What is going on at High Island??

[Yakkin32]

I've been all over the BTB forum and haven't seen any great reports. I remember this time last year the question was "How many Bulls are we gunna catch?" Now, it is more like " Is it worth the drive to maybe catch a bull?" Is it the water temp or weather? Just curious.

[rod dawg]

Bullreds can be caught year round, but catching double digits starts in the fall for me. This time of year, my catch ratio would be more sharks than bullreds.

[Yakkin32]

Maybe I'm just a little anxious

[Boomy]

Numbers are low this year to the point that a few salts are exploring other areas. My last few trips have only produced single fish.
Freeport doesn't like me, so I tend to go farther south. Considering going over to LA to try their rigs but my season just started in earnest,

[Mythman]

Maybe I'm just a little anxious

No you are not " just a little anxious".................HI has been lousy on producing fish for the past 9 months. It didn't even produce last Fall, during the normal "bull red run" and there were very few large sharks there last year and this year.

Don't know the answer but I doubt I will be back until someone starts posting larger catch numbers.

[spoon]

I am not sure what to think either. I received a report that over the weekend, 3 kayak BTB fisherman fished in perfect conditions at HI and only two blacktip sharks were caught. In addition to the sharks, there was one run on a ray under a balloon and nothing on mullet. The two sharks were caught on Jack Crevalle.

The sharks should be at HI by now but who knows where they are atm.

[bigfost]

I am not sure what to think either. I received a report that over the weekend, 3 kayak BTB fisherman fished in perfect conditions at HI and only two blacktip sharks were caught. In addition to the sharks, there was one run on a ray under a balloon and nothing on mullet. The two sharks were caught on Jack Crevalle.

I was one of those three fishermen. I personally had five, count them - five, types of bait and couldn't catch anything. I got one ten second run on a piece of jack on the bottom. That was the sum total of my day's fishing. Something bad has happened to our fish populations - we just can't figure out what. The guys down south seem to be doing great this year.

[illest23]

Fished High Island for the first time this year all day Friday from sun up to sun down looking for sharks from the sand. We had multiple baits (jack, cownose, southern ray, whiting, mullet) at multiple distances (2nd gut to 500 yds out). Only caught 2 small(3ft) bull sharks and one big red(44in). Caught the sharks on the cownose and Bull Red on the whiting. Better than a skunk but not as good as I imagined for High Island compared to previous years. Saw several shrimp boats out all day working. Could they be the reason for lack of action that day? Or is High Island in a funk right now?

[bigfost]

Saw several shrimp boats out all day working. Could they be the reason for lack of action that day? Or is High Island in a funk right now?

In my experience, shrimpers don't hurt the fishing, except when they come close enough you have to bring in your lines.

I just heard from a friend that the surf guys are catching fish across the state line in LA, so the poor fishing sounds like it's just the HI/Bolivar peninsula area for whatever reason.

[Heatstroke]

Maybe I started at the wrong time but High Island didn't show me much love last year with a lot of one fish per trip days with my best red numbers coming in December.

This year I'm par for the course with a single fish for my one outing a couple of weeks or so ago. With High Island and Louisiana being pretty much the same distance for me, I think I'm headed East next month.

[Boomy]

I haven't been paying attension. Is Rollover currently in procrss of closing or is it still normal? The other thing is what going on in the swamp just north of McFadden (all the track hoes? Swamp water leaking out scaring the fish? maybe pulling them up there? Spitballing only......

[My68MyWay]

I wonder if its due to salt content? We've been flooded the past 2 years with heavy rains causing more outflow than normal and I wonder if this dilution is having an affect on our slippery friends. If you look at the picture you can see a big difference further east and south of us in salinity. Boomy I was wondering if I was the only one who got on google earth and saw that. I had been looking to explore some pipelines around that area when I ran across all that marsh they're tearing up.

[bigfost]

I haven't been paying attention. Is Rollover currently in process of closing or is it still normal? The other thing is what going on in the swamp just north of McFadden (all the track hoes?

Rollover has been in the process of being closed for about a year, on paper, but nothing is actually being done.

Jefferson County is using some of your federal tax dollars to build a berm to stop marsh erosion in the event of another storm. Of course, they are intentionally ignoring the fact that berms have been dismal failures at erosion prevention all along the Gulf Coast for 40 or 50 years. Back in the 70s, there was a ten foot high berm right beside highway 87 between High Island and Sabine Pass. Guess what? It disappeared during the first little tropical storm that came along. But you know how it is. There has never been a tax dollar the politicians can't wait to spend, even if they have to throw it away.

[Boomy]

I haven't been paying attention. Is Rollover currently in process of closing or is it still normal? The other thing is what going on in the swamp just north of McFadden (all the track hoes?

Rollover has been in the process of being closed for about a year, on paper, but nothing is actually being done.
quote]
I figured that was the case, but hadn't gone down to see.
In another conversation online, I heard (Heatstroke) say that fishing up by Sabine has been pretty bad too? Maybe something is coming out of LA or Beaumont that they don't like the flavor of? Wonder how BA16, Freeport, and Matty are doing? Maybe there is a break like an invisible colorline. This side bad, that side good?

[My68MyWay]

Hopefully some of those guys can chime in and we can kind of figure out where the good water begins. One thing I have been able to see is it seems like the further down you go the better the fishing gets but I haven't seen any big number reports on sharks or bull reds from anywhere. I also wonder what the reports have been like over in the La area and if those guys have been experiencing the same issues we have.

