New to BTB fishing, Matagorda

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SonOfSandTrout
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New to BTB fishing, Matagorda

Post by SonOfSandTrout »

Sorry guys this may be a longer post.
I havent fished BTB before, but i'm used to fishing with a tarpon 120 in costal areas. That being said, one of my college organizations is taking us all for a three day camp to Matagorda Beach and i might be able to rent a somewhat decent kayak from the rec. center to take along. I'd like to be able to get some kingfish and failing that, a bunch of spanish mackerel. I know I'll need to get a few things but low on cash, anyone have any suggestions?
Gear i will have
rental kayak
Mojo Bass rod (looking at alternatives, might get a sturdy stick, (any cheap suggestions would be great)
steel leaders with snelled hooks

I hope i can get some ribbon fish, and maybe a 3lb weight and some rope.

What all should i look for?
How far out would i need to paddle?
Anyone familiar with Matagorda beach?
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dr.flatfish
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Re: New to BTB fishing, Matagorda

Post by dr.flatfish »

Let me first off say that as a newbe I wouldn't do BTB except with someone who is experienced. There is a lot more to BTB than bass or even bay fishing. First off if your target is king fish you better be planning on buying new rod and reels because you will need'm after a king gets a hold of your bass rig. Do you have a good anchor with at least a hundred feet of rope? Do you have a pfd and a vhf radio in case of emergency? Are you ready to paddle 4 or more miles to hit you target? Really my best advise is to stick close to the surf and target bull reds, specks, and maybe Spanish mac. I just don't want to hear about a kayaker who had to be rescued from the gulf.
just my personal opinion.
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mpg2yahoo
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Re: New to BTB fishing, Matagorda

Post by mpg2yahoo »

The 3# weight is not going to help you any out in matti. The good thing is that matti is one of the closest rigs we have to shore, so even with your T120 (if you are in good shape) you will be able to make the 2 mile out and 2 miles in easy (unless you have bad weather, wind, or currents).

Look on howto making 4-6 king leaders from Prof. Salt.
There are several shops out there that can sell you bait, including ribbon fish.
Get the beach parking ticket.
Get a 4x4 if the sand is soft (ask here for conditions) and gear to tow and get out if stuck.
Go in groups to have a buddy system.

I would not go more than 1/2 mile out after the first rig if water is clear. I would stay up/down parallel to she shore for safety, since it doesn't sound you have a VHF radio. Your cell phone might still work at that distance. I just never checked since I had a VHF radio.

Park in front of the rig to shorten the paddle. If the current is moving south you might even use it to your advantage by parking further north and let it carry you closer to the rig.

The rig becomes parallel about 5 miles into the beach.

Good luck!
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mpg2yahoo
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Re: New to BTB fishing, Matagorda

Post by mpg2yahoo »

Forgot... Check these sites days before and during...

If the swells are > 2 ft as a newb don't go!

Get Dramamine and plenty of water with electrolytes (Gatorade)! Don't ask how I learned this one! :)

https://www.swellinfo.com

https://www.windfinder.com/#6/39.760/-98.500
trolling dirty
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Re: New to BTB fishing, Matagorda

Post by trolling dirty »

mpg pretty much covered it. The matty rig is my go-to rig (Im from the Houston area). Its close and everytime I went its full of action. Head south on road 2031 and take a left on Beach road. Once youre on the beach take a left and drive 5 miles to make your water commute as short as possible. Beach driving conditions have always been good for me but they always change. I have AWD and 8" of clearance on my car but I always prefer driving on the packed down sand during lowtide.

I have a hobie and prefer not to use my anchor. With the mirage drive its just easier for me to stay stationary near the rig by pointing into the current and gently using my legs. With your kayak youll probably need an anchor if you want to drop knife jigs near the rig. Depending on what youre going for I recommend this as you will get slot reds, large specks, spanish, sharks, jacks uninterrupted. The best bay species fish I've ever caught were by that rig. You can get kings there trolling a ribbonfish a little bit further from the rig. I've never caught cobia around there but that doesn't mean theyre not there. Snapper can be there but the water has to be exceptionally clear.

Biggest thing to look out for is swell and surf conditions. Unfortunately in Texas theyre typically crappy. Even if swells are forecasted to be small, it gets nasty if you have an onshore wind making a mess of the surfzone and then you have chop hullslapping you after that. I prefer swellinfo.com since they have an easy graphic with colors depicting whether the water will be rough, fair, or neat. Youll be able to see the beach from the rig and if you have good eyes youll be able to see youre car too. Also, an issue a lot of first-time btbers disregard a lot of times is seasickness. I havent had an issue but I know a lot of guys end up getting sick even though theyve never got seasick before.
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Re: New to BTB fishing, Matagorda

Post by trolling dirty »

Also, cellphone reception there works for my verizon workphone but not for my sprint personal phone.

My btb buddy left town for a new job so if anyone wants to hit up this rig send me a PM. I got laid off so I am down and ready to go whenever the swell and surf conditions get good
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LOOKN4REDS
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Re: New to BTB fishing, Matagorda

Post by LOOKN4REDS »

LOTS of cool stuff to do on a 3 day trip to Matty. Do a Google search on the location I think you will be surprised what is there. So is everyone doing BTB on this trip, any experienced offshore guys? If not this should NOT be your first BTB especially in the spring. There is WAY too much good fishing in the area without having to put yourself in a marginal situation and possibly ruining the trip for everyone else.

If you are interested, send a PM and I can line you up on some potential BULL RED action you won't believe. Hope you have a great trip and enjoy some quality time with your buds.
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SonOfSandTrout
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Re: New to BTB fishing, Matagorda

Post by SonOfSandTrout »

Thanks for the responses everyone! Ive made some great connections here that would like to join me and fish Matagorda while i'm down there with the group. I'll be looking into all of your suggestions and tips, and if anyone wants to join up on the trip go ahead and message me, It'll be this upcoming Friday-Sunday. (I'll be getting there maybe around 3-4pm on friday and leave around 3 or 4pm on Sunday.)
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