CLOUDS MOVED IN, FISH WENT CRAZY – 160 FISH

WHO I FISHED WITH:  This past Thursday evening I fished with returning guests Luis and Tonya Garcia and their kids, Juliana and William Neel.  This was the seventh Spring Break 2018 trip I conducted.  This would also be the only day of the 9-day run in which the afternoon’s fishing outperformed the morning’s effort.  This was due to increased cloud cover and higher winds.  We went from cool and clear, with light winds in the morning, to balmy and overcast grey skies with winds around 18-20 in the afternoon.

 

After catching a boatload of white bass (147 to be exact) in our first 2.5 hours, we devoted the remainder of our trip up until sunset to the pursuit of hybrid stripers. Here, Juliana poses with her largest.

Everyone got a chance to feel the powerful pull of several 18-20″ hybrid taken on live shad.  This is Tonya with a nice “palmetto bass”.

Although William was big on catching hybrid, he was far from enthused about sticking his thumb in one’s mouth, thus giving Juliana an opportunity to do a little sisterly mocking!

Like a good dad, Luis made sure wife and kids all had a chance to catch a big one, then it was his turn!.

 

The white bass fishing was on fire, as it often is under grey skies and windy conditions — we landed 100 fish in our first 75 minutes on the water, and then 47 more in the next 75 minutes.

 

WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip focused on white bass with our final hour spent in pursuit of hybrid for variety’s sake

WHERE WE FISHED: Belton Lake

WHEN WE FISHED: Thursday evening, 15 March 2018

HOW WE FISHED:   White bass fishing was 100% smoking with 3/8 oz. slabs & stinger hooks for very aggressively feeding fish which were patrolling the entire lower 2/3 of the water column, and did so for a full 2.5 hours in the 27 feet of water we found them in.  The bite was really strong, allowing us a catch of 100 fish in our first 75 minutes, followed by another 47 fish in the next 75 minutes. When the bite at the one and only stop we made up to this point started to get soft, I offered that we could move and continue catching white bass in the 1, 2, and 3 year class as we had been doing, or that we could “leave fish to find fish” in hopes of putting a few hybrid in the boat.  Luis gave me the thumbs-up for hybrid, so, off we went.  Our first spot was a bust, but our second stop proved much better, giving up 13 keeper hybrid on live shad through sunset.

OBSERVATIONS/NOTES:  Slowly increasing water temperatures, grey cloud cover, and a stiff breeze was a “perfect storm” for line-sides today.  Awesome fishing!

TALLY: 160 FISH, ALL CAUGHT AND RELEASED 

 

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 3:30p

End Time: 7:35p

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 52F

Water Surface Temp:  60.3F

Wind Speed & Direction:   SSW 18-20

Sky Conditions:   100% light grey cloud cover

Water Level: 2.49 feet low and falling

GT = 60

Wx SNAPSHOT:

 

 

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

**Area vic 709/1024 – 147 white bass

**Area vic 365/1942/1945 – 13 hybrid striped bass

 

 

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

HOUSES IN THE HOUSE! – 70 FISH

WHO I FISHED WITH:  This past Thursday morning I fished the sixth Spring Break 2018 trip of the week with three elementary-aged students — Claudia House (age 9), her younger brother, David (age 7), and their friend, Bethany Stursma (age 8) who came down for a visit all the way from Pella, Iowa.  Accompanying the kids was Mr. Brian House.  Young David had me a bit worried at first as he told me he only intended to watch as the girls fished because he didn’t like fishing.  Well, like many youngsters, David may not like fishing, but he definitely liked catching, so we tried our best to keep all three kids catching for the 3.5 hours this “Kids Fish, Too!” package trip just for kids would last.  When all was said and done, we’d landed 70 fish as the white bass cooperated for a majority of our time on the water, despite nearly cloudless skies.

From left: Claudia House, Bethany Stursma, and David House, each with a white bass caught using slabs fished vertically at the level fish were seen holding at on sonar.

David landed two fish on one lure at the same time — one on the treble hook and one on the Hazy Eye Stinger hook affixed to the line tie.

