Stillhouse Hollow Fishing Report by Stillhouse Hollow Fishing Guide Bob Maindelle

Conditions:

Start Time: 5:00p

End Time: 7:45p

Air Temp: 88F at trip’s start

Water Temp: 80 F

Wind: Winds were very light all day, and were variable. I held off on going fishing today until I saw some consistency in the wind. Around 3:30p, a light NE breeze at 6-8 stayed consistent until about 5:50p, and then died.

Skies: Skies were bright with a thin layer of high clouds.

I fished just a quick evening trip by myself tonight and specifically targeted topwater fish. Upon launching there was a bit of action around Area 88, but too sporadic to capitalize on.

I took a look over the Area 124 / 125 complex with sonar and found multiple, large fish holding at the 23-25 foot breakline here at Area 124, but they were 2-3 foot off bottom and did not respond to a vertical jigging approach. The sonar returns did not appear as white bass nor largemouth typically do – perhaps a healthy school of channel cat?? I didn’t fool with these very long as I wanted to get on some topwater.

I looked over the expanse from Area 56 to Area 126 and saw nothing on top.

I then headed to the expanse from Area 555 to Area 122. As I idled in here, topwater action soon became apparent. Small wolfpacks of largemouth and white bass were feeding on small shad in open water from 54 feet deep to 22 feet deep. This action occurred just as the NE wind had built and peaked for the first significant amount of time all day, around 5:25p. This action lasted about 45 minutes. Over that time I caught 17 largemouth to 15 inches, and 3 keeper whites to 14 inches. I was surprised that, despite running sonar the entire time the surface action was happening, not a single school of bottom oriented or suspended whites was seen. Around 6:15 the wind died very abruptly, and the fishing died with it. By sunset (~7:08) the surface was calm and not even a shad’s ripple could be seen across the surface.

After dark, the 4th night of the mayfly hatch continued, and topwater feeding by small bass and sunfish again resumed in the shallows. I managed one drum and one sunfish before heading to the house.

TALLY = 22 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