Matagorda Island – 6/17 – 6/19/2021

Matagorda Island – 6/17 – 6/20/2021

The attendance at this years outing to Matagorda Island was down significantly from the normal full roster due to a few likely suspects – Rescheduled from the original mid-May time, Father’s Day weekend, warm temperatures, potential for mosquito clouds due to all the fresh water recently, etc. The result is that 4 kayaks made the journey – The 2 Kens transported with Van while B & B came out on Bruce’s boat.

Ken and Ken arrived before 9AM to the docks and had our choice of camp locations. The new campsite covers were great! Both of us regretted not bringing along a hammock which would fit well strung between the heavy duty posts. Only two of these had tables, so we chose the northern site. Both of these tables have seen a lot of use and abuse and are showing the effects of time. (There was mention that PACK has considered sponsoring a table or two?).
We quickly set up camp and hit the water, heading west, since that is the shortest direction to some inner waters. We made an attempt to enter Pringle Lake along a southern route through the small ponds and dried mangrove, but eventually gave up and went the normal outer channel entrance. The shallow waters were warm, upper 80’s to lower 90’s, warmer than the low-mid 80’s found in the larger water bodies.

The shallow waters, 2’ or less, were thick with grass which complicated fishing, even with weedless hooks, so I was looking for some deeper water. But even those had no fish action for me. This was my first trip to the area, and tho I had heard terms like Army Hole, etc, I did not know the locations. I missed them on this day but did find them later.
Back at camp I rehydrated and relaxed, enjoying the steady ‘cooling’ easterly breeze, which just a short time previously had impeded my return to camp from the west! Ken H returned some time later, having travelled further to the west and worn out from his paddle back into the easterly winds, but also with no fish.

Bruce and Brad arrived right before sunset and quickly set up camp. We also were entertained by a large alligator that was hanging around just down from the camp. Ken H had spotted it when we first arrived. It appears that we have moved into its neighborhood!
That night it was still warm, but the 17 knot winds from the east made sleeping in the tent bearable! The winds also kept the mosquitos down. The winds died down some before dawn but the temps had dropped enough so that it was still comfortable in the tent.

A bit after 10PM we had our first indication of the visitors who would show up when a small sail boat came in to the dock area and began trying to secure items on the boat and the boat to the dock. It turns out that they were a part of the Texas 200 trek Port Mansfield to Magnolia Beach. The stronger easterly winds were not good for sailing, so they were motoring into the wind and the waves and the repeated pounded broke the lower bracket on the mast and the rivets popped out!

Back to fishing – Friday morning B & B headed out early with their kayaks still on the boat, headed to Lighthouse lake, where they would anchor and head into the waters to the east with their kayaks. Ken H and I followed a bit later, getting our morning workout with the 2.25 mile trek to their anchor location.

I caught an undersized redfish on entry to the bayou headed east toward Fish Pond, which I took as a good sign for the day, but it turned out to be my only fish for the outing! Via the radio we heard that fish action had been slow, with just a few undersized being caught.

I continued to the east, enjoying the winding bayou, with the flow to the west, sand bars and deep waters in the bends. It reminded me of some streams that I used to fly fish on, except for the dead mangrove lining the sides! I reached Fish Lake and was working the north shore. By the time Ken H reached the lake, Bruce had his drone out for pictures of the area, and he applied the name of Red Ken, since he was in a red Jackson Cuda while I was in a grey Viking. Red Ken seem to fit also due his preferred hunt is for redfish!
I exited the lake via the main boat channel, lots of traffic, headed toward Big Pocket. Along the way I met up with Bruce and Brad, still searching for a keeper fish. I continued on to the lower end of Big Pocket then south back to Lighthouse Cove, where I attached my new sail to the front of the kayak and used it to coast home! The winds were not as strong as on Thursday so the return was slower than I had hoped, but it still averaged about 3mph for the 2.25 mile distance. With gusts I did get up to 4mph, with no problems with the kayak – I have paddled it faster than that so would not expect any issues. One change I will make – I attached the sail to the bungees on the front, which allowed the sail to ‘bounce’ at times. I will attach it to a solid point next time. Total distance on this day – 9.5 miles!

Friday evening Bruce and Brad returned with one fish each, but feeling that was not quite enough for dinner the headed back out with Red Ken into Pringle Lake for some more. This did find some and we had an excellent blackened redfish/trout meal with rice and beans.

Texas 200 – After my return to camp a couple other small sailboats came in and in chatting with the folks found out about the Texas 200. The folks in the first disable boat were from Oklahoma, another from around Tyler and a third with folks from hill country towns. They stopped in at the park since that would give them a short jaunt up the coast to Magnolia Beach on Saturday (a Monday – Saturday event). They indicated that the event is open to any watercraft, not just sailboats. And in fact they were expecting a young woman to show up rowing a large canoe. Now, it turns out, that Ellen is a bit of a celebrity with some long voyages already under her belt and with big plans to row around the world!! She did show up, as you may have seen in the pictures. She has a web page at EllenMagellanExpeditions. Quite an interesting story for this Texas girl!

Well, some other impactful changes occurred on Friday – the winds died down!! There goes that ‘cooling’ aspect of the winds, but also the mosquitos came out!! Swarms of mosquitos!!

Another change – One of the Texas 200 guys found that the shower had water! So I go to wash my hair! Several others got a shower as well, up until Brad went for his – no water for him! An assumption is that the tank was filled for the construction crew putting in the site covers and so it still had a bit.

The mosquitos shut down any activity after dark and so it was tent time. I had a small fan with me that gave me the air flow that was helpful in getting comfortable through the night!!

Saturday winds were about 5 knots, so a bit warmer on the water! I stayed local since the while Red Ken headed back to the east and Bruce and Brad powerboated over to Lake Contee to the west. I landed a couple of undersized reds and a sand trout off the western end of the small grass island to the east – I found some deeper water there. I also scouted around the larger island just to the west of the camp, finding shallow grassy water and deeper water but no fish. I then spent some time at Army Hole after a couple of boats moved on from their mooring there. No fish, but water to a bit over 9’. Continuing west along the shore I worked the shallow grassy water near the shore then moved further out and found a couple of nice trout on either side of 16” in deeper water, 3’ – 3.5’. I then fished my way back to camp with no other takers.

Early on Saturday morning, while I was by the eastern island, I saw a boat pull in and dock near out camp. I soon saw a couple of bicycles on the shore and they headed into the island. While I was sitting back at camp, relaxing and rehydrating the two cyclists returned. Turns out they were a couple of beachcombers who had headed out to the beach, which gets relatively little traffic, and so is a good location for finds.

One pulled out a couple of their common finds to give to me – Sea Beans. I had not heard of these before – they are seed pods from various tropical plants that float around on the oceans until being found by a beachcomber, or other place of refuge and perhaps growth.

We all departed the island on Saturday afternoon. Van is most accommodating on changes to the schedule. We had cleared a possible Saturday departure with him before we went out on Thursday.
A most enjoyable outing overall. The fish could have been more accommodating, the temperature more temperate and the mosquitos less swarmy. But the people were most friendly and talkative and all the activity quite entertaining. I shall gladly return!!