Gulf Coast fisherman Louis Rogers says some of the best fishing in the world can be found right here in Corpus Christi. Photo Courtesy Louis Rogers
Whether you're a novice fisherman or an expert angler, you can have the best fishing adventure of a lifetime with the right Gulf Coast fishing guides. When looking for a guide, one expert recommends word of mouth. “A good way to find a good guide would be to contact a marina and ask them for a recommendation,” he says. You also want to look for a guide with a fairly new boat, and someone who has written articles on the sport. Someone who is good with kids and patient with amateurs is also a plus.
Best fishing guides for bay, surf, pier and spear
The Texas coast is the place to be for bay, surf, pier, deep sea, and spear fishing. And while anyone with a fishing license can throw a line from a pier, bay fishing requires a boat. Charter companies and guides abound in the area and can lead to the best fishing and best catches.
“I like to bay fish Laguna Madre,” says fishing enthusiast Louis Rogers, who uses soft plastic lures with wet head jigs. "I usually use my boat to get to places where I can get out and wade, and I look for an area where bait fish are congregated."
Surf fishing can be a bit more challenging. Wading into the surf with all your equipment, especially in rough waters, can be tough. The basic idea of most surf casting is to throw your bait or lure as far into the water as possible to reach your target from shore.
“You have to be careful," Sifford says. "If it’s rough out there, you can get yourself into trouble. Unless you’re in pretty good shape, I’d only wade out there on calm days."
Deep sea fishing offers the greatest access to different species of fish. Chartered boats can lead to bigger prizes, too, such as sharks, tuna and King Mackerel.
Spear fishing is an increasingly popular way to fish the Texas coast — a method of hunting that humans have used for ages. Guides take divers to to oil platforms for the best fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. The platforms provide an underwater structure that many species consider home, including tropical fish, snapper, spade fish, barracuda, ling, sheepshead, grouper and cobia.
The summer months, from June to September, are the best time to spear fish for the ease of access and the sheer amount of fish.
Fishermen of all skill levels agree that Corpus Christi and the surrounding area offer a unique fishing environment, with an abundance of deep channels where fish migrate and an upper lagoon loaded with grass and sand pockets with good habitats for spawning fish.
