# Most and Least crowded bay system?



## Gerald S (Jul 2, 2009)

You guys that fish all over, what do y'all consider the most and least crowded bay systems?


----------



## MRC311 (Mar 11, 2014)

East Galveston Bay.


----------



## Cam1127 (Jan 4, 2013)

Least crowded - Caranchua Bay. Never once seen a boat on it. Except mine


----------



## KASH (Oct 6, 2009)

MRC311 said:


> East Galveston Bay.


I would have to agree, sure was nice when the dike was closed after Ike, it was peaceful over there. East Matty is a close 2nd.


----------



## F N G (Apr 24, 2012)

Most crowded is Redfish Bay Aransas Pass-Rockport area


----------



## Reynolds4 (Jan 18, 2010)

East Matagorda is the most crowded I've fished. Pretty small area compared to other systems as well.


----------



## robolivar (Oct 7, 2011)

I havent strayed far from east bay in a few years due to the lower boat traffic.


----------



## TommyGun (Jul 16, 2010)

East Galveston Bay during June and July is probably the most crowded bay I've experienced. Coincidentally it is also one of least crowded when you move up into the far reaches towards the refuge.


----------



## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

Most- Rockport/POC area on the weekend
Least- Zephyr Cove

http://www.fishingscout.com/scouts/SmackDaddy


----------



## Gerald S (Jul 2, 2009)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Most- Rockport/POC area on the weekend
> Least- Zephyr Cove
> 
> http://www.fishingscout.com/scouts/SmackDaddy


I never see anyone while I'm in Zephyr. I don't know why cause I continue to pull 28"+ trout out of there every trip.


----------



## Poon Chaser (Aug 22, 2006)

Most... Clear Lake

Least....I'm still looking for it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk


----------



## bubbas kenner (Sep 4, 2010)

Mid week bay is least crowded love shift work.


----------



## Reynolds4 (Jan 18, 2010)

bubbas kenner said:


> Mid week bay is least crowded love shift work.


You are correct...I wish I had the luxury of fishing during the middle of the week.


----------



## tspitzer (Feb 7, 2013)

POC is busy Thursday till Sunday-just like Rockport

I like south of the JFK --lots of people but lots of room--I have never been potlicked there where I go you may see other boats but they keep the distance so far.


----------



## Capt Jim West (Feb 24, 2010)

bubbas kenner said:


> Mid week bay is least crowded love shift work.


Isn't that the truth. I'm getting tired of fighting the weekends.

Most crowed - Florida with Texas a close second.

Least crowed - Louisiana


----------



## Poon Chaser (Aug 22, 2006)

Lol








Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk


----------



## gater (May 25, 2004)

*Easy question*



Gerald S said:


> You guys that fish all over, what do y'all consider the most and least crowded bay systems?


Chesapeake!


----------



## Shady Walls (Feb 20, 2014)

Cedar lakes


----------



## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

I can't imagine anything being more crowded than POC on a weekend.


----------



## Kyle 1974 (May 10, 2006)

**** chaser said:


> Lol
> View attachment 1270593


It's cat head after the first Corky reports start coming out!


----------



## Poon Chaser (Aug 22, 2006)

Kyle 1974 said:


> It's cat head after the first Corky reports start coming out!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


You ain't lying. That area was covered up this winter. Hole sitting from 4am till after dark.

Lol

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk


----------



## tunchistheman (Feb 25, 2010)

Lavaca bay. Be no fish up in dat mug. So don't go there.


----------



## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

What could be worse than POC on a Saturday? Worst kept secret on the Texas coast.


----------



## SSST (Jun 9, 2011)

justletmein said:


> I can't imagine anything being more crowded than POC on a weekend.


I have never fished East of East Matty, but if there is a place more crowded than POC on a Saturday, I don't wanna be there.


----------



## sotexhookset (Jun 4, 2011)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Most- Rockport/POC area on the weekend
> Least- Zephyr Cove
> 
> http://www.fishingscout.com/scouts/SmackDaddy


I agree with Rockport even more so than POC.

