Port O'Connor Fishing Reports

Anniversary Sunset Cruise was a romantic getaway for this couple celebrating life together

Jeremy Scardino and his fantastic two sons Baron 16 and Ryder 14 have fished with me in the Fall and really wanted to do a Duck Hunt so we worked and worked on dates but none would make. Then he calls me a few days before the season closes and we squeezed in a good hunt right before this winter arctic blast. The birds were not cooperating like I would like but we did get the chance to put the boys on their first ducks-a pair of Redheads one drake and one hen. We downed two more but without my trusty aging Denver who would have been able to grab them before they dove off, we had to settle with counting them in our bag and move on. LATER, we tossed the ideas of another duck hunt or fishing. The boys chose fishing! ATTTABOYs! An afternoon departure of one PM would get them back to the dock in time to shower and get back to Austin before the bad weather so we blasted off for a chance at the fish. Not too much cooperation here either but all had a great time on the saltwater! Blessing to you and yours, see you next time Capt Stephen Boriskie, MidCoastFishHunt.com

There are a couple of questions that a full-time fishing guide gets almost every day because our customers are curious about our lifestyles, income and equipment, but most of all, want to know where and what! Where are the fish and What are we using to get them! Some time ago when I was very active in conservation organizations we would host seminars and try to help our membership by being more effective on the saltwater. Most of these lectures and presentations were from area guides on the Texas coast and the common question from the group had always been where and what. What I mean by this is, they want to know where the fish are located, and what you're using to attract them. It's a simple question, but a complicated answer because it depends on so many variables such as cycle of the moon, temperature of the air, speed of the wind, time of year and skill level of the angler to mention a few. WHERE I realize that you do not spend 230 days on the water like I do or like my fellow guides do, where we can rely on each other’s fish catch information on a daily basis. However, there are certain things that you can focus on to make your trips more successful and give you the best chance for that bite that lead to a satisfying trip. Let's say you go out one day in the Fall and just hammer trout but you also catch redfish and flounder so the bite is obviously on! Make a note of that date and go back in your leisure time (while at work) and try to figure out what day that was in relation to the moon phase and the solar lunar tables according to the best time of day to fish. Maybe you fished on the day where the charts tell you it's going to be the highest probability of a bite or maybe it says it's the worst day of the month and you should not be out there on the water. I'm going to say most of the time the charts will tell you that was the day and that was the time-so that's one way to approach this complicated puzzle of when fish eat. Then you use that information and go fishing once again during the same period of solar lunar bite, commonly known as a feeding major, but the wind is howling and the bay is churned up and there's no way you're going to catch the fish you did last time because you cannot even make a set in the rough conditions. In that case, just go to Plan B look around find some new territory; to get out of the wind you may find that no matter where you go you're getting bites. You may be confused because you're thinking 'well my first spot didn't work but my second one did, I have to go to the second spot in the future’. I say try to forget about where you were and focus more on knowing where the fish are in the many locations they’re all just eating at that time. Just because you didn't try that distant reef last time doesn't mean the fish weren't there, you may have caught more fish on than you did before. What I'm saying, fishing is about gathering information as you go and using all available resources to point you in the direction of a bite. Try not to focus so much on what other people are doing or where other boats are and what they're using. This is fishing not catching and I guarantee you at the end of the day if you find your own fish based on information that you created in the past there is no better feeling or bragging right. WHAT Concerning the what portion of this equation, what you use for bait whether live or dead shrimp; live croaker; soft plastics; or top waters just like the where part is something that we figure out on a daily basis. Today I may get a limit of trout using live croaker and talk to a couple of buddies who just got theirs on live shrimp and maybe added a few redfish on dead shrimp and got a few on cracked crabs or cut mullet. It's a good idea to do what we do which is carrying a variety of offerings with you on your trip. I have live croaker now during these Summer months which is really June through September. Also, I'll carry fresh mullet that I can cut into chunks and soak on the bottom for redfish sometimes. I'll carry dead shrimp to try to go after black drum under a popping cork or on the bottom, it really just depends on what the customer wants to do as well. If I have one person on my boat who has hired me for a 8-hour day and we go out in the first hour and get five trout, which would be their limit, I do not want to take that person back to the dock and say 'thank you very much your trip is over'! We want to have them experience more of what the bays offer especially if they're from out of the area or out of state. Those other bait offerings including the live croaker that I have should work for redfish. Going back to the 'where’ part, 'where do I go to catch a redfish?’ You may ask. I try many different options, for instance maybe they're over shell or maybe they're in the mud. If the wind is blowing like crazy check the downwind portion of the shorelines were the bait would be blown up against the shore, you really never know until you go try. Same goes for soft plastics on wade fishing, I get the same question every day when we hop in the water on a wade fishing trip, 'what color are they biting on’. The answer to that is really another question-what color do you have in your arsenal? Usually an angler will show me four or five packages of soft plastic baits and I say to them 'well any of them really would work because the fish are eating and they're going to hammer anything that vibrates or swims erratically in the water. The color matters to a certain extent but you won't know that until you try a couple of different colors. That's why it is a good reason to invest in a wading belt with a box for lures you can carry along or a shoulder sling type tackle box and load it up before you ease into the water, you may not catch the fish on your first couple of steps and casts but if you keep after it and find a combination that works you're going to build confidence in that soft plastic lure; you're going to build confidence in that slow sinking plug; you're going to put to the top of your tackle box lures from Texas Tackle Factory like the Killer Flats Minnow the Redfish Killer and the Trout Killer not to mention my personal favorite the Killer Hustler or Hackberry Hustler. Someone once told me that the job of a lure maker is not to catch the fish but the catch the angler and that's been true for me my whole life. I cannot go to the store without buying a couple of packs of soft plastics and I think that's true of most Anglers. When a customer shows me, what lures they have I see plenty of offerings that will work and they are more prepared than they might think. In conclusion, I wish I could tell you where and what for each day of the year but the flat truth is none of us really know. Rather, we go by what we've learned the few past moon phases and weather scenarios and try to apply that to today's trip. What you need more than anything as an angler is patience and understanding of the body of water you're going to fish along with an ability to get along with others on the water and a desire just to have a good old time no matter what. That's what separates a successful fishing trip from an unsuccessful trip, your level of satisfaction. So, do your homework and keep notes on what you've done and where you've gone and what you used and I promise you if you look at your fishing as a lifetime sport based on knowledge gained by experience you're going to be a much more satisfied Angler!

