UrbanDisturbance

OK.....The freshwater lakes are not going to happen this year, and if it does, it will not last long. I am getting my boat ready for salt water. If I launch at Clear Lake or the Galveson Basin, what in the world is there to do? I have seen pictures of Redfish Island, and I am not impressed. Is there any sandy beaches? Bars? Places to eat? Clubs other than the ones in Clear Lake/Seabrook. I don't want to just launch my boat and burn gas. I don't fish.....for fish. What about scuba? How far out into the gulf do you have to go before the water is clear?

UrbanDisturbance

On google maps, I see a huge sandy beach just south of the Dam of Lake Houston. Is that a SAFE trip from Clear Lake in a 38 foot Cigarette Top Gun? It would be cool to have a nice destination with a beach to play horse shoes, cook, etc.

T-RAV

iTrader: (1)

Clear Lake has most of the bars, there is also nasa bay which is where a lot of people go to hang out, when you get close to the Hilton stay in the channel, it gets shallow outside of it. When you go to turtle club or cabo’s don’t turn into them until you are in front of them. You can also run up clear creek and there is a decent spot to beach up once you get on the other side of I45 and watch the wake boarders. There are a lot of no wakes to get there and its not much of a beach, we just stand in the water behind the boat. On Galveston bay there is redfish of course, but you also have Bubba’s and Top Water grill. Bubba’s has a pink roof and is close to redfish; going to top water you have to watch out for Todd’s dump. I like going to the ship channel and coming in off Dickinson bayou. You can also run to Galveston. If you are going to trailer to Galveston and put in at the basin, parking sucks on weekends, just a warning. Galveston has Fisherman’s wharf which is also walking distance to the strand. You can also run up the icw to Stingeree’s in Crystal Beach, or out to Offat’s bayou. Offats has Bueadrux on the bayou and a lot of people hang out there in the summer. When you go into offats, hug the north shoreline until the markers end. There is a reef and/or real shallow on the other side on the markers. Once you get past the markers is pretty deep. The San Jac River has the best beaches and it is a good run from Kemah. It can get a bit hairy when you get by riverside inn. Do a search on here and someone marked the channel or just wait for a boat to go by and follow them. I haven’t been up the river in years so I can’t tell you too much about it now a days. We used to go up there a lot when I was a kid.
Travis

TooTall

There's just 2 places to launch a big boat in the Clear Lake area. . . . Clear Lake Park, (deep ramp) and under the Kemah Bridge. (long gradual slope - deep ramp)

There's a nice "cove" to anchor and float around in near Nassau Bay, but I doubt that anyone his hanging around it in this weather.

Banana Bend - San Jak River
There are several sand bar areas to hang out in river below Lake Houston. It's not a safe "trip" for anyone that has not been on the San Jak river before. The areas that you'd think are navigable are not. Meaning if you see a huge rail road bridge with a wide massive crossing under it . . .. you think that it's the spot to cross, but it's not.
There is a channel that goes from the Galveston bay, past I-10 all the way up to Wallisville Rd. There are channel buoys marking it all the way.
I've launched at Love's Marina, and at Banana Bend in my old 22 Larson, but the ramps are too crappy to launch my 27 Fountain that I have now. There might be better places to launch . . . but I have yet to try them out.

If you know where to go on the river, it's plenty deep and easy to run. There are several places to beach and chill at.

There's an island across from Banana Bend (Banana Bend Estates,) 29.84686,-95.093322 where everyone with boats hangs out during the summer time.

**** shallow area at rail road crossing *** 29.880039,-95.096133
There's a expanded area to go under, but it's completely silted over. You'll have to stay to the extreme left side. There's red X's between the areas to go between

Farther up river, there's a place called Down South Off-road, and they also have a beach. 29.892485,-95.113256 Its a very shallow entry area. The flat bottoms beach, but the deep vee's will anchor out a little ways.

Farther up river is a really nice sandy beach 29.904558,-95.123277 . . . again, shallow entry at high tide, but really nice at low tide. You can beach at this area whenever.

Clear Lake and Galveston bay are mostly sludge and mud. The San Jak river is mostly grainy sand . . . much nicer, but nothing close to clear water.

There's several cruisers to offshore to flat bottom runners on the San Jak river area. I've been all up and down in it in my old 22ft Larson, and a buddy's 22 inboard ski boat. Just pay attention to where you're going. Yes I've gone all the way from Clear Lake boat ramp to the dam . . .

rgrgoog

iTrader: (3)

TRAV I was talking to Urbandisturbance earlier in the year. I should have my port engine back up and running by April at the latest. I am most likely going to pull both engines and replace my exhaust with some IMCOs. Both motors will get a good tune up/top end job while they are out as well($$$$$). We all need to get together and do a run to some of these places. I know another guy on the Speedwake forum with a 38 Fountain who would like to come out as well. He has some engine work he is doing on his motors as well but I think he will be up an running by spring.

TooTall

I'm up for some fun runs ! . . . I've been all up and down the Clear Creek Channel . . Taylor Lake, Clear Lake . . .(not really the fun spot for a the bigger boats) not a whole ton in Galveston bay, but I do know where to stay away.

rgrgoog

iTrader: (3)

Sounds good to me. The more boats the better. I have a couple of guys here in the Lake Charles area that might be interetsed as well. Once the weather warms up we will have to get something togther.

T-RAV

iTrader: (1)

I'm always down for a run! I don't like putting in at kemah, it always seems like I have to back my truck into the water there and when the tide is out its real shallow. Clear lake park would be your best bet UD, but there are a lot of morons and lake lice there. I usually put in at eagret bay up on clear creek but I don't know if a 38 could put in there biggest I've seen is a 32 sunny. I gotta little work to do too, April would be a good time. Water is still a little cool in march. I would love to make a run up the river if you'd want to lead the way too tall.

Travis

UrbanDisturbance

Thanks for the info. Looking forward to all of us getting together this summer, most lilkely April. Then Contraband days and Tickfaw 200 in May. My Cigarette is going into the shop within the next 30 days to get engine work and a possible Arneson ASD7M conversion......if I can come up with some more $$$$$$$$$$$$ Too Tall needs to lead the way up river.

T-RAV

iTrader: (1)

I would love to do Contraband or Tickfaw but may is shot for me. Sons bday, wedding anniversary, then my wife's bday. On my next wife I will make sure the wedding date dosen't interfere with summer!!