Tag Archives: corpus christi

Boot Deep Backing Redfish

A fine afternoon in the lee it turned out to be… Caught 2 from the boat then found’em good in the lee every 30ft.

Power pole down, jumped out of the boat to go on wading in boot deep water with backing redfish crushin baits over hard sand against the spartina grass edges. Four more redfish to hand, and at least 4 others missed. Weekdays are where it’s at this time of year! Cancel all other plans except fishing plans! Wednesday Thursday are STILL looking golden in the forecast and I am open! Call Capt Ken ASAP 361-500-2552

red drum, redfish, fly fishing, port aransas, texas, corpus christi

Four Spots Loves Brown Crab

Redfish on a chain

Left’em biting

redfish, texas, coast, port aransas, fly fishing, guide

Crab Crusher

Day 1: Despite moderate north winds and cloudy skies, new guest, Mark from Colorado, arrived at the dock 45 minutes early and without even fastening the skiff to the dock he stepped aboard without hesitation and we hauled ass to the flats. We shared our anticipation levels as I explained the drill for the day as we held onto the slightest hope the sun would pierce the cloud layer for a minute or more… In short order, as we worked along a grassy shoreline we began to see redfish flushing from prime feeding habitat. Most all our shots were close range and by noon Mark had nailed five fine redfish to 25inches.

Bull-Rushing Redfish

There was a short lull in the action but by mid afternoon the redfish began to work in our favor again and Mark nailed a few more and missed several other eats. But that wasn’t the end, Mark was hooked as much as the redfish and on the way back to the dock he asked if we could fish the next day. “YES!” I exclaimed, and it was written, we would meet the next morning even earlier.

Texas Redfish

Day 2: Thicker clouds and a light rain greeted us as the sun worked tirelessly to break the horizon but the flat light would stick with us all day and we never got a glimpse of the sun. The fish were a little more spooky than yesterday but the tide was an inch or two lower and some floating shoal grass had rafted up along some fabulous stretches of shoreline. Undeterred, Mark nailed 3 fine fish before noon when we broke for a quick sandwich and booted up to wade into the marsh to hunt down some quality redfish at very close range. We got a couple shots at some smaller cruising fish and then we began to hear a WHOP! over here and then another WHOP! over there. And it wasn’t long we had a tail pop-up just 30-feet away in the thick cord-grass and we slipped into position to take a shot.

Low-Light Stalking

Next thing we know the fish is 8 feet away from our toes, in calf deep water and Mark makes a 10foot cast and sweeps the rod left to get the fly in front of the fish and… WHAMO!!! The next 24inch redfish crushed the crab fly and threw water everywhere ripping thru the tall tough grass straining the 25lb fluorocarbon tippet. And that is why we run the bigger leaders, so we can stay buttoned to the fish in the thick cover. We both wished we had the costa sunrise optics all weekend due to the heavy overcast and rainy skies but the Smith Chromapop Bronze mirrored lenses really helped get it done! We ended the day with tailing schools of redfish and bull-rushing mid-slot doubles closing in on the fly from 2 different angles and crushing it, hooking up Mark on a pumpkin orange 26-inch Texas Redfish with no time to spare before we hauled ass back to the dock so Mark could catch his flight!

Bull-Rushing Redfish

We left’em biting, tailing, and schooling… The skies have already cleared tonight and the weather forecast all this week is GOLDEN!

I am available so call immediately to get in on the great action under perfect sight-casting conditions!

-Capt Kenjo 361-500-2552

Reds on the fly

Redfish, fly fishing, texas, coast, guide

Capt Marcus showing off a brilliantly colored fall redfish.

The fall run is FAR from over folks! While the redfish have been schooling for a while on the deeper flats, they are just now starting to school up on some of my favorite flats for this time of year! We have some perfect weather in the forecast for next week which should make sight casting very exciting!

The last few days have been typical winter pattern but mild nonetheless. The fish have been waiting for these first few cold fronts and they are really feeding agressively now that we have a cold front that last longer than 24hrs. Even on the cloudy days we are able to fish the flats blind and have done well despite the weather.

