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Do Boaters in S. Texas visit Mexico like we visit Bahamas?
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Do Boaters in S. Texas visit Mexico like we visit Bahamas?
I was trying to think of where else I could possibly live and enjoy all of the things we enjoy in South Florida. The only place I could come up with is the very southern part of Texas. Just like I love the ability to bust over to Bimini Friday after work and be there drinking pina coladas by happy hour, I suspect that might be possible in the very south of Texas, perhaps McAllen. 'Course it would be margaritas down there.
I have never heard a word about anyone doing this, though.
Bullshipper?
RE: Do Boaters in S. Texas visit Mexico like we visit Bahamas?
No there really are no great ports in the northern parts of Mexico like the Bahamas ..
and there is a higher chance your boat will find a new home and you will never be found!!!!
RE: Do Boaters in S. Texas visit Mexico like we visit Bahamas?
McAllen is pretty far from the coast. S Padre/port isabel or some where on the southern part of boca chica island park at the opening to the rio grande, not sure if there is a ramp there. the closest nice place to fish would be some place like tampico and that would be about 140 miles and not really worth it cause it is a nasty place, alright fishing but it aint pretty. S Padre is about as nice as you could want a resort type community to be. Beautiful scenery, USA, deep water closer to shore(not like the atlantic but deeper than the rest of the us gulf). I would prefer to be out of S padre than anywhere in mexico on the western gulf coast of mexico anyhow. So the answer to your question is no, we dont make at trip like that because it just is not worth it. If you have a 1000 mile range you could make a run to the campeche banks from S padre which would be interesting, it is a huge underwater mountain range off the yucatan peninsulas west side.
RE: Do Boaters in S. Texas visit Mexico like we visit Bahamas?
Too bad. I was talking about a one-way trip of less than 100 miles. For example, our ride to Bimini is 50 miles, in Palm Beach they get to West End in about 60 miles, and within 100 miles there are several other options.
On the plus side, as you point out, South Padre isn't so bad.
RE: Do Boaters in S. Texas visit Mexico like we visit Bahamas?
When I lived in San Diego we used to run the boat down to Ensenada for long weekends. South of that, good ports with relaible fuel, water etc. were hard to come by (but maybe its better now). As I recall, it was about 80 or so miles each way. We wre on a sailboat, and not serious fishmen, but anything you couldn't catch you could buy right from a local fisherman for next to nothing. One thing that was similar was the people we met. Most all Mexicans, like Bahamians, are the nicest, most friendly people you will ever meet.
RE: Do Boaters in S. Texas visit Mexico like we visit Bahamas?
In & OUT burgers are trash, they taste like mcdonalds and the fries taste like cardboard. Every had wataburger? It is a Texas thing and I have seen one in LA and MI too. As for the driving to mexico thing in S Texas, I am with you on that, I lived in harlingen for 3 years and made many a trip to matamoros and reynosa for the day, or night you might say.
RE: Do Boaters in S. Texas visit Mexico like we visit Bahamas?
This is the sad but honest truth. I am in the military and stationed at a couple places along the coast. I have frequented the beaches of all of TX, most of NC, and Florida. Unfortunately, the beaches of S. Tx are covered with trash, and debris that washes up from Mexico. This becomes evident if you ever go to S. Padre, or N. padre (across from Corpus Christi) you will see trash all over the beaches. The state trys to keep it clean. And Padre Island is a National Seashore.
RE: Do Boaters in S. Texas visit Mexico like we visit Bahamas?
I dont know about alot of trash, the seaweed makes the beaches look like crud alot of the time though. We get alot of sargassam weed along the texas coast. In S padre I have never seen alot of trash or seaweed on the beach though because their city tractors constantly rake the beachs for the seaweed mainly......Now N padre is another story, they rarely clean the national seashore if ever, they depend on the abnormally high tides to wash it off or into the dunes.
RE: Do Boaters in S. Texas visit Mexico like we visit Bahamas?
Ensenada is about 65 Mi South of San Diego. Its a big city. There are shops & clubs.
In 2002 I kept my boat at the Hotel Coral for 9 months, check out the link. The place is like a Hilton, take the virtual tour. Even though Ensenada has more to offer, it's still better in the Bahamas!
RE: Do Boaters in S. Texas visit Mexico like we visit Bahamas?
We have gone to S. Padre a couple of times in the last few years and I don't remember any trash. Any of you guys ever been to OC MD.? Now that is a dirty beach. I will take south texas over any Atlantic beach I have been to.
Rick
RE: Do Boaters in S. Texas visit Mexico like we visit Bahamas?
Its been a lot of years since I fished out of San Diego, but when when headed south, it was more like south west to fish for albcore, and the larger tuna tribe that frequent the seeks and Islands on the way down to the the the Rivigellos (sp) on long range boats.
Great fishing there.
I never really liked the Gulf side for the heat, humidity, wind, and shallow water but I can recommend a river mouth and estuary sytem called La Pesca, which is about 60 miles north of Tampico. There is a nice little fishing lodge about 10 miles up stream from the ocean that also does some hunting excursions. Depending on the year you will fish up river, the estuary and shallows and offshore, and it is 100 times better than Tampico which is like dropping your hook on the smelly end of a drainage pipe IMO.
Sorry I can't be more help, but my expertise (ha ha) is mostly limited to the sea of Cortez and the Pacific Mainland shore of Mexico.
Do Boaters in S. Texas visit Mexico like we visit Bahamas? 
