I hear and read people talking about "fishing the surf." Where exactly are they talking about? We typically stay in Indianola, but I wouldn't call that "surf." They talk about "green water" and driving down a beach, but I don't think they're takling about in the bay.

I'm headed down with a couple friends Father's Day weekend and I'm trying to figure out where to fish. We don't have a boat this year, so we're willing to drive, I just need to figure out where the devil to drive to.

So does that mean nobody knows?

Out of Port O I have taken the ferry to the island and fished bay and surf. The surf side is just the side that is open to the gulf.

OK. This is the information I need. I'm not at all familiar with the area. Where is this ferry? Where does it take you to? When does it come back?

These are the things I need to know.

There is no ferry to Matagorda Island from Port OConner. It stop running some time ago. I think when people say they are fishing the surf in Matagorda, they mean they are fishing the breakers off the beach a couple miles south of Matagorda, Texas. Go to Matagorda, which is south of Bay City, turn left to go to the beach, cross the intracoastal, then the beach is a few miles down the road.

For Texas beaches north of Port A, the wind and the breakers churn up the bottom to make the water sandy and brown. "Green to the beach" means the water clarity is pretty good, even when it gets shallow enough so you can wade. The fish can see your lures better, and surf fishing is pretty good when you can get these conditions.

If you fish the surf, you want to target the guts that lie between the sandbars. That's where most of the fish are. I wouldn't venture out to the third sandbar. It's easier to get into trouble out there. I've waded out there with a buddy once and the tide came up while we were fishing. Didn't really notice it until we tried to get back to the beach. Fighting the waves in shoulder deep water while keeping your rod out of the water is a bigger chore than you think.

The second sandbar is good for me. That way you can cast into the guts on either side of the sandbar. Be sure to take a buddy.

FYI: you can still go to Matagorda Island from Port OConner, but you pretty much need your own boat. You might be able to hire somebody to take you down there from POC, but who knows.

Thank you.

Sorry, I did not know the ferry went kaput. Damn that was nice...

Stand on second bar and cast into the gut. Unless, the water is low then you go to third bar.

I wouldn't keep fish on stringer too long. Second and third gut is where we fish for sharks.

A way to combat the shark nuisance is to get one of those nets with the floating ring and wrap a burlap sack around the outside of it. I've heard that this works extremely well

tech- Do you know the reason for the shark "repellant" of a burlap sack around a floating net? Do they just target the net or what?

Rebel E has it right. No surf in Indianola, unless you want to run past POC. Surf is accessible only by boat from POC. The only surf accessible by car in the Matagorda/Espiritu Santo/San Antonio Bay area is at Matagorda, Texas.

I also wouldn't recommend going to the third bar. The undertow can be bad, and if you get swept out, it was nice knowing you.

Keep your stringer away from you, and know that floating baskets are also not shark-proof. Slide your feet. If you see something floating toward you and it looks like a blue ziploc bag, get away.

Surf fishing can be lots of fun, but be careful!

BTW, from the way you ask the question, I think we should clarify. By "surf," people are talking about the guts and sandbars along the GULF beach, where the breakers are. So you are right; they aren't talking about the bay.

Thanks everybody!

the surf is outside the last jettys entering the gulf. along the gulf side of the barrier island between matagorda bay and the gulf.