WHO I FISHED WITH: This past Thursday morning, December 30th, I fished with Jayd Bosiacki and the crew of J-Dog Junk Removal, based in Killeen.
Jayd invested time, money, and effort into his crew this holiday week by taking them bowling, to an escape room, and, on this morning, fishing on Lake Belton.
Joining us were Blake Cyr, Shawn Barr, Jayd’s dad, Don Bosiacki, and Taylor Graham.
Here is how the fishing went …
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My next few openings will be on January 5th & 12th. Weekday mornings are always best.
PHOTO CAPTION: From left: Blake Cyr, Jayd Bosiacki, Shawn Barr, Jayd’s dad, Don Bosiacki, and Taylor Graham.
WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton
WHEN WE FISHED: Thursday (AM), 30 December 2021
HOW WE FISHED:
A very mild front passed over Central Texas yesterday, barely shifting our winds at that time, but, this morning, the impacts were definitely more notable. The air was drier, the temperatures cooler, and the winds blew from the WNW for the first 90 minutes following sunrise.
Fortunately, everyone on the J-Dog crew had prior fishing experience with spinning gear, so I had to do very little in the way of coaching to get these fellows ready to catch.
I did park us in 20+ feet of water and demonstrate the slow-smoking tactic we’d be using all morning.
Due to the number of folks aboard, casting would not be an option for safety reasons, so, I brought only spinning rod and reels rigged with white, 3/8 oz. Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs. I had 5/8 oz. and 3/4 oz. versions of the same rigged and ready to swap out if need be, but, the 3/8 oz. baits performed well from start to finish.
Our efforts were aided in the first 90 minutes by helpful gull action. The only downside of fishing under birds during a holiday is that everybody and their brother can spot birds, so, you are just about guaranteed to have company — and we did.
Regardless, we got a great start under those birds and, after they dispersed, put the valuable lessons the fellows had learned by repetition to use under more difficult conditions when the fish slowed down, the winds decreased, and the skies began to clear.
Every last fish the 5 fellows landed came on a rising 3/8 oz. bait fished with a slow-smoking tactic moving toward the surface, with their efforts enhanced by Garmin LiveScope.
When all was said and done, we landed exactly 143 fish, including 3 juvenile hybrid striped bass, 1 freshwater drum, and 139 white bass.
Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs and MAL Lures found here: https://whitebasstools.com/
TALLY: 143 fish caught and released
OBSERVATIONS: We saw a spike in fishing pressure today as nice weather coincided with holiday schedules to put a lot more folks on the water than has been the case lately.
WEATHER DATA:
Start Time: 7:40A
End Time: 11:40A
Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 51F
Elevation: 2.27 feet low, 0.00 fall in last 24 hours, 34 CFS flow
Water Surface Temp: 63.2F
Wind Speed & Direction: WNW 9 at trip’s start, fading to near calm by trip’s end
Sky Condition: 70% cloud cover, decreasing to 20% by trip’s end
Moon Phase: Waning crescent moon at 15% illumination.
GT = 86
Wx SNAPSHOT:
AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:
Areas 1798, B0025G, 132, and 677/1604 all produced the same way with slow-smoked 3/8 oz. white Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs
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
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