Another Banner Day on Belton – 146 Fish, 07 Nov. 2013
Today was the 2nd day of NW wind following a cold front’s passage yesterday. Typically, the post-frontal fishing is excellent until the winds begin to subside, and today was no exception to that rule. In under 5 hours of fishing I boated 146 fish.
Today’s action was consistent from start to finish. Since I had no clients aboard to please, I made good use of the extended feeding window today to “run and gun” to find as many concentrations of fish as I possibly could for revisiting when I have clients with me over the next several weeks. I found fish in 6 distinct areas today, and at each area, I fished both small lures and large lures to see if that impacted the size of my catch and my ratio of keeper hybrid. The general conclusion is that the large bait does account for larger (but fewer) fish.
As the sun was still low in the morning sky, there was a fair amount of topwater action where gamefish were driving shad to the surface. This is not the extended, obvious, splashy sort of topwater feed that happens in the summer, rather, it is very subtle, as the fish feed near the surface, not on the surface.
I had the good fortune to watch a juvenile bald eagle sharpening its fishing skills trying to snatch these gamefish from out of the water as they fed for about a 10 minute span.
As I fished, as was the case yesterday, a small slab got lots of small fish (I used the 2-inch, 3/4oz. white TNT180), whereas a larger slab (I used a 2.75 inch white and silver Kastmaster) got fewer, but larger fish.
On numerous occasions the action was so intense and the fish so aggressive that my slab never made it even 10 feet below the boat before a competitive schoolmate tried to outrun his buddies and be the first to the groceries. On even more numerous occasions the slab was hit before striking the bottom (in 28-40 feet).
TALLY = 146 FISH, all caught and released
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TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:
Start Time: 6:35a
End Time: 11:05p
Air Temp: 43F at trip’s start; 61F at trip’s end.
Water Surface Temp: 68.0F
Wind:
Winds were NNW10 at trip’s start, increasing to NNW14 with slightly higher gusts through 10:45a, then tapering to NNW6 or less remainder of day.
Skies: 100% clouded with 2 rain bands passing over during our time on the water.
Notes: BA=40G; 15T; GT=N/A
Areas Fished with success:
** 1284/972
** 1285
** 1286
** 1287/1288
** 1012/717
** 953
Bob Maindelle
Holding the Line Guide Service
254-368-7411
www.
Salado, Texas