Joined: 25 May 2009 Posts: 615 Location: somewhere on 130 miles of beach
Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2016 9:49 am Post subject: PINS 12/20-12-21
"Because wind directions vary seasonally, ranging generally between northeast and southeast, the zone of convergence does not remain stationary during the year but shifts in response to changes in wind direction, which controls wave approach. So, during winter northers when winds are blowing from the northeast, the zone of convergence shifts toward lower latitudes...The central area over which this convergence pendulum swings should reflect the area of net convergence and sediment accumulation....Sea level was much lower only about 10,000 years ago, and rivers discharged sediments gulfward of their present mouths. Many geologists believe that the sediments that compose today's barriers are party derived from the offshore shelf sediments that were deposited by these ancient rivers."
--Weise, Bonnie & William White. (1980). "Padre Island National Seashore, A Guide to the Geology, Natural Environments, and History of a Texas Barrier Island." Austin, Texas: Bureau of Economic Geology, University of Texas. pg. 18-19, Evidence of Converging Longshore Currents
"With the exception of Donax(coquinas) the exact source of each species is uncertain...In looking at thousands of specimens of each, I have never found a fresh specimen or an unabraded valve. The Mercenaria are highly discolored and have been dated with ten dates ranging from 1240 to 7180 years old...According to Lohse (1955), the currents of the North Texas coast move to the north to a meeting place at about lat 27. degrees North. Curray (1960) correctly observes that the convergence is not actually stationary, but migrates north and south along the coast in response to seasonal changes in wind direction...There is no evidence of an extreme abundance of living communities, in fact, the greatest abundance of living Donax, the main contributor to the northern assemblage is on Mustang Island, and northern Padre Island where the shell content of the beaches is less than 1%."
--Watson, Richard L. (1971). Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, Volume 41, No. 4. "Origin of Shell Beaches, Padre Island, Texas." Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, Texas. pg. 1107, 1109, 1110. (Master's Thesis discussing no recent known origin of shells on South Beach, PINS)
"And I had picked up mammoth--yeah mammoth--teeth, camel teeth, bison jaws and teeth, some rayfish teeth of that age, that would break loose and come in, you know, and they'd wash up and I'd pick them up 'way on back. And there'd be chunks of clay--oh, that thick and that square--you know, they'd wash in. They'd go in extremely rough water with big swells. I was always looking at that darned stuff. I found two or three pieces that had the current ripple on them and had time to solidify. I found one---Humble's (Humble Oil) got it now down in Houston--that had a bird track in it. Dam*, three and three, this and this, you know. And he**, they were about that long, about 12 inches. They've got it in plastic, sealed in a solid piece of plastic."
--Louis Rawalt, oral interviews from August 1978
The greatest book ever, which YOU need to go buy!
Distribution of Shell on Padre.
Watson, Richard L. (1971). Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, Volume 41, No. 4. "Origin of Shell Beaches, Padre Island, Texas." Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, Texas. pg. 1107, 1109, 1110. (Master's Thesis discussing no recent known origin of shells on South Beach, PINS)
Carl Spackler and I have something in common. Yep, I do believe it's true. He was obsessed with exterminating a gopher on his golf course, and I've been obsessed with "relocating" a rogue squirrel that chews holes in my roof, the eaves, and even runs in the garage looking for things to put in his mouth and carry off to his hidey hole in tree. One of my favorite movies right here, and one of my least favorite critters!
Yep, that's about me lately. "Carl Spackler" himself!
A rare sighting during heavy all morning reconnaissance! Wait a minute...whoops, wrong life form....
There it is!
See the similarity??
Forced to run me out the house, the wife sent me packing down Island in order to help me recover from the squirrel obsession and off I went.
And it was Bob Seger day! You KNOW this!!!
And big buck morning...
And the big norther having laid down a bit and the front passed through and gone, it was dead critter time on the sand. A dolphin was first.
At least the coyotes are eating well...
Now how did that jaw get broken in half like that...looked like the lower mandible was still lying there though....strange...
Funny how the animals all know just where to get through the carcass to the meat and fats.
And just cuz Mr. Paul mentioned it, off I went to pay a visit into Yarbrough.
And was promptly horrified at what folks have done back in here driving when it's wet and flooded out.
But soon paid a visit to the hold boat dock and bulkhead.
