WHO I FISHED WITH:
This past Monday evening, April 18th, I fished with the sons of a U.S. Army member currently deployed overseas.
Matthew (a 9th grader) and Caleb (a 5th grader) were accompanied by their grandfather, Tim Herold, a U.S. Navy retiree, who, along with his wife, were down visiting their daughter, Jessica, and their grandkids.
ABOUT SKIFF: 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. SKIFF trips are also provided, free of charge, to Gold Star families who have lost their service member while he or she was on active duty. In mid-2019, SKIFF also began providing trips to dependents whose parents are bona fide disabled veterans. 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. Call or text 254.368.7411.
Here is how the fishing went …
______________
My next openings will be on May 11th and June 21st. Weekday mornings are always best. Saturdays are available for on-the-water sonar training sessions (only) until after Labor Day when I’ll again offer Saturday morning fishing trip (until mid-March 2023).
PHOTO CAPTION: From left: “Grandpa” Tim Herold and his grandsons, Caleb and Matthew, all were treated to a SKIFF fishing trip while the boys’ dad is deployed.
WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton
WHEN WE FISHED: Monday (PM), 18 April 2021
HOW WE FISHED:
Fishing was pretty simple this afternoon. A steady NNE wind at ~11-12 mph kept the water rippled and the fish biting.
Thanks to the fairly bright conditions, the fishing took place in 24-37 feet of water this afternoon. We fished only vertically with Caleb and Tim using MAL Dense lures (chartreuse tails), and with Matthew sticking with the 5/8 oz. Bladed Hazy Eye Slab which he had used on a previous trip with me, and therefore had some confidence in. However, when the bite turned on, he saw his results lagging behind that of his grandpa and younger brother, and eventually joined in on using the MAL Dense, as well.
Once we got set up in a “Spot Lock” position over the fish and began working our lures, the commotion drew fish in, which, in turn, drew even more fish in. The longer we stayed in an area, the more fish we attracted, and the better the bite got. Eventually, the fish would thin out and/or lose interest, but we spent nearly an hour over each of the final three groups of fish we found (the first group of small fish we found up shallow I used as a “teaching tool”, and then we left them in pursuit of better quality fish in deeper water).
The smoking tactic we used is explained fully here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDSvfXgrAUE
Our final tally of 206 fish consisted of 3 short hybrid striped bass, and 203 white bass.
Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs and MAL Lures are found here: https://whitebasstools.com/
TALLY: 206 fish caught and released
OBSERVATIONS: Today marked the first time the MAL outperformed the slab in a vertical presentation as the water has warmed up this spring. This was true of both the AM and PM trips.
WEATHER DATA:
Start Time: 3:45P
End Time: 7:15P
Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 71F
Elevation: 3.62 feet low, 0.01’ fall in last 24 hours, 31 CFS flow
Water Surface Temp: 68.5F
Wind Speed & Direction: NE11 entire trip
Sky Condition:30% white cover on a blue sky
Moon Phase: Waning gibbous moon at 96% illumination.
GT = 100
Wx SNAPSHOT:
AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:
Area 1000, 0147, B0082G, 564
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