Fun-o-meter Broke

Rockport, Texas

The Fun-o-meter hit the top end peg and bent the needle this morning about a mile and a half out from the launch point. The launch went very well and the new yak did not dump me-----yet. It is not so sedate as the other was. However it is a lot faster and tracks very straight. In fact in the maneuverings and tracking departments, it is the exact opposite of the first yak. This one wants to go straight and fast. It accelerates quickly and glides rather well. Turning is not a strong point. A major difference apparent immediately is that this hull is a LOT quieter going through the water. It is so quiet that it has the name of Sneaky Devil for now. Can you imagine the excitement one can cause by sliding quietly up to a bird or fish that did not hear you coming??? HE HE HE.

The launch site was a dedicated yak site south of Aransas Pass city next to the aquatic center. The previous yak was tried out here also. This gives very good comparison chances.

The marsh holds the wind off you so you get a chance to get used to the boat before you HAVE to paddle well. Sneaky showed his stuff right away in sneaking up on birds. These pictures were taken all over the place and each bird was very surprised at our closeness when the picture was taken. This bird was trying to run through the bush to get away.



Most of the bird pictures were taken at a range of about ten feet.

After a short getting used to each other time, Sneaky and I headed across the Intracoastal Waterway for the closest island and the open bay waters. With the previous yak, getting over to the first island was a significant chore in time and effort. It was designed for close quarters maneuvering and not cross country touring. Sneaky shot out of the mouth of the marsh and zipped on over to the island in very short time. WOW was my response. Before you knew it this was the view from past the island. The launch point is way back left behind the marsh background.
Notice all the grass in the water. Some places it was so thick that Sneaky was dragged to a stop. The water in this pic and the previous one is about three feet deep. The next picture shows how thick the grass can be. It stops about four inches below the surface.
Scattered all over the area are oyster reefs. You could gather a nice meal from them if you liked oysters. Oysters are the only thing from the ocean that are not on my diet plan. They taste like gasoline to me. YUKKKKK. However the reefs are great places to catch fish frequently.

There were literally thousands of fish working all over the area. Mainly it was mullet, but scattered in were predator fish blasting the schools of mullet often. Perhaps some fishing is due soon. The RV park has a nice upright freezer to store your fillets in until they can be eaten. Of course the trouble down here is that the catching is usually frequent enough that you do not keep many fish. For me a keeper red fish would yield six or more meals. Of course my catching has not been very much since more time is spent sight seeing than fishing.

This trip also proved the value of wading boots instead of water shoes. That will be the next purchase. Man, it can be tiresome getting out and trying to have tooooo much fun. TheOFM