By: Tom Strawther (TroutCreekFisher)

Steve Edwards and I floated the San Marcos River with Ryan Schaper on April 18 and had one of those trips that you remember for ages.  We put in underneath the San Marcos River bridge on Hwy 130 (Toll Road) north of Fentress.  Take out was at the Wahwahtaysee Resort about 7 miles downriver.  This was brand new water for both Steve and I and is a section of the San Marcos that doesn’t get nearly the pressure as it does up around Staples and Martindale.  It is a beautiful stretch of river and not many houses along the route.  At times it almost felt like wilderness fishing. 

The weather was mostly cloudy, and the temps were moderate until about 2PM when things started heating up.  Water clarity was slightly off color which is good for the San Marcos and its predator fish.

The bite was on from the first minute in the boat.  Black poppers with the occasional dropper got good results all day long.  Things slowed a little mid-day, but white streamers were still taken, and the popper action heated up again.  It was a 50+ fish day including a constant mixture of LMB, Guadalupe Bass, bluegills, and sunfish.  Two LMB’s in the 2-3lb range were landed as well as a nice 2.5lb Guadalupe.  To my regret, I hung into a very nice LMB, but he spit my streamer about the time that Ryan was getting out the net!  That fish would have been a trophy size bass for the San Marcos.

Ryan Schaper exceeded expectations as a guide.  He is well versed in botany, entomology, fish habits, and operating a raft.  He is also a conversationalist but not overpowering.  I can’t recommend him enough, and we both look forward to future trips with him.