# Yaken for bull reds:: UPDATE



## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

Due to beach conditions we will be meeting between Meacom's pier and Dirty Pelican pier saturday the 2nd. The last large tide, with strong currents uncovered large amounts of asphalt from old 87 past the barricades.

If you are coming from High Island. Go west(right) on 87 toward galveston. Aprox 1/2 mile from the intersection of 124 and 87 you should see a large sign and an old ,but somewhat working pier. This is Meacom's pier, 500 yards past it to the left is an acess to the beach. Once on the beach travel west for 1/4 to 1/2 mile. we should be about half way between the piers.

If coming from Galveston(ferry). Travel 87 east past rollover. Turn into Dirty Pelican pier. Take a left(east) at the beach and go 1/4 to 1/2 mile. We should be about halfway between the piers.

I will be between Meacom's and the Dirty Pelican pier at daylight saturday morning. I drive a grey four door Dodge truck, will have a yellow kayak. If you have any questions about gear or directions email me [email protected]

Now for the good news. The bull reds are on fire right now with 10-15 a person a day common. They are spawning and are very thick in the surf. With good weather and waves this should be a very fun weekend.


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## fishbagger (Sep 27, 2004)

sounds like a lot of fun! ive been baggin large reds on the other side at sea rim state park until my arm falls off. yakkin and fishing it just dont get any better than that. i would like to join the club. me and the ride will see you out there.


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## sharkski (May 22, 2004)

*Yaking for Reds*

Hey Jolly

We made it back from Naussa Bahamas late Sunday, Wow what a trip. But now we have to go to San Francisco for four days, man I love the wife's job. It looks like we should be ready for fishing on the 7th of October. Sorry to hear about Karen's dolphin. We will try and do dinner when get back from San fran.


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## Steelersfan (May 21, 2004)

TJ,
Unless I get a ride offshore this weekend, I should be there holding down the fort on shore with Buckeye trying to get some points. Will probably be tough with all the reds around though!


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## ZenDaddy (May 22, 2004)

Jolly Roger,

Are you saying past the barricades is completely un-driveable? I'm heading down to High Island for sure this weekend. (I'm already packed and ready to go?)


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

It is driveable. Just not the best area now to camp or get a few people together. The beach is not very wide past the barricades and with the added asphalt makes for short streaches of clean beach with long streaches of beach with asphalt. It is always changing and the asphalt will be covered one day and uncovered the next. The next strong tide might cover all the aspalt back up with sand. It has been in good shape for two years.


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## nasakid (May 21, 2004)

*Saturday*

Fishfinder and I and about 3 others are planning to fish that area on Sunday. Will you guys still be down there? If so, we'll stop and say hi.

-NK


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

nasakid said:


> Fishfinder and I and about 3 others are planning to fish that area on Sunday. Will you guys still be down there? If so, we'll stop and say hi.
> 
> -NK


 Some us are camping saturday night and we should fish until three or four sunday.


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## nasakid (May 21, 2004)

*Cool*

We should be getting down there around 7AM or so. I'd like to go past that barracades, but from the sounds of it, FF's truck might have a hard time making it down there. We'll probably set up down the beach from you guys wherever we find room. Probably will be crowded due to all the good reports lately.

Hope to see you guys,

NK


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## Fishin'fritts (Sep 7, 2004)

Jolly Roger,

I am making my first trip to HI thursday morning. i drive a two wheel drive truck. would it be better to go between the peirs or to the east of the barricades.


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## 8anbait (Sep 22, 2004)

Wondering what you think as a bull red because I had a friend living down thier and he said what you all think of as a bull is what we call a yearling up in Virginia and NC a bull red is a red drum 45+" just got me thinking becasue this is the time of year when we get alot of reds. Saturday i got a 47" an 48" last tuesday I got a 44 weve been getting some bull sharks black tips and sandtigers mixed in with them. some red pics from last year. Ill post the new ones when i get them developed and when my buds give me doubles..


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

Fishin'fritts said:


> Jolly Roger,
> 
> I am making my first trip to HI thursday morning. i drive a two wheel drive truck. would it be better to go between the peirs or to the east of the barricades.


 You should be able to drive almost any where right now on the beach with a 2wd. The high tides have clean the beach good. They just exposed asphalt past the barricades. If fishing with just a couple of people I would go past the barricades. If you plan on camping go between the piers.


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

8anbait said:


> Wondering what you think as a bull red because I had a friend living down thier and he said what you all think of as a bull is what we call a yearling up in Virginia and NC a bull red is a red drum 45+" just got me thinking becasue this is the time of year when we get alot of reds. Saturday i got a 47" an 48" last tuesday I got a 44 weve been getting some bull sharks black tips and sandtigers mixed in with them. some red pics from last year. Ill post the new ones when i get them developed and when my buds give me doubles..


Most of us in Texas call it a bull red if larger then 40". We catch them up to 50". Most are around 40". Comparing Atlantic reds to Gulf reds is the same as apples to oranges. The bay fishermen go after slot reds and this may be what your friend is talking about. The cooler water allows the east coast reds to grow much,much larger then in the gulf. I have a friend that lives close to the outter banks and he will send me pics of 60"+ reds. I in turn sends him pics of days that I caught twenty reds over 40". On the upper Texas coast we catch bull reds all year long. We have the numbers yall have the size.


