Whether you want to wet a line and chase redfish while standing waist deep in water or drag bait behind a boat for billfish, this "little fishing village" is the place to start.

During the heat of the summer, you can find kingfish, ling, tarpon and the occasional sailfish in the clear blue waters, which at this time of the year is literally at the end of local jetties. There's no shortage of fish or fishing possibilities in the small town known locally as "Port A."

Just another big fish in the sea, but Perry Glover caught this warsaw grouper while aboard the 'Outlaw' off Port Aransas.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the tarpon were so thick here that Port Aransas was called Tarpon, Texas. Before long, word spread about the phenomenal fishing, and in the spring of 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt drove his motor-yacht, Potomac, to Texas and hired Port Aransas guide and local legend Barney Farley to take him tarpon fishing.

For beginners and pros alike, if you want fast access to proven fishing grounds, you don't have to go farther than the beach. On a relatively calm, clear day, an average angler casting lures, spoons, shrimp, mullet or croaker from the surf can net more than his or her share of trout, redfish, Spanish mackerel, pompano, skipjack, black drum and even the occasional jack crevelle, blacktip shark or bluefish.

Using the same baits, anglers can catch the same fish from popular spots such as Port Aransas jetties, Robert's Point Park jetties or pier, Horace Caldwell Pier, Station Street Pier and Charlie's Pasture Pier. The jetties (sometimes called breakwaters) are a system of rocks the Army Corps of Engineers laid down to break up the rough water as big waves approach the shallower inland waters. Fishing piers are basically large decks, usually constructed of wood or cement, that extend out over the water allowing anglers access to deeper water.

The Horace Caldwell Pier is on the beach and extends out over the Gulf of Mexico. The Station Street Pier, Robert's Point Park Pier, and Charlie's Pasture Pier extend out over the Corpus Christi Ship Channel. The advantages of landlubber fishing? Well, easy access, quick set-up time, low gear cost and the fact that it's pretty hard to get seasick standing on dry land.

The bays surrounding Port Aransas are well-known fishing grounds for trout, redfish, flounder and black drum. Many parts of the bay are accessible by land — Shamrock Cove area or the backside of Harbor Island, for instance — but the best bay fishing generally involves a boat. With public boat ramps located next to the ferry, Port Aransas is a "bring your own boat" type town.

If your version of a boat is a kayak or canoe, the famous Lighthouse Trails, located in the protected waters of South Bay between Port Aransas and Aransas Pass, offer acres of sheltered water trails embellished with marine life practically inaccessible to powerboats. For those without a boat or without a lot of fishing experience in the area, there are numerous bay guides to hire for a day of fishing, sightseeing and fun.

With the Gulf of Mexico outside the Port Aransas jetties, another option is to venture offshore. Anglers with their own boats can fish near shore or around the jetties or close in oil rigs for tarpon, king mackerel, sharks of all kinds, Spanish mackerel, ling, trout, redfish, drum and the occasional sailfish. There are a number of guides, including many bay guides, willing to take anglers on a near shore fishing adventure.
Venturing farther offshore, anglers are more likely to encounter some of the more migratory species that frequent the waters.

Depending on the skipper's target species, anglers are likely to encounter kingfish, red snapper, ling, sharks, blackfin tuna, yellowfin tuna, skipjack tuna, sailfish, white marlin and blue marlin. And there are a number of "party" boats in Port Aransas that cater to anglers interested in offshore fishing for a relatively low cost. Typical party boats carry 40 to 90 people, and the price usually depends on the length of the trip. The area is also home to offshore charter fleets for those who want a more private offshore experience.

Port Aransas also hosts numerous fishing events and tournaments, both public and private. Last weekend was the Coastal Conservation Association's annual Take a Kid Fishing Tournament, followed by the Casting For Kids tournament hosted by the Youth in Agriculture Organization. The women-only bay tournament, known as the Powder Puff Tournament, will be held Friday and Saturday. The offshore tournament season begins with the Port Aransas Master's tournament, June 20-23.

The first weekend in July, the Port Aransas Boatmen's Association hosts the Deep Sea Roundup, which raises money for the organization's scholarship fund. Billed as the oldest tournament on the gulf coast, the Roundup, founded by Barney Farley and Grady Kinsolving, originally began as the Tarpon Rodeo. There is also a bay and piggy perch division for the kids.

Later in July, Port Aransas is home to the Texas Outboard Tournament (July 14-15), the Blue Wave Boat Owners Tournament (July 28) and the Texas Spot Series Tournament (July 29), where the redfish with the most spots wins.

August is a busy month for tournament anglers, as Port Aransas hosts two bay events and three offshore tournaments. Early August, bay-wise, there is the Hooked on Youth Tournament (Aug. 4), followed a week later by the Capt. Hope Devlin Kid's Fishing Tournament. The second weekend of August is the Texas Legends Billfish Tournament or eighth annual Bob Byrd Memorial Tournament. The Bill Hart Grand Slam Tournament, in honor of the late local fishing captain legend Bill Hart, is on tap Aug. 19. And on Aug. 25, Port Aransas is home to the ninth annual, always fun, pirate-themed female-anglers-only competition, the Texas Women Anglers Tournament.

The tournament season in Port Aransas wraps up in September with the Kenner Owners Fishing Tournament, the Tarpon Tomorrow Series Tournament, where satellite tags are placed on the tarpon before release to help study the fishes' migratory patterns, and finally the Third Coast Classic in late September.

Before wetting a line, know that Texas law requires a fishing license when fishing inside nine nautical miles of the beach. Licenses can be purchased at most convenience stores, grocery stores and fishing docks. A saltwater fishing license and $10 saltwater tag are required, but kids 16 and younger do not have to have the license or the tag.

Also, it is important to know that most species are subject to bag and minimum and maximum size limits. Surf fisherman should keep an eye out for surfers and swimmers, and have a current Beach Parking Permit ($12). All piers and jetties in Port Aransas are free with the exception of the Horace Caldwell Pier ($1 per person, $1 per rod).

Young is a Port Aransas freelance writer, avid fisherman and captain of the boat Mo Azul.