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Fishing-Tales with some surf fishing tips, no fishing tales, no fishing stories just fishing.

Most everybody from this part of the world has at least heard fishing stories about Big Shell. If you haven't, you are probably wondering "what the heck is Big Shell?"
Big Shell is generally considered by many to be anywhere in the 4 wheel drive area of Padre Island National Seashore. But in actuality Big Shell is along the area of beach starting from about the 30 mile marker at Padre Island National Seashore and continuing approximately. 5 Miles south towards the pass at Port Mansfield. Big Shell got its name from the abundance of large pieces of broken shell that wash up out of the sand the area. Little Shell is an area at about the 25 mile marker, and got it's name because of the shell along this high bank area is crushed into smaller pieces.

The Big Deal about Big Shell? Big Shell is a much steeper beach then Mustang Island and the water gets deep very quickly - up to 10 feet deep within 5 yards of shore. From time to time the "Blue Water" will come within casting distance of the shore, which can bring in a variety of normally offshore species of fish within the reach of the shore fisherman, including sharks up to 12 feet in length, mako sharks and other traditionally blue water species.

What kind of rig do you need to reach big shell?

Having a 4 Wheel Drive may not be enough to get you to Big Shell! Depending on the wind, traffic, and other factors, the sand at big shell can either be nice and packed or as soft as powder.

Don't even think about taking a 2WD down there! Yes it has been done before. In good conditions you may do it without a problem. But you've got to have more than a little luck to  get there and back, and if the conditions change and you get stuck you will cause some kind hearted angler lost fishing time as well as wear and tear on his/her vehicle if they stop to help you. If nothing else, have a little consideration.

One of the most important things your Big Shell 4 wheeler rig should have is clearance between the frame and the sand. many mid-size and compact 4WD Sport Utility Vehicles just do not have the clearance to keep the skid plates and cross members out of the sand. Their have been days, I've seen the ruts get close to 2 ft. deep. Their is not much you can about your differentials, but if you don't have enough of a lift to keep your frame and skid plates out of the sand, you will get into trouble quickly.
The next thing you should take into consideration is the condition of your ride. If there is anything that can come loose- it will! This is a rough terrain, with lots of ruts and washouts and all kinds of debris. Be sure you're rig is ready for this fishing trip. Tighten any bolt that has a habit of coming loose before you leave home- including lug nuts! Double check your battery tray, if it is weak or your battery is not secured, it will come loose.
The next thing you should consider is fuel. If you're heading to the 50 mile marker- you're looking at close to 140 miles with no gas, and we're talking  about heavy driving in 4WD most of the time. You should not underestimate the gas it will take to make it back. Plan on taking some extra 5 gallon gas cans, along and top off at the last gas station. If you have an auxiliary tank, be sure to use it!

Driving Tips for Big Shell "Newbies"!
If you have lock in hubs, lock them in before you think you need them. I like to lock them in as soon as I get on the beach just so I don't forget.
Keep your speed up when driving in soft sand or shell. Don't let your vehicle slow down.
By all means wear your seat belt, it will help you keep control of your vehicle - and keep your head from denting the roof.

Watch for debris in your path! There are boards, sticks, barrels and all manner of things that can perforate a tire. This is a good reason for following the tracks of other vehicles in front of you. It would be smart not to drive in or out at night.

What you should take alone.

A shovel is always a good idea to have with you.

A good tow rope not one of the cheap ones.
Take plenty of water. Take 2 or 3 5 Gallon cans of water, you can't really have to much, and it makes a big difference in comfort to rinse off with fresh water when you're ready to head back, or to rinse off periodically just to get the sand and salt residue off.
Food is pretty well common sense. Try to think of everything you will need, as sometimes the difference between camping in style and being miserable is something you forgot to bring.The only other thing to keep in mind is that there are a heck of a lot of coyotes down there. While they have been no danger to humans, those coyotes will get to your food in a hurry if you leave your food cooler on the ground when you go to sleep! I have had them come into camp and drink water so you might be careful about leaving water out as well.
Their is no such thing as too much ice either. No matter how much you have it never seems to be enough. So take more than you think you would ever need. Take cube ice for icing drinks, and block ice for keeping your catch and your food cold. The block ice will make a huge difference in keeping your cooler cool for days.

