WHO I FISHED WITH: This morning, Friday, October 20, I fished with three generations of Connally men. James Connally is a retired Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game warden captain who resides in Belton. His son, Michael Connally, is an orthopedic surgeon based in Bryan/College Station, and Michael’s son, Case, is almost 9 years old, and is working his way through the third grade this year.
We caught ’em pretty hot and heavy this morning. At one point, Case, who experienced the most productive trip of his life thus far said it was like “fishing heaven”!
Here is how the fishing went…
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PHOTO CAPTION: From left: Mike, James, and Case Connally with a few of the 107 fish they landed during their 4-hour morning trip on Lake Belton.
PHOTO CAPTION: As we wrapped up the trip this morning an approached the shoreline, a massive hatch of aquatic insects was underway. This is what the boat looked like … there had to be millions of these things!!
WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton
WHEN WE FISHED: Friday, 20 October 2023
HOW WE FISHED:
NOAA was spot-on today with their wind and weather forecast. They called for southwesterly winds to swing through the west and then northwest as a mild front pushed in around 11:15 AM. We had no cloud cover this morning as this dry front approached.
Although the fish were not truly “on fire”, they bit consistently from start to finish this morning and are definitely beginning to relate to the bottom and school up into large groups thanks to the slow but steady decline in water temperature.
We spent our first hour downrigging for suspended white bass and hybrid striper which were holding between 15 and 20 feet below the surface over deeper water. We took these fish using three-armed umbrella rigs equipped with #13 Pet Spoons.
Fish were caught as singles, doubles, and one triple, allowing us a downrigger catch of 24 fish before the skies brightened sufficiently to push the fish further down into the water column and to bottom.
From around 8:30 AM and until we wrapped up around 11:40 AM, all of our fishing involved using MAL Heavies with chartreuse tails fish vertically with a smoking tactic for an additional 83 fish.
While I could find no fish deeper than about 30 feet last week, fish and shad were routinely found down to 35 feet today, again, thanks to the slowly cooling water.
Our catch of 107 fish consisted of five largemouth bass, six hybrid striped bass, one freshwater drum, and 95 white bass.
TALLY: 107 fish caught and released.
Find the MAL Lure here: https://whitebasstools.com/
OBSERVATIONS: Osprey, coot and teal numbers are increasing daily; I have now spotted the first multi-bird flock of gulls since spotting a single back on Saturday, 14 Oct.
WEATHER DATA:
Start Time: 7:20A
End Time: 11:40A
Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 54F
Elevation: 18.99 feet low, 47 CFS flow
Water Surface Temp: 70.2F on the surface.
Wind Speed & Direction: WSW6 at sunrise, shifting to W by 9A, then going slack briefly for about 20 minutes prior to the start of a NW breeze at 9 mph around 11:15A
Sky Condition: Light blue skies; 0% cloud cover
Moon Phase: Waxing crescent moon at 32% illumination.
GT = 0
Wx SNAPSHOT:
AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:
Area B0233G to B0231G – downrigging for 24 fish
Area 1486/953, 2059, 1290/B016G, B0181G, B0090C – smoking MAL Heavies for 83 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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