thediscochef

Travis is way way low right now. Best time of year is probably prespawn in March after the first warm snap. I don't know many guide in the lower hill country but there are many. Despite all the rain we've had here, Travis's headwaters are in the western part of the state that has remained dry. Don't underestimate Lake Buchanan and Lake LBJ, they're part of the same river system but tend to stay a little fuller. Buchanan has a solid Striper population that you don't get as much at Travis. Upper hill country on the Brazos chain (possum kingdom, Granbury, Whitney, Waco) are all super full and fish somewhat similarly to the Colorado chain, minus the opportunity to catch Guadalupe bass. All of the brazos lakes have Stripers. Truth be told if I were trying a multiplies trip I would be headed to Texoma - BIG smallmouth, bigger stripers than the brazos chain, big LM, plus 70000 acres to choose from. Just make sure your guide has a good boat, I've been stranded on Texoma before and it was not a recommended experience

7-5, 4-1 SM, 7-1, 7-1, 7-5, all within the last calendar year, all from the same 27k acre reservoir. One whopper plopper, one chatterbait, two lipless, one Trig Zcraw. That's not even all the 7s I caught off the bank there last year. I wish I had a record like Pat but I think I've done OK for having only been at this a few years. I think being stuck on the bank is only sometimes a bad thing. But when it's tough, you start fishing for other things. I'm currently a crappie fisherman cause that's all I catch lately.

My usual spot at Roberts plus the entry to possum kingdom. Still hasn't gotten old

Missed em in Dallas cause it was cloudy 😒

Ray Bob is big full! All the lakes up here are. Only one park I tried today was even open at Lake Grapevine. The piers at Eisenhower State Park (Texoma) are under water, it's risen a solid 7ft. We're all watered up!

Hey Bob! I have family in San Antonio, I'm down there every so often. Check out the state parks all around you, there are many and they are all excellent

These little delinquents ate a KVD 1.0 squarebill around sunset last night

I appreciate knowing that there are good ones in there. There are days I wonder. I would posit that private sector is easier in some ways. It takes all of us to make this thing work. People who would disparage others for trying to get something done right are people I don't want to know. I have finally had a busy enough year so far that it feels like I'm actually starting to make it with my business. I freelance audio for television - if any of your wives or girlfriends watch true crime sort of TV shows, there's a good chance you've seen my work. Also the 2023 and 2024 World Poker Tour circuit events at Choctaw. I've had a shoot basically every other week so far this year, three in the last two weeks and that's as busy as I've ever been. It's been so much that I've only tossed lures once so far in May. I'm incredibly blessed but I could use some greater client diversity to really feel secure. It was a long road to get here. I started work as a money man - cash office at the local shop, cashier at the casino just across the border. Then took a hard left into guitar repair, then low level IT, then drywall/paint, then architectural coatings retail. I got my first audio job on a Saturday in 2019 after getting into a fight with my old boss that Friday. I haven't looked back very often. Up next is maybe a career with Texas Parks and Wildlife if I can't maintain this streak of business.

Yeah OK Roland Martin SINKO SINKO

I usually chomp a no-doze, then eat half a pound of bacon with the grease still on it. Then it's time for a single Marlboro red 100 and Van Halen on the way to the lake Rippin lips and cashin chips brotherrrrr

I'm positive I've had my lure bitten by one or two, which hurts to know but also confirms I occasionally do one thing right. The trouble is that I haven't figured out what that one thing is. A DD is my ultimate goal in bass fishing, but it's important to think about life after the fact too. I get the feeling I'm gonna wonder "now what?" on the same day I catch one, if ever.

Heads up for anyone who lives in central Oklahoma or southern Kansas, this is probably gonna be one of those days they talk about for a long time

Man it's a mess down there. I hope yall get some relief soon!! My lakes up here in DFW are all super full and bank access is nearly impossible in some areas. Can't recall seeing it much worse than this but a few times. Weird how those hundred year floods have been happening so often. Don't look now but today could be a big tornado day in Oklahoma, and the end of this week could get interesting too. Weird how this year has been more intense than normal.

why do the terms "garage" and "parking garage" bring such massively different structures to mind? Who decided that? I hate the term "parking garage" as a descriptor for a multilevel parking structure. What else would you do in a garage but park in it? (I know the obvious answers for this but allow me my righteously feigned ignorance for the sake of comedy please) They definitely used a Strat on the Forensic Files music and they were correct for that. I thought it was very cash money of Prince to call Larry Graham in for that one song

Now I'm just some bot that you used to know

😮

my best lure by caught weight so far this year is a whopper plopper. it is responsible for a 7-5, a 5-5, a trio of 4s, and a handful of 3s. All from the same 5 acres of water (on a 27000 acre reservoir) and all in March when the guides were reporting less than 60f temps. From what I understand they will bite it any time of year, but the bite windows get really really small in the winter. This tracks with my experiences, the common factors were: south wind, sunlight, and within minutes of sunset.

Got on a few at the new lake. They liked the minimax until the sun came out

There's a few periods of the year where the black basses decide to hide and the Others decide to come take their place instead. We're on the cusp of shad spawn but not quite there yet in the shallows. It doesn't help my pursuits that Roberts (27k acres) has risen 12+ inches in the last week, all cold rain plus cold air temps. That said, I wore the black crappies out again the other night with a tube. I'll take whatever bite is available.

The Williams bottled in bond is a slept on daily drinker...it's good juice. I also like Hirsch Horizons for a cheap drinker, it's about 40/750 but a solid high rye mashbill that drinks well a few different ways. Has some fruity notes, not so smoky. I don't love smoky. I'm not much for Dickel either. Liked the Early Times as a mixer. I like the old heaven hill stuff as well. Haven't tried the newer juice. I'm a Crazy Naz fan too. His palette is great. I inherited my dad's bourbon collection when he passed, I am lucky to have tried many things. One of my favorite production alcohols is Barrell Bourbon. Those folks make some excellent blended products

Catching a 7-1 LM and a 3# SM on it last year made me a believer. The ol monster got me through summer

The regulations exist for a reason. There's too many of us for there to be people who don't follow them.

That checks out I high sticked and broke a rod yesterday but somehow managed to get my bait back in the process. Still figuring that one out. Physics is dumb sometimes I've had so many other memorable experiences next to water in such a short time, it would take up the character limit describing them all. I think a Roberts guide said it best once: "if you do something long enough, anything that can happen will eventually happen to you"

Texas needs more. I think there's only two for Denton County, which has access to two 20000+ acre reservoirs. I've only ever met one, but one of the Grayson county guys. I was at the Tioga ramp when he showed up to investigate an alleged boat in distress (fake news). Checked legalities and then left. You can go to the Denton community ponds and count the tickets that could be written if someone with a badge would show up in plain clothes. They all fish terribly because people show up with cast nets and 10 poles all with lines out (regs state 2 poles on any TPWD managed pond or state park lake that is completely enclosed by a state park boundary). Reminds me of a paylake out there when it's trout season. It's just a shame because Texas puts so much into their stocking and breeding programs, only to have minimal regulatory enforcement efforts