 

WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip focused on white bass

WHERE WE FISHED: Belton Lake

WHEN WE FISHED: Thursday morning, 15 March 2018

HOW WE FISHED:   Nearly 100% smoking with 3/8 oz. slabs & stinger hooks.

OBSERVATIONS/NOTES:  N/A

TALLY: 70 FISH, ALL CAUGHT AND RELEASED 

 

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 7:30am

End Time: 11:00am

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 52F

Water Surface Temp:  59F

Wind Speed & Direction:   SSW 9-11

Sky Conditions:   <30% white, wispy cloud cover

Water Level: 2.49 feet low and falling

GT = 10

Wx SNAPSHOT:

 

 

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

**Area 378/380 – 54 white bass

**Area  vic B0054C – 16 white bass

 

 

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

DADDY-DAUGHTER TRIP WITH THE PACHAS – 49 FISH

WHO I FISHED WITH:  This past Wednesday evening I conducted the fifth Spring Break 2018 trip of the week.  Joining me were father and daughter Brent and Grace Pacha of Bartlett, TX.  Brent is a plumber by trade and Grace is a middle school student on Spring Break.

Brent and Grace Pacha of Bartlett, TX, with a nice hybrid striper which took a live shad suspended off bottom just before sunset.

 

After snap-jigging unsuccessfully, we changed to a horizontal presentation by downrigging and scored again and again on large, quality white bass using a 3-armed umbrella rig equipped with Pet Spoons.

 

WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip during which we caught a mix of white bass and hybrid stripers

WHERE WE FISHED: Belton Lake

WHEN WE FISHED: Wednesday evening, 14 March 2018

HOW WE FISHED:  The after effects of the cold front that came in Monday played out this afternoon as winds went from the NE in the morning, through the E, then calmed this afternoon.  That, combined with bright skies, made the fishing tough.  We took a few fish via snap-jigging, but saw a lot of bottom-hugging white bass that just were not buying what we were offering.  We changed our plan, tried presenting downrigged bait run horizontally over top of the same fish which would not respond to jigging, and wound up find the key to getting these fish to bite.  After a long run of successful downrigging, we spent the last 40 minutes or so fishing with live shad for hybrid.  

OBSERVATIONS/NOTES:  1) Snap-jigging is beginning to lose its appeal, with downrigging or horizontally worked blade baits now producing well when aggressive feeding ends and fish spread horizontally on bottom. 2) Hybrid fishing is still spotty.

TALLY: 49 FISH, ALL CAUGHT AND RELEASED 

 

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 3:30p

End Time: 7:55p

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 66F

Water Surface Temp:  58.5F

Wind Speed & Direction:   SE at less than 5-6 all afternoon

Sky Conditions:   <15% white, wispy cloud cover

Water Level: 2.48 feet low and falling

GT = 20

Wx SNAPSHOT:

 

 

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

**Area  1126 – B0040C

**Area  vic B0052C

 

 

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

SPRING BREAK FISHING WITH THE BOYDS — 157 FISH @ BELTON

WHO I FISHED WITH:  This past Wednesday morning I conducted the fourth Spring Break 2018 trip of the week with three generations of the Boyd family.  Bryan and John own and operate Centex Flooring in the north Austin area, specializing in ceramic tile.  The impacts of the cold front that caused me to postpone Monday’s fishing could still be felt with bright skies and low temperatures, but, even though the winds were northeasterly, they were at least moving the water enough to get the fish going.  We enjoyed 2 solid hours of fishing under birds for aggressive white bass, then a third, slow hour spent searching for more fish as the winds died down.  In our final hour we found a pocket of hybrid striper which had corralled shad into a cove where we caught 13 keeper hybrid , 1 short hybrid, and 2 largemouth bass on live shad.

 

From left: Bryan, Drew, and John Boyd, each with solid, 3-year class white bass taken in the first two hours of fishing under birds.  Slabs did the trick when worked vertically through the water column at the level these fish were holding at.

