CLIENTS: This morning, Monday, 28 Oct., I fished with first-time guests Danny Teague and Dennis Sohns.  Both men worked many years for, then retired from, Wilsonart International, headquartered in Temple, TX.  Wilsonart produces high-pressure decorative laminate for countertops, cabinetry, and more.  During my own nine years of employment there between the military and ministry, I got to know both men.  This morning’s trip was Danny’s retirement present to Dennis.

DATE: Monday, 28 October 2024 (AM)

NEXT OPEN DATES: Next open dates: 18, 22 November (weekday AMs and PMs).  Next Saturday opening: 30 November (AM)

PHOTO CAPTION:  From left: Wilsonart “old timers” Danny Teague and Dennis Sohns celebrated Dennis’ retirement from the Temple laminate manufacturer with a morning fishing trip on Lake Belton.  The pair landed 152 fish.

PHOTO CAPTION: The ~5/8 oz. MAL Original with chartreuse tail (above) accounted for 127 of our 152 fish, with the 1 3/8 oz. White Tornado catching the balance of 25 fish.  The White Tornado, with its much greater weight and larger profile accounted for better quality fish.

WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton

SUMMARY OF HOW WE FISHED:    

Excellent fishing continued this morning as pre-frontal warming in advance of an incoming cold front squeezed the atmosphere and got winds blowing over 10 mph before sunrise.  Those winds increased to 14 mph by trip’s end.  Add to that a bit of cloud cover, and the fuse was lit for a great morning of fishing.

We fished six areas this morning and found fish tight to the bottom at all of them.

The first three areas gave up a total of 82 fish to a smoking tactic as Danny and Dennis used MAL Original lures vertically in conjunction with Garmin LiveScope.

We visited a fourth area after seeing a solid congregation of fish on side imaging, but, once we got set up on top of them, the fishing didn’t go as well as I anticipated.  I looked at side-imaging once again and saw the fish had shifted off to our starboard side, so, I had Danny and Dennis cast White Tornados (1 3/8 oz. version in white) cross-wind to these fish in ~42′.   The two men took 25 fish here.  It was interesting to note that the fish they caught here averaged a much better size.  I suspect this was thanks to the larger profile of the slab portion of this bait being too large to be of interest to smaller fish.

We went on to fish two more areas using the vertical tactics with MAL Originals, accounting for a total of 152 fish before the bite tapered off to nothing by just after noon.

Here is a tutorial on vertically smoking the MAL Lure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDSvfXgrAUE

Here is a tutorial on horizontally “sawtoothing” with the MAL Lure or White Tornado: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC3FMEQHOMQ

LURES USED SUCCESSFULLY ON THIS TRIP:  We used MAL Originals (w/ chartreuse tails) vertically, and White Tornados (1 3/8 oz., white) horizontally today.  Find all MAL Lures and White Tornados here: https://whitebasstools.com/

TALLY: 152 fish, including 8 hybrid striped bass, 1 largemouth bass, and 143 white bass.

OBSERVATIONS:

1) We are in a solid, classic autumn pattern now, which should hold up until the water temperature near bottom falls to around 60F

2) Mornings are much more productive than evenings at this point in the fall.

3) For the fourth consecutive trip now, I saw multiple large (several hundred individuals) schools today in multiple locations as the fish begin to coalesce heading into the fall/winter.

LATEST WATER TEMPERATURE PROFILE:

Here was the water temperature profile for Lake Belton, measured with a FishHawk TD device around 7:30 AM on Saturday, 26 Oct….

WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 7:55A

End Time: 12:10P  

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 64F

Elevation: 2.13′ low and falling slowly with a 43 cfs flow; .04′ fall in last 24 hours

Water Surface Temp: 75.6F on the surface.

Wind Speed & Direction: SSE11-14 all morning

Sky Condition: White cloud cover on a blue sky starting at 80%, tapering down to <10%.

Moon Phase: Waning gibbous moon at 13% illumination.

