Tag Archives: aransas

Fly Fishing Texas Forever

I will be Fly Fishing Texas Forever… It is January and water temps are 50F. Chums has commissioned us to endure filming during a frigid Texas Winter. The water is muddy but that is just from how many redfish are stirring it up. The calm morning is welcome with full sun but strong wind gusts kick up before noon. Tides are so low that TxDOT wouldn’t let us on the ferry with the skiff… This is what fly fishing the Texas coast in Winter can deliver. This is why. We fished in 3 locations and filmed in 4 locations over 2 very long days. Was it worth all the numb hands, noses and toes? Was it worth the physical pain and psychological angst to bring this all together? You bet your ass it was!

The camaraderie of guiding great sportsmen and anglers is what makes it all priceless to me. That is how and why this film was named “Texas Forever“. Thank you Chums for seeing my passion and choosing me to share it through your products which are also just as passionate.

fly fishing, texas, forever, winter, foot warmers, redfish, guide, charters, trip, port, aransas, texas, red drum, beavertail, duck camp, lone star, beer
One way to keep your bare feet warm in a Texas winter.

Its not about the money. God knows fly fishing guides don’t make enough of that for a vacation. Do what you love. Period. Nothing else matters. We live in our own version of paradise already, working our asses off to help you reach your fly fishing goals. Our true reward is the smile on your faces, the aura of relaxation as you finally catch your first sight-cast redfish. Helping you achieve your personal best, or your first, “on the fly”. That is where a fly fishing guides sense of accomplishment stems from. Its not about getting rich. It is about helping people see the true beauty and art of nature through the many fly fishing challenges of the saltwater environment. Fly Fishing Texas Forever is for me and for you too if you want it bad enough. Creating success in the face of constant adversity.

duck camp, fly fishing, film, tour, beavertail, port aransas, guide, charters, trip, winter, production,
Texas Redfish make muddy waters

There are many hardships an angler must endure in fly fishing the Texas Coast. Wind is probably the most prevalent. That will require skill and determination. Extreme temps of the water and air are also a big swing between winter and summer patterns. You would be surprised though how much you can observe and how many fish you can see even under poor visibility and cloudy conditions. You just have to know how to observe and not just look.

Additionally, any fly fishing angler on the Texas Coast worth his weight in salt has learned how to overcome the difficult casts required when it is windy, and the super stealthy casts demanded by intelligent redfish when it is dead calm. Overcast skies present another sight challenge. Fishing through all of these ever changing conditions will certainly make you become a better angler and fly fisherman. Many have said after sight casting the Texas Coast on the fly, that if you can do it here successfully, you can fly fish just about anywhere.

Hannah Storm Effect

Hurricane Hanna Port Aransas Corpus Rockport Fly Fishing texas coast gulf flood wind speed redfish drum black sea trout madre laguna
Radar Image

Hurricane Hannah (Cat 1) is making its way onshore now. From August 24 2017 to today’s date, July 25 2020, its been 3 years and 1 day between Hurricane Harvey and now this storm, Hurricane Hanna. Looking at it on a map overlay is always impressive. Its breadth is classic for Gulf Storms, broad and widespread. Its good to finally get some rain down this way too!

Post Hurricane Harvey Redfish Shrimp Fly Port Aransas Corpus Rockport Fly Fishing texas coast gulf flood wind speed redfish drum black sea trout madre laguna
Post Harvey Red Drum

In Port Aransas so far, in my observations using the Aransas Tower (weather station), gusts up to 45kts have been measured and water levels are almost at 4ft over sea sevel… Our coastal area ecologically will benefit from a natural event like this. It will in effect, give our bay and coastlines a nice refresh and possibly help restore some seagrass beds in the lower portions of the coast. Nonetheless, for all our area, once the weather stabilizes again for a few days or up to a week or two, the fishing should be outstanding like after Hurricane Harvey was. It did take some time then but it wasn’t all that long and the fish were chewing on everything!

fiddler crabs, flies, slatwater, texas, port, aransas, corpus, christi, rockport, laguna madre, real, fly fishing,
In Living Color – Fiddler crabs display pastel colors

The was some insanely great fly fishing done after Harvey. Once they finally turned on it was non-stop action. The redfish were absolutely gluttonous after the weather finally settled and ate voraciously on every cast for quite a while! These fish showed obvious signs of gorging themselves. Their bellies were so full! Even the scales on their bellies showed obvious sign of stretching! I can hardly wait to get back on the water, but now is the time to prep for the next few weeks/months of heavy fishing!

