Bessie Heights

fish-o-matic · Post by **fish-o-matic** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 3:01 pm

I'm thinking about hitting BH on Sat or Sun. The weather looks hit or miss.....that will be the ultimate deciding factor.

A good friend reported seeing many tails and not a soul fishing them.

I'm going to put in at the 1442/Bessie Heights Road area. This puts you right in the middle of the action from what I understand. Anybody have a better game plan? Is the Port Neches park entrance better? This is my first trip there...anybody want to check it out with me?

Donnie

NoBoat · Post by **NoBoat** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 3:04 pm

Is there an access spot in that area. I've always thought that would be the best location. From what I understand its a long paddle from the park to the prime fishing spots.

IsaacYak · Post by **IsaacYak** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 3:09 pm

I'm in. I was looking at Bessie Heights for this weekend also. I don't know a thing about which is better. I drove down to Pt Neches park yesterday at lunch and could not identify either one of the cuts from the park. Let me know.

fish-o-matic · Post by **fish-o-matic** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 3:22 pm

A road and some kind of launch area. I put my eye balls on the trip from the park up the river to the entrance...it looks about a mile. Plenty of ships moving back and forth.....I aint skwert!

DC

fish-o-matic · Post by **fish-o-matic** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 3:25 pm

The entrance (two of them according to maps) are at the bend of the river. If we put in at Bessie Heights road we will be fishing in no time.

DC

IsaacYak · Post by **IsaacYak** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 3:28 pm

Works for me. Have paddle, will travel.

fish-o-matic · Post by **fish-o-matic** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 3:33 pm

I'll get back with you as the week progresses. The weather is at 40% coverage for Sat and Sun. That will hopefully change. Today would have been the day...

Anybody ever launch off Bessie Heights road?

DC

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 4:36 pm

Drove down Bessie Heights road to the TPW area, it did not go all the way to the water . Didn't walk the area past the gate that said no motor vehicles allowed. Do you know of another lauch site?
SpotChaser

spot chaser · Post by **spot chaser** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 4:40 pm

Sorry was not logged in at work previous post was mine

fish-o-matic · Post by **fish-o-matic** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 5:08 pm

I was hoping that would be the spot to launch. I was told you could launch there.

It looks private uh? That sucks! The only way would be the river then.

Anybody have any more info on this?

DC

spot chaser · Post by **spot chaser** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 5:23 pm

Dc let me know what day yoy decide on, i may try to get down bessie heights road and see how far the walk is to water, may be easier to haul the distance than to paddle from Pt Neches. Sign said you must have a permit i understand that ypu can buy a type II nonconsumptive for about 12 bucks, anyone with any more info on that ?
Thanks
Mike

NoBoat · Post by **NoBoat** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 5:39 pm

Here is the link to the TPW website for the area:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/wma/find_a_wma/list/?id=58§ion=rules

TKFStubb · Post by **TKFStubb** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 6:02 pm

Anonymous wrote:Drove down Bessie Heights road to the TPW area, it did not go all the way to the water . Didn't walk the area past the gate that said no motor vehicles allowed. Do you know of another lauch site?
SpotChaser

Hey, guys, its not that bad a paddle from Pt. Neches Park. I've done it a dozen times. Just cross the river at the park and paddle upstream until you come to the first cut (No Name Cut). The barrier at the far end is where some good fishing starts (trout in the cut). (1/2 mile, max). After you get to the flats, you can go right toward the power plant pool or left toward the barge ditches and the flats beyond. I've gone as far North as you can get...I've not covered the South end yet. I've also been all the way up to Bessie Heights and there is some good fishing on the way.
Good luck to you all...wish I could go with you!

fish-o-matic · Post by **fish-o-matic** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 6:20 pm

I'll let you guys know what day. Are you open for either Sat. Or Sun? Will See what the weather does.

I'm ready to make a day of it!

Later on....

Donnie

IsaacYak · Post by **IsaacYak** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 8:06 pm

I am open to either day. I drove over to the TPW entrance off Bessie Heights road after work. The water is 100 yards beyond the locked gate down a gravel road. The water was full of bait and activity, wish I had taken my gear, could have fished off the bank. Also, there is only parking for three vehicles at the locked gate, with no spot for parking on the access road, which is a 1/4 mile off the main road.

The check in sign indicates this weekend is one of the regular duck permit days?

IsaacYak · Post by **IsaacYak** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 8:09 pm

One last thing, it is most definately a bug spray day in there.

cyberyakker · Post by **cyberyakker** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 11:34 pm

can't make it this weekend, but keep me in mind for next time. I can even do tuesday, thursday and friday afternoons

elias

Chaz1 · Post by **Chaz1** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 11:43 am

The paddle from the park is not bad. It's maybe 15-20 minutes, faster if you remember to put in your drainplug in the yak. :oops:

Haven't done well all the way back into the flats, looked like it was pretty fresh when I went there...saw a small alligator in the canal on the way in. The current really rips through the cut on an incoming tide.

IsaacYak · Post by **IsaacYak** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 2:40 pm

OK spoke with TPW folks today about the Consumptive Use Permits for the Nelda Stark Unit (Bessie Heights Marsh). Seems that if you use the TPW Lands (entering from Bessie Heights road) to access the water, you need a Annual Public Hunting Permit (APH) even for fishing since it covers the Consumptive Use of Public Resources.

If you paddle in from Pt Neches, you do not have to have the permit unless you are fishing and step on their land (and that they said would probably be discretionary with the Game Warden).

Did not occur to me to ask about paddling in and wading but never touching dry land.

fish-o-matic · Post by **fish-o-matic** » Thu Oct 30, 2003 9:07 am

Mullet Key (Chris), IssacYak (Tony) and I all headed out Sat morning before the front. The weather looked like it was going to work out. The paddle in was not that long. It was a bit windy from the south. As soon as we got into Bessie Heights the weather started to threaten. I headed over to the north west side...saw some fish in the flats but no hook ups. Paddled into a pond were some duck hunters were set up. When I noticed them I turned and got out of there. On the way out They shot a gun and then laughed.....guess they thought they scared me.
Anyway, I was checked by the Warden. As I pulled my license out, the yak drifted away from the wardens boat. He pulled out his binoculars and read it from a distance. That was a first! One of the wardens made a comment about really liking kayak fisherman....should we feel special? I did.

Chris ran into the duck hunters and they told him to stay out when they were hunting....right!

Chris caught a Red 19" I think, he will have to tell you what he caught it on... I'm not sure. He also paddles a sweet hand built yak. Wood and glass... beautiful!

After looking at Tonys yak (T-140) I kinda want one. It moves faster than my 120. Its is a machine for sure.

Bessie Heights is a very beautiful place. We only scratched the surface. Tons of places to paddle and fish. I will be going back. Alot of water back there. On a good weather day you could get a whole lot done.

We were back at the dock by 10:30 or so. The weather just did not hold.

DC

TexasKayakFisherman.com

Bessie Heights

Bessie Heights

Not that bad...

report from last weekends trip