On the other hand I put Zephyr at a close second but only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Traffic is nuts early week and I've yet to pull a 20" t rout out of there but have boxed 2 or 3 50"+ reds. Rays in there eat pretty good as well and they're thick. I think it's because of the brackish surf influx that runs through there from the west side of it.


----------



## Fish Aholic (May 13, 2005)

Per body of water.... East Matty hands down that place is a zoo!!! Rockport has the crowds but there is so much water down there that you can usually find somewhere to fish. 

Now for the least??? Probably Lavaca Bay


----------



## smokin lures (Apr 28, 2012)

least chandelier island
most anywhere along tx coast anymore


----------



## aguaflaca (Aug 11, 2005)

tunchistheman said:


> Lavaca bay. Be no fish up in dat mug. So don't go there.


X2
And the ones that are there are carrying around so much mercury that you can barely pick them up. I had to put a crab trap float on my stringer because they kept pulling it under. 
So y'all can just out of my mercury ridden no fish having bay system. HAHA
Really, very seldom is there a line at any ramp in the Port Lavaca area. I really like seeing all those big fancy boats coming right thru PL headed to POC/Seadrift.
Kind of funny that one of the least crowded areas and what some consider the most crowded are less than 30 miles apart.


----------



## Fishwish (Aug 3, 2004)

PINS with flat surf on a Tuesday in July can be surreal. May not see another vehicle the last 20 miles of beach. Of course, weekends and holidays are a different story.


----------



## cominahead (Sep 15, 2011)

POC on a summer weekend is getting worse and worse. not to mention a holiday weekend. no sure why so many in town several visitors not locals not sure if other bays get the same attraction but it is a show. my favorite is the older gentlemen at fishing center on holiday weekends rating the boat load up show hilarious.


----------



## going_deep (Apr 13, 2014)

Least...drum bay


----------



## Morpheus51 (Aug 29, 2006)

aguaflaca said:


> X2
> And the ones that are there are carrying around so much mercury that you can barely pick them up. I had to put a crab trap float on my stringer because they kept pulling it under.
> So y'all can just out of my mercury ridden no fish having bay system. HAHA
> Really, very seldom is there a line at any ramp in the Port Lavaca area. I really like seeing all those big fancy boats coming right thru PL headed to POC/Seadrift.
> Kind of funny that one of the least crowded areas and what some consider the most crowded are less than 30 miles apart.


 I live on the Bay and there is hardly any boat traffic. It is a rare day that a boat goes by. There is something I don't understand. I have my home for sale, but people are all enamored with Rockport/Port Aransas. From what I read and hear the place is jam packed a large part of the time. Port Lavaca has all the amenities that any one could want and if Port Lavaca doesn't have it Victoria does. Shopping, dining and healthcare, but especially fishing. There is no fishing pressure much at all in Lavaca Bay and all the other bays south of the causeway. The other thing I don't get is that Rockport and Port Aransas have built up big time. If it gets a hit by a hurricane there is going to be property loss that will be huge. Port Lavaca is on a bluff that is anywhere between 18 to 30 feet above sea level. Rockport is "trendy" but Port Lavaca is not. Port Lavaca also has lower property values and taxes. I don't get it. Good fishing and more affordable, just not trendy.


----------



## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

Morpheus51 said:


> I live on the Bay and there is hardly any boat traffic. It is a rare day that a boat goes by. There is something I don't understand. I have my home for sale, but people are all enamored with Rockport/Port Aransas. From what I read and hear the place is jam packed a large part of the time. Port Lavaca has all the amenities that any one could want and if Port Lavaca doesn't have it Victoria does. Shopping, dining and healthcare, but especially fishing. There is no fishing pressure much at all in Lavaca Bay and all the other bays south of the causeway. The other thing I don't get is that Rockport and Port Aransas have built up big time. If it gets a hit by a hurricane there is going to be property loss that will be huge. Port Lavaca is on a bluff that is anywhere between 18 to 30 feet above sea level. Rockport is "trendy" but Port Lavaca is not. Port Lavaca also has lower property values and taxes. I don't get it. Good fishing and more affordable, just not trendy.