School, redfish, tailsup, fly fishing, guide, port aransas, texas, coast

Top slot fall redfish

This time of year always excites me most because the majority of boating pressure on the flats is gone, the fish are far less spooky, alot hungrier and in denser concentrations. We are also seeing more quality sized fish (top slotters) as well.

We will also be taking some trips to more remote areas such as the Laguna Madre and other smaller bay systems with extensive marshlands. Group trips with 2 boats, 2 guides and up to 4 anglers can be arranged as well.

I have some dates available next week (excellent weather is forecast) so if you get a wild hair and want to jet down to the coast to take advantage of some of the best fishing of the year regardless of the weather now is the time!

Call now to get on board!

Capt Kenjo 361-500-2552

Full Swing Fall

Dredge yer Reds!

Fall is in full swing and the tides are favorable right now. The skies have been interesting to work with playing with our eyes as the light dances between the thick and thin clouds. Nonetheless, the sight fishing has been good at times and more surprisingly the muddin redfish schools we found on a super windy day was a blast with double hook-ups on both fly and spin occurring 3 times.

Rusty got’em!

When we are able to stalk the flats slowly with good sun and skies the redfish haven’t been far apart and are willing to eat just about any crab or shrimp fly when presented well to an unsuspecting redfish.

Looking at fish looking at bait.

There are still hoards of bait like crabs, shrimp and finger mullet way up in the marsh in the super shallow water and as our tides continue to fall so will the bait and this will draw even more redfish and trout up shallow to feed heavily. Alot of the grass is still flooded and the crabs will be needing to make a big move soon as the air temperatures drop.

1st Time Sight-Casted Redfish

This trend should continue for a while more and November and December can see some awesome sight fishing days as the weather usually mellows-out a bit during this time. The fish are responding to the continued drop in average water levels and temps putting on the feedbag to regain their strength after spawning and to prepare for the onset of winter. Just ask me why winter is my favorite time!

Doubled up Mud Reds on fly and spin in windy conditions!

Today the water temps in knee deep soft bottom flat read 76 degrees in one dead-end slough and not far away in another marsh drain it read 81 degrees… Granted these two areas are completely different which is indicative of the dramatic difference in water temps.

By making these observations it became apparent that the fish in the cooler location seemed to be sulking on the bottom over soft sand, not moving and just deep enough we couldn’t see them. These fish should be worked extremely slow, like crazy slow and from a distance.

Orange and Blue Fall Colors on display

Park off to the side, best to have some grass as cover, then make a long cast and dredge the bottom with the fly, long and slow with a little twitch at the end… The fish will hit on the twitch. This is a surefire method for fishing a 2-3 foot deep flat when you cannot sight the fish yet you know they are there from other signs.

In the warmer water the fish were certainly more active and were a little more visible because they were cruising or crawling instead of laid-up. These fish can be stalked one by one as your guide poles you through the maze of channels in the grassy marsh.

There are dates open in November and only a few remaining in December. Give me a call to book even if you decide to race down here on a whim last minute. We are locked and loaded and ready to float! Keep the hooks sharp, Capt Kenjo 361-500-2552. Also now taking reservations for Winter!

October Marsh Landscape

Fall Run

Black drum, port aransas, texas, coast, fly fishing,

Big red trying to steal the fly from a smaller redfish

The finger mullet and pretty much all other bait species are thick this year and the fall run has only begun! Let’s hit’em hard! Give me a call to get on board for a buffet of species to target now! The fishing is good and continues to get better. On the right weather days we can fish around the jetties and hunt for big game. We are still seeing a few really big redfish over 30inches in the skinny water along with a good number of slot redfish.

Black drum

The black drum are also prevalent and although the black drum can be tough to feed with a fly, the right retrieve can get’em hooked up.

Give me a call if you want to get in on some of the most consistent action of the year!

