2021 – Fishing Reports

10/2/21 Self-guided Freshwater Fishing Trip

Three fishermen mostly enjoyed the scenery at Lake Decker.  Burl Fulenwider boated the only bass – a 14 1/2 incher on a Whopper Plopper.  Randy Rowley had a bass on his Fluke that got off on its way to the boat.  Luis Almanza had a bullfrog on his Fluke that got off on its way to the boat.  Randy also had three bumps on his spinnerbait, but they were probably perch.

They also threw frogs, lipless crankbaits, deep-diving crankbaits, a dog walker, a popper, a Senko (worm), a crawdad, and a Roadrunner.

9/12/21 Self-guided Freshwater Fishing Trip

Two participants mostly enjoyed the scenery on Lake Austin.  They caught no fish and had no hits.   They saw several bass chasing shad on the surface, but whey they’d get near them, the bass would see them and vamoose in the ultra clear water.  Randy and Chris Rowley had two schools of around 30 bass swim in front of and under their boat.  They also saw several tarp on the bottom.  They watched an airplane land on the water and take off.  They threw topwaters, spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, deep-diving crankbait, crawdads, and a Fluke.

8/7/21 Self-guided Freshwater Fishing Trip

Three fishermen mostly enjoyed the scenery at Lake Decker.  Jim McGee boated the only bass – a 16 1/4 incher on a Loon Whopper Plopper.  Jim also had a small one on his lipless crankbait at the dam that got off on its way to the boat.  Burl Fulenwider had a small bass on his Whopper Plopper that got off on its way to the boat.  Randy Rowley had a heavy bass on a Prop Frog that got off and another bass hit his Shower Blows dog walker, but missed getting hooked.

They also threw spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, Roadrunners, Flukes, a popper, a swimming jig, and a deep-diving crankbait.

7/22/21 – 7/24/21 Self-chartered Bay Fishing Trip

Eight fishermen had a great time at Port O’Connor.

On Thursday afternoon, Burl Fulenwider led the way with 33 1/2-inch-long and 31 1/2-inch-long black drum and Randy Rowley caught his personal best (PB) black drum, a 27-incher.

Friday afternoon was slower, with three keeper trout caught from Daryl Shipper’s boat and a keeper trout caught by Jim McGee from the Rowley’s boat.

Saturday morning was the slowest, with Daryl catching a keeper 18-inch-long black drum and Zack Tumlinson catching a gafftop that he kept.

A few undersized game fish and non-game fish were caught on all three days.

The current was unreal – you could have stood up on a surfboard and surfed along, but it was calmer on Saturday morning and much calmer on Friday evening.

Thanks to Daryl and the Rowley’s for bringing their boats.

7/23/21 Chartered Bay Fishing Trip

Eight fishermen had a great time at Port O’Connor with Captain’s Marty and R.J.

With Captain Marty’s “Fish of a Lifetime” guide service, Burl Fulenwider, Chris Rowley, Randy Rowley, and Daryl Shipper caught 13 keeper trout and one keeper redfish (a 27 incher, Randy’s personal best (PB)) and several non-game fish (ladyfish were the most predominant), including Daryl’s Jack Crevalle, and undersized game fish.  Randy caught his PB trout, about a 19 incher, Chris caught her PB trout, about an 18 incher, and Burl caught a 30+-inch-long black drum that wasn’t measured and was released while in the water.

With Captain R.J. Shelly, Ron Campbell, Jim McGee, Yuri Tumlinson, and Zack Tumlinson caught two keeper redfish, several trout, black drum, and a stingray.

The captains primarily fished the jetties and Captain Marty also fished Bird Island.

7/10/21 Self-chartered Freshwater Fishing Trip

Three fishermen mostly enjoyed the scenery on the Colorado River near Smithville.  Randy Rowley caught a 18 1/2″, 2.60 lb. channel catfish on a lipless crankbait.  There were a few splashes – some were definitely carp, a few might have been bass.  The water was muddy and the current was swift, which made fishing with soft plastics and frogs tough.

The threesome had to break out the poncho’s for awhile, due to moderate rain.  It was a relaxing day with only one other boat encountered and no shore fishermen.