Keep telling people how good it is and see what happens! Got any honey holes you want to share? Too much mercury in the water to eat those nasty fish anyway.

http://www.fishingscout.com/scouts/SmackDaddy


----------



## johndoughy (Sep 8, 2013)

Seriously, if you like port lavaca, don't tell anyone. Rockport was going to get crowded either way, it is a nice tourist town, alternative to Galveston, that is within easy reach of the port of CC and the Eagleford Shale. I'm happy to see the growth be in quality tourism instead of clubs, theaters, and strip malls.


----------



## T_rout (Jul 25, 2013)

I anchored up at the port A jetties one Saturday, if I saw 1 boat I saw 200!! It was rediculous


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Morpheus51 (Aug 29, 2006)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Keep telling people how good it is and see what happens! Got any honey holes you want to share? Too much mercury in the water to eat those nasty fish anyway.
> 
> http://www.fishingscout.com/scouts/SmackDaddy


 I understand your point, believe me I do. I had a gentleman that was interested in my house, but chose Rockport because my house was too isolated . I understand his point, but Rockport is a vacation destination and it must get crowded. My home is on the bay and the bay is entertaining as it changes during the day. I was told that buying a place on a canal in a vacation city can be a roll of the dice. IF the houses next to you are rentals, it can get noisy and the close proximity of the homes keeps the breezes down. Rockport is very nice, but you can buy more house in Port Lavaca and the taxes are lower. I checked.


----------



## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

What about the tweaker factor, how does Rockport compare against Port Lavaca? There is also the mercury warnings factor in the bay. Restaurants available too. As for seldom-fished places, I would certainly not post them on the Internet unless I was in the real estate business.


----------



## dbanksls (Apr 26, 2011)

Cam1127 said:


> Least crowded - Caranchua Bay. Never once seen a boat on it. Except mine


Yours isn't the only one, don't be letting the secret out

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Trouthappy (Jun 12, 2008)

I've been driving over the Carancahua Bay bridge since the early 1970s and not once was the water remotely green. That might explain it.


----------



## aguaflaca (Aug 11, 2005)

Trouthappy said:


> What about the tweaker factor, how does Rockport compare against Port Lavaca? There is also the mercury warnings factor in the bay. Restaurants available too. As for seldom-fished places, I would certainly not post them on the Internet unless I was in the real estate business.


as he said Rockport is trendy and cute (5 star restaurants and Orvis stores), PL is a working class coastal town (good Tex-Mex and Walmart).
Personally I'm glad it doesn't grow anymore, I like my property taxes right where they are. Well really I liked them better 20 years ago. 
Not really a tweaker problem, most of them are just potheads. The tweakers hang out in POC & Rockport where they can steal better stuff. 
And lastly, people's ignorance of the mercury issue in Lavaca Bay will continue to make them drive right on by, which is perfectly fine with me. I've been eating trout out of Lavaca Bay for over 40 years and I'm not crazy yet. Picture is me in 1977, when there was a mercury problem and we didn't know it yet.


----------



## rackemup (Jun 22, 2013)

least- tres palacios bay


----------



## Kenner21 (Aug 25, 2005)

Sabine was pretty lonely today, don't even think there were any fish home.


----------



## redfish bayrat (Feb 17, 2006)

*crowds*



F N G said:


> Most crowded is Redfish Bay Aransas Pass-Rockport area


 I agree 100%. Pressure in this bay system is unreal.


----------



## Jerry-rigged (May 21, 2004)

aguaflaca said:


> Kind of funny that one of the least crowded areas and what some consider the most crowded are less than 30 miles apart.


Easy answer to that, a 20" trout in Lavaca Bay is a trophy, a 20" trout in Pringle is a schoolie... Pulling the boat down from Victoria, they are 30 minutes apart, where would you rather fish?


----------



## trout tracker2 (Feb 5, 2012)

*most crowded bay system*

mostly crowded system has to be east Matty its always populated and there is no least


----------



## Cam1127 (Jan 4, 2013)

Trouthappy said:


> I've been driving over the Carancahua Bay bridge since the early 1970s and not once was the water remotely green. That might explain it.


