By Danno Wise

If you think inshore saltwater fishing in Texas means simply wading in murky water while casting plugs for seatrout, redfish and flounder, you really need to shift your sights south to Corpus Christi and beyond.

In the shallow, clear waters of the Lower Laguna Madre (LLM), which stretch north from the U.S./Mexican border, we practice Florida Keys-style sight casting for our specks and reds. Yes, we even chase tarpon and snook. Mangrove snapper, pompano, Spanish mackerel, kingfish and a host of others round out the roster. Welcome to the Texas Tropics.

Deep South Texas offers visiting anglers their choice of vacation remoteness. On the southern end of the Lower Laguna, Port Isabel and South Padre Island have numerous restaurants and hotels, as well as plenty of attractions—not to mention a bevy of bayside bars and clubs.

Port Mansfield, on the northern edge of the LLM, stands in stark contrast to South Padre. With a population of 300 or so, it is quaint to say the least. Surrounded by thousands of acres of ranchland, Port Mansfield affords plenty of opportunities for excellent birding and wildlife viewing. Both destinations are close to Valley International Airport in Harlingen, so it’s just a matter of turning left or right.

Port Mansfield

The entire LLM is a first-class big trout fishery. Since this little community is so reliant on visiting fishermen, sow specks are the economical engine. Plus the surrounding flats support a sight fishery for redfish and black drum. A decade of mild winters has encouraged both snook and mangrove snapper populations to range far north of Mansfield. From late spring through fall, the Mansfield jetties and beaches bordering the Mansfield Channel (East Cut) hold tarpon ranging from 30 to 150 pounds. Kingfish, Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and jack crevalle are jetty regulars, and bull reds appear from late summer through fall.

Port Mansfield’s full-service fishing lodge, Get-A-Way Adventures Lodge; a small motel; and a handful of condominium and beach-house rentals are lodging options. There’s a handful of restaurants and cafes nearby.

Port Isabel/South Padre Island

Port Isabel/South Padre Island offers so much to see and do that it can distract from fishing. Port Isabel is rich in history. The town’s proud centerpiece, the Point Isabel Lighthouse, saw service from both sides during the Civil War. A number of historic buildings converted to shops, restaurants and boutiques form the square around the lighthouse. Catty-corner from the Lighthouse Square are the Port Isabel Historic Museum and the Treasures of the Gulf Museum, both popular stops for visitors.

It was here that the state’s largest fishing tournament—the Texas International Fishing Tournament (TIFT)—began back in 1934 and gave the town much publicity. TIFT still draws visitors to the area. In fact, over 1,500 anglers participate in the event each August. Located just across the Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge from Port Isabel is the relatively young town of South Padre Island (SPI). Whereas Port Isabel is steeped in history, South Padre Island features all things modern. Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark, one of the most technologically advanced parks of its kind, is the anchor of tourist activities on SPI and is situated on the island’s southern end.

Click here for onlineExtra listings of guides, accomodations, restaurants and attractions in the Port Isabel-Port Mansfield area.

Like Port Mansfield, the shallow grassflats between Port Isabel and South Padre Island yield plenty of impressive seatrout each year. In fact, the current state record fish (15.6 pounds) was taken by local fly fisherman Bud Rowland in 2002. However, the biggest draw for anglers are the miles of shallow sand flats and large schools of red drum. Year-round sight casting for redfish is hands down the most popular activity on this side of the LLM.

Snook are available year-round. Spring through fall, they’re on shallow flats of the Lower Laguna and South Bay, a small body of water that lies between South Padre and Mexico. Summer finds them in the Brazos Santiago Pass and along the beachfront. Wintertime linesiders are found in dense concentrations around Port Isabel and the Brownsville Ship Channel. Both fat and common snook are available in area waters, with the average snook being around 22 inches. Fish above 30 inches are not uncommon.

Get Your Texas Slam

To increase your odds of catching a South Texas Slam, it is best to target snook first because they are notoriously tight-lipped once the sun climbs higher. Fish three habitat types—Gulf passes, shallow flats or deep-water structure. In the LLM, this means Brazos Santiago Pass and adjacent jetties, the south end of the Laguna and South Bay, the docks and pilings along the Brownsville Ship Channel, and in the Port Isabel Shrimp Boat Basin.

From late fall through early spring, most linesiders are located within the Port Isabel Shrimp Boat Basin and Brownsville Ship Channel. As the spring sun warms the water, the fish flood the flats and Brazos Santiago Pass from summer through early fall. They reverse this migration pattern usually in late October or November. Like trout and redfish, snook are opportunistic. Snook target available forage items—mullet and menhaden during the winter, then shrimp in spring and fall, supplemented by baitfish during summer.

Fly fishers should choose patterns accordingly. Clouser Minnows and Lefty’s Deceivers will get the job done when snook are feeding on finfish. The Haines Pilchard is a popular, local baitfish pattern. The Cactus Shrimp and the East Cut Grass Shrimp are among top shrimp flies. Try a popper when linesiders are feeding near the surface—regardless of the season. An 8-weight fly oufit is fine for the flats, but for jetty, ship channel or shrimp-boat basin snook, a 9-weight is a must. A 10- or 11-weight is not out of place. Unless sight casting to snook or throwing poppers, opt for an intermediate sinking line. In each instance, a 20-pound-class tippet and short 40-pound bite tippet are mandatory.

Juvenile tarpon can be found year-round. However, more fish show up in late spring and hang around until the first hard northerns work their way through the area—usually late November or early December. The warm weather months also encourage kingfish, Spanish mackerel, bonito, ladyfish, jack crevalle and other species to move into the Brazos Santiago Pass, where they are easy targets for inshore anglers.

Hit the Surf

During the winter months, the beachfront of South Padre Island draws hordes of surf fishermen. The KOA World’s Largest Surf Fishing Tournament, held here each February, holds the Guinness World Record for surf-fishing tournament participation. The vast majority of these anglers are searching out pompano. Pompano are in local waters year-round, but found in the greatest numbers from December through March.

In short, each of these Lower Laguna destinations offer wonderful, year-round angling opportunities. From a fishing standpoint, it’s hard to go wrong with either area. It’s how you wish to spend the time when you’re not on the water that should determine which South Texas towns you want to visit.

If You Go

Anglers visiting either Port Mansfield or the Port Isabel/South Padre Island area may want to visit the remainder of the Rio Grande Valley or Mexico. To view wildlife, be sure to visit the Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, home of the rare ocelot.

The refuge is located on the bay just north of Port Isabel. Driving and hiking trails are available, as are a number of birding blinds and lookout points. History buffs shouldn’t miss the Palo Alto Battlefield, the site of the first battle of the U.S./Mexican War. The Battlefield is a short drive from Port Isabel and has miles of walking trails as well as a state-of-the-art visitor’s center. Families should treat themselves to a day at Brownsville’s renowned Gladys Porter Zoo, which is one of the nation’s highest-rated zoos.

For a “two-nation vacation,” access Matamoros, Mexico via the International Bridge in Brownsville (21 miles south of Port Isabel) or Nuevo Progreso Mexico, through the tiny town of Progreso, Texas. Both border towns offer a variety of restaurants, shops and pharmacies.

The Valley International Airport in Harlingen is close to both Port Mansfield and the Port Isabel/South Padre area. Some guides will arrange for airport pickup. Visitors heading to South Padre Island also have the option of an airport shuttle or, oftentimes, a hotel shuttle service. Several taxis also run between VIA and Port Isabel and South Padre Island. Those needing to rent a vehicle can do so at the airport.

SWA