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Captains Annual Fishing Update

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Blind in one Eye?

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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Last minute trips can prove to be productive too

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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Glass on Glass

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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The Rarity of Tarpon

That morning everyone at the dock an hour before sunrise was jovial. As we cast off our dock lines in the Port Aransas Harbor for another optimistic day we joked about how the flats are over-run by summer boating crowds.

Sploosh!

Plying the shallow salt waters of Corpus, Redfish and Aransas Bays can be busy. Dreaming big while remembering the rarity of tarpon in our Texas Bays. Laughing a bit more knowing that it was only Thursday.

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Bent by a Blacktip Shark Port Aransas Texas

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Do you ever hear that little voice on your shoulder, horns and halos mistaken, telling you its gonna be a great or horrible day, but maybe not? Pay no mind, its just you’re fly guide talking himself out of and into it. Over and over again, he knows that there is a good hunt ahead of us. And he’s got some awesome folks onboard to keep it real and ever so “reary reary” fun!

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Neighbors that brushed us off the beaten path to find the road less travelled and behemoths along the way. Thank you!

Aside from the mundane order of events, the first decision of the morning was to abandon all hope and strategy. Throw caution to the wind.

Regardless of our new found fishing buddies we turned our attention to the wide open spaces. What we expected for a summery Thursday sunrise did not come close to what we witnessed. “There, I saw something super big and super fishy.” Off in the distance we could see a fleeting glimpse of dolphin sized activity (excluding the dorsal fins).This was another rarity of tarpon. “Let’s go find out!” we all seemed to say at once. We motored slowly away from the flats hoop-la and setup on what would become one of the best days we had experienced yet.

Splooosh!

“What was that?” someone asked quietly… Then we saw the 12-ft hole in the water just outside of casting range open up. Was it jack crevelle? Was it sharks? Or was it Tarpon? “Naw! Not tarpon in the bay here! That ‘NEVER’ happens!” Our hopes were on the moon. We were sure that we didn’t know exactly what huge fish species was about us. Nonetheless, we suspected all 3.

Quietly shaking, the crew slid their rods out and the guys started prospecting the area. One angler with his 15-lb spin rod hooks a ladyfish on a quick steady retrieve. Then the fly angler gets a nice hit from a good sized skippy. “Hell yeahs” and high-fives were already being exchanged. Quickly the first ladyfish went off the hook. On releasing the second ladyfish a 5ft bull shark swims up from depths and nails the ladyfish! SPLOOOSH!!!

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Glamorous Ladyfish Skipjack on the Fly

Now our nerves were on fire and the guys started stuttering their “holly hell” gibberish. As any good guide knows, this is time to keep the boat calm and get back to fishing… Out comes the another tarpon leader. And another ladyfish hits the gunnels. There! A fin! Is that tarpon?” someone whispers stressfully. Yes, and then, we hookup another ladyfish on the fly, and just as we are landing it, the spin angler’s jig gets hammered boat-side just out of sight.

SPLOOOOSH!!!

A giant 12-15ft hole in the water just opened up next to the skiff. “TARPON!” we all yelled! Water sprayed all over the crew as the reel started screaming. I look over and the shimano spin reel was getting smoked! Captain laid a waypoint, cranked the engine to give chase. The beast fought us for 5 minutes peeling line hardly giving any back. Over a half mile we followed, helpless with the tiny flats pole.

Shortly after it turned and ran right for us. When it came tight one last time, it shook out the hook. That folks, is all about the rarity of tarpon. Even if you get a chance, there is a better chance to loose. But, in doing so, we win, because we cannot give up!

Now, this story may seem impossible. Some even consider it to be embellished. But you can be sure it happened. Right here in Port Aransas Texas!

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Bent by a Blacktip Shark Port Aransas Texas

It was a fleeting chance to strategically work tarpon in the bay, not just see one, but we got to work them for quite some time. This is just another story of the rarity of tarpon.

There is also far more to the story, much detail was left out to save the author and readership time. It would be better spent on the skiff, hunting whatever sea creature we may encounter next!

Book your trip now with Kenjo Fly!

-Capt Nemo

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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!

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Kenjo Fly Fishing Charters made Partner of the Week in July ’23 in Port Aransas Texas

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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Muddy Drum in Texas Fog

Texas Fog rolls in off the gulf during warm fronts in the Winter. Along the Texas Coast, muddy drum can be found in various areas when deep water meets shallow oyster beds. In winter the southerly warm fronts jockey for position with the cold Northers, the fog sets in. It can stay for a few days. not to worry though, clear water and solid cloud cover still lets us sight-fish from the skiff!

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first redfish ever
Tough to Beat, Andrews first redfish ever was so big! Congrats Colorado!

There are still dates in Jan Feb open so pick your day quickly and prepare for either blue and grey skies! The fishing in Winter is some of the best of the year!

The Texas Fog

On those foggy days when the water is chilly, redfish and black drum will float on the surface warming themselves. When they do fish are usually easily visible even though there is low light and you will get shots at your fish.

When the fog stays put all day, sight fishing can still work out well. While the water may be cool (44 degrees F in some cases) muddy drum in Texas Fog can be very productive.

