I need some advice Ags. We are having a family vacation for a week in July and we're renting a house on the south end of Rockport a block off the bay. I'll have myself and two other avid fisherman (my 14 year old son and 8 year old nephew) and I'd love to try our hand at salt water fishing. Problem is I have never done any saltwater fishing on my own before and know pretty much nothing about it. I have a variety of spin casting rods and reels I use for trout (the mountain type, not the speckled type), bass, catfish etc.
We will probably have two kayaks with us that my son and I could use. I'd love it if we could catch something right across the street from our house, there is a pier we can get out on that's about 500 feet long there. We could also easily drive somewhere and fish for the day.

Where should I try? What is the easiest way to get my nephew catching something? What's the saltwater equivalent of catching a mess of bluegills on worms? Lures? Baits? Is a medium to heavy duty spin cast rod and reel setup adequate? I'm starting at absolute ground zero here.

Wow, the rare and humiliating double topic post.

Buy some live shrimp and popping corks. You'll weed through trash fish but should/could catch trout and reds. Even a rat red will be a highlight for the young ones! They fight like crazy.

I've always had luck with the tandem speck rigs

My dad lives on the water, a few blocks south of Market St, and does really well just jumping off the front patio, crossing the street, and wading in knee-thigh deep. He catches them on arties mostly, but croaker and shrimp work too if thats more your style.

Get some of the green and orange plastic popping corks with rattles, some split shots, trebles, and live shrimp, cast into 3-5' of water with about a 24" leader, and let it sit. You'll catch some.

If you have access to a pier like you are describing, that is your best bet. For easy beginner stuff use essentially a Carolina rig with a dead shrimp on the hook. You can stop at any bait shack and buy a pound of fresh dead for five bucks or so. Keep the shrimp in a cooler or they will get nasty. Not the beer cooler, unless you are nasty. Throw the Carolina rig out off the end of the pier, tighten up the slack and wait. Don't use a great big hook. You will catch a bunch of catfish, both kinds are bad. Use pliers and shake them back into the water.

If there are lights on the pier the fishing can get really good late at night. That is more advanced fishing, but not anything crazy. Buy 'spec rig's at a local tackle shop. They are small soft plastics tied together in tandem. Throw them out on the edges of the light and vary your retrieve until you get bites. If the trout are there and biting you will hear the splashing. Try other plastics and see what works. Freshwater lures sometimes work, but the hooks will rust from the salt if you don't wash them after use.

You can also hire a guide the first day or so and they will give you a bunch of pointers for the following days.

any recommendations for a local guide?

Be sure to buy your licenses and saltwater stamps.

Yes, a medium to heavy spin cast rig will do what you need. I'd recommend braided line as well if you are currently spooled with mono.

You mentioned the equivalent of bluegills on worms. For that, take pieces of dead shrimp on small hooks on lighter line and go for some piggy perch.

As mentioned above, lights at night can be good. To really have a chance in the water with kayaks in the bay during the day you will either need to get really lucky, or take a few licks learning. I swung and whiffed the first few tries, but eventually you'll start to figure out what works and what doesn't.

Your best bet on catching something from the yaks will be in canal lights at night with either shrimp under popping corks, or artificials. Chrome rattle traps are good, but I've had the most success on glow in the dark soft plastics that I'd charge with my LED headlamp. You will see fish moving in the lights chasing bait fish. If you don't see movement, move on to the next light.

If you grow weary of throwing dead shrimp or trying to keep live ones alive, try Gulp in a variety of sizes and colors.

Edit: or FIshbites.

Be sure to buy fishing gear at home. Most Academyand other stores like it down here are slim pickings on fishing gear.

Hoyt Ag said:

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Be sure to buy fishing gear at home. Most Academyand other stores like it down here are slim pickings on fishing gear.

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Seems to be that's a issue bigger than on the coast. The college station academy is empty

Same here, hooks and lead weights are hard to come by. No saltwater stuff in Amarillo either

How south of RP? Hit the many wade friendly stops on either side of the shrimp channel. Fish the humps on the south side of the highway. (Anyone know that baitstand?)

Or head north and wade the entrance to Copano, by kontiki Inn or the boat ramp before the Copano bridge. Lots of treading mud if you go that route.

Best of luck, flounder are doing well in the drop offs. Your nephew should be fine.

Went last weekend with Norm Charlton (361) 463-8986

Great guy, fantastic guide and former MLB pitcher.

Hoyt Ag said:

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Be sure to buy fishing gear at home. Most Academyand other stores like it down here are slim pickings on fishing gear.

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Tackletown in Rockport is full of fishing gear. I was just in there on Monday.

house location


This is where we are at.

DargelSkout said:

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Tackletown in Rockport is full of fishing gear. I was just in there on Monday.

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That place is awesome. I could never live in Rockport because I'd blow every dime I had there

Roys is even picked over. Its a problem all along the coast. Portland and CC Academy have nothing in stock.

tony said:

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house location


This is where we are at.

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Becareful taking kayaks out from there with all the traffic in and out of cove harbor.

Couple of good sets of pliers to get the hardheads off if you dead bait fish, even some live bait too. Don't want the kiddos getting finned. If you do fish at night with spec rigs, you will figure it out pretty quick. Don't forget to bounce along the bottom some, you might scare up a flounder, especially if you put some tail on it or fish bites.

Clear DOA shrimp patterns will also work well in the lights. Try to throw them past the lights and bring them back through, or fish the edges.