Inshore Spots

[FISHDIVER]

Hey all


I have only a few dives out of florida doing spearfishing. No fish yet. Shot at only two and missed. O well!My question is. Are there any places inshore that I can take a 19' Bay stealth with a 135 murcery on it. If not, can any one recommend any charters South of Houston? I cannot go for a couple of weeks because my Daugther is about to give me my first Grand baby as a present.

Thanks

[donmoore]

How far south of Houston? Freedive or Scuba?

I have tried to dive inshore a few times and never had any luck. One time I took the family camping on the side of the intercoastal way south through the Landcut before Port Mansville. After looking at the water for a while I decided there might be 5' of vis., so I put my gear on and got in with short gun. Just then a boat came ripping by. The vis went from 5' to 0’. After 25 minutes it started to clear up again and another boat came by with the same result. After 3 boats I gave up.

I have had other experiences with about the same result. It’s very hard to find a place inshore that has any clarity and deep enough water to dive. The only thing inshore spearfishing in salt water that seems to work is jetties at ports. Some people do very well there, but the times number of times in a year the water has enough clarity is limited. Another problem is most of the better inshore fish are illegal to spear.

[FISHDIVER]

Donmoor
I live in Rosenberg SW of Houston. I have heard of friends getting 10-15 miles out in the Gulf to rod and real fish on a calm day. I do not know what vis would be like out that far. I was in Tampa last week and we went out 30 miles in a 24-26 foot boat. Water was choppy going out however calm coming in.I would worry about storms or ruff water in a 19"boat. Has any one had any problem doing this distance in a smaller boat? What is the vis that far out? Vis was around 35" in Tampa

[donmoore]

There are days in July – September where it lays down and the seas get 2’ or less. I know several people who go that far in small inshore boats when it does that. One guy from my work went 25 miles off in a flat bottom boat about 4 weeks ago. Water visability is usuall great on these days in the distance off your talking about.

But there are such a thing as unforecasted summer squaws. I got stuck in one in a 20’ power catamaran about 5 years ago. 10’ seas with 60 mph wind! We made it with a lot of work and prayer. These storms are rare, but do happen. If they hit on a busy weekend, boats will go down. They tend to run along the first 15 miles of the shore, right were you will be. There is not much you can do, but make sure your life jackets are handy, have ERIPS and radio, have wet suits and fins on or be ready to be them on, boat insurance paid, etc..

There were some warning signs that could be helpful. Of course we could see a big dark rain cloud going all the way down to the water miles ahead of us. We could also tell that the cloud was moving our way fairly fast. The color of air was a weird grey and kind of smelled. Then right when we started getting a small wind, the temperature dropped about 15 degrees. Right then we should have put our wet suits, masks, fins, and life vests on. We waited another 20 minutes and then the major wind and waves hit us. At the point it was impossible to find and put much gear on.

The storm hit us when we were about 12 miles from Port and about 4 miles off the beach. We decided that if we took a major wave into the boat and it was still running we were going to head, as fast as it would go, toward the beach. Fortunately that point never came. These storms move fast so if you can stay afloat 30 minutes you will be through the worst part.

[Asturven]

Fishdiver,

I am in Houston too.There are several days during summer that you can go out in that kind of boat.
The best visibility is in October and November in this zone of the Gulf, but you will find closer rigs with perfect vis to fish.

Cheers

Ivan

[Whitecustomguns]

I run a 22' blue wave offshore 20 miles on good days out of Port A and Pachery. The bigest safety risk is bay boats dont shed water like offshore boats do. If you take a wave over the bow the water stays in the boat for a lot longer than a true offshore type boat. This makes it easy for your boat to take more waves over the bow. I read a book that is sold a ''hastings book store" named ''Disasters at Sea" it is writen from the reports given to insurance companys. It says the number one reason boats sink is from taking water over the bow of the boat, and the number two reason is from hiting floating objects in the water. Your boat and my boat are everything that that book says not to take offshore. Be safe if you take your boat offshore, make sure you do every thing you can to the boat to keep it from holding water.

[Seahuntress]

We are all experienced boat handlers on this thread. So you can all relate to this. It's the hull. I borrow and help pay for insurance on a 22 foot Hydrosport Center console that is perfect for going offshore. Because I know how to handle it.

Running with the Sea's. That can make an easy ride home for passengers, but we Captains know to be very careful...don't come to a complete stop. You can sink. Allot of people don't realize it, but I do..Its Broaching. Running down crest of the wave and gathering speed.

In fact taking a 30 foot boat out in 6 foot seas is, itself, a dangerous proposition.

Many people come to believe that just because they've been out in rough water a few times, that they're now "experienced." Not true. Understanding the effects of wind, waves and currents is not an easy subject to master. Waves behave differently under a large variety of different conditions, so that unless one is familiar with all, or at least most of these conditions, then one is not experienced. That's why to get an ocean operator's license from the USCG requires that an applicant prove that they have had a large number of hours under such conditions.

