Trip Report - PINS / Yarbourgh Pass
June 15 - 17 , 2007

Friday morning 12 hard-core PACK Members met-up at the PINS Malaquite Visitor Center.  The Park Rangers reported that beach driving conditions were fair, for 4x4 vehicles.  Half way down the beach we had our first 4x4 stuck in the sand.  With a little teamwork we were back on our way to our campsite.  Camp was located about 100 yards south of Yarbourgh Pass on the beach.  As soon as we had camp set up we made our way to the Pass and over to Yarbourgh Flats Laguna Madre.  Jason T got his truck stuck in the Pass sand.  We had to hook 2-4x4's in tandem to get his truck unstuck.  An hour later we were on our way to get after fish on the Yarbourgh Flats.  Fishing conditions: Clear sky, water clear to trout green, slight chop, with wind pumping in excess of 15 mph, Friday/Saturday/Sunday.  Everyone launched, and were into dink trout.  Finding keeper trout became difficult.  The fish we kept were few and hard earned, each and every one of them.  Friday night everyone fended dinner for themselves.  Barry S provided a apple pie for all to share.  Saturday morning we were up early and after the fish.  We started off fishing the flats, then moved over to the islands about 2 miles south of our launch point.  It seems everyone had their limits of dink trout.  Keeper trout were few and hard to come by.  Again, keeper trout that were landed we earned.  Jim R had a nice stringer of 7 trout that he managed over near the island on the famous Baffin Magic - Norton Sand Eel Jr's.  A few reds and black drum were also strung and added to the ice chests.  Multiple groups of schools of Stingrays were seen swimming all over the flats.  Saturday night we had a group meal of hamburgers with all the trimmings, Dutch oven peach/apple cobbler.  Sunday morning everyone was up at first light with the intent of getting a couple of hours of fishing in before heading home for father's day.  We stuck one of our 4x4 vehicles in the pass.  It took over 2 hours to get it dug out.  With the delay it was decided to break camp and head for home.  On the way back to Malaquite, driving conditions had gone from fair to terrible.  We had two vehicles stuck, and had to dig them out.  Upon our return to Malaquite where we were able to get a shower, we all agreed that the Park Rangers needed to change the 4x4 sign on the beach back 5 miles to the end of the pavement.    Everyone had a good time, PINS / Yarbourgh is one of the special places that needs to be visited and fished.  Mother Nature was kind to us, we saw deer, quail in the dunes, and schools of stingrays were seen all over the flats.  PACK will be back next year for sure.

Tight Lines
Ken J