zero stars ruined the whole holiday trip !!!!! i had secured a reservation for 4/3/26 at 8 am . week before trip noticed an email showing trip was at 1 pm . when i called they said it had been a glitch and the earlier 8 am i wanted and had reserved was not available so they automatically put me and family on the 1 pm . everyone knows the morning trip is better fishing and it showed when boat came back with tons of red fish . our entire boat trip at 1 had 2 fish to show for the outing . they didn't offer discount or time to change the trip . ridiculous and waste of money in hot sun no body notified or let me know of change . i had to call them last minute to confirm time and " computer glitch " was reason ! read more

Port Aransas Fishermans Wharf - original confirmation date 3 weeks before confirming 8 am - Boating Near Me - Port Aransas, Texas

9 hour deep sea! Definitely the best deep sea party charter I've been on in Port A. Even though I only caught one legal sized snapper. Pro's - easy booking online. The boat was great, Nice snack bar with clean seating area and AC. The crew was friendly and attentive. Snack bar takes CC or Cash. There was plenty of drinks to choose from as well as some sandwiches, chips, pickles and candy. Con's - absolutely no outside food or drinks allowed (they check your bags), however the snack bar was reasonably priced. The boat can be over crowded causing lines to tangle. the boat does not go to any rigs -but they do go to wrecks and reefs. Advice, be sure to sit in the back of the boat on your way out to fish or else you will get drenched. Take pictures of your string and snapper numbers so there is no confusion. Take pics of your fish so there are no questions about if it is yours or not and watch for your your fish when you dock and they are being distributed. One of the young fisherman had one of his prize catches handed to the wrong person and they took it knowing it was not theirs. :( He was so sad. Anywho! This has by far been the best party charter to date and we will read more

If you go through fisherman's wharf for the 3-hour tour or the 6-hour tour you should be aware that If you are not used to fishing, even on a huge boat, on average 20 to 30% of people get sick and throw up. They do not have Dramamine so make sure to take your own. Every direction I looked people were throwing up. The deckhand mentioned that one time he had 40 out of 42 people throwing up. They have every other warning sign up excluding this one. Rough day if your not prepared read more

Dont listen to there website for times when we booked online it said 6:30 check in we get there at 6:15 and the boat left 15 minutes before we got there then tried to say they aren't supposed to refund us. The trip we attempted to go on a few months prior to this they gave us a ticket to the wrong boat and we never got to go aswell will never be using this place again dolphin docks and deep sea headquarters is much better read more

Neat place to walk around lots of fishing boats, nice restaurants and a store. Good place to walk around after lunch or dinner read more

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Was going to display my red snapper catch at fisherman's wharf, but the staff screwed up my catch by losing them and the staff sucked. Pretty much had to get our own bait from across the boat, untangle our own lines most of the time, not enough crew for 65 people definitely, but the old lady in the ship selling the snacks did a great job! Do not spend your time or money there. Dolphin Docks is a lot more great experienced with there duties. Last time here at Fisherman's wharf!!! This really sucked for my birthday!!! read more

Don't waste your money on the dolphin and sunset tour. You're much better off booking the pirate ship instead! This tour was so boring--there was zero interaction, the crew didn't say a single word the entire hour and a half, and there was absolutely no entertainment or energy. Definitely not worth it read more

This is a very nice area with a lot of activity going on. We happen to come to Fishermans Wharf during a Legends fishing competition (check out salt water legends on the web). Cocktails, commentary, and great example of catcher release, competition with beautiful trophies. There are a number of restaurants within walking distance although parking can be a little tight, so carpool, if it all possible! This is a great area to people watch and check out all the fishing activities that go on in the area. read more

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We booked an 8 hour off shore trip. The boat had issues and had to come back no sooner than it got out. Things happen! We rebooked to the next day. I don't feel like the deck hands were particularly friendly or helpful. And the "gally girl" shamed my 12yo son for not making the restroom trash can when he was nauseous. The fishing was decent and we ate at the restaurant while we waited for our fish to be filleted so that was handy. read more

