Getting very frustrated - need help !!!

[pitontheprowl]

I'll tell you all about the first fish I catch

Tell us??
TELL US!!

Hell son, you better have a camera with you so you can show us

[t.chris]

Rupert where are you? Inquiring minds want to know "Did Rupert catch a fish, will he come back empty handed again, will he perservere in the face of adversity and when will his glorious moment of triumph arrive?"

[Rupert]

I got fish - loads of red snapper !!!!!

Unfortunately, it was caught by my friend's husband and given to me because they don't like snapper ! I'm not proud - I'll take it

I haven't been fishing for a week or more now, and the way I feel today I may not this weekend. Possibly I'll be in tomorrow.

Got a lot of understanding from the book about what is going on in the water, but not got to the part where he explains to the clueless amongst us "how to" use this information. I get the migration routes stuff - but have no idea how to find them yet. I'm prepared to be skunked again while those around me get record hauls in the pre-hurricane conditions

[t.chris]

Don't give up rupert. I am new to saltwater fishing and have only been a handful of times. I have caught fish on three of those occasions and been skunked several times as well. I try to learn something each time and explore new territory when possible. I will be giving it another try tomorrow. This time with camera in hand so that I can post my first fishing report. Good Luck!

[t.chris]

As promised, I did go out to saltwater fish and was fortunate enough to catch several fish. Keep in mind that I didn't just show up and catch these in 15 minutes. I hit the water at 6:30 AM, paddled for 30 minutes then caught the flounder and sever undersized fish right off the bat. Then there was a long spell of nothing. Then at 11:00, they came alive agian.

[Rupert]

Nothing personal, but I hate you

Nice catch !!!

[t.chris]

for some reason my pic disapeared! I had a pic of one flounder two trout and one red.

[t.chris]

I spoke to soon, now it has returned.

[ifeliciano]

I get the migration routes stuff - but have no idea how to find them yet. I'm prepared to be skunked again while those around me get record hauls in the pre-hurricane conditions

Since most of the reservoirs in my area where built after the USGS mapped the area I got a few topo maps of the lake area prior to being flooded. I usually get the 1:24000 scale, but learned to read and navigate 1:50000 scale at a little place called Fort Benning compliments of Uncle Sam

The contours in the topo map can give you a reasonable understanding where the breaklines and breaks might be located. Also can tell you how deep it is in a specific point with the help of a gps/altimeter.

Get a FF and interpret the structure shown.

[TKFStubb]

Mr Stubb

A mentor would be nice, and I have had some offers to fish with people from here, which I will try to do time permitting (thank you guys !), but I tend to be too disorganized and "last minute" in my trip planning for it often.

Then get organized and quit being "last minute".......the advice was to help you......and right off the bat you make excuses why you can't do what is necessary for help.

If you are not willing to make changes (even the very basic like planning and organization) then you will most probably stay in the same rut of not catching fish.

Usually advancement and success mean making changes, but you got to be willing.

Mike (Mythman) says what he thinks. Take it in the spirit in which he gave it ... help to get you on track. If you subscribe to fishing like many of us do, you'll see it straightening up MANY areas of your life. You see, we love fishing so much, we are WILLING to change to be better at it. Mr. Tact, he ain't, but right he is. (in mh best Yoda voice).

[Rupert]

Mike (Mythman) says what he thinks. Take it in the spirit in which he gave it ... help to get you on track.

I know - it wasn't so much what he said - or indeed how he said it - it was my frustration at not being in a position to follow what I know to be pretty good advice. Being told that on a bad day is hard to take sometimes !!!!!

If you subscribe to fishing like many of us do, you'll see it straightening up MANY areas of your life.

It's helping - even if the fish aren't cooperating. I did hook something big and angry last week at Stubblefield. Broke my line and ran off with my chartreuse spinner. Luckily I have a bag of them. So - one step closer

[JimD]

Why not try the Lake in the back of the Woodlands?

When I started I caught a lot of fish in Lake Woolands while launching from the park by the bridge. Usually cat fish.

You need a cart to haul the kayak in but Bear Branch is a wonderful lake the last time I fished it. You have to find it on the map and figure how to get to the lake but it is like a very small 80 : acre east Texas Lake with all sorts of fish. Bass, Cat fish, Gar, White perch. It is easy to get to if youknow how.

I had to cut the kayak entery area out next to the point then becasue it was not one back then but that is not a big deal either.

It is where I learned to Kayak 6 or 7 years ago.

YOU Cannot eat the fish because the golf course inon one edge.

[smellyhands]

Rupert,
i did not read all of the posts as there are a lot of them but I think I got the gyst of what is going on (you like fishing but are getting frustrated by not catching much) and I have a simple solution. You need to go fishing with someone. I think it is very difficult to start from scratch with only verbal advice, books, etc. These things can be very useful but I think they pale in comparison to going fishing with someone who geniunely knows what they are doing. It's how we all learned. Find someone to go with. If they catch fish then you will more than likely catch fish as they can show you what they are doing and how they do it. I imagine someone here would be glad to go on a few trips with you. I'd be glad to. I'm very experienced in freshwater (although I haven't been freshwater fishing since I moved to Houson in the spring) and getting fairly comfortable in salt. If you want to go sometime shoot me a pm. It's the best and least frustrating way to learn.

[Juan pajaro]

I agree with the hands on advice. I know what I am supposed to be doing in salt water to catch fish, it just makes a lot more sense when someone is fishing with you. My first kayak saltwater trip was for the Simrod Texas Kayak Series. I caught a few that werent keepers while my "coach" caught a 23 that weighed in for 8th place. That trip taught me how to use the stuff from the books and word of mouth.

Good luck and never give up. While I am stuck in the fresh water part of the world I have learned to adapt. If the fish I am looking for don't show up, I try other stuff that I have heard about till I find the right combo to catch something. Even if it involves perch jerking to get get a bite.

[Sharkn' Larry]

Dude if I was going up to our lake cabin this weekend i would invite you. It is in Indian Springs just east of Livingston. The community has several nice sized lakes in it and the bass fishing can be outstanding. Most everyone up there don't fish much or comes up on the weekends. It is also a perfect place for a yak. I can give you directions if you want. The lakes are public with places to slip a jon boat or a yak in the water. I have caught most of my fish on a weedless, weightless tiki worm or a Texas Tackle Factory flats minnow in liquid shrimp color.

[NARCEDIVER]

MIKE SSS wrote:

I scuba dive Boerne lake, most of the water has no fish, they tend to group together. Bass hand out in the tall underwater grass. Minnows hide from the bass in the shorter grass. A minnow presented a few feet off the bottom, where the larger fish are, is going to get eaten.


Scuba Dive in Boerne Lake?? How deep is it? what is the vis like?

[dancingwithbulls]

go to the forest cove marina, and throw jerk baits at the cover on the shore line, and topwater frogs on the lilly pads. I promise you'll get at least a hook up if not a fish.

[FishingSETX]

All has been great advice, but I want to throw in my .02. I know its a drive, but Get away from the fresh stuff and try your hand in the salt. If you want any fish, just take a piece of dead shrimp and put it on bottom. You'll catch SOMETHING, and you never know if it'll weigh 2 oz or 20 lbs!