WHO I FISHED WITH: This Monday morning, Christmas Eve 2018, I fished with John Shotwell, John’s 18-year-old son, Hunter, and John’s father-in-law, Bob Shea.
Bob is retired, is an Air Force veteran, and has his own pontoon boat kept in a wet slip at Stillhouse Marina. In addition to catching fish, Bob wanted to learn more about Stillhouse Hollow, as he has rarely ventured out of sight of the dam in his past adventures. John is a math teacher a Copperas Cove High School, and Hunter is pursuing a degree at Central Texas College with his eye on law enforcement.
This 4.50 pound surprise grabbed John Shotwell’s slab as we worked over a school of white bass.
From left: Bob Shea, his grandson, Hunter Shotwell, and Bob’s son-in-law, John Shotwell with 3 of the 103 fish we landed in under 4.5 hours this morning.
Bob Shea with one of the several 4 pound class freshwater drum we landed this morning when we fish with our slabs near bottom.
WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip focused on white bass.
WHERE WE FISHED: Stillhouse Hollow
WHEN WE FISHED: Monday, December 24, 2018
HOW WE FISHED: We began today’s trip throwing bladebaits in under 15′ for actively patrolling wolfpacks of white bass feeding on shad. When the sun rose and brightened the calm surface, this action quickly tailed off and pushed fish deeper. We found fish at around 25′ in small schools, also actively patrolling. We Spot Locked with the Minn Kota Ulterra and worked these fish as long as they lasted in two similar areas. Bird action by gulls and loons was near constant.
After this mid-depth bite dried up around 9:50, we looked to deeper water and were fortunate to come upon some solid bird action which pointed the way to white bass in 45-48′. These were the most aggressive fish and most abundant fish I’ve encountered since last Friday. We were able to catch these fish via a smoking tactic for about 50 minutes, then spent another hour plus snap-jigging for them after they throttled back. At all locations we found largemouth and drum as well as the white bass we sought.
At our last location, John landed a 15.25″ white bass, which is considered a trophy white bass by TPWD’s Elite Angler Program standards.
Other than those fish caught early on the bladebaits, all other came on the Hazy Eye Slab with Hazy Eye Stinger hook attached. White was the go-to color.
TALLY: 103 fish caught and released
TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:
Start Time: 7:15 a
End Time: 11:45 a
Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 32F
Water Surface Temp: 53.4F
Wind Speed & Direction: SW<3 through 9:30, then ramping up quickly to S8-9, then shifting and bumping up again SSE12
Sky Conditions: <10% white clouds on blue sky thru 9:30, save for a grey band of clouds that passed W to E over a 25 minute span from 8:45 to 9:10. Then grey clouds moving in to 80% coverage from the SE beginning around 10:45.
Water Level: 4.62′ high with an overnite fall of 0.23 and a flow of 1496 cfs
GT = 0
#WhiteBassFishing #LakeBelton #StillhouseHollow
Wx SNAPSHOT:
AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS FRIDAY:
**Area SH0082C – low light, shallow bite with blades
**Area 096/SH0076C/SH0084C – mid-depth snap-jigging for bottom-huggers
**Area SH0077C/SH0071C – mid-depth snap-jigging for bottom-huggers
**Area vic 1518 – deep work via smoking and then snap jigging under birds
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