July 30th-August 1st: Land Cut Outing hosted by Ryan Dodds
We will meet at 8:30 a.m. on Friday morning, July 30th, below the JFK Causeway near Clem’s Marina. We will load all of the kayaks, gear, and supplies onto the shrimp boat, and leave by 9:30 a.m. Depending on if other boats are available, we may all be riding on the shrimp boat. Other boats, if available, may leave from the causeway area, or from Bird Island Basin inside the Padre Island National Park. The boat ride from Bird Island Basin is approximately an hour, and the boat ride from the causeway will be about 30 minutes longer. If it is windy, this can be a rough and wet ride, so make sure all of your gear is packed in waterproof bags. The shrimp boat will require 3-4 hours to make the trip. Everyone will be required to provide his or her own, Coast Guard approved, personal flotation device. You need it for your kayak, so bring it for the boat ride. I encourage everyone to wear theirs, and the boat captains may insist that you do wear them. Around your neck is the best place to store them anyway. Through the years freak accidents have occurred, and we want everyone to have a pleasant experience.
Jim Dodd’s place has hot and cold running water, showers, toilet, and bunk beds. You will need to bring your own bedding and pillow; either sheets and a blanket, or a light sleeping bag. The cabin is air-conditioned, and tends to get cold at night.
All of your food and bottled water will be provided while you are at the cabin. If you want any type of soda, or adult beverage, you are on your own to bring it. This is an extremely remote area. The only way to get there is by boat, so if you forget to bring something, you will not have many options. Some things you might want to include are:
- Hat with brim Sunscreen Polarized sunglasses
- Wading boots Insect repellent Dry clothes
- Rain suit First-aid kit Prescription drugs
- Toiletries Towel Flashlight
- Fishing license Saltwater stamp Photo ID
- Compass/GPS Ear plugs (for sleeping) Clear safety glasses
At night, you can fish for speckled trout under the lights on the dock. Five to eight weight rods work very well. For flies, any small minnow or shrimp pattern should do well. Light colored Clouser patterns are very popular. Try everything you have to see what works, and to find out what works the best. This is a classroom opportunity with many willing subjects. Learn as much as you can. Don’t forget to bend your barbs down. You will be catching and releasing a lot of undersized fish.
During the day, you can fish a variety of places. There are premier flats within a short paddle from the cabin. You will need a kayak or canoe to cross some deeper channels, but once you locate fish you may want to start wading. These flats seem endless, but you may not have to go far to find plenty of fish. There are also some cuts that will be productive to blind casting on an outgoing tide. Most of the water is very shallow, with a
mixture of sand, mud, and grass bottoms. Make sure you have some flies you can work shallow. Lightweight Clousers or Crazy Charlies, Sea-Ducers, Bendbacks, shrimp patterns, little poppers, Dahlberg Divers, or even small Kwan flies will work. Spoon flies also work very well. These fish are big, and they are not leader shy! Use a heavy leader to avoid getting broken off. I recommend 14 to 20 lb tippet. Six to nine weight rods will
do the job nicely depending on the wind conditions. If you run into a school of bull reds, you will wish you had a ten weight!
For your kayaks, bring your usual gear:
- Paddle with leash Seat Anchor and rope
- Tether rope PFD Light
- Rod holder(s) Soft sided cooler