-Capt Kenjo 361-500-2552

Red Summers

Sunrise Tailing Redfish

Hot hot hot! Thats the easiest way to describe dead of summer-time along the Texas Coast… If you are fishing gentlemen’s hours this time of year chances are you are seeing double from the potential heat-stroke, but now is when the old saying “early bird gets the worm” hold the most truth.

We have been pounding on some fine redfish early in the mornings with their tails up, and they are eating just about anything you throw at them so long as you don’t bomb the cast.

redfish tail fly fishing port aransas corpus christi rockport coast gulf mexico

Do you see it too?

Delicate presentations are key, as most shots are coming at close range. By 9am though most of the tailing has stopped but then the sun is high enough to spot these fish in the water.

redfish trout topwater port aransas texas gulf coast

Topwater Redfish at Sunrise

I have been telling everyone lately, I have found 3 situations where it is imperative that we wade fish and will list them for you hear. These are also 3 excuses to buy a good pair of wading boots!

The fish are in such skinny water that the boat might bump or drag the bottom occasionally, and the sound that makes will scare the fish, even if it doesn’t send them bolting away it can give them lockjaw.
Windy Fishy
The winds are honking (usually any winds over 15mph). This makes it difficult to fish slow enough. If the boat is moving too fast along the flat then there isn’t enough time to spot the fish and the fish doesn’t have much time to reveal themselves to us, which limits the number of shots you get at each fish. In the afternoons I prefer to work into the wind with the sun to our backs that way we can move super slow along the flat and that gives us more time to find that well camouflaged fish in the grass.
This is the big one… when there are so many fish in one tight area, the boat itself can spook the group of fish, interrupting their feeding pattern and behavior. Stopping the boat simply isn’t an option because the boat creates noise and sometimes this cannot be helped. It is then best to park the boat off to the side, preferably behind some cover like cord grass to obscure it and then wade into the fishy area like a ninja, moving painfully slow.
Cord Grass Galore

August is a very good month for chances at BIG redfish in our area as those larger redfish are moving into the shallows to gorge themselves to get ready for the spawn. The boat records have been both set and broken during this month so I encourage you, if you want your chance at a sight-casted redfish over 30inches in super clear shallow water, this is the time to get on the books. Give me a call ASAP to secure your reservation! Keep your hooks sharp, Capt Ken 361-500-2552

Boot deep Redfishing

Redfish port aransas fly fishing Rockport Corpus christi

Backs out of the water

Some redfish have been visiting the shallows and these fish are up skinny on the feed. No nonsense, with a good cast these fish are pouncing the fly like a cat on a mouse.

Pothole redfish

When visibility is limited working the potholes strategically can also produce some decent fish.

I even tried taking a little video of the redfish feeding up shallow. Gotta watch the top of the frame to see it, and I don’t know if the quality is good enough.

Back at it tomorrow. I have some dates available this summer. Just give me a call and leave me a message. I’ll gladly return your call once I get off the water!

Capt Ken Jones 361-500-2552

spring weather

Tuesday (tomorrow), Wednesday and Thursday this week are going to be golden. Give me a call ASAP to get on board for an excellent chance at sight fishing the South Texas Coast. P.S. Wednesday & Friday are booked.

fly fishing, black drum, redfish, guide, port aransas, rockport, corpus christi

pulling tricks with the blue crab fly

If you happen to watch the weather reports and try to plan your trips around that, it is certain you will go mad as the hatter, unless of course you are already as mad as the mad hatter. In those cases you probably watch multiple forecast sources, and then throw it all out the window. If you try to determine the perfect weather window on your own and schedule everything last minute you will most certainly drive your fly fishing guide completely mad. He already has enough things to juggle without trying to convince his guest anglers that they are not meteorologists and even they are dead wrong most of the time. Regardless, the best way to learn how to fish is to fish in all the conditions that might get tossed at us.

Caroline stuck several of these trout in spite of less than favorable conditions.

