This past Thursday afternoon I fished with Luis Canellas and Jack Maurici. Luis accompanied his daughter, Amanda, who is Jack’s girlfriend, to Texas for a Team USA powerlifting event to be held this coming weekend at the Courtyard Mariott in Killeen. The trio is from the Miami Beach, Florida area and traveled by air into Austin earlier today.

Luis Canellas, a Florida real estate appraiser, did some fishing while waiting for his adult daughter’s powerlifting tournament to begin the following day.

Florida chef Jack Maurici, came to support his girlfriend, Amanda, as she competed against other nations in a Team USA powerlifting event held in Killeen.

Jack is a chef at his own restaurant and Luis owns a real estate appraisal business.  As these Texas tourists let their fingers do the walking, they happened upon a listing as they were inbound to Killeen from the Austin Airport.  They found a listing for Tightlines Premium Fishing Tackle and inquired there about local fishing guides. Rodney, Dean and the gang at Tightlines referred these folks to me, and just hours after Luis’ initial phone call to me, I had him and Jack out on Belton Lake and hooked into fish.

We divided our trip up, devoting the first two-thirds to jigging for white bass, and the last third in pursuit of hybrid striped bass using livebait.

We made three “short hops” at one area, and put 121 white bass in the boat in about two hours and 45 minutes.

In the last 75 minutes of light, we moved up into 25 feet of water and hung live baits to tempt hybrid striper. Although this evening’s bite was not overly aggressive, nor did we see hundreds of fish on sonar, we were able to catch enough keeper hybrid to allow both Luis and Jack to appreciate the power of these fish, and get the necessary fish fighting techniques down pat before we called it an evening. Our largest hybrid of the evening was landed by Luis, and that fish went 4.75 pounds.

To say that Luis and Jack were competitive would be an understatement. As I announced that we were just two fish shy of 100 white bass, the two did all they could to beat the other to catch fish number 100. Luis took that honor, as well. Finally, Luis also had the good fortune of catching two white bass on one lure at the same time.

After being accustomed to fishing for largemouth bass, often with live shiners, in the tannic, shallow waters of Florida, the productivity of this trip – – 141 fish in all – – just blew both of these fellows away.

Luis sent me an update by text the day after the trip, letting me know his daughter took first place in the powerlifting competition, and got to hear the National Anthem played for her.
TALLY = 141 FISH, all caught and released

Wx Snapshot:

 

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 3:45p

End Time: 7:45p

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 79F

Water Surface Temp: 74F

Wind Speed & Direction: SSE8-9

Sky Conditions: 40% clouds on fair sky

Water Level: 5.74 feet above full pool and falling; 3900+ cfs release

GT = 60

 

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:
**Area 1676 thru 1827 in 3 short hops; 100% slabbing for white bass

**Area 1921 – hybrid on live shad

 

 

Bob Maindelle

Owner, Holding the Line Guide Service

254.368.7411 (call or text)

Website: www.HoldingTheLineGuideService.com

E-mail: Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com

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