WHO I FISHED WITH: This morning, Thursday, August 26th, I fished with two first-time guests, James Wilson and Austen Barnes, both of Morgan’s Point, Texas.
I originally had another gentleman booked, but, due to airline flight complications, he was not able to make it, so, I posted a “last minute” opening note on Facebook and James contacted me as a result.
James runs his own HVAC business (https://www.facebook.com/performanceclimate/) and needed a day off. Austen, who, with his wife, runs a housekeeping service, was invited along by James, his neighbor.
I offered the trip at a discount versus having the date go unclaimed, so, it was a win-win in that I was able to operate today while James and Austen got to catch fish and save a bit of cash doing it.
PHOTO CAPTION: James Wilson, left, and Austen Barnes with a pair of quality Stillhouse white bass which fell for MAL Heavy Lures in deep water worked both vertically and horizontally.
WHERE WE FISHED: Stillhouse Hollow
WHEN WE FISHED: Thursday (AM), 26 August 2021
HOW WE FISHED:
For the second trip in a row, this morning was a pretty typical late summer trip. We found fish and they were either really “on” or they were really “off”, and there wasn’t much in between.
In our first two hours on the water, we landed 4 fish. In our final two hours on the water, we landed 73 fish.
During those first two, slow hours, I had no problem finding fish — in fact, I found fish at three distinct locations, but, for every 50 or 60 fish we saw on LiveScope, only a handful would perk up and chase, and even fewer would commit and bite.
That all began to change around 9AM when the very first small ripple began to develop from out of the NE. Although the breeze never exceeded 5mph, it also never let up until just after 11AM.
During that span of time, we sat on one area and fished both vertically and horizontally using MAL Heavy Lures, catching solid white bass one or two at a time.
We caught our first 60 fish on the MAL Heavy with silver blade and white tail, then, for variety’s sake, we threw the MAL Heavy with white blade and chartreuse tail, landing our last 17 fish on them.
The horizontal fishing was accomplished using a “sawtooth method” which I describe in detail here:
We landed 77 fish, including 1 largemouth bass, 3 channel catfish, and 73 white bass.
MAL Lures are found here: https://whitebasstools.com/
TALLY: 77 fish caught and released
OBSERVATIONS: 1) Light topwater activity by largemouth feeding on shad was observed this morning – when high pressure combines with light (but still present) winds, topwater has been predicatable. 2) Approx. 13 terns were helpfully working some patches of open water.
Start Time: 7:00A
End Time: 11:10A
Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 77F
Elevation: 0.26′ high, .01′ 24-hour fall, and a flow of 1cfs
Water Surface Temp: 86.4
Wind Speed & Direction: Calm through 9A, then light and variable under 4-5mph for the balance of the trip
Sky Condition: Zero cloud cover all morning
Moon Phase: Waning gibbous moon at 83% illumination
GT = 55
Wx SNAPSHOT:
AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:
**Area 070/883 – 73 of 77 fish landed here
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
#WhiteBassFishing #LakeBelton #StillhouseHollow #BeltonFishingGuide #LakeBeltonFishingGuide
#BeltonLakeFishingGuide #stripers #stripedbassfishing #rockfish #sandbass #freshwaterfishing #fishing
#bass #bassfishing #whitebass #panfish #crappie #fishingonaboat #fishingtackle #fishinglife #fishingsport
#fishingaddict #fishingpicoftheday #fishingtime #fishinggear #fishingday
#Fitec #mepps