Corpusfishing.com

[Lost2324]

I always read reports and advice given on the forums but never really post. I am an avid weekend wade fishermen. If Im lucky, I and a few of his friends can convince my uncle sometimes to take his boat out. Well Sunday was one of those days. We started off early in Nueces Bay docking off from bait stand near Rincon Channel. The bites were there. Fish on! Not exactly. The dink trout were coming out the woodwork. Beautiful specks with those purple silvery shimmering colors...It was awesome to see them but sad to have each one average about 14 1/2 inches. Imagine the disappointment that four grown men have waiting in anticipation as I measure each trout and every time Im like Nope...too small. Well we moved from our first spot to behind the motels on the causeway. Thats when boom!!! Peeling line. Everyone turns in awe. Then I say Oh man, I forgot to tighten my drag after I messed with it for some odd reason. I start reeling in line when low and behold...hammerhead. Never caught one so this was cool. Pulled it into the boat. He was probably about 18-24 inches. Got some pictures on my phone. After that we moved to another spot. Dinks on!!! Again. Dink trout after dink trout. Stayed at that spot for a while trying to catch a fat momma or papa but to no avail. While moving to our next location we decided to go under the bridge. This is where it gets interesting. I always ride up front to help balance out the weight. Mind you we're in a 16ft aluminum boat with a 60hp engine. So going under the bridge, not fast at all but BAM!!! Hit a rock and I go toppling over with rod in hand, just missing the second rock that was behind that one. Needless to say, there is a 7ft Ugly Stick Intracoastal with a 2500 Daiwa reel with new Power Pro braid and 12lb test base somewhere in that bay. Phone was ruined but all in all, not too bad. I get back in the boat after trying in vain to find my rod. Obviously, we kept fishing. Ive got another setup with a Garcia 5500c on another 7ft Ugly so it's fish on...We tried to keep fishing and one of the other guys caught another shark. Not a hammer, thinking it could've been a small lemon but not sure. Well after a few minutes, we found out we were taking on water. we made our way to the ramp, got out and went home. There's a nice dent on the bottom of the boat with a 1 inch crack. It was a fun day.

[fishinglady]

Sounds like quite an adventure. Sorry you lost your rod and reel, but it seems you were lucky to notice the leak before the boat sank.

[gulftrout]

Thanks for the report! Nueces Bay has it's many trophy fish and just as many underwater obstructions. I have fished there every winter since 1978 and I find new obstructions every winter when the tides drop and the water clears. I destroyed a couple old 55HP Chrysler motors the first couple years I fished there. The drive shaft gears on those motors was no match for hitting an oyster reef at full throttle. A few years back I remember hitting something one day while running through an area I had run many times. It must have been a pipe since it ripped one blade off on an aluminum prop. I stopped and went back around, never finding what I had hit. I will not run that bay any more without my GPS on and steering around any pipe or reef I have entered.