HOUSES IN THE HOUSE! – 70 FISH

WHO I FISHED WITH:  This past Thursday morning I fished the sixth Spring Break 2018 trip of the week with three elementary-aged students — Claudia House (age 9), her younger brother, David (age 7), and their friend, Bethany Stursma (age 8) who came down for a visit all the way from Pella, Iowa.  Accompanying the kids was Mr. Brian House.  Young David had me a bit worried at first as he told me he only intended to watch as the girls fished because he didn’t like fishing.  Well, like many youngsters, David may not like fishing, but he definitely liked catching, so we tried our best to keep all three kids catching for the 3.5 hours this “Kids Fish, Too!” package trip just for kids would last.  When all was said and done, we’d landed 70 fish as the white bass cooperated for a majority of our time on the water, despite nearly cloudless skies.

From left: Claudia House, Bethany Stursma, and David House, each with a white bass caught using slabs fished vertically at the level fish were seen holding at on sonar.

David landed two fish on one lure at the same time — one on the treble hook and one on the Hazy Eye Stinger hook affixed to the line tie.

 

WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip focused on white bass

WHERE WE FISHED: Belton Lake

WHEN WE FISHED: Thursday morning, 15 March 2018

HOW WE FISHED:   Nearly 100% smoking with 3/8 oz. slabs & stinger hooks.

OBSERVATIONS/NOTES:  N/A

TALLY: 70 FISH, ALL CAUGHT AND RELEASED 

 

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 7:30am

End Time: 11:00am

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 52F

Water Surface Temp:  59F

Wind Speed & Direction:   SSW 9-11

Sky Conditions:   <30% white, wispy cloud cover

Water Level: 2.49 feet low and falling

GT = 10

Wx SNAPSHOT:

 

 

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

**Area 378/380 – 54 white bass

**Area  vic B0054C – 16 white bass

 

 

Bob Maindelle, Central Texas Fishing Guide

Owner, Holding the Line Guide Service

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

DADDY-DAUGHTER TRIP WITH THE PACHAS – 49 FISH

WHO I FISHED WITH:  This past Wednesday evening I conducted the fifth Spring Break 2018 trip of the week.  Joining me were father and daughter Brent and Grace Pacha of Bartlett, TX.  Brent is a plumber by trade and Grace is a middle school student on Spring Break.

Brent and Grace Pacha of Bartlett, TX, with a nice hybrid striper which took a live shad suspended off bottom just before sunset.

 

After snap-jigging unsuccessfully, we changed to a horizontal presentation by downrigging and scored again and again on large, quality white bass using a 3-armed umbrella rig equipped with Pet Spoons.

 

WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip during which we caught a mix of white bass and hybrid stripers

WHERE WE FISHED: Belton Lake

WHEN WE FISHED: Wednesday evening, 14 March 2018

HOW WE FISHED:  The after effects of the cold front that came in Monday played out this afternoon as winds went from the NE in the morning, through the E, then calmed this afternoon.  That, combined with bright skies, made the fishing tough.  We took a few fish via snap-jigging, but saw a lot of bottom-hugging white bass that just were not buying what we were offering.  We changed our plan, tried presenting downrigged bait run horizontally over top of the same fish which would not respond to jigging, and wound up find the key to getting these fish to bite.  After a long run of successful downrigging, we spent the last 40 minutes or so fishing with live shad for hybrid.  

OBSERVATIONS/NOTES:  1) Snap-jigging is beginning to lose its appeal, with downrigging or horizontally worked blade baits now producing well when aggressive feeding ends and fish spread horizontally on bottom. 2) Hybrid fishing is still spotty.

TALLY: 49 FISH, ALL CAUGHT AND RELEASED 

 

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 3:30p

End Time: 7:55p

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 66F

Water Surface Temp:  58.5F

Wind Speed & Direction:   SE at less than 5-6 all afternoon

Sky Conditions:   <15% white, wispy cloud cover

Water Level: 2.48 feet low and falling

GT = 20

Wx SNAPSHOT:

 

 

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

**Area  1126 – B0040C

**Area  vic B0052C

 

 

