This morning I met up with Mr. Brandt Dozier from Cypress, TX. Brandt traveled in last night and stayed in Belton to watch his daughter, an incoming freshman at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, participate in a soccer tournament this weekend.
Brandt Dozier of Cypress, TX, with a pair of white bass that hit his 3-armed umbrella rig at the same time during a short burst of late-morning action on the downriggers.
There is a reason the old adage says, “Winds from the north, the fisherman goes not forth.” There is just something about north winds and fishing that just don’t mix well. As I awoke at 4:15a to begin preparing for this morning’s trip, the very first thing I heard was my neighbor’s American flag popping in the wind. I heard that and just groaned knowing we were going to put in a maximum of effort for a minimum result.
The weatherman indicated a wind shift, with windspeeds at 7-10 through our time on the water, increasing to 13 by midday. In actuality, the winds were 13-16 all morning, staring well before sunrise.
Regardless, we got in the boat, turned the key, and went out to hunt fish.
We had 3 brief “spurts” of success. First, we downrigged for fish that were up off bottom and moving at first light in 20-25 feet of water at Area 133/1019. We picked up 4 white bass in our first hour on the 3-armed umbrella rigs equipped with Pet Spoons. We then went for about an hour without any results.
I moved us to Area 618/819 and found individual fish popping shad on the surface in the somewhat protected area here. I noted that fish were suspended and scattered. Given the bright, mid-morning conditions, we again went with a downrigging approach and picked up 5 more white bass before these fish shut down.
Finally, we headed to Area 164 and here found very sedentary white bass clustered together in schools of 20-40 on bottom. We tried to work slabs through these fish but the were totally disinterested in chasing vertically. We once again went with the downrigging approach so as to move our baits horizontally and cover ground, keeping our baits just over the heads of these bottom-hugging fish. We made 8-10 passes over an area ~90 yards in diameter without a sniff, despite regularly seeing schools of white bass on sonar. Then, suddenly, the fish turned on for about 25 minutes. During this time the fish continued to orient to the bottom but would rise up toward the downrigger ball as it passed overhead. We put 9 fish in the boat and lost two more. The fish we caught came in as singles and doubles. Then, as suddenly as it started, it ended — right around 11:20a.
I wound up burning more gas running and searching and downrigging for these 17 fish than I consumed in my last 4-5 trips combined. But, that is to be expected on a north wind; just gotta roll with the punches and stay hard after them! I tried to keep Brandt out as long as his schedule allowed to try to get his “string stretched” the best I could. We called in for a late checkout at the hotel he booked and then figured he could beg for mercy (and a shower) when he showed up in the nick of time for that.
The upside: Brandt won’t be sweating in the stands tonight as he cheers his daughter on during her soccer match!!
TALLY = 17 FISH, all caught and released
CLICK TO RETURN TO FISHING GUIDE’S HOME PAGE
CLICK TO RETURN TO FISHING GUIDE’S FACEBOOK PAGE
TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:
Start Time: 6:40a
End Time: 11:30a
Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 74F
Water Surface Temp: 83.4F
Wind Speed & Direction: N13-16
Sky Conditions: Bluebird
Note: Lake has dropped 0.01 feet in the last 24 hours and now stands at 593.78 above sea level, with 594.00 being full pool
Other: GT= 30
AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:
**Area 133/1019 downrigging for small schools of shallow white bass at first light
**Area 618/819 downrigging for scattered white bass in small schools
**Area 164 downrigging for white bass in small schools holding tight to the bottom
Bob Maindelle
Owner, Holding the Line Guide Service
254.368.7411 (call or text)
Salado, TX
www.HoldingTheLineGuideService.com