WHO I FISHED WITH: This past Saturday, April 27th, I fished with Temple-based CPA and long-time client Steve Niemeier. Steve typically books several trips each year and has always included his grandkids on his trips from as soon as they are able to fish (around 5 years of age). Today, his granddaughter, Macy Fowler, age 10, got to join us.
I was really impressed with Macy in that I only had to explain/show her something one time and she would immediately get the hang of it. At age 10 she also hung in there really well as we passed on smaller fish opportunities to put legal hybrid in the boat, which required some waiting and patience on her part.
PHOTO CAPTION: The hybrid fishing was “front-loaded” this morning, with a majority of our legal fish taken in the first 90 minutes. Here Steve Niemeier and his granddaughter, Macy Fowler, grip two fish caught just seconds apart as a small school of hybrid came into our vertically presented bait spread.
PHOTO CAPTION: This mid-morning surprise came just after I had moved us to get away from small fish including smaller blue cat, white bass, and (very) short hybrid. Although all of these same fish would present themselves at this stop several yards away from the fish we’d hoped to leave behind, it wasn’t before this battle-scarred largemouth found Macy’s shad suspended up off bottom. It weighed 6.75 pounds and measured 23.75 inches (just shy of a Big Fish Certificate length by .25 inches).
WHAT WE FISHED FOR: Hybrid striped bass using live shad.
WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton
WHEN WE FISHED: 27 April 2019, AM
HOW WE FISHED: We fished strictly live bait in pursuit of hybrid striped bass this morning and did best in our first 90 minutes.
With water temperatures still lagging behind “normal”, the hybrid bite still has not really taken off yet, but is at least consistent.
Fishing live shad on a tight-line rig with a 3/4 oz. egg sinker, quality swivel, 25# fluorocarbon leader and circle hook (with mono tag) is standard fare. I have been gauging the distance off bottom at which we present our baits based on fish aggression level and the presence of smaller, non-target species like white bass and blue catfish.
We never caught more than two hybrid at any one location although we saw additional fish present before and after catching the legal hybrid we caught, they would come up to the level of our baits, then turn away, and then only as singles or pairs.
OBSERVATIONS: Even more white bass coming down the tributaries today headed for deep, clear water. Shad spawn visibly evident at the following: SHAD023, SHAD017, and SHAD024. I netted successfully at SHAD024. Reliable source indicated shad also spawning at SHAD025 and SHAD009 thru SHAD010 to SHAD011. We got checked by TPWD today — no issues.
TALLY: 30 fish caught and released – including 8 legal hybrid
TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:
Start Time: 6:45a
End Time: 12:15a
Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 62F
Elevation: 2.33′ above full pool with a 0.06′ 24-hour rise and a 1672 cfs flow due to 2-3 inches of rain in the watershed 3 days ago
Water Surface Temp: ~67F
Wind Speed & Direction: S10-14
Sky Conditions: Bright, cloudless blue skies
GT = 20
#WhiteBassFishing #LakeBelton #StillhouseHollow
Wx SNAPSHOT:
AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:
**Area vic 1298 early
**Area 1743/346 – mid-morning action with lots of smallish fish — moved 3 times to get away from small fish just killing baits
**Area B0082C late
Bob Maindelle
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