31 | December | 2023 | Fishing Report

E-mail: Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com

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ALL IN THE FAMILY – 63 FISH @ STILLHOUSE

December 31st, 2023January 10th, 2024 by Bob Maindelle

WHO I FISHED WITH: On the morning of Saturday, December 30th, I welcomed family aboard for a bit of a fishing reunion. I chose Stillhouse, both for better quality fish, and to avoid the holiday weekend “boat show” which can develop over on Lake Belton now that birds have taken up residence there.

Joining me were my brother, Andy Maindelle, his son (my nephew), Trent Maindelle (both from Austin) my brother’s brother-in-law, Coby Davis (from Jonesboro, Georgia), and my brother’s son-in-law, Paul Stenstadvold (from Spring, TX).

Here is how the fishing went.

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Here’s an up-to-date calendar so you can check availability: https://holdingthelineguideservice.com/available-dates.php

Next available dates are Jan. 9-11 (mornings)

PHOTO CAPTION: From left: Paul Stenstadvold, Trent Maindelle, Coby Davis, and Andy Maindelle with a few of the white bass which fell for both slow-smoking and snap-jigging tactics this morning.

PHOTO CAPTION: My brother, Andy Maindelle, with a personal best 5.50-pound largemouth bass taken on a 5/8 oz. Bladed Hazy Eye Slab (white) with a snap-jigging tactic.

PHOTO CAPTION: My nephew, Trent Maindelle with a freshwater drum taken from over 50′ on a white, 3/4 oz. Bladed Hazy Eye Slab using a slow-smoking tactic.

Find the Bladed Hazy Eye Slab here: https://whitebasstools.com/

WHERE WE FISHED: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir

WHEN WE FISHED: Saturday, 30 Dec. 2023 (AM)

HOW WE FISHED:

With water temperature now just below 55F down to over 50′ deep (other than at the highly variable surface), I find we are teetering between tactics right now with slow-smoking taking fish consistently, especially 1) during the mid-morning once the winds have come up and the sun is shining brightly and illuminating the bottom in deep water, 2) when we first arrive at a new area and the slabs we are presenting are novel, and 3) when weather conditions have fish turned on to the point they are willing to leave bottom and stay up off bottom in a suspended mode.

Otherwise, snap-jigging is now entering into the picture especially 1) after we’ve caught fish at an area and the fish are no longer responding to a slow-smoking tactic, 2) during the first and final hours of a 4-hour trip, and/or 3) if the fish refuse to leave the bottom.

With fish routinely being found on well-tuned side-imaging in as much as 55′, I go prepared with each trip with both a set of rods with 5/8 oz. white Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs and a separate set of rods with 3/4 oz. white Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs.

This morning, I arrayed everyone on the starboard side, four abreast and had everyone looking on at one of two Garmin LiveScope monitors on that starboard side. We used a combination of snap-jigging and slow-smoking to piece together a 63 fish catch one fish at a time.

At no time did we get a frenzy to develop allowing us a prolonged catching streak, nor did we have multiple fish boated simultaneously.

Stillhouse winter fishing typically gives up a predictable mix of quality white bass up to or exceeding 15″, quality largemouth bass with multiple fish exceeding 4 pounds coming over the side routinely, and several bonus freshwater drum also exceeding 4 pounds on most every trip.

This morning was no exception as Andy landed a personal best largemouth weighing in at 5.50 pounds on a certified scale.

For those accustomed to the fairly easily read bird action on Lake Belton, Stillhouse bird activity is much, much more subtle, with a majority of the birds focused on loon activity.

Here is a tutorial on the smoking tactic we used… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIPopSLUYoQ

TALLY: 63 fish caught and released.

