What do you get when you put 26,000 ac. of water, 25+ MPH NNE winds, a couple of tough and determined clients, and Cliff Hill together? You get one hell of a day of fishing. I knew Sunday morning was going to be an interesting one when I checked out the hour by hour report on wunderground for Three Rivers. Cliff wanted to leave the boat ramp from Choke Canyon State Park at 0730 and the report said winds would be 20+ by 0700. Yikes!!! Mother nature revealed her intentions for us by nearly blowing us off the road between George West and Three Rivers around 0700. Right on time. Cliff gave me a call about the time we were exiting I37 for Three Rivers telling me to take my time getting to the lake and hopefully it will calm down quickly. Well...I think we both knew better but he is forever the optimist. We reached the park and ramp and another old time guide was standing by his boat waiting for clients with his hands in his pockets and shaking his head. Cliff and a couple of the other guides conferred and decided it would be in EVERYONE'S best interest to abandon the plan to launch at the park and head off into the "Perfect Storm" that was Choke Canyon for the North Shore. Everyone decided to play it safe and head for the Hwy. 99 Bridge and boat ramp and fish more protected waters. We launched...quickly found a nice creek edge dropoff and dropped some Big Marv's over the side of the boat. It didn't take long and we were landing a few smallish fish with very few keepers. Cliff decided we could head over to Slab Island and get tucked in behind it to avoid the 2' rollers and see what was happening there. We fished for a little bit and again a few small fish and a few keepers for awhile, but things started slacking off. Cliff asked us a couple of times if we wouldn't mind taking the biggest beating of our lives and try for some more productive waters along the north shore. We said, "Let's git 'r done!!!". So we headed for the main lake and did our best to avoid the massive swells coming out of the NE. Our best wasn't good enough. Man...that lake can get brutal. My friend's bladder couldn't take the beating so we headed over to the more protected waters at the start park ramp for a potty break. It was a welcomed break from the washing machine conditions we were enduring. When we got back in the boat, Cliff asked us again if we were interested in heading out into the maelstrom to find some bottom structure near the North Shore...."HECK YEAH" was our answer. We took it slow and easy...got a little wet...okay, a LOT wet, but we got to our destination and set up and quickly started catching some nicer blues. We moved around and fished a few bottom structures and managed to catch 40 of a 50 fish limit by the time the day was over. As the afternoon wore on, the winds calmed and so did the lake. She gave us a great ride in all the way to the ramp with a cooler full of fish. Cliff ALWAYS had our best interests in mind and ALWAYS did his best to make sure we were having a good time. And believe me...we had a great time despite the conditions. He worked his butt off and probably would have kept at it all night until we got a limit, but we called it quits at 40. He's a classy guy who deserves much credit for turning us onto some fish on a day I didn't think we'd have a snowball's chance in hell of nailing 'em. He's got my repeat business if I ever get the chance to book him again. Sorry for the long read, but I had to get this out there. Again, kudos to Cliff Hill and Hill Country Fishing.

Sonny

Huntnetime,
YEP that�s Cliff for you. I had the pleasure fishing with Cliff Hill at Calavaras Lake � he is a class act! Cliff put me on fish the moment we got there. This guy really knows his stuff. Way to go! Cliff

AMEN!!!!

You got that right!

Me thinks that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. should develop the hwy 99 ramp area into a camping park. It is closer to San Antonio and is much more sheltered for boaters. Now that we have fought for and received more $$$ for the Department and they do not seem to be interested in putting it into wildlife (license fee increases), I think that area would be ideal for campsites, etc., if they could acquire a few of the surrounding acres.

Cliff and Michael are the greatest for putting you on the fish,,,,rain,snow,hurricanes, whatever. Be sure to check out the June 7th get-together at Calliham...

Here are some rosea spoonbills on the alligator hump near Greyhound point:



Here are a couple of rare pictures when the main part of the lake is calm on April 28th, 2008:

WTG fellas, Nice job Cliff! That much wind is always a battle..........

Way to go Cliff!
was wondering where you have been.....

Wish I could make the gathering June 7th...but plans are already made elsewhere. I will be at Coleto Creek the weekend before if anyone else is going to be out there. If anybody has any tips on Coleto...they are much appreciated.

Sonny, thank you for the kind words and glad we made the most of what we had to work with.Really goes along way with attitudes like yours and Molly's. I really had a great time and now you can see why everything is bolted or bungeed down
Seriously, thank you and I am looking forward to doing it again but minus the adventure with wind.
Thanks
Cliff