GT = 25

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

CLIENTS: This morning, Saturday, 26 Oct., I fished with returning guest Dr. Patrick Lin.  Pat was joined by his office staff, including Jen Joyner, Malia Monroy, and Julissa Gomez — all first time guests of mine. Pat and his wife, Dani, run Symmetry Health Chiropractic Center in Round Rock, TX.

DATE: Saturday, 26 October 2024 (AM)

NEXT OPEN DATES: Next open dates: 18-22 November (weekday AMs and PMs).  Next Saturday opening: 14 December (AM)

PHOTO CAPTION: Dr. Patrick Lin brought his chiropractic office staff out for some fun on the water and wound up catching our biggest fish of the trip.  This “magnum” white bass measured 15 9/16″ and was released in excellent condition.  It was caught on an MAL Original with chartreuse tail.

PHOTO CAPTION: From left: Patrick Lin, Malia Monroy, Jen Joyner, and Julissa Gomez with a few of the 130 Lake Belton white bass they caught as a late October mild, dry cold front reinforced the already solid fishing for this species which kicked off very suddenly on September 6th, following the fall season’s first cold front.

WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton

SUMMARY OF HOW WE FISHED:    

This morning saw a continuation of the excellent white bass fishing on Lake Belton which has been taking place since Sept. 6 when the fall season’s first short cooldown occurred. This was bolstered by another cold front on Oct. 16, and then, again, overnight, a very mild, dry front pushed in, shifting the winds to the NW at a speed of 8-10 mph all morning.

The fishing followed a normal- or “bell-shaped” curve this morning, starting off slowly around 8:15, rising to a plateau from about 9:15 to 11:00, then falling off around 11:20, ending at near zero activity by noon.

We needed only one presentation with one lure this morning to seal the deal on a 130-fish catch, and that was a “smoking” retrieve using the MAL Original Lure (with chartreuse tail) presented vertically.

For better or worse, there always seems to be those few anglers who like to creep uncomfortably close on weekends  — and today was no exception.  If nothing else, they allow me to do an anecdotal comparison on how my clients are doing versus whatever lure or method these others employ.  It was really eye-opening how few fish were caught by those yanking slabs up and down all morning, and how few fish were caught by those who could not or would not sit still enough to allow a bite to form beneath them.

Over the four hour span, we fished six areas and caught 130 fish, including 122 white bass and 8 short hybrid stripers.

Garmin LiveScope was certainly instrumental in accounting for a significant portion of these fish, as it allowed my crew to know exactly when suspended fish were passing beneath the boat, thus allowing them to time the rise of their lure so as to tempt those fish.  The LiveScope also allow each to keep their lures at rest on bottom while awaiting an incoming school of bottom-hugging fish to make their way over to the commotion the “smoking” method and the caught and released fish were generating.

No, these folks from the chiropractic practice really needed no adjustments today!!  Their technique was well-aligned with exactly what the fish wanted.

Here is a tutorial on vertically smoking the MAL Lure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDSvfXgrAUE

Here is a tutorial on horizontally “sawtoothing” with the MAL Lure or White Tornado: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC3FMEQHOMQ

LURES USED SUCCESSFULLY ON THIS TRIP:  We used MAL Originals vertically 100% of the time today.  Find all MAL Lures and White Tornados here: https://whitebasstools.com/

TALLY: 130 fish, including 8 hybrid striped bass and 122 white bass.

OBSERVATIONS:

1) The number of bottom-oriented schools of white bass now found in deep water AND showing a willingness to remain stationary long enough to allow for presentations to be made for substantial lengths of time have increased sharply; these fish are there to stay, likely until the water temps drop below 60F.

2) Mornings are much more productive than evenings at this point in the fall.

3) For the third consecutive trip now, I saw multiple large (several hundred individuals) schools today in multiple locations as the fish begin to coalesce heading into the fall/winter.

4) A small flock of gulls overnighted out in open water, but flew away from the lake at dawn.

LATEST WATER TEMPERATURE PROFILE:

Here was the water temperature profile for Lake Belton, measured with a FishHawk TD device around 7:30 AM on Saturday, 26 Oct….

WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 7:55A

End Time: 12:00 Noon

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 63F

Elevation: 2.07′ low and falling slowly with a 43 cfs flow; .01′ fall in last 24 hours

Water Surface Temp: 75.6F on the surface.

Wind Speed & Direction: NW8-10 all morning

Sky Condition: 75% white-grey cover on a  blue sky.

Moon Phase: Waning gibbous moon at 28% illumination.

GT = 55

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

CLIENTS: This past Tuesday evening I fished with Justices of the Peace Larry Wilkey and Dan Hause.  Both men took office over two years ago with Larry in one of the Temple precincts, and Dan serving out near Lampasas.  Both fellows have fished with me previously, but, this go-round Larry invited his son, Bryce, who has just begun his career as a firefighter in Jarrell.  As we parted ways in the parking lot at nightfall, Larry was kind enough to present me with a Justice of the Peace coin.  I’ve received coins before, but never from other than a military-connected source, so, this was very unique and appreciated (pictures below).

DATE: Monday, 21 October 2024 (PM)

NEXT OPEN DATES: Next open dates: 5, 7, 8 November (weekday AMs and PMs).  Next Saturday opening: 30 November (AM)

PHOTO CAPTION:  From left, Bryce and Larry Wilkey and Dan Hause with a few of the 66 white bass they landed on a work-shortened 3-hour evening trip on Lake Belton.

PHOTO CAPTION:  This is a snapshot of both sides of the coin “JP” Larry Wilkey presented me with at the end of our trip.

WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton

SUMMARY OF HOW WE FISHED:    

After last week’s cold front came in and really made a drastic improvement in the already solid fishing, I let Larry know I felt like our chances were good for a productive outing since he’d recently inquired about a trip.

Unfortunately, with his job demands, all we could squeeze in was a short, 3-hour trip, and we had to make it during the evenings, as he works each morning, and my next weekend opening wasn’t until late November.

As I’ve reported many times in these writeups, both Belton and Stillhouse tend to have a longer, stronger bite in the mornings.  Regardless, we found and caught fish, and, as is often the case on evening trips, the best fishing came right at the end after a slower start.

We really had no problem finding fish, and we caught fish everywhere we found them, but, the level of aggression amongst those fish we found was very low right up until the final 50 minutes or so, and, even then, it wasn’t just through the roof as it can be this time of year.

We spent our first 2+ hours finding fish in 30-40′, and tempting them with MAL Originals and MAL Heavy Lures (both with chartreuse tails) as we observed the fish response on sonar.  More often than not, the fish would somewhat lazily follow the lure, just 2 or 3 fish at a time instead of 10 or 12 fish racing competitively after these lures as has been the case on my last month’s worth of morning trips.

We put together a catch of 29 fish through 6:25P at which time I began to see fish and bait make a transition to shallower water.  From that time and until the fish quit at dark (around 7:20P), we more than doubled our catch, finishing up with a total of 66 fish.

Once the fish came up shallow, I changed everyone over from fishing vertically to fishing horizontally with a sawtooth method.  Then, in the final 10 minutes of the trip, we actually caught a few by sight-casting to individual fish popping shad right on the surface here and there.  These were all single fish, and not the great schools often seen feeding on top around dusk in the summer months.

When all was said and done, these men’s 66 fish catch consisted of 9 short hybrid striped bass, 1 drum, and 56 white bass.

Here is a tutorial on vertically smoking the MAL Lure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDSvfXgrAUE

Here is a tutorial on horizontally “sawtoothing” with the MAL Lure or White Tornado: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC3FMEQHOMQ

LURES USED SUCCESSFULLY ON THIS TRIP:  We used MAL Originals and Heavies in both vertical and horizontal modes this evening.   Find all MAL Lures and White Tornados here: https://whitebasstools.com/

TALLY: 66 fish, including 21 short hybrid striped bass, 1 freshwater drum, 3 largemouth bass, and 305 white bass.

