Tag Archives: flounder

Captains Annual Fishing Update

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Ladies and Gents! To any and all with whom I haven’t spoken in a while, I want to wish you all a Happy New Years, Merry Christmas and Happy Gobble Gobble! I pray that all has been well with you and yours! It has been quite some time having posted anything so it is certainly time to give everyone a Captains Annual Fishing Update!

Fishing the Fall Run of ’23

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The fishing during the fall run of 2023 was pretty great. There were plenty of days to struggle finding fish, but there were quite a few days when we were astonished at having seen so many in one place. The key was finding the niche places that the numbers tend to hold this time of year. Not as many places held decent populations of fish but we pressed on each time, locating fish, getting shots and making catches. That’s just the name of the game in sight fishing with a fly in the salt.

Personal Update from Capt Kenjo

Some of you are aware that I have been planning to take some time off from guiding in order to have some surgeries. Unfortunately these plans have now changed no thanks to some failed handshakes in the healthcare industry. So, back to square 1 in regards to starting this process all over again. If any of you readers have a great spine surgeon referral in Texas please don’t hesitate to share!

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The Most Excellent News

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As this news goes, the most excellent news is that I get to keep guiding this year! Or at least until I can find another surgeon. Spring is approaching fast. But don’t forget! The captains annual fishing update says, “We are not done with our winter fishing yet!” Next week forecast looks rained out but the last few days of January forecast can been great! And February still has promise too! What is certain right now is that the fish are hungry after this cold front and if we can get out there to hunt them, we will have a good chance trying to feed them if we can adapt!

Last Minute Trips

We all now how it goes, we wake up one morning with no plans to go fishing, look outside, see the blue skies with no wind and say, “Dang it! I should have gone fishing today!” Well, stop right there and give me a call at 7am if you want to hop on the boat for last minute trips typically starting at 9am this time of year! Half day trips are $600 this year. Please note: Payment in full is required for last minute trips and for late night calls! -Capt Kenjo 361-500-2552

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Partner of the Week

Many thanks to the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce for choosing me as their Partner of the Week last July. It has been a pleasure to have been a member for 10 years and their contribution to our tourism in Port Aransas is no doubt, Great!

An experience on the water with Capt Kenjo is full of useful information about this flora fauna as well as the history this area has to offer.

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Capt Kenjo (@kenjofly) • Instagram photos and videos

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Texas Fall Fly Fishing

Fly Fishing the Texas Coast in the Fall is an amazing time. Recent offshore rains have really gotten the fish in the bays feeding aggressively. We are experiencing some of the most awesome eats from redfish in the shallows now, thanks to the cooling effect of the rain!

fly fishing, texas, fly, port, aransas, fishing, tfo, red, drum, redfish, fly rod, airflo, take a kid fishing, — 12yo Ella getting to play tug o’ war with some Texas redfish

Olive green crabs in size 2 and 4 are working well and small 2inch shrimp patterns in black/chartreuse or copper/tan color combos also working well. During low light conditions, we put on our Smith Optics Igniter Lenses to really turn the lights on.

In the low light conditions

We will adapt our strategies in the low light conditions by shortening the leader to 6ft. And use a larger 1/0 unweighted fly like crab or mullet imitations. These flies will usually have brighter colors like chartreuse green or red/white. This is so that the angler can see the fly better and the fish can also see the flies from a greater distance. Keeping our casts short and precise can make all the difference in the game. Topwater bites are also on the rise. During early morning hours and continue into the day if cloud cover and wind persist.

smith, optics, low light, igniter, over slot, redfish, texas, port, aransas, corpus, bay, christi, beavertail, guide, trips, adventure, red, drum, lighthouse, lakes, fly, fishing, port, laguna, madre, rockport — Creepin the skiff through dead mangrove sloughs in low light conditions. You can bet we used Smith’s low light Igniter lenses!

On random days in the fall the wind may persist. And so we need to stay prepared to adapt our strategies even more and hop out of the boat for a quick wade in the “Longest Mile”.

