Trip Initiator: Blake Colburn
Trip Description:
After I ran the Bob Hall Pier outing this year, I realized that over the past years this outing is getting larger and larger. While at the Pointe Aux Chenes PACK trip, some members stressed an interest in doing an offshore trip. With that being said, this is why I am putting this trip together. Unlike the Bob Hall Pier outing, this event will only be open to PACK members. That doesn’t mean we won’t see other kayakers out there while fishing on the water. The way it works is we will all meet at the Myan Princess beachline and make our way on out to the rigs to try our luck at kings, lings, and things. This is not a tournament (This is merely an open invite to anyone that wants to attend.). It's just a way to get out on the water and to have fun hanging out while fishing.
The game plan is for everyone to meet at the Myan Princess beachline on Thursday, July 29th. We will launch around 6:30am. The exact location we will meet at is as such. Once you get through Corpus, continue south over the John F. Kennedy Memorial Causeway. Once you are over the Causeway, turn left onto 361. 361 will take you over Packery Channel and past Mustang Island State Park. Not long after you pass Mustang Island State Park, you will see Beach Access Rd. No. 2. Take a right onto Beach Access Rd. No. 2. This road takes you to the beach. Once you hit the beachline, take a left. You will see mile markers. Once you arrive at mile marker 80, park and prepare to fish for the day.
If you are new to BTB and this is your first trip out or if you have gone out but not very much and are still fairly new to BTB, please read. There are a few things you may need to know before hitting the water. First and foremost, please make sure you have your PFD on you at all times. The law states that you must have a PFD on the vessel at all times with you if you are 17 years of age and older (if under 17, you are required to have it on) but if you flip over and the PFD is not on your body, what good is it doing you? It would be worth your time to buy a good quality PFD and not the $9.99 version at Academy.
Another thing I would recommend investing into is a quality VHF radio. There are so many reasons as to why you should have a radio on you when you are on the water BTB kayak fishing of which I will talk about a little lower on this thread as you keep reading. If you need to figure out a good radio to purchase, please feel free to call me (832-588-7091) and definitely keep reading as I will explain a few things on a quality VHF radio to buy. If you do not have a radio, of which I hope everyone does, stay with a group of people while on the water that does have a radio. Safety is in numbers and the more people you can be fishing close to, the better.
Just a few items that people mentioned that were new to BTB in years past that said they needed to get the most but they didn’t already have were (in no particular order but I would hope the radio was at the top, lol) 1) radio 2) gaff 3) fish bag.
I also would like to say that when you show up to fish, please make sure you have enough tackle. There is nothing worse than showing up and not having the correct tackle or hardly any tackle and asking everyone to borrow their stuff. It's one thing if you need a swivel but to borrow someone's $20 Waxwing lure, only to have a break-off and lose it, that's not good. Unless you plan on paying for that lure, it's better to show up with your own tackle. If you are not sure what to show up with, please ask on this thread. I can tell you for sure to make or buy king fish leaders (the key bait for kings is ribbon fish or even live bait). If you want to make king fish leaders, check out Prof. Salt's YouTube channel (click on the link I have provided). He has a video in there that explains how to make king fish leaders and it’s really good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t82a8-iUXg&list=PLQJBYBKUYqnPLmBHYV8-j4rvJB298ZNxA&index=4
If you do want to arrive the night before and camp on the beach, make sure you purchase a beach pass which can be purchased at any Stripes Gas Station. Even if you are not spending the night, the beach pass is required on any Nueces County beach. The beach pass is $12.00 which is good for the entire year. Hopefully we can all get out there, have a great time, and catch some fish!
On another note..... If you want frozen ribbon fish for your king leaders, you will need to call the local bait shops in the area to see who carries it. Always call before going up to see if the shops have plenty of ribbon fish. If you are unable to find ribbons fish, then ballyhoo would be a very good second option. Some suggestions for bait shops that carry ribbon fish are:
Billings Bait Stand
13428 S. Padre Island Dr.
Corpus Christi, TX 78418
361-949-8692
Roy’s Bait & Tackle Outfitters
7613 S. Padre Island Dr.
Corpus Christi, TX 78412
361-992-2960
Red Dot Pier
11801 S. Padre Island Dr.
Corpus Christi, TX 78418
361-937-5347
Fisherman's Bait & Seafood
1101 Laguna Shores Rd.
Corpus Christi, TX 78418
361-239-4648
For those of you that are looking at buying a VHF radio and are not sure what to get, here are a few things to consider....
