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Texas Inshore Fishing Spots & Membership
Find productive Texas inshore fishing spots and learn how to fish them with Captain Justin and Clean Fun Fishing. This membership covers fishing areas around Rockport, Aransas Pass, Port Aransas, Ingleside, Corpus Christi Bay and surrounding Texas Coastal Bend waters. Learn how to find fish using Google Earth, tides, wind, water depth, structure and seasonal patterns for redfish, speckled trout, black drum, mangrove snapper and other inshore species.
Learn How to Find Productive Texas Inshore Fishing Spots
We’ll cover fishing spots and productive water throughout the Coastal Bend, including Aransas Bay, Copano Bay, St. Charles Bay, Port Bay, Mission Bay, Redfish Bay, Corpus Christi Bay and Oso Bay. We’ll also break down well-known fishing areas such as Estes Flats, Lighthouse Lakes, Hog Island, California Hole, Mud Island, San Jose Island, Brown & Root Flats, Steadman’s Reef, Ransom Island, Dagger Island, Packery Channel and surrounding bay systems. The goal isn’t just to show you where we fish. I’ll teach you how to recognize productive structure, water depth, grass, reefs, channels and other features so you can find good fishing spots yourself.
What Members Get: Texas Inshore Fishing Spots, Google Earth Breakdowns & Weekly Q&A
I’ll be adding new content regularly, including Texas inshore fishing spots, Google Earth breakdowns, seasonal fishing patterns, rigging tips, bait selection, and strategies for finding fish. We’ll cover waters throughout Rockport, Aransas Pass, Port Aransas, Ingleside, Aransas Bay, Copano Bay, Redfish Bay, Corpus Christi Bay and other areas along the Texas Coastal Bend. I’ll explain what makes certain areas productive for redfish, speckled trout, black drum, mangrove snapper and other inshore species, and how to use that information to find similar fishing spots on your own.
Fishing Spots Across Rockport, Port Aransas & the Texas Coastal Bend
The goal of this membership is to build a community of anglers who want to become better at finding and catching fish throughout the Texas Coastal Bend. We’ll study real fishing areas around Rockport, Aransas Pass, Port Aransas, Ingleside and Corpus Christi, including waters such as Aransas Bay, Copano Bay, St. Charles Bay, Redfish Bay, Corpus Christi Bay and surrounding flats, reefs, channels and shorelines.
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$5 Supporter
Support the Clean Fun Fishing YouTube channel and help me continue creating fishing content.
$20 Fishing Member
Get access to my weekly fishing report videos covering current conditions, fishing areas, structure, seasonal patterns and what I'm seeing on the water.
$50 Premium Member
Get the weekly fishing report videos plus a one-on-one phone call with me for personalized fishing help, questions, areas and techniques.
How to Find Inshore Fishing Spots in the Texas Coastal Bend
Finding productive inshore fishing spots along the Texas Coastal Bend starts with understanding what makes fish use a particular area. When I’m looking for fish around Rockport, Port Aransas, Aransas Pass, Ingleside and Corpus Christi Bay, I pay attention to water depth, grass lines, channels, reefs, current, wind direction and bait activity. These same features can help you locate redfish, speckled trout, black drum and other inshore species without relying on someone else’s exact fishing coordinates.
What Makes an Inshore Fishing Spot Productive?
Productive inshore fishing spots usually have more than one thing working together. I look for areas where grass, shell, reefs, channels or depth changes meet moving water and available bait. A shallow flat next to deeper water, a drain connecting two areas, a grass edge along a channel, or a reef with current moving across it can all create places where fish can feed. Wind and tide can change which side of that structure is productive, so I pay attention to water movement instead of assuming a spot will produce every day.
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How I Use Google Earth to Find Fishing Spots
Google Earth is one of the tools I use to study inshore fishing areas before I ever put the boat in the water. Satellite images can reveal grass beds, sand pockets, drains, channels, reefs, points and changes in water depth that may be difficult to recognize while running across the bay. I look for places where two or more of these features come together, then compare what I see on Google Earth with the wind, tide, current and conditions on the water. This helps me narrow down areas to fish instead of simply running from spot to spot.
What to Look for on Google Earth
When I study an area on Google Earth, I look for features that can concentrate bait and give fish a place to feed. Grass edges, potholes and sand pockets can stand out against darker grass beds, while drains and guts can show where water moves between shallow flats and deeper areas. Points, channel edges, reefs and sudden changes in water color can also indicate changes in depth or bottom structure. I pay the most attention to places where several of these features come together, because those areas can give redfish, speckled trout and other inshore species multiple reasons to use the same piece of water.
