Fly fishing Port Aransas Texas for redfish and black drum!
The recent rains and tides we have received have made Port Aransas fly fishing exciting! And for Ed, it sure has been amazing! Ed did so well on his first trip. He managed to learn so much about fly casting to tailing redfish and black drum! It was a tangible day on the water!
Port Aransas Fly Fishing trips has open dates for October 2025 still available! Call Now or click the link below!
Average size baits in the 1-3 inch range seem to be prolific most of the year. But quite a few large gamefish can be caught using effective big fly techniques when larger predator and bigger baitfish are present. That is when a saltwater fly fishing trip can become a big fly combat mission. Line control during casting is the most critical key in success and it will most certainly get your heart beating when a huge predatory fish lunges out of the darkness and swallows your 7-9 inch fly in plain sight!
One can dredge deep water to fish these seriously big flies on weighted fly lines. This is where the fly and line are simply laid in the water (not really cast) and allowed to sink as the boat drifts away. Unless your marking fish on your sonar down deep, this technique isn’t too productive
What can be more exciting though is hold a hand cannon while locked and loaded with a 7 inch half chicken on the end. It can be rewarding if you have the patience to not cast blind. Waiting for that big fish to reveal itself and firing off a clean and accurate shot instantly before the submarine fish disappears from sight is the challenge.
The other big fly combat mission technique which I call the “rifling method” incorporates more of an extended & intense workout. It is a seriously active technique in fly fishing, which requires a good strong casting style, a mean double-haul and an ability to maintain line control in a way which has the fly line land straight with line tight.
This is necessary because this technique draws instinctual bites from huge predatory fish and they will move on it within the first 15 seconds the fly hits the water and explains why it is necessary to have the fly moving back toward yourself on the first strip.
The difficulty is solved by making the cast complete in less than 6 strokes of the rod. You will eventually make these casts with proper instruction and practice. Then, distance wont be a problem with these lines as long as line control is maintained. Casting parallel or at slight angles to these ledges and breaks in terrain is the key.
Big fish regularly prowl the deep & dark edges along shallow sandbars and other hard breaks along underwater terrain. It is on these second and third points of an estuary where large baitfish are ambushed violently.
Sitting in deep water close to a vertical shoreline with a steep slope is a good place to start. It is important to find one that flattens out on the top edge to hold a few feet of water. This is a perfect location for big fish to lurk in the dark shadows down below. Looking up onto the edge of a carving shelf it will strike when it sees helpless baitfish struggling. It then heads back to the deep to reposition its food for better swallowing.
Deploying these tactics can bring a huge rush of adrenaline. It is certainly exciting in locations where big fish roam the oceans, gulfs, bays and estuaries frequently. Give it a try next time the variables are right (location/large forage present). Let me know how it turns out! I can think of a many species where this combat technique would produce. It is possible to gain large results throughout the seasons! Give it a whirl and worst case there is nothing wrong with a little strength training!
Ladies and Gents! To any and all with whom I haven’t spoken in a while, I want to wish you all a Happy New Years, Merry Christmas and HappyThanksgiving! I pray that all has been well with you and yours! It has been quite some time having posted anything so it is certainly time to give everyone a Captains Annual Fishing Update!
The fishing during the fall run of 2023 was pretty great. There were plenty of days to struggle finding fish, but there were quite a few days when we were astonished at having seen so many in one place. The key was finding the niche places that the numbers tend to hold this time of year. Not as many places held decent populations of fish but we pressed on each time, locating fish, getting shots and making catches. That’s just the name of the game in sight fishing with a fly in the salt..
Some of you are aware that I have been planning to take some time off from guiding in order to have some surgeries. Unfortunately these plans have now changed no thanks to some failed handshakes in the healthcare industry. So, back to square 1 in regards to starting this process all over again. If any of you readers have a great spine surgeon referral in Texas please don’t hesitate to share!
As this news goes, the most excellent news is that I get to keep guiding this year! Or at least until I can find another surgeon. Spring is approaching fast. But don’t forget! The captains annual fishing update says, “We are not done with our winter fishing yet!” Next week forecast looks rained out but the last few days of January forecast can been great! And February still has promise too! What is certain right now is that the fish are hungry after this cold front and if we can get out there to hunt them, we will have a good chance trying to feed them if we can adapt!
We all now how it goes, we wake up one morning with no plans to go fishing, look outside, see the blue skies with no wind and say, “Dang it! I should have gone fishing today!” Well, stop right there and give me a call at 7am if you want to hop on the boat for last minute trips typically starting at 9am this time of year! Half day trips are $600 this year. Please note: Payment in full is required for last minute trips and for late night calls! -Capt Kenjo 361-500-2552
Texas Fog rolls in off the gulf during warm fronts in the Winter. Along the Texas Coast, muddy drum can be found in various areas when deep water meets shallow oyster beds. In winter the southerly warm fronts jockey for position with the cold Northers, the fog sets in. It can stay for a few days. not to worry though, clear water and solid cloud cover still lets us sight-fish from the skiff!
There are still dates in Jan Feb open so pick your day quickly and prepare for either blue and grey skies! The fishing in Winter is some of the best of the year!
On those foggy days when the water is chilly, redfish and black drum will float on the surface warming themselves. When they do fish are usually easily visible even though there is low light and you will get shots at your fish.
When the fog stays put all day, sight fishing can still work out well. While the water may be cool (44 degrees F in some cases) muddy drum in Texas Fog can be very productive.
Sometimes we got to use the boots to get through a stretch where the fish are lurking and these Simms boots stay in the boat 24/7 for just that reason.