Bob Maindelle, Central Texas Fishing Guide

Owner, Holding the Line Guide Service

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

SPRING BREAK FISHING WITH THE BOYDS — 157 FISH @ BELTON

WHO I FISHED WITH:  This past Wednesday morning I conducted the fourth Spring Break 2018 trip of the week with three generations of the Boyd family.  Bryan and John own and operate Centex Flooring in the north Austin area, specializing in ceramic tile.  The impacts of the cold front that caused me to postpone Monday’s fishing could still be felt with bright skies and low temperatures, but, even though the winds were northeasterly, they were at least moving the water enough to get the fish going.  We enjoyed 2 solid hours of fishing under birds for aggressive white bass, then a third, slow hour spent searching for more fish as the winds died down.  In our final hour we found a pocket of hybrid striper which had corralled shad into a cove where we caught 13 keeper hybrid , 1 short hybrid, and 2 largemouth bass on live shad.

 

From left: Bryan, Drew, and John Boyd, each with solid, 3-year class white bass taken in the first two hours of fishing under birds.  Slabs did the trick when worked vertically through the water column at the level these fish were holding at.

 

We cashed in on some hybrid and largemouth action in our last hour on the water.  Both species had herded shad into a small pocket and were feeding in the upper half of the water column with fish occasionally breaking the surface.  Live shad did the trick fished between 12-17 feet over a deeper bottom.

 

 

WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip during which we caught a mix of white bass and hybrid stripers

WHERE WE FISHED: Belton Lake

WHEN WE FISHED: Wednesday morning, 14 March 2018

HOW WE FISHED:   Fishing for white bass under birds was best with a moderate smoking tactic using 3/8 oz. slabs with the Hazy Eye Stinger attached.  Fishing is still spotty and inconsistent for hybrid, with fish taking shad of all sizes, as well as chunk baits; a lot of “sniffs” are still being observed as hybrid race upward to a bait, examine it, then turn away.

OBSERVATIONS/NOTES:  1) Snap-jigging is beginning to lose its appeal, with downrigging or horizontally worked blade baits now producing well when aggressive feeding ends and fish spread horizontally on bottom.

TALLY: 157 FISH, ALL CAUGHT AND RELEASED 

 

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 7:30a

End Time: 11:45a

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 38F

Water Surface Temp:  58.5F

Wind Speed & Direction:  NE6 in the first two hours, then slowing to E at just a ripple for the last two hours

Sky Conditions:  <10% wispy, white cloud cover

Water Level: 2.48 feet low and falling

GT = 40

Wx SNAPSHOT:

 

 

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

**Area  692/381  – white bass on slabs under birds

**Area vic 380    – white bass on slabs under birds

**Area  B0053C – suspended, small “packs” of hybrid stripers and largemouth took live shad (medium threadfin) set at 12-17 on tightlines

**Area vic 1371

 

Bob Maindelle, Central Texas Fishing Guide

Owner, Holding the Line Guide Service

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

Spring Breakin’ with Grandpa George — 123 Fish

WHO I FISHED WITH: This morning, Tuesday, March 13th, I ran a Spring Break morning fishing trip with Mr. George VanRiper of Harker Heights and two of his grandsons, Jake (age 12) and Kaden (age 9) Howley, also of Harker Heights.  The boys were well-mannered, eager to do well, and willing to be coached.  Hence, on a day with pretty tough weather conditions, they did very well.

 

From left: Jake and Kaden Howley with hybrid stripers caught and released just seconds apart.  Hybrid were patrolling in packs of 5-10 fish in about 25 feet of water over a deeper bottom.

U.S. Army veteran George VanRiper and his grandson, Kaden, with a pair of stipers.  Fish came through under the boat in groups, so catching a few at a time was the rule, not the exception.

Our morning got started off right when white bass went on a 90-minute feeding frenzy under a thin grey blanket of clouds.  We put 101 fish in the boat in this short span of time.

WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip during which we caught a mix of white bass and hybrid stripers

WHERE WE FISHED: Belton Lake

WHEN WE FISHED: Tuesday morning, 13 March 2018

HOW WE FISHED:   Fishing today broke down into three very distinct parts.  Part one, which spanned from sunrise around 7:45a to 9:15am, consisted of using a smoking tactic with 3/8 oz. slabs with Hazy Eye Stinger hooks attached to catch aggressively feeding white bass which were suspended in the lower 2/3 of the water column in about 25 feet of water.  During this time we amassed a catch of 101 fish. Part two, which went from ~10:00am to 10:30am, consisted of snap-jigging and easing for increasingly disinterested white bass hugging bottom in 20 to 31 feet of water.  We made 3 “short hops” in one area, pulling only a few fish each time.  We took only 8 fish during this bright, calm part of the morning. Part three, which spanned from 10:30 to 11:50am, consisted of fishing live shad via tightlining for fish suspended at 25-27′ over a deeper bottom. We landed another 14 fish, including 2 largemouth bass, 1 short hybrid, and 11 keeper (18″ or greater) hybrid striped bass.

