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After the Storm
A casualty of Hurricane Dolly.
Hurricane Dolly gave me a firsthand experience of what a major storm can dish out. This was the first hurricane experience of my life, and all I can say is that the preparation for a hurricane is a lot of work. On the day of the storm I could not help but think about what consequences our precious resource the Laguna Madre would absorb. With all the water and wind we received from the storm, I imagined the worst scenario for some of my favorite fishing holes. Cleaning up after the storm didn't take much because we were fortunate that the eye missed us, but the surrounding areas were not so lucky. The fury of Dolly blew out roofs, tore down piers, and knocked down many power lines that disrupted everyone's normal routine.
A couple of days after the storm, I was eager to head out and assess the damage done to our pristine lagoon so a friend and I headed out on the kayaks. Slipping the kayaks into the water and paddling to the desired spots, we noticed that the mangrove-lined shorelines and their surrounding habitat looked normal as usual. The bait was as thick as ever, but one thing was for sure, the water was as stained as I have ever seen it. The usual shallow, clear water looked like a dark tea color, and there was no way to see the bottom.
Paddling thru schools of bait made us think that an incredible bite was waiting for us. How wrong we were! We fished the usually productive area hard and came up only with three bites and no hookups all day. The stained water brought about some harsh conditions that we are not used to dealing with down south.
In exploring the recovering lagoon, we seemed to notice that there was a sense of eeriness about being out there. There was no customary noise coming from outboard motors, no one else to compete or share the same waters. If it wasn't for the mullet we paddled into, you could vow that no fin fish inhabited these waters.
As we paddled back tired and hungry, the mosquitoes had a field day on our bodies. Along the return trip I wondered how long this state of recovery would take. We had experienced one of the slowest days I have ever been a part of. It wasn't the lack of a bite that made it unusual but the lack of the typical marine life that you find in the water.
Two days after the kayak trip we went out on the boat to cover more water and be able to see firsthand how the rest of the bay had faired. Again we ran into tea-stained water in over sixty to seventy percent of the Laguna south of the Arroyo. As we had experienced on the kayaks, again no fish were caught that day. As a matter of fact, we saw a total of three redfish while running the flats, which was kind of strange because this is the time of the year that our bay system is flourishing with life. Once again that eerie feeling crept upon us especially when witnessing all the damage done to the once standing cabins on the ICW. Many cabins were gone, and all that was left were the poles that once held fun filled shacks and their docks.
Motoring through the islands bayside you could see some extensive damage to some of the older buildings. The damage was not widespread, but a few buildings did have their roofs torn off. Many piers on the bayside received extensive damage and will have to be rebuilt. A few big boats that weathered the storm were pushed up out of the water or sunk with the impact of the storm surge.
Because of the damaging results that Dolly brought to the island, TIFT, my favorite fishing tournament, was cancelled for this year. That's okay because the islands recovery was the main focus for all the residents, officials, and many workers that came from all over the country.
After experiencing firsthand what damaging results a hurricane can bring, I don't wish it upon anyone. Yes, Dolly was only a category two hurricane, and we can only imagine the destruction that a hurricane of greater magnitude could cause. Hurricanes do bring destruction, but I'm sure there are many heroic stories and stories with happy endings that will go unprinted.
Dolly did bring an unexpected change, but we will be quick to recover. I hope to report soon that the fish have returned to my favorite fishing spots, and newly built shacks will once again line up on the ICW. Let's not forget that tea looking water will soon be gone and replaced with the gin clear water that the Lower Laguna is so known for. I can hardly wait.
A couple of days after the storm, I was eager to head out and assess the damage done to our pristine lagoon so a friend and I headed out on the kayaks. Slipping the kayaks into the water and paddling to the desired spots, we noticed that the mangrove-lined shorelines and their surrounding habitat looked normal as usual. The bait was as thick as ever, but one thing was for sure, the water was as stained as I have ever seen it. The usual shallow, clear water looked like a dark tea color, and there was no way to see the bottom.
Paddling thru schools of bait made us think that an incredible bite was waiting for us. How wrong we were! We fished the usually productive area hard and came up only with three bites and no hookups all day. The stained water brought about some harsh conditions that we are not used to dealing with down south.
In exploring the recovering lagoon, we seemed to notice that there was a sense of eeriness about being out there. There was no customary noise coming from outboard motors, no one else to compete or share the same waters. If it wasn't for the mullet we paddled into, you could vow that no fin fish inhabited these waters.
As we paddled back tired and hungry, the mosquitoes had a field day on our bodies. Along the return trip I wondered how long this state of recovery would take. We had experienced one of the slowest days I have ever been a part of. It wasn't the lack of a bite that made it unusual but the lack of the typical marine life that you find in the water.
Two days after the kayak trip we went out on the boat to cover more water and be able to see firsthand how the rest of the bay had faired. Again we ran into tea-stained water in over sixty to seventy percent of the Laguna south of the Arroyo. As we had experienced on the kayaks, again no fish were caught that day. As a matter of fact, we saw a total of three redfish while running the flats, which was kind of strange because this is the time of the year that our bay system is flourishing with life. Once again that eerie feeling crept upon us especially when witnessing all the damage done to the once standing cabins on the ICW. Many cabins were gone, and all that was left were the poles that once held fun filled shacks and their docks.
Motoring through the islands bayside you could see some extensive damage to some of the older buildings. The damage was not widespread, but a few buildings did have their roofs torn off. Many piers on the bayside received extensive damage and will have to be rebuilt. A few big boats that weathered the storm were pushed up out of the water or sunk with the impact of the storm surge.
Because of the damaging results that Dolly brought to the island, TIFT, my favorite fishing tournament, was cancelled for this year. That's okay because the islands recovery was the main focus for all the residents, officials, and many workers that came from all over the country.
After experiencing firsthand what damaging results a hurricane can bring, I don't wish it upon anyone. Yes, Dolly was only a category two hurricane, and we can only imagine the destruction that a hurricane of greater magnitude could cause. Hurricanes do bring destruction, but I'm sure there are many heroic stories and stories with happy endings that will go unprinted.
Dolly did bring an unexpected change, but we will be quick to recover. I hope to report soon that the fish have returned to my favorite fishing spots, and newly built shacks will once again line up on the ICW. Let's not forget that tea looking water will soon be gone and replaced with the gin clear water that the Lower Laguna is so known for. I can hardly wait.