first timer

[poonchum]

hi everybody. im new, cool forum. i finally got my 16ft deep v aluminum boat in salt water for the first time. ive never been in g bay in a boat until sat. ive been scoping out the water from google earth and trying to get a feel for how to navigate it. ive also bought a couple local trout how-to videos to speed up the learning curve. i didnt know what to expect my first trip but in the end it was a little discouraging. i launched at the koa ramp and before i was 50 yards out, i was plowing sand. it was low tide and tough to tell where the water was safe. long story short i went into tt and couldnt get all the way through because i kept ending up on sand bars. i made my way back to cold pass and made it as far as the pier that jets out. the tide was ripping hard and all i have is plastics. pre trip, in my mind i was going to get out there in shallow water and fish like they do in the videos. the reality was, i was very nervous about exploring because i didnt want to get stuck so the only water i stayed in was deeper channels that i couldnt work plastics in because of the current. the summary is i beat the heck out of my motor trying to get out of sand and only spent about twenty minutes of actual fishing on a 3 hour trip. reading these forums helps but if anyone has any pointers id appreciate it.

[Baby Tran Cat]

Welcome aboard...the KOA launch is SKINNY in winter bro...BUT you are doing the right thing...I learned (and still learning) West Bay by braille as well. My biggest advantage is that I had my best friend who lives in J Beach sow me what I needed to know. Best suggestion I can make is if you want to fish the pass area hook up with someone in their boat and let them show you what they know. After that whenever you get a chance, go exploring. I always took a rod with me but I gotta say on the trips by myself I tend to spend much of time burning gas, looking around, seeing where I can go and discovering the hard way where I cannot. Hell, I beached my last time out! But that's how I learn. Obviously with the shell you have to be careful but when in water that is new to me I simply go slow. I enjoy boating and poking around west bay. I also take my camera and snap pics of where I am and mark my gps. Finally, depending on your financial situation, hiring a guide is about the best investment you can make...

Hope this helps...

[fuzzy]

You started in a rough place to navigate unless you know it.If I hadn't had some one show me into TT bayou I would of never made it and I have a shallow water boat.

[coachlaw]

I'll show ya around. I'm out there every weekend. I launch at the KOA too. Do you have a GPS to mark the tracks, or are you going by memory? If no GPS, have a note card or something to take compass bearings. Trust me, they come in very handy. You never know when you'll need them. Shoot me a PM if you're interested and I'll give you my number.

[reelshallow]

wow, deep v, winter and west bay....live and learn...try fat boys off the cause way follow the armada of boats heading out at day light...stay in the channels till you wanna break of then stay on plane..lol watch out for the exposed reef and unexposed...talk to coachlaw he knows the lay of the land, espesially the area you put in

[reeltime]

Welcome poonchum and you have come to the right place!All the bayous should be navigated with a bayou rat or Ray!The type of boat is the best way to learn any bay the hard way.I'm sure there is no doubt in my mind that you could find some of us to give you some pointer's or jump in the boat and learn.

[coachlaw]

He'll be fine in any aluminum boat . . . . unless there's 2 days of north wind and a low tide.

[poonchum]

Wow, thanks for responding so quickly and positively! You guys seem very willing to help. I've been trying to find guys that love to fish and know the water like you all. I'm surprised at the number of young people that live around here that don't have a clue as to what the fishing is all about in the bay and offshore! This is my new favorite bookmarked website! Thanks again

[Nwilkins]

Welcome

[Curmudgeon]

Welcome aboard!

[jocues]

Welcome aboard!

[SUPER SPOOK]

Not a good place to begin exploring without someone that knows their way around.

[grandpa4]

Poonchum
When leaving launching at KOA, stay hard against Anchor Dr. side of channel until you reach cold pass.
Study current arial photos of pass area. Use polarized glasses, I perfer amber tint. You need a push pole. A folding army shovel and two anchors with line.
Watch water surface. In a 10mph wind, shallows will have a ripple on surface. Channel will show waves. Water color can mean a great deal also.
Use compass and gps. Keep headings. Soon you will know your way around. Till it changes next.

[coachlaw]

Met up with Poonchum at the ramp on Saturday morning. His boat was filling up with water. Seems it developed a crack or something. So he jumped into my skiff with me and VJER. I took him to the camp and unloaded everything, showing him the channel in Titlum-Tatlum. We sat around admiring the day for a while and allowing it to warm up a bit. Then we set out. I took him around Cold Pass and we fished the T-pier to little affect. Water was super clear and very low. I then showed him Churchill into Christmas and back around to Christmas point into Bastrop Bay. We did a lot of exploring and had a bunch of fun. Time got away from us a bit visiting some guys at a camp at Christmas Point. I had wanted to show him around Bird Island and the way out the Pass and into West Bay, but we'll have to do that side another time.

Hope you get that boat taken care of Aaron. Until then, you're welcome out with me anytime. - Sandy

[poonchum]

Thanks again for your hospitality Sandy. It looks like when I was pushing into the sand bars a couple weeks back, sand worked its way into the seems in the bottom of the boat and broke free a couple leaks. I've taken 5200 and temporarily healed my boats scars. I'm going back out today or tomorrow to see if the leaks have quit and if the reds have stacked up waiting for my return. Dead shrimpers and gulps will start the feeding frenzies.