OBSERVATIONS:

1) The number of bottom-oriented schools of white bass now found in deep water AND showing a willingness to remain stationary long enough to allow for presentations to be made for substantial lengths of time have increased sharply; these fish are there to stay, likely until the water temps drop below 60F.

2) Mornings are much more productive than evenings at this point in the early fall.

LATEST WATER TEMPERATURE PROFILE:

Here was the water temperature profile for Lake Belton, measured with a FishHawk TD device around 7:30 AM on Friday, 18 Oct….

WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 4:10P

End Time: 7:20P

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 87F

Elevation: 2.10′ low and falling slowly with a 43 cfs flow; .01′ fall in last 24 hours (w/ inflow from Proctor)

Water Surface Temp: 76.8F on the surface.

Wind Speed & Direction: SE6-8

Sky Condition: No cloud cover on a hazy blue sky.

Moon Phase: Waning gibbous moon at 77% illumination.

GT = 40

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

CLIENTS: This past Friday morning I hosted members of the David Goode family once again for the third time this fall.  Joining me were David Goode, his daughter and son-in-law, Sarah and Joe Cambra, and his grandsons, Luke Bauser (16) and Rylan Smith (13)

DATE: Friday, 18 October 2024 (AM)

NEXT OPEN DATES: Next open dates: 5, 7, 8 November (weekday AMs and PMs).  Next Saturday opening: 30 November (AM)

PHOTO CAPTION:  From left, David Goode, Sarah Cambra, Rylan Smith, Luke Bauser and Joe Cambra landed 330 fish on Belton Lake on Friday morning over a four-hour span. All fish were taken on the MAL Original worked with a “smoking” tactic.

WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton

SUMMARY OF HOW WE FISHED:    

The excellent early autumn fishing pattern which developed very quickly in early September was reinforced and enhanced by another dry, mild cold front which blew in on Wednesday, 16 October.

We had a stiff southeasterly breeze all morning with about 25% cloud cover which helped keep the bite going for a full 4 hours.

In short, this crew of five caught fish from start to finish as the fish fed very aggressively.  David and Sarah had previous experience, so there was no learning curve for them, and Rylan, Luke, and Joe all had fished plenty before, so they caught onto the smoking tactic very quickly.  We did have some other boats come in on top of us, and that gave us all a chance to see how the smoking tactic compared with yo-yo fishing a slab.  The MAL Lure used vertically was outcatching the slab at least 10 to 1.

We fished 6 areas only until the bite began to slack off (not until it died completely).  Since the conditions were so good, I did not hesitate to leave fish to find more aggressive fish, and that gamble paid off.

100% of this morning’s fish came on the MAL Original with chartreuse tail raced up off the bottom using the smoking tactic explained in the link below.

One tip I passed on to the crew was to leave at least 2.5 to 3 feet of line between the rod tip and the fish while swinging the fish from the water into the boat.  Leaving any less line results in fish being lost at the boat quite frequently.

Here is a tutorial on vertically smoking the MAL Lure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDSvfXgrAUE

Here is a tutorial on horizontally “sawtoothing” with the MAL Lure or White Tornado: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC3FMEQHOMQ

LURES USED SUCCESSFULLY ON THIS TRIP:  We smoked MAL Originals vertically 99% of the time for our white bass this morning.   Find all MAL Lures and White Tornados here: https://whitebasstools.com/

TALLY: 330 fish, including 21 short hybrid striped bass, 1 freshwater drum, 3 largemouth bass, and 305 white bass.

OBSERVATIONS:

1) The number of bottom-oriented schools of white bass now found in deep water AND showing a willingness to remain stationary long enough to allow for presentations to be made for substantial lengths of time have increased sharply; these fish are there to stay, likely until the water temps drop below 60F.

2) Around 10A, we spotted a very large migratory school of gulls, numbering several hundred birds.  These were not “on fish” and did not help us find fish, but, it was good to see the seasonal changes coming in with the cold fronts.

LATEST WATER TEMPERATURE PROFILE:

Here was the water temperature profile for Lake Belton, measured with a FishHawk TD device around 7:30 AM on Friday, 18 Oct….