Port Aransas Fishermans Wharf - Boating Near Me - Port Aransas, Texas

Family and I took a short trip and booked a 6hrs fishing. The experience was great, kids loved it. The inside of the boat is air-conditioned. Outside the temp was in the 90s. Unfortunately, we only caught sharks.. no fish. We will try again.. read more

Port Aransas Fishermans Wharf - Wharf cat - Boating Near Me - Port Aransas, Texas

Scheduled for 9 hour trip on 17 Sep, saw it was no longer being advertised. Called and found out it had been cancelled. Would have wasted 250 mile drive each way. read more

I took the 9 hour deep sea trip. Might be too long for beginners. The crew was great and fishing was awesome. The rigs need work and recommend bringing your own if you have one. Some of their rigs need maintenance and the one I had didn't work well. Caught my fish but it was a struggle. And the person next to me had similar problems. Overall the trip was a great deal read more

Not sure which to review, but the entire business is a class act. We have fished from their party boats and the, hands down, multiple trip, best outfit on the island. Faster boats, more stable boats, best captains and crew. And we have patronized all the outfits on the island. The restaurant is also pretty darn good. Once we got what seemed to be bad oysters and no questions or hassles, replaced with another entree of our choice. Pricey, but it is a tourist location so in line with pricing as such. The fish cleaning business is also one of if not the best on the island. The tackle and bait shop is a tad higher than most, but is relatively well stocked and quality frozen bait and tackle. As a "local" definately not my first stop, but I know if and when I need something they have it and good quality open before most other shops are open. read more

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Waited in line for an hour. Got on ferry and waited another 20 min for a boat that's about half a mile away, while other ferries are crossing. Coming from a day of work and you just want to get home but, you can't because you have a bunch of unorganized clowns running the show as well as these cowardly captains that see a boat a mile away and to scared to cross read more

great caught 13 bull reds 28 big trout 31 perch in about 3 hours would recommend year around great experience

We did a 6hr trip off shore. The boat was clean and the service was fantastic! They took good care of us and all the deck hands were very polite , top notch operation in my experience. We caught our limit of Red Snapper and King Fish. The kids and adults all had a great time. I would recommend these guys! read more

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Trey at Fisherman Wharf in Port Aransas deserves a huge thanks from me! Yesterday when I put in at aransas pass i had a dead battery, i jumped it and it ran until the on board computer said that the erratic voltage was no bueno and it shut down automatically to protect itself, marooned mid channel, i was towed to fishermans wharf by a friend. Once there, Trey jumped to action, he had me all fixed up in about an hour, all while juggling his other duties. Good at his job and all the while a gentleman! Trey saved our day on the water! Thanks Trey! -Jason Ianiro and family Austin TX read more

Food was great. Facility is new and clean. Air conditioning is great, very hot today. Staff is very friendly. Get the shrimp sandwich, awesome. read more

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Sign yourself up for sunset cruise or a fishing trip. Perfect for kids... even sulking teens love it (mine did). This will definitely be my go to for summer fun! read more

