Port O'Connor Questions

[Banded Drake Calls]

I assume catching hardheads is just like any other catfish...dead shrimp on the bottom?

Appreciate all of the input on food. We'll have 2 teenage boys that will need filling up.

Any live or dead bait, they'll eat anything they can swallow

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[TCB]

That's what I figured. Caught a bunch in Venice fishing for reds but never fished just for them. Sounds like it can keep the boys entertained for a little while.

[SaltwaterSlick]

If you do put the boys to catching hardheads, make sure you have good pliers and one of those fish grabbers to handle them. Those fins are very sharp and very toxic. You want to avoid being stuck by them at all costs... Like getting hit by the worst wasp only on steroids.

[Hawkpuppy 1]

Cathy's for the all you can eat shrimp hands down. We saw the sign for the 5D Steakhouse that looks like it will be right across from Cathy's...

[Pin Oak DXT]

Took some trout to Josie’s last weekend, had some fried and rest grilled. Grilled trout was awesome, fried was ok.


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Catch some trout and have it grilled at Josies. It's amazing. If I want fried fish, I will do that myself.

[JES]

Catch some trout and have it grilled at Josies. It's amazing. If I want fried fish, I will do that myself.

This^^^^

The grilled fish and breakfast tacos are the best of this place, they make some nice pancakes for breakfast as well.

[hopedale]

I assume catching hardheads is just like any other catfish...dead shrimp on the bottom?

Appreciate all of the input on food. We'll have 2 teenage boys that will need filling up.

Hardheads are not like blue cats or chennel cats. They do not taste good.

The water temps are real high right now. Your best bet is trying your luck on the jetty, and wade fishing.

Look at some YouTube videos on catching red fish wade fishing Texas.

Seadrift is up the road for POC and has places to wade fish to, so don't over look it.

Here is a CPT's report on another forum -

https://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/13187844/gonew/1/capt-nathans-wade-fishing-report-seadrift-tx-6-16-19#UNREAD

I can't speak for the Texas coast, but about this time in NOLA the specks would be headed for the outside to open bays and deeper water. They don't like the water when the temps go above 80.

Sorry if you wrote this in the opener of the thread, but when are you headed down there?

[Whampuscat2]

We have a few slips and boats, across the street. I have caught trout, redfish, flounder, sand trout, mangrove snapper, black drum, and Whiting. Tourists and weekenders usually catch hard heads because they do not know how to catch anything else. Live small mullet on a small strong hook, will get you a bunch of mangroes. Small, crappie size swimming shad will catch trout etc. Lots of flounder around the walls. Have put more eating fish in the box, while working on the boat than they guys that have been out on the bay all day. Main thing is keep the live mullet moving, free lined or with a split shot. Or use small lures. You chunk a piece of dead bait out on the bottom and let it sit and you will catch a bunch of tourist trout (hardheads). Some of the biggest trout I've caught over the last 30 years in POC, have come from around the dock. Lots of baitfish there.

[Whampuscat2]

I assume catching hardheads is just like any other catfish...dead shrimp on the bottom?

Appreciate all of the input on food. We'll have 2 teenage boys that will need filling up.

I use ultra light poles with crappie size, sassy shad, small lead heads. I make a speck type rig with two of them. Reel em just fast enough to make the tail swim. Lots of trout mangroves, flounder and reds around the docks. Have caught them all day long, but usually best when there is the least boat traffic. Light line, slow retrieve.

[Whampuscat2]

If you have a trow net, there is usually a bunch of small mud minoes or small mullet, around the boat ramp. Think small like crappie minoes. Fish them around the docks. Either free lined, with a split shot, or with a small cork. Just like crappie fishing on a lake. The kid that helps clean our boat and fish has caught buckets full of nice eating size mangrove snapper doing this. Some nice reds and trout. Need frisky bait to keep the hard heads off.

[Whampuscat2]

North side of town there is a road that is sand, follow it til it ends at one of the inlets to boggy (bay). The left side of the channel going into boggy is a good place to catch small reds etc. Where the channel opens up into the back bay, it gets shallow and lots of oysters. Right in front of that, where the channel is still relatively deep, is where to cast. Not a lot of keepers but if you use live shrimp or peeled dead, you can have fun catching throw back reds. Some keeper reds and flounder there. Ultra lite tackle is fun there.

[Josh W]

Try out docks, but they aren’t open Monday’s.

Amazing sandwiches there!

[TCB]

Good stuff Whampucat!!! Thanks for the info.

[Big pig]

Catch some trout and have it grilled at Josies. It's amazing. If I want fried fish, I will do that myself.

Go to the effort and cook your catch. Fresh fish and all you can catch

Fishing was tough for us Friday.
Hopefully wind and tide is better for you

[Possum Fat]

Last time I was down there fishing with Ryan he took me to a joint over in Seadrift called Bubbas. Pretty good place. That was about 3 years ago so I'm not sure if they stayed open after the hurricane. They had a great seafood boil.