Kids
Patient, hands-on guiding that gets kids catching their first fish — and hooked for life.
Austin · Central Texas · 26 Years on the Water
Lake Travis Bass Fishing Trips for the Whole Family
Patient, hands-on guiding for kids, families, first-timers and serious anglers — on Central Texas lakes.
Everyone Catches
Built for kids, families and serious anglers alike
The best part of my job isn't the biggest bass — it's watching a first-timer's face when the line goes tight. I build every trip around the people in the boat.
Family
An easy, all-ages day on the water where everyone gets in on the action — and the memories.
Trophy Anglers
Serious about a big one? I put experienced anglers on real shots at a Texas trophy bass.
The Experience
More Than a Fishing Trip
Every trip is about the moment the line goes tight and the whole boat lights up. We handle the boat, the gear and the know-how so you can just fish — whether it's a kid's very first catch or a personal best years in the making.
Real families. Real first fish. Real Texas water.
Meet Your Guide
Twenty-six years reading Central Texas water.
I'm Bryan Cotter — tournament angler, full-time guide, and the guy who's spent 26+ years figuring out the Highland Lakes.
Whether you want a trophy, a fun day of numbers, or just to get a kid on their first bass, I build the day around what you're after — and we fish out of a 2025 Phoenix 21 XE bass boat.
And these aren't stocked ponds. I guide real trophy water — the kind that has produced Texas ShareLunkers, from Lake Austin to Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin — so a true giant is always on the table.
- Half-day & full-day trips
- Corporate & group (multi-boat)
- All rods, reels & tackle provided
- Family-friendly · kids welcome
- Electronics & technique instruction
- Catch & release focused
— Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs
The Water
Sixteen lakes. One guide who knows them all.
Most guides fish one lake. We follow the bite across Central & South Texas, so you fish the lake that's right for the day you've got.
Lake TravisLargemouth & Guadalupe
Lake BuchananTrophy big-fish lake
Lake AustinGrass-loaded giants
Lake LBJNumbers + Guadalupe record
Inks LakeQuality bass
Stillhouse HollowBest for numbers
Lake Marble FallsHighland producer
Fayette CountyWarm-water power plant
Lake BastropHigh-density largemouth
Lady Bird LakeUrban Austin trophy water
Lake FalconFish of a lifetime
+ Five More →Canyon, Belton, O.H. Ivie…
On The Water
What's Biting Right Now
Straight from recent trips — what we're catching and where, updated through the season.
Summer is here and the fishing is still good!
Fishing is on fire right now! If you've been waiting for the best time to go, right now is a great choice. Every lake we're hitting right now, the fishing has been excellent. Lake Travis, Buchanan, Inks, LBJ and Marble Falls have been really good lately. We are catching plenty of fish up shallow on crank baits and soft plastics and some bigger fish out deeper as well.
Lake Austin has been fishing good also and with all the grass in the lake, it gives the bass a great place to pile up and feed in numbers. Other lakes like Belton, Bastrop and Fayette County are fishing well also.
If you are strictly after that fish of a lifetime or just all around bigger fish, Lake Falcon is always a great choice year-round.
It's always a great time to get that child on some fish. I would be happy to help you do that, so book your trip today!
Lake Travis 06/29/26
Had a great day on Lake Travis. Had a client take his 2 young sons, 6 and 9, out with me on this beautiful…
Read report →Lake Waco - FOM T - 05/23/26
Had the final tournament of the year for Fisher's of Men. My partner and I didn't have a great practice, not…
Read report →Lake Travis 05/09/26
Had a fun day out, taking my daughter and her friend. We had a good time catching a few fish just out…
Read report →Lake Travis 05/06/26
Went out on a midday trip on Lake Travis. A small front went through late morning but didn't last long and…
Read report →Recent Catches / Making Memories
5.0 ★ · 13 Google Reviews
Families keep coming back
The same words show up in review after review — patient, fun, great with kids. That's the whole point.
★★★★★He kept three of us happily fishing and catching across ages 5, 9 and 43 — no small task. Easygoing, skillful, and made sure everyone had a great time. We'll definitely be back!
Chris F.
★★★★★I took my 8-year-old son out for a mom/son fishing trip and Bryan kept us on the fish all morning. Patient and helpful with both me and my son — we had a blast.
Asher F.
★★★★★Sometimes you just want easy. Pulled up to the dock with our breakfast tacos and a few minutes later we were fishing. Fished the whole time, caught quite a few. So easy. Highly recommend.
Steve R.
Austin & the Highland Lakes
Your Lake Travis Bass Fishing Guide — and 15 More
Fishing Lake Travis
Lake Travis is where a lot of our trips start, and it's the lake I put more first-timers and kids on than any other — easy water, high catch rates, and a real shot at a quality largemouth in that clear Hill Country water. If you're looking for a Lake Travis fishing guide, you've found one who has spent 26+ years learning it, from the pre-spawn points in spring to the deep summer structure.
Family & First-Time Trips
Bringing the kids or fishing for the first time? That's my favorite kind of day. Patient, hands-on coaching, forgiving water, and a boat set up so everyone gets in on the action — the goal is bent rods, big smiles, and a first fish nobody forgets.
16 Central Texas Lakes
We don't stop at Travis. As an Austin-based bass fishing guide, I follow the bite across all 16 Central and South Texas lakes — Lake Austin's grass-grown giants, Lake Buchanan's winter trophies, Stillhouse Hollow's numbers, and more. Every guided bass fishing trip includes all rods, reels and tackle — you just bring a Texas fishing license and I handle the rest. See the full lineup of lakes I guide.
Trophy Bass
Serious about a personal best? I'll match you to the right lake for a real shot at a giant and put 26+ years of pattern-tracking and electronics to work finding them. Check trips and rates to book your Central Texas bass fishing trip.
Guadalupe Bass — a Central Texas Original
Want something you can't catch anywhere else? The Guadalupe bass is the state fish of Texas, and Central Texas is the only place in the world it lives. Most guides don't target them — I do, and we catch them on almost every trip. Learn about Guadalupe bass trips →
Chasing a fish of a lifetime?
Explore Texas Bass Adventures →
Multi-Day, All-Inclusive Trophy Trips
For a bucket-list run at Falcon, O.H. Ivie or Amistad — lodging, meals, guiding and gear all included — see my all-inclusive operation.
Let's Make Your Next Favorite Memory
Bring the family, bring a friend, or come chase your personal best.
Book a Trip