CLIENTS: This evening, Sunday, October 12, I was joined by the husband and wife team of Bryan and Kelly Aspen of Belton. Kelly put this trip together in celebration of Bryan‘s birthday.  Neither husband or wife was any stranger to the outdoors. Both grew up fishing and boating in Wisconsin, and this prior experience came in handy this evening.

Kelly now works for Bird Creek Roofing after a career as a women’s volleyball coach, and Bryan educates surgeons on using medical devices which help trauma patients recover from badly broken bones.

TODAY’S DATE: Sunday, 12 October 2025 (PM)

NEXT OPEN DATE FOR FISHING: Monday, 27 October 2025 (AM or PM)

 

 

PHOTO CAPTION:  Kelly and Bryan Aspen fished with me this past Sunday evening after Kelly coordinated this for Bryan’s birthday many weeks in advance.  The couple landed a mixed bag of 41 fish.

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

WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton

SUMMARY OF HOW WE FISHED:

We fished from 3:15 until just after sunset at 7:15 PM. As is often the case on afternoon trips, our first hour was a bit slow, but, we still managed to find good congregations of bottom-oriented white bass in 34 to 40 feet of water. These fish were very picky. Whenever a school passed beneath the boat, as witnessed on Garmin LiveScope, the very first time we worked through them vertically from off the bottom, we would typically get aggressive chases, and, if we were going to catch fish from that school, that’s when the catch would happen. After letting the MAL Heavy lures return to the bottom, if the fish were still present, they seemed to lose interest very, very quickly.

As we moved into the 4 o’clock hour, the fish began to show signs of increasing aggression and so we stayed on them and caught fish steadily through about 5 PM. By this time, Kelly and Bryan had landed a total of 17 fish.

From 5 PM to 6:10 PM we fished over an area I baited prior to my clients’ arrival. After Spot-Locking, I freshened the area back up with some grain and we began fishing doughbait. We picked up 10 blue cat and one channel cat during this time, with several fish missed at the beginning as Kellyand Bryan went through the learning curve of detecting and reacting to a bite, and several additional fish missed simply because no one connects 100% of the time. From 6:15 until we wrapped up at 7:15 PM, we downrigged as fish transitioned from the 40 foot level into the mid 20 to 30 foot range. Kelly and Bryan landed singles and doubles routinely and we wrapped up with a total of 41 fish. Three of the fish they landed on this final downrigging effort were hybrid stripers.

 

RESULTS: 41 fish, all caught and released

 

OBSERVATIONS: Belton is 0.46′ low with a 0.03 fall in the last 24 hours with USACE releasing 43 CFS.

 

LATEST WATER TEMPERATURE PROFILE:  Taken on Lake Belton around 6:35AM, Saturday, 04 October …

WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 3:15P

End Time: 7:15P

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 90F

Elevation: Belton is 0.46′ low with a 0.03 fall in the last 24 hours with USACE releasing 43 CFS.

Water Surface Temp: 81.9F on the surface.

Wind Speed & Direction:  S9-12 all evening

Sky Condition: 0% cloud cover on a blue sky

Moon Phase: Waning gibbous moon at 62% illumination.

GT = 55

 

Wx SNAPSHOT:  

 

 

AREAS FISHED WITH MOST 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:  On Sunday, October 12, I participated in the annual Lake Belton C. A. S. T. (Catch a Special Thrill) event for children with various forms of disability.

Mrs. Randi Bingham coordinated the event, and Mr. Clint Zimmerhanzel‘s Texas Farm Bureau insurance agency provided food and additional support. Joining me were two young men – Alexander Hildebrand (age 12), accompanied by his mom, LeaAnn, and Blake Eppard (age 8), accompanied by his dad, James Grunert.

ABOUT C.A.S.T.  – The C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation (C.A.S.T. = Catch A Special Thrill) is a public charity that was formed in 1991 to join volunteers who love to fish with children who have special needs and disadvantages for a day of fishing in the outdoors. The Foundation became an official 501(c)3 in 1994 and currently hosts C.A.S.T. for Kids events in 26 states.

C.A.S.T. for Kids events enable children with special needs and their caretakers to come together with community volunteers for a fun day of fishing. These events provide a refreshing break from their daily challenges and provide them an opportunity they may not otherwise experience. Spreading a positive message that kids with disabilities can accomplish anything, our events are accessible for all disabilities. This is all made possible through national and local sponsors – people who want to make a big difference in the lives of children with special needs thus strengthening their community.

TODAY’S DATE: Sunday, 12 October 2025 (AM)

NEXT OPEN DATE FOR FISHING: Monday, 27 October 2025 (AM or PM)

 

 

PHOTO CAPTION: From left:  LeeAnn & Alexander Hildebrand and Blake Eppert and James Grunert came aboard my boat for Belton Lake’s 2025 CAST event.  The boys split a catch of 30 fish made in right at 2.5 hours’ time.

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

WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton

SUMMARY OF HOW WE FISHED:

The boat captains arrived by 7:30, the kids by 8:30, and I set out fishing with my two boys by 8:45 AM — we were due back for pulled pork, drinks, and awards by 11:15 AM.

As with any trip I conduct including elementary aged kids, I planned to do a number of different things, each for only a short while. This morning, I spent some time looking for heavily congregated, bottom-oriented fish which we could fish for vertically. I really hoped this would work out because both boys were really into video games, and the vertical tactics I use rely heavily on Garmin LiveScope. That really didn’t pan out, so, we moved elsewhere and began downrigging.

Downrigging was our most successful tactic. It put 20 of the 30 fish we caught in the boat. By working our #12 Pet Spoons on three-armed umbrella rigs behind a pair of  ‘riggers, the boys were able to catch doubles and singles routinely from out of a 300 yard stretch of water in about 30 to 34 feet.

After that played out, and with about 45 minutes remaining before we needed to head back, we headed up shallow, and the boys put an additional 10 fish in the boat using telescoping poles to catch sunfish from off of shallow cover in under 4 feet of water.

In summary, in 2.5 hours, these two boys were able to catch 30 fish which included 19 white bass, 1 blue catfish, 9 bluegill sunfish, and 1 green sunfish.

We made it back to the North Point Marina (wonderful hosts, by the way) at exactly 11:15, at which time lunch started promptly, followed by an on-time start for the award ceremony. Everything was said and done by noon.  These events really are rewarding, whether you are giving or receiving a fishing trip.  Posts are made from time to time on TFF about the need for volunteers for these event.  I encourage you to step up.

 

RESULTS: 30 fish, all caught and released

 

OBSERVATIONS: Belton is 0.46′ low with a 0.03 fall in the last 24 hours with USACE releasing 43 CFS.

 

LATEST WATER TEMPERATURE PROFILE:  Taken on Lake Belton around 6:35AM, Saturday, 04 October …

WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 8:45A

End Time: 11:15A

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 61F

Elevation: Belton is 0.46′ low with a 0.03 fall in the last 24 hours with USACE releasing 43 CFS.

Water Surface Temp: 80.1F on the surface.

Wind Speed & Direction:  SE7-9 all morning

Sky Condition: 0%cloud cover on a blue sky

Moon Phase: Waning gibbous moon at 62% illumination.

GT = N/A

 

Wx SNAPSHOT:  

 

 

AREAS FISHED WITH MOST 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