Ever since my dad took me fishing as a boy, I was "hooked." Dad would come home from work and say, "Get the poles, Mike, let's go." So off we went to the world-famous Dora Canal, in Tavares, Florida. Fishing was great then, for Bluegills, Speckled Perch (Crappies), and my favorite, Largemouth Bass! In those days, we only knew about Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass. With the passing of time and much study on the matter, at least eight separate species of Bass have been identified: Largemouth, Smallmouth, Kentucky, or Spotted Bass, Suwanee Bass, Redeye Bass, Shoal Bass, and the Guadalupe Bass. There may be more, but this will do for now. Having lived in Florida and Georgia, all of these species have been available, or at least within reach... except for one. The Guadalupe Bass, (Micropterus treculii) is only found in the spring-fed, clear water rivers and streams in the Hill Country of Texas. It is the official State Fish of Texas.
Hmmm... About a year ago, while discussing life's urgent daily matters with my friend, Dwight, the subject of catching all of the known bass species came up. Hmmm... apparently, I was "within reach" of this Guadalupe Bass, since I was temporarily living in Oklahoma.
Well, as Memorial Day was coming up, I started to plan a weekend trip to the Hill Country so I could pursue this bass. Armed with this notion and Google, I found a place where I could fish and relax over the long weekend. Joshua Creek Ranch. Check this link for more information: http://joshuacreek.com/
Joshua Creek Ranch is billed as a Shooting Resort, specializing in upland bird hunting, earning the Beretta Two Trident rating for excellence. Read about this rating here: http://www.berettatrident.com/About/BerettaTridentProgram
They also have a 12 station sporting clays course (since 2012 they have added more stations for a total of 15) and a "wobble" trap. Almost everything I like to do, in one place! Please enjoy the photos of my trip...
CLICK ON PICTURES FOR A LARGER VIEW
After work on May 25, I began driving south from Oklahoma City just after 6:00 P.M. All was well until the construction backup happened...
I stopped at a scenic pullout in the Arbuckle Mountains area...
I drove half way on Friday night and stopped at Stephenville, Texas...
...and they left the light on for me.
Got up early and drove to Lampasas, Texas and decided to go downtown to see their patriotic display... made me feel good to see the Flags!
Then on to Marble Falls... nice view from the road...
Hill country ahead!
Big country...
Road near the ranch...
Joshua Creek, which flows into the Guadalupe River...
Creek has Largemouth Bass, Trout, Catfish and several kinds of panfish...
But not what I was looking for...
Axis Deer tracks by the river, and skins on my bed's headboard...
Finally, I can fish the Guadalupe River! I wasn't sure what to expect, but the river was quite beautiful... Not very wide but warm, clear water. The back of Joshua Creek Ranch is bordered by the river, and with some advice from Eric (Ranch fishing guide) I spent the afternoon wading, and........
First fish was a Smallmouth Bass... It is reported that these were introduced into the river to add to the fishery, but it seems that the Smallmouth and Guadalupe Bass interbred and has resulted in many hybrids. Apparently pure Guadalupe Bass are becoming rare. Texas has a plan to overstock the pure fish to overwhelm the numbers of hybrids...
Smallmouth Bass
Maybe a hybrid... it has the broken/indistinct lateral line of the Guadalupe and the spot on the tail, but the overall coloration seems to be more like the Smallmouth.
SUCCESS!!!
These appear to be Guadalupe Bass... They have the spot on the tail, darker and irregular lateral line markings and more green in coloration than the Smallmouths.
All fish were caught on light spinning gear with 4lb test line and were released.
Rebel Crawfish, Pin's Minnows, small jigs/grubs and inline spinners were used to catch quite a few fish. And look at the size of that Cypress tree..!
Longear Sunfish
Channel Catfish
The clear water reminded me of Georgia trout streams, but the water was warm.
Aside from the fishing, I was able to relax after shooting a couple rounds of sporting clays and wobble trap. The Joshua Creek Ranch staff were very cordial and helpful, the meals provided were excellent. My room was comfortable... Scenery was awesome. Could not complain!
This was my last major trip while living in Oklahoma. This part of Texas was different from my idea of what Texas is like. Very beautiful and rugged. I only saw one scorpion... I kept looking for snakes, but never saw any. My fishing pursuit was successful, but even if it had not been, the trip was awesome. Experiencing God's glorious creation in a new place!
On my way back to Oklahoma City on Monday, Memorial Day, I stopped by Fredericksburg, Texas for a visit to the Admiral Nimitz Museum and the National Museum of the Pacific War... Look for that story on another blog... God bless you!
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Let me know if you like what you see... Thanks, Mike