Stillhouse Fishing Guide Report – 47 Fish, 10 Dec. 2011 — Austin Fishing Guide






Last night I called up my fishing buddy, Ka’ni, to see if his mom was okay with us doing a cold-weather morning fishing trip today. She was, so, we did!! And did well!

Ka’ni kept right up with me today landing his fair share of our take of 47 fish, all of which came on slabs worked with a variety of techniques.

We both dressed for the weather and, despite a starting temperature of 41F with a windchill, we stayed pretty comfortable and were able to work our lures effectively.

This morning we fished 5 areas and found fish at 4 of them.

We started the morning in shallower water (15-17 feet) at Area 720 (BA:10T) and picked up only 2 fish here. We saw much more on sonar, but had to cover a lot of territory to do it. I think the fish are just beginning to move into this area as the large schools normally here by now are not yet here. It could be due to lack of current.

Next, we headed to Area 992 and found fish just off the lip of the break on the S. facing slope but still holding to the bottom (not suspended as they usually are). We found these fish in 22-25 feet of water, hovered over them for over an hour steadily pulling nice, healthy 11 and 12 inch white bass in using 3/4 oz. TNT 180 slabs. We landed a total of 28 fish here including 27 white bass and 1 largemouth bass.

We next headed to the Area 987/8/9 triangle and zero’ed, finding nothing on sonar.

We next headed to Area 990/916 and found a school of bottom-hugging whites out away from the hump on the flat “apron” that surrounds it in 36 feet of water. We jigged for these fish and boated a total of 8 white bass and 1 largemouth here before the school moved on.

We ended up our day at Area 873, on the N. end of the hump where it breaks from 35 feet into 40+ foot water. As we idled in on this area looking with sonar we found suspended fish in the lower 1/3 of the water column acting much as the fish I found at Area 990/991 on Thursday did. I set Ka’ni up with a rod rigged for smoking and I stuck with a slab for jigging bottom, and we both did equally well, boating 9 fish in about 20 minutes.

As we approached the noon hour, the temperature, under heavily clouded skies, had only risen to 49F. We had a chilly ride in to try to meet mom’s curfew, and, along the way passed some action at Area 74 (BA:5T).

TALLY = 47 FISH, all caught and released.

Start Time: 7:30a

End Time: 12:00noon

Air Temp: 41F at trip’s start.

Water Surface Temp: ~54.7F

Wind: Winds were NE11 tapering down to NE6 .

Skies: Skies were greyed over the entire morning.








Got To Stay In Touch as the Water Temperatures Fall – 63 Fish @ Stillhouse — Austin Fishing Guide






As the water temperatures continue to drop with each passing cold front, I try to stay on top of fish and bait movement and location so that when I have clients on board I am both confident in getting them to the fish, and don’t waste their time searching for fish.

My largest white bass on Stillhouse today measured 13.25 inches and the largest of 3 largemouth I boated went 16 1/8 inches.


Instead, I take regular “scouting” trips, typically short in duration, to check areas I suspect should hold fish. I sweep these areas with sonar, catch a few fish to confirm their presence, size, and activity level and then quickly move on to the next area, in essence creating a “milk run” of areas to hit.

Today was such a day…

I started off in shallow water along the topo line running from Area 720 to Area 984 to Area 985. I picked up 11 white bass here. All were very pale and very sluggish, and each struck a slab held nearly still and very close to the bottom. I was almost as if these fish cooled down too fast and were suffering the consequences.

After that I headed to Area 984 and slabbed for 3 much perkier white bass and a solo largemouth.

Next, I made a short stop at Area 987/8/9 (BA: 14T) and picked up 9 white bass after idling around for a good bit trying to figure out where the fish were hiding. These fish like a jigging approach with an extra pause thrown in.

Finally, I fished in the vicinity of Area 990/991 and found fish both suspended in the lower 1/3 of the water column, as well as on the bottom. These fish acted strangely, as they would respond occasionally to a horizontal retrieve, but not to a smoking tactic. So, in order to keep the fish coming over the side I either jigged or cast and allowed the lure to sink on an appropriate countdown to the depth the fish were suspended at. I boated 29 more fish here including 2 additional largemouth bass.

TALLY = 63 FISH, all caught and released.


Start Time: 7:30a

End Time: 12:30p

Air Temp: 41F at trip’s start.

Water Surface Temp: ~54.6F

Wind: Winds were SSE7 the entire trip.

Skies: Skies were greyed over the entire trip.