7/5/21 Self-chartered Freshwater Fishing Trip

Two fishermen had a good time on Lake Austin.   Chris Rowley led the way with her personal best, a new black (aka largemouth) bass record on an FCS Self-Chartered Freshwater Fishing Trip, and a Rowley boat (all three of them) freshwater fish record with a 23 3/4 inch long, 16 inch girth, 6.18 pounder on a shaky head rigged creature bait.  As she was bringing the six-pound bass in, an approximately four-pound bass was right beside it – it first appeared that they were hooked together.  She also caught her first Guadalupe (aka Guad) bass – a 14 3/4 incher on a Roadrunner.  Randy Rowley managed an 18 3/4″, 2.82 lb. black bass on a deep diving crankbait and a dink Guad on a dog walker that was bigger than he was.  Randy missed a heavy bass that was running off with his crawdad.

The two big bass that were caught and the bass that was missed were caught at a hazard area with several boulders.  Chris’s Guad was caught near a dock.  Randy’s Guad was caught right at the shore, close to a community boat ramp.

They encountered several bass chasing tiny minnows on the surface, but couldn’t get them to bite anything.  They also threw a Whopper Plopper, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, swimbaits, lipless crankbaits, and a square bill crankbait.  They also saw a seaplane land near them, on the water.  They encountered heavy fog in the morning.  It was a relaxing day with little boat traffic.  They saw no other fishermen.

Chris Rowley with her FCS Self-chartered Fishing Trip record 23 3/4″ long, 16″ girth, 6.18 lb. black bass

Chris with a replica of her bass

6/26/21 Self-chartered Freshwater Fishing Trip

Three fisherman enjoyed the scenery and practiced casting on a hot, muggy, and windy morning on Lake Decker.  Burl Fulenwider and Randy Rowley both had a couple of bumps, but they were probably perch.  They saw a bass chasing a minnow at the rocks under the bridge at the discharge, but couldn’t entice it to hit anything.  They threw frogs, Whopper Ploppers, dog-walkers, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, swimbaits, jigs, lipless crankbaits, square bill crankbaits, round bill crankbaits, Flukes, a Beetle Spin, Roadrunners, and a Senko.  They only saw one fisherman catch a fish.  At least Burl and Randy tied Jim McGee this time.

5/31/21 Self-chartered Freshwater Fishing Trip

Three fishermen had a decent day on Lake Buchanan on a very windy day with occasional drizzle.  The lake wasn’t as crazy with boaters as they feared it would be on Memorial Day.

10 of the 17 fish that were caught were within 50 yards of the Burnet County Park ramp.  The fishermen did well there on 5/22/21, so they started there.

Jim McGee led the way with 11 fish – seven white bass, a dink largemouth, a small Guadalupe bass, a 14-inch long crappie, another legal crappie, and a channel catfish.  The big crappie, Guadalupe, and catfish were caught with minnows.  Everything else was caught with lipless crankbaits.  Burl Fulenwider caught three fish – a white bass and a dink largemouth on a lipless crankbait and a small Guadalupe on a minnow.  Randy Rowley caught three fish – two white bass (both on a topwater dog walker) and a channel catfish on a minnow.

Burl caught his white bass on his second and third casts.  Burl and Jim both had two white bass in the boat before Randy started fishing – his spinning reel’s lure had come lose and wrapped itself around his other seven rods.

They were over several fish for an hour or so but only managed to hook and catch Jim’s big crappie.

They kept seven white bass, the two catfish, and the two crappie.

5/22/21 Self-chartered Freshwater Fishing Trip

Three fishermen had a decent day on Lake Buchanan on a windy day with light rain.

Nine of the ten fish that were caught were within 50 yards of the Burnet County Park ramp.  Shad were busting the surface by the rock wall by the ramp, so the fishermen started there.

Jim McGee led the way with five fish – three white bass, a dink largemouth, and an almost 14-inch long crappie, all on lipless crankbaits.  Randy Rowley caught three fish – two white bass (one on a topwater dog walker and the other on a lipless crankbait) and a Guadalupe bass on the topwater dog walker.  Another bass blew up on and missed the topwater dog walker.  Burl Fulenwider caught two fish – a largemouth on a Fluke and a white bass on a Whopper Plopper.

They also saw a couple of geese on top of a cliff (Mike Schumann reported that geese will nest on cliffs).

They kept the six white bass and the crappie.

