Fort Anahuac Park: why I can't go fishing for two weeks

[theletterandrew]

On Saturday, I revisited Fort Anahuac Park, a place I’d had luck at before. This time though, I wanted to explore a new area (see attached map). So, me and my buddy Jeff met at the launch point around 6 AM to do some fishing. The plan was to first hit the spots I had success with previously, then make our way to the new territory. We unpacked our gear and made the 1.5-mile paddle to the first small island. Then, try as I might, I could not catch a fish from the shorelines of the islands as I had before. There were plenty of signs the redfish were there, I even saw one tailing, but no lure I had would entice them to come home with me.

For two hours or more, Jeff and I worked the shorelines and the only bite I had, I missed the hookset. During these very frustrating two hours, I realized I left my cooler back in my car. My cooler had drinks and snacks for the day and was crucial for the next segment of our fishing trip as we would be 2 miles or more from the car. I decided we would go back to the car and get the cooler as it was sort of on the way to the new area.

Where we launch from at Fort Anahuac Park, there are piles of rocks that line the shore with small inlets that lead to tide pools. When we left, the tide was low, and these tide pools were empty making them easier to navigate. When we arrived back at the cars however, they were half-full. We decided to park our yaks on the outside of the tide pool and wade to our cars from there.

The first trip through the tide pool proved difficult, but not impossible. The mud within it was anywhere between six inches and a foot deep. After grabbing my ice chest and heading back through the tide pool however, my sandal got stuck in the mud causing my foot to come out and me to fall. I knew that I had scratched my foot on a rock in the process, but I didn’t realize until I had gotten out of the water that it was bleeding profusely.

I ask Jeff to fetch the first aid kit from my kayak, then as I was attempting to bandage myself up, he says he thinks the cut is bad enough to need stitches. I disagreed, but recognized that because I was covered in mud due to my fall, that I couldn’t do the best patch up job. We decide to make a trip to the closest hospital, Bayside Community Hospital, where I’m thinking they’ll just clean up the cut, patch me up, and send me on my way. Jeff was right! I totally needed stitches- eight of them precisely.

In summary, be careful out there. It’s because of a simple mistake that I now can’t go fishing for two weeks! You can bet I’ll be buying a sturdier pair of boots for the kayak and I’ll be much more careful about where I’m walking. I might even avoid wading all together. Additionally, always carry a first aid kit. I’ve had the same kit for more than a year without needing it for anything worse than a splinter, but the idea is that we buy them when we don’t need them because you never know what could happen.

[theletterandrew]

Forgot to attach the map

[Drifting Yak]

Hate to hear that you cut your foot but smart move on heading to the hospital. You can never be too cautious.

One thing you might want to consider - Places like Academy sell some pretty good wade boots at very reasonable prices. They have canvas ones that lace up but the neoprene ones with zippers offer more protection while being pretty easy to put on and take off. They also come in real handy when the temperature drop (I use mine throughout the winter).

Here's a relatively recent post on wade shoes. Doesn't cover a lot but maybe it will give you some ideas.

http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/foru ... 1&t=242964