This evening’s trip was the sixth S.K.I.F.F. trip of 2011. S.K.I.F.F. (Soldiers’ Kids Involved in Fishing Fun) exists to take the children of deployed or deceased soldiers on fishing trips at no charge to the soldiers’ families. Below is my report to the membership of the Austin Fly Fishers and other SKIFF supporters …
Dear AFF and Friends of SKIFF,
This afternoon (in the middle of Texas schools’ Spring Break week) I was joined by Chief Warrant Officer Billy Brough (pronounced “bruff”) and his twin 7 year olds, Caitlyn and Cody. CW4 Brough is an Army aviator and flies the fixed wing C-12 aircraft. His wife, Major Angelique Brough is an Acquisition Corp officer currently serving in Afghanistan where she works in contracting for infrastructure projects (roads, buildings, etc.). MAJ Brough will return to the U.S. in April 2011. The Broughs are originally from southern California.
PHOTO REMOVED BY REQUEST
Described by their dad as “city slickers”, the kids clearly wanted little to do with holding their own white bass! The largest fish of the trip was the first one landed by Caitlyn; it measured 14.5 inches.
As we got started today, the winds were up pretty good and so we did a good bit of flatline trolling to cover ground until the evening bite began to kick in strongly. Over a 2 hour span, the kids boated 12 white bass and missed several others as we worked Storm Wiggle Wart crankbaits on various line lengths to get the lures in “the zone” where we saw suspended and bottom-hugging white bass. Our best action came along a circuit from Area 713 to Area 733. If I had a dime for each time Caitlyn asked if there was a fish biting on her lure as she watched her rod tip like a hawk, I’d have been able to afford a new Honda outboard by the end of the trip!!
Around 6pm, we moved to Area 100, a gentle mid-lake hump. We found a small, but willing, school of white bass congregated on the top of this feature and got to introduce the kids to the “smoking” technique. The fish initially responded well to this, but quickly cooled off again. We boated 7 white bass here and moved on, all on TNT 180 slabs in 3/8 oz.
Our final stop came at Area 103, a mid-lake breakline adjacent to the channel. As I ran sonar over this area, the bottom lit up with fish so I buoyed them and we went to work. We boated a total of 21 fish at this area using both a smoking technique and a lift-drop technique, all on TNT 180 slabs in 3/4 oz. used due to the deeper water and winds.
We finished up a few minutes before sunset by snapping photos while the light was still good and then hunkered down for a cool ride back to the boat ramp. Our tally today was exactly 40 fish caught and released.
Thank you all for your contribution to S.K.I.F.F.!!
Sincerely,
–Bob Maindelle
Today’s Conditions:
Start Time: 3:45p
End Time: 7:50p
Starting Air Temp: 69F
Water Surface Temp: 60.2F
Wind: S14
Skies: Mostly cloudy with a grey cast to the skies.