A SKIFF Trip with William Rochow

WHO I FISHED WITH:   This morning, Tuesday, July 24th, I fished with 6-year-old William Rochow accompanied by his mom, Veronica Rochow.  This was a SKIFF (Soldiers’ Kids Involved in Fishing Fun) program trip conducted free of charge to this family courtesy of the Austin Fly Fishers and the many friends of the SKIFF program who donate and fund-raise so that kids separated from their parents by their parents’ military obligations can enjoy the outdoors during times of separation.

If you are reading this and are military-connected, please give me a call at 254.368.7411 about scheduling a free fishing trip for your kids the next time mom or dad must be away from home.

William’s dad, US Army Staff Sergeant William Rochow, is currently on recruiting duty in Minnesota.  He has served in the Army for 12 years.

Six-year-old William Rochow and his mom, Veronica, on today’s multi-species SKIFF.  William landed 37 fish, including sunfish and white bass.

Before I had time to tell him that a net would make the job a lot easier, William got right to work when I told him it was time to release a few of the sunfish we kept in the bait tank for a little while!!

 

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

WHERE WE FISHED: Stillhouse Hollow

WHEN WE FISHED: Tuesday morning, 24 July 2018

HOW WE FISHED: We contended with a north wind this morning which began around 5pm the previous night.  This depressed the white bass activity a good bit, and made the surface choppy and therefore difficult to spot topwater action.  Given William’s age and prior experience, we focused on sunfish as long a he remained interested in doing so, and then devoted our last hour or so to the pursuit of white bass.  William worked to land 32 sunfish including bluegill, redear, longear, and green sunfish, all using a pole and slipfloat rig.  Once the novelty wore off on that, we geared up and downrigged in 34+ feet of water at three different locations to come up with 5 white bass for variety’s sake.

OBSERVATIONS/NOTES:  Today’s north winds put a damper on the white bass bite without a doubt.  Baitfish were relaxed and carpeted the bottom in all of the areas where I searched for white bass, and no topwater action was to be seen during the short window when (9:45 to 10:15a) winds died sufficiently to see such action were it present.

TALLY: 37 fish, all caught and released

 

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 6:30a

End Time: 10:30a

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start:  83F

Water Surface Temp:   87.1F

Wind Speed & Direction: NE12-13

Sky Conditions: <10% cloud cover

Water Level:  6.79 feet low

GT = 0

Wx SNAPSHOT:  

 

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

 

**Area 203 – sunfish

**Area 1948 – sunfish

**Area SH0037C – downrigging for white bass

**Area 1527 – downrigging for white bass

**Area SH0044C – downrigging for 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@HoldingelleTheLineGuideService.com

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