Striper Lures for Lake Texoma
Updated November 3, 2026
Swimbaits, slab spoons and topwater plugs cover different parts of the water column. Choose your lure around the depth of the stripers, the size of the shad and how actively the fish are feeding. This guide brings the rigging and retrieve details together so you can change presentations without searching through separate articles.
Choose the Presentation Before the Color
Find the depth of the fish before choosing a lure. A surface plug serves a different purpose from a spoon dropped to a school beneath the boat. Match the size of the baitfish, get the lure to the right depth, then experiment with retrieve speed and color. If the fish stop responding, check whether the school has moved before changing everything in your tackle box.
Swimbaits: Size, Jig Heads and Retrieves
Paddle-tail swimbaits and Sassy Shad-style bodies can be cast toward feeding fish or counted down to suspended schools. Carry more than one size. Start with a four-inch body and carry smaller or larger options, from three to six inches, to suit the baitfish present. Match the forage you see rather than assuming a larger lure always catches a larger fish.
Pick a Jig Head That Holds the Right Depth
A selection of 1/2-, 3/4-, 1-, 1.5- and 2-ounce jig heads gives you options for different conditions. Depth, wind and retrieve speed determine which weight is useful. A lighter head lets you work shallow water without dropping immediately to the bottom. Increase weight when you cannot keep the lure at the depth of the fish. Use a sharp, strong hook suited to the soft-plastic body.
White, pearl, silver and shad patterns are starting options. Chartreuse and other brighter colors give you another choice in stained water or low light. Keep size, depth and retrieve in mind before deciding color is the problem.
Slow-Roll, Count Down or Lift and Drop
- Slow-roll: use a steady retrieve that keeps the paddle tail moving. Steve’s spring tips emphasize slowing down when the water is still cold.
- Count down: allow the bait to sink toward the depth shown on your electronics before starting the retrieve.
- Lift and drop: use controlled lifts and pauses around deeper fish or structure, watching for a bite as the lure falls.
Adjust the retrieve to the response of the fish. Do not use the same fast retrieve for every season or water temperature.
Slab Spoons: Vertical Jigging and Casting
A slab spoon is a compact, weighted baitfish imitation that reaches deeper schools quickly. One-, 1.5- and 1.75-ounce spoons provide starting options, with heavier choices available for greater depth or wind. Carry a range rather than treating one weight as right for every situation. Chartreuse, glow white and silver are useful color options.
Vertical Jigging
- Locate the fish and lower the spoon to their depth. Do not automatically fish the bottom when the school is suspended above it.
- Begin with a short lift, then follow the spoon down with the rod so you can detect a bite.
- Work through the depth of the school. Note how much line you retrieve between lifts so you can repeat a productive depth.
- Try a slower, smaller movement when fish will not chase. Increase the lift or cadence when the fish respond to a more active presentation.
Watch the line during the fall. A bite can be easy to miss if loose line prevents you from feeling the lure.
Yo-Yo, Rip-Jig or Cast
For suspended fish, drop the spoon, retrieve several turns and let it fall again within the depth you are targeting. A rip-jig uses a sharper rod lift followed by a controlled drop. When fish are spread out, cast away from the boat and work the spoon back with lifts and falls. Bottom-bouncing is another option where the bottom allows it, but keep the presentation near the fish rather than dragging blindly.
Inspect the hook point between fish. Bucktail or flash dressing on the hook is an optional variation, not a substitute for depth control.
Topwater Plugs and Wake Baits
Surface activity, visible shad and diving birds are better reasons to pick up a topwater lure than a date on the calendar. In late summer and fall, look for this activity around sandy shorelines, shallow flats, main-lake points and banks holding bait, particularly early in the day.
Approach shallow feeding areas quietly. Sunrise is a useful starting window, with late-day or overcast conditions offering other opportunities. Avoid treating a single start time as a guarantee that the bite will begin or end on schedule.
Work the Plug, Then Adjust
Walking plugs such as a Super Spook and pencil-style poppers are examples from Steve’s tips. Try a walk-the-dog cadence, rhythmic sweeps, or a pause-and-twitch retrieve. Increase the pace when fish are actively chasing, or pause when a slower presentation gets a response. Wake baits offer a different near-surface presentation.
When the surface bite ends, check below it. A swimbait or slab spoon may reach fish that are no longer feeding on top. Move to the depth you can find rather than continuing to cast a surface plug at empty water.
Cold-Water Deadsticking With Flukes
Deadsticking uses a soft-plastic fluke held quietly at the depth of marked fish. Rig the body straight on the jig head and bait keeper, with the hook point exposed and the lure hanging level. Lower it beneath the boat and let the water provide the movement instead of repeatedly working the rod.
Control the drift or hold position with the trolling motor so the lure stays in the intended depth range. Choose enough jig-head weight to maintain that presentation. Carry both three- and five-inch flukes because fish may respond differently to each size. Watch and feel for light pressure rather than expecting every bite to be a hard strike.
Umbrella Rigs, Flutter Spoons and Tail Spinners
Umbrella and Alabama rigs: both present several baitfish imitations together. Heavier umbrella rigs are used for trolling; lighter casting rigs are retrieved with suitable tackle. For trolling depth, use the specific rig manufacturer’s guidance for weight, boat speed and line distance. Check current fishing regulations for your setup.
Flutter spoons: their wider falling action offers an alternative around suspended fish and bait schools. Keep track of the lure as it falls rather than losing contact with it.
Tail spinners: combine a compact body with a spinning blade, giving you another flash-and-vibration option when covering water.
Plan Your Lake Texoma Trip
For broader seasonal planning, see Best Time to Catch Striped Bass on Lake Texoma. For shad care and bait rigs, use the Live Bait Fishing guide.
See current trip rates or contact Steve Buckley to discuss a guided trip.