April 12, 2017

183 and Braker

Pond #1

Mopac north - just after you cross under 183 exit breaker. Pull off towards Mimis Cafe and go as far South in the lot as you can which will put you behind an autozone. Walk down the hill and you will see a drainage pond. Believe it or not - loaded with fish.

This pond is a place I saw driving to one of my other spots over by Highland Park High. It looks insignificant and frankly it is but god bless Texas because most of these drainage ditches are close to or serve a particular watershed which in this case means fish!

When you go down there go to where the spillway enters the pond on northwest side closest to Mimi's. That is really the only area that allows for any sort of backcast BUT fish it slow and take your time. With patience I was able to pull a dozen small bass and bluegill out of that spot on a small wooly bugger but these fish aren't picky.

If you have a kayak or a float tube this is your spot! Bank access is limited by some enormous reeds and cat tails. Also the pond has a pretty vibrant weed cycle. I was there Sunday last and there were still some good clear spots in the middle but if you are spinning think weedless and if its a fly approach I might try dragging a popper through some of that grass.

I am not sure about the size potential in this little lake. I have only had smaller bass up to about a foot take my panfish flies but I don't see why there wouldn't be some larger fish swimming around. There is plenty of space and the bluegill and minnow populations are healthy.
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Pond #2 (recent discovery)

If you walk south the railroad tracks on the opposite side of the pond (there is a berm with an old road you can walk on easily) you will come to a spillway into another pond (across the railroad tracks) that is adjacent to some soccer fields.

I first saw this pond on the map a while ago but haven't explored it until just recently. There is a nice little trail around the pond but bank access like before is tough. Especially for a fly angler. I found a few spots where I could manage a roll cast and was disappointed. In the main pond the action is usually fast and furious. In this pond I wasn't even feeling the nibbles of the smaller bluegill.

Right as I was about to give up something inhaled my bug, tore into the weeds, wrapped me around a tree limb and broke the tippet. I've been fishing for a pretty long time and this wasn't a small fish but to be fair it didn't have to be too big to take advantage of my 3wt. Point is - larger fish.

The second pond is split by a muddy landbridge and the larger of the two parts seems very interesting. I did catch one bluegill but the pond itself is a simple circle with not too much structure but for the landbridge. However, in the bright sun with my polarized glasses I couldn't see the bottom more than a couple feet from the bank. I think this pond is deep - much deeper than the main pond but it also doesn't provide too much structure.

Someone get out there with a float tube or a kayak - sit in the middle and work the banks. I have to think there are some big fish in there. Also kind of a cool note there are wild blackberries all around the perimeter of the pond.
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All the places mentioned above are super easy to find on google maps or earth.

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