Stillhouse Hollow Fishing Report by Stillhouse Hollow Fishing Guide Bob Maindelle
Conditions:
Start Time: 6:15a
End Time: 2:10p
Air Temp: 77F at trip’s start
Water Temp: 84.5F
Wind: Already pushing SE at 7-8mph at dawn, and steadily built to a peak of ~18mph by 9:30, with higher gusts kicking in more regularly as the air warmed.
Skies: Skies were clear and bright the entire trip under the influence of high pressure.
I fished solo today and visited as many of the traditional deep water summer haunts as time and conditions allowed to see if the fish are settled into their summer patterns a bit early due to the early summer conditions we’ve had. One very promising thing was that most every spot I searched (whether I fished or just looked with sonar) had abundant shad in the lower ¼ of the water column out to 42 feet.
The past several trips have afforded light winds and reliable early morning surface action with white bass feeding on juvenile shad. Of course this morning when I came geared up with my 2 weight fly rod, there was no surface action to be had! I settled for one small largemouth in Area 17 on topwater and then went looking elsewhere after stowing the flygear.
Next stop was at Area 222. Picked up one barely keeper largemouth on a slab spoon in 29 feet of water and moved on.
Next stop was between Areas 39 and 41. I found abundant white bass holding on the bottom here right at 8am. These fish were very aggressive and rose up off the bottom to meet the falling slab spoon, and raced after the spoon as I reeled it in if it did hit bottom. Stayed on these fish for over an hour and boated exactly 35 fish. This included 33 whites, of which not a single fish was short and with none exceeding 14.5 inches, as well as a 2.75 pound largemouth and a small drum. After about an hour things got quiet here.
Moved to Area 193/194 and immediately got into deep, schooled largemouth which behaved much as white bass do under deepwater conditions. I caught 3 largemouth, all 2-3 pound fish, and a drum. When I realized the quantity of big largemouth on this area, I headed out to collect some live bait and returned to fish this area again.
I gave the new 2 weight fly rod a workout and put 18 sunfish in the boat in short order out of Area 189 and then headed back to fish Area 193/194.
When I returned, I fished a tightline in a rod holder as I continued to vertical jig the slab. I wound up with 14 fish here including two 7.00 pound largemouth and a 4.25 pound largemouth (dated photo of me holding one of the 7’s and the 4.25 are in the Photo Gallery). The breakdown on the catch here was 12 largemouth, all legal, 2 large whites, and a small channel cat. Only 2 blacks and 2 whites came on the slab. The livey’s accounted for the rest.
Moved on to do a little downrigging and experiment with a Dipsey Diver while just moseying around looking at sonar. In the expanse between Areas 193/194 and Area 196, I managed 2 white bass and 3 largemouth bass, all suspended 3-4 feet off bottom, and all falling for a Pet Spoon.
I then checked out Area 197. Again, abundant shad showed over the entire area and gamefish were tight to the bottom beneath them. Picked up a single white on the downrigger as I checked the area over with sonar, then I buoyed and slabbed for 4 more white bass, 6 drum, and 1 nice 3 1/8 pound largemouth. These fish were somewhat reluctant, and, based on the presence of the drum, I’d say I got here after the main feed had taken place.
I then checked Area 198. Good shad, not much in the way of gamefish. Got a 2 pound largemouth out of 39 feet here on the downrigger.
I then checked Area 199. Right at the peak of the ridge here I picked up 2 whites and 1 largemouth on 3 consecutive downrigger passes. These fish were holding at the top of this feature at 36 feet.
At this point I’d boated 93 fish and still had the itch to fish with the 2 weight fly rod, so I headed out of the wind to Area 200 and put 7 more sunfish in the boat to finish the day with an even 100 fish.
TALLY = 100 FISH, all caught and released
Bob Maindelle, Owner Holding The Line Guide Service and Kids Fish, Too! Stillhouse Hollow Fishing Guide, Belton Lake Fishing Guide, Lake Georgetown Fishing Guide, Walter E. Long (Decker) Lake Fishing Guide. Offering Salado Fishing, Killeen Fishing and Ft. Hood Fishing