Moving to Seabrook, Kema, and Clear lake (TEXAS) area

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Author Topic:   Moving to Seabrook, Kema, and Clear lake (TEXAS) area

acassidy posted 07-09-2003 02:16 PM ET (US)
I am moving to the Seabrook, Kema, and Clear lake (TEXAS) area in August. I am planning on living close to the water. I have a Montauk and plan doing a lot of exploring and fishing in the Galveston Bay area. I have never been in a boat out in this bay (only in Clear Lake ten years ago). How many Whaler owners out there from this area from this board? Is the Galveston bay a big boat bay like out in the gulf or is it a flats boat bay. I plan on getting a larger boat a few years from now anyway. Besides speckled trout or flounder fishing around Bolivar peninsula and fishing around West Bay I have little experience in other areas. I am moving there to make this area our home to settle down. What do I have to look forward to? Thank Archie
Rick Dewees posted 07-09-2003 03:12 PM ET (US)
acassidy,
1. Welcome. You will like it here. You already have the right boat for most conditions. The versatility of the Montauk makes it the perfect rig as the bays vary from place to place. Wade fishing is popular here. You'll have a variety of bay options available and more, right outside your door if you live in the Kemah/Seabrook area.
2. You will have immediate access to Galveston Bay, East Bay, Trinity Bay and West Bay....all different, not to mention Christmas Bay and the Freeport area. Also you'll be close to the jetties and near Gulf fishing. Some of our members here take Montauks offshore.Brian "seabrook" Grigsby is one, but he just bought an Outrage 18'. I'm not sure if he still has the Montauk or not.
3. You will be a relatively close drive (or cruise for some) to a number of excellent locations down the coast: Port O'Conner, Rockport, Port Aransas. The further south you go, the fewer people.....that's a good thing.
4. There will be a lot to learn, but a lot of fun learning it. A number of members here are from the area and will be able to point your Montauk in the right direction when needed.
5. And best of all....you will soon be (thank the Lord)a Texan.
Rick
dgp posted 07-09-2003 06:41 PM ET (US)
Ditto to everything Rick said, however if you're like me you'll just be an Alien, not a real Texan.
Please join us in the Texas Whaler Owners Club, www.twoc.org
Freeport and Matagorda allow great access to the Gulf of Mexico and you can get into Kingfish and Red Snapper less than 12 miles out.
acassidy posted 07-09-2003 08:28 PM ET (US)
Thanks for the replies. Actually I was born and raised in Beaumont Texas and lived in Houston for 8 years up until 1998. It is time to move back. But always lived on the West side of Houston and drove up to fresh water lakes. I know nothing about the area I will be moving to. Thanks for the web link also. Archie
Rick Dewees posted 07-09-2003 09:46 PM ET (US)
Archie,
OK, so I see now that we have the geography thing and Texan thing covered. Its a good thing I didn't get started in explaining about barbeque and beer to you.
As a Montauk owner, I think that you will find your new address to be an upgrade from West Houston. If you want to do some reading about the fishing nearby, go to:
http://fishgame.com/new.html
Click TF&G Bookstores
These provide the real-deal information for your new home turf. Start off with "Saltwater Strategies 2.0". It will answer a lot of questions before you even have them.
Good luck,
Rick
rsgwynn1 posted 07-09-2003 10:13 PM ET (US)
Welcome! I'm in Beaumont and fish East Bay quite a bit. Best site to put in is at Stingaree, just east of Crystal Beach on the Bolivar Peninsula. Lots of good fishing on the south shoreline and over the oyster reefs in the bay. Trinity Bay is also good depending on the fresh/saltwater conditions. I fished the area in a Montauk (bass boat model) for several years but now have a 22 Revenge Cuddy, which gives me a safer offshore option.
Ponchee posted 07-10-2003 10:45 AM ET (US)
Hey Archie....
There are plenty of fishing choices here.
I'm in TC about 20 miles south from where you'll be.
I had a Montauk and it did everything I needed it to do regarding fishing except carry enough people.
So I changed over to an 18 Outrage, it did the trick for me.
The 18 OR handles the water better but if your young enough the Montauk will get it done and it won't make a difference.
Range may be a problem if you fish one side of the bay complex and live on the other, that's easy to fix by putting in where you fish.
Don't forget to check into sabine LAke...it's a drive but in the fall it's worth the drive.
stagalv posted 07-10-2003 11:08 AM ET (US)
Howdy,
I am from the Clear Lake area as well. I am not going to tell you it is blue water and full stringers all the time but it certainly is a nice place to live and boat.
I too have a Montauk and enjoy it here in the bay area. The bay can churn up a bit which can beat you up in a Montauk but you just have to watch the weather. There are always close places to fish where you don't have to run across the bay.
There are many large boats in the area too. This is the 3rd largest population of recreational boats in the U.S. Many of them are smaller sailboats and alot of 30-50ft powerboats but there are a few 80ft newer powerboats here as well.