September dates are available NOW! Use the Book Now button to view availability. More and more red drum, speckled trout, and black drum are going to be pushing up into the shallows. You should be there to get in the action!

over slot, redfish, texas, port, aransas, corpus, bay, christi, beavertail, guide, trips, adventure, red, drum, lighthouse, lakes, fly, fishing, port, laguna, madre, rockport — Marks first over-slot red

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Slow down and smell the fish

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We got to slow down and smell the fish recently. This day did not disappoint. We had a lot of shots at fish like this surprisingly and we caught one each…

This big black drum was one that got the hook. It is quite a cumbersome ordeal to wrangle these big lethargic drum to hand. Oftentimes though, I too have to remind myself to slow down and smell the fish. Unfortunately these fish don’t smell like roses but the principal goes further than just enjoying the moment as the saying implies.

Wade fish the Texas Marsh to Slow down

It has its merits, and during the right time of year you could even land a grand slam of redfish, black drum, flounder, and trout on the fly or spinning tackle. Slow down and smell the fish is not all that bad of an idea if you’re a keen outdoorsman.

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Certain bait species produce slicks and or oily residue on the surface of the water which can unique scents. When mullet are concentrated and being fed heavily upon, the wind will waft the odors of the mullet downwind and if you have a sharp nose, you can pickup on some of these locations. The menhaden and speckled trout are also two of the sweeter smelling odors. Some even say the trout slicks will smell like watermelon! Have you ever experienced the watermelon smells on the water?

Dates available for September, October and November!

You can book a trip now by calling Capt Kenjo direct at 361-500-2552, or shoot him a text message with your name and preferred fishing date and/or send an email ASAP…

OR… simply use the blue button below for express and convenient booking! Then don’t forget to slow down and smell the fish!

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Offshore Oil Port

Imagine crossing the ferries to Port Aransas and seeing an oil tank farm/VLCC terminal at Harbor Island just waiting for the next Hurricane to break it wide open…

There are many pros and cons when it comes to consumer progress and expansion. Earlier talks of having a large volume oil transfer terminal on Harbor Island raised many red flags, along with the traffic jamming super-tankers they plan to fill/empty there daily. Now there is a proposal on the table to take this oil pump station offshore to some degree, which is a better alternative to a land based solution.

Having spent the last 6 years on the water fishing almost daily and launching out of Port Aransas most of the time, I could easily agree that of all the boat traffic we have out there, this area certainly does not need larger oil tankers making u-turns just outside the harbor’s entrance. The Mono-buoy doesn’t sound like a bad idea compared to the Harbor Island proposed site.

You can comment on this Deep-Port Offshore Mono Buoy project at the following website.

Anything you write in defense of the fish, the sea, and our public resources in order to protect it is welcomed by me. This is one opportunity where the public’s comments actually go on “official record”… Please take the time to send your comments through this portal so our voices may be heard.

https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=MARAD-2018-0114-0003

If you are at a loss for words or are sick of typing, you may copy and paste my letter below, just please edit the signature to personalize it.

“The real Texans who make up this wonderful state and enjoy its wild areas do not want more oil industries in the area of Corpus Christi and far reaching surrounding natural habitats. It is wrong to sacrifice the Public’s wildlife, both land-based and marine, for the sake of economic development. The natural resources of Texas and its marine wildlife are invaluable to the public and that is where our real wealth comes from. Outdoor recreation is vital to the survival and morale of our Coastal populations and its guests (tourists from all 50 states) including the millions of tourists who have made Texas their permanent home. Do not allow any VLCC terminals, regardless of offshore or onshore. A single incident anywhere from any one of these plants, regardless of how small, would devastate the ecology of OUR land immediately and have long term consequences for hundreds of thousands who rely on these natural resources. This risk is not acceptable regardless of the proclaimed economic growth being proposed by this project and others nearby of similar and dependent heavy industries.

Again, the risks associated with this project and all others like it is not accepted. The public is speaking to you! YOU MUST HEAR OUR VOICES. We expect you to protect our lands and seas with the upmost diligence and fortitude.”

Serious and asserted,
Capt Ken Jones
Native Texan
Port Aransas Texas
361-500-2552
Ken@kenjofly.com

Post No Bills

Got out today with new client Tom after tropical storm Bill’s wrath had passed. The joke is that we got more wind/rain back in the month of May.