And doggone are Cos' bait shrimp getting to be some good looking table shrimp!
And looked around while fishing and was again horrified by folks' trash.
So your nasty arse could make it back here over that awful excuse for a road but couldn't take this out with you in what surely was a big ole truck?
Folks, what we've got around our beautiful state is a problem. A problem with filthy nasty slobs that are trashing every..single...last fishing location that we have left. And I for one am about TIRED of looking at it all. From Laguna Shores road to Packery to here, it just continues and continues...
Even the toilet paper.
So I fished for a while and then took off.
But not before checking out a new washed in houseboat.
And I figured I knew where the reds would be, and I was right. First cast.
And 2nd cast. And I limited out and took off for the night's shark spot, as this trip would be a fishing trip only.
And came across the largest swath of shells I've actually ever encountered at one time on Island!
What a treasure trove!
Banded sea stars, Golden cockles, disk dosinia, angel wings, even Eastern Murexes!!!
Time to bust out the holy grail of all shell publications! Tunnell is a genius! Told me once that for his...master's I believe....he lived down at the jetty at Mansfield for 2 months as a young man to study the shells and whatnot. No book worm nerd there! Awesome!
Even a really old horse conch!
Even a turkey wing with an ivory tree coral?
What a stash of washed in goodies!
There's only two places I've found Eastern Murexes on Island and they AREN'T on the beach...this was nothing short of awesome!!!
What a shell!
And another Eastern Murex!
And I just kept finding them!
And more lightning whelks, the state shell of Texas!
And murexes.
And more Spiny Jewelboxes and Angel wings too! And yellow colored sea whips, which are pretty cool because they are polyps that grow one on another and have tiny mouths and a structure that is reinforced with lime as they grow!
What a treasure trove!
See the Florida Fighting Conchs in the middle of the pic?
And more fresh murexes.
Cool!
Well hey there buddy!
Stunned by the 40 degree temperature drop and ensuing Norther that came through a few days prior no doubt...
But WOW.
And a big Shark's Eye!
Spiny Jewelbox!
Just love it. I always search for shells. Sure do.
With the seawater and sand left behind as the tide receded...
Wow!
But broken..
Banded seastar!
Gray sea star!
And then things got crazy cool with this washed in wreckage of an unknown vessel....look at the spike holes! Now why one round one and one square one????
And all eaten up by the teredo worms.
Fascinating....
Worm damage.
But I had to go....and get back north and do some saw damage!!!!!
That time of year to break out the old little screaming demon! Bout the only thing left we're allowed to have that's 2stroke anymore!!!!
And out went two jack portions.
And I sat on down in that wetsuit and waited by the flames for the sound of a clicker.
And thoughts ran through my head the way they do when any man since the beginning of time sat in the dirt and watched flames dance and weave through any dark night anywhere on this big old Earth...
But all remained silent, only I past Yarbrough this night and no one south, just me all alone.
And I slapped a New York strip together and some Sikes deer camp beans.
But night turned into day without a single pickup or run and a good one from Caddyshack crossed my mind...Haha...about right sometimes.
But I kept right on soaking jacks, pomp heads, whiting, more jacks, and some others.
Watched the hurricane fans behind me...
Ate something new...
And revived old Smoky, because it was downright cold in that wetsuit with that North wind!
Darn right.
And checked baits and clipped in new ones.
And played with this new GoPro camera earned off some old safety point program...lol, it's funny what you're left with when things are all said and done at a place now isn't it?
And ate some chicken and sausage gumbo leftovers.
And learned new patience for slow shark days during bait swap outs...
And reset baits again.
And did a lil playing...
And by about 1500 hours, I realized...Christmas is a couple days away, whatcha' doin old boy? Time to go. You've had your time alone and now it's time to go be with those two beautiful ladies back at home. With about a 30lb rough tail ray left in the deep stash locker of bait death, and some pomp heads....I packed it in.
But I knew just like you know that regarding life back in town.....
Haha....and isn't that just about true, eh? As far as this trip went, there were plenty of reds biting on just shrimp alone, in fact I caught some more while packing up not really trying for em. And they were all slots, which beats some ole nasty bulls like last trip. But there wasn't a shark to be found that night or that day, but that's how it goes when you're fishing next to a country that doesn't have our fish protections or at least have them enforced. In the words of old Ralph, "There's just too many people MESSIN with EM! And TOO MANY TOURNAMENTS!" Lol, rest in peace friend. As for me, I suppose I really just wanted to share those shell photos, and wish every one of you best of luck if you go searching our vast shorelines for whatever may be offered up day by day from those mysterious blue depths.
