Stillhouse Hollow Fishing Report by Stillhouse Hollow Fishing Guide Bob Maindelle

Conditions:

Start Time: 6:00a

End Time: 8:05a

Air Temp: 71F pre-dawn climbing to 92 by day’s end

Water Temp: 78.6F

Wind: S at 15 pre-dawn, building to 18 by trips end, and occasionally gusting to 28+ for later in the day (the first in a string of 3 very windy, dry days).

Skies: 10-20% white cloud cover the entire trip

Fished a quick morning scouting trip after having spent more time on Belton Lake than on Stillhouse lately. I headed first to Area 173 to see if the topwater action there was holding up, and it was! The first school of white bass mixed with small black bass broke the surface at 6:15 (actually unusually early) and fed for only about 20-25 minutes. Within 10 minutes after sunrise, they were done. Both species continued to remain in the area, and continued feeding, but not on the surface. I caught 34 fish with a popping cork and streamer up through 7:10. After that, all that remained active was juvenile black bass in shallow water.

I moved on over to between Area 177 and the shoreline and found a mix of whites and black feeding aggressively here. I continued fishing with the popping cork rig and managed another 10 fish here before they, too began to taper off.

I moved out to the breakline at Area 177, found fish holding on it, and slabbed up 3 large drum and four 11 to 12 inch white bass, all on a lift-drop technique. Once I established that a congregation of fish was there, I moved on.

I hit Areas 176 and 186 with sonar only and found what I guessed to be scattered small whites on and within 3 feet of bottom on the breakline over the entire length of the feature. Made a mental note of that and moved on.

Quickly hit the expanse between Area 135 and 148 and found much the same appearing on sonar as I say at 176/186. I dropped a slab down and immediately came up with a keeper schoolie white bass. Satisfied that I could put clients on fish for two trips later in the week, I packed up and headed home.

TALLY = 52 FISH, all caught and released

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