# Laguna Madre- Corpus Christi



## PortMansfield

Anyone with experience running 16-17’ skiffs in the lower laguna Madre?
How does it handle the wind, open bay ? Any close calls? I recognize the flats fit this style but it takes a run to get to those flats.


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## Mark H

PortMansfield said:


> Anyone with experience running 16-17’ skiffs in the lower laguna Madre?
> How does it handle the wind, open bay ? Any close calls? I recognize the flats fit this style but it takes a run to get to those flats.


Easier run to the skinny flats in a micro out of Port Mansfield, Arroyo or Port Isabel?


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## AZ_squid

16' out of corpus christi fishing the upper Laguna madre. Know where you're running and how you plan on getting there. Running protected water and avoiding large areas of deeper water you can run a skiff most days. I can run in 30mph winds as long as I plan accordingly.


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## AZ_squid

Oh yeah and trim tabs make a world of difference.


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## PortMansfield

Thanks , good information , I was worried it may not be safe to cross the bay in wind


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## Surffshr

Hold on. You’ve said Corpus Christi, Lower Laguna, and cross the bay in the same thread. What area are you asking about as Corpus isn’t close to the lower laguna and there are several bays around some of which you certainly wouldn’t cross in the wind.


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## PortMansfield

North Cut and Port Mansfield mainly


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## skinnydip

2 hrs south of corpus, you can run them both places. gets rough in front of harbor in mansfield when wind is over 15. try not to burn all the shore lines but you can get around either place just use common sense. mouth of baffin gets ugly too but that is other side of the land cut from you. review your maps or google earth,you will sort it out


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## PortMansfield

Thanks , seems you get around in a small skiff but need to run bow up and slow down


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## skinnydip

depends on conditions but pay attention to wind and deep water, never plow into waves, always quarter and bow up enough or you will fill the cockpit... good luck gods country down here. give people plenty of space and watch out for bubba. he will be in air boat or tower burn boat and scare very damn fish in the country as he runs between you and the bank while you are poling with his 20000 watt stereo thumpin.... just wait


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## PortMansfield

Your right boat size of flats boat increased , horse power increased , they can all run fast and shallow and will not pay attention to their wake or your fishing spot but that seems the new normal. I wonder better just get a bigger boat so I’m not risking safety


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## skinnydip

you will be fine if you want to fish skinny and pole o/w you are wading. both work


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## PortMansfield

Thanks


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## elsillo

PM like mentioned before you have to pick your days leaving or coming back to port mansfield as it gets very choppy, other than that many of the people I have seen with skiffs run out of Arroyo or SPI. There are 2 skiffs always parked inside PM but I have not met them as of now.


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## PortMansfield

Good info , thanks


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## taylorisland

If I was running out of Mansfield regularly Id want something atleast about 17ft. Hells bay professional or chittums are what the guides run down there. Maverick hpxt is a popular skiff as well. I’ve been with Ben pascal in his professional in some less than ideal conditions heading back into port and it handled it well until the push pole popped out and we had to stop in 3 foot waves to get it but it was never unsafe and we never took much over the bow. In a smaller skiff that doesn’t take the chop as well it could’ve been really sketchy but it was blowing over 20.


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## PortMansfield

Thanks , I know what you mean about waves outside the port that can be pretty rough. I have not seen people running the Hells bay there however appreciate the advise on minimum boat length.


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## RJTaylor

I run an hpx-t from South Bay to the land cut. Sometimes the runs are a little longer when it gets windy, but I haven’t had an oh shit moment yet.


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## PortMansfield

What is the length on an hpx-t ? I know South Padre across the bay is deeper and waves can increase with strong winds. Do you mainly run up over the sand when going north? Seems you are able to get around without getting risky. Is the boat wet when you run with wind?


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## RJTaylor

It’s 17. I’ll run the east side most of the time it’s windy out of Mansfield, or SPI. Only time it gets really wet is with a cross/quartering wind, other than that, the spray rails do their job pretty well.


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## PortMansfield

Thanks


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## AggieFlyGuy

I have been fishing poling skiffs out of Mansfield and the Arroyo for at least the last 18 years and I can tell you that is most always windy. As noted elsewhere above, the harbor leaving Manfield is a washing machine in bad winds and is probably among the most dangerous places to run in a small skiff. You can launch at the County ramp at Mansfield South and thereby avoid it. Running south is fairly easy if you stay inside the bar that runs just west of the ICW until you hit Peyton's Bay. Forget about running back North toward Gladys Hole if it is too windy. Not worth the misery and crossing the Mansfield channel into the harbor is unavoidable. However, I have done all of the above in boats ranging from an East Cape Vantage to a HB Pro and have never felt endangered - just very wet and very uncomfortable. 

A better place to launch is the Arroyo, where you can duck back into Rattlesnake Bay and you can basically run protected water all the way South to Cullen. There is a lot of water between those places.


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## PortMansfield

AggieFlyGuy said:


> I have been fishing poling skiffs out of Mansfield and the Arroyo for at least the last 18 years and I can tell you that is most always windy. As noted elsewhere above, the harbor leaving Manfield is a washing machine in bad winds and is probably among the most dangerous places to run in a small skiff. You can launch at the County ramp at Mansfield South and thereby avoid it. Running south is fairly easy if you stay inside the bar that runs just west of the ICW until you hit Peyton's Bay. Forget about running back North toward Gladys Hole if it is too windy. Not worth the misery and crossing the Mansfield channel into the harbor is unavoidable. However, I have done all of the above in boats ranging from an East Cape Vantage to a HB Pro and have never felt endangered - just very wet and very uncomfortable.
> 
> A better place to launch is the Arroyo, where you can duck back into Rattlesnake Bay and you can basically run protected water all the way South to Cullen. There is a lot of water between those places.


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## PortMansfield

Hey spot on report . Unfortunately I usually launch from the Port Mansfield port so I guess hug the west side and go behind the bar. I really prefer east cut and flats north and south of east cut if possible


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## RJTaylor

It can be done any given day, it’s just going to take you a little longer. Head out of port on a SE track, slow down til you cross the ICW, then start a northerly loop around the south end of the long bar. Once you cross the Channel at the cut, just hug the east side, and hammer down. Figure an extra 30 to get to Gladys taking that route. Run it reverse to get back.


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## PortMansfield

Thanks , understand exactly what you are saying


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