Trip Planning Strategies

[Number_Five]

For those of us that live >150 miles from the salt and don't get to fish every weekend, or every other day for that matter. What is the best strategy for determining an area to fish.

Here is mine, but it doesn't always work, and am modifying my thought process with every subsequent trip:

1. Look at the weather three days before the trip
2. Once wind is determined, look at hook n line maps to get a starting point.
3. Choose what seems to be protected areas and has the bottom fish seem to be holding on according to recent reports.
4. Head down to the town I'm fishing (usually Rockport)
5. This one doesn't always happen but...let my friends talk me out of 1 - 4 and fish someplace they think will hold fish.
6. If 5 didn't happen, get to an area I suspect is full of bait (birds, flipping mullet, etc.)
7. Fish suspected area for a bit to gauge activity
8. Panic when fish don't jump on my line
9. Default to old habits from kayaking days and head close to areas I know.

Just curious if these are drastically different than what most of y'all do.

Five

[JimD]

I rec trying to poptlick someone that fishes down there all the time.

Take the kayak with you. Had more fun with the kayak at mid coast. the T120 probably needs to be a T100 but it works on those big muddy flats for old farts quite well.

[Number_Five]

Originally Posted by JimD

I rec trying to poptlick someone that fishes down there all the time.

Take the kayak with you. Had more fun with the kayak at mid coast. the T120 probably needs to be a T100 but it works on those big muddy flats for old farts quite well.

That's funny! I started a thread on the boat forum about a power pole malfunction i had, and the only real area to stop and assess the situation was about 300 to 400 yards from a group of waders. I was thinking, "great, someone is going to post about this a-hole (me) that was up in our business pot licking!"

I thought about the yak on the boat, but I already take too much gear as it is.

I guess the real question is, how many people strategize like this, then alter their plans once on the water?

I basically start out in an area I think is most likely to hold fish, but the last few trips have, well, left a bit to be desired. When I start thinking about new places to run I lose a bit of that edge I think I gain in the preplanning phase of a trip. To that end, with trips so far from home every minute on the water counts, so I get into a I don't know situation.

I go pretty often for a guy who lives so far, but i can't get out of this habit of ditching a plan and deploying the fishing parachute too soon.

Five

[Number_Five]

Originally Posted by billclemens

It's all about where the bait is. That's where the fish will be. Then you need some water movement, tide's and to a certain extent wind. For trout, you'll need to find green water, Reds, not so much. If you want to catch Reds, take your yak and hit the back lakes. There's pretty much always bait and if you have water movement, you'll catch em. Last thing is if there's lots of pressure with boats on every reef in the bay, go back home (that's just me as I don't like fighting the crowds on the bays).

I have a pretty good idea what I'm looking for in general.

But what is the strategy before you leave the dock? You can make a run in one direction or another, especially in Rockport. The question we ask a lot is...North....or South?

Are you committed to a certain area? Lets say you head to Mud island as your original starting point because all of the criteria above were met. You get there, and the water is dirty and there is minimal activity. So you decide to fish for a bit, but nothing is really happening. Do you try and stay in the same area and find the perfect scenario, or do you decide to make another long run somewhere?

Then when you make that run and look for all the right signs there is nothing is happening....keep running?

Just really curious how the rest of y'all react to situations like that.

Five

[Brandon1107]

I tend to look at wind speed and direction. I know the general areas fish should be at for the time of year. I use the wind direction to determine the areas then look for bait. One big point about my trips is knowing the tide before I go out so I'm fishing when water is moving. If my buddies ever talk me out of my game plan it happens when they have personally caught fish in their area in the last week.

[TROUTOMATIC]

I always plan my trips around the tide and adjust with the wind.

[valleyteacher]

I would be more concerned with the structure of the area than protected shores. Here at SPI, I fish closer to dropoffs if am next to deep water, or potholes when drifting on grass, so that is my focus.

What I would recommend to your plan is, once you have been given a "report" select several different parts around that same area and stick to it. If the report is correct, then fish should continue to come back to those areas. Your job now is finding what they want to eat, depth, retrieve, etc.

What's wrong with the areas you used to fish with your kayak? I still fish areas that I used to go to back when I had a 9.9 HP engine. Actually, because I could not reach many places, I was forced to "learn" that area. Now it is my starting point.

[troutsupport]

Originally Posted by valleyteacher

I would be more concerned with the structure of the area than protected shores.

X2 and to add to that... look for a pattern in the 'report'. For example, if the report says go to such an such spot - like traylor island... then that's a drop off - look at other drop offs with bait, birds, and slicks as well.

[Trailer Rig]

I have been in the same boat. Nothing more frustrating than aborting your well thought out plan prior to leaving the ramp based on influence from a friend. I also try to get info & recent reports & base my first wade on tide / wind / & bait conditions. The tide & wind will generally be a good forcast the night prior. The bait & fish being there is another story.