The South Llano River - A Needed Visit
Clint Taylor
Having not been fishing in two months, I was desperate to go fishing. I didn't care a whole lot about the location, I just wanted to go fishing. The South Llano River was the final decision.
I have only been to the South Llano River once before and had a great time catching a five pound largemouth, several two pounders, and even a two pound Guadalupe Bass...not too bad. Upon arrival at the South Llano River I knew it was going to be a hot Texas day in the triple digits. However, the water looked pretty good. The sky was bright blue with hardly any shade cover so I knew I was probably in for a rough time. It started out pretty slow but picked up a little towards the end of my fishing. I started out catching a few small panfish on a Worden's Rooster Tail along with a small Guadalupe Bass. It then took quite a downfall as it was a while till I caught another fish.
My dad ended up providing the excitement to the fishing as I caught our favorite fish, the Guadalupe Bass. By no means was this fish a giant, but a great little rascal to provide some fun while at the same time catching the state fish of Texas. If you have never caught a Guadalupe Bass, you will definitely need to try, as they are a blast to catch with the ultra strong fight and unique coloration.
As the day went on, I realized it was going to be a tough day of fishing so I decided to tie on a KVD Square Bill Crank Bait. Not too long after I caught a nice 2.5 pound bass under some tree cover next to the bank. Not the biggest giant, but being months since my last big bass it was more than enough. I was quite thrilled that I finally landed a nice bass, but I would become a little bit desperate after another length of down time. I think that the fishing was rough because of the hot day and hardly any cloud cover. Being in flood conditions not too long ago doesn't help much either. Nonetheless, I would end up catching my last bass of the day on a quarter ounce spinner bait in a white coloration in some alligator weeds.
This last bass put up a good fight for his size, being right around two pounds. Even though I would have liked to had a little more success, I can say that I am glad that I was able to find some solutions to catch at least a few fish. Switching from Rooster Tails, to Space Monkeys, Spinner Baits, Crank Baits, and everything in between, it took a while to find out what the fish wanted.
This just goes to show that fishing doesn't always cooperate with a fisherman, especially one who hasn't been fishing in two months. However, what more could I ask for in a day. Not too many people get the opportunity to enjoy the South Llano River.