Belton Lake

EXCELLENT. Water normal stain; 60 degrees; 0.75 feet above pool. Winter patterns are in place now, therefore really keeping an eye on the weather will be key to fishing success. The best results will be had during the wind shift from south through west to north as dry cold fronts push in. Fishing will improve as the winds swing through the southwest and right up to the point where the northerly winds peak. The next best scenario will be on the first day of returning southerly winds. The worst results can be expected during post-frontal conditions with classic clear, cold, calm weather in the hours or days following the passage of a front. Foggy conditions will also make fishing very difficult whenever they set in. All other conditions will typically result in average fishing. We are in the midst of a short warmup between fronts right now and the water temperature is rising. The fish have responded positively and have shown a willingness to chase farther and faster than back in mid-December when the water was nearly 5 degrees cooler. Fishing has been solid in the first three hours of the morning following sunrise, and again in the mid afternoon, from 2-4:30 p.m. The MAL Dense with silver body used vertically has been my lure of choice. Fish it by dropping to bottom, removing all slack, then cranking the lure upwards through the lower third of the water column while observing fish response on LiveScope. If the fish are reluctant, experiment with slowing the retrieve after the blade begins spinning. The best depths have been 35-41 feet. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Catfish are excellent. Trophy size blue catfish can be found along river channels, sand flats and around steep ledges in 30-40 feet of water. Larger fresh cut baits have been effective for the trophy size fish while eater size fish under10 pounds are still active and slow drifting with small cut shad along sand flats is best for those. Channel catfish are slow but can be caught on punch bait around timber in 10-25 feet of water. Report by Brian Worley, B&S Catfishing.