Tag Archives: trips

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.

fly, fishing, port, aransas, beavertail, skiffs, tfo, bvk, fly, rods, hatch, outdoors, finatic, airflo, redfish, red, drum, rockport, corpus, christi, guide, laguna, madre, texas, vacation, flyfishing, adventures, things to do, beach, gulf, coast, gulf of mexico, smith, optics, r.l. winston, winston, yeti, sight, fishing, sight-fishing, on the fly, how to, gentle, casts
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!

BOOK NOW

Fly Fishing the Texas Coast

Fly Fishing the Texas Coast in September, October and November is some of the best times to fly fish the Texas Coast. We will likely see larger than average redfish cruising the fats, and in between we expect to find schools of redfish and drum too. Dates are available! Book Online Now or call Capt Kenjo direct for prime dates.

BOOK NOW

tailing, school, redfish, red, drum, redington, fly, rods, beach, leader, blacktip, shark, fly, fishing, beavertail, skiffs, port, aransas, hatch, outdoors, redfish, sight, casting, saltwater, black, drum, aransas, bay, corpus, christi, laguna, madre, guide, speckled, trout, sea
Bobby got his redfish on the Redington Minnow Rod

Summer Summary: The summer months on the Texas Coast this year was exceptional again. In regards to the weather, well, lets just say we got wet like the fish and we hunkered down every now and then to wait out a fast moving isolated storm, or two… or three. Before I move on with the Summer Summary, my heart goes out to those in the wake of Hurricane Ida. Help them out any way you feel you can help.

port, aransas, beavertail, skiffs, tfo, bvk, fly, rods, hatch, outdoors, finatic, airflo, redfish, red, drum, rockport, corpus, christi, guide, laguna, madre, texas, vacation, flyfishing, adventures, things to do, beach, gulf, coast, gulf of mexico, smith, optics, r.l. winston, winston, yeti, sight, fishing, sight-fishing, on the fly, pumpkins,
We picked two red drum out of a single school in the thunderstorm. The multi-spotted redfish was Sam’s 1st on the fly.
wunderground, radar, supercell, fly, fishing, weather, forecast, deep, sea, roundup 2021,
We won 1st and 2nd place in the Fly Fishing Division

In and around Port Aransas, fly fishing through June and July was productive but difficult in a few ways. Low light, heavy rainfall quite amounting to 3 years work of annual rainfall caused the water to turn off the fish for a short period. There were times when the water looked like someone had mixed cranberry juice with coffee and there were also small and isolated pockets of better water. Nonetheless, we got it done and found fish every time. A short time later the water returned to normal and began producing the fish we all desired. I use Wunderground and FishWeather apps for my weather forecasts.

winston, fly, rods, airflo, lines, beach, leader, blacktip, shark, fly, fishing, beavertail, skiffs, texas, port, aransas, hatch, outdoors, redfish, sight, casting, saltwater, black, drum, aransas, bay, corpus, christi, laguna, madre, guide, speckled, trout, sea
The Winston Alpha Plus Super Bend! The camera played a bit of a trick while filming the fight with a 5ft blacktip shark. This is the moment in which I was in the process of “letting go” of everything! The surge of that blacktip was awesome fast!
duck, camp, winston, fly, rods, airflo, lines, beach, leader, blacktip, shark, fly, fishing, beavertail, skiffs, texas, port, aransas, hatch, outdoors, redfish, sight, casting, saltwater, black, drum, aransas, bay, corpus, christi, laguna, madre, guide, speckled, trout, sea
Working with sharks can be exciting!

Fly Fishing the Texas Coast in August was also great when some stability in the weather arrived. The fishing accelerated then and the numbers of redfish schools are growing daily. We also got offshore and chased tarpon and shark in the surf zone on the fairest of days. We managed to hook one tarpon right away and break it off immediately but later we had another 4-5 foot tarpon take a swipe at our shark fly but did not commit.

