# Port O'Connor Darlington



## dpeterson

Its to hot to work outside and the wind is up so I was reading some past threads and came across "Darlington" in some of the posts. What or Where is Darlington? I may be going down to POC later this summer for some fishing. Thanks


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## sotexhookset

It's a wreck a few miles south of Pass Cavallo off the beach. Don't have coordinates and have actually only been there a couple of times many years ago.


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## Trouthunter

The wreck of the Darlington is about 16 or 17miles south of Pass Cavallo in the surf. Need a calm day or a light north wind to really fish it.

October and November on pretty days with light north winds are amazing.

Lots of sharks there...always.

TH


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## Trouthappy

It's pretty much gone now, the surf and sand covered it.


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## LaddH

I can still find it ,I think but I am not sure , on Google Earth at 28deg 14.170 min N and 
96 deg 36.443 min W. About 17 miles down from the Pass.


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## dpeterson

*Darlington? thanks*

Thanks to all for the info. I was reading some of the post from Sept 2010, and someone mentioned going all the way to Darlington but finding nothing.


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## TrueblueTexican

*When you get to Darlington*

Make a left turn go SE 14 miles out, 70' of water - slam bam thank ya mam guaranteed full ice chest of endangered reef fish:ac550:

The wreck of the Darlington is about 16 or 17miles south of Pass Cavallo in the surf. Need a calm day or a light north wind to really fish it.

October and November on pretty days with light north winds are amazing.

Lots of sharks there...always.

TH
__________________
ILLEGITIMI NON CARBORUNDUM

Yep the running of the Bulls there always applies


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## bsmom

This is true!


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## Golden

So for grins I plugged LaddH coordinates into Google Earth...Uh oh you would have a twelve thousand mile trek to the north shores of Antarctica these are Whaling areas. Better take your jacket! Hey wait a minute aren't all shores of Antarctica north?


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## dpeterson

*Golden Error*

You should check your plot #'s again, and I thank you for reading my thread. Do you fish for the silver king? I'll be at Clark's June 13-15th looking for them. Doubt I'll go to Darlington but will be on the water around the big jetties and beyond. Always looking for another boat to help in the search. Thanks.


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## Golden

I am presently working on my scooter boat. New trailer arrives monday, then bringing boat back from poc to have the motor gone thru while i re-coat the deck, paint my aluminum, and buff out the hull. Biggest chore is changing out the fuel lines and cleaning out the tank. Argh! 

But if i am in poc either on my boat or my nephew's i always check my three honey holes sometime or another. I have several guide friends who will give me the skinny of where and when. I always defer spots to them if their clients are fishing for tarpon...but if not...


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## shotman

dpeterson, will be going to POC to chase them later on in June. Maybe we can get together when I get back. Going to chase them in Florida for a couple of weeks. Send PM if interested.


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## troutsupport

The Coor's are correct. Just make sure you put them into GE in the correct format. 

N 28 14.170, W 96 36.443


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## TrueblueTexican

*Its still there*

The EXACT coordinates are 28.236044 - 96.607397 - its 16.50 miles from Pass Cavallo and 18.60 miles from Cedar Bayou - it lies with bow grounded on first bar with tail stretching beyond third bar at a 40 degree angle to the beach. It lies opposite Powder lake on the island.

(fish the down current side with croaker on a carolina rig.)

Plenty of Tarpon hanging around there in September and October

There are also two more wrecks south of there if you know where to look.

10 miles south of Pass Cavallo @ 28.292933 -96.492994 is also a REAL good spot.


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## TrueblueTexican

*Bad typo*

Thats POWER lake not Powder - this is a pic of Darlington (a concrete hulled vessel) taken at low tide in 2009 - the down current side in the surf was was 10' deep when this pic was taken


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## dpeterson

*great pic*

Thanks for the pic. Always wondered what I would be looking for when trying to locate the wreck. Probably not their now? I may look for it during my trip down to POC next month on the 13th-15th.


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## Mojo281

One of my favorite places to fish... You really gotta pick and choose your days though. If you go by boat and it gets rough, 17 miles of beach can make for a brutal trip back!!

Here is a pic from last year!


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## InfamousJ

Trouthunter said:


> The wreck of the Darlington is about 16 or 17miles south of Pass Cavallo in the surf. Need a calm day or a light north wind to really fish it.
> 
> October and November on pretty days with light north winds are amazing.
> 
> Lots of sharks there...always.
> 
> TH


those late June and July northers when the gulf turns into a lake are pretty good too.


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## TrueblueTexican

*I have a pic somewhere*

Of the Darlington when it first grounded - it was being towed and broke loose in a blow - engine was in it but not connected - those concrete hulled ships were an interesting part of history - the Selma was designed similar and purposefully sunk in Galveston bay, the Darlington is a unique Texas story, and was built on harbor island at Aransas pass around 1920.


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## dpeterson

*great pic*

well if the weather is good on the full moon in june i may make the run that way now that i know what to look for. Thanks for the great pic. Last year when we were in POC the weather didn't cooperate very well but we still trolled around all day. Had one rod get almost spooled but probably wasn't a silver king.