Ya’ll get on the books now for August and pick some more dates in September October and November too while your at it! Jacks and Tarpon are still on the list, we just need very special conditions to chase them. If we cant hunt them where they live because its too rough, we will default to the bay where we can sight-fish redfish black drum and speckled trout. The next few months should prove to be a whole lot of excellent sight fishing to be done in the coming months! Call Capt Kenjo direct at 361-500-2552 or just hit the Book Now button in the top right corner of the page!

Early Season Redfish on the Texas Coast

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Tailing Redfish in February

Winter hardly slows down these redfish and now that duck season is over and February is upon us the water temps are rising steadily again. There is great potential this time of year to see loads of redfish, drum and even some BIG trout in the shallows. They could be daisy-chaining along main shorelines or in lard wide schools whoppin’ and poppin’! Usually a day or two after a cold front the water and fish are back in action and even on cloudy days many redfish can be caught on the fly using sight casting and stalking techniques on foot as well as from the skiff.

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Ready to Wet Wade the Texas Coast
red, drum, fly, fishing, saltwater, flats, texas, gulf, coast, mexico, guide, charters, skiff, boat, hatch, outdoors, airflo, tropical punch, winston, rod, company, lines, alpha, plus, r.l., beavertail, yamaha, f70, winston, fly, fishing, trips
7 spot redfish

The forthcoming weeks of February (including March) are going to see some of the best fly fishing action the coast can offer. Tailing and cruising redfish can be expected and there are good chances to see redfish schools that rival the summer groups. We wet wade often times this time of year in 65-75F water temps to deal with a little bit of wind and or grey skies. This lets us get so very close to the fish that you cant miss them feeding right at your feet! Call Capt Kenjo direct @ 361-500-2552 or simply Book Online at your leisure! It is sure we will have a good time, you will learn many new things and become a better fly angler overall, and if you are nice to the fish, many of them will come out to play! We are still seeing lots of Whooping Cranes and Sandhill Cranes for those who love all types of wildlife.

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whooping, cranes, fly, fishing, port, aransas, st, josephs, beavertail, texas, gulf, coast, mexico, island, skiff, hatch, outdoors, airflo, lines, smith, optics, rl, winston,
A pair of Whooping Cranes feed along the shores of the barrier islands along the great Texas Coast.

Drain Games – The Texas Fall Redfish Run

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STAR DATE: October 31, 2019 PLANET: Earth COORDINATES: 27.8339° N, 97.0611° W

FIELD NOTES: The redfish are displaying the following characteristics and behaviors; Crawling, mudding, tailing, schooling, popping, whopping, backing, crushing, pouncing, hounding. Its GO Time in Port Aransas! Lock and Load! Load and Go! (pics below)

Some of the most heart pounding sight-casting to red drum on the fly will be happening over the course of the next few weeks/month! The apex of the fall season is hitting us Now in full swing and underway making way! Sure as frozen fire, the tidal drain-game begins again as Texas redfish, trout, flounder and black drum turn face first into the winds and outpouring of bay water moving “en masse” to feed shallower and shallower. As the migration of shrimp, crabs and baitfish flush out of the estuaries the fish are there and feeding heavily in preparation for the onset of winter. As the fourth significant cold front of the year hits the Coastal Bend right now, strong windy conditions will prevail for the next 24 hours as the dry cool air sweeps across the countryside colliding with the warm moist air of the coastal areas along the Gulf of Mexico the the the winds become more tame and best for fishing!

The redfish have already shown up in very strong numbers up to 30 inches after the previous cold front and it is likely that the next few weeks will see some of the best Texas sight casting to have been done all year. Game on! These next 2-3 weeks may just become noted as “Peak Weeks” for the Fall Run. Time will tell. Needless to say the fly fishing is excellent NOW. Get in touch with your local preferred guide to coordinate ASAP!