OBSERVATIONS: The water temperature profile measured on 01 Jan. 2024 was:

0 feet 54.3F
5 feet 54.7F
10 feet, 54.9F
15 feet, 54.9F
20 feet, 54.9F

25 feet, 54.9F
30 feet, 54.9F
35 feet, 54.9F
40 feet, 54.7F
45 feet, 54.2F

50 feet, 53.6F

WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 7:30A

End Time: 11:35A

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 39F

Elevation: 17.84 feet low, 1 CFS flow

Water Surface Temp: 54.3F on the surface.

Wind Speed & Direction: NW8 to 9 all morning through 11, then tapering down thereafter to NW6

Sky Condition: Cloudless, pale blue sky

Moon Phase: Waning gibbous moon at 89% illumination.

GT = N/A

Wx SNAPSHOT:

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

Area 0133 – 12 fish

Area 1045 – 10 fish

Area 1952 – 28 fish (2 hops)

Area B0245G – 5 fish

Area B0255G – 4 fish

Area B0256G – 2 fish

Area B0257G – 2 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)

E-mail: Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com

LiveScope First-Timers — 39 Fish @ Lake Belton

December 31st, 2023December 31st, 2023 by Bob Maindelle

WHO I FISHED WITH: On the afternoon of Thursday, December 28, I fished with first time guest Mr. Bryan Jones, and his two boys, Ben, age 17, and Ethan, age 15. Also accompany us, but not fishing was Bryan‘s brother, Mark, in visiting from New Mexico.

Here is how the fishing went.

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Here’s an up-to-date calendar so you can check availability: https://holdingthelineguideservice.com/available-dates.php

Next available dates are Jan. 9-11 (mornings)

PHOTO CAPTION: From left, Mark, Bryan, Ethan, and Ben Jones with a portion of their afternoon catch of 100% white bass taken on Lake Belton, December 28th.

Find the Bladed Hazy Eye Slab here: https://whitebasstools.com/

WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton

WHEN WE FISHED: Thursday, 28 Dec. 2023 (PM)

HOW WE FISHED:

Bryan and crew arrived about 30 minutes early, so we went ahead and got going around 12:45 instead of 1:15 PM. The first hour of an afternoon trip is normally slow, and this afternoon was no exception. We had no issues finding fish, but the fish we found were very reluctant to come off bottom and strike the slabs we were using.

The middle two hours of the afternoon proved to be a bit better, although the fish never really got overly aggressive, nor was there any fish-related bird activity at all this afternoon. One of the things working against us was a decreasing wind from the NW. It was blowing around 14mph as we got going and slowly tapered down all afternoon. This typically never helps.

Those fish we caught we caught using the white, 5/8 ounce Bladed Hazy Eye Slab. As the shadows began to get long and the atmosphere began to cool off around 4 PM, the fishing cooled right off with it.

Despite the fishing being less than stellar, one of Bryan’s hopes was to see how the various forms of sonar played into the fish-finding equation. All afternoon he got a real-world demo on how fish appeared on DI, SI, and 2D sonar as we searched for them, and then how Garmin LiveScope aided us in gauging fish response to our presentations after we found them.

The boys and their dad really seemed to enjoy their first on-the-water experience with bringing Garmin LiveScope to bear on the fishing. It truly helps folks stay more engaged and for longer periods of time when they can see with their own eyes that there are fish present to work for and to try to catch.

Our final tally for the afternoon was 39 fish, 100% of which were white bass.

Here is a tutorial on the smoking tactic we used… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIPopSLUYoQ

TALLY: 39 fish caught and released.

OBSERVATIONS: The water temperature profile measured on 27 Dec. was:

0 feet 55.6F
5 feet 56.5F
10 feet, 57.1F
15 feet, 57.1F
20 feet, 57.1F

25 feet, 57.1F
30 feet, 57.1F
35 feet, 57.1F
40 feet, 57.1F
45 feet, 56.9F

WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 12:50P

End Time: 5:30P

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 32F

Elevation: 15.48 feet low, 40 CFS flow

Water Surface Temp: 55.4F on the surface.

