Anatomy of a Cove

[WestEndAngler]

Another great fishing article submitted to us by Captain Steve Soule'

http://www.fishwestend.com/west-end-anglers-news/anatomy-of-a-cove

[shallowist]

I may need to give this one an update. It was initially written back in 2000, which was prior to much of the shoreline resotoration projects that are around West Bay. Some of which have actually enhanced the fishing in the areas.

[Oleander Kayaker]

I had kayaked into the back of Dana Cove and found that stealth (no hurry to paddle or wade) makes a huge difference. I was able to observe the behaviour of a school of undersized reds in 6" of water, for quite a long time, from 8' away.

Great article, Thanks!

[Curmudgeon]

Sweet article! I 've gotta figure out how to learn more of this stuff!!

[gsb]

Way to disect the environment Capt.! Good read!

[kenny]

The shoreline restoration has jacked up some of my favorite spots. Some of the sweet spots are completely filled in! It may make the coves better in time but I won't know until I've waded and fished the new configurations more.

[shallowist]

Kenny, I remember when they put the first breakwater in at Dana, I avoided that cove for a long time. I was so pissed that they put that tube right on top of the drop off to the natural gut. Then, when I finally went, it was a hillarious morning with me and Mctrout. We pulled up in the dark, can't remember what month, but it was cold. I told Mike, I was going to walk west from the old fence line, he wanted to go east. After about 10 minutes wallking slowly in the dark, I hear cussing. He stepped in two dredge holes that morning that took him over his waders. That only added to my worries about the coves. It took me a while to figure out how the fish related to the breakwater, but the natural gut is still the same.

A few years later, after they did the ones in Hoeckers, I was getting out of a boat, in waders again, after checking the depth with my rod, stepped right into one of the holes. Didn't think about the fact that the boat hadn't swung completely around from anchoring. I have had my share of funny moments but I still keep probing to figure out what's around them.

The grass in Dana has continued to grow and thrive in that environment behind the tube, gotta believe that it is helping there. Don't get me wrong, I loved the natural shorelines around the bay, but several had created new structures that do hold fish. The ends of several of the Geotubes have given several of my customers lifetime trout and reds. The guts at North deer were amazing the first couple of years when they weren't getting run over by twenty boats a day. The little dredge channels at Campbells can hold some pretty good fish at times too, and bull sharks. Had a customer donate a she dog to a five footer right in the middle of a good trout bite one day.

There are a lot of new areas to explore, new areas with deep (5-7 foot water) that was never really in the coves before. If it hasn't changed, I think the big hole that was dredged in Jumbile had 12 foot depths, never really explored that one like I should.

You have fished long enough to remember things like the big island at the front of Starvation, nothing there but a sandbar now. Watched a lot of shoreline erosion in 20 years. I bet there wouldn't be an island left in front of Dana if it wasn't for those obnoxious tubes. There are a couple of coves on the east end that will be much bigger in the next few years. Maybe Mother Nature will give us some new marsh as the old fades away. They do need to put up some new signs and markers or fill up some of the tubes that have sunk over the years. I have seen a few recently that would leave a mark for unsuspecting boaters.

[Dzaster De]

very nice lot of great info thank you Sir !!!

[kenny]

The tubes have worked great doing the restoration. The first few years after they were in Carancahua Cove, we absolutely whacked the trout coming & going through the cuts in them on topwaters. The dredge holes in Jumbile are all 6' now, but the new ones in front of Carancahua are 8+ feet deep.
The Ostermayer Bayou (West side) of Jumbile has been almost completely filled in with sand. It' can be hard to get back in there by boat without a high tide.
I mark the sunken tubes and the "duck blinds (slabs in front of Pirates) every year with PVC. Those slabs all need big wood posts.
There's also a new sand island way out at the mouth of Shell Island Cove that really needs to be marked.

[WestEndAngler]

The tubes have worked great doing the restoration. The first few years after they were in Carancahua Cove, we absolutely whacked the trout coming & going through the cuts in them on topwaters. The dredge holes in Jumbile are all 6' now, but the new ones in front of Carancahua are 8+ feet deep.
The Ostermayer Bayou (West side) of Jumbile has been almost completely filled in with sand. It' can be hard to get back in there by boat without a high tide.
I mark the sunken tubes and the "duck blinds (slabs in front of Pirates) every year with PVC. Those slabs all need big wood posts.
There's also a new sand island way out at the mouth of Shell Island Cove that really needs to be marked.

Kenny thanks for marking them I plan on putting some more markers out once I get the boat back and we get some low tides and calmer weather. Let's link up I have the PVC and reflective tape. Perhaps one weekend we can jump on my boat for a quick spin, I'll wade you can use the rubber mallet on the PVC probably smack me on the head though lol

[Dzaster De]

it guys like you that make it alittle safer fo guys like me (fairly new to boating) my family has a house at J. beach im there almost every weekend an some weekdays would be very happy to help out im a contrator so have tool ,scrap pvc' ect. just yet me know. GO FISH !!!

[kenny]

it guys like you that make it alittle safer fo guys like me (fairly new to boating) my family has a house at J. beach im there almost every weekend an some weekdays would be very happy to help out im a contrator so have tool ,scrap pvc' ect. just yet me know. GO FISH !!!

Absolutely we can meet up and mark some stuff. Winter low tides are a perfect time and either my skiff or Coe's will do the job.

[Curmudgeon]

Kenny thanks for marking them I plan on putting some more markers out once I get the boat back and we get some low tides and calmer weather. Let's link up I have the PVC and reflective tape. Perhaps one weekend we can jump on my boat for a quick spin, I'll wade you can use the rubber mallet on the PVC probably smack me on the head though lol

I'd be up for that some weekend (not whacking you on the head)
Let me know when you want to go mark some spots. It would teach me a lot about the bay.

[Dzaster De]

Cool kenny we,ll hook up soon you going to the meet today ? I think ill be adle to make. Go fish!!!