When I hear of folks catching good trout in the surf at POC, does that mean on the other side of Matagorda Island? How the heck can you get out there besides out of the jetties or Cavalo? I have heard that Cavalo is treacherous, and I would be hesitant to beach my boat anywhere in that area.

Conditions have to be right to get through the pass with a smaller boat.Mine is 18 1/2.It has to be almost flat for me to attempt it.We usually run down the coast toward the light house and anchor off the coast several hunderd yards.You got to have several good anchors.When the trout are there,the fishing is excellent.Be careful though.This past year a friend of mine sank his 23 foot El Pescador and lost everything but his life.

thanks for the info, but excuse my ignorance. I usually fish around the old coast guard station, in the back bays, or around the jetties so I am not sure where you are referring to. Do you go out of the main jetties (not the little ones) and then down the coast to the right?

I've gone up into the pass with my 19ft Kenner. With the strong tide currents I can see how this can be dangerous. What I'm not sure about is what it would be that would actually sink a boat like a pescador. Are the waves so high that they crash over the boat and then the stong current might take it out to the gulf further or what. I've read all the warnings and I'm sure that they are valid I'm just wanting to understand the nature of the hazard to make sure I don't inadvertently wander into them. The first time I went out that area I was tempted to go out the pass and then drift fish in toward the J hook but I decided to heed the warnings on the map and go back toward the Coast Guard station.

tks

My friend was in the process of setting his bow anchor[he already had lowered his stern] when a large swell tip him over and filled the boat with water.The boat washed ashore and was recoverd but he lost everything otherwise.He was very close to the light house.

OK, I was thinking it would be obvious when one was in danger and it seems it was. Anchoring in big swells is obviously dicey in a small boat. I just saw all the warnings on the maps about the pass and when I was there I didn't see the obvious danger other than a strong current. But I can see if I had gone all the way out to the breakers and was trying to cross them and got sideways or something thats obviously a dicey thing not to mention anchoring on top of them. I had my wife with me and she's big on paying attention to signs so if it says dangerous on the map it is DANGEROUS no matter what you see so I turned back. I suppose if I'd kept going it would have become more obvious.

tks
Don

Have you ever fished th ''J hook'' on the right side?Most of the time even in my 18 i can get in and out of there with very little problems.I usually beach my boat and wade the surf.

i fished there alot when I was a kid. The past few years, though, I have not been able to find the channel back to there. I draft about 2 feet in my Proline so I usually just get as far as I can, anchor, then get out and wade.

Hey has anyone ever gone back in the cut just back from the Coast Guard station?

fish pond? that can take you to light house cove or big pocket but you need a decent tide and a boat that will run in 4-5 inches of water. good spots

fish pond? that can take you to light house cove or big pocket but you need a decent tide and a boat that will run in 4-5 inches of water. good spots

that's what I thought. I see alot of folks going in and out of there but I never really ventured far back. That whole area around the mouth of Saluria is one of my favorite spots.
Also, in the middle of the day after a good morning of trout fishing, you can plunk a half a ladyfish in the middle of Saluria and there is no telling what you might catch.

When you say

"Have you ever fished th ''J hook'' on the right side?Most of the time even in my 18 i can get in and out of there with very little problems.I usually beach my boat and wade the surf."

Not sure what you mean by right side? Do you mean just following the beach starting at the CG station and heading east? I do see lots of waders in that area. When you say surf you mean bay surf not gulf surf, right?

Don

one thing I can tell you from years of living there is that you dont need an ultra shallowdraft boat to get it the fishpond...
just follow the gut, you dont wanna be running over the flat (4-5" deep) anyway, your screwing up all the habitat that keeps the fish there in the first place. the gut in the fishpond, last time i ran it was about 3'deep all the way. now granted its snaky and a pita to follow but, it does exist. the entrance to the pond is nearer sunday beach not the old coast guard station.

the cut that i think kkathan is speaking of though is the old oilwell cut, and you should see its 4-6' all the way to the back no problems. its alot better fishing in the winter but can generally find some smallish reds for the kids to pull on....

1/2 a ladyfish in saluria = big black drum or large jackfish

something else to try is go to the left (decros point) of the pass and anchor up just inside the cleanwater so that you can float out your lines into the faster moving current. then toss out some whole ribbonfish on 60# flourocarbon attached to about a 3/0 reel filled with 40#test and see how many tarpon and 50lb+ blackdrums you can catch. if you keep getting spooled dont be afraid to use larger rods/reels.

as for trout in the surf, go to sunday beach and pitch the lady and kiddo's out anchor up and hike across the island. I dont think its much more than 1/4 mile. unless its calm then pitch em out at the beach and run the pass (nearer the left (last year)) head over to the darlington (or where she used to be) and see how many lg trout you can find to put in your cooler....

ok, ive rambled too long, i hope this makes some sense....

What is the issue "running the pass"? If its rough do you run the risk of bottoming out and then a wave coming down on top of you while you are trying to get loose?

nah, it just gets really rough when your in a bay boat and try to run the pass when the tide is outgoing and the wind is blowing... they work against each other and the breakers can get rather large... nothing an offshore machine couldnt handle if it had to but a bayboat... yikes! yes you can bump the ground but generally watch the breakers and have polarized glasses and youll be fine.