Welcome and let us know if we can offer any further advice.
Rex
TRIDENT posted 07-11-2003 03:20 PM ET (US)
Welcome to the bay area. You are gonna love it. I used to live on Houston's west side, but now live in Clear Lake Shores. That is the small island city right next to Kemah. I am really glad we made the move, and now my folks are building a house on the island(and they live in Dallas!). I also have a Montauk and use it almost every week here, it works great...
One consideration that you may not have thought of is that taxes/insurance are cheaper in Galveston County (south side of the Kemah Bridge). www.har.com can help you find a house. Do a search on Clear Lake Shores! Or 77565 zip code.
As far as fishing, it can be pretty good at times. You will catch on pretty quick by watching the other boats... Kemah flats and Seabrook flats can be good and are close by. The ship channel area can be awesome, but you have to watch the ship wakes. Once you get settled in shoot me an e-mail and I will give you some more tips. Good luck!
TRIDENT
greg.cruthirds@h-gac.com
Seabrook posted 07-16-2003 12:26 PM ET (US)
Welcome to the area. I have lived in Seabrook for about the last year and a half, after living in Katy (far west side of Houston) for the previous 12 years. A Montauk is a great all around boat for the area. I liked the Montauk when I lived in Katy because it was easy to tow and also made a nice bass boat for fishing Fayette County Lake. Galveston Bay is a BIG BOAT bay. It can get nasty in a hurry. The Montauk is safe but can tend to get rough and wet when trying to cross the open bay in choppy conditions. For the Clear Lake/Galveston area you need the best of both worlds. A shallow boat for West Bay and a big boat for Galveston, Trinity and East Bays. The Montauk also works fine for most offshore conditions during the summer months as long as you have a large gas tank. Mine had a 27 gal Pace fuel tank and I also carried one or two extra 6 gallon tanks for calm days so I could run out 30 miles or so. I now have a 18 Outrage. At first I really missed my Montauk but have since fallen in love with the Outrage. It makes running the open bay and offshore a lot easier. I put a jack plate on it to help it run shallow for West Bay and it makes for a good all around boat.
Let me know if you ever need info on the bays, offshore or where the fish are. I usually fish at least once a week. The good news is that both the bays and offshore have been great this year. Trout are biting in the bay and the kings have been thicker offshore than I can remember. I use bass type rod/reels with 15 pound line and artificial baits almost exclusively offshore for kings, dolphin, ling and tripletail along rip lines and weed beds. A 20-30lb king is ok on a king rig, but it is a blast on a light gear with soft plastics.

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Author	Topic: Moving to Seabrook, Kema, and Clear lake (TEXAS) area
acassidy	posted 07-09-2003 02:16 PM ET (US) I am moving to the Seabrook, Kema, and Clear lake (TEXAS) area in August. I am planning on living close to the water. I have a Montauk and plan doing a lot of exploring and fishing in the Galveston Bay area. I have never been in a boat out in this bay (only in Clear Lake ten years ago). How many Whaler owners out there from this area from this board? Is the Galveston bay a big boat bay like out in the gulf or is it a flats boat bay. I plan on getting a larger boat a few years from now anyway. Besides speckled trout or flounder fishing around Bolivar peninsula and fishing around West Bay I have little experience in other areas. I am moving there to make this area our home to settle down. What do I have to look forward to? Thank Archie
Rick Dewees	posted 07-09-2003 03:12 PM ET (US) acassidy, 1. Welcome. You will like it here. You already have the right boat for most conditions. The versatility of the Montauk makes it the perfect rig as the bays vary from place to place. Wade fishing is popular here. You'll have a variety of bay options available and more, right outside your door if you live in the Kemah/Seabrook area. 2. You will have immediate access to Galveston Bay, East Bay, Trinity Bay and West Bay....all different, not to mention Christmas Bay and the Freeport area. Also you'll be close to the jetties and near Gulf fishing. Some of our members here take Montauks offshore.Brian "seabrook" Grigsby is one, but he just bought an Outrage 18'. I'm not sure if he still has the Montauk or not. 3. You will be a relatively close drive (or cruise for some) to a number of excellent locations down the coast: Port O'Conner, Rockport, Port Aransas. The further south you go, the fewer people.....that's a good thing. 4. There will be a lot to learn, but a lot of fun learning it. A number of members here are from the area and will be able to point your Montauk in the right direction when needed. 5. And best of all....you will soon be (thank the Lord)a Texan. Rick
dgp	posted 07-09-2003 06:41 PM ET (US) Ditto to everything Rick said, however if you're like me you'll just be an Alien, not a real Texan. Please join us in the Texas Whaler Owners Club, www.twoc.org Freeport and Matagorda allow great access to the Gulf of Mexico and you can get into Kingfish and Red Snapper less than 12 miles out.
