ABOARD THE BOAT TODAY:  This morning I was joined by Dr. Patrick Lin and his (almost) 10-year-old daughter, Aubri.  Both fished with me once before back in mid-April of 2023.

Although I’d certainly prefer to guide on Stillhouse or Belton, which are both now closed due to flooding, I am offering some clients the option of fishing on Lake Georgetown if they wish.  Generally, older kids with prior fishing experience and adults will be able to take on the technical fishing Georgetown offers.

DATE: 30 May 2024 (AM)

NEXT OPEN DATES: To be determined based on flooded conditions on Lake Belton & Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir

PHOTO CAPTION:  Patrick and Aubri Li enjoyed some father-daughter time on Lake Georgetown.  We pursued white bass through around 10A, then turned our focus to sunfish in the newly flooded shoreline vegetation.

WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Georgetown

SHORT SUMMARY OF HOW WE FISHED:  Low-growing hydrilla made side-imaging difficult for finding fish, so, we had to rely on DI and 2D.  Just a fish or two suspended off bottom gave away the position of many more not showing as well from directly above.  We Spot Locked, used the splasher to draw fish in, then fished MAL Dense lures vertically, aided by Garmin Live Scope to target individual fish or schools of fish by timing the rise of the lure to intersect with their direction of travel.  The last white bass we caught came at 10:10, but the bite had really dropped off by 9:40.  We spent the last 45 minutes up shallow hunting sunfish for Aubri.  She landed a mix of 10 bluegill and longears on a slipfloat rig with live bait.

LURES USED SUCCESSFULLY ON THIS TRIP:  We used the new MAL Dense with silver body for vertical work and took all of our white bass on it.  Used a slipfloat with live bait for sunfish.  Find these lures at the Liberty Mart Exxon uphill from Temple Lake Park on Lake Belton, or go here: https://whitebasstools.com/

TUTORIAL LINK FOR SAWTOOTH & SMOKING TACTICS:

Sawtooth Method: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC3FMEQHOMQ&t=89s

Smoking Tactic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDSvfXgrAUE&t=56s

TALLY: 60 fish caught and released (50 white bass  10 sunfish)

OBSERVATIONS:

1) The lake rose 2′ in the last several weeks but was still very clear.

2) Low-growing hydrilla hindered SI use.

3) Most of the fish we caught came from traveling, suspended schools, not from bottom.

LATEST WATER TEMPERATURE PROFILE: 

Not measured today.

WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 7:00A

End Time: 11:00A

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 74F

Elevation: 2.7 feet low and rising slowly, with no release

Water Surface Temp: 77.6F on the surface.

Wind Speed & Direction: SSE8-12 all morning

Sky Condition:100%  grey cloud cover through 9:30, then short bursts of sun came through more broken 80% grey cloud cover as winds begin to puff at that same time.

Moon Phase: Last quarter moon at 53% illumination.

GT = 55

ABOARD THE BOAT TODAY:  This morning I was joined by first-time guests, father-and-son Alan and Mark Oppenheim, originally from northeastern New York.  Alan is semi-retired from land development, and Mark is an oral surgeon.  Alan is here for a few days to visit.

DATE: 23 May 2024 (AM)

NEXT OPEN DATES: Wednesday, 22 May (AM), and Friday, 21 June (AM)

PHOTO CAPTION:  From left: Alan and Mark Oppenheim with a few of the 33 fish they caught in a short window between obscured sunrise and an approaching thunderstorm on Stillhouse Hollow.

PHOTO CAPTION: After violent storms moved through Central Texas from 6 to 9P on 22 May, the water was rising once again on both Stillhouse and Belton.  As a result, a thick mat of cane washed up on three of the four boat ramp lanes on the only remaining ramp left open on this area’s two lakes.

WHERE WE FISHED: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir

SHORT SUMMARY OF HOW WE FISHED: Weather was an issue this morning.  In the wake of the tornado which struck Temple last night, some storm redevelopment fired up in the western Hill Country at sunrise and moved in on us around 9A.  We only got in 1.5 hours of fishing, but it was a hot bite.  Neither fellow had ever fished for white bass before, but managed 33 fish in this very short window using MAL Dense Lures with a smoking tactic initially, followed by MAL Heavies with a sawtooth method after the fish cooled off on the vertical work.

