Captain
Mike Mathias

Member since August 2020 Kingston, United States
Background
2022 Texoma Striper Challenge, winner, Captain Mike has fished his whole life. Pond & river fishing Okla. as a kid led to big lake & deep gulf fishing out of Texas, Florida, and Louisiana. He was born and raised in Shawnee, Ok.
Techniques
Captain Mike hunts trophy sized Texoma Striper 2-3 feet long or bigger. He trolls along the channels, near under water structures, and cliffs and enjoys the nature while waiting for one of these huge fishes to bite. If the top-water bite lights up he'll stop trolling, and cast or drift live or cut bait. When the season and weather permit so, he likes to check and bait a handful of catfish jugs on the way out, and once more on the way in. Several Blue Catfish have been boated that weighed over fifty pounds, a few twenty pound flat head catfish. If eater sized fish are pulled in, he will clean them for you when he cleans the rest of the haul.

Hey, I'm Captain Mike Mathias

Kingston, United States
Background
2022 Texoma Striper Challenge, winner, Captain Mike has fished his whole life. Pond & river fishing Okla. as a kid led to big lake & deep gulf fishing out of Texas, Florida, and Louisiana. He was born and raised in Shawnee, Ok.
Techniques
Captain Mike hunts trophy sized Texoma Striper 2-3 feet long or bigger. He trolls along the channels, near under water structures, and cliffs and enjoys the nature while waiting for one of these huge fishes to bite. If the top-water bite lights up he'll stop trolling, and cast or drift live or cut bait. When the season and weather permit so, he likes to check and bait a handful of catfish jugs on the way out, and once more on the way in. Several Blue Catfish have been boated that weighed over fifty pounds, a few twenty pound flat head catfish. If eater sized fish are pulled in, he will clean them for you when he cleans the rest of the haul.

My Charter Listing

Excellent
4.7 / 5
(98 reviews)
Kingston
 Last booking: 6 days ago
 Instant Confirmation
Trips from US $275

Fishing Reports

**READ BEFORE BOOKING** (what to expect)
**READ BEFORE BOOKING** (what to expect)
Sep 19, 2024 Kingston
Regular "Guided" Striped Bass fishing and "Trophy" Striped Bass fishing are two completely different kinds of fishing and produce vastly different outcomes. Regular striped bass guides use live shad or jigs/spoons, and fish straight down over schools of fish ranging from 8 to 20 inches long. Occasionally, they catch a striper over 30 inches long, but they almost allways catch eight or ten fish per person, and usually you are done fishing, and off the lake in two hours or less because you can only keep ten fish per person. Of the ten fish per person you can keep, 2 of them can be over twenty (20) inches long. Those two fish per person are the ones we are after, but due to the size of our baits, usually 24 or 25 inches is the smallest striper we catch. A thirty (30) inch striped bass is considered "Trophy Class," and those are what we are really after. In the fall and winter, we catch one or two stripers over 30 inches a week. In the Spring its sometimes three or four a week. The point is, we dont catch a trophy every single day. If we did, they wouldn't really be trophies. If you want to come catch a bunch of fish and have a small chance at catching a trophy striper, book a different guide. If you want to catch a wallhanger or a couple of fish over two feet long, we are your guide service. If you notice my reviews, you'll see a few negative ones. These are people who did NOT read the trip description and came out expecting to catch a ten fish limit of little fish, or who did not consider weather, or seasonal timing, or that if you go BIG sometimes you gotta take the miss. And try again another day. It's like hunting deer. Some hunts ate about harvesting does for meat. Those are the limit trips other guides offer. Some hunts are about that prize, and how glorious that buck's rack will look on the wall. On those hunts, you might sight down a few spikes,a 6 pointer, and even pass on that 8. But if you keep trying, you get your shot at that 14-point atypical... Like I said, we catch one or two "Trophy Class" striper a week from October thru January, and then Feb thru July, we catch three or four a week. August and September, the water temp is so warm that the bigs stay deeper and are far harder to catch. It's not easy to catch the bigger fish, to begin with. The baits are huge and expensive, and the terrain we fish over is rocky and hard on gear. When we troll, the motor is always running, burning fuel. So when you want to catch a couple big ass fish, book us. If you want to catch a bunch of fish in a few hours, book someone else. Fishingbooker has plenty of top-notch options. Just dont come fishing with us, and be mad that we didn't catch a bunch of fish. Our company is Big Fish Texoma Our motto is We Don't Fish for Smalls! Hope to see you soon, Captain Mike
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May to Aug. 2024, a recap of some of the
May to Aug. 2024, a recap of some of the
Aug 23, 2024 Kingston
As I've said all year, this Summer has been mild, at least on Lake Texoma, and the fish in it. Usually the water surface reaches 90+ degrees and stays well in the 80s even at night, but this year it has been much cooler. Just yesterday, the water temp was 83.5 degrees at mid day. On the lake, even though it was in the 100s last week, and already dropping to the lower 90s for the next ten or so days, we stay cool by constantly moving. Obviously we are moving when we are trolling, but after we find a pile of fish, and make a few passes through them, we have to relocate and let them settle before we can hit them again. My favorite spots are fairly close together, but far enough apart that my Mercury 300hp can put us in the wind to cool off as we change locations. As we roll into Sept, the fishing gets even better, the big striper are all fat on the giant shad they've been feeding on, and they love the cooler weather. The trolling bite stays live deep into December, and even then, if you can dress for it, "Dead Sticking" for monster stripers is amazingly fun and productive in the coldest months. September, October, November, into December is prime TROPHY time. This year, they should be bigger than ever. As you can see in these pictures of fish, all caught by us or our clients, between May 2024 and Aug 22, 2024, we've managed to put more than a few trophies in the boat, during these recent months, when it is boiling outside and the struggle is real. I can only imagine what this fall will bring. Just the other day a client's grandson caught a 39lbs Blue Catfish trolling a massive swim bait we use for striper. Only 3 times in my thirteen years guiding here, has a catfish bitten one of those swim baits. Our gear was tested to its limits, but survived. Except for the net, which folded over from the weight of the fish. Three days before that, we pulled in a four-and-a-half-foot-long spotted gar on a catfish jugline. Not to mention the four striped bass over thirty inches, the longest being thirty four (34") we have sent to the taxidermist in just the last three weeks. And did I say the fishing is getting better as the heat dies away? Look at our calendar and find a spot over the next few months and come treat yourself to amazing trophy striper fishing, on an amazing lake that sits just two hours from DFW and OKC and is surrounded by casino resorts like West Bay, Lakecrest, and Caney Creek. And with 5 star Winstar and Choctaw Casino Resorts only a half hour from my dock... Around here, there isn't much better to do. Book a trip and come see us.
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Summer Trophy Fishing on Lake Texoma
Summer Trophy Fishing on Lake Texoma
Jul 1, 2024 Kingston
Lots of people come to this massive lake, not knowing what to expect. Most guides here can put you on a ten fish limit in a couple hours, but that is NOT what we do. Of the ten fish you can keep each day, only two of them can be over twenty inches long. Those are the fish we are after, at least where they start. I want a thirty incher or two even a thirty six incher, in the boat. Thirty inches is a Trophy Class fish, and if we could catch one that size every single day, they wouldn't be trophies, thay'd be daily average size fish. Im a serious trophy fisherman, our motto is: "We dont fish for smalls." When you go trophy fishing with huge baits, you either catch or you dont. There isn't much middle ground. Hunters get it. You sit in your stand, pass on does, and six pointers because you are after that TROPHY. Hunting huge striped bass isn't much different, other than you dont get to choose which ones to harvest. The fish either eat the bait or they don't. It may take two or three trips, to get your thirty plus inch trophy on the line, but we put two or three a week in the boat, and in the Summer, successful timing boils down to sheer luck. And the angler paying attention to our reports. In July and August, the evening trip is better for bigger striper. The mornings trips are fun, but the big ones are less likely to bite. And since we dont fish for smalls, Summer mornings are sometimes unproductive. We have been consistent for over a decade, and we can back it up with our own trophy mounts and tournament wins. If you are serious about catching a trophy, plan a trip that gives you the most opportunity for success. Holiday weekends, Saturdays and Sundays in the warmer months, the lake is crowded. It is harder to find big fish. That doesn't mean we don't catch them every now and then, but it means we don't have to troll around SeaDoos, Tubers, wake boarders, and speed boaters, etc... to do it. We troll 4 lines at a time. It doesn't matter if there are 2 people in the boat or 7 people. The 4 lines will catch the same amount of fish, no matter how many people are in the boat. There are 300+ other striper guides on Lake Texoma, most of them will put you on a ten fish limit in a few hours. If you are not interested in catching quality over quantity, call them. If you look at the few negative reviews we have gotten, they are all because the angler didn't read that we wull go after bigs, the full duration of the trip, mainly because the latter part of the trip is when the big fish are MOST LIKELY to bite! Seriously, We are called Big Fish Texoma And our motto is: We dont fish for smalls. Thanks, Captain Mike
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Customer reviews

