Fished a solo ~3 hour morning trip this morning on Belton as kind of an exploratory thing looking for fish other than where I typically find them this time of year. Despite the moist S. wind and overcast, there wasn’t much in the way of natural activity until a W. wind shift kicked in around 10:15.

Start Time: 7:05a


End Time: 10:45a


Air Temp: 51F at trip’s start, and warming to only 57 in the afternoon.


Water Surface Temp: ~59-60F

Wind: Winds were damp and southerly until around 10:15, then went around to the W. quite quickly and tapered up quickly as well.

Skies: Skies were grey and overcast.

Up until that time I’d been trying shallow (<12 foot depths) in the vicinity of Areas 409, 413, and 414 and had only come up with 2 crappie and 4 whites, with half of those fish coming on a "bonus rod" with live shad, and not on the artificials I'd hoped to catch them on. I noted bank fishermen doing well in even shallower water here on live shad fished on bottom, but didn't want to get too close and mess up their deal.

With just a limited amount of time to invest in this effort this morning, I left these areas around 10am and just cruised and observed. I spotted some bird activity in the distance and, as I approached, found 2 distinct groups of birds working — one over Area 415 and the other over Area 416. There was another boat beneath the area of greatest bird activity so I left it alone and fished Area 416 for a bit.

I then saw the other boat wasn’t taking cues from the birds and so got under them and worked the fish over with my flyrod. My rig consisted of a 6wt. rod, sink tip line and one of my #2 “Polished Chicken” flies. In less than 25 minutes I boated 19 fish on the fly including 2 keeper hybrids, one short hybrid, and 16 quality white bass, all right at 13 inches. During this 20 window of time the surface action waxed and waned but never died.

As the W. wind began to kick in a bit more and put a heavier chop on the water, the surface action stopped, but stong activity was still showing on sonar in the lower 1/3 of the water column. I slabbed up 6 more whites and one more barely short hybrid and called it a morning due to a prior commitment I needed to head to.

TALLY = 32 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