Not All Tips Are Monetary — 80 Fish

CLIENTS: This morning, Monday, March 30, I welcomed back long time clients and friends Tommy and Sylvia Maedgen of Troy, Texas. The Maedgens are solid largemouth and white bass anglers in their own right but set aside a few days each year to fish with one another with the accompaniment of a professional fishing guide.

This was one of those days, and this morning we pursued white bass on Lake Belton.

TODAY’S DATE: 01 April 2026 (AM)


NEXT OPEN DATES FOR FISHING: 01 & 17 April 2026 (AM)

PHOTO CAPTION: Tommy and Sylvia Maedgen landed fish at every location we visited using a combination of vertical and horizontal tactics, tallying 80 fish on a breezy late March morning on Lake Belton.

PHOTO CAPTION: Some of the most memorable tips I have ever received as a guide were not in the form of cash or coin — hand-made crafts from kids, a cooler full of Wagyu beef, cheeses and smoked meats from Miller’s Smokehouse in Belton, and desserts like this one are high on the list!!! Thank you, Sylvia!

FIND LURES HERE: https://whitebasstools.com/


WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton


SUMMARY OF HOW WE FISHED:

As we got going around 7:20 AM, conditions looked good. We had both breeze and some cloud cover. That cloud cover would stick with us through about 9:45 before it began to clear, and that breeze turned into a full-on wind of about 16 mph with 20 mph gusts.

Still, after previous previously discussing this morning‘s game plan with Tommy this past Saturday, we were able to follow through on that plan regardless of the wind.

The fishing was right about what I thought it would be given slowly rising water temperatures, and the lack of any frontal activity.

Fish were not all that difficult to find, and, once we found them, they typically cooperated at least for a while. Once the fish began to show any reluctance to rise up off the bottom and chase our vertical presentations, we left that spot and searched for fresh, more enthusiastic fish.

The entire time we enjoyed cloud cover, we fished vertically with Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs in 20-27 feet of water save for the last shallow area we hit. At this location, fish were up and hunting higher in the water column, so, we used MAL Bridge Lures to attract these fish with more flash and vibration.

Just as the sun was beginning to shine uninterrupted, and as the wind was ramping up, just a touch of top water action broke out in 18 feet of water. I maneuvered the boat so as to be up wind of the activity, placed us on Spot Lock there, and had Tommy and Sylvia cast directly downwind into these fish with MAL Dense lures with silver bodies and chartreuse tails using the sawtooth method. This was the only area we fished today with other than a vertical, smoking tactic.

All other fishing came in 22 to 25 feet of water early on then in 40 to 45 feet of water at our last two areas. Under the cloudy conditions, we used the white, 5/8-ounce Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs, then, while still in shallow water with the sun shining, I changed over to nickel. We once again changed over to the nickel three-quarter ounce slab once we moved into the 40 foot depths to close out the trip.

When all was said and done, the Maedgens landed exactly 80 fish, including 76 white bass, two short hybrid striped bass, and two largemouth bass.

RESULTS: 80 fish, all caught and released

TUTORIAL VIDEO ON HOW “SLOW SMOKE” A BLADED HAZY EYE SLAB VERTICALLY: Click here for tutorial

OBSERVATIONS:
-Light bird action took place as cloudy skies cleared and the winds began to ramp up. This lead us to a short burst of topwater action.

LATEST WATER TEMPERATURE PROFILE:

Taken on Lake Belton on 27 March 2026, approx. 7AM…

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