Lake Conroe Crappie - Hooker Harwell's Guide Service

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Lake Conroe Crappie - Hooker Harwell's Guide Service Lake Conroe's PREMIER Night Time Guide Service My name is Bill “Ho**er” Harwell, a lifelong fisherman on many venues, I have embraced two irrefutable facts.
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The best time to go fishing is when you can, and safety always comes first. I have been fishing Lake Conroe since 1995, professionally since 2009. It’s a great lake with many excellent angling opportunities for a variety of species. Crappie are always at the top of my list. I am deeply dedicated to my pursuit of them and have put forth countless efforts in the context of brush piles, spawning stru

ctures, timing, also including attracting techniques and bait catching and other tricks. I am the only guide I know of who fishes at night predominantly and I do so often in my pursuit of Crappie. Turn key full service trips . I supply everything and clean the fish. Solid equipment , custom built boats, organized and professional. I offer a variety of trips and services from serious fishing to parties and picnics. Discounts for public service and birthdays.

12/11/2024

I don't know what yall think but it was an awful purdy day today

12/11/2024

The weather is going to be really nice the next couple days! I have 3 spots still available tomorrow at 9 am and 3 Thursday at 10 am

Can't catch em from the couch guys! I'll certainly entertain open boats every day this week that folks are interest...
11/11/2024

Can't catch em from the couch guys! I'll certainly entertain open boats every day this week that folks are interested. Atm I have 3 spots available for Wednesday morning 9 am and I have 2 spots available for sat at 11am weather permitting . Others are still in the works . Speak up if you have a day in mind that you're available! Others may want to join! 130 per person. 30 dollar deposit. I supply everything and clean the fish. Around 5 hrs on the water. You won't find a better deal anywhere I assure you ! Especially with one of the most experienced and highly reviewed guides on Conroe that's a specialist in crappie fishing. Holler if interested even if it's not one of the days listed above we'll put something together and put you on the fish. Have a great day 😀.

Morning ya'll. The last couple days were long but well worth the efforts. I'm extremely proud to say that the Buzzar...
11/11/2024

Morning ya'll. The last couple days were long but well worth the efforts. I'm extremely proud to say that the Buzzard successfully completed the motorcycle training academy through Harley and will get his M endorsement on his license. That's still all surreal to me . He aced the written and only got 5 points on his riding test because he put his foot down once in the u turn . 16 would be a fail so he did very well . Dave and Peter " the instructors " were very gracious towards me sitting in and attending the course with my son and told me up front the only caveat was I had to participate which was fun . 😁. I can't say enough good things about Dave and Peter. They actually donate their time to do these courses for the love of riding and helping others who want to learn how to have the necessary tools and knowledge to do so safely. I highly recommend if someone is looking for a rider course to contact them. I put pics of Dave's number in this post . These guys are awesome. They really do care and take great care of folks . Got my new luggage rack installed when I got my first service and my bike is completely broken in now . My goodness it rides like a dream come true. Time to do some fishing!

09/11/2024

What days next week would work for folks on open boats? Suggestions?

09/11/2024

Going to a long next couple days

Morning ya'll. This morning I'm sharing some memes and favorite quotes. A few for laughs and some food for thoug...
08/11/2024