Hull design has a lot to do with how different boats will handle under different conditions. The simple fact is that the vast majority of boats sold today are designed for creature comforts, not rough water performance. The number of boats around that have good rough water capabilities are few and far between. One reason for this is that people are not willing to give up luxury and convenience for good handling characteristics. And so the vast majority of boats are best suited for protected, not open water operation.

Carla
Over 15 years Seatime

[FISHDIVER]

Thanks everyone for the information.

I am not one to take chances however I may soon try one of the inshore rigs on a calm day. I am a Paramedic with fort Bend and there are several fire fighter around this area that are scuba divers also. Most likely a couple of them will be with me. We'll see what happens. If any one gets a trip off shore let me know. Or if you have any charters you can recommend please let me know that also. I will be tied up with baby issues soon for a couple of weeks.

You guy are the best.And thanks again.fishdiver

[Scubaru]

If you were just itchin to sling some steel, on a good day you could hit the 9 mi rigs outta Freeport and have a sheephead shootout, with the occasional Ling & Snapper. You could also flatline for Kings during your surface interval. I've trolled for Kings around those rigs in an 18' Shoalwater before, when you got em to the boat, you just slid them over the side. Pick your day, and make it one during the week, and you should be fine for getting your fix. If it was a real good day you could push a little further west.

Then again, if you put in Sabine, you could double your options as to where to go.

RU

[gnominic]

I'm getting in way late on this thread, but maybe some people are still reading.

If you've made it to Mansfield you should be willing to stop at Aransas Pass. There are times when the Aransas Shrimpboat channel has 10ft viz. In addition, you can anchor your boat at the tip of Harbor Island. The channel comes up quick there, and there is plenty of current and boat traffic, but when the viz hits 12ft there you may see anything from King Mackerel to stone crabs.

After a "wheel inspection" at work, I work the sheet piles at the Martin Midstream dock, but you should never do that. Ha. They have to shut the dock down. But the dolphins work the sheet piles too, so you know there's a ton of fish there.

The Aransas Jetties are often diveable. Check with the folks at Copeland's dive center in CC for details.

In addition, lots of the flats around Ingleside would produce flounder, just avoid the Intracoastal.

In unprotected water I'd say just be careful with your boat. Like Carla said, it's a matter of experience, and you should build it up slow. When in doubt, go in early.

At the same time, we're headed for cold front season now, which means the very near shore sites will be relatively protected. But you must be extra careful since the weather will be on the head coming in. The Vancouver should be a good choice out of Freeport.

If you need some help taking your boat out, you could probably give some folks here a call. Most of us have been caught out in really bad weather and can tell you what to expect. But most important, don't leave out of the really bad channels during bad weather and an ebb tide. Port O'Connor is possibly the worst, but the smaller passes tend to be bad too.

-dennis

[bug_power]

Can't shoot kings in state waters....or I would have a few from Packery...those and Smacks. However if you wait until it greens up a bit, you can get some freediving at the Hotel over the water and the jetties hold fish as well. Plenty of dive opportunities. You can dive the middle of the hotel where fisherman can't get I've seen some decent fish in there.

[intotheblue]

If you need some help taking your boat out, you could probably give some folks here a call. Most of us have been caught out in really bad weather and can tell you what to expect. But most important, don't leave out of the really bad channels during bad weather and an ebb tide. Port O'Connor is possibly the worst, but the smaller passes tend to be bad too.

-dennis

Capt. Dennis shares some wise info. I go out of the Colorado below Matagorda... and rough water would likely have you pounding on the bottom there due to shallow water conditions at this time. I watch weather not only for offshore conditions now, but for ingress and egress conditions between the jetties... :(

[gnominic]

The most important thing for beginners is to learn the effect of tide on weather conditions inside or adjacent to a pass. It's amazing how an ebb tide and destroy what would otherwise be a good weather day. A big ground swell that would otherwise be great dive conditions can really pile up into breakers sometimes.

That's why the NOAA forecasts are inadequate. The bouy reports of wave conditions are worthless, not only because of their innaccuracy but also because they don't provide swell information or direction.

This should be a whole new thread, but investigate getting a grib viewer and downloading the real deal from commercial weather services. After the cost of the viewer the forecasts cost like a buck a piece and they are way more useful. We don't ever listen to NOAA forecasts at work.

But if you're new to offshore boating take some time and learn to forecast the weather yourself. It will take some time, but it's a great skill for all waterman (and of course, waterwomen). I recommend Chris Parker's book Coastal and Offshore Weather. It focuses on the SE US and Carib but the concepts of weather apply anywhere. You just have to decipher the charts, the topography, bathymetry, ocean currents.... you get the idea.

For short runs out fo the passes your boat is fine though. Lord knows I've been out in smaller, less capable craft than that.

-dennis

[FISHDIVER]

Thanks again for the information. I have been out in most of the bays and jetties as well as the serf in this area doing h&L fishing. One time I was on the south side of Matagorda bay when a storm kicked up. We made it back OK jumping swells mid bay. It was ruff. I have had the boat about three years now however I have not Been to any of the oil wells. If any one in this area is interested in getting a trip up let me know. And thanks again.