Friends of Padre Beach Report 1/09/2017

Friends of Padre Surf Report

by Jen Merchant

1-9-17

Air Temp: 64°

Water Temp: 53-55° surface temperature

Wind: 5-10 NW

Weed: None

Water: 3-4 ft. waves with water clarity looking like a 5 on a scale of 1-10.  It is is a little better but still muddy.  High tide to the dunes still.

Driving:  Two wheel drive for the most part.  Some places required four wheel drive after about the 20 mile marker.  Tide was up and pushing all traffic into the thick sugar sand near the dunes in places.  

By far after looking at the weather and swells, Monday was the day to go to the beach.  It doesn't look like another good day until next Thursday.  Winds will be kicking for the next couple days and waves will be 4-6 ft.  Be sure to check the tide times.  For the last couple trips down Padre Island National Seashore the best times to drive were at low tide.  On my way on the beach at 10:00am there were very little birds.  By 2:00 on my way off the beach birds were diving in the second and third guts.  This would have been a great moment to sink some baits had I had the time.  The water was moving in with the tide change being at 3:00.  Redfish and black drum were being caught.

Birds seen:  Laughing Gull, Herring Gull, Wilson's Plover, Curlew, Willet, Blue Heron, Double Crested Cormorant, Crested Caracara, Least Tern, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern, Ruddy Turnstone, White-tailed Hawks, Brown Pelican, Red Knots