Morning ya'll. This morning I'm sharing some memes and favorite quotes. A few for laughs and some food for thought. I don't really know if it's the economy , perhaps a dislike or distain for me , the fact that folks have more choices than ever before in guides or just out of experience i can tell you election years are always funky. This year has been the slowest on record for bookings in almost 17 years of guiding . I have tons of available dates which isn't the norm for the time of year. This weekend I'm going to be helping the Buzzard but after that I'll be doing more open boats for sure at the very least . We're seeing lots of action on the water lately and it's a fact that fishing doesn't always mean they end up in the boat or you're necessarily going to be able to keep em, especially when it comes them moody ass crappie lol. Some might look at my gear and or toys and think I'm making some money but in truth I'm merely irresponsible lol. I've also come to that time in my life that enjoying my family is a huge driving force . The motorcycle isn't just a sense of freedom, a fuel efficient way to get bait and more quality time with my wife and son . It's actually been a time machine for me in a manner of speaking . It's taken me back to hanging with my dad , the good times we used to have and I actually feel younger and more" driven" lately . Pardon the pun . The last few years with all the politics both in the world in general as well as fishing were starting to make me feel kinda old but I'm past all that and just want to make the most of every day . Since the surgery and all the reality that came with it that's been on my mind . I'll be opening the Christmas special tab again on the website soon . Just FYI. Also keep in mind I offer pretty deep discounts for all military, veterans, police and first responders being thankful for their services to all of us everyday. Private charters are booked through the website hookerharwell.net and open boats are announced on this page when they come available. Please feel free to speak up for an open boat if you have a day that would work for you perhaps there's others that would like to join and I'd be happy to get it together for folks . I've been keeping in mind lately that there's a clock ticking for all of us and time spent enjoying family and friends is never wasted just food for thought . I ain't begging. I'll die on my feet before I spend a minute on my knees. I've always found a way to make things happen because although things don't usually happen overnight I keep in mind that they don't happen at all if one gives up . Just holler if ya want to get in on the action, there's been plenty of it on the water lately and we work hard for folks to have a great time , through premium turnkey service and a quality experience . I hope this post finds you well and in good spirits. Thanks again for staying tuned. Hope to see ya'll soon.

My goodness where does the time go! This guy , " the Buzzard " turned 20 today! I gotta tell ya just how very proud...
08/11/2024

My goodness where does the time go! This guy , " the Buzzard " turned 20 today! I gotta tell ya just how very proud I am of him . He been a pretty good kid and is becoming a fine young man . He's earned special mention in many reviews given to us . One even stated that he's the best deckhand on Lake Conroe. I honestly got a little misty reading that . We have our moments at times I assure you, usually when I'm trying to help him learn from my mistakes in life so he doesn't make them himself but I reckon that's how things go sometimes as a parent 😉. I just want to give him the best start in life as I possibly can . The most I could really do for him this year on his birthday is taking him for his favorite dinner , do his chores for him , let him sleep in and I finagled/ negotiated with the Harley dealership to get him his course for free . He's taking it this weekend. I can't believe it's been 20 yrs . Seems like yesterday he was a tiny little guy I was holding for the first time. Now he's taller than me and he let's me know about that every chance he gets 😆. I feel like I'm the luckiest man alive when I get to work with him and that's going to be even more so when I get to ride with him too. Crappie birthday son ! I hope its a good one me Buzzard! Me and your momma luv ya to the moon and back ! I'm really proud of you and your doing a great job ! Thanks for coming in today ! 😆.

07/11/2024

Sitting here waiting on the customer to go back home and get his wallet. I reckon that's OK because he's paying for my time but we're also burning up valuable time on this mornings spike. Just another factor in what can make or break a trip. Stuff happens I know but having ones crap together is important lol. I was even here fairly early to make sure we weren't wasting any time at all and help him launch if needed but here we are.......

Evening ya'll. So I want to talk about bit about happenings on the boat while fishing and why i post the way I do . O...
07/11/2024

