Best beach in Texas

[TX_Hoghunter]

Yep probably just about a 1 1/2 hour difference

From here the difference to SPI or Pensacola is about 10 minutes. I really like Ft. Walton but anything east of the mouth of the Mississippi river will do.

-john

[Burntorange Bowhunter]

I didn't say the water was bad, I said it's not that great. It is pretty for Texas, but nothing like Florida. And when the wind kicks up it looks just like any other beach in Texas. I was down there three weeks ago and it looked the same as Surfside did yesterday. The upper coast can have pretty water also when it calms down.

Incorrect. Are you talking about the city of SPI because you keep saying Padre. The bay and beach at Port Isabel and SPI is nice and clear 90% of the time. I lved bayside for 2 years.

The upper coast has brown water 90%. Port A is about 50-50.

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[S-3 Ranch]

From here the difference to SPI or Pensacola is about 10 minutes. I really like Ft. Walton but anything east of the mouth of the Mississippi river will do.

-john

I hear ya, I was talking about PINS 1 1/2 different, SPI probably about the same ride , my wife loves destin/ fort Walters, if I lived up in y’all neck of Texas it would be hard to choose ( she would probably still force me to Florida)
From here it’s a no brainer

[AtTheWall]

I've lived in Florida, Hatteras, Alaska, California, Washington, Virginia and Oregon......South Texas water lower Laguna and Lower PINs can match any of the best waters anywhere. You have to know when to exploit these conditions.

South Florida and South Texas - Laguna Madre, are the only two places in the Lower 48 with native growing Seagrass inshore. That requires one serious element - clear waters.

PINs has clear water once the winds shut down mid June....all the way out into October.

When it turns brown nearshore, that condition is related to cold water eddies, which is a persistent Gulf Stream counter flow of water, which spins counter clockwise to the Gulf of Mexicos warm water eddies. These colder water eddies, circling bodies of water miles and miles wide, drift across the GOM from East to West and they impact the far western side of the GOM....which includes our NW quadrant along the South Texas coastline.

These eddies are key for Tuna (Bluefin breeding stock western Atlantic and Yellowfin).

Florida over the course of the past couple of years, had the nastiest water along the GOM. Stretches from Naples all up the western side into Tampa had a massive Red Tide fish kill. To points, everything died and it ranged from the beach out 20 - 30 miles.

Florida is a hit or miss coastline due to Red and Brown tides now. Lot of issues there.

If you go to PINs late Spring, you will see a lot of floatsam from the winter Northerns that push water down into PINS. Then the return winds from the SE bring the crap up from Mexico.

PINS is a natural catchers mitt. The coastline makes it's turn from due south and turns to the ENE and further up to the east toward Port O'Connor.

If you exploit this shoreline as a beach comber, you will find all kinds of stuff in that pile of so called trash. I've made money walking and picking up offshore lures - missing rings and hooks but the bait bodies are perfect and ready to refish. Interesting stuff floats up which includes cane and coconuts, tropical trees (perfect for decor and or word work). And you can pile up a truck bed full of driftwood and kick off an awesome beach bonfire with friends at night!

Mid to late summer, it's clean and it stays clean till Fall and or a tropical condition. The key is STORMS. Add storms and you will receive debris for a couple of weeks. Once it stabilizes for a month, it becomes clean as all of that crap is buried and or picked up.

Nearly 400 birds can be sighted on PINS

Two species of sea turtle

Whitetail deer from the King Ranch roam the backside and dunes

Wanna witness some of the best night skies along the Gulf of Mexico without going to sea......PINS. There are no local lights anywhere with over a million acres of King & Kenedy rances et al behind you and an open Gulf out front.

Nights on the sand, there are times you may have 20 coyotes loitering behind you in the dunes. Keep your ice chests locked when you sleep....they are known to pop an ice chest open to seize that opportunity.

I don't see trash down there..........I see clean water with a thriving eco system. And the debris that does show, it's typically Mexico and crap from Central America that works it way into the Gulf. And or it's our main rivers dumping water, with floods sourcing the debris.

The fish along the strand, swim tight against the sand on hunt. There are no lights along the sand to freak them out.

The sea turtles that nest there - lay their eggs because, there are no lights along the shoreline to scare them away. Kemp Ridley and Green Turtles will not lay eggs in the sand, if they see lights along the beaches at night. Bet y'all didn't know this?

[Burntorange Bowhunter]

And then there is the fishing. Three kinds. Bay, surf and offshore. We will be headed south from Corpus to the land cut Saturday before daybreak. Trout in the land cut then work our way up the flats for some sight casting for reds. Back at Docs by boat for lunch. Hit the beach for a few hours then do it all again.

You Florida vacationers have fun sitting at your rented chairs with an umbrella with all the other annoying vacationers.

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[txbowkill]

And then there is the fishing. Three kinds. Bay, surf and offshore. We will be headed south from Corpus to the land cut Saturday before daybreak. Trout in the land cut then work our way up the flats for some sight casting for reds. Back at Docs by boat for lunch. Hit the beach for a few hours then do it all again.

You Florida vacationers have fun sitting at your rented chairs with an umbrella with all the other annoying vacationers.

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Cant beat a cold beer at docs after a morning of fishing.

[Dale Moser]

Best beach in Texas

Now the fishing, I am on board with!

And the beer.


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[Burntorange Bowhunter]

Now the fishing, I am on board with!

And the beer.


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I'll try and stay at the house and let my grandsons aunt take him to the beach midday. Lol.

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[BrokenJ]

Spi for Texas coast

[AtTheWall]

And the campfires with fellowship

[Pedernal]

To the OP, I am sure your kiddo will enjoy PINS or South Padre as much as if you take her out to Florida. The biggest thing is will you enjoy the crowds of Florida beaches?? At a crowded beach I would think that would be hard to do. Plus why not keep your money here in Texas!!

For those of us still learning to fish the salt, what do you felllas recommend to try and catch on the surf?? I just want to catch some fish, I have a yak but not sure I want to get out in the surf by myself just yet.

[Burntorange Bowhunter]

Start with whiting. Tiny hooks and shrimp flavored fish bits.

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[MLank]

Start with whiting. Tiny hooks and shrimp flavored fish bits.

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I'm glad you said this. Have you tried sand flea fish bites?

Reason I ask is that I picked some up for cheap..... but if I must, I'll get some shrimp as well.

[MisterSanders]

High Island for sure

[SouthTexas Ag]

South Padre Island - no contest.