Friends of Padre

Friends of Padre Surf Report • 10-11-16

By Jen Merchant

 

Air Temp: 84

 

Water Surface Temp: 79 from 0mm-40mm

 

Wind: NE 5 mph

 

Water: Clear with 1-2ft swells

 

Driving: Water almost to the dunes in some places at high tide.  Hard packed sand close to waters edge made for easy 2-wheel driving down to the 45mm.  Didn't have time to go any further than that today.

 

Tides are still high but should start subsiding soon.  Watch the tide charts if planning a trip down the beach.  The water was clear.  Lots of finger mullet in the first and second guts.  I could see bull reds swimming in the first gut.  Reports of reds and trout being caught on live mullet.  Jack Crevalle could be seen past the breakers and were closer to the shore early morning for a short time.  Birds were diving around them.  Also, further north large schools of ladyfish and blue fish were exploding in the second gut with birds diving.  I personally caught small jacks, bull whiting, ladyfish and spanish mackerel.  The weather was great.  All in all it was a good day.  I found a few pieces of sea glass around the 20mm.  I did see a large black drum bit in half by what looked like possibly a bull shark and a dead bird that was more than likely hit by a car as it was in tire tracks.  And I reported an injured Caspian Tern with a broken wing.  Please keep in mind, we all want to get to a good fishing spot but It's important to slow down and watch for all marine life.

 

Birds seen (approx. amount)

Sanderling, Curlew, Willet, Blue Heron, Black Tern, Royal Tern, Least Tern, Sandwich Tern, Caspian Tern, Herring Gull, Piping Plover, Brown Pelican, Reddish Egret(5), Common Egret (5), Cara Cara (1),Double Crested Cormorant (2).

Via Jeff Wolda

 

Air Temp: 82

Water Temp: 85 @ 20 / 83 @ 40

Wind: 5mph SE

Water:  Clear

Waves: 3ft

Weed:  None

Driving:  2 wheel drive except at high tide

Red Tide:  No aerosols or fish kill present to the 45. 

 

     Only made it to the 45 today.  Beach is clean and hard packed due to 2ft high tides.  Driving at night is not recommended until after Oct. 13 due to these or you will be driving in the vegetation.  Bait lines the length of the beach, especially in the 2^nd gut.

 

We saw very few predators today, mostly lady fish and a few Spanish mackerel.  No jacks were present.  Did find a trout and red but fishing time was limited.

 Need another cold front to kick the fall fishing season off.  

Birds seen:

Curlew

Rudy Turnstone

Reddish Egret

Snowy Egret

Franklin’s Gull

Laughing Gull

Herring Gull

Caspian Tern

Royal Tern

Sandwich Tern

Common Tern

Marbled Godwit

Turkey Vulture

Black Bellied Plover

Piping Plover

Sanderling

Brown Pelican

Via Jeff Wolda

 

Air Temp: 78

Water Temp: 82

Wind: 15 NNE

Water: Clear

Waves: 3-4 ft

Weed:  Small amount showing up south of the 30

Driving:  Some 4x4 required at high tide south of the 25, excellent at low tide

 

RED TIDE:  Felt zero effects of red tide the length of the beach.  There is a fish kill south of the 52 with black and red drum, trout and lots of menhaden.  It looks like the red tide moved from the last couple of miles last week north before the front blew in and the north winds moved it south.  Looks like Mother Nature saved us just in time.  Hopefully it stays that way.

 

 

There is a vehicle abandoned at the 40 mile marker at the water’s edge.  There is only one set of tracks around it and it will get very soft very quickly so beware if you are headed south.

 

There is already a lot of traffic on PINS for Sharkathon this weekend and it will only increase.  The weather conditions looks perfect for the tourney so hopefully there will be a few monsters caught.  Please remember to slow down when passing camps as there will be a lot of families on the beach this weekend! 

 

 

Billy Sandifer from David Sikes' Caller Times video prior to the 19th Annual Big Shell Cleanup

Thanks to all of those who came out and picked up trash on our area beaches today! Friends of Padre has adopted the area between mile markers 292 and 302 south of Bob Hall Pier on North Padre Island. Thanks to Burners without Borders Corpus Christi Chapter for their help in getting those 8 miles adopted.

We were glad to see that trash was hard to come by today though we still managed to get a pickup full on our one mile stretch.

 

FOP Report 092316

 

Air Temp:  87

Water Temp: 86

Wind: 10-15 SE

Weed:  None

Water:  Clear

Waves: 2-3ft

Driving: Good

RED TIDE:  There is red tide the last couple of miles of the beach to the jetties.  A few fish were washing in, mostly trout and some already on the beach.  The aerosol effect is moderate.  North of the 57 there is no sign of it as of now.  With winds predicted to be out of the southeast until Monday, the bloom MAY move farther to the north. 

 

     As far as the rest of the conditions, it’s about as good as it can get.  Water is gin clear and bait is present the length of the beach.   Schools of dusky anchovies are still present, especially on the south end and finger mullet are thick for the first 50 miles.  The fishing was outstanding as well!  Jack crevalle early then blues and sight casting to red fish for most of the day.  Trout were present too but they are getting tougher to find as the jacks have now moved into the surf zone.  All fish were caught on lures. 

     The weatherman is calling for a cold front next week.  As of now, they are saying it should arrive Monday night.  Depending on which station you are watching or which website you look at, some say it’s going to blow and others say it will be a little windy with seas up to 9 feet and others 3-4 foot seas.  If we do have a big blow out of the northeast please note the water will go to the dunes.  With Sharkathon next week there are already many people either pre fishing this weekend or saving their spot for next weekend.  If you’re headed down early for the tourney, I’d keep a real close eye on the weather.  

Birds:

Brown Pelican

Oyster Catcher

Sandwhich Tern

Least Tern

Caspian Tern

Royal Tern

Herring Gull

Laughing Gull

Willet

Sanderling

Black Tern

Via Jeff Wolda FOP REPORT Air Temp: 85 Water Temp: 74-84 Wind: 0-10 SE Waves: 3ft Water: Dirty and warmer from the pavement to the 31. Trout green and 74 south. Driving: Good to the 19 then a little soft through big shell. The south end has some 4x4 required. The cold water upwelling is still in place, especially on the south end. The water is much warmer on the north end but dirty to the 2nd bar. Very little bait was seen today. Very few birds on the beach with the exception of the regulars. If you’re fishing, make sure to bring silver spoons!