Texas Road Trip Ideas – Fish Rockport, Fulton, and Aransas Pass

South Texas Road Trip Guide

Fish Rockport, Aransas Pass, and Fulton

Rockport offers a great chance to catch our “big three” in-shore species: speckled trout, redfish, and flounder. You can also catch black drum, sheepshead, Spanish mackerel, and sharks.

The area is known for big “specks”. Catch yours with a silver spoon, Berkley Gulp, or Rattle Trap. If you prefer live bait, shrimp, croaker, and shad will work on all of the species we’ve discussed. Float your live bait under a popping cork, on a Carolina rig, or freeline your bait with a light rattling rig.

Multiple fishing piers and bank fishing locations are available.

Rockport Beach. The pier is closed, but there is ample bank fishing here.
Goose Island State Park. This pier was destroyed during a hurricane. There was construction in this area during our visit, so hopefully it is being rebuilt.
The end of Market and Water Street
By the Old Art Museum / Navigation Office. 911 Navigation Circle, Rockport
For redfish, try the Inn at Fulton Harbor to the left of the shrimp docs. Use light weights and shrimp. 215 North Fulton Beach Road in Fulton
Fulton Beach Bulkhead at the Convention Center (black drum) 402 North Fulton Beach Road
Hunt’s Castle Pier. 725 South Water Street in Rockport.
Cove Park in Ingleside – live bait available at Ann’s Bait
Reel ‘Em In Pier in Rockport. For hotel guests. 1603 South Water Street

For large numbers of speckled trout, try the above piers at night.

If you prefer wade fishing, some top spots around Rockport include:

Lamar Beach Road near The Big Tree (Goose Island State Park)
Howard Murph Park on Loop 1781 behind the airport
North side of Copano Bridge before the houses and docks start
Tin Can Reef, South side of the Copano Causeway. East side of bridge. Start by the old fence that goes into the water.
South Side of Copano Bridge on the HEB side. Stay in the water (HEB owns the land). Fish past the outlet of the lagoon and down to the point for trout.
Goose Island State Park

If you’ll be fishing by kayak or boat, some recommended spots are:

Hog Island, Aransas Pass (You can also beach your boat and wade fish)
Mud Island, Rockport (Another place you can beach your boat and wade fish).
Stedman Island, Port Aransas

Good shore fishing and crabbing is available at Lighthouse Lakes Park. Will you be bringing a canoe or kayak on your trip? Lighthouse Lakes Park has the longest kayaking trail in Texas.

Lighthouse Lakes Park offers kayaking, fishing, birding, and nature watching. Six (6) miles south of Aransas Pass along the Aransas Channel on the Redfish Bay Causeway (SH 361).

Cove Harbor Marina is a popular place for fishermen to launch. They have four boat ramps. Non-ethanol gas is available on the dock. There is a deli. Snacks and fishing supplies are available. 6a – 5p. 121 Cove Harbor North in Rockport. (361) 790-5438. CoveHarborMarina.com

Are you looking for a one stop fishing resource? Try South Bay Marina. They have bait (live shrimp, croaker, mud minnows, piggy perch, and mullet), rental kayaks, small Carolina skiffs with 15 horse power motors, and a lighted fishing pier. They can also set you up with guided fishing trips. (361) 758-6900. PortAransasAdventures.com. 1950 East Highway 361 Port Aransas.

Mom’s Bait Shop Rockport. Usually open by 5:30 AM, Mom’s Bait Shop is popular for live bait. Do you need some table shrimp and crabs to stuff all the flounder you catch? Mom’s Bait Shop can help with that also.

302 Navigation Circle in Rockport. (361) 729-0173.

Fulton Harbor Bait and Seafood. Check out their Facebook page for a daily updated report of fishing conditions, barometric pressure, moon phase, wind speed, projected wave size, and tides. They offer live shrimp, crabs, mud minnows, croaker, piggy perch, ribbon fish, sea lice, and more. Repeat customers comment on the friendliness of the owner and staff. Cash only. 250 Deforest Loop in Fulton near the popular Charlotte Plummer restaurant. (361) 790-9709.

Port Aransas Jetties. The Port A jetties, like most of the area, are alive with marine life. The challenge is figuring out to catch it. When we downsized our approach, we were able to catch a number of smaller fish including Lookdown Fish, small tropical fish, and lady fish. Using an eight ounce lady fish head, I was able to almost immediately get the attention of a decent sized shark, but it blew up my line almost immediately. Other fishermen caught large speckled trout up to 26 inches and some Spanish Mackerel. There are lots and lots of sea turtles along the jetties.