# PINS anyone?



## Catfish713 (Nov 9, 2006)

im hitin up Port Aransas this sunday and hopin to get some bull Red action, i havnt been in a while.......ill be hittin either Horace Caldwell pier or the beach, anyone have any reports or info?


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## Team Buddhahead (Apr 3, 2007)

Water has been going all the way up to the dunes. Weed(old) is making long rodding really tough. Some good catches coming in around the 20-25mm on mullet. Water was dirty past the 30mm. But that can change over night.
Good fishing on Packery for Reds using finger mullet. I will be there Sat,Sun and Monday morning....
The Surfcat's event is going on this weekend so from the sticks south on too PINS will be crouded. I will probably stay north and try and find my place in the sand......


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## Catfish713 (Nov 9, 2006)

thanks for the tips bud, sounds like ill just be stickin to the pier then, not my favorite way to fish, but it works, prolly just use finger mullet, or peanut bunker (wutever i can get with my cast net) maybe ill see u down there :beer:


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## HuskyMD (May 19, 2000)

I'm going to be in Houston this weekend. Can you guys give me the basics re: PINS. From what I've found so far, you have to have 4X4 to get to the good fishing which is at Yarborough Pass (Drum, trout, flounder), Big Shell Beach (Shark), and Mansfield Channel (all kinds of fish). Surf fishing is on the gulf side.
What else should a newbiew know??


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## Catfish713 (Nov 9, 2006)

well, allong with the 4X4 a few :beer:s are a good idea too .....................be prepared for anything, because, believe me, you really can catch anything anywhere, always have a backup rod in Texas because u may be fishin for reds and u may end up with an angry bull shark (iv seen this between the jetty and the pier in port Aransas)...................what do you want to know about? sand bars/ guts? bait? rigging? cuts? watching schooling fish? what u want to know bud? just ask and we will let u know what we know.


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## Team Buddhahead (Apr 3, 2007)

HuskyMD said:


> I'm going to be in Houston this weekend. Can you guys give me the basics re: PINS. From what I've found so far, you have to have 4X4 to get to the good fishing which is at Yarborough Pass (Drum, trout, flounder), Big Shell Beach (Shark), and Mansfield Channel (all kinds of fish). Surf fishing is on the gulf side.
> What else should a newbiew know??


HuskyMD, You really don't have to start at PINS. I will start at the entrance of Bob Hall Pier. I hit the beach from there and drive South. You have about 6-7 mile before you get to the "Sticks" where you have to turn off and head into PINS. 
That section of the beach can be driven with a 2wheel drive car. As for PINS, you could make it to the 4x4 sign(Mile Marker 5) in a 2 wheel drive. Just be careful and ask the Park Ranger about the tide and driving conditions. Right now the tide is making it to the dunes.
As for gear.....I will bring my 2 LDX'x and an HDX and 2 10-12lb baitcasting rigs. 
HDX is for the back side of the secound gut to the front of the 3rd. Baited with finger mullet or cut bait.
One LDX is used with live Finger Mullet on a Pully Rig. The other one is used with a double hook rig with shrimp and Fish Bite combo.
One Baitcaster will have a Johnson Spoon, soft plastic, Mirro-Lure or something of that nature.
The other one(my favorite)is rigged with a 1/4-1/2oz sliding egg slinker to fish Mullet in the first gut. 
I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have said I'm going to PINS and end up fishing the beach just South of the pier. 
I'll never pass up a good Pinch, Cutoff or Gut just so I can say I caught this fish on PINS.
Just my .02.......
Give us a PM if your coming down.....
Here's my fishing crew....


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## Catfish713 (Nov 9, 2006)

haha cute pic TBH :beer:
you have no idea how much i respect you for gettin the little guys involved.


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## HuskyMD (May 19, 2000)

That's an awesome picture! I don't think I'll come down this weekend. I will probably hit the north jetty I was talking around Fort Bolivar if only to investigate and watch people.

But PINS will come soon enough. I'm coming down monthly...


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## Catfish713 (Nov 9, 2006)

good, thats the only way to get familiar with the area............hey TBH how well does that roller rig work?


> a 1/4-1/2oz sliding egg slinker to fish Mullet in the first gut


 iv been wanting to try it but with a 3oz egg and a live bunker out in the 2nd or 3rd gut. do u just leave it on freespool and let it go with the current to where the fish are?


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## Team Buddhahead (Apr 3, 2007)

Catfish713 said:


> good, thats the only way to get familiar with the area............hey TBH how well does that roller rig work? iv been wanting to try it but with a 3oz egg and a live bunker out in the 2nd or 3rd gut. do u just leave it on freespool and let it go with the current to where the fish are?


I'm holding this rod.
From main line attach a barrel swivel,from barrel swivel attach a 12"-14" 50lb leader,slide a colored bead in front of the egg sinker and behind, attach the end of that leader to another barrel swivel, Tie or crimp(whatever you prefer) a 18"-24" 50lb leader and then your hook. 
The reason you keep the egg sinker between two swivels is that when you cast the egg sinker won't "crawl up the line".
Fish this in free spool. When the Red takes the mullet count down and set the hook(only if you are using "J" hook). If you use circle hooks, just start reeling and DON'T set the hook. Keep reeling till there is a good bend in the rod.
Tight Lines.....


