This afternoon I met up with the Leonovich kids — Ethan (age 13), Ava (age 9), and Emaline (age 5) — for a Ft. Hood SKIES Program “Fishing 101” trip on Belton Lake. Chaperoning today were Hank and Diana, the kids’ maternal grandparents who are visiting from Vermont.
From left: The Leonovich kids: Emaline, Ava, and Ethan, with several of the “keeper”-sized white bass we landed on downriggers this evening.
Emaline proudly displays the first fish she ever caught, earning her a First Fish Award from TPWD.
Once we got everyone boarded and provided with both a safety talk and a bit of a demo on how to use both baitcasting reels and spinning reels, we shoved off in search of fish. We decided we’d take turns in order from youngest to oldest as we used the pair of downriggers I have aboard to present 6 baits at depths the fish were holding at today. We were fortunate to come across fish very quickly (less than 2 minutes from putting the gear down and less than 5 minutes from shoving off from the dock), and the kids did great on taking turns, catching singles, doubles, and triples on the 3-armed umbrella rigs we were using.
The kids’ mom, Gretchen, let me know that Hank and Diana might not make the full 4-hours on the water, and, indeed, around the 2.25 hour mark, Grandpa gave me the high sign to start winding things down.
All 35 fish we boated today came on the downriggers. We set at ~25′ deep at our first area for fish holding along the bottom, and we set at 10-12′ at our second area for large schools of fish down at 11-15 feet over 35-45 feet of water.
Emaline had never landed a fish before today’s trip. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department offers a “First Fish Award” to anglers landing their first fish, so, the very first fish Emaline reeled in, an 8″ white bass, qualified her for this distinction. Good thing she wore a floral dress, earrings, and a hair bow for the occasion!
SKIES Unlimited stands for School of Knowledge, Inspiration, Exploration and Skills. SKIES Unlimited classes are open to children of active duty military personnel, retirees, Department of the Army civilians, and to Department of Defense contractors. To enroll in SKIES Unlimited activities, children must be registered with CYSS at Building 121 on 761st Tank Destroyer Avenue (right across from the Chili’s restaurant).
There is no charge for registration; parents must bring an ID that shows their affiliation with the military, the child’s shot records, and the report from a recent physical exam. While the SKIES Unlimited programs are not free, many military families are eligible for sizeable credits toward SKIES Unlimited activities. There is a $300 “Army Strong” credit available to each child when their parent is deployed.
TALLY = 35 FISH, all caught and released
TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:
Start Time: 3:45p
End Time: 6:00p
Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 87F
Water Surface Temp: 84.6F
Wind Speed & Direction: SSE9-10
Sky Conditions: 45% grey cloud cover on a fair sky. More humid today than the day before.
Note: Lake has dropped 0.05 feet in the last 24 hours and now stands at 592.89 above sea level, with 594.00 being full pool
Other: GT= 0
AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:
**Area (vicinity) 1401 & 1139 downrigging for moderate but steady results on smaller fish over first hour
**Area 1601 downrigging for steady results on smaller fish for last hour
Bob Maindelle
Owner, Holding the Line Guide Service
254.368.7411 (call or text)
Salado, TX