 

We cashed in on some hybrid and largemouth action in our last hour on the water.  Both species had herded shad into a small pocket and were feeding in the upper half of the water column with fish occasionally breaking the surface.  Live shad did the trick fished between 12-17 feet over a deeper bottom.

 

 

WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip during which we caught a mix of white bass and hybrid stripers

WHERE WE FISHED: Belton Lake

WHEN WE FISHED: Wednesday morning, 14 March 2018

HOW WE FISHED:   Fishing for white bass under birds was best with a moderate smoking tactic using 3/8 oz. slabs with the Hazy Eye Stinger attached.  Fishing is still spotty and inconsistent for hybrid, with fish taking shad of all sizes, as well as chunk baits; a lot of “sniffs” are still being observed as hybrid race upward to a bait, examine it, then turn away.

OBSERVATIONS/NOTES:  1) Snap-jigging is beginning to lose its appeal, with downrigging or horizontally worked blade baits now producing well when aggressive feeding ends and fish spread horizontally on bottom.

TALLY: 157 FISH, ALL CAUGHT AND RELEASED 

 

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 7:30a

End Time: 11:45a

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 38F

Water Surface Temp:  58.5F

Wind Speed & Direction:  NE6 in the first two hours, then slowing to E at just a ripple for the last two hours

Sky Conditions:  <10% wispy, white cloud cover

Water Level: 2.48 feet low and falling

GT = 40

Wx SNAPSHOT:

 

 

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

**Area  692/381  – white bass on slabs under birds

**Area vic 380    – white bass on slabs under birds

**Area  B0053C – suspended, small “packs” of hybrid stripers and largemouth took live shad (medium threadfin) set at 12-17 on tightlines

**Area vic 1371

 

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

Spring Breakin’ with Grandpa George — 123 Fish

WHO I FISHED WITH: This morning, Tuesday, March 13th, I ran a Spring Break morning fishing trip with Mr. George VanRiper of Harker Heights and two of his grandsons, Jake (age 12) and Kaden (age 9) Howley, also of Harker Heights.  The boys were well-mannered, eager to do well, and willing to be coached.  Hence, on a day with pretty tough weather conditions, they did very well.

 

From left: Jake and Kaden Howley with hybrid stripers caught and released just seconds apart.  Hybrid were patrolling in packs of 5-10 fish in about 25 feet of water over a deeper bottom.

U.S. Army veteran George VanRiper and his grandson, Kaden, with a pair of stipers.  Fish came through under the boat in groups, so catching a few at a time was the rule, not the exception.

Our morning got started off right when white bass went on a 90-minute feeding frenzy under a thin grey blanket of clouds.  We put 101 fish in the boat in this short span of time.

WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip during which we caught a mix of white bass and hybrid stripers

WHERE WE FISHED: Belton Lake

WHEN WE FISHED: Tuesday morning, 13 March 2018

HOW WE FISHED:   Fishing today broke down into three very distinct parts.  Part one, which spanned from sunrise around 7:45a to 9:15am, consisted of using a smoking tactic with 3/8 oz. slabs with Hazy Eye Stinger hooks attached to catch aggressively feeding white bass which were suspended in the lower 2/3 of the water column in about 25 feet of water.  During this time we amassed a catch of 101 fish. Part two, which went from ~10:00am to 10:30am, consisted of snap-jigging and easing for increasingly disinterested white bass hugging bottom in 20 to 31 feet of water.  We made 3 “short hops” in one area, pulling only a few fish each time.  We took only 8 fish during this bright, calm part of the morning. Part three, which spanned from 10:30 to 11:50am, consisted of fishing live shad via tightlining for fish suspended at 25-27′ over a deeper bottom. We landed another 14 fish, including 2 largemouth bass, 1 short hybrid, and 11 keeper (18″ or greater) hybrid striped bass.

