Catfish Capital of Texas (West Tawakoni)

Lake Tawakoni (about an hour’s drive from Dallas in north Texas) has good fishing, not just for catfish but also for striped bass, white bass, and large-mouth bass.
 
In 2001, the Texas Legislature declared West Tawakoni “Catfish Capital of Texas.” Who would know better places to go fishing than Texas legislators?
 
   
Lake Tawakoni Visitors Guide
Lake Tawakoni is a popular boating and fishing lake about an hour’s drive east of Dallas and 7 miles east of Quinlan, Texas.  Lake Tawakoni has 36,700 acres of surface area and approximately 200 miles of shore line which offers a lot in recreational activities.  It has become a popular lake for swimming, boating, waterskiing, jet skiing, fishing, picnicking, duck hunting, and more.  It is also a good lake for summer lake homes along the shore.
 
Lake Tawakoni is known as the “Catfish Capital of Texas”, but good to great fishing also includes striped bass, white bass, large-mouth bass, hybrid bass, sandbass and crappie.  The average hybrid on Tawakoni weighs about 7 to 8 pounds.  Lake Tawakoni’s record for striper bass is 22.25 lbs. 
   
Fishing Lake Tawakoni (TX Parks and Wildlife)
Catfishing is one of Lake Tawakoni’s sure bets. Anglers use a range of baits including cut bait, shrimp, liver, stink baits and earthworms. Techniques include drift fishing, bank fishing, and trotlining. Largemouth bass anglers should concentrate their efforts around available cover such as piers, boat houses, vegetation and trees along the shoreline. Peak times for fishing include spring for spawning fish and fall for schooling fish. Spawning fish are frequently caught using spinnerbaits, plastic worms, and jigs. Schooling fish can be caught using crankbaits, spinnerbaits and topwater lures.

In spring and summer, surfacing schools of striped bass, hybrid stripers and white bass can be caught using slabs, spoons, shad-bodied grubs, and topwater baits. Seagulls are attracted when schooling fish chase bait fish to the surface. Early morning, dusk, and overcast days are good times to find these schooling fish. When there is no surface activity, anglers should try vertical jigging slabs or spoons off the bottom or trolling major points using lipless crankbaits, sassy shads and roadrunners. In addition, live shad are used by many anglers to catch hybrids and stripers. Crappie fishing is often concentrated near bridge pilings, submerged trees and brush piles in late spring and fall.

Official Capital Designations - Texas State Library
Catfish Capital of Texas
West Tawakoni
House Concurrent Resolution No. 74, 77th Legislature, Regular Session (2001)
   
Texas Legislature
H.C.R. No. 74

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The city of West Tawakoni in Hunt County is a vibrant community that is renowned as a center for tourism for its proximity to Lake Tawakoni, which is home to some of the state’s best fishing; and
 
WHEREAS, Located approximately 50 miles east of Dallas, Lake Tawakoni is one of the largest bodies of water found entirely within the Lone Star State’s borders, with its 200-mile-long shoreline spread across portions of three counties; and
 
WHEREAS, Many enormous catfish, some weighing in excess of 100 pounds, have been reeled in at Lake Tawakoni, making it a prime destination for fishermen, and the lake’s unspoiled beauty, immense size, and innate charm draw numerous other water and outdoor enthusiasts; and

WHEREAS, With a population of approximately 930 people, the city of West Tawakoni is preparing to hold an inaugural catfish festival in April 2001, and organizers of the event are planning to turn the festival into an annual tradition; and

WHEREAS, Catfish fishing has become synonymous with a trip to West Tawakoni, and it is fitting that this community be formally recognized for its most precious natural resource at this time; now, therefore, be it
 
RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby declare West Tawakoni the Official Catfish Capital of Texas and encourage all Texans to discover this charming community.
 
Trophy Catfishing Guide on Lake Tawakoni
Little D’s Trophy Catfish Guide Service
Blue Cat, Channel Cat, Sandbass, and Striper
800.269.7227
Trophy Catfishing with David Hanson on Lake Tawakoni, East Texas

If you are looking for an unforgettable day of fishing for monster trophy catfish with one of the top trophy catfish guides in Texas, then look no further than David Hanson and Little D’s Guide Service on Lake Tawakoni. David knows Lake Tawakoni catfish like no one else, so be prepared to catch the biggest blues you’ve ever seen in your life.

David has been featured several times on KDFW-TV’s Texas Adventures news segment by Richard Ray. When David got the chance to take him out on Lake Tawakoni, Ray caught his biggest freshwater fish ever – a 32-pound trophy blue catfish.