Stillhouse Fishing Guide Report – 31 Jan. 2009 – 35 FISH






I fished an afternoon trip today in an effort to time the trip with the presence of a favorable wind. After a fairly windless morning, a sustained breeze from the south began to blow at 8-12 mph by around 2pm. I got out on the water at 2:30p and did well.

THE TWO-TIER FEATURE HOLDING FISH TODAY

Start Time: 2:30p

End Time: 6:30p


Air Temp: 29F at sunrise heating up to 67F by afternoon.


Water Surface Temp: ~50.2F

Wind: Winds were light and variable until around 2:00p, and then took on a due S course at about 8-12 mph.

Skies: Clear and bright high pressure conditions.

I checked only 3 areas today and found fish at 2 of them. Birds were an indicator at all 3 areas, and terns were more telling than the gulls.

My first stop came at the end of a deep flat as it rolls into the channel in 38-41 feet (Area 340). There were 4 gulls rafted over this area and they were reluctant to leave when I approached in the boat. I ran sonar over this area a saw some good returns both on bottom and suspended up 2-3 feet off bottom. I dropped a slab down and worked over an area ~35 yards in diameter and drew no attention and moved before long.

My next stop was made under active, albeit scattered, terns at Area 350. These terns were working parallel to the channel and over an area ~120 yards in length and 40 yards in width. As I crept in with sonar, it revealed a lot of scattered, suspended fish and bait from 10 feet deep all the way to bottom in 41-43 feet. I baited up with a live shad on a downline set 4 cranks off bottom, and began to work with a 3/8 oz. white TNT 180. I spent about 90 minutes here for a total catch of 19 fish. Of these, 4 were barely keeper largemouth, along with 1 drum and 14 keeper whites with none exceeding 13″. Only 1 of these 19 fish came off bottom; all others were caught via a smoking technique, mostly at a depth of 15 feet or deeper.

About 50 minutes prior to sunset this bite quieted down, no fish were seen suspended any longer, and no birds continued patrolling. I left and headed to Area 351 after seeing 3 flocks of terns working over loons, with a few working over fish. As I looked things over with sonar, I found a 2-tier drop with one step at 35 feet and another at 41 feet with the deeper step dropping into the channel (see photo above). On 3 passes I found fish from the top to the bottom of the first step and so stopped to work them over with a slab. From start to finish at about 30 minutes after sunset, I put an additional 16 fish in the boat including 13 white bass, 1 crappie, and 2 largemouth (1 short, 1 legal). After sunset, the fish would not pursue a smoked slab and so I switched over to a small Jigger Shad and held it right on their noses, and got them to hit that. I got 3 fish on the Jigger Shad with 2 more missed. All fish caught here were suspended fish.


TALLY = 35 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








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