WHO I FISHED WITH: This past Wednesday afternoon I fished with Mr. Joe Torralva and his son, Adan, as well as Adan’s uncle, Scott Mullins, visiting from Virginia. Joe just came along for the ride while Adan and Scott did all the fishing. All of this was nicely coordinated in advance by Joe’s wife, Nicole, the week prior.
Scott runs an HVAC business on the East Coast where he pursues multiple species on multiple bodies of water, including targeting striped bass on the famed Buggs-Kerr Reservoir where some of the first freshwater stripers were stocked decades ago.
Joe works in the drinking water treatment business.
Adan Torralva of Temple, TX, and his uncle, Scott Mullins, of Virginia, put together an 81 fish catch using a slab/Hazy Eye Stinger hook combination under fully clouded skies.
Freshwater drum have become a very common by-catch this season. Here, Joe Torralva looks on as his son, Adan, hefts a drum approaching 4 pounds.
WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip focused on white bass. We also landed numerous drum and largemouth bass.
WHERE WE FISHED: Stillhouse Hollow
WHEN WE FISHED: Wednesday evening, November 21, 2018
HOW WE FISHED: As we began the trip, we still had a light easterly wind pushing the water and rippling the surface. We scored over 20 fish on our first stop in ~50′ of water at the end of a gentle, deep point. By the time these fish quit, the wind had laid down to calm. We struggled to find fish for the next hour; however, gulls continued to work during this time, primarily attracted to loon activity. The fish really turned on in the last 90 minutes before the obscured sunrise; this action coincided with the appearance of many schools of small shad feeding on the surface all over the lake after the winds had been calm for about an hour. A smoking tactic used with a moderate cadence was the best producer this afternoon
OBSERVATIONS: We had a strong start and a strong end, with a slow hour in the middle. The fish really turned on in the last 90 minutes before the obscured sunrise; this action coincided with the appearance of many schools of small shad feeding on the surface all over the lake after the winds had been calm for about an hour.
TALLY: 81 fish, all caught and released
TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:
Start Time: 1:15p
End Time: 5:15p
Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 60F
Water Surface Temp: 56.6
Wind Speed & Direction: <E6
Sky Conditions: Full, grey cloud cover all afternoon
Water Level: 11.6 feet high and falling by about 0.14 feet daily w/ 1,186 cfs flow
GT = 105
#WhiteBassFishing #LakeBelton #StillhouseHollow
Wx SNAPSHOT:
AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:
**Area SH0069C – deep fish in lower 1/3 of water column taken on moderate smoking tactic
**Area vic 089 – suspended fish responding to thumper in ~30′, suspended at 20-25′ and taken with a moderate smoking tactic
**Area SH0068C – fish in ~25′ which fed hard for last 90 minutes prior to obscured sunset. Took eased, smoked, and snap-jigged slabs, as well as blades
Bob Maindelle, Belton Lake Fishing Guide
Full-time, Professional Fishing Guide and Owner of Holding the Line Guide Service
Belton Lake Fishing Guide, Stillhouse Hollow Fishing Guide
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