WHO I FISHED WITH:  This morning, Monday, March 13, I fished with Craig, Emalyn (age 11), and Annabelle (age 8) Lilie, and Dillon, Jack (age 10), and Hunter (age 8) Dewald — two dads and their kids.

Craig and Dillon first got to know one another at a family camp held at Pine Cove.

This was the first day of spring break for most of our local school districts. The Lilie family is from Salado, and the Dewald family lives in North Texas, but has roots in Lampasas.

At one point in the trip as one of the girls was watching Garmin LiveScope, she watched her bait go right past a fish with no response.  She asked her dad, “Why didn’t that fish bite on my bait?”  Craig told her, “Well, to that fish the lure may have looked like broccoli on a string.”    That response more than satisfied her curiosity.

Here’s how the fishing went …

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Peak spring dates are just about gone.  Here’s an up-to-date calendar so you can check availability: https://holdingthelineguideservice.com/available-dates.php

Next available dates are 22, 29 & 31 March

 

PHOTO CAPTION: From left to right that’s Craig Lilie and Dillon Dewald in the back row and, in the front row, Emalyn and Annabelle Lilie and Jack and Hunter Dewald.

WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton

WHEN WE FISHED:  Monday, 13 March 2023 (AM)

HOW WE FISHED: 

Thanks to a dry cold front, which began moving in in the early morning hours Sunday, we had cool, clearing skies and a stiff northwest breeze, which was still ramping up by the time we began fishing this morning.

We enjoyed three solid hours of fishing with a slower final hour as both birds and fish begin to wind down from their morning feed.

Although bird activity indicated large, mobile groups of migrating white bass in deep, open water in multiple locations this morning, the technical nature of fishing for these was more than my young crew was capable of handling.

Instead, I searched out bottom-oriented schools of white bass in shallower water and targeted these with a vertical approach, using slow-smoked Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs (white, 5/8 oz.).

Everyone improved their technique throughout the morning and the results showed that.

By the time noon rolled around, we had boated 128 fish including one largemouth bass, 12 hybrid, striped bass (all short), and 115 white bass.

TALLY: 128 fish caught and released

Find Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs here: https://whitebasstools.com/

OBSERVATIONS: The dry cold front really got the fish turned on today as the winds stayed up all day.

WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 8A

End Time: 12 Noon

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 48F

Elevation: 14.00 feet low, 24 CFS flow, .01′ fall over the last 24 hrs.

Water Surface Temp: 60.4F on the surface

Wind Speed & Direction: NNW11 at trip’s start, peaking at NNW 14 by mid-morning, then tapering back to NNW 11 by trip’s end.

Sky Condition: Clear, bluebird skies

Moon Phase: Waning gibbous moon at 67% illumination.

GT = 50

Wx SNAPSHOT: 

 

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:  

Area B0196C – 20 fish

Area 1552 – 25 fish

Area B0042C – 68 fish

Area 355 – 12 fish

Area 1482 – 3 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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