Sometimes we got to use the boots to get through a stretch where the fish are lurking and these Simms boots stay in the boat 24/7 for just that reason.

texas redfish winter 2022
Top Slot belly crawler
used wading boots
on and off 6 times in one day

fishing in the fog Texas marsh
Upper Slot Port Aransas Bad Weather Redfish

The solution is simple and the trick is to not look out too far from the boat. Anglers need to only scan 10-30ft from the boat. Many Anglers are surprised when they realize they can see that upper-slot redfish or oversized black drum only 10ft away. Calm casts with minimal body movement is necessary. You will want to be able to present the fly to such a close fish without spooking it.

big ugly black drum Texas coast
Catching a giant Black drum on the fly can be your best chances in winter on the Texas Coast!

Some days the giant black drum don’t want to eat as seen in the drone videos. But on other days, the eat the fly like a champ! Do you want to hook into and hug a Big Ugly black drum? Winter-time can be the best time to have chances at big redfish and black drum!

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Fleet Week Fly Fishing

Fly Fishing fleet week was at its best recently. All other anglers were also very kind. Uncommonly we fished in the fleet as “easy” catching was too good to pass up. Several of our Guest Anglers capitalized on the action while it lasted! Many thanks to the friendly local bay guides who invited us to fish the same area. Sharing the tight space kindly brought tons of laughs for everyone.

fleet of fishing boats
Only Fly

Stroll out of the marina early morning in Port Aransas. In order to peak the anglers curiosity before joining the fleet, fabled stories of yesterday floated across new ears.

Only minutes later, Captain Kenjo eased the fly fishing skiff off plane and jumped onto the platform with manual pole power. He asked the guests of the day if they would like to try to catch the schooling redfish for some “fleet week fly fishing”. They of course respond with a definitive, “Yes”!

RL Winston Alpha+ 9wt fly rod fully bent for fly fishing fleet week
Hands on for guests John & Scott and they wore themselves out early!

The skiff slid silently into position as we flanked the fleet of 20 bay boats. Intermediate lines let us help the fly sink deep. Then only a few strips were needed to get the bite and set the hook.

We caught and released close to a dozen mid to upper slot Texas redfish. Our anglers were worn out quick! Next, we move on to another place with less boat wakes to take in the serenity of the Texas marsh before the next isolated storm pushed us off the water. You know it too though, fly fishing the Texas Gulf Coast always has its adventures!

There many ways to fish the saltwater. I was happy to see respect from the other bay guides and recreational anglers in such a situation. We are all from around Port Aransas, Rockport, Corpus, and Aransas Pass areas. Happily, everyone was sharing the space and the redfish too. Courtesy on the water certainly is the best way to go.

Despite fishing among so many boats we had tons of fun fishing the fleets for a few days. Mostly we focus on isolated areas of the San Jose, Mustang Island marshes. This time exceptions had to be made.

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Fly Fishing Guide KenjoFly with Guests on board
Another bay guide shared this photo with us

Texas Redfish Adventures

Really cool fly fishing trips have been happening on our Texas Redfish Adventures recently and George and Laura got in on several moments!

Fly Guide Capt Kenjo holds rescued redfish. Take your Texas Redfish Fly Fishing Adventures with KenjoFly!
Capt Kenjo dove into the water to untangle this Port Aransas redfish from behind the boat.

It was near end of day after catching more than a handful of wonderfully colored Texas redfish and black drum. The excitement grew again exponentially when we found the motherload! It was a school of maybe 300 redfish in 4 feet of water. All of them were in the 25 to 32 inch age class and swimming in tight formation. We maneuvered the skiff into position and began poling onto the fish with George casting strong and hooking up immediately.

The 26 inch redfish managed to get the best of George boat side when it got the line tangled in the back. The redfish had wrapped all around the trim tabs and (manual) power pole! Without hesitation, I jumped off the platform into the chest deep water. Alongside my Beavertail Strike skiff, I quickly untangled the line from the back of the skiff. Everyone was cheering for our shared success while Mrs. Laura snapped some photos.

doubled up redfish rockport texas fly fishing adventures
Even the guide gets to whack a fish every once in a while
2 upper slot redfish in the net
A really good day means two 27inch redfish in the net together

Quickly back on the poling platform I scanned surrounding water for the large school of middle to upper slots. Sure enough, there they were again. It only took a couple minutes to pole into position and George was ready. George & Laura’s Texas Redfish Adventures continued as we hooked up again on the next cast!

I wanted Laura to get to pull one of these fish in so I decided to grab a rod to hook a fish for her. But she didn’t want to fight any fish as she was having too much fun heckling George and cheering for us! So I hooked a nice fish and George and I landed them both simultaneously.

redfish in the rain
Texas red drum don’t care if it is raining and this one took a topwater gurgler with reckless abandon

NOW is the time of year to get in on some great redfish schooling action and there are several appearances each day of bull redfish as well. Book your next few Texas Redfish Adventures with Kenjo Fly and you’ll be hooked and planning your return trip before you even finish the day on the skiff!

