I am going to guess, that there is not a single fisherman that would not rather be on a local lake, rather than on your favorite coastal bay?
My new favorite coastal water is San Louis Pass and the bay that feeds it. I can't wait to go back.

Since I do not have a boat and finding places to fish off land now is hard to do it is almost impossible to go fresh water fishing . If your rich and have a boat thats cool . Most of the places I go for freshwater are crowded and seem to be runned down . It seems the State of Texas does not care for its poor fishermen , just the ones that have money .

It just depends on where I'm fishing at the time!

It all depends on where I'm fishing at the time.

Saltwater fish have a much better flavor than freshwater fish in my opinion so, if I'm going to fish for food my favorite is saltwater but, I do like to fish freshwater for the sport. The 2 are so different comparing them is like comparing apples and oranges except in the food category. I really love them both.

I'll take the salt myself, anyday. Though I must admit. I love perch jerking.

I'll take it anyway I can get it.......but the truth of the
matter is have to fish fresh water as dont have the funds
to do the other.

I don't care if I cought a 25 pound World Record on Fork, it will never equal a 700 pound shark.



Never

Give me the salt any day.

I guess I'm lucky cause I grew up in West Palm Beach Fla. and fresh water fishing was what I started with. I had a three wheeler and would fish the local canals and lakes after school everyday. On the weekends me and my dad would hit Lake Okeechobee or the canals of the Loxahatchee Wildlife refuge. When I was 12 my parents split, my Mom moved out and married my step father Stan Gundlach (who was 1 of three brothers who use to own Gundlachs Marina in Lantana Beach Fla.) My mom hit gold, he was rich, and we lived on the intracoastal in Lantana. Yes I was SPOILED ROTTEN! He gave me a 18' Wahoo (sorta like a Boston Whaler) and I had access to 4 different kinds of other boats. We use to fish alot of the Kingfish / Dolphin / Wahoo tournaments in the area and made several trips over to the Bahamas, Walkers Cay was the preferred island. My favorite and to me the most challenging fish I've ever fished for was Snook. When I was 19 my Mom divored him and took nothing but what she came into the relation ship with which was all of about $20,000! (My mom e-mails me a newspaper clipping about 4 years after the divorce - It read "Gundlach Marina Sells for 60 Million $$$!).

After all this I get into industrial construction and move all over the country working various jobs and that put me in the position to fish many different places. The Redfish / trout & flounder fishing is awesome around the Pensacola Fla. area and was one of my favorite places to live.

South Florida is the best though because of the variety of fish that can be caught. the inland waters of Pensacola and areas around the gulf to me get old after awhile, it's always the same 3 fish...Redfish/trout/Flounder.

Back to the question.... Saltwater fishing Absolutely Rules! But I still love the challenge of the elusive fresh water bass. Nothing better than a good ole bass tournament wether you win or not it's still a blast and when there is a little $ on the line and your testing your skills against the fish and 50 other fisherman & running across the lake at Mach 1 it makes it that much more fun.

I am relatively new to saltwater. I believe I can catch many more fish in fresh water, but... I like the thrill of never knowing what you may pull in from the saltwater.

one word - Salt!

I like fishing them both.When I was in Corpus, I hit the salt everyday after work and weekends.

while i like the easier clean-up after a fresh water trip, i perefer salt most of the time. like Slickwillie said more of a grab bag, in fresh you have (usually) 5-7 species you may catch. in salt open to the gulf/ocean you "could" hook into any thing.
i have caught shark while fishing for trout. have pulled in a 42" red while fishing for black drum. the occasional spanish mackeral or skip jack or big flouner or sting ray makes it more fun. just my $0.02.even the one that empties your spool and you never get to see, makes you want to go back.

Yes it does make you wanna go back... to get 'em. (like you will ever catch the same fish)

Freshwater, freshwater, freshwater. Definitely my preference, especially now that I have had the chance the last year to really fish saltwater. You can have just as mixed of a bag fishing freshwater as you do saltwater. Simply because of the fact that while you "may" be able to catch many more species of fish in saltwater in a single fishing trip, you still end up catching maybe four different species. I don't use live bait, and I'm sure your catch will vary even greater with that, but with plastics I'm usually catching three to four different species in fresh and saltwater.

I also think that freshwater fish (from the right lakes) taste significantly better than saltwater fish(especially considering this whole health warning thing). Once again, just my opinion.

In reference to Bob, the state of Texas does care for her fisherman. We have one of the best, if not THE best state fisheries in the U.S.. Our many facilities are of a quality that many states could only dream of. The prices of our licenses (even though increasing seemingly every year) still provide one of the best deals that you can find anywhere. If your fishing hole is crowded, find a new one or get there first. Early bird catches the worm, and the early fisherman gets to the fishing spots first. A good fisherman is persistent and patient, and he will always find the fish.

I don't have a boat either, but I'm not at a shortage for freshwater or saltwater fishing spots. There are more than enough lakes, rivers, and ponds provided by the state of Texas within a reasonable drive of where I live for me to fish. Heck, for the last year, I've been driving two to three hours to get down to the Gulf to fill my saltwater jones. We also have a wonderful stocking program for our fresh and saltwater that I consider to be the best. Don't have a boat? The state stocks many of her bays, lakes, and ponds. There's even a community pond stocking program to make fishing even more accessible that stocks fish during summer and winter months.

The effort is definitely not lacking from the state of Texas.

wOULD HAVE TO SAY FRESHWATER FISHIN COMPARED TO SALT IS DULL,SALTWATER THE FISH GET BIGGER AND FIGHT HARDER.Unless your fly fishin then fresh can be fun.

my bad for the caps

i hear you bobtx,sure wish i could get me a boat,keep hearin all the fishin stories from boats

I grew up fishing in Michigan with a lake within walking distance stocked with Tiger Muskies that had to be 30" to keep. I have fond memories of bluegill fishing with my dad on flyrods, and catching bass on jitterbugs from shore after dark. I ice fished for Bluegills and Pike. I moved to Texas 27 years ago after graduating from college and soon after discovered saltwater fishing. I've fished in Canada (for Walleye), on Lake Michigan for Coho and Lake Trout, fished saltwater and freshwater in Alaska, gone offshore out of Port Aransas a couple times, and stayed in a friends house on the landcut. We used to go to Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn for long weekends.

I prefer Saltwater hands down. I still pull the boat to freshwater lakes occasionally and enjoy it. Lake Conroe is closer to home and I like running the boat and motor and dipping the trailer in freshwater, fishing and pulling the boys around on skis and a tube while we're there. Out of all the places I've been, my favorite places of all time are Galveston's North Jetty in a boat, wade fishing the Bolivar beachfront on a calm day, and drifting in 20 to 30 feet of water off the Bolivar catching sharks and Bull Reds.

Looking back, if I had to give up one it would be hard to choose. With properly sized tackle, feeling that pull on the line... Priceless either way.

kevin looks like you have a whole mess of fish there

Yeah, a 94 quart cooler full. Caught 'em from one of my favorite saltwater spots. Only regret from that catch is you can't see the Red's spot in the photo.

hopefully i can catch atleast half a cooler tonight headin out 3:30am