What a great day out, couldn't ask for more action! Mike and I headed out this fall afternoon under partly cloudy skies with storms possible throughout the day. The water conditions around Port O'Connor were looking good for our Afternoon Half Day Adventure with Captain – Bring 1–2 Extra Anglers through Mid Coast Outfitters POC. Once the stage was set, we focused on drift fishing with live bait and bottom fishing techniques to target the inshore species. Mike managed to land a solid Black Drum during our session. Port O'Connor's waters are perfect for this type of inshore fishing because the structure and current make it ideal for drift fishing and bottom fishing approaches. Y'all know how it is when that tug is the drug kicks in and everything just clicks! We wrapped up the trip with great smiles and a big ol' fish to show for our efforts. If you're fixin' to get out on the water around Port O'Connor, I reckon you should consider booking our Port O'Connor Inshore Fishing Charter for Speckled Trout, Redfish and Black Drum with Mid Coast Outfitters POC. The inshore fishing here is consistently productive, especially when we can work the drift fishing and live bait techniques like we did today. Port O'Connor's unique water structure makes it a prime destination for targeting Black Drum, Speckled Trout, and Redfish year-round. Whether you're looking to bring one or two extra anglers along, our afternoon half-day adventures give you plenty of time to experience what these waters have to offer. The combination of our local knowledge and proven techniques like bottom fishing and drift fishing will put you on fish. Might could be your next big catch waiting out there, so don't hesitate to git-r-done and book your Port O'Connor inshore fishing experience with us!

Non-stop bites all day long! Randolph and their crew joined us for an early morning fall trip out of Port O'Connor under clear conditions throughout the day. The water around Port O'Connor was looking good for our Extended Half Day Adventure with Captain – Extra Anglers Welcome through Mid Coast Outfitters POC. Once the stage was set, we worked the inshore waters using drift fishing, bottom fishing, and live bait fishing techniques. The crew put together a solid mixed bag with speckled trout, redfish, and black drum coming to the boat. Port O'Connor's inshore waters are perfect for this style of fishing because the variety of structure and depths let us target multiple species effectively. Y'all really got the hang of working those baits, and we wrapped up the trip with great catches and smiles all around! If you're fixin' to get out on the water around Port O'Connor, our Port O'Connor Inshore Fishing Charter for Speckled Trout, Redfish and Black Drum gives you the chance to target these popular inshore species. We run our Extended Half Day Adventure with Captain trips year-round, and extra anglers are welcome to join the action. The inshore fishing around Port O'Connor stays productive through the seasons, and our drift fishing and live bait techniques consistently produce results. Whether you're after that tug of a redfish or the thump of a black drum, Port O'Connor's waters deliver. Give us a holler at Mid Coast Outfitters POC to book your inshore fishing adventure – we reckon you'll have a big ol' time targeting speckled trout, redfish, and black drum in these productive waters!