My immediate forthcoming availability is THIS WEEKEND starting Sunday as well as Monday Tuesday and Thursday (Nov 3-5 & 7th)…

Call Captain Ken today (while I am prepping for the next 2 weeks of hardcore redfishing) or plan your next trip online at your convenience! Call 361-500-2552

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Summer Jacks Explode

fly, fishing, jack, crevelle, hatch, outdoors, nature, eco, tour, airflo, beavertail, skiffs, flyfishing, guide, charters, redfish, bay, texas, coast, gulf
Double Trouble with Mr. Jack Crevelle

Port Aransas Texas – The fly fishing cauldron of Texas Coast Summer is boiling hot now and the Jack Crevelle are dishing out whoop-ass left and right! We are fishing the witching hours (non daylight) with good success on trout and ladyfish then at sunrise we are stalking tailing redfish pods on the flat and ending the morning chasing jack crevelle in the bay as are our primary targets.

fly, fishing, jack, crevelle, hatch, outdoors, nature, eco, tour, airflo, beavertail, skiffs, flyfishing, guide, charters, redfish, bay, texas, coast, gulf
Jack #3 of 4 for the Day

By around 0900 when the rest of the crowds arrive to sweat it out on the flats, we are already finished working the tailing redfish pods and are pulling off into deep water to cool off and target wolf packs of marauding Jack Crevelle. Come test your skills and see if you have what it takes to battle these mighty fighters on the fly!

Call Capt Kenjo ASAP to book your July trips! Multiple days are highly recommended for all the fun you will be having! Don’t miss out!

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fly, fishing, jack, crevelle, hatch, outdoors, nature, eco, tour, airflo, beavertail, skiffs, flyfishing, guide, charters, redfish, bay, texas, coast, gulf
Double Jacks on the fly on the Texas Coast

Texas Redfish Tails

The redfish have been feeding well and in tight pods, despite most average skies and winds. Next weeks forecast looks fabulous and I have open Tuesday May 14th and Saturday May 18th if anyone is interested in stalking some more redfish out of Port Aransas Texas! Wade and Boat trips available! FYI there are only a few dates for jack crevelle and redfish still available in June and July!

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    Hefty Redfish
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    Dallas does not disappoint!
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    Tailing Spring Redfish Pods
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    Dude CRUSHED it!

The studious and patient angler with a keen eye can pull fish under many different conditions and all these folks from the last 2 weeks of charters have done very well! We don’t always need sunshine, we don’t always need moderate winds, we don’t always need “the perfect day” because EVERY DAY spent fishing is “the perfect day”! There are tricks of the trade for working under clouds, rainy skies or windy afternoon in your face conditions… There are secrets for seeing fish when the glare is killing everyone else. And it is most fun to see how the sight of a tailing redfish pods affects our Anglers of the Day! For some, they can pick it, stick it and release it without hardly LOL’ing. For others though it makes their knees shake. A select group of anglers just freeze in amazement and some tremble, fumble and stumble with excitement of what their eyes are seeing! With experience though, everyone learns to remain calm and take it all easy, make a slow smooth deliberate cast when the time is right and the red fish respond accordingly. Its what keeps us fishing time over time. Going back again the next day to see what may have changed, and sticking it out through the thick and the thin. A day of dedication and persistence can make even the smallest fish feel big and that’s why we love fly fishing!

Spring has sprung

redfish, fly, fishing, port, aransas, texas, corpus, christi, marsh, spartina, grass, protected, whooping cranes, sandhill, birds, tour, eco, laguna, madre, poc, conner, abaco lodge, airflo, tropical, punch, sage, rod, everglades, reel
Wade fishing Toads

Forget the forecast! Don’t jinx yourselves by looking at it 10 thousand times! We will make adjustments as necessary and ON THE FLY!

The redfish are doing what they do best! Eating, tailing at the right times and bustin up schools of bait even. We snuck into an isolated pond on foot to see what was going on there and we were able to stalk this fine top-slot red drum in sock deep water. The trout are also showing up in more places and we even lost a giant trout last week boatside. We were crushed (I am still aching from it and currently sourcing a proper net for future chances) but hey, we got a big fish story of the “one” that got away! The angler fought her well and I was able to leader the fish 3 times at the gunnels but she had made a surge under and behind the boat and it seems like she got a nick on the leader and that massive trout broke off! We went on to land some smaller trout but oulala, that one I wont even try to give a size estimate, no-one would believe it anyways. Those that do know me, know that I don’t mis-estimate fish sizes… I am usually always within an inch, plus or minus.

SO…. Get your game on! Give me a call ASAP and book your Spring Sunrise Fly Fishing trip. today! Solo anglers allows for wet wade fishing opportunities to stalk tailing redfish on foot.

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Capt Ken Jones , Port Aransas Texas , 361-500-2552

Summer Drum Beats

Time to let it drop! Summer Drum Beats is too hot to hold onto any longer! I truly hope you enjoy the video. This footage was shot last summer during some fantastic sight fishing the Texas Coast out of Port Aransas.

