Capt. Billy Sandifer's Update 03/14/2012
"Retreat Hell, We Just Got Here"
The above lines from a current sci-fi movie titled "Battlefield Los Angeles describes Saturday's 17th. Annual Big Shell Beach Cleanup better than any other words I can think of. All our section leaders and coordinators arrived at 5:30 A.M. to insure we had time to prepare before volunteers arrived needing instructions. At 5:10 the rain became heavy and realizing any action at this time would be fruital and counterproductive I instructed everyone to get in their vehicles and wait it out as attempting to send out sections or even get them supplies and lined out in the darkness in the cold, heavy rain would hurt the event.
As I sat in my suburban I was fascinated to see more and more volunteer headlights arriving continuously in my rear view mirror. Todd Neahr ran this cleanup event while I supervised and gave suggestions. It's time for someone to learn to run the event and now is the time and Todd is the man. He drove around in the parking lot and told newcomers of our intention of waiting till daylight. By first good light the rain had let up to 18-20 mph and the rain was more of a heavy drizzle than a hard rain. In other words conditions had gone from catastrophic to brutal. Within minutes the event was in full swim like a well oiled machine. EVERYONE appeared totally oblivious to the rain and the cold wind and carried out their duties effectively and cheerfully.
In past years I've told you this event has the ability to become a living thing within itself; taking strength from the love and dedication of the volunteers and I watched it happen right in front of me as we lined up sections, gave them their supplies and sent them on their way. This was the most committed and cheerful group of volunteers I've ever seen although they were faced with the harshest conditions we've contended with in 17 years. Whatever happened, no one cared, but went about their duties. Soaking wet, shivering Park Rangers worked tirelessly helping organize the volunteers just like the rest of us. I told superintendent Escoto, "you know Joe, if this event never accomplishes anything else but let the world know there are still people who care about the natural environment and our national parks and their condition and are willing to do something about it then all of the effort has been worth it." He agreed.
Todd and I had scouted the entire beach Wednesday prior to the event and knew ahead of time that there was less trash on the beach than at any other time in the past 17 years. It's o.k. to give some of the credit for that to the Big Shell and other cleanup efforts but it's important to look at the overall picture and when doing so one realizes we had no hurricanes cross the Gulf of Mexico from the south to the north in the past year. Just one hurricane crossing the Gulf can stack the beach high with debris. As the trash was spread out thin rather than piled up the volunteers had to spread out and walk greater distances for smaller amounts of trash while soaking wet and freezing to death. As such we only had 20 tons of trash. This bring the total for the event to 2 million 58 tons of trash removed from the beaches south of the 15 mile beach of PINS south of the 4 wheel drive area.
We had 300 bullet proof volunteers and I was reminded of the 300 Greek Spartans that help the entire Persian army off before finally being killed at the pass of Thermopolis. On the beach you take it like it comes and I COULD NOT BE MORE SATISIFIED WITH THE VOLUNTEERS, THE AMOUNT OF TRASH COLLECTED AND THEY ENTIRE EVENT OVERALL. As Dr. David McKee said, "now today is the stuff legends are made of." To those who didn't go due to the horrible conditions don't worry about it one bit. We know you were there with us in spirit and there will be other years. Pre-event I personally told several folks who were feeling sickly not to dare get out there and get bad sick so no one should feel about passing on this one. To those who did come and stuck it out I'd be proud to have any of you covering my back anywhere anytime and we all know I go some awful tough places. Ha. You should be remembered as the legends; not me. Ace Leal filmed a video of the event and it should soon be available at www.FriendsofPadre.com or www.billysandifer.com shortly.
The volunteers are the heart and soul of this event but our sponsors mean the world to use and I'd like to acknowledge them although I'm sure I'll miss someone as I always do so I'll apologize in advance. A big tanks to our outdoor writer, David Sikes and the Corpus Christi Caller Times, Ron Behnke and Saltwater Angler, E. J. and Pam Johnson of Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine and the Padre Moon for their promotion of the event, to all the board of FoP and other coordinators and section leaders,. To the great folks at PINS NPS, to the Coastal Bend Audubon Society, Sharkathon, C2Mhill and Laura Paul, David Webb and Spooner lures, Ben Beaty, and Mr. David Ainsworth and the continued invaluable help of Ainsworth Trucking Co. and personnel, Mr. Leon McNinch and Jim Mayo of the Ruth Parr Sparks Foundation, CCA CC, Daniel Dain and Domino's Pizza, Smart Shield Sunscreen, H. E. B. and "Fishbites" as well as Gambler Graphics. Citgo and Team Industrial Services stepped up to the plate for the second year don't leave any tar and Michael Laskowski Sr. and Jr. of Trac-Work Inc. Railroad Maintenance of San Antonio once again furnished volunteers with work gloves. Remember the speed limit on PINS drops from 25 to 15 mph on March 1. An impossible task accomplished for the 17th. Time. How awesome.
Your Brother in the Sand
Capt. Billy L. Sandifer
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Capt. Billy Sandifer's Update 01/19/2012
Any rumors of my death are largely over exaggerated. I have simply been laying low and hiding from 80 straight days of red tide followed by some poor quality fishing. Once the red tide stops it doesn't just turn over and get to be great fishing in 2 or 3 days. It will take a month or so. I made a scouting trip 2 weekends ago with the intention of staying the weekend and the fishing was so generic we came in the first evening. You can only catch so many whiting before it begins to drag. I have been avoiding charters for this reason and if you have called and I have not returned your call I will shortly. BUT if you choose to charter before March you need to understand that our glamour fish are not present. It will be mostly whiting, with some reds, pompano, black drum and sheepshead. It is all bottom fishing with bait. No lure fishing proves productive before March. In March large Jack Crevalle and other species migrate into the area and liven things up. Birding charters are most productive the second half of March, April and the first half of May. I will only be available for lite tackle and naturalists charters this year. The V.A. has 100% service connected disabled me service in S. Vietnam and I will not be doing a large number of charters. But I love to share and teach others about the wonders of the beach and how to successfully fish it and hopefully to appreciate it more and welcome interested anglers. I also love chasing those summer trout and once they show up will be at them steady with artificials.