As a full time, fishing guide years now I have had opportunities that I had dreamed of for most of my life. The day I received my driver’s license I remember hooking up my dad’s boat and trailering to the ramp! Since that time, I have been lucky enough to live on or near the coast and take advantage of our many coastal resources. Whether it was boat or wade fishing, live or artificial bait, soft plastics or top water, morning-afternoon-evening, or any day of the week, I found time to be out here on the salt water in pursuit of Speckled Trout, Redfish, Flounder and on and on. This was instilled in me from the days growing up in Pasadena since my dad was an avid fisherman and took the kids to walk the Galveston Jetties and then later on to fish the bays out of a boat that we were fortunate to afford. Today I have that same passion and drive to be out on the water but now I get to teach what I have learned and share the precious resources with not only friends and family but customers too! I had always heard the saying “Do what you love, the money will follow”, but never really understood it. Now being a fishing guide no matter what will not put you in the headlines making a fortune...what it has done though for me is allow a modest living in the outdoors! My lifelong dream! Most of my trips these days are taking customers in the boat with bait. We experience a lot of corporate customers entertaining their associates. Most have some experience fishing, some freshwater only, some saltwater, and some no experience at all and this is their first time to wet a hook. I will take them all and my goal is to teach them something that works for them to catch that fish! Most times I learn from them too and then apply that to my next group of anglers. Sometimes like the other day I get anglers already fluent in the art of wading with lures! This is my preferred method of catching these spots and dots down here and hopefully the requests of lure trips will rise. June is upon us and that means the fish are agreeable to most presentations of lures. I have been successful though in the water column versus on top and with 1/4 to 1/8 oz. jig head weights with a combination of soft plastics including the TTF Trout Killer, Killer Flats Minnow and the Killer Hustler. It hasn’t mattered that much on the color but I have been trying to stay with a dark color body and bright tail like the morning glory/ Chartreuse combo, red/white and purple/chartreuse and they have all produced. The key has been to work the water column entirely and that means (CAST-COUNT-TWITCH-REEL)! Cast the lure downwind to get the most sensitivity having a straight line to the lure. Count to three, then Twitch the rod tip up twice, letting it fall while Reeling up the slack. I have used this simple method for countless years and it works well for me. The fish usually will pop that lure on the downfall which is perfect since your next move was Reeling anyway-it’s easy to set the hook and Reel that fish in. Keep your rod up in the air and feel the pressure of the bow in it. So many times, I will see an angler set the hook then reel and set it again with slack in the line-and they lose the fish. Keep that rod bowed up, and pressure on the hook which is stuck in a nice trout’s mouth! If you are on a keep fish mission have a wade fishing net with you. The floating nets are good because they’re not wrapped around your legs under water causing you to trip on the tangled mess. These also work as a temporary live well if you want to leave the fish without sticking a stringer through its mouth. However, the ring foam donut type floating nets may be a better bet for you, they are bulky but hard to beat on a long wade. I see guys making a big mistake consistently on the method of adding the fish to a stringer. Those things don’t come with instructions as far as I know but do this and you will have the best chance at keeping the fish alive (and not spoiling) until you get back to the boat. Use the sharp end of the stringer stick to punch into and through the fish’s thin flesh under its mouth near the center...avoid running it through the mouth and out of the gills. This way the fish swims more freely and can get the oxygen it needs and will not usually float beside you stiff as a board! I have heard enough stories of waders having run ins with stingrays to scare me into donning the most protection I am comfortable with. That said I am wearing ray guards around my lower legs now just to be sure. I still have boots that can be punctured but at least I feel a bit more protected. Also, the menacing varieties of jellyfish and man o war are prolific especially the deeper we get into Summer, so wear some protection for those guys too. Simply put on long pants and ease into the water. Three of my waders this past week were hit by these fiery globs and were sent into different degrees of pain lasting too long and making their wade very uncomfortable. There are so many ways to get out and enjoy our coastal resources but the key is to find the time to go! I say today is the day so get out and join us on the water and see what this sport is all about

