and Improve Yields Fishing Is For Everyone

BY ERICA HIRSCH

Not everyone will catch fish. Just the other day an acquaintance wanted to book a charter with Twilight Charters. He expressed that he had taken his young sons a few times with a friend, but they didn’t really catch anything. He asked me “What is your trick to finding fish?”. That is a difficult question to answer, as there is no easy explanation. Just like most things in life, you can get lucky a few times but to catch fish consistently depends entirely on an angler’s ability to read the conditions, make decisions based on them and put in the work to get the results.

The casual angler is often under the impression that you can return to the same spots multiple times and there will be fish. This can be true as we all know how “sacred” fishing sports can be to a fisherman. However, it is not realistic that it will remain consistent in one area for long periods of time. Fish move in and out of areas and feed based on numerous variables relating to weather, tides and barometric pressure. We know all of these elements are intertwined and should be considered when determining prime locations and feeding times. The more time spent on the water, the better suited you are to analyze the conditions and determine if your favorite fishing hole will actually contain fish that day.

Without getting too scientific, your best bet for a causal weekend of fishing is to do a little research on the weather. If the water temperature is colder, fish will be deeper and more lethargic. If the water is warmer, it has the adverse effect so look shallower and for fish to be more

active. Changes in air pressure can be good as it can cause fish to become more active, therefore increasing the bite. Fish have been known to feed heavily before a pressure drop (before a cold front) but stabilized pressure can also make fish more comfortable to feed.

Lastly, tides affect water levels so if the tides are low, your normal fishing area might be shallower than normal meaning it will hold less bait, or food, for fish. Tide movement is a good thing in that bait is constantly moving through an area drawing in feeding fish. If you are still not confident in your fish-finding capabilities, book a guide. I know a pretty good one!

If you are looking for quality, personal best fish, my advice would be to take up wade fishing. When it comes to my proclivity to wading over drifting it hasn’t always been this way. Drift fishing from a boat can yield great results without a doubt. For me, personally though, I feel

It was a unique and joyous experience watching her fly up from the bottom just a few feet away and strike my lure so hard she flew out of the water like a silver missile. I set out this winter to catch a trophy trout and although I haven’t broken the 8-pound mark, I feel a huge sense of accomplishment. I have been studying my fellow seasoned anglers for weeks now to try to learn their tactics. I’ve spent countless hours, sometimes 10 hours a day, targeting these big trout. I think that’s why this is so special to me.

Four years ago, I knew nothing about saltwater fishing. Despite the short amount of time I’ve been fishing, I have been eager to learn and done my best to listen to those around me while taking in every experience I can. It just goes to show that fishing really can be for everyone if you put in the time , put forth the effort and apply the knowledge you pick up along the way. If you’re interested in learning more about my fishing adventures or booking a charter, please visit twilightcharters.com and texaswomenanglers.com.

much more connected to the elements and in charge of my own fishing destiny while trying to move stealthily through the water. Some could say it is a bit more hazardous than fishing from the boat, but that only heightens my sense of accomplishment when I land a big one. I enjoy the physical exertion, giving it my all while walking miles through unseen water in search of something special. Being in the water brings you up close and personal to the conditions the fish are living in and you can literally feel the water temperature changes, see the type of bait clearly and determine the conditions and terrain of the bay floor. You are metaphorically “becoming one with the fish”.

I have been very fortunate to have some of the most productive and knowledgeable guides mentoring me. One of the most exciting things about fishing is you never know when that big heart-stopping fish is going to strike. Persistence tends to pay off and some days things just fall into place. On a warmer day a few weeks ago, trout had moved to sandy shallow bottoms hoping to warm up in the colder water temperatures. For an angler fishing the bays in the Laguna Madre there is nothing like seeing a big trout on the end of your line.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, I landed my biggest trout of the day at 6-pounds. My feelings of accomplishment were strong after grinding for several hours and executing to achieve the end goal. Imagine my surprise when not 30 minutes later I landed my biggest trout of

Isaiah 42:16 And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.

Have you ever been uncomfortable that even thinking about it makes you cringe? Ever worn a pair of shoes or a shirt/pants that makes you uncomfortable all day, and you can’t wait to get home and change. What are some things that make you uncomfortable? Conversations, situations?

Throughout our lives, we are put in uncomfortable situations on numerous occasions. For instance, have you ever had to get up in front of a group of people and give a speech when you hate public speaking? Have you ever had to sit bedside and watch someone die? What about losing your job and wondering how you will make ends meet? Been in the middle of a conversation you want no part of? The list of uncomfortable situations are endless.

We are all different and all handle the feeling differently, but one thing I have learned about being uncomfort able is to be comfortable. Makes sense right? I am no stranger to uncomfortable situations. But the older I get, the more I embrace being uncomfortable; in fact, I invite it.

I have learned that through being uncomfortable I am actually growing into the person I need and want to be. If things were easy, I do not think I would have an understanding of what it means to be in need, nor would I know how to speak as well, listen as well, or just be me.

These uncomfortable situations have shaped me. They have taught me things about myself. Being in an uncomfortable stage in life is not always fun. But once the stage is over is when the reflection comes and I see areas in my life where I need to improve and areas where I excel. I always say when God feels we have become comfortably complacent is when the “shake” of uncomfortable comes. It is time for growing.

Just as your crops go through stages of growth, so do we. God likes to use us for His good, but we can’t fulfill that if we are not ready. God gives us these uncomfortable stages to prepare for something great.

Had I started my magazine when I first had the idea, I don’t think I would have had it for 7 years. I was not mentally ready for it. But let me tell you, those three years I waited, I was terribly uncomfortable. I learned a lot that prepared me for this. Same goes for the TV show where I am still in an uncomfortable stage now. I know, however, it will be worth it in the end, and I am excited for the future to look back and see the lessons learned. When evolving, you must get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Know that discomfort is a sign of growth. Sometimes we are forced into situations that are less than desirable. No matter how uncomfort able you might feel, don’t shrink back from those difficulties or challenges. Instead, stand strong knowing that God is taking you to new levels in every area of your life.