Tag Archives: redfish

Texas Coast Saltwater Fly Fishing School

redfish, drum, fly fishing, port aransas, texas, coast, guide, saltwater, charter, airflo, sims, hatch, beavertail, marsh, spartina, grass, sunrise, mullet, crab, shrimp, fly only, catch and release, trout, speckled, speck, snaggletooth,

Peek-A-Boo!

Have you been thinking about fly fishing the Texas Coast? Do you have a desire to learn at an accelerated pace all the aspects of saltwater fly fishing? What are you waiting for? Are you wanting to go to some fly fishing school to learn more about saltwater fly fishing? NO NEED! You can do it right here with Capt Kenjo.

redfish, drum, fly fishing, port aransas, texas, coast, guide, saltwater, charter, airflo, sims, hatch, beavertail, marsh, spartina, cord, grass

This one almost got away!

Come fly fishing with Kenjo Fly Charters now to sharpen your sight-casting skills. Working with the typically strong winds which are common in saltwater environments Capt Ken will work with you one-on-one to up your game.

With experience comes knowledge. That is, if you pay attention and apply the tips that your guide gives you play by play. to be clear, I am not running a formal school with “programs, curriculum, and classes”. Time on the water provides real-time experience and with Capt Kenjo as your personal teacher, he can help you speed through your learning curve with patience and sound advice. Consistently keeping you in front of fish having many opportunities throughout the day makes for good practice, and well… Practice makes perfect.

31 inch Bull Redfish, On The Fly, In Da Skinny, Flat Got Burned Moments Later Arghhh!

There are a few dates left in May (CALL ME ASAP FOR THOSE) and June is looking golden with good availability. Simply call me direct at 361-500-2552 to pick your date and place a deposit.

DON’T MISS THE BOAT! Get on board for a fun-filled saltwater fly fishing experience that will not only make you a better angler but also one that is quickly adaptable to the conditions and fish behavior as they change throughout the day.

Multi-day trips are available as well and are highly recommended for the serious angler who really wants to learn the fundamentals of saltwater fly casting and fishing. Time well spent on the water with an experienced guide and plenty of fish is what will make you a strong fisherman, and teach you the subtle tweaks and tricks that will put more species in your hands. Quite a few of my Guests come fish with me here on Texas Coast prior to their planned trips to more tropical latitudes to sharpen their skills. The conditions that the Texas Coast dish out will certainly challenge you and are very similar to anything you might face in more remote regions.

I look forward to being your preferred fly guide along the Texas Coast and who knows what awesome situation will present itself next! -Capt Kenjo

Texas Coast Spring Run

red drum, fly fishing, port, aransas, texas, coast, rockport, corpus christi, redfish, spottail, tail, sight, casting, mangroves, spartina, cord, grass, spring

Pat nailed this bronze 28 inch redfish on a PERFECT day

Spring has most certainly sprung on the Texas Coast and many first-timers have gotten exactly what they came for… to sight cast Texas Redfish along the coast near Port Aransas. Many thanks to those of you who have fished with me so far this year! It is you and the fish together that has made it so great to be a fly guide in South Texas!

The red drum, trout and black drum are in great shape due to the good rains we have experienced for the past three springs. This has helped keep the fish well fed throughout the low periods while spawning and during the somewhat colder winters. The fresh water that comes in the form of rain here promotes life and abundance from the smallest of organisms to the largest.

First-timer Wolf stuck this fine 27 inch redfish with a trick cast out from behind a a 3-stick mangrove at close range.

What this means is a better than average redfish run this spring (currently going on NOW). And of course, another banner summer and fall. Hell, I am already looking forward to the winter. But lets not rush the seasons please. We have ALOT of fish to catch this year!

Lets get one thing straight about the Texas Coast. The Wind blows. It doesn’t really stop. If it does and youre out there fishing in no wind, you certainly spend a fair amount of time outdoors because if you waited for it to stop, it would blow again by the time you were ready to go. AND on most days if the wind isnt blowing you will wish it was blowing just to help keep you cool. All the better reasons to learn to cast in the wind. You can fish just about anytime.

Cloudy with a chance of Redfish

I betchya a school of tailing top-slot redfish 30-ft upwind is a damn good reason to learn to cast upwind. I can help you with that too. But lets have the casting lessons off the water. All the more reason to take a few casting classes through your local fly shop. Remember the hand-eye-coordination thing takes time to master, be patient with yourself and practice a few minutes everyday which is better than 8hrs on Saturday (with you guide). Weekdays are better anyways for fishing!

Speaking of weather, I have said it before, dont worry about the weather when you book. Even the National Weather Service can hardly keep their forecast updated fast enough.

Doubled-up First Timers

Any forecast for more than a few days out is misleading because the patterns are just changing more rapidly than before. BUT, despite the weather, good and bad, or whatever other people call bad, it hasn’t really slowed the fish down very much. It certainly hasn’t kept us at the dock, as long as there is a favorable route to the fishing grounds to keep us safe we will go. Of course, I need to see some excitement in your eyes too when it is time to leave the dock. The water temperatures are PRIME right now and should remain prime for a while more before dead of summer really sets in.