OBSERVATIONS/NOTES:  1) The low light white bass feed we witnessed this morning exceeded the frenzy encountered this past Saturday morning in aggression, but did not last quite as long.  4 anglers landed 101 fish in under 90 minutes.  2) Male white bass observed dripping milt.  3) The mild, dry cold front that pushed through Sunday and Monday dropped the surface temperature from 60-62F, down to 58.5F.

TALLY: 123 FISH, ALL CAUGHT AND RELEASED 

 

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 7:30a

End Time: 11:55a

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start:  43F

Water Surface Temp:  58.5F

Wind Speed & Direction:  SSW2-4 most of the trip.

Sky Conditions: ~70% high, thin, grey cloud cover at sunrise, dissipating by 9:15am, then bright with sparse white cloud cover <10%.

Water Level: 2.48 feet low and falling

GT = 5

Wx SNAPSHOT:

 

 

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

**Area  692/1369 – white bass frenzy under low light conditions – 101 fish in 90 minutes

**Area vic 382 – snap-jigging for small white bass hugging bottom

**Area  B0053C – suspended, small “packs” of hybrid stripers took live shad (medium threadfin) set at 25′ on tightlines

 

Bob Maindelle, Central Texas Fishing Guide

Owner, Holding the Line Guide Service

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

PRAIRIE DOG RACING – 48 FISH @ BELTON

WHO I FISHED WITH: This past Saturday afternoon I was joined by two couples: Shannon Bradshaw and Brandon Parr and their friends, Andrew Baker and Chelsy Richardson.  Andrew and Brandon serve in the same infantry unit on Fort Hood  The ladies went in together to get the fellows a fishing gift certificate for Valentines’ Day in 2017 and redeemed it today.  We faced some tougher conditions this afternoon as the sky brightened and the wind calmed over the midday period.  As it turned out, we were able to use a variety of tactics including snap-jigging for whites and tight-lining with live shad for hybrid to catch a variety of fish.  Along the way we all got a good chuckle when I told the group I was looking forward to a prairie dog hunt in late May.  While picturing a not a prairie dog but a greyhound in her mind, Shannon asked of the prairie dogs I’d just mentioned, “Aren’t those the ones they race?”.  There was a split second of silence and then laughter erupted.

Shannon Bradshaw with our longest hybrid of the trip.  This fish aggressively took a live shad suspended at mid-depth over a 34′ bottom.

Chelsy Richardson and Andrew Baker with a nice pair of hybrid.  Andrew’s fish was our heaviest of the trip, weighing 4.125 pounds. Both came on live shad suspended off a 34′ bottom.

Did ya’ll know the Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer Co. has a fishing team?

From left, Chelsy Richardson, Andrew Baker, Shannon Bradshaw, and Brandon Parr, each with a 2 year class white bass caught off bottom in 25-28′ along a blunt point  under tough, bright, calm conditions.

WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip during which we caught a mix of white bass and hybrid stripers

WHERE WE FISHED: Belton Lake

WHEN WE FISHED: Saturday evening, 10 March 2018

HOW WE FISHED:   Fishing was much tougher this afternoon than this morning.  Our conditions were just what you don’t hope for — bright and calm — but, we persisted and put together a nice catch aided by a grand finale of nearly 20 keeper hybrid (18″ or greater).  We kicked off the afternoon snap-jigging near bottom while we still had a bit of a ripple.  Multiple “short hop” around the same location got us 27 white bass and a single largemouth in our first two hours.  Our third hour was slow as we searched multiple locations finding little and catching nothing.  We made a move to another segment of the lake in our final 80 minutes.  As I searched with sonar, side imaging revealed scattered but abundant hybrid holding along a steep bank over 34′.  I hovered the boat in one spot using Spot Lock, got live bait down, sweetened the deal with a steady flow of chum, and we began to pull hybrid stripers steadily for the remainder of the trip, right up until dark around 6:45.  Although these fish were definitely more aggressive than those we encountered the previous evening, we still had plenty of refusals where we watched fish on sonar as they stalked a bait, rose to it, then turned away without making contact. During this last span of time, we landed 18 legal hybrid, 1 short hybrid, and 1 largemouth bass around 2 pounds.

