CLIENTS: This morning, Saturday, 26 Oct., I fished with returning guest Dr. Patrick Lin. Pat was joined by his office staff, including Jen Joyner, Malia Monroy, and Julissa Gomez — all first time guests of mine. Pat and his wife, Dani, run Symmetry Health Chiropractic Center in Round Rock, TX.



DATE: Saturday, 26 October 2024 (AM)



NEXT OPEN DATES: Next open dates: 18-22 November (weekday AMs and PMs). Next Saturday opening: 14 December (AM)








PHOTO CAPTION: Dr. Patrick Lin brought his chiropractic office staff out for some fun on the water and wound up catching our biggest fish of the trip. This “magnum” white bass measured 15 9/16″ and was released in excellent condition. It was caught on an MAL Original with chartreuse tail.




PHOTO CAPTION: From left: Patrick Lin, Malia Monroy, Jen Joyner, and Julissa Gomez with a few of the 130 Lake Belton white bass they caught as a late October mild, dry cold front reinforced the already solid fishing for this species which kicked off very suddenly on September 6th, following the fall season’s first cold front.





WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton

SUMMARY OF HOW WE FISHED:

This morning saw a continuation of the excellent white bass fishing on Lake Belton which has been taking place since Sept. 6 when the fall season’s first short cooldown occurred. This was bolstered by another cold front on Oct. 16, and then, again, overnight, a very mild, dry front pushed in, shifting the winds to the NW at a speed of 8-10 mph all morning.

The fishing followed a normal- or “bell-shaped” curve this morning, starting off slowly around 8:15, rising to a plateau from about 9:15 to 11:00, then falling off around 11:20, ending at near zero activity by noon.

We needed only one presentation with one lure this morning to seal the deal on a 130-fish catch, and that was a “smoking” retrieve using the MAL Original Lure (with chartreuse tail) presented vertically.

For better or worse, there always seems to be those few anglers who like to creep uncomfortably close on weekends — and today was no exception. If nothing else, they allow me to do an anecdotal comparison on how my clients are doing versus whatever lure or method these others employ. It was really eye-opening how few fish were caught by those yanking slabs up and down all morning, and how few fish were caught by those who could not or would not sit still enough to allow a bite to form beneath them.

Over the four hour span, we fished six areas and caught 130 fish, including 122 white bass and 8 short hybrid stripers.

Garmin LiveScope was certainly instrumental in accounting for a significant portion of these fish, as it allowed my crew to know exactly when suspended fish were passing beneath the boat, thus allowing them to time the rise of their lure so as to tempt those fish. The LiveScope also allow each to keep their lures at rest on bottom while awaiting an incoming school of bottom-hugging fish to make their way over to the commotion the “smoking” method and the caught and released fish were generating.

No, these folks from the chiropractic practice really needed no adjustments today!! Their technique was well-aligned with exactly what the fish wanted.

Here is a tutorial on vertically smoking the MAL Lure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDSvfXgrAUE

Here is a tutorial on horizontally “sawtoothing” with the MAL Lure or White Tornado: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC3FMEQHOMQ



LURES USED SUCCESSFULLY ON THIS TRIP: We used MAL Originals vertically 100% of the time today. Find all MAL Lures and White Tornados here: https://whitebasstools.com/



TALLY: 130 fish, including 8 hybrid striped bass and 122 white bass.



OBSERVATIONS:

1) The number of bottom-oriented schools of white bass now found in deep water AND showing a willingness to remain stationary long enough to allow for presentations to be made for substantial lengths of time have increased sharply; these fish are there to stay, likely until the water temps drop below 60F.

2) Mornings are much more productive than evenings at this point in the fall.

3) For the third consecutive trip now, I saw multiple large (several hundred individuals) schools today in multiple locations as the fish begin to coalesce heading into the fall/winter.

4) A small flock of gulls overnighted out in open water, but flew away from the lake at dawn.



LATEST WATER TEMPERATURE PROFILE:

Here was the water temperature profile for Lake Belton, measured with a FishHawk TD device around 7:30 AM on Saturday, 26 Oct….

0 feet 75.6F
5 feet 76.1F
10 feet 76.4F
15 feet 76.4F
20 feet 76.3F
25 feet 76.3F
30 feet 76.1F
35 feet 76.1F
40 feet 76.1F
45 feet 75.9F
50 feet 75.7F
55 feet 75.3F
60 feet 75.2F


WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 7:55A

End Time: 12:00 Noon

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 63F

Elevation: 2.07′ low and falling slowly with a 43 cfs flow; .01′ fall in last 24 hours

Water Surface Temp: 75.6F on the surface.

Wind Speed & Direction: NW8-10 all morning

Sky Condition: 75% white-grey cover on a blue sky.

Moon Phase: Waning gibbous moon at 28% illumination.

GT = 55



Wx SNAPSHOT:







AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

Area 1482- 12 fish smoking MAL Originals
Area 1552 – 47 fish smoking MAL Originals
Area 1325 – 15 fish smoking MAL Originals
Area vic B0308G/B0310G – 21 fish smoking MAL Originals
Area 1743 – 32 fish smoking MAL Originals
Area vic B0225G – 3 fish smoking MAL Originals


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

Nice post and fish. Good job.

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