This morning I was joined by Levi (age 13) and Cole (age 10) Hordnes of Ocalla, TX. They were accompanied by Caleb Nicholson of Moody as their chaperone.
Levi shows one of the white bass he caught on a “slab” spoon out of 29 feet of water.
Cole shows one of the white bass he caught on the downriggers set just above the thermocline.
Levi and Cole are separated by the miles from their father who is currently with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in South Carolina. The boys are homeschooled by their mom, Terri, and live on a bit of acreage outside Fort Hood where they raise dogs, cats, chickens, and sheep. They have a small, intermittent stream on their property which hosts mainly gar, but that has been dry more than wet in the recent past, so, they welcomed the opportunity to actually wet their lines today. The boys take every opportunity to fish and have both recently completed their hunter education courses at the TPWD Game Warden Academy in Star, TX.
Fishing was hindered a bit today by the lack of wind we experienced. The fish only turned on for about 40 minutes over the entire 4 hours we were out, and that was during a brief wind spike up to about 10mph which came and went.
We caught fish consistently, but, they just weren’t “on fire” as they can be with the right conditions.
We began downrigging around Area 040, threw for some surface feeders around Area 250, then downrigged and jigged around Area 070. Area 070, which contains a breakline in 28-33 feet of water, produced most of our fish, as that is where we were positioned when the winds finally picked up.
By the time 11am rolled around, we’d boated 55 fish, including 3 largemouth bass, 7 freshwater drum, and 45 white bass.
From time to time I ask the kids who come on these SKIFF trips if the trip wound up being like they thought it would be. Most anticipate lots of waiting for a bobber to go down as their experience (if any) has been as a shore-bound angler. Cole and Levi told me the trip was very different from what they expected, but “even funner”.
This SKIFF (Soldiers’ Kids Involved in Fishing Fun) trip was made possible by the Austin Fly Fishers’ donations and fund-raising efforts, as well as through the assistance and support of an increasing network of caring people known collectively as “Friends of SKIFF”. Thank you, one and all.
TALLY = 88 FISH, all caught and released
Get my fishing reports sent to your Facebook page
TODAY’S CONDITIONS:
Start Time: 6:45a
End Time: 11:00a
Air Temp: 79F at trip’s start.
Water Surface Temp: 87.0F
Wind: Winds were SSW2 at sunrise, staying under 4-5 mph for all but a 40 minute spike around 9am.
Skies: Cloudless fair sky with increasing haze due to Saharan dust.
Bob Maindelle
Holding the Line Guide Service
254-368-7411
www.HoldingTheLineGuideService.com
Salado, Texas