Tag Archives: port aransas

Early Season Redfish on the Texas Coast

red, drum, fly, fishing, texas, coast, gulf, mexico, dark, stormy, guide, trips, charters, beavertail, skiff, rl winston, rods, airflo, simms, hatch, outdoors, conservation, protect, port, aransas, pa, boron, plus, smith, optics, — 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.

simms, zipit, flats, booties, fly, fishing, beavertail, skiff, texas, gulf, coast, mexico, port, aransas, hatch, outdoors, airflo, lines, rl, winston, rod — 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 Summaries

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

redfish, fly, fishing, guide, charter, beavertail, simms, hatch, outdoors, airflo, skiffs, flats, saltwater, winston, rods, fly, line, company, sage, flies, red, drum, black drum, trout, speckled, sea, port, aransas, texas, corpus, christi, marsh, spartina, grass, protected, whooping cranes, sandhill, birds, tour, eco, laguna, madre, poc, conner, airflo, tropical, punch, sage, rod, abel, reel, drum, guide, charters, trout, sea, speck, speckled, red, black, trip, things to do, adventure, multi-day, tail, tailing, tailers, pods, school, sage, fly, rod, beavertail, skiff, flats, saltwater, fishing, tailwaters — Matt enjoying some tailing redfish pods

The Summer fly fishing program on the Texas Coast has been reliable to say the least. Early summer saw many pods of tailing redfish early morning with many shots at pods of jack crevalle averaging 30lbs.

Once the water in the bay got too warm the bait flushed and the jacks moved with them to the deeper cooler channels.

Quite a few fish came to hand this season and once we were in full swing we were finding them every day. Pods of redfish were targeted and single cruising fish were also welcomed targets.

Some cool fish also moved into the neighborhood, and some had the pleasure to observe a 4ft Bullshark in the bay as well as some 3-5 foot Alligator gar. Even saw another 4 foot alligator gar yesterday.

Some even got to take shots at some very large redfish but for some people, the pressure is insurmountable in those moments and things dont always go as imagined or planned and some lucky others also caught some fine specimens. This is how experience is gained and this is how it is earned as an angler.

It is how, eventually, you become able to “in the heat of the moment” to be still, move slowly and calmly make a deliberately well-presented cast to the fish of your dreams.

For others, until you have dropped your pants on accident enough times, Murphy seems to be there, even when your guide can remain calm. Jimi Hendrix didnt write “Are you educated”, he wrote, “Are you Experienced”.

Many thanks to all who fished with me this summer! You all make experiencing my dreams a reality. Stay ready though, the fall run is right around the corner and should be even better than last year!

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Formative Submarines

As we gaze downwind on a low tide deep edge of the flat the light is just right enough to see a daisy chain of potholes that goes for a mile. Each sandy hole varies in size and shape and connects with a tiny artery of sand, breaking the grass patches into large chunks… We park at the head of this “run” (a river term) staring far and deep into the water beyond where good definition can be seen… And then, as if it was a clock striking a bell, the huge fleet of dark submarine redfish approach in formation. Evenly spaced 2 ft apart, shoulder to shoulder and head to tail, their encroachment on our position forced time to stand still… We wait patiently and time our casts well, allowing them to get within comfortable casting range and we lob out our heavily weighted crab flies, touch bottom and come tight on the first long strip… Over and over, for several hours, these waves of classy redfish continue to push past us at regular intervals and we nail them on each wave.

fly fishing, texas, port aransas, redfish, drum, corpus christi, beavertail skiffs, simms fishing, hatch outdoors, tfo fly rods, winter, power pole, guide, charters, — Big Crab Eatin Redfish

This is the time of year when we find long continuous daisy chains of redfish and drum from a fixed position. In key locations at specific times, these strings of fish can stroll past us for hours on end. It is some of my favorite fishing of all the year!