Many people try to buy the Cobra VHF radios and many times, not always, it's because of the low price. The Cobra brand is commonly sold at Academy. That is how I find that many find out about these radios. There are other cheap brands out there, not just Cobra. The problem is that you get what you pay for many times with these brands. Because of the lower price, you sacrifice something for the cheaper brands out there. I have explained in the past the five things to look for in a quality VHF radio but I have now found a sixth thing. Here are the six things you should look for in purchasing a quality VHF radio:
1) floats
2) water proof
3) it should have NOAA weather radio
4) at least a 5-mile radius
5) good battery life (if you are going to be on the water all day, make sure your battery will last)
6) Make sure your radio has a channel 16 emergency button so that you can reach coast guard immediately
The sixth item is the newest I have added to the list. The reason for this is that a common station that many are allowed to be on are the upper channels. Us kayakers choose channel 69 many times. Even though we use the radio for fishing talk, it's important to remember that this radio's primary purpose is for emergencies. What happens if you are on channel 69 and there is an emergency. On a cheaper radio, you will have to push through all the stations to get from channel 69 to channel 16 (channel 16 is the coast guard station). That is a lot of channels to thumb through. My radio has a button that has "9/16" on it (this is a common feature on some radios). Once I hit this button, it immediately takes me to where I need to be without going through other less important channels.
Another thing that is not necessarily needed but is a nice feature, is a channel lock feature. I'm almost definite this lock feature I am about to talk about will be the seventh thing on the list before long. On my radio, there is a button that has a key pic on the top of the button. Once I hold this down for a few seconds, it locks all of my keys. To reverse the process, repeat the same thing and it will disengage this feature. If the feature is active, a small pic of a key will present itself on the electronic screen. Once disabled, the key pic goes away. This feature is useful because as kayakers, we are limited in space. Constantly you will find that your radio buttons will get pressed somehow during the day taking you off of the channel you are trying to be on. If you are fishing with friends and you don't hear them the entire time, you will think their radio is off or has gone down. In reality, your radio channel is on the wrong station. Also, when you are talking to the coast guard, you will want to make sure you stay on the designated channel and not accidentally get switched.
Some of the brands that many use on the water that are considered reliable are (in no particular order):
1) Standard Horizon
2) ICOM
3) Uniden
I personally roll with the Standard Horizon HX300. For the value of this radio, it's hard to beat the quality and price. All of these radio brands are good that I just listed. I have heard people talk about the HX290. It has everything the HX300 has except one thing. The HX300 has a longer battery life. For a few bucks more, I am more than happy to buy the HX300 to have a longer battery life. If you find that you are the kind of person that is only going to be on the water for about half a day, then I could see buying the HX290.
One last thing I would like to mention. Sometimes I like to use TV's in relation to VHF radios. I consider buying a Cobra in relation to RCA. Buying one of the better brands is like buying a Toshiba. By buying a RCA, is that what your life is worth? We take a VHF radio for granted because we hit the water never suspecting anything will ever happen to us. If that time ever comes when you need a radio and you bought an RCA, I can only pray that it works for you. I know my Toshiba will as it has on a few occasions that I have needed it.
If you are looking at fish bags and are not sure what to get, here is a good option. This bag is durable and it holds ice for extended periods of time.....
https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/reliable-fishing-products-kayak-bag?hvarAID=shopping_googleproductextensions&ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=Shop%7CGeneric%7CAllProducts%7CHigh%7CSSCCatchAll&gclid=Cj0KCQjwl_SHBhCQARIsAFIFRVVUlyXSd2MFS1S4rW7PJVo-A4Orkuv86IedhFA6HlZH_xi8-Bslf2waAk4lEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Many of the fish bag companies are not making bags at the moment due to COVID shortages. The Reliable bag is on the expensive side slightly but a very good bag. I highly recommend it!
ONE LAST THING…. BE WATCHING ON WEDNESDAY MORNING. I WILL SEND OUT A NEWS FEED LETTING EVERYONE KNOW IF THIS EVENT WILL MAKE OR NOT. GOING OFFSHORE ON A KAYAK NEEDS TO HAVE VERY GOOD CONDITIONS. IF THOSE CONDITIONS ARE NOT GOOD, I WILL CANCEL AND RESCHEDULE THIS EVENT FOR ANOTHER WEEKEND. IF YOU ARE NOT SURE ON THINGS, FEEL FREE TO ALWAYS GIVE ME A CALL.
My contact info is: Blake Colburn 832-588-7091
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