texasfishingforum.com logo
Main Menu
Advertisement
Affiliates
Advertisement
Newest Members
TraeMartin, Power-Pole CS, T-Rigger, JoeGoes, EcKo
119150 Registered Users
Top Posters(All Time)
hopalong 120,585
TexDawg 119,524
Bigbob_FTW 94,903
John175☮ 85,892
Pilothawk 83,264
Bob Davis 81,523
Mark Perry 72,297
Derek 🐝 68,312
JDavis7873 67,416
Forum Statistics
Forums59
Topics1,037,854
Posts13,935,657
Members144,150
Most Online39,925
Dec 30th, 2023
Print Thread
TFF White Bass Workshop -- 110 Fish, Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs, 01 Dec. #14552704 12/02/22 03:02 AM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,673
Holding The Line Offline OP
Extreme Angler
OP Offline
Extreme Angler
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,673
WHO I FISHED WITH: This morning, Thursday, December 1st, I fished with Dennis Christian and Cliff H. who goes by the “handle” Cliffshot on the Texas Fishing Forum.

If you aren’t familiar with the Texas Fishing Forum (TFF is found at texasfishingforum.com), you’ll find it is a wealth of information, especially if you are a new or less experienced angler, as it is a place where many experienced folks freely share information about catching all manner of fish.

I met Dennis and Cliff through the TFF some time ago, but, today was the first time we had a chance to meet in person.

We had much in common in that each of us are followers of Christ, each of us is retired/semi-retired, and each of us love figuring out the white bass puzzle through the changes in seasons and weather.

Both men are excellent white bass anglers, so, instead of being the guide today, I got to just settle in and be comfortable amongst peers.

My next weekday opening is on 7 Dec. My next weekend opening is Sat., 31 Dec. (New Year’s Eve)

Here is how the fishing went …

______________



[Linked Image]

PHOTO CAPTION: From left: Cliff H. and Dennis Christian with typical Lake Belton white bass. We took all of our fish in 28-42 feet of water this morning with a majority of our catch coming on the white, 5/8 oz. Bladed Hazy Eye Slab with stinger hooks.





[Linked Image]


PHOTO CAPTION: I got a rare chance to be on the front side of the camera today as Cliff took this snapshot of me with our only keeper hybrid of the morning. It, too, came on a Bladed Hazy Eye Slab.



WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton

WHEN WE FISHED: Thursday, 01 December 2022 (AM)

HOW WE FISHED:

Wow! Where to start? I kicked off our trip this morning trying to nail down what would make Dennis and Cliff’s 2+ hour drive from the Malakoff/Athens area worth their while. They expressed an interest in 1) seeing how I was using side-imaging to find white bass in deep water, 2) how I used the i-Pilot Link interface between my Minn Kota trolling motor and my Humminbird Solix to position on fish, 3) how I used spinning gear to fish the Mepps MAL Lure (as both men primarily use casting gear), 4) seeing Garmin LiveScope applied to white bass fishing scenarios, and 5) seeing the bite shut down around the 4-hour mark as it typically does on both Belton and Stillhouse.

The fishing today was pretty average. We endured a short span of classic post-frontal conditions with light wind, clear skies, and cold temperatures, but, the residual north wind from yesterday’s front turned quickly through the east then southeast. Some light grey cloud cover kicked in and the fish got in a biting mood by around 8A, and stayed interested through around 11:30A.

The gulls assisted us in finding fish today for about 2 hours, but, that was a double-edged sword. The fish the birds helped us find were in fairly small groups and those groups were really on the move, so, we caught a few fish under each group of birds we chased, but no more. Finally, I decided to leave the birds alone and to seek out fish in larger schools holding on bottom topography. As it turned out, even though this was not just incredibly productive, we were able to catch more fish and for longer whiles as we did this, thus ignoring the bird action.

The majority of our 110 fish catch consisted of legal-sized white bass (89 in all). Cliff and I worked side-by-side using my go-to bait for this time of year, which is my white, 5/8 oz. Bladed Hazy Eye Slab. I guess you could say Cliff and I were the “control” in this experiment. Dennis tried various presentations including multiple Mepps Aglia baits and a Little Cleo-style spoon (different from a slab), so, I guess you could say he was the “variable”.

We fished until just after 12:30. As for the objectives we hoped to accomplish, we thoroughly covered all of the sonar-related topics simply as a by-product of finding and catching fish. Both fellows gave the spinning gear a fair shot and felt there were pros and cons to using it. As for the bite going soft in the fourth hour after sunrise, I felt there was both subtle and some not-so-subtle evidence of that, but left it to Dennis and Cliff to make their own conclusions.

