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