Return customer John had another good time before the storm with me chasing a few tailing/schooled up redfish on a super skinny tide.

fly fishing, sight, casting, redfish, texas, port aransas,

Sight casted in 6″ of water!

Today’s long story written quickly is that Tom got his first redfish and flounder on the fly today and congrats to him for putting in such great effort! Never giving up always brings the reward and the highlight was when Tom ALMOST caught a 20-lb jack crevalle on a white crease fly!

Tom first Redfish on the fly

We were running between spots and a surface disturbance caught my eye off in the distance. I decided to swing wide and go in for a closer look and found out that a wolf-pack of jacks were finning the surface, their entire dorsal fins were sticking straight up above the water and about 20 of them were just cruising on the surface. Tom got the fly in front of one and it crushed the fly and had him so surprised we didn’t get a good hookset. Then Tom did it again and got the fly out front and this time we were sure to get a good hookset! The fish took off for the horizon and took close to 100yds of backing with him and the entire school too. But while the spool was spinning feverishly in reverse I heard a clanking on the deck. I look down and see something shiny and when I pick it up I realive it was spool knob! Dang! we yelle! This fight just got alot tougher with no way to reel in all that line with a big jack on the other end! So we used the boat motor to chase down the fish with Tom manually stripping in all the backing the fish made a hard run before we could get close and ended up popping the 15-lb tippet. All in all it was another gorgeous day on the flats with a big jack on the Hatch surprise!

hatch reels, fly fishing, port aransas, texas, coast

Something is missing in this photo

Winds and weather are steadily improving and the fish are beginning their staging patterns again to get back up skinny. Give me a call to book, I have a few week days open.

-Capt Kenjo 361-500-2552

Spring Rains & The Big 3 That Got Away

Bright and sunny this fish was right where we thought she would be!

Hooked up to a redfish on fly and West Coast Mike hangin on!

Summer Availability: Last summer the winds died out July 1st and the bay went flat as glass and you could see tails to the horizon. And so it begins, we switch to super small patterns with short stealthy casts to target tailing redfish. Multiple fish days exist in July and August and the tailing redfish action is red hot just like the sunshine! Give me a call now to reserve your spot on the bow of the boat! Capt Ken 361-500-2552

Spring Report: This year has been incredible including last winter. Many fish on the flats and then up super shallow early. There were some very nice sized ones to boot. All the rains we have been getting this year (seems they really started way back in January) are producing some great fly fishing action. In between the cloudy and windy days are bursts of sunshine, usually with a T-head looming somewhere on the horizon. The fishing under overcast skies and stiff breezes is also decent and 2 recent clients, both named Mike, hooked fish that got the best of them. West Coast Mike stuck out 3 days of grueling winds and while we had trouble finding good numbers of fish the first day he just wouldn’t quit. On the first day we got well adjusted and felt a tight team had been formed between angler and guide. Calling the shots from the platform is no easy task, especially for the angler when truckloads of mullets to 3 lbs are rampaging the flats scarfing up the freshly grown green algae and grasses. Day two with W Coaster Mike was a bit more mellow and the twitches began to subside, partially from casting fatigue, and also from getting a good grade on Day 1. One shot is all we got on each school of reds that we found. If they spooked the school would split and then scatter. Then we found a huge tailer along a reef with its broad fat tail flopping size to side as the fish was cruising up onto the top of the reef with the extremely high tides.

Sweet Serenity in rough conditions!

Mike made the perfect cast and when the fish ate I felt the boat jump as West Coast Mike drove the permeable Tiemco hook deep into the fish’s tough maw. But that fish was smart, and got down in dirty and cut-off Mike on the oysters. A quick retie of the trusted chartreuse mullet fly and wouldn’t you know on the other side of the reef was another big fish with its tail up and getting busy! Mike hooked up to this fish too but with the powerful hookset the fish shook its massive head violently and parted the 15-lb tippet. Back to back, and all in two casts.

Bonus Species, mark that one off the bucket list!

“Sight casting” can be done in cloudy weather too! Its just a little harder!