So You Thought this was a Carnival Cruise? SKIFF Trip 2011-24, 113 Fish, Belton Lake, 03 Dec. 2011






The following blog entry appears in the form of a report to those who support the S.K.I.F.F. program …

Victoria with a nice hybrid striped bass taken in 19 feet of water on a TNT180 slab spoon.

TJ took this nice hybrid from off the bottom while in 26 feet of water.

Taijanie got her biggest fish during the final 30 minutes of our trip while “smoking” her slab amongst suspended fish.


The S.K.I.F.F. (Soldiers’ Kids Involved in Fishing Fun) Program exists to take the children of deployed or deceased soldiers on fishing trips at no charge to the soldiers’ families as a way of showing our support for our troops and providing a respite for their spouses. The following is a note to SKIFF supporters about this most recent outing…

Saturday, 03 Dec. 2011

Dear Austin Fly Fishers and Friends of SKIFF,

This morning I fished with Victoria, the seventh grade daughter of Staff Sergeant Stephan and Mrs. Charlene Rogers, and Taijanie (7th grade) and TJ (5th grade), the children of Sergeant First Class and Mrs. Tedrick Holmes. SSG Rogers and SFC Holmes serve in the same unit in Afghanistan — the 303rd Military Intelligence Battalion where Stephan is a supply sergeant and Tedrick is what the Army calls a “cable dog” — he oversees the running of wire to allow for phone and computer communication.

We got off to a humorous start as I met the kids at water’s edge on Belton Lake. Victoria exclaimed, “This is NOT the kind of boat I thought we were going to be on!” Naturally, I asked what kind of boat she expected. She replied, “A nice boat that’s big and has a bathroom!”.

The day was a bit messy and dreary with a pre-frontal rain and wind hitting us the entire time, but, I told the kids I was really proud of them for getting out of bed and making the trip despite the bad weather. I assured them it would be worth their while and proceeded to explain to them how the fish respond positively to the last warm weather before a cold front.

Although I’ve been fishing the main lake at Belton lately, that’s been mostly via “chasing birds”, but today’s wind and clouds on the main lake prevented that, so, we went looking in the tributaries.

We landed fish at four distinct locations today. First, we found fish in about 19 feet of water at Area 437. The kids were unfamiliar with spinning equipment so we did some OJT to get them acquainted … showing them how to hold the rod, how to retrieve the bait, how to prevent the wind from pulling unwanted line off the spool, and more. Soon the kids were catching fish very consistently on their own — mainly white bass ranging from 8 to 13 inches. We boated 24 fish here before the action waned.

Next we headed to fish a stretch of bottom between Areas 968 and 983 in about 26 feet of water. Some suspicious gull activity tipped us off to the presence of these fish. By now the kids were entirely through the learning curve and so all I did was unhook fish and pick out the occasional tangle. This was our most productive area and we stayed on it for over 90 minutes, pulling an additional 53 fish by both “smoking” and jigging (a technique that TJ was particularly fond of).

When things got quiet we moved to Area 691. As we moved, I suggested the kids refresh a little by dipping into their snacks. Now, I won’t go into a lot of detail here, but, let me tell you, you just haven’t snacked until you’ve snacked on half-dissolved Sugar Babies from a rain-soaked cardboard box and chased those down with a healthy gulp of damp “Funyuns”. Yes, sir!!

Well, we arrived at Area 691 and found fish here, but they were both suspended and stubborn. We spent 20 minutes or so working them over but only boated 4 here. By now it was about time to head back in so the kids bundled up and we started heading back. As we did, we encountered a flock of about 12 gulls feeding aggressively near Area 211. I had Victoria call her mom to see if we could have an extra 30 minutes, because I could tell there would be active fish under the birds given how they were behaving. Permission was granted, and I maneuvered us into position over a solid school of fish holding tight to the bottom in 22 feet of water. We put 32 more fish in the boat in these last 30 minutes, taking our tally to 113 fish.

By 11:45 things were tapering off for good and we made the run in to meet Mrs. Rogers at the ramp.

The kids were really excited about the whole experience, and I was gratified that even after slugging it out in the elements for 4 hours, they were ready for more when that last flock of gulls was sighted.

Thank you very much for being the “cogs in the wheel” that turn to make such experiences a reality for the kids of our deployed servicemen and women.


Sincerely,

Bob Maindelle

Start Time: 7:15a

End Time: 11:45a

Air Temp: 60F at trip’s start.

Water Surface Temp: 59F.

Wind: Winds were SSE11-13.

