Texas Fishing Forum

Port A North Jettie

Posted By: Guy210

Port A North Jettie - 01/04/21 02:19 PM

I’ve been fishing outside of the North jetty at Port Aransas and the last time I was out there there was no wind and it was a great day. About 4:00pm when I headed back in I noticed a lot of water “stacking” for about a half mile out from the tip of the North jetty. It looked pretty scary; I was able to run further out and get around it. It was at high tide and the moon was full. Has anyone else experienced this? Does it only happen on the spring tides at high tide when the current is flooding the strongest?
Posted By: Osbornfishing

Re: Port A North Jettie - 01/05/21 11:55 PM

Lots of conditions can effect the wave height around the jetties and create some unusually high waves at the jetty opening. Always pay attention to changes in weather conditions, especially in the winter. Even small fronts that change the wind direction over the sea current direction can create big waves quickly, especially if there is a big tide change.
Posted By: Guy210

Re: Port A North Jettie - 01/06/21 01:51 AM

Thanks for the reply.
Posted By: atx_ben

Re: Port A North Jettie - 01/06/21 03:49 PM

This is one of my favorite YouTube channels, they film boats going in and out of Haulover Inlet (not sure where it is but in florida somewhere...plus, look how consistently green the water is!!!). Anyway, there are people who take these giant jetty waves in 40 foot contenders under full throttle. It's...something.

There's one guy that runs about a 17' Boston Whaler Montauk w/ a 75 hp engine wide open, too. The commenters call him "the legend", but he takes the waves better than a lot of much larger boats. Pretty awesome to watch tbh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxi0GjC-8Cg
Posted By: Guy210

Re: Port A North Jettie - 01/06/21 04:06 PM

Yea, those Haulover Inlet videos are good. The soundings show the inlet channel to be about 60 ft. deep and then a 30 ft. sand bar or whatever you want to call it extending out from the point of the jetty rocks. I guess that the current ripping in from the NE was hitting that almost 30 ft. tall bar and stacking up out from the rocks. Luckily I was able to run my 23 ft. bay boat out further and go around it; I definitely could not have gone through it. I understand that inlets can be a place of caution; I was just wondering if this is a common occurrence off of the ends of the jetties when the flooding tide is strong and peaks.

Attached picture N Jetties.PNG
Posted By: parttime

Re: Port A North Jettie - 01/10/21 04:10 PM

I had this happen a couple years ago. We headed out to the end of the jetty, it was calm so we went around to the beach side and fished for a while. We ran out of bait so headed back in to get more and as we came to the end of the jetty it was completely different, big waves coming from different directions. We tried to run out further but it didn't look any better so I turned the nose into it and man was it crazy. Took one wave over the bow that spoked me (one buddy was already terrified), had another just lift us up and turn the boat 90 degrees. We made it in, but that's the last time I've ventured out the jetties in my current boat (18' center console bay boat). I hope to upgrade to a bigger more capable boat this year. That area at the end of the jetties is called the apron, and it can get real nasty.
Posted By: Guy210

Re: Port A North Jettie - 01/11/21 02:13 AM

That’s what happened to me at the end of the north jetty; the waves were crazy looking like they were following that sand bar off the end. I went out close to that red buoy in the pic above and it was nice and calm. I see a lot of bay boats fishing right off of the end of the north jetty all the time. I wonder how fast things start to get rough right there? or if it happens at a predictable time like at tide change?
Posted By: parttime

Re: Port A North Jettie - 01/11/21 01:10 PM

I think its difficult to predict because the wind and tide both play a role in it.
Posted By: Osbornfishing

Re: Port A North Jettie - 01/12/21 12:02 AM

Once you are outside the jetty it is a different world. Fishing outside the jetty is a matter of learning the weather, waves, and safety. On calm days the ocean is wide open to the “mosquito fleet” of small boats. On many days the ocean gets calmer once you get away from the jetty. I have spent many hours on the ocean in boats less than 18 feet. After adding equipment, I took my old 21’ tunnel hull Kenner 60 miles offshore many times, although 25 to 40 miles was more common. If you pay attention to the weather there is great fishing off the Texas coast. Many days the most dangerous part of the trip was coming back through the jetty.

[Linked Image]
Posted By: Guy210

Re: Port A North Jettie - 01/12/21 04:06 PM

Wow, that’s impressive, 60 miles offshore! The day that I was outside the jetties there was no wind. I really believe that the strong flooding current was flowing sort of perpendicular to the 20-30 ft. tall sand bar protruding out from the rocks causing a wall of water. I easily ran out to about that red buoy and came right back up the middle of the inlet without taking on a drop of water. Once up around the Port A harbor area I could see the current ripping in; it was getting close to high tide.
Posted By: Osbornfishing

Re: Port A North Jettie - 01/15/21 12:01 AM

Currents can still be strong when the wind is not blowing. Combining those currents with strong tide changes can create some big waves. You should always watch the weather conditions when fishing the protected side of the jetty. You would not be the first angler to get caught in a dangerous situation around the jetty after a weather or current change.
Posted By: Guy210

Re: Port A North Jettie - 01/15/21 04:48 PM

Maybe fishing inside the jetties would be safer than outside where you have to come back in the "mouth". There are some really strong currents that run through the inlet and go up in the Corpus Channel. They say about 75% of the flow goes into the Corpus Channel, 20% Lydia Ann Channel and 5% Aransas Channel.
Posted By: Guy210

Re: Port A North Jettie - 01/15/21 07:11 PM

[Linked Image]
Posted By: Osbornfishing

Re: Port A North Jettie - 01/15/21 11:13 PM

Great picture. thumb
Posted By: Osbornfishing

Re: Port A North Jettie - 01/15/21 11:23 PM

Originally Posted by Guy210
Maybe fishing inside the jetties would be safer than outside where you have to come back in the "mouth". There are some really strong currents that run through the inlet and go up in the Corpus Channel. They say about 75% of the flow goes into the Corpus Channel, 20% Lydia Ann Channel and 5% Aransas Channel.


That is true, but if you learn to be safe there is lots of fun outside the jetty.

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]
Posted By: Guy210

Re: Port A North Jettie - 01/19/21 01:07 PM

I hear you; those both look like pretty good size boats. Mine is just a 23 foot bay boat. We have caught a bunch of big, fun fish outside the jetties.

[Linked Image]
Posted By: Osbornfishing

Re: Port A North Jettie - 01/20/21 02:23 AM

That is a beautiful redfish. Over the last several decades I have fished the ocean, up to 15 miles out, in many boats from 17 to 23 feet. I participated in an annual group fishing trip to Port Mansfield. Our group had 6 different bay boats from 16 to 24 feet and we used all of them to fish outside the jetty. I also caught red snapper, 20 miles out, from this 17-foot hydrasport on calm days.

[Linked Image]

Don’t misunderstand me, you should always take the ocean seriously. And there are those that think I am crazy. bouncy
Posted By: parttime

Re: Port A North Jettie - 01/21/21 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by Guy210
Maybe fishing inside the jetties would be safer than outside where you have to come back in the "mouth". There are some really strong currents that run through the inlet and go up in the Corpus Channel. They say about 75% of the flow goes into the Corpus Channel, 20% Lydia Ann Channel and 5% Aransas Channel.

For sure, and there are some great fish to be caught inside the jetties. My PB Red, 40" was caught inside the jetties. That being said, I still plan to upgrade to a 25-28' boat this year.
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