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## TrueblueTexican

*Bull Shark City*

I had the mid coast winner speck, within grasp back in 2009 a REAL LONG fat girl - problem was a 9' SOB didn't think I should win -

Won't see me wading around that hull - flew over it a few times in June - you coulda walked across the sharks back in the surf there -

Not scared of coastal sharks but a bull is the only one I know for sure went after me once off Cedar Bayou -- that stretch of surf from there to Cedar Bayou always holds a lot of summer and fall surf runner specks.

You can usually run the guts in a scooter even if its rough.


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## TopwaterMD

The Darlington is a long haul south of Pass Cavallo, but if the surf is calm and green, it;s hard to beat with topwaters at daylight!

I've heard that you can park in the back end of Power Lake and hike across the bush to the road that parallels the Island, then cut across through the dunes to the beach. Attempted the hike one day in midday, mid summer, but turned back when I couldn't locate the cut through the dunes. Anyone made the trek recently?:texasflag


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## Trouthappy

We hiked from Power Lake to the wreck one winter day, it can be done. Caught no fish. But we stuck the boat in Power and had to spend most of the night there. The tide came up 6 inches in 17 hours. Good thing we brought a few cans of beans for emergency supper. The mosquitos were moderate. It pains me to see a tiny spot like this, that can be covered up with potlickers, discussed in a public forum.


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## dpeterson

*Not my intent*

It was not my intent to give away the "spot" of darlington when I started this thread last year. I have fished for tarpon in three different coastal areas and while in POC last year, i read about Darlington on another tread and was curious as to its location. Just returned from POC yesterday. Didn't try to go to Darlington as the conditions were not the best on the beach front and doubt I would ever try the long run to the Darlington. Did troll the jetties inside and on the north outside, but nobody was home. Saturday midday we came back to Clark's and someone told us that a tarpon was seen jumping by a guide and his clients on the outside of the north jetty. Did hook into some sharks, crevalles, and some lady fish in various areas of the bay. On a side note, I appreciate your concern "Trouthappy" and have probably read every thread you have in my quest to become a better tarpon fisherman. I didn't realize the Darlington was a old ship wreak, bot maybe something like Decros. After all the runs I have made in tarpon alley of the coast of Crystal beach/Galveston to San Luis Pass and back. I doubt I would ever go to the D unless it was real flat water. Anyway, I am glad to the the life of the thread as i am all the other better interesting and informative threads from everyone that contributes to the tarpon board. May you all see some silver this summer.


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## TrueblueTexican

*Well I am giving it up*



Trouthappy said:


> We hiked from Power Lake to the wreck one winter day, it can be done. Caught no fish. But we stuck the boat in Power and had to spend most of the night there. The tide came up 6 inches in 17 hours. Good thing we brought a few cans of beans for emergency supper. The mosquitos were moderate. It pains me to see a tiny spot like this, that can be covered up with potlickers, discussed in a public forum.


All my POC honey holes - sittin here on the porch right now across Caminada Pass at Grand Isle - the good old days are here again - 100 speck days by ten am, triple tail on every crab pot and tarpon for the catchin

Reminds me of POC circa 1977 without the rude Houston Columbia "sports"- these Cajuns know how to LIVE !!!


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## Capt. Lowtide

TrueblueTexican said:


> All my POC honey holes - sittin here on the porch right now across Caminada Pass at Grand Isle - the good old days are here again - 100 speck days by ten am, triple tail on every crab pot and tarpon for the catchin
> 
> Reminds me of POC circa 1977 without the rude Houston Columbia "sports"- these Cajuns know how to LIVE !!!


AWESOME! Sounds as if you found what has been lost from you. Enjoy your stay and don't concern yourself with POC, we'll continue getting by around here just fine without you.


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## Bob Haley

*Its right around the corner...*

I sure hope some Tarpon start jump'n in POC to help cheer you bass-turds up!

I plan on being out there with a mission later in July.

Id also like to learn more about triple tail and how to chase them down. I recently heard a spiel from a local guide and also just got back from Hackberry and they stop at every crab pot when targeting. Sounds like more fun...


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## TrueblueTexican

*Tough to beat Tripletail*



Bob Haley said:


> I sure hope some Tarpon start jump'n in POC to help cheer you bass-turds up!
> 
> I plan on being out there with a mission later in July.
> 
> Id also like to learn more about triple tail and how to chase them down. I recently heard a spiel from a local guide and also just got back from Hackberry and they stop at every crab pot when targeting. Sounds like more fun...


Not a better eatin fish in the gulf except for saddle blanket flounder - I am gettin educated catchin them in Barataria Bay - 18# best so far this week -

We just run and gun all the structure we can find - even if we don't see one we flip a big shrimp under a sliding cork and let it float by about 8' deep - we actually catch the bigger ones we don't see - that is if you can keep the dang mangroves off -- been doin better headed east toward Venice - have run across some big tarpon lately - more fun than the law allows -

38m miles SSE and I get to catch grouper in 200' water too - whats not to like.

If Texas ever wakes up and gets some water flowing back to the coast, it will improve fishin there again - I got about 20 good years left to catch em - so I voted with my feet -


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## Bob Haley

*Spots*

What would be some obvious spots in West Matagorda Bay? I hear that they are not at the jetties or oyster reefs so just look at well heads and marker poles and **** pots, spend about 5 min at each? Shake and Bake...


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