Skies: Skies were 100% heavily clouded and grey.








Keeping Up With Moving Fish — Austin Fishing Guide Bob Maindelle — 65 Fish @ Stillhouse






As the water cools, fish move. Keeping up with these movements by fishing regularly is a key to success in this transition time. Generally, white bass and hybrid stripers will slowly make their way up to pre-spawn staging areas for the winter, following bait as they go. This year there is very little current and the water temperature is high for this time of year. Taking regular trips, even if they are short in duration, allows me to keep my finger on the pulse of the fish migration.

When you see this kind of action on sonar, you really don’t even need to fish to confirm the presence of gamefish. I can mentally note that fish are here and then continue to “cover ground” by looking at other areas so when customers are aboard we go to the fish with confidence.

Today I hit a number of areas quickly:

Area 977 gave up 10 white bass.

Area 978 gave up 5 white bass.

Area 74 was “congested” with whites, allowing 25 fish in a very short 20 minutes on site.

Area 980 gave up 15 fish.

Area 981 yielded 4 whites.

Area 982 gave up 2 whites.

Area 942 gave up 2 whites.

And I ended up at sunset at Area 724 boating 2 whites there.

TALLY = 65 FISH, all caught and released.


Start Time: 4:30p

End Time: 6:30p

Air Temp: 52F at trip’s start.

Water Surface Temp: ~59.3F

Wind: Winds were SE5 the entire trip.

Skies: Skies were greyed over the entire trip.








Belton Lake Report — 40 Fish — 01 Dec. 2011 — Austin, Texas Fishing Guide Bob Maindelle






Got to be honest — I expected better today. We had a forecast for cloud cover and winds S7 and got cloud cover and winds SE5-6 — if you’ve fished long enough you know that east wind is a spoiler.

Leonard landed our only keeper hybrid of the day on a smoked slab from out of 35 feet of water. A white TNT 180 did the trick.

Payton landed this one on a TNT 180 as well, only he was working it horizontally through fish that were aggressively pushing shad to the surface (albeit very briefly).

Today I was accompanied by fishing buddies Leonard N. and Payton D. of Killeen. Leonard is ex-Army, Payton is ex-Navy, and they’re both ex-Postal Service.

We didn’t get “skunked” or anything — in fact the 40 fish we boated most folks would be happy to catch, but, the fish just were kind of in a funk. They fed a little and slowed down and then fed a little more and moved off, and then fed lightly and then settled, and so it went. We never got set up over a strong bite all morning and had to piece our trip together with a variety of techniques.

The best fishing we found happened between Area 300 and Area 976 along the long, south facing breakline here. We found plenty of bait in the upper 2/3 of the water column, and most of the gamefish pushing the bait about were short hybrid. We downrigged, we cast slabs when the fish were breaking, we smoked, and we jigged. Jigging didn’t pan out today — casting to subsurface fish and smoking fish that were nearer to bottom did the best for us today.


TALLY = 40 Fish, all caught and released


HOLIDAY TIP Time to drop a hint to your “honey” for a fishing gift certificate for Christmas. These are a WIN-WIN-WIN. You get a fishing trip, your spouse doesn’t have to wonder what to get you or if you’ll like it, and I get to meet a new customer or catch up with a current client!!

I’m at:

Bob Maindelle

Holding the Line Guide Service

Austin Area Fishing Guide

254-368-7411

www.HoldingTheLineGuideService.com

Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com


Start Time: 6:45a

End Time: 12:05p

Air Temp: 41F at trip’s start.

Water Surface Temp: 60.2F.

Wind: Winds were SSE5-6.

Skies: Skies were nearly 100% clouded over with brief occasional breaks of sun.








Slabbing is the way to go … 53 Fish, Stillhouse, 28 Nov. 2011, Austin Fishing Guide Report






We experienced typical post-frontal conditions today with the last of the passing cold front’s north winds subsiding to calm by 9:30am.

Follow the slabbing action through Sequence A, B, C, and D on this sonar screen shot off my Lowrance HDS-10

This cold front blew hard for a full day and a half, dropping surface temperatures about 4 degrees, from 64F to 60F.

It is usually around this temperature that the “slabbing” bite comes on strong with fish increasingly reluctant to move very far or very fast as the water continues to cool and some winter shad-kill begins.

Today I fished Stillhouse and did some exploring in the early morning while we still had some breeze, then hit some high-confidence areas after the winds went slack.

