Went to Lake Somerville and it was tough Saturday. We trolled all day specifically looking for hybrids. To our suprise none were found. We also tried looking for school of whites and found none except for very small whites in areas where I named as the white bass nursey. The cold front that came by really change the feeding pattern dramatically this week. If you caught fish on Somerville Saturday pat your self on the back. You did good. I shall try again soon but hopefully on a pre front day rather then a post front day. All my ferral cats were watting in the drive way for me to go home and clean my catch. They seems to know when I come home from fishing to see if they can get lucky stealing my catches. Guess they'll just have to wait till next time.
Had a guess with me today so I weren't able to stay and fish Sunday and try to figure them out. That was not an option. Knowing me and my presistants self that's what I would normally would of done. Had to take him home. Water temp was 75 degrees. Went and check on them crappie guys over by the broken boat marina mid afternoon they too also seems to be on the slow end.

It was slow for me on Saturday and Sunday morning at Tawakoni. It was embarrassing to mention I couldn't catch a fish to save my life. Perhaps this coming weekend will change for the better.

Nothing embarrassing about getting skunked. That's how we learn. We were warn buy guys keeping diary about the negative effect of fronts has on fish. Now there's some days where the rules doesn't applies, but for the most I think it does. I still say go when you can. To heck if the condition is right or not. Life too short to be watting for the right conditions.

Here's what my boy had to say for Saturday



On a side note viewing side scan fish does seems to be scatter all over areas that they normally schooled. Using slabs we caught six large white bass drifting slowly over those scatter areas but decided not to continued drifting and trolled looking for bigger school to slab. Maybe that's where I went wrong. Don't under estimate the power and effectiveness of drift fishing.

We had a very similar experience on Stillhouse this weekend. We worked very hard for very few fish. I suspect that we all just got a taste of what it's like to fish during turnover.

Bob Maindelle, Central Texas' white bass/hybrid guru, wrote a great article about it for the Killeen Daily herald in 2014. You can google "kdhnews lakes turnover" if you would like to read it.

The good news is that some of the best fishing of the year is fixing to take place. The bad news is that because of a crazy personal schedule I will probably only get to fish once between now and the holidays.

Thanks for chiming in. It's report like this that helps us newbies to be one step closer to understanding these fishes habits and feeding patterns.
You don't have to say it twice about good fishing to come. Winter is the best time for me fishing. Those darn fish are so cold and lethargic they don't swim all over the lake like they do when weather is warmer. Just so many choice,so many lake can't choose them all. I always refer to winter fishing as shooting fish in a big barrel.

Found it. Excellent article. It explain exactly what I had experience last week. I guess November is what we should look forward too ? Many others good articles on fishing in the sports fishing section. Check it out.

http://m.kdhnews.com/sports/fishing/bob-...1.html?mode=jqm

Don't know about them fish turning over. I'm feeling a little turn over my self from the cool then back to warm weather again. Feeling sick today.

Saw you and your guest Saturday, But missed the Boy!! He's a character!!

My boy likes to sleep when the fish don't bite. I think I've seen you in the camo boat Saturday. I remember when you took picture of your wife standing next to the boat.

Here's another good article.

BOB MAINDELLE GUIDE LINES
BOB MAINDELLE: Fish get hungry every November
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Bob Maindelle | For the Herald | Posted 11 months ago

It happens every November. As the water surface temperatures begin to fall through the 70s and into the 60s, something wired into fishes� DNA tells them to feed, to feed long and to feed hard. That time is now on Belton Lake.

My past three guided trips yielded an incredible total of 756 fish.

On Nov. 3, I fished with Barrett and Dave Covington of Belton. The brothers put together a tally of 267 fish in just a tad over four hours on the water. The pattern the fish followed would continue to hold true right through this past week. As the pre-dawn light grew strong enough to reveal the lake�s surface, schools of white bass and hybrid striped bass began to actively chase the baitfish (threadfin shad) in shallow water of 12 feet or less. Horizontally cast lures roughly imitating the size and color of the shad produced well. I prefer the Cicada bladebait for this kind of work.

Once the skies brightened following sunrise, this shallow activity abated, and the fish moved deeper, to the nearest breakline. We used sonar to keep up with this movement to deep water, and found fish stacked up heavily in the lower 2-3 feet of the water column, typically in 22-27 feet of water.

In this situation, vertical presentation with lead slabs got the nod. Using electronic anchoring technology, like the Minn Kota Spot Lock function on i-Pilot equipped trolling motors, makes staying over top of fish a simple task to accomplish.

We noted that when we first found fish on sonar and began to fish for them, they would immediately go into a frenzy as the first few fish were caught from the school. The fish would then settle down a bit, and, eventually, refuse to bite. In such cases, moving just a boat-length or two left, right, forward, or backwards would often put us right on top of a very eager new school of fish that was nearby all the time, but which just refused to move horizontally along the bottom to come to our baits at our previous position.

On Monday, this same scenario played out when I guided retired Texas judge Bob Schwartz, of Temple, and his adult son, Will Schwartz, to another plentiful catch of 143 fish taken over a four-hour span.

On Tuesday, I fished a full-day trip with Dr. Tom Wells and his wife, Patricia Wells, of Sun City. They landed a total of 346 fish from 6:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., including an award-winning white bass which measured 15 3/8 inches, thus qualifying Mrs. Wells for a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department �Big Fish Award.�

Given that we are in the dark of the moon in the lunar cycle, that the water surface temperature is still at an unseasonably warm 69-70 F, and that there are no severe cold fronts currently in the extended weather forecast, I predict this ultra-productive fishing will hold up at least two or three more weeks. Typically, as the water temperatures fall into the high 50s, this bite moderates.

