CLIENTS: This morning, Wednesday, July 23, I fished with returning father-and-son Aaron and Captain Thompson. Joining the two was first-time guest, Skye Thompson, Captain’s older sister. This was a “Kids Fish, Too!“ Trip where the kids did the fishing, and Dad helped me help the kids be successful.
Skye is an aspiring marine biologist whose interest in the subject has stuck since her early elementary school years. She recently attended “Sea Camp” on the Gulf Coast and enthusiastically told stories about what she experienced there. According to his dad, Captain works a mean Rubik’s Cube and, more recently, has taken up juggling (which is rumored to have kept him up late last night).
TODAY’S DATE: Wednesday, 23 July 2025 (AM)
NEXT OPEN DATE FOR FISHING: Monday, 04 August (AM)
NEXT OPEN DATES FOR SONAR TRAINING: 09 August (AM)
PHOTO CAPTION: From left: Aaron, Skye, and Captain Thompson with a portion of their morning haul taken primarily via down rigging.
FIND CORK RIGS & OTHER WHITE BASS/HYBRID LURES HERE: https://whitebasstools.com/
WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton
SUMMARY OF HOW WE FISHED:
Although I came prepared for, and looked for, topwater action this morning, it has really fizzled ever since the July 4 flooding brought lake levels up suddenly. That poor topwater action continues now that a drawdown is taking place.
After determining that topwater was not going to develop, we began downrigging and continued downrigging for a full two hours until both kids wore out on me. Dad credited that to staying up a little too late and not being in the habit of getting up early thanks to a more slack summertime schedule.
In the 2 1/2 hours the kids fished, they wound up landing 61 fish altogether. Three times as we downrigged, I spotted large schools of white bass out to the port or starboard side of the boat, put the boat on Spot Lock, and had the kids cast MAL Heavy lures and use the sawtooth method to retrieve their lures through those fish. At each of those stops, the kids picked up a handful of fish until the school dispersed, after which we continued downrigging.
We wrapped up right around 9:10 AM. All 61 fish were white bass, and all were released in good condition.
RESULTS: 61 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: Lake Belton is now 6.34′ high with a 0.38′ fall in the last 24 hours with USACE releasing 3037 CFS. Next to no topwater action this morning.
LATEST WATER TEMPERATURE PROFILE: Taken around 6:15AM, Monday, 21 July …
WEATHER DATA:
Start Time: 6:35A
End Time: 9:10A
Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 75F
Elevation: 6.34′ high with a 0.38′ fall in the last 24 hours with USACE releasing 3037 CFS.
Water Surface Temp: 84.2F on the surface.
Wind Speed & Direction: S6 increasing to S10
Sky Condition: 30% white cloud cover on a hazy sky
Moon Phase: Waning crescent moon at 2% illumination.
GT = 0
Wx SNAPSHOT:
AREAS FISHED WITH MOST SUCCESS:
Area vic 615 thru B0171C – 61 fish primarily downrigging twin umbrellas, each with three #12 Pet Spoons, for singles, doubles and triples; stopped occasionally to sawtooth MAL Heavy Lures to large schools seen on SI
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