October is a very exciting time to fly fish the middle Texas Coast. Don’t miss out on your next Texas Fly Fishing Trip! Call NOW or use the button below to see Capt Kenjo calendar of availability!

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guest angler first tailing black drum on the fly
Thumbs Up for this happy Guest Angler (Looks like I have finally worn out my Duck Camp Bamboo Lightweight Hoodie too!

October Redfish

Fall is in the air in Port Aransas Texas with the light northerly winds cooling off our waters and the October Redfish are responding well. The tides are shaping up nicely now while the redfish begin to move into the shallows in much more favorable numbers. There are still some dates available to fly fish for October Redfish! Call NOW to get on the Books with Capt Kenjo (361) 500-2552

first time redfish caught near Rockport Tx
First Redfish on the Fly

This time of year brings about so many beautiful colors in the marsh. The blue in a redfish tail comes from the blue-green algae in their diet. There are also some larger fish in the pods too and as we encounter more schooling pumpkin redfish you will want to look closely for the larger fish. The last few we spied that were top slot reds were on on the edges of the school of under slot redfish. A well placed cast for tailing red drum is still important when the fish are in pods or tailing. Using a clean and soft gentle cast will be sure to keep from spooking the tailing redfish. Rockport and Corpus Christi guests can also be accommodated easily!

Happy Fly Fishing Angler Cameron holds a Texas pumpkin redfish
Pumpkin Time!

If you are novice to fly fishing the saltwater, you can easily book a fly casting lesson. Prior to your trip book the casting lesson in order to get your cast in shape before your trip! Book your Fly Casting Lesson HERE!

Do not hesitate to book your next fly fishing trip with Kenjo Fly for October Redfish! To book your fly fishing trip simply give Capt Kenjo a call NOW. 361 500-2552. Or pick a trip through the online calendar at your convenience and book online. BUT DONT MISS OUT! This fall fly fishing season is already excellent shape and underway, making way!

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September Fly Fishing Rockport Redfish
Another pumpkin from a school of tailing red drum

Jacks in Town

Jack is back in town and these busters will test your angling skills. May dates are available NOW! With jacks in town, the excitement grows!

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We got a nice day out front and went on a scouting mission. Within just a few hours we had raised 3 from the deep and one managed to swipe the half-and-half fly aggressively from below the surface. Within 10 minutes later the jack crevelle succumbed to our game of tug and war.

Take note of the “down and dirty” fighting technique with the 11wt fly rod.

The extremely low rod angles fight the fish with the butt section of the rod which applies maximum pressure to these brutal jack fish. You’ve got to put the hurting on the jacks in town, or they will certainly put one on you!

Jack Trip Exceptions: when the weather is too rough to search open water comfortably, we may default to the flats and do some wade fishing for redfish and black drum. These are great backup plans for a day. Often times though even a standard redfish trip gets interrupted by these jackfish! So either way, book a trip anytime this summer and Capt Kenjo will be certain to put you on some fish. And with emphasis on the fish of your dreams! There are also chances to locate and target big bull redfish but please note that these big redfish are not males (as the name Bull implies). The large redfish are actually most likely females as the male red drum do not grow as big.

Adults redfish mature by 3 – 5 years of age; approximate length at maturity: males – 28 inches, females – 33 inches. Red Drum can also grow to incredible sizes. At least historically they have. The largest redfish ever recorded was caught in the waters around Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. That redfish weighed an amazing 94 pounds and 2 ounces.

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Deep Sea Smiles

Gentle Casts

How to fly cast gently.

One fly casting technique that proves itself very valuable in the saltwater world is learning how to lay down the fly and line gently. Producing gentle casts can mean great catching and less spooking of the fish you are stalking.

The real challenge though is performing these gentle casts while your eyeballs are popping out of your own head in your excitement! Staying calm and not rushing the cast produces more hookups than trying to rush and hitting the fish too hard.

Here in this clip you can see David does a great job maintaining his composure. This pod of redfish are tailing along the spartina grass edges. You can hear us whispering to each other as he makes 3 casts in order to get the crab fly in the right spot.

On such a calm day you can be sure those fish would have spooked had the fly been too heavy or if he had cast “down” at the fish. Communication on the skiff in the moment is also key to our success.

Landing the fly softly is achieved by aiming your casting loop about eye level above the fish. When presenting the fly, be a little more gentle on the final forward stroke.

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David learned to keep his feet quite and got to work with several schools of healthy reds

To do this, stop the rod tip early in your forward cast. Leave it up a bit longer than usual as you let the weight of the fly line gently pull the rod down. It would go from the 1 or 2 o’clock position down in front to the horizontal position.

With a little routine practice, you can use your line hand to feather it all down slowly. This will help the fly line lay out straight and gentle. That way the fly lands right and softly. For those redfish, you want to be able to move the fly on the first strip. Then you will be able to set the hook properly. And that hungry redfish will then gulp down your crab fly. Fish on!

Book your fly casting lesson (off water) and then lets take it to the fish and put what you learned to the test!

Book NOW with Capt Kenjo! Great weather is in the forecast!

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