I offer something a little different than most fishing guides in the Austin area! I offer what I call a “Coaching Trip.” My passion is fishing, and I enjoy teaching people how to fish! My Coaching Trips are all about education and learning, and less about running my honey holes. Of course we will catch fish, but the goal of the trip is not to catch numbers, rather to learn. I approach these trips as if you and I are practicing for a fishing tournament and are tying to break down the lake and pattern fish. My goal is to leave you prepared and confident to go out and catch fish on your own without a fishing guide. Whether you fish from shore or from a boat, I promise one of my Coaching Trips will be invaluable to your future fishing trips.
 
Prior to each Coaching Trip I like to speak with my clients on the phone. I customize each trip to each client to make sure you get the most out of the trip. Whether you are brand new to fishing, or already own a boat and are looking to get into tournament fishing, I will tailor the trip to you. Please do not think you need to be experienced already for one of my Coaching Trips.
 
For example: for more veteran anglers we can likely skip casting instruction and knot tying, and get into more advance topics such as patterning fish and reading conditions. Whereas with new anglers we will spend time working on the fundamentals of casting, how to retrieve various lures, and how to fight a fish to ensure you don’t lose them.
 
During our day on the water we will cover topics such as:

• Rod and reel selection

• Tips to improve your casting

• Tackle selection

• Rigging/ tying up various bait rigs

• Knots

• What colors of baits to use and why to chose them

• What baits to throw and why

• Understanding seasonal patterns and how they affect the fish

• Reading the conditions when you are on the water, and understanding how they make the fish behave

• What characteristics of a “spot” make it a good “spot”

• Most importantly, learning to fish patterns and not exclusively fishing “spots”

• Techniques I’ve developed to help you effectively fish in deep water

• Reading topographical lake maps

• Sonar Instruction- what settings to adjust, interpreting what you see on the screen, understanding what different sonar frequencies do, when to use them, when to switch between them, and how they affect the image

 
Just to reiterate, this is a description of my Coaching Trip. If you just want to catch a bunch of fish and have a relaxing time, book one of my regular guided trips and we’ll fill your limit! For those of you interested in further developing your fishing skills, this trip is for you.
 
BEFORE BOOKING A COACHING TRIP
 
There are a couple things you should know before booking a “Coaching Trip”.
 

• 2 anglers maximum, however I HIGHLY recommend fishing by yourself. I cannot recommend enough fishing one on one with me. You will have my full-undivided attention and it is easier for me to instruct you as you fish.

• I offer these trips as a half or full day trip. However, I HIGHLY recommend booking a full day trip. We are able to cover more topics and are able to cover more of the lake, thus allowing me to show you more techniques.

• Coaching trips are for Largemouth bass and Guadalupe bass only. These trips are catch and release only.

• Coaching Trips are offered on Lake Travis

• When booking a trip, simply include in the message box of the booking form that you would like to make it a Coaching Trip.  There is no “Coaching Trip” option on the booking form, as they’re the same rate.