It is very shallow and muddy. Believe it or not though, I have pulled 40plus inch reds, large flounder, and tons of smaller trout out of there. Seems to be the best around late summer, fishing along the banks.


----------



## Agwader (Feb 6, 2011)

Morpheus51 said:


> I live on the Bay and there is hardly any boat traffic. It is a rare day that a boat goes by. There is something I don't understand. I have my home for sale, but people are all enamored with Rockport/Port Aransas. From what I read and hear the place is jam packed a large part of the time. Port Lavaca has all the amenities that any one could want and if Port Lavaca doesn't have it Victoria does. Shopping, dining and healthcare, but especially fishing. There is no fishing pressure much at all in Lavaca Bay and all the other bays south of the causeway. The other thing I don't get is that Rockport and Port Aransas have built up big time. If it gets a hit by a hurricane there is going to be property loss that will be huge. Port Lavaca is on a bluff that is anywhere between 18 to 30 feet above sea level. Rockport is "trendy" but Port Lavaca is not. Port Lavaca also has lower property values and taxes. I don't get it. Good fishing and more affordable, just not trendy.


The water is better/prettier in Rockport, no refineries, houses are nicer (therefore property values are higher), Rockport CC for those who like golf and there's more for the women to do. PL is much more rural and RP has more of an Urban feel--it's all about lifestyle, in Port Lavacca it's pretty much all about the fishing. The differences are Night and Day.


----------



## rugger (Jul 17, 2009)

Agwader said:


> The water is better/prettier in Rockport, no refineries, houses are nicer (therefore property values are higher), Rockport CC for those who like golf and there's more for the women to do. PL is much more rural and RP has more of an Urban feel--it's all about lifestyle, in Port Lavacca it's pretty much all about the fishing. The differences are Night and Day.


Ding Ding Ding! Fishing aside, Rockport and the water around it is some of the most beautiful on the Texas coast. Not really a huge mystery why people want to go there.


----------



## aguaflaca (Aug 11, 2005)

Jerry-rigged said:


> Easy answer to that, a 20" trout in Lavaca Bay is a trophy, a 20" trout in Pringle is a schoolie... Pulling the boat down from Victoria, they are 30 minutes apart, where would you rather fish?


agreed, but there are good fish in Lavaca, just gotta know when & where.


----------



## Rip'n Lips (Feb 20, 2014)

*Port Lavaca*

Our family has a house in Alamo Beach area and I think the areas south of the causeway should be explored soon. I'm aware of those chemical companies next to this area of the bay, but I also heard that EPA have regulated them quite a bit after they discovered what they were dumping in the water. EPA is checking the water quality over there all the time now too.


----------



## fultonswimmer (Jul 3, 2008)

Well shoot. If I posted up my fishing pics from a very isolated spot in Port Bay then I would have to start yet another thread on those darned old "potlickers" that seem to be so prevalent on this forum. Nope....can't do that as I do not want Port Bay overrun and most are sick to death of the endless rants about "potlickers" and similar threads. I think I will just go back to watching reruns of Breaking Bad!


----------



## aguaflaca (Aug 11, 2005)

fultonswimmer said:


> Well shoot. If I posted up my fishing pics from a very isolated spot in Port Bay then I would have to start yet another thread on those darned old "potlickers" that seem to be so prevalent on this forum. Nope....can't do that as I do not want Port Bay overrun and most are sick to death of the endless rants about "potlickers" and similar threads. I think I will just go back to watching reruns of Breaking Bad!


not afraid to post pictures, it's a big bay with a lot of spots and most people are afraid or at least apprehensive of fishing there.


----------



## Morpheus51 (Aug 29, 2006)

Agwader said:


> The water is better/prettier in Rockport, no refineries, houses are nicer (therefore property values are higher), Rockport CC for those who like golf and there's more for the women to do. PL is much more rural and RP has more of an Urban feel--it's all about lifestyle, in Port Lavacca it's pretty much all about the fishing. The differences are Night and Day.