LURES USED SUCCESSFULLY ON THIS TRIP:  We used the new MAL Dense with silver body (shown above) for vertical work, and the MAL Heavy with silver body and chartreuse tail for horizontal work today.  Find these lures at the Liberty Mart Exxon uphill from Temple Lake Park on Lake Belton, or go here: https://whitebasstools.com/

TUTORIAL LINK FOR SAWTOOTH & SMOKING TACTICS:

Sawtooth Method: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC3FMEQHOMQ&t=89s

Smoking Tactic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDSvfXgrAUE&t=56s

TALLY: 33 fish caught and released (100% white bass)

OBSERVATIONS:

1) The lake rose nearly a foot overnight due to storms to the NW.

2) Stillhouse went off limits by mid-afternoon due to flooding as the elevation reached over 12′ above full pool.  It will now be shut down a minimum of 14 days AFTER the water recedes from the asphalt before reopening.

LATEST WATER TEMPERATURE PROFILE: 

Measured with FishHawk TD device on 17 May…

WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 7:15A

End Time: 8:45A

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 80F

Elevation: 11.7 feet high and rapidly rising, with a 1188 CFS release.

Water Surface Temp: 77.4F on the surface.

Wind Speed & Direction: Swinging SE6 to E5 To NE4 over a 90 minute span

Sky Condition:100% heavy grey cloud cover all morning to the point of very light rain before a thunderstorm moved in at 9AM

Moon Phase: Full moon at 100% illumination.

GT = 60

ABOARD THE BOAT TODAY:  This morning I was joined by Sun City Rod & Gun Club members Dale Borchardt, Ed Hojnacki, and Mike McBride, all retirees living in Georgetown, TX.  The trip was coordinated by member Pat Patterson, who did not attend.

DATE: 15 May 2024 (AM)

NEXT OPEN DATE: Friday, 21 June (AM)

PHOTO CAPTION: From left: Mike McBride, Dale Borchardt, and Ed Hojnacki with a few of the 156 fish they landed just hours before grey skies and southerly winds gave way to another round of flooding rains in the watersheds of both Lake Belton and Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir.

PHOTO CAPTION: Dale landed this bonafide trophy white bass while fishing an MAL Heavy with silver body and chartreuse tail horizontally using a sawtooth method.  The fish measured 16.50 inches and was released in good condition.

WHERE WE FISHED: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir

SUMMARY OF HOW I FISHED:  Based on yesterday’s successful scouting efforts, we continued fishing on windblown areas in the still semi-clear water on the lower end of Stillhouse in small clearings between the weeds which were growing on the land, and the inside edge of the hydrilla.  My crew fished MAL Dense Lures vertically with a smoking tactic first at each location, then, when the bite cooled off, followed up with MAL Heavy Lures fished horizontally with a sawtooth method.

LURES USED SUCCESSFULLY ON THIS TRIP:  We used the new MAL Dense with silver body (shown above) for vertical work, and the MAL Heavy with silver body and chartreuse tail for horizontal work today.  Find these lures at the Liberty Mart Exxon uphill from Temple Lake Park on Lake Belton, or go here: https://whitebasstools.com/

TALLY: 156 fish caught and released (5 largemouth bass & 151 white bass)

OBSERVATIONS:

1) The lower third of Stillhouse was in “okay” shape today, but, additional flooding rains fell between 1-6P; the impact of those rains will be felt over the next several days.

2) Much of the hydrilla has begun to droop in over 26′ and is now just in a tangled mat about 2-2.5′ thick.

3) Fishing in “clearings” between the hydrilla and the terrestrial vegetation on the windblown side produced consistently.

4) The splasher earned its keep today, drawing fish in from around the boat.

5) Best bite was in the first 2.75 hours, then began to taper by 9:45A

6) The flooded vegetation has made finding fish using side-imaging very tough.  We had to drive over most fish today with DI and/or 2D to get a bead on their location.

LATEST WATER TEMPERATURE PROFILE: 

Not measured today on Stillhouse Hollow.  Surface temp. was 75.0

WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 7:00A

End Time: 11:05A

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 65F

Elevation: 5.04 feet high and slowly rising, with a 789 CFS release going on.

Water Surface Temp: 75.0F on the surface.

Wind Speed & Direction: S7-12 all morning

Sky Condition: Grey skies all morning; no fog or mist.

Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous moon at 59% illumination.

GT = 30

ABOARD THE BOAT TODAY:  This morning I fished alone with the intent of scouting that portion of Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir which still has semi-clear water.

