Hello to all my fellow kayaking friends. Just like last summer, 2023, I wanted to do something for this summer 2024 in regards to BTB kayak fishing for new people (of course intermediate and advanced kayakers are welcomed as well). Several years ago, I put together a BTB trip for anyone that wanted to get out to do BTB at Surfside, this included kayakers of all levels. It was awesome! We had a total of 34 kayakers that made it out that day. Many just went to the buoys while others went to the 5-mile rig. It was cool to see that many yaks out on the water. Some of the people that fished off the jetty’s at Surfside thought that there was a kayak tournament going on with that many kayaks launching, lol. The following year I ran another one of these outings except it was run out of Corpus Christi instead of Surfside. We had many more show up than the previous year. This trip was a huge success! I believe all the new kayakers caught kings that day and I would say around 70% of the new kayakers limited out on kings. On top of it all, some of the new kayakers caught cobia. What an amazing day on the water it was!! As each year has gone by, this outing has become larger and larger. This has turned out to be a great way for new kayakers to learn how to go BTB and hopefully to catch some fish while out there on the water.

Since Corpus Christi was such a huge success in years past, I’m going to continue to do it at Corpus Christi again on the Bob Hall Pier beachline. The way it works is we all meet just south of Ball Hall Pier on the beach and make our way on out to the rig to try our luck at smacks, kings, and anything else that we can get into. If you are new to BTB, this would be a great trip to try out. The rig is not far offshore (give or take a mile) and there will be plenty of support out on the water with all the kayakers that will be fishing with us. This is not a tournament or an event (This is merely an open invite to anyone that wants to attend.), it's just a way to get all levels of kayakers out on the water and to have fun hanging out while fishing.

The game plan is for everyone to meet just south of Bob Hall Pier on the beach at 5:00am Saturday, June 29th (If you are new, you may want to arrive earlier so that you have plenty of time to prepare.). There will be a short meeting before we launch to answer any questions by anyone (around 6:30am). There will be plenty of experienced kayakers there that can answer anything as well. After the meeting, we will launch approximately around 7:00am.

The exact location we will meet and where quite a few will be camping at is as such. Once you get to where Bob Hall Pier used to be, go south on to the beach (Hurricane Hannah tore up the pier a few years back so the city took it down last year. The restaurant is still standing and is in the water. The restaurant looks like a beach house but in the water.). Once on the beach, continue for a moment until you see Access Rd 6 on the right (you can see this access road on Google Maps). We used to camp out about 100 to 200 yards past Access Rd 6 on the left (beach side). If there is new sand out there, it will be difficult for 2wd vehicles to get through. Also, if the tides are coming up fairly high, it can be tough to camp on the beach side. The alternative is to camp on the right up along the dune side right after you pass Access Rd 6.

*****In regards to a backup date, here is how that works (NEW). If the intended date to fish is not possible, then I will move the outing forward each day until I find a date that is good to go out BTB. Hopefully the conditions and weather will be good and we can all get out on June 29th. If interested, post your name on here by replying to this thread and I will add you to the list.*****

OKAY.... WHO'S INTERESTING IN GOING?

01 Blake Colburn (aka: Yakety_Yak)
02 Dave Garza
03 Darwin S. Ramos
04 David Villareal
05 Han (vg30et)
06 Fernando Wolfe
07 Dave Roberts
08 Jonathan Getz
09 Jerry Krabe (SWFinatic)
10 Jonathan Murcelo Willie
11 Jacob Kapaldo
12 Jeremiah McNiel (jeremy0826)
13 Lino T. Arocha (LTA)
14 Mark Alcala
15 Oscar Alvarado
16 Leo Sanchez
17 Mike Tomberlin
18 Robert Adcock
19 Nathan T. Crowe
20 Samuel Torres
21 Paco Campos
22 Steve Ocanas
23 William Tryon
24 Ryan Corron (REC Studios)
25 Earl Medina
26 David
27 Gary Burns
28 Gunner Hernandez
29 Mohammad M. Shobaki
30 JC Lopez




So far we have 30 kayaker going. These are people that are going or are a maybe. Who else wants to go? Post up on this thread and I will be happy to add you to the list.

