Belton Lake Fishing Report by Lake Belton Fishing Guide Bob Maindelle

Fish two half-day trips today. The report for each is listed separately.

Morning trip conditions:

Trip duration: 5:20a to 1:15p

Air temp: 68F at launch time

Surface temp: 76-79F

Wind: Very light SE breeze at first light followed by flat calm for a majority of the morning trip. Fair skies, becoming lightly overcast with high thin clouds by day’s end. At and after sunset, some thunderstorms developed in Coryell and Burnett Counties with the grey skies, light sprinkles, and lightning reaching Belton Lake.

Arrived at Ramp Area 166 at 5:20a and found shad much less abundant than over the past 2 weeks. Spent about 45 minutes to net 40 shad of all sizes in the vicinity of Area 166.

With the Waechert and Woodard party of 3 on board by 6:30am, we headed out. First stop, due to lack of any topwater action, was a slow drift from ESE to WNW from the vicinity of Area 46 to the vicinity of Area 84 with live shad. We picked up a few white bass and lost 2 hybrids. There were other boats in the area and they were managing about the same.

As we drifted just E. of Area 84, the bottom 4-5 feet of the water column lit up with fish on bottom in 31-34 feet. We buoyed here and had Keith work live bait while I had Marcus and Brittany work with slabs. Brittany (in her early 20’s) caught the very first fish of her life here!! We managed to bring the tally to 21 before we departed this area.

We then headed to Area 155 and found white bass loosely schooled and patrolling in and around this area, specifically, just S. of the spine. As we first arrived, I had Marcus and Brittany drop live bait down shooting for the larger, faster hybrids and/or larger whites which typically respond first. Keith worked the slab. We managed 13 fish in this area, but it was pretty slow and no hybrids showing.

We made one final move to Area 151/152 and did better here in this deeper water. Whites were schooled and small pods of hybrids were suspended and on bottom. Everyone got a keeper hybrid here and we landed several smaller ones as well primarily on larger live shad, and the white bass responded well to the slab. We also picked up a drum and a nice blue cat here as well. We brought in a total of 26 fish here and, with the heat increasing and the wind offering no hope of increasing any time soon, we called it a day.

All in all we did pretty well given the flat, bright, hot conditions.

Made a run to Area 167 for shad after the trip concluded. Got 3-6 shad per throw in 18-22 feet of water here, and the shad were consistent in their size, all about 3.75 inches, and almost all threadfins. Left with ~65 shad.

TALLY = 60 FISH, all caught and released, with exception of 1 blue catfish

Bob Maindelle, Owner Holding The Line Guide Service and Kids Fish, Too! Stillhouse Hollow Fishing Guide, Belton Lake Fishing Guide, Lake Georgetown Fishing Guide, Walter E. Long (Decker) Lake Fishing Guide. Offering Salado Fishing, Killeen Fishing and Ft. Hood Fishing