Port Aransas - First Fish

Yesterday, after getting all my Christmas cards addressed, I visited the nearby Post Office and got them in the mail to hopefully arrive before anyone starts travelling for the Holidays -- just hope snail mail delivers them to you this week.  Next, I headed over to the nearest Walmart to restock the pantry and fridge for the next week or week and a half -- my TomTom led me to the shopping center where it thought the Walmart should be but, it turns out that it moved since its last update so, I enjoyed a Whopper with cheese meal while I got redirected to the expanded/new Walmart.  Not the usual couple of miles to the nearest Walmart so, I picked up a few more things than I had on my list.

Aransas Pass

I even picked up a few more Christmas cards during my visit to the Flour Bluff Walmart so, one more session of addressing occurred before I headed out to explore nearby Port Aransas to the north of our location here at Pioneer Beach Resort.  After first stopping again at the Post Office, I headed directly into the town looking for the first liquor store to get some Sambuca and Whipped Cream Vodka (for French Martinis).  Then, I continued toward the waterfront looking for "Woody's Sports Center" where I hoped to learn about the best spots to fish and "catch" but, I went to the right where I should have gone to the left and ended up near the water by Aransas Pass where I saw lots of people on the seawall fishing.

 

I talked to a guy sitting in his car next to me and he seemed to know a lot about the fishing in the area and in particular where the place with the fewest snags and best fishing would be so, I drove farther to the left and backed my Jeep toward the seawall near where I thought he had indicated (just past a green marker buoy for the shipping channel).  Of course, I had brought along my one pack of thawed finger mullet -- just in case I might want to try my luck this day (rather than waiting).

Well, I did manage to catch one fish -- a bullhead catfish -- but, I also lost three rigs of sinkers and hooks on the numerous submerged rocks lining the channel.  Finally, I backed away with all my equipment to the Jeep and decided to use only the small rig -- if I could find a float to keep my offerings off the rocky bottom.  The guy who directed me to this spot showed up while I regrouped at my Jeep and he pointed me just a bit farther to the left in line with the two vehicles occupying the next parking spaces.  He also told me of a shorter jetty on the beach near my RV resort and that is on my list for today -- maybe fewer snags, at least (need more tackle and perhaps some shrimp).





Shrimp boat catch me some bait.

The time at the seawall of the shipping channel provided a few opportunities for pictures as the huge tankers came churning through after the Pilot boat zipped past to greet them and lead them through the pass -- like a little dog, the Pilot boat(s) raced toward the tankers and turned around them like a dog runs around its master's legs -- throwing its wake and waves towards the seawall and all us anglers lining its edge.

Other tankers lined up outside the jetty/seawall on the other side of the channel and moved slowly toward the opening from the Gulf -- their lights beginning to show as the sunset behind me.