OBSERVATIONS/NOTES:  1) The hybrid we encountered were definitely more aggressive than those we encountered the previous evening, but we still had plenty of refusals where we watched fish on sonar as they stalked a bait, rose to it, then turned away without making contact.

TALLY: 48 FISH, ALL CAUGHT AND RELEASED 

 

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 2:30 pm

End Time:  6:50 pm

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start:  85F

Water Surface Temp:  60-62F

Wind Speed & Direction:  SSW2-4 most of the trip.

Sky Conditions: <10% cover with white clouds on a blue sky by trip’s end.

Water Level: 2.43 feet low

GT = 0

Wx SNAPSHOT:

 

 

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

**Area 381 to B0050C — 28 fish snap-jigging

**Area B0051C – 20 fish on live shad in last 75 minutes of light

 

Bob Maindelle, Central Texas Fishing Guide

Owner, Holding the Line Guide Service

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

I’M GONNA TEACH MY KIDS THIS TECHNIQUE — 105 FISH @ BELTON

WHO I FISHED WITH: This past Saturday morning I was joined by Mr. Frank “Big Dad” Ellis, his step-son, Richard Garrison, and four of Frank’s grandchildren — Alexis (age 12) and Aubrey (age 10) Mikeska, and Eliana (age 11) and Janessa (age 8) McKee, all of Copperas Cove.  The girls all fished while Frank and Richard helped me help the girls with technique, taking off fish, untangling lines, and more.  The girls are all on spring break and this was the first of a few big events they had planned for the week.  Aubrey, the only “morning person” in the bunch, really warmed my heart when, in the middle of the white bass feeding frenzy tells her grandpa, “Man, this works great.  I’m gonna teach my kids this technique when they go fishing.”

 

From left, Aubrey Mikeska, Richard Garrison, Alexis Mikeska, Janessa McKee, Frank Ellis, and Eliana McKee with a few of the 105 fish they landed as the opening act of their Spring Break 2018.

WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip during which we caught white bass (primarily), as well as crappie, largemouth, and drum.

WHERE WE FISHED: Belton Lake

WHEN WE FISHED: Saturday morning, 10 March 2018

HOW WE FISHED:  Fishing got off to a bit later start this morning thanks to some heavy grey cloud cover which obscured sunrise, and thanks to very light winds.  By 7:30am things started to happen as nature came alive, fish began biting, and birds started flying and feeding.  We fished only two areas this morning.  The first half of the trip, while the bite was more subdued, we used a snap-jigging tactic for smaller white bass holding very tightly to the bottom. During the second half of the trip we witnessed the most aggressive white bass feed I have seen so far this year.  Hundreds of white bass were feeding in an area of about 2 acres in size and in about 25 feet of water.  The fish were primarily in the middle third of the water column with individual fish occasionally breaking the surface as they chased shad.  Fishing was super easy with a smoking tactic and the trusty 3/8 oz. slab with Hazy Eye Stinger hook affixed.  This aggressive feed lasted about 75 minutes.  Afterwards, fish were still catchable, but were on bottom and much less aggressive, thus requiring that we go back to snap-jigging.  At this point anything short of another frenzy would have been anticlimactic.  As this was a “Kids Fish, Too!” package trip, we wrapped up right around the 3.5 hour mark with exactly 104 fish landed.  I think Aubrey would have fished ’til midnight if we let her, Alexis could have hung a bit longer, and Eliana and Janessa were ready for an early lunch.

OBSERVATIONS/NOTES:  1) A number of the larger white bass we landed from out of the suspended school we smoked for were males dripping milt.  That was the first time I’ve observed that on either Belton or Stillhouse this season.

TALLY: 105 FISH, ALL CAUGHT AND RELEASED 

 

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 6:30 am

End Time:  10:00 am

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start:  66F

Water Surface Temp:  60-62F

Wind Speed & Direction:  S3 at trip’s start, building to S7 by 9:00am, then shifting suddenly to WSW9-10.

