CLIENTS: This morning, Saturday, Sept. 27, I was joined by long-time client Dwight Stone of Georgetown for a white bass trip on Stillhouse Hollow as part of a year-long effort to capture, weigh, measure, and release white bass from both this lake and Lake Belton in order to compare the two populations in lakes adjacent to one another.

Doing the grunt work this morning was Mervin Narito and Kaylyn Wolf from Temple College.

 

TODAY’S DATE: Saturday, 27 September 2025 (AM)

NEXT OPEN DATE FOR FISHING: Tuesday, 30 September 2025 (AM)

 

 

PHOTO CAPTION: Well-traveled angler and long-time client Dwight Stone came aboard and contributed to the year-long effort at studying two white bass populations — one at Stillhouse Hollow and the other at Lake Belton.

 

PHOTO CAPTION:  Temple College students Mervin Narito and Kaylyn Wolf weighed and measured each fish landed, and will continue to do so through the end of they study in April of 2026.

 

 

FIND CORK RIGS, SANDY SANDWICHES & OTHER WHITE BASS/HYBRID LURES HERE: https://whitebasstools.com/

WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton

SUMMARY OF HOW WE FISHED:

This morning started with a bang, but, that bang quickly faded.

Just before the sun rose, we pulled up on our first area as all sonar technologies (2D, DI, and SI) lit up, indicating fish beneath us and all around us.  I quickly got the trolling motor in the water, positioned us atop the “center of mass” as best I could determine it, got Garmin LiveScope dialed in, dropped MAL Heavy Lures down, and brought in fish immediately.  Dwight went five drops for five fish as I attempted to wet a line and add a few bonus fish between unhooking his fish and running them to the holding tank for Mervin and Kaylyn to process.

This went on through eleven fish landed, then, as the sun rose and the light SW wind went calm, the bite died and really never revived.

Despite the tough time getting white bass to bite, we found them routinely.  And, to add insult to injury, small “schoolie” largemouth (most under a pound) seemed to be dimpling the surface here, there, and everywhere as they stalked after pods of shad for the first three hours following sunrise.  Their eruptions were easily seen on the glassy surface.

We only picked up seven additional fish the remainder of the morning in the form of single fish landed at three separate areas, as well as a single and a triple on the downriggers trolling #12 Pet Spoons.

Our catch included 15 white bass, 1 freshwater drum, and 2 largemouth bass.  Given how little difference there is in temperature from the surface to over 60 feet of water, I believe we are just one more solid cold front away from excellent fall fishing on Stillhouse; Belton seems to be just a step ahead already.

 

 

OBSERVATIONS: Stillhouse is 0.06′ high with a 0.02 fall in the last 24 hours with USACE releasing 1 CFS.

 

 

LATEST WATER TEMPERATURE PROFILE:  Taken on Stillhouse Hollow around 6:35AM, Saturday, 27 September …

WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 6:55A

End Time: 11:0%A

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 59F

Elevation: Belton is 0.06′ high with a 0.03 fall in the last 24 hours with USACE releasing 43 CFS.

Water Surface Temp: 80.3F on the surface.

Wind Speed & Direction:  SW4 before sunrise, then dying and staying calm all morning

Sky Condition: Post-frontal clear, bright blue skies

Moon Phase: Waxing crescent moon at 29% illumination.

GT = 5

 

Wx SNAPSHOT: 

 

 

AREAS FISHED WITH MOST SUCCESS:

 

Area 1976 was the only area which produced with any consistency — 11 fish taken on smoked MAL Heavy Lures

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

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