| PINS "Again...Weeded Out" Surf Report
Padre Island National Seashore,
TX
May 17th-20th, 2008
Report by Oz |
April for the most part was an endless windstorm. The forecast actually
looked good for the first time in a while and couldn't fit better with the
full moon. With a couple good days for a weather window, it was a trip just
waiting to happen. I rocked down at low tide Friday night and driving was
good. At that time there was little or no weed on the beach. I made it down
and wind was still rocking fairly good out of the NE. The surf had yet to
calm down. I slept a few hours and woke up to rain around sunrise.
Despite the weather and dirty choppy water, I casted mullet out hoping
for a Red. After several minutes the rod goes off and a couple more minutes
later I get the fish in and to my surprise is a Jack.
I fished for a bit longer and the rain continued off and on. I crashed
back out in the truck for a couple hours and woke up and started again. Scott
was soon to be here and we were hoping to get shark baits out. Scott eventually
made it down and we stayed out of the yaks for the time being and continued
to just cast baits. Scott did end up with a nice slot Red after a while.
I lost two decent fish on cast baits but kept at it. The longer we waited,
the more the weed began to show. The rain and overcast conditions plagued
the day. Right before sunset the skies started clearing the seas slowly started
to calm. The weed was still present and being a pest but we kept cast baits
out.
During the night I had one fish on taking a large horse Mullet but
never got hooked. I kept a cast bait out all night until the morning. Come
sunrise, the conditions were absolutely beautiful. The seas still had a minor
ground swell with the tides but have slicked off pretty good.
I hopped in the kayak to do some scouting and getting some water depth
readings in the kayak with the fish finder. Once I get out, it is quite evident
that the weed would screw us on this trip. It was coming in thick, and while
scattered, the shear amount made for instant disaster if running baits. Around
debating what to do I pack it up and planned on kayak fishing near the jetties.
Scott would stay to duke it out in the weed for the next few hours.
I get down to my area and get the kayak rigged up and ready for battle.
I head out around 9am and get out around some structure but nothing
much around. Schools of Bonita begin popping up and destroying rainminnows
on the surface. I would chase them around for a bit but didn't have anything
small enough to toss to them. I leave the Bonita to their frenzies and begin
to get some baits out for some kings. It was slow and the first fish that
picks up a bait ends up being a large Jack Crevalle. I get another bait out
and about a half hour later a King finally picks it up.
I get another bait out but things slow down. I've been out for a couple
hours and decide to go closer inshore and perhaps nail some Reds near the
jetties. I trolled baits in and get another King slam a line. Not long and
I get the 2nd King of the day to the yak. WIth my limit of Kings I begin
trolling large Storms and have something pick it up over some structure I
marked on the fish finder. This was not a King, nor a Jack... but a fish
that would constantly do head shakes every few seconds. I fought the fish
for about 2-3 minutes before it spitting the hook about 15' below the kayak.
To my best guess it was possibly a Tarpon.
I continued toward the shallows. The chaos would soon commence. The
surface began to boil with action. This time they were not Bonita slicing
the surface, they were large Jacks car bombing the surface chasing and devouring
large Menhaden. I threw into the schools a couple times and instant hook-ups.
I have two Kings and large Jack in the fish bag, and start putting jacks
into the Hull. I could already foresee how this was going to go. I kept at
it chasing the Jack schools, with fish ranging from 5lbs to about 30lbs.
One point I saw a large Blacktip cruising in the middle with the Jacks chasing
the Menhaden... cool sight.
I was fishing and chasing the Jacks and lost them for a few minutes.
The wind was picking back up slightly and outgoing tide was creating a chop.
My fish fiinder started freaking out and though one of the Jacks in the hull
had knocked the transducer loose. I had the sensitivity of my fish finder
turned down but things were acting weird. I had the fish ID set to on in
the FF so every time it would mark a fish it would beep. The whole screen
went black and started to beeping like a machine gun. Then I looked over
the edge of the kayak to see a school of 100+ Jack Crevalles cruising under
and determined the Fish finder was just doing its job.
Once they showed up again it was game on. I began knocking out more
Jacks with Spoon'rs. At various times, a dozen or so Jacks would break off
from the school actually fight over the lure as it would hit the water...
badass. And when you would hook the one, a few others would chase it around
like typical mahi fashion.