And here was the water temperature profile from the week before taken around 7:30 AM on Thursday, 10 Oct….

WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 7:50A

End Time: 12:10P

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 64F

Elevation: 1.87′ low and falling slowly with a 43 cfs flow; .01′ fall in last 24 hours (w/ inflow from Proctor)

Water Surface Temp: 76.8F on the surface.

Wind Speed & Direction: ESE9-13

Sky Condition: 25% white cloud cover on a hazy blue sky.

Moon Phase: Waning gibbous moon at 98% illumination.

GT = 30

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

CLIENTS: This morning I welcomed aboard Manuel Pena, his daughter and son-in-law, Amanda and Hector Bustillos, and their children, Camila (8), and Joaquin (4), for a “Kids Fish, Too!” trip focused on the kids’ success.  Manuel is the driving force behind the SKIFF (Soldiers’ Kids Involved in Fishing Fun) program at the Austin Fly Fishers where he has served as an officer of that club with oversight for that program for many years.  The family operates the Wild Birds Unlimited store in Dripping Springs, TX (https://drippingsprings.wbu.com/)

DATE: Saturday, 12 October 2024 (AM)

NEXT OPEN DATES: Next open dates: 18, 21, 23, 24 Oct. (weekday AMs and PMs).  Next Saturday opening: 02 November (AM)

PHOTO CAPTION: The kids’ father, Hector Bustillos, and grandfather, Manuel Pena, look on as the kids pose with a few of the fish they caught.  Camila and Joaquin landed a total of 101 fish during their 3.5 hour morning trip, including 5 hybrid striped bass, 18 sunfish, and 78 white bass.

PHOTO CAPTION:  As the sun rose, Manuel Pena and his grandkids, Camila and Joaquin Bustillos, walked down to the boat in anticipation of a great morning of fishing on Lake Belton

WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton

SUMMARY OF HOW WE FISHED:    

The excellent early autumn fishing pattern which developed very quickly in early September continued this morning.

As soon as the sun’s direct rays began to shine on the water, the white bass began feeding, and they kept right on feeding for the next several hours.  During this time, I used (mainly) well-tuned side-imaging sonar to find fish.  After Spot-Locking atop them, the kids presented MAL Original Lures with chartreuse tails vertically, using a smoking tactic and caught fish after fish.

Camila functioned autonomously after I provided her with some basic guidance followed by a few pointers after she got the hang of things.  Joaquin, on the other hand, had dad and granddad tag team behind him and help him with holding the rod and maintaining a fish-catching cadence.

Camila already had it in her mind before stepping on the boat that she wanted to catch 100 fish, so, with the fish and the wind cooperating, we strived for that goal.

The kids hung tough for a full two hours before Joaquin showed signs that he needed a break, so, with 37 fish in the boat, we headed up shallow and focused on catching sunfish (and feeding ducks!) to break things up a bit, leaving one full hour at trip’s end to hit that 100 mark starting at 55 fish landed once the sunfishing was done.

We hit two areas in our last hour.  The first had fish present, but they were not all that numerous or aggressive, so, after landing just two, I decided to pull the plug and move on.

Our last area fish turned out to be our most productive (and during that span of time at which the wind blew strongest).  The kids landed a final 44 fish in their last 40 minutes of fishing to take their final tally to 101 fish.

As we walked up to the parking lot following the trip, I told Hector that I bet Joaquin would take a solid nap on the drive home back through Austin.

Here is a tutorial on vertically smoking the MAL Lure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDSvfXgrAUE

Here is a tutorial on horizontally “sawtoothing” with the MAL Lure or White Tornado: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC3FMEQHOMQ

LURES USED SUCCESSFULLY ON THIS TRIP:  We smoked MAL Originals vertically 99% of the time for our white bass this morning.   Find all MAL Lures and White Tornados here: https://whitebasstools.com/

TALLY: 106 fish, including 6 short hybrid striped bass, 2 freshwater drum, and 98 white bass.

