Kayak fishing - POC to Matagorda Island

[Darkarcher159]

Anyone ever made the trip in a kayak from POC to Matagorda Island?

Me and 2 buddies are thinking of making a kayak fishing trip to POC the first week of April. It crossed our minds to just fish our way to Matagorda Island, camp over night at one of the bayside camping spots and then fish our way back the next day. Anyone ever done this? GPS shows it to be about 9.6 miles going through the channels and small islands like you would in a kayak.

Any advice would be appreciated.

CB

[Snowflake Killa]

Get in shape

[Snowflake Killa]

My son kayaks off shore quite a bit. I've tried it but it's not for me y'all should have a blast ,do it and be safe you only live once

[Hawkpuppy 1]

There is a pretty good trail system out of POC out towards the island. Would be hard to really fish it real good going that far with wind and tides. Better option would be to go straight out to the island, set up camp and then fish out there. The shoreline area usually has a lot of fish on it

[Quackerbox]

Thats a long way to paddle in a day WITHOUT fishin. Plus mosquitoes after dark and trying to sleep. Heck no!!

But the fish are there...

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[txoutdoorsman24]

It can be done but it is a trek and with boat activity of the charts, I'd be dam cautious about crossing the bay. Like others have said, it would be best to get across then fish, instead of fishing and trying to paddle at the same time. Unless you have a pedal powered kayak, it will be tough paddling too. Prob straight into the wind going across towards the island.

[Mexico]

Wear a vest and watch the winds!

[ultrastealth]

Mosquitos, lots of mosquitos!

[CLR]

Prevailing southeast wind will be challenging. I have watched people leave fisherman's cut just to run into the wind and stall after a couple of miles. If you had a light north wind, it would be much easier for you but the trip back would be the up hill battle.

[MassMan]

It's been years but I've done it several times and have even done it in one day. If there is still a private ferry option I would use it to get to the island the first morning and then paddle back the next day. More fishing time in the marshes around Pringle and Contee is what I'd want.

https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/boat/paddlingtrails/coastal/port_oconnor/

[kaizen]

April is a great time to fish Pringle Lake. Before I got my larger bayboat, I would make the run from the Fishing Center past the Matagorda to the Pringle inlet in a 16' jon. I had to basically take the same route you would in the kayak. You can get either a south wind or a north if a front blows in. A south isn't that big a deal. The area is protected by the island. If you are at Matagorda when a front blows in from the north, you may have to wait it out because you are facing the open bay.

You will probably want to launch at Fishing Center or the little jetties and access the bay through the fishing center cut. The area of Barroom Bay near the cut is shallow with a lot of oyster. Most boats have to run through the marked channel. The January 2009 google earth shows the channel pretty well. If you are in that channel, boats will run by you on plane. I would personally clear out of the marked channel as quick as I could. The little cut southeast of Barroom to Big Bayou entrance is harry when kayaks are in there. Its narrow. Boats run it at 30 mph and site distance is limited.

I've always wanted to make this trip in a kayak and spend 3-4 days working Pringle but I've never been able to get it together. I also think there are guides out of POC that will shuttle you to Matagorda.

[TexaRican]

I tried once going the "protected" route through Bayucos-Saluria, etc. Majority of the boats running through there are obvious or just seem to have extreme hatred for kayakers.

[ken]

There is no longer a ferry. There are fishing guides that will shuttle you and your kayaks. Even if you decide to paddle both ways it is a good idea to have a guide or a friend with a boat on call in case the weather changes. When I planned this trip a few years ago I contacted Brunner on TBH. He guides there and could have shuttled us.

We tried to plan this trip a few years ago but the forecast got really windy so we cancelled.

[Tx_Wader]

Keep to the sides of the channels when possible. Little Mary's is a winding narrow cut that the power boats can't see around the curves.

Follow the dotted lines.

Take a LOT of mosquito repellent.

[bboswell]

Keep to the sides of the channels when possible. Little Mary's is a winding narrow cut that the power boats can't see around the curves.



Follow the dotted lines.



Take a LOT of mosquito repellent.

Paddling that route on a weekend will be like jogging down the middle of I-45