Here’s wishing each of you a happy and prosperous new year.
Capt. Billy
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Billy's Update 09/16/2011
The only constant on planet Earth is change and it's time for me to fess' up that I have lived a long time and by choice
I've lived a life as brutal as it can be. It has been an adventure and it has caught up with me. I would not change a thing.
I've lived a life people can only dream about because they have too much sense to live it. The V. A. has disabled me 70% due
to military service for 21 months in the jungles of S. Vietnam and their Drs. have in no uncertain terms told me to lighten
up my work load and stress level or die. My intention has always been to guide till I die and very probably I will but
I am going to cut back on the number and type services I offer in an attempt to guide for some time yet.
NO MORE SHARK CHARTERS.
I'm not mad at them and with COPD and 62% use of my lungs that kayak is dangerous for me. I'll cast to them in
the first gut if we encounter one; which we often do, but no more kayak. I've been manually dragging shark baits through
those breakers for over 40 years and that's long enough. I am discontinuing several type charters and primarily will be
doing lite tackle surf trips, naturalist's trips and lure fishing for trophy trout during the Winter months only. IF you
want to learn to read the surf and understand more about the dynamics in play there I venture to say I'm the best bargain
on the market and can shorten your personal learning curve by years and save you lots of grief. I want to thank all of
the wonderful people who have fished with me and kept a roof over our heads these 22 years and hope to continue to have the
honor of taking some of you "down island" in the future. The fall migration kicked off with that little Norther we had but
fishing will get slower every day now in this intense heat until we get a "Real" Norther and then the surf is going to be a
war zone of predators and prey.
If we don't leave any there won't be any. Capt. Billy L. Sandifer
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Tyler Thorsen with a 7.5 pound trout CPR'd
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Charter Update 03/31/2011
Hi everybody. Just wanted everyone to know I've had some real tough luck lately. I've lost 2 engines to mechanical error in 4
trips. Between this, a brother with terminal cancer, a sister with breast cancer and the Big Shell Cleanup it's been extremely
hectic here. I expect to be back at it by 9 April. I've received lots of phone calls and e-mails I am attempting to answer
so please don't give up on me. I am told that the dredge from the Port Mansfield pretty well has the surf mucky black all
the way down currently so we aren't missing anything.
Your Brother in the Sand. Capt. Billy
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Big Shell Report 12/08/2010
My apologies for the long spell between updates. My younger brother is battling stage 4 cancer of the throat, tongue and
mouth and there has been lots of things besides fishing going on and things have been rather tough here. In the guide business
they say you can have fish and no customers or customers and no fish but you can't have both at the same time. I have no
charters so the fishing is extremely productive with large numbers of pompano, slot and over sized reds and Spanish mackerel
being caught with lesser numbers of black drum. Low tide is a breeze driving but high tides in the Big Shell in the afternoon
continue to be tedious. Avoid planning a trip if winds are North East or East of any strength as they will stack water on the
beach. Most user friendly time continues to be the 2nd day behind a cold frontal passage.
Sharks have pretty much been hiding
out lately but Sandbars will show up any day; along with stray Bulls and Blacktips. Some large Jack Crevalle remain but they
aren't dependable. One day they are there then you don't see any for several days. There are not many people using the beach so
make sure your emergency items are in place as there may not be anyone around to assist you if you have trouble. We've been
catching pompano in good numbers on short rods cast close in. The 9 year old holding the pompano in the pic below(
Martin Wolf of Houston) cast to that fish himself and it weighed a bit over 5 pounds on the scales. We had over 20 pompano
that day with numerous 4 to 4.5 pounders. Lance Hill and John Wagner of Austin caught this 20+ lb. black drum and 17 pound
red on 10 lb. test simultaneously Water is beautiful and there is little weed. Finger mullet are hard to find and we've been
doing best with dead shrimp and Fishbites on the bottom feeders and silver spoons on the mackerel and Jack Crevalle.
Wonderful time of year, very pleasant temperature wise and not much company make for some high quality time . I'm without a charter
the rest of the entire month so give yourself a high quality outdoor experience while helping me keep the wolf away from the
door at the same time.
Good Fishin' Capt. Billy
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Martin Wolf of Houston with a Monster Pompano
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Lance Hill and John Wagner 20+ lb. black drum and 17 lb. red
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Big Shell Report 10/08/2010
I caught a 21 lb. Jack Crevalle on a fly today. Jerry Book of Jerry B's Kayak Outfitters
with one of 4 he caught on spinning tackle. His first ever. Skipjacks raising hell in
the anchovies down south this afternoon. It's fixin' to rock. If you want to learn how
to target these jacks book a trip with me today. I am back at it tomorrow.
Good Fishin' Capt. Billy
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Billy Sandifer with a hefty Jack Crevalle on a Fly
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Jerry Book with 1 of 4 Jack Crevalle he caught
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Ladyfish raising hell on the anchovies
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Pre-Sharkathon Report 9/29/2010
There are big areas of beach front covered solid with this old dead Sargassum and unfishable.
Water is clear. Finger mullet were hard to find. Jack Crevalle were present as were
Bluefish (cutoff city), Bull sharks, Skipjacks and Reds. Driving is a 6 in the Big Shell
and better on both ends. This dead stuff extends out into the 2nd gut in some places.
Beverly Runkels tied into a 26 pound Jack Crevalle. The picture below shows how the harness
assist, I've written about, works for diminutive anglers fighting strong, big fish. Local pal, Steve Honc
holding Beverly's 26 pound jack Crevalle. When you see the size of the fish compared to her it highlights
how important that "assist" attached to the shoulder harness is.
Good Fishin' Capt. Billy
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Picture displaying an unfishable area of beach
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Chuck and Beverly Runkels of Austin celebrating their 30th Wedding anniversy.
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Beverly Runkels and Steve Honc with a 26lb Jack Crevalle
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Beverly Runkels utilizing an assist harness
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Padre Island National Seashore Report 9/27/2010
Jeff Walker and Jack Rice with part of Saturday's catch down island. New weed was showing up in varying
amounts and high tide driving was bad though low tide was fine. Water got murky South of the turtle shack.