As for all that shell quote mumbo jumbo? Haha, well let's just say if you have the choice to run over all that shell or not...maybe get up high and go around. After all, if those scientists are right, there may very well be no new sources of Southern quahogs or any of the rest other than coquinas anymore these days. And in the words of Mr. Billy there, "If we don't leave any, there won't be any." Fitting.
Take care folks and Merry Christmas.
--Colin _________________ Protect Padre at all costs for future generations to use and enjoy and never forget our freedoms aren't free.
Joined: 25 May 2009 Posts: 615 Location: somewhere on 130 miles of beach
Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2016 10:27 am Post subject:
Tyler wrote:
LOL Awesome report. Loved seeing those golden sheboygan shells.
Haha! I knew while I was typing there was gonna be some Sheboygan autocorrecting going on! Merry Christmas! _________________ Protect Padre at all costs for future generations to use and enjoy and never forget our freedoms aren't free.
Wow what a cool report! Got everything I love about that place, fish, beachcombing , and the isolation. I would love to get a hold of the people the trash that place!!!
Thanks for sharing the adventure! We are off this week and heading that way in the next couple of days! I can't wait!
Awesome report man, enjoy seeing your pictures from PINS! How was crossing threw Yarbrough? I haven't been back there in a good while and been wanting to take a trip out there. Thanks!!
Rebecca of Sunnybrookfarm Full Grown Flour Bluffian
Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 3898
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2016 9:48 am Post subject:
great report! and nice finds!
your first "really old whelk" is actually a horse conch....
that is ivory tree coral growing on the zebra arc....
don't forget the Dinocardium shells you pictured everywhere, not sure what you called them, but they are giant cockle shells....finding a mess of those intact like that is pretty cool actually....
I will also recommend that you (and everyone) take a little more time with the sea whip....it grows on hard structures offshore, and occasionally will attach to shells....I have a nice sunrise tellin in my collection that has a piece of sea whip attached to it...
but anyway, the interesting shell that will actually attach and grow on sea whip is the winged oyster shell....it's the best place to collect those specimens (besides diving offshore)....so next time you find a pile of devils shoe lace on the beach, pick through it....
notice that the winged oyster is one of those shells featured on the cover of
Tunnels book? that's no accident....in fact, none of those shells on the cover are there by accident....just FYI...
becky _________________
Central Scrutinizer wrote:
Thanks for the Memories, Ranger Rick.
ziacatcher wrote:
However I bet if you were fishing naked Ranger Rick would have a problem with that
Joined: 25 May 2009 Posts: 615 Location: somewhere on 130 miles of beach
Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2016 8:43 pm Post subject:
Rebecca of Sunnybrookfarm wrote:
great report! and nice finds!
your first "really old whelk" is actually a horse conch....
that is ivory tree coral growing on the zebra arc....
don't forget the Dinocardium shells you pictured everywhere, not sure what you called them, but they are giant sheboygan shells....finding a mess of those intact like that is pretty cool actually....
I will also recommend that you (and everyone) take a little more time with the sea whip....it grows on hard structures offshore, and occasionally will attach to shells....I have a nice sunrise tellin in my collection that has a piece of sea whip attached to it...
but anyway, the interesting shell that will actually attach and grow on sea whip is the winged oyster shell....it's the best place to collect those specimens (besides diving offshore)....so next time you find a pile of devils shoe lace on the beach, pick through it....
notice that the winged oyster is one of those shells featured on the cover of
Tunnels book? that's no accident....in fact, none of those shells on the cover are there by accident....just FYI...
becky
Senior J! Sorry so late, but I have really been wanting to say thanks for sharing so much information...truth be told, I need to spend more time researching so many different things before sharing them!!! I know myself and everyone else really appreciate any feedback or corrections we can get on this stuff! Thanks!
AnmRanch, I didn't inspect further the break on the dolphin jaw...good question though! KG, the pass was a little iffy but the road itself was heinous and put bumpstops to frame quite a few times even at 4mph. _________________ Protect Padre at all costs for future generations to use and enjoy and never forget our freedoms aren't free.
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