WHO I FISHED WITH: This past Thursday morning, 19 April, I fished with returning guest Clay Lohse of Abilene and a friend of his from the medical profession, Bryan Townsend. Both men work in the nursing field and both are pursuing credentials as nurse practitioners. Clay has his own YouTube channel named “RespectTheFish” and routinely posts instructional videos there. On today’s trip, he did a number of informal interviews to mesh with video and put up on his channel.
From left: Bryan Townsend and Clay Lohse with a sampling of the 30+ legal hybrid that fell for live shad this morning on a day with clear skies and light NW breezes.
WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip.
WHERE WE FISHED: Belton Lake
WHEN WE FISHED: Thursday morning, 19 April 2018
HOW WE FISHED: We fished for the first 3 hours with live shad targeting hybrid stripers, producing 51 fish, of which 31 were legal-sized hybrid, with the balance consisting mainly of short hybrid and white bass. In our last 50 minutes, we made a move in search of white bass to work over with slabs, and found abundant action in about 32′ of water. We aimed for hitting the 75 fish mark (24 additional fish) by 11 AM and succeeded. The white bass were sluggish at first and failed to respond to a smoking retrieve, so, we slowed down to an easing tactic, got them fired up to where they began to suspend off bottom, and then smoked through them with good results.
OBSERVATIONS/NOTES: 1) The surface temperature exceeded 65.3 for the third consecutive day in over two weeks and as it did, the threadfin shad began to spawn once again allowing for “one & done” netting for a third day in a row.
TALLY: 75 FISH, ALL CAUGHT AND RELEASED
TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:
Start Time: 7:00a
End Time: 11:00a
Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 55F
Water Surface Temp: 65.4F
Wind Speed & Direction: We saw a light NW breeze today at trip’s start, around 5-7, slowly tapering up to 9-10.
Sky Conditions: Cloudless blue skies.
Water Level: 2.04 feet low and slowly falling
GT = 45
Wx SNAPSHOT: N/A
AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:
**Area vic 187 & vic 1012- moderate, steady action on hybrid using live bait for 3.0 hours; 51 fish incl. 31 legal hybrid
**Area B0080C – fast action on white bass with slabs/Hazy Eye Stinger hooks; 24 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
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