Aransas Texas.... Why?

[JoeBeck]

It’s funny the places life takes you and the reasons why. It is something I had never really thought about until Slow Ride Kayak Fishing guide Dean Thomas asked my wife and I why we came all the way from San Diego to Aransas Texas to fish. To me it was simple, to catch a Red Fish, a fish I have dreamed about catching for years, but really did not know much about. I have watched these fish being caught over and over on early, cold winter mornings while sitting on my couch, in-front of the TV, drinking a warm cup of coffee watching the Redfish cup with my wife. Ever since the 1st time I watched this tournament, on a morning too cold and rainy to be fishing myself, I knew this was a fish I had to catch, and a fish I would continue to think about from time to time anticipating the day I would get to fish for them.

Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to be given a free flight anywhere in the United States. This was the beginning to what would bring my wife and I to fish the Texas flats. When I told my wife Shiloh I wanted to use the flight to go get myself a red she was immediately on board, not only could I get my Red Fish but we also would fish a new body of water. Her and I have talked about how we would like to fish all the major salt waters of the world and this trip would be another check on our list. Not knowing the best place to go fishing for this species, I contacted someone who would. Jim Sammons suggested that we go to Texas to fish with Dean. It all lined up perfectly and in no time my wife and I were on our way to spend a long late October weekend over Halloween fishing the flats of Texas with Dean targeting reds.

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Our camp spot
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The portion of the Texas Flats that we would come to know is just north of Corpus Christi located in the small town of Aransas Pass. Here, beer and gas are cheap, southern hospitality prevails, and local fishermen are eager to trade you fresh caught flounder for a bit of bug spray. This is a town blessed with a healthy and beautiful fishery holding a wide range of species including one of the local favorites the Red Drum, also know as the Red Fish. Here we would camp on a remote beach at the entry of Lighthouse Lakes estuary at the mouth leading to the Gulf Coast. Looking out at these waters from our campsite as the sun started to kiss it while rising behind a lighthouse over 150 years old and a channel abundant with dolphins, both of us knew we were in a very special place. This is a well-maintained healthy fishery conserved and regulated by the Texas Fish and Game and cared for by the local sportsmen. It is a flat maze of land and water that seems as if it was made just for the Kayak fisherman. The places we fished are not easily accessible by boat as most of the water is less than 2 feet deep. It is also a place you can become lost in. The extensive black mangroves splits the water and forms a labyrinth of narrow passages leading to unimaginable areas of wide open fishing that were easily accessible by our Wilderness System kayaks. On kayak you can easily find yourself fishing for Reds on what most would call a small secluded lake, accompanied only by the countless varieties of tropical birds, doing some fishing of their own under the warm Texas sun.

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There are many ways the locals fish this area including using live shrimp, jigs, spoons, and cut bait all to try to lure a bite. However the favored technique of choice by local guide Dean is a top water plug on light spinning or casting tackle, using 8lb test with a short six inch 20lb shock leader. This here is fishing at its best. As you paddle your kayak through the shallow waters you want to make sure your eyes are constantly scanning the surface and when the tides are just right you can see the tips of the red tails of the fish peeking out of the water. This is the technique of spot and cast. When the waters are up a bit more you may not see the fish tails, but the reds are still there so you simply look for water movement and fish those areas.

We fished for three days and learned first hand the joys of catching Red Fish and both of us caught a lot of them! There is something quite joyful being on a kayak surrounded by picturesque scenery, casting out a spook top water plug as far as you can, walking it back in, then seeing and hearing a red fish roll out of the water grabbing your plug, letting the slow ride begin as line pulls off your reel creating the sound of the drag while you fight a powerful fish. It was my second Red that I caught that I really got to see the true beauty of this species. As I pulled her onto the boat the sky hit that red skin and sent a gold shimmer to the eyes. At twenty-five inches long this was the Red Fish I dreamed of and the reason my wife and I would find ourselves enjoying a weekend in Texas we will remember our whole lives.

