Bayfishing

[Prizepig]

Welcome to 2cool Bronco. As others have mentioned already your bass gear will easily get you started and you can’t go wrong with gaining your confidence fishing with live bait....shrimp, mullet, perch, etc. Gulp under a popping cork is a good option as well. You mentioned that you would prefer the Corpus area to get started. I would recommend launching at any of the ramps around the JFK Causway. The Intercoastal Waterway runs all the way south towards the Landcut which affords you the opportunity to run in deep water for as long as you want and be able to stop and drift the flats adjacent to the ICW at any given time. There are spoil islands along the way that can be fished as well. Before you do this make sure you determine how shallow your boat will draft in loaded with gear and fishermen so that you will know how shallow you will safely be able to drift and fish. You shouldn’t have any problem with most areas west of the ICW until you get close to the mouth of Baffin. Baffin is loaded with rocks and is a topic for another day. Get the maps as others have mentioned, study them, and get out on the water. The more you get out there and do it the better you are gonna get at it. Good luck to you, stay safe, and be courteous to others on the water. You will find a wealth of knowledge posted by fellow 2coolers here so don’t be afraid to use the search function. Post up them pics too.

[troutsupport]

Ooooppsss. LOL.. I missed the fishing area ... well the information still applies. Try to navigate your boat in the 3' + zone and you'll be fine.

[troutsupport]

Also, be aware that the winter low tides might make some areas shallower than you want to be.. so you might have to run the boat in 4'. idle into areas you are unsure about.

[justletmein]

Get you a few colors of saltwater assassin "seashad" and some wide gap bass assassin jigheads to go along with them, can be had at any Academy. I'm in San Antonio too but typically head out to POC as we have a fish camp out there, you're welcome to come out there but I rarely fish from the boat anymore these days so you're not likely to learn much about bay fishing from me. You asked about a user friendly place to launch and get started, close to SA. What comes to mind for me is Bird Island Basin on Padre, launch there and head out the channel and you have a lot of open area and room to explore and it's not as crowded as all the Rockport/Aransas areas. Do not park anywhere other than designated parking, they can be strict. You can find fish on both shorelines and lots of room to explore. That water does not get rough like some of the other bays unless you get further South. I don't fish there often, only a few times actually, but remember being able to run around all over the place without too much worry. Obviously you're going to have obstructions and such scattered about and need to approach slowly any areas that look sketchy or potentially shallow.

If you look at the satellite maps you can see the clear channel heading toward the island, there's markers there clearly marked last time I was there. Hook a left in the ICW before that little island and head down as far as you're comfortable (you mentioned staying close) and then look for spots to fish on that North shoreline, setup a drift depending on wind, etc. There are closer places to go but this seems pretty friendly place to get started.
https://goo.gl/maps/mxCUJrTjxG32

[pocjetty]

You bass fish, so you know how expensive it can be. Between the tackle, supplies, gas, upkeep on boat and truck. It's a hobby we spend money on. It's nice to be out on the water, but we're out there to catch fish. But all the equipment in the world won't catch fish for you. Your brain and experience are responsible for that.

Several people have recommended the TroutSupport videos. In the big scheme of what you spend on fishing, their cost is almost insignificant. (Compared to the cost of one or two botched trips? They're a no-brainer investment.) They will jump start your bay fishing, and turn you into a competent bay fisherman quicker than anything else. And they're more fun to watch than just about anything on TV.

The alternative is to ask people for their fishing spots, or follow people around and go where they go. The problem with that is that even when you catch fish, you won't know why. So you won't be able to reproduce it.

As for gear - you'll want a good GPS, map, and compass (in case the GPS doesn't work). Buy some 1/4 oz. and 3/8 oz. jig heads and some plastic. A few packs of Sand Eeels, and a few packs of paddle tails. When it comes to color, focus on light, dark, and "natural". Keep it simple. Buy some 1/4 oz. Johnson's weedless spoons. Then make sure you have rods that can comfortably cast those baits. (It's always windy down here.)

With that arsenal, you can catch fish just about any time, as long as there are fish there to be caught. That's where the videos come in. Helping you find the places where there are fish to be caught.

Getting stuck on sand is unpleasant and inconvenient, but your boat can be pulled off of sand. Running hard onto shell can be a different story. In general, grass beds tend to look brown and shell tends to look black, but the best bet is just to not take too many chances until you've been around the bays a while. With that trolling motor, you can approach areas you aren't sure of a little more cautiously. It will take some time out of your day, but that's what scouting is all about. Since you bass fish, I don't have to tell you how valuable a good pair of polarized sunglasses is. ALWAYS have them with you on the boat. That alone will make a huge difference in keeping you from running into areas where you shouldn't be.

A power pole is nice. A good anchor is indispensable, whether you have a power pole or not. Find one that will bite and hold in sand. Mantus is a sponsor here, and makes good anchors for sand, but there are others. Have some shoes on the boat that cover your whole foot, and thick enough soles to hop out onto shell if you have to.

[troutsupport]

The trickiest part will be figuring out exactly how shallow (or NOT) you're boat will run on plane and on what Jack Plate setting (if you have one). And similarly, how much depth you need to set down, or get back up. That boat should draft about a foot floating with the motor up.

[Marker 54 Lures]

Originally Posted by [email protected]

So I’ve Bass fishing my whole life lived on canyon lake for years and surf fishing every chance I get. I want to start getting out on the bay some where. I live near San Antonio area so corpus is closet. Anyway I have a 23 ft Kenner 2004 with a 150 Mercury I have have wireless 24v trolling.lowrance Hds7 live Wells vhf radio. Any way I’m looking for tips like what other gear do I need rods reels bait. And any particular gear I need aboard boat. Also where is a good place to launch for beginners with good fishing without traveling far on the water to start with I’m just a little nervous going out in the bay. Anything to look out for like how to spot shallow spots or rock. What time of year, time of day ect. Any advice would be good to help build confidence and get me out there. Thanks for reading

book a guided trip .. in the watershed that you think you will fish the most... each of the 4 seasons (if you prefer to fish artificials then let the guide know at time of booking) .. pay attention to the locations .. distances from jetties.. mid bay, back bay.. look at the bait content.. mullet everywhere , jumping shrimp etc, water colors.. but mostly pay attention to the time between hook sets..

most people quit a spot to early .. if the guide invested 30 min in a spot .. the avg dude should portably invest an hour..

once you have the basic outlines of what "fishy" looks like that time of year sped the rest of your life enjoying our mutually shared obsession..

[Prizepig]

The OP is no longer interested I assume......2 posts and see ya

[troutsupport]

many times they read the post replies but don't continue to answer. it's ok to add more information, others read it.

Josh, we disagree on the 'time' per spot for sure. As I've fished more and more years in saltwater, I've spent less and less time in a spot, 15-20 minutes tops. Granted I'm not just blindly fishing area, but if one is fishing the structures in a spot and focusing on the sign in a area, then they should get a bite within 20 minutes. I see way too many people fish a spot for several hours switching baits to see if this or that 'works' or maybe their biting this lure 'X' or color 'Y'. If the fish are there, they will at least bump or slap at a bait presented to them in short order.

[[email protected]]

Thanks guys it’s been a hectic start to the year for me but I have read every comment Several times. I actually planning my first trip to the water in may. I would like to have already been out but hasn’t happened. Anyway I’m actually getting to stay at house in port Isabell that has a boat lift for me so it will be a lot of fishing on this trip. Again thanks for all the great info. And any info on fishing the Laguna Madre with be helpful