Several hours being in the kayak and now weighed down with a couple
of Kings, and several Jacks, I decide to venture back to land. Sure I could
have stayed out the last 3-4 hours of day light and sink the kayak, but I
was getting burnt and hadn't ate hardly anything all day. Time to rest and
relax for a bit. I head in and begin discarding the rest of my chum/baits
and notice something come out from under the kayak. I rigged a mullet chunk
have it come out to eat it. Sure enough, it is a large remora that hitched
a ride to the kayak. But makes you think, what massive predator did it come
free with to tag along on the kayak?
I finally get back to land and get the Macs on ice and the Jacks in the Rockstar
Bait chest.
I relax a bit and load up the kayak and head back up the beach a bit
to get a couple baits out before dark. While rigging, I get a large Bonnethead
on a cast bait for Reds/Jacks.
The wind was starting to pick up and weed still sucked. The current
was ripping a bit but was tolerable in surf terms. Due to the week I yak
a couple baits in fairly close and 2 of the 3 get blasted withing a couple
hours but no hookups. I leave them out for the rest of the night.
Come sunrise I wake up again, reel in the rods, and head back to the
jetties to get back in the yak. I am on the water by around 8am this time.
Schools of Bonita are tearing up the surface as close as 100yds offshore.
I get out and begin trolling around. Almost immediately I pick up a King.
I get another bait out and begin casting a lure with the other rod.
After a while the bait gets picked up slowly and starts taking line. I know
it isn't a King, but what is it.. shark maybe??
After being dragged around for a while I finally get a glimpse. Is
it a shark? ummm no. Its another grander Jack. Oh well, just one more bait
to the box.
I get back and begin casting spoonr's near the channel and finally pick up
a nice slot Red.
The wind begins picking up pretty good by now I and head to a new
location trolling around surface activity and birds. Upon closer inspection,
I see several Tarpon from 4-5 1/2' rolling on the surface. The water is an
off color and I tried like hell to get one take a bait but wasn't going to
happen. I didn't stay long and would have had a better chance if I did. I
ended up kayaking back to camp... I had different plans.
I ended up going spearfishing. I got in the water initially just to
see if the visibility was worth it. After about 2 minutes of being in I came
across a nice Flounder in its bed. I went back and grabbed the sling and
found him once again and popped him. This guy went to making fish tacos later
in the evening.
There were also many Sheepshead around. I popped one and could have
had an easy limit but decided to be conservative and just go for the granders.
It was fun to swim with the wildlife and see the many Turtles curiosity
as they come up to you. There were many, many stingrays around as well and
had to be careful. I counted over 20 in less than a couple minutes. I get
back shallow and follow the rocks. I also notice many crabs chowing down
the remains of a King carcass from the previous day. There were a few stone
crabs on it as well and got to harvest some.
I get out of the water, eat and relax for a couple hours. Around 4pm
I move down a couple hundred yards and get some big baits rigged up for dark.
By sunset I have three 12/0's and a 6 out ready for the full moon.
Here she comessss. Is it a Tiger moon?
There was a big bait deployed in every gut and left out overnight...
untouched. Not only did the baits not get touched, but I didn't get cut off...
a first for this location. Both very surprising with the amount of bait in
the area. Oh well, figured the sharks were up the beach anyway but didn't
want to fight the weed alone.
Come sunrise I leave the baits out. I walked down to the rocks and
even though the wind is cranking, the water is still clear. I see a couple
cownose rays do fly by's here and there. Then I see a large dark shadow on
the flats... is it... YES! It is a small school of Cownose. I run to get
the castnet and comeback... I wait... and then ambush. Money!! More Rockstart
baits for a future super secret mission.
Overall it was a great much needed getaway. I got some good eats and
kiler baits. And while I didn't get serious with the sharks, the kayak is
always a blast when the fish are frenzying. You haven't lived until you have
created a nuetral bouyancy in the kayak with a couple hundred pounds of bait.
:twisted: The south winds are roaring as I type this and should push the
weed out for now if only we can get another break in the wind. Kip will be
in town tomorrow and i'm sure the next great adventure will be planned over
dinner.
-See you on the sand... errr yaks
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