A Day Exploring New Water, Carlos Bay

Having kayaks, Renita and I are limited to what we can safely paddle in a day. Part of that safety is knowing our limits and of course watching the weather and wind forecasts, both speed and direction. So we don’t venture very far as a three mile paddle is a lot, especially when you have to fight back against a headwind.

So when John invited Dale and I to spend a day exploring the waters of Carlos Bay we both jumped at the chance. Some others friends here in the rv park have been catching lots of black drum there and had kindly pointed out the spot on John’s area fishing map.

Launching at Copano Bay, we were soon speeding across the open waters of Aransas Bay. The waters here are treacherous, with numerous oyster bars and there were four boats dredging oysters at Scotch Toms Reef and Half Moon Reef.

Safely navigating the shallow waters of Grass Islands Reef, two feet deep, let us scoot across the water along the mouth of St Charles Bay. The next target was to find the marker near Deadman’s Island, letting us enter the Intracoastal Waterway.

From there John headed southeast and drove cautiously between Poverty Reef and Pelican Reef. As we neared Carlos Bay we passed a rookery, already filling up with Great Blue Herons, and the unmistakable odor of fish greeted our noses.

The channel narrowed and slowing way down, we entered the Fingers, before exploring Cape Carlos Dugout. We were looking for the telltale swirls of feeding fish tails from black drum and redfish. Dolphins were everywhere and while some detest their presence, (yes they will take a fish from your line), seeing them means bait and larger fish are nearby.

One dolphin swam alongside the boat and it was apparent it was using our boat to scare fish and shrimp into its path. Easily out swimming the boat, I saw it turn sideways and gobble a trapped mullet.

We decided to turn further into the dugout and anchored to fish but the only bites were two stingray.

Moving into more shallows we watched for, but didn’t see any mud swirls, still we stopped and cast some baits, all to no avail. Unfortunately we had to head back early, as John had promised to attend a birthday party for a fellow church member, but it didn’t matter as Dale, John, and I had had a great day of exploring water I could never reach with our kayaks.

The day was a classic example of a dues day of exploration, and it was water new to all of us. Now Dunham Island, Carlos Bay, and the other side of the Black Jack Peninsula all have meaning to us. Heck it doesn’t really matter if you catch fish, cornbread makes a filling meal all by itself!  Thank you John, for taking Dale and I along on a day of discovery! Clear skies