The address to Bob Hall Pier is.....
15820 Park Rd 22
Corpus Christi, TX 78418
(361) 949-0499

PS: As it gets closer to the date, I will make a post on here a few days before (lunchtime of Thursday, June 27th) to let everyone know if conditions/weather is good or not so that nobody makes a trip for nothing. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ARE CHECKING THE THREAD FOR UPDATES AS IT GETS CLOSER SO THAT YOU KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON. SOMETIMES IT COULD COME DOWN TO THE FINAL DAY BEFORE THE OUTING BEFORE THINGS COULD CHANGE. THIS HAS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES. If things look debatable, I will postpone the outing to be on the safe side.

If you are new to BTB and this is your first trip out or if you have gone out but not very much and are still fairly new to BTB, please read. There are a few things you may need to know before hitting the water. First and foremost, please make sure you always have your PFD on you. If you are 17 years of age and older, the law states that you must have a PFD on the vessel at all times with you (if under 17, you are required to have it ON at all times). If you flip over and the PFD is not on your body, what good is it doing you? It would be worth your time to buy a good quality PFD and not the $9.99 version at Academy.

Another thing I would recommend investing into is a quality VHF radio. There are so many reasons as to why you should have a radio on you when you are on the water BTB kayak fishing of which I will talk about a little lower on this thread as you keep reading. If you need to figure out a good radio to purchase, please feel free to call me (832-588-7091). Keep reading as I will explain a few things on a quality VHF radio to buy. If you do not have a radio, which I hope everyone does, stay with a group of people while on the water that does have a radio. Safety is in numbers and the more people you can be fishing close to, the better.

Just a few items that people mentioned that are new to BTB in years past that said they needed to get the most but they didn’t already have were (in no particular order but I would hope the radio was at the top, lol) 1) radio 2) gaff 3) fish bag.

When we arrive in the morning a few ground rules will be covered in the meeting before we launch to make sure all the new people are on the same page. If the experienced people would stay for a few minutes while items of importance are being explained to the new people, it would be helpful because you can add your experience to the topic. I also would like to say that when you show up to fish, please make sure you have enough tackle. There is nothing worse than showing up and not having the correct tackle or hardly any tackle and asking everyone to borrow their stuff. It is one thing if you need a swivel but to borrow someone's $20 Waxwing lure, only to have a break-off and lose it, that is not good. Unless you plan on paying for that lure, it's better to show up with your own tackle. If you are not sure what to show up with, please ask on this thread. I can tell you for sure to make or buy king fish leaders (the key bait for kings is ribbon fish or even live bait). If you want to make king fish leaders, check out Prof. Salt's YouTube channel (click on the link I have provided). He has a video in there that explains how to make king fish leaders and it’s really good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t82a8-iUXg&list=PLQJBYBKUYqnPLmBHYV8-j4rvJB298ZNxA&index=4

If you do camp on the beach, make sure you purchase a beach pass which can be purchased at any Stripes Gas Station. From what I have been told, if you camp on the beach past Access Road 6, no beach pass is necessary (I will be getting a beach pass just in case). I know I will be back again quite a few times and I will get my money’s worth out of it. The beach pass is $12.00 which is good for the entire year. Hopefully we can all get out there, have a great time, and catch some fish!

If you would like to read up on the reports from a few years ago, here are the links: https://tinyurl.com/mrd4aj4v

For those of you that have any questions, please feel free to post on this thread, PM me on TKF, or give me a call. 832-588-7091

Also...... Always call before going up to see if the bait shops have ribbon fish. Some suggestions for bait shops that carry ribbon fish are:


Billings Bait Stand
13428 S. Padre Island Dr.
Corpus Christi, TX 78418
361-949-8692

Roy’s Bait & Tackle Outfitters
7613 S. Padre Island Dr.
Corpus Christi, TX 78412
361-992-2960

Red Dot Pier
11801 S. Padre Island Dr.
Corpus Christi, TX 78418
361-937-5347

Fisherman's Bait & Seafood
1101 Laguna Shores Rd.
Corpus Christi, TX 78418
361-239-4648


For those of you that are looking at buying a VHF radio and are not sure what to get, here are a few things to consider....

