# Learning West Matagorda Bay



## wennis1 (Nov 5, 2008)

I have made an executive decision to start fishing West Matagorda Bay. I have never even seen the bay and want to go take a look tomorrow. Any suggestions on how to get in the bay safely? Is the south shoreline on the east end shallow? I normally fish EMB. We will trailer our boat tomorrow morning from Sargent around 8am. I know there is a tournament there but that's the reason for going so late. Is there anything we need to know? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

Lots of bull sharks so watch your stringers, tie them loosely or throw them in an ice chest. Lots of good guts on the south shoreline, several old pipeline trenches out there that make good structure too. There are some good drains near greens/cotton bayou area. Incoming tide should bring in pretty water from the big jetties and the bayou mouths are good on falling tides (of course)
Google earth is your friend


-mac-


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## Maybe Someday (Feb 8, 2012)

West matty is a fun place to fish lots of diversity. As smack said google earth is your friend. If you are going out of the diversion channel from matagorda i would suggest following someone out and WATCH OUT FOR LOGS AND STUMPS they are there. You can also run the ditch out of the west end. Once you have the diversion channel way down you can be fishing in a fairly short amount of time. As with any piece of water take your time and have fun.


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## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

West Matagorda Bay which I have fished for over 40 years is also a bay that will get very rough very fast as it is a deep bay.

Google Earth as has been said will help you see landmarks and even shallow areas.

This weekend with Poco and the Oilman's tourney going on might not be a good one to go though.

TH


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## worstSPECKanglerTX (May 30, 2012)

I can tell you from experience that if you are just learning a bay for the first time, you and each of your friends chunking a well known guide 100-150$ and splitting the cost from a guiding trip is going to get you there way easier and faster than spending 75-150$ on gas every single trip combined with your truck gas - and probably going through every headache imaginable which is usually eliminated on a well guided trip.

It's way worth it and I wish I would have done it for certain areas.


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## EBHunter (Jul 23, 2004)

Like TH said, it may not be the best weekend to go to West Bay. Launching and fishing in the Matagorda area will be crazy on Saturday.


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## bait buckit (Aug 30, 2011)

What kind of boat do you have


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## bait buckit (Aug 30, 2011)

If you have a shallow boat put in at river bin hit the new cut in to the diversion chanel stay in the middle once you pass the big poll you will start to see the pvc keep them on your left an stay close to them an dont head right till you pass the cone then youll be ok then hit the shore line you can stay fairlly close till you get to oil field then you need to get out to deep water to avod the bare at cottons an greens. Fishing is useally good there an like mac said watch for the sharks. Or hit the intercoastal an head out mad island an blast strait across good luck


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## bubbas kenner (Sep 4, 2010)

I fished it yesterday west matty was muddy.Put in at Russels' went with a guide it was a grind in that muddy water.It seems to be a place that is a must to be familiar with the reefs and other obstruction have a good GPS and mark your tracks.


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## ratherbfishinchick (Apr 5, 2011)

We've fished West Bay going on five years and have yet to come in contact with any sharks. Now there are getting to be more and more porpoises. If you're new to the bay I would defiantly go with someone that knows it your first run out. You have to watch the tides if your going out of the diversion channel. Good luck!


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## PutTheForearmOn_em!! (May 13, 2012)

I have been fishing matty for over 6 years now... and I havn't seen a SHARK not even one in the bay, and definitely no bulls. The surf is a different story. We fish east bay usually though so I don't have much help for you in West bay. Sorry.... and GOOD LUCK AND TIGHT LINES


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

PutTheForearmOn_em!! said:


> I have been fishing matty for over 6 years now... and I havn't seen a SHARK not even one in the bay, and definitely no bulls. The surf is a different story. We fish east bay usually though so I don't have much help for you in West bay. Sorry.... and GOOD LUCK AND TIGHT LINES


West matagorda bay! Not east matagorda. Whoever says theres no sharks there is crazy. I can understand not seeing them but theyre around. West matty has the jetties right around the corner. Nearly every trip out there in the early morning when its calm in the summer ive seen bulls working the shallows. Like trouthunter stated, west matty is overall deeper than east matty and more open, i guess thats why there are more men in grey suits. Not trying to scare anyone off, just stating a fact. Ive fished west matty since the late 80's but more in the last ten years. The jetties and pass cavallo are full of them

-mac-


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## fattyflattie (May 20, 2008)

There's actually no fish there so please keep going strait to POC j/k. 

As mentioned study google earth it will help tremendously. Cottons and Greenes are parking lots so if you can find somewhere close it's not as bad. 

If you have a skinny rig take the diversion channel as you'll want a deeper v if you run out the ditch. This bay gets big quick out in the middle. 

Please just be courteous while out there. I've been cut off, run up on, and just generally f'd over more in that bay than any other. :headknock


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## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

LOL! Smack he's never pulled a wade in July between Green's and Cotton's. 

It's not if you'll see a shark while wading there, it's when. Hopefully you see it before it gets your fish lol.

8' Bulls are the norm as are those pesky little sand sharks.

TH


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## worstSPECKanglerTX (May 30, 2012)

If you wade much at all sharks aren't even worth talking or worrying about to be honest. As someone else on here said, it's not if you will see them it's when and what's funny is that they are all around you when you wade and most people will never see 1/1000000th of the sharks that have seen them.

The big worry and anyone that has waded a decent amount knows this, is stingrays or drowning in an area that holds a good current considering most wade fisherman do not even wear a PFD.