DATE: 15 May 2024 (AM)

NEXT OPEN DATE: Friday, 21 June (AM)

PHOTO CAPTION:  The MAL Dense – the only lure I used today as I checked multiple areas, caught five fish at each, and moved on to check other areas.

WHERE WE FISHED: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir

SUMMARY OF HOW I FISHED:  The purpose of this morning’s trip was to find concentrations of white bass so as to come back with clients and put them on fish with confidence even as Stillhouse is in the process of flooding.  I used down-imaging and 2D sonar to find fish in and around hydrilla which in large part negates the use of side-imaging for fish which are very tight to the bottom.  Once found, I raced the MAL Dense from the bottom toward the surface using a “smoking” tactic to tempt the fish I found.  I located seven areas holding fish, caught five fish at each, then departed to find more fish.  I fished in the first 4 hours following sunrise, as I would with clients.

LURES USED SUCCESSFULLY ON THIS TRIP:  We used the new MAL Dense with silver body 100% of the time today.  Find these lures at the Liberty Mart Exxon uphill from Temple Lake Park on Lake Belton, or go here: https://whitebasstools.com/

TALLY: 35 fish caught and released (1 largemouth bass & 34 white bass)

OBSERVATIONS:

1) The lower third of Stillhouse was in “okay” shape today, but, additional flooding rains are due on the afternoon of 16 May.

2) Much of the hydrilla has begun to droop in over 26′ and is now just in a tangled mat about 2-2.5′ thick.

3) Fishing in “clearings” between the hydrilla and the terrestrial vegetation on the windblown side produced consistently.

4) The splasher earned its keep today, drawing fish in from around the boat.

LATEST WATER TEMPERATURE PROFILE: 

Not measured today on Stillhouse Hollow.  Surface temp. was 75.0

WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 7:15A

End Time: 10:50A

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 65F

Elevation: 4.52 feet high and slowly rising, with a 789 CFS release going on.

Water Surface Temp: 74.8F on the surface.

Wind Speed & Direction: SSE6-12 all morning

Sky Condition: Partly cloudy with 50% white clouds on a blue sky, transitioning to 80% grey coverage by trip’s end

Moon Phase: First quarter moon at 50% illumination.

GT = N/A

JOINING ME TODAY: Returning guest Chris Coufal and first-time guest, Chris’ 14-year-old daughter, Kendall Coufal.

DATE: 14 May 2024 (AM)

NEXT OPEN DATE: Friday, 21 June (AM)

PHOTO CAPTION:  Chris Coufal and his daughter, Kendall, fished very technically today, and landed 55 white bass for their efforts.  We did not see an abundance of fish this morning, but, they really worked their MAL Dense Lures in conjunction with Garmin LiveScope very effectively to catch a great percentage of those fish we did find.

WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Georgetown

SUMMARY OF HOW WE FISHED:  We targeted white bass on an all catch-and-release basis this morning focusing on slowly tapering bottoms in 26-34 feet of water using a vertical “smoking” tactic in conjunction with Garmin LiveScope while Spot Locked courtesy of my Minn Kota Ulterra. Reeling the bait upwards to intersect the forward path of the fish we spotted on LiveScope so as to provoke a response was absolutely key as the majority of the fish we encountered were suspended and moving.

LURES USED SUCCESSFULLY ON THIS TRIP:  We used the new MAL Dense with silver body 100% of the time today.  Find these lures at the Liberty Mart Exxon uphill from Temple Lake Park on Lake Belton, or go here: https://whitebasstools.com/

TALLY: 55 fish caught and released (100% white bass)

OBSERVATIONS:

1) Incredibly, I did not see a single school of shad on sonar in our 4.5 hours on the water.

2) Georgetown is very clear with hydrilla growing in patches in water as deep as 26′

3) I found no sizeable schools of bottom-oriented white bass with side-imaging today; all fish found were in small group schools of 5-10 fish holding barely off bottom and were spotted as I went directly over them with 2D and DI sonar.  I suspect this is due to Georgetown’s limited flat topography and the amount of hydrilla present in under 26′ of water.

4) The splasher earned its keep today, drawing suspended fish in from around the boat.

5) Many of our catches came as doubles as the commotion created by one hooked fish temporarily excited other nearby fish, provoking them into chasing the other angler’s lure and also getting hooked.