September fish activity will continue to improve and remain very consistent through November. You can find an available date by using the Book Now button, choose the type of trip you are looking for and the calendar will be displayed for you to select a date that works best for you.

BOOK NOW

There are many more pics and stories to share so we will save those for another time. Get on the books to experience fly fishing the Texas Coast and lets ramp up the fall run early while the waters and weather is fairly quite again!

wunderground, radar, supercell, fly, fishing, weather, forecast, beavertail, skiffs, texas, port aransas, hatch, outdoors, redfish, sight, casting, saltwater, black, drum, aransas, bay, corpus, christi, laguna, madre, guide, speckled, trout, sea
I love sight fishing black skies!

Coastal Texas Spring Rains

Fresh [rain] water is the Elixir of Life to a marine ecosystem.

redfish, fly, fishing, red, drum, texas, fly, fishing, texas, coast, beavertail, hatch, outdoors, r.l. winston, airflo, line, reels, rods, fly, port aransas, corpus, christi, rockport, aransas, pass, redfish, drum, red, black, jacks, wade, fishing, jack, crevalle, crevelle,
Wade fishing Texas Reds during Spring Rains

Texas fly fishing for reds & drum is solid right now. As the Coastal Texas Spring Rains return, quite a few fish have returned to the marsh as well. And as expected, the marine life has shaped up nicely although it took a little time to balance. The fish are showing themselves up in the shallows now where there is an abundance of crabs and shrimp and a plethora of tiny fish. There are a few remaining dates open in June and July! Hit the button below to choose your next saltwater fly fishing trip!

BOOK NOW

Tailing Black Drum and Backing Redfish are both prevalent in select wading areas surrounding Port Aransas TX.

black, drum, red, texas, fly, fishing, guide, trip, port aransas, charter, things to do, corpus, christi, bay, redfish, wade, fishing, wet, beavertail, r.l. winston, rods, hatch, outdoors, reel, airflo, lines
Congrats Bill on your first black drum on fly!

And in rainy conditions like this, the best way to deal with these variables in my opinion is to wade fish. This allows the fish to reveal themselves to us without detecting us as easily and we can take more shots at more fish without dislocating the majority of fish in the area.

jack, crevalle, crevelle, texas, fly, fishing, texas, coast, beavertail, hatch, outdoors, r.l. winston, airflo, line, reels, rods, fly, port aransas, corpus, christi, rockport, aransas, pass, redfish, drum, red, black, jacks, wade, fishing
This storm passed quick and we found the redfish backing in the grass and black drum tailing in the mud right after

In regards to rain systems like this one shown on Weather Underground Radar and Maps, Coastal Texas Spring Rains usually move in fast sweeping systems and in only a couple hours this one had passed and the winds laid down. Soon enough we found ourselves on the flat in calm conditions casting practically non-stop at backing redfish and tailing black drum with our fly fishing gear. So there are times when we might have a rain delay and occasionally a reschedule, but more importantly, you may miss out on some great fishing! My favorite part about the great outdoors is that it is not climate controlled.

We will adapt to our conditions and get on the fish despite the average weather. The fresh water that the rain introduces to our system is critical for healthy marine habitat and abundance of food for the fishes with target! Good news everyone!

Wade Fishing the Texas Marsh

redfish, fly, fishing, red, drum, texas, fly, fishing, texas, coast, beavertail, hatch, outdoors, r.l. winston, airflo, line, reels, rods, fly, port aransas, corpus, christi, rockport, aransas, pass, redfish, drum, red, black, jacks, wade, fishing, jack, crevalle, crevelle,
Chasing them around the block

Granted, wading the Texas Marsh is not for everyone. It is highly recommended you be in decent physical shape. With sharp eyes and a good clean quiet cast you can also raise your odds of hooking up! Because it will most likely forever become known as the Longest Mile you’ve ever walked. Frankly, it can require someone with a strong spirit and will power, to not stop or give up. Fine tuning yourself into a fish stalking son of a gun isn’t the worst goal you could have! Rudy never gave up and in very tough conditions got to work on a handful of foraging redfish. Because of this, our catches are very rewarding in mind and spirit.

