Port Aransas: The fishing capital of Texas

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At first glance, it seems that everyone on Mustang Island is fishing. Whether perched along rock jetties or wading the shallow marsh or boating, it’s anglers, anglers everywhere. Port Aransas, located about 40 miles east of Corpus Christie at the northern tip of this long barrier island, has a year-round population of about 3,500. That number swells considerably with visitors attracted by the wide variety of fishing opportunities, from marlin and red snapper offshore to redfish and speckled trout inshore. It’s estimated there are more than 600 species of saltwater fish inhabiting the Gulf of Mexico near Port Aransas.
At first glance, it seems that everyone on Mustang Island is fishing. Whether perched along rock jetties or wading the shallow marsh or boating, it’s anglers, anglers everywhere. Port Aransas, located about 40 miles east of Corpus Christie at the northern tip of this long barrier island, has a year-round population of about 3,500. That number swells considerably with visitors attracted by the wide variety of fishing opportunities, from marlin and red snapper offshore to redfish and speckled trout inshore. It’s estimated there are more than 600 species of saltwater fish inhabiting the Gulf of Mexico near Port Aransas.
It's redfish that have attracted 20 anglers and dozens of support personnel for the Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup, a three-day tournament that begins Thursday. This tournament will be just the latest example of the angling opportunities that date back centuries to the nomadic Karankawa tribe of native people, who lived off the abundance of the of the marsh. Port Aransas was known at the Tarpon Capital of the World in the early 1900s. President Franklin D. Roosevelt made two fishing to Port Aransas while in office. A tarpon scale on the wall at the historic Tarpon Inn carries his signature, noting a 5-foot, 1-inch, 77-pound tarpon caught on May 8, 1937.
It’s redfish that have attracted 20 anglers and dozens of support personnel for the Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup, a three-day tournament that begins Thursday. This tournament will be just the latest example of the angling opportunities that date back centuries to the nomadic Karankawa tribe of native people, who lived off the abundance of the of the marsh. Port Aransas was known at the Tarpon Capital of the World in the early 1900s. President Franklin D. Roosevelt made two fishing to Port Aransas while in office. A tarpon scale on the wall at the historic Tarpon Inn carries his signature, noting a 5-foot, 1-inch, 77-pound tarpon caught on May 8, 1937.
While no longer noted for tarpon, it takes an abundance of fishing possibilities to claim the title of “Fishing Capital of Texas,” a state noted for its wealth of freshwater fishing. The increasing popularity of redfish, in particular, helps stake that claim. Between its centuries old history and today’s angling opportunities, plus the mild subtropical weather, Port Aransas might be the fishing-est town in America. The Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup will add another page to the lore and lure of Port Aransas.
While no longer noted for tarpon, it takes an abundance of fishing possibilities to claim the title of “Fishing Capital of Texas,” a state noted for its wealth of freshwater fishing. The increasing popularity of redfish, in particular, helps stake that claim. Between its centuries old history and today’s angling opportunities, plus the mild subtropical weather, Port Aransas might be the fishing-est town in America. The Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup will add another page to the lore and lure of Port Aransas.