WHO I FISHED WITH: This morning I fished with Matthew Carrillo, the 14-year-old son of US Army Corps of Engineers Captain Alfredo Carrillo and his wife, Mrs. Amy Carrillo. Matthew was introduced to fishing by his grandmother and, according to his mom, watches every fishing TV show currently in production. Matthew came into the trip already very capable with a spinning outfit, thus allowing him to “reach out and touch” schooling largemouth bass during an 80-minute window when they fed on shad at the surface and gave their location away.
This was the season’s 11th SKIFF (Soldiers’ Kids Involved in Fishing Fun) program outing I’ve conducted thus far. Free SKIFF trips are available to military kids during times of separation from their military parent due to duty requirements such as TDY assignments, military school attendance, gunnery, NTC or JRTC rotations, and, of course, during deployments. Interested parents need only call me at 254.368.7411 to schedule such a trip.
Amy Carrillo accompanied her 14-year-old son, Matthew, on this Labor Day 2018 SKIFF Program trip while her husband, US Army Captain Alfredo Carrillo is deployed to Iraq. We found abundant topwater action on quality largemouth bass early in the trip.
As the skies brightened, despite remaining 100% clouded, the action moved sub-surface where we found quality white bass using downriggers.
WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip focused on largemouth and white bass.
WHERE WE FISHED: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir
WHEN WE FISHED: Monday morning, 03 September 2018
HOW WE FISHED: Our trip broke down into 3 segments this morning. We sight-cast to topwater largemouth in our first 80 minutes on the water for fish schooled up into wolfpacks of 5-10 fish each, spread over a ~3 acre area. After the sun brightened the sky and brought this topwater action to an end, we moved deeper and found willing white bass in large, fairly immobile schools, thus allowing us to have success with downriggers, routinely catching doubles and singles. From 9:20 to 10:00, skies darkened temporarily as the SE wind peaked at 6mph, thus driving a late morning topwater feeding spree by largemouth and white bass which once again allowed for some exciting sight-casting. Once the clouds thinned and the skies brightened, the wind also calmed and the fishing nosedived. We wrangled only 2 more fish from 10 to 10:45 and then called it a good morning with 42 fish boated. Given Matthew’s age and experience, we forewent the sunfishing I normally include as a component of SKIFF trips and focused on quality fish using a variety of tactics to give him as much “hands-on” experience as I could.
OBSERVATIONS/NOTES: The SE winds, grey cloud cover and low pressure ushered in by tropical activity in the Gulf caused fish to become quite active this morning to the point of feeding on the surface for extended periods of time.
TALLY: 42 fish, all caught and released
TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:
Start Time: 7:00 am
End Time: 10:45 am
Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 76F
Water Surface Temp: 85.4F
Wind Speed & Direction: Winds were calm at sunrise and for about 90 minutes hence, then building to SE7 through 10am, then going calm again.
Sky Conditions: 100% cloud cover.
Water Level: 8.11 feet low and falling
GT = 0
Wx SNAPSHOT:
AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:
**Area 884-1434 – topwater largemouth
**Area vic SH0048C – downrigging for white bass
**Area 1241-1221 – topwater white bass and largemouth
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
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bobmaindelle
Twitter: www/twitter.com/bobmaindelle