OBSERVATIONS/NOTES:  1) The low light white bass feed we witnessed this morning exceeded the frenzy encountered this past Saturday morning in aggression, but did not last quite as long.  4 anglers landed 101 fish in under 90 minutes.  2) Male white bass observed dripping milt.  3) The mild, dry cold front that pushed through Sunday and Monday dropped the surface temperature from 60-62F, down to 58.5F.

TALLY: 123 FISH, ALL CAUGHT AND RELEASED 

 

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 7:30a

End Time: 11:55a

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start:  43F

Water Surface Temp:  58.5F

Wind Speed & Direction:  SSW2-4 most of the trip.

Sky Conditions: ~70% high, thin, grey cloud cover at sunrise, dissipating by 9:15am, then bright with sparse white cloud cover <10%.

Water Level: 2.48 feet low and falling

GT = 5

Wx SNAPSHOT:

 

 

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

**Area  692/1369 – white bass frenzy under low light conditions – 101 fish in 90 minutes

**Area vic 382 – snap-jigging for small white bass hugging bottom

**Area  B0053C – suspended, small “packs” of hybrid stripers took live shad (medium threadfin) set at 25′ on tightlines

 

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

PRAIRIE DOG RACING – 48 FISH @ BELTON

WHO I FISHED WITH: This past Saturday afternoon I was joined by two couples: Shannon Bradshaw and Brandon Parr and their friends, Andrew Baker and Chelsy Richardson.  Andrew and Brandon serve in the same infantry unit on Fort Hood  The ladies went in together to get the fellows a fishing gift certificate for Valentines’ Day in 2017 and redeemed it today.  We faced some tougher conditions this afternoon as the sky brightened and the wind calmed over the midday period.  As it turned out, we were able to use a variety of tactics including snap-jigging for whites and tight-lining with live shad for hybrid to catch a variety of fish.  Along the way we all got a good chuckle when I told the group I was looking forward to a prairie dog hunt in late May.  While picturing a not a prairie dog but a greyhound in her mind, Shannon asked of the prairie dogs I’d just mentioned, “Aren’t those the ones they race?”.  There was a split second of silence and then laughter erupted.

Shannon Bradshaw with our longest hybrid of the trip.  This fish aggressively took a live shad suspended at mid-depth over a 34′ bottom.

Chelsy Richardson and Andrew Baker with a nice pair of hybrid.  Andrew’s fish was our heaviest of the trip, weighing 4.125 pounds. Both came on live shad suspended off a 34′ bottom.

Did ya’ll know the Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer Co. has a fishing team?

From left, Chelsy Richardson, Andrew Baker, Shannon Bradshaw, and Brandon Parr, each with a 2 year class white bass caught off bottom in 25-28′ along a blunt point  under tough, bright, calm conditions.

WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip during which we caught a mix of white bass and hybrid stripers

WHERE WE FISHED: Belton Lake

WHEN WE FISHED: Saturday evening, 10 March 2018

HOW WE FISHED:   Fishing was much tougher this afternoon than this morning.  Our conditions were just what you don’t hope for — bright and calm — but, we persisted and put together a nice catch aided by a grand finale of nearly 20 keeper hybrid (18″ or greater).  We kicked off the afternoon snap-jigging near bottom while we still had a bit of a ripple.  Multiple “short hop” around the same location got us 27 white bass and a single largemouth in our first two hours.  Our third hour was slow as we searched multiple locations finding little and catching nothing.  We made a move to another segment of the lake in our final 80 minutes.  As I searched with sonar, side imaging revealed scattered but abundant hybrid holding along a steep bank over 34′.  I hovered the boat in one spot using Spot Lock, got live bait down, sweetened the deal with a steady flow of chum, and we began to pull hybrid stripers steadily for the remainder of the trip, right up until dark around 6:45.  Although these fish were definitely more aggressive than those we encountered the previous evening, we still had plenty of refusals where we watched fish on sonar as they stalked a bait, rose to it, then turned away without making contact. During this last span of time, we landed 18 legal hybrid, 1 short hybrid, and 1 largemouth bass around 2 pounds.