LATEST WATER TEMPERATURE PROFILE: 

Not measured today on Lake Georgetown.  Surface temperature was 73.7F.

WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 7:15A

End Time: 11:45A

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 63F

Elevation: 4.97 feet low with a .04′ rise in the last 24 hours with 0 flow.

Water Surface Temp: 73.7F on the surface.

Wind Speed & Direction: NW4-6 all morning

Sky Condition: Bright blue, cloudless skies

Moon Phase: Waxing crescent moon at 40% illumination.

GT = 85

CLIENTS: Returning guest Frank Sumner and first-time guest Blaine Windel.

DATE: 13 May 2024 (AM)

NEXT OPEN DATE: Friday, 21 June (AM)

PHOTO CAPTION: Frank Sumner (tan shirt) and Blaine Windel each landed multiple hybrid striped bass using the MAL Dense horizontally with a “sawtooth method” in ~28-30′ where we could find clear water.

PHOTO CAPTION: White bass were caught both vertically and horizontally today as they came in to investigate the splasher and the commotion Frank and Blaine created with their presentations.

PHOTO CAPTION: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shut Westcliff Park down as we departed around noon today as the rising water moved above the concrete boat ramp onto the asphalt parking lot.

WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton

SUMMARY OF HOW WE FISHED:  We targeted white bass on an all catch-and-release basis this morning focusing on slowly tapering areas in 16-32 feet of water using a vertical “smoking” tactic when fish were most prevalent beneath the boat as they came in to the splasher, and using a horizontal “sawtooth” tactic as side-imaging revealed fish on the port or starboard as we otherwise fished vertically on Spot Lock.  Fishing in clear water was essential.

LURES USED SUCCESSFULLY ON THIS TRIP:  Frank and Blaine used the new MAL Dense with silver body 100% of the time today.  Find these lures at the Liberty Mart Exxon uphill from Temple Lake Park on Lake Belton, or go here: https://whitebasstools.com/

TALLY: 55 fish caught and released (7 legal hybrid, 5 short hybrid, 1 largemouth bass, & 42 white bass)

OBSERVATIONS:

1) There remained only a portion of the main basin unaffected by the influx of dirty water.

2) USACE is releasing @4,200 CFS and has dropped the lake 4″ in 2 days, but, more rain is on the way.

LATEST WATER TEMPERATURE PROFILE:

Here was the water temperature profile for Lake Belton, measured with a FishHawk TD device before sunrise on May 13th …

WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 7:15A

End Time: 11:45A

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 68F

Elevation: 11.55 feet high and rising despite an ongoing release at 4,109 CFS flow

Water Surface Temp: 74.4F on the surface.

Wind Speed & Direction: NW2-6 all morning

Sky Condition: Fully greyed skies all morning with thin fog in the first hours

Moon Phase: Waxing crescent moon at 31% illumination.

GT = 5

CLIENTS: Returning guests Marcus Mitchell & Mike Owens

DATE: 10 May 2024 (AM)

NEXT OPEN DATE: Friday, 21 June (AM)

PHOTO CAPTION: From left: Mike Owens and Marcus Mitchell with a few of the white bass we had to search high and low to find.  Dirty water throughout the reservoir and a high north wind impacting what clear water remained hindered our efforts this morning as USACE continues to dump water at around 4,200 CFS.

WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton

SUMMARY OF HOW WE FISHED: We searched the 25′- 40′ depths primarily on the still-clear, windward (south) side of the reservoir being heavily impacted by the north wind blowing 20mph straight-line with higher gusts. We relied on a smoking tactic with MAL Dense Lures (new silver-bodied version) to catch all of our fish this morning.

TALLY: 24 fish caught and released (23 white bass & 1 freshwater drum)

OBSERVATIONS:

1) There remained only a portion of the main basin unaffected by the influx of dirty water.

2) USACE is releasing @4,200 CFS and has dropped the lake 4″ in 2 days, but, more rain is on the way.

2) Here was the water temperature profile for Lake Belton, measured before sunrise on May 6th …

WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 7:00A

End Time: 11:30A

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 67F

Elevation: 10.8 feet high and fallinging, 4104 CFS flow

Water Surface Temp: 72.7F on the surface.

Wind Speed & Direction: N13-20 all morning

Sky Condition: Rapid clearing to blue, cloudless skies

Moon Phase: Waxing crescent moon at 7% illumination.

GT = 50