It is unfortunate that our culture typically equates fishing with warm weather. As summer gives way to fall, kids go back to school, vacation plans fall by the wayside, and football and hunting become more of a focus, fishing often takes a back seat in the cool months of the year. The statistics in my 23 years of detailed record keeping bear out the fact that November�s fishing is as good as, or better than, the fishing typically experienced in March, the month most equate with the best fishing of the season.


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Holding the Line Guide Service | Herald

Brothers Dave, left, and Barrett Covington, of Belton, had over four solid hours of fish-catching fun on Nov. 3 at Belton Lake, amassing a total catch of 267 fish, primarily via vertical jigging.

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I was fortunate enough to fish with Bob in November 2014 and we boated, I think, 149 fish in four hours. He is an incredible source of information and just an awesome human being.

He has several years worth of detailed reports that cover depth, techniques and weather posted at
Holding the Line Guide Service.

Thanks for all of the great reports you post Bruce and I hope you feel better soon.

No Thankyou FishTheBites.I've fish with a few guides in the past and everyone of them has their own unique character,personality and set of skill that I greatly admire. This guy Bob seems to be one that I will sure to put on my bucket list if I'm ever in his nick of neighborhood. I learn one important things recently about fishing. When I think I know it all or when I think I've known enough to stop seeking knowledge,I continued to run across awesome peoples that proves me wrong and continue to amaze me.

This here is a well advertise guided site. Some thing I've never seen on a guide webb site befor. Very unique.
Looks like it's about time to book a trip with him.

Who I Am


http://www.holdingthelineguideservice.com/

My name is Bob Maindelle. I was born into a fishing family in 1969 while my dad was serving in Vietnam. My earliest childhood memories revolve around angling. Pop Pop Hamilton was a commercial fisherman on the Mississippi, mom and dad went fishing on cheap dates as newlyweds, and Uncle Glenn ran a saltwater charter boat out of Shark River, NJ. I'm now happily married, live in Salado, Texas, right at the eastern edge of the Texas Hill Country, and am carrying on the family tradition. I have fished all over our nation in fresh waters and salt, and with all manner of gear and tackle. In 1991, I graduated from West Point (U.S. Military Academy) with a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental engineering, and spent 8 years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, followed by 9 years in industry. I recently retired as the Small Groups Pastor at a large church in central Texas. My business experience from my "previous life" and my flexible schedule allow me to operate "Holding The Line Guide Service" out of my home on the lakes of this region. I am physically fit, extremely well-organized, very methodical, self-disciplined and detail-oriented. I enjoy introducing beginners to the sport. I enjoy coaching those with a little experience. I enjoy fishing with great fishermen and picking up on tips and techniques from all over the country. I am not so prideful to think that I cannot still learn much from other further down the path than I.

Why I Fish

The pursuit of fish is, to me, an incomparable, lifelong challenge that tests the mind, the body, and even the will. The timeless variables of weather, wind, forage location, light, temperature and pressure prevent any one day's pursuit from being like the chase of any other day. Every sunrise holds new promise, every storm front brings change, every season nudges fish movements, and though the cycle has repeated since the beginning of time, I believe the code will never be fully deciphered. But there are some who understand parts of the code. I am one. And that understanding breeds a desire to preserve and to protect that same Creation that is pursued.

The Numbers

I have fished the 5 bodies of water that I conduct my guide business on (Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, Belton Reservoir, Walter E. Long Reservoir, Granger Lake, and Georgetown Reservoir) for 24 years in all seasons, weather, and water levels and conditions.
In calendar year 2013 my clients and I landed 10,042 fish.
In calendar year 2014 my clients and I landed 7,218 fish.
In calendar year 2015 my clients and I landed 9,973 fish.
The monthly catches and average catch per trip for 2015 are shown here graphically:








Record Book Entries

I have 66 Texas water body record fish (largest of a given species caught on a given body of water) to my credit, including 30 fish caught on conventional tackle and 36 fish caught on fly tackle
I have 6 State record fish to my credit.
I have guided my clients to 44 lake records (largest recorded fish of a particular species in a particular body of water).
I have guided my clients to 28 TPWD First fish awards (for catching first fish of a lifetime)
I have guided my clients to 7 TPWD Big fish awards (for catching large specimens exceeding a minimum threshold length)
I have guided my clients to 1 Texas State Record (largest recorded fish of a particular species in the entire State of Texas)

The Business

My guide business, "Holding the Line Guide Service", is a legally registered Texas business based in Bell County.
I am licensed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as a freshwater fishing guide.
I am a certified Texas Parks and Wildlife Angler Education Instructor since June 2003; Instructor Number 14606
I am insured by Charter Lakes Marine Insurance Co.
I am CPR certified (last refresher Fall 2014).
I am Pediatric and Adult First Aid certified (American Red Cross course - last refresher Fall 2014).

The Gear - a few notes on the equipment I use and why I use it...

Boat - a custom-made 20�9�center console Maritime rolled-edge skiff of my own design; she's 7.5' wide, dry, stable, and comfortable. As the photos show, I can fit 3 grown men abreast on the front casting deck. This is where "fishing class" takes place!

You have certainly been on an awe inspiring roll the last few months :-) It's nice to see you are mortal after all :-) I have been greatly inspired by your reports. Thanks for sharing.

Olliec