Coastal Rod Bender
Captain Russ Wheeler of Coastal Rod Bender covers famous fishing grounds such as Rockport, Port Aransas, Aransas Pass, and Corpus Christi. He prides himself on achieving exceptional results both for beginners and experienced anglers, and families with young children are always welcome.
You will be fishing aboard a comfortable 23' Haynie Cat center console that offers a stable and dry ride. Powered by a 250 HP Mercury Pro XS engine, the boat runs fast to the fishing spots. The super quiet Minn Kota Trolling Motor will allow you to get up close to the fish and perfect your cast.
Capt. Russ specializes in sight casting, bay, flats, and wade fishing. He uses live and/or fresh dead bait, and/or artificial lures depending on your preference and how the fish are biting on the day. You may do some drift fishing, letting your bait float naturally in the water, or you can practice sight fishing, throwing your bait or lures out towards the fish.
These are abundant waters, so there's no shortage when it comes to the species you can target. Jack Crevalle, Black Drum, Redfish, Spotted Seatrout, Flounder, and Sheepshead all call these waters their home, and are all potential targets.
Don't forget to buy a valid Texas saltwater fishing license before your trip.
Get on board Coastal Rod Bender and experience fishing in some of the most productive waters off the coast of Texas!
Captain Russ Wheeler of Coastal Rod Bender covers famous fishing grounds such as Rockport, Port Aransas, Aransas Pass, and Corpus Christi. He prides himself on achieving exceptional results both for beginners and experienced anglers, and families with young children are always welcome.
You will be fishing aboard a comfortable 23' Haynie Cat center console that offers a stable and dry ride. Powered by a 250 HP Mercury Pro XS engine, the boat runs fast to the fishing spots. The super quiet Minn Kota Trolling Motor will allow you to get up close to the fish and perfect your cast.
Capt. Russ specializes in sight casting, bay, flats, and wade fishing. He uses live and/or fresh dead bait, and/or artificial lures depending on your preference and how the fish are biting on the day. You may do some drift fishing, letting your bait float naturally in the water, or you can practice sight fishing, throwing your bait or lures out towards the fish.
These are abundant waters, so there's no shortage when it comes to the species you can target. Jack Crevalle, Black Drum, Redfish, Spotted Seatrout, Flounder, and Sheepshead all call these waters their home, and are all potential targets.
Don't forget to buy a valid Texas saltwater fishing license before your trip.
Get on board Coastal Rod Bender and experience fishing in some of the most productive waters off the coast of Texas!

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20-30mph winds and cloudy, combined with first time on a charter. I was anxious. When we met w/Capt. Russ, he gave us a brief explanation of his game plan and he ansewerd a few questions. We set off. 2hrs in, weather getting worse, we are casting in our 3rd spot. After a few minutes, bang, 29in red. Then the reds started hitting. My friend and I limited out in 2 hrs. Even though the wheather was bad enough a fishing tournament got canceled, Capt. Russ got us on the fish. He kept bait on the hooks and gave clear direction where to cast. I'm certain without his knowledge and expertise, we would not have caught any fish today. "...put it in the cooler!"
We had a fantastic day of fishing with Captain Russ! He really knows the area and he knows fishing. He put us right on fish in multiple areas around the bay and we limited out early on speckled trout. We learned a lot and really enjoyed his company. My new favorite guide! We will be booking with him again in the future. Excellent fishing guide!
We were very lucky to get this trip in because I called Captain Russ at the last minute and he is very accommodating. We've gone out with several guides in the area over the past few years. And Captain Russ is at the top of our list as far as his knowledge and willingness to work very very hard to ensure that everybody on the boat is safe and has a good time. We limited out on specs in a short amount of time. His attitude hands down is what made the trip. He was great with JJ our 15-year-old son and with my wife Kim helping them and teaching them along the way of the proper ways to set the hook and be patient. Can't wait to go out again with Captain Russ hopefully sooner than later. We will definitely be coming back
I have been on guided fishing trips all over the US and this was one of the best. There is no doubt captain Russ knows the bays and what he is doing. We were 1 shy of a three person limit, but lost a few and had a few undersized we had to throw back. The best part of the trip was watching Captain Russ spend the time with my 7 year old. He took the time to make sure my son caught fish (he caught the most fish of the day) and he had a genuine care making sure my son drank enough water since it was a hot day. I would not hesitate to recommend this guide and I will be booking more trips with Captain Russ.

