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this was interesting, fighting this bass in moving water on a 5-wt. trout rod and simple caliper-check reel (this past weekend).
I used my index finger inside the spool against the line for the brakes.

got into one much larger on a nearby creek but eventually broke him off, pulling him twice out of the rocks and trying to stop his third charge into the rocks.

they are all (at least hybridized with) endemic Guadalupe Spotted Bass - Texas brook trout. These fish live in bare-bottomed limestone runs that are ankle deep - and they get big in the plunge pools. They live in skinny, fast water, plunge pools and deep chutes,. Kinda by definition, there are no pelagic fish to feed on here - like schools of shad - they and mostly eat tiny minnows, crayfish, tiny frogs, damselfly nymphs and sometimes tricos and BWOs. Perfect flyrod quarry.
here's where they live





nothing like having the right tools for the job


and no wonder we were in a hurry








we fished down a couple of miles - to a fence across the creek
there were creeks adding in about every quarter-mile


and springs about every 50 yards


we saw the most amazing geology: there were blue vents into an underground creek at the next layer of dolomite. I've always wondered how several creeks from this area run 50 to 100 cfs near their headwaters but disappear 20 miles south. I always thought it was irrigation - but they go underground.


the only sunfish in this creek were long-ears and who knows how many we caught. wish I had photographed a bigger one, but the big ones had head humps and would flare their gills at us when hooked up


a good bass

I've shown it before, but look at this bruiser

no question a Guadalupe/largemouth hybrid

there were actually no native bass west of the Llano.
The state has been stocking Guadalupes in those rivers to try to save the strain, and then many private stock tanks have been stocked with largemouths that get washed into the gene pool.

here is as pretty a wild fish as I've seen, but it's probably a smallie hybrid.....


as good as this Pedernales fish looks, I've caught big smallies right next to it (maybe a stocked fish?)


here is a known A-strain endemic Guadalupe spotted bass - of course, it's wearing its woodsy colors under a complete cypress canopy

there are only two A-strains of these fish remaining - Johnson Creek and Cibolo Creek. And as I mentioned, the state is trying to stock them like crazy. Saving the state fish seems like a good idea.


here's a hope of the species - look for the iridescent blue sheen that gives them away

if it's not fenced, I get in and even bust the bank sometimes, when it's necessary to get on down the river.
I always have my litter bag, usually with garbage I've picked up.
The few times I've been confronted by a landowner, I show them the litter. Only once was I asked to leave. The other times I was told to come back at my discretion.
The hat helps - I'm From Here.

the solid lateral line sure looks like a largemouth to me - great fish. The Nueces is tough to fish because of the deep clear water and steeply cut banks.