[Chuck3000]

Moving to corpus this weekend and lookin to spend all my free time fishing. Got a 19' trophy that I am not shy about taking offshore (thanks for the extra cojones, seatow) Never having been there before I am anxious to learn how to fish the area. Are the species/times of year similar to pensacola? How far to rigs/live bottom/wrecks? Is Packery channel open? How rough is it typically and what wind directions are best and worst?

Due to weather I'll probably be inshore looking for trout and redfish a lot...just a 19' after all...but first good day I plan to head to the nearest wreck or rig and find some grouper. If you're in the area andwant to go PM or #847-903-0437.

aaand i just found corpusfishing.com guess that deserves a good read

Chuck

 

[tiderider]

Chuck you're going to have a great time in Texas. I've never fished out of Corpus but I spend 2002-2006 in Galveston and the fishing is unreal. First off, inshore water isn't normally that clear but the fish really don't seem to mind. The fall flounder run is amazing, super trout fishing. You can actually keep 2 bull reds a year, they have a tag system. The people are also just as good. Like I said you'll have a nice time.

 

[jp3]

I actually just moved from P-Cola to Corpus and the fishing here is great. I caught my first two slot Reds, first black drum, and first keeper trout in the three times i've gone. All of that was from my yak just off from the navy base. I don't know a lot about the offshore side of things down here, but i did go out on a charter boat for the last weekend of Snapper season and did well. There are a lot more Rigs in close here - 4-5 miles - and I've heard of people catching Cobia at the rigs close in. I've also heard that to find Grouper, you have to head farther out - 30+ miles. If you ever need someone to chip in on gas, let me know. I'd be very interested.



Packery Channel is open and i've heard reports of guys catching a lot of reds. I went last friday night and only caught a small red. People there earlier in the day had caught Reds and some sheepshead. One difference down here - people use mullet as bait more often than shrimp. I've mostly used shrimp, but most guys use mullet to catch Reds.



corpusfishing.com is where I've gotten most of my info, although it isn't as active or as big as this site. Oh well. my screen name is the same on that site. If you need any help with anything once you get down here, let me know.



john

 

[Barnacle Brain]

The corpus area is the best fishing in Texas. Spend the money and buy the annual entry pass and boat launch pass ($40)at the National Seashore (Padre Island National Seashore {PINS}). I also like the Aransas Pass. The fishing all over the area is great, good water quality and visibility. Packery channel is good all year long for snook. Lots of good kayak water and jon boat fishing. With a bay boat you can make it out to some of the rigs where ou can catch all sorts of fish. Also check out www.Texaskayakfisherman.com. Lots of good guys there. Best of luck.

 

[duckhuntinsailor]

I don't know about fishing there, but I can vouch for john(jp3). One heck of a deck hand and you never have to worry about him out fishin ya, he doesn't know how to catch a BIG fish. Oh, one more thing, you may want to make sure you give him a few gaffing lessons b/f heading out. That's the one things he seemed to have trouble with.

 

[jp3]

thanks for the, uhh, endorsement, i guess. I may not have learned how to gaff fish from you, but i definitely learned NOT to keep tightening the drag...

 

[jared]

completely different fishing from florida. In my experience of fishing the area(22years) Your boat is pretty much gonna limit you to c/c bay. Its the deepest in the area. most bays around are very shallow. I would suggest going to aransas pass/rockport area & fishing Estes Flats, that is my favorite place to be. as far as artificials i would use any tail made by texas trophy tackle. You will see that the majority of the boats around are super shallow draft. As far as offshore--you will really need to pick your days. I was surprised when i got here & 20ft boats are able to leave the pass. Getting through lydia ann channel in port aransas you might get a little sick in a 20ft. I beleive there is actually a pass in C/C now though but i havent been to it. for Grouper & snapper you need to go over 20 miles though. Something fun you might want to try though is to go to port aransas and sit on the shore of lydia ann channel. About every 15 minutes big oil tankers come by, once they pass the water goes down considerably leaving big flounder flopping on the shore.

 

[brnbser]

I spent 4 yrs down there between 87-91. Because the fishing is so much of a run offshore, everyone I knew fished the flats, bays and surf.

I did spent alot of time wade fishing for specs and by far the best place to go was in the surf just off the armory on base. Very few times did I not limit out there while freelining live shrimp.

did alot of sharkfishing off Padre Island as well. I don't know if it's still the same but there used to be about 90 miles of beach in the state park that was only accessable by 4X4 vehicles. We would run down the beach for 40-50 miles in the middle of nowhere and drink beer, sit around the fireand shark fish all weekend.

 

[Chuck3000]

Yes, packery channel is now open right in North Padre which means I have a 30 minute boat ride from the dock to the channel mouth. I went out to some close rigs sunday when I got in and marked quite a few fish in less than 60 ft of water that looked like trigger on the fishfinder. Wish I hadn't let the movers pack my poles as they're still in transit and I want to fish.

So is there nothing worth catching at the close in rigs? If it's too rough to go 20 miles would I be better off hitting the close rigs or staying in and around the channel?

Chuck

 

[jared]

the short rigs are filled mostly with hardheads & some spades