Show Me The Fish!

(Fishing the Texas Coast)

by

Turk Pipkin

(This story ran in in Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine.)

Have you ever noticed that people who fish tend to divide themselves into two opposing camps: fans of the graceful fly rod vs. the good-old rod-n-reel, live bait vs. lures, freshwater or salt. And when the day is done, of course, there is the final division: those that caught fish and those that didn't. The secret of ending up in the first group usually lies in knowing where and when to go, and what to fish with when you get there.

The Texas Coast is one area where local knowledge is especially important. I should know. I grew up in dry West Texas and have since spent an inordinate amount of time unsuccessfully trying to catch up with the Old-Salt learning curve. On one particularly bad day I decided my Gulf Coast mantra ought to echo Tom Cruise's Jerry McGuire, and I ran up and down the pier shouting, "Show me the fish! Show me the fish!"

If you're also looking for a few good spots, you'll be happy to know that from Port Isabel Lighthouse in Brownsville to Sea Rim State Park near Port Arthur, nine State Parks provide prime access to the big three of Texas saltwater fishing: redfish, speckled trout and flounder. Whether you're into wadefishing for the elusive redfish or dangling a baited-hook beneath a pier, these parks provide a clean, safe and economical place to really catch some fish, as well as some spectacular scenery.

Though winter is not considered prime fishing time along the coast, this past February I embarked on a Sunday morning for a three park fishing tour of the central coast between Port O'Connor and Port Aransas.

Matagorda Island State Park, one of the wildest, most isolated areas in Texas, seemed like a good place to start. Accessible only by boat, the State Park and Wildlife Management Area at the north end of the island comprise almost 44,000 acres of pristine barrier island and provide some of the finest camping in the state.

Joining a dozen other birders, kayakers and fisherman on the State Park ferry from Port O’Connor, we passed the half-hour boat ride watching majestic Sandhill Cranes and Roseate Spoonbills and took our turns leaning out over the bow to watch bottlenose dolphin dancing in the bow wake.

This is a real "Be prepared!" kind of park. There is no phone, electricity, food concession or drinking water. The ferry runs round-trip just three times a day, Thursday through Sunday, and as I departed the Captain gave me a friendly wave.

"Be back by four o’clock," he grinned. "Or we’ll see you on Thursday morning."

The other visitors quickly boarded a van for the mile and a half shuttle ride past the lighthouse (built in 1852) and on to the rolling waves of the beach. Fishing rod, tackle and waders in hand, I took off on foot along the bay side and spent several arduous hours wading in 60 degree water.

Failing to find any fish at all, it was not until I returned to the dock area that a park employee told me to try the nearby Army Hole, only a fifty yard hike from where I'd started. Three casts later, I was hooked into a sizable redfish which I barely had time to bring to shore and release before making a mad dash for that last ferry.

My plan for the evening was to head to Rockport and sit lazily on the pier at Copano Bay State Park where I imagined that I'd be bringing in one trout after another by drifting live shrimp through the lighted waters below. But after finding no live bait at five different Rockport bait stands, I instead headed to the Boiling Pot for a big Cajun dinner of shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes.

Feeling revived, I drove out to the park to check out the action. Created in 1967 when the state cut out the middle section of the old causeway, Copano Bay State Park is comprised of the two remaining fishing piers, 2,500 and 6,200 feet long. The angling action here is especially great in the Spring when the trout move in from the Gulf, showing up first at the nearby Fulton Piers, then moving under the causeway into Copano Bay.

"Saturday nights it seems like half of San Antonio is fishing out here," the manager of the South-side pier told me as he took my $2 fishing fee.

But late on a winter's night, my only company was a billion stars and a brilliant white Milky Way, the bright likes of which I’ll never see from my home near the electric glow of Austin.

Once again, I was joined by a school of bottleneck dolphin gliding silently under the causeway, the only sound their exhalation of breath as they arced above the surface. It was one of those glorious nights when I truly didn't care if I caught any fish, which is probably why I actually caught trout after trout, just as I'd hoped, by casting a chartreuse plastic shad close to the pilings of the pier.

The next morning I discovered that everything had changed. A strong cold front had blasted through the Rockport area in the middle of the night, the temperature was in the mid-forties, and there was a steady gale blowing straight out of the north. This would, of course, be the day I'd be fishing from an open boat.

As local fishing guide Ethan Wells and I approached the boat ramp at Goose Island State Park, I was having serious doubts about the wisdom of our little fishing adventure.

Just five minutes north of Rockport-Fulton, Goose Island State Park has a lighted, 1,620 foot pier, access to a series of sandbars and reefs with excellent wade-fishing, and a double-wide boat ramp which provide access to good fishing at Cedar Bayou, Mesquite Bay, and a dozen other local hotspots.

With white caps on the water, soon Wells and I were racing across St. Charles Bay in his shallow-draft catamaran-hulled "Flat Scat." Amazingly, the boat's 125 hp outboard motor hydroplaned us right over the rough chop with hardly a bounce, but alas there was almost no protection against the bone-chilling wind.