redfish, fly, fishing, red, drum, texas, fly, fishing, texas, coast, beavertail, hatch, outdoors, r.l. winston, airflo, line, reels, rods, fly, port aransas, corpus, christi, rockport, aransas, pass, redfish, drum, red, black, jacks, wade, fishing, jack, crevalle, crevelle,
Wet wading Tailing Texas Redfish
redfish, fly, fishing, red, drum, texas, fly, fishing, texas, coast, beavertail, hatch, outdoors, r.l. winston, airflo, line, reels, rods, fly, port aransas, corpus, christi, rockport, aransas, pass, redfish, drum, red, black, jacks, wade, fishing, jack, crevalle, crevelle,
Texas Redfish on the Fly
sheepshead, redfish, fly, fishing, red, drum, texas, fly, fishing, texas, coast, beavertail, hatch, outdoors, r.l. winston, airflo, line, reels, rods, fly, port aransas, corpus, christi, rockport, aransas, pass, redfish, drum, red, black, jacks, wade, fishing, jack, crevalle, crevelle,
Bonus Sheepshead on the Fly

Texas Jacks on the Fly

Mighty Texas Jack Crevelle

jack, crevalle, crevelle, texas, fly, fishing, texas, coast, beavertail, hatch, outdoors, r.l. winston, airflo, line, reels, rods, fly, port aransas, corpus, christi, rockport, aransas, pass, redfish, drum, red, black, jacks, wade, fishing
Another Texas Beast

There are times where the weather shifts the voracious activities of the mighty Texas jack crevelle. It can go from Off to Wide Open in an instant. That is when we need to be ready to strike. Then it can go from On back to Off again just like that! As the weather changes dramatically and frequently during the late spring season, it can move the fish around but they still have to eat.

jack, crevalle, port, aransas, fly, guide, corpus, christi, fly, fish, rockport, bay, trip, beavertail, skiffs, on the fly, popper
Mighty Texas Jacks

One thing is certain, if they disappear from one area, they will reappear in another at any time. In full force, when it is time, they will put on the feed-bag! Variables continue to evolve and all of these get the fish staged and worked up to put on a grand ole show! So get on the books now for your chance at catching one of these Texas Jack Crevelle! The last few dates open are June 14-17 and this particular week could prove to be very exciting!

BOOK NOW

jack, crevalle, crevelle, texas, fly, fishing, texas, coast, beavertail, hatch, outdoors, r.l. winston, airflo, line, reels, rods, fly, port aransas, corpus, christi, rockport, aransas, pass, redfish, drum, red, black, jacks, wade, fishing
Texas Jack Crevalle will improve your fish fighting skills

Rob and I hunted high and low for the jacks but didn’t track them down immediately. So we detoured to the flat, picked off his first redfish on fly then heading back out into another area to scout for the jack crevelle and sure enough, we found them, off the beaten path and Rob crushed 3 of these fish on his first saltwater fly trip ever! Knowing how to double haul absolutely helped Rob throw the 11-wt the first time and get that big popper fly where it needed to be!

Here is a short video of a big Texas jack that I had hooked up with while scouting before a client trip. Sorry for the rough work but I was working the skiff solo! I was using the R.L. Winston 11wt B3 Plus paired with Hatch Finatic 9 Plus with the drag rather tight. The Winston Alpha Series is latest and greatest and I’ll be adding the 12wt Alpha to the skiff soon!

Fishing Spring Break

spring break fly fishing texas port aransas corpus christi red drum redfish beavertail skiff flats saltwater rockport bay guide charter hatch outdoors airflo simms howler fishpond winston rods yeti
#33 for the day (sorry the other hand was occupied) for return Guest Angler Omar

As your Texas Saltwater Fly Fishing Guide, I would advise you to go ahead and book that March fly fishing trip. Regardless of the weather, enduring the elements is part of the excitement of the game. And last year, March was a very good month for Fishing Spring Break. Putting yourself out there in the salt is the best way to learn to succeed on the fly.