Rockport & Port Aransas Fishing Spots
The Rockport and Port Aransas area gives anglers access to a wide variety of inshore habitat, including shallow grass flats, reefs, channels, shorelines and deeper bay water. Around Rockport, I look at areas throughout Aransas Bay, Copano Bay and St. Charles Bay, while Port Aransas and Port A anglers can access productive water throughout Redfish Bay and the surrounding flats and channels. Instead of focusing on one exact spot, I look for the combination of structure, bait, water movement and depth that gives redfish, speckled trout and black drum a reason to be there.
Aransas Pass, Ingleside & Corpus Christi Bay Fishing Spots
Aransas Pass, Ingleside and Corpus Christi Bay offer another mix of shallow flats, channels, shorelines, reefs and deeper water. Around Aransas Pass and Ingleside, I pay close attention to Redfish Bay, channel edges, grass flats and areas where moving water carries bait between shallow and deeper water. In Corpus Christi Bay, reefs, drop-offs, shorelines and changes in bottom structure can all create productive fishing areas. The key is matching the structure with current conditions, including wind, tide, water depth and bait activity, rather than expecting the same fishing spot to produce every day.
Where to Find Redfish, Speckled Trout & Black Drum
Where to Find Redfish
Redfish are often found around shallow grass flats, shorelines, drains, channel edges and areas where bait is concentrated. I especially look for changes in depth near shallow water, grass edges with moving water, and drains where bait can be pushed on or off a flat. In the Texas Coastal Bend, redfish can move considerably with changes in tide, wind, water temperature and bait, so finding the right type of water is often more important than returning to the same exact spot.
Where to Find Speckled Trout
Speckled trout are often found around grass flats, reefs, channel edges and deeper water where baitfish and shrimp are present. I look for moving water and areas where shallow flats transition into deeper channels or drop-offs. Around Rockport, Port Aransas, Aransas Pass and Corpus Christi Bay, wind and tide can determine which areas hold trout from one day to the next. When I find bait activity combined with good water movement, that is usually where I start looking for speckled trout.
Where to Find Black Drum
Black drum are commonly found around reefs, shell, channel edges, deeper holes and areas where current concentrates food. I often look for them near structure or along transitions where shallow water drops into deeper channels. Live shrimp fished near the bottom can be especially effective when drum are feeding. Around Rockport, Port Aransas, Aransas Pass, Ingleside and Corpus Christi Bay, I pay attention to tide, current and water depth when deciding where to look for black drum.
How Tides, Wind & Current Affect Fishing Spots
Tide, wind and current can completely change which fishing areas are productive from one day to the next. I look for moving water that carries bait across grass edges, through drains, around points and along channel edges. Wind can also push bait toward certain shorelines and create water movement across shallow flats. Instead of choosing a fishing spot based only on where I caught fish before, I use the current conditions to decide which type of structure is most likely to hold fish that day.
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How Tide Changes Where Fish Feed
Moving tides can change where bait collects and where fish position around structure. On an incoming tide, rising water can give redfish and trout access to shallow grass flats, shorelines and backwater areas. On a falling tide, I often look toward drains, guts and channel edges where water is leaving the flats and carrying bait with it. I pay more attention to how the water is moving through an area than simply whether the tide is high or low.
How Wind Changes Inshore Fishing Spots
Wind can be just as important as tide when I’m deciding where to fish. A steady wind can push bait toward shorelines, grass edges, points and protected pockets, while also creating current across shallow flats. I look at both wind direction and speed to determine which areas may have cleaner water, better bait activity and enough water movement to hold fish. Around Rockport, Port Aransas, Aransas Pass and Corpus Christi Bay, changing wind conditions can make an area productive one day and completely different the next.
How Current Positions Fish Around Structure
Current helps determine exactly where fish position around channels, reefs, points, grass edges and other structure. When water moves past an obstruction or through a narrow area, it can concentrate shrimp and baitfish and create an easier feeding opportunity. I pay attention to the direction of the current and look for areas where moving water meets slower water, especially along channel edges, drains and points. Sometimes a small change in current is enough to move fish from one side of a piece of structure to the other.
Best Inshore Fishing Structure to Look For
Finding fish becomes easier when you learn to recognize the types of structure that consistently attract bait and provide feeding opportunities. Along the Texas Coastal Bend, I pay close attention to grass edges, drains, guts, channel edges, reefs, points, drop-offs and transitions between different bottom types. One feature by itself can hold fish, but the best areas often have several things working together, such as a grass edge beside deeper water with current moving bait through it. Learning to recognize these combinations can help you find productive water even when fishing an area for the first time.
