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Aransas Bay Packed

11K views 38 replies 29 participants last post by  impulse 
#1 ·
Aransas Bay, like I suppose the other bays, is overflowing with boats and fisherman this weekend. Large numbers of waders are fishing in the deepest water they can stand in without being in over their heads. (Word's out that current fish concentrations are around 5 feet deep). Standing hundreds of yards from shore in places like Paul's Mott, with water up to their armpits, and no conspicuous colors they are bolder than I am. Fishermen typically run that shoreline too close for courtesy and I wouldn't be surprised if some drunk or otherwise distracted boater runs over a wader.
 
#2 ·
I went out yesterday afternoon, and you're right.

I tried to head in before the evening rush started. There were a couple of guys launching, so I had to wait to get to the ramp. And wait. A couple more guys showed up and meandered down to the same boat. One of the first guys had to go back to his truck to get something. A couple more guys show up and hop in. Two more guys get out and go back to their trucks. They're all yelling and high-fiving, coming and going while I wait. Finally, all six guys are in the boat, and they pull away from the dock. And I hear the guy driving say. "Okay... beer check. Who wants one?" And he starts passing around the brews while the boat is still moving (without him steering), because everybody wants one.

And these are the guys who have the job of watching for people wading, up to their shoulders, hundreds of yards from shore.
 
#6 ·
I like Tilley hats but they don't have a blaze orange. I didn't know about Sheltas until your post. I think I'll get one. I think wearing Hi-Viz colors while wading is prudent. I don't need to show off my good taste to the fish, so fashion isn't a priority for me. The day before I saw those folks far out and barely visible I saw two guys in chartreuse wading off Traylor Island. Even from a distance they were easy to see.
 
#10 ·
I fished Galveston for the first time this weekend going out of the end of the Dike...TOTAL MAD HOUSE!!! No idea how people run out of there all the time. Im a normal Rockport guy and thought it was bad but nothing compared to over there.

This is one of the reasons I really like the Fishhide shirts. The bright orange stripe on the back and down the back of the arms gives me a slight bit of comfort when wading.
 
#12 ·
What the OP described in the post is a every weekend (Saturday) occurrence. The worst part is most of these people have no respect for other anglers. The see a guide boat with bent rods and they immediately slow down and idle up to you to see whats going on. Its terrible and the worst I have ever seen it. The areas mentioned by the OP used to be fairly open on most days, and only fished by a handful of guides in the area. Now everyone with a pontoon boat or a bass tracker is parked in Allyns.
 
#13 ·
best thing about Aransas pass area is most of those people fish the same areas. I lived down there for a while and even tho there might be 100 trucks parked at con brown harbor only 1 % of them catch anything. try fishing in the after noon down there. every one is drunk and off the water by 3 and you can have the whole bay to your self
 
#18 ·
Yesterday was by far my worst day on the water this year in AP. To all you idiots that were running wide open within 100 feet of someone’s drift.....your time is coming when someone decides to pay it forward. And where did these morons learn that motoring within a few hundred feet downwind and stopping in someone’s drift was acceptable? I’m glad my daughter was on the boat who had the cooler head and talked me out of being a hypocrite because I was real close to be the guy to pay it forward times 2. I’m used to the typical weekender shenanigans already and they don’t bother me so much, but this weekend it was on steroids.
 
#19 ·
I mostly wade fish POC/Seadrift and south and its not like other more populous places but summer weekends are still kinda bad, esp. Saturdays. I do everything I can to get out during the week, and in the summer I like to fish evenings (which helps) and at night (which really helps, but...gators). I also try and fish spots as far away from people as possible. Having said all that, I’m not much for government regulation but I really think there should be some type of licensing/safety requirements for boating. The jackasses would probably ignore those regs though and it would just become another tax on law-abiding people.
 
#22 ·
Port o was a circus Saturday as usual. But we were able to get out and on the water right at sunrise. We were planning on launching a clark’s to avoid Froggies all together and what seems like a mile walk back to the dock after parking. But when we got to clark’s to put in there was some JackAss that had his Majek anchored off in the launch with his power pole on his phone. If I wouldn’t have had my 20 year old son with me probably woulda lost my sh**. So we ended up launching at the fishing center.
But to some of the previous post it’s only going to be a matter of time before something happens to many guys out there running around WOT with there music blaring burning shorelines and cutting off fisherman’s wades and drifts.
 
#23 ·
If possible, I stay off the water during the weekends and holidays. Too many people that have no common sense. I don't know if they are just dumb or don't care. I had two dumb experiences last year. I was fishing about 20 yards off the intercoastal near Cove Harbor. Some idiot came about 1/2 throttle in a large 30' cruiser. He put up such a large wake that it almost sunk my boat. My partner was standing up and was almost thrown overboard. I had to grab him by the belt. The other time, at Conn Brown, I was loading my boat on my trailer. A large boat came by and put up such a large wake it threw my boat off line into side pier and threw water over the back of my boat. That is a no wake zone. Such idiots. That is one reason my gun is not within easy reach.
 
#29 · (Edited)
I'm curious...

If the water's 5' deep, why aren't they fishing from float tubes? They're cheap, they open up water you can't possibly wade, allow you to cross channels to get to the other side (try that wading), and they are a great platform to keep rods, reels, and other accessories out of the water. And, unlike a kayak, they take up almost no room in a closet and just a small patch of space in the trunk.

Not to mention the safety aspect of floating, not falling into a hole, not shuffling up a stingray, and presenting a much bigger profile to drunk boaters flying by.

Just a suggestion.

Edit: And I would add... If you fish from a float tube with waders, there is no exposure to the nasty water that can cause Vibrio.
 
#31 ·
??

I'm curious...

If the water's 5' deep, why aren't they fishing from float tubes? They're cheap, they open up water you can't possibly wade, allow you to cross channels to get to the other side (try that wading), and they are a great platform to keep rods, reels, and other accessories out of the water. And, unlike a kayak, they take up almost no room in a closet and just a small patch of space in the trunk.

Not to mention the safety aspect of floating, not falling into a hole, not shuffling up a stingray, and presenting a much bigger profile to drunk boaters flying by.

Just a suggestion.

Edit: And I would add... If you fish from a float tube with waders, there is no exposure to the nasty water that can cause Vibrio.
we don't keep 3 or 4 float tubes on the boat. :texasflag
 
#37 ·
I agree. I’d say most folks are courteous but the big thing I’ve seen is folks that don’t know who has the right of way when approaching each other perpendicular.

Also, if you don’t want to get buzzed, don’t fish in the highway. I hate when a kayak or boat is anchored up in a narrow channel, then yells at you when you pass him close. Warriors weekend is the worst for this type of thing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#38 ·
Drunks and Sharks

I just cant convince myself to wade out in the water past my knees. I been watching shark week. In the last couple months sharks weighing close to and just over 1000 lbs have been caught "in the surf..." here in Galveston and Padre Island, and that's why I bought a boat. To each his own.
:fish:Tight lines my friends:fish:
 
#39 ·
I just cant convince myself to wade out in the water past my knees. I been watching shark week. In the last couple months sharks weighing close to and just over 1000 lbs have been caught "in the surf..." here in Galveston and Padre Island, and that's why I bought a boat. To each his own.
Tight lines my friends
Yet, you'll brave the highways to get to the beach.

I figure I'm safer in shark infested water than on I-45 on a weekend. And the numbers bear me out on that one.
 
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