I am by no way an expert but these are some things that I have read/been told/used and they have helped me...

Though you can sometimes 'stumble' upon fish anywhere, usually there is a reason that they're in a particular spot such as drop offs, shaded areas, grass beds, reeds, something that might offer them protection etc. Take a look at the geography of where you plan to fish (google maps) to narrow down some areas that might be promising.

Be prepared...once you've picked your spots for that given day, have your gear ready to go before you get there so that it is just a matter of baiting up and/or casting.

Approach your chosen spot quietly. You dont have to whisper etc but step quietly and be careful about setting up/putting your stuff down. You might consider initially casting while you're still about 10 - 15 feet away from the water. Fish can be found close to the bank but can be spooked easily.

Use a fan cast method...cast out to your left (or right, same difference) wait about 10 minutes if you're not getting any bites, reel in and cast again generally the same distance but a little to the right (or left depending on your initial cast) of where you initially cast. Repeat the cycle unitl you've covered a fan shaped area. If no luck, move down to another spot approx two cast lengths from your starting spot and begin the process again.

Check your gear...bigger hooks/baits catch bigger fish but as others have mentioned you'll need to be patient. If you're just looking to not get skunked the size 6 hook with an inch (ish) of nightcrawler should serve. You didn't mention weights/sinkers/split shot; these will help with bait presentation, can get your bait down quickly, if need be (bunched close together, closer to the hook, not right next to it) or help prevent helicopter tangles during casting(when spaced evenly between your bobber and bait). If you can, stay away from the typical red and white round plastic bobbers; they tend to make a big splash (spooked fish), can chew up your line, and if too big, can cause missed bites (to big for the fish to pull under) as others have mentioned look into slip floats, they're versatile and easy to use. Also, as mentioned above, line choice is a factor.

This link is a good source for info http://bankfisher.com/anglersbook.pdf

I find that if I get skunked, it is down to something I am doing, or not doing, and therefore it is under my control to fix. It is always best to have a positive approach but somedays, they just dont want what you have to offer (hmm reminds me of dating during my awkward teenager years). As a great person once said, "Any day spent fishing, is a day spent fishing".

Hope this helps...

Post in the bluegill section. Probably get more info

You are catching some great bait! Put one of them perch on a hook and chuck it out on the bottom. Worm and bobber is gonna catch perch 99% of the time. Chicken liver, hot dogs, or worms on the bottom will likely bring in a few cats. Minnows will likely catch anything else

I've always been told 90% of fish are in 10% of water. You have to find structure for bigger gills. What I've always done is set up a rod for larger fish (catfish etc). Have your setup for sunfish and if you catch a smaller one put him on the larger setup and chunk him out there. This way your always busy and you increase your chances of catching. But the main thing is finding structure. If not you are essentially fishing the desert.

Make sure also if you're going to be putting things you catch on other rods to catch a catfish that's its a bluegill,sunfish etc.and not a game fish.

I am not in any means a experienced fisherman, but what seems to work for me is to have 2 or 3 rigs set up for either catfish or bluegill & then a finesse rig for jigging. I'll have those other rods set up with whatever i want, and then i usually have a good Berkeley ultralight rod with a Shakespeare spinning reel, and i'll jig for pan-fish with a light spinner or sometimes a grub Texas rigged.

Another thing i like to do for bluegill is to have a 3 way rig set up, which is a small bass/egg weight set up at the bottom of the line attached to the line using a swivel clip, and about 1-2' up, depending on depth, have another swivel clip attached to the line using a dropper knot. On that clip you'll want to attach a thinner leader line with a slip bobber and a worm/corn/wienie/night crawler/grasshopper/frog/minnow.

My aunt taught me most of what i know when fishing for sunfish and she taught me to always use what God gives ya. I try to keep a big 'ole can of corn in my car at all times cuz it will usually be my go to bait if i find a pond i want to try. I also have a pretty good airtight container that i'll mix some wieners, livers, blood, and garlic together in, and that will usually work good for catfish or chum or just about anything. But most of the time, if you have the patience to look, you can find your own bait at the site usually.

A lot of what i learned either comes from asking more experienced fishermen (or in my case fisher women), googling images of different knots and rigs and learning them on my own, and reading past posts on this site. A lot of times there is posts like you'res and these guys on here come out in droves to help. They even have a forum on here for people to find more experienced guys to take them out on their boat and teach them! Sometimes you don't have to pay anything, but usually if you offer a six pack, some gas money, and lunch you'll have the guys begging for you to go with them. "The more the merrier" is a very evident statement when it comes to fishing.

Truthfully man, fishing is a part of you. You can't really do it with out bonding with others. It is impossible to do it as something to just pass the time with. But it really is a lot of fun if you have patience and humbleness and ask a lot of questions. I don't have any of those things, but fishing has really helped me grow in those areas.
Tight Lines!

If it's dinner you're after, consider going after catfish.

Easy to catch from shore

Channel cats can be caught all year round

Only takes a few to make a meal.

Learntocatchcatfish.com has a lot of excellent information for beginners.

Also, checkout my Google bank fishing map in my signature line for good bank fishing spots all over Texas.

Good luck!

Yea, you need to go after catfish if you are looking for dinner. use a heavier slip weight, swivel, a foot of heavy leader, a treble hook and a slice of hotdog. cast it out, take up slack and leave it out there, a cat will hit it sooner than later. Don't be surprised if it is a turtle though

So where did the " Mojo" come from?

PM sent

You might consider it cheating but I like to " chum " an area when I'm taking my kids and I have got to get them on some fish . what I do is drop by the dollar store pick up two of the tins of sardines in oil and a pair of cheap panty hose also from the dollar store . I put the sardines in the foot crush them up and tie a string on a toss them out where I'm gonna fish . pretty soon the bits of sardines and oil slick will have the gills going nuts in that area and directly downstream if in a current .

[quote=CWCW][quote=TexasCatfishCowboy]I've been having great luck using bluegill as bait for catfish. I use a carolina rig with 14 inch leader and a three way rig with the hooks leader shorter than the weights. Both rigs are successful, I just like to have variety in my rigs.
The bluegill are usually palm sized and are hooked behind the anal fin.
I use 5/0 circle hooks and I catch catfish of all sizes.
I fish at nightime or early morning. (basically when the sun comes up and when the sun goes down) never during midday because fish go to deep water in midday.

Good info thanks!