One of the many things to do in Port Aransas is go fishing! While there are great places to fish around the island, nothing beats a fishing excursion! We always have an incredible time with Captain Kelly’s Deep Sea Headquarters! We not only catch our limit almost every time, but the boat even catches its limit, so everyone was catching fish!
Fishing trips start early, so arrive with plenty of time to check in, have breakfast, go to the restroom (of course there are restrooms onboard), and have a fishing license and anything else you might need. I suggest sunscreen, a fishing hat, and comfortable shoes with good, non-slip soles! My husband loves his Hey Dudes shoes, which are washable and perfect deck shoes.
The boat provides poles and bait, and has drinks and snacks for sale.
They offer various fishing trips, including a bay trip, 5-hour, 8-hour and even 3-day tuna fishing trips! We love doing an 8-hour trip, which is about 4 hours of travel to the fishing locations, and 4 hours of fishing! Once you get past the beach, it was an easy ride with little waves, although we have been out fishing on windier days when you had to hang on!
During the ride to the fish, you can just sit back and enjoy the view! We saw boats, birds, flying fish and plenty of dolphins! My husband and boys all took a little nap, it was early, and we had spent the night on the beach after arriving in Port Aransas about midnight, and knowing we were getting up at 6am, I didn’t want to spend the money on a room.
Fishing lines ready to go in the water. The captain and crew were amazing! They bait your lines, take off your fish and help you with anything you need!
When you book, be sure to find out what they are fishing for on that day. I love red snapper, and kingfish put up an incredible fight!
Catching a fish is so exciting, because you have to MOVE to keep fighting the fish, and everyone makes way for you to come in! On really big fish, you might have to go around the boat once or twice! Again, the captain and crew were amazing at helping everyone!
I loved how clear the water was. No touch-ups here, just beautiful clear blue water! We could see the fish swimming and sometimes even bite the bait!
We all loved it but my youngest, most of all! He was 10 on his first 8-hour trip. He had an absolute blast fighting the fish, and after he caught his limit, some of the other passengers would even let him bring in their fish when they got tired!
One of the really exciting moments was when a barracuda decided our fish were easy targets and would chase the fish we were trying to bring in! It even caught one as they were reeling it in, taking a big bite out of the tail! Of course, the water was so clear that we could all watch the show!
My son fighting a big one!
My daughter, who loves to fish, caught her limit, too! She prefers catch and release, something you don’t do on a fishing boat because they spear the fish to bring them in.
My son posing with one of his catches!
We saw plenty of sharks, too! My oldest caught this monster, and fought him for about 25 minutes before he got off the line! He was wore out, and of course a little disappointed!
I thought it was really neat to fish near the drilling rigs! We had an amazing day, and
On the way back, we again saw several dolphins, and the captain spotted a sailfish! He turned the boat around and the crew drug a line for about 3 passes to try to catch it, but it didn’t bite! How much fun would that have been?!
Here’s the catch of the day! My husband was thrilled that the longest was his! If you look on the front, bottom row, you’ll see 2 fish who were bitten by the barracuda! We kept 9 fish in total. Here’s where the real work begins, too! We didn’t bring an ice chest large enough for the fish! There is a stand there at the dock with people who will clean and cut the fish for you. We had one cut restaurant-ready, and we took 3 lbs of it to Fins, the restaurant that is part of Deep Sea Headquarters. They will cook your catch. We have eaten here several times before so we already knew it was a terrific restaurant! We had 1 lb. grilled, 1 lb. blackened and 1 lb. fried. It also comes with a ton of sides. We were exhausted but a few drinks and a good meal later, we were very happy! I should have taken a picture of the fish, and my drink served in a pineapple, but again, I was exhausted! Next time, because there will definitely be a next time!
One More Thing
The crew really works their tails off on these trips, and for most, tips are the bounty of the trip, so be sure to tip them! Not sure how much? A suggested amount is like a server at a restaurant, about 10-20%, depending on how attentive they were to you! Click HERE to read an article from Orvis for a better breakdown!
Things To Do in Port Aransas
Play
Play on the beach! You can drive on the beach and park with a $12 Annual Parking Pass! It’s sold at Convenience Stores and a by a golf cart on the beach.
Take a ride on the Port Aransas Ferry! It’s FREE and fun!
Deep Sea Headquarters
440 W. Cotter Ave., Port Aransas
Click HERE to visit their website.
Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!
Michelle
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