No noticeable water temperature change along beach front. A 6 foot plus bull took half a jackfish.
Good Fishin' Capt. Billy
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Jeff Walker and Jack Rice with part of Saturday's catch
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Padre Island National Seashore Report 6/23/2010
Well, fishing was great Memorial Day weekend and has been tough ever since. The winds have been more like March
than June and the sargassum weed has returned in force for the entire length of the PINS beachfront. Beach driving is
tough the entire length of the beach on anything but low tides. Big Shell is wash boarded badly and the amount of stacked
weed makes for a bumpy ride all the way. Pompano are present in unusually good numbers. Big whiting are in good supply
and occasional redfish and large single jack Crevalle are occasionally caught. Skipjacks are there one day and gone the
next. We are fighting it regularly but till the winds relent it's going to be tough; especially for shark fishermen.
Turtle nesting season continues and I understand some tickets have been issued rather far down the beach so keep your speed
down and watch for children and turtles and be good to each other. Rumors of oil from Louisiana are inaccurate. All I
am seeing is the same amount of small tar balls we have gotten in the hot Summer months all my life.
Good Fishin' Capt. Billy
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Staff Sergeant U.S. Army Adam Wilson showing that he can fish as well as fight on leave from his 3rd. tour of duty in Iraq.
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James Bouget and his son, Marshall of Beaumont with a 47.5 inch 28 pound Kingfish from the PINS surf 11 June.
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Padre Island National Seashore Report 2/25/2010
Tides have been low except during periods of NE and E winds and driving has been good. Some soft spots remain in
Big Shell on high tides. Water stayed muddy for some time then cleared recently. Very little bait is visable
and catching has been confined to modest numbers of Whiting and a few Black Drum and Redfish. Water temperatures have
remained steadily at 55-56 degrees for a long period of time. Typically around the first to second week of March Jack
Crevalle will show up along with several shark species and fishing will improve overall. This is reportedly the coldest
Winter we've had in 23 years so we'll have to see if it delays the arrival of our Spring fish. If we keep getting cold
Northers every few days and water temperatures stay low it will probably be a late beginning. If we experience a
warming trend and sunshine then they will probably be right on time. It all depends on that water temperature. I hear
of Sargassum being plentiful offshore but it has yet it impact the beach. Dennis and Carolyn George found 6 finned Bull
sharks at the 56 mile beach on 5 Feb. This is the work of Mexican shark fishermen illegally fishing in Texas waters.
If you observe finned sharks or large pieces of monofilament gill net please report it to National Marine Fisheries
Enforcement in Harlingen at 956-423-3450 and TPWD at 800-792-4263.
Capt. Billy
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Finned Bull Shark on Padre Island
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Big Shell Report 1/21/2010
Although the beach has been absolutely beautiful fishing has been extremely slow on PINS since the recent "Artic
Blast" moved through. While birds can be seen working and water is quite pretty in the southern half, lure fishermen
have came up empty handed and bait fishermen have only reported catfish. I have heard reports of trout on Mirrolures
North of Bob Hall Pier but have no way of verifying these reports. It's a simple matter of water temperature. This
week's warming trend hopefully will put fish that vacated the surf zone to escape cold water temperatures back in the
surf. Reports of some good catches of trout and reds are being reported in the bay. We dodged the bullet on a major
fish kill and can be grateful for that. Green Sea Turtles did not fair nearly as well with over 435 being reported as
cold stunned and 2/3rds. of these died. Shelling is getting better with starfish, barnacles, crufix fish, Sand Dollars
and others being in good supply. The Atlantic Deer Cowrie in the picture is just shy of 5" long and this is a rare
treat on our shore. Some bay grass remains in the Northern 2/3rd. of PINS and there are some bad soft spots in the Big
Shell area. Visitors driving all over the beachfront rather than staying in one trail is a major player in this problem.
Deer are abundant and I have a report of more visitor's dogs dying after being taken down the beach. NPS has canceled
the "no dogs allowed" status on PINS but is still steadily warning visitors about the possible dangers of taking dogs
down the beach and some choose not to listen. Hang in there; better fishing is right around the corner.
Capt. Billy
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Shells found on Padre Island
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Big Shell Report 1/07/2010
Fishing has been extremely tough. The Full Moon does that. Whiting and a few reds and black drum have been the
only species I know of being caught and only the whiting are plentiful. I look for all of this to change shortly.
Driving is great on low tide and bad on high tides from the 30 mile North. This is totally due to beach visitors
not staying in any existing track and simply plowing the entire width of the beach. Nature isn't doing it, visitors
are. High air pressure in tires and not staying in one track and building a decent road are the reasons. Bay grass
is present over much of the beach and makes fishing tough. Water clarity has been offcolored until mid day yesterday
when the entire beach front turned green for the first time in some time. There is the potential for trout to show up
on the beach behind this incoming Artic Blast Thursday. Sand Dollars are in good supply but there are few other
collectable shells. There are lots of deer. This incoming Artic Blast will bring temperatures to a lower level than
in 10 years and it will be interesting to see how fishing is behind it. Trout should be ganged up in deep holes in the
bay. Hang in there; it's going to get a lot better. Happy New Year and stay warm. Pic is Laura Bivins of the Harte Institute
inserting a transmitter in the stomach cavity of a 21 inch surf trout recently.
Capt. Billy
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Laura Bivins Belly Tagging Speckeled Trout
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Big Shell Report 12/05/2009
THE RED TIDE IS GONE. It is still no advisable to take dogs to PINS. So far the results of test are that coyotes and
dogs that recently died on PINS did so as a result of digging up and eating Red Tide killed fish. It's pompano time with
large numbers being caught during clear water and calm conditions periods in between incoming cold fronts but it is
imperative to plan your trip during "user friendly" weather. Lots of slot black drum, whiting and some redfish are also
being caught. It's time for the Winter surf trout fishing but we haven't had a weather/conditions windwo yet to seek them.
I imagine with the water temp. now being 60 degrees the Sandbar sharks are going to be available along with Blacktipped and
an occasional Bull. The possibility of catching a Winter Mako off the beach starts now as well. Driving in Big Shell has
been extremely soft and honestly the fishing has been best in the first 15 miles of the beach.