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If you are ever in Texas look up Dean Thomas at Slowride Guide Service he will help put you on some reds.

[steveooo]

For sure one of the best reports I've seen on here.
Thanks

[Gino]

Awsome Report, :you_rock: Lucky man to have caught a wife who loves to fish. Keep those good reports comming!

[bigbarrels]

:) very nice! Congrats:cheers1:

[TCS]

and a good read. Now i want my wife to go fishing with me. Wait, no, scratch that. No I don't.

Happy for you though!

[Rik]

:luxhello: what an awesome report and trip Joe!!

[forefrazier]

Joe:

If for some reason God should call you from this beautiful Earth before your time, please allow me to offer my phone number (999) 555-1234 to pass along to your wife. I promise to honor your memory each time we fish :biggrinjester:.

But seriously, awesome report man....Looks like a very fun trip and thanks for posting your travels!

[Fiskadoro]

If for some reason God should call you from this beautiful Earth before your time, please allow me to offer my phone number (999) 555-1234 to pass along to your wife.

LMAO!!! Shame on YOU!!

Though I can certainly understand where those sentiments are coming from (what a beautiful smile) She's not a accessory like a favorite paddle or a fishing rod.

Jim

[Iceman]

Having fished that area for my first redfish and having met Dean years back I am incredibly jealous! Great post and pix! Congrats on the killer trip.

[Fiskadoro]

Great report!!

You know I've fished right there where you were fishing in that tidal slew that winds back behind the lighthouse. We used to fish it wading before Kayaks, we'd take a skiff in there then walk around stalking the fish. You had to watch for rays, I had a buddy that got spined in there good.

Go back far enough and there's a cut that takes you due North to a huge wide open shallow flat. Sometimes that area is just loaded with Specs and Rat Reds. But I'm talking about back in the seventies though so it's been a while. :D

That lighthouse has been there forever. I think it was built in the early 1800's, I heard the confederates attacked it several times in the Civil war. It's amazing it's still the same after all these years. I almost didn't recognize the place with all the vegetation. That used to be just sand water and grass in there. Not as pretty, but very fishy.

Here's an old photo of it:
http://www.uscg.mil/history/weblighthouses/aransaspass.JPG

Your post definitely makes me homesick, I never thought about fishing that area with a yak, it must just be a blast.



Thanks for the report.

Jim

[T-Rex]

Thanks for the excellent read and pics!

[JoeBeck]

Steve I plan to stay on this beautiful Earth for a long f'n time :the_finger::the_finger::the_finger:

Jim love the old pic of the lighthouse, very cool. I take it you grew up in that area? Dean was telling us the lighthouse was built around 1850

[bellcon]

Incredible Post Joe:cheers1::cheers1::cheers1:

[TXyakker]

Dean is a class act! Glad you got down to the Gulf Coast to experience some of our fine texas fishin!! Those redfish are some mean little puppies, and boy are they fun to sight fish in shallow water!

[Fiskadoro]

Jim love the old pic of the lighthouse, very cool. I take it you grew up in that area? Dean was telling us the lighthouse was built around 1850

I grew up about 350 miles North of there in Ft Worth.

Port Aransas is the closest really good Saltwater fishing to Ft Worth though I fished off jetties, wade fished, and fished in the surf all the way from Galveston to South Padre. As a kid I spent a lot of time in that area before I got into the four wheel drive, North Padre to Mansfield, surf, Jack, King, Bull Red and sharkfishing scene, or essentially moved on to larger fish.

If I moved back to Texas I'd consider Corpus hard as a place to live, and then I'd fish down the beach off Padre.

I'm not knocking the fishing you did by any means as I know it's a blast. That said: you were just down the road and a trip down the sand from some of the best surf and kayak fishing on the planet.

If you want to see some big fish try south of there off the beach.

