11 SEPTEMBER 2008






Stillhouse Hollow Fishing Report by Stillhouse Hollow Fishing Guide Bob Maindelle

Conditions:

Start Time: 6:45a

End Time: 12:30p

Air Temp: 74F at trip’s start, and 91 for the day’s high

Water Temp: 82.3F

Wind: Fair breeze from the ESE at 8-10 pre-dawn, then lightening up with skies clearing a bit, and wind slowly turning SE at ~8.

Skies: Heavy layer of low murky grey clouds until about 9:30 am, then mostly cloudy but bright the remainder of the day.


Fished a half-day morning trip today and found solid fishing at 2 distinct areas.

Just after (obscured) sunrise, I headed to Area 244 and found abundant gamefish concentrations feeding on a fair population of shad along the gentle breakline here in 22-26 feet of water. Early on, the catch consisted of all white bass, but as the morning went on, and the skies brightened, largemouth began to join in the mix. Near the end of the feeding window here (about 10:15am) I began to pick up drum feeding off bottom on the leftovers, along with a single small channel cat. I caught a total of 47 fish here, including 4 largemouth right at 17 inches and ~3+ pounds, 5 smaller largemouth, 8 drum, 1 channel cat, and 27 white bass. There was only occasional, short bursts of feeding activity, and only from largemouth grouped in small wolfpacks of 2-4 fish each. The heaviest feed on top seemed to take place right before the fish here quit for good. No surface feeding whites were seen all day. All fish came on the silver ¼ oz. slab. Most whites were smallish, going 8-10 inches, with just a few at 11 inches. Tally on departure here was 47 fish.

At around 10:45, I headed to Area 45. I graphed solid concentrations of white bass schooled on and just off bottom, and schools of bait in the vicinity from 27 to 32 feet deep on this gently sloped area. I used the silver ¼ oz. slab and a bladebait to keep the fish enthused for nearly 2 hours. At first they aggressively chased the spoon, but then grew less and less active. When I couldn’t get a bite any longer, I switched over to the blade and they perked right back up again, often chasing it to within 6-7 feet of the surface if they didn’t get hooked first. When things get a little quiet, I ‘d cast out long and work the blade back lift-drop style and in so doing, draw fish back in right under the boat where I could again use sonar to gauge their response. Tally here was 3 largemouth (all keepers), 3 drum, and 31 white bass, for a tally of 37 fish out of this area. The white bass here were a full year class larger than I caught earlier in the morning, with all fish going at least 11-12 inches, and several surpassing 14 inches.

TALLY = 84 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








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