my wife & i are going to port A next week. ive found alot of info already but scince im new here and it will be my first time to the gulf im pretty wired !! we will be going on bay fishing trips , a snapper run , and a 12hr deep run ,with dolphin docks , what kind ,size and amount of fish should we expect?
also we will be doing some fishing on our own , just trying to catch fish ,(we use bait not artificals) so far it sounds like shrimp and squid are mainstays , any info and insight will be appreciated
also where is the best seafood place to eat for the money? thanks mike & lawanda

You can probably expect to catch red snapper 4-15 lbs, lane snapper 2-5 lbs, vermilion 2-5 lbs, smaller grouper 2-15 lbs, ling 15-40 lbs, sharks ???, kings 10-40 lbs, and barracuda 10-30 lbs on the snapper run trip.

On the 12 hour, depending on how far out the captain runs, you can expect much of the same species only bigger. You should be able to catch a ton of snapper right now, as well as kings. On the 12 hour you might even catch a Mahi, sailfish, and amberjack.

For fishing from the bay on your own, I would recommend hitting up some lighted piers at night for trout action with live shrimp, DOA's, and Gulp Shrimp. During the day, the jetties can be good for Spanish mackeral, Jack Crevalle, redfish, trout, and numerous other species. If you're going to use live bait, everything alive down there eats shrimp... most of the bigger and better species eat live mullet 4-6 inches long. I would use live mullet or piggy perch freelined to catch better quality.

If you can catch a calm day on the surf, it can be excellent with live mullet, Texas CHicken Mirrolures, or Rapala Skitterwalk topwaters. You can catch Jacks, Trout, reds, and the occasional UFO when conditions are right.

As for restuarants, I would recommend the crazy cajun if you like cajun food and a cool atmosphere. Seafood and Spaghetti works for seafood, they'll cook your catch so you know its fresh.

Let us know how you do.

I second Seafood and Spaghetti Works...it's the geodesic dome building immediately south of Cut-Off Rd, behind the beach store with the octopus on the roof. They have a great salad/soup bar that comes with your meal.

For the best seafood boil you have to go to Port A Beach Club. It's accessible by the beach only. Don't wait too late because they only have a limited number of pots. The pot is plenty big to feed 2 or 3 folks. They also have good burgers.

+1 on what these guys said. San Juan on the cutoff road has got some pretty good redfish tacos. Good luck. I wish I was down there right now.

We are headed down the 19th-21st. Excellent info has already been given but I would add that I wouldn't use squid if you are fishing from the surf, jetties or a pier. I would be concerned that you will be pulling in countless amounts of hardheads. I would stick with using a bait that is the staple in the food change in those waters...shrimp, mullet, cut whiting/skipjack, piggy perch. You will still run into a hardhead as they will eat anything they can fit in their mouth. You would also do well with a DOA shrimp with a Fishbite� (you can fill up a cooler with Whiting in no time with this combination). Gulp works well also.

We will be heading offshore with Deep Sea Headquarters during the days for Snapper and hopefully limit on those then move on to drifting for Kings. We are also heading out with Fishermans Wharf for the 8:00-pm-1:00am night trips. Pretty cool. The wife loves that trip for the sunsets but I love the cool air and the crazy 'things' that come up to the lights of the boat. That trip is pretty much drifting for Kings and we seem to do very well on these night trips even though it is only 5 hours.

Good luck and post some pics of your trip!

Just got back from Port A, the wind blew around 30mph. every day. The bay was rough not sure what off shore would have been like but for sure some good sized waves. Moby Dicks is also a very good place to eat, good atmosphere, u catch they cook also. Right at light off ferry, then left at next light(Allistor st.) and then about a block on right. Allistor is a main rd. there so you will probabaly go down it a few times. The wind made the fishing in the bay not fun, at all. Think I saw the Warf Cat boat having problems going out one evening, it went by real slow and got to near end of Jetties and turned around and was just putting back. Passengers were he=hawing alot when they first went by but were silent when coming back. Not sure just for sure something was not right with it lol. Did not see any offshore boats come in so don't know what they were catching or how much. Folks I talked to like my self caught undersized Reds so that did not work for us anyway. But caught a heck of a bunch of fish. Gafftops, Hardheads, Lady Fish, just bay stuff lol. Stayed at the Double Bar Cottages, beside the Laughing Horse. Will not do that again. Small very small but descent, just seemed like a bunch of CRACK HEADS, were living there. Literaly Crack heads didn't bother anyone but for sure could tell. Parking there was a nightmare also. Nice fish house though. But wll never stay there again. We used mullet and shrimp. Live and dead, cut up some small fish for cut bait, and caught a huge trout on that. Got enough for a meal at Moby's. Just worried that would wake up and stuff would be messed with by people living in there trailers. Make sure don't leave anything out, take poles tackle and anything else you don't want to lose in your room. Got all tackle, poles, and a cooler stoled from a heck of a nice place last yr, so no matter where you stay lock up.

the people in those trailers are safer than the people in the high rent district. it is not a good idea to leave anything out anywhere in port aransas any more. don't judge them on their money, most of them are really nice. if you ever need help you will be glad they are around.

thanks guys , also are mosquitoes a big issue? thanks

They're bad at night mostly and when the wind lays down. If the wind is blowing they'll lay in the grass and wait for you to walk through. So stay off the grass. Take plenty of bug repellent such as OFF.

bigmiket, my one suggestion is this. If you are prone to motion sickness...sea-sickness...whatever, take a big loading dose of dramamine or a similar drug starting a day before you go out to the blue-water. If you are new to deep-sea fishing, and don't know if you will get sea-sick...you probably will with any kinda seas at all. Now if you're an old salt, nevermind, But if not...it is essential that you heed my warning. Next to toothaches and earaches there is nothing more miserable...and unfixable than getting seasick. When it occurs, you will sell your soul for a piece of dry ground, and your fishing trip will be completely and totally ruined.

Dramamine works for me. And yes, I am a sissy when it comes to high seas.

He's right get some Dramamine and take it the night before you go and another one before you get on the boat. I'm not prone to seasickness but I take it as a precausion. If you do get seasick you won't ever forget it.

Yeah Seasickness would ruin the trip. Dramamine and according to some of the folks that run the trips, EAT before boarding or shortly after. Don't know if this helps just what they told me to do. References lol. Wife (sick), Son (sick), DIL (sick), Two Grandkids (sick), Me (fishing). All got well enough to fish some after getting rid of all in them and some that was not. But man they said it was the sickest feeling they had ever had. Other than that good luck fishing. Hope you hook ol' Moby himself.

Ginger has been shown to help and doesn't make you drowsy like Dramamine. If you're like me you can't take Dramamine due to high blood pressure. Ginger pills can be bought at most supplement stores or even the pharmacy. Ginerale and ginger snaps also help.

I've been fishing the salt long enough now that it doesn't bother me now. The only that gets to me is the heat when on an extended fight with a fish. I tend to get dehydrated (which will make you queezy) and too hot which will also make you queezy.

Drink lots of water before and while your on the boat. Also keep a towel in the ice cold water in an ice chest. If you get too hot you can wring the cold water over you head, neck and shoulders and drop your body temp quickly.

Finally, don't think about getting sick or you can literally worry yourself sick. Go, have fun and put it out of your mind.

Keep your eyes on the horizon and take the other precautions as mentioned if you are prone to motion sickness or are not aware if you are. I've got a 10 year old grand daughter that will stand in the bow of La Pesca or the Dolphin just to catch the spray and is dissappointed if the seas aren't high enough while the other grandkids are green around the gills and laying down! It's individual and if you don't know for sure, take precaution.