Evening ya'll. So I want to talk about bit about happenings on the boat while fishing and why i post the way I do . On our way out , leaving the dock I give a short spiel about how we bait , set up, how the bite has been manifesting recently and make some suggestions and my preferences in how folks should fish to make the best of every day and there's very important details every time. . Especially in setting up. That's how you get your depth correct which is just as important as having a lively bait . I also explain how to take yourself out of the equation and learn to read the rod , the line and how to interpret what your seeing as it pertains to what the fish is actually doing. I also fish along with folks in order to demonstrate the technique, sometimes over and over ...... I assure you that if I'm putting fish on deck , then not only is it possible but it's probable that they can too if one can follow direction . The one thing I cannot teach though is RESTRAINT ! I can only preach that. I've coined a term called "snatchelepsy " and basically that's the inability to touch or pick up a fishing rod without jerking on like one is having a dang seizure lol. Crappie are the moodiest fish in the lake and more often than not one needs to slow down to match their aggression level. I know it's a hard habit to break for many but it's absolutely necessary I assure you. I'll often kind of in jest have " the talk" with folks . It's pretty simple if your getting bit I'm doing my job and if I'm demonstrating successfully that point only drives further home . At the end of the day when folks struggle with the " learning curve" for any particular day and for whatever reason what can often suffer is the picture . I have always reported honestly about the day to day happenings aboard my boats . The proof in that pudding is that this page has been published for over a decade now and not once has anyone refuted the story I've told about a trip. In fact in the opposite, almost countless times folks have commented on the post including them in agreement. I often and even as of lately have to report that we're getting a lot of bites and opportunities / action but were unable to get them in the boat for various reasons. Sometimes it's a lot of throwbacks and short fish . I assure you that I'm telling the truth about that always. Like I've said many times real old school crappie fishing is an art . One that has quite a few tricks and caveats involved. Sometimes the fish are really aggressive and make it easy on us and sometimes it's more complicated but still possible to be successful and I'm always trying to teach and preach the practices that have always been successful for me . Having said that there are days when we're just going to get our asses kicked . Sometimes it'll be obvious to me that we won't do well and I always talk to the customer ahead of time to relay that information so they can make a decision on whether to proceed or reschedule in hopes of a better day . I will say that if your looking for the perfect day .... that's never going to be completely obvious ahead of time . I've always posted every time I fish whether we catch 2 or 200 . And ya get the real story . If you keep in mind that every trip is different . Folks , skill levels, conditions the factors are numerous . I try to post in a manner where yall can see patterns develop and that can be somewhat tracked and or followed if one is paying attention to the right details. I also post without a bunch of hype or pushing products . To me it's all about a common sense approach which starts by letting the fish tell ya what they want vs YouTube. After all people were catching plenty of fish long before any of that stuff ever existed and if ya don't want your crappie fillets to cost ya 10,000 dollars a lb I can show folks how that's done lol. One can throw all the money they want at em but it's truly not necessary any who tells ya otherwise is selling something........... catch ya'll later.

I had intended to post about the next subject I wanted to talk about yesterday but between errands and being on t...
06/11/2024

I had intended to post about the next subject I wanted to talk about yesterday but between errands and being on the phone with some repeat and some potential customers I didn't get it done but I will most likely this afternoon. I'm fixing to jump on the bike and go visit for a bit with my oldest friend , John. Known the dude since I was twelve and its been several years since I saw him last . He bought a new house not long ago so I'm gonna go check it out . The pressure is still stabilizing after that front after being extremely low so I feel like I can leave the fish alone today lol. I have a tutorial trip with a new client in the morning so I'll be on the water tomorrow for awhile at the least . I have openings this weekend . Catch ya'll later.

Morning ya'll. I've got a few things I want to talk about and instead of lumping it all into one post I'm going to...
05/11/2024