[Crazy Yak]

I wonder if its due to salt content? We've been flooded the past 2 years with heavy rains causing more outflow than normal and I wonder if this dilution is having an affect on our slippery friends. If you look at the picture you can see a big difference further east and south of us in salinity. Boomy I was wondering if I was the only one who got on google earth and saw that. I had been looking to explore some pipelines around that area when I ran across all that marsh they're tearing up.

Could be the abnormally low salinity levels as you stated; the surf zone hasn't been as productive as previous years (I have been fishing mostly Matagorda to Surfside). The freshwater / salt mix color change has been several miles offshore after the floods; this can push the bait further out and the fish follow. There was also a large fish kill at the MOB last fall which I assume was due to low oxygen levels. The fish were fine in the morning and when our group returned late afternoon millions of Menhaden were floating.

[bigfost]

I also wonder what the reports have been like over in the La area and if those guys have been experiencing the same issues we have.

Funny you should ask about LA. I had a friend email me just today, telling me that the surf fishermen in LA have been catching lots of bull reds. He linked me to a Facebook page for LA surf fishermen. Problem is, when I checked out the page, I didn't see any good reports. Most said something to the effect of: beautiful day at the beach - nothing caught. Some folks caught one or two reds. Most caught nothing. Guess it's not just here after all.

[mnfisher]

I wonder if its due to salt content? We've been flooded the past 2 years with heavy rains causing more outflow than normal and I wonder if this dilution is having an affect on our slippery friends. If you look at the picture you can see a big difference further east and south of us in salinity. Boomy I was wondering if I was the only one who got on google earth and saw that. I had been looking to explore some pipelines around that area when I ran across all that marsh they're tearing up.

Could be the abnormally low salinity levels as you stated; the surf zone hasn't been as productive as previous years (I have been fishing mostly Matagorda to Surfside). The freshwater / salt mix color change has been several miles offshore after the floods; this can push the bait further out and the fish follow. There was also a large fish kill at the MOB last fall which I assume was due to low oxygen levels. The fish were fine in the morning and when our group returned late afternoon millions of Menhaden were floating.

We should take a jet ski and go far in at High Island to see what's there. Is there a boat launch close to McFaddin?

[My68MyWay]

If you're talking about towards the port Arthur area McFaddin the closest one I know of is battleground park in Sabine pass. As far as McFaddin in high island I don't believe there is a launch close to there or at least I'm not aware of one. I'd be willing to assist with a beach launch to hear what the results are.

[Crazy Yak]

I wonder if its due to salt content? We've been flooded the past 2 years with heavy rains causing more outflow than normal and I wonder if this dilution is having an affect on our slippery friends. If you look at the picture you can see a big difference further east and south of us in salinity. Boomy I was wondering if I was the only one who got on google earth and saw that. I had been looking to explore some pipelines around that area when I ran across all that marsh they're tearing up.

Could be the abnormally low salinity levels as you stated; the surf zone hasn't been as productive as previous years (I have been fishing mostly Matagorda to Surfside). The freshwater / salt mix color change has been several miles offshore after the floods; this can push the bait further out and the fish follow. There was also a large fish kill at the MOB last fall which I assume was due to low oxygen levels. The fish were fine in the morning and when our group returned late afternoon millions of Menhaden were floating.

We should take a jet ski and go far in at High Island to see what's there. Is there a boat launch close to McFaddin?

Our choices would be Sabine, Rollover, or beach launch.

[mnfisher]

I'm game from the Sabine Pass Battleground State Park launch. Have not heard very good things about Rollover Pass and launching from the beach would be OK. Getting the ski back on the trailer could be a trick.

[My68MyWay]

I did some looking around on another forum and it seems like the power boat guys aren't seeing good water till around 50 miles out. Now I know their definition of good water and ours are a little different but it doesn't seem too encouraging.

[Mythman]

I wonder if its due to salt content? We've been flooded the past 2 years with heavy rains causing more outflow than normal and I wonder if this dilution is having an affect on our slippery friends. If you look at the picture you can see a big difference further east and south of us in salinity. Boomy I was wondering if I was the only one who got on google earth and saw that. I had been looking to explore some pipelines around that area when I ran across all that marsh they're tearing up.

I think you hit upon a viable reason for the lack of fish.............for the past year. Were is the website that you got your chart and/or information from. I would like to find a place I could check the salanity from HI to Matagorda.

[mnfisher]

I wonder if its due to salt content? We've been flooded the past 2 years with heavy rains causing more outflow than normal and I wonder if this dilution is having an affect on our slippery friends. If you look at the picture you can see a big difference further east and south of us in salinity. Boomy I was wondering if I was the only one who got on google earth and saw that. I had been looking to explore some pipelines around that area when I ran across all that marsh they're tearing up.

I think you hit upon a viable reason for the lack of fish.............for the past year. Were is the website that you got your chart and/or information from. I would like to find a place I could check the salanity from HI to Matagorda.

I have Rip Charts. Let me see if I can post one.

[My68MyWay]

https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/ofs/o ... ty_nowcast" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Mythman try this link and let me know if it doesn't work. I found this place through someone in the gulf coast chapter. they seem to have a few different maps you can look at that zoom in on certain areas