During the morning bite, I found good numbers of very aggressively feeding white bass heavily congregated on bottom but willing to respond to an easing technique just toward the the break adjacent to Area 789. I boated 20 fish here and moved while they were still biting so as to find other concentrations of fish while the feeding window was still open and the breeze still blowing. I saw a bit of bird activity, but, unfortunately, it was all centered around diving loons.

By around 9:45 or so the wind stopped and things got tough. I headed to Area 945 and idled very slowly with sonar pinging to look very carefully over this area. I did see a small cluster of white bass (which, when such conditions prevail, is all you are likely to see, as the fish blend in with bottom and are not perched above it as they are when feeding aggressively).

I stayed, literally within a 15 foot by 15 foot area for two hours and pulled 32 fish from this spot including 27 white bass of which 23 were legal size, as well as 3 largemouth bass and 2 nice channel catfish.

Sonar use and interpretation is everything in fishing for these open water pelagics.

TALLY = 32 Fish, all caught and released


If you’re reading this and are contemplating a Christmas holiday fishing trip, please don’t delay in getting that on the books. The week between Christmas and New Year is typically booked solid 2-3 weeks in advance. And “yes”, I do have gift certificates available.

I’m at:

Bob Maindelle

Holding the Line Guide Service

Austin Area Fishing Guide

254-368-7411

www.HoldingTheLineGuideService.com

Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com


Start Time: 7:05a

End Time: 12:35p

Air Temp: 31F at trip’s start.

Water Surface Temp: 59.8-62.5F.

Wind: Winds were WNW6 at dawn, tapering to calm by 9:45a.

Skies: Skies were bluebird.








Fishing Very Consistent on Belton — 25 Nov. 2011 – Austin Fishing Guide Report






I fished this morning with Charles C. and his two elementary-aged children, Madison and Mason. Charles and his family traveled in from the Houston area to visit his parents and decided to get a little fishing in while the weather is still pleasant.

Madison got her licks in first this morning by boating this pre-dawn hybrid from a small school of hybrid holding at 24 feet over a 31 foot bottom.

Mason and his dad team up to pose with this largemouth which, uncharacteristically, was caught as it suspended over a clean bottom in open water.

Things got off to a slow start this morning due to our extended low-light conditions. We not only had heavy cloud cover above us, but had ground level clouds not quite to the point of mist, as well.

We spent our first hour downrigging and boated 2 fish in the vicinity of Area 966. The downriggers at least kept hooks in the water and gave us a shot at the sparse, occasional schools of hybrid we saw around 12-14 feet deep as we waited for light levels to increase and a better feed to kick in.

Around 8:15, in the vicinity of Area 297/973 (BA:16RBG, 5T) sonar revealed actively feeding fish over a 31 foot bottom. The fish were in the lower 1/2 of the water column. I e-anchored and we began to work jigging spoons through these fish and immediately elicited a response. Over the next 2 hours we stayed in this general area, taking short hops from concentration of fish to concentration of fish. Typically, we used a smoking technique as soon as we arrived, then, when the fish slowed down, we used a jigging technique. Toward the end of the morning feed (around 10:00a), the fish would not respond to anything but an easing tactic. During the “feeding window”, we boated exactly 52 additional fish including a mix of year classes of white bass with an occasional short hybrid thrown in for good measure.

Today’s results were a classic display of the importance light levels play in influencing fish behavior. In the first 1.5 hour of our trip, darkened by clouds and near-fog like conditions, we boated 2 fish. In the last 2.5 hours of our trip, we boated 51 fish, with the first of this action happening as the fog lifted and indirect sunlight bright enough to warrant the use of sunglasses existed for the first time in the morning. On clear days, this level of brightness occurs right at sunrise, thus, the bite typically starts earlier on such days, all else being equal.

If you’re reading this and are contemplating a Christmas holiday fishing trip, please don’t delay in getting that on the books. The week between Christmas and New Year is typically booked solid 2-3 weeks in advance.

I’m at:

Bob Maindelle

Holding the Line Guide Service

Austin Area Fishing Guide

254-368-7411

www.HoldingTheLineGuideService.com

Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com


Start Time: 6:30a

End Time: 10:30a

Air Temp: 57F at trip’s start.

Water Surface Temp: 63.8F.

Wind: Winds were S8 at obscured sunrise and stayed fairly constant for the trip’s duration.

Skies: Skies were heavily clouded with no direct sun showing the entire trip.