Here's some recent Padre picks from extremecoast.com a website devoted to fishing that area. Not my pics just giving you an idea of what's down there.

http://extremecoast.com/reports/0520/05200906sm.jpg

Jack Carvelle at the mansfield jetties
http://extremecoast.com/reports/0520/05200926sm.jpg
Bull Red same location

http://extremecoast.com/reports/0520/05200933sm.jpg
Blacktip Mansfield Jetties

http://extremecoast.com/reports/0606/stuart06060902.jpg
Tiger Shark North of the jetties North Padre Island

http://extremecoast.com/reports/0718/07180807m.jpg
Cobia North Padre basically the same area

http://extremecoast.com/reports/0718/07180821m.jpg
King Mackerel (similar to a Wahoo)

http://extremecoast.com/reports/0407/sm04070825.jpg
Kings, Jack, Spanish mackerel.

http://extremecoast.com/reports/0317/03170917sm.jpg
Tiger shark North Padre

http://extremecoast.com/reports/0806/08060907sm.jpg
King Mackerel on the popper

http://extremecoast.com/reports/0806/08060910sm.jpg
Jacks and Kings working bait

http://extremecoast.com/reports/0806/08060915sm.jpg
Jacks kings and sharks on bait

http://extremecoast.com/reports/0806/08060911sm.jpg
Jack Cervelle on bait

You should check out the report that goes with those last few pics here: http://extremecoast.com/reports/report080609.php

One last tiger...
http://extremecoast.com/reports/0914/09140916sm.jpg


Not for the faint of heart.... but I'm just saying if I was in that area that's where I would go fish... :D

Once again great report! I think between your post and those pics I just found I just convinced myself I need to make a rod trip down there!

Jim

[Tman]

Good write up, great report...sounds like you two had a blast:you_rock:

One Q though...did ya keep them, and if so, no mention of how they cooked up and were they tasty?

[Tman]

http://extremecoast.com/reports/0317/03170917sm.jpg
Tiger shark North Padre
http://extremecoast.com/reports/0914/09140916sm.jpg
Another Tiger shark North Padre...
Jim

OK, now I wanna go...:sifone:

Get one of those bad boys, and (hopefully) paddle his arse into the sand...

['Cuda]

[QUOTE=Jim Day;46645]I grew up about 350 miles North of there in Ft Worth.

Incredible pics Jim.

I'm from Gladewater myself....grew up flyfishing Toledo Bend....trot lineing the Mississipi for big yellow cats and drop netting in the swamps of the Atchafalaya River for blue crab all night long with my dad talking to the owls.

[kurt]

Redfish are as tasty as they come. The only tough part is they have scales like armor. Evolving alongside bull sharks will do that, I guess.

[Quilted Germ]

Sweet pix all around. Question, what the hell do you do with a huge Tiger Shark like that? Looks like they are keeping them, no?

[Holy Mackerel]

Thanks for the report, looks like a blast! :)

[Fiskadoro]

Sweet pix all around. Question, what the hell do you do with a huge Tiger Shark like that? Looks like they are keeping them, no?

No they revive then release them.

Jim

[bigbarrels]

No they revive then release them.

Jim

Mouth to mouth and chest compressions?

Looks like a great place to fish.....

[Fiskadoro]

Mouth to mouth and chest compressions? Looks like a great place to fish.....

More like walking them through the shallows till they get active again and scare the #### out of the guys with them in the water :D

I love fishing there but it could get pretty hairy.

I once had a huge 12+ ft Tiger swim right up to me when I was taking shark baits out on a surfboard there. I swear it's mouth was about two feet wide and they have the nastiest hooked teeth you can imagine. He was right there in gin clear water and passed only inches underneath the board. Scare the holy #### out of me. I just pushed the bait off the board and quietly paddled in shaking the whole way. My buddy Ira got one 13' 6" 1500+ pounds and that shark looked pretty similar in size to me. It could of swallowed me whole without even trying hard.