Morning ya'll. I've got a few things I want to talk about and instead of lumping it all into one post I'm going to address each subject separately and before I go on I feel like I need to say that being honest and truthful isn't being mean , its being honest and truthful. It seems like alot of people say they love honesty until your honest with them nowadays . I've never been one to sugarcoat anything . If that's what ya want get a frickin dounut . When I'm asked questions I give answers based on experience and I do so directly so we're not wasting anyone's time . So here's the first one . I get calls fairly often and talk to folks who are obviously frustrated and I reckon I understand in some ways but what I don't understand is how it's supposed to become my problem to fix it for em " on the cheap" so to speak. First let me say I have always helped folks out . Sometimes super cheap , even for free . I have tons of customers who have their own boats that will call for some advice for an upcoming trip their planning and I have no problem giving them useful information . Or perhaps sometimes they need advice or help with boat rigging and such . Again, I'm happy to help and picking my brain over the phone for a few minutes will never cost ya anything. Those aren't the folks I'm referring to here though . Some of this is really more about the ones that call who have spent , 2 , 5 , 10, 20,0000 dollars and even more in some cases on electronics and fancy gear, still aren't catching fish and want me to come out and show em how to use it . Again, I'm happy to help but keep in mind another person's indiscretion , lack of real forethought, inability or refusal to read the instructions all this gear came with, or just plain laziness isn't really my problem and if someone wants me to go sort it out for them that's just going to cost more period. When asked how much I charge for that It's 100 dollar deposit and 100 dollars and hr . After all their basically asking me to" hold their hand to help them slit my throat" in a manner of speaking . When I'm told " that's ridiculous " my only response is not near as ridiculous as throwing all that money at a fish ya still can't catch. I'm 30 yrs into the actual art of crappie fishing, almost 17 professionally now and I have no problem with someone benefiting from my knowledge / experience . In fact I'd encourage it but at the end of the day I have a family to feed and wasting my time or giving it all away isn't how I do it . Besides that, I have zero interest in helping the next " NEW GUIDE SERVICE " because let's be real here that's an ever increasing phenomenon in the last several years once some folks buy all that tech. I really don't understand the heir of entitlement that has crept into so many things in the world. I certainly didn't get where I am overnight when it comes to fishing and it really doesn't matter how much or how little money one spends , it's the time on the water , the effort put into the craft and what's learned from actual observation is what puts the fish in the box still today . Without that all one is going to have is a stack of receipts. Ya only get what ya give . I can tell you this unequivocally , you're going to have a much better time overall just learning how to fish the good ole fashioned way through trial and error with a rod in ya hand paying attention vs going down the rabbit hole constantly screwing with fancy gear trying to get all that just perfect because it will never be perfect, never be enough and at the end of all that ya still won't know what you're doing without it . That's the same advice I've been giving out since my grandpa told it to me when teaching me about fishing in general. Tips, tricks , all useful but in the fishing world ALL information is old information I promise you. The only thing you can really trust is what you're seeing in the here and now and just as soon as you have confidence in something it's likely to change . They ability to observe the change and react to it appropriately is what always has and always will separate and distinguish the accomplished fisherman from the aspiring one and IMO more money throwing at the subject just means more complications, a false sense of actual ability and instead of taking steps closer to the goal of outsmarting the fish it's actually steps away. Take what you will from this post . I've attempted to make my points here in an honest and simple manner . Have a great day.

Morning ya'll. We had the pleasure yesterday morning to fish with Jarod and Melissa on a 4 hr trip. I could have ...
04/11/2024

Morning ya'll. We had the pleasure yesterday morning to fish with Jarod and Melissa on a 4 hr trip. I could have hung out with these two all day , such nice folks . They were refered to me by some customers I had out earlier in the year which I really appreciate. The bite was just like the morning before . Very timid and fickle . We had a lot of bites and actually caught quite a few fish just couldn't keep all the crappie and if the snotty's were less than 18 -20 in they threw em back . We threw back a few more crappie than we were able to keep . Lost some good ones at the top that were barely hooked , one just plain broke off . They were just mooching the baits and even when we just let em run many just didn't get stung . A few smaller yeller fellers and a gherkin went back in the drink too if I remember correctly. Lots of laughs with these two! , as well as great conversation . A quite pleasant morning on the water all the way around with some great company. We got off the water just before it started to get nasty so everything worked out pretty good IMO. Thanks guys for a great time! We really enjoyed having ya'll aboard. Ya'll are easy keepers for sure!