OBSERVATIONS:

1) The number of bottom-oriented schools of white bass now found in deep water AND showing a willingness to remain stationary long enough to allow for presentations to be made for substantial lengths of time have increased sharply; these fish are there to stay, likely until the water temps drop below 60F.

2) As routinely happens, the best bite today corresponded with the strongest wind conditions.

LATEST WATER TEMPERATURE PROFILE:

Here was the water temperature profile for Lake Belton, measured with a FishHawk TD device around 7:30 AM on Thursday, 10 Oct….

WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 7:50A

End Time: 11:30A

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 64F

Elevation: 1.73′ low and falling slowly with a 43 cfs flow; .04′ fall in last 24 hours (w/ inflow from Proctor)

Water Surface Temp: 79.2F on the surface.

Wind Speed & Direction: SSW5-11

Sky Condition: 0% cloud cover on a hazy1 blue sky.

Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous moon at 70% illumination.

GT = 80

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

CLIENTS: This morning I welcomed the Ellis family aboard — Mason and Emily Ellis and their two kids — Barron (age 6) and Leah (age 4).  Everyone took a break from HVAC work (https://www.ellisairsystems.com/) and school today for a little bit of family fishing time before the weather gets uncomfortably cool for younger kids, and before the great variety of fishing options we have right now begins to dry up.

DATE: Thursday, 10 October 2024 (AM)

NEXT OPEN DATES: Next open dates: 18, 21, 23, 24 Oct. (weekday AMs and PMs).  Next Saturday opening: 02 November (AM)

PHOTO CAPTION: The Ellis family landed 106 fish this morning.  From left, that’s Barron (6), Mason, Emily, and Leah (4).  The kids had never seen the Lake Belton Waterfall before, so we ran down to it to see it and used it as our family photo backdrop.

PHOTO CAPTION:  Rumor has it Barron picked this habit of kissing fish up from his grandpa.  Now, these were no pretend pecks from an inch or two away  — no, these were full on, double-lipped smackers!  When Barron pulled these fish away from his lips, they left some slime behind!!

WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton

SUMMARY OF HOW WE FISHED:    

Whenever young children are involved, I like to provide some “instant gratification” to get the kids attention and let the see they are able to catch fish.  Today I did that by having some sunfishing prepared as soon as the kids stepped aboard and donned lifevests.  Barron and Leah landed 5 sunfish and, as they did, I assessed their abilities to follow instructions, etc., so I could plan ahead for the rest of the morning.

It was pretty clear early on that my two fishermen were going to be Emily and Barron, whereas Mason and Leah could take or leave the fishing and were content being in the outdoors, sharing snacks, and cheerleading for mom and brother.

We hit just three areas this morning for white bass and fished MAL Originals vertically at each one very successfully as a SE wind rippled the surface sufficiently to keep the fish feeding for the 3.25 hours the kids stayed engaged.

Around 10:40, topwater action began to pop up here and there allowing for sight-casting, but, that was not a good fit for my crew.  So, we decided to wrap up the trip by trying for a double or a triple by downrigging around the perimeter of some of these schools of white bass showing themselves on the surface.  We hooked three sets of doubles, but lost one fish on each on our first two attempts.  Finally, on the third try, Barron got the double he was after, taking our final tally to 106 fish.

By this time the kids’ attention span was spent and it was time to head in.

Here is a tutorial on vertically smoking the MAL Lure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDSvfXgrAUE

Here is a tutorial on horizontally “sawtoothing” with the MAL Lure or White Tornado: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC3FMEQHOMQ

LURES USED SUCCESSFULLY ON THIS TRIP:  We smoked MAL Originals vertically 99% of the time for our white bass this morning.   Find all MAL Lures and White Tornados here: https://whitebasstools.com/

TALLY: 106 fish, including 6 short hybrid striped bass, 2 freshwater drum, and 98 white bass.

OBSERVATIONS:

1) The number of bottom-oriented schools of white bass now found in deep water AND showing a willingness to remain stationary long enough to allow for presentations to be made for substantial lengths of time have increased sharply; these fish are there to stay, likely until the water temps drop below 60F.

