Aransas Bay Fishing Charters & Guides

Aransas Bay Fishing Charters

Just a short drive north of Corpus Christi, TX, is Aransas Bay. This bay is sandwiched between San Jose Island to the east and a peninsula to the west that separates Aransas Bay from Copano Bay. With fast access to the big city life in Corpus Christi and the tourist attractions there, plus the nearby activities like the beaches, golf and more, visiting Aransas makes an ideal family vacation. While some of the family chases the traditional tourism activities, you and whoever wants to join you can experience the amazing fishing this region offers with Aransas fishing charters.

Aransas Bay Inshore Fishing

With immediate access to two bays and a short ride to more bays, inshore fishing here ranks as some of the best you can find anywhere. Redfish Bay, directly to the south, got its name from this inshore fish. Reds are common across this area thanks to the abundance of prey in these shallows. The tidal pools and creeks on uninhabited San Jose Island are just buffet lines for reds. When the tide is in, the reds are up against the grass trying to flush out a meal. When the tide goes out, the fish are in the channels, chasing baitfish and crabs. In these channels, reds are easy to see and easy to catch. The best bet for a hookup is live bait like fingerling mullet, minnows or shrimp. Modern shrimp lures perform almost as good as live or fresh bait. If the water is deep enough, a popping cork adds more action to the lure. Out in the flats on the bay and the deep holes on the tidal creeks, speckled trout lurk. It is common to catch both trout and reds in the same general area with the same lures. In the deeper channels, you find bigger redfish and trout. The bull reds move out of the shallows to deeper water, where they find bigger prey. They are joined by black drum, the biggest of the drum family. Black drum are not aggressive fish. You must use cut bait on the bottom to catch these fish regularly. If you want to tie into the biggest bull reds, then you need to make a stop in Aransas Pass. This cut separates San Jose Island from Mustang Island. When the tide flows, water really moves through this channel. Jetties extend out into the Gulf of Mexico. These rocks provide perfect hiding places for prey species. When the tide is ripping, the current can push the prey out of hiding and bull reds are ready for the meal.

Aransas Bay Nearshore Fishing

Keep going through Aransas Pass to get into the Gulf of Mexico. Head along the beach north or south to get in some of the best surf fishing you can ask for. Croakers don't get much respect from sport anglers, but they make excellent table fare. They cruise the shallow beaches looking for sand fleas and other small prey caught up in the rolling waters. Use small baits and small hooks to catch these fish. Aransas fishing charters know the surf zone is the place to catch sharks. Big live bait or large chunks of cut bait are the top ways to tie into the ocean's top predator. When the blacktips show up, topwater shark fishing reaches its peak. Big reds are also found in the surf zone.

Aransas Bay Offshore Fishing

When it comes to offshore fishing, Texas can compete with any other Gulf of Mexico state. One thing that makes Texas such an offshore hotspot is the many oil rigs. These provide structure for fish to cruise around and the people working the rigs toss food bits over the side, which further attracts prey species. Where the prey go, predators will always follow. King mackerel, snapper, grouper, amberjack are just a few of the species you can expect to catch. If you fish the oil rigs, expect to drop live and cut bait over the side. If you can manage it, jigging is an effective way to catch fish on oil rigs. It is a lot of work, but it produces fish. Trolling is another effective way to find fish away from the oil rigs. This kind of fishing finds mahi mahi, sailfish, blackfin and yellowfin tuna that are not as common around the oil rigs. Head out into the really deep water, 1,000 feet or more, to catch tilefish, hake and more. This kind of fishing is almost exclusively cut bait on the bottom. Electric reels are common because cranking in that much line with a significant lead weight on the line can quickly tire anyone.

Book An Aransas Bay Fishing Charter

In Texas, go fish is not a card game. It is getting out on the water and making memories. FishAnywhere has the Aransas Bay fishing charters with proven success stories. Let us make the connection with the captains so you can make the connection with the fish.