It seems I'm loosing alot of interst in saltwater fishing because every time I go down there (from San Antonio) I leave empty handed and feel bad because my two sons love saltwater fishing and I can't seem to find them!
Last Friday I fished Copano Bay and Redfish Bay with no luck. I" reading alot of "fishing will heat up in a couple of weeks" "When the water warms up, fishing will be on" reports and posts from everyone. It's really iritating to see everyone posting about how well they did when i was just there in that spot the other day.
Granted, I'm still trying to learn weather, tide charts, and all other factors that affect saltwater fishing, but it's getting to be old pretty fast. I'm really contemplating just staying closer to home and fishing Braunig and Calaveras lakes for catfish and stripers. even if I don't catch anything there, at least it doesn't hurt my waller as bad as driving all the way to Rockport.
Thanks everyone who will read this, I'm just ranting.

Patience is Perseverance

By learning all of the factors, youre putting yourself on the right path.

What are trying to catch? What are you fishing with?
Have you considered maybe booking a guided trip for you and your two boys?

Keep in mind, what works best for some folks here, doesnt mean its going to work for you too. There lots of folks here that say theyre best fishing seasons for Specks are always in the Spring. But for me, its always been from late September to early November.

Thanks for some advice AdanV...I've taken lots of info from here, magazines, fishing shows and word of mouth. I try to mainly target Redfish and Trout and would like to add flounder once I get the other two locked in.
In the past i had been a strictly bait ussr, but this year I have turned a new leaf and started using strictly artificial baits.
I have purchased several bags of TTFs' in pumkinseed/chartreuse, Mullet, gulp's new penny, plum/chartreuse, several Corky's, and some zarra spooks. I've obviously done lots of research, and hope it comes to benefit me one day. I have booked one trip in the past, and was a very productive one to say the least..but, I can't seem to picture myself booking a trip when last year i purchased my very own first boat..for several reasons obviously.
I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say these past few trips to the coast were unproductive due to weather factors...that just seems to make me feel better.

I use soft plastics that are both Red and White, or all around Pink. Gulp's New Penny is what I use too. Gulp's patented scent is a great replacement for live bait.

I rig all soft plastics with either a Jig Head, Texas Rig, or Carolina Rig (depending on the situation).

Since you got a boat now (congrats, btw), you can also troll slowly with some spoons (Silver for clearer blue waters, Gold for the murkier brown waters).

I know how you feel, Ive just started learning freshwater Bass fishing a year ago (after almost 15 years of Saltwater). The first 5 trips I took, I really really sucked. But patience and confidence is what has helped me multiply my success.

Check the saltwater section. Sounds like there may be a GTG in SA expressly for this purpose.
I've been skunked, over run with throw backs, an weathered looong dry spells myself. Can't say what changed any of these situations except perserverance. I've yet to catch a limit of trout, can't really see myself keeping that many anyway. The last limit of reds was many moons ago.
It's tough with the little ones, he11 sometimes I lose intrest!
Boat can be a limiting factor, but have you tried drift fishing? By that, I mean Using a drift sock, setting up drifts from shallow water to deeper water. This is a good way to locate fish.
Every trip is costly no doubt, I try to block at least a week down. Many times my success has relied on nothing more than being there when all the factors came together.
All things aside, I enjoy fishing as much as catching. Sometimes I have to remind myself of that and just relax.

There's a definite learning curve. Not only what to use but when and where to use it. When I first started I got skunked a bunch. But nowadays I can usually find some fish. Not always as many or as big as I'd like. The skunkings are farther and fewer between now though.

I recommend leaving the boat at home and hire a guide. Let him show you the whens, whats, wheres and hows.

Don't be affraid to mix it up. If arties aren't working then try some live bait.

Try hitting the waters earlier than everybody else, especially on weekends. Once the boat traffic starts a lot of the fishing shuts down.

Get out in your boat and find some structure likely to hold fish. Mark it on your GPS and then set out to find more. Try different places under different tide, wind, weather conditions.