Not long after Mike nails a respectable southern flounder out of a pothole then later took a shot at a bull-rushing redfish and intercepted the fish with a well placed 70′ cast at which point it nailed the fly and ran upwind!

This one we landed and the sense of accomplishment and pride was almost overwhelming us both!

And so on for several more days we find a few fish that eat, but any mistakes are taken advantage of by the fish. East Coast Mike will attest to that, his only goal was to catch 1 fish but that make for a tough order sometimes!

All in all it was a thrill fishing with both of these fellas and while the sunshine is unpredictable and is good for sight fishing, fly fishing under less than gorgeous conditions can also be fun and rewarding!

Fall Fishing South Texas Saltwater

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Port Aransas Double Rainbow over Harbor Island

While it has been awhile since I have posted any reports or stories, I can assure you I have been busy chasing the local tail. While on the water very little attention has been given to the camera, and more time has been spent with rods in hand and tighter lines. As with any fishing experience, there have been some great days for catching, and some great days for fishing. That being said, it goes without saying that there is no such thing as a bad day of fishing!

A perfect example of what some might argue as a bad day of fishing versus an epic night of fishing is when you get spooled 4 times in one night of hunting tarpon.

tarpon, silver king, fly fishing, spin fishing, full moon, jetty

This little silver king graced us with its presence and allowed us this quick opportunity for a photo.

Somehow though I still felt the need to apologize to my crew for finding tarpon that were too big to catch with the equipment we had to use. Never in my life did I anticipate apologizing for this reason, especially because of the epicness of the tarpon hunt. But, because of the beating we all took during that trip, it was worth cracking my apology as the joke of the year. Hell, before the trip even started when picking up the crew from the airport I felt my own nervousness showing through, something inside me knew that it was going to be the sickest fishing trip that any of the 8 of us had ever experienced in a total of 120 years of combined fishing experience.

phil shook, lydia ann lighthouse, red fish, texas, saltwater, fly fishing

A scrappy young of year redfish comes to hand near the Lydia Ann Lighthouse with author Phil Shook.

Redfish and trout are still in the bay and reports of big black drum are starting to trickle in steadily from local sources.

With the cool Norther that we are getting right now as I write this article, the fish should respond well to the dramatic change in weather patterns are start putting on the feed bag in order to fatten up for the impending winter season.

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Lest we not forget, seagrasses are protected. This sign is posted at the Southwest entrance to Brown and Root Flats

Next weeks weather patterns are looking excellent, with a little bit of rain later on in the week (fish are already wet and don’t care if it rains). We should have calm seas with moderate winds early in the week and should make stalking redfish and trout pretty exciting.

A sad thing I have noticed alot of people doing recently is that they are running their motors across the flats. For those of you with your own shallow running boats, take the time to respect the law, and more importantly, the environment from which we take so much pleasure.

Stop your outboard motors at the edge of the flats and either get out and push, or use a push pole or trolling motor to get your boats onto and off of the flats. With a little research of the maps and some forethought, you will find short routes on and off the flats for quick trip, or longer routes if you have more time. Use the wind to your advantage to help push your skiff onto the flat, and if you plan your route correctly, the wind and tides will help you move your boat off of the flat just as easily so that you do not exhaust yourself.

Please be mindful of all the plants and animals on which we tread. I am certain that if a redfish could, it would be waving the “Dont tread on me” flag as well.

If you are interested in booking a fly or spin charter for redfish, trout, drum or flounder, I have This Sunday November 10th available and Wednesday the 13th of November. Give me a call or email to get in on the action.

Keeping the hooks sharp,
Capt Ken Jones (ken@kenjofly.com)
361-500-2552 – Port Aransas, Texas – Certified Wildlife Guide

New Waters – Texas Coastal Bend

Many things in life change; like leaders, tippets, flies, fly lines and Destinations.

Early morning sunrise flyfishing in the South Texas Coastal Bend

Some of them unexpectedly and even sometimes unplanned and hopefully things turn out more rosy than imagined. After working the grindstones of New York City for what 6 years seemed to have been 12 and for the most exciting times of my life, day in and day out, non-stop action on and off the water, I recently have found myself settled in South Texas after a grueling past year with some seriously pinched nerves. Warm climate seems to be the best medicine for this country boy, aside from actually being able to see the stars at night.

