# Learning Chocolate Bay



## whippersnapper (Mar 4, 2009)

Holy Smokes,

Went to Chocolate yesterday since its the fastest access to water from boat storage. I saw post on Chocolate and how fast you can get into trouble. It seemed like soon as you leave the channel it was nothing but oyster reefs. I mean went from 13-14' to less an 1' FAST. I bought the Hook N Line map plugged into my GPS. Still...:headknock. Saw bird working, surface blowups. Just a shame I could get to them or was a little scared after 1 or 2 reef scrapes. Looks like a good fishery how do you learn it w/o hiring with a guide?


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## Charlie Brown (May 17, 2007)

I learned it when the sun was up and a clear day.


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## Jerry-rigged (May 21, 2004)

whippersnapper said:


> Holy Smokes,
> 
> Went to Chocolate yesterday since its the fastest access to water from boat storage. I saw post on Chocolate and how fast you can get into trouble. It seemed like soon as you leave the channel it was nothing but oyster reefs. I mean went from 13-14' to less an 1' FAST. I bought the Hook N Line map plugged into my GPS. Still...:headknock. Saw bird working, surface blowups. Just a shame I could get to them or was a little scared after 1 or 2 reef scrapes. Looks like a good fishery how do you learn it w/o hiring with a guide?


1- The way you are now, just drive slower when you think there may be a reef... 

2-look for crab traps. If the crabbers can get there, you can. You may need to find a cut thru a reef to get there. IF you can see the top of the crab trap, you know how deep it is. If you can't see the trap, you probably have at lest 30" of water.

3 - Wait till winter and a good norther blows in and blows all the water out of the bay. Run out and get a good mark for where all the reefs are.

Edit - When my dad got his first tunnel hull 20 years ago, he was giving my uncle a hard time, saying you will need a new boat now to follow me... My uncles response - I can run anywhere the crabbers run, and you still don't fish where the crabbers don't run.


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## george.maness86 (May 29, 2012)

Google earth!!!! Thats what I do besides my navionics chip in my gps to learn. Here you can basically see where the reefs are. The red line is where I go in at. The reef basically lines both sides almost all the way down.


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## txdukklr (Jun 30, 2013)

run slow is my rule out there. I disagree with some of this feedback I think there are plenty of deep areas all over the place it's not just the channel. Issue is humps and shell reefs appear very quickly


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## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

The best map for Chocolate is F 127

It's been updated twice since IKE

The bay changes from low tide to high tide.... And what you hit

Wait until you hit an old duck blind, chunks of metal to what I believe is motor, numerous big tires, and the cement blocks from previous cabins.

Then you will appericate the shell.... 

Feel free to PM for questions... I have 30 yrs experience on that bay, and have walked (or sludged) most of the shorelines.
BTW - don't wade it... Trust me... Very few spots are wadable....

OH- and there are no fish in Chocolate....Barham caught them all


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## whippersnapper (Mar 4, 2009)

george.maness86 said:


> Google earth!!!! ...


You think Google Earth is accurate enough to show cuts in reefs? I can see them real clear the more i zoom in. I actually launched from FM-2004.


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## george.maness86 (May 29, 2012)

whippersnapper said:


> You think Google Earth is accurate enough to show cuts in reefs? I can see them real clear the more i zoom in. I actually launched from FM-2004.


While Google earth is a good tool they don't update enough but there hasn't been much change there since their last update. I believe they updated their maps this year, but usually every 2-5 years. I use this as a tool to help show me what is there but still run slow through the particular area to learn it and note depths. Slow is the key in new areas unless you like paying for repairs or possibly hurting yourself or someone else. I also use my navionics card in my GPS that has the topography and on my Platinum plus has Google earth overlay and much more. While navionics may not updater the actual maps often they have what is called the community which is users plotting different objects/obstacles as well as fish spots. These are uploaded and pushed out for updates to your card daily. When I first learned how to navigate SLP I used Google earth to figure it out. Basically just like everything else, they are tools and not to be solely relied upon but do help a lot in navigating our waterways. While under way My eyes are always shifting between my gps, crew, water in front of me, scanning for new obstacles, and behind me as well watching for other boaters in case they try to overtake me or needing to stop for CG, or GW for any reason.


