# Matagorda Report 2004-09-18 to 19



## Billism (May 25, 2004)

Pictures here: http://www.billism.com/pictures/Fishing%20Matagorda%20(2004-09-18to19)/

Chris, Doug, and I met up with Joel about 12 miles down the beach at around 3PM Saturday. He had already caught and released a 4.5' bull shark. There were plenty of finger mullet in the surf.

Using live finger mullet, we managed to catch several nice sized speckled trout, 2 spanish mackerel, and 2 slot reds. Skip jacks and whiting were biting well on dead shrimp, so we had good shark bait.

We had several good runs on both skip jack and whiting, but only managed to land one shark - a 4.5' bull shark (released).

I lost my PEN 555/Ocean Master rod/reel combo. Just after night fall, I get a huge run, doubling my rod over. I was on the other side of the truck and didn't see it. Joel starts yelling about something. I come running around the truck to find my rod and PVC gone. I guess the PVC wasn't buried deep enough. Doug and I went running into the water to see if we could find it, but it was too dark to see much. We found the PVC, but no rod. :headknock

An odd thing was happening that I had never seen happen before. Several times on this trip, one of our lines would get a tug, then go slack. We would reel the line in to find it cleanly cut. This happened several times. Once it happened to 2 separate lines simultaneously. The line appeared to be cut pretty close to the leader. We lost about 6 leaders that way probably.

That was my first spanish mackerel. Good times despite the gear loss.

Does anyone know what could have been cutting our lines like that, though? One theory we had included a mean scuba diver with a knife, mad at fishermen, decided to go around cutting our lines.  The more likely explanation was that there was a school of fish with sharp teeth wreaking havok on our lines. Anyone know what it really was?

Pictures here: http://www.billism.com/pictures/Fishing%20Matagorda%20(2004-09-18to19)/


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## sharp (Aug 18, 2004)

*fish...*

I think it's spanish mac's or a school of fish that just hit the line and/or swivel. I've had it happen in PIN's before. What a pain, I hate to kayak another bait in the dark...

Those are cool tent/beds. What are they, where and how much do they costs? Seems easier than setting a tent in the wind!!


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

great report, sounds like spanish macs were cutting the lines.


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## SkipJack (May 24, 2004)

Yep, those notorious zzzzzzziiinng snap! Spanish mack attacks. Also can be a turtle running into your line as well. I have had pelicans, macks, turtles, boats and even other peoples sharks make me lose leaders.

Nice report. Looks like fall is upon us. Lets get in some good fishing.

I like those cot tents....those are badace man!


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## T Mack (Jul 11, 2004)

*Question*

Hey those are some nice trout you got. I have had the lines snapped like that down at pins. Hate it. The rod shudders then snaps back up and all is gone.
I was looking at your truck rack that you have the kayak on. Looks homemade. What material did you use? I was looking to build something similar.
Do the side rail holes give enough stability? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Also, Skipjack, I 'm waiting for a front on these reds. It doesn't look to be anywhere in the near future. I assume the reds have to start their front eventually with or without the front to trigger it and the mullet?


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## Billism (May 25, 2004)

Hey,

Yea, Macks tearing up our line was our top theory.

Those tent cots I think are awesome for the beach. That was actually my first time using one. I got the double wide tent cot, which can hold 2 people in case my wife ever decides to camp with me. My brother, Doug sells these Tent Cots. I'll get him to come to this thread to give more info on them. If you get one, be sure to get the rain fly, because if it pours down rain at night and you are without it, you will get very wet. Doug has been using his tent cot for about a year now and swears he will never go back to regular tents. =)

T Mack, my brother Doug made the kayak rack for my kayak =). They are adjustable for his Toyota Tundra or Chris' F-250. They are made of aluminum bars he got from a welding supply shop. They are screwed together with long screws and wing nuts I believe. The steak wells on the bed of the truck were a little too narrow so he had to maticulously bang ont he ends of the aluminum with a hammer to thin em out. I'll let him know to visit this thread to give any info I left out.


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## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

Nice report guys! Haven't heard from you in a while.

Joel, you kind of look like Lyle Lovett in your picture. LOL! Glad to see you catch that nice fish. Send me an IM sometime.


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

Billism 
I've seen the dreaded pvc rod holder fall many times, sorry it happened to you .
I've been surf fishing for almost 30 years and have sure fire rod holder that does not ever ever ever fall and is easy to stick in the ground (sand).
You take a piece of 2 inch pvc and bolt it to a piece of metal that looks similar to a road sign stand. I used the green posts that the phone and cable tv people use to set the green junction cans you see along the roads. 
I bought those over 25 years ago and they'restill in great shape. Just wiggle them back and forth and push down and they go right in. And most important I v'e never had one fall. They're much easier to put in than just pvc.