Rating summary
Excellent
4.7 / 5
out of 5 stars from 98 reviews
Boat
Excellent
4.7 / 5
Crew
Excellent
4.8 / 5
Experience
Excellent
4.6 / 5
Photos & videos by reviewers (122)
Captain Mike and Monster Striper - Lake Texoma
Captain Mike and Monster Striper - Lake Texoma
Captain Mike and Monster Striper - Lake Texoma
+119
Angler rating
80
8
4
4
1
Anglers claimed
Good experience
91%
Friendly captain
100%
Recommend this charter
87%
Appropriate for children
97%
Satisfied with the boat
100%
Caught fish
82%
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Showing:
5 of 98 reviews
Cynthia M.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Lucky Lake Texoma

VERIFIED   4hr Luxury striper troll (2ppl min) on March 29, 2025
Mike was very nice and welcoming. What seemed to start off as reel wash ended up with a nice size catch. So much so we didnโ€™t...
Cynthia M. recommends Big Fish Texoma
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Cynthia M. recommends Big Fish Texoma
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Gaylen S.
Excellent
4.7 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Very good
4.0 / 5
Overall

Great captain

VERIFIED   NEW  6hr Striper/Catfish Jug Combo 2ppl on June 21, 2025
Our Captain Mike did all he could do and made our day a great day.
Gaylen S. recommends Big Fish Texoma
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Gaylen S. recommends Big Fish Texoma
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FishingBooker Member
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Fishing with Mike

4hr Luxury striper troll (2ppl min) on September 21, 2024
Captain Mike knows where the fish are!ย  He took us straight to the honey hole and we caught our limit and then some (released...
FishingBooker Member recommends Big Fish Texoma
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FishingBooker Member recommends Big Fish Texoma
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Matthew B.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

5 star review experience

VERIFIED   4hr PM Luxury Sunset striper troll on August 1, 2024
One of the best guides I have been out with.ย  Highly recommend to anyone who is wanting to catch big Stripers.ย  5 star all...
Matthew B. recommends Big Fish Texoma
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Matthew B. recommends Big Fish Texoma
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Jeremy R.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great day of fishing!

VERIFIED   6hr Luxury Striper Troll (min 2ppl) on July 27, 2024
Just like the description says, Capt Mike goes after the big ones and we were not disappointed! My son and I had a blast reeling...
Jeremy R. recommends Big Fish Texoma
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Jeremy R. recommends Big Fish Texoma
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