Quite literally, having run out of road in Port Aransas, Texas, a place twice visited by President Roosevelt to fish for Tarpon, the little piece of Mustang Island north of the Laguna Madre is a nice spit of sand and hopefully is here to stay for a while.

Upon arrival I immediately began scouting the local waters and found many excellent fishing scenarios available.

Redfish habitat

Whether on foot or from some sort of watercraft of your choice, the rich biodiversity of the marine ecosystems in the South Texas Coastal Bend area will get you hooked and keep you coming back for more. Truly, this place is prime and the fish are eager.

To get up to speed, I’ve compiled short bit of notes on the fly fishing opportunities available in this area from boat and on foot (sand, mud, rocks, beaches, rip-raps, jetties, bulkheads, cuts, guts, swaths, piers and docks), and will continue to track fish patterns based on seasons and other relevant environmental conditions.

Hooked up!

In October, the redfish are running hard and is prime time for bull reds. I feverishly attempted to intercept these big bulls on fly, although it may take some more time to nail them consistently.

Fly Fishing juvie tarpon in South Texas

At the jetties, multiple shots from juvenile tarpon exist with a good chance of hooking up.

Even during the North blows, the Spanish mackerel even respond well. The larger tarpon in the 60-80lb class have also been sighted with a keen eye. I have yet to hook into a tarpon in this size range but they do visit Port Aransas during certain times of the year.

Speed Demons like this make smoking hot drags!

King Mackerel also come in close to shore and are a serious test of your tackle and fish fighting skills. A lone 30-lb king mack like this one can take 175yds of line off the spool in about 10-seconds flat.

During November, the redfish continue to haunt the flats, while the speckled trout are lurking around the edges keenly out of sight. Bird variety and populations begin to explode in the marshes, flats, and along every 50 yard stretch of mangroves. Spoonbills are a treat to sight with their pink colored plumage and odd head/neck behavior when feeding. They are truly marvelous animals! Seagulls and terns take flight all along the beaches and fight every morning for their next meal. When times are tough the terns will even sit on the backs of the pelicans immediately after the pelican dive-bomb some bait and the tern will pick scraps from the pelicans beak as it drains the bucket-loads of seawater from its pouch filtering the bait fish it had caught.

Mangrove cays such as these are excellent fish attractors

Load of mullet in all sizes keep the water shaken but not stirred unless a over slot red fish cruises nearby. Nervous water appears on every turn in the shoreline, and with the multitude of mangrove islands the next trophy red could be ahead. Top water flies are good game this time of year and can produce some exciting takes from redfish on the flats.

Mangrove snapper are also plentiful and can fill up a 5-gallon bucket quickly with small pieces of shrimp dangled around the rocks. Or you could simply tie on a small clouser and nymph-fish it around the rocks as well although you don’t need boobers. Sometimes anglers get lucky and bag a nice Gag Grouper from the rocks.

Nice Gag Grouper from the rocks at Port Aransas

For now it seems the variety of species is dwindling but the redfish, trout, and flounder are still abundant and should hold average population levels to keep fisherman busy throughout the winter down here in South Texas. There are always rumors of snook lurking and can be a tough challenge on fly given their rare but confirmed presence in the coastal waters of the Laguna Madre.

The one secret I can really tell you is you gotta go (fishing) to know (fishing).

Keeping the hooks sharp,

Captain Ken Jones

361-500-2552

Popular redfish hang-out

Kenjo Fly Fishing Charters

Texas Saltwater Flats Fishing Charters

Tag Archives: flounder

Captains Annual Fishing Update

Fishing the Fall Run of ’23

Personal Update from Capt Kenjo

The Most Excellent News

Last Minute Trips

Partner of the Week

Texas Fall Fly Fishing

In the low light conditions

Slow down and smell the fish

Wade fish the Texas Marsh to Slow down

Dates available for September, October and November!

Offshore Oil Port

Post No Bills

Spring Rains & The Big 3 That Got Away

Fall Fishing South Texas Saltwater

New Waters – Texas Coastal Bend

Many things in life change; like leaders, tippets, flies, fly lines and Destinations.