Around the same time, we got to shoot a redfish while a whooping crane feeds in the background ahead of us. Don spotted a redfish at practically point blank range and lays out a perfect cast, retrieve and hookup. Watch the video below. Please excuse the lack of editing and the video’s rotation…

Winter Weather Windows

Happy 2019 Ladies and Gentlemen! This season is expected to be better than ever in so many ways! A great looking weather window is opening up this week too and February is PRIME! So clear your schedules… and the easiest way to do that is just take your arm, outstretched, and place it on the side of your desk… Then, swipe left or right to knock everything on the floor! Get up and get on the phone with me and haul ass on down here to Port Aransas for some fun in the sun to do some technical sight casting for Texas red drum and trout!

fly fishing, sight, casting, blue crab, fly, port aransas, texas, sage, salt hd, beavertail, redfish, drum, bay, airflo, saltwater, guide, rockport, corpus christi — Bluebird Texas Winter Fly Fishing

This coming Thursday-Sunday (January 24-27) are looking golden in the forecast with a warming trend leading up to these days and I am expecting to see some excellent movement of fish up onto the flats. Call NOW or BOOK ONLINE to get on board for some prime winter sight-casting redfish on the fly!

fly fishing, sight, casting, blue crab, fly, port aransas, texas, sage, salt hd, beavertail, redfish, drum, bay, airflo, saltwater, guide, rockport, speckled, trout, corpus christi — Last Cast Bonus Trout after whacking redfish all day

The outlook for 2019 has never been more optimistic to become another banner year fly fishing the middle Texas Coast for redfish, speckled trout and drum. The bait is abundant, the water quality is excellent and the weather is looking fantastic!

February is by far one of my favorite months to sight cast large redfish in strong number. The winds usually lay down before the gale’s of March roll in.

Stay tuned as I will be posting a list of prime dates for the year and it is beneficial to choose from these dates as quickly as possible.

Fly Fishing Christmas Gift Idea

red drum, fly fishing, port, aransas, texas, coast, rockport, corpus christi, redfish, spottail, tail, sight, casting, mangroves, spartina, cord, grass, february, fishing, gift, idea — 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.

redfish, texas, cosat, port aransas, corpus christi, rockport, laguna madre, fly fishing, yeti, simms, hatch outdoors, airflo, fly line, trouthunter, roys bait and tackle, swan point landing, tailwaters, bayou city angler, caddis fly shop, greune — 27 inch redfish

Fly Fishing Texas Winters

redfish, marsh, fly fishing, red, drum, crab, texas, coast, guide, charters, fly, fishing, port aransas, catch & release, hatch, outdoors, beavertail, corpus, christi, skiff, life, aransas, pass, rockport, airflo, lines,

Personal Best Redfish for Mrs. Amy!

As fall leads us into winter, the redfish along the Texas Middle Coast have responded rather well. Dates in early December are still open and there are plenty more blue bird days to come! Book NOW! Call Capt Kenjo @ 361-500-2552 or email: ken@kenjofly.com

Now also accepting bookings for early 2019 (January/February/March) so if you have some bearings on your plans get on the horn and give me a shout! There are loads of fish in the mud through the winter and they tend to run on the larger than average size scale.

Bruce is 6’5″ tall… Makes this 29.25 inch redfish look small… No Justice!

If you live within reasonable striking distance, this is your time of year to just watch for weather windows and be ready to Strike! The days with bluebird skies tend to string together and usually by the second day of clear skies the fish are going nuts eating everything in sight! Those days will book up quick so I added a 10-day forecast link at the bottom of this page and one the homepage.

wadefishing, redfish, marsh, fly fishing, red, drum, crab, texas, coast, guide, charters, fly, fishing, port aransas, catch & release, hatch, outdoors, beavertail, corpus, christi, aransas, pass, rockport, airflo, lines,

Had to take a walk into that back-pond to retrieve this redfish for Ms. Willa

There have been many days of excellent numbers of redfish to work with and a few days where we had to look harder.

Blind Casted 25inch Red Drum

But we pretty much always find the fish even in overcast conditions! One day in particular we were covered up with big trout and we could see them good, if you know what you were looking for…

27.25 inches and still growing!

We had to work through shit-tons of kinks, then, just let it fly and John got a decent speck to hand before the bite was all over.

Other days we caught them over flooded cow paddies and ambushed them in the cattle trails. The falling tides from early fall drained rather quickly and during that time the fish were everywhere.

Happy Fish

Then we found them working in the back mud lakes around loads of shell. You have to time the tides right and know your water pockets very thoroughly or you didnt see any fish.

