steep rocky ledges.

Soft plastics (usually will only attract largemouth bass – not whites, hybrids, or stripers) – Zoom’s finesse worms, flukes, crawdads, lizards, or baby brush hogs, Berkley’s power worms, crawdads, or lizards, Gary Yamamoto’s Senko and Swimming Senko worms, Yum Dinger’s worms, Big Bite worms and grubs, Grandebass’ rattlesnakes, and Blakemore’s Road Runner with grub tails.  Colors depend on the time of year and such things as if it’s overcast or sunny.  The general rule is darker colors work best when it’s overcast and during the winter.  Lighter colors work best in the fall, spring, and summer and when it’s sunny.  Some of Randy’s favorite colors include Green Pumpkin, Watermelon, Watermelon Red, June Bug, Red Bug, Red Shad, Motor Oil, Pumpkinseed, Dark Blue, and Camo.  Zoom’s Baby Brushhog in pumpkinseed is a good choice for Travis in the fall.  Lizards and crawdads in pumpkinseed are good in the spring.  Soft swimbaits are good in the grass.

Lure Recommendations for Crappie (also good for white bass)

Crappie jigs (Big Bite Baits 2-Eye 1-Color Round Jigheads 1/16 or 1/8 ounce in white or pink with Bobby Garland’s Mo’Glo (glow-in-the-dark) 2″ Baby Shad in Ghost Sparkle, Monkey Milk Glo, Ghastly Minnow, or Electric Chicken Glo).

Spinners – Blakemore’s Crappie Slab Spanker 1/16 oz Rigged Lure in pearl white or silver, Johnson’s Beetle Spin (1/8 or 1/4 oz. in white and red or chartreuse), or inline spinners such as Yakima’s Rooster Tail 1/16 oz. in white or pink).

Line Recommendations for Bass Reels

Baitcasting reels

If targeting largemouth bass, I prefer 12 lb. or 14 lb. test Suffix Elite monofilament (mono).  Mono is good for most topwaters, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, hard jerkbaits, hard swimbaits, spoons, and slabs.  Mono is regarded as all-purpose line (or for most purposes).

Fluorocarbon (fluoro) is better at getting lures to dive deeper, but it can pull topwaters down, so don’t use it for them.  I prefer 14 or 17 lb. test Berkley Vanish.

For most soft plastics, I use 30 lb. test Suffix 832 braid.  For frogs, I use 50 or 65 lb. test braid, to pull bass out of lily pad fields or thick grass.

When choosing fishing line, don’t use line that is too stiff (e.g., 20 lb. test mono) as it will impede a lure’s action, or too light (e.g., 8 lb. test mono) as a big fish can break it, so use the middle road.

Spinning reels

Spinning reels shine using light lures, which most baitcasting reels have trouble with.  I recommend 8 – 10 lb. fluorocarbon.

Spincast reels

These are the least desirable reels for bass reels.  Most are cheaply made and will not last long if used regularly.  Most spincast reels come pre-spooled with cheaply-made 10 lb. test mono.  If that’s the case for your reel, I’d remove it and replace it with 10 lb. test Suffix Elite mono.

Line Recommendations for Crappie Reels

Spinning reels (preferred)

Use 2 – 8 lb. test Berkley Vanish fluoro.

Ultralight spincast reels

Use 2 – 8 lb. test Suffix Elite mono.

Baitcasting reels

Don’t use baitcasting reels for crappie.  They won’t be able to cast the light lines and lures that are required.