2017 – Fishing Reports
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10/7/17 Self-chartered Bass Fishing and Duck Scouting Trip
Four participants had good fellowship on the 10/7/17 Self-chartered Bass Fishing and Duck Scouting Trip on Lake Belton. Hunter Rowley caught about a 12″ bass on a live minnow. David Olivarez caught it’s brother on a lipless crankbait. Randy Rowley had a bass hit and take down his spinnerbait twice about six feet from his boat, but he missed the hook set both times. He and Roland Olivarez were skunked. We also tried topwater baits, square bill crankbaits, a chatterbait, a grub, and crawdads. The group saw a few coots.
6/23/17 – 6/25/17 Self-chartered Bay Fishing Trip
Nine participants had a good time at the annual bay fishing trip at Port O’Connor. The weather was pleasant, but a bit breezy at times, as is typical of the coast. Daryl Shipper’s boat crew caught four keeper trout on Friday, 14 keeper trout on Saturday, along with a couple sharks, and a couple gafttops, and one keeper trout and a mangrove snapper on Sunday. Wayne Weilnau’s crew caught a few sharks and keeper trout. Wayne had big fish with a 30″ shark. Daryl was the trout and ladyfish king, with Bobby Beall coming in a close second. Chris Rowley was the hardhead king and Randy Rowley was the rock king. Our Sunday morning trip was delayed due to lighting and we got off the water early for the same reason. Thanks to Daryl and Wayne for bringing and sharing their boats and to Daryl for heading up the event. Randy led a devotional called Persistence.
6/19/17 Self-chartered Bass Fishing Trip
Three participants had a good time on Lake Bastrop. Burl Fulenwider caught the largest, an 18 1/4 incher on a jointed Rapala crankbait. Jim McGee landed a 17 3/4 incher on a jig with a crawdad trailer. Randy Rowley caught a 14 1/4 incher and a dink, both on a Whopper Plopper. Burl and Jim both had an additional bass on (each) but they got off. Randy also had about a 4′ long gar follow his lipless crankbait to the boat. It was most cloudy with a sometimes breeze; pleasant for mid-June. We also tried poppers, buzz baits, dog walkers, swim baits, spinner baits, deep diving crankbaits, square bill crankbaits, and crawdads.
5/8/17 Chartered Striped/Hybrid Bass Fishing Trip
Six participates had a slow day on Lack Buchanan with Empty Pockets guide service. Only a few stripers, bass, and catfish were caught, but Vince Berry caught a 29″ striper!
4/14/17 Self-chartered Bass Fishing Trip
Three participants had a good time on Lake Fayette. We launched at Park Prairie and fished on the dam and in the timber at a couple spots. The day started out very foggy and it became windy as the day went on, so we had to fish the east side of the lake. Randy Rowley led off the festivities with a bass on a spinnerbait at the dam. Unfortunately, his line broke. The bass jumped a couple times after hooked in attempts to get Randy’s spinnerbait out of its mouth. Jim McGee landed a couple on a bass colored Rattletrap lipless crankbait. Randy landed one on a perch colored Yomomoto lipless crankbait. Chris Rowley landed one on a shad colored Livingston lipless crankbait. Jim caught the last two on his Rattletrap. We also tried topwater baits, a deep diving crankbait, a square bill crankbait, different spinnerbaits, Trick Worms, and a Senko. The largest bass was also caught by Jim – a 16 incher. We only saw two other bass caught on lures.
3/25/17 Self-chartered Bass Fishing Trip
Three participants mostly enjoyed the scenery and fellowship on Lake Austin. We launched at Mary Quinlan Park and fished mostly west of there. Roland Olivarez caught two white bass on a chrome Strike King Red Eye Shad lipless crankbait and Randy Rowley caught a gasper goo (freshwater drum) on a Toledo Gold Xcalibur Xr50 lipless crankbait. Randy also had a white bass on briefly, but it got off. We also tried topwaters (a Whopper Plopper, a popper, a buzz bait, and a frog), square bill and deep diving crankbaits, spinnerbaits, a jerk bait, a creature bait, a Senko, and a Yum Dinger.
3/18/17 Self-chartered Bass Fishing Trip
Three participants mostly enjoyed the scenery and fellowship on Lake Travis. We launched at Dink Peerson Park and fished the Gnarly Gar cove and the Rough Hollow cove. Early on Ryan Rowley hooked a nice bass with a swim bait, but it threw the hook on its second jump. That was the only hook up for the day. We also tried topwaters (a Whopper Plopper, a dog walker, and a frog), lipless crankbaits, a square bill, medium and deep diving crankbaits, a chatterbait, a jerk bait, a spoon, a creature bait, a crawdad, and two other swim baits. Burl Fulenwider and Randy Rowley were skunked.