This past Saturday morning, September 24th, I fished a Fort Hood SKIES program trip with six-year-old Ayden Bouchee, accompanied by his mom, Amanda Bouchee.
Although we had to wade through about 19 catfish smaller than this one to find the lunker of the bunch, it was more than worth it. Ayden was super excited to catch a fish this big!!
This white bass went 13 7/8″ which is a pretty darn nice white bass for Belton Lake.
I divided this morning’s trip into three distinct parts. Due to the wind, part one consisted of downrigging for white bass because the surface chop was so great that no top water action was able to be seen, if it existed. Part two consisted of fishing for blue catfish with cut bait, and part three consisted of fishing for sunfish in shallow, cover-filled water.
Ayden was quite successful in all three of these pursuits, and by the time our trip came to a close, he had landed a total of 48 fish, including a 3.25 pound blue catfish which he took on cut bait under a slipfloat.
SKIES Unlimited stands for School of Knowledge, Inspiration, Exploration and Skills. SKIES Unlimited classes are open to children of active duty military personnel, retirees, Department of the Army civilians, and to Department of Defense contractors. To enroll in SKIES Unlimited activities, children must be registered with CYSS at Building 121 on 761st Tank Destroyer Avenue (right across from the Chili’s restaurant).
There is no charge for registration; parents must bring an ID that shows their affiliation with the military, the child’s shot records, and the report from a recent physical exam. While the SKIES Unlimited programs are not free, many military families are eligible for sizeable credits toward SKIES Unlimited activities. There is a $300 credit available to each child when their parent is deployed.
TALLY = 48 fish, all caught and released
TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:
Start Time: 6:45a
End Time: 10:45a
Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 76F
Water Surface Temp: 84.7F
Wind Speed & Direction: SSE12-13
Sky Conditions: 20% cloud cover on a fair sky.
Water Level: ~0.03 feet low. Lake is at full pool with only evaporative losses and no water being released.
GT = 0
AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:
**Area 018-1355 downrigging for white bass
**Area vic 1800 downrigging for white bass
**Area 085/1805 bluecat on cutbait
**Area 166 sunfish in shallow cover
Bob Maindelle
Owner, Holding the Line Guide Service
254.368.7411 (call or text)
Website:www.HoldingTheLineGuideService.com
E-mail:Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bobmaindelle