I caught about 30 nice size Bluegill/Sunfish a few days ago on small hooks with worms and corn under a small bobber! I think the small hooks and bobbers help a lot as far as catching just about anything around. If either are too big I get lots of bites but no catches. Sometimes it helps to chum the water a bit with some bread or corn too... Gets em all warmed up and ready to bite lol.

One word of caution... If your lake has carp in it, those suckers LOVE corn. I caught 2 carp on the tiny hooks and they just about took my rod with them! If you want the grandkids to go home with tales catching giant fish go for the dough balls made from Wonder Bread and a couple pieces of corn on a small/medium hook. Hehe our 10 year old caught one that was 10+ lbs on the light rod. It was a blast to watch her reel that sucker in!

Although I haven't spent any time in Butcher, I absolutely adore the little downtown area in St. Joe. I love the small town community feel of it. Currently, many of it's storefronts are empty but they seem to be doing quite a bit of renovating so maybe they will return it to it's former glory someday soon!

Good luck with your move! I am sure your family will be happy and blessed to have you closer to them.

Here is a photo I snapped in St. Joe a few weeks back, I hope it brings a few good memories your way.

Thank you very much! I have a bit of a passion for photography and Lake Nocona makes a gorgeous backdrop. I don't know if there is a thread on beautiful photos of the lake but if there were, I could fill it up! I may or may not have even lost a fish or two trying to get juuuuust the right angle for a photo. 😂

I was just recently looking into getting a few of mine framed but hadn't decided which service or photos to go with. Do you recommend a specific company that you've used?

Thank you again for the compliment and for the advice!

It was indeed at Lake Nocona! We live nearby and fish there several times a week.

Whereabouts did you grow up? What part of the country do you call home now? We are new to the area and have fallen in love with it. The lake has nice swimming areas (as long as you beware the snakes), good fishing and spectacular views. It would be worth the visit back if you ever get the chance.

I believe Lake Nocona was finished up in the late 50's or early 60's. They say that it is the 4th best bass fishing lake in Texas, so I'm sure it would be worth the trip back to check it out. :)

This last weekend hubby caught a big-ol'-bass that was right at 10lbs and I pulled in a 9lb drum and a few catfish just big enough to keep for dinner. Good times.

Posting a photo of hubbs and his catch. Keep in mind, he is a giant at 6'6 so that bass may not look 10lbs in his giant maws but it was, truthfully, just over that mark. He was like a kid on Christmas. Lol.

Great looking fish! One thing about Lake Nocona, it provides a beautiful background to show off what you catch! The sunrises and sunsets here are stunning. Thanks for the info and happy fishing!

Appreciate the Lake Nocona info, guys! I'm still fishing away and enjoying the process. Found a nice little spot on the NW side of the lake that brought us a few catfish, a couple small bass and a couple surprisingly large carp that thrilled my kids to death lol. Took me by surprise and almost ended up losing my pole to one of them. 😂

The waters are rough! For a small lake I have been surprised how big the "waves" get. Kids love to swim in them but it can make bank fishing a bit of a challenge.

Side note: we see snakes just about every time we go fishing. Cottonmouth and copperhead are plentiful here as well as other random water snakes. Be careful where you sit and watch your minnow buckets lol!

New to this forum and just getting back into fishing after many years away from it. We have been bank fishing and have caught a few smaller catfish but thus far have yet to find the right combo of gear and location to catch the bass and crappie we are after. Lol the turtles and snakes are plentiful here though so stay aware of your surroundings! I would love to hear any tips and tricks for any locals who have had luck with bank fishing here as well.

Good luck and have fun!