Good Fishin' Capt. Billy
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Pompano on PINS
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Big Shell Report 11/18/2009
Red tide relented as of Wed. the 11th. and some good fishing took place before it warmed back up.
We traveled the entire length of PINS beachfront to the Port Mansfield jetties on Sunday, 15 Nov., 09.
Pompano, black drum, reds and whiting were being caught by bottom fishermen and Blacktipped sharks were
landed on cast baits. Driving was soft in Big Shell but manageable and no fresh dead fish were observed.
I got a whiff of the aerosol effect of red tide for brief periods at the 17 and 38 mile only but observed none.
Finger mullet were scattered but I cast net some and put them in a bucket for a short time to see if they
lived. If red tide is present finger mullet almost immediately die when put in a confined container. They
stayed in fine shape. I think we are seeing the last of the red tide event and this last Norther may have
finished it off.. Finger mullet were sporadic in availability and no food chain activity was observed but
my bet is yesterday's Cold Front will change all that and I expect exceptional fishing behind it with a return
of the finger mullet migration and large schools of big Jack Crevalle, Spanish Mackerel and other species to be
available. I would like to caution all pet owners. Some thing besides humans are killing coyotes with several
observed recently. It may be a return of the heart worm episode we had a couple of years ago and it may be
something else. NPS personnel at PINS are working to find out for sure what it causing it but have no answers
yet and personally I'd be careful about taking my dog to PINS.
Capt. Billy
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Dennis George with a CPR'd Blacktip Shark from PINS
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Red Tide Report 11/04/2009
Today is the 30th. straight day of the red tide event. I traveled the entire length of the PINS beach front scouting on Monday,
02 Nov. Millions upon millions of American Snout Butterflies cover the entire 60 miles of beachfront like leaves do inland. There
are also thousands of sand dollars dead on the beach in the first 18 miles. I picked up 82 in a few minutes for my wife.
Goosenecked-barnacles and the skulls of hardhead catfish; the crucifix fish, are also coming in abundantly from the end of the
pavement down into the Big Shell area. Not near as much of this South; just butterflies. Old dead algea washed out of the bay systems
is stacked up from Big Shell South in varying amounts. The Big Shell had large masses of healthy finger mullet being chased by
predators visible and I saw an angler fighting a fish at the 18 mile. I could sense the red tide the entire length of the beach
but it did not become an issue until I reached the 25 mile beach; at which time I could visually see it near and offshore and had
to put on the gas mask. It was solid and really cooking from the 35 to 42 mile beach and then subsided a bit till the 48 mile beach
where it became solid to the horizon all the way to the jetties (60.4 mile beach). Ironically, I saw 4 schools of large fish working
offshore in the midst of the red tide that appeared to be Tarpon or large Jack Crevalle.
The only fresh killed fish I saw were 4
individuals washing in near the Port Mansfield jetties but finger mullet in the area were obviously distressed and I anticipate a
fresh kill occurred there yesterday. Perhaps in the 35-42 mile beach area also. I evaluated dead fish from earlier in the event
along the beachfront and most inshore species were observed although the number of large, adult Red Drum kinda' stole the show.
In one area I took 10 long paces and counted 12 Bull Reds 3' long dead within the distance of the 10 paces. A dead 5 point
white-tailed deer was in the Big Shell and a small coyote lay dead at the 31 mile. This event COULD last for some time. Water
temperature is 72 degrees currently and has to drop down to 58 degrees to stop the bloom. Rain feeds the bloom and we are forecast
possible rain early next week. The North winds have moved it South all the way from Port Aransas to the 25 mile PINS beach and baring
high SE winds we may luck out and it might be kept South of us. Bay fishing is reported as being very poor and offshore/nearshore
outside of the bloom and surf fishing North of the 25 mile PINS beach is really all we have going for us at this time. I have
experienced many red tides and every time it seems like the end of the world and then when it stops only the dried skeletons washed
high up on the beach near the dunes remind us that it happened. Life goes on and we are awed by the ability of Mother Nature to
rebound and our angling efforts are rewarded with bent rods and the screaming of reel's drags. THIS TOO SHALL PASS.
Capt. Billy
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Red Tide Report 10/26/2009
The pics were taken on 26 Oct. at the 2 mile beach of PINS. It had been my intention to travel the entire beachfront to
the Port Mansfield jetties to evaluate the red tide presence and signs of fish before our afternoon Norther. There were
no live fish visable and the aerosal effect of the red tide was simply too bad to do so. We had wind gusts to 81 mph out
of the North and a total of 1.6" of rain shortly after noon on the 26th. The North winds are good but the rain is washing
dead fish in windrows back towards the water's edge from high up on the beach; as is visable in one of the pics. There are
hardheads in among all these dead fish and if you run over them you will get a flat tire. After studying weather forecasts
I see no potential for successful surf fishing prior to Sunday; Nov. 1, as winds return strongly to the SE today and we have
another Cold Front forecast through the area on Fri. Today is the 23rd. day of this red tide event. If you think you're
tired of it think about the fact it has cost me $5,000. in lost chartrers This too shall pass but it's going to make for a
real tough Winter with all that lost revenue.
Capt. Billy
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Red Tide Report 10/14/2009
As they took my pic yesterday wearing the gas mask I must wear in red tide events due to long term over exposure to it among all
the miles and miles of dead fish I thought how ironic that exactly one week from then I would be in D.C. getting ready to tour
the White House. Says a lot about the diversity and complexity of the United States of America; doesn't it? I also could not
help but laugh beneath the gas mask as I thought what a hoot it would be if Eddie Nickens could be there to share the experience
with me (ha) and then laughed again when I thought "well, I wear a bunch of different hats and have various "business suits" but
I don't reckon this is the one they have in mind for next Wed." The Tarpon
in the pic below is actually over 5' long and the first one I've ever seen killed by the red tide. Problem is that there were MANY
more fish in the late afternoon than on the trip down island in the morning. As you can see in the back ground there are dead
fish floating in the water even though it is low tide. Note also how widely spread over the beach the dead fish are; including
the 2 catfish on either side of me. They will; of course, cause flats on tires. I was forced to cut a trail through bad stuff
up near the dunes down around the 30 mile as the rest of the beach was littered with fish. I may have one or more flats on my
truck. At first light I'll go find out. Anyone just driving through the middle of these dead fish isn't going to make it 150
yards without a flat; or 4 flats. The main thing though, is that this stuff is still cooking and killing and there will be MANY more
fish dead on the beach today and the tides are going to spread them out more. It's just a natural part of life in the coastal zone.
