Big difference on a light vs a river or muntiple acres of flats.
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Donāt have many secret spotsā¦ if I did have one I wouldnāt even tell my brother (if he were still aroundā¦). I do have a few preferred routes though, before FMT Iād run the Chatham any day instead of the Hustonā¦ With FMT, either one is a breezeā¦
Since I actually started running the backcountry here and there - long before GPS was aroundā¦. I probably have a bit different perspective than most. These days thereās really no such thing as a secret spot (at least not for longā¦).
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Chatham is a left handed riverā¦Huston is right handed. Thatās how I learned them many, many years agoā¦
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I normally approach from the outside, so N/S sounds better 
Some time Iāll āsplainā¦
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If you have ever listened or read, āKilling Mr. Watsonā, itās pretty cool to hear (I like the Audible version), about how Mr. Watson lived at the āChatham Bendā, which is actually the entrance to the Houston (1st river)ā¦this area about 100 years ago was the highest point in the area. They would bring in Schooners into the Chatham on high tide and load them out and head to Ft Meyers and Key West with field produce and sugar Caneā¦unreal.
Chatham has a trench at the entrance that on even low tide is 4-6 feet deep, on a high tide, you could probably draw at least 6 feet with a Schooner.
You can look on the Charts and imagine bringing in barges and mid sized boats up to āWatsonās Placeāā¦
Also, in KMrWatson it describes the names of all the various areasā¦for example, House Hammock Bay was settled by a family called the Hammocks. Chevalier Bay was after a plume hunter from Franceā¦great info for history buffs.
DC
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The fortitude of those settlers to eke out a living in those areas still amazes me.
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Man the entrance to Chatham (and Huston) is treacherous! Bars everywhere canāt imaging a schooner getting in there with all that current and obstacles! Shoot Iāve hit bottom and Iām running FMT
So I guess we are now censoring funny posts because someoneās friend got offended and he is in law enforcement.
Nice job admins.
You guys going to ban me if I repost that picture and bend the knee to some dude that doesnāt like the post that he doesnāt even belong to the forum?
One day, long before I finally got my first chartplotter (with FMT, of courseā¦) I ran the Huston with someone that really knows that area -much better than I doā¦ As we ran I mentioned that he really knew that river (and we were sliding bank to bank dodging bars..). He looked at me then shook his headā¦ āYeah Iāve hit every one of those barsā¦ā Tru ādat, sometimes learning the hard way is the ONLY way in the backcountryā¦
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Just have to rub in what my Cardinals did to the āCanes. Yeah, I canāt believe it either!
When my officers would come to me needing a new prop or lower unit I would tell them to donāt hit the same bar twice.
At least weāre better off than the āNolesš¤£
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