WHO I FISHED WITH: Mr. Todd Smith of Belton and his mother-in-law, Juanice Hamm, of Temple. Juanice used to live in the Brookhaven Community which was on the south bank of Cowhouse Creek before Camp Hood came along in the 1940’s. Todd makes a living selling Coca-Cola products locally.
Todd Smith of Belton and his mother-in-law, Juanice Hamm of Temple, enjoyed a half-day outing in pursuit of primarily white bass on Stillhouse. Juanice’s daughter, Tina Smith, presented a fishing gift certificate to her mom and husband for Christmas 2016 and today was the day they chose to redeem it.
As the bite was winding down at the first place we had success at using vertical tactics, catfish and drum moved in to clean up the feces and regurgitated shad left on the bottom by the heavily feeding white bass we caught over the previous hour.
WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip focused on white bass
WHERE WE FISHED: Stillhouse
WHEN WE FISHED: Monday morning, 02 October
HOW WE FISHED: Our first hour was spent downrigging successfully over 40-50 feet of water for fish that were suspended. We set our downrigger balls at 36-38 feet for fish that were at, or just slightly deeper than, this depth. Our second hour saw a halt to natural activity (no birds, no bait moving, no fish on sonar, etc.) as a murky, grey cloud bank moved over and reduced the light to pre-dawn levels. By 9:15 this murk began to clear and the bite picked up again, allowing us to catch fish consistently from out of bottom-hugging schools with vertical tactics.
OTHER NOTES/OBSERVATIONS: Noted abundant, widespread largemouth bass schooling action in a number of open water areas both this morning and this afternoon, with more action in the PM than in the AM.
TALLY: 62 FISH, all caught and released
TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:
Start Time: 7:15a
End Time: 11:30a
Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 73F
Water Surface Temp: 78.6F
Wind Speed & Direction: ESE under 5 for first 2 hours, then SE at 10-11 with slowly clearing skies for the last 2 hours
Sky Conditions: The morning started out with a grey cloud bank in the east through which the sun would rise. Just about the time the sun was clearing this cloud bank (around 8:15) our conditions got quickly murky with dark, low, grey clouds under low-wind conditions. The fish dropped off and we went for an hour just searching for fish unsuccessfully. Once the clouds cleared and a breeze resumed around 9:15, we again got on active fish and stayed on them through the close of the trip just after 11:15.
Water Level: 1.36 feet low
GT = 40
Wx SNAPSHOT:
AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:
**Area 1523 through 590 — 19 fish in an hour’s effort using 3-armed umbrella rigs equipped with Pet Spoons and balls set at 36 and 38′.
**Area vic 470 — 19 fish in an hour’s effort from 9:15 to 10:15 using slabs with a smoking and easing tactic, and using tailspinners.
**Area vic 1034 — 24 fish in an hour’s effort from 10: 25 to 11:25 using slabs with a smoking and easing tactic, and using tailspinners.
Bob Maindelle, Central Texas Fishing Guide
Owner, Holding the Line Guide Service
254.368.7411 (call or text)
Website: www.HoldingTheLineGuideService.com
E-mail: Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bobmaindelle
Twitter: www/twitter.com/bobmaindelle