Most of the fish are mullet and skipjacks (ladyfish). Various other small species were observed as were over 25 Bull redfish, one
25 pound King Mackerel and the Tarpon. Not a single Speckled Trout, Pompano or Whiting and only 2 slot sized redfish. I'm
attempting to contact customers asap as I am canceling all charters for the remainder of this event.
Life's a hoot. Capt. Billy
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Tarpon falling victim to Red Tide
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Billy Sandifer enjoying a day on the beach
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Big Shell Fishing Report 10/12/2009
One of the reasons it's been so long since we've updated is that things are changing faster than we can update. Throw in the
additional confusion of attempting to get ready to go to D.C. for the Field and Stream Heroes of Conservation Award Gala next
week and it's been a madhouse. I was extremely proud of the organizers and participants of Sharkathon 09. Great job guys.
Fishing has gone from awesome to poor during the time period since our last update. On 25 Sept., Gabe Goodman and his pal and
I caught 30 redfish to 40" in one location. 3 days later it was tough to find a redfish at all. We started setting record high
temperatures and our water temp. went up 6 degrees and catching got really tough. Finger mullet migration was in full swing and
we were sightcasting large Jack Crevalle with fly rods in early Oct. and this past week things have been really slow and the
finger mullet migration has stopped. It MAY commence again today behind Friday's Norther and drop in water temperature but as
of 11 Oct. it had not done so.
RED TIDE is present along the beach front of PINS as of 11 Oct. Not visable; nor were any dead fish but aerosol irration was
present in varying degrees throughout the day. I could be used as an early warning system for Red Tide as years of over exposure
have made me hyperallergic to it; so I know if it's there in even small quanities. No dead fish were observed yesterday and the
red tide was not visable. I'm back down there tomorrow. We experienced heavy rains "down island" yesterday and my hopes are
that the fresh water will help dilute the bloom. Things are running late in the surf and the best is yet to come. I anticipate
late Oct. and November to afford us some really spectacular fishing if the red tide disappears. Driving is fine and water remain
trout green to clear. High tides are extremely high so avoid traveling on high tides. Keep your fingers crossed concerning the
red tide and plan your trips to take place following incoming Cold Fronts.
Good Fishin' Capt. Billy
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Jim Brodhead with a 25 1/2 pound Jack Crevalle sightcast on a fly rod
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Erin and Leonardo Salazer of Austin with her first ever 25 1/2 pound Jack Crevalle
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Red Knot Research !IMPORTANT! 10/02/2009
Author: David Newstead
From this sunday October 4 through the following sunday October 11, I will be involved with a small group of researchers
conducting some fieldwork on Red Knots - a small shorebird that uses Texas beaches for part of the year. These birds have a
pretty fascinating migration, many of them flying over 20,000 miles a year from the Canadian Arctic to the southern tip of
Argentina and back. What we're less certain about is where the birds in Texas come from and whether they're moving on from
here all the way to South America, or maybe just crossing the border and hanging around in Tamaulipas for a few months.
Anyway, the research involves a wide projectile net that intends to capture these birds where they occur on the beach,
which is typically between the high tide line and the water's edge. We won't be taking up a particularly large stretch of
beach, but when we're set up we'll be asking people to please be careful driving through the area so that our equipment (and
their vehicles) are not damaged. It will be us and some volunteers - so around a dozen people. We'll be working on Mustang
Island and the Padre Island National Seashore (probably mainly around Big Shell while we're down that way).
Please pass this note along to your friends and colleagues that are frequent users of the beach, so they'll know what's
going on if they come across us. Of course, if anybody wants to stop by and chat and see what we're up to then they're certainly
welcome to do that. If anybody has any questions or concerns, they can contact me at dnewstead@cbbep.org.
Thanks for all your help in keeping some of us poor office-bound biologists informed about where the birds are, and for all
your efforts at conservation of all the natural resources of Padre Island and beyond.
David Newstead
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Banded Red Knot in Breeding plumage. Photo by Anthony F. (Tony) Amos
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Red Knot in winter plumage. Photo by Anthony F. (Tony) Amos
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Fishing report 10/01/2009
It was rocking behind our lite Norther last week and on Fri. the 25th. of Sept. 3 of us had 30 redfish in one spot with the
largest being 40" long. Jack Crevalle have been scattered South of the 30 mile and occasional Tarpon are being hooked and
one was landed during Sharkathon. Sharkathon was awesome and I really enjoyed participating as a contestant other than
that the Friday night rain fried my camera. Large schools of large Skipjacks are encountered here and there on the beach.
Watch for shoals of Dusky Anchovies and diving birds. When it warmed back up the catching slowed dramatically but the unsettled
weather this weekend may kick it back off. Water temp. is currently 84 degrees. When it gets down to about 74 degrees the surf
is going to bust wide open. Driving is good thanks to the Sharkathon participants driving in established roads and making
them even better rather than driving helter skelter all over the beach and tearing it up. The finger mullet migration is going
full blast, the predators are nearshore and all we need now is for the drop in water temp. to kick it all off. Go fishin'.
Capt. Billy
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Nick Somogyi with a 5' 4" cpr'd Lesser Blacktipped shark on a spinning rig
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Capt. Billy with a 40 inch red at Sharkathon
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Big Shell Report 09/14/2009
Been on the beach so don't have any nearshore news this time. Am not observing much nearshore although I did see one big flock
of Black Terns on the 12th. about the 16 mile. Fishing has been excellent. There are large numbers of finger mullet on the
North end and less on down South. Schools of slot and oversized reds were encountered Saturday and we had 7 trout to 4 1/2
pounds as well as Bluefish from 2 to 3 1/2 pounds. All on topwaters. Live finger mullet would have probably been extremely
productive. Some grass down around the 23 mile and scattered grass North. Water is beautiful. Driving is o.k. due to heavy rains.
