Going there for the first time in a few weeks. We’re gonna do a half day with a guide one day and Probly do the party boat deal once or twice and then just pier and wade fish the rest of the time. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

I just left port A. South padre is closed. So is bob hall pier. The pier on beach street is open 24 hours. It just opened the day we got there and is lighted and open 24 hours. THere is a charge but we arrived about 7pm each day and the office was closed so no charge. Everybody using live shrimp under a popin cork. Buy them at port a outfitters on cotter , just down the street. Cost 18 dollars a quart. Have to have an areiator. Went on a 8 hr trip with deep sea headquarters amd would rather have an [censored] whupping as to go on another one. Best fishing we found was off the jetty on beach sreet

Devin are you going all the way to deep south Texas or the Corpus area? I may have some ideas for you for South Padre Island itself. Let me know and I will PM you.

I think he means South Padre Island down at the southernmost tip of Texas.

Yes we are going to South Padre Island. The place we are staying is not far from the Mexico border. We are not going to be near Port Aransas at all.

Yes all the way down by Mexico

I wonder if people get confused because there is a South Padre Island Drive on North Padre?

Hi DevinJoe, we were there last week.

I caught a lot of ladyfish in the surf, and s few trout. If you want to go all the way out to the last bar you'll have to swim, but I hooked a monster kingfish that nearly spoiled my trout rod before I lost it. If I were going back, I'd spend one morning throwing giant topwater plugs and 2+ oz spoons off that bar, with heavier tackle. The waves were a bit big out there, though, so hang on to your pants!

You can get live croaker (good sized ones too) from a place called (not kidding) Master Baiter's. They're right on the other side of the causway in port isabel, a little yellow hut right on the main drag. Everywhere else only had shrimp. Croakers are $1/each, and they only take cash. Freelining them off the second bar got a few trout to 4ish pounds.

I didn't get to explore much else, but I found a few cool spots on the bay that you can fish. In particular, there's a street called (I think) island Dr. It intersects the main road, there's s stoplight and a giant blue water tower. If you drive north, the road kind of twists and eventually dead ends in an incomplete subdivision. The locals (or, at least the dude that sold me a bunch of red snapper at Joe's Oyster house) call this place "the fingers". I think you could take some topwater plugs or live shrimp back there and fish the canals for snook and trout -- I was trying to catch bait, but saw several nice blowups whole I was there.

If you drive north up the island, there are some turnoffs where you can access the bay shore. If you wanted to wade or launch a kayak this would be a good spot. I did need 4wd in one place, so avoid if you're in a car or you don't want bay mud in your undercarriage.

The best place to buy ice : take the first right when you get into the island over the causway, there's a little but/vending machine that lets you buy 20 lb of ice for $2. You just drag your cooler under a chute that the ice comes out.

Joe's Oyster bar had fantastic shrimp and fresh snapper ($13/lb I think, cheaper than sirloin!), coming into port isabel from the island, take a right at the second light, the your first left.

Good luck and post pics!

Here's the place called "the fingers". You can drive out on the dirt road there, just be careful there are some pretty wicked washouts.

Island Ave
Island Ave, Port Isabel, TX 78578
https://maps.app.goo.gl/42yVVXvW75ev9aoR7

To be honest, next time I'm in South Padre I'm taking a dozen live croakers and fishing these canals at night. The houses all had fish lights, and only some of them were occupied. This looks like prime speck/redfish/snook water.

Ben, great report. Devin, you might want to look at the jetties if you have kids and want to fun fish. There is a lighted pier on the Port Isabel side of the causeway. Good luck.

The jetties are closed because of covid, that was my plan too.

Thanks for the info atx. I’ll definitely try the night time deal with the croaker. Did you find any public piers with lights? I really like doing that At night.

There are a couple of piers, in port isabel, ones called pirates landing I think.

That is the one I referenced earlier. I have not fished it, but it looks pretty nice.