The Man Makes a Mean PB&J — 36 Fish — Belton Lake — Austin Area Fishing Guide Report






I had a very enjoyable mother/son trip this morning with Luanne and Jordan M. of Harker Heights. Jordan is home for the holidays and his dad arranged a trip for him and his mom…

Jordan’s 4.25 pound hybrid tipped the scales as our best fish of the morning. It fell to a White Willow spoon while holding suspended in a small school of fish 15 feet down.

As we got started this morning the light breeze had me very concerned. Simply put, Belton does not fish well under calm conditions. As dawn broke, there was at least a ripple on the water and fish began to feed in the upper 1/3 of the water column. Sonar revealed most hybrid were in “wolfpacks” of 4-10 fish each, moving after bait. This makes for a scenario where downriggers excel. We picked up our first two hybrid, both on Pet Spoons, right as the sun began to rise in the vicinity of Area 837 (BA:12RBG). The action was spotty at best with fish popping up here and there and never “hunkering down” in one area very long.

We next headed over to Area 971 (BA:14RBG) and found bottom-hugging white bass with a few short hybrid mixed in. We slabbed over top of these fish with 3/4 oz. TNT 180’s and boated 16 fish in an area perhaps only 30 feet in diameter. This action died after about 25 minutes.

We next headed to Area 966/967 (BA:30RBG,6T) and again found wolfpacks of hybrid patrolling in the upper 1/2 of the water column, so, again we downrigged with one Pet Spoon and one White Willow Spoon positioned in the fish. It was at this time that the best action of the day occurred as the wind briefly came up WNW8-9. We boated 14 fish here — all hybrid — including our largest of the day, shown above. This action died as the wind settled, and from this point on the action slowly tapered off to nothing.

We managed 3 more hybrid on swimbaits (1 fish) and slabs (2 fish) at Area 972 (BA:8RBG) and then headed back to Area 971 to finish up the day downrigging with the balls set just off bottom for a final 2 hybrid (short) and 1 white bass.

It would not be right to close this missive without mentioning the generosity of Luanne’s husband, Mike. He was kind enough to get up at 5:00am to cook eggs for his wife and son’s breakfast and then prepared them a peanut butter and jelly sack lunch. He even sent along a nice gift for me — a “man-wrapped” pair of needle-nosed pliers. That was all very considerate and that kind act did not go unnoticed by his wife. Way to go, Mike!! We need more husbands like that.

If you’re reading this and are perhaps contemplating a Christmas holiday fishing trip, please don’t delay in getting that on the books. The week between Christmas and New Year is typically booked solid 2-3 weeks in advance.

I’m at:

Bob Maindelle

Holding the Line Guide Service

254-368-7411

www.HoldingTheLineGuideService.com

Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com


Start Time: 6:30a

End Time: 11:00a

Air Temp: 46F at trip’s start.

Water Surface Temp: 63.9F.

Wind: Winds were NW5 at sunrise, tapering off to light and variable by 10:15am.

Skies: Skies were bluebird.








SKIFF Trip #23 of 2011 — 21 Nov. 2011 — Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir






6 year old Jacob Allison and a plump November white bass taken out of 36 feet of water at Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir.

Major Brian Allison and his son, Jacob, on the day Brian left the U.S. for a 1 year tour in Afghanistan in April 2011.

The S.K.I.F.F. (Soldiers’ Kids Involved in Fishing Fun) Program exists to take the children of deployed or deceased soldiers on fishing trips at no charge to the soldiers’ families as a way of showing our support for our troops and providing a respite for their spouses. The following is a note to SKIFF supporters about this most recent outing…

Monday, 21 Nov. 2011

Dear Austin Fly Fishers and Friends of SKIFF,

At 2:30 this afternoon I found myself standing curbside in a quiet, well-kept subdivision in Harker Heights, TX. I was waiting for the school bus of 6-year old Jacob Allison to arrive so we could start our afternoon fishing adventure.

Since I don’t have my own children, this experience was a new one for me … the streets, vacant just moments before, came to life as moms and too-young-for-school-children emerged from everywhere to walk down to the bus stop to meet their precious cargo.

Jacob’s mom, Sarah, and his little sister, Kate, were right in the mix. Jacob is the son and oldest child of Major and Mrs. Brian Allison. Brian just completed a company command and now serves as a liaison officer with the 1st Cavalry Division’s headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan. This is Brian’s 4th deployment of at least a year in length.

As Jacob got closer to his house, he looked at his mom with an unsure look. There was a man and a boat parked outside his house. He quickly put two and two together and realized today was the day of the big fishing trip his mom mentioned would happen “pretty soon”.