OBSERVATIONS/NOTES:  1) The hybrid we encountered were definitely more aggressive than those we encountered the previous evening, but we still had plenty of refusals where we watched fish on sonar as they stalked a bait, rose to it, then turned away without making contact.

TALLY: 48 FISH, ALL CAUGHT AND RELEASED 

 

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 2:30 pm

End Time:  6:50 pm

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start:  85F

Water Surface Temp:  60-62F

Wind Speed & Direction:  SSW2-4 most of the trip.

Sky Conditions: <10% cover with white clouds on a blue sky by trip’s end.

Water Level: 2.43 feet low

GT = 0

Wx SNAPSHOT:

 

 

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

**Area 381 to B0050C — 28 fish snap-jigging

**Area B0051C – 20 fish on live shad in last 75 minutes of light

 

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

I’M GONNA TEACH MY KIDS THIS TECHNIQUE — 105 FISH @ BELTON

WHO I FISHED WITH: This past Saturday morning I was joined by Mr. Frank “Big Dad” Ellis, his step-son, Richard Garrison, and four of Frank’s grandchildren — Alexis (age 12) and Aubrey (age 10) Mikeska, and Eliana (age 11) and Janessa (age 8) McKee, all of Copperas Cove.  The girls all fished while Frank and Richard helped me help the girls with technique, taking off fish, untangling lines, and more.  The girls are all on spring break and this was the first of a few big events they had planned for the week.  Aubrey, the only “morning person” in the bunch, really warmed my heart when, in the middle of the white bass feeding frenzy tells her grandpa, “Man, this works great.  I’m gonna teach my kids this technique when they go fishing.”

 

From left, Aubrey Mikeska, Richard Garrison, Alexis Mikeska, Janessa McKee, Frank Ellis, and Eliana McKee with a few of the 105 fish they landed as the opening act of their Spring Break 2018.

WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip during which we caught white bass (primarily), as well as crappie, largemouth, and drum.

WHERE WE FISHED: Belton Lake

WHEN WE FISHED: Saturday morning, 10 March 2018

HOW WE FISHED:  Fishing got off to a bit later start this morning thanks to some heavy grey cloud cover which obscured sunrise, and thanks to very light winds.  By 7:30am things started to happen as nature came alive, fish began biting, and birds started flying and feeding.  We fished only two areas this morning.  The first half of the trip, while the bite was more subdued, we used a snap-jigging tactic for smaller white bass holding very tightly to the bottom. During the second half of the trip we witnessed the most aggressive white bass feed I have seen so far this year.  Hundreds of white bass were feeding in an area of about 2 acres in size and in about 25 feet of water.  The fish were primarily in the middle third of the water column with individual fish occasionally breaking the surface as they chased shad.  Fishing was super easy with a smoking tactic and the trusty 3/8 oz. slab with Hazy Eye Stinger hook affixed.  This aggressive feed lasted about 75 minutes.  Afterwards, fish were still catchable, but were on bottom and much less aggressive, thus requiring that we go back to snap-jigging.  At this point anything short of another frenzy would have been anticlimactic.  As this was a “Kids Fish, Too!” package trip, we wrapped up right around the 3.5 hour mark with exactly 104 fish landed.  I think Aubrey would have fished ’til midnight if we let her, Alexis could have hung a bit longer, and Eliana and Janessa were ready for an early lunch.

OBSERVATIONS/NOTES:  1) A number of the larger white bass we landed from out of the suspended school we smoked for were males dripping milt.  That was the first time I’ve observed that on either Belton or Stillhouse this season.

TALLY: 105 FISH, ALL CAUGHT AND RELEASED 

 

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 6:30 am

End Time:  10:00 am

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start:  66F

Water Surface Temp:  60-62F

Wind Speed & Direction:  S3 at trip’s start, building to S7 by 9:00am, then shifting suddenly to WSW9-10.

Sky Conditions: 100% grey cloud cover, tapering off to 30% cover with white clouds on a blue sky by trip’s end.

