Weekend at the Coast (trip report cause mondays suck!)

[Soul_Patch]

My wife and i decided to dip down to the coast this weekend to enjoy the weather and get some outdoors time in.

Stayed at the SandCastle in Port Aransas which was a mistake, somewhat pricey (around 100 dollars a night) for an efficiency with a view of the beach. View was really nice, i cant complain about that, but the place itself was kinda rundown, oh well i could get over that....but....The beds in that room had to be the most uncomfortable things i have ever slept on in my entire life...id rather sleep on broken glass...The pillows were nothing but wadded up toilet paper thrown into a pillow case...Needless to say, ill be staying somewhere else next time...

Our original plan was to go out deep sea fishing saturday on the Scat Cat...we got down there early friday, and it was fairly windy, so i back tracked and found us a private bay charter out of rockport area, and we went out very early saturday for a full day of fishing in and around aransas bay.

My wife ended up catching her and my limit of redfish, and i didnt catch a damn thing...I did manage to side hook an aligator gar (wtf?!?) which was kind of....fun i guess...

Anyway, after that trip, and being refreshed on how much fun bay and flats fishing can be, ive decided i am going to buy my uncles 22' Majek Xtreme in the next couple of months, and am ready to make this a full time hobby! Now i just got to talk him down to a reasonable price (it is a REALLY nice, decked out boat)

Last night i made blackened redfish, shrimp, some fresh spinach, and potatoes...probably some of the best fish i have ever eaten, much less cooked myself!


Going back to do it all again in two weeks!, this time on my uncles boat, since he has offered for me to take it out any time i want to test run it around!


I love this time of year!

[blizz]

I'm jealous.....I'm gonna try and go down to Copano Bay with some friends in a couple of weeks but it's going to be hard because I will have started my new job and don't know what my schedule is going to be just yet. Other than that, when I go know my schedule, I'll probably try and go and do some bay fishing with a guide. Know of any good ones down there?

[Mijo]

Anyway, after that trip, and being refreshed on how much fun bay and flats fishing can be, ive decided i am going to buy my uncles 22' Majek Xtreme in the next couple of months, and am ready to make this a full time hobby! Now i just got to talk him down to a reasonable price (it is a REALLY nice, decked out boat) It might be better to just wait on that thought. It's a whole lot of fun when the guide takes you out and knows where the fish are and does all the work but it's a not nearly the same when you have to gas your own boat, launch it, buy bait, find the fish, clean your own fish, provided you found any, take your boat out of the water, and go to the carwash and rinse the salt out of your motor. Not to mention getting a room and driving back and forth to the coast. It is imperative to have your boat insured if you are going to be boating in the ocean. I've been there and if you are only going to do a few trips each summer, your much better off staying with a guide.

[Soul_Patch]

Well, my family has a place in rockport, we didnt stay there this time, because it was occupied, but normally that is all free, so that is a good side of it. I have grown up with boats, and feel like i know the ins and outs of taking care of them, and although you are right, i also dont want to have to pay a guide 400 bucks each time i want to go fishing.


In regards to guides, i can give you the guy we used, telephone number, hell he has a website. www.rockportfishingcharters.com he charges 400 for a full day trip...we ended ours around 2:45 just because we lost the bite, and had our limit already...

He isnt the most professional guide i have ever seen, moreso just some old dude who knows all of the spots and what to do when you get there, we didnt have fish hopping in the boat all day, but he is also willing to take his time and find the fish for you....he is a bit cheaper than other guides, and his rough edges were sort of entertaining! He runs an 18ft majek, which is a bit small, but perfect if its just you and one other.

Ive never duck hunted before, but am considering going out with him in a couple of months...he does duck hunting trips for $125

[Twisted_Dawg]

Websters Definition of boat:

Bring On Another Thousand !!!!!

[SequSpur]

dude.. 100 bucks a night is not expensive. that will get you a crappy place depending on the day of the week..

red fishing in the bay rules and is pretty easy actually.... reds school and eat off the top and cause circular type waves, so just ride around and they will surface.

next time you go, call me, i'm down and i have beer.

[Sapphire]

Ewwww, really? The Scat Cat?

[Soul_Patch]

dude.. 100 bucks a night is not expensive. that will get you a crappy place depending on the day of the week..

red fishing in the bay rules and is pretty easy actually.... reds school and eat off the top and cause circular type waves, so just ride around and they will surface.

next time you go, call me, i'm down and i have beer.


It is expensive when you already paid the 200 bucks, and your grandpa calls and says, oh you guys should go over to the house in rockport, its empty this weekend....


bleh!

[Viva Las Espuelas]

Ewwww, really? The Scat Cat?that's what i was thinking.

[Soul_Patch]

that's what i was thinking.


My wife and i enjoy it, when it isnt so crowded. The fact that it was a sold out trip and it was going to be a rough day offshore made me change the plans.


Do you have any other suggestions on how to fish offshore without paying a private guide 800 dollars?

[BacktoBasics]

Go for the boat buddy. I've been dying to get one myself and anyone who actually really enjoys fishing won't regret the purchase. Its the guy who has nothing better to do and needs a hobby that ends up with buyers remorse. I live here in Corpus and there is great fishing all around us.

[Soul_Patch]

I got to talk him into selling it to me for 15000 and when he agree's ill buy it on the spot.

It is a really nice boat, 21' 1999 Majek. Custom T-top, trolling motor, 200hp Yamaha Vmax with jackplates and 4blade prop...gps, hydrolic steering, it has the works...he is in a tight spot and REALLY needs to get out from under it, so although he wants 20 for it, i think to keep it in the family he will consider selling to me for 15. If not he can let it get repoed for nothing?

[BacktoBasics]

Invest in a nice GPS if it doesn't have one and you are set. Majek is nice.

[T Park]

Hey question, do those high dollar fish finders work? or is there more to it than dropping the thing down there and scanning

[thispego]

I got to talk him into selling it to me for 15000 and when he agree's ill buy it on the spot.

It is a really nice boat, 21' 1999 Majek. Custom T-top, trolling motor, 200hp Yamaha Vmax with jackplates and 4blade prop...gps, hydrolic steering, it has the works...he is in a tight spot and REALLY needs to get out from under it, so although he wants 20 for it, i think to keep it in the family he will consider selling to me for 15. If not he can let it get repoed for nothing?
buying shit on the cheap from relatives is badass

[Soul_Patch]

Fish finders work, somewhat...they pick up a lot of the random shit floating under water too, and represent it as fish...

[BacktoBasics]

Here is good forum I go to from time to time. Lots of informative stuff on the equipment end of things such as the GPS/Fishfinder type stuff.

http://www.thehulltruth.com/

[Soul_Patch]

cool site. thanks