Bait & tackle
8 bait stops on the mainland side of the ferry, where the Coastal Bend's dependable croaker tanks are, with what each keeps live, the shop's own published hours, and who sells licences.
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8 shops · every listing checked against the shop's own listing, site or Facebook page, August 2026
Pin popups open the matching ledger row · Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Every stop on this page keeps live shrimp and 5 of the 8 list live croaker, most of them open by 5 a.m. in season: the Bigelow Street and Huff Street stands at Conn Brown Harbor, Ransom Road, the two marinas on TX-361 on the way to the ferry, and Anne's on the Ingleside bayfront. This is where Port Aransas boats stock up before crossing.
The first live tanks you reach coming over from the island.
The last live-bait stop on TX-361 before the ferry, with a lighted pier and skiff rentals; posts what's in the tanks most days.
Live bait: shrimp, croaker, mullet, pinfish, piggy perch, crab, sea lice
Opens: 5:00 a.m.
Also sells: frozen bait, tackle, ice
Find it: Directions bayratboats.com Bait alerts on Facebook (361) 758-6900
Marina and RV park bait counter on TX-361, open late.
Live bait: shrimp, mullet, mud minnows
Opens: 7:00 a.m.
Also sells: frozen bait, tackle, ice, boat ramp
Find it: Directions Facebook Bait and fishing updates (361) 758-7414
Live bait: croaker, shrimp, piggy perch
Opens: 5:00 a.m.
Also sells: frozen bait, tackle
Find it: Directions (361) 863-2257
The croaker tanks the island crosses the ferry for.
A seasonal stand at Conn Brown Harbor that opens only when there is live bait; its Facebook page is the day's availability signal.
Live bait: shrimp, croaker
Opens: 5:00 a.m.
Also sells: frozen bait
Find it: Directions Facebook Open days and bait on Facebook (361) 688-3731
Live bait: shrimp, croaker
Opens: 6:00 a.m.
Also sells: frozen bait
Find it: Directions Facebook (361) 758-0612
Licences and live shrimp on Bigelow Street; call for the day's hours.
Live bait: shrimp, mud minnows, sea lice
Opens: Not published
Also sells: frozen bait, tackle, ice, licences
A seafood market with a live-shrimp tank that opens before the storefront.
Live bait: shrimp
Opens: 5:30 a.m.
Also sells: —
Find it: Directions Facebook (361) 263-8267
Live-bait house on the Ingleside bayfront; the tanks are fed twice a day, per the owner.
Live bait: shrimp, croaker, finger mullet
Opens: 5:00 a.m.
Also sells: —
Find it: Directions (361) 413-9265
green rows sell live bait · ordered along the route, nothing else
Every row verified · correct a listing
Online from TPWD is fastest, and Harbor City Bait sell licences over the counter; the Walmart on Wheeler Avenue and the H-E-B stores in Aransas Pass and Ingleside are TPWD vendors too. Every angler 17 or older needs a Texas fishing licence with the saltwater endorsement. TPWD licences
| Stop | Sells | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Walmart Supercenter 2501 W Wheeler Ave, Aransas Pass, TX 78336 · (361) 758-2920 | licences, tackle, ice | Daily 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. |
| H-E-B Aransas Pass 101 E Goodnight Ave, Aransas Pass, TX 78336 · (361) 758-5900 | licences, fuel | Daily 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. |
| H-E-B Ingleside 2616 TX-361, Ingleside, TX 78362 · (361) 776-7510 | licences, fuel | Daily 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
Most Aransas Pass bait stands open at 5 a.m. in season and close by late afternoon; Fin & Feather runs to 10 p.m. and to midnight on Saturday. The hours on each card are the shop's own published hours with the source named, and where a shop publishes none we say so rather than guess. Capt. Cady's is seasonal and opens only when it has bait, so check its Facebook page.
Straight answers
Capt. Cady's Bait Shop, Capts' Bait Shack, Ransom Road Bait and Tackle, South Bay Marina and Anne's Bait House On The Bay all list live croaker. South Bay Marina on TX-361 posts what is in its tanks most days, and Capt. Cady's opens only on days it has bait, so check their Facebook pages before a dawn run.
Harbor City Bait sell licences over the counter, and so do the Walmart and both H-E-B stores in the table. Buying online from TPWD before you arrive is faster; the licence lives on your phone.
Every bait and tackle shop on this coast is listed here free. No paid placement: Shops are listed in driving order along the route, nothing else — never by payment. The facts on each card come from your own listing, site or Facebook page, and each card carries the date we checked them.
Port Aransas Fishing Guide sells nothing to shops and takes no commission; the directory exists so anglers find bait.
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