Grass Flats and Grass Edges
Grass flats are some of the first areas I look at when searching for redfish and speckled trout along the Texas Coastal Bend. The grass provides cover for shrimp, crabs and small baitfish, but I usually pay more attention to the edges and changes in the grass than to a large flat that all looks the same. Potholes, sandy openings, deeper edges and small drains can create natural feeding areas. When moving water pushes bait across one of these transitions, redfish and trout will often position nearby waiting for an easy meal.
Drains, Guts and Channel Edges
Drains, guts and channel edges are important because they create natural routes for water and bait to move between shallow and deeper areas. On a falling tide, I often look for drains where water is leaving a grass flat and carrying shrimp and baitfish toward deeper water. Channel edges can also hold redfish, speckled trout and black drum, especially where there is a noticeable depth change or nearby grass and shell. I pay close attention to where the current is strongest and where bait is being concentrated instead of fishing an entire channel the same way.
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Reefs, Shell and Hard Bottom
Reefs, shell and other hard-bottom areas can hold bait and provide excellent feeding areas for redfish, speckled trout and black drum. I look for reefs near channels, grass flats or other depth changes where moving water can carry food across the structure. The edges of a reef are often more important than the middle because fish can position along the transition between shallow structure and deeper water. When current, bait and the right depth come together around shell or reef structure, it is an area I want to spend some time fishing.
Points, Drop-Offs and Depth Changes
Points, drop-offs and sudden changes in depth are good places to look because they give fish access to both shallow and deeper water. I especially like areas where a point extends toward a channel or where a shallow flat drops into deeper water. Current moving around these features can concentrate bait and create natural feeding lanes for redfish and speckled trout. Even a small depth change can be important, so I watch my depth finder and the color of the water for transitions that may not be obvious from the surface.
How I Choose a Fishing Spot Before a Trip
Before I head out, I try to put several pieces of information together instead of choosing a spot based only on where I caught fish previously. I check the wind forecast, tide movement, recent weather and water conditions, then compare those conditions with the grass flats, channels, reefs and other structure I can see on Google Earth and my charts. Once I’m on the water, I look for bait activity, birds, water clarity and signs of feeding fish. If those conditions do not match what I expected, I adjust and look for another area with the right combination of structure, bait and moving water.
Check the Wind Before Choosing a Spot
Wind direction and speed are some of the first things I check before deciding where to fish. A strong wind can make one shoreline difficult to fish while making another side of the bay protected and productive. I also look at how the wind may move bait, affect water clarity and create additional water movement across grass flats and points. Around Rockport, Port Aransas, Aransas Pass and Corpus Christi Bay, changing the area I fish based on the wind can make a big difference in finding comfortable water and feeding fish.
Check the Tide and Water Movement
I check the tide before every trip, but I pay more attention to when the water will be moving than simply whether the tide is high or low. Rising water can open up shallow grass flats and shorelines, while falling water can pull bait through drains, guts and channel edges. I compare the tide forecast with the structure I plan to fish so I have several areas in mind as conditions change throughout the trip.
Look for Bait and Signs of Feeding Fish
Once I’m on the water, bait activity can quickly change my plan. I watch for shrimp jumping, mullet moving across the surface, birds working and fish pushing or feeding along shorelines and grass edges. Even when an area has good structure and favorable tide movement, I may leave if I’m not seeing signs of life. When bait, moving water and good structure come together, that is usually an area worth spending more time fishing.
Have More Than One Fishing Spot Ready
I never depend on one fishing spot producing all day. Wind, tide, water clarity, boat traffic and bait movement can change quickly around Rockport, Port Aransas, Aransas Pass, Ingleside and Corpus Christi Bay. Before a trip, I try to have several different areas in mind so I can adjust as conditions change. Having backup areas with different depths and types of structure gives me more options instead of waiting for fish to show up in one spot.
Get Weekly Rockport & Port Aransas Fishing Spot Updates
Fishing spots along the Texas Coastal Bend change with the seasons, tides, wind and bait movement. I share weekly fishing reports and more detailed information about the areas and conditions I’m fishing around Rockport, Port Aransas, Aransas Pass, Ingleside and Corpus Christi Bay. If you want to learn more about finding productive water and understanding why certain areas are holding fish, join my fishing community for my latest updates.