I had the pleasure of meeting and fishing with Captain Eddie Hernandez of Golden Hook Guide Service today. I have known of Eddie for much of my life through mutual friends and acquaintances, but never met him until today. Over the years I have had the good fortune of fishing with some of the top guides from Luguna Madre to Calcasieu (Big Lake). We had a party of three on Captain Eddie’s new 24’ Skeeter bay boat today. I was impressed with the boat; dry, soft, well equipped, plenty of room and storage.

Our trip was on the heels of a stout front. The wind was out of the north blowing 15-20 when we launched about 7am, temp was in the low 40’s, and overcast. We had considered canceling our trip due to the weather, but one of our buddies was adamant about going, so we did. The first stop Captain Eddie put us on was about a 20 min run from the launch. Within 5-10 min, we had boated our first of several solid slot redfish. The action continued for the next 2-3 hours, culling some keeper solid slot fish and releasing some brutes. One of the bonuses he brought to our attention at this spot was a pair of Osprey working the area that had babies on a nest nearby. Really cool to say the least!

We made a move and hit another spot about 25 min away, fished it hard for about an hour and Captain Eddie called it. We made another move after limited action. We fished the next spot for 2-3 hours, trying different presentations and techniques. We finished off a 4 man redfish limit and boxed some trout and flounder as well.

Our party was totally impressed with our guide today. We set out in far less than ideal conditions, and he did his job. He worked hard for us to make sure that we enjoyed our trip. No guide can make fish eat, but his experience and persistence paid off. I consider myself to be a seasoned fisherman, and I would have kept it on the trailer today. I would not hesitate to have my daughters or my wife on a trip w/ Captain Eddie, or a client for that matter. He is a professional. teaching guide, yet humble enough to realize that he can still learn from others. On the flip side, he’s one of the guys and he’s gonna do his best to see that everyone enjoys themselves. If your looking for a guide that has people skills and a resume to back it up, Captain Eddie w/ Golden Hook is one for the shortlist. I believe his home waters are Sabine and Calcasieu Lake.

One last thing, for those who may have never used a guide before, one suggestion I would make is, be sure to talk with your guide, so that he or she understands what you are hoping to get out of your trip. You have a much better chance of having a good experience if they understand what it is you hope to accomplish. Set the hook, and tight lines.

Good report , Did you fish Calcasieu or Sabine ?

The last paragraph is very important , Making sure client and guide are on the same page is very important.

MO

We were on Sabine Lake. All artificial trip.

Been with Eddie before. Was a real pleasure and truly the only saltwater guide I've hired that I enjoyed the trip with.

He is a class act, a real pleasure to fish with.