# Charlie’s Bait Camp



## Smackdaddy53

Skinny skinny


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## Tx_Whipray

keep to the right (going out) and don't let off the gas. I try to avoid it for the most part these days.


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## anzuelo

Did Hurricane Harvey cause it to silt up a bunch. Or did they quit dredging it. 
I used to navigate it in a standard hull Kenner bay boat years ago with no problem.


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## sjrobin

Heavy north east winds and the last few years of higher tides are flattening all of the exposed north/south islands and spoil banks along the Texas coast and all coastal zones for that matter. Check Google map history


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## Surffshr

The exchange channels are no longer dredged. Same as anything that isn’t commercially viable.


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## Smackdaddy53

It needs to be dredged in a bad way.


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## Surffshr

I’ll shoot you a text Mac.


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## Texasproud11

Seemed impossibly shallow last time I was there and we pushed some guys off a sandbar. You can always dip into the lagoon or shoalwater and there are few cuts I've used in a Kayak to get through. TBH I'd love to hear what other people are doing after launching at Charlies to get to Espiritu in a skiff.


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## Tx_Whipray

Run through shoalwater, if you can run shallow enough
Run the ditch to San Antonio Bay and hang a left
Run up to Army Cut, which is probably best if you draft deeper, or plan to fish Pringle or the stuff up toward POC.


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## Smackdaddy53

Texasproud11 said:


> Seemed impossibly shallow last time I was there and we pushed some guys off a sandbar. You can always dip into the lagoon or shoalwater and there are few cuts I've used in a Kayak to get through. TBH I'd love to hear what other people are doing after launching at Charlies to get to Espiritu in a skiff.





Tx_Whipray said:


> Run through shoalwater, if you can run shallow enough
> Run the ditch to San Antonio Bay and hang a left
> Run up to Army Cut, which is probably best if you draft deeper, or plan to fish Pringle or the stuff up toward POC.


I’m sick of having guys run through the Lagoon and Shoalwater like they are highways, stay in the ICW and run down to Army Cut or Turnstake Island and you won’t be burning up the back lakes, it’s the same distance. Just sayin’


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## Smackdaddy53

Take these routes instead of burning through the back lakes, I see all kinds of boats using the Lagoon and Shoalwater for short cuts...no wonder the fish are scared of their own shadow these days...
The ICW is a lot deeper too!


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## Stevie

We ran through the cut from Charlie’s to Espíritu Santo Bay last Friday. Tides were very low that day... a center console was stuck in the channel exit to Espíritu Santo. We were able to work around him, but it was definitely LOW.

Agree with Smackdaddy that there’s absolutely no reason to run the Lagoon or Shoalwater unless you’re fishing there.


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## Smackdaddy53

Stevie said:


> We ran through the cut from Charlie’s to Espíritu Santo Bay last Friday. Tides were very low that day... a center console was stuck in the channel exit to Espíritu Santo. We were able to work around him, but it was definitely LOW.
> 
> Agree with Smackdaddy that there’s absolutely no reason to run the Lagoon or Shoalwater unless you’re fishing there.


It’s covered in prop scars from guys that watch too many Youtube videos too. One day I watched one guy in street clothes running 60+mph through the Lagoon from one end to the other 4 times. I might sound like a prick but it’s not cool at all.


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## Tx_Whipray

Yea, Mea Culpa. I shouldn't have even suggested it, but I quit fishing Shoalwater years ago for the most part because it had turned into just another navigation route. Especially when the wind is up. No excuse whatsoever to run the Lagoon like that, though.


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## Texasproud11

The only boat thats been a bother back there is the airboat that comes through every time I seem to be on the water. I feel like I can hear it in my sleep sometimes


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## Smackdaddy53

Tx_Whipray said:


> Yea, Mea Culpa. I shouldn't have even suggested it, but I quit fishing Shoalwater years ago for the most part because it had turned into just another navigation route. Especially when the wind is up. No excuse whatsoever to run the Lagoon like that, though.