Water Level: 2.43 feet low

GT = 50

Wx SNAPSHOT:

 

 

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

**Area vic 382 – snap-jigging for small white bass hugging bottom

**Area 617 to 378 to 380 – frenzied white bass caught via slow-smoking

 

 

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

HYBRID ON THE BRINK – 104 FISH @ BELTON

WHO I FISHED WITH: This past Thursday evening I fished Lake Belton with Mr. Lin McCraw and four teenagers, including Lin’s two sons, Cole and Wil, and family friends Marvin Jordan and Jace Sims.  I came prepared for both white bass which I felt confident we would catch, as well as for hybrid striper, which I was less confident about based on recent, spotty fishing for that species in the still-cold water.  Lin makes his living as an attorney up in the McKinney area in north Texas and came down for a visit to his ranch near Gatesville.

 

From left, Jace Sims and Cole McCraw handle a nice pair of hybrid that fell for cutbait as a large school of fish fed on shad in 25′ over a 40′ bottom.

Wil McCraw with one of ten hybrid we landed in a short, intense feed which took place under birds around 5pm.  That’s his dad in the background.

 

Marvin Jordan calmly listed to my coaching and did a great job boating our largest fish of the trip, a 4.125 pound hybrid striped bass, also taken on cutbait.

WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip during which we caught both hybrid stripers and white bass.

WHERE WE FISHED: Belton Lake

WHEN WE FISHED: Friday evening, 09 March 2018

HOW WE FISHED:   As most afternoon trips do, today’s trip started slow and ended better.  For our first two hours we vertically jigged for smaller white bass holding tight to bottom in 22-35′ with 3/8 oz. slabs with Hazy Eye Stingers affixed.  During our third hour we encountered quickly moving schools of fish pushing bait toward the surface from beneath.  Most of the action was in 25′ over a 40-45′ bottom.  We found hybrid willing to take cutbait (but not live shad) and put 10 in the boat with a few more missed before this action under birds died down to nil.  Our final hour was spent slow-smoking slabs in 26′ at a breakline.  Birds got us close and sonar closed the deal.

OBSERVATIONS/NOTES:  1) The hybrid bite is “teetering” on the brink of taking off.  The bite over the past 10 days has been spotty, but a few more degrees of water temperature rise should see a big improvement.  2) Chunk bait far outperformed live bait for the hybrid we encountered.

TALLY: 104 FISH, ALL CAUGHT AND RELEASED 

 

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 2:30 pm

End Time:  6:40 pm

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start:  68F

Water Surface Temp:  59-61F

Wind Speed & Direction:  SSE13-15

Sky Conditions: 65-80% grey clouds

Water Level: 2.44 feet low

GT = 15

Wx SNAPSHOT:

 

 

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

**Area vic 788 to 382 (with 3 short hops) vertical jigging with 3/8 oz. slabs in 25-35′

**Area  vic 1024 vertical jigging with 3/8 oz. slabs in 22′

**Area  B0049C – fishing under birds with cutbait for 10 hybrid holding at 25′ over 40-45′

**Area  B0052C – slow smoking slabs for white bass in ~26′ during last-light bite

 

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

THROWING BLADES & TROLLING CRANKS — 47 FISH @ STILLHOUSE

WHO I FISHED WITH: This past Thursday morning I fished with Mike and Gail Klosterhoff of Georgetown, TX, on Stillhouse Hollow.  Gail got Mike a fishing gift certificate for Christmas and today was when they chose to redeem it.  Based on recent scouting efforts I’d made on Stillhouse, I knew the use of bladebaits would figure heavily into our approach, so, I did some dockside coaching on the use of these lures before we encountered fish so Mike and Gail would be more capable when we got into white bass.  Because the Klosterhoffs recently bought a pontoon boat of their own and desire to get better at catching fish on their own, I tried to explain why we did what we did as the morning went along so they could apply such lessons to their own efforts going forward.  Thank you for the referral, Dan Marriott!!

Mike and Gail Klosterhoff of Georgetown, TX, put 46 white bass and 1 largemouth in the boat under warming, cloudy conditions on Stillhouse Hollow throwing bladebaits.

 

WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip focused on catching white bass.