Fishing is great but it's awesome to know it's fixin' to get even better.
Capt. Billy
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Louis Dubois of Corpus Christi with an oversized red on a topwater on Big Shell
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PINS Report 09/09/2009
As of yesterday the beach was receiving lots of much needed rain and the fish liked it. We had excellent catches
of reds and trout. No bird activity was observed and we encountered no skipjacks which is quite rare this time
of year. Driving is o.k. Some grass up North; none South. Water was beautiful. Very few mullet or other bait
fish were observed.
Capt. Billy
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Sheena Patnaude of Austin, TX with a CPR oversized redfish
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Fishing report 09/01/2009
Beach driving is fair to good and the water is beautiful with little
Sargassum. Some limited number of finger mullet are migrating and there are
spotty shoals of Dusky Anchovies with Ladyfish and some Spanish Mackerel
feeding on them. You must go to abrasive type long leaders when fishing for
these fish or you'll get cut off every other cast. We had 7 keeper trout
last Saturday on top waters along with a 20 pound Kingfish caught from the wade gut.
Tarpon are in very high numbers are at Port O'Conner right now
and will be working their way down the coast into our area very soon. Local
friend and fly fisherman, Perry Detore, landed a 4' Tarpon and trout at 29" and 30"
off the Packery jetties in one day last week. Wow! Congratulations on the day
of a life time Perry. But, before you all gas up the truck and head out there realize
this type thing happens for brief periods and then may not happen again for some time.
Most fishing reports are outdated by the time we type them out. The surf is fixin' to really get
smoking hot once we get a slight drop in temps. and a Norther of any strength.
Nearshore has been lots of Spanish Mackerel up to 6 pounds working under the birds and
quite a few Kings. Mark Richner caught a 57" 47.11 pound King on a Panga nearshore charter
on Friday. You should have seen that spinning reel smoke. Some sharks and occasional large sharks
are behind shrimpers in deeper
water. I've seen Bull Dorado and quite a few Barracuda. The Cobia are playing hide and
seek. Like the surf fishing it is all somehow a bit subdued and you know it's fixin' to
break wide open. Keep an eye on the weather.
I AM NOT booked up for Sept. Feel free to help remedy that situation. Capt. Billy 361-937-8446
Capt. Billy
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Josh Smith, his son and Capt Billy with a 20lb Kingfish caught in the Wade Gut!
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Mark Richner with a 57" 47.11lb King Mackerel
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Fishing report 08/26/2009
I've been avoiding the surf for the past 10 days due to poor driving conditions and the fact that the fishing has been very
hit and miss. I have received reports of some good trout catches on topwaters and some reds are available. We need a high
tide or a rain to flatten that soft sand out. ANY change in weather pattern is gong to kick the surf off big time and the best
surf fishing is right around the corner and usually starts in about 20 days. The first cold front or any high water will put large
numbers of finger mullet in the surf. Once this happens it rocks and just gets better and better. September is Tarpon time.
Off and nearshore it's been mostly large schools of Spanish Mackerel everywhere up to 6 pounds plus kingfish. We missed a sail
on a trolled bait in relatively shallow water (58') Saturday. Sailfish school inshore in preparation for their annual Fall
migration in September and I sure am looking forward to getting into some of that. Last year at this time we were buried in good
solid Ling (Cobia) but they have temporarily disappeared. I bet they show up any day. Now's the time to get your tackle
ready and be ready for that first weather pattern change. It's all good. Go get you some. I love fishing nearshore out to 50
miles and trust me it's an adventure. I have far too many available dates. Do us both a favor and book one of them.
Capt. Billy
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Tony Cappadona of Houston with a Kingfish Nearshore
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Johnny Cappadona of Midland with another King
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Fishing report 08/17/2009
Wow! How the time got away from me. Sorry it's been so long since we updated. It's been as busy as it has hot and dry around here.
I'd like to let everyone know that I have been nominated for and selected as one of 6 finalists for Field & Stream Magazine's
prestigious "Hero of Conservation Award." They've done a photo shoot and filmed with me down here and are paying my way round trip
to their "Gala" on 21 Oct., in Washington, D.C. I'm a bit humbled and overwhelmed by it all.
Fishing has ranged from real good to terrible; which is the normal in later Summer. Best part is it's fixin' to get REAL good.
Just that time of year. Ling, King and Spanish Mackerel, large schools of big Jack Crevalle and small sharks are in good supply
nearshore with occasional Tarpon being seen. Tarpon numbers will increase greatly about 10 Sept. and stay good through early Oct.
both from the beach and nearshore Gulf. From now through early Oct. is prime nearshore for Ling (Cobia).
Scattered finger and pony sized mullet have shown up on the beach and live lining them has proven the most productive tactic for
speckled trout and reds although numbers of fish caught have been down. Lure fishing has been real tough. Shark fishing has also
been slow although Cris Session landed a 8' 5" female Bull shark the afternoon of 15 Aug. Beach Driving is the toughest I've seen
in 15 years South of the 17 mile. The beach is covered with the tracks of wandering deer and coyotes seeking food and water.
We need a rain desperately.
Good Fishin' Capt. Billy
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Robert Rodney aka Rodbreaker with a nice CPR'd Trout
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Carl Strauss of Houston with a nice Red
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Fishing report 07/22/2009
Rick Underbrink and Gabe Goodman joined me for a scout in the Gulf aboard my Panga on 17 July. We worked out to 280 feet of water.
Catches included 1-30 pound Wahoo, 1-20 pound Horse-eyed Jack, 4 big Jack Crevalle, 5 foot Silky, undersized Ling and plenty of Blue Runners.
