Now it is back to work, trip went good, caught 3 black drums. 20, 22 and 37 inches (yes I threw the last one back)and a bunch of sting rays and hardheads and a whiting.

All were caught on shrimp, the smaller ones caught on frozen shrimp. Nothing was hitting on crab (crab was scarce everyone was out) or mullet. Even tried cut bait using whiting and nothing. We caught the smaller two behind the dumpsters at Copano pier on the side opposite rockport. Caught the bigger one at the flats at Aransas Pass right before the ferry.

Tried surf fishing at the Packery channel, surf was too rough didn't try the jetties. Tried Charley pastor pier and roberts point pier in Port Aransas, nothing but hardhead.

People on the Copano pier were bringing in oversized drum on shrimp, but I wasn't about to pay $5 per rod. What happened to these prices?

Yeah I thought so too, I heard they were under new management something about the pier no longer being under the state or something like that.

no way $5.00 per rod now at copano??? what are they bob hall now? i dont see ppl pulling out kings or sharks from there $3.00 per rod was pushing it

Piers might be a thing of the past in the future. I don't know what it costs to install and maintain a pier but I would bet whatever that number is would be divisible by five so many times $5 fees won't pay for the pier. Us poor boys without boats are losing purchasing power annually because inflation out paces our raises, so at some point the price of pier fishing becomes prohibitive for us. $5 a rod might be that point...

I definitely agree with you Redman, when I was there it was dead, I guess no one is willing to spend that much on that type of spot when you have other piers nearby that are cheaper.

go hit goose island pier (5 minut drive from copano), it produces, and its alot less traffic

Is there an entrance fee to get into GI to fish off the pier? I'm sure there is. I never knew there was one there. When I go there, it's to look at the big tree. It's been 15 years since I've been.

When did Copano Pier got $5 per rod? I thought when the pier was handed over to the Aransas County Navigation District it became a free to fish? Could be wrong, because I haven't fished there in years. I prefer the pier fishing at Goose Island SP.

DaveRTX, the pier is located within the park boundaries (the Big Tree isn't), so standardt TPWD entrance fees apply. The main gate is locked at 10pm and the park attendants will do a final sweep of the pier to make sure everyone has paid the entrance fee.

Great info Neumie. Thank you. My grand baby loves to fish. I made the mistake of going to POC boatless with her. POC is not very bank fishing friendly. I usually go there with my Bro who has a boat. Hit the jettys and back lakes there. GI will be the place I take her to next time around. I am not very comfortable taking the 7 y/o child on Matagorta bay in a boat even with a PFD. I wait a few more years for that.

That would have been nice if it was free, I hadn't been there in about 2 years until I checked it out this past weekend. We were on the side closest to Goose Island, not sure if the Rockport side is free, I assumed they were the same price.

That is my go to spot during the summer and fall times, pulling up big drum in October is a blast there and I love fishing for specs when the drum are slow.

We couldn't get into Goose Island because by the time we got there it was almost 10, wouldn't have made it in time.