Not far up the Intracoastal Canal, we stopped at the Aransas National Wildlife Preserve to photograph a majestic Whooping Crane . With many Whooper pairs having hatched and raised a rare two chicks each last year, this winter’s count was up to a record 181 whoopers.

Here, as in most Texas bay waters, the secret to catching fish is to find a reef with clean blue or green water and active baitfish. Finding neither on the wind-chopped waters of Mesquite Bay, we nevertheless began casting plastic lures as we drifted through the shallow water.

Because he is one of only two Texas members of the prestigious Orvis fly-fishing team, Ethan Wells is fortunate to guide a lot of good fishermen. Luckily for me, he also has patience for your average weekend klutz. After watching me make just one of my lazy sidearm casts, he silently swung the boat around, not even mentioning that he was doing it to keep my rod tip and lure out of his face.

Not expecting much action, I was pleasantly surprised when I quickly hooked into a nice redfish, a sure sign that the right guy put me in the right spot with the right lure in my hand. The rest, of course, was the easy part.

Proving myself the fishing fool that I am, I began to rib Ethan about my having caught the first fish, at which time he promptly hauled in three nice speckled trout in a row, their black spots shining like a thousand eyes on their iridescent sides. Fully aware that one of the secrets to fishing is knowing when to keep your mouth shut, Ethan just grinned as he hauled in fish after fish.

Fishing guides on the Texas coast tend to fall into the Old Salt and Young Buck varieties. Partially because many of their customers insist upon it, the Old Salts seem to fish mostly with bait (live shrimp, when you can find it, being the preferred choice).

A 26-year old graduate of Texas A & M and definitely one of the Young Bucks, Ethan Wells fishes only with artificial lures, "except with my Mom," he adds.

"Some of the other guides ask me how I get the clients to throw only artificials," Ethan tells me with a grin. "And I tell them I’m just a good teacher."

One of the first things he taught me was that in the winter on the Texas coast you can hardly beat soft plastic lures, Bass Assassins with quarter ounce leadheads being his preference. In the spring, mirror lures are his top choice; in the summer, he likes to throw "Ghost" brand topwater plugs.

Looking for some shelter and a break from the cold wind, Ethan drifted us down Cedar Bayou and beached the boat on the primitive State campground at the south end of Matagorda Island, a 26 mile hike from where I'd fished the day before. Assuming that you’ve got a boat to get here, this is a great spot for summer camping and fishing. Casting topwater plugs in the surf will almost always turn some luck, and lots of fish, some big sharks included, can be seen moving through the narrow pass from the ocean to the bay.

The son of noted wildlife artist Ronnie Wells, after graduating from Texas A & M, Ethan decided to follow Dad's advice to find something he loved, then figure out to make a living at it. This year he'll guide about 200 fisherman onto the waters near his Rockport home. There’s even a new line of Wells Outfitters clothing featuring his logo and other paintings by his dad.

Walking across the broad, pristine beach, we gazed out at the surf rolling in from the Gulf, talking all the while about the passion and business of fishing, and the necessity for conservation of the resource.

"Just because the law says we can keep 10 trout and 3 redfish doesn’t mean we have to," Ethan told me. "The minimums assure us that we’ll always have a fishery, but is it the quality of fishery we want? In the summer, we’ve got a 150 guides in Rockport alone, each bringing in with their customers 20 to 30 fish a day."

A freeze or the red tide, Ethan also pointed out, generate a lot of publicity, but 3,000 fish a day also adds up.

Even though fishing in Texas is now a 2.8 billion dollar business, Wells isn’t naive enough to think that total catch and release will go over on the Texas coast. He does, however, know what group has some of the best knowledge concerning fish populations.

"Parks and Wildlife has been really good about listening to the guides input," Ethan adds. "So it’s up to us to find ways to build the fishery."

With the sun just peeking through the clouds, we hiked back to the boat to search for some more action. I was still hoping, as I have been for years, for a real trophy redfish. And by "trophy," I don't mean one to put on my table or mount on the wall, but one to put in my mind. Sure, taking freshly caught redfish home for the family dinner table is a satisfaction of its own sort, but there is a longer-lasting, sweeter-tasting satisfaction in the simple act of releasing a fish to the wild. For to feel a fish fight for its existence is to sense the fierce determination of all life to simply carry on, and to be reminded of our own not-so-distant past in the wild.

In the greater sense of time, it has only been moments since we emerged from the wild ourselves. And since that time we have always felt the need to return to our ancient home, to walk upon untamed land, to gaze out upon unspoiled waters.

Whether to hear the call of an osprey or to search for a trophy redfish in a biting wind, it is to our parks that we renew our bond with a past that we can never leave behind.

Together Ethan and I shove the boat off the sand into the cold water and Ethan starts the motor.

"Show me the fish!" I command. And we're off.

