This past Tuesday morning I fished a hybrid striped bass trip on Lake Belton with Mike Smith. Mike is now in his sixth year as an enlisted soldier in the US Army where he serves as an armored vehicle mechanic. Mike is originally from Dexter, Maine, the home of the now defunct Dexter shoe company.
Mike Smith of Dexter, Maine, with one of 18 keeper hybrid he landed today on his first ever hybrid striped bass fishing trip. He walked away quite impressed with all the power in these hybrid packages.
Bluecat often come as “bycatch” while fishing for hybrid, especially after you’ve been camped out on one area for a while. This blue must have nosed his way over from downwind into our chum.
I just love the state of Maine — my wife and I honeymooned there after my West Point roommate of several semesters, Jeff Libby, introduced me to the state when we stayed with his folks there on long weekends. Later, Rebecca and I would return for our 20th anniversary to the Portland/Willard Beach area. Anyway, it was neat to recount the similar fishing experiences Mike and I both had up that way — especially icefishing — and catching things you never hear of in Texas, like togue and horn pout (just Google them if your are curious).
Mike’s father-in-law, Roger Bowles, from the Waco area, presented Mike with a fishing gift certificate this past Christmas.
Our weather conditions were ideal through 9:15 AM – – gray and cloudy with a humid breeze from a southerly direction. This wind would later ramp up to over 17 mph such that it impacted boat control, but it was a great ally during the time it was manageable.
From the first bait we put down at around 6:55a, and until we pulled our lines up due to high winds and large swells around 9:15a, the hybrid striped bass bite was nonstop. During this time we put 31 fish in the boat including eight white bass, three blue catfish, two short hybrid, with the balance being legal hybrid ranging from 18 to 21 inches.
The fish were in such a strong feeding mood, that all baits we presented – – live, cut, fresh, and frozen, all attracted equal attention.
At 9:15a we decided to play it safe and move off of the exposed area we were fishing to go seek out white bass using artificial lures, in calmer waters.
Because the wind limited our access to a number of areas, our options for chasing white bass were reduced a bit. I was able to find two distinct groups of white bass holding between 42 and 46 feet, right on bottom. These fish all responded to a slab fished with a smoking technique.
In the closing moments of the trip, because he had expressed curiosity about them, I showed Mike how downriggers work using a tactic that I will begin to rely very heavily on in just 2 to 3 weeks. I demonstrated for Mike how to use a Pet Spoon-equipped tandem rig fish behind the ball of a Cannon Digi-troll 10TS.
It must have been beginner’s luck – – Mike came up with a double on the very first time he had ever touched or used a downrigger. A pair of small white bass was duped by the tandem-rigged Pet Spoons.
TOTAL = 42 FISH, all caught and released
TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:
Start Time: 6:45a
End Time: 11:15a
Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 72F
Water Surface Temp: 73.7
Wind Speed & Direction: SSE12, increasing to SSE17
Sky Conditions: Light grey 100% cloud cover the entire trip
Water Level: 0.78 feet above full pool and falling; 0 cfs release at Belton Dam
GT = 0
AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:
**Area 150/1297 – 2 hour, 20 minute long hybrid bite
**Area vic 835 – slabbed for white bass holding right on east slope
**Area vic 152 – slabbed for white bass
**Area 1584 – demo’ed downriggers for a pair of white bass on a tandem rig
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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