I have a trip planned to go down to the Port Lavaca area next weekend if all is still in one piece down there. We usually get our bait from Poor Boys in Port Lavaca. I have not been down in that area since June and have heard that there are very few shrimp boats going out due to the increased cost of fuel resulting in no live shrimp for bait. Is this still the case?

Yea, That is pretty much still the case. Most of the shrimp boats
are going after table shrimp, so live bait is at a premium.

There is going to be a lot of damage down there after this hurricane hits. My husband just finished boarding up our place
down at Matagorda, and the surf is OVER THE JETTIES and starting
to go over the road. Our pier is now under water down there.
Water is up to the door at Rawlings bait camp, and the IKE is
still pretty far out in the gulf!

That is not good at all. We visit Matagorda on a regular basis and stay in a rental house about a quarter mile from Rawlings. I hope it does not get too bad. Sounds like it's getting scary and the strom is still 4-500 miles away.

Our house is just a few doors down from River Bend Tavern, and
my husband said that the water is rising at an alarming rate.
He drove down to the beach and told me that the surf is UNREAL!
Thank God, he finished boarding up and is now on his way back.
Looks like IKE might be as bad as Carla was in 61. I just hope
that our old house will still be there when this is over, she
survived Carla!

Hopefully all will be okay.