WHERE WE FISHED: Stillhouse Hollow

WHEN WE FISHED: Friday morning, 09 March 2018

HOW WE FISHED:   All fish caught today were taken in under 20′ of water and primarily using bladebaits.  We used 3/8 oz. Cicadas in shallower water (<10′) and 3/4 oz. Binsky blades in water over 10′.  A lift-drop retrieve did the trick.  We also put a few fish in the boat via flatline trolling.  The fish showed a definite preference for the Storm Smash Shad over the Wiggle Wart I had on the other line.  The trolling targeted scattered fish whereas the bladebaits were thrown at congregated fish as seen on sonar.

OBSERVATIONS/NOTES:  1) Despite our decent catch, there still seems to be a scarcity of both fish and bait in the areas traditionally holding fish under current water conditions and in this season as compared to seasons past. 2) The “bridge tree” I watch each time of year for a gauge of spring’s progress began greening this week. 3) Sandhill cranes have migrated beyond us now.

TALLY: 47 FISH, ALL CAUGHT AND RELEASED 

 

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 6:30 am

End Time:  10:30 am

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start:  53F

Water Surface Temp:  58-59F

Wind Speed & Direction:  S5-7 then increasing sharply to S14 around 9:30

Sky Conditions: 100% grey clouds

Water Level: 3.72 feet low

GT = 40

Wx SNAPSHOT:

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

**Area SH0011C to SH0014C – blade baits in under than 12′

**Area SH0012C – flatline trolling

**Area 091 to SH0013C

 

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

TWINS CATCH FIRST FISH OF THEIR LIVES – 6 FISH @ BELTON

WHO I FISHED WITH: This past Monday morning I fished with Leslie Hancock, Willie Gill, and their two girls, Ellie and Emmie Gill.  The girls are 5-year-old twins and had never before caught a fish in their lives.  Although I don’t normally prefer to take kids this young out until the summer month (when sunfish are abundant and easily caught), the girls had tried for several days in a row to catch fish from the bank during their campout in Cedar Ridge Park on Belton without a single fish to show for it, so, we headed out to clear that “first fish hurdle”.

Leslie Hancock with her 5-year-old twin daughter, Emmie, and the 17.25″ bass which was our first fish caught of the morning and, more importantly, of Emmie’s life!

Willie Gills and his 5-year-old twin daughter, Ellie, with her first fish of the trip and of her life, a nice 3-year class white bass that taped 13.25 inches.

WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip focused on catching each child’s first fish.

WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton

WHEN WE FISHED: Monday morning, 05 March 2018

HOW WE FISHED:   Given the girls’ age and lack of experience, I tried to get us on some fish that would provide some “instant gratification” on what turned out to be a tough fishing day.  We did not stay long at any one area, and I came prepared to do a lot of different things to give the girls lots of transitions to maintain their interest and enthusiasm.  So, we cast, jigged, reeled, used live bait, downrigged, etc.   In the end, each young lady caught not one, but three fish and had a fun time doing it.  Emmie caught the first fish, a 17.25″ largemouth bass.  Ellie got the next fish, a nice 13.25″ white bass.  Then, both girls landed 2 more smaller white bass via jigging and downrigging.

OBSERVATIONS/NOTES:  1) The fishing was very spotty today with some early sub-surface action under birds with hybid forcing bait to the surface (vicB0046C);  I also got credible reports of hybrid taking live shad near this area during a wind shift which occurred after our trip concluded. 2) Sandhill cranes continue migrating.

TALLY: 6 FISH, ALL CAUGHT AND RELEASED

 

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 7:15 am

End Time:  10:30 am

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start:  67F

Water Surface Temp:  58.4F

Wind Speed & Direction:  S5-7, then a windshift to W13 around 10:30A

Sky Conditions: Partly cloudy @ 60%

Water Level: 2.41 feet low and rising slowly

GT = 5

Wx SNAPSHOT:

 

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

**Area vic B0046C/B0047C

**Area vic B0015C

**Area 437

 

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

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