9 teams fished, 3 teams weighed in and 2 places were paid.
Lake Austin has always been a difficult lake to figure out; and with water temps ranging from 63 up north to as high as 78 mid lake, we think the fish sometimes get confused. But there are a couple guys that make it look easy; and on a night where most teams struggled to find a bite, two teams brought in solid limits anchored by some very healthy fish.
After sitting out last week due to the storms, Brad Casebier teamed up with his daughter Merry and brought in a whopping 23.02 pounds for the win! Brad also won Big Bass with a near eight pound kicker.
It’s no secret how or where Brad has been catching his fish, and this week he had the area all to himself.
“I made the run up north. When I came off pad and didn’t see another boat anywhere near me, I gave Merry a high five and told her we got this thing!”
Brad also told us the fish were locked on and very cooperative this week as he pretty much sat on top of them and dropped a jig straight down on them.
“The only fish on a bed we couldn’t catch was a three pound male, I let my daughter work him for a while before I gave it a shot. He was all over my bait but just wouldn’t eat it.”
It’s pretty difficult to hold up 23 pounds by yourself, but the always gracious Robby Crabb was there to help. After the pic Robby told us,
“I was sure glad to help hold his fish because that’s the closest I’ll ever get to a 23 pound sack on Austin!”
Jr. and Mike stayed mid lake and came in second with 14.52 pounds, their limit was anchored by a healthy 6.87 pound fish. With water temps in the upper 70s you can bet they weren’t bed fishing. In fact, they were doing something almost completely opposite from Brad. Jack Jr. tells us how he caught their big fish.
“We went to the back of a creek and the water was pretty muddy, I chunked that white buzz bait as far back as I could and after about three cranks she came up and crushed it! She hit it so hard I didn’t even have to set the hook.”
Jr. caught two of the team’s better keepers off the buzz bait while Mike filled out their limit throwing a Senko. Mike told us,
“I hate throwing that Senko, but there’s not much else that cathes fish the way it does on Austin. It’s stupid fishing really…you just throw it out, wait for that tick and set the hook.”
Congrats again to both teams! It’s been an epic year so far for Brad and the Waldrops; it’s no surprise that Jr. and Mike are leading the Power Tackle Big Stringer with 23.40 pounds caught during the April 14 Wed Nighter.
But Brad has made a couple very close runs at it with his 23.02 pound sack this week and two other bags over twenty, including 21.40 pounds on May 12 and a 23.00 pound solo bag on May 19.
Austin is still spitting out the big sacks, and with Lake Travis full and LCRA releasing water there’s no telling how much longer the spawn will continue. However, bed fishing is not the only option out there. The topwater bite is picking up and the always present grass and dock pattern can also pay off, you never know what can happen. One thing is certain…make sure you have a Senko tied on!