WHO I FISHED WITH: On Thursday, February 8, I fished with long-time client and friend Gary Davidson from Kerrville, Texas.

We have both been intrigued by the potential which wintertime deadsticking holds, but both admit we have not yet figured this sort of fishing out to the extent we have other effective white bass and hybrid stripe bass techniques.

This morning we intended to dedicate the trip to deadsticking for suspended, shad-oriented fish and do some comparisons with bait size, bait color, the use of scent, and lure movement.

Here is how the fishing went…

Here’s an up-to-date calendar so you can check availability: https://holdingthelineguideservice.com/available-dates.php

Next available dates are Feb. 21, 22, 26, 27 (AMs)




PHOTO CAPTION: Gary Davidson of Kerrville with a bonus bluecat which slowly approached and then slurped in his deadsticked pink fluke from about 48 feet of water.

WHERE WE FISHED: Lake Belton

WHEN WE FISHED: Thursday, 08 Feb. 2023 (AM)

HOW WE FISHED:

Long story short, I suspect this now three-week-long, slow warming trend, which has put our surface temperature back between 52 and 54 degrees, has halted what was developing as a good deadstick bite as the water temperature fell below 50 degrees and continued to cool slowly by around the middle of January.

This cooling definitely pulled shad together and nearer, if not directly over, the main channel. On this morning’s trip we found no bait in such locations.

We fished for five hours and spent the first 3.5 hours searching for bait and game fish. Although we caught fish at each of the locations where bait and gamefish were found, and did so using deadstick tactics, we never saw the kind of horizontal bands of interested fish which needs to form beneath the boat in order for a good result to be had.

After seeing this repeatedly, we spent the tail end of the trip looking for bottom-oriented fish in more traditional locations. Although our single best producing stop came at one of these areas, and the fish there were caught by easing or slow smoking a slab, these fish were still very reluctant. This came as no surprise as we had next to no wind all morning.

When all was said and done, we had landed exactly 20 fish including 2 blue catfish, two large mouth bass, one short hybrid, and 15 white bass of which about 12 were of legal size. Gary nabbed the largest fish of the morning with an 8.75 pound blue cat which fell for his dead sticked bubble gum pink fluke on a jig head.

Gary and I agreed that with what little we have seen and learned of deadsticking thus far, we both now have more enthusiasm about fishing in January and February, and we look forward to continuing to experiment, but, it looks like that experiment will restart in 2025, Lord willing.

Here is a tutorial on the snap-jigging method … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGtrnAQ_T94&t=55s


Here is a tutorial on the slow-smoking tactic … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIPopSLUYoQ

TALLY: 20 fish caught and released.



OBSERVATIONS: Here was the water temperature profile taken down to 55′ on 08 Feb.:

0 feet, 54.2F
5 feet, 52.9F
10 feet, 52.3F
15 feet, 52.2F
20 feet, 51.9F
25 feet, 51.7F
30 feet, 51.4F
35 feet 50.9F
40 feet, 50.5F
45 feet 50.2F
50 feet, 49.9F
55 feet, 49.0F
WEATHER DATA:

Start Time: 7:30A

End Time: 12:20P

Air Temp. @ Trip’s Start: 59F

Elevation: 13.85 feet low

Water Surface Temp: 52.6F on the surface.

Wind Speed & Direction: SSE/SSW <4 all morning

Sky Condition: Grey skies all morning

Moon Phase: Waxing crescent moon at 0% illumination (new moon was yesterday).

GT = 25

Wx SNAPSHOT:






AREAS FISHED WITH SUCCESS:

B0263G, vic B003JWG, B0264G, B0265G, vic B0042C


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 as always.

Great info as usual!

You have the elevation at 13.85 feet low. I'm sure your speaking of lake water level. Have you guys not got any of the rain that been messing up the lakes in SETexas?

Lake Somerville was 5.77 feet low in late January 2024. Yesterday's water level is listed at +0.25 feet. Lake Conroe was only a foot or so low in late January 2024, but the water temp on the surface was 61 last week.

Lake Conroe is pretty deep, I think it's max depth is 55 feet.

Do you think the bottom on lake Conroe is still in the 40's after 3 weeks of rain and rise in water temps?

Yes, sir, unfortunately, we've had some rain fall on us, but not nearly enough fall to the north and west of us in the watersheds for our two local reservoirs here (Belton and Stillhouse). I'm glad you got water in abundance. What short-term nuisance the muddy water is will be more than made up for by a good spawn by white bass thanks to current created by the runoff into your intermittently running streams and main tributaries.