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## Team Buddhahead (Apr 3, 2007)

*Pully rig....*










Mine are just like this but I use a CMO clip for the release.


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## Catfish713 (Nov 9, 2006)

thanks i might try that eg sinker rig while im down there. i would think that with the egg sinker rolling with the current i would drift right into the guts, and holes right?


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## Catfish713 (Nov 9, 2006)

Well, i made my trip down, like you said TBH there wasnt much bait in the surf durring the day besides very small herring, but i got out to the surf about 7:30pm and started throwing the cast net about 50 feet south of Horace Caldwell pier, second cast i had 10 or 12 large skipjack, so i was set, i walked down to about 100 feet from the end of the pier and started cutting bait, i was using a roller rig (curtesy of TBH) and a 12/0 mustad circle hook. my rod was a 10' ugly stik surf rod and i was using my trusty old PENN surfmaster 200 spooled with 20# big game (bright blue) and a 30' leader of 50# so i cut a large chunk of skipjack and cast out about 50yards then set the bait clicker and waited. within minutes i had somethin thumpin my bait, i waited for it to take it and go, then it just left, i waited about another 5 minutes and reeled in.......my bait was gone. so i re baited and cast back out, i had the same thing happen another 3 times (this really confused me how something was stealing cut fresh skipjack hooked right up the middle) then i heard it, my bait clicker started screaming, i grabbed the rod and started reeling, after about a 10 minute fight i pulled in my first surf shark, a 3' blacktip (i have caught sharpnose sharks from boats but this was my first surf shark) i have never been prouder :beer:!!! i will have pictures up as soon as i get them developed (the shark was released unharmed  ).........i had some other bites and runs but no hookups so for 3 hours of fishing, i had a pretty good night, [sorry TBH i ment to call u but my phone died and i left it in the dorms while it charged and by the time i woke up the next morning, i was sure you were already gone.........how did you do]


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## Axon (Sep 8, 2002)

Hey Catfish and TB,

I'll be down at Ft Sam on 1 Nov and should be there til about x-mas. I would love to hook up with one of you and hit PINS. I plan on bringing most of my surf gear. Maybe the weekend of 10 Nov, I should have Monday off from school. 

PS : becareful of Husky as he has a skunk in his pocket

mike


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## Team Buddhahead (Apr 3, 2007)

Give me a PM when you get down...The Breakaway guys are having there first tourney on the 17th on Nov.


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## Catfish713 (Nov 9, 2006)

i probly wont be able to get back down till New Years, i would love to go meet up and hit the surf but my schedule is jam packed right now, the only reason i was able to go this past weekend was because of a school function.


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## Team Buddhahead (Apr 3, 2007)

Well???? How was fishing??


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## HuskyMD (May 19, 2000)

Axon said:


> Hey Catfish and TB,
> 
> I'll be down at Ft Sam on 1 Nov and should be there til about x-mas. I would love to hook up with one of you and hit PINS. I plan on bringing most of my surf gear. Maybe the weekend of 10 Nov, I should have Monday off from school.
> 
> ...


Ouch! Maybe I should tell them you are from NY? You know what Texans think about Yankees don't you? Just kidding.

Mike, stay away from my wife down there!


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## Catfish713 (Nov 9, 2006)

I wrote a report, right above Axon's post.


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## jwconnelly (Jan 27, 2007)

I live in Va Beach Va now but grew up in Port aransas. If you need any fishing info in the future let me know and I can call the Mayor Of Port Aransas, he is my dad and has all the inside infor you need.

john


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## Catfish713 (Nov 9, 2006)

Hey boys, well my parents decided to give me an early christmas Present.........a PENN 6/0 on a Penn slammer (#30-#80 line) im lookin to use it for sharkin and deep sea, how should i rig it up? im thinkin #40 mono then some weed eater line for a leader, then #120 for my bite leader and then 14/0 mustad circles.........tell me wut y'all think please


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## Team Buddhahead (Apr 3, 2007)

I would go 50lb main line, 300lb mono leader, 480lbs cable...
Just my .02....


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## Catfish713 (Nov 9, 2006)

thanks for the info bud, sorry it has been so long since iv been able to post, school has been givin me hell, but now im out for the christmas break so i should be on more often :beer:


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## Team Buddhahead (Apr 3, 2007)

Good deal.....Pomps have been going off at PINS. Went last week and got into them...I'm done fishing till the New Year....


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## Catfish713 (Nov 9, 2006)

yea, i had a friend tell me he and his brother went down the 3-5th and hooked up with 14 blacktips/bulls and a couple monster reds, they had some pomps for eats too ...........yea im headin down to Rockport for about 4-5 days definetly get some bay fishin in maybe some pier/ surf if i get the chance.


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