Port Lavaca vs O'Conner

Hi all, thank you for the add to this forum. I'm up north of Austin and planning a run to the gulf coast later this month. I haven't fished either Port Lavaca or Port O'Conner (these are the closest drive for me for the time I have). Looking to get on some Reds mainly and trout if I'm lucky. Because I never fished either, I no nothing about either as far as better fishing and finding lodging. Fishing out of a 17' Center Console. Any advice or preference on these two choices?

Thank you!
Jamie

to the TFF . I would do Port O'Conner they have motels and better fishing than Port Lavaca.

I live in Seadrift
Port O Connor has much more quality water than Lavaca. If you have a shallow rig you have miles of back lakes, jetty’s if it’s calm
None of that in Lavaca.

sadly, there is nothing in Port Lavaca. Last time I fished there was 1960 off the old causeway. If you are new you can just follow the crowd at POC, but you need to get to froggies early to launch. It can be a zoo or better yet pay at Clarks to launch. Be careful, you can run out of water very quickly requiring you to get out and push.

pt oconner is soooo crowded that quality fishing is hard to come by. the water quality is better than pt lavaca, but there are options there. if i was to go to pt lavaca, i'd concentrate on the mouth of the lavaca river and the small lakes that exist a little ways upriver. especially swan lake and redfish lake. the bridge is productive if the wind is down too. there's a very good ramp at the park on the NE side of the bay close to the mouth of the river.

Is your boat a shallow hull?

Thank y'all for the replies. My long story short - grew up on the South Louisiana Gulf Coast. Moved to the DFW area 15 years ago, switch to fishing lakes. Just moved to Georgetown this summer and now that I'm closer to the coast, want to get into fishing the coast for Reds and Specks. Lavaca and O'Conner are each just over 3 hrs for a 3-day weekend coming up. I run a 1995 Boston Whaler Outrage 17'. I love just being on the water. My last few trips back to Louisiana to fish the marsh have scratched, so I'm just hoping to make a run and get on some reds. I'm open to ideas. Tight lines, stay safe, may God bless.

Thank you!
(Pic of my boat and my shipmates)

you got it goin on! go to o conner one week end and lavaca the next. hell, check out east matagorda and sargents too. enjoy all of the texas coast.

Thank you! I'm good with exploring one port at a time. :-)

Welcome

Thank you sir.

I’ve not fished Lavaca but I have POC and it was really good.
I’m buying a house with deep canal in Aransas Pass and fished there for 5 days (hobie pro angler 14’ kayak) I caught lots of specks but no reds. Used a variety of baits live to dead and artificial. The porpoises will steal your fish right off the stringer! They love specs too.....on a kayak that can be scary!
I left a day early to fish POC. Found a motel but too late to go out that day so I hung out at POC Fishing Center on Water St. talked to guides and the owner. Very helpful folks. Next morning I launched and never got much past the cut called fisherman’s cut on the other side of the ICW.
Started fishing there and boated 6 specks 16” - 18” and caught my first Reds of the week. 4 - 20” +. I’ve always enjoyed POC and can recommend it. Matagorda is good also.

Thank you! I used to kayak fish but recently sold it. Too many toys. This is great info, thank you!

All, thank you for the replies. I'm going to postpone this trip here because I want to have my boat. I'm planning a scouting trip without the boat this first time. I'll revisit this post closer to late Spring. Thank you!

PS: not to steer off topic, but I decided to go this coming Sunday / Monday of next weekend to Port A. The web says to fish the South Jetty and canal area from shore, so guess I'll try that. Not sure where to stay, but the web also says Best Western near there is good. That guy named Web sure seems to know a lot :-)

Thanks y'all.

JB