At 7:30 this AM it was almost an hour and a half past dead low tide locally as I took these pics.
There is a wealth of information contained within these shots, but only getting out there will reveal the extent of the changes taking place.
The water is fairly rough for this shoreline, but major storms make these waves look like a poor effort at being rough.
Considerable sand movement is occurring never the less and may uncover some fresh hunting ground when we can get out there as things calm down.
About seventy yards to a hundred yards out is the deep water edge of a sandbar that runs parrallel with the beach from one end of it to the other.
This 1/2 mile or so of sand bar is constantly shifting with wind/water conditions and there are signs to watch for that can offer clues about what awaits a hunter when he/she decides to venture out there.
The calm stretch between the sand bar and the water's edge is deeper water protected from the waves when the tide is low enough.
[attachment 224459 2-25-12RoughWater005.JPG]
It is calm enough along there to hunt this AM until the tide comes in, but the cold, brutally penetrating wind makes that a fools errand.
This water may have any depth of sand hidden under there and getting your feet wet is the only way to find out for sure just how exposed the bottom is.
The heavier gravel along the water's edge offers a clue to what may await.
[attachment 224458 2-25-12RoughWater010.JPG]
The long slope up to the high tide line and the exposed gravel tells me that there is likely deeper sand in the water all along this stretch of beach, but that slope is on average shallower sand depth than usual and may offer some decent wet/dry sand hunting especially along the gravel line. (The gravel hasn't been tossed on the beach so much as it has been uncovered by wave action.)
[attachment 224457 2-25-12RoughWater015.JPG]
What has happened in different sections of this beach varies with the lay of the beach with sand getting deeper along one stretch and shallower along another.
I'm looking forward to a scouting expedition after things settle down to see what if anything has been exposed.
Stay tuned,
CJ
There is a wealth of information contained within these shots, but only getting out there will reveal the extent of the changes taking place.
The water is fairly rough for this shoreline, but major storms make these waves look like a poor effort at being rough.
Considerable sand movement is occurring never the less and may uncover some fresh hunting ground when we can get out there as things calm down.
About seventy yards to a hundred yards out is the deep water edge of a sandbar that runs parrallel with the beach from one end of it to the other.
This 1/2 mile or so of sand bar is constantly shifting with wind/water conditions and there are signs to watch for that can offer clues about what awaits a hunter when he/she decides to venture out there.
The calm stretch between the sand bar and the water's edge is deeper water protected from the waves when the tide is low enough.
[attachment 224459 2-25-12RoughWater005.JPG]
It is calm enough along there to hunt this AM until the tide comes in, but the cold, brutally penetrating wind makes that a fools errand.
This water may have any depth of sand hidden under there and getting your feet wet is the only way to find out for sure just how exposed the bottom is.
The heavier gravel along the water's edge offers a clue to what may await.
[attachment 224458 2-25-12RoughWater010.JPG]
The long slope up to the high tide line and the exposed gravel tells me that there is likely deeper sand in the water all along this stretch of beach, but that slope is on average shallower sand depth than usual and may offer some decent wet/dry sand hunting especially along the gravel line. (The gravel hasn't been tossed on the beach so much as it has been uncovered by wave action.)
[attachment 224457 2-25-12RoughWater015.JPG]
What has happened in different sections of this beach varies with the lay of the beach with sand getting deeper along one stretch and shallower along another.
I'm looking forward to a scouting expedition after things settle down to see what if anything has been exposed.
Stay tuned,
CJ
