Heading out the packery channel

Will be down in N. Padre as of next weekend and will be staying in a condo in "lake padre" just off the packery. I have a 22' center console rig and only fished just offshore of the beaches. Is there any rigs or wrecks I could hit not too far offshore? Any tips or "how to rigs" would be greatly appreciated. I have never trolled the gulf and have no idea what baits to use. I will have several single gallons of ground up shad and fish guts frozen for chum. I am also real good with a cast net and can net bait. Any help or advise gentleman would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Come guys, just a little help would be appreciated. Not asking for your honey hole.

I don't have any coordinates to give you. I just know some spots are by memory. Your best bet will be to head out to the near shore rigs and troll for kings. You need to get to about 100 foot of water to find any decent sized snapper.

Do you have GPS?

Also, be careful in the Packery Channel. I've seen it get pretty treacherous on an outgoing tide. It's a typical shallow pass and there will be lot's of water moving through it. When that water collides with the northbound currents it can get plenty rough and confused.

You also best check the National Data Buoy Center for wave and wind height offshore before going and NOAA for the predictions.

Spud, not the best person to offer suggestions, but here goes.
Suggest you make sure you are in C.G. compliance.
Also a GPS and/or compass are good things to have. Allows you to leave site of land and get back as straight as possible.
There are several petro rigs within site of Packery, mostly SE or S-ish of the jetties there. About 2 miles out, I'd guess. Hard to miss.
There are other rigs within 10-12 miles of Packery, don't know of any rocks or wrecks fairly close.
I'd think there will be a chance at Spanish Mac, shark, kings, snapper, Red snapper will probably be small, (you might get into Mangroves at the rigs fishing close to the structure), maybe redfish, bonito, and other fish. You might hook Ling, tarpon, bluefish, Jack Crevelle, etc, etc.
Simplest way to fish if to use a carolina type rig, put a egg sinker on the line, swivel, leader then hook. Drop it down with a bait, live or dead, and see what bites. Vary the depth. Also drift a whole bait out with the current, possible hook up something that way.
If you get cut off, break out the single strand wire you bought, and use a leader of that.
If you want to troll, Russell Lures are simple and will catch fish, as will other diving baits. Make wide turns around the rigs.
You got chum, drop some of that over board at intervals, not too much is needed at one time, slick will hopefully bring up Blacktip sharks.
However, Shrimp season opened a few days back, so a lot of sharks will be behind the shallow dragging shrimpboats. If you see any dagging, come up behind the stern, hit neutral, drop a bait over and drift, might be some big Blacktips where the net is dragging. Be careful of the net, if you're in 20-30' or less of water, you can get hooked up on the net, and you'll get spooled.Never heard of a shrimper stopping 'cause someone foul hooked their net.
If it's not too rough try tying up to the rigs, but be careful trying it.
If you've not seen Packery, suggest you drive over the 361 bridge around noon time, slow down a bit and look over the channel, looking for the deep water, traffic, etc. Do it couple of times if needed.
Here's a page of coordinates that might help, based out of Port Aransas.
spots http://www.fishingportaransas.com/htdocs/structures.htm
Remember the Federal rules for some fish are different than states rules.
Good luck!

How far out is "not too far" ?

There are a lot of rigs you can hit without having numbers. Like Willie suggested the snappers will be smaller at the near shore rigs but are plentiful. I have some numbers I could PM to you. The close in rigs should have plenty of Kings and the possible Ling.

To get some snapper worth keeping I feel you will need to get out to at least 15 - 18 fathoms which would be between 15 and 20 miles.

B

Will also be down there next weekend but heading out through PA. Do you have radio? GPS? I've got a 23' sportfisher and was looking at heading out to one of the reefs (I don't have any secret spots to share either). PM me.

Thanks alot guys, and yes, I have a lowrance lcx 38 hd with full GPS and the lowrance LVR-850 radio networked in. I was there last year and went out packery in my 18 footer about a mile out, kids were looking a little wide eyed and nervous so didn't test them LOL. And have been going out through jetties in different boats in the past. Alot in Matorgorda ship channel. And That one can get real fun on the right tide and especially when you have a ship coming in also!

About my radio, I can pick up all of NOAA with it, but unfortunately no one in fresh water has a radio for me to test it and make sure it operates properly. I will be getting my DSC number online on monday, but my boat name is "cattin around" same as my catfish tourny team. I have heard and read in the manual that main channels to listen or scan is 16 and 9, is that true? And then switch to another channel to actually talk. Kinda like using an old CB radio.

Now my chum, it will be frozen in 1.5 gallon buckets. Its contents will be made up about 65% fresh water gizzard shad, about 20% buffalo (real oily fresh water fish--kinda like a carp) and about 15% congelled bull blood. I buy the bulls blood in 3 gallon containers for only $18 already congelled!!!! I grind up with an old large hand crank grinder my grand dad gave me with the shad and buffalo, mix in the blood and work it by hand and scoop it all into 1 gallon to 1.5 gallon washed out pickle buckets with lids and freeze it immediately. I usually set the bucket out in the boat on the way out, by the time i get there the sides are thawed enough to drop in a mesh bag and let the warm water of the gulf naturally thaw and disperse it. Caugth a bounch of I think Alantic sharp nose last early july but nothing else.

