Going to port aransas at the end of April. Could sure use some tips and tricks to land something worth talking about and eating. Been to the coast about a dozen times haven't caught anything to speak of still no trout no reds no sheep head no drum. I'm limited because I can only fish on the surf or piers. Could sure use some help and reports please.

Smacks might be in at the jetty. Bring something you can throw a 2 oz spoon a LONG way. I personally am using the Tackle Industries 9' Mag Heavy XH Power Rod along with an ABU Garcia REVO inshore spooled with 30# Power Pro braid and 50# fluorocarbon leader. Big 2 oz silver spoon and plenty of them as the rocks and fish are more than happy to take them away from you. Occasionally there will be all sorts of fish show up from smacks to reds, tarpon and even an occasional ling. Keep your eyes on the water and watch for disturbances. I always bring at least 2 rods and keep the long one handy. Sheepies may still be around the rocks and can keep kids amused.

Thank you very much. One question though what are you calling smacks? Forgive my ignorance I've got more freshwater than salt fishing experience.

LOL Sorry. Spanish Mackerel

Well that makes sense lol. Thank you

Get some 4/0 or 3/0 circle hooks and a popping cork. Then fish live shrimp under lights at night hooked through the horn. You'll catch all kinds of interesting stuff, but mostly reds and trout.

Is this due to health/physical limitations or choice? If you can walk a fair distance that will help you out.

Thank you

No sir thank God that is not the case just limited in the fact that I do not have a boat and don't have funds to take a charter it will be me my wife and my buddy and his girlfriend and we can walk anywhere

Not knowing what your budget is for tackle, or what you already have, I would advise the following minimum for your best chance to catch some nice trout, Spanish Mackeral, and maybe even a Jack Crevalle that will give you pound for pound the fight of your life:

I would fish the surf at the N Jetty at the Fish Pass, located a few miles south of Port Aransas if you want to stay dry, or I would wade the surf anywhere along the beach, fishing the wade gut or second gut, moving from place to place. Your chances of catching fish are far better if the wind and surf is down below 2 feet,and the water green and slightly murky to clear, and I would be out at the crack of dawn. If you have a 6.5 or 7 foot bass rod and reel, in M or ML, with 10 lb or heavier line, you have that part covered. If there is only one bait I would recommend for April in the surf, it would be a Johnson Sprite silver spoon, 1/2 oz or heavier. You can cover a lot of water quickly, and the spoon will "match the hatch" as often as not. Vary your retrieve from slow and twitchy all the way to fast and steady. Trout seem to prefer twitchy and slower, while smacks like it fast. Johnson spoons are inexpensive, and I would pick up a few, in case you lose some to the toothy smacks and sharp lipped skipjacks. A lurking Jack Crevalle will smash that spoon, and be prepared for a lot of fun landing it on bass tackle if you can. Topwater lures such as Spooks and Skitterwalks, using the walk the dog technique, can be productive as well if the surf is flat or at least no more than a foot. Redfish tend to prefer the gold colored spoons, but may hit the silver as well. Live mullet fished on a fish finder rig would be my choice for natural bait, or live shrimp fished under a popping cork.

you can always try horace caldwell pier or if you wanna drive go down to bob hall pier there catching trout and and reds off the piers right now...

Don't forget fishbites.. Shrimp scent! Will defiantly get you bit!

I just went to the exact spot I recommended above this past Friday. I fished in the surf just north of the Fish Pass jetties. The water was green with the surf running about two feet. I fished about three hours in the late afternoon into the evening. The last couple times out down on PINS were not so good, but on this occasion on Mustang, it was a day to remember for life. I set out two surf rod/reels, using fish finder rigs made with 50 lb flouro leaders, 9/0 circle hooks, 3 oz sputnik sinkers, and set the rods in sand spikes. One rod was baited with a live finger mullet, and one with a fresh mullet head cut bait. The third rod I set out with a much smaller circle hook and fish bites, looking for whiting, drum or anything else that might bite. I only caught four fish total, but they were doozies. My first fish, surprisingly caught on the fish head, was a 5.5 lb Trout at 27". Right after re-baiting and setting out the same rod, I got another hit, this time a 29" Redfish, the species I was actually targeting. A bit later, I got a hit on another fish head, this time a 23 lb Jack Crevalle. I also caught one big whiting on the rod baited with Fish Bites. After the long tussle with the Jack, I called it a day. I spoke with a lady on the beach who said she had caught a 31" Red earlier in the day. Hope this report gets you stoked for your trip, and I hope you can get good conditions like we had this past Friday.

Thanks for the tips, plan to give it a try that weekend as well.

At the crack of dawn be at the end of the port aransas south jetty and start throwing a 1oz or heavier silver spoon on a clear blue green water for smacks or king mackerel.