🎣 October Fishing Report – Port Aransas, Texas

October is one of the best months of the year in Port Aransas. Cooler mornings, warm afternoons, lighter winds, and big pushes of bait make the entire area — jetties, piers, bays, surf, and offshore — come alive.

Below is a full breakdown for Jetties, Four Piers, Inshore, and Offshore.

🪨 JETTIES – North & South

October is prime time on the rocks. Bull reds dominate the month, but the variety is outstanding.

What’s Biting

• Bull Redfish (peak run — strongest action of the year)
• Black Drum
• Speckled Trout (sunrise & sunset)
• Spanish Mackerel (still around on clear-water days)
• Sheepshead (increasing again as water cools)
• Jack Crevalle
• Sharks (smaller blacktips and bonnetheads)

Best Baits

• Live shrimp freelined or under a popping cork
• Cut mullet or crab for bull reds
• Silver spoons for Spanish mackerel
• Soft plastics (paddle tails) for trout

October Notes

The bull red run is in full swing. Look for heavy tide movement and bait stacked along the rocks. The jetty tips can produce trout, mackerel, and even the occasional tarpon.

🏗️ PIERS

Port Aransas has four main piers that all fish differently in October.

1. Horace Caldwell Pier

What’s Biting

• Bull reds
• Slot reds
• Speckled trout (excellent at night under lights)
• Pompano
• Whiting
• Sharks (blacktips, bonnetheads)

Best Baits

• Live shrimp
• Cut mullet
• Fishbites for pompano
• Glow soft plastics for trout

October Notes Night fishing is outstanding. Cooler water brings trout tight to the pier lights.

2. Roberts Point Park Pier

What’s Biting

• Redfish
• Black drum
• Sheepshead
• Trout
• Gafftop & whiting

Best Baits

• Live shrimp
• Dead shrimp on bottom rigs
• Soft plastics for trout

October Notes Boat traffic slows down this month, making the bite more consistent. Drum and reds love the structure here.

3. South Jetty Park / Charlie’s Pasture Pier

(If you meant the pier at Charlie’s Pasture — this is the third major public pier.)

What’s Biting

• Redfish
• Black drum
• Mangrove snapper around structure
• Trout on moving tides

Best Baits

• Live shrimp
• Cut bait
• Small jigs for mangroves

October Notes Great family-friendly spot with steady action. Mangrove snapper remain active until water temps drop further.

4. San José Island Ferry Landing Pier

(Accessible via the ferry area — often used by locals.)

What’s Biting

• Redfish
• Drum
• Sheepshead
• Trout

Best Baits

• Shrimp (live or dead)
• Small crabs
• Soft plastics

October Notes This pier sees less pressure and can produce excellent drum fishing in October.

🌅 INSHORE – Bays & Flats

October is arguably the best inshore month of the year.

Redfish

• Schooling reds on the flats
• Bull reds in channels and at the jetties
• Slot reds cruising shorelines on calm mornings

Speckled Trout

• Cooler water = aggressive feeding
• Best at sunrise with topwaters
• Midday bite on soft plastics in deeper grass pockets

Black Drum

• Excellent numbers around oyster and rock structure
• Dead shrimp is unbeatable

Flounder

• Increasing movement toward passes
• October is strong leading into November migration

Best Inshore Baits

• Topwaters (Spook Jr., Skitterwalk)
• Soft plastics (paddle tails, jerk shads)
• Live shrimp
• Cut mullet for reds

October Notes

Light north winds and cooler mornings make for perfect sight-casting conditions. Look for bait stacked along grass lines and drains.

🌊 OFFSHORE – Nearshore & Deep Sea

October offshore fishing is phenomenal — calmer seas, migrating pelagics, and strong reef action.

Nearshore (5–15 miles)

Species

• King mackerel (still thick)
• Spanish mackerel
• Cobia (ling)
• Sharks
• Red snapper (state waters only)

Techniques

• Ribbonfish or spoons for kings
• Live bait near buoys for cobia
• Bottom rigs for snapper

Deep Sea (20–60+ miles)

Species

• Mahi-mahi
• Blackfin tuna
• Wahoo (excellent in October)
• Amberjack (if season is open)
• Vermilion snapper

Techniques

• Trolling ballyhoo for mahi & wahoo
• Jigging or chunking for tuna
• Deep dropping for snapper species

October Notes

Wahoo action picks up sharply as water cools offshore. Blackfin tuna stack up around shrimp boats and rigs.