 I understand and appreciate your perspective. The topic of this thread was which bay system hast he most/least pressure. My point is that PL is a hidden gem on the coast. The reason the houses are nicer is that Rockport is more developed than PL. I agree with you. My house in Rockport would be $200,000 more and the taxes would be higher. It would sit on less land, jam up against the neighbors on a canal, instead of the open bay. No way that PL can compete with Rockport with the shopping for the ladies, but compaired to Port O'Connor there are tons of stuff to do for women. At some point individuals in Rockport are going to look for a spot where they can fish and not having to compete with other people. The water maybe better, but the water at the end of my pier, at night, under the lights, has fish. Port Lavaca is NOT a tourist town, but is that bad?


----------



## aguaflaca (Aug 11, 2005)

Morpheus51 said:


> I understand and appreciate your perspective. The topic of this thread was which bay system hast he most/least pressure. My point is that PL is a hidden gem on the coast. The reason the houses are nicer is that Rockport is more developed than PL. I agree with you. My house in Rockport would be $200,000 more and the taxes would be higher. It would sit on less land, jam up against the neighbors on a canal, instead of the open bay. No way that PL can compete with Rockport with the shopping for the ladies, but compaired to Port O'Connor there are tons of stuff to do for women. At some point individuals in Rockport are going to look for a spot where they can fish and not having to compete with other people. The water maybe better, but the water at the end of my pier, at night, under the lights, has fish. Port Lavaca is NOT a tourist town, but is that bad?


I second this.


----------



## rugger (Jul 17, 2009)

Morpheus51 said:


> I understand and appreciate your perspective. The topic of this thread was which bay system hast he most/least pressure. My point is that PL is a hidden gem on the coast. The reason the houses are nicer is that Rockport is more developed than PL. I agree with you. My house in Rockport would be $200,000 more and the taxes would be higher. It would sit on less land, jam up against the neighbors on a canal, instead of the open bay. No way that PL can compete with Rockport with the shopping for the ladies, but compaired to Port O'Connor there are tons of stuff to do for women. At some point individuals in Rockport are going to look for a spot where they can fish and not having to compete with other people. The water maybe better, but the water at the end of my pier, at night, under the lights, has fish. Port Lavaca is NOT a tourist town, but is that bad?


Good points


----------



## Spooley (Feb 24, 2013)

*Not saying*

Seems I am undecided for a couple of reasons.


----------



## fultonswimmer (Jul 3, 2008)

Hey Port Lavaca guy...I was not knocking your position. I was just poking fun at the thread in general as for most of us it is really a moot point as we fish where we live and have access.
I think the area around Magnolia Beach and Alamo Beach is rather interesting and I have seen a neat house on Craigslist that would be a fantastic place to live....it has three levels....small but very well put together judging from the pics.
I use to stay at the city park campground in Port Lavaca when I was into kayaking and we would hit up Indianola and the area around there for touring and fishing.
I have also always wondered about Keller Bay up near Olivia as to its fishing possiblilities as that would seem a "less" pressured fishing water than some.
Thanks for your input about your area.


----------



## aguaflaca (Aug 11, 2005)

fultonswimmer said:


> Hey Port Lavaca guy...I was not knocking your position. I was just poking fun at the thread in general as for most of us it is really a moot point as we fish where we live and have access.
> I think the area around Magnolia Beach and Alamo Beach is rather interesting and I have seen a neat house on Craigslist that would be a fantastic place to live....it has three levels....small but very well put together judging from the pics.
> I use to stay at the city park campground in Port Lavaca when I was into kayaking and we would hit up Indianola and the area around there for touring and fishing.
> I have also always wondered about Keller Bay up near Olivia as to its fishing possiblilities as that would seem a "less" pressured fishing water than some.
> Thanks for your input about your area.


10-4 on this. It's all in good fun. 
Every place you mention can be good depending on time of year and conditions. 
There are some nice little places at Alamo and it is super quiet and laid back out there. I pay my house in town off in about a year and am seriously looking at two for sake there now. 
And Keller is beautiful but can get more crowded than you would think, especially in warmer months on weekends. 
Tight Lines.


