Funded by MAFWA Multistate Conservation Grant
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I’ve spent more hours than I can count on the rivers and lakes in Texas. Freshwater is what I know and where I feel most at home. Even though I grew up at the beach, I didn’t learn how to fish until I was in my 20s, so I didn’t know the first thing about saltwater fishing. This past weekend, I drove over 7 hours to the coast of Texas to see if I could figure out the saltwater bite.
The number of species swimming within casting distance of the shore is unreal, so I went into the weekend with an open mind to catch any one of them. Well, not to spoil the ending for you but after two days of fishing I didn’t catch a single thing. Let me tell you about the weekend and we can debrief about my mistakes so you can learn from them the same way I did!
Day 1 – Fishing the Surf and Jetties
My first full day on the shores of the Gulf I got up before the sun to find the perfect stretch of beach. My goal was to try surf fishing to get my trip started. Surf fishing is essentially just casting from the beach and out toward the waves. Typically surf fishing rods are longer and more heavy duty than a regular bass fishing rod. I didn’t buy any special rods or reels for this trip, though it could have helped. I simply got my heaviest duty rod and reel and did the best I could with what I had.
Before the trip, I had done a ton of research on lures to use, how to fish the surf, best times of day to try, and so on. I had learned that trying to fish in the early morning and early evening were the best times. My research also said I should try to cast past the point where the waves break where fish are congregated. I also read articles that described how to read the waves to find “the trough”. The trough is a word to describe a deeper channel of water between sand bars. Keeping these things I researched in mind, I gathered my gear and headed toward the beach.
When I got down to the shore, I noticed the waves were breaking way farther away than I could cast. That meant I was probably gonna have to go wading a good way before I could make my casts. I was about to start wading when I noticed a lot of jellyfish in the water. I found that every once in a while jellyfish get washed up to shore, and even though they might not be alive, they’re still capable of stinging. That wasn’t ideal. I took the risk and waded to do a little casting. I had to be vigilant as I stood waist deep in the water, but I made it out unscathed!
I fished this way for several hours and I threw all sorts of lures with no luck. I was using artificial lures – jig heads paired with paddle tail soft plastics, spoons, artificial shrimp, and the like. A couple things I think went wrong for me here. I’m not convinced I was getting my casts out far enough. Additionally, I don’t think I had a heavy enough weight to keep my lure in place when I did cast far enough. Wading deeper than I already was would’ve been unsettling because of all the jellyfish. So right before lunch I packed up and made a game plan for a location change.
Later in the day I headed to some jetties to see if fishing the structure would change my luck. I picked up some shrimp from a local tackle shop to put on some circle hooks to use. There were a lot of people already fishing at the jetties, so I didn’t get my choice of locations to fish from. I found a little empty spot between anglers and gave it my best shot.
The wind made my casts a little sketchy, but I made it work. I lost a lot of my shrimp when I was casting. I’d cast and I’d just watch my shrimp chunk go flying into the sunset. I clearly hadn’t perfected how to correctly put bait on the hook just yet. Thankfully, after a few casts I figured out how to securely get my bait on the hook. I saw one fisherman at the very end of the jetty reel in a red fish which was really cool! Other than that, it was a pretty quiet evening and I eventually packed it up and started game planning for the next day.
Day 2 – Hiding from the Wind
The next day I had plans to return to the jetties early to try to get a prime spot at the very end. I saw on the weather app it would be a little windy but I was determined to make it happen. I got up, went to start loading my car and felt the wind blowing a solid 33 miles an hour. It was brutal! And to make matters a little more difficult the wind was blowing toward the shore. Each cast I made hardly went 25-30 feet in front of me even though I put all my power into the cast.
The wind was like a brick wall to my lure and my line was all over the place. I made a change of plans to look for a secluded place away from the wind. I found the “Fish pass” at Mustang Island State Park that was slightly protected. It was still incredibly windy but I’m a little stubborn; I wasn’t going home only having fished one day.
I gave it my all for the second day in a row, but just couldn’t make it happen. I tried a variety of lures and worked my butt off against the wind but just never connected with a fish.
Sometimes all you can say is better luck next time.
While it’s a shame I couldn’t say I caught my first saltwater fish, I had an incredible trip. So many beautiful views were experienced, incredible birds were seen, and unforgettable memories were made. To be very honest, the awful wind was worse for my morale than not catching a fish.
Not catching fish is just part of the journey of being a fisherman. I’m proud of all the new knots and rigs I learned how to tie. I’m also proud of my determination and persistence to keep trying when things weren’t working out in my favor. To me, the puzzle you have to put together to find and catch fish is part of the fun. You take into consideration so many factors – the barometric pressure, weather, season, and so on – to pick the right lure that you then hopefully present in front of a hungry fish. Sometimes it works and it’s a lot of fun! And sometimes it doesn’t work and you go back to the drawing board.
For me, this was a big trip of trial, error, and going back to trial again. This trip I exclusively fished from the bank, but there’s a whole world out there by boat and kayak I need to experience too! There’s still lots for me to learn and I’m eager to get back out there and try again sometime soon.
Saltwater fishing offers so many opportunities to catch unique fish. Here in Texas we are really fortunate to have the opportunity to fish fresh and saltwater. Saltwater requires a different fishing license than freshwater in Texas, so be sure to check out Texas Parks and Wildlife’s website to find the license that’s right for you and your next fishing adventure!
