WHO I FISHED WITH: This morning, Thursday, February 17th, I fished with first-time guests Kenny and Clayton McLaughlin of Gatesville.
This father-and-son team work their family construction business together focusing on concrete and dirt work.
Mrs. Tarrah McLaughlin presented this trip to her husband, Kenny, for his birthday.
Here is how the fishing went …
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My next few openings will be on Feb. 28th, and March 1st and 2nd. Weekday mornings are always best.
PHOTO CAPTION: We managed to get a full four-hour trip in for Kenny McLaughlin (left) and his son, Clayton, between the storm front and the cold front this morning on Lake Belton, resulting in a nice catch of 75 fish, all on white, 5/8 oz. Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs.
WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton
WHEN WE FISHED: Thursday (AM), 17 February 2021
HOW WE FISHED:
Oh how I wish we could have been on the water yesterday, which was the McLaughlin’s originally scheduled date. We had warm, “heavy” air, abundant humidity, 100% grey cloud cover, and found ourselves at the end of a 4-day warming trend. The winds yesterday were simply too great to cash in on that, but, we were able to “thread the needle” and fish that “window” between the pre-frontal stormfront passage, and the front’s actual arrival with high winds and a significant temperature drop.
This scenario typically produces fishing which as at least better than the fishing in the stretch of days between fronts.
We found fish to be in a neutral to somewhat positive mood all morning, finding them and catching them at 6 distinct locations. Each location’s fishing played out the same, with the fish staying interested about 25-30 minutes at each location before shutting down.
We fished with slowly smoked 5/8 oz., white Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs and caught fish steadily, with the first hour being our slowest, and with the fishing which occurred right as the front hit being the fastest (and least comfortable!).
Most of our fish were hooked within 2-4 feet of the bottom as they slowly overtook our rising baits.
We caught 75 fish, including 9 freshwater drum and 66 white bass.
Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs and MAL Lures found here: https://whitebasstools.com/
TALLY: 75 fish caught and released
OBSERVATIONS: No helpful bird activity today. A storm front passed through just before sunrise, leaving clearing weather and a frontally-influenced wind shift in its wake, followed by the cold front’s arrival around 10:50 with a much more drastic temperature drop than was forecast.
WEATHER DATA:
Start Time: 7:00A
End Time: 11:25A
Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 59F (dropping to 46F by trip’s end)
Elevation: 2.87 feet low, 0.00′ change in last 24 hours, 8 CFS flow
Water Surface Temp: 51.8F
Wind Speed & Direction: WSW6 at trip’s start, slowly increasing and swinging through W, then WNW, then NW as the front arrived around 10:50. As the front arrived, the temperature dropped quickly as the wind ramped up an additional 3-4 mph to 20mph straight-line with higher gusts.
Sky Condition: Clear skies at trip’s start, increasing to 100% cloud cover as the front moved in.
Moon Phase: Full moon at 100% illumination.
GT = 0
Wx SNAPSHOT:
AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:
Area vic 714 (4 fish), Area vic 1055 (29 fish), Area vic B1298 (18 fish), Area vic B0009G (17 fish), Area 1819 (7 fish)
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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