This past Saturday morning I fished with husband and wife team David and Kay Tuel of Waco. Although the Tuels live and work in Waco, they have a getaway condo in Morgan’s Point and spent the night there before joining me on the boat at 7 AM.

 

Kay and Dave Tuel of Waco spent part of their Easter weekend fishing on Lake Belton where there were plenty of white bass and hybrid striped bass to go around…

…so many, in fact, that Kay caught ’em two at a time!!
Despite the high and dirty water, the threadfin shad spawn has continued quite reliably, thus allowing for a “one and done” affair where more than enough shad for an entire day’s fishing can be had in a single net throw.

With ample bait on board, we started our trip where yesterday’s trip ended, and this area served us well for the first hour and 45 minutes, giving up the majority of the hybrid striped bass we would land on this trip.

Once again, in order to reduce the number of white bass caught on heavier gear intended for hybrid striper, we had to keep our baits up high. We also found that using large cut baits tended to select for hybrid striper as well.

Over the first three hours of the trip we landed a total of 62 fish including a mix of legal-sized hybrid striper, white bass, and largemouth bass. Because the Tuels had to leave town in order to join their adult kids in Houston for the Easter celebration, we needed to wrap up no later than 11:30 AM. For variety’s sake, I suggested we dedicate our final 45 minutes or so specifically in pursuit of white bass using the spinning tackle more appropriate for that size of fish.

In the closing chapter of our trip, we put an additional 33 fish in the boat in very short order, consisting of one, two, and three year class white bass, as well as two freshwater drum.

We closed out our morning’s effort with exactly 95 fish landed.  Near the end of our trip, Kay told a story about pulling the leg of a visitor from Chicago, telling them how everyone in Texas went by their first and middle name.  When the visitor inquired about the Kay’s first and middle names, and those of David, she told the visitor they went by Dave Bob and Kay Bob.  These monikers have become Dave and Kay’s pet names for each other ever since!

TALLY = 95 FISH, all caught and released

 

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 7:00a

End Time: 11:30p

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 64F

Water Surface Temp: 69-70F

Wind Speed & Direction: SSE8-9 the entire trip

Sky Conditions: 80% clouds

Water Level: 6.96 feet above full pool and falling; 3600+ cfs release

GT = 75

 

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:
**Area vic 1919 – mix of white bass and hybrid stripers on live shad

**Area vic 1914 – all white bass from a bottom-hugging school on slabs fished “easing” style

Bob Maindelle

Owner, Holding the Line Guide Service

254.368.7411 (call or text)

Website: www.HoldingTheLineGuideService.com

E-mail: Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com

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