----------



## Mpace (Dec 18, 2011)

Most--East Galveston Bay when it is hot and I don't wanna be out there
with all of the Guidos. :help:

Least--East Galveston Bay when it is cool and I can be out there without all of the Guidos. :dance:


----------



## fishshallow (Feb 2, 2006)

Most - POC 
Least - Not exactly something I would post on a public forum as I would like it to stay the least crowded! 
The first time I saw POC called "The Best Kept secret On the Texas Coast" I knew that was the beginning of the end as far as fishing was concerned. I was young then and still knew what was in store. Talk about an oxymoron.


----------



## cwbycrshr (May 23, 2013)

Most - Rockport by far...any weekend from Memorial day to the start of school. 

Least - Lapesca MX (you didn't say TX:rotfl...especially with the drug wars going on. Shame too, I'd love to go back if I thought I would make it home not in a body bag.


----------



## Pat Harkins (Jun 28, 2006)

Gerald S said:


> You guys that fish all over, what do y'all consider the most and least crowded bay systems?


Most = just too easy 
Least = the graveyard at land cut


----------



## Capt sharky (Feb 22, 2012)

Dream on i call bs


----------



## SpeckReds (Sep 10, 2005)

Most is the one everyone posts picture of fish and talks about on the internet.
Least is the one where some people catch nice fish and does not tell anyone.
I have watched the Web destroy some great fishing spots. Ones where I never saw hardly anyone until stories started popping up on net.


----------



## netboy (Dec 12, 2006)

Opening day in Missouri:dance:


----------



## Morpheus51 (Aug 29, 2006)

fishshallow said:


> Most - POC
> Least - Not exactly something I would post on a public forum as I would like it to stay the least crowded!
> The first time I saw POC called "The Best Kept secret On the Texas Coast" I knew that was the beginning of the end as far as fishing was concerned. I was young then and still knew what was in store. Talk about an oxymoron.


 I was told when I move to Port Lavaca, that in 1958 TAM did a study about the coast of Texas and which county might be the most successful in becoming a vacation destination. Calhoun county, where Port Lavaca, Seadrift, and POC are located was the county most likely to become a fishing/vacation destination. In 1961, Hurricane Carla slammed into POC and pretty much shattered any hopes. The "Old Guard" in Port Lavaca didn't want the tourists in Calhoun County and things have stayed pretty much dormant since. If you look at Calhoun county it is bordered on three sides with water, yet nothing like the development of Rockport or Port Aransas has taken place. Development of the coast has happened from Corpus Christi north and Galveston south, concerning the bay systems. Right in the middle is Calhoun County. The Sanctuary at Costa Grande outside Port O'Connor was a major push for building, but a lot things have been against it. First the real estate bubble exploded and the building restrictions at the Sanctuary, have taken the wind out of the sails. It is a beautiful place. Extremely beautiful but there are no amenities in POC that should be there for a subdivision like that. As the development happens on the coast, it will move north from Corpus and south from Galveston. Port Lavaca is right in the middle. I checked on google earth and Port Lavaca is 146 miles from the Airport in Austin. 148 miles from San Antonio and 152 miles from Hobby. Can't get much more centrally located.


----------



## fattyflattie (May 20, 2008)

fultonswimmer said:


> I have also always wondered about Keller Bay up near Olivia as to its fishing possiblilities as that would seem a "less" pressured fishing water than some.
> Thanks for your input about your area.


Keller is definately not any kind of secret. It's got 4-5 boats in there more often than not. That's a lot for a bay the size of a pasture.


----------



## Copano/Aransas (Dec 18, 2011)

fultonswimmer said:


> Well shoot. If I posted up my fishing pics from a very isolated spot in Port Bay then I would have to start yet another thread on those darned old "potlickers" that seem to be so prevalent on this forum. Nope....can't do that as I do not want Port Bay overrun and most are sick to death of the endless rants about "potlickers" and similar threads. I think I will just go back to watching reruns of Breaking Bad!


I know what your talking about. Shhhhhhhh.


----------



## cpthook (Jan 16, 2008)

You would think Galveston would be talked about more on this issue, but actually most of the time we are solo with a few boats in the general area. Summer in East on the reefs is a different story but there is always areas that hold fish without crowds.


----------