Texas State Parks - Salt Water Fishing Sidebar

General Information:

Resident Fishing License: $19 Saltwater Sportfishing Stamp: $7

(No license needed if under 17 or over 64 years of age)

Fishing Pier Fees - Fee per rod, pole, throw line, etc. - Free - $1.75

Sabine Pass Battleground State Historical Park

This 57.6-acre park located in Jefferson County has excellent populations of redfish, speckled trout and flounder. A boat ramp provides access to Sabine Lake to the north and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. There is also a 1/4-mile waterfront for fishing and crabbing.

Location: 1.5 miles south of the City of Sabine Pass on Dowlen Road and 15 miles south of Port Arthur via State Highway 87.

Sabine Pass Battleground State Historical Park

c/o Sea Rim State Park

P O Box 1066

Sabine Pass, Texas 77655

409/971-2451 (Answering Machine at the park)

409/971-2559 (Sea Rim State Park)

Sea Rim State Park

15,373.3 acres of marshland with 5.2 miles of Gulf beach shoreline, Sea Rim State Park is in Jefferson County south of Port Arthur. Fishing is permitted from in both the Harrington Beach Unit and the Marshlands Unit.

Location: 20 miles south of Port Arthur on State Highway 87.

Sea Rim State Park

P O Box 1066

Sabine Pass TX 77655

409/971-2559

Galveston Island State Park

This 2023-acre park provides beach or surf fishing for spotted seatrout, sandtrout, redfish, black drum, croaker, and flounder. A concrete boat ramp is located at Pirates Cove adjacent to the park.

Location: From Seawall Boulevard go right (west) on Seawall (FM 3005) 10 miles to the park entrance.

Galveston Island State Park

14901 FM 3005

Galveston TX 77554

409/737-1222

Port Lavaca State Fishing Pier

The old State Highway 35 causeway which was destroyed in 1961 by Hurricane Carla was converted into a 3,200-foot fishing pier. Facilities include lighted fishing pier, a restroom without showers, a nearby boatramp, snack bar, and a fish-cleaning facility.

Port Lavaca State Fishing Pier

202 North Virginia

Port Lavaca TX 77979

Operated by the City of Port Lavaca

512/552-5311

Matagorda Island State Park and Wildlife Management Area

The park occupies 7,325 acres of the 43,893 acre Park and Wildlife management area. Activities include camping, hiking, bicycling, surfing, swimming, beach combing, bird watching, nature study, fishing, a passenger ferry, on-island shuttle, and scheduled tours.

There is a boat dock on the island; and 38 miles of beach front and 32 miles of paved, shell roadway for hiking, mountain biking, and bicycling.

For Ferry reservations and information call 512/983-2215

Primitive camping (beach)(not reservable) $4/4 persons

Group Barracks (per person, per night) $12

Matagorda Island State Park and Wildlife Management Area

P O Box 117, 16th Street and I/C Canal

Port O'Connor TX 77982

512/983-2215

Goose Island State Park

Located north of Rockport in Aransas County, the 321.4 acre park occupies two distinct areas - bay and uplands. During Christmas Audobon bird survey, more species of birds are counted here than at any other location in the U.S. There is a double-lane boat ramp; a 1,620-foot, a lighted fishing pier, wade access to sandbars and reefs, and 2 fish-cleaning tables.

Location:10 miles northeast of Rockport on State Highway 35 to Park Road 13, then 2 miles east to park entrance.

Goose Island State Park

HC04, Box 105

Rockport TX 78382

512/729-2858

Copano Bay State Fishing Pier

Two concession-operated piers have restrooms without showers, concession buildings (fishing supplies, bait, and a snack bar), a launching ramp, a lighted fishing pier, and fish-cleaning facilities. The boat ramp is located adjacent to the south side pier.

Location: Five miles north of Rockport in Aransas County

Copano Bay State Fishing Pier

P O Box 39

Fulton TX 78358

512/729-7762

Mustang Island State Park

Comprising 3,954 acres and approximately 5 miles of beach on the Gulf of Mexico, Mustang Island State Park features numerous activities including camping, picnicking, fishing, swimming, hiking and mountain biking on 5 miles of open beach, sunbathing, hiking, and excellent birding, especially during spring and fall migrations.

Location: From corpus Christi, take State Highway 358 to Padre Island; cross the JFK Causeway; continue one mile to traffic light; turn left onto State Highway 361 (used to be Park Road 53), and go 5 miles north to park headquarters.

Mustang Island State Park

P O Box 326

Port Aransas TX 78373

512/749-5246

Port Isabel Lighthouse State Historical Park

Of the 16 lighthouses originally constructed along the Texas coast, Isabel is the only one open to the public. With a perch 50 feet above the ground, it is popular with photographers and other visitors for its views of South Padre Island and the beaches.

Public fishing is available just behind the lighthouse at The Fishing Pier, a privately operated lighted fishing pier.

Location: on the Lower Laguna Madre in the City of Port Isabel, approximately 26 miles east of US Highway 77/83 on State Highway 100.

Port Isabel Lighthouse State Historical Park

421 East Queen Isabella Blvd

Port Isabel Chamber of Commerce:

Port Isabel TX 78578

1-800-527-6102

956/943-2262