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## Fishin'fritts (Sep 7, 2004)

thanks JR,

i was originally going with a buddy to camp out wed. night but he backed out. so it looks like im going to be there at sunrise thursday morning. also i have a good cast net but are there any secrets to bagging mullett? 
~Mark


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

Fishin'fritts said:


> thanks JR,
> 
> i was originally going with a buddy to camp out wed. night but he backed out. so it looks like im going to be there at sunrise thursday morning. also i have a good cast net but are there any secrets to bagging mullett?
> ~Mark


Mullet SHOULD be in the surf, but that is never a sure bet. Look for jumping mullet or some thing moving the water. If the water is brown you may have to blind through the net. The only secret right now is that they are feeding on the grass that backwashed from the strong tides. This grass sinks to the bottom. They will tail just like slot reds eating the grass. You will have to let your net sink longer then normal. good luck

Almost forgot they are starting to spawn. They will get in large schools and swim through the first gut,so many it will turn the water black. They will be very easy to catch then and the red fish should be right under them.


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## ZenDaddy (May 22, 2004)

Jolly Roger,

I'll be down on High Island this weekend. I usually fish the barricades - will you be on the beach between the piers surf-fishing or yakking? I'm all for surf-fishing. Kayaking ain't my thing - to far from terra firma for my liking. Is between the piers a better place to fish and camp?


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

A few people will be surf fishing,not every one is fishing from the yaks. And I will be on the beach fishing some in the evening. The area between the piers is better for camping. It does not get near the amount of traffic past the barricades gets. The beach is much larger and has no mud. One of the best reasons is the highway works as a semi barrier to bugs. They are not half as bad in that area. Right now they are very bad at the beach due to the flooding from the storm surge and high tides. With north winds they will be a problem this weekend.

The fishing is about the same. The only difference I can tell is the first gut can get very deep between the piers.


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## Thunder (May 22, 2004)

JollyRoger- It was nice meeting you this past weekend down past the barricades. I was the one in the red Dodge Dakota. We will be there again this weekend and will come fish with the group between the piers.


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## Bay Gal (Jun 1, 2004)

Hi Everyone!

Pelican and I will be there early, early, I hope. Looking forward to it.

NeverEnough--got a rental yak reserved that I'm "trying before ya buy". You can see it at: http://www.hobiecat.com/kayaking/models_quest.html 
Should be fun! We can all give it a go! LOL

BayGal


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## Neverenough (May 24, 2004)

Pam,

Looks like your going for top of the line. The Hobbie boats are very nice and you do get what you pay for. Also if you are going to be doing a lot of bay fishing in it you might look at the one that has the peddal drive system. The only problem i see with that yak is its not mine. I dont know how they handle in the surf, with the pointed nose like that it might have a tendecy to dive on you when riding a wave in. I guess the only way to find out is to try it out.

Josh


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## Bay Gal (Jun 1, 2004)

Josh, 

I'm expecting you to help me "put 'er to the test!" I wanna see you out there dragging a big ol' red on board with ya--liftin' it over yer head so all of us on the beach can see it! LOL

If I'm lucky, I might get agreement to get the rudder option. The pedal drive would make it a Mercedes-yak, and that's a little pricey for us. I did like the looks of those little flippers underneath, though! We can always "add-on" options later.

C'mon Saturday! I'm ready to go now!

ps. I got fishbites, and...a really cool little thing I found to keep from "burning" your thumb casting those big ol' reels.


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## ZenDaddy (May 22, 2004)

The car is packed and ready to go. I'll leave Dallas at 3:00 should put me at HI around 9:00 - if the highway gods are smiling on me.

Look for me in a gold xTerra with a hitch haul on the back. Stop by and say hello!


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## fishbagger (Sep 27, 2004)

*night fishers*

10-02-04 i will be at mcfadden beach at 10pm for a all night fishing slam-a-thon the fishing has been excellent all night long. all night fishers are welcome. do not forget to bring some off with you the fish are not the only ones biting its more like a feast. but its way worth it.i will be in a black 4x4 jeep with a yellow kayak. good luck to all this weekend!


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## ZenDaddy (May 22, 2004)

Hmm, no offence 8anBait - that sure is one huge fish - but looking at the surf and weather behind ya - I'll take the smaller drum and the better weather of Texas anyday. That sure does look cold ... and I'm an ex-Canadian who moved to Texas (I know cold!) I've fished in my shorts in December and January.


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

Just got back from High Island getting bait and the surf looks good. Maybe 2' waves with three good color changes off the beach. The wind looks to be laying down some today and changing out of the north saturday. A north wind is the best we can hope for. The beach runs east to west so a north wind knocks the waves down to nothing. With the front, full moon, four tides, good bait and jacks running the beach after poggies. Should make for some fun yak fishing.


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## Bay Gal (Jun 1, 2004)

Got our rental yak, Hobie Quest, and all the gear loaded for an early start.

See yall there!


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## 8anbait (Sep 22, 2004)




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## Old salt (May 21, 2004)

*Gundoctor is everywhere*

What is Bill Wilkins doing in 8anbait's pictures? LOL


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## gundoctor (May 20, 2004)

Scot, that fellow ain't got a white enough beard and is not old enough to be me and you know it. LOL 
Now go chase a ambulance, so you can make enough money to pay for you fishing addiction. LMRNAOTIH


Just so you can see the difference, here is a picture of me at HI a couple weeks ago.


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