Lake Bastrop Monday nighter

Ok   After loosing the people that agreed to run the Monday nighter on Lake Bastrop , a group of us got together and came up with some ideas to make the Lake Bastrop Monday nighter better for everybody. This is a weekly tourney as there are weekly tourneys on every lake in Texas. We will start this next Monday with a new set of rules. Instead of your best five keepers, we will weigh your best three keepers  or best two and one over. This should stack the weights tight. All fish will be measured by TPWD standards. That is gently pinching the tale with a swipe. If it touches 14 it will not count and you may not replace it with another fish.  No more pinching it so hard to make it touch. No more laying it on the board with no pinch.  Another words you can weigh three fish max. The big bass pot will roll over until an over 21 is caught and wins the pot. Pre fishing is allowed as it is allowed on every weekly tourney on any lake in the state. Thats why we check live wells. Hope to see yall out there.

Bob

River update

The Colorado river at Bastrop has almost dropped down to its low flow. The water is still a bit dirty and will clear within a few days barring no more rain. However, the forecast is not promising for that to happen. Either way, fishing on the river will be good. If it rains again and gets  muddy catfish are on, and if it doesnt rain and  clears up  the bass fishing will be out of sight. So either read my blog for river updates or watch the weather.


Bob

River thoughts

The Colorado river below Austin has been a well kept secret for years. Bastrop has seen a ton of growth in the past 5-8 years. With growth comes people. With more people, we have more boat, kayak,canoe, and tubing traffic on the river. Its great for our community. It brings in people that want to spend money at local businesses, but it also creates another problem, that I am fixing to talk about.. Like any body of water this river has dangers, very subtle dangers that get people in trouble fast. This past memorial day weekend we had 19 canoers camping on an island that did not pay attention to the weather, and when the river rose over night their canoes floated away while they slept.  They had to be rescued.  We also had a couple in a canoe with a child that got sideways and capsized as they hit a log. Our game warden just happenned to be close by and responded and all is well.


Accidents like these will happen more and more as more people get on the river. Our game warden writes more tickets for no life jacket than anything else. Nobody wants to think about their boat flipping or what to do when it happens, but a simple life jacket can mean the difference in driving back home that night  or getting a ride to the morgue that night.  Below are my tips to stay safe on this river

1. Have life jackets for everybody
2. Watch the weather. This river can rise suddenly. Austin water gets to Bastrop in 18-22 hrs.
3.If your unfamiliar with this water take somebody that knows it.
4. Take a phone. Put it in a ziplock
5. Never get sideways in a boat canoe or kayak when in rocks, riffles or tight cuts.
6. Know what your get out point looks like before you get on river
7. If you rent a canoe or kayak or tube, ask the people you are renting as many questions as you can about the trip you are taking.
8. If you are floating, stay away from the bank especially in current.
9.  If you or someone you are  with is in trouble, dont go after them, call for help immediately
10. If you end up out of your boat canoe kayak,dont panic,dont swim into the current, try to stand up. If you cant stand do not freak out, just gently swim down stream and across current until you hit the bank or can stand. Panic drowns a many of people.


Our local game Wardens are very active on the water, but they cant be everywhere all the time

Respect the water you are on and it will give you the trip you wanted. Loose that respect and bad things happen very fast.


Bob

Big fish River Tourney results

River tournament went very well, even with a 3 foot rise in river on the first morning. Downtown Austin caught 4 inches of rain Friday afternoon and evening. River rose and became chocolate mud. Bass fishing was tough, but catfishing was real good.  My bass fishermen found a few fish in the creeks and gravel pits that feed off the river where the water had some clarity. No monster yellows were brought in, but tons of numbers.


Yellowcat   Loyd Nutt Chad Nutt and Doc Borron  17.60 lbs

Channel cat Dusty Frank, Joey Krnavek, and Matt Freytag  9.94 lbs

Perch   Yvettes daughter Taylor had  .33 lb perch

Black bass   Dusty Frank, Joey Krnavek, and Matt Freytag  4.19 lbs

Spotted bass    Dusty Frank, Joey Krnavek and Matt Freytag  1.52 lbs

Gasper    Dusty Frank, Joey Krnavek and Matt Freytag   8.77 lbs


I want to thank everybody that fished. We had fun and caught a ton of fish.


Look for another bass tourney in July


Bob

Possible new state record Flathead

I just received a pic of another mammoth yellowcat caught on the Brazos. I can't confirm the weight, but I am getting reports that it weighed 126 LBS. If that is true it will demolish the Texas state record which was set in 1998 on lake Palestine at 98 lbs. I have heard of larger fish caught but in order to establish a state record the fish has to be weighed on certified scales with at least two witnesses, I think, and turned into TPWD.  Anyways it is a giant and I thought people would enjoy the pic. It is truly a fish of a lifetime.


