Advice for a new boat owner

[Rick Rarick]

After wading, kayaking and going with friends I finally bought a boat. So the question is this...where should I start fishing? I don't want to invade anybody's fishin' hole and intend to learn the area through trial and error but it would great to get a little advice.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[reeltime]

Start in a area you know and then go from there.

[dbarham]

mouths of bayous drains ditches and reefs and other structure is a good place to start learning

[Dawg]

What kind of boat did you get? Which bay system? The fish are eveywhere,you just have to find what they want for that area.

[Rick Rarick]

What kind of boat did you get? Which bay system? The fish are eveywhere,you just have to find what they want for that area.

21' center console. Want to learn about west bay. Thanks

[WestEndAngler]

21' center console. Want to learn about west bay. Thanks

If you want to learn a bay system best approach is to hook up with a guide, Captain Greg Francis aka "Aqua Pimp" here on the website has taken many new residents / anglers around West Bay and introduced them to areas and key targets that we see here in the bay. It is well worth looking into hiring a guide to teach you the area. West Bay is tough to navigate for any inexperienced boater we have many shell reefs and sand bars around the pass are very treacherous.

[Curmudgeon]

What kind of boat did you get? Which bay system? The fish are eveywhere,you just have to find what they want for that area.

Dawg's right! What kind of boat you have determines where you can go. The fish are all around.

[SUPER SPOOK]

be carefull

[Baby Tran Cat]

If you want to learn a bay system best approach is to hook up with a guide, Captain Greg Francis aka "Aqua Pimp" here on the website has taken many new residents / anglers around West Bay and introduced them to areas and key targets that we see here in the bay. It is well worth looking into hiring a guide to teach you the area. West Bay is tough to navigate for any inexperienced boater we have many shell reefs and sand bars around the pass are very treacherous.

Agree 100% on a guide or take someone/go with someone who knows the bay. That's how I learned it and STILL learning it years later. Also, when you have time, fill the tank with gas and explore. I cannot count the hours I have spent simply running shorelines, making mental note of water depth, etc. If you enjoy the water this is the best way to see, learn, and have fun. You do have to be careful and I would again repeat the statement of going with someone ESPECIALLY the pass area and where you can safely cut from bay to ship channel, etc. Get out there and have some one learning your boat and the bay!

[Robalo]

X2 on the guide. get Aqua pimp to show you around-that $ you pay may just save you 3 times that in damages!! Have him run your boat.

[Root Canal]

If you want to learn a bay system best approach is to hook up with a guide, Captain Greg Francis aka "Aqua Pimp" here on the website has taken many new residents / anglers around West Bay and introduced them to areas and key targets that we see here in the bay. It is well worth looking into hiring a guide to teach you the area. West Bay is tough to navigate for any inexperienced boater we have many shell reefs and sand bars around the pass are very treacherous.

X2... Make sure you have your GPS installed first. The guide can plot routes for you. It will be money well spent. Good luck.

[shallowist]

I like two of the suggestions above.... Booking with the Pimp will save you tons of time in learning and potentially dollars in repairs to prop or hull. The second of spending time just looking around and making notes, but I think you should change that to write some notes down. We all forget things when there are that many distractions. Notes about bottom structure or composition, presence of bait or fish ect. written down help you develop seasonal patterns that will improve your fishing every year.

I would also add these to the list.... Go slow in areas that you aren't familiar!! Install a high quality GPS with the best maping technology you can afford!! You will see many things marked, that you can explore, depth soundings are very helpful and many smalll navigable channels will help teach you where to run the boat. Split your time between fishing/catching and learning new areas, that is part of the fun of having a boat.

You don't have to be in a hurry to get anywhere, you probably aren't fishing a tournament. Way to many people make the mistake of drving from spot to spot, when you will learn and eventually catch far more fish for slowing down and understanding what is in the water and why certain areas hold fish seasonally, then finding other similar areas and figuring out if they do as well.

Last thought on booking a guide, make sure that you tell him why you are booking with some idea of the style of fishing that you like to do. Don't book a guide who fishes bait if you want to fish with artificials, or one who drifts if you want to wade. You need to develop a level of understanding and learning that suits your style. Greg, aka Aqua Pimp is top notch and one of only a handful of guides who fish West Bay extensively through out the year.

BTW. What 21 center console did you choose? Hull style, tunnel or not, and jack plate will make a significant impact on where and how you run a boat in West Bay.

Enjoy the boat and learing time!!

[Robalo]

X3 on Steve's post (Shallowist).

[reeltime]

All great info but another point nobody has metioned is how important it is you go out on a low tide like the ones during the weekend or Monday.It will give you a new found respect for running the water as well as many fishin spots.

[Rick Rarick]

Thanks to all for the thoughtful advice. I bought a 21" Champion, not a tunnel hull. It has a jack plate and trolling motor.