Silky sharks from 4 1/2 to 7' were abundant in the deeper water and I was hooked up on a fly with one for a while. On 18 July, John Adams
and his 2 sons fished nearshore with me and
we landed 1-20 pound Kingfish, 3 Jack Crevalle, 1 undersized Ling and saw lots of fish including Lesser Blacktipped sharks from
5 1/2 to 6 1/2' in a frenzy behind a shrimp boat in 108' of water. Atlantic Sharpnosed sharks were thick behind the shrimp boats to
the North and lots of Jack Crevalle were observed. On 20 July my long time friends and fellow beach fishermen, Danny and Kay Parks
and Andy joined me for a very tough trip to the surf of PINS. Winds blew to 41 SE and the current was screaming. Skipjacks, whiting
and undersized reds were all we could manage due to the high winds and strong current. No weed was observed. The water was clear.
Driving is REALLY bad in the Big Shell. REALLY BAD. I canceled a charter today over the high winds forecast to die off later during
the week. I will be trailering the Panga to Port Mansfield pre-dawn Sunday and fishing for large sharks to put satellite tags on
with the scientists of Harte Instute at Texas A&M Corpus Christi for 2 or 3 days and am really looking forward to the adventure.
Good Fishin' Capt. Billy
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Capt. Billy with a Wahoo
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Gabe Goodman with an Amberjack
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John Adams with a Kingfish
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Eric Adams with a Jack Crevalle
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Fishing report 07/16/2009
Whiting are thick and hungry. Scattered good sized Speckled trout and occasional slot redfish and skipjacks are being caught. A
few sharks have been lost. Water has remained muddy in the middle stretch of the beach for some time now. North end is often muddy/murky
in the morning and turns green on the afternoon falling tide. The surf is noticably cold in certain areas. There is very little
weed. Driving is bad in the Big Shell and not real good South of there. It's fine for the first 17 miles. Going to be fishing
nearshore shortly and we'll see what's up out there. Kingfish are reported in high numbers and some Tarpon are being seen.
Good Fishin' Capt. Billy
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John Valkenaar with a C.P.R. 5 pound Speckled Trout
taken on Big Shell Beach on 14 July, 09
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Fishing report 07/11/2009
Things have been tough this week on PINS. Morning high tides are making for tough driving; not only in the Big Shell area but down
South of there as well. Driving is fine on low tides except for having to go into soft sand around camps blocking the beach. Water
changes color from one day to the next with the first 15 miles and the last 10 miles being the best and the middle stretch remaining
muddy for several hundred yards offshore. Water is also colder in the muddy middle stretch. There are lots of whiting and Bonnetnosed
sharks and lesser numbers of smaller trout and undersized and slot reds. If these winds will back off things will improve.
Have fun. Capt. Billy
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Fishing report 06/30/2009
Schools of Bonita and Kingfish are in good supply nearshore. Cold, murky water has been impacting the mid section of the beach
with beautiful green water on both ends. A 7 1/2' Scalloped Hammerhead and an 8' Bull shark were caught and released by beach anglers on Sat.,
the 27th. of June and we had a fish we couldn't stop on a Daiwa 50 HSV Sealine reel baited with a small live whiting but shark fishing has been
slow other than that except for large numbers of small Bonnethead and baby Atlantic Sharpnosed sharks. Some Tarpon are being seen in the surf.
Whiting and hardheads are plentiful and trout have been off and on. Some reds were caught on 30 June along with good trout catches to 6 1/2 pounds.
I simply don't know what's up with the Skipjacks. We should have thousands in the surf but have only been encountering a few smaller ones occasionally.
Driving conditions have been deteriorating daily along the entire beach but especially in the Big Shell. The droubt is a big part of this problem.
The sand becomes dry and powdery. It will be a nightmare by the holiday weekend. P_L_E_A_S_E remember that the beach belongs to everyone and be
considerate and please do not block off the entire beach front with your camp. This has been happpening regularly and daily lately.
NPS has sent out a no camp fire/no fireworks e-mail and it says they will be rigidly enforcing it the entire length of the beach. You can barbacue
but can't have Tiki Torches, Candles or use briquets for a camp fire. The island is horribly dry and in all honest are simply doing their job as
protectors of the island and the creatures that live there. As much as I hate to say it I'll be suprised if there isn't a large fire down island
due to people using fireworks in violation of the law this weekend. It's yours; take care of it. Imagine all the creatures that are helpless and
killed by these wildfires that they simply can't outrun. Large crowds kill the bite; plain and simple. Been that way all my life. Turtle nesting
season continues so watch out for turtles as well as your fellow man and his children. Have a ball anyway and I expect some exceptional fishing
once the holiday is over.
Happy 4th. of July. Capt. Billy
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Fishing report 06/23/2009
Roy and Patty Moore of Burnet, Tx. and Barbara Agan with pompano and redfish from their and Andy Agan's charter down PINS 22 June.
It's turning pretty. Lots of whiting. 5 pompano is a suprise this time of year. Driving is fine. No Sargassum. Quite a bit activity
offshore from 22 mile beach South. Be courteous to the other guy. It's his beach too.
See ya' Capt. Billy
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Fishing report 06/18/2009
I have been to the Mansfield jetties and back 2 of the past 3 days and fishing is extremely slow. Water has turned green to the 20 mile
this afternoon but is murky South of there. Occasional mullet are seen but catching has been whiting, rat reds and hardheads only.
Shark fished a couple of spots with cast baits today with no success. Waves are 5' and at close intervals and the current is racing
Northbound. I could barely stand up on the bar to cast long rods due to the current. Driving is o.k. except where people block the
beach and 4 wheel high is required in a few spots in the Big Shell. It's real simple. The wind has got to stop blowing 30 mph + every
day before action picks back up in the surf. Sargassum is not a problem. Lack of fish is. Rangers are keeping busy up around the end
of the pavement so watch your speed.
16th June 2009
Saw 4 bails of marijuana picked up by a Game Warden between the 6-8 mile beach and later learned
1,300 pounds were found along the coast.
Be Safe, Capt. Billy
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B. J. Brooks and Steven Naylor of Round Rock
with a bale of marijuana found at the 6 mile mark 16th June 2009
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Fishing report 06/11/2009
Very tough day on the PINS beach yesterday. Tides are high and the 4-5' seas are actually 6-7'. Tremendous North bound current making all
fishing extremely difficult along with winds of 36 mph. We are presently trapped in a "wind tunnel" due to the low pressure positioned over
the central U.S.A. and things are forecast to remain that way through at least Tues. It has led me to cancel my charter for tomorrow.
