TroutSupport.com wrote:Just tell your friends to get the DVDs if you liked them.. if you don't have them (Crusader, you're the only one I'm not sure if you have them or not).
I have all four
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
They are pretty good and helped me a lot when I was at the bottom of learning curve. Thank you, Tobin -- it is an admirable piece of work. You still need to put a lot of hours on water actively applying this knowledge, though -- without "field work" DVD's lessons quickly fade from memory.
Flounder DVD has been on hold until the next product is out.
Flounder is sorely overfished as it is (in my opinion) -- I both dread and wait in anticipation for this release.
So for those of you that have watched the Big Trout DVD and the Shallow Redfish DVD... would you recommend them to other kayakers?
It depends... I want other kayakers to stay away from my honey holes and prevent them from discovering remaining secrets not covered by your lessons -- therefore I recommend Big Trout DVD.
On more serious note -- I never got into big trout fishing. All I learned so far is that big trout fishing is very much about spots -- you could have 3 miles of awesome looking shoreline with only two 4'x4' spots that holds big trout in very specific circumstances. And even if you get a bite on one of them during your 125th drift -- you won't be able to recognize significance of it and soon wind will blow you over that spot. Ideally you know about that spot and approach it on foot and catch few fish before they spook.
Drifting for trout over 5' deep shell reefs in the open sucks from the kayak and is boring too. When they are thinly spread over huge areas with mud and shell in winter (e.g. Trinity bay) -- you can catch a few drifting and grinding entire day (but only if you work your lure right), but it is much easier to simply troll small shallow-diving crankbait.
Fishing for trout on clear-water grassy flats (like Laguna Madre) is different and I don't know much about it -- though I managed to do alright when I went there this summer. Probably thanks to your DVDs.
So, yeah, from my perspective shallow redfish dvd is the best for kayaker fishing Galveston bay area. I honestly tried to apply big trout lessons in winter, throwing corkies, making 2h drives to Anahuac NWR -- I wasn't very successful. Maybe I'll try Matagorda this year... But, alas, most of Matty is "too far" for paddler and by the time you get there morning bite is already gone.
I also find trout limits DVDs quite useful -- while you won't be able to chase trout slicks on a kayak, you will be able to understand what's going on and catch fish when opportunity presents itself and you happened to be in the right spot.