Down South Fishing Charters 

5.0/5 (36 reviews)
 
State licensed
 40 Tarpon Avenue, Port Isabel, TX 78578, United States
You may qualify for a Loyalty Program discount with Down South Fishing Charters. To check if you can use a Loyalty Program discount for your selected dates, please sign in.

If you’re looking for an unforgettable angling adventure, cast off with Down South Fishing Charters! Departing out of Port Isabel, you’ll have the chance to experience the inshore fishing that the lower Laguna Madre has become famous for. Even better? You’ll be guided on your trip by Captain Chris Cole, who grew up fishing these waters. He knows a thing or two about what it takes to hook the catch of your dreams.

Capt. Chris has plenty of angling experience, both personally and as a charter captain. With this experience comes the opportunity to share his love of the outdoors with his clients. This is something that he feels privileged to do. He especially loves taking new anglers out and loves watching their reactions if they’ve never been on a boat before. It reminds him to never take his love for these waters for granted!

You’ll be fishing from Capt. Chris’s 21’ Shallow Sport bay boat. She’s built for cruising narrow, shallow waters, making her the perfect vessel for exploring Laguna Madre. Capt. Chris can accommodate up to 6 guests, and warmly welcomes families with little ones on board, too. Your vessel is decked out with top-quality navigational and safety gear, as well as plenty of storage, so you don’t need to worry about bringing your own cooler.

When it comes to fishing, there’s a reason why Laguna Madre is so beloved by anglers! Capt. Chris will have you targeting exciting species such as huge Redfish, Speckled Trout, Flounder, and Black Drum. You’ll be using light tackle to hook your catch, and your captain will show you how to wield your rod for the best results. Catch and release is encouraged – why not help preserve this excellent fishery for generations to come?

Rods, reels, and tackle are included in your trip, as well as drinking water. Live bait can be purchased at an additional cost, and you’ll need to pick up a fishing license beforehand. Then it’s time to cast off on an incredible angling adventure with Down South Fishing Charters!

Christopher Cole

Captain

Christopher Cole

16 years of experience
 ID & credentials verified
 responds within an hour

Most popular features:

 You Keep Catch
 Catch cleaning & filleting
 Drinks
 Child Friendly
 Rods, reels & tackle

Trip availability and prices

Trip Date:
Days:
Group Size:
Almost there...
Half Day Trip (PM)
FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
5 Hour Trip, starts at 1:00 PM
Price for 2 people
US $475 
Half Day Trip (AM)

 In demand! Last booked: 3 days ago

FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
5 Hour Trip, starts at 6:30 AM
Price for 2 people
US $525 
Full Day Trip
FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
10 Hour Trip, starts at 6:30 AM
Price for 2 people
US $1,000 

Customer reviews

Rating summary

5.0/5
out of 5 stars from 36 reviews
Boat
5.0/5
Crew
5.0/5
Experience
5.0/5

Photos & videos by reviewers (39)

Family trip
Captain Chris was amazing
Knowledgeable, Patient, and Hard-Working
+36

Angler rating

34
0
0
0
0

Anglers claimed

Good experience

100%

Appropriate for children

96%

Friendly captain

100%

Satisfied with the boat

100%

Recommend this charter

94%

Caught fish

93%

Showing 1 - 5 of 36 reviews
Marco I.
Marco I.
5.0/5

Experience:

5.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

Family trip

VERIFIED
NEW

Half Day Trip (AM) on April 19, 2025

It was great captain was very helpful and considering that the conditions were less then ideal he still put us on the fish

It was great captain was very helpful and considering that the conditions were less then ideal he still put us on the fish  

Review media 0
 Marco I. recommends Down South Fishing Charters
Christopher Cole
Christopher Cole (The Captain)
Replied on April 25, 2025
Thank you sir👍🏾

Candy G. S.
Candy G. S.
5.0/5

Experience:

5.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

Captain Chris was amazing

VERIFIED

Full Day Trip on August 3, 2024

This was our daughter's first trip fishing and he made sure she had an amazing experience. Thanks Capt. Chris we will be back. The Steele's

