Stillhouse Hollow Fishing Report by Stillhouse Hollow Fishing Guide Bob Maindelle
Conditions:
Start Time: 8:00a
End Time: 11:45a
Air Temp: 68F at trip’s start, only warming to 76 due to heavy cloud cover and rain.
Water Temp: 74 to 75F
Wind: Winds were steady from the SE at 7-9 the entire trip
Skies: Skies were heavy grey the entire trip. Rain fell lightly from the start of the trip through about 8:30a. Light mist occurred from time to time over the entirety of the trip.
Fished a half day morning trip today and found fish at 3 distinct locations.
As first light came, heavy topwater feeding began at and all around Area 160 to Area 205. At any given time 5-6 large schools (with perhaps one hundred fish per school) could be seen pushing shad to and across the surface. When rain fell heavily, the fish sounded; when the rain let up to a mist or stopped, the fish reappeared and fed with vigor. These fish responded well to a Cork Rig presentation. I landed 33 fish through 9:10a. The fish definitely migrated from shallow to deep (WNW to ESE) as the morning progressed.
Once the topwater was over, I downrigged in the same general vicinity and into deeper water to the SE hoping to encounter these large schools of white bass on sonar in order to slab them, but they proved to be elusive. Over the next 35 minutes or so, I managed only 4 more white bass and 2 largemouth on dual downriggers, with no large schools showing on electronics.
Next, I moved from 20-30 foot waters out to 30-40 foot waters. At Area 258 I encountered abundant gamefish stacked at 36-41 feet just back from the greatest slope in this area. I stayed on fish here, both largemouth and white bass, for nearly two hours, landing a total of 19 fish, including a 4.5 pound largemouth, several 3 pound largemouth, and several white bass in excess of 15 inches. At no time did the fish become really aggressive, and the fish came one at a time. Silver slabs, white slabs, and a ¾ oz. blade used in combination, all accounted for equal numbers of fish.
Near trip’s end, I visited another similar feature in the 40 foot range, Area 249, and found the top of the feature devoid of fish, but did consistently mark gamefish on the channel side of the feature, and bait on the side of the feature opposite the channel. I just spent a few minutes here and quickly boated 2 short largemouth, with sonar revealing more of the same both on bottom and suspend in the bottom 1/3 of the water column.
TALLY = 58 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