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I enjoyed my fishing trip on the Wharf Cat and I thought the company delivered a fair value for my money (including the half-price rate for companions who aren't fishing). Sure, the Wharf Cat's interior could use some TLC - the seat cushions are battered and torn, and the sinks in the bathrooms are inoperable. The counter employees can be a bit surly, and the deckhands might have cigarettes hanging out of their mouths, if that bugs you. At the end of the day, though, I judge a charter by: does the boat seem safe? Do the deckhands know what they're doing and care about their customers? And does the captain make an effort to find fish? I'd answer "yes" to all of these for the Wharf Cat. The seas were rough on the way out. Staggering around the deck, blasted by sea spray and wind and grasping onto the rails, I couldn't believe how deftly the deckhands baited our hooks and prepared the tackle so that we were ready to fish the minute we arrived at the first spot. Once the boat stops, the deckhands will assume you know what you're doing - if you don't, ask! Justin, one of our deckhands, gave me a quick primer on how to operate the reel, how much line to let out, and what to do if I got a bite. He also showed me how to bait my double hook with a sardine, although the deckhands will always do this for you if you'd rather not. The fishing was fair the day we went out, and the captain moved from place to place to find us fish. In the morning I caught a couple of nicely-sized red snapper, which had to be released because they were out of season, but still a lot of fun. The highlight of my trip was catching a 10-pound Atlantic shark, which put up a good fight. The other deckhand - I didn't catch his name but he had a mustache - calmly coached me through how to reel the shark to the surface. He then quickly speared the shark with one stroke and brought him onto the deck. What a rush! Both deckhands worked their tails off and deserved every penny of the tips they got. Reading through some of the negative reviews, it seems rough seas and not catching fish was behind some of them, which seems unfair. The seas were rough on the morning we went out, and half of the passengers got seasick. Consider taking one of the shorter bay trips first if you're not sure you'll like deep-sea fishing, and pop some seasickness pills an hour before your trip as an insurance policy. Nine hours seems like an eternity if you're not feeling well, and of course you're not going to enjoy your trip. read more

Port Aransas Fishermans Wharf - The Wharf Cat, decorated for the holidays and ready for a day at sea! - Boating Near Me - Port Aransas, Texas

We attended a 9 hour trip on Saturday 11/30/2024 - please note this was a 2nd choice due to availability- there was no communication between captain and passengers we would drop 5 minute later crew yelled to pick up this happened several times over trip- staff was ok we had one female who ended getting injured who was very pushy and rude - it was hard to stand on this very rocky boat -Chris was friendly and very helpful. Also what I didn't appreciate was as we were going back last hours of trip crew was cleaning all around us told us to move from our seats cabin was full of people laying in booths so no where to sit so we ended up on side of boat getting wet in cold weather so they could clean- I understand cleaning is a necessity but when it during our paid time we should not be inconvenienced this was a long trip and we rode our last 2 hours wet and cold . One recommendation is get an intercom so everyone can hear whats going on we were yelled at to pull up but no one was on our side to tell us ! Communication is key when you have that amount of people on your boat !! Might eliminate some frustration from staff! read more

We fished on the 26th on the Wharf Cat. The staff on the boat were super nice, staff in the store a little offputting. The most frustrating part of this trip was that the Scat Cat apparently got overbooks so they allowed those people to join us, which really over packed the Wharf Cat. My guys spent way too much tangled up with other fishers. And, um, I don't think they have heard of Covid! Masks? Nope, space to even have 2-3 feet of personal space, NOPE, forget 6 feet. I wish they would have made a few things clear before we took off. Like, I had no idea how to flush the toilet, whether we could move around while underway, and what to do when you had a problem or caught a fish. I was clueless. The deckhands worked super hard, kudos to them. I wish the.y could have a way to let people grab their fish and go at the end instead of standing around for every wanna be photographer to get a picture of the haul read more

I had been deep sea fishing with another company out of Port Aransas a few times before this trip so I thought I'd mix things up and go with another company. This was my first time going through Fisherman's Wharf...and probably my last. The rules state that we were not to bring any food or beverages on the boat. It was also stated that "Full Concessions are Available." My friends and I complied and didn't bring any food....anticipating that there would be a sandwich or hamburger or SOME solid food available. A little more than an hour into our trip we found out that "Full Concessions" means peanut butter crackers, Doritos, powdered donuts and, apparently, Hot Pockets (I never saw them with my own eyes). I'm not sure if the Captain was new, but all we did for 8 hours was follow shrimp boats and stop at the same oil rig twice. There were some spots we stopped in and barely got our lines half way out before the horn blew and we had to reel 'em back up. Surely fish bite in other areas of the ocean. After 8 hours in the Gulf of Mexico, the 40 people fishing had amassed a total of 6 fish. Of those 6, only 2 were keepers! The guides were great, though. They were all friendly and informative and did their best to make it a great experience for everyone. Now, I'm not an expert fisherman, but I'm pretty sure fish eat more than small, whole fish and cut up pieces of other fish. Yet, that's all we had for bait. Seems there should have been some other options for bait/setups that we could've tried. I can think of many other ways to throw away $120 and eat like a 7-year-old whose parents aren't watching, but I chose to spend it on a boat pulling out fishing line and reeling it back up behind the Thai Express II, The Jenny, a few other shrimp boats and an oil rig...twice. read more