This was our daughter's first trip fishing and he made sure she had an amazing experience. Thanks Capt. Chris we will be back. The Steele's  

 Candy G. S. recommends Down South Fishing Charters
Christopher Cole
Christopher Cole (The Captain)
Replied on August 4, 2024
Review media 0

Don M.
Don M.
5.0/5

Experience:

5.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

Knowledgeable, Patient, and Hard-Working

VERIFIED

Half Day Trip (AM) on March 29, 2024

While we fared through the windy conditions, Captain Chris hung with us and tried many locations and different baits. He was patient with a Minnesota crew that included three kids under 16 and took the time to help teach us not just about fishing but about the ecosystem and wildlife around us. We may not have caught loads of fish, but Captain Chris tried his hardest, and we did leave for "home" with enough to enjoy for fish tacos with our group. We had a great time and I'd definitely book with Captain Chris again. Thanks, Chris!

While we fared through the windy conditions, Captain Chris hung with us and tried many locations and different baits. He was patient with a Minnesota crew that included three kids under 16 and took the time to help teach us not just about fishing but about the ecosystem and wildlife around us. We may not have caught loads of fish, but Captain Chris tried his hardest, and we did leave for "home" with enough to enjoy for fish tacos with our group. We had a great time and I'd definitely book...  

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 Don M. recommends Down South Fishing Charters
Christopher Cole
Christopher Cole (The Captain)
Replied on April 9, 2024
Thank you sir

Michael B.
Michael B.

Driftwood, TX

5.0/5

Experience:

5.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

Half Day Trip with family & Captain Christopher

VERIFIED

Half Day Trip (PM) on July 7, 2023

What a great time fishing! Not only was Captain Christopher’s knowledge of the area and best spots to fish near and far amazing but his great patience with the kids we brought with us youngest of which were 6 & 10 was also amazing and greatly appreciated. He showed them how it was done kindly corrected them when they needed to do something different and bountifully commended them for a job well done. As a result even the 6 year old had a great time and caught lots of fish. Captain even went a little farther than usual to find is a really great spot and stayed a little longer to help us catch our limit… had lots of oversized and undersized due to the narrow slot for specs right now but we had an amazing time. Highly recommend this kind gentleman and family man. He’s a gem and will call him again if I’m in the area and recommend him to others.

What a great time fishing! Not only was Captain Christopher’s knowledge of the area and best spots to fish near and far amazing but his great patience with the kids we brought with us youngest of which were 6 & 10 was also amazing and greatly appreciated. He showed them how it was done kindly corrected them when they needed to do something different and bountifully commended them for a job well done. As a result even the 6 year old had a great time and caught lots of fish. Captain even went...  

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 Michael B. recommends Down South Fishing Charters
Christopher Cole
Christopher Cole (The Captain)
Replied on July 11, 2023
Thank you👍🏾

Joel S.
Joel S.

Niederwald, TX

5.0/5

Experience:

5.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

Awesome Afternoon With Capt. Chris

VERIFIED

Half Day Trip (PM) on August 7, 2023

Friendly and knowledgeable captain who loves kids. Had no problem catching many fish on a windy summer midday. If you've never been to the bay for fishing, Captain Chris will make the experience worthwhile. After the catch, he cleaned the fish and even gave us a recipe. We highly recommend Down South and will be contacting them for future trips for sure.

Friendly and knowledgeable captain who loves kids. Had no problem catching many fish on a windy summer midday. If you've never been to the bay for fishing, Captain Chris will make the experience worthwhile. After the catch, he cleaned the fish and even gave us a recipe. We highly recommend Down South and will be contacting them for future trips for sure.  

 Joel S. recommends Down South Fishing Charters
Christopher Cole
Christopher Cole (The Captain)
Replied on August 8, 2023
Thank you sir👍🏾

...

FAQs about Down South Fishing Charters

What are the trip rates for Down South Fishing Charters?

Down South Fishing Charters offers the following trips to customers:

  • US $475 per group, additional US $50 per person after 2 guests - Half Day Trip (PM) (5 hours)
  • US $525 per group, additional US $50 per person after 2 guests - Half Day Trip (AM) (5 hours)
  • US $1,000 per group, additional US $50 per person after 2 guests - Full Day Trip (10 hours)
Which amenities are available onboard with Down South Fishing Charters?

