Hey guys. I was just invited to go down to Big Shell this coming Thursday for a few days. Anyone know how well the fish are biting right now. I was only planning to go down to about the 20 mile marker or so. But if they are biting at the jettis I will go that far. Let me know if anyone has any reports to help me out with.

Thanks,

CTFootball

You do know that it takes a long time to get to big shell and even longer to get to the jettie. Once on the beach it takes nearly 3 hours of bumpy driving to jet all the way down. The 20 mile marker is not big shell. If you go 20 miles down I dont think you are quite to little shell. I think it is a little more than 20. However I always enjoy the ride and you can catch fish just about everywhere. PINS is always an exciting trip and you have the chance at catching a monster. What are you fishing for? Remember to take 4weel drive and plenty of water and food. Around the 20 mile markers there is a passage over the dunes that takes you to Yarbrough pass (baffin). If you are fishing for Trout/Red this will be your best bet. Good Luck

Yes I have been to Big Shell the last 5 years. And I also think that Big Shell starts at after the 5 mile marker. Once you hit the 5 mile marker there is a sign that says you have to have a 4x4 drive. That is where Big Shell starts. And if the road conditions are ok you can to the jettis in 2 hours. But usually it would take you 3 hours. Do you know if the Yarbrough pass is open or not. Last year around the first weekend of October it was closed. And yes the drive is always enjoyable. Thanks!

Billy Sandifer reported catching four jackfish to 20lbs using spoons this past weekend.

Big Shell/Little Shell, High Banks...what ever you want to call it, is the business end of PINS as far as driving. The bad stuff starts at the 17.5 and lasts to around the lower 30's. The "Y" is at the 15mm, and it was open 5 days ago. The beach is all tore up right now so driving sucks. I'll be down there in the morning chasing the jacks that showed up this weekend to fill the freezer for shark baits. The seaweed showed up in full force so long lines will stay behind.

Be carefull in the surf Thursday, 9ft. waves predicted for Wednesday night, yakking should be top notch!!

I was down there this weekend, the jacks were schooling and the birds working in the 2nd gut (I think). The weed was becoming a bit annoying though and the surf was pretty rough.

"Big Shell" does not start at the 5 by the way. Just call it PINS and you're safe.

If you post on extremecoast.com they will help you. Most of them fish there every week.

When you get to an area of the beach that is covered with little shells that is "little shell". When you get to an area covered with bigger shells thatis "big shell". I'm being serious. That is why they are called what they are called. If you have never seen these shell deposites on the beach you are not going to the places that you think you are in. Keep on driving and you will see what I'm talking about. I have been going there for about 20 years and I cant remember a time when I was able to make the drive all the way down to the Mansfield jettie in 2 hrs. I dont care how good the driving is. I am not trying to be rude just trying to help you get to the right spot. Here is a couple of tips. One, drive as close to the water as possible the sand is harder when wet allowing faster driving. Two, you can actualy see a color change in the water around the big shell area. Norht is murky and south is clear. I have seen days when there is a distinct line. Better fishing in the clear water. Again I am not trying to be rude. I just want to make sure that your on the right path.

I don't think your being rude Trout-killer, and I appreciate the info. 20 years is a long time. Like I said in a few post earlier. I have been going there every year for the last 5 or 6 years. And I always go at the end of Sept. or the beginning of Oct. 2 or 3 years ago there was a hurricane like 2 days before I went. And believe it or not. We must have been the first ones on the beach after the hurrican. There were no tracks and the beach was as smooth as concrete. We booked about 45 to 50 mph almost all the way down there and made it in at least 2 hours. On the way back was a different story. And one more thing. That was the best fishing I ever had down there.

yea, the hurricane made a good path. Sometime though it tears the path up. When I was a highschooler it mad big channels leading to the dunes and no one could drive down for a long time. the beach can be pretty empty during certain times. Did you notice the shells on the grond. That will let you know when you are in big or little shell. I know I wasnt being rude but some people think that I am. I have alot of knwledge about fishing corpus area and some people think I am being concieted or a know it all. I am just trying to share the experience that I have. Good luck!!!!

Thanks! I hope the swells aren't as big as they are saying. I would really like to surf fish more than go to the jettis this time around.

Some people?

YEa right now the winds are gale force (34-40 mph) and the seas are bout 13 feet. The surf is overhead and completly out of control. I hate to dissapoint you but the fishing may be tough. The winds and seas are going to die a little tommorrow so it will not be as bad as today. Your best bet is to either hide behind the jettie or you can cut through the dunes and fish yarbrough pass. I have had good fishing there even when it was windy. Redfish dont seem to mind the wind as much as trout. There is even guides that prefer to fish for reds when the winds are 25 plus. However, you can all but throw artificials out the water unless you have something that makes a lot of noise/vibration. Try rattle traps and red fish magics.

Did good!



Last Thursday

Driving the waters edge is good some of the time. Be careful when the seaweed is present. The washed up weed will get buried in the sand and start to rot just a couple inches under the sand. when you hit this stuff, you are in massive muck. If you get stuck, and can't get your truck out before the tide rolls in......say goodbye to your fishing rig. I hit this spot in my truck the day before and spun my f350 completely around. (this was last years weed).



The weed is rolling in on PINS but it has not had a chance to pile up yet, so running the waterline is cool. Just stay out of the washed up weed, it hides tire killers.

Fall and winter months, the jetty's are 2 hours away. Run the low tides in and out, the weed is gone, and the tides are lower than usual. I've also had a jetty trip take us 8 hours. 5mph in powder sand, getting stuck, over heating, the works.

PT