This period is when the fish are eating everything from crabs to mullet to shrimp to you name it. The fish are schooled up thicker and thicker each day and tailing more and more too. Again, despite the clouds, wind, rain or sunshine. All this is going on RIGHT NOW!

I have immediate availability for this week and some availability through April and May on into summer but dates are steadily filling up so don’t hesitate to book a trip based on the weather.

Vibrant Colors from Schooling Red Drum

There is a damn good chance you’ll get to see some redfish action much like what you might see in some heavily produced DVD. The only exception is you’re going to get to witness these fish doing their thing first-hand. Nothing beats watching a school of redfish stacked tight enough together you couldn’t put your foot between them, all in 8 inches of water with their tails waving in the air, flagging you from 150 yards away.

Sight-casted Tailing Redfish

And then, half way there, the fish’s position demands that you circumnavigate a 100ft oyster reef just to get close enough for a shot with the fly rod. The pressure is immense and continues to build all the way up to the fish. 80ft and closing, 50ft now, 40ft, 30FEET! Your guide then whispers, “Hey, Are you gonna cast? Take the shot!” and then finally… a cast is made and a fish is hooked. The End. Now, lets do it again!!!

DATES AVAILABLE! CALL NOW!

Capt Kenjo 361-500-2552

Thats a wrap

redfish, guide, fly fishing, port aransas, corpus christi, rockport, flats, saltwater

Redfish Swim

Ladies and Gentlemen… its a wrap folks!

This year of 2016 has been fantastic with many wonderful days sight-casting redfish of all manners. We got to see tons of fish!

They were laid up, crawling, cruising, floating, tailing, schooled up and blitzing in schools down the grassy shorelines, crushing any and all of the helpless baits that were so abundant this year. Over clean hard sand, in clear water brown bottomed creeks, out among the turtle grass patches and tickling their chins over the fine-haired shoal grass.

backing redfish

By my observations, fish numbers are up, mostly thanks to all the rain Texas has received in the past couple years. This benefits the bottom of the food chain and over time the bounty moves up. 2017 will be another chart topper!

Many thanks to all the Guests who fished with me this year, every time, every one of us got in on some great days, and mad props to those who stuck it out during the more difficult days. The unpredictable weather is exciting and the Number 1 reason why it is important to learn a wide range of techniques in casting. We all still managed to get our hands fishy and learned quite a lot in the process adapting our equipment and techniques to get in front of the fish.

Admiration of the Redfish

There were many first timers as well who got their first taste of saltwater fly fishing, and I know for certain that they are just as hooked as the fish they finally caught! I cherish these moments because then, even a small fish is GIANT!

Looking forward to 2017, the early months in the year can have exceptional opportunities to sight cast. Timing with the weather is easier in Jan/Feb/March so don’t hesitate to call and get on the books to reserve your date. This past Jan/Feb/March was incredible and if you ask me, its quite the best time to fish.

Merry Christmas to you all, and a Happy New Year! Here is a little video from when the fish were blitzing down the grassy shorelines. Tight Lines and Sweet Fishy Dreams!

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

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

The ditch less travelled

Fly fishing Port Aransas Rockport redfish guide

Hard earned but… Oh! How sweet it is!

When the (super high) tides throw you a curve ball simply bob n’ weave and with a little luck your fly line floats like a butterfly and your hook stings like a bee…. just not in your bare foot or in the cover, but in the mouth of a worthily scaled foe. Enter Mr. Redfish, stage right, or maybe left, but most usually, behind you. There! 2 o’clock! 25ft and closing!

Brent and Mike did just that, stalking sly red drum way back in the back of the furtherest back lake where the ditch less travelled is half the width of the boat. It took some hard earned team work but Brent and Mike earned their Level 1 salt badge.

Brent’s first redfish with heart shaped spot

The clouds made a real challenge for their eyes and eventually they were rewarded with their first redfish. Patience, endurance, good humor and attitude paired with an ability to climb a steep learning curve is what made their trip a great experience and ultimately successful.

I have a couple dates open this week. Give me a call to get on board. There are plenty more redfish out there and we are still seeing a handful of 30+ inch bull reds up in the skinny!

-Capt Ken 361-500-2552

Mangrove Lake Redfish

Going thru some client emails I found a sweet little video that a client put together very nicely of a fantastic day in May sight casting redfish about my old skiff, the 16ft Ankona Shadowcast. Matt had a quick learning curve and within short order was nailing fish left and right. I believe we got 9 fish to hand that day and missed at least 5 others. The big ones escaped without much damage from us but beware, we’ve got our eyes on you again now during the FALL RUN GOING ON NOW!!!

https://vimeo.com/164157445

Fall Run is ON!

Bull red in the Texas Marsh. Port Aransas Texas Fall Run

We just started tracking down some massive sized schools of bull redfish (top slot and overs) on the flats and the tides are perfect for working the marshes during the day. The weather is excellent right now and we have had some 10 fish days lately.

Bull redfish on the flats pulled out of a school of 200 fish strong!

There are also plenty of black drum around too. I have dates open this Thursday the 15th and again Sunday and Monday. Give me a call ASAP to get in on some of the best redfishing of the year!

Capt Kenjo

361-500-2552

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

Kenjo Fly Fishing Charters

Texas Saltwater Flats Fishing Charters