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ARANSAS BAY, TEXAS’
Carmel-by-the-Sea

by Ken Rudine
THE RUDINE TEAM
Ken & Yvonne Rudine
The California coast is best known to me by its photogenic wind-twisted Cypress trees. It is no wonder photos of that scene are memorable since they were made by Edward Weston and Ansel Adams. Texas also has its photogenic, wind-twisted, Live Oak trees, written about by the Portland/Gregory Texan, Don Williams. In his song “Good Ole Boys Like Me” the lyric says, “I can still hear the soft Southern winds in the live oak trees”.
Fulton TX Aransas Bay Moon
"Aransas Bay rivals the beauty of the shore of Carmel Bay"
Photo by Ken Rudine, February 2011
Aransas Bay surrounds Rockport/Fulton/Key Allegro and extends north to Lamar and south to Estes (flats). (See map below.) It is protected from the Gulf of Mexico by a barrier island, San Jose ten miles off shore. I consider this location to be the heart of the Coastal Bend. The Upper Texas Coast to the east lies in a basic east/west direction while the Lower Texas Coast to the south lies in a north/south direction. The prevailing SE wind tends to focus directly on this coastal point.

The Bay includes more than 300 square miles and averages about ten feet deep making it very navigable. The water is a little less than half as salty as seawater during the normal fresh water runoff. These waters provide a wide variety of fish along with shrimp, oysters and crabs. The Bay is enhanced because sea grass can be found at numerous locations that act to filter the water and provide a habitat for fish to spawn. The waters near the LBJ Causeway are big oyster producers.
Copano Bay Causeway, Copano Bay , Texas
Photo by Ken Rudine, October 2007
Copano Bay Causeway
During the late 1800’s many slaughterhouses were constructed for harvesting cow hides only. With ice unavailable some meat was fed to pigs while the balance was disposed of in the Bay. This practice possibly helped to attract fish to the Bay then and consequently now. But by 1880 ice machines were incorporated in the plants and over 90% of the Texas beef was processed here and shipped out by railroad.

In 1936 oil was discovered on the Bay shore adding to the local fishing economy. It is also supported by a prosperous tourism industry for individuals fishing or sight-seeing. Early resident Connie Hagar helped establish Aransas Bay’s “Little Bay” as a premier bird watching destination nestled between Rockport and Key Allegro. Adjacent is Rockport’s Bluewater Beach, the only beach so designated in Texas. Roger Tory Peterson, America's best known ornithologist came to Rockport to assist in the dedication of a bird watching site honoring his friend Connie Hagar.

Aransas Bay rivals the beauty of the shore of Carmel Bay as shown here - embellished by the soft light of a full moon, the waters sparkle a welcome view between mature live oaks only a few miles south of The Big Tree on Lamar Peninsula.
Goose Island Oak, The Big Tree, Bishops Tree, Lamar Oak
Photo by Ken Rudine, 2006
The Big Tree AKA The Goose Island Oak
Visitng Aransas Bay? Where to Stay
Rockport Hotels | Fulton Hotels
Aransas Bay Texas 1940s Map
1940s map showing Aransas Bay, Rockport, Lamar and Estes
Courtesy Texas General Land Office
© Ken Rudine
February 24, 2011

Visitng Aransas Bay?
Where to Stay

Rockport Hotels
Fulton Hotels
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This page last modified: February 24, 2011