Hey Y'all. I'll be coming from Augusta, GA to be a boater in the Fishing For Freedom Tournament next month. We have one like it here in GA but it's not as big as the ones in Texas.

I'm in the middle of packing a box of tackle to ship out this week. What I need is some basic information to prevent me from packing way to much of the wrong things. So here's a few questions. (Please keep in mind that I just want my soldier to catch fish and I will only have one or two days to prefish.)

1. What is the clarity of the water in feet?
2. What are traditional local colors for soft plastics and crankbaits?
3. Are there any surprises in the types of baitfish. Anything other than threadfin shad and bluegill?
4. What kind of pattern should I expect for next month.
5. Is there any vegetation in the lake, if so what kind and where?
6. What hazards should I look out for?
7. Is there an area of the lake that is producing better than others right now?
8. Is there a phone number for the water generation schedule at the dam?

Thanks for your help,
flukemaster

Your name is my favorite choice this time of year. I have traditionally thrown white and watermelon flukes, though I don't know if I've ever thrown a color I have not caught fish on. In crank baits shad and fire tiger have been my go to's over the years. White and Char in spinner baits.

Water can be clear to 6 feet down by the dam to less than 6 inches visibility currently up towards the bridge, so name your water color and you can find it.

Flukes on any bank rocky bank with some structure will catch fish, but bigger fish are likley on brush off in deeper water around points and deep flats.

Bait is shad..too many shad for bass to worry about perch. Both threadfin and gizzard. Should be some schooling activity right now.

Hazards are many as the lake is 7.5 feet low and falling (this is about as low as its got in my 20 years). Lots of sticks at the surface and just under. There haven't been any water releases in a while and won't be to my knowledge with the lake low.

I don't know the hot pattern, as I'm a crappie guy the last bunch of years, but still catch my fair share of bass. This has been a great year for me catching large bass though messing around with crappie. I have a 5,4, and 3 three's on jigs in the last couple of months.

It's a good lake for lots of 14-17"'s, but sometimes the big gals evade ya.

OK, I'll take a shot at it.

First off - Try approaching Belton like you would Lake Lanier. There are a lot of similarities.

1. What is the clarity of the water in feet?
Varies depending on location and recent rainfall. Typically the lower end has 3 - 4 feet with it gradually lessening as you go upstream.

2. What are traditional local colors for soft plastics and crankbaits?
Watermelon/something for plastics and a shad pattern for cranks.

3. Are there any surprises in the types of baitfish. Anything other than threadfin shad and bluegill?
Minnows, crayfish and crappie.

4. What kind of pattern should I expect for next month.
Fish should be moving back into the creeks and coves chasing the bait. With the lake level low, there will be an exposed line of brush (old willow trees) a short distance from the bank. Don't overlook fishing that. If we get some rain and the lake rises, be sure to check out any newly flooded cover.

5. Is there any vegetation in the lake, if so what kind and where?
Not much that the fish relate to.

6. What hazards should I look out for?
The lake is like a big, long river system with steep banks and high bluffs on one side or the other. As long as you veer toward the steep banks, it's very easy to run.

7. Is there an area of the lake that is producing better than others right now?
I haven't been fishing it recently, but traditionally the lower to mid-lake areas are best.

8. Is there a phone number for the water generation schedule at the dam?
The lake is operated by the USACOE. Their number is (254) 939-2461 but I haven't found them to be overly cooperative.

Good luck! I hope this helps.

Thanks y'all, You've been a big help. I should be able to put something together. If anyone else feels like adding something please do.

thanks,
flukemaster

Some good information. I will be fishing this same tournament. Never fished this lake. The info will be helpful. thanks for sharing

Get a map would help you, but this time of the year, I would use watermelon or watermelon/red flukes are good. White Spinnerbaits with tandem willows are good, and crankbaits either in crawfish, white, or a shad pattern. One prefish day I would spend some time up the river, and the other prefishing day I would spend some time maybe cranking the dam, find a bank with timber and try there, there are plenty of standing timber that will not be far from Temple Park Pavillion. Hope some of this helps. Good Luck.

Thanks for the info.. I am hoping, I can get a prefish day in. I am definitely going to buy a map. I have already been checking the lake out on google earth...lol..

Thanks H20.

I'm not a professional tournament angler. I'm a guide who loves to teach fishing so I'm not in it to go for the win. The folks at Sure Life Labs invited me to come fish this tournament and I'm am absolutely grateful to them and excited to be doing it. They are some great people.

I've been pouring over a paper map for a few weeks now and my wife keeps finding me sitting in my boat playing with my Humminbird with Navionics.

If I get two days of prefishing I hope to go up river first. I'll stop when I get to the water clarity that I no longer feel comfortable fishing and work my way back down. I look forward to a new challenge. It should be fun.

In all my years of fishing I've found that most bass fishermen in Texas seem to prefer watermelon soft plastics. I wonder why this is. If you come this far East you'll notice that Green Pumpkin is king. I've got everything under the sun in Green Pumpkin but I have a very limited supply of watermelon. Does anyone fish Green pumpkin in those parts or is it just kept under wraps? lol

Thank,
flukemaster

Green Pumpkin works great here too. One thing about Belton is dont get hung up in the River. There are a lot of good areas in the main lake that hold a lot of number and good size.

Seeing your from Evans, GA your used to fishing Clark's Hill. Belton has mainly rock banks with some good points like CH, but without the millfoil.


T-rigged plastics, and always keep a crankbait handy.

Unless the water is high I rarely fish north of the bridge and actually not much past Owl Creek most of the time. My best stretches are near the sand flats, in Cedar Ridge and up towards the dam on the rocky banks. This should be prime fluke and crank time if you just want to catch fish.

flukemaster....pm sent