The “Hook-up” is back

Well after being gone for a few months it’s time to get back to work and get on with “HOOK-UP” business. The break has helped me improve on my fishing as well as relax a bit and get some things that have been needing done around the house done. So now it’s time to get back at it. 
The other day at Lit Tex a friend and I were discussing some Copperas Cove Bass Club business over breakfast and the two guys at the next table asked me if I was the guy that wrote the Hook-up articles. I told him that would be me, and he asked why he had not seen an article in a while and that he thoroughly enjoy the articles and was curious why they stopped. He had not seen my last article where I explained that I was taking a break from writing to work on my own skills and better improve what I needed to do to consistently catch a big’un. Well folks let me tell you the break helped. The last three times I have been out I have caught good fish on each occasion and at least one over 4-5 pounds.
Folks Stillhouse is hot. Even with the tournament fishing pressure, about twice as much as it’s had in the past few years, it is still on fire. You just have to know where to go and what to look for.  Oh, that’s right…everyone knows that! LOL Well I will tell you close to shore you will catch a bunch of dinks around rocks and downed trees. But, if you will move out to where the water starts its first drop off between 6-10 foot and work the structure that’s there your fish will suddenly become keepers vs dinks. Then if you move out even farther and find yourself a hump with a bit for rock and grass on it in the 10-18 foot range and work it slowly with a deep crank and a plastic you will now be going for the gusto of 3-6 pounders and may be the Lunker of a lifetime. You may not know it but one over 16 just came out of the lake a few weeks ago. Wish it had been me. 
Another lake that’s receiving a lot of pressure this summer is LBJ. And yes the fish are scattered and hard to find. But early morning in the coves on the southern bank look for big rocks and work them first with and top water, worked slow, and then with a plastic and I assure you, you will come away with a nice stringer of fish. Hopefully you practice catch and release so the next guys, a couple of days later, can do the same thing. I fished a tournament there last month and won it with a sack of five fish over 16 pounds and two weeks earlier Steve Mallett, one of my fellow Club members, won one with a monstrous sack over 20+ pounds. They are there you just have to find them and figure out what it takes to get them to bite. Just remember what I said and get out there and try your luck.
Hate to say it but have not been on Belton this year and looks like it may be a while before I can. But got to hit it soon and start establishing some Way Points for “Fishing for Freedom” in October. That is a super tournament and it is hosted by Cliff Brown from Texas Boat World in Harker Heights and Rick Smith from Marine Outlet in Temple. Both great guys who care about soldiers and use the venue to get troops on the water with local fishermen. Sign-up for the tournament generally start the 1st of September and goes through till a couple of days before the tourney. Cliff and Rick match up the Soldier Non-Boaters with the Boat owners as soon as a boat owner signs up and they become a team for the tourney. This year it is scheduled for the Banquet to be held on the 13th of October at the Killeen Convention Center and the tourney on the 14th at Lake Belton out of BLORA. It’s a lot of fun, and some great sharing of information and building of friendships. So if you are interest contact Cliff Brown at Texas Boat world and ask him about the process. I have done it for the last six years and do not intend to stop.
Well now I want to restate what I said in my very first article. IF there is something burning your brain up and you just don’t know where to go to get an answer or ask the question about Bass Fishing here in Texas shoot me and email to Hook_up66@yahoo.com and I’ll get you an answer to your question, or at least give you my recommendation on where to go to get your answer. We are all getting too old to let little things ponder and ping around in our minds. And if you are like me if they ping too long they soon ping out the ear and are gone for good. LOL. Bye the way LOL means “Laugh out Loud” in case you didn’t know what it meant. I saw it for 3-4 years until someone told me what it meant. 
Send me the topics you would like to see covered in future articles as well and I’ll do the research on it and give it whirl. Remember the purpose of Hook-up is to help you become a better fisherman. Have a great day and get on one of these great Texas lakes and catch a big’un!

Copperas Cove Leader Press

2210 U.S. 190
Copperas Cove, TX 76522
Phone:(254) 547-4207