Cannot believe the skinny white guy with long blonde hair (think his name is Cole) verbally abuses guests. He told my brother "you're being real annoying saying fish on every time you catch a fish. Just be quiet and don't say anything." Who talks to customers like that? Dude needs a real lesson in customer service. The kind blonde lady working the concession stand inside was super nice and helpful as I got sea sick. She was the true highlight of my experience at Fisherman's Wharf in Port A. read more

We LOVE taking the jetty boat over to St. Jo Island. We do it several times every year over the last 5 years. Great fishing on the opposite side of the ship channel, great beach, less crowded, and always something cool to find. The only negative is since it's a private island, there is no restroom-only nature For a fee of $15 per person you can go round trip, they used to pick up every 2 hours, but I believe that they pick up every hour now (or at least in the summer). It's worth it for a less crowded beach and the scenery alone. I always find shells when we go-and this year was the best by far-there we're MOUNDS of shells! I'm not sure if this is aftermath of Harvey or the tropical storm that rolled through while we were there this week but needless to say-I was in heaven read more

Port Aransas Fishermans Wharf - Boating Near Me - Port Aransas, Texas

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Was very disappointed we have been fishing with them before was very happy this time we took two other couples with us they were overbooked they spent more time untangling lines because they had people fishing 2 foot apart I got hit in the head with someone reeling in so close to me very disappointed read more

Tim was the best captain I've ever been around. Went for a business fishing trip and couldn't have asked for a better guide!!!! Tim was professional, knowledgeable, and made the experience one to remember! Gave us so much information. Basically taught us how to fish along with helping us fish!!!! Wouldn't ask for anyone else! Tim is the guy you need if it's fish you seek! Thank you Tim! read more

It was easy to book with Fisherman's Wharf... 800# allows you to make and change reservations early and late. They get 4 stars. Deckhands were good, though they did not have much to do on the 4 hour trip as only 5 fish were caught. They get 3.5 stars. Boat captain went out approximately 8.5 miles (based on GPS). He parked behind an anchored shrimp boat that looked like a ghost ship (no life anywhere around). Occasionally, he would turn the boat or move to another adjacent "ghost" shrimp boat less than a quarter mile away and we would repeat. He gets 0 stars! There were 60 people on board paying to fish... there were 5 fish caught total! I brought 4 people with me, and none of us caught a fish, or needed to have our bait changed even once in 2.5 hours of fishing. It was an expensive, short, uneventful boat ride. If this is typical, they should try something else or market it as boat ride (not a fishing trip)... if this is not typical, they should have offered us a discount for a return trip. read more

Port Aransas Fishermans Wharf - 60 people fishing caught ALL of that!!!! - Boating Near Me - Port Aransas, Texas

