I'm pretty new to fishing and need some help. I know how to set out a crappie light and drop down a minnow. I can mark fish on my graph. I've caught a few big striper at texoma by trolling and throwing a sassy shad on 1oz jig head. I know to look for structure. Thats about the extent of what I know.

I'm not looking for fishing spots. I'm looking for help on what lures to be throwing, what jigs & colors, or any techniques that could help me. Really any advice would help. Do I need to be catching shad?

I've been fishing Lewisville and Texoma. I'll fish for anything as long as I'm catching something.

Sassy Shad could be all you need to know
4
every fish

If you want to be a serious fisherman, you need to learn how to catch black bass on rubber worms.

If you're going to fish Lewisville & Texoma, learn to throw a cast net to catch shad.

Look through the 'White bass/Striper' subforum for threads about using slabs or sassy shads for these fish. Pay particular attention to threads about 'deadsticking'.

Your best bet to cut the learning curve in half is to choose a lake you think you'll be fishing at quite a bit, hire a reputable Fishing Guide and then learn how to fish for the easier to catch fish (Catfish, Perch, White Bass). In the early stages of your learning, I'd also recommend you not start off trying to catch Largemouth Bass or Crappie as they take more expertise than the other species mentioned.

Check out the various TFF sections, ask a few questions, call a recommended Guide and tell him/her what you want to learn. If you get the right Guide, you'll learn more in a Half Day Fishing Trip than you can learn on your own in a year(s) of fishing. Most folks think the $'s you spend on a Guide is a bit high, but if you want to learn how to consistently catch fish by knowing what to look for, using Electronics, picking the correct bait, and simply knowing where and how to fish, you'll see it's the best $'s you've invested (not spent) in a long time.

Good Luck! There's several Excellent Guides that post in the various Sections on the Forum! Give them a call or email.

I think I'll go ahead and start looking for a guide. If anybody has any recommendations for Lewisville, Ray Hubbard, Tawakoni, or Joe Pool I'd be glad to hear.

Lewisville -- Don the Angler

Texoma -- JD Lyle