Category Archives: South Texas Fly Fishing Reports
Consecutively Wading
When the weather turns sour, consecutively wading is a great answer!
It was one hell of a spell of bad weather that lasted 5 months straight. February to first week of June. First wind and fog, then wind and clouds, then rain, and Tons of it! To adapt, we spent damn near the whole time consecutively wading the salt marsh of the middle Texas Coast. And that is exactly where we found consistency when the going got tough!
The best way to deal with low light and windy conditions is to slow down. By getting in the water with the fish you can catch fish on difficult days while everyone else is waiting for the weather to break. Wade fishing makes our presence as small as possible and lets us go slow enough for the redfish to reveal themselves. Smith Optics makes their low light “Ignitor” Lenses and they can really turn on the lights during low light days.
With little reprieve from the constant wind, clouds, rain and lightning we waded on. Little did the famously preferred clear blue skies or moderate winds prevail. Pea soup fog persisted for 60 days and nights. Then came the rains and thunderstorms. And so did we. We continued wading and persisted and prevailed.
This year we managed very well all the inclement weather by wading on the days that dictated the need to wade fish. All in all, it came out to about 17 consecutive weeks. When we waded on redfish and black drum we got’em good too. It all felt so crazy to not pole the skiff for much at all if any for all that time. But with those kinds of weather patterns, we did what we had to do to adapt to the conditions and wound up catching quite a few fish!
Book your next wading or skiff fly fishing trip with Capt Kenjo.
Gentle Casts
How to fly cast gently.
One fly casting technique that proves itself very valuable in the saltwater world is learning how to lay down the fly and line gently. Producing gentle casts can mean great catching and less spooking of the fish you are stalking.
The real challenge though is performing these gentle casts while your eyeballs are popping out of your own head in your excitement! Staying calm and not rushing the cast produces more hookups than trying to rush and hitting the fish too hard.
Here in this clip you can see David does a great job maintaining his composure. This pod of redfish are tailing along the spartina grass edges. You can hear us whispering to each other as he makes 3 casts in order to get the crab fly in the right spot.
On such a calm day you can be sure those fish would have spooked had the fly been too heavy or if he had cast “down” at the fish. Communication on the skiff in the moment is also key to our success.
Landing the fly softly is achieved by aiming your casting loop about eye level above the fish. When presenting the fly, be a little more gentle on the final forward stroke.
To do this, stop the rod tip early in your forward cast. Leave it up a bit longer than usual as you let the weight of the fly line gently pull the rod down. It would go from the 1 or 2 o’clock position down in front to the horizontal position.
With a little routine practice, you can use your line hand to feather it all down slowly. This will help the fly line lay out straight and gentle. That way the fly lands right and softly. For those redfish, you want to be able to move the fly on the first strip. Then you will be able to set the hook properly. And that hungry redfish will then gulp down your crab fly. Fish on!
Book NOW with Capt Kenjo! Great weather is in the forecast!
Whether the Weather
The weather forecast looks amazing! Come on down and get in on the prime winter days before they elapse! Call Capt Kenjo NOW to get on board.
Whether the weather, or not, winter-time is some of the best sight-fishing of the year.
Once the skies go bluebird after a cold front passes through, high pressures kill the wind and warm the shallow waters. Now is the time to strike! The fish wont be everywhere but usually this time of year you will find greater quantities of fish in an area and often times, greater quality of redfish as well.
Focus on niche areas in these seasons as extreme weather ebbs and floods and learn why fish are where they are when they are there.
All the different bottom types such as sand, grass beds, bars, mud, shell, back waters, and main shorelines all have potential to have fish at different times. The tide levels and weather patterns all dictate how and where we find the fish. It can be a slow feed on the fish’s part because when they are cold. Just don’t make them chase the fly down too far or too fast otherwise they will turn off.
Nonetheless, a slow feed does not mean the fish are not hungry because they certainly are. Miniscule strips timed perfectly with well placed and gently laid out casts will most likely get those cold but hungry redfish to eat the fly for you. Just think, this time of year, they cannot afford to pass up a meal either. Sight fishing is exceptional on the Texas Coast during the Winter months. Go outside and look up at the sky if you are nearby. Then call me ASAP to get on flats and catch some winter time redfish! Capt Kenjo can be reached directly at 361-500-2552.