Book an Appointment

Now that March is underway, I am confident to say that our weather pattern will be shifting dramatically any day now. It should become warm and sunny for most of the month of March. Fingers crossed! There is no telling when the winds will pickup and start honking. But if the weather in March last year is any indication, you should book a trip online right freaking now for this weekend, next week, and the following weeks of March!

spring break fly fishing texas port aransas corpus christi red drum redfish beavertail skiff flats saltwater rockport bay guide charter hatch outdoors airflo simms howler
Omar crushed them

Fishing Spring Break can be great with loads of fish on the flats. If I were to try to guess our weather patterns for the forth-coming year, I would apply last years weather to this year as the pattern so far now that March has begun is very similar.

January 2021 saw some exceptionally great weather and the fishing was excellent. Returning Guest Omar was one who got to enjoy a day of quantity in January where every cast in any place produced a redfish on the fly. There was just so many fish to work with that it was more difficult to try to be selective. Mr. Omar keeps a personal catch log of his saltwater exploits, and that fine day in January he broke quite a few personal records, in particular, landing 33 redfish in a single day even though the moon wasn’t in our favor. Despite the moon that day, the winds, tides, bait and redfish were definitely in our favor for catching.

fly fishing texas port aransas corpus christi red drum redfish beavertail skiff flats saltwater rockport bay guide charter hatch outdoors airflo simms howler fishpond winston rods yeti
Bill got him a good one! O’Yeah!

We caught the redfish tailing, cruising, floating and laid-up already this year. Looking at what February was like this year, it was very similar to last years weather pattern in February. Cold, cloudy, rainy and windy… That was the month of February in a nutshell. But March will be another great time to fly fish the Texas Coast!

Fall Floaters Rolling Redfish

It is the beginning of the Fall Run and everything looks like a red drum target to me… “There they are! Hold your cast… Wait… Wait… OK! Now! Cast!” The Fall Floaters Rolling Redfish are certainly busting their guts with shrimp crabs and finger mullet right now!

fly fishing redfish texas trip guide port aransas rockport drum sight cast spot n stalk corpus christi  simms beavertail airflo hatch outdoors adventure nature tour
10 spots wins the pot!

NOTICE: Last minute cancellation for next week (Nov 10-12)! Book immediately and get $100 off each day of fishing when you book all 3 days! Call Capt Kenjo TODAY to make your reservation. 361-500-2552

fly fishing redfish texas trip guide port aransas rockport drum sight cast spot n stalk corpus christi  simms beavertail airflo hatch outdoors adventure nature tour
Chartreuse works!

Meanwhile, as soon as we hooked up to a redfish, the other fish in the vicinity started coming right for us! I try to zoom my $150 smart phone to “capture” the moment just as the redfish are right in front of us. To truly admire nature for all its pricelessness it is best to be there, in the moment. It is so cool just to see them doing their thing. Sometimes schools of redfish will push along a shoreline whopping any and all bait in their paths.

Redfish schools doing all sorts of tricks are abundant during the Fall Run. Floaters are when the redfish will hover just below the surface or swim by casually cruising. They are easy to see even in bad light. And if the red drum are not doing that you can expect the redfish to be tailing on crabs in the grass. Other times they are popping, whopping, and even have their backs out of the water belly crawling over the mud. Here is an archived article showing our catches of Fall Floaters & Rolling Redfish Tails. In a few days I will post a recent video of “backing” redfish in the mud right after a cold front and the water temps dropped to 56 degrees Fahrenheit!