I had two valuable “take-aways” of my own today. The first was a neat tactic Dennis uses once action dries up at a spot he’s been fishing. That tactic was to take the trolling motor off of Spot-Lock, turn the motor ~90 degrees to the keel, and then spin the boat in a 360 using the trolling motor while observing side imaging in order to inspect the surrounding area for additional, nearby fish before taking off to hunt fish elsewhere.

The second take-away for me was finding out what Dennis like to do when he gets a strike which does not result in a hookup while using his version of what I call the sawtooth method. Back when I used to use bladebaits, I would always kill my retrieve after missing a strike, thus allowing the lure to return to bottom. Dennis said he has found that continuing his retrieve will bring about a better result.

What a great day on the water to exchange ideas and opinions and to solicit some advice for all concerned!

When all was said and done, we landed 110 fish including 1 legal hybrid, 5 short hybrid striped bass, 4 freshwater drum, 1 largemouth bass, 10 short white bass, and 89 keeper white bass.

TALLY: 110 fish caught and released

Find Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs with Stinger Hook here: https://whitebasstools.com/

OBSERVATIONS: 1) This was the 13th consecutive trip with helpful bird activity. Birds active from 8A-10:20A. Bird action was less intense, more widely dispersed, and more mobile than over the past few days. Here is the water temperature profile taken this morning:

0 feet 59.2F
5 feet 59.2F
10 feet 59.2F
15 feet 59.4F
20 feet 59.4F
25 feet 59.4F
30 feet 59.4F
35 feet 59.4F
40 feet 59.4F
45 feet59.4F
50 feet 59.2F
55 feet 59.2F
60 feet 59.2F
65 feet 59.2F



WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 7:15A

End Time: 12:35P

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 34F

Elevation: 12.91 feet low, 0.03 fall in last 24 hours, 41 CFS flow.

Water Surface Temp: 59.2F

Wind Speed & Direction: NW0-4 for ~40 minutes, then swinging thru E to SE at 7-9 for the remainder of the trip

Sky Condition: Clear, cloudless, “bluebird” skies at sunrise, quickly clouding over to fully grey by trip’s end.

Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous moon at 60% illumination.

GT = 50

Wx SNAPSHOT: We had winds from 3 of the 4 compass directions today!

[Linked Image]





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

Twitter: www.twitter.com/bobmaindelle

Last edited by Holding The Line; 12/02/22 03:07 AM.

[Linked Image]
Bob Maindelle, 254-368-7411
Holding The Line Guide Service
Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com
Stillhouse & Belton
Ask About Trips for Kids


Re: TFF White Bass Workshop -- 110 Fish, Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs, 01 Dec. [Re: Holding The Line] #14552708 12/02/22 03:13 AM
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 75,521
banker-always fishing Offline
Pumpkin Head
Offline
Pumpkin Head
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 75,521
Solid post and fish. Good job. thumb


[Linked Image][Linked Image]

IGFA World Record Rio Grande Cichlid. Lake Dunlap.

John 3:16

Sinner's Prayer. God forgive me a sinner. I accept Jesus Christ as my Savior !
Re: TFF White Bass Workshop -- 110 Fish, Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs, 01 Dec. [Re: banker-always fishing] #14552718 12/02/22 03:35 AM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,171
C
chrisc/striper express guide service Offline
TFF Team Angler
Offline
TFF Team Angler
C
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,171
Those men are fish magnets! Always a great post as always Bob!


Lake Texoma Striper Guide Chris Carey


Re: TFF White Bass Workshop -- 110 Fish, Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs, 01 Dec. [Re: Holding The Line] #14552936 12/02/22 02:51 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 193
C
cliffshot Offline
Outdoorsman
Offline
Outdoorsman
C
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 193
Well first of let me say,

Bob, thanks for a very enjoyable day together. What a blessing to make a new friend who love's the Lord Jesus as you do! Your priorities and your attitude speak volumes and represent a true desire to not only address and satisfy those on your boat, but represent our Lord magnificently!

For those of you who have had "experiences" with a guide that you would rather "forget", LET ME HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO FISH WITH BOB! You will not be disappointed! Even if you aren't that interested in Belton Lake or Stillhouse Hollow Lake it is well worth your time to go and fish with Bob. He is one of the most thorough and enjoyable guides I have ever been on the water with. He is a great teacher / very patient / and his whole focus is to make sure you have a great time (catching fish too). His level of preparation and the readiness of his boat / his attitude / and his development of technique is head and shoulders above any guide I have ever fished with.