Texasproud11 said:


> The only boat thats been a bother back there is the airboat that comes through every time I seem to be on the water. I feel like I can hear it in my sleep sometimes


I sight cast big trout in Shoalwater quite often and also in the Lagoon. It’s still possible if you go on a weekday when googans aren’t boat riding around drinking and shooting gay youtube videos of their prop scars.


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## Bgossett

Thanks for the replies, the Christmas season at the shop has me pretty scattered. I ended up putting in at Clark's on Friday the 21st. Tide was so negative that Clark's was almost too shallow to launch. We found a lot of fish schooled up together in the back lakes. It was pretty cool to see the water ripping out of the bay like that.


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## Tex

I still fish Shoalwater quite often, it has long been one of my favorites and it's such an easy run from the sanctuary for us. I hate seeing SCB's and Shallowsports running WOT through there as we drift and run the banks looking for reds and trout. It has certainly become a problem in recent years and it needs to stop.


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## Smackdaddy53

Tex said:


> I still fish Shoalwater quite often, it has long been one of my favorites and it's such an easy run from the sanctuary for us. I hate seeing SCB's and Shallowsports running WOT through there as we drift and run the banks looking for reds and trout. It has certainly become a problem in recent years and it needs to stop.


Run the banks?


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## Tx_Whipray

It will be a moot point in a few years as the entrance from the cut into Shoalwater closes up. It’s already a pretty tight run


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## Smackdaddy53

Tx_Whipray said:


> It will be a moot point in a few years as the entrance from the cut into Shoalwater closes up. It’s already a pretty tight run


Yeah it is! I mash a few crabs running through the entrance now and then...


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## sjrobin

Yes the small passage to Shoalwater will close faster after the Charlie's cut fills in


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## Tex

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Run the banks?


Poor choice of words, "pole the banks" and I think you knew that lol.


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## Smackdaddy53

Tex said:


> Poor choice of words, "pole the banks" and I think you knew that lol.


Just checking Tex! You never know these days. Shoreline burning is taught by many people and guides too. We have probably crossed paths a few times out there.


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## Tx_Whipray

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Just checking Tex! You never know these days. Shoreline burning is taught by many people and guides too. We have probably crossed paths a few times out there.


I had two guys in a RFL run up behind me, run around me, and get right back on the shoreline I was poling. Memorial weekend 2017. Last time I fished in there.


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## Tex

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Just checking Tex! You never know these days. Shoreline burning is taught by many people and guides too. We have probably crossed paths a few times out there.


Haha, so true. Yea I was supposed to be down there these past few days but I had other things come up and I didn't like the looks of the forecast either.



Tx_Whipray said:


> I had two guys in a RFL run up behind me, run around me, and get right back on the shoreline I was poling. Memorial weekend 2017. Last time I fished in there.


Yea, definitely not us, but I have seen very similar behavior in there and it's only getting worse with more and more shallow water bay boats being built/purchased. 

We recently moved close to Matagorda so I am exploring those waters more often now, but POC will always be my first love.


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## Smackdaddy53

Tx_Whipray said:


> I had two guys in a RFL run up behind me, run around me, and get right back on the shoreline I was poling. Memorial weekend 2017. Last time I fished in there.


Grey and black RFL with lime green Yamaha decals on the cowling and lime green aluminum? They burned me with my 3 year old son and girlfriend on board last year and I know they won’t do it again.


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## Tex

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Grey and black RFL with lime green Yamaha decals on the cowling and lime green aluminum? They burned me with my 3 year old son and girlfriend on board last year and I know they won’t do it again.


I know of a grey and black SCB Recon with lime green accents and a Mercury 300 with green decals, but I have never seen him on the water, just towing it.


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## Tx_Whipray

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Grey and black RFL with lime green Yamaha decals on the cowling and lime green aluminum? They burned me with my 3 year old son and girlfriend on board last year and I know they won’t do it again.


Could be. I’ll ask the boy in the morning. He remembers shit Like that. I do remember they had a loud stereo rocking some bro country, and one guy was driving and the other guy was standing on the burn bar. I’ve never wished so much for a hard run aground in my life.


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