Hi everyone, I'm headed out to Tyler State Park on vacation next week and while I'm there, I thought I'd try my hand at some fishing. It's been years (about 20, was a kid back then) since I've really fished at all...any tips on getting started?

I've already got a basic rod/reel and some basic lures from years back (promo gifts from a company my wife worked for). Some of the lures look like little maggots, worms, craws, and grubs. All except the worms are maybe 1.5" at most, worms are about 5". Anything else I should be on the lookout for at that particular lake or tips on what's working? Fishing reports in my paper (Dallas News) don't even report on that lake, so no dice there, haven't found much else around.

Thanks for any help!

Tim

Leave the small line at home. I got broke off with 10# mono. A 14+ was caught out of there recently. Do yourself a favor and get some good line. Water is clear, or at least it was last time I was there. I got broke off using a spinnerbait. There is a lot of good shoreline cover. I would go with braid. They have small boat rentals.

There is a lot of vegetation out there. I would rent a boat or canoe if you can afford it. Usually I get skunked out there. But now and then I get a couple. I have used all kind of lures and done pretty bad. Live bait seems to work better there. Fly fishing has been productive for me at times. The bream really love flies! There are water moccasins out there, so be careful. (especially if you are wade fishing)

We were just there a couple weeks ago, the vegitation off the banks and piers are really bad. Rent a boat and get to a little deeper water if you can. If you want to catch perch, put some live worms on some really small hooks or a kernel of corn and throw out with a bobber. You'll catch the little panfish all day!

Caught an 8 something about a month ago on a jig n pig. If bank fishing, I would throw chrome trap, spinner bait and your small plastics from the marina around over to the dam. Most of that area is shallow with deep drop offs within casting distance from the bank. Have fun!

SE Kansas grass grower

The vegetation is your main worry as you can see from the consensus here. I do not know what kind of perch one fellow was talking about. Maybe he means crappie. If so I would sure like to know where he was catching them. They aren't coming up to the bank spots I fish. I caught one so far there this year, and it was at the pier. I just may have to rent a boat there one day.

Can you put a bass boat on it,trolling motor only?

Has boat ramp. You can launch your boat and its trolling motor only.

TSP is pretty clear water and I have always used spinning tackle and fished from the bank. I can't offer advice on fishing from a boat as I have never tried it there. I do agree there are some huge bass, but I haven't been fortunate enough to tangle with any of them while bank fishing.

You can catch bass off the fishing pier near the playground by casting parallel to the bank and also fan casting straight out. Let the bait sink before beginning a retrieve. There are some good drop offs out there.

I have also caught bass fishing from the point behind the store in the area around the Martin boxes.

I have never caught any bass off the big fishing pier that is on the east side as it seems to be too high above the water for bass casting.

Bass can be caught off the fishing pier on the opposite side of the lake, again by casting parallel to the banks. I think there is some pretty deep water on one side and there is a cove on the other side but I haven't had much luck there.

There are other spots around the lake that I have caught bass from, and if you are there for a couple of days, just take your time and you'll catch something.


My lure of choice is a Texas rigged 5 inch watermelon with black flake senko on 8# mono on spinning tackle using a good quality barrel swivel about 10 inches above the hook(to reduce spin and line twist).

I also use slider worms and brown roadrunners.

One of these will usually catch bass and I stick with it because I am usually fishing less than one hour, but try and or all the baits everyone has suggested and you should do O.K.

Hope this helps and enjoy your vacation.