WHO I FISHED WITH: This morning I fished a multi-species trip with Kris Wagner and his sons, 14-year-old Nick, and soon-to-be 10-year-old Charlie. Kris makes his living as a urologist at Scott & White and enjoys biking. Nick is the real fisherman of the family, looking for opportunities to fish whenever and wherever he can, be it for sunfish in Nolan Creek or catfish at summer camp. Charlie landed our fish for the record books — a spotted bass. More about that, with a photo, in my Sunday “Guide Lines” column on Aug. 26th, though.
From left: Nick, Kris, and Charlie. Because our fish were coming up from 35+ feet this morning where the water temperature was much cooler, we had to handle our fish quickly to ensure they could be released in excellent shape. These three fish were actually all caught by Nick at the same time on his 3-armed umbrella rig. I unhooked them, handed one to each family member, and we snapped a photo — all in a matter of seconds. We then watched these all dig back down to that deep, dark, cool water they’d come from.
WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip focused on white bass.
WHERE WE FISHED: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir
WHEN WE FISHED: Saturday morning, 18 August 2018
HOW WE FISHED: We fished 4 areas and found fish at three of them. I also ran sonar over 2 other areas and passed on them due to lack of fish and bait. When fish and bait showed on sonar, we downrigged successfully and, whenever a mass of bottom-oriented white bass would show on sonar (typically setting both downriggers off as we passed over), we would stop the boat, hover atop of them and work tailspinners vertically. This approach yielded 54 fish including 2 drum, 1 spotted bass, and 51 white bass through around 11a. As we headed back to the ramp, I spotted some surface feeding action on a flat adjacent to the river channel. Sonar revealed heavy schools of young of the year shad present with white bass throughout the lower third of the water column right there with them. We went right to working tailspinners given how concentrated these fish showed to be on sonar, and wound up staying an additional hour working these fish over, and taking our tally up to 102 fish (adding 47 white bass and 1 drum to our prior total of 54 fish).
OBSERVATIONS/NOTES: It was surprising to see fish feeding so aggressively at Area SH0053C between 11a and noon after the strong bite we’d experienced elsewhere had clearly died to nil. This was the best topwater action I’d seen since Monday.
TALLY: 102 fish, all caught and released
TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:
Start Time: 6:45a
End Time: 12:00 noon
Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 76F
Water Surface Temp: 83.8F
Wind Speed & Direction: Light winds under 4mph from S for first 90 minutes, pick up up to WSW12 for the remainder of the trip.
Sky Conditions: ~20% cloud cover
Water Level: 7.36 feet low and falling
GT = 55
Wx SNAPSHOT:
AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:
**Area SH0052C thru 1425 – scant
**Area 1448-495-1970 – white bass via downriggers and tailspinners
**Area SH0053C – 48 white bass between 11a & noon – location revealed by surface action in SW wind at 12 mph
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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