As a true fisherman and mature sportsman once put it, “the best time to go fishing is when the chance comes. And the way to go is with a free and hopeful mind and an eye quick to take note of things. There will be days when the fishing is better than even the most optimistic forecast, and days when things are far worse. Either is gain over staying home…”

Today while we fish in overcast skies and windy conditions we will focus on topwater fly techniques and maybe some subsurface blind casting methods while the winds howl at our efforts. nonetheless we will laugh and have a good tine and learn some new things while we are at it. I fear the day when I would rather sit at home watching to boob-tube I stead of going out into the elements to make another fishy discovery.

Remember, the best guides don’t quit just because there is a little wind. Down here in South Texas if the wind does stop blowing you will certainly pray for it to blow again because the heat and humidity can make it hard to breathe and the bugs will eat you. If you learn to fly fish in the wind, you can fly fish most anywhere, most anytime!

Quality or Quantity

fly fishing, redfish, speckled trout, trophy, beavertail, strike, first cast, port aransas, saltwater, guide, charter, aransas, pass, rockport, corpus christi

First cast of an epic day

I am beginning to love the effects El Nino is having on our fishing! The abundance of fresh water from the heavens last year has made for a super abundance of food for the fishes! The fishing has been way above average lately not counting against what madness went down in February.

Considering the quality and quantity of fish that I am finding… take your pick! Do you want shots at good numbers of fish or a few good shots at quality fish of several species? And even despite inclement weather, some fabulous fishing is occurring for dedicated anglers.

gator, trout, fly fishing, port, aransas, redfish, speckled, flats, guide, saltwater, black drum, redfish, mullet, flies

Gator trout pre-release

Fortunately, the new Beavertail Skiff is the driest ride I have ever had on a flats skiff and even in rough conditions this boat performs very well.

By any measure this new boat goes everywhere the old boat could get. That’s the most thrilling part! Or, well, maybe seeing more than a dozen trophy trout in one day is a little more thrilling but nailing a 28-inch below average trout really got the blood pumping. Our imaginations have soared for the week following and still continues to grow and call us back to the water.

I have been running into a real mecca of giant trout and even on the days we couldn’t sight cast we got them dialed in on topwater flies. Some glorious fish have been revealing themselves putting on the feed-bag, and even sometimes when the angler least expects it. Lessons are learned by all in situations like that… “Never take your eye off the fly!”

fly fishing, redfish, speckled trout, trophy, beavertail, strike, first cast, port aransas, saltwater, guide, charter, aransas, pass, rockport, shrimp fly, corpus christi

chartreuse and black fly

The redfish are also hungry and some 20+ fish schools of oversized redfish are begging to be caught. Chartreuse shrimp and mullet flies are my go to color and choice flies of all time regardless of light conditions. Then I go to blue crab flies (bigger is better if you ask me) and don’t forget to have some plain white topwater flies ready to zing! The majority of the black drum have been a little scarce from my normal operating areas the last week but those that I did find were close to 10lbs and have even found at least 1 drum per trip between 25-40lbs. Ya Ya!

Here also is a little video of my good buddy Bob playing tug-o-war with a very respectable trout on a fine day last week while breaking-in the new skiff. Give me a call directly to book your next Texas Fly Fishing Adventure! Capt Kenjo 361-500-2552

Spring Fever Sprung

Schools of black drum and redfish all day in one spot. Only reason to change spots is to give the school you’ve been whacking a break.

Single and doubled up reds cruising the open sand flats midday on a slack tide crushing crabs.

Slurped a top water crab fly

Redfish working an isolated turtle grass bed nailing grass shrimp, crabs, AND silversides.

Gangs of redfish in the mud creeks racing the grassy banks busting shrimp. Their crushers doing major damage to the blue crabs.

78 degree, calf deep water.Tails up for hours and well past sunset.

fly fishing, texas, coast, black drum, fly fishing

Mugshot

Sight casting to tailing fish no more than 30 feet away every 3 mintues. Nailing a fish 8 ft from your tippy toes after 6pm. That’s not easy with a 9ft rod. It’s always good idea to work on your short game!

These are just a few highlights of how great the fishing has been lately.

Some exciting new stuff is cooking for 2016! Book your next Texas Coast Fly Fishing trip today!

Capt Ken 361-500-2552 ken@kenjofly.com

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