# Matagorda 4-22-14, weeded out, oil in water?



## jimj100 (Dec 1, 2012)

Went to matagorda Tuesday. as you can see from first pic, LOTS of sargassum fresh and old. lots in the surf, washing in and getting pulled back out from the beach. 

Yakked out a beautiful delicious stingray, but it would not stick. Yakked it out again, angling so my line would run right with the R to L current, but even on a perfect drop, it still weeded out and washed in. Casted baits over the first bar fared no better. 

Water was way up, and wade gut was around 4 plus feet deep in spots. Caught whiting and one big stingray (future shark bait) in the wade gut. 

Of note, take a look at the second and 3rd pics. the water had sheets of a strange, tan/orange color. Not nearly as evident in the pictures. Did not look like other algal blooms, red tide/brown tide that i've ever seen. I would guess this is remnants of the oil spill. It was extensive. but there was no oil/tar on the beach. This may be some breakdown product of the oil? anyone know?

we set up around 5.5 or 6 miles up. driving back around 7pm, 2-3 miles up looked clearer of weed. Of course, you find a clear spot, unload, set up, bait hooks, turn around, and carpets of weed have moved in...


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## matagordamudskipper (Feb 18, 2006)

It looked like algae while I was kayaking, almost for sure.


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## jimj100 (Dec 1, 2012)

OK, i hope so. I am used to seeing algae in the laguna madre. I haven't experienced it much in the surf. Of course, I don't really know the different forms of oil beyond what looks like "oil" and tar on the beach.


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## Paleo Dave (Jul 10, 2006)

Definitely not oil, but I am disappointed to see the weed showing up already.


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## hunterjck (Sep 30, 2010)

*Weed, Oil in Water @ Matagorda*



jimj100 said:


> Went to matagorda Tuesday. as you can see from first pic, LOTS of sargassum fresh and old. lots in the surf, washing in and getting pulled back out from the beach.
> 
> Yakked out a beautiful delicious stingray, but it would not stick. Yakked it out again, angling so my line would run right with the R to L current, but even on a perfect drop, it still weeded out and washed in. Casted baits over the first bar fared no better.
> 
> ...


I've been going to the beach for 85 years and from Day One have gotten "tar" on my feet or shoes. Always thought it was from tankers illegally discharging their contaminated ballast into the Gulf but now I read there are smallish volcanoes on the ocean floor that blow that tar into the water. It's a natural phenomenon! It's a mess to deal with.


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