All-year-round pro anglers come to Southern Texas to test their skill and amateurs to try
their luck. Brownsville is a special place where folks can enjoy freshwater fishing and
saltwater fishing experiences minutes away from each other. If you have the time, I
recommend doing both.
Boca Chica Beach is a beautiful place to surf fish for red drum. The best thing about it is
how pristine the sand and the surf are. You won’t find any boating charters or bait shops
there, so be sure to gear up before you arrive. You wade out to the 2nd or 3rd sandbar, set
up your pole, and sip a cold one until you get a nibble. In mid-summer, the Brownsville
Police Officers Association hosts one of the state’s largest contests, the BPOA’s Redfish Surf
Fishing Tournament. They also host events for special needs children, providing fishing
assistance using rods and reels donated by Gordon’s Bait and Tackle. One of the oldest fish
supply shops in Texas.
Our many resacas and human-made lakes are teeming with bass, catfish, and – what we
locals call Catan – also known as alligator gar, significant prehistoric-looking creatures that,
when cooked just right, have delicious white meat. Some of them can get up to 10 feet long
and weigh 300 pounds, so you’ll need a lot of chum, a big hook with pieces of chicken, and
a heavy-duty leader.
If you don’t pull any fish into your kayak by day’s end, I’d recommend visiting Vermillion
Restaurant & Watering Hole , our most iconic seafood spot. They have a great ceviche made
from black drum fish. It’s what we call “mas duro”, thicker and more buttery than its cousin
red fish. Come for the ceviche and stay for their nachos. They’re the best you’ll ever eat.
