Pistachio Surprise! — SKIFF Trip #2014-13

This morning I conducted the 13th SKIFF trip of the 2014 season by welcoming aboard Michael and Alton Simpson.  SKIFF (Soldiers’ Kids Involved in Fishing Fun) trips are provided free of charge to families whose children are separated from a parent due to that parent’s military service thanks to the Austin Fly Fishers and a network of supportive individuals from all over the U.S.  All it takes is a phone call from a parent to me at 254-368-7411 to reserve a date.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

A combination of downrigging and vertical jigging put 28 white bass like these in the boat for Michael and Alton Simpson this morning.  The pair also landed over 2 dozen sunfish.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The Simpson Family, with a surprise appearance by dad!

Michael (age 13) and Alton (age 10) are the oldest of the 4 sons of U.S. Army Captain Michael Simpson Sr. and Mrs. Miranda Simpson (a U.S. Army veteran).  CPT Simpson is currently assigned as the company commander of H Company (a Forward Support Company), 3-8 Cavalry.  Combat companies must regularly go to “gunnery” to qualify on the weapons systems they go to battle with (tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, etc.) and CPT Simpson’s company had been pulled away from home supporting such an effort in the training area surrounding Ft. Hood.  We scheduled this trip during his field time, but, when a water main broke on Fort Hood, troops were called in from the field early.  So, the boys had a nice surprise waiting for them when their dad was at the boat ramp waiting on them to see them and their catch of the day as our trip concluded this morning!

We fished in a constant drizzle today under grey, rain-cooled skies.  The north winds of yesterday really turned the fish off, so, the fish were overdue for a feed this morning as the winds returned from the south.

I wanted to provided some instant results, especially for Alton who is younger, so, we went up shallow and hit the hydrilla beds for sunfish right at (obscured) sunrise and fished them for about an hour, putting exactly 20 sunfish in the boat, including bluegill, longears, and green sunfish.

Afterward, I headed to deep, open water to search for white bass.  We found a loosely schooled concentration of fish on a breakline and downrigged with a pair of 3-armed umbrella rigs set at 22-26 feet deep.  On our first pass, Michael hooked a triple and Alton a double — 5 fish came in the boat in just a matter of seconds and the boys were really excited!  We continued catching fish on pass after pass, putting a total of 28 white bass in the boat for our efforts.  At one point I identified a more coalesced school of white bass near bottom and buoyed them so as to hover over top of them and work slabs through them.  This produced 7 of these 28 white bass in short order before that school dispersed.

By request from Alton, we closed the trip at yet another hydrilla bed fishing for sunfish once again before heading in to meet the rest of the family as our trip came to a close.

As we got ready to go from one area to another, Alton, who had been snacking regularly (actually, continuously) during the trip just out of the blue held out a pistachio and offered it to me.  Since he had already eaten several oatmeal cream cookies, several bags of pistachios, several bags of fruit chews, and at least one bottle of Gatorade, I thought it curious that he would only now offer me one pistachio.  So, being a bit suspicious, I asked if it had dropped on the deck or if anything was wrong with it.  Alton said it was “okay”.  Under his breath, as if to warm me, Michael said, “I wouldn’t trust him.”  I accepted the gift-pistachio anyway and found it both nutritious and delicious.

For our efforts today we boated 57 fish.

TALLY = 57 FISH

 

CLICK TO RETURN TO FISHING GUIDE’S HOME PAGE

CLICK TO RETURN TO FISHING GUIDE’S FACEBOOK PAGE

 

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 6:15am

End Time:  10:30am

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start:  74F

Water Surface Temp:  84.6

Wind Speed & Direction:  S7-9

Sky Conditions:  100% heavy grey skies and spitting drizzle the entire trip

Other: GT=0

 

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

**Area   231 Sunfish on slipfloats

**Area  882/866/863 White bass on downriggers and via smoking slabs

**Area 200 Sunfish on slipfloats

 

Bob Maindelle

Owner, Holding the Line Guide Service

254.368.7411 (call or text)

Salado, TX

www.HoldingTheLineGuideService.com