WHO I FISHED WITH: This morning, Thursday, December 21, I welcomed aboard U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major Michael Miller and his three kids: Xavier (16), Azaria (15) who goes by “Z”, and Javon (8). None of the kids had ever been fishing before.
CSM Miller has served for 19 years and has a 14Z MOS (military occupational specialty) in Air Defense Artillery, currently working with the Patriot Missile system.
I’ll tell you, these kids were pretty tough. They arrived well-dressed for the cold, but the constant rain eventually soaked through their clothes around the 3-hour mark. They all kept a great, can-do attitude the entire time, even on the long, chilly, damp ride back in after all the fishing was over.
CSM Miller is assigned to Fort Cavazos here in Texas, but his family resides back at Fort Knox, Kentucky. The Christmas break from school afforded the kids a chance to leave the chill of Kentucky behind for a few weeks to spend with their dad.
CSM Miller found out about the opportunity on the Fort Cavazos Area Facebook Page.
ABOUT SKIFF: SKIFF trips have been provided to military families at no charge since May of 2009. SKIFF is funded by donations from Austin Fly Fishers and other partner organizations, namely The McBride Foundation and Austin Subaru. 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 to Gold Star families who have lost their service member while he/she was on active duty. In mid-2019, SKIFF began providing trips to kids of bona fide disabled veterans. I conduct these 3.5 hour adventures on Belton Lake and Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir year ’round. Call or text 254.368.7411.
Here is how the fishing went…
Here’s an up-to-date calendar so you can check availability: https://holdingthelineguideservice.com/available-dates.php
PHOTO CAPTION: From left: Using a “slow-smoking” tactic with white, 5/8 oz. and 3/4 oz. Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs, Azaria, Xavier, Javon, and Michael Miller landed a total of 68 fish in a three hour trip shortened a bit by a soaking drizzle.
PHOTO CAPTION: Xavier had bragging rights to the trip’s biggest fish … until …
PHOTO CAPTION: … his dad came up with one even bigger!! This one went 4.25 pounds.
Find the Bladed Hazy Eye Slab here: https://whitebasstools.com/
WHERE WE FISHED: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir
WHEN WE FISHED: Wednesday, 21 Dec. 2023 (AM)
HOW WE FISHED:
I delayed the start of our trip due to very heavy cloud cover keeping the skies from brightening as early as they normally would. Even after beginning ~35 minutes later than normal, the fish still took a while to really get interested in feeding well.
We fished exactly five areas today in exactly the same way, save for the weight of the lures we used.
At each location we found fish holding tightly to the bottom with several dozen fish making up each school we found. We Spot-Locked atop the fish and used either 5/8 oz. Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs or the heavier, 3/4 oz. version (both white), depending on the depth. We used a “slow-smoking” tactic to tease these fish into chasing and overtaking these baits.
There was a very definite bell-shaped curve to the feeding activity this morning, with the peak running from 10 to 10:50 AM.
Our final tally of 68 fish included 1 freshwater drum, 4 largemouth bass, and 64 white bass, all taken on the same lures with the same tactic.
Here is a tutorial on the smoking tactic we used… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIPopSLUYoQ
TALLY: 68 fish caught and released.
OBSERVATIONS: The water temperature profile on Stillhouse Hollow measured on 18 Dec., was:
WEATHER DATA:
Start Time: 8:10A
End Time: 11:00A
Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 60F, falling to 59F by trip’s end
Elevation: 18.18 feet low, 40 CFS flow
Water Surface Temp: 58.7F on the surface.
Wind Speed & Direction: SSE5-9
Sky Condition: About 100% heavy grey cloud cover all morning with a drizzle or light sprinkle falling the entire time thanks to a strong, Pacific low pressure system passing over now and for the next few days
Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous moon at 69% illumination.
GT = N/A
Wx SNAPSHOT:
AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:
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