WHO I FISHED WITH: This past Thursday morning I fished with retired Lake Belton fishing guide George O’Connor, and long-time Lake Belton multi-species angler Rodney Tyroch. This trip was in celebration of George’s recent 80th birthday. After the (very successful) hybrid fishing, we headed over to China Cafe near the Walmart in Belton and enjoyed their food after releasing all of the fish we landed. Both men are very helpful, selfless fellows who befriended me and aided me greatly through the years and as I worked to establish and grow my guide service.
From left: Rodney Tyroch, George O’Connor, and I fished together this morning in celebration of George’s 80th birthday.
WHAT WE FISHED FOR: Today we fished from 7:00a to 10:00a for hybrid striped bass using live shad. We then fished for white bass from 10:35 to 11:05a using slabs and Hazy Eye Stinger hooks.
WHERE WE FISHED: Belton Lake
WHEN WE FISHED: Thursday morning, 10 May 2018
HOW WE FISHED: During this trip, we focused on fishing for hybrid striped bass using live shad through 10:00am. During this time we stayed on just one area and took 76 fish, a majority of which were keeper hybrid, with a few white bass and blue catfish mixed in. We then left fish biting to go in search of hybrid at a few areas George suggested. We looked two areas over with sonar but didn’t find much. In the last 25 minutes or so, from 10:35 to about 11:05, we vertically jigged for a heavily congregated and very aggressive school of nice 2-year class white bass which we located with sonar in 52 feet of water. We used 3/8 oz. slabs with Hazy Eye Stinger hooks affixed to the line tie and put exactly 25 fish in the boat in this short span of time. We finished the trip with George and Rodney landing a double for a total of 101 fish.
OBSERVATIONS/NOTES: 1) Heavy shad spawn from 6:20 to 6:30a at Area SHAD14
TALLY: 101 FISH, ALL CAUGHT AND RELEASED
TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:
Start Time: 6:45a
End Time: 11:05a
Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 68F
Water Surface Temp: 70.9F
Wind Speed & Direction: SSE9 through 9a, then shifting to S and speeding up to 14-16 mph.
Sky Conditions: Cloudless blue sky with the lightest of white haze on occasion
Water Level: 1.98 low and steady.
GT = 0
Wx SNAPSHOT:
AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:
**Area B0088C- 3 solid hours of fish catching on one area producing 76 fish, of which ~70% were legal hybrid striped bass with a few whites and bluecat mixed in
**Area 717 – produced 25 white bass in about 30 minutes of effort on slabs worked vertically in 52′
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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