Fishing-Tales Editor: If you have fishing tales, fishing stories or fishing tips you would like to see posted here at fishing-tales please feel free to submit them. I am always looking for fishing articles.

Technorati Tags: Big Shell, fishing stories, Fishing Tales, Fishing Tips, fishing trips, Padre Island National Seashore, Surf Fishing

If you’re a native of the South, you’ve probably explored everything from Galveston fishing to the Big Shell, using boat transport to haul your vehicle from A to B. It could be time to explore new terrain and head north for a new adventure: ice fishing. Although warmer weather has worried many ice fishermen, the winter temperatures have provided the perfect climate for ice fishing. If you’re in the mood for an adventure or if your curious about this style of fishing, read these ice fishing tips: Read the rest of this entry »

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Orvis Battenkill IV Large Arbor Fly Reel For Sale Brand new never used but has no box. This Orvis Battenkill IV is up being sold on ebay . com. I am selling the item for a good friend of which purchased it shorty previous to experiencing a stroke. He held onto this for some time nevertheless has made the decision he can possibly never have the ability to fly fish again. He misplaced the box when he moved however the fishing reel has not been used. The original line that came with the fly fishing reel is still on the reel.

The Orvis Battenkill IV Large Arbor Fly Reel may be the fly fishing reel of the century. This particular fly reel will make reeling in a enormous fish as simple as reeling in a little one. No more having to pull and tug on a big catch a couple of hours, no longer losing your reel in the midst of reeling a fish in, just buy an Orvis Battenkill Large Arbor Reel and forget about your anxieties.

Click on the photo to go to auction

Orvis Battenkill IV For Sale

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Abel didn’t create the large arbor fly fishing reel, but their Super Series definitely has achieved the embodiment of that idea; an ideal balance regarding hub diameter as well as spool capacity. No wonder these Abel fly reels have got the fly fishing community by storm! The reason why large arbor? Quicker line pick up, better drag continuity and less line coil than standard arbor reels. The Abel Super Series fly reels include a super sized cork drag disk that insures steady smoothness with an ultra low start up inertia and the stopping capability to beat fish swiftly. Mutually frame and spool are incredibly sturdy and tough, but lightweight because of the superbly machined oblong porting.

The inner workings of all the Abel fly reels are their distinctive "Stop-a-Sub" drag system. A large number of fish are generally lost at either the strike or even the net. Abel's drag system has virtually no atutter or hesitation; hence more fish are hooked and landed. It's as smooth as silk for a very good reason... to improve your odds of landing that fish of a lifetime.

Abel Large Arbor Super Series Reels possess spools that are 100% interchangeable with spools of comparable-size standard Abel Big Game Reels. Case in point: with a Big Game #3 and Super 8 frame spare spool, you have created two clearly different fly fishing reels with different capabilities and capacities. The Abel Super 8 holds an 8-weight line with 200 yards of 20# backing, an excellent weapon for school stripers, Bonefish and Red fish; while the interchangeable #3 spool holds a 12-weight line additionally 250 yards of 30# backing for Sailfish and tarpon among others large speicies.

This episode of Chew On This has a large school of Black Drum with some huge Black Drum caught in the 50 pound class. I have landed some drum near the size of these fish but have never been able to brake the 45 pounds in the Drum family.

Courtesy Fishing Videos

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Fishing Tales

The mouth of the San Bernard River was opened on Sunday 2/22/2009, after years of hard work by many fine people that believed they could make a difference. It just goes to show you if you believe in something and work hard you can still get important thing done in this country.

I wish I could have been at the mouth of the San Bernard River on Sunday to watch the waters of the Gulf of Mexico flow into the San Bernard. After many years and many miles of detour the river now flows in the  manner Mother Nature intended.

From what I here the opening of San Bernard did not quit happen as intended. But it did happen and it happened even though the dredging equipment had a major bearing malfunction. I heard the company that was hired to do the dredging ended up using a  bulldozer or 2 to get the mouth of the San Bernard River open.

The project is not complete as it will take a week to 10 day's for the widening and deepening of this fine old river to be completed.

Here is a little history lesson on the San Bernard River

Ancient Historical Time - the Colorado River changed course near New Ulm, Texas and left a depression to the Gulf of Mexico. Two small springs started flowing into the depression and the San Bernard River was born, flowing 120 miles into the Gulf.