Sky Conditions: 100% grey cloud cover, tapering off to 30% cover with white clouds on a blue sky by trip’s end.

Water Level: 2.43 feet low

GT = 50

Wx SNAPSHOT:

 

 

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

**Area vic 382 – snap-jigging for small white bass hugging bottom

**Area 617 to 378 to 380 – frenzied white bass caught via slow-smoking

 

 

Bob Maindelle, Central Texas Fishing Guide

Owner, Holding the Line Guide Service

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

THROWING BLADES & TROLLING CRANKS — 47 FISH @ STILLHOUSE

WHO I FISHED WITH: This past Thursday morning I fished with Mike and Gail Klosterhoff of Georgetown, TX, on Stillhouse Hollow.  Gail got Mike a fishing gift certificate for Christmas and today was when they chose to redeem it.  Based on recent scouting efforts I’d made on Stillhouse, I knew the use of bladebaits would figure heavily into our approach, so, I did some dockside coaching on the use of these lures before we encountered fish so Mike and Gail would be more capable when we got into white bass.  Because the Klosterhoffs recently bought a pontoon boat of their own and desire to get better at catching fish on their own, I tried to explain why we did what we did as the morning went along so they could apply such lessons to their own efforts going forward.  Thank you for the referral, Dan Marriott!!

Mike and Gail Klosterhoff of Georgetown, TX, put 46 white bass and 1 largemouth in the boat under warming, cloudy conditions on Stillhouse Hollow throwing bladebaits.

 

WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip focused on catching white bass.

WHERE WE FISHED: Stillhouse Hollow

WHEN WE FISHED: Friday morning, 09 March 2018

HOW WE FISHED:   All fish caught today were taken in under 20′ of water and primarily using bladebaits.  We used 3/8 oz. Cicadas in shallower water (<10′) and 3/4 oz. Binsky blades in water over 10′.  A lift-drop retrieve did the trick.  We also put a few fish in the boat via flatline trolling.  The fish showed a definite preference for the Storm Smash Shad over the Wiggle Wart I had on the other line.  The trolling targeted scattered fish whereas the bladebaits were thrown at congregated fish as seen on sonar.

OBSERVATIONS/NOTES:  1) Despite our decent catch, there still seems to be a scarcity of both fish and bait in the areas traditionally holding fish under current water conditions and in this season as compared to seasons past. 2) The “bridge tree” I watch each time of year for a gauge of spring’s progress began greening this week. 3) Sandhill cranes have migrated beyond us now.

TALLY: 47 FISH, ALL CAUGHT AND RELEASED 

 

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 6:30 am

End Time:  10:30 am

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start:  53F

Water Surface Temp:  58-59F

Wind Speed & Direction:  S5-7 then increasing sharply to S14 around 9:30

Sky Conditions: 100% grey clouds

Water Level: 3.72 feet low

GT = 40

Wx SNAPSHOT:

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

**Area SH0011C to SH0014C – blade baits in under than 12′

**Area SH0012C – flatline trolling

**Area 091 to SH0013C

 

Bob Maindelle, Central Texas Fishing Guide

Owner, Holding the Line Guide Service

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

TWINS CATCH FIRST FISH OF THEIR LIVES – 6 FISH @ BELTON

WHO I FISHED WITH: This past Monday morning I fished with Leslie Hancock, Willie Gill, and their two girls, Ellie and Emmie Gill.  The girls are 5-year-old twins and had never before caught a fish in their lives.  Although I don’t normally prefer to take kids this young out until the summer month (when sunfish are abundant and easily caught), the girls had tried for several days in a row to catch fish from the bank during their campout in Cedar Ridge Park on Belton without a single fish to show for it, so, we headed out to clear that “first fish hurdle”.

Leslie Hancock with her 5-year-old twin daughter, Emmie, and the 17.25″ bass which was our first fish caught of the morning and, more importantly, of Emmie’s life!

Willie Gills and his 5-year-old twin daughter, Ellie, with her first fish of the trip and of her life, a nice 3-year class white bass that taped 13.25 inches.

WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip focused on catching each child’s first fish.

WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton

WHEN WE FISHED: Monday morning, 05 March 2018

HOW WE FISHED:   Given the girls’ age and lack of experience, I tried to get us on some fish that would provide some “instant gratification” on what turned out to be a tough fishing day.  We did not stay long at any one area, and I came prepared to do a lot of different things to give the girls lots of transitions to maintain their interest and enthusiasm.  So, we cast, jigged, reeled, used live bait, downrigged, etc.   In the end, each young lady caught not one, but three fish and had a fun time doing it.  Emmie caught the first fish, a 17.25″ largemouth bass.  Ellie got the next fish, a nice 13.25″ white bass.  Then, both girls landed 2 more smaller white bass via jigging and downrigging.

OBSERVATIONS/NOTES:  1) The fishing was very spotty today with some early sub-surface action under birds with hybid forcing bait to the surface (vicB0046C);  I also got credible reports of hybrid taking live shad near this area during a wind shift which occurred after our trip concluded. 2) Sandhill cranes continue migrating.

TALLY: 6 FISH, ALL CAUGHT AND RELEASED

 

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 7:15 am

End Time:  10:30 am

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start:  67F

Water Surface Temp:  58.4F

Wind Speed & Direction:  S5-7, then a windshift to W13 around 10:30A

Sky Conditions: Partly cloudy @ 60%

Water Level: 2.41 feet low and rising slowly

GT = 5

Wx SNAPSHOT:

 

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

**Area vic B0046C/B0047C

**Area vic B0015C

**Area 437

 

Bob Maindelle, Central Texas Fishing Guide

Owner, Holding the Line Guide Service

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

IF HE HITS IT BIG IN VEGAS — 63 FISH @ BELTON

WHO I FISHED WITH: This past Saturday afternoon I fished with U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army veteran Harry Payne of Kempner and his two adult sons, Matt Payne of Killeen, and Brian Payne of Harker Heights.  Harry gave the boys a fishing gift certificate as a Christmas present so they could all do something in the outdoors together.  Harry occasionally fishes Lake Belton, typically heading to one particular spot to fish for whatever bites there.  His personal best day was 36 fish.  Harry took note of the way my boat is laid out and how I make use of my electronics and told Matt and Brian, “If I hit it big in Vegas I’m getting us a boat like this.”   So, Matt and Brian, I’m putting this in writing for you, just in case!

 

From left: Brian, Matt, and Harry Payne with a sampling of the larger white bass we found just prior to sunset.  Smaller white bass were most common earlier in the trip as we jigged in deeper, clearer water.  We put a total of 63 fish in the boat this evening.

WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip focused on white bass using artificial lures.

WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton

WHEN WE FISHED: Saturday evening, 04 March 2018

HOW WE FISHED:   Fishing started well and ended well today, but we had a tough “middle”, thanks to nearly calm conditions.  We began vertical jigging in 48′ with 3/8 oz. slabs equipped with Hazy Eye Stinger hooks.  Everyone got hit and hooked up routines, taking our fish count to 24 in the first hour.  As the bite was waning, we pulled off to chase some birds, but that did not result in finding active fish.  For the middle two hours of the trip (~3:45 – 5:45) we looked over multiple parts of 7 different areas and only put another 11 fish in the boat during this time.  Based on observations made while fishing this past Tuesday evening, I relocated us for the final hour of our trip.  Fortunately, the winds picked up from jsut south of east during this time and added fuel to the low-light bite fire.  As I began glassing, I found 3 terns in the distance acting “fishy” over a small patch of water.  We ran there, found fish, and began sacking them up.  Our last 50 minutes on the water saw another 28 fish come over the gunwale with several more lost at the boat.  We used a variety of tactics, all successfully, for these fish, including snap-jigging, slow smoking, and easing, as the fish were found from bottom, up to within about 12 feet of the surface.

OBSERVATIONS/NOTES:  1) The fishing rose and fell with wind today.  2) The season’s first migrating Sandhill cranes were witnessed headed north over the past 2 days.  3) At dusk, some very light, occasional surface action was witnessed as the most aggressive of the white bass population near us pushed shad all the way to the surface.

 

TALLY: 63 FISH, ALL CAUGHT AND RELEASED

 

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 2:30p

End Time:  6:45p

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start:  67F

Water Surface Temp:  58.2-58.6F

Wind Speed & Direction:  SE7 for the first hour, going calm for the next two hours, then returning to ESE7-9 in advance of drizzling rain just after nightfall.

Sky Conditions:  100% grey the entire trip.