What you will learn from Bob (technique / electronics / philosophy / etc.) will make you a better angler no matter where and even what species you may be targeting. His knowledge and expertise with electronics is amazing (he is using both Humminbird and Garmin --- each for its respective advantages. My experience has always seen that each person has some preference for electronics attached to a particular "name brand" rather than Bob's evaluation based upon which unit is actually the "best" at a particular sonar range etc.

If you happen to be a "novice" or want to take inexperienced anglers for a great time of catching / learning BOB IS THE GUIDE YOU WANT TO USE. One of the things he shared with us is how effective his use of Garmin LiveScope is at connecting "young people who are video gamers" to the "real time experience of the screen resulting in a fish on the end of their line". I know that he is impacting the next generation of anglers by impacting a specific group of younger people who otherwise might never experience the thrill of fishing on the other end of a real fishing line.

Thanks for reading through this post! I know it may be little long, but Bob earned every word of praise I have noted.

IN CLOSING GO FISH WITH BOB. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED AND I ASSURE YOU THE BLESSING YOU RECEIVE WILL GO WAY BEYOND ANY EXPECTATION YOU HAD GOING IN!

May the Lord continue to bless and keep you Bob and may he give you continued success in all that you put your hands to. I look forward to hosting your in our neck of the woods.

Re: TFF White Bass Workshop -- 110 Fish, Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs, 01 Dec. [Re: Holding The Line] #14553099 12/02/22 04:56 PM
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,619
Dennis Christian Online Content
TFF Team Angler
Online Content
TFF Team Angler
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,619
I echo Cliff's comments on Bob's knowledge of his fishing gear and electronics as well as his thoroughness in preparation. Of course, it is always a pleasure to meet a fellow Christian serious about his faith. I'll add a few things. First, Bob was generous in treating us to a trip because I had expressed on the forum that I had not fished lake Belton. So, thanks, Bob, for the treat! Bob has fished Belton for 30 years and has clearly fine-tuned the tactics needed there to maximize catching white bass and hybrids. Due to the current lower water temperature, Bob is not using his modified Mepps #4 but using a white slab with treble hook and small spinner blade on one end and a single hook on the end where you tie the line. He used that bait 100%, Cliff used it about 90%, and I used it about 50%.

I tried to compare its results with a white regular #4 Mepps and a silver Little Cleo. I started with a silver Mepps but quickly switched to the white and found it more effective. Bob used a thumper while we were fishing. We fished in water 28 to 32 fow deep, and the slab definitely had an advantage getting to the bottom faster. Bob fished the slab by reeling it steadily up from the bottom while watching his live scope. He said that if he sees a fish follow it up, he keeps reeling at the same speed to maximize a strike. He caught the most fish. When I got the Mepps to the bottom, I worked it like I do at CC - jig it a couple of times then reel or lift it up and caught fish at about the same rate as the slab. All the fish were on the bottom - even when we were following the birds. To me, the water looked slightly chalky compared to east Texas lakes, but it was clear enough to catch fish very deep. Bob would find small schools using his side-scan then position us on top of them. We would usually catch several then it would slow as the fish moved away. We found one substantially larger school structure fishing, but they too moved in a short while. Bob had a knack for knowing when it was time to leave and find another school of fish.

An example of his technical knowledge: I saw the word chirp on his sonar screen and asked what that meant. His explanation was stellar: He said regular sonar sends out pulses at one frequency. Then it waits for each pulse's echo to come back before it can send out the next pulse. If it doesn't wait, it confuses the sonar echo sensing circuitry. Instead of one frequency, chirp technology uses multiple frequencies. So, the sonar is able to send out one frequency after another without waiting for the 1st frequency's echo to return. The multiple frequencies do not interfere with one another and do not confuse the echo detecting circuits. Thus, it generates a whole lot more continuous data for the sonar to display. Who knew? Thanks, Bob.

We hope to get Bob over to Cedar Creek Lake for an outing in January.

Re: TFF White Bass Workshop -- 110 Fish, Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs, 01 Dec. [Re: Holding The Line] #14553386 12/02/22 10:00 PM
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 8,168
S
SeaPro-Todd Offline
TFF Celebrity
Offline
TFF Celebrity
S
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 8,168
Great report and testimonies! Great read! You guys are amazing whom we can all learn from
thumb

Lucky you Dennis, you got invited to fish a new lake on your bucket list a day after your birthday happybday

Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread

© 1998-2022 OUTDOOR SITES NETWORK all rights reserved USA and Worldwide
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.3