LATEST WATER TEMPERATURE PROFILE:

Here was the water temperature profile for Lake Belton, measured with a FishHawk TD device around 7:30 AM on Thursday, 10 Oct….

WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 7:45A

End Time: 11:15A

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 61F

Elevation: 1.67′ low and falling slowly with a 43 cfs flow; .03′ fall in last 24 hours (w/ inflow from Proctor)

Water Surface Temp: 79.2F on the surface.

Wind Speed & Direction: SE6

Sky Condition: 0% cloud cover on a pale blue sky.

Moon Phase: Waxing crescent moon at 47% illumination.

GT = 40

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

CLIENTS: This morning I welcomed back Mr. David Goode, this time accompanied by his son, David Jr., and his daughters, Amanda Bauser and Sarah Goode, after David brought a handful of his employees from Goode Towing out last Wednesday.

DATE: Tuesday, 08 October 2024 (AM)

NEXT OPEN DATES: Next open dates: 21, 23, 24 Oct. (weekday AMs and PMs).  Next Saturday opening: 02 November (AM)

PHOTO CAPTION:  From left: Amanda Bauser, Sarah, David Jr., and David Goode, with 8 of the 216 fish they landed on this early October white bass fishing trip on Lake Belton.  This crew raced MAL Originals upward off bottom through active fish to put together this solid catch.

WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton

SUMMARY OF HOW WE FISHED:    

Today was a continuation of the excellent white bass fishing for high numbers of fish which began quite suddenly on Sept. 6th with a 4-day long dip in our temperatures.  Since that time only a handful of children’s trips have not exceeded 100 fish caught in a four-hour morning, with one 300+ fish trip, and several 200+ fish trips now in the books, including this morning’s trip.

Fishing was very simple today.  We found them, parked atop them, presented MAL Originals vertically using a “smoking”  tactic, and enjoyed the catching from that point on.  We did this at four distinct locations today.  At the first three, the fish were on the bottom and we enjoyed at least a bit of wind.

The wind quit around 9:25 and the fishing slowed, but was still productive.  At the last place we fished, I was drawn to the area by some light topwater action.  As I drove to it and slowed down to let sonar work, I could see a band of fish between 35-40′ down over a 63′ bottom with some timber sprinkled in.  I let everyone know not to let down to bottom as they watched Garmin LiveScope, but rather to let down to just 2-3 feet below the deepest fish showing on sonar.  This worked like a charm.  My crew of 4 landed 138 of their 216 fish from this large, suspended shoal of fish.

Here is a tutorial on vertically smoking the MAL Lure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDSvfXgrAUE

Here is a tutorial on horizontally “sawtoothing” with the MAL Lure or White Tornado: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC3FMEQHOMQ

LURES USED SUCCESSFULLY ON THIS TRIP:  We smoked MAL Originals vertically 100% of the time.   Find all MAL Lures and White Tornados here: https://whitebasstools.com/

TALLY: 216 fish, including 9 short hybrid striped bass, 1 blue catfish, 1 largemouth bass, and 205 white bass.

OBSERVATIONS:

1) The number of bottom-oriented schools of white bass now found in deep water AND showing a willingness to remain stationary long enough to allow for presentations to be made for substantial lengths of time have increased sharply; these fish are there to stay, likely until the water temps drop below 60F.

2)  Watching for late-morning, light topwater action was a key to finding fish after the winds stopped blowing this morning around 9:25.

3) Migratory birds are becoming more and more numerous, including osprey, gulls, terns, cormorants, coots, and pelicans.

LATEST WATER TEMPERATURE PROFILE:

Here was the water temperature profile for Lake Belton, measured with a FishHawk TD device around 7:30 AM on Friday, 04 Oct….

WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 7:45A

End Time: 11:15A

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 64F

Elevation: 1.60′ low and falling slowly with a 43 cfs flow; .02′ fall in last 24 hours (w/ inflow from Proctor)

Water Surface Temp: 81.3F on the surface.

