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The area has more than 20 boat ramps and many marinas that cater to anglers. It also has several paddling trails and kayak outfitters that have helped make the Coastal Bend the center of kayak fishing in Texas.

Fly fishing, either from the bow of shallow-draft skiff, sitting or standing in a kayak or simply wading from shore is among the fastest growing angling activities here. It’s easier than you think. Redfish are very cooperative and famous for taking a fly from novice casters.

Surf fishing also is popular in the Coastal Bend, which offers more than 100 miles of drivable beaches for easy access fishing. If you’ve never caught a 20-pound jack crevalle while standing on the remote sands of Padre Island, it’s worth the trip.

And then there’s offshore fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, where anglers catch billfish, red snapper, tuna, kingfish, wahoo, dorado, ling cobia, grouper and variety of other species.

But perhaps the most notable fishing opportunity in the Coastal Bend would involve the trophy specks. Speckled trout in the five- to eight-pound class are quite common in the Upper Laguna Madre and especially Baffin Bay.