Hey everyone,

New to the forum, found it while researching Rockport fishing. I am taking my parents to Rockport in May for a week and we don't get to go fishing much. My dad is retired now and i'd like to get out here a couple times a year with him. I want my dad to have a good time and at least get a couple of catches. Would anyone mind giving any tips on set ups to use? We will be staying at the Pelican Bay Resort, and doing some fishing off their pier. But is there another good place y'all would recommend we fish off of? Tips on fish in the area?

I want to fish more often myself and make it a goal to get out to the coast more often, but being a girl.. not many of my friends are into it, so its my goal to learn enough to even just go myself if need be. Even if you only want to give topics to research I'm also more than happy to research it on my own. Thanks everyone!

Go, girl! Watch Ty Henderson's Youtube channel, 30 Miles Out. He's a kayak and flats skiff guide in the area. A little bit of wadefishing, also.

Watch Justin Coghlin's Youtube videos at: "clean fun fishing". He's a kayak fishing guide that's reasonably-priced. You can learn a lot about marsh fishing watching his videos, whether or not you want to kayak fish.

Doing a guided charter with either of those two guys would be a cheap educational endeavor. Pier fishing can be great, too, especially at night on a lighted pier. Fulton just opened their newly-rebuilt fishing pier. Goose Island State Park has a really long and lighted pier in Lamar, just across the Copano Bay Bridge. Rockport/Fulton is a super fishing area. I kayak and skiff fish, and I could fish a different spot each day of the year and not do all the spots in driving distance. Bait shops everywhere. Tackle Town in Rockport has almost everything you could need.

Rockport Chamber of Commerce has a free map with birding trails and kayak launches, called Aransas Pathways. I'm sure they'd mail you lots of stuff, plus they have lots online.

If you have gear for bass fishing, it'll be adequate for inshore saltwater fishing. Just wash everything with fresh water after each day.

PM me if you need more info. Glad to help. IslandJim in Rockport

IslandJim, thanks for the generous reply!!! You are right, investing in a guide is a great way to learn firsthand.. ill def be watching their videos until i can book something with them. What i've been doing is pausing videos whenever i can get a glimpse of what their set up is. That's what i am a little lost on.. is how to set up the line/leader for fishing different fish like flounder, reds, sheep and trout. Hopefully some of their videos have some insight on that. But i do have bass fishing gear. I'm going to make a list of what i need to get but id rather wait and buy tackle from the local shops and helping them out over going to a big box store. I have been calling them for tips too lol.

I don't have a kayak, so its bank and pier fishing for me.... but once i get a little more seasoned, I'm def interested in investing in a kayak.

Seriously, thank you for all of the suggestions!

Don't over think it. Saltwater gamefish are far less particular than bass are. Your bass rods and reels are perfectly fine, you do NOT want or need heavy actions, light to medium is preferred.

You're either going to be using plastics on a jig head, or a hard bait, mostly topwaters.
Plastics, either Hoagie super minnow, or Norton sand eel. Hoagie is either pumpkin when cloudy, or red flake/white tail when it's bright. Sand eel is either tequila or pearl. All are rigged on 1/8 oz Oldham screw lock heads.

Spook type topwater, and you're ready for anything around Rockport.

We use spinning rods for plastics, everything is rigged with 20# power pro.
Casting rods for everything else, spooled with 15# Ande back country.

Awesome, thanks Pat!! That's pretty encouraging. I will be adding all of that to the list! I've also heard about 1/8 oz. Rockport Rattler jigs in chartreuse/redeye, I might pick some of those up too.

Ever had any luck with Gulp on the jigs? Not sure if i should even bother. I already feel confident with what you've recommended. Excited to build my little arsenal, and appreciate everyone sharing what is in theirs.

We only know what we know.
I can only talk about what I know, and shared that. I've had plenty of guys in the boat that were using gulp, and it was never shown better than what I was using.

I also truly believe you catch more with a screw lock head than something else. Big trout and flounder will clamp down so hard on a plastic that when you try to put the hook in, the plastic just slides up the hook and keeps it from going home. One good head shake and they're gone.

Thanks Pat, I’ll follow your advice! Hoping for at least one flounder! 🤞🏽

twocamps, and others: I was at the newly rebuilt and opened Fulton Fishing Pier today, and a guy there was telling everyone the as of today, Veterans get to use the pier no-charge. It's $5 per pole, 4-pole max, for everyone else. Good news for Vets! IslandJim

That's awesome, my dad is a vet!