Wind Speed & Direction: NW13-14 at trip’s start, dying back to NW7-8 by mid-afternoon

Sky Condition: 10% white clouds on pale blue sky

Moon Phase: Waning gibbous moon at 98% illumination.

GT = 55

Wx SNAPSHOT:

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

Areas 1679, 1678, B0184G, B0253G, 1743, B0013C

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)

E-mail: Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com

WILLINGLY COACHED — 117 FISH @ LAKE BELTON

December 31st, 2023December 31st, 2023 by Bob Maindelle

WHO I FISHED WITH:

On Thursday, December 28, I fished with a crew of six. Mr. Clint Murphy had fished with me several times previously, and this time he brought with him Maureen, Ben, Natalie and Ellen Parker, and Calvin Lutz.

Only three of the six had prior fishing experience, but, the three which did not were very willingly coached, and everyone wound up catching plenty of fish by the time the morning was through.

Here is how the fishing went…

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Here’s an up-to-date calendar so you can check availability: https://holdingthelineguideservice.com/available-dates.php

Next available dates are Jan. 9-11 (mornings)

PHOTO CAPTION: From left, that’s Maureen Parker, Clint Murphy, and Natalie Parker with a trio of hybrid they landed within seconds of one another as a school moved beneath the boat and bit.

PHOTO CAPTION: That’s Calvin Lutz in the light blue jacket with both a healthy largemouth bass and a hybrid striped bass, and Ben Parker (red jacket) and Clint Murphy (dark blue jacket) with hybrid they landed simultaneously.

PHOTO CAPTION: From left, Clint Murphy, Maureen and Natalie Parker, Calvin Lutz, and Ellen and Ben Parker with a sampling of the white bass they took with a slow-smoking tactic on Lake Belton using Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs.

Find the Bladed Hazy Eye Slab here: https://whitebasstools.com/

WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton

WHEN WE FISHED: Thursday, 28 Dec. 2023 (AM)

HOW WE FISHED:

Once again, fishing followed a normal, bell-shaped curve, with a slow start in the first hour, a tapering off in the final hour, and peak conditions in the middle two hours.

We enjoyed a northwesterly winds all morning between 8 and 12 mph and approximately 10% white cloud cover on a pale blue sky. We used one technique very effectively all morning, and that was slow smoking with the 5/8 ounce, white Bladed Hazy Eye Slab used in conjunction with Garmin LiveScope. I also used my thumper to both bring fish in and to help everyone keep the correct cadence as they executed the slow-smoking tactic.

During those peak middle two hours, we enjoyed light bird activity, primarily engaged in by terns. While most of the fish the terns worked over were bottom-oriented, we encountered one situation where the fish were suspended and moving slowly over a submerged channel at between 20 and 30 feet over a bottom which was much deeper.

When all was said and done, this crew put together a catch of 117 fish which included 1 freshwater drum, 3 largemouth bass, 7 hybrid striped bass, of which 5 were legal, with a balance made up of 106 white bass of which only four were short.

Here is a tutorial on the smoking tactic we used… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIPopSLUYoQ

TALLY: 117 fish caught and released.

OBSERVATIONS: The water temperature profile measured on 27 Dec. was:

0 feet 55.6F
5 feet 56.5F
10 feet, 57.1F
15 feet, 57.1F
20 feet, 57.1F

25 feet, 57.1F
30 feet, 57.1F
35 feet, 57.1F
40 feet, 57.1F
45 feet, 56.9F

WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 7:30A

End Time: 11:50A

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 32F

Elevation: 15.48 feet low, 40 CFS flow

Water Surface Temp: 55.4F on the surface.

Wind Speed & Direction: NW8-12

Sky Condition: 10% white clouds on pale blue sky

Moon Phase: Waning gibbous moon at 98% illumination.

GT = 105

Wx SNAPSHOT:

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

Areas vic 150, vic 098, B0246G, vic B0247G, vic 1152 (over the channel), B0004C (between pos and channel), B0251G, B0252G, 1544/B0239G

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)

E-mail: Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com