Now accepting bookings for Summer 2019 (and on)! June and July last year saw plenty of fishing that was absolutely incredible. Dates are already filling in! We worked loads of tailing fish for many consecutive days. And after chasing redfish all morning we spent the afternoon chasing big jack crevalle!

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To reserve your date for your Texas saltwater destiny call Capt Kenjo direct (361-500-2552) or use the Book Now button above. Feel free to call have you any questions! Dates fill quickly!

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Jack #3 of 4 for the Day

Consistent weather during those 2 months would spoil anyone with excessive amounts of tailing pods of redfish kept satisfying, Then chasing down huge jacks in the bay during the heat of the day made it even better! May the Summer Drum Beats live on!

Special thanks to Cody for jumping on board last minute to film this spectacular day with me. Fishing together as a team made Summer Drum Beats happen on short notice. Special thanks to Luke for producing such a fine video. Hope you all like the new logos too!

Additional thanks to Beavertail Skiffs for building such a solid boat. It lets us get to the fish every day regardless of the weather. Kudos to Hatch Outdoors for building a fly reel that handles a lifetime of use and to Airflo for making sure our loops and hooksets are as tight as possible! All of these companies continue to maintain the highest levels of customer service and insist on making quality their primary goal in their products.

Here are some raw videos of some of the jacks we chased last year, cant wait to get ya’ll back on them!

summer drum beats redfish music fly fishing music to my ears
Photo Cred. Z. Landry


Fly Fishing Christmas Gift Idea

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Doubled-up First Timers

Are you trying to figure out what to get for your fly fishing crazed significant other for Christmas??? Look no further! Book them a Texas Guided Saltwater Fly Fishing Trip for February 2019 (or for any other month)!

A guided saltwater fly fishing charter is the perfect gift for those that already have all the latest gear because a guided trip is the perfect place for them to use all that equipment! And if they don’t have appropriate fly rods or reels or flies for the Texas saltwater fly fishing, don’t worry, Kenjo Fly can accommodate ya’ll with top notch equipment!


Call NOW at 361-500-2552 if you have questions or Book Online to view available dates for any month in 2019.

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27 inch redfish


Offshore Oil Port

Imagine crossing the ferries to Port Aransas and seeing an oil tank farm/VLCC terminal at Harbor Island just waiting for the next Hurricane to break it wide open…

There are many pros and cons when it comes to consumer progress and expansion. Earlier talks of having a large volume oil transfer terminal on Harbor Island raised many red flags, along with the traffic jamming super-tankers they plan to fill/empty there daily. Now there is a proposal on the table to take this oil pump station offshore to some degree, which is a better alternative to a land based solution.

Having spent the last 6 years on the water fishing almost daily and launching out of Port Aransas most of the time, I could easily agree that of all the boat traffic we have out there, this area certainly does not need larger oil tankers making u-turns just outside the harbor’s entrance. The Mono-buoy doesn’t sound like a bad idea compared to the Harbor Island proposed site.

You can comment on this Deep-Port Offshore Mono Buoy project at the following website.

Anything you write in defense of the fish, the sea, and our public resources in order to protect it is welcomed by me. This is one opportunity where the public’s comments actually go on “official record”… Please take the time to send your comments through this portal so our voices may be heard.

https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=MARAD-2018-0114-0003

If you are at a loss for words or are sick of typing, you may copy and paste my letter below, just please edit the signature to personalize it.

“The real Texans who make up this wonderful state and enjoy its wild areas do not want more oil industries in the area of Corpus Christi and far reaching surrounding natural habitats. It is wrong to sacrifice the Public’s wildlife, both land-based and marine, for the sake of economic development. The natural resources of Texas and its marine wildlife are invaluable to the public and that is where our real wealth comes from. Outdoor recreation is vital to the survival and morale of our Coastal populations and its guests (tourists from all 50 states) including the millions of tourists who have made Texas their permanent home. Do not allow any VLCC terminals, regardless of offshore or onshore. A single incident anywhere from any one of these plants, regardless of how small, would devastate the ecology of OUR land immediately and have long term consequences for hundreds of thousands who rely on these natural resources. This risk is not acceptable regardless of the proclaimed economic growth being proposed by this project and others nearby of similar and dependent heavy industries.

Again, the risks associated with this project and all others like it is not accepted. The public is speaking to you! YOU MUST HEAR OUR VOICES. We expect you to protect our lands and seas with the upmost diligence and fortitude.”

Serious and asserted,
Capt Ken Jones
Native Texan
Port Aransas Texas
361-500-2552
[email protected]