Stillhouse Hollow Fishing Report by Stillhouse Hollow Fishing Guide Bob Maindelle

Conditions:

Start Time: 6:30a

End Time: 10:20a

Air Temp: 73F

Water Temp: 83.5F

Wind: Humid, light and variable at sunrise, then a light SW breeze slowly turning through the W and to the WNW by trip’s end in advance of a mild cold front that came through in the afternoon.

Skies: Skies were mostly clear with 20% cloud cover, increasing to 60% by trip’s end.

I fished a ½ day morning Kids Fish, Too! trip with Leonel T. (dad), his son, Justin, and family friend, CJ. The boys were both 5 years old and had never been fishing before, but were very willing to give it a try!

Due to the boys’ age and level of experience, I went with a low-tech approach that would keep them reeling in fish without a whole lot of manual dexterity required. We downrigged very successfully for the first 2 ½ hours of the trip in the vicinity of Area landing a total of 20 fish split equally between the two boys. The fish consisted mainly of 2-4 year old white bass, with 3 drum and 4 largemouth thrown in for good measure. The largest of this mess of fish was a big bug-eyed black bass weighing in at exactly 6.00 pounds (see photo in Gallery on this date). All of these fish were taken on twin downriggers rigged with a Pet Spoon and a Lunker Licker.

By about 9:00, the novelty of downrigging had worn off, and so we left the fish biting in order to pursue sunfish. We headed to Area and found abundant bedding sunfish, rigged up with sensitive quill bobbers and it was all Leonel and I could do to keep hooks baited, lines untangled, and take fish off the hook. The boys cooked through 34 fish in about an hour’s time, taking our tally up to 54 fish boated for the day. By this time, the air was still due to a pause in the breeze prior to a wind shift in advance of a cold front’s arrival. The heat and humidity were suddenly very noticeable. Dad gave me the high-sign that the boys had had enough, and we headed back to the dock with 3 very happy campers on board.

We made a quick stop at Area 199 to see if we could pick up one last fish, and, although the fish were there, suspended at 27-31 feet atop the ridge, none struck our single Pet Spoon presentation.

TALLY = 54 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