Pulling on Hard Fish
We got lucky a few times recently and got to search offshore for tarpon and sharks on the beaches recently. Pulling on hard fish is one thing but not pulling too hard is another. On one occasion we got to take a few shots at some 4-5ft Texas Tarpon and Blacktip Sharks! We managed to hook into one and break it off right away and the sharks gave us a damn good run as well. Just look at the size of the hole in the water.
The @winstonrods Alpha 9wt is in this shot, and as you can see, it was taking a beating! I’m not intentionally holding onto the rod but this shot was a screen grab of film and the fish surged so fast and hard while I was leadering the 5footer, the beast pulled the rod through my hands “as” I was letting go of the leader. Note: the rod did not break under this strain!
SIDE NOTES: If you want to book an offshore trip for September, October or November let’s go catch’em up! Do it, get on the books. The weather window is hard to predict but there is pretty good hope this time of year for very calm seas. It is my preference that you fish as a single angler because the boat can get quite crowded when we are working out front with more than one angler. Having a strong double haul in your cast also helps incredibly well. We hope to find bonita out there soon too along with tarpon, sharks ladyfish redfish and sometimes trout. If the seas are tooo rough we will stay in the bay and fish the flats for redfish drum and trout.
Fall Seasons on the Texas Coast
Prime-Time is here on the Texas Coast for fly fishing redfish with the fly rod. We had a great last few weeks on the skiff in the bay and got offshore a time or two but the weather window barely cooperated out front. Good redfish drum and speckled trout catches were had in the bay and we got to tangle with tons of ladyfish and blacktip sharks out front. The tarpon evaded us on the one day we saw some. And with that, there is still much to look forward to as the fall seasons on the Texas coast transpire.
The water is looking great and all of the bait species are abundant. This means that the fishing will become greater and greater and it has already been pretty exceptional the last two weeks. Looking at the forecast, the fall seasons on the Texas coast are about to get kick started into high gear! This will incite great runs of redfish, black drum, trout, and flounder. Dates for September and October are still available!
The cooler water and air temperatures will really turn them on too. The last few weeks helped cool the water already. So get yourself on the books ASAP for fast approaching dates! Use the Book Now button to avoid delays in booking! Don’t miss this awesome run for 2021 as Fall Seasons on the Texas Coast. we’ll be sure to get you on fish so you can take your shots at some sight casted saltwater fish!
Dates for November 2021 are also available. Shoot me an email if you have any questions or simply use the button below! I am looking forward to taking you all fly fishing the fall season on the Texas Middle Coast!
Fly Fishing the Texas Coast
Fly Fishing the Texas Coast in September, October and November is some of the best times to fly fish the Texas Coast. We will likely see larger than average redfish cruising the fats, and in between we expect to find schools of redfish and drum too. Dates are available! Book Online Now or call Capt Kenjo direct for prime dates.
Summer Summary: The summer months on the Texas Coast this year was exceptional again. In regards to the weather, well, lets just say we got wet like the fish and we hunkered down every now and then to wait out a fast moving isolated storm, or two… or three. Before I move on with the Summer Summary, my heart goes out to those in the wake of Hurricane Ida. Help them out any way you feel you can help.
In and around Port Aransas, fly fishing through June and July was productive but difficult in a few ways. Low light, heavy rainfall quite amounting to 3 years work of annual rainfall caused the water to turn off the fish for a short period. There were times when the water looked like someone had mixed cranberry juice with coffee and there were also small and isolated pockets of better water. Nonetheless, we got it done and found fish every time. A short time later the water returned to normal and began producing the fish we all desired. I use Wunderground and FishWeather apps for my weather forecasts.
Fly Fishing the Texas Coast in August was also great when some stability in the weather arrived. The fishing accelerated then and the numbers of redfish schools are growing daily. We also got offshore and chased tarpon and shark in the surf zone on the fairest of days. We managed to hook one tarpon right away and break it off immediately but later we had another 4-5 foot tarpon take a swipe at our shark fly but did not commit.
September fish activity will continue to improve and remain very consistent through November. You can find an available date by using the Book Now button, choose the type of trip you are looking for and the calendar will be displayed for you to select a date that works best for you.
There are many more pics and stories to share so we will save those for another time. Get on the books to experience fly fishing the Texas Coast and lets ramp up the fall run early while the waters and weather is fairly quite again!
Coastal Texas Spring Rains
Fresh [rain] water is the Elixir of Life to a marine ecosystem.