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## george.maness86 (May 29, 2012)

Also if you are curious about a current track you ran or just plotted as well as a new route you want to plot. Once it is plotted you can export from your GPS in GPX and down load gps babel and convert it to .KML or .KMZ and open it in Google earth to see where it goes to double check. If you plot in in another program save it in one of the two file extensions I mentioned and open it in Google earth to see the route or track overlay on the satellite image.


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## okmajek (May 29, 2012)

its not bad , it just takes some time. there are cuts everywhere that aren't on maps...
Going the long way around is the Norm out there.. But its a small system so its not a big deal.
Pm for info that's our lovely piece of paradise also.. it can be as good as anywhere IMO


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## castaway300 (Oct 6, 2007)

take me fishing and i will share all i know about it with you.
castaway300

but remember what ever happens ...NFIC...otherwise my friends
at WEA will have my arse.


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## Flounder-Freak (Feb 3, 2013)

I live up the bayou and fish it when I can. Pm me if you need help... FYI there are no fish if chocolate bay or bayouðŸ˜ŠðŸ˜ŠI would go elsewhere if I were you.


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## okmajek (May 29, 2012)

okmajek said:


> its not bad , it just takes some time. there are cuts everywhere that aren't on maps...
> Going the long way around is the Norm out there.. But its a small system so its not a big deal.
> Pm for info that's our lovely piece of paradise also.. it can be as good as anywhere IMO


Nevermind..
NFIC !! I don't wanna get met at the bridge ....sad3sm


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## troutsupport (May 22, 2006)

take a trip with capt Steve Soule... he does real well in there and he's a great teaching guide.


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## Flat Natural Born (Jul 25, 2014)

Okmajek doesn't fish so don't get any tips from him!


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## deano77511 (Feb 2, 2005)

Flat Natural Born said:


> Okmajek doesn't fish so don't get any tips from him!


No but he rides Harley's ,bucks bulls ,surfs ,and skate boards !


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## okmajek (May 29, 2012)

Flat Natural Born said:


> Okmajek doesn't fish so don't get any tips from him!


I know all the sweet hydrosliding spots
Out in the bay.. nice burn hdl. R.R.


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## ILIKEHOOTERS (May 29, 2011)

Just an extra question about Chocolate on this thread.... I have always been told if there is any hint of a W/SW wind then don't bother trying it because the water will just be like chocolate milk( I assume how the name came about). Is this basically true or does it need to be more Westerly as opposed to SSW to mess it up? Thanks in advance for the answers.


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## Southern Solutions (Aug 1, 2012)

The reds won't mind the color. Just go fish it. If you need cleaner water then head to the south shoreline around snake island or over to cold pass. Not a long run from chocolate. 

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk


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## TheOneLeggedDuck (Jul 22, 2014)

chocolate bayou is actually where castaway300 towed me in when I owned my first Jon boat lol took little brother out fishing for his first taste in salt water action and about 2 hours into fishing I go to crank motor to run somewhere else and it did ru.....ru......ru....click click click click click, luckily castaway300 was fishing a tournament that day and saw me waving my arms and towed me in  little brother hasn't fished with me since haha

*Keep your booger hook off the bang switch!*


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## castaway300 (Oct 6, 2007)

ILIKEHOOTERS said:


> Just an extra question about Chocolate on this thread.... I have always been told if there is any hint of a W/SW wind then don't bother trying it because the water will just be like chocolate milk( I assume how the name came about). Is this basically true or does it need to be more Westerly as opposed to SSW to mess it up? Thanks in advance for the answers.


don't think that's 100% true.


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## Psychogatortrout (Jul 22, 2014)

ILIKEHOOTERS said:


> Just an extra question about Chocolate on this thread.... I have always been told if there is any hint of a W/SW wind then don't bother trying it because the water will just be like chocolate milk( I assume how the name came about). Is this basically true or does it need to be more Westerly as opposed to SSW to mess it up? Thanks in advance for the answers.


Find the protected areas and it won't be muddy.


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