acassidy	posted 07-09-2003 08:28 PM ET (US) Thanks for the replies. Actually I was born and raised in Beaumont Texas and lived in Houston for 8 years up until 1998. It is time to move back. But always lived on the West side of Houston and drove up to fresh water lakes. I know nothing about the area I will be moving to. Thanks for the web link also. Archie
Rick Dewees	posted 07-09-2003 09:46 PM ET (US) Archie, OK, so I see now that we have the geography thing and Texan thing covered. Its a good thing I didn't get started in explaining about barbeque and beer to you. As a Montauk owner, I think that you will find your new address to be an upgrade from West Houston. If you want to do some reading about the fishing nearby, go to: http://fishgame.com/new.html Click TF&G Bookstores These provide the real-deal information for your new home turf. Start off with "Saltwater Strategies 2.0". It will answer a lot of questions before you even have them. Good luck, Rick
rsgwynn1	posted 07-09-2003 10:13 PM ET (US) Welcome! I'm in Beaumont and fish East Bay quite a bit. Best site to put in is at Stingaree, just east of Crystal Beach on the Bolivar Peninsula. Lots of good fishing on the south shoreline and over the oyster reefs in the bay. Trinity Bay is also good depending on the fresh/saltwater conditions. I fished the area in a Montauk (bass boat model) for several years but now have a 22 Revenge Cuddy, which gives me a safer offshore option.
Ponchee	posted 07-10-2003 10:45 AM ET (US) Hey Archie.... There are plenty of fishing choices here. I'm in TC about 20 miles south from where you'll be. I had a Montauk and it did everything I needed it to do regarding fishing except carry enough people. So I changed over to an 18 Outrage, it did the trick for me. The 18 OR handles the water better but if your young enough the Montauk will get it done and it won't make a difference. Range may be a problem if you fish one side of the bay complex and live on the other, that's easy to fix by putting in where you fish. Don't forget to check into sabine LAke...it's a drive but in the fall it's worth the drive.
stagalv	posted 07-10-2003 11:08 AM ET (US) Howdy, I am from the Clear Lake area as well. I am not going to tell you it is blue water and full stringers all the time but it certainly is a nice place to live and boat. I too have a Montauk and enjoy it here in the bay area. The bay can churn up a bit which can beat you up in a Montauk but you just have to watch the weather. There are always close places to fish where you don't have to run across the bay. There are many large boats in the area too. This is the 3rd largest population of recreational boats in the U.S. Many of them are smaller sailboats and alot of 30-50ft powerboats but there are a few 80ft newer powerboats here as well. Welcome and let us know if we can offer any further advice. Rex
TRIDENT	posted 07-11-2003 03:20 PM ET (US) Welcome to the bay area. You are gonna love it. I used to live on Houston's west side, but now live in Clear Lake Shores. That is the small island city right next to Kemah. I am really glad we made the move, and now my folks are building a house on the island(and they live in Dallas!). I also have a Montauk and use it almost every week here, it works great... One consideration that you may not have thought of is that taxes/insurance are cheaper in Galveston County (south side of the Kemah Bridge). www.har.com can help you find a house. Do a search on Clear Lake Shores! Or 77565 zip code. As far as fishing, it can be pretty good at times. You will catch on pretty quick by watching the other boats... Kemah flats and Seabrook flats can be good and are close by. The ship channel area can be awesome, but you have to watch the ship wakes. Once you get settled in shoot me an e-mail and I will give you some more tips. Good luck! TRIDENT greg.cruthirds@h-gac.com
Seabrook	posted 07-16-2003 12:26 PM ET (US) Welcome to the area. I have lived in Seabrook for about the last year and a half, after living in Katy (far west side of Houston) for the previous 12 years. A Montauk is a great all around boat for the area. I liked the Montauk when I lived in Katy because it was easy to tow and also made a nice bass boat for fishing Fayette County Lake. Galveston Bay is a BIG BOAT bay. It can get nasty in a hurry. The Montauk is safe but can tend to get rough and wet when trying to cross the open bay in choppy conditions. For the Clear Lake/Galveston area you need the best of both worlds. A shallow boat for West Bay and a big boat for Galveston, Trinity and East Bays. The Montauk also works fine for most offshore conditions during the summer months as long as you have a large gas tank. Mine had a 27 gal Pace fuel tank and I also carried one or two extra 6 gallon tanks for calm days so I could run out 30 miles or so. I now have a 18 Outrage. At first I really missed my Montauk but have since fallen in love with the Outrage. It makes running the open bay and offshore a lot easier. I put a jack plate on it to help it run shallow for West Bay and it makes for a good all around boat. Let me know if you ever need info on the bays, offshore or where the fish are. I usually fish at least once a week. The good news is that both the bays and offshore have been great this year. Trout are biting in the bay and the kings have been thicker offshore than I can remember. I use bass type rod/reels with 15 pound line and artificial baits almost exclusively offshore for kings, dolphin, ling and tripletail along rip lines and weed beds. A 20-30lb king is ok on a king rig, but it is a blast on a light gear with soft plastics.