I had already buckled his car seat in place, had his snacks in the truck cab, and got an extra jacket from mom “just in case”.

We shook hands and off we went. Although the weather was beautiful, it just wasn’t fishing weather. The grey skies and wind of the morning gave way to fair skies and near calm conditions in the afternoon. You may have seen me write before: calm winds and white bass don’t mix!!

As we headed to the boat ramp, I asked Jacob if he’d ever caught a fish before. He didn’t give me a simple yes or no, rather, he said, “Well, I have a funny fish story.” Hey, this was my kind of kid!!

We launched the boat and got on the water. I looked very closely at two underwater features that have been holding good numbers of white bass over the past few weeks. Sonar showed nil on the first area. As we approached the second, sonar showed small schools of white bass (20-40 fish each) clustered together at Areas 927, 945, and 926. Although there were gulls in the area, they were distracted by an insect hatch and were of no use in helping to find fish today.

As we got our baits down to where we’d marked fish, I jigged heavily to create commotion and draw fish in and then gave Jacob the green light to jig once the fish came in towards my lure. It truly took teamwork to make things happen today.

Jacob’s technique was solid and consistent and as a result, he boated 17 white bass on a very tough afternoon that required a very technical approach that is beyond the reach of most 1st graders.

After our trip we headed over to the gas station to top off — really just to extend our “guy time” a little because I knew Jacob was really missing his dad. He’d been home on R&R recently, and it’s always tough to see them step back on a plane and depart for several more months.

Following our trip I gave Jacob and Kate a SKIFF bracelet (Kate went immediately to put it in the jewelry box in her closet), and Jacob got his tackle box and camping blanket, as well.

Thank you, one and all, for the part you played, large or small, in making this day possible for Jacob. It was a bright spot in the midst of a tough time.

Sincerely,

Bob Maindelle

Start Time: 2:30p

End Time: 6:30p

Air Temp: 71F at trip’s start.

Water Surface Temp: 64.9F.

Wind: Winds were calm.

Skies: Skies were fair with grey clouds building in the north near sunset.








White Bass on the Fly — 73 Fish — 21 Nov. 2011 – Lake Belton Report by Austin Area Fishing Guide






Having established a reliable pattern of fish behavior on the lower end of Belton Lake over the past two weeks, I went out today in search of other concentrations of fish in the Leon River arm.

This morning’s low-light conditions fueled by cloud cover and the still-warm water temperatures made conditions just right for flyfishing for shallow white bass and hybrid striped bass.

I first looked over Area 725 (BA:15 RBG) and liked what I saw in the way of both active gamefish and quantity of shad showing on sonar. I fished in this general vicinity for about 2 hours boating a total of 37 fish of which roughly 1/3 were hybrid and the balance white bass. A number of times some light surface and near-surface action erupted allowing for some pretty non-technical flycasting to be done. I boated 7 fish (2 hybrid, 5 whites bass) on the fly before the low clouds cleared and pushed the fish down toward bottom. At that time, a bladebait did the trick worked in a lift-drop manner — a blue and white pattern did the best.

Once I’d figured out all this area had to offer, I left with the fish still biting there to find other concentrations of fish. I found loosely schooled, bottom-hugging white bass at Area 968 and boated one on my very first downrigger pass on a Pet Spoon. I’ve fished this area enough in the past to know that once fish are here in the winter, they’ll stay here, so, I moved on looking for yet more fish concentrations.

I located one more good group of fish at Area 211. These fish were really glued to bottom and would only respond to a slabbing tactic with an occasional fish perking up to an “easing” tactic. I used both the 3/8 and 3/4 oz. slab and did equally well on both. I boated a total of 35 fish here including a mix of white bass and hybrid (only 1 hybrid from this area was 18+”).

If you’re reading this and are contemplating a Christmas holiday fishing trip, please don’t delay in getting that on the books. The week between Christmas and New Year is typically booked solid 2-3 weeks in advance.

Also, remember I do have gift certificates available.

I’m at:

Bob Maindelle

Holding the Line Guide Service

254-368-7411

www.HoldingTheLineGuideService.com

Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com


Start Time: 6:45a

End Time: 11:15a

Air Temp: 53F at trip’s start.

Water Surface Temp: 64.3F.

Wind: Winds were NW5 at obscured sunrise, tapering off to light and variable by 10:15am.

Skies: Skies were heavily clouded and grey with overcast at ground level not quite turning into a fog for the first 2 hours.