Bounty of Colors

Other days we caught alot of pumpkins, some floating and others cruising. On those early fall calm days the fish might have seemed spooky but really they just wanted super light-weight shrimp flies and dry fly casts and presentations. If you loose your zen while casting it was sure the fish was gone. Surprisingly a lot of fish settled down only a few feet away and let you get another chance at fooling them

Bruce is 6’5″ tall… Makes this 29.25 inch redfish look small… No Justice!

There are always moments when fishing from a skiff that fish pop-up in close ranges and sometimes even underneath your feet or opn the right side of the boat but with proper technique going from a locked and loaded position, many folks have been able

Best SLOW-MO eat from a redfish ever!

to catch those redfish only 5 ft away with a 9ft rod and 9ft leader! And I gotta say, I truly love the quick draw redfish bites! Those moments are excellent trainers for keeping your shit together!

On the days with the coldest water temps the fish were biting flies but you had to feed them seriously slow.

Holding Red

This guy ALWAYS gets his Redfish!

And these guys are sure to have had a good time, they can fish in the thick and thin, dark and stormy skies or calm bluebirds. If the winds are howling they just howl louder and then punch out a 60ft cast to put it in front of a voracious redfish!

Sunrise School

CALL NOW< BOOK ONLINE< GOOD WEATHER IS IN THE FORECAST!!!

Capt Kenjo 361-500-2552

Fall Run is beginning

port aransas, tailing, redfish, texas, fly fishing, guide, charter, beavertail, hatch outdoors, beulah, airflo, fall run, bull, school, trout, speck, rockport, corpus, christi, laguna madre

Baby Bull Released!

The weather has been a little stiff since early September when we got more than our annual amount of rainfall in about a 2 week period. This flooded the salt flats tremendously bringing life and nourishment to the little crabs and shrimps and called the fish that werent breeding into the lakes and ponds to munch on these tasty marine critters. Because the higher water levels were a little later in the year, not a ton of fish moved up into the way back lakes but we found’em in the skinny succulents as well as on the main edges.

This week’s Nor’wester is what we all have been waiting for and it has the water levels dropping rapidly and bait is seriously on the move now! Forget the forecast because the redfish party is starting! You dont want to miss the fall run this year, I expect to see quite a few HEFTY fish in the coming weeks and months!!!

Endless Possibilities

Even in the hardest conditions this cold front dished out, we found tailing redfish and some even had their backs out of the water. Just yesterday we wade-fished and had more tailing and backing reds, and every fish ate the fly when presented well.

Fortunately for us, there is a ton of freshwater heading south towards the coast from the mainland of Texas and this should help keep our water levels manageable and prolong the fall run through November at least. I also expect December to produce many great days of sight casting. Let go of your misconceptions that you cant see redfish without the sun, there are many techniques to apply to the day in order to “find” the fish when light is low or when the winds are blowing! And believe me, Capt Kenjo knows, because he goes fishing any day there isn’t a hurricane!

Another windy tailing redfish in hand!

So get your ducks in a row and Book NOW to view available dates for some awesome sight casting on the fly for Texas Redfish, they should be schooling up more and more as each day passes! Port Aransas has plenty of places to stay and their finest restaurants are open as well!

Bending the Bender

There are plenty more fish to be caught and the bigger ones should be moving up to the edges again soon. Just the other day I spotted a huge pig as she came up on the surface to slurp a big ole crab down the hatch! Call direct if you have any questions! – Capt Kenjo 361-500-2552

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
Ken@kenjofly.com

Big News Renegade

Two very concerned fly fisherman, Chris Lancaster and myself, made the local Channel 3 news last night~!~!~

Its time to stand for what is right, not just for what is economic. Not one person, or industry professional guarantees that something will not go wrong and a spill of some sort won’t happen. All this place needs is ONE environmental disaster and I will ruin everything for many years… My initial intention of attending this meeting was to rattle the cages… To let them know, the strongest of voices are out there, and we will not be silenced. I am but one man. Recently put, a Renegade. I dont associate with clubs, organizations, memberships or whatever… I find them all to be far too inactive and the social environments tend to breed complacency. Get up and do something, lets attend every meeting they host until this is settled…

Watch the news report here:

The first project would require that they demolish the North Jetty in Port Aransas and move it 1000ft to the north… Bye bye Tarpon. Bye bye, food for any other fish we chase out there on the fly, or with any kind of tackle for that matter…

There is a (industrial) storm a brewing in regards to the fishery we all know and love in and around Port Aransas, Harbor Island and Corpus Christi. IWe the People should simply stand up and frankly tell them “No, But thanks, these projects are not authorized by the public and will not happen”. Otherwise, we will just find ourselves fighting each other, and the industrialists, wasting all our own time and resources and we will have settled for nothing, only to watch them destroy what little paradise remains on the Texas Coast. That’s the downside to industrial compromise. They will make claims that no environmental accidents will happen, but we all now, it is INEVITABLE, if we let them.

