Reading the Wind for the Win – 75 Fish

CLIENTS: This past Sunday afternoon, December 28, I reworked my schedule in order to accommodate a party of two young men, one of whom wound up catching the first fish of his life, accompanied by their uncle. The boys’ dad, Darrin, coordinated the trip.

Mr. Melvin Pouncy brought his nephews, Carter and Casen Pouncy of Cypress, Texas, out with me on Lake Belton in pursuit of white bass. We moved this trip up as it was originally scheduled for Monday morning. A very hard cold front would sink into Central Texas overnight on Sunday bringing 30 mph gusts and windchill factor below freezing for the originally scheduled date and time.

TODAY’S DATE: 27 December 2025 (AM)


NEXT OPEN DATE FOR FISHING: Tuesday, 30 December 2025 (AM or PM)

PHOTO CAPTION: From left: Melvin, Casen (8), and Carter (13) Pouncy on an uncle/nephews fishing trip on the final day of a 10-day warming trend. The boys caught 75 fish in 3.5 hours. Casen had never landed a fish before this trip began.

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


WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton


SUMMARY OF HOW WE FISHED:
This was a “Kids Fish, Too!“ trip, hence, it went for 3.5 hours. We got going around 1:45 PM and wrapped up around 5:25 PM.

This would be the last day in a 10-day warm-up which brought water temperatures from 55° up to 62° — temperatures we are not likely to see again until well into March, if then.

After checking in with a network of fellow anglers, I ascertained that the morning bite was not very good.

I was banking on a turnaround based on the forecast wind shift as winds swung from the south through the west and to the north west in advance of this arriving cold front.

That gamble turned out well.

The last thing I want to do is have kids on board and the fish not cooperate. That was not at all the case tonight. The boys caught fish from start to finish, although our first hour on the water, while the winds were still southerly, was definitely more difficult than the final 2.5 hours after which the winds begin to swing through the southwest to the west, and then finally, to the northwest.

During this time, the boys used the MAL Dense with silver body with a vertical, “slow – smoking” tactic to put exactly 75 fish in the boat, which included 73 white bass, 1 hybrid striped bass, and 1 freshwater drum.

I was quite satisfied that the boys caught more than a two-man limit, especially since the younger of the brothers had never caught a fish before.

Now we wait and see (not if, but) how negatively this incoming cold front impacts the fishery.

RESULTS: 75 fish, all caught and released

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

OBSERVATIONS:

-This was day 10 of a lengthy warming trend which has raised water temperature back up to 61 +/- which has caused fishing to improve.

-No assistance in fish-finding by birds today.

-Light topwater action spotted at sunset.

LATEST WATER TEMPERATURE PROFILE:

Taken on Lake Belton around 7:10AM on 25 December 2025…

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