Help! I can't catch fish.

I'm new to fishing and I've been to Buffalo Run, Tom Bass, and the Texas City dike. I'm sure it's my methods but I can't catch a damn thing.

I'm getting frustrated. Are there any spots where I can catch some small fish to build up my confidence and skills near Houston?

FYI, I just ordered some rooster tails so I would to freshwater this weekend.

Sheldon Lake.

Well it's all about repetition in my opinion once you find a spot where you know fish are then study it.how the water moves, what the bank looks like study up on feeding habits, breeding habits aswell as habitats. for example I know during the months of October and November some say thru January big bullreds come to the shallows to breed stuff like that. if the spot has structures in the water cause if so chances are there will be bait fish hanging out there which of course means bigger fish will be near by. once you know how the target fish thinks and acts it's just a matter of time till ya sink that hook and screaming reels will soon follow good luck to you

You'll be less frustrated when it warms up. Until then, it's lots of casting and few fish. The good news is the fish are usually bigger and there's fewer fishermen. Keep casting and enjoy the day!

To the TFF!


As for learning to fish there are two basic factors. The more you fish the better you will get. Also make sure you have the right kind of tackle for the right kind of fish. The most important thing is to have fun and enjoy the outdoors! Best of luck. Have a blast learning.

Head out to Conroe and fish a Ned rig on a spinning rod

+1

the first thing you need to do is watch what comes out of your mouth because you saying you can't catch fish is you having what you say. You need to be out on the water to catch. Go more often.

Black drum will soon be at Texas City Dike in large numbers. Cruise out there and talk to the regulars.

I caught some hog black drums & a bullred @ TCD back in november. I used a drum rig with short leader, 4oz bank sinker, & cracked crab for bait bought from Boyds near there. I've had my best luck after sunset right before high tide near the end of the dike. An east wind with an incoming tide after sunset seems to work best for me. Be careful netting a big fish on the rocks. I wear a pfd when I go on the rocks. Recast crab every ship wake or 20 mins & watch out for huge waves from ships. I recommend a reel with line out alarm clicker, they make spinning reels with rear drags that work good. Get a pcv pipe from home depot to shove into the rocks to put your rod in. My preference is a rod rated to at least 3-6oz with a spinning reel that can pack on close to 300 yards of 15-20lb mono. When the drum makes a run, let it pull drag & use the rod to fight the fish to tire it out. For small bait fish I use a medium-lite rod with small spinning reel spooled with 6lb fluorocarbon & #6 hook fished right up close to the rocks. Use peeled fresh dead shrimp pieces for bait & you can also catch bait fish to use for the big fish. Good luck & tight lines.

What methods are you using? I am going to assume lures? Regarding your freshwater pursuits you have several factors working against you. First, the fishing is typically slow this time of the year due to the colder temps. Second, the locations you named are heavily fished public waters. Yes there are fish in Tom Bass and Buffalo Run lakes to be caught, but I wouldn't suggest to a beginner to start out there unless your simply happy no matter where you go or what you catch. Once you gain confidence in catching with freshwater lures it will make a tremendous difference. I agree with those commented above - time and experience pay dividends. Rooster tails are good all around lures for this area - with muddier water I typically throw a black yellow combination, something very silvery, shiny or white. White especially when the water is clearer. If you want to use bait an earthworm (nightcrawler) fished off the bottom or under a bobber almost always catches something (typically catfish and sunfish). Good luck!

Do not feel bad, I've been fishing for many years and still skunked. Be patient, read the water, and stick to your routine. For me, I fish a lot of soft plastics both fresh and saltwater. In the morning and let early evening, I will throw a hard bait. Good luck and keep grinding it out.

the large whitings should be in the surf soon. usually Jan-Apr. you can catch them easily on dead shrimp.

Don't feel bad, that's why they call it fishing and not catching!

Stay at it, and read and observe, and talk to people you see catching fish and don't be shy to ask!
I've been fishing over 65+ years and I still get skunked way more than I've been catching lately, but you'll figure it out!

It all comes down to time on the water...watch what the successful fishermen are doing,then emulate them...firsts d foremost, hire a guide, and be sure to ask lots of questions!

You got a small boat you can fish from that has an anchor and a trolling motor? When I fished lakes and ponds near Wichita Falls, I used a small 10' aluminum boat and 15 # thrust Minn Kota - same when I fished L. Texoma. I stayed shallow and covered a lot of water casting to shore lines, parallel to them in in coves.
Started doing well with light ball head jigs and soft plastic lures. Even caught an 8lb alligator gar on one after the lure dropped off the edge of the ice.

Pretty much everything will strike soft plastics and at times crankbaits that I trolled such as Rapalas that caught this bass and sunfish:


Crappie Magnet grubs also do well for most species:


Curl tail grubs are the first lures I ever caught fish on:


8# test braid helps with lure action as well as a medium action rod and spinning reel with smooth drag and 4:1 or faster ratio.

Lure action and retrieve type is far more important than lure color but depth fished and location is more important than any of it.
Go out as often as you can and learn some waters. Sonar helps and go for as cheaply as 100 bucks. Saves a lot of time learning depths and structure areas (drop off, points, humps, etc,)

Keep asking for advice of the experienced anglers on this forum to expand your knowledge base along with your own experience which you can't help learn from. Catching fish is the final outcome of putting ideas to work and learning more and more with every outing.

If you are targeting bass at all you should read the book High Percentage Fishing by Josh Alwine.

Also don't over gun yourself when it comes to your rod and reel.
On clear water fish can be line shy, and lighter line will increase you chances tremendously.
Heavy line also can kill the action of your lure
An ultralight to medium action rod and reel with 8 to 10# test line is a good base setup to just catch fish.
Most fish you will catch just about on any body of water can be caught with that gear using small in-line spinners or spoons, soft bodied swim baits on a jig head, and small crank baits.
I've caught very large fish on a tiny flea fly jig and light line, so just remember to set your drag properly when fishing light line as you never know what might grab a hold of it.

disagree

IMO fish can't associate line diameter any more than they can treble hooks. Proven long ago, fish eyesight underwater is as superior to an eagle's above water but unlike an eagle always on the lookout for prey, fish aren't capable of knowing or associating lures to anything remotely resembling prey.

agree

Lure action is key when it comes to lure selection and presentation. Retrieve a lure the wrong way by imparting the wrong action or no action and fish won't react. Even the best lure designs can't provoke strikes unless lures move at the proper speed and cadence (or non-cadence) that match a fish's sensitivity level at the time and place fish are be suspended.

My experience has shown me that fish caught are mostly inactive fish. The only fish that are actively aggressive are school fish and pre-spawners where the distance between fish is short and sensitivity high due to a competitive irritability. The more irritable a fish is, the higher the chances of catching it and that's where lures come in by raising that level from zero to a level just high enough to make a fish attack.

Years ago when I owned a cat, I would attach a string to a fuzzy object and move it slightly across the floor. At first the cat would just stare at it. But after a few minutes, the animal would become very aggressive - moving fast to trap the toy over and over, but after four minutes or so the cat would lose interest. A fish's window of aggression is much shorter though and may strike a lure on another cast within less than a minute.

Anglers that concentrate on getting the color right, should be more concerned about getting everything else right about lure selection and presentation while keeping in mind that the simple reason angler's use lures is to make fish react.