Most importantly, enjoy the time you have with the kids.

Might sound a little strange but...

Quit trying to fish spots and start fishing the fish. This time of year, conditions are constantly changing, and the successful people are changing with the fish.

Low water, high water, hard winds, all will position the bait in specific places in the bay, and your targets will be wherever they can munch on them.

Instead of doing the same thing and getting the same results, realize every day is a new situation, and deserves a new game plan.

In saltwater, it turns on like a switch and turns off like a switch. You can be doing everything right, but if the tide and current is not right, the water clarity and temps aren't right, the fishing will shut down.
I mostly just fish the days that have the most tidal movement, and then I try to concentrate on when the tide is changing.
The exceptions might be in the summer when a light wind is blowing out of the sweet south-east and the surf turns trout green. Then, you can count on the bite to be right at sun up or in the late evening. Man, I'm getting excited just thinking about it!
It's just a matter of timing.

If you are like me weather, tide, etc are very important but not nearly as important as the opprotunity to go fishing. My fishing days are unfortunatly set regardless of conditions or willingness of the fish to participate. It can be frustrating but you have to tough it out to get to the better trips. I can assure the the folks posting up the great trips have had a bunch not worth posting.

Have you tried surf fishing? to me its the easiest fishing in the world. I use shrimp 90% of the time, cut mullet the other 10 percent. I catch reds, trout, croaker, you name it. sometimes you dont even have to wade out to cast and can catch them in the first gut. I usually just put out one of those 2 hook rigs that you can buy in the gas stations down there with like a 4-6oz spider weight. I will usually throw one out in the first gut, and then throw one or two out past the first gut by wading out a bit. then just put the rods in a pole holder and sit back and relax.
I havnt been down there without at least catching some croaker and whiting. And when the reds are not biting you can always count on the hardheads, lol. just a thought

I personally find that surf fishing is generally more productive than fishing the bays. I generally catch larger fish and more of them.

Seems like everytime I fish the bays I catch about a billion 14 1/2" specks and then finally get a keeper. Not so much in the surf. Lot's of 20" specks in the surf. Reds too.

Thanks everyone for the great advice...Before I purchased my boat, I did countless wade/surf fishing and was partially sucessful with it. There's just something about getting to fishing spots that others without a boat can't get to that excites me.
Until recently, I never knew Redfish Bay had so many scenic Islands out in the bay...I never knew there were shell reefs that you can literally walk on out in the middle of the bay.
Honestly, I've only fished the salt from a boat since October of last year, and have yet to experience late spring and summer fishing. Maybe I'm asking too much but I'm really hoping summer fishing is great like everyone says it will be.
I find it very puzzling that Lap Reef in Copano bay was hot for me in October/November and would produce great trout everytime I went there...now, I've been there at least three times in February and March and nothing.
Thanks again everyone for the tips, I really do appreciate it.

Land Pirate-
"Seems like everytime I fish the bays I catch about a billion 14 1/2" specks and then finally get a keeper. Not so much in the surf. Lot's of 20" specks in the surf. Reds too."

I never fish the surf, just cuts and flats in the bays. I do pretty well most of the time. I'm not interested in catching sharks and we catch enough bulls in the bays. How do you target your trout in the surf. Plastics, top waters, live shrimp, finger mullet?
Thanks

Winter fishing is alot different than normal months. Fishing can be tough during the winter. I try to find mud and shell during this time or I fish deep. I change my methods throughout the year constantly adjusting to the seasonal weather. As I try to target species I really don't have expectations during the winter months. What I catch is a bonus. Also learning different bays is very helpful some of my best trips have been in the winter.

Hey, there's a place called Captin Johns in Galveston... I went once and only paid $20 or 25 a person (kids were slightly less)we went out in the bay for 4 hours and cought some pretty decent fish... lots of sharks including an 8 ft' hammer head. Needless to say we released it but it was great for the kids to see. They loved it. You can look them up im sure and since you're coming all the way from SA, it might be worth while.

Just a thought.