We picked an “Not so Friendly” day on the water…they sky’s were grey, a light drizzle and the winds were 10-15 kts. The Red Fish wouldn’t bite, no matter what Capt. Russ tried. So we went to go find some “Big Uglies!” Fishing with 2 Teenage Boys, we NEEDED some ACTION! DID WE FIND IT!!! Capt. Russ used his knowledge of the water depths and the currents in the channel and told us where to drop our lines…. Within 30 mins we had landed 4 Black Drum! They ranged in size of 46 inches down to 38 inches. Thank you, Capt. Russ the boys and I had a BLAST!
Russ is great! Had 2 12 yr old girls, with one being her first time fishing. The bite has been tough the last 3/4 weeks with water temps etc but we grinde it out and caught fish and were getting bites all morning. Would highly recommend!
This was only our second time on a guided trip! Captain Russ was fantastic at communicating with a location change 2 days in advance. When asked why the change, he said fishing was better in this area and so we agreed. Afterall, I was paying someone who knew more about the area than i did! I wanted to fish for red fish, Captain Russ told me that they just werent hitting like they did earlier in the year. So we went for trout that were hitting fairly well. After a short day, we caught our limit of trout and 1 Red. Largest trout: 21 inches. Largest Red: 27 inches. All and all, I thank Captain Russ for putting us on fish then allowing us to put in the work! If you dont believe me... let me tell you that no one he knew was able to limit out the way we did!

Great Day with Capt Russ. He was awesome to fish with and a wealth of knowledge!! My son’s first salt water fishing experience and it was epic!!! Highly recommend!!
Enjoyed taking my adult son with Down Syndrome fishing on the bay. Captain Russ was patient and kind. He helped my son know what to do. Russ found the right spot and we had a GREAT morning CATCHING fish.
We booked a half day trip with Captain Russ and we had a blast. Captain Russ knew exactly where to go to catch the big ones. We caught plenty of fish and it was so much fun.
It was a great time for my 10yo son and me. It was tough at the beginning but Russ got us into them at the end! Russ is laid back and great w kids. Definitely will come back!

Thanks to you and Levi for hanging in there!

20-30mph winds and cloudy, combined with first time on a charter. I was anxious. When we met w/Capt. Russ, he gave us a brief explanation of his game plan and he ansewerd a few questions. We set off. 2hrs in, weather getting worse, we are casting in our 3rd spot. After a few minutes, bang, 29in red. Then the reds started hitting. My friend and I limited out in 2 hrs. Even though the wheather was bad enough a fishing tournament got canceled, Capt. Russ got us on the fish. He kept bait on the hooks and gave clear direction where to cast. I'm certain without his knowledge and expertise, we would not have caught any fish today. "...put it in the cooler!"

Thank you Ron and Derek! Very much enjoyed the day with ya'll. Lots of fun and laughs. Enjoy the fish. Russ


Took my future FIL and my special needs SIL on our first fishing trip together. Captain Russ was calm, flexible with time and catered to our needs. He was patient with my SIL and helped my FIL (who is older) cast and reel in fish. Even though fish werent biting like crazy we were still able to take home 5 decent sized fish for dinner! Overall the experience was great and Cap Russ was very knowledgeable about the surroundings. Very safe. I will definitely book with again in the future.! Thanks so much for a great trip and the shrimp!

It was certainly an Honor to have all of you. Lizzy is so sweet, and your FIL is such a kind man. Congratulations again for finishing school and starting your career. Be safe on your travels and future endeavors. Russ
We had a fantastic day of fishing with Captain Russ! He really knows the area and he knows fishing. He put us right on fish in multiple areas around the bay and we limited out early on speckled trout. We learned a lot and really enjoyed his company. My new favorite guide! We will be booking with him again in the future. Excellent fishing guide!

Thank you for coming out today. Great day of catching and released several nice ones. Happy to see your Oversized Red. It was a great fight. Take care and be safe. See ya'll next time around Russ
Aransas Pass, Texas, United States
Captain Russ Wheeler has 28 years of experience fishing the waters of South Texas. Not only is he a very experienced and family friendly charter boat captain, he is also a certified Bird & Wildlife Guide, and he will be more than happy to share his knowledge of the area's amazing flora and fauna throughout your fishing trip.
You can cancel or modify your booking up to 7 days 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.
Pickup not included
Transfer to/from departure site is not included in trip rates.
When the captain confirms your trip, FishingBooker charges your credit card a 15% 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
When paying the remaining balance with a credit card, an additional 5% charge will apply.