R.R.....


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

Billism 
I've seen the dreaded pvc rod holder fall many times, sorry it happened to you .
I've been surf fishing for almost 30 years and have sure fire rod holder that does not ever ever ever fall and is easy to stick in the ground (sand).
You take a piece of 2 inch pvc and bolt it to a piece of metal that looks similar to a road sign stand. I used the green posts that the phone and cable tv people use to set the green junction cans you see along the roads. 
I bought those over 25 years ago and they'restill in great shape. Just wiggle them back and forth and push down and they go right in. And most important I v'e never had one fall. They're much easier to put in than just pvc.

R.R.....


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

Billism 
I've seen the dreaded pvc rod holder fall many times, sorry it happened to you .
I've been surf fishing for almost 30 years and have sure fire rod holder that does not ever ever ever fall and is easy to stick in the ground (sand).
You take a piece of 2 inch pvc and bolt it to a piece of metal that looks similar to a road sign stand. I used the green posts that the phone and cable tv people use to set the green junction cans you see along the roads. 
I bought those over 25 years ago and they'restill in great shape. Just wiggle them back and forth and push down and they go right in. And most important I v'e never had one fall. They're much easier to put in than just pvc.

R.R.....


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## Sponge (Jun 22, 2004)

*Line Breakoffs*

I was fishing off of Bob Hall Pier about 6 years ago and there were a few guys fishing with 14/0 and 16/0 reals. They used a jet ski to get there lines way out (about 200 yards or more from front of pier). These reels had any where from 80lb to 150lb test and they got cutt off three times during the night. I was there to witness all three of the breakoffs. The reel would click a couple of times then come lose with a clean cut...no ruff edges on the line. They figured a school of Kings were running by and got their mouths caught directly in there mouths? Freaked me out. Another time my 6/0 started screaming off BHP (best run I ever had) and before I could even set the hook the line came loose.....cut off. I checked the end of my line and it was pretty ruff and frayed. An experienced shark fisherman approached me that morning and felt the end of my line. He asked me what length was my leader and I told him ten feet. He said I just lost a huge shark more than likely over ten feet and I asked him why he was so sure of it. He said when a shark makes a dead run the leader is running along is back and by his tail, the sharks skin is like sandpaper and the whipping action of it's tail cuts your line. He said it would not cut the leader but it would easily cut your line so my leader was not long enough for this shark. Made perfect sense to me. Has anyone else had any similar experiences? :cheers: :cheers:


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## ZenDaddy (May 22, 2004)

Yup, I've had many close calls myself. Usually what alerts me to the impending disaster of having my rods pulled out to sea is the hysterical laughter of my children. The little beach monkies always get a real thrill at seeing good ol' Dads rods being dragged down the shore.
One thing that has worked very well for me is sucking the air out of the top of the PVC. Here's how I do it.

One: Dig a hole in the beach - a foot or two down
Two: Place PVC in hole and fill with sand
Three: Shout: "Hey look at all the dolphins."
Four: While friends and family are looking out into the Gulf, you place your lips around the top of the PVC pipe and suck the air out.
This will put that ol' PVC so deep in the ground that it is unmovable. It ain't pretty - but it works. You can get a four foot pipe half way into the sand.

Don't forget step three. This is important as pictures could be circulated!

Tight Lines!


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## gundoctor (May 20, 2004)

Artie has the best way to keep wayward fishing rigs from leaving with a fish. 
He buries a boat anchor in the sand behind his rods and clips the anchor rope to all of his rigs. So far, he hasn't lost one that was clipped to the anchor.


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## F.A.T. (May 21, 2004)

What you need is a 5-6' section of metal pipe a little smaller than the pvc we all use, drill a hole in it and put a bolt through for a gimbal stop.
They are easy to put in and will not bugde at all, even after the tide comes in, you could tie your truck to it, LOL!!!!!


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

sorry for the tripple post, I didnt think it was taking
R.R...


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

sorry for the tripple post, I didnt think it was taking.
R.R.


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

sorry again , I'm really messing up here
R.R...


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## shrky2413 (May 22, 2004)

I hate to hear about your rod man. I build some rod holders that Igurantee you will not have that problem with. This pic kinda sux but I can build them whatever height you want. They work great and with a little care last a long time.


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## shrky2413 (May 22, 2004)

These are 6' tall. Iam 6'6" and theye are almost to tall for me. 5' would probably be good or carry a stool or milkcrate.


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## Billism (May 25, 2004)

I haven't been able to get as much fishing in as I would have liked to this year. Been busy. Among other things, I had to help plan for a wedding and then get married in it. =) I'm going to try to get a few more beach trips in before it gets too cold.

