Hey guys. We just bought 2 10' fishing kayaks that we use here in the Dallas area to fish the local lakes and rivers. But, as the title says, we are going to Crystal Beach in Mid-August for a few days and want to take the kayaks out, either bay side or gulf side for some salt water fishing. So, here is where my questions come in...

1. Are my 10 footers too small for gulf fishing? I know the waves can be interesting to deal with in a kayak but are these TOO small?

2. I have only freshwater fished before. Any suggestions on where to go and what tackle/bait to use?

3. I only have 3 Abu Garcia C4 reels. Can these handle the type of fish that I should expect to catch on the coast?

4. Any and all advice, tips, concerns, etc. are really appreciated because I would love to catch some new fish and cook'em up at night!

Thanks guys!

What kind of kayak? Some handle the surf great, but some are only good for flat water.

They are Heritage Angler 10' Sit-On-Top Fishing Kayak. Got a heck of a deal on them 2nd hand so jumped on them! Work great for up here in Dallas!

http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_10051_1036407_-1__?DEVICE_TYPE=NONMOBILE

Go and fish the Bolivar Pocket. It is the last beach access point closest to the ferry. The water is a little more protected there and you have good access to fish the surf or paddle out to the jetty and fish along the rocks. A 10 footer should be ok as long as the wind is favorable. I'd think twice before venturing out in rough conditions and don't risk losing your gear after getting rolled by a big wave. In fact, go paddle around without any gear to start off with and make sure you're comfortable. A light Southeast wind is the most favorable condition as it will allow the surf to lay down and green up.

The bay side is probably a little more tricky for you than the gulf due to the intercoastal canal. I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending bay side spots to a person unfamiliar with the area since you will need to cross the canal. The barge and regular boat traffic is pretty heavy and it can be pretty dangerous.

The pocket has an endless amount of sandbars that go pretty far into the gulf. Start off in either the second or third gut (space in between bars) at daylight and work your way out until you start catching fish. It's hard to beat topwater baits when the trout are biting in the surf. Otherwise, I'd go with a GULP shrimp or shad. If you're not an artificial guy then I'd just go with live shrimp.

I've fished the surf many times in kayaks smaller than that. The pucker factor is a there until you get past the breaks. Once you're further than the breaks, you'll be fine.

Tommygun and bassmaster have sage advice. Paddling in from the surf is quite challenging if you have never done it before or if the waves have much height at all, it is easy to get rolled over and lose all your gear.

The Pocket at Bolivar is a great place to fish this time of year. The sandbar goes way out and there are little to no waves, but with conditions like that I do not see an advantage of using a kayak over wade fishing. If waves are less than 3 feet I would say a 10' kayak is doable. If waves are 3+ I'd think you are taking a big risk of getting you and your gear dumped out of your kayak, particularly on the way back in.

When you are headed back to shore from the surf in a kayak the waves grab you and take you in much like when you are surfing. It can be exhilarating, but it is easy to lose control. If there is much height at all to the waves it is easy to lose control, especially if you are in a 10 foot kayak or if you are not experienced with kayaking in the surf. Combine a small yak with inexperience and you are just asking to get dumped.

People that use kayaks to fish in the surf are not usually after the trout that are most peoples aim at the bolivar pocket. Most people who use kayaks in the surf go out past the breakers and fish bait for bullreds, sharks, and gafftop. Baseball size chunks of mullet are your best bet for bullreds and cut stingray is your best bet for sharks. I have no idea what those reels are capable of, but if you are fishing past the breakers you are looking at a very real possibility of hooking into 20-200lb+ fish. A regular ol' trout set up probably isnt going to cut it.

My high school buddy and I decided to sail his 12 foot Sunfish out to one of the un-manned gas rigs off of Crystal Beach to fish one calm day (we were slightly under the influence).

I don't know how far we were out ( a mile, two miles ?) but the first fish we hooked stripped his pretty big surf reel in about 10 seconds. He looked at the beach way off in the distance and thought of how big that fish might have been and said, let's get the hell out of here!

Thank goodness he actually knew how to sail. I never want to be offshore in that small of a boat ever again.

Fishing offshore in a kayak can be dangerous and dangerously addictive. TKF has a whole board devoted to this kind of fishing. Head over there and read some of the how to info and watch for group invites during the time you'll be there. Lots of folks willing to show you the ropes.

I would echo angryocotillo in saying that if you are after trout in the surf then you're probably better off going in on foot. Kayaks can get the job done but it is a big hassle trying to anchor or hold a position.

Something to consider is buying a decent but inexpensive beach fishing setup that you can paddle your baits out with. Use a long MH action rod and a high capacity reel. Stick a piece of 2" pvc ~5' long in the sand with a sledge hammer, stick your setup in the pvc, paddle your bait out to where ever you feel. Then you can drink beer on the beach while you fish.

You need reel capacity for this. Your DFW lake setup will not do. You might paddle baits out 200+ yards and have a 100 yard run by the time you get to your reel. But you don't need an expensive setup for that kind of fishing.

DP

Thanks guys for all of the info so far! This is why I love this board so much! Another question, have any of yall fished or even just kayaked the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge just to the east of Crystal Beach. I'm not sure what I would even expect to catch there but after reading some online, there is fishing there. Thanks again guys!

Ever thought of the bay side of Jamaica Beach? You can put in at the end of Bob Smith Road. Head east off the point and you can fish all around Galveston Island State Park. Perfect for kayaks...

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Thanks guys for all of the info so far! This is why I love this board so much! Another question, have any of yall fished or even just kayaked the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge just to the east of Crystal Beach. I'm not sure what I would even expect to catch there but after reading some online, there is fishing there. Thanks again guys!

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The refuge is great area in the fall and winter months with all of the mud and mixed shell that is present there. I haven't done as well in summers as most of the trout will move to more sandy bottom areas or reefs. It's a pretty cool area to paddle recreationally if you are in to bird watching.

I live in Beaumont so I go down to crystal beach area at least a couple times a year. You won't see too many people fishing from a kayak on the gulf side. The ones that do have them use them to ferry their baits out to deeper waters as stated above. I figure if people have kayaks on the beach and they aren't fishing from them there must be a reason. Never really been on the bayside much. If the pocket mentioned above is where I think it is almost everyone there wade fishes, there are stingrays in the area so shuffle your feet if you go there. I hear a lot more about people fishing Galveston bay area from kayaks as twelfthman mentioned. Might be worth a look as its not too far away.

I fish Bolivar pretty often. The pocket is a good idea for that yak. If you're going to try the surf make a dry run and see how you/the boat does. I prefer shorter boats in the surf and 10' may be ok however those sit pretty low in the water and wouldn't be my first choice for punching through the breakers. I have an 8' yak with high sides and big supper holes for shedding water quickly that I use for the surf. I'd check out the marsh early. Early is the key this time of year. Don't be afraid of the ICW, it's not that bad just have a little common sense. I launch a lot a Stingarees, fish the marsh north or south or paddle across and there are flats for trout.