Bob

Memorial day weekend big fish tourney

Just a reminder. Big fish tourney is coming up this next weekend. Memorial day weekend. 6 categories.  I have 13 teams signed up right now. Call or email for more details

Bob

Saturday river trip

Today I went up to Webberville to get away from muddy water in river. It did not pay off.   Fishing was slow at best. My client was very patient and wanting to learn but still, I pride myself in numbers and it just did not happen today.   River water will drop off the charts next week. Get ready for crazy low and clear conditions for the rest of the summer barring any rain. Big numbers will be caught then


Bob

Giant Yellowcat

Yesterday I posted a pic of an absolute giant Yellowcat. That pic was sent to me by a freind. I dont know the gentlemans name that caught it, but I was told the fish weighed 93 lbs. and was caught on the Brazos river. Very impressive

Bob

River info

I talk with our game warden on a regular basis.  Barring no more rain the river will bottom out memorial day weekend. That is the weekend of the big fish tourney. It should be interesting. I have teams from Webberrville to Lagrange entered right now. We hope to see the largest end of every species we are fishing for in this deal, and we are making every effort to keep them alive so we can release them unless that contestant chooses to eat that fish. I will have good pics of what is brought in posted the Tuesday following the event. Its not too late too enter. There is plenty of river open too fish, so call or email if you want too get in.




Bob

Memorial day weekend big fish tourney

May 25,26,27 is the Colorado river big fish tourney. Taking entries now. 6 categories of fish to enter. You may enter as many or as few categories as you want. The heaviest fish in each category takes all the money paid to that category.   Yellowcat, Channelcat, Gasper Goo, River perch, Black bass, and Spotted bass. Weighin is on the slab behind my house. Call me or email me for more details, entry form,and release.

Bob

5/13/13/ River update

We had 2.5 inches of rain here, and we badly needed it , as did the rest of the state. However, it was just enough rain to create enough run off to make the river rise and get real muddy.  River has been dropping last couple of days. It should start clearing out within 4-5 days. If I can get any clarity here in Bastrop, the water up river above several of the big creeks will be much clearer, and very fishable.  I have a Saturday half day trip, and we plan on going way up river.


Bob

5/10/13 river report

Well,  I was 5 miles up river catching good numbers on topwater when the storms caught me. Guess I should have looked up a little sooner, but the topwater bite was pretty good and time got away from me.  By the time I got the boat on the trailer it was pouring.  If this rain does not muddy the river, the topwater bite will continue to be good. If we have a good grasshopper crop this year, the topwater bite will get even better as summer comes along and the grasshoppers mature. I do offer an evening 3 hour trip for $150 for those of you that dont have time on the weekends.

Bob

5/9/13 River update

River remains a little higher than normal due to flow that LCRA has to maintain for the threatened Blue Sucker to get thru the spawn. The last week of May, LCRA will shut the water off and the river will be back to rock bottom low. River has cleared a bit since the last rain. However we have big storms moving in today, tomorrow and Saturday. Headed out on the water now as the clouds have moved in and I expect the topwater bite to be as good as it can be. Will report back this evening.

Bob

3 Fish River Tourney

I hold and run most all of the river tourneys below Austin on the Colorado river.  I do not take anything from those tourneys. I put all funds paid in to pay out. When I feed the fishermen it is because I wanted too. It comes out of my pocket.  We have a 3 three fish bass tourney this weekend on the river.     6 boats required to have it.. 6-9 boats we pay one place 10 boats or more we pay two places   $50 a team $10 big bass optional pays 1 place.   We have 4-5 teams right now. We do accept Kayak teams, and they have done very well in past tournaments.   So if you want to fish, call or email now.

    If you aint in the outdoors or trying to put a kid outdoors you aint helping the outdoors


BOB

Yellow cat Tourney results

Turnout was low due to high north winds and cold temperatures. 13 yellowcat won the most and a 23 lb yellow won the biggest. As always, these little river tourneys are lots of fun.


Bob

Kids and fishing

Sometimes we all get caught up in fishing hard. It may be tournaments. It may be catfish or Crappie.  Who taught us how to fish?  Dads!    I had a young man with me last weekend that is just flat eaten up with fishing, not because of his dad. His dad is a good ferind of mine. He simply doesnt do the outdoors, but his son loves it. So I took him out on the river. It was slow. we had about 18 small fish in a couple hours.  So we loaded the river boat up and met Rick Zamora from Krippled Kritters bait company on Lake Bastrop.     This young man hooked up on three big slot fish and the game in his mind has changed.  I remember that day, the day fishing landed on my brain.  I wish more anglers would simply take the time to take a child out and show them the outdoors.   One hookup on a 2lb bass and an 8 year old boy is hooked for life. You will do more for our sport by putting kids into it than by promoting anything else.


Bob