Many people try to buy the Cobra or Midland VHF radios and many times, not always, it's because of the low price. The Cobra and Midland brand is commonly sold at Academy. There are other cheap brands out there, not just Cobra and Midland. The problem is that you get what you pay for many times with these brands. Because of the lower price, you sacrifice something for the cheaper brands out there. I have explained in the past the five things to look for in a quality VHF radio but I have now found a sixth thing. Here are the six things you should look for in purchasing a quality VHF radio:

1) floats
2) water proof
3) it should have NOAA weather radio
4) at least a 5-mile radius
5) good battery life (if you are going to be on the water all day, make sure your battery will last)
6) Make sure your radio has a channel 16 emergency button so that you can reach coast guard immediately and not just have to thumb through many channels to get there.

The sixth item is the newest I have added to the list. The reason for this is that a common station that many are allowed to be on are the upper channels. Us kayakers choose channel 69 many times. Even though we use the radio for fishing talk, it's important to remember that this radio's primary purpose is for emergencies. What happens if you are on channel 69 and there is an emergency. On a cheaper radio, you will have to push through all the stations to get from channel 69 to channel 16 (channel 16 is the coast guard station). That is a lot of channels to thumb through. My radio has a button that has "9/16" on it (this is a common feature on some radios). Once I hit this button, it immediately takes me to where I need to be without going through other less important channels.

Another thing that is not necessarily needed but is a nice feature, is a channel lock feature. I'm almost definite this lock feature I am about to talk about will be the seventh thing on the list before long. On my radio, there is a button that has a key pic. Once I hold this down for a few seconds, it locks all my keys. To reverse the process, repeat the same thing and it will disengage this feature. If the feature is active, a small pic of a key will present itself on the electronic screen. Once disabled, the key pic goes away. This feature is useful because as kayakers, we are limited in space. Constantly you will find that your radio buttons will get pressed somehow during the day taking you off of the channel you are trying to be on. If you are fishing with friends and you don't hear them the entire time, you will think their radio is off or has gone down. In reality, your radio channel is on the wrong station. Also, when you are talking to the coast guard, you will want to make sure you stay on the designated channel and not accidentally get switched.

Some of the brands that many use on the water that are considered reliable are (in no particular order):

1) ICOM
2) Standard Horizon
3) Uniden

I used to roll with the Standard Horizon HX300. For the value of this radio, it's hard to beat the quality and price. My only issue with Standard Horizon is that their customer service is horrible. I have had many Standard Horizon radios and there has been a few times I needed my radio worked on. My radio has been sent back to me and it still didn’t work. I was told they looked at and fixed it but after testing it once in my hands, the radio wasn’t working properly. I now have a ICOM M73. This radio is kind of on the high price. However, you can get the M37 for a more reasonable price. I called ICOM with many questions on their VHF radios and each time they took plenty of time to speak to me and to answer all my questions.

All of these radio brands are good that I just listed. If you search on the internet, sometimes you will find that there are mail-in rebates. I have heard people talk about the HX290. It has everything the HX300 has except one thing. The HX300 has a longer battery life. For a few bucks more, I am more than happy to buy the HX300 to have a longer battery life. If you find that you are the kind of person that is only going to be on the water for about half a day, then I could see buying the HX290.

Another thing I would like to mention is that ICOM has a certain technology in some of their VHF radios called Aqua Quake. This feature is important for when you are going through the breakers while going out and you get water on the radio. When you get water in the radio, you simply hit and hold a certain button on the radio for a few seconds and the radio begins to shake allowing the salt water to loosen up and drip out. This will allow you to hear better into the radio when using it. I’ve played with this technology a few times on my radio and it’s pretty cool.