Shuffle your feet and wear pfd's around the passes - those are your two worry's. Doesn't matter how cool you thought you looked when you drowned over at one of the passes and leave your family and friends behind. Just putting it bluntly not being dramatic. It's a big issue.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

im not saying sharks will eat you there, just that they will eat your stringer of fish and fish as you fight them. worstspeck is right, sharks are everywhere but waaay thick in that area. just a precaution


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## worstSPECKanglerTX (May 30, 2012)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> im not saying sharks will eat you there, just that they will eat your stringer of fish and fish as you fight them. worstspeck is right, sharks are everywhere but waaay thick in that area. just a precaution


Yeah good advice. And I was just adding onto your post will add one more thing. Make sure you have a quick release on your stringer. Too many people have been dragged around by their hips from a shark and been left helpless. It's not a big deal until it actually happens. When those sharks get a hold of your stringer they will usually not leave a free meal alone and that blood from the fish they go after will really get them in a frenzy.

So make sure you have that quick release pin so you can just let that stringer go - don't tie it around your waist.


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## Westtexan1 (Aug 24, 2011)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> West matagorda bay! Not east matagorda. Whoever says theres no sharks there is crazy. I can understand not seeing them but theyre around. West matty has the jetties right around the corner. Nearly every trip out there in the early morning when its calm in the summer ive seen bulls working the shallows. Like trouthunter stated, west matty is overall deeper than east matty and more open, i guess thats why there are more men in grey suits. Not trying to scare anyone off, just stating a fact. Ive fished west matty since the late 80's but more in the last ten years. The jetties and pass cavallo are full of them
> 
> -mac-


Saw a couple of big ones last year in July or early Aug. I was so far away from the boat and about waste deep water if they wanted me they could of had me. I just don't think sharks think people taste good. BTW where this Cotten and Greens that you guys keep talkig about?


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## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

> BTW where this Cotten and Greens that you guys keep talkig about?


They are fictional places that are supposed to exist on a fictional place called the Matagorda Peninsula. 

TH


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

Add a few more to the parking lot!

-mac-


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## Westtexan1 (Aug 24, 2011)

That is where I saw the sharks last year I just didn't know that was the name of the area. Only caught a few small black drum and havn't been back. Thanks for letting me know the name of the area.


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## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

You should have seen Green's Bayou when you could run a boat through it into the gulf. Saw my first and last sawfish in those deep clear waters and one of the biggest hammer head sharks to date lol.

TH


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

Trouthunter said:


> You should have seen Green's Bayou when you could run a boat through it into the gulf. Saw my first and last sawfish in those deep clear waters and one of the biggest hammer head sharks to date lol.
> 
> TH


Thats sweet! How long ago?
Check out fishingscout, some guy posted a pic of a sawfish he caught, ill post a pic

-mac-


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## PutTheForearmOn_em!! (May 13, 2012)

Trouthunter said:


> LOL! Smack he's never pulled a wade in July between Green's and Cotton's.
> 
> It's not if you'll see a shark while wading there, it's when. Hopefully you see it before it gets your fish lol.
> 
> ...


Hints why I said.... "I fish east bay" smart ***.


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## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

> Hints why I said.... "I fish east bay" smart ***.


Wasn't being a smart ***...was stating a fact about the area I mentioned. And the OP wasn't asking about East Matagorda Bay was he?



TH


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## PutTheForearmOn_em!! (May 13, 2012)

Trouthunter said:


> Wasn't being a smart ***...was stating a fact about the area I mentioned. And the OP wasn't asking about East Matagorda Bay was he?
> 
> 
> 
> TH


Once again..... Smart ***.


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## ATE_UP_FISHERMAN (Jun 25, 2004)

The Colorado is sending logs down it non stop. My only boat incident was in the mouth. Bent my prop shaft on a stinking log in the middle of the main path. Several logs are submerged just below the surface. Hitting a big submerged log is not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. It's safer to run the ditch down but then you have to deal with ocean sized waves to get across. 
When you get there you have to deal with the submerged cement blocks and pipes the military left behind. 
If you think I'm full of bull use google earth and look at this nasty thing. It has eaten several lower units and even some hulls. Like alot of them it's unmarked and just below the surface and right in the running lane. I have like 10 of these maked on my GPS. 

28 30.457 N
96 14.059 W


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## Trouthunter (Dec 18, 1998)

Well then 

TH


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## Red Wrangler (Mar 18, 2011)

ATE_UP_FISHERMAN said:


> The Colorado is sending logs down it non stop. My only boat incident was in the mouth. Bent my prop shaft on a stinking log in the middle of the main path. Several logs are submerged just below the surface. Hitting a big submerged log is not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. It's safer to run the ditch down but then you have to deal with ocean sized waves to get across.
> When you get there you have to deal with the submerged cement blocks and pipes the military left behind.
> If you think I'm full of bull use google earth and look at this nasty thing. It has eaten several lower units and even some hulls. Like alot of them it's unmarked and just below the surface and right in the running lane. I have like 10 of these maked on my GPS.
> 
> ...


What are you calling the ditch? Mad Island Cut?


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## ATE_UP_FISHERMAN (Jun 25, 2004)

Red Wrangler said:


> What are you calling the ditch? Mad Island Cut?


ICW


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## cgrand (Mar 5, 2007)

having just completed building a camp on the peninsula i can confirm the following about west bay:

-it is rough as hell on a windy day
-greens and cotton bayou's are popular spots
-many sharks in the shallows on the bay side
-it muddies up quick when the colorado and tres palacios rivers swell

looking forward to learning it as well, espacially over the fall and winter


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