Bay and Inshore Fishing Charters in Port Aransas, TX
C&T Bay Charters runs fishing charters in Port Aransas, Texas, for redfish, speckled trout, flounder, and black drum. From the harbor it’s minutes to Redfish Bay, Estes Flats, and the jetty edges, so you spend the day fishing instead of riding.
Port A is our home port and where most of our trips start. If you’re staying on the island, this is the page for you. Our inshore charter service covers the wider Coastal Bend, but everything below is about fishing here.
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Where we launch and how far we run
We put in at the harbour on Cotter Ave, near Roberts Point Park at the end of the point. If you’ve been to Port A before you’ll know the stretch: shrimp boats moving before sunrise, crews loading ice, gulls working the cleaning tables. It’s an easy meeting point to find and there’s parking close by.
Getting here matters for timing. Port Aransas sits on Mustang Island and the only way over from the mainland is the ferry from Aransas Pass or the long way round through Corpus Christi. The ferry runs around the clock and it’s usually quick, but on a summer weekend the queue can add half an hour. We factor that in when we set the meeting time, and if you’re staying on the island it stops being a consideration at all.
From the slip, Redfish Bay and Estes Flats are a few minutes away. The Lydia Ann Channel is close enough to work on the same trip when the season lines up, and the Corpus Christi Channel runs right past us. That’s the practical argument for fishing out of Port A rather than somewhere further up the coast. Short runs mean we can move three or four times in a morning without burning half the trip getting there.
The water we fish here
Redfish Bay is the workhorse. It’s shallow, grassy, and cut through with drains that funnel bait on a moving tide. We’ll sight-cast the clean stretches when the light is good and drift the grass lines when it isn’t.
Estes Flats fishes differently. More sand, more potholes, and a bottom firm enough to wade in most places. When guests want out of the boat, that’s usually where we go.
The pass itself is what makes this water behave the way it does. Aransas Pass, the inlet between Mustang Island and San José Island, is the gap the Gulf pushes through, and every tide in this system moves through it. That is why the water here changes faster than it does further inside, and why timing a trip around the tide matters more in Port A than it does in the back bays.
The jetties are the wild card. The rocks and the channels beside them stack shrimp and baitfish on a running tide, and a controlled drift near the south jetty can turn up redfish on the rocks, trout on the edges, and flounder in the sand pockets at the base. We only fish them when the swell and the boat traffic allow, and that’s a call we make on the morning rather than the week before.
The Lydia Ann is seasonal for us. When bait moves through it and the water is right, it’s worth the run. When it isn’t, we don’t pretend otherwise.
What we target in Port Aransas
Four species carry the calendar here. Each one has its own page if you want the detail.
Redfish charters are the most requested trip out of Port A. Shallow water, moving tide, and a fish that pulls hard enough to be memorable.
Speckled trout trips run best early over the grass, and the topwater bite in the first hour of light is worth the alarm clock.
Flounder charters and gigging work the channel edges and the sand transitions. The fall run is the stretch people plan around, though harvest is closed statewide from 1 November to 14 December, so pick your dates with that in mind.
Black drum fishing keeps rods bent along shell and channel edges. It’s the one we lean on when there are kids aboard and everyone wants to catch something.
When to fish Port Aransas
Spring puts trout on the grass and redfish along the windward points. Summer starts early to get ahead of the heat and the boat traffic, and the jetty lanes fish well once the seas settle. Fall concentrates bait in the channels, which is when the flounder run gets going. Winter is quieter and clearer, fewer boats, and a fair trade if you don’t mind working a bit harder for the bite.
Worth knowing: Port A hosts tournaments through the year and the harbor gets busy around them. It doesn’t change where the fish are, but it does change parking and the ramp queue, so we’ll adjust the meeting time if your date lands on one. Our month by month guide goes deeper on timing.
Trips out of Port A
Our fishing charters in Port Aransas, Texas run two lengths. Half days are about five hours on the water and full days about eight. Rods, reels, tackle, ice, fuel, and live bait when it’s available are all included, and we clean and bag your legal fish back at the dock. You can compare trip lengths before you decide, and there’s a packing list if you’d rather not guess.
We fish inshore. If you’re after offshore species, we’ll point you toward the boats that run those out of the local marinas.
When Port A isn’t the right call
Some mornings the wind is wrong for this side. Rather than push it, we’ll move.
Aransas Pass and Redfish Bay share water with us and sit closer to the protected side. Quieter water around Rockport opens up Aransas Bay and Copano Bay when the south is blown out. The Corpus Christi bays give us Upper Laguna Madre and Oso Bay, which is a different feel again.
We’ll tell you the night before which one we’re fishing and where to meet.
Common questions about fishing Port Aransas
Where in Port Aransas do we launch from?
The harbour on Cotter Ave, down by Roberts Point Park. We’ll send the exact spot and time the evening before so you’re not hunting for it in the dark.
How long is the run to the fishing grounds?
Usually a few minutes. Redfish Bay and Estes Flats are close enough that we can fish three or four spots in a half day without a long ride between them.
Can we fish the jetties?
Sometimes. It depends on swell, wind, and how busy the channel is, and it’s a call we make on the morning. When conditions are right, a drift near the south jetty can produce redfish, trout, and flounder in the same stretch.
Is the Lydia Ann Channel worth fishing?
It is when the season and the bait line up. It’s not a year-round spot for us, so we treat it as an option rather than a fixture.
Do the tournaments affect our trip?
Only on land. The harbor and the ramps get busy during tournament weekends, so we’ll shift the meeting time or the launch point to keep things simple. The fishing itself is unaffected.
What’s the difference between fishing Port Aransas and Aransas Pass?
They share a lot of the same water, Redfish Bay especially. Port A gives you the jetties and quicker access to the channels. Aransas Pass sits further inside, which helps on a windy forecast. Most days either works, and we pick based on the morning.
Book a Port Aransas charter
Tell us your dates, your group, and what you’d like to catch. Reserve a date, or call Captain Charlie at (361) 946-5290. For visitor information about the island, the Port Aransas Tourism Bureau is a useful starting point.