[Ranger_R77]

Glen and I launched at Point Venture, at 6:05am. Winds out of the South at 10 gusting to 18mph. Cloudy with light rain. Water temp was 80.2 degrees.  Started fishing main lake points with crankbaits. Mid morning, moved to back of coves and fished boat docks. Water was clear in back of coves. Water had dropped since last weekend. Fished stickups with Zell Pop in Z-Shad. Glen fished small shad pattern crankbaits and swimbaits.
Found a ball of shad in 30 feet of water on main lake, out in front of boat docks. Dropped 1oz white slabs and started catching LMB and Guads from 12" to 16". MOst in the 14" to 15" size.  Must have caught 20 bass. Then continued to chart bait in deep water off points.

Big fish of the day (5.93lbs) came off a storm shad swimbait, using spinning setup, 4lb test line, fishing boat docks. Glen had to have patience since the fish headed under the dock several times. First thought it was a striper.....PICS coming!

My biggest bass came from Zell Pop at 11am. Nice 4lb bass...

I am not fishing the Bass Tournament on Sunday. Good luck. I would fish topwater in the AM and boat docks later on. Most of the bigger fish we caught today, came off boat docks....

A side note, we caught 26 white bass, dozen channel catfish and a lot of bass, off the 1oz, White $2.29 slab from Academy. Bought some last night, hoping to find some whites. Instead found a whole lot more. Caught over 60 fish on slabs today...I would have never thought that! ;D

Picture of Glen trying to figure out what is on the end of his line!

Picture of Glen's big bass of the day, 21.5" long, approx 5.93lbs  

 

[fishbone]

Re: Lake Travis-Saturday

Once again you guys had an awesome day on LT! ;D Nice job!

D

 

[Ranger_R77]

Picture below is of Slab that we used. We also tied a 1/32 oz white jig head/white curl tail, directly to the line, about 12" above slab. Caught two whites at a time, many times.
http://www.fishingworld.com/LRPFishing/Details.tmpl?ID=113961174960376439&Cart=12128908646735941

Also caught five 12"-13" crappie will jig fishing, docks...These I kept for my frying pan!

 

[jsfengine]

Man what a great report and looks like you guys had a great day on the water!!!! ;D


JSF

 

[Matt Warren]

Sounds like the perfect fishing trip!

 

[Fish-Ninja]

I need to hit Robert up for a guide trip!!   ;D  Sounds like a great day.

 

[Emmett]

Great Report and Congrats on the Awesome Day on the Water.

 

[BlueSkeeter]

Good looking fish, I bet that was a heck of a fight I caught a 6lb lmb on inks on my ultra light with 6lb test. took me every bit of 10 minutes to get him in.

 

[bassfantastic]

You are quite the LT fisherman there Robert. I am sure there was a couple guys reading this post that were glad to here that you are not fishing the tournament today

Thanks for sharing.

Jim ;D

 

[Ranger_R77]

Thanks for the nice comments...

Glen and I have been fishing this same area with good and poor results for the past 10 years. It is amazing that someone can actually catch that many fish, just on slabs!

Back in the late 90's, we could go out on the main Point Venture Point, and slab for stripers, whites and bass. Stripers to 10lbs, whites to 2lbs and LMB to 5lbs and catch them all on slabs. Never moving. But I believe the increase boat traffic and water levels changing have these fish scattered now. However, once you find a big bait school on you chart , that blacks out your screen, stop and drop a slab. You might not see the "V's" or fish on the screen, but there are fish near by....This is a type of fishing that most bass fisherman, never do...Only throwing to objects or banks...

I need to be more patient and looking for this incredable fishing pattern. I always seem of move on, once I stumble on a ball of bait. Never knowing if the fish I saw on the screen were 5lb bass, big striper or ???

We have been catching a lot of 2lb channel catfish while slab fishing. Meaning they normaly hang with the shad and whites while feeding.

Hope the next time you come across a bait ball or school, you will have a 1oz slab tied on and let the fun begin.


I posted a write up and picture in the White Bass section, including picture of cooler of fish that were kept by Glen for backup on Bastrop get together and his own 4th of July party...(I am not invited)


PS: Our best five bass was close to 17lbs

 

[CL]

What is your technique for jigging the slab? I'm assuming you're fishing straight down?

 

[Ranger_R77]

What is your technique for jigging the slab? I'm assuming you're fishing straight down?

I will post this answer in the Tips and Techniques section..soon.

 

[JT]

Man, you guys have been slaying 'em on Travis. Great report and thanks for the tips. I've used slabs before but usually as a last resort and with very limited success.

 

[rmvfishing]

Nice job Robert! You should be a guide! ;D

 

[jsfengine]

YEAH RMV IS RIGHT YOU SHOULD BE A GUIDE ;D


JSF

 

[Ranger_R77]

Thanks for the compliments....but if I had a goal, it would be to fish more tournaments to gain confidence in my fishing capability. With that said, I hope to start next Fall.....

I have always wanted to guide at the coast, where I have fished all my life....OR make educational videos, on local area lakes. Showing my techniques on catching whites. stripers. crappie and bass...

BUT I AM NO EXPERT....Just a love for fishing and the stress relief it brings to my life, friends and family...
This world can be too stressful if you let it!

 

[basstracker88]

I just read your article in Tips and Techniques, great article by the way, I have tried verticle spoons at Travis with little success. I fish mostly the Dam area, mostly trolling. I have found a number of large school, mostly on main points in deep water. Typically 60-120 feet. Should I be targeting schools that deep or is it a waste of time?

 

[Ranger_R77]

Catching bass at 30 feet you will have to deflate their air bladder, I would think.
Dealing With Deep Caught Bass
http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/columns/story?page=b_col_bt_1106_fizzing_procedure



I stay under 30 feet....However, I have caught striper on Lake Buchanan up to 80 feet of water. The stripers were suspended and the heavy spoons never made it to the bottom...

I know around Mansfield Dam and the islands between Windy Point and Marshall Ford, have large schools of stripers. I have seen them...I have caught some, too. I have been wanting to try lately, but the winds have kept me out of that part of the lake.

At times, you can slab for whites in Sandy Creek. Also, Pedenales River has a good population of shad...I fish topwater, plastics, crankbaits and now slab. Slab for bass in deep water can be done, it just means more work to release them. Normally the striper show up as big arches on the graph. But then again, they could be gar or carp, too...When ever you see a school suspended at any depth, deeper than 15 feet....try a slab or spoon...