CLIENTS: This past Wednesday morning, July 31, I conducted the 2024 season’s 18th “SKIFF” (Soldiers’ Kids Involved in Fishing Fun) trip. Joining me were Mrs. Brandy Klutse who chaperoned her own two children, Marianna (13) and Bryson (10), as well as Bryson’s friend, Dexter Daily (12). According to Bryson, the boys met while playing outside one day when both families were stationed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. As fate would have it, the Army shipped both families to Fort Cavazos, and the boys were able to continue their friendship here.
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, The McBride Foundation, & Austin Subaru. S.K.I.F.F. provides kids of military members separated from their families by duty commitments with the opportunity to fish. SKIFF trips are also provided to Gold Star families who have lost their service member. 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.
DATE: 31 July 2024 (AM)
NEXT OPEN DATES: 07 Aug. (AM), 15 Aug. (AM & PM)
PHOTO CAPTION: From left: Marianna & Bryson Klutse, and Dexter Daily with a few of the Lake Belton white bass they caught as their summer vacation begins to wind down.
WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton
SUMMARY OF HOW WE FISHED: Thanks to high pressure sitting atop Central Texas, we’ve had very stable, “cookie-cutter” weather for the past several days, hence, fish are now doing the same things, at the same times, in the same places day by day. This is further enhanced by the lack of flow through the lake now that USACE has stopped releasing flood water from May’s heavy rains. The kids caught fish via downrigging with #13 Pet Spoons early, then, after sunrise, we caught congregated fish in ~22-26 feet of water using a smoking tactic with the smallest MAL Lure I make — the MAL Mini. The trick is ensuring the blade is spinning right from the very start of the retrieve, which can be a bit of a learning curve for those unfamiliar. I’ve found the a very short snap of the rod tip done just as the spinning reel’s handle is starting to turn is a sure-fire way to get that blade spinning. Being sure to remove all slack from the line also aids greatly. T
LURES USED SUCCESSFULLY ON THIS TRIP: We downrigged with 3-armed umbrella rigs equipped with #13 Pet Spoons. We fished MAL Minis vertically using a smoking tactic. Find umbrella rigs and MAL Lures here: https://whitebasstools.com/
TALLY: 110 fish caught and released, including: 108 white bass and 2 hybrid striped bass.
OBSERVATIONS:
1) Wind and cloud cover kept low-light topwater action suppressed this morning.
2) Better quality fish were holding tight to bottom.
3) USACE stopped running water through the dam for the first time since May’s flooding on 26 July; since then fish have been more likely to use bottom, and have begun using bottom at greater depths versus when a high flow was running.
LATEST WATER TEMPERATURE PROFILE:
Here was the water temperature profile for Lake Belton, measured with a FishHawk TD device around 6:15AM on July 25 …
WEATHER DATA:
Start Time: 6:10A
End Time: 9:50A
Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 79F
Elevation: 0.39 feet high and falling slowly with a 33cfs flow, resulting in a 0.06′ fall over the last 24 hours
Water Surface Temp: 85.1F on the surface.
Wind Speed & Direction: S12-15 all morning
Sky Condition: Partly cloudy with 60% white-grey cloud cover on a white sky
Moon Phase: Waning crescent moon at 16% illumination.
GT = N/A
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