I have mixed opinions about our experience with Fisherman's Wharf. We usually stay in Rockport in October, but we decided to stay in Port Aransas this time to build our trip around the dolphin watching boat ride and a 6 hour fishing boat trip. I booked the 6 hour fishing boat trip in July for our October trip, received a confirmation email immediately and then another one about a week before, and a third one the evening before the boat ride. When we arrived the next morning to check in, the man at the desk greeted me with "jetty boat ticket?" when we walked in, I told him, no, that we were checking in for our boat ride. He said "nope, don't have any boat rides going out right now." I explained that I had booked a ride, had the confirmation. He suggested that maybe I had booked somewhere else and was at the wrong place, then he suggested that I had accidentally booked for next year instead of this year. He said that they don't even offer 6 hour boat rides this time of year. I showed him the reservation confirmation on my phone and he said "oh well, you got me, I don't know how that happened, must have been a glitch in our system." Then he told me that they sent me an email the night before, informing me of the cancellation. I didn't receive any email. I received three confirmations, so I know they had my email correct. He said they would reimburse my card. I get that accidents happen, but it could have been handled better. I'm not sure if I'd book through them again. My mixed opinion is because we booked a dolphin watching boat ride with them the night we got into town. Didn't plan to but did it last minute. It was really nice. The staff who checked us in was polite and the deckhand was friendly. We all had a good time on that one. Went back on the website this morning and they are STILL advertising the six hour fishing trip. Offers booking for tomorrow and many other days this month, very frustrating. More than just a "glitch". read more

Fisherman's Wharf is the place to go if you want to get to San Jose island for jetty fishing. In addition to the passenger boat they also charter Bay fishing boats and offer an evening dolphin watching tour. We were there at 7am on a Saturday and there was already a huge line of people waiting. The first boat was full but they came right back and picked everyone else up. It was very convenient and speedy. FYI in the afternoon the boat only runs every two hours. read more

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Re--Powered Boats, updated interiors, clean restrooms. Most comfortable boats on the coast !

Captain was nice and the shiphands are nice too, had a great time with my dad and caught tons of snapper read more

Port Aransas Fishermans Wharf - Snapper - Boating Near Me - Port Aransas, Texas

Booked a month in advanced for the 9 hour fishing charter and when we showed up they informed us it had been canceled 2 days ago. Drove 7 and a half hours and had this planned for a month, and they didn't even have the decency to call us and let us know that it was canceled. Will not ever book here again and highly recommend no one else does either, we were able to squeeze in last minute at Dolphin Dock so if you're looking for a fishing charter go down the road. read more

Let me start by saying this was my first time and last time I will ever pay to set foot on the Warf Cat. I am by no means a fishing expert or guide nor am I a boat captain but I do know how to fish, come on seriously 35 people on a boat and only 4 fish. We drove out an hour and half off shore lines baited and dropped over the rail, what the hell we were told poles and bait provided but no one ever told us we were suppose to bring our own weights to get our bait below the water. Just about the time our bait could no longer be seen the captain would call over the PA system rods needed to be pulled in so we could turn the boat or move. We dropped lines 6 times between turning and moving the boat from each fishing spot. Our Captain didn't seem to know areas or hotspots to fish he would drive the boat until he saw a shrimp boat and then he would pull up near them. I could definitely see this technique working if the shrimp boats were actually working and not just anchored. He did this on every single stop we made to drop our lines in the water he actually doubled back on one shrimp boat 3 times killing almost an hour alone. So now here we are fishing time is over we were asked by the deckhands to go inside so they could clean the boat. Not sure what there was to clean we only pulled 4 fish into the boat and after clubbing each of them the deckhands used a 5 gallon bucket on a rope to collect water to wash the blood overboard. OK fine no problem, once they were done cleaning we headed back out on deck to find a hypodermic needle on the just washed deck right were we have been sitting and fishing all-day . The only people out there were the 2 deckhands and 1 passenger before we went out. Now we arrive back just along the seawall jetty the Game wardens boat pulls up along side of us. One of the deckhands sees everyone looking and pointing out the needle so he kicked it overboard just as 2 Federal agents jump on our boat they searched the coolers and then go up the ladder to the Captains cockpit. Then a Game warden got onboard and checked fishing licenses this I know is normal practice for random checks. Not sure but maybe this is normal for the Federal agents to check boats when they just return from open waters again still only my first off shore trip so I am not sure. When the 2 agents came down they had the captain go into the lower cabin area and show on the map I am guessing where we had gone during our trip out. We also got back from our charter over 40 minutes late and that was even before the agents and game warden got on the boat. Kind of a bonus more time on the boat but more time to stew about only 4 fish and no bites and everything compiled thru the day. Not sure why but it wouldn't let me post the pics of the needle on the deck but will provide If requested by Warf cats management. read more