Wind Speed & Direction: NNW4-6, then slacking off to near calm by 9:25

Sky Condition: 0% cloud cover on a light blue sky.

Moon Phase: Waxing crescent moon at 27% illumination.

GT = 5

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

CLIENTS: This morning I welcomed back Dennis Graham and Vicky Clark for a morning of white bass fishing on Lake Belton in celebration of Dennis’ birthday.  Dennis is a retired US Air Force crew chief who once served with the Thunderbirds, and Vicky is retired from the US Postal Service.  After recently conducting an on-the-water sonar training session with Dennis, he came into this trip prepared with a number of intelligent questions about using sonar more effectively to find and return to white bass.  Fortunately, with Lake Belton’s white bass going into fall patterns very early this year, we had ample opportunities to locate fish with DI, SI, and 2D technologies.

DATE: Monday, 07 October 2024 (AM)

NEXT OPEN DATES: Next open dates: 21, 23, 24 Oct. (weekday AMs and PMs).  Next Saturday opening: 02 November (AM)

PHOTO CAPTION:  Vicky Clark landed our largest fish of the trip this morning.  This 3.25 pound hybrid striped bass took a 3/4 oz. White Tornado (in white color) in ~39 feet of water as Vicky executed a sawtooth retrieve.

PHOTO CAPTION: Dennis Graham and Vicky Clark landed 160 fish during their 4-hour morning trip on Lake Belton under clear, dry conditions.

WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton

SUMMARY OF HOW WE FISHED:    

The already excellent bite was further bolstered this morning by another mild, dry cold front which moved in, thus keeping the winds NW11-12 through around 10A.  The fish were aggressive and competitive.

Of the 160 fish this pair landed, all but 39 were taken on an MAL Original with chartreuse tail worked vertically with a “smoking” tactic.  The remainder, all taken at our final stop after we were drawn to the area by some light topwater action, were caught on 3/4 oz. White Tornados (in white) with a sawtooth retrieve.  These fish were, on average, of greater size than those caught earlier in the morning on the vertical tactics.

Fish continue to start shallow in the early morning, then move very quickly to deep water right after the sun begins to shine directly on the water, ending up in 35-42 feet of water by around noontime.

I consider the splasher critical equipment for this kind of fishing, as it consolidates the fish and keeps them under the boat where LiveScope becomes a tremendous aid in knowing when to zig and when to zag.

Here is a tutorial on vertically smoking the MAL Lure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDSvfXgrAUE

Here is a tutorial on horizontally “sawtoothing” with the MAL Lure or White Tornado: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC3FMEQHOMQ

LURES USED SUCCESSFULLY ON THIS TRIP:  We smoked MAL Originals vertically and used the sawtooth method with 3/4 oz. White Tornados (white color).   Find all MAL Lures and White Tornados here: https://whitebasstools.com/

TALLY: 160 fish, including 8 short hybrid striped bass, 2 blue catfish, 1 freshwater drum, and 149 white bass.

OBSERVATIONS:

1) The number of bottom-oriented schools of white bass now found in deep water AND showing a willingness to remain stationary long enough to allow for presentations to be made for substantial lengths of time have increased sharply; these fish are there to stay, likely until the water temps drop below 60F.

2)  A mild, dry, reinforcing cold front moved in and gave the fishing a bit of a bump this morning through around 10A as the NW winds had a velocity up to ~12 mph.

LATEST WATER TEMPERATURE PROFILE:

Here was the water temperature profile for Lake Belton, measured with a FishHawk TD device around 7:30 AM on Friday, 04 Oct….

WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 7:45A

End Time: 11:45A

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 64F

Elevation: 1.58′ low and falling slowly with a 43 cfs flow; .03′ fall in last 24 hours (w/ inflow from Proctor)

Water Surface Temp: 80.2F on the surface.

Wind Speed & Direction: NW11-12 thru 10A, then slacking off.

Sky Condition: 0% cloud cover on a light blue sky.

Moon Phase: Waxing crescent moon at 19% illumination.

GT = 30

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