Thanks for the rod holder tips. I think I will make a project to make some custom "un tipable" rod holders.

Hey, I haven't fished for Spanish Macks before. It sure was fun, though. What is the best bait/lure for them? What brings these macks near the surf?

Thanks for all the info!


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## shrky2413 (May 22, 2004)

They are pretty simple. I used 3/4" rod and welded 2.875"od pipe rings to it with a little piece of plate for the rod butt to sit on. Then you can use what ever on the bottom to keep it from turning. Also remember to test them before you actuall put your rod in them, by that I mean hammer them in the ground then wiggle them to insure they are firmly set. If you have any more questions feel free to shoot me an email at [email protected]


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## dougk (Sep 21, 2004)

*Re: fish...*

sharp, you asked about the Tent Cots... I'm Billism's brother. I have been using a Tent Cot for over a year now and I love it. I would never go back to my leaky tent. I camp on the beach as often as I can and the Tent Cot requires only one person to setup in about 2-3 minutes. I have the deluxe and double models myself. They are made of very high quality materials. The frame is stainless steel and it is covered with water resistant canvas. The rainflies are a definite must if you plan to camp in the rain. I have been through a few rain showers and one really bad thunder storm in my Tent Cot. The rain fly is totally waterproof and water will actually pool on top of it without leaking a single drop. I personally garantee the waterproofness of the rainfly from my own experience. I sell Tent Cots and so far I've only sold a few to friends and family. I do not recommend the Tent Cot Regular as it lacks the additional stabalizer bars and has a lower weight limit. My buddy Chris uses a Double Tent Cot with plenty of room to stretch out and he is 6'9'. I'm 6'3" and use the deluxe Tent Cot and also have plenty of room. Also, the tent portion can be folded down to use the unit as a standard cot. I've used mine as a cot on many occasions and it works great for that too. If you are interested in buying a Tent Cot send me an email ([email protected]). I can sell at lower prices than if you buy direct from the manufacturer. Check out some additional specs here: http://www.tentcot.com

$105.00 Tent Cot Regular (84"L; 29"W; 30"H)
$125.00 Deluxe Tent Cot (90"L; 34"W; 34"H) up to 300 lbs
$180.00 Tent Bed/Double Tent Cot (82"L; 51"W; 28"H) up to 450 lbs

$17.00 Rainfly/Regular Tent Cot
$25.00 Rainfly/Deluxe Tent Cot
$52.00 Rainfly/Tent Bed
$18.00 Gear Storage Bag (suspended under your TentCot)

Shipping is calculated based on the destination address.


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## dougk (Sep 21, 2004)

*Re: question*

T Mack, I made that kayak rack from 1.5"x2" rectangular aluminum tubing with 1/8" walls. I called a bunch of metal supply places that all had very high prices on aluminum tubing. I think some of them might might have been quoting me the price for gold tubing. A friend recommended Houston Steel Supply (http://www.steelsupplyinc.com/). They have the best prices in town that I could find. They sell all of their tubing in 24' lengths. I had no way of transporting something so long so I asked them if I could cut it there. They were nice enough to allow this so I figured out the lengths I needed and went down there with my Skil saw and a metal cutting blade. I bought the peice ($71.71 + tax) and cut it up in their warehouse . It was the perfect size. I had about 3" of unused tubing. 1 stake for each of the 4 stake pockets and 2 cross bars. I used two 1/4" bolts with wing nuts at each joint to hold the crossbars to the stakes. I found that the tubing was just slightly larger than the stake pockets on my Tundra so I took a hammer to it. I concaved the tips of all four sides of each stake. That aluminum tubing is some tough stuff so this was no easy task. Finally I got all the stakes to fit the stake pockets. Don't rely on gravity to hold this thing on your truck. If you put a kayak on and drive 70MPH down the freeway you're going to generate a lot of lift. I drilled a hole in each of the stakes to line up with the holes in the stake pockets and used a tap to tap threads into the outer side of each stake. I use one 1/4" bolt as a pin to hold each stake in the pocket. I later retrofitted the rack to fit an F-250 as you see in the picture. I had to drill and extra set of holes to attach the cross bars on two of the stakes to allow for the wider bed and drill another hole for the rear stake pins as the F-250 has stake pin holes in a different position than my Tundra. If there is some interest in my simple design I'll take some pictures and post a little more detail on the whole thing along with measurements.


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## T Mack (Jul 11, 2004)

*truck wrack*

DougK,
Thanks for the info. Seems clear enough. If you like post the pics. They would be appreciated. A pic of the mount to keep it down might help.
Now I just need to find a metal shop here in San Antonio.


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