# Matagorda Help



## Blake Tyler (Mar 21, 2009)

Me and a few buddies are staying in cabin down in Matagorda in August. We are staying in one of the ones on Beach Front Road. We will be there for the weekend and plan on putting out big rods in the surf out in front of the cabin all weekend long, neither of us have been there before. Does anyone have any tips or pointers about this area? Anything is greatly appreciated! Thanks!! :brew2:


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## chapman53559 (Jun 19, 2009)

http--matagordabay.com-

It is a fair piece from those houses to the water through dunes with rattlers. Watch your step.


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## Exta Sea (Jun 17, 2009)

I grew up fishing Matagorda myself, but have only fished the surf for sharks once before with minimal success. I too will be heading to Matagorda with a few of my buddies in Mid September. I plan on yaking my bait out in the surf, like Blake, anyone have any pointers as to a good place to setup? Thanks in advance.

Edit...Blake, I know from fishing for bull reds, best luck I had was wading out to the second sandbar and casting from there.


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## Blake Tyler (Mar 21, 2009)

Alright, Thanks, Yeah we plan on yaking out baits out also.


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

If you are going to fish in front of your cabin, then make sre when yall ride the beach to take a rod or two with you in case there are jacks or other fish. Will need some of them for bait.

I would suggest starting early trout fishing before daylight. Keep all skipjack you catch when trout fishing, and any other fin fish that can be used for bait. Chunk the skipjacks and everything else during the day for blacktips. Kayak some out, but also cast some as I often get large blacktips very close at Gorda 

In the evening I would run some large baits, if you can catch a jackfish or a ray during the day that would be perfect Run it before dark and let them soak. Also cast some ive biat, horse mullet works good, into the first gut at night. Very often large bull sharks will swim that first gt after dark, and like live bait.

Hope this helps, I will look for some of my gorda reports.


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## Blake Tyler (Mar 21, 2009)

Thanks Jolly! Yeah that was the plan, to bring some small rods and try to catch some trout in the morning and big rods out a little later and at night! That's some good info, I did catch a pretty decent cownose a few weeks ago that I have cut up and in the freezer that we are saving for down there as well, I guess it's still good even after frozen, I mean I froze it in the bloody water that we had it sitting in so I'm thinking it's good! We will def try for some jacks for bait also.. I've heard about the sharks moving in at night to...which makes the work easier as well!

Also, when you say let it soak, is there a time limit for a bait to "soak" like the ray for instance or does it need to be changed frequently?


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

Blake Tyler said:


> Thanks Jolly! Yeah that was the plan, to bring some small rods and try to catch some trout in the morning and big rods out a little later and at night! That's some good info, I did catch a pretty decent cownose a few weeks ago that I have cut up and in the freezer that we are saving for down there as well, I guess it's still good even after frozen, I mean I froze it in the bloody water that we had it sitting in so I'm thinking it's good! We will def try for some jacks for bait also.. I've heard about the sharks moving in at night to...which makes the work easier as well!
> 
> Also, when you say let it soak, is there a time limit for a bait to "soak" like the ray for instance or does it need to be changed frequently?


Rays can soak for a long,long time and still be good.We have froze them, then fished them all weekend. Re-freeze with the hooks and leader still n them and run them out again the next weekend and catch sharks. Rays are by far the longest lasting bait there is. Jackfish and other fish usually are only good for overnight. They will get crabbed out or rotten overnight. At times two day old jack will catch fish, but not often.

Fresh is always best, but run out what you got. Cut skipjack is primo bait, but need to check on it about every two hours. Lot of large gafftops in gorda, so need to fish with large chunks. Whole horse mullet with the tail cut off will last about half a day before I will change it out.


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## cwc (Aug 9, 2009)

Lots of nice sharks cruising gorda in the 1st and 2nd guts. If ya want to set up and fish down the beach go to the shell banks or down to mitchells cut. shell banks are about 10 miles down the cut is 23 miles. shell banks gets deep fast 1st gut and 2nd are real productive.


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## Exta Sea (Jun 17, 2009)

Thanks for the info guys, Sounds like we are going to try to get to the shell banks. If we get that far down, might even head to old brown ceder cut. Thanks again guys!


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## yr_tiger (Feb 7, 2010)

Thanks for the good info Roger and cwc
My 8yld and 4 yld boys love to catch sharks and we have fished them on the North Galv Jetty. But I fish much more in POC so I look forward to trying them out there.
I usually just anchor and throw beat up or cut mullet under a cork or shrimp and do OK.

In general do yall have better luck flowing bait or sinking it when fishing around the jettys for blacktips? 

I have only used floating rigs from my boat but I used sinkers from the beach.


Funny to see skipjack is a great bait, I was fighting them of the lines trying to catch shark and reds and trowing them back instead of using them as bait...Sometimes you just don't think....


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

The highbanks is a great spot. Just watch for rattlers back in the dunes and if you fish there at night expect to see a lot of cows on the beach. DO NOT haul *** down Gorda beach at night, good chance you will hit a cow.



yr_tiger said:


> Thanks for the good info Roger and cwc
> My 8yld and 4 yld boys love to catch sharks and we have fished them on the North Galv Jetty. But I fish much more in POC so I look forward to trying them out there.
> I usually just anchor and throw beat up or cut mullet under a cork or shrimp and do OK.
> 
> ...


For blacktips from a boat, fish a live bait under a ballon 4-8' down.

From the beach there is no good way to target blacktips. You wil get as many bull sharks as blacktips. You will find more blacktips around bait being worked by birds,jacks, etc.. Water color plays a large role in targeting blacktips, they perfer green to clear water. You can catch them in off color water, but not often. If the water is off color you are going to catch more bull sharks.


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## cwc (Aug 9, 2009)

Yeah LOL watch out for the cows. i almost forgot about them. they will move right in on ya at night. And have seen alot of rattlers like Roger said watch out for them around the dunes when looking for fire wood and such.


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## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

*GORDA SURF*

1 DO NOT forget SKETTER SPRAY. 2 BIG BAIT BIG FISH . 3 DON'T forget to get your BEACH PERMIT sticker at most /all conv. stores have them in BC/VV/MATAGORDA. 4 if your running the beach have tow strap/high lift jack and shovel.AND above all rembember 2X4 vs 4X4 (4x4 means twice as stuck) 5 I guess its not that big a deal with cell phones/but years past you better have enough water/sardines/crackers/ OFF to make the night i've found many stranded soles over the years. CVA34


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## Blake Tyler (Mar 21, 2009)

Well we are staying in a beach cabin, and it's beach front, so we don't plan on venturing to far away from the beach right in front of the cabin...from google maps it looks like there are some jetties right there as well... so we don't plan on traveling far to fish.


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## gordaskipper (Feb 26, 2010)

*Plan B ?*

If your down on the weekend or during the week fish the pier at least one 24hr period. I just posted my pics from the Gorda pier today... there are plenty of big sharks to be had...was broke off on 80lb test at 4am had a big bull probably over a hundred pounds hit a mullet head thought my newell reel was going to blow up!! I put to much drag on him to early thought it was a red...we all like waking up to that screaming reel however when your tired you can make those rookie mistakes!!!


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