When you book a trip with Down South Fishing Charters, you can expect the following amenities onboard:

  • GPS
  • Fishfinder
  • Live Bait Well
What's included in the trip price with Down South Fishing Charters?

Trips booked with Down South Fishing Charters include:

  • Rods, reels & tackle
  • Lures
  • Catch cleaning & filleting (Fish cleaning will be done at the dock by me for free.)
  • Drinks (Waters and Gatorade. )
What types of fishing does Down South Fishing Charters offer?

Down South Fishing Charters offers the following types of fishing:

  • Inshore Fishing
  • Nearshore Fishing
  • Offshore Fishing (My normal range is inshore and nearshore. Inshore we could travel up to twenty miles nearshore seven to ten.)
  • Wreck Fishing
  • Flats Fishing
What fishing techniques does Down South Fishing Charters offer?

Down South Fishing Charters offers the following fishing techniques:

  • Light Tackle
  • Bottom Fishing
  • Trolling
  • Spinning
  • Jigging
  • Fly Fishing
  • Drift Fishing
Which fish species can I catch with Down South Fishing Charters?

Top targeted fish species with Down South Fishing Charters include:

  • Black Drum
  • Flounder
  • Redfish
  • Snook
  • Speckled Trout

Your captain

Christopher Cole

Port Isabel, Texas, United States

1 Fishing Report
ID & license verified
36 Customer reviews
Response time within an hour
Member since September 2019

Captain Chris Cole has been fishingThe Lower Laguna Madre since childhood. He loves nothing more than taking customers who have never caught a fish (or have never caught a big fish!) out to explore the bay. He feels privileged that he gets to introduce these fishing grounds to people who have never seen the Lower Laguna Madre or have never been on a boat. Seeing how these customers react to their experience reminds him to never take his love for the bay for granted! As well as running charters, he also participates in all the major tournaments this area provides. He's more than equipped to take you on the adventure of a lifetime, and can't wait to welcome you on board!

The fish you can target

Black Drum
Black Drum
Flounder
Flounder
Redfish
Redfish
Snook
Snook
Speckled Trout
Speckled Trout

What is the boat like?

Boat Image
Boat category
Center console boats
Capacity
6 persons
Boat length
21 ft
Year built
2019
Boat manufacturer
Shallow Sport
Boat type
Bay boat

Engine model
Yamaha
Powered by
1 x 150HP
Max cruising speed
40 knots

What kind of fishing will you do?

Inshore Fishing

Nearshore Fishing

Offshore Fishing

My normal range is inshore and nearshore. Inshore we could travel up to twenty miles nearshore seven to ten.

Wreck Fishing

Flats Fishing

Which fishing techniques you can try

Light Tackle

Bottom Fishing

Trolling

Spinning

Jigging

Fly Fishing

Drift Fishing

Which amenities are available onboard

GPS

Fishfinder

Live Bait Well

What’s included in the trip price

Rods, reels & tackle

Lures

Catch cleaning & filleting

Fish cleaning will be done at the dock by me for free.

Drinks

Waters and Gatorade.

How cancellations work

Free cancellation up to 1 day prior to trip

You can cancel or modify your booking up to 1 day before the trip date, free of charge. If you cancel or modify your booking later, or fail to show up, you'll forfeit 100% of what you've paid.

What the listing policies are

Pickup agreed upon reservation

Transfer to/from departure site may be available and included in price depending on your location and distance from the dock.

Child Friendly

One of my specialties is children . I will focus on them allowing the parents to get more fishing time.

You Keep Catch

How you can pay

Book with 20% deposit, pay rest to captain

When the captain confirms your trip, FishingBooker charges your credit card a 20% deposit to guarantee your reservation.

The remaining balance is to be paid directly to the charter operator on or prior to your trip date in one of the following payment methods:

 Cash

 Visa

 Mastercard

 American Express

 PayPal

What’s biting in Port Isabel right now

Black DrumBlack Drum
FlounderFlounder
RedfishRedfish
SnookSnook
Speckled TroutSpeckled Trout