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Beginner Basics for Coastal Fishing



 
 
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Old March 3rd, 2007, 04:20 PM posted to rec.outdoors.fishing.saltwater
J.Dean
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Default Beginner Basics for Coastal Fishing

As a kid growing up in southeastern Kentucky the opportunity of seeing
a coastline, let alone fishing the gulf coast never occurred to me.
But that didn't discourage me from heading out the back door and down
the hill to the river we grew up on to chase large mouth bass. I
remember flipping rocks in search of the bait that a bass just
couldn't pass by, crawdads. There were very few spring and summer days
that I didn't wade for miles in either direction fishing the numerous
holes and wash outs that were so familiar back then.

I was still just a kid when I decided to head south to escape the cold
fishless winters in KY, going as far south as I thought possible, I
landed on the west coast of Florida. Talk about culture shock. But I
wasn't deterred, and although Florida has numerous ponds and world
famous lakes that most bass fishermen only dream of fishing, I was
bound to try something different.

When the first invitation came to join a friend of mines father on the
salt, I eagerly accepted the invitation.

That first trip was educational to say the least. I had no idea that
most sal****er species could either bite, sting, cut, or several
combinations of the above that were sure to leave a lasting impression
on unsuspecting fishermen. A lesson I'm still learning to this day
through trial and error unfortunately.

After several unsuccessful trips, it finally happened. I stalked
through the flats and landed my first redfish. And although bass
fishing was fun, it was just a fond memory from that day forward.

The thrill of wading a shallow flat looking for signs of activity were
undeniable. Slowly sliding through the water in search of a passing
shadow, or the nervous water created as bait fish fled for their lives
from a hungry predator were an adrenaline rush like I'd never
experienced.

And you can bet there were numerous cast at objects that I thought
were definitely fish, until getting close enough to discover they were
nothing more than a clump of grass, or an oyster shell that had
undoubtedly been mistaken in the past by unsuspecting anglers..

But when the stars aligned, and the lure hit the water several feet in
front of that passing shadow, and that gentle twitch of the rod was
just convincing enough to get a reaction.. All that was left was
setting the hook, all those fruitless casts were quickly forgotten and
the battle was on.

The adrenaline rush of it all coming together can be somewhat
overwhelming. Gone were the days of tossing crawdads at hungry bass in
southeastern Kentucky with my old, indestructible Zebco 33. Great
memories to say the least..

That was a long long time ago, and a lot has changed since then.

Today we have electronics that will almost locate the fish for us.
There are lures on the market today that cost in the double digits,
boats the will run in barely inches of water, rods that are lighter
than air, and GPS mapping devices that enable us to explore areas we
may have never seen without them.

But with all this technology at our disposal, heading out in to the
vast bay systems along the Texas coast and locating fish can still be
a daunting task. Much like locating the preverbal needle in a
haystack.

And that my fellow anglers leads us to the fruit of this article.

Have you considered hiring a professional to show you the ropes?

Think about it. If your considering taking up the sport of sal****er
fishing consider this. There are experienced guides all along the
Texas coast that have more experience on the water they fish than we
will gather in our entire lifetimes.

Let's face it, they fish several days a week, every month of the year.
They have patterns on the fish that we target that we'll unfortunately
never have without there "help". They know what fish are eating and
when. They know what depths they are holding in during any given time
of the year. They know how to get to the fish and what time to be
there!

And a good number of them are willing to teach us the tricks of the
trade.

There are numerous guides along the Texas Coast that specialize in
teaching not only technique, but also navigation of the local waters
they work in. And most if not all are ready and willing to share their
wisdom with guys like us.

Some will even take you fishing on YOUR own personal boat.

But there are some keys to selecting the right guide, and choosing the
right one will not only make your "on the water classroom" more
enjoyable, but it will be money well spent.

You'll take away a wealth of information that will be with you the
rest of your days.

You'll also have a great time in the process while on the water. And
that's priceless.

Some things to consider when shopping for a guide.

Be selective, locate one in the area you plan to fish that has a
history of one on one instruction.

When contacting the guide don't be afraid to ask questions, you'll get
a pretty good idea of what to expect while on the water.

When the day arrives, be on time and ready to go at launch. It's YOUR
time if you waste it.

Have a mental list of questions you'd like answered. Such as
navigating the bay you plan to fish, baits for a particular time of
year, water depths that are likely holding fish, different structure
that fish are going to be on, what equipment works best in different
circumstances, why they chose the boat they use, what's the best time
of year and why. You get the idea, the more you ask the more you'll
know.

Knowledge unshared is a waste, and the better guides know it.

Until next time, tight lines!
J.Dean
Texas Flats Fishing
www.texasflats.net

 




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