Corpusfishing.com

[floundergigger]

Hey all! First post here and am glad to be a part of the board.
I got a question or two for for you vets. I run a skeeter zx 20 bay with a 6 inch hydraulic jack plate. On those rough weather days can I bypass Baffin and run through the meadows? I hear people talking about it but I'm not very familiar with the area cause I always bypass Baffin straight down the ICW. Anyone know where the turn off is and where it comes out? Those 3 footers out of Baffin just ain't fun.

Long time reader and glad to be here. I greatly appreciate any help!

[Oil Field Trash II]

I run that route all the time. the entry on the north is a fairly well marked channel just south east of the path going into compuerta pass. you can run just outside the grass line, and be OK.

On the southern end there are two PVC pipes, one of which has an orange traffic cone on it. The exit on the south end is a little more tricky. there are some rocks about 200-300 yards north of those pipes just off the edge of the channel, and they will wreck your lower unit if you run on top of them. There are also some rocks on the south side of those pipes just off the channel as well. some about 300 yards south, and another pile 600 yards south. not a problem if you know where they are.



the rocks aren't a problem for tunnel boats, but are for v bottoms. you can find them on google earth.

There are a bunch of old pipes that floaters used to be tied off to, some of which are rusted just above the water line. on a normal tide, you can run just to the west of the line of floaters. just watch out for the old floater spuds. I have them all marked now ( I think)

[Tyler]

Haha those three footers out of Baffin. Lots of times when I go south like to the Land Cut some fast boat operators forget all hell breaks loose just pass Compuerta and that big Blue Cabin on the left. I somehow being heavier than most get placed in front to help get the boat on plane. Then little old me is the first to get pounded by the three footers.

Ahhhh Good Times!
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[Bryhn]

even if you go through the meadows, it can get rough before then (wind across east flats) and just after (winds across yarborough).. At least thats my experience.

If I am heading to the land cut, I just try to go as early as possible before the winds start picking up over 12-15. Mornings aren't always smooth, but a lot of times they are smoother than the afternoon. Every time I go down there, I try to come back through the protected areas so I can scout it a few times before going through on a plane.

[floundergigger]

Gosh guys,
That's most helpful. Is the channel marked from one end to the other just like the ICW? Also, I think i know where the entrance is near compuerta. does anyone know where the entrance is south of baffin? Anyone have a coordinate or can mark close on google maps so i can get a general idea? I'm usually good going down but it's the return to bird island where the winds are normally higher. I really just want to run this in worst case and need to get back and don't want to beat some old bones up. haha.

also, the skeeter is pretty much a bass boat. it drafts fairly shallow and gets up pretty shalllow too. y'all think i'm good through the meadows? I want to be able to get back on plane if i need to cause first time thorugh i'm probably gonnna run trimmed down and barely planed out so i can see.
really appreciate you fellas...

[Oil Field Trash II]

the meadows is 3-6 feet deep, but gets very shallow to the east of the floaters along that back grass line.

the cut off on the south end is about 27 15.456 N 97 24.734 W

these results are not guaranteed and should be verified by you, said captain of the skeeter. #1 and #1 are rock piles.

I don't want to give coordinates to the rocks and have them off from where they actually are though. there is a pile between the east side marker pin and the #1 pin just to the south that doesn't show up on google earth. I have a $3000 busted lower unit to prove it.

[floundergigger]

[Oil Field Trash II]

I don't trust any other coordinates other than what I marked with my own GPS in my boat. I have a new unit that's about 6 months old, but on my last one I had around 750 rocks marked in baffin and the surrounding area.

[floundergigger]

Good gosh! Well I only get down that way once a year and normally stay a few days --> week. I'll probably never venture into baffin. I've heard enough horror stories!

[TroutSupport]

If you are going to run that area, be courteous as possible and try to run at least 100 or even 200 yards off the edge, there is a lot of good wade fishing on the edge of the grass in that area while at the same time it's become a boat lane. Those that fish that area end up getting a boat running thru their wade party pretty regularly. If you see a wader take a brief deeper route and give them plenty of room, we all know how it feels to have someone run a little too close to us when we're fishing. I don't think anyone ever intends to do that, sometimes it's hard to see the waders and they can be a long way away from their boat. Remember that a fisherman's comfort zone from a boat is much different from the drivers comfort zone.

Also, there are no poles or defined channel running that route... it's not really any sort of channel. Its just more protected because of the grass flats. There are also some shallow spoils in some areas near the ICW that you have to keep an eye out for as well.

There are some examples of how not to do it in this thread. Most doing this are first timers running this area or just not paying attention and very human. There are others though that make you wonder....
http://www.corpusfishing.com/messageboard/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=33337&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

[BayFly]

One day several years ago, and in the spring, I was fishing with friends from Dallas on my boat and it was the fourth or fifth time I had been in Baffin. This particular day the water was exceptionally clear and you could see the rocks three or four feet below the surface. We spent most of our time on the South shore, and the rocks we observed were nearer to the mouth. Some of the rocks were huge and needless to say, they got our attention! BTW, I've never hit a rock in Baffin, but did lose a skeg in Rocky Slough!

[BayFly]

Maybe you should just wait for a South wind before you return North?

[floundergigger]

[Oil Field Trash II]

I don't know about the winter time, but you can use a push net and push up bait in the grass edge if the bait is there

[floundergigger]