Fishing Lake Texoma - Striper Heaven It was a beautiful and breezy day when I stepped on the dock at Catfish Bay Marina at Lake Texoma. I had one thing and one thing only on my mind-Stripers. I made my way over to the guide docks. With my bottled water in hand, I looked for my designated fishing guide. Stan Constant was there, cleaning out his boat from the last trip out. When I approached, he asked if he could help me and I explained that I was his 2:30 appointment. He apologized for the mess but explained that his morning group had been large and rambunctious. I was grateful to go out at all. I had found it difficult to book a guide. Many of the guides will only go out with a full boat. Many simply never returned my phone calls and emails. No guide I talked to was willing to go out with just one person. Unlike saltwater fishing, lake customers don't usually share their boat space with strangers. I was grateful that Stan had agreed to take me out fishing. It was a bonus that he was easily accessible by the telephone and always returned my calls. He even called to confirm and remind me of our trip. Customer service goes a long way with me.   I was impressed before I even met him. It wasn't long before the empty soda cans were in the trash and the fish scales were hosed out. The boat was ready and we were on our way. We pulled around to the dock and I watched the fuel tank swallow forty gallons of fuel. I wondered how the price of gas was affecting the guide business. Gasoline sold at marinas is more expensive under the best of conditions, but with the current gas prices, it was just outrageous. Stan came out of the store with ice for the ice chests- now we were really on our way. He asked if I minded if we caught more bait. He explained that every morning he gets up at 2am to catch fresh shad for the day. However, the group just before me had used more than the normal amount. I assured him that I was in no hurry at all so we sped off to a distant shore in search of shad. Stan explained that the best time to catch shad was in the wee hours of the morning. Another factor that made the task more difficult was the fact that the weather had been so cold over the winter months that 98 % of the shad population had died. Soon we reached a secluded cove and anchored. Stan stood on the bow of the boat with his ten-foot cast net and pitched it in. Fortunately, it didn't take very long for Stan to get us enough bait. He handed me a glove to pick up the shad, explaining that it helped keep the scales on the fish. It is extremely important to have fresh bait when fishing for striper. He pointed out the differences between the two types of shad and had me throw back the stray crappie that the net pulled in. Then we were off to the other side of the lake to find fish.   Lake Texoma is a huge lake. I was thinking how easy it would be to loose your bearings on this lake if one didn't pay attention to landmarks. Stan was explaining how important fresh live bait was to a successful striper trip. He kept assuring me that I would catch fish. I have been known in the past as a fishing jinx, and while I knew that he was a professional, I was still a bit wary of getting my hopes up. The boat impressed me. It was large, wide, and extremely stable. Stan has a 200-horse engine to speed clients around the lake. He pointed out the sites all along the lake. We were staying on the Oklahoma side of the lake since I had an Oklahoma fishing license and not a Texoma license. Stan told me how he especially enjoyed family groups and the excitement of the children when they start catching fish. He also told me that many of his customers come back year after year. Before the end of the day, I understood why he had so many repeat customers. As he slowed down, he pointed out what I was going to see on the fish finder screen. It was quickly evident that my guide had the bottom of the lake memorized.   Soon we were anchored and fishing. Stan was an extremely patient teacher. I was used to an open spinner reel, not a bait-casting reel. He explained that we were going to fish straight down, below the boat. The fish had recently returned from spawning and were responding to cut bait much better than whole bait, so cut bait was the choice of the day. The most important thing I learned was the necessity of FRESH bait. Stripers can be finicky eaters. Within moments of putting the line in, I had a fish. It was incredible. He gently corrected me when I forgot the proper technique in my excitement. We threw back fish that I would have been more than happy with any other time. It was an incredible experience.   It was cloudy and he kept an eye at the approaching storm front as well as tuned into weather radio. He explained that he was a full time guide and usually took out two different groups a day, normally finishing his day at 10 pm or so during the busy season. He also said he fishes year round. Soon the jet skis chased away our fish, so we moved on to another part of the lake. Once more, we were pulling them in., often before the line would even hit the bottom. It wasn't long before I had my limit. I was tired. I had a blister from reeling the fish in and fighting them. I had bruises from the handle of the rod as I pulled the fish in. Sometimes I would even have to leverage myself against the side of the boat to get the fish in. There were times when I was pulling fish out faster than Stan could keep the rods baited. It was a wonderfully exciting event. FISH!! And I caught them!! The storm was approaching and it was time to get off the water. The biggest of my catch was 9.5 lbs. I was very proud and we stopped at my campsite so that I could show off the catch to my husband. When we reached the dock, Stan hung the fish all up, so that he could take a picture of my catch and me. Then he went to work cleaning the fish. Before long, he had my fish cleaned and bagged. It was now 9 pm and my fishing trip was complete. I knew that Stan earned every penny of his fees. He never once sat down the whole trip. I was tired and knew that once I sat laid down in my tent, I'd be out. Now that is how fishing is supposed to be. by Pat Spelling