5/3/21 Chartered Striped/Hybrid/White Bass Fishing Trip

13 fishermen caught a few stripers, some whites, and small hybrids on Lake Buchanan.

4/21/21 Self-chartered Freshwater Fishing Trip

Three fisherman had a good time on Lake Somerville, despite it being 43 degrees when they arrived and 15 – 20 MPH winds.

Jim McGee led the way with 25 fish (23 keeper white bass and two perch), Randy Rowley caught 12 fish (nine keeper white bass, a keeper crappie, an undersized hybrid bass, and a gasper goo), and Roy Zengerle caught two fish (a keeper white bass and a perch).

31 white bass and the hybrid bass were caught on lipless crankbaits under feeding seagulls.  Three white bass, the two perch, and the crappie were caught on minnows over some underwater trees.  The gasper goo was caught on a slab near the dam.

They kept the 33 white bass and the crappie, plus five white bass that Kevin McConnell and his friend, Ron, gave them.

Kevin and Ron led Randy and company to various spots.  They had 69 (mostly white bass), at last count.  Thanks to Kevin and Ron for being our guides!

4/16/21 – 4/18/21 Self-chartered Bay Fishing Trip

Twelve fishermen mostly enjoyed the scenery at Port O’Connor.  The wind was around 20 MPH for most of the weekend, which made fishing tough.  They were able to fish at the jetties on Friday afternoon, but the wind was too strong to fish at them for the rest of the trip, so they had to resort to fishing the back bays (it was so windy on Saturday morning that they, and most other fishermen, stayed in port).  They fished with crab, shrimp, several soft plastics, spoons, and topwaters.

Daryl Shipper’s crew was led by Blake Lieb who caught 40″ and 38″ bull redfish and a 40″, 36 lb. black drum (and released them).  He also had probably another large bull redfish on that got off the hook.  Zack Tumlinson caught a 34″, 22 lb. black drum (and released it) and a keeper sheepshead.

Wayne Weilnau’s crew was led by Wayne, who caught an approximately 25 lb. sea turtle (and released it).

Randy Rowley’s crew was led by Burl Fulenwider, who caught a gafftop and a hardhead (and released them).  Randy had probably a large bull redfish on for approximately four minutes, but it got off the hook.

Thanks to Daryl, Randy, and Wayne for letting fellow FCS members and guests use their boats and to Wayne for opening up his house to FCS members.

4/10/21 Self-chartered Freshwater Fishing Trip

Four fishermen enjoyed the scenery on the banks of the San Gabriel River off of Lake Granger at The Steps.  They knew that the gig was probably up, as they were the second truck that had arrived (last time Randy Rowley’s truck was about the 50th truck there).

After an hour of fruitless fishing and only seeing one other fisherman catch a white bass, they left and went and fished a pond in Ryan Rowley’s neighborhood in Liberty Hill.  Jim McGee caught two dink bass and a perch on a Beetle Spin and a dink bass on a Whopper Plopper.  Randy caught a dink bass on a Beetle Spin.  Burl Fulenwider had two bass on a Beetle Spin, but they got off close to shore.

3/27/21 Self-chartered Freshwater Fishing Trip

Three fishermen mostly enjoyed the scenery on Lake LBJ on an overcast morning.  For bass, they tried poppers, a Whopper Plopper, swimbaits, lipless crankbaits, a squarebill crankbait, a round bill crankbait, spinnerbaits, a Beetle Spin, Roadrunners, a Senko, and crawdads.  They tried several docks, grassy areas, and deep water humps and didn’t even get a bump.

For white bass, they found fish in 20 – 40′ at the mouth of a cove but they wouldn’t hit Roadrunners, jigs, or slabs.  Randy Rowley beating his rubber hammer on his boat’s hull did nothing to excite them.

They saw three fish being landed.

The highlight of the trip was stopping by the Bluebonnet Cafe on the way home!

3/13/21 Self-chartered White Bass Fishing Trip

Two fishermen mostly enjoyed the scenery on the San Gabriel River off of Lake Granger, near The Steps.  Jim McGee caught an undersized white bass and about a 14″ long Gasper Goo (freshwater drum).  Randy Rowley was skunked.

The night before the trip, light rain started and the barometric pressure dropped, which was probably responsible for the slow morning.  They only saw two other fishermen among dozens catch one white bass each.