The plan was to have an experienced angler show me how to hook into some white bass, something that i’d yet to accomplish. But, as we all know, plans seldom work as intended, doubly so when two fishers are involved. So it was that i found myself armed with tips and tricks, courtesy of the intended partner and the always helpful staff at Sportsman’s Angler (Greg and Ryan), heading west into the hill country with visions of double digit fish bouncing around my head.
The plan was to paddle into the Narrows, a spot on the Colorado River, just outside of Spicewood, and get into a school of Striped Bass and laugh my self silly as every cast landed a fish. I was so excited about these prospects that i drove like a fiend straight to Spicewood, forgetting to fortify myself with food until i hit the last possible place to shove something edible down my craw, the General Store at Spicewood. I generally eat food that is good for me (thanks to my wife and common sense) but when i’m fishing i seem to loose all discretion and will happily stick any fried concoction down my throat as long as it will help get me on the water faster.
After fueling up on questionable, but tasty food, i unloaded the kayak into the Colorado and set off paddling, bound and determined to blow my piscatorial mind. The Narrows is a beautiful place (i recommend heading out there if you haven’t) but it can also be humbling as hell. This was the second time i’d fished there, and after a fishless hour or two, i started to realize that the day was shaping up to be a bust just like my previous trip there. Feeling frustrated by the lack of bites, and the fact that there were way to many people showing up to fish the same few holes, i decided to pack up and head west.
It wasn’t until i was on my feet, walking along the sand on the Llano, somewhere outside of Kingsland that i started to feel back in my element. Leaving the throngs of whooping and hollering Bud-Lite fueled party goers poised along the low-water crossing, passionately trying to impress members of the opposite sex with feats of valor (and ineptitude), i headed off downstream. I was venturing into the unknown, but it already felt like home, replete with Herons, shallow and clear water, and small fish swiping all available food from the surface.
Finding a spot where a small pool sat just off to the side of the flowing water, i cast and was rewarded with a few small sunfish that took the “Skunk” sting out of the day. Feeling slightly more confident, i tossed the small, chartruse Shallow Water Clouser into the main current and saw a shadow pounce on my unsuspecting prey. Figuring it was a psycho Red Breast, i worked it up the bank realizing that it fighting far to hard to be a simple sunfish.
Dipping the net into the cool, clear water i brought out a Stripe Bass that sent a shiver down my spine (the one in the title bar). It was something new for me, the first non-black bass to grace me with it’s presence in my net. It was a joy that was only compounded when bass after bass fell for the same trick (pretty sure they are all Hybrid Striped Bass, (correct me if I’m wrong Ben).
Solid fighters, the fish were a joy to battle on the 4WT i was using, a “heavy” rod for me on waters the size that this part of the river was. Feeling them bow my rod, pulling against the current, they felt like the warm water version of Trout on the Guadalupe.
All in all it was an amazing day of discovery. I had managed to experience new waters, new fish, and a sense of pride that came from branching out AND being successful while doing so.
If you have yet to experience the joy of getting into a school of these fish, let me offer you a few pieces of advice that i picked up from the above mentioned parties.
- Find a spot on river or creek that feeds into a reservoir (Lake Travis, Canyon Lake, LBJ, etc.).
- Make sure that there are no obstructions such as dams between your spot and the reservoir.
- Use a sinking line with your tippet cut back to 4-5 feet.
- Tie on small baitfish patterns like the aformentioned Shallow Water Clouser.
- Be confident.
Also, look for signs like the one below, it’s a surefire sign that you’re in the right area. Enjoy, and keep your head down!