Texas fly fishing for reds & drum is solid right now. As the Coastal Texas Spring Rains return, quite a few fish have returned to the marsh as well. And as expected, the marine life has shaped up nicely although it took a little time to balance. The fish are showing themselves up in the shallows now where there is an abundance of crabs and shrimp and a plethora of tiny fish. There are a few remaining dates open in June and July! Hit the button below to choose your next saltwater fly fishing trip!
Tailing Black Drum and Backing Redfish are both prevalent in select wading areas surrounding Port Aransas TX.
And in rainy conditions like this, the best way to deal with these variables in my opinion is to wade fish. This allows the fish to reveal themselves to us without detecting us as easily and we can take more shots at more fish without dislocating the majority of fish in the area.
In regards to rain systems like this one shown on Weather Underground Radar and Maps, Coastal Texas Spring Rains usually move in fast sweeping systems and in only a couple hours this one had passed and the winds laid down. Soon enough we found ourselves on the flat in calm conditions casting practically non-stop at backing redfish and tailing black drum with our fly fishing gear. So there are times when we might have a rain delay and occasionally a reschedule, but more importantly, you may miss out on some great fishing! My favorite part about the great outdoors is that it is not climate controlled.
We will adapt to our conditions and get on the fish despite the average weather. The fresh water that the rain introduces to our system is critical for healthy marine habitat and abundance of food for the fishes with target! Good news everyone!
Wade Fishing the Texas Marsh
Granted, wading the Texas Marsh is not for everyone. It is highly recommended you be in decent physical shape. With sharp eyes and a good clean quiet cast you can also raise your odds of hooking up! Because it will most likely forever become known as the Longest Mile you’ve ever walked. Frankly, it can require someone with a strong spirit and will power, to not stop or give up. Fine tuning yourself into a fish stalking son of a gun isn’t the worst goal you could have! Rudy never gave up and in very tough conditions got to work on a handful of foraging redfish. Because of this, our catches are very rewarding in mind and spirit.
Texas Jacks on the Fly
Mighty Texas Jack Crevelle
There are times where the weather shifts the voracious activities of the mighty Texas jack crevelle. It can go from Off to Wide Open in an instant. That is when we need to be ready to strike. Then it can go from On back to Off again just like that! As the weather changes dramatically and frequently during the late spring season, it can move the fish around but they still have to eat.
One thing is certain, if they disappear from one area, they will reappear in another at any time. In full force, when it is time, they will put on the feed-bag! Variables continue to evolve and all of these get the fish staged and worked up to put on a grand ole show! So get on the books now for your chance at catching one of these Texas Jack Crevelle! The last few dates open are June 14-17 and this particular week could prove to be very exciting!
Rob and I hunted high and low for the jacks but didn’t track them down immediately. So we detoured to the flat, picked off his first redfish on fly then heading back out into another area to scout for the jack crevelle and sure enough, we found them, off the beaten path and Rob crushed 3 of these fish on his first saltwater fly trip ever! Knowing how to double haul absolutely helped Rob throw the 11-wt the first time and get that big popper fly where it needed to be!
Here is a short video of a big Texas jack that I had hooked up with while scouting before a client trip. Sorry for the rough work but I was working the skiff solo! I was using the R.L. Winston 11wt B3 Plus paired with Hatch Finatic 9 Plus with the drag rather tight. The Winston Alpha Series is latest and greatest and I’ll be adding the 12wt Alpha to the skiff soon!
Seasoned Black Drum
Spring is the time to be fly fishing for seasoned black drum and sunshine is NOT required! All along the Texas Coast black drum are moving and feeding, despite fog, rain, wind and bluebird skies. I highly recommend we wade fish for these “siphons of the flats” to be most effective in catching as many as possible and to keep from displacing the school of drum from their own dining areas.
While sunshine is not required to sight fish for black drum, and even redfish, one thing that helps a fly angler most on the Texas Coast is having a clean, quiet and straight cast paired with a smooth retrieve of the fly. If you can make the drum chase your fly you can get them to eat it. Game on! Fish ON!
There are still a few dates available next week for fly fishing trips in Port A! So if you want to fly fish the Texas saltwater marsh on foot for seasoned black drum, sunshine is not required! Simply book online or give me a call asap to get some black drum in your hands despite the weatherman being such a sour-puss.
Call Capt Kenjo immediately at 361-500-2552 or reserve online at your convenience with the button below!
If you care to harvest some drum, you can prepare your seasoned drum blackened style it like Emeril.