Deep Sea Fishing on Padre Island
- Padre Island is nestled between the Gulf of Mexico to the east and Laguna Madre to the west. South of San Antonio, Padre Island has the awe-inspiring combination of white sand beaches and emerald blue-green water. The continental shelf offers up its very best by creating a diverse environment rich in sea animals and plants. The sea-faring people of Texas' past left behind shipwrecks that through time transform into reefs. They became home to small organisms that attract small fish and create a food chain that attracts large predatory fish.
- Deep sea fishing on Padre Island means one thing; you're here for the big fish. Big game fish, or billfish, come in a few large, hard-fighting varieties including swordfish, Atlantic blue marlin, Atlantic sailfish, dolphin (mahi mahi), yellowfin tuna and wahoo. The middleweights, while smaller in stature, still put up quite a fight. They include amberjack, redfish, snapper, snook and tarpon, to name just a few. Deep sea fishing in the diverse waters off Padre Island means your chances of a catch are quite good.
- It pays to know how the big fish fight. Blue marlin are very strong, very fast and if you hook a big one, you could be in for a long, tough battle that could last hours. The battle, however, is where the fun is and it includes deep dives and spectacular acrobatics as the blue marlin pits its skills against yours. Dolphin fight and jump over the surface of the water in less spectacular fashion than blue marlin as they wage their battle to escape your line. Yellowfin again put the "sport" in sport fishing with a surprising amount of speed and strength. Yellowfin are revered by sport fisherman and commercial fisherman alike.
- Deep sea fishing on Padre Island comes at the direction of a captain or a guide on chartered trips varying in length from six to eight hours. Billfish trips, the longest trip most charters offer, can run 10 to 12 hours. Shorter trips have a range of 10 to 20 miles while the mid-range trip takes you 20 to 40 miles off Padre Island. The billfish trips are the longest run ranging from 30 to 80 miles. Some charters include food and beverage while others provide only a cooler and ice for your catch. Texas Fish and Wildlife enforces federal laws for saltwater fishing beyond nine nautical miles off the coast of Texas. The laws cover both recreational and commercial fishing and require recreational fisherman to have a Texas fishing license.
- Year-round deep sea fishing is available off Padre Island, but migration patterns, feeding cycles, weather patterns and other conditions can factor into what is running or not. It's best to discuss your interests to find the optimum time of year to ensure a rewarding experience.
