CLIENTS: This morning, Tuesday, July 8, I conducted the sixth SKIFF trip of the 2025 season. Joining me this morning was U.S. Army veteran Troy Hensley Junior, a disabled combat veteran of the War in Iraq, and two of his sons, Trace (age 10), and Joshua (age 5).
TODAY’S DATE: Tuesday, 08 July 2025 (AM)
NEXT OPEN DATE FOR FISHING: Monday, 28 July (AM)
NEXT OPEN DATES FOR SONAR TRAINING: 02 August (AM)
PHOTO CAPTION: U.S. Army Iraqi War veteran Troy Hensley Jr. brought his sons, Trace (10 and Joshua (5) aboard for a morning of fishing on this, the sixth SKIFF trip of the 2025 season.
PHOTO CAPTION: 10-year-old Trace Hensley landed our largest fish of the morning when this hybrid striped bass came up from the depths and slammed the bait behind his cork while fishing a Cork Rig for white bass schooling on the surface.
FIND CORK RIGS & OTHER WHITE BASS/HYBRID LURES HERE: https://whitebasstools.com/
WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton
SUMMARY OF HOW WE FISHED:
Thanks to flooding on both Cowhouse Creek and in the Leon River due to heavy rains the morning of 07 July, Lake Belton, rose rapidly (2.30 feet) in the last 24 hours, thus prohibiting access to the floating courtesy docks. Regardless, the water on the lower end of the lake remains clear and free of debris, at least for the time being.
The heavy cloud cover at sunrise delayed the start of this morning‘s feed, but, around 7:15 AM, things begin to happen with white bass forcing shad to the surface in great numbers and on a widespread basis. This went very strong through about 8:30. After that, pods of fish could still be seen here and there, but nothing to the extent that the prior hour and a quarter presented.
During this feeding spree, Troy and I cast Cork Rigs to the fish. Trace retrieved his own Cork Rig whereas Troy worked the Cork Rig until a fish was hooked then handed it off to Joshua. In this manner, the boys reeled in exactly 60 fish. As the top water action was dying down around 8:30, the boys were also getting a bit disinterested, so, we change tactics, moved up shallow, and pursued sunfish in the newly flooded terrestrial vegetation, using slip floats with bait beneath. This accounted for an additional 25 sunfish. We wrapped up at about 10:10 AM with a total of 85 fish landed and released.
RESULTS: 85 fish, all caught and released
TUTORIAL VIDEO ON HOW “SMOKE” AN MAL LURE VERTICALLY: Click here for tutorial
TUTORIAL VIDEO ON HOW TO FISH AN MAL LURE HORIZONTALLY USING THE SAWTOOTH METHOD: Click here for tutorial
OBSERVATIONS:
- Fishing is getting “summertime tough” with white bass suspending more than using bottom, and focused on young-of-the-year shad which are hard to imitate with live or artificial baits. If no topwater is encountered, the trip is going to be a tough one so far as white bass are concerned.
LATEST WATER TEMPERATURE PROFILE:
WEATHER DATA:
Start Time: 6:25A
End Time: 10:10A
Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 75F
Elevation: 4.34′ high with a 2.30 rise in the last 24 hours
Water Surface Temp: 82.9F on the surface.
Wind Speed & Direction: S4-9
Sky Condition: 100% grey cloud cover at sunrise, gradually clearing to 40% white cloud cover on a light blue sky
Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous moon at 95% illumination.
GT = N/A
Wx SNAPSHOT:
AREAS FISHED WITH MOST SUCCESS:
Areas B0163G thru 2116 – 60 fish on Cork Rigs on topwater from 7:22 to 8:35AM
Area B0289G – 10 sunfish
Area B0163C – 15 sunfish
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