Recent History - The Karankawa Indians settled along the lower San Bernard. During high winds and low tides, the river makes a weird musical sound as the wind blows over the exposed oyster reefs. The indians named the river, "the singing river".

1929 - The Corps of Engineers and Port Freeport rerouted the Brazos River to give Port Freeport  a dead water port. The Brazos River Diversion Canal (the new river)  moved the mouth of the Brazos from 14 + miles away from the San Bernard to within 3.8 miles, river mouth to river mouth.

1929 - 1985 - The Brazos River, carrying 245,000 cubic yards of sand and silt per year, built a new delta over 2 miles out into the Gulf. The San Bernard River appeared to be unaffected during this period of time.

1985 - The Brazos River Delta  completed itself and 175,000 cubic yards of washed, beach quality sand started flowing across the mouth of the San Bernard yearly, carried by the long shore currents that run east to west in the gulf. Clays, silts and fines (70,000 cubic yards per year) are washed into the deep gulf. A sand hook developed on the northeast side of the mouth of the San Bernard and the shoreline starts to expand seaward.

Late 1980's - A sand bar formed across the mouth of the San Bernard and navigation into the gulf became hazardous. The 70 + shrimp boats docked at the village of River's End began to move to Freeport or Matagorda and of the commercial support industries started to close at that location.

Mid 1990's - The San Bernard River begins to move to the southwest at the rate of 1.2 feet per day.

2000 - The San Bernard River mouth had moved 6,000 feet to the southwest, narrowed from 1,100 feet to 200 feet and shallowed from 8.5 feet to 4 feet, and started moving southwest at the rate of 1.8 feet per day.

Spring 2004 - My wife (Jan) and I (Roy) retire from Houston to the village of River's End. Observing the plight of the river, we made our first political contacts. Brazoria County Commissioner Donald "Dude" Payne joined our cause introduced us to elected officials, political entities, and local civic groups which we contacted and worked with to gain support for the project.

Fall 2004 - Sixteen like minded people banded together to seek a solution to the closing river mouth. The grassroots, non-profit organization, Friends Of the River (F.O.R.) San Bernard came from that group.

Spring 2005 - The mouth of the San Bernard River closed completely. None of the San Bernard's flow went directly into the Gulf.  The flow now goes east into the Intracoastal Canal through the west flood gate at the Brazos and into the Gulf through the mouth of the Brazos. The Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association (GICA) declared the Brazos west flood gate to be the third most dangerous passage for commercial barge traffic between Florida and the Rio Grande. The Texas Dept. of Transportation advised the Texas legislature that the process of "tripping" at the west gate was costing the barge industry a minimum of 2 million dollars per year. "Tripping" is the process of breaking multiple barge tows down to single barges and soliciting the help of one or more additional tugs to help "push the current" in order to navigate the west flood gate.

July 2006 - Congressman Ron Paul asked F.O.R. to escort the Assistant Secretary of the Army ( and head of all civil works projects for the Corps of Engineers) John Paul Woodley, Jr. to the area where the San Bernard River last flowed into the Gulf, as part of A.S.A. Woodley's tour of the Texas Coast. This tour and information packet presented to A.S.A. Woodley resulted in his letter to the Galveston COE office requesting the re-opening of the mouth of the San Bernard River to its traditional location in order to relieve the navigational problems for commercial traffic through the west flood gate at the Brazos River.

December 2008 - Galveston Corps of Engineers, through Col. Weston, announced that the Corps will open the mouth of the San Bernard River.

January 2009 - After submitting the winning bid of $2,275,050.00 Mike Hooks Inc., West Lake,  Louisiana, moved Dredge 32 and its crew of 46 to the Intersection of the Intracoastal Canal and the San Bernard River on Sunday, January 25. The dredging project of almost 10,000 feet began shortly after noon on Monday, January 26. Completion is projected on or before March 15, 2009.

Mike Hooks, Inc. will provide a guided tour of Dredge 32 for you and your news crew.

F.O.R. San Bernard will provide transportation for you and your news crew to the work site, accessible only by boat. We will meet for that trip at my home in Southwest Brazoria Co. at your convenience. Ecological implications can be discussed at that time.Round trip boat ride is less than 5 miles.

Visit  http://www.sanbernardriver.com for additional information, photos, research studies, etc.

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