Water Level: 2.46 feet low and rising slowly thanks to abundant, but light and well-spaced, rainfall.

GT = 0

Wx SNAPSHOT:

 

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

**Area vic B0026C – 24 fish snap-jigging 3/8 oz. slabs in 48′

**Area vic 1941-1942 – 11 fish snap-jigging 3/8 oz. slabs in 32-36′

**Area B0045C – 28 fish in last 50 minutes of light with 3/8 and 3/4 oz slabs in 20-24′ with snap-jigging, easing, and slow smoking (easing best)

 

Bob Maindelle, Central Texas Fishing Guide

Owner, Holding the Line Guide Service

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

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER — 72 FISH @ BELTON

WHO I FISHED WITH: This past  Tuesday afternoon I fished with Terry Balz of Seaton, TX.  Terry and I worked at Wilsonart at the same time a number of years ago, where both of us got to know another angler and Wilsonart employee by the name of George O’Connor.  Mr. O’Connor is an excellent hybrid striped bass angler who specializes in using artificial lures (only) for making his catches.  George is getting up there in years and recently sold his readily distinguishable red and white Champion center console to Terry.  Today’s trip was intended to give Terry a reintroduction to Lake Belton, the fish species there, and a few of the seasonally-appropriate techniques useful in pursuit of those species.

Mr. Terry Balz of Seaton, TX, came out with me after buying a new boat to see how everything comes together on the water using electronics, “fish sense”, and seasonally-appropriate presentations to consistently put together catches of fish on Lake Belton.

WHAT WE FISHED FOR: This was a multi-species trip focused on white bass using artificial lures.

WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton

WHEN WE FISHED: Tuesday evening, 27 February 2018

HOW WE FISHED:   Fishing varied with the weather today.  We began under ideal conditions (a warm SE breeze under 13mph and grey clouds in the midst of a warming trend) and caught 50 fish in our first 2 hours at just one location.  Then, the wind died, allowing the cool water to chill the air immediately above it, thus resulting in a heavy fog for about 30 minutes.  A clearing SE breeze picked back up and warmed things up, allowing our last hour on the water to be productive, as well, after a hour-long dry spell.  We fished for those first 2 hours with a number of tactics mainly to introduce Terry to them, although a slow smoking tactic was by far the most effective.  We also used snap-jigging and deadsticking tactics.  In our last hour, I moved from out of the 50+ foot water into just 28′ where we found a flock of about 15 terns leading the way to some pre-sunset white bass action.  When we first arrived, I maneuvered us right under the terns and we took fish via an easing tactic and by smoking.  When it became apparent that the fish were widespread along the bottom, we finished up by throwing bladebaits and fishing them in a lift-drop fashion.

OBSERVATIONS/NOTES:  1) The fish were really fired up this afternoon with perfect conditions (at least until the storm moved in).  We had WSW winds at 12mph, grey cloud cover, and a warming trend with surface temps at 52.5F.  2) In comparing notes with fellow guide Jason Weisberg, the afternoon bite seemed more aggressive; we both observed large schools of suspended fish in deep water readily taking our presentations.

TALLY: 72 FISH, ALL CAUGHT AND RELEASED

TODAY’S CONDITIONS/NOTES:

Start Time: 2:15p

End Time:  6:30p

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start:  67F

Water Surface Temp:  56.1F

Wind Speed & Direction:  SE7 for 2 hours with grey cloud cover, then calm with fog for an hour, then a returning, clearing SE7-9 wind leaving 60% cloud cover.

Sky Conditions:  Grey clouds for 2 hours, heavy fog for the 3rd hour, then clearing to 60% clouds for the final stretch through sunset.

Water Level: 2.37 feet low and rising slowly thanks to abundant, but light and well-spaced, rainfall.

GT = 0

Wx SNAPSHOT:

 

AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

**Area between B0041C & 1490 – mixed bag of hybrid, white bass, largemouth, and drum out of 52′.  Most fish suspended from 40-45′.  Slow smoking excelled.

**Area 561 – found fish under terns as low light kicked in near sunset.  Caught via smoking, easing with slabs, then lift-dropping with blades.

 

Bob Maindelle, Central Texas Fishing Guide

Owner, Holding the Line Guide Service

254.368.7411 (call or text)

Website: www.HoldingTheLineGuideService.com

E-mail: Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com

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