WHO I FISHED WITH: Andy Maindelle from north Austin, and Devon, a 17-year-old young man that Andy and his wife, Amy, are providing foster care for.
The ominous northwestern sky as we came off the water in advance of a cold front that swept into Texas on Monday evening. As it got dark, this cloud mass lit up with lightning on a continuous basis.
From left: Andy Maindelle and his foster son, Devon, age 17. Devon had had pretty limited exposure to the outdoors until recently and did really well fishing vertically for the white bass we boated tonight, primarily using tailspinners.
WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip focused on white bass.
WHERE WE FISHED: Stillhouse
WHEN WE FISHED: Monday evening, 09 October (Columbus Day)
HOW WE FISHED: The first two hours were very slow with just a handful of fish picked up on downriggers. Things started to coalesce around 4:45p when I found a widespread, suspended school of white bass working shad around mid-depth over a 40′ flat. We put a dozen fish in the boat before they dissipated. We moved on and did well in the final 2 hours of the evening finding well-grouped, bottom-hugging white bass in two distinct areas quite willing to strike tailspinners worked vertically, especially on the first several drops after arriving at a new location (as we “spot hopped” with the Jog function of the Ulterra once I found fish in a general location).
OBSERVATIONS: As has been the case for most of the summer, white bass were sure to be found wherever largemouth were working bait on the surface in open water.
TALLY: 64 FISH, all caught and released
TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:
Start Time: 3:00p
End Time: 7:15p
Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 83F
Water Surface Temp:
Wind Speed & Direction: WSW11 at trip’s start, then tapering down to WSW6 by dusk
Sky Conditions: <10% white cloud cover the entire trip
Water Level: 1.22 feet low
GT = 0
Wx SNAPSHOT:
AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:
**Area 074-2384 -downrigging over a widespread, suspended school of white bass working shad around mid-depth over a 40′ flat.
**Area 520-630, then 139-697 – spot hopping as topwater largemouth pointed the way to white bass below; using tailspinners
**Area 2021 – a “last light” bite in ~33′ using tailspinners
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
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bobmaindelle
Twitter: www/twitter.com/bobmaindelle