Another time I was wade fishing with a stringer of specs tied to my belt loop, and slipped and feel down, then I slipped again, then I noticed a nine foot lemon was grabbing my trout and knocking me off my feet when he ripped them off the stringer.

Lemons, Tigers, Hammers and Bulls come right to the beach there and they all can kill you. I once hooked a 14 ft hammerhead there in less then three feet of water, and it jumped maybe ten feet in the air less then 40 feet from me. Then watched in awe as it melted all the line off my wide 4/0 in seconds.

It's not So. Cal. by any means.

I don't know if there is more access now but imagine being down the beach with sixty miles of four wheel drive only soft sand between you and there nearest blacktop, maybe half a day from the nearest hospital, with sharks the could rip your leg off like it was nothing in the water around you, and 150 pound sting rays with spines as long as a fillet knife cruising the shallows.

I imagine it's different now with cell phones but we knew a guy that was fishing down by the Mansfield jetties that stayed too late before a hurricane and got stuck back in the dunes trying to cross a new cut that formed due to the surge. They did not find him for something like a week and that was only because he walked all the way back to the Mansfield Jetties swam the Mansfield channel and then was found on the more populous South Padre island. He was out of water, living on coconuts that washed up on the beach, and fish he caught on a light rod he was carrying that he was eating raw. By the time they got back to his truck it was sunk so deep they couldn't get it out, I saw it there for years, though I heard he did save some gear that he'd buried in the dunes above the high water line.

Supposedly when he was asked about the whole ordeal by a local paper he answered that the fishing was unbelievably good the day after the hurricane :D

It was that kind of wild place back in the day. In other words just cool as ####.

Jim

[NextBite]

Killer Thread and Nice Picts :)

[forefrazier]

Steve I plan to stay on this beautiful Earth for a long f'n time :the_finger::the_finger::the_finger:

LOL...Joe..glad you have such a great sense of humor! You guys rock and I am just jealous that I cannot get my sweetie out on a yak to fish with me ;)

[THE DARKHORSE]

Ahhhh, the memories of mosquitos and wide open fishing. It's tough to say which there are more of, but I'll go out on a limb with the mosquitos :). I fished the saltgrass along the Texas coast nearly every week of my life as a child. The epic fishing for specks, reds and Flounder is something I think about often. My favorite topwater plug back in the day was a natural bone colored Jumping Minnow. To watch a single Redfish or an entire school of bull-reds charge that plug was heaven on earth. Big Speckled Trout love those 'walk the dog' type plugs too. Those were the days!

The Texas fishery is a great example of how proper management (DFG with watch-dog anglers) can sustain an incredibly complex body of water...under heavy pressure. To people who think Southern California has heavy pressure, think again. Every person with a truck has a boat in Texas and there's a lot of trucks :). Nearly every man, woman and child loves to fish...all the time. A funny way to look at it: take your average nine year old girl here compared to an average nine year old girl in Texas...the nine year old girl in Texas can pitch an 1/8 ounce leadhead under a dock with a Shimano Chonarch SF baitcast reel, accurately, without backlashing. She'll probably see that school of fish holding just off the Oyster bed and make a cast without telling you, too. Even with all those people fishing, the fishing is ridiculously good...if you know where to go, and when. Kinda like here. It's just a different attitude towards enjoying the outdoors over there.

The mosquitos of the Texas Coast deserve another mention (try being allergic to them and fishing everyday :doh:), but the people you'll meet make up for it. The word genuine comes to mind in reference to the common folk. Make sure to brush up on your eye contact before planning a trip. It would be funny as hell to watch the MLPA/BRTF "try" to do what they're doing here to the people of Texas..can you say "get a rope"?

I remember when the Redfish numbers were a little low due to a couple bad winters (the bays froze and killed a lot of fish). They built up a well recieved stocking program to achieve the numbers of fish they enjoy today. Someone could learn from this if they wanted to actually look at the science involved. Since the Southern California fishing is better than it's been in thirty years, let's just shut down fishing entirely :rolleyes:.