WHO I FISHED WITH: Linda Grant, her 12-year-old son, John Grant, and Linda’s 81-year-old mom, Joan James, all from that part of Belton just outside of Harker Heights.
With under an hour to go in the trip, and with the “trash talk” from mom and grandma heating up, John stayed cool under pressure and came up with the largest fish of the trip, a nice 17″ largemouth bass that took his tailspinner as it rose off bottom in over 40 feet of water.
Way to go, Grandma! Joan held big fish honors all the way up until about 45 minutes prior to the end of the trip when John nabbed an even larger bass.
Although nowhere near the size of the largest white bass we boated today, we paused to snap this photo when Linda, Joan, and John all landed fish at the exact same time from out of a very active school of white bass holding near bottom in the lower third of the water column.
WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip focused on white bass
WHERE WE FISHED: Stillhouse
WHEN WE FISHED: Saturday morning, 23 September
HOW WE FISHED: We downrigged to find fish and then worked vertically over top of the fish we found in large congregations while holding in a hover over these fish using the Spot Lock feature on the Minn Kota Ulterra. When the fish were very active, they went for the slab with Hazy Eye Stinger attached fished with a “smoking” tactic; when the fish slowed down, a tailspinner worked better.
OTHER NOTES/OBSERVATIONS: Due to the extended period of low light enhanced by fog, the topwater bite by largemouth did not materialize to the level it did yesterday, and definitely not to the high level such feeding reached earlier in the week under brighter conditions with light winds. The low light and ~10mph winds this morning also made what topwater action existed pretty tough to spot.
TALLY: 85 FISH, all caught and released
TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:
Start Time: 7:15a
End Time: 11:15a
Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 73F
Water Surface Temp: 80.8F
Wind Speed & Direction: SSE under 10mph
Sky Conditions: 100% grey cloud cover slowly thinning to 70% cloud cover by trip’s end. Light fog for first 45 minutes.
Water Level: 1.21 feet low
GT = 0
Wx SNAPSHOT: N/A
AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:
**Area encompassed by Area 1523 to 978 to 1715 to 1994 – downrigging to find fish, then working tailspinners to capitalize on the find
**Area 1993 downrigging to find fish, then working tailspinners to capitalize on the find
**Area 1998 downrigging to find fish, then working tailspinners to capitalize on the find
**Area 1996 found fish on sonar occupying the entire lower half of the water column in ~40 feet. Worked slabs with stingers to begin, then slowed down with tailspinners as the fish slowed down, then “mopped up” with downriggers until the action died.
Bob Maindelle, Central Texas Fishing Guide
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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