I used to muttle my way to middle bay in a jon boat, hitting bottom with a 25hp and never felt like it was too much of a threat. I now have a much larger center console boat that I just cant bump bottom to find my way. I have spoke to a guy from Columbia that goes out there and shrimps by himself. He has a fiberglass work boat with a 100hp tiller handle motor watching him trips me out. I would attemp this from the tip of Bull Island, I have found the channel to the ocean from the south end and I heard you have to go out quite a way and then come back into middle bay in front of bird Island making a big triangle move, any advice would be appreciated and how accurate the navionics charts are on middle bay and can you still find a sand mid mix bottom? It looks tempting…
The way I’ve found out how to get to unknown sketchy places in the past is to just go two hours before high tide and pay close attention to your depth finder. A recent aerial photo doesn’t hurt either. You can figure out the range from low to high off of saltwatertides.com. Subtract the range from what you are seeing on the sounder and it gives you a pretty good idea what depth you are going to have at low and if you can make it or not. Coming in from the ocean and more importantly going back when it gets snotty or when a storm comes up doesn’t sound ideal to me.
Oh yea, and once you figure it out going there save your track coming back in your new found channel.
Thanks belly! so you don’t think it is necessary to go out to the ocean to get there? Maybe I can find enough water to come back at low if I need to? I am in a 19’ CC
“I fish therefore I lie”
2006 Mckee Craft 185 Bay Classic 150 Yamaha
Not saying that as I’ve never been there myself, but I’d try to find any other way than to run the ocean. I’ve had several pucker instances crossing shallow bars in the surf zone. It looks like it may be doable on google maps, crossing between that huge bar in the middle and the shore line and coming through one of the two channels cut through the bar. You never know if you don’t try and the good thing about two hours before high is you hopefully won’t get stuck.
That’s right! Thanks
“I fish therefore I lie”
2006 Mckee Craft 185 Bay Classic 150 Yamaha