Recently went on a 6 hour trip with my Dad, two teenage sons, and cousin. It was my sons and cousins first trip offshore. The deck hands were top notch & were hustling to make sure everyone was taken care of. However the captain needs to find a new trade. He sucked! Out of 60 people on board fishing there were only 5 fish caught. He insisted on staying behind two non-culling shrimp boats that were only 500 yards apart even though neither boat was culling. In my 35 years of off shore fishing I have never experienced a Captain who didn't at least try to put you on fish. read more

We saw dolphins! Loved that part. But the captain and skipper did not interact with us (family of four) at all. Wished they interacted more and shared some fun facts about the area. Don't know that it was worth the 60 bucks!! read more

Port Aransas Fishermans Wharf - Boating Near Me - Port Aransas, Texas

I'm not sure what blew more, the quality of the fishing, plumes of cigarette smoke getting devoured by the "crew" every five minutes (who in their day jobs must be the members of Port A's finest Metallic cover band), or the stench of the bathrooms on board that probably have not been cleaned since 1982. You are not allowed to bring food and drinks on board, yet all they sell is beer, chips, soda, & water. There were 50 paying guests on the four hour trip, and only one small king fish was caught. Save your money (& your orfactory glands) & skip this one...... read more

The three of us caught 77 redfish (vermillions) and 6 kingfish. In total, 100+ LBs worth of fish. The deckhands were again awesome! The cost to get your fish cleaned is 45 cents/LB plus $2 (service for bagging). I think we processed like 75 LBs worth of fish and the total was around $35. The 12-hour trip was $100/person. The ride out and back was perfect for napping. The actual fishing time was probably 5-6 hours. read more

This was my very first deep sea fishing trip, and wasn't pleased at all. 1. First off, price wasn't bad 60 per adult...30 per kid. 2. It was easy to book online. 3. It took almost an hour and thirty minutes to get to fishing spot...too long if you ask me, and the ride started getting people seasick before they actually got to fish. 4. 84 people on board, not to mention the crew that was baiting and untangling your line. 5. So, let's go back to #1...multiply times 84.... 6. You weren't allowed to bring your own snacks onboard, they sold snacks on board....small bottle of water for $1.50...small bags of chips, about the same...didn't even wanna know the price of a beer. 7. Oh, forgot to mention the ride was a really rough ride out, and just about everyone was soak and wet by the time we arrived at out destination. 8. The fishing was ok when we started, up until people actually started hooking fish...and the fish started running and getting everyone's lines tangled. At some points , the crew was cutting your line, just to get someone else fish out the water. 9. By this time I'm starting to get nauseated... 10. My lil brother really enjoyed himself, leaving his line with me, to go and check out the big fish others were catching...he had fun, that's what really mattered. 11. The trip left at 8am and we got back at 1p...we stayed on time. 12. I can say by the time we got back, we we beat...not to mention, I drove back to Austin the same day. 13. I plan on going on another deep sea fishing trip, but will definitely look into others before I make a decision. I've heard the private trips cost a little more but are well worth it. I guess it's true what they say...you get what you pay for!! read more

When we went out only one fish was caught on the entire boat and it was a small catfish. The seas were rough that day and as we were leaving the dock the captain announced that, "the seas are going to be sporting today". Which I now know means motion sickness and no one catches anything. I wish they would have told us that before we paid them. We were told they call it fishing not catching and we went fishing that day. I learned after taking the trip that sometimes it's better to cancel or reschedule then go out in less than ideal sea conditions. If the seas are rough its better to cancel than go out and have a bad day fishing. You are your own best judge on deciding to cancel because the fishing charters only care about getting you on board not whether you catch anything or have a good time. Your money in their pocket is their good time. read more

Port Aransas Fishermans Wharf - Dock - Boating Near Me - Port Aransas, Texas