Hot bite and happy crew! Jeremy and I headed out this fall afternoon under skies that were fixin' to turn cloudy with storms brewing later. The water conditions around Port O'Connor looked good for our session, and I reckon we had a solid window before any weather moved in. This was our Afternoon Half Day Adventure with Mid Coast Outfitters POC, and we were ready to make the most of it. With our gear rigged and ready, we focused on drift fishing and bottom fishing techniques using live bait to target the inshore waters. Jeremy pulled in some nice Black Drum and Redfish during our time on the water. Port O'Connor's shallow flats and structure make it perfect for this kind of fishing - the drift fishing lets us cover good ground while the bottom fishing with live bait really gets their attention. We wrapped up the trip with great catches and big ol' smiles all around before them storms could roll in! Y'all looking to get out on Port O'Connor waters for some quality inshore fishing? Our Port O'Connor Inshore Fishing Charter for Speckled Trout, Redfish and Black Drum trips with Mid Coast Outfitters POC are designed to put you on fish using proven techniques like drift fishing and live bait fishing. These afternoon half day adventures give anglers plenty of time to work the productive waters around Port O'Connor without taking up your whole day. Whether you're after Black Drum, Redfish, or Speckled Trout, our local knowledge of Port O'Connor's inshore fishing spots and seasonal patterns will put you in the right place at the right time. The fall months offer some of the best inshore fishing action, and our half day format lets you experience the thrill without a full day commitment. Might could be the perfect trip for anglers wanting to sample what Port O'Connor inshore fishing is all about!

2 gents last minute trip bay fishing Sunday morning all they had was 4 hours and it timed out perfectly with a slow bit but steady action, many redfish released as well as a few black drum and speckled trout too...good morning lot's of fun and laughs and some new friends all out of Port O'Connor between two days of heavy rain with flood tides on a decreasing moon.

Today’s couple is celebrating their first anniversary with a fishing trip — now that sounds like the start of a long, happy marriage! The morning began slow, but the weather was perfect: soft north winds, low humidity, and a gentle northeast breeze. We had a bite here and there until around 10 AM when the action slowed down. Had to release a couple of oversized speckled trout, but we did hook a few redfish. Ended up with three solid reds — two of which were tournament-worthy at 27 and 26 inches. Couldn’t ask for a better morning to be out on the Texas middle coast, fishing and living the dream.

One for the books today! Justin and I headed out this fall morning for our Extended Half Day Adventure with Captain – Extra Anglers Welcome trip around Port O'Connor. Clear conditions throughout the day made for perfect fishing weather, and the water conditions in Port O'Connor were just right for what we had planned. This was exactly the kind of day that makes Mid Coast Outfitters POC trips so rewarding. Once the stage was set, we focused our efforts on drift fishing, bottom fishing, and casting with lures to target the inshore species that make this area so productive. Justin managed to hook into some solid redfish and black drum during our time on the water. Port O'Connor's diverse structure and grass flats make it ideal for these techniques, giving us multiple opportunities to work different presentations. The combination of drift fishing over the flats and bottom fishing near structure kept the action steady throughout our trip. We wrapped up the morning with some great catches and I reckon Justin had himself a fine time out there! If y'all are fixin' to experience some quality inshore fishing, Port O'Connor offers some of the best opportunities on the Texas coast for redfish, speckled trout, and black drum. Our Port O'Connor Inshore Fishing Charter for Speckled Trout, Redfish and Black Drum gives anglers the chance to target these species using proven techniques like drift fishing and bottom fishing that consistently produce results in these waters. The Extended Half Day Adventure format provides plenty of time to work the productive areas around Port O'Connor while keeping the trip manageable for anglers of all experience levels. Mid Coast Outfitters POC specializes in these inshore adventures, and we know exactly where to find the fish when conditions line up right. Whether you're looking to cast lures over the grass flats or work the bottom structure for black drum, Port O'Connor's diverse fishery offers something for every angler. Give us a holler when you're ready to get out there and experience what this area has to offer!

Anglers heading out with Mid Coast Outfitters in Port O’Connor are finding steady action in the inshore waters. Black drum and redfish are the primary targets, with catches reported near oyster beds, shallow flats, and channel edges. Live shrimp and cut bait are producing consistent results, while soft plastics are working well for redfish along the grass lines. Water temperatures are holding steady, making conditions ideal for all skill levels. Morning trips continue to see the best activity, and afternoon sessions are also producing solid catches. Boats are fully equipped with rods, reels, and tackle for a productive day on the water.