Some Sargassum is present as are bait fish but the fish have "lock jaw" and I don't think that will change for the weekend. It's a good
weekend to do something else. A special thanks to beach visitors Jim and Mary Robinson, who pulled me out of a hole yesterday when the 4
wheel drive went out in my truck. I'm laying this old veteran truck to rest today and fitting out it's replacement.
Be safe. Capt. Billy
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Customers Bill Montgomery and Carl Leafsledt of San Antonio restraining the turtle while Shauna does her lab work
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Female turtle covering her eggs and packing down the sand on top of them
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Nesting Turtle
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Turtle tech Shauna Erlolacci taking measurements
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"Homeward Bound"
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"I'm Outta Here"
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Fishing report 06/04/2009
Trout are still in good supply and size scattered along the beachfront and topwater lures are providing the best action. Today there were
LOTS of 15 pound average Jack Crevalle running in and out of the holes in the wade gut in small groups and singles. A friend reported casting
a shark bait on a long rod and getting stripped of all line without hope of stopping him. Large schools of Spanish Mackerel and Skipjacks were
present nearshore with large numbers of birds working them. There are LOTS of finger and pony mullet in the surf and the presence of these
finger mullet is unusual here during the month of June. Fresh Sargassum was present in medium/heavy amounts on the first 15 miles of beachfront
but there really wasn't all that much in the surf. The beach was unusually crowded today so you know it's going to be wall to wall again this
weekend. I think it's due to the economy. People doing the alternative vacation deal and instead of taking one large and expensive vacation
they are staying closer to home and going to the beach. I think we are going to have unusually heavy beach traffic this Summer. Water was
clear and beautiful.
Good fishin' Capt. Billy
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Fishing report 06/01/2009
Large numbers of good sized to trophy sized speckled trout showed up in the Padre Island surf on Wed. 27 May and have remained in good supply
since. Topwater bite is best but if they toy with the topwaters switch to Bass Assassins and they'll take them. Color choices have changed
every 2-3 days. The trout are present the entire length of N. Padre Island surf. Scattered Jack Crevalle averaging 16# are being encountered
daily as are Atlantic Bluefish and Spanish Mackerel.
Gabe Goodman landed tagged and released an 11' 6" female Tiger the afternoon of Sat. May 30. James Clark of San Antonio landed, tagged
and released an 8' 8" male Lemon Shark and a 8' 4" female Bull Shark. Several other large sharks were hooked and lost and several 5 1/2'
Lesser Blacktipped Sharks were caught. Sargassum is present in varying amounts from one location to the next. Driving is o.k. A bit bumpy
due to the Sargassum on the beach.
Remember it is nesting Kemp Ridley Sea Turtle Nesting Season and the speed limit is 15 mph. Report any turtles seen on the beach but do not
interfere with one laying eggs.
Good fishin' Capt. Billy
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Jeff Wolda of Bulverde, TX. and his dad, Don Wolda, with Don's 5# topwater speckled trout.
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Jeff immediately followed his dad's 5 pounder up with one of his own.
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John Holbrook of Carolina with a nice topwater speck Fri. May 29,09
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Fishing report 05/28/2009
Trout, Ladyfish (Skipjacks) and large Jack Crevalle were encountered today fishing with topwaters. Water is beautiful but there is quite a
bit of fresh Sargassum which is going to make long rodding and shark fishing difficult. Driving in the Big Shell area should have improved
following recent rains.
See ya' on the sand. Capt. Billy
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Fishing report 05/21/2009
Gary Wilson with a 16 lb. Jack Crevalle, Roy Thompson with a 27 1/8" Redfish and Larry Wilson with a 5 lb. Speckled Trout. Water has cleared
and is pretty green to at least the 39 mile. We never went South of the 39. Driving is tedious, slow going and bumpy on high tide and good
on falling tide. Fresh Sargassum is present in varying degrees along most of the beachfront with more coming in from offshore. Pony mullet
showed up thick South of the 25 mile in early afternoon and the Jack Crevalle were scattered along the beach but not visable and not schooled
up. Individual fish. Some Skipjacks were encountered at the 15 mile early, there were lots of hardheads and few whiting. Topwater bite didn't
happen today. Long rod fishing and kayaking shark baits is going to be tedious due to Sargassum and large breaking swells. Be careful and be
courteous as we all know it's going to be a mad house down there this weekend.
See ya' on the sand. Capt. Billy
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Fishing report 05/19/2009
I spent Friday the 15th. fishing the entire shore line of PINS. Water was green to the 15 mile then turned muddy and stayed that way to
the jetty with no visable activity. Small scattered patches of Sargassum were encountered but they did not interfere with fishing. The
36 mph SE wind did and catching was confined to whiting and hardhead catfish. There are lots of fish in the area; we simply have to get
out of this wind tunnel we've been in and the beach is really going to produce well. Scattered speckled trout have been reported and I
think there are lots of sharks present. Driving was good and we drove out front both ways. Those intending to fish the holdiay weekend
need to be aware of the tropical presence off Florida as it is possible that it could cause unusually high tides with the forecast E and NE
winds.
The bite is on in the bay systems and has been getting better each day with new Gulf water bringing in large numbers of Speckled trout,
ladyfish and some Jack Crevalle. Activity is so far confined to the Land Cut, Yarborough and Eastern portion of Baffin Bay. On a bay charter
Sat. the 16th. we got a late start and were absolutely overwhelmed by the number of boats present in the bay system. Trying to avoid the crowd
I went into the back of Baffin and found that the water turned brown slightly West of Los Corrales and it remained that way throughout the
Western part of the bay. We did manage scattered trout in the ULM but the problem is one we will be seeing more of for the rest of the year
in the bays. Too many boats. Avoid weekends if possible. Pictured is Jeff Svejkovy of Wyoming with a nice speck on his first ever salt water
fishing trip.
Capt. Billy L. Sandifer
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PHOTOS FROM PAST TRIPS
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