I know, I posted late about yesterday . I had some things to get done still when I got home and I was moving arou...
03/11/2024

I know, I posted late about yesterday . I had some things to get done still when I got home and I was moving around a little slow . We got a good drenching on our way back in and it seemed like as soon as I got in the AC I started to ache a bit like I'm getting old or something lol. I have 4 takers and after looking at the forecast we've decided to reschedule the open boat we had planned for this afternoon . It's going to get pretty windy and there's no sense in it being a miserable trip . Besides that rain chances bump up quite a bit . Still planning on doing this mornings trip. Today's folks live right down the road from the ramp . If it's windy and or raining when they get there and want to reschedule I'll oblige them of course . From what I'm seeing it's not supposed to be bad until after lunch but ya really never know until you're there so it's worth a try . The pressure has fallen quite a bit overnight and I'm wondering what the bite will be like and how it's going to manifest. I really expected them to be more aggressive yesterday than they were but you've always gotta keep in mind that crappie are THE moodiest fish in the lake and can often throw ya for a loop. Thats why for so long before all the new tech catching them consistently was such an artform albeit the snipers will attempt to tell ya otherwise but then again ya never heard of 99.9 % of them before they had a magic tv to watch all day either. Even with knowing what to look for and how to react to it when ya see it all you can do sometimes is match their aggression level from day to day and try not to get ate up with the snatchelepsy lol. Well i reckon I need to start getting everything ready so I'll catch ya'll later . Have a great day.

Tim and Tamara are super nice folks . Easy keepers for sure. Full trip yesterday morning 7a- a little after 2 when t...
03/11/2024

Tim and Tamara are super nice folks . Easy keepers for sure. Full trip yesterday morning 7a- a little after 2 when the rain ran ran us off. The bite yesterday morning was a lot trickier than I would have ever expected after the action we saw Thursday and the pressure remaining steadily in the range I like to see it. We lost a lot of fish to the learning curve yesterday and truthfully they even gave me trouble. Ya just about had to ignore them until they ran to the next county with the bait or you'd lose em . The ones we did boat were barely hooked . Lost a few at the top . Threw back several short crappie some gherkins and baby sharks. We really had to work hard for what we got in the box but it was still a great time with these two . Lots of great conversation and some laughs. Great meeting ya'll! Looking forward to next time guys ! Catch ya'll later!

01/11/2024

Getting oil tank primed this morning then making a bait run so I know i can cover everything this weekend.

31/10/2024

Yeah I know this might sound a little cheesy... but if gotta tell ya that every now and then when I'm riding I catch a glimpse in my mirror of a candy plum springer softail and a big smile behind some Ray Bans . He'll always be with me . He was always there for me when I needed him and even when I didn't he was there just having a good time. I wish sometimes he could've met the family I made for myself later in my life but I know that he lives every day I invoke his name and I do so proudly . DEH . me pops .

Man oh man what a morning! Great action and caught a lot of fish! . Yall know Billy and Chuck already . It was Jeff a...
31/10/2024

Man oh man what a morning! Great action and caught a lot of fish! . Yall know Billy and Chuck already . It was Jeff and Jason's first trip out but won't be the last I'm sure . We had to come in an hour earlier than expected. The oil tank I fixed many months ago cracked again, everyone understood not risking a 15,000 dollar motor for another hour of fishing and I appreciate that . We had at least a 1-1 throwback rate on the crappie and put a limit in the box this morning combined. Some were a little finicky some were aggressive . Lost a bunch to the learning curve for the day. We only had a few dozen minnows left out of 2 lbs . We went through 20 dozen minnows in 3 1/2 hrs just to give yall a little perspective on how good the action was this morning. A fun morning with a great crew . Plenty of laughs and a little smack talk lol. Thanks again guys for coming out! Catch ya'll next time!

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I hope this sumbitch goes down the way it's leaning currently. I came outside to look around because it pretty much stopped raining and saw all that water discolored after looking around a bit I saw the base of that tree moving pretty good in the wind and the ground pumping. If it goes the way it's leaning some right now it'll be in the woods or in the easement any other direction it's my house or the neighbors.

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