Since he was mentioned earlier, I'd like to put in a plug for Billy Sandifer. I fished with him in the bays and can tell you that you can learn a lot from him. http://www.billysandifer.com/

Another excellant guide in that area is Jon Fails. http://www.landcut.com/

You can learn quite a lot from these two.

First of all to address the statement of the slicks. A slick is an oily looking "slick" on top of the water similar to what oil looks like in water minus the colors. This comes from predator fish gorging themselves of bait fish until they throw up. Thus from the eating and tearing up these little fish they leave behind oil and scales, and then when they throw up it will create this miraculous "slick". The size of slick you are looking for should be about the size of a trashcan lid. Larger slicks usually have drifted from where the fish are feeding, thus proving you theory of not producing fish. Seeing as how the the water in the bay is almost always moving either from tide or wind moving the top of the water around. Start fishing on the outskirts of a slick when found. Work your way slowly further away from this slick until you find the fish. If you don't find the fish within a bit move on because the fish sure have. When you come on to a spot and you find about 10-15 little slick popping up all around you thats when the fishing will get hectic. I have been wading and had little slicks start popping up and caught fish for about 15 minutes straight every cast until I lost the school. Slicks will produce fish just keep fishing them.

Second of all Piepuncher. I am new to Surf fishing, the next time you head down this way if you need some company I would surely love to accompany you on a surf sishing adventure. I fish the bays constantly but have not done it much from the sand. I don't know what it really looks liek to recognize to right stuff to look for while driving the beach. I live in Kingsville and have tried fishing PINS twice and found out that I definatly chose the wrong conditions. Current and weeds killed me.

Tides...I understand that tides are always changing. Is there a tide that is best? Can both high and low tides produce fish?

http://www.breakawayusa.com/shop/videos.htm

This site is mainly having to do with surf fishing but i really enjoy reading from it. Go to message boards.Also seems like a really nice group of ppl ( but aren't most fisher-ppl ?? )

I too, am a green horn when it comes to fishing salt water, But do plan on gettin to the coast this year at some point.

Lotta good goin on in this post. Thanks

Hey Jason,
I don�t have any fishing tips, as I am pretty inexperienced to bay fishing and kayak fishing myself, but I went to Port. A. last year in May and it was awesome. I�m not necessarily talking about the fishing production, but just the experience in general.

Me and a buddy went to Port A. and camped on the causeway. We kayaked all around on both sides of the causeway and had a hell of a time. The fishing was slow, but I caught a few and just enjoyed paddling around. The water was clear and I was getting a kick out of just looking at the shallow bottom full of crabs, stingrays, fish, etc.

I ate fresh oysters right out of the water. I chased a dolphin around for a while in my yak. I caught some crabs (the good kind), and did catch a few reds.

There�s also an HEB (grocery store) right up the road in Aransas Pass with a clean bathroom and lots of beer.

I can�t wait to go back.

Check out some video and stills I took while down there:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=oUrOSBd4ZYM

P.S. - If you like oysters, bring an oyster knife, a glove, and some band-aids. Bare hands and a screwdriver makes for a tough time opening oysters.

I also must ad that I caught all my fish on a roostertail (inline spinner bait), which is very much a freshwater lure, so like everyone else said, you can use bass fishing techniques and tackle... well, for reds at least.

ttt

Bobaloo & pie: reading tis post with great interest
as my Wife has informed me she wants to spend a weekend
@ PINS. What I need to know is
1.) is the fishing good enough for my relatively inexperienced
wife to easily enjoy herself?
2.) if is this surf only, do we need long rods,
or will 7' stuff work.
3.) are there non-surf areas we can fish easily,
If not what about around Port A?
PiePuncher I met You last year @ Boston Bob's sandbass touney on lewisville
Bobaloo, I met you @ the Dock when we got back from Quatro Tuna
I would love the opportunity to get some pointers from either one of you.
trip time will be mid april around the new moon.
thanks in advance
-Brian

April sounds awesome for trout in the surf. The waters will need to hit about 60 degrees and the fishing will pick up drastically. Water clarity is crappy right now and the fishing has been fairly slow. My buddies havent been going out over the last week due to the weather and NASTY water. They have driven all the way to port mansfield and were unable to find good water.

During the time you are going, your wife and you should be able to have a good time. 7ft stuff is great and you will easily be able to fish the entire second gut on low tide. you can cast from one bar to the next without a problem with a 7ft rod. For trout, blues, Jacks, smacks and so forth, I use jerk baits. I dont think brand matters so much but one with a good flash makes a world of difference. Your wife will have a good time just being on a clean beach with shells I would think. The beach and water is MUCH MUCH more clear and clean the further south you go. BIG DIFFERENCE in PINS and the beach in Corpus(JP luby area) and port Aransas. The fishing should be fast and furious the time you are going down, just make sure to pay attention to water temps. 60 degrees is key and the fishing will be semi slow till it hits 60. Live mullet would be your best bait for a variety of species but I prefer to throw jerkbaits. The jerkbaits will get blown up just sitting on the surface sometimes. Awesome site to see a big trout sitting behind your plug just looking at it.


Other places to fish.... I will send you a PM as I will no longer post specific spots or locations on line. There are too many lurkers on the site and I have noticed that a good report or location will tend to increase fishing pressure in certain areas that I like to fish. PM comin your way.

Dude, you're the best! I promise I won't tell. I know what
loose lips do to good holes. Maybe we could hook up if you're
down there @ the same time. That would be cool.
We'll be going to the aforementioned mile marker as a start.
the ole' Jeepasaurus can handle it!
I cannot wait to camp on that beach! good to know I dont have to buy MORE rods. I do have my dad's vintage Fenwick steelhead rod I'd like to try out: 9' feralite 2pc 12-20# Bought in '70 & the wraps & cork are still decent enough to use.
I'd like to get the wife on the speck action, then target
jacks or reds myself. same stuff?
thanks in advance
-Brian

Pie i have tried fishing pins, and I am not able to notice much difference in the water. The things you are looking for are they really hard to notice in the surf?

Well well,

Glad to see most of you guys are still here. I am finally finished chasing mule deer across the high plains..so now..BACK TO THA TROUT BABY!...Jason...Go to Academy and grab a TOPS fishing map..I repeat FISHING map of Galveston/Trinity bay..Make sure it isnt one of those navigational maps...Anyway..fishing your Kayak shouldn't be a problem esp. after it warms up a bit..anyway..I would haul your Yak onto bolivar ..put in at Bolivar yatch basin..head out through Sievers cut..its on the south shoreline of Galveston East bay...cross the intercoastal and hug the right shoreline...as soon as you get to the first point you will see an opening headed back into the grass..its shallow at the mouth (2ft)..but it turns into 6 or 7 foot deep in a hurry...anyway..right after a cold snap fish move into this area to get deeper and stay warm..you gotta remember that most of the bay is only about 4 ft deep...They also head into the canals off the intercoastal which would be a much shorter paddling trip..Anyway..TOPS fishing map...get it..also stick around this forum...this is a wealth of information by some really seasoned anglers.

Well lets hear a hunting story!