I will be in Port Aransas with the wife's family the 10-14th. We've rented a house just north of Palmilla. I'd like to take my son out for a few hours if possible. Is a pier our best bet? All I have is two medium action inshore rods.

Also, if my son bails on me to make sand castles. Is there a place I could go wade on the bayside or would I be better off in the surf? I am a bit lost when it comes to fishing the coast, so any help is much appreciated!

If you don't ride the ferry over then take him on it to redfish/brown & root flats(get off ferry on the AP side and turn off into the brushy looking trails on your left, just pick one). Wade around there & you will catch something. Alternatively you can fish over off the channel on the PA side & catch a plethora of hard heads (if nothing better)easily.

I took my 5 year old out of the pier a few summers ago. They sell frozen shrimp and squid. Pretty easy fishing and you will catch something. We had fun pulling in croakers, grunts, whiting, sand trout and a couple of undersized reds. Take one of those fold up wagons from Academy with a cooler and some chairs.

Cool, thanks alot guys! I imagine I'll go the pier route as I think he is still a little small for wading.

Do you recommend a popping cork off the pier?

If doing a pier Popping cork and live shrimp or dead shrimp on the bottom (drum are running now). Another options is you Can fish off the jetty in port a or take the ferry to St. Jo's island (but likely small kid wont be up for a long day like that). If you want to wade without the kid, look into shamrock cove and kates hole. lots of redfish in shin deep water, sight cast them w/ a gulp or soft plastic or gold spoon. Park near wilsons cut (you may have to drive over soft sand) and dont leave any valuables. Ill post a map shortly.

This is Kates and you can Access Dead Mans just south of there. You can drive into Mustang Island state Park and wade out to Kates or drive a little further south and park in a parking lot that you can see in this map and wade to the power lines and thats dead mans area.


This is shamrock, drive here, depending on the sand/ground you can access those different x points to get in and wade.

Dead Mans

Thanks a ton lazurus! Those maps are super helpful and much appreciated! I've only fished the jetty a few times, but all I ever seem to do there is donate tackle to the gulf.

I might try to find time to do a few short trips. I'd like to take him to the pier, but I'm walking distance to the surf so I may give that a shot too on my own early morning. Any tips or tactics fishing in the first or second gut?

The city park pier south of the ferry can produce. Freeline live shimp around the piers for mangrove snapper.

8 year old may rather crab.

Kate's hole. Heh.

If wading, shuffle your feet.

If it is calm and green, mirrolures near the top or Gulp Electric or Nuclear Chicken soft plastics off the bottom should peg you some trout.