One plan is to install a desalination plant on Harbor Island with up to (newest numbers from last night, get ready… 85mil gallons/day of sucking life out of our bays and nearshore fisheries. Additionally the Port of Corpus Christi, who has named themselves as “landlords” want to build a crude oil tank farm and transfer terminal alongside the desalination plant for VLCC (very large crude carriers).

No matter what they say, they cannot guarantee that there wont be a spill, and that their outflow of “diffused” brine water wont kill all the sea grass and all other marine organisms that cant flee the high concentrations of pollution these projects will most certainly cause. I am not convinced, nor shall I be persuaded to compromise. I as a public landowner and tax paying citizen cannot allow ANY amount of risk. And neither should any of you.

Please get on board and try to catch up to the issues at hand, but dont waste alot of your time trying to find answers… The real truths are buried deep in “dirt” as Mr. Strawbridge called it… Which was his reasoning for having the crude oil terminal “on land” because of “dirt”. I literally LOL’ed… History has already proven that heavy industries cannot operate or even build their plants and operations without SEVERE environmental impact.

Check out these other community resources, join where yo can, participate whenever you can, it doesnt matter if you live here or not. If you just come to visit here, we need you to speak up too, because very few people will return to enjoy our beaches bays and fisheries if it all dies from any and all of the seriously negative effects of any one of these 3 projects that the Port of Corpus Christi wants to implement.

Port Aransas Conservancy

UT Marine Science Institute

Keep in mind, there is ALREADY more than enough science and studies to put a stop to all 3 of these projects. We should not argue the numbers but simply tell them, “No, you cannot build that here or there or anywhere”.

And now, listen to this song, or just read the lyrics… It should help keep your feet on the ground while your head explodes trying to comprehend the massive damage that the Port of CC will cause in the very near future (within less than 3 years) if we allow them to begin any of their projects; 1. Deepening and widening of the shipping channel by an additional 20-30ft. 2. Desalination plant on Harbor Island, and 3. Crude Oil Tank Farm/VLCC Tanker transfer station.

https://genius.com/Clutch-big-news-i-lyrics

The fog is rolling in, the tide is high
Diane’s as fat can be, aye Captain aye
The guests seem more than pleased
How is the wine?
We shall be underway on the bye and bye

Ahead one third, ahead two thirds!
Full ahead, flank
And out from the belly of a whale came a prophet
Amen!

Go shoot the moon, the sun, the great divide
I believe there’s a storm a brewing
Nine crows at nine o’clock nigh
Dutchman on the mizzen mast
Six harpies are singing to the lee
I believe she’s going down
I believe we’re gonna die, die, die

Fortune tellers make a killing nowadays
Me oh my!
Howdy Doody’s past the house of Aquarius
Bring me more whisky and rye
Big news from the party boat

Oh sir, do not distress, the food is fine
Oh, but I must confess
I do find the wine a wee bit dry
Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rye
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
She’s sunk full fathom, five, five, five

Fortune tellers make a killing nowadays
Me oh my!
Howdy Doody’s past the house of Aquarius
Bring me more whisky and rye
Big news from the party boat

(reversed)
Them bones, them bones, them dry, dry bones
Come down to the locker of Davy Jones

Kenjo Fly Fishing Charters

Texas Saltwater Flats Fishing Charters

Tag Archives: port aransas

Early Season Redfish on the Texas Coast

Drain Games – The Texas Fall Redfish Run

Summer Summaries

Formative Submarines

Winter Weather Windows

Fly Fishing Christmas Gift Idea

Fly Fishing Texas Winters

Fall Run is beginning

Offshore Oil Port

Big News Renegade