Port Aransas Fishing Guide

Bait & tackle

Bait and tackle shops in Rockport

8 bait and tackle stops from Rockport Harbor