One last thing I would like to mention. Sometimes I like to use TV's in relation to VHF radios. I consider buying a Cobra or Midland in relation to RCA. Buying one of the better brands is like buying a Toshiba. By buying a RCA, is that what your life is worth? We take a VHF radio for granted because we hit the water never suspecting anything will ever happen to us. If that time ever comes when you need a radio and you bought an RCA, I can only pray that it works for you. I know my Toshiba will as it has on a few occasions that I have needed it.

FISH BAGS…….. If you are looking at fish bags and are not sure what to get, here is a fantastic option. This bag is durable, it holds ice for extended periods of time, and is half the price of most other bags.....

https://www.delawarepaddlesports.com/delaware-paddlesports-insulated-storage-bag-large/

I have owned two fish bags before the current one I now own. Both bags are the Native fish bag. Both bags are now in the garbage as they don't hold up very well for very long. I remember when I got both Native fish bags, they were both damaged after the first trip on the water. Each time I placed a fish in the bag, the fish would cut up the interior of the bag. Furthermore, the zipper would eventually rust. These bags are $150.00 each at the time (before COVID). I don't know what they are worth now but I do know that to buy a quality bag it runs around $150 - $200 (sometimes more). The pricing on these things is just absolutely ridiculous!

One day at one of my BHP outings, I met this guy that had a fish bag that I had never seen before on his Native Slayer Propel (thanks Angel for the info on this bag). I inquired about it. After that trip, I immediately went home and found the bag online. After a little research, I purchased it. I have not been disappointed with this bag yet. Some of the points of this bag are:

1) The inside of the bag is much more durable than the Native bag and will still insulate your ice
2) The exterior of the bag is durable as well
3) There are two zippers instead of one (Just in case, I always put a coat of WD-40 on the zippers to keep them lubricated each time after I fish.)
4) The price is absolutely awesome! (I'll explain below)
5) The bag is larger than most bags

The cost of this bag is $125.00 (before COVID) and the shipping is free when you enter "Bam" as a coupon code for the free shipping. There is no tax as Delaware is a tax free state. Either way you look at it, the bag is still going to be cheaper than most other bags (don’t forget that the quality is excellent as well).

One last thing on this bag. There is a place you can put carabiners on to secure the bag to the yak (I have pad eyes on my yak to secure the carabiner to it from the bag). There are plenty of options to choose from. Just to give you an idea of how big this bag is, I have had three king mackerel and four red snapper in this bag and it has held up. That is a lot of fish! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask or you can call me. 832-588-7091

In addition to the pics on Delaware Paddlesports web page, here are some others pics of the bag on kayaks:








If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me by posting on this thread, PM me, or call/text me. 832-588-7091 Tight lines!!

[UPDATED 6-23-24] This is the first update for this outing. I will make my next update on Tuesday. There is another disturbance in the Gulf. If that disturbance continues towards Texas, that will assuredly make it to where the BHP outing will not be doable and I will have to move this outing to another date. However, before the disturbance was in the Gulf, this weekend looked possible. If things go favorable and the disturbance moves elsewhere or dies out, this outing could very well take place this upcoming weekend. I should have more information come Tuesday. Stay tuned, cross your fingers, and maybe we will get lucky. More to come soon! See the link below for more details.

http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/...amp;sid=c54fba2f965a9543c6ee6a2c94faef24

Blake I sold my kayak and switched to a Bonafide SKF117 so I can pole the flats. I won’t be going offshore in this yak.

Water’s to the dunes and winds are howling. Water should come down some by Saturday but I don’t see much changing with the winds. There’s also another tropical wave (3rd one already) headed for the same area where Alberto started that is still roughly a week out. Whether it turns towards Texas or not it’s still gonna create swells and raise the water back up to the dunes and of course create strong currents.

Gonna be a busy tropical season!

July 19th or 20th - Ball Hall Pier Offshore BTB Kayak Fishing Outing

See link for details on this outing. It's going to either be on Friday or Saturday. Check out the link.

http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/...amp;sid=90371853baab7231ad7c3f6be034d9d8

This Saturday is the date, see the thread for details:


http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/...amp;sid=57872817ed75fd789384a2f36d6bd9e3