Call now or BOOK NOW online for your express convenience! Capt Kenjo 361-500-2552

Early Season Redfish on the Texas Coast

red, drum, fly, fishing, texas, coast, gulf, mexico, dark, stormy, guide, trips, charters, beavertail, skiff, rl winston, rods, airflo, simms, hatch, outdoors, conservation, protect, port, aransas, pa, boron, plus, smith, optics,
Tailing Redfish in February

Winter hardly slows down these redfish and now that duck season is over and February is upon us the water temps are rising steadily again. There is great potential this time of year to see loads of redfish, drum and even some BIG trout in the shallows. They could be daisy-chaining along main shorelines or in lard wide schools whoppin’ and poppin’! Usually a day or two after a cold front the water and fish are back in action and even on cloudy days many redfish can be caught on the fly using sight casting and stalking techniques on foot as well as from the skiff.

simms, zipit, flats, booties, fly, fishing, beavertail, skiff, texas, gulf, coast, mexico, port, aransas, hatch, outdoors, airflo, lines, rl, winston, rod
Ready to Wet Wade the Texas Coast
red, drum, fly, fishing, saltwater, flats, texas, gulf, coast, mexico, guide, charters, skiff, boat, hatch, outdoors, airflo, tropical punch, winston, rod, company, lines, alpha, plus, r.l., beavertail, yamaha, f70, winston, fly, fishing, trips
7 spot redfish

The forthcoming weeks of February (including March) are going to see some of the best fly fishing action the coast can offer. Tailing and cruising redfish can be expected and there are good chances to see redfish schools that rival the summer groups. We wet wade often times this time of year in 65-75F water temps to deal with a little bit of wind and or grey skies. This lets us get so very close to the fish that you cant miss them feeding right at your feet! Call Capt Kenjo direct @ 361-500-2552 or simply Book Online at your leisure! It is sure we will have a good time, you will learn many new things and become a better fly angler overall, and if you are nice to the fish, many of them will come out to play! We are still seeing lots of Whooping Cranes and Sandhill Cranes for those who love all types of wildlife.

Book Now

whooping, cranes, fly, fishing, port, aransas, st, josephs, beavertail, texas, gulf, coast, mexico, island, skiff, hatch, outdoors, airflo, lines, smith, optics, rl, winston,
A pair of Whooping Cranes feed along the shores of the barrier islands along the great Texas Coast.

Drain Games – The Texas Fall Redfish Run

Book Now

STAR DATE: October 31, 2019 PLANET: Earth COORDINATES: 27.8339° N, 97.0611° W

FIELD NOTES: The redfish are displaying the following characteristics and behaviors; Crawling, mudding, tailing, schooling, popping, whopping, backing, crushing, pouncing, hounding. Its GO Time in Port Aransas! Lock and Load! Load and Go! (pics below)

Some of the most heart pounding sight-casting to red drum on the fly will be happening over the course of the next few weeks/month! The apex of the fall season is hitting us Now in full swing and underway making way! Sure as frozen fire, the tidal drain-game begins again as Texas redfish, trout, flounder and black drum turn face first into the winds and outpouring of bay water moving “en masse” to feed shallower and shallower. As the migration of shrimp, crabs and baitfish flush out of the estuaries the fish are there and feeding heavily in preparation for the onset of winter. As the fourth significant cold front of the year hits the Coastal Bend right now, strong windy conditions will prevail for the next 24 hours as the dry cool air sweeps across the countryside colliding with the warm moist air of the coastal areas along the Gulf of Mexico the the the winds become more tame and best for fishing!

The redfish have already shown up in very strong numbers up to 30 inches after the previous cold front and it is likely that the next few weeks will see some of the best Texas sight casting to have been done all year. Game on! These next 2-3 weeks may just become noted as “Peak Weeks” for the Fall Run. Time will tell. Needless to say the fly fishing is excellent NOW. Get in touch with your local preferred guide to coordinate ASAP!

My immediate forthcoming availability is THIS WEEKEND starting Sunday as well as Monday Tuesday and Thursday (Nov 3-5 & 7th)…

Call Captain Ken today (while I am prepping for the next 2 weeks of hardcore redfishing) or plan your next trip online at your convenience! Call 361-500-2552

Book Now

Book Now