The solution is simple and the trick is to not look out too far from the boat. Anglers need to only scan 10-30ft from the boat. Many Anglers are surprised when they realize they can see that upper-slot redfish or oversized black drum only 10ft away. Calm casts with minimal body movement is necessary. You will want to be able to present the fly to such a close fish without spooking it.
Some days the giant black drum don’t want to eat as seen in the drone videos. But on other days, the eat the fly like a champ! Do you want to hook into and hug a Big Ugly black drum? Winter-time can be the best time to have chances at big redfish and black drum!
It is springtime now in Port Aransas, the tides are finally returning to the bay. And now the spring classic weather patterns are well established. We can experience fog, wind, light clouds, or fully overcast days, and plenty of bluebird days mixed in there too. What is difficult is predicting the weather. But, if you are prepared when wading for spring then you know what makes wade fishing the perfect method for catching more fish on the fly.
Get 15% off a full day of wade-fishing (single angler only) when you book a trip for any available date remaining in this month of APRIL 2022!!!
Call NOW or BOOK ONLINE ASAP!
Capt Kenjo 361-500-2552
To get in the water with the fish changes the Angler’s experience entirely. In my experience, wading the marsh is more productive these days than poling it in the skiff. This lets us slow down and give the redfish and black drum a chance to come to us. Wading for Spring in the Texas Marsh can be exhilarating and if you have done it before you know it can be awesome sight fishing!
Wade fishing is an up close and personal experience with a redfish in the Texas Marsh. Observing the red drum do what they do best can be enthralling. Last year saw 5 months of cloud cover from February to June and we wade fished the whole time and caught lots of redfish and drum on foot. Wade fishing the marsh is a highly effective and excellent method for dealing with less than ideal conditions such as wind and low light. So get ready to do some wading (Get your Simms Zipits here) for Spring-time redfish & black drum! They are here and the feedbag is getting going good!
Bowed-up redfish
Got out yesterday for a quick 1 hour reconnaissance trip, and with the ulterior motive of setting a couple crab traps to soak… So after the dirty deeds of baiting the traps was complete I picked up my 8wt paired with my new Hatch 5+ Finatic for a chance to break it in for the first time. Turning the tiller to the nearest flat where i could get a good 30 minute drift along a narrow portion within minutes I was setup to drift across the flat and sure enough, there the redfish were. Cruising against the wind in only 7inches of water the redfish were going across or heading straight at me and I took a few shots at them and got one to eat almost right away. The casts where i didn’t get a bite were the ones where the fly landed too far away from the fish. One very large spotted trout even cruised into casting range but my fly landed right on its shoulders and what did it do? Exactly what most anyone would do if you dropped a bug on their shoulders… SPOOK! And that’s just why I keep coming back for more! Getting multiple chances to place the fly in the “perfect zone” and the continuous opportunities to make it happen all over again is why!
Feel free to give me a call to book your next chance at some skinny water redfish!
Keeping the hooks sharp,Ken Jones
“Look there! 12 O’clock, 200 yds!” What’s that? Oh man! Its a coyote!” We watched in amazement as a coyote seemed to be swimming towards a short oyster reef, which was on the edge of the middle of nowhere… He must has swum quite a long distance to reach that reef. The squawking shorebirds of several varieties protested the coyote while coming ashore but it seemed unfazed by their annoying calls and cries intent on reaching drier land. How cool it is to be on the flats and observe wildlife roaming free, unhindered, and most of the time… uninterrupted? Pretty damned cool if you ask me.
The last few days was great for fishing the flats and with persistence and a sharp eye there were plenty of fun shots at slot-sized redfish. A 36 inch redfish graced us with its presence on Tuesday and young angler Cole from Ft. Worth took quite a few heroic shots at that bull red but it showed no interest in the fly we had been using to sight fish the pocket water. On top of that we tracked along with that fish only 15 feet off the port side for a few minutes and Cole didn’t flinch and stayed cool the whole time!
nice under slot size redfish specimen safely released
As the week progressed the skies and winds improved and for the last couple days the small and scattered clouds eased over us, sending shadows over the flat but the clouds would pass by after only 30 seconds and the sunshine would illuminate the flat again well enough to see good numbers of fish over the course of the day. Matter of fact, my guest today landed his first keeper redfish of the day within 15 minutes of working the flat with me on the platform… On a popper too no less. Then the second fish came on a shrimp/crab hybrid fly and it too was also a nice slot fish. The third fish was big enough to be in the upper end of the slot but popped off when some tippets go tight and possibly brush against an oyster shell.
Here is a shot of a wild sea creature we encountered today. Who can guess the species?
The fish are filing onto the flats when the tides allow, and each day it seems like more and more redfish are slipping up out of the deeper waters and even holding on the flat longer as the tides fall. The sea grasses are looking nice, plush and green now too. Quite possibly it is this weekend’s full moon that is turning on the fish. It has certainly caused an interesting tide cycle this past week. Nonetheless, as I sit here and type this tall tail I ask if you would imagine a pair of tailing upper slot redfish in 8inches of water. And while at least the thought wont escape me, I am debating within myself whether or not I should hunt for tarpon tomorrow morning 4am to sunrise… Sounds crazy I know… But that is just how I like it.
I’ve got a few dates left in June for flats charters and a few dates towards the end of July. Weekdays are highly recommended. Call for details. 361-500-2552
Also here is a short clip I took a while back with notable Outdoor Writer, Phil Shook, of some cool dolphin laying down tricks in the wake of a tanker ship at Charlies Pasture.
-Keeping the hooks sharp, Capt Ken Jones