Stillhouse Fishing Guide Report – 18 Mar. 2010 – 21 Fish






I fished a half-day morning trip this morning with Doc, Raleigh, and Ruffin W., all of the Temple/Belton area. Despite less than ideal weather conditions, the water is now sufficiently warm to trump some of the negative impacts that clear, bright skies and north winds tend to cause. We got on fish right away and the fishing stayed consistent for the first 3 hours of daylight.

Ruffin W. took this 3.00 lbs. largemouth on a Reef Runner Rip Shad 200. This fish was mixed in with white bass feeding on suspended shad. That’s grandpa “Doc” grinning ear-to-ear!!

Start Time: 7:20a

End Time: 10:35am

Air Temp: 45F at trip’s start.

Water Surface Temp: ~60.4F

Wind: Winds were light from the NNE at ~7.

Skies: Skies were bright and clear.

As we got on the water we headed out and searched the Area 54 complex and over to Area 116 (BA:8HG,6T,2L). Sonar revealed scattered white bass up as shallow as 8 feet, and out to 18 feet of water, and the fish were also scattered vertically from mid-depth to bottom. We flatlined with Bombers and Rip Shads and connected regularly on whites and largemouth, including one black bass that went exactly 3 pounds.

As we fished and observed, we saw some action up in shallow water to the NNW of Area 116 (BA:7T). I threw a test cast out with a TNT 180 and immediately hooked up using a lift-drop approach. I coached all three fellows do the same and soon all 3 had hooked fish this way, albeit for just a brief time. The fish were acting a bit unusually today in that they would be active in short spurts, and in scattered wolfpacks of what sonar revealed to be just 4-10 fish in number.

After this shallow (11-13 foot) bit of action settled, the wind just about died, and the fish activity decreased right along with it. We slowed our approach, as well, doing controlled drifts with bait. This netted us 2 crappie and several more missed fish.

As Raleigh was a bit pressed for time, we decided to give flatlining another try as the wind began to pick up again before we needed to pack it in and get him headed back to work. We fished directly over Area 116 and in the last 10-20 minutes on the water picked up 3 more solid white bass and missed another. We finished up the trip with 21 fish which was a pretty good take for a bright, clear, and nearly windless day with what little wind there was coming from the north. We snapped a couple dockside photos and released our catch in good condition.

I really enjoyed this trip, as I do most “multi-generational” trips. Both Ruffin’s father and grandfather were focused on his learning and his success and handed off most every hooked fish to him so he could gain experience and have a positive impression of the sport.

TALLY = 21 Fish, all caught and released