I have been told to also buy some cigar minnows frozen and use a steel leader with 2-3 hooks and drift that with no weight for a kings around the rigs, would that work? never caught a king but would love to catch one next week.

I have plenty of rods and reels, 4 nsunami 6' boat rods, with 2-okuma titus T-30 2speeds with about 500 yards 40 lb mono, the other 2 rods with pen 309's spooled with 30 lb mono. 2- abu 7000's spooled with 65lb power pro (use these for big catfish) and they are on heavy action 7 foot berkly big game one peice rods. 4- spinning rigs that are spooled with 25-30 lbs mono approx. 250-300 yrds depending on the reels and all of those reels are on med heavy spinning 6.5 foot rods. I also have 8- abu 6500's but probably will not be bringing those. All of which are spooled with 65lb power pro braid (like the 7000 reels) but they only hold 150 yards unlike the 7000's which are spooled with 300 yards. I think these should rigs will do, I am bringing also several rods for the bay also.

Oh, Thank you gentleman for the help!

As for too far one of you asked, my rig has a built in 20 gallon fuel tank, thats not alot. I can get about 120 miles per tank in fresh water lakes. Not bad for a 115hp yamaha 4-stroke, but in the gulf I would only predict about 50-60 miles (half or less depending on current and waves). First day out will be a short trip to the near shore rigs and will monitoring my fuel ratio to get a good number. I not push her on the first day LOL. Plus I will have an 6 gallon reserve tank on board also BUT I NEVER FIGURE THAT IN FOR FUEL. In other smaller rigs (my 18) never had to tap into that reserve because i don't like to figure that in for fuel ratio, thats my "OH [censored]" reserve.

Thanks again!

Jason A.K.A Spud

Sounds like a good plan. I was stoked when I bought my 19 foot Bluewave and found out that it came with a 37 gallon tank.

Most folks on the coast are operating on channel 16 and 68. 68 seems to be more of a b.s. channel.

Trolling those near shore rigs with ribbon fish should give you some decent shots at some kings. Look for anything floating and check it out. You never know what's hiding under it.

Fuel is a big deal and you'll burn a lot more of it in the open seas. The bigger the seas the more you'll burn. That's why my 22' boat has a 125 gallon tank.

Suggestion: Make dang sure of your mileage. Most boaters go with the 1/3 rule, 1/3 tank out, 1/3 tank back, 1/3 reserve. Could be completely wrong, but 120 miles on the lakes is going to be less out on the GOM. Figure in the travel to the end of Packery and back to the dock as well. I'd figure 40 miles max, even with the 6 gallon tank,(good insurance))just to be safe.
Just want you safe and able to get back without any preventable problems.
Good luck, catch a bunch.

Yeah, thats why the first day will just do the rigs close to shore and see where I am at at the end of the trip on day 1. Base all other game plans on fuel use and waves on first day. I am a "hope for the best, plan for the worse" person always.

In ya'lls opinion, what are the best baits off shore? live or dead. I am real confident on getting plenty of piggys and pin perch. And always see big "horse" mullet. thats what I have been told what the big ones are called. usually catch a few croakers in the net also. Plus can buy them usually. I have been real lucky about catching skip jack under the JFK causeway at night in the past.

Plus will be going by Academy on the way through to pick up a few artificials. Anyone reccomend some good ole baits for me to troll?

When you get to CC stop by Roy's Bait & Tackle. Pick up some kingfish rigs. I prefer the one's with j-hooks as opposed to trebles. Get a couple dozen ribbon fish. Get some Rapala magnum diving lures. Get some Snapper Slappers. Maybe a box of frozen sardines, some squid and cigar minnows.

You can catch mullet and freeze 'em or fish them live or fresh dead or even alive.

The guys at Roys or Port A Outfitters will take care of you.

Where is Roy's? I am coming down 37 and then across the JFK causeway, where would they be? I know I need to stop by ACADEMY anyway, one more stop in not a problem.

Spud. Here is the Address for Roys. If I'm right it's right before the Flour Bluff Exit if you're coming down SPID towards the Island it'll be on the right.

7613 S Padre Island Dr
Corpus Christi, TX

If the winds are lets say 15mph nnw. Will it be hard to go out of packery? Also what is the best route to take out of packery the left or right side heading out?

What type of Boat? Be very careful if you fish a west wind, it is a rare occurrence for it to blow from the west and it gets nasty quick. Get a map of the middle texas coast for rig locations, assuming there they are still there. I use to fish down south before Packery opened and loved it, had the place to myself. I would think most fishable rigs would be to your left heading out. Live shrimp fished around the nearshore rigs should produce lots of sheepshead this time of year.

Getting out of Packery depends as much on tides & swells as wind. It can get ugly at times. I've seen more than one boat upside down out there. The rigs you see when you leave the channel should be starting to produce some nice cobia by now. Live baits, especially small hardheads and piggys, and curly tail grubs should work. Also as mentioned above sheepshead. Sharks should be kicking to if you're into them.

You also have the new Packery Reef to the NNE out of the channel. I have numbers on that if you need em. I've heard of it starting to produce some nice size snapper.

Its a 21ft bay boat. Friday we will be launching, can you pm me numbers? Thanks for the response guys. How many miles out is the blue water?

Numbers for Packery Reef - N 27 38.783 W 97 00.447 You will see a yellow buoy marking the sunken ship.

As for blue water...its still out around the shelf. You ain't gonna see it in a bay boat yet.