Navigating Mud Cut

[Bayraider]

I run a Trancat 22 and have navigated Mud Cut on several occasions recently. On normal tides I sometimes touch bottom on the western end of the cut. I am looking for advice to see if I am navigating the cut correctly. Traveling west, when I reach the white pole at the western approach to the cut I take a hard left and head for the shore line. This is where I touch bottom. Once on the shoreline I run close to the shore then follow the posts to the fishing camps then Christmas Point. I am looking for any advice, am I navigating this area correctly. Cheers.

[coachlaw]

This is something I don't think anyone can explain. You just have to see it done and follow the maniac tightly. I can't do it in my Carolina Skiff because I slide too much in turns. Let me see if I can get an expert on here to see if he can explain it. Even when I'm riding with someone who's boat CAN do it, there's a good pucker factor involved. I've done it at dead slow, engine up high, push pole at the ready on a good high tide. I actually prefer to go all the way around Mud Island to visit my neighbors on Mud Cut. Let me see if I can get Daniel over here. - Sandy

[D HOGG]

I run a Trancat 22 and have navigated Mud Cut on several occasions recently. On normal tides I sometimes touch bottom on the western end of the cut. I am looking for advice to see if I am navigating the cut correctly. Traveling west, when I reach the white pole at the western approach to the cut I take a hard left and head for the shore line. This is where I touch bottom. Once on the shoreline I run close to the shore then follow the posts to the fishing camps then Christmas Point. I am looking for any advice, am I navigating this area correctly. Cheers.

I have a place on Mud Cut so I run that area often and its all tide dependent. The route your talking about has humps on the bottom so if your not directly in what little channel that's there you will more than likely hit bottom. The channel isn't a straight shot, its slightly curved. The way I found it was running it on a ultra low tide. From the pole to the shoreline it curves slightly to the right.

Not sure if you've ever ran out to Bastrop from the cut, or in, but there's 3 different ways to do it. I like the shoreline route the best. But you have to run the shoreline tight then pop out around that little finger reef. Here is a video of me and BIL running it and it needs to be ran just like this, even with more water, if you don't you stand a good chance of getting hung on the flat. I learned a lot that day on just how skinny my boat will run.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8hh787VWhk&t=3s

If you ever want to meet out there just IM me and Ill be more than happy to show you all the different ways to run that area.

D.

[coachlaw]

Man, I was puckering just watching the video. LMAO. Great to get you over here Daniel. Hope this helps Bayraider.

There's a definite "Duke Boys" attitude that must be employed when engaging in this particular activity. "Yeeeeeee Hawwwww!"

[Bayou Uber]

Pull up Google Earth and study the historical views with clear/shallow water. The current image (1/22/17) shows that it is unnavigable, but you can see the very tiny channels/drains to try to run when the water is higher.

[Bayraider]

Great screenshot Bayou Uber, I can see exactly where I have been touching bottom. I had been using the weather map found on KPRC which shows the guts and channels quite well but not as good as this one. Definitely need to watch the tide before making a dash through here. Awesome video posted by Daniel, not for the faint of heart. Thanks to Coachlaw for helping on this topic.