8-YEAR-OLD ISAAC MARTINEZ LANDS HIS FIRST FISH – 28 FISH

WHO I FISHED WITH:    This morning, Friday, 16 August, I fished with 8-year-old Isaac Martinez of Fort Hood.  Isaac will be heading into the 3rd grade at a charter school in the Belton Independent School District this coming school year.  His dad, U.S. Army Sergeant (E-5) Gerardo Martinez, is a generator mechanic currently on a rotation to South Korea in support of the field artillery unit he is assigned to SGT Martinez has been in the Army for 10 years.  The Martinez family just returned stateside from a longer assignment to South Korea in which SGT Martinez was able to be accompanied by his family.  Isaac’s mom, Sarah, also has a 1 1/2 year old son, Nicholas, to care for, so, she entrusted Isaac to my care this morning.

This fishing trip was provided to this military family at no charge.  S.K.I.F.F. stands for Soldiers’ Kids Involved in Fishing Fun.  This program began in May of 2009.  It is funded by the donations and fundraising efforts of the Austin Fly Fishers and other organizations they have partnered with.  S.K.I.F.F. provides the children of military personnel separated from their families due to duty commitments with the opportunity to go fishing.  In mid-2019, SKIFF also began providing trips to dependents whose parents’ military-related disabilities prevent them from taking their own children fishing.  I coordinate and conduct these 3.5 to 4 hour adventures on Belton Lake and Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, just outside the gates of Fort Hood in Bell County, TX, year ’round.

 

PHOTO CAPTION:  This white bass from Stillhouse Hollow was the first fish of Isaac’s life.  He caught it using a shad-imitating spoon on a downrigger and earned a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department “First Fish Award” for his efforts.  Way to go, Isaac!!

 WHAT WE FISHED FOR: Multi-species

WHERE WE FISHED:  Stillhouse Hollow

WHEN WE FISHED: 16 August 2019, PM

HOW WE FISHED:  Since Isaac had never been on a boat before, nor had he ever caught a fish before, we spent only a short time in pursuit of larger fish, then switched over to fishing for higher numbers of smaller fish to ensure the action level stayed high.  During our short stint of downrigging, we landed one nice white bass of about 13.5 inches (thus earning Isaac his TPWD First Fish Award), and a 15″ channel catfish.  Afterwards, we headed up shallow and fished two separate areas for sunfish, landing 26, including bluegill and longears.  These sunfish were taken on bream poles.

TALLY:  28 fish caught and released

OBSERVATIONS:  

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time:   6:30am

End Time:  10:00am

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start:  77F

Elevation:  0.22 low, 0.01′ 24-hour fall, 1 CFS flow

Water Surface Temp:    87.7F

Wind Speed & Direction:  S3-4 the entire trip

Sky Conditions:  High white haze over a blue sky just thick enough to cut some of the sun’s heat

GT =  0

#WhiteBassFishing #LakeBelton #StillhouseHollow

Wx SNAPSHOT:     

 

 AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

**Area Vic 1128 –  1 white bass, 1 channel cat via downrigging

**Area SH0125C – sunfish

**Area 515  – sunfish

 

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