New member with questions

[plugger]

Thanks for the opportunity to be a member of the WestEnders. I fish inshore salt every Fri. or Sat., usually from a kayak. I know Christmas bay Cold pass, Titlam -Tatlum Bayou fairly well, SLP flats, Pirates, Starvation, etc.-places I've yaked. Last Fri. and Sat. I took my 21 ft Explorer out of Sea ILse to explore West Bay. I bought the boat in 2005, only 54 hours on the Yamaha- my fishing pal does not like boats and this is the first boat I've ever owned and so have been reluctant to take it out alone. Well, I wanted to check out Mud Cut , Chocolate , Bastrop, reefs, those places I could not get to with my kayak in West Bay. Been fishing 10 years, year round, almost every week. Don't golf, tennis, etc-just wanna fish salt. So I cowboy upped and ventured out. It was windy and I could not make out guts to Bird Island, started kicking up sand- that Explorere will float in a bucket of water- got worried and retreated to ICW. Thought I would out flank the sand bars around Bird Island via the ICW and Bastrop Bay. I knew boats ran the boat lane, but that was pre-Ike. Kicked up sand in Bastrop in the boat lane off the ICW and again retreated. So, how can I get safely to Bird Island, Mud Cut (love flounder fishing and it looks like it holds potential)? Launch at KOA and hug Mud Isl. east shore? Can't get across Bastrop anymore ?

[Explorer21]

Plugger, first of all weclome to the site. As you can see from my name, I also have an Explorer, but it is the HS (high side) version. I have traveled to Mudd Cut and Bird Island several times and the way I go is along the north shoreline near Chocolate and follow it around to the north end of Bird Island. I am sure there is a way from the KOA camp, but I am not familiar with it. There are several people on here, like Aqua Pimp that can tell you how to get there. Good luck and have fun!

[wlgorman]

Bird Island - Hug the left shoreline of W galv from the KOA ground. If you want to cross on the S side of Bird Island, once you get even w/ it, cut 90 deg to the right, right when you get in line with the S side of the island.

Mud Cut - Same as above just keep hugging that right shoreline until you get there. If you go on a clear day with some good polarized lenses you can see the sandbars under the water.

The cuts are there, just changed a bit since the storm

[WestEndAngler]

[Explorer21]

Since I have not tried it from the KOA camp, are you saying to stay close to the west shoreline of what I think is called Mudd Island? I always see people anchored along the shoreline and fishing that 5-8ft. channel, which is across the way from the west side of Bird Island.

Bird Island - Hug the left shoreline of W galv from the KOA ground. If you want to cross on the S side of Bird Island, once you get even w/ it, cut 90 deg to the right, right when you get in line with the S side of the island.

Mud Cut - Same as above just keep hugging that right shoreline until you get there. If you go on a clear day with some good polarized lenses you can see the sandbars under the water.

The cuts are there, just changed a bit since the storm

[wlgorman]

Yeah Ex21 thats what im saying. There may be another way but every time I try to go another route I end up high and dry. Hug that shoreline and I mean HUG it. The 5-8ft channel that everyone is fishing is pretty much the boat lane. At least its the only one i've found that runs past Bird Island on the west side. SO you are hugging the EAST shoreline of the island that Blockade Runners sits on, and on the WEST side of bird island. Just take it slow if folks are fishing the gut.

Plugger, sure you can get across Bastrop. Whats your prob there? If you get into mud cut the channel is pretty well marked once you get through it. I've never run through mud cut I just come back around.

[Explorer21]

Thanks for your help, I will give that a shot this weekend. My neighbor in Terramar has a honey hole back there somewhere and he has promised to show me some day!

[wlgorman]

Well then ill be expecting a PM including GPS coords for said 'honey hole' in return for my navigation advice...

[Gilbert]

Well then ill be expecting a PM including GPS coords for said 'honey hole' in return for my navigation advice...

I'll be waiting for a PM with an invite to go fish said honey hole.

[slyell]

i was close to the galveston side of bird island working those flats one day and the low came in.. me and my buddies pushed for 30 minutes toward the cut.. less than 50ft away from the cut we get stuck in 3-5inches of water!!! Soooo close we could see all the happy boats running through the cut... so we had to push it all the way back and go around.

[Baby Tran Cat]

When running out of the KOA you can see the flats pretty clear I think like wlgorman said. Also, once you see Bird Island you do not have to hug the shore line all that tight IF you are headed to the south side of Bird. Also remember that the cut on the south side is marked fairly well all the way up to Chocolate. I try to keep it simple and watch the water movement at the bars. IF you are headed to the north side of Bird then you do need to stay within 50 yards of the shore. It is VERY deep all the way up at times hitting 20 feet (and great fishing in the winter).

I think the most imporatnt thing to remember is NEVER EVER EVER SLOW DOWN MAN!!!!! Once you start kicking up sand, jam down the throttle, crank up the jack plate, nut it up, and let out a holler...that's when the fun begins!

And oh yeah...always pack a lunch in case you get stuck

[Nwilkins]

Well then ill be expecting a PM including GPS coords for said 'honey hole' in return for my navigation advice...

Everybody should now about said HONEY Hole, I'd share

[bountyhunter]

Everybody should now about said HONEY Hole, I'd share

Yep we are all friends here, we all share our Honey Holes........

[plugger]

Thank you all for the input. I find it helpful to say the least. About the Bastrop boat lane-like I said , never did that before and thought Ike could have filled in the boat lanes too much. Of course I was putzing along fearfully, eyes bulging out of my head, not on plane. How deep is the lane? I did not get far, perhaps the ICW approach is shallower from barge wakes? I could make out wood / shell intermittently in a broken path , but not a color change. Last Friday had the water off color. Had my GPS and zig -zagging in the lane did not help finding the deeper part.

[Robalo]

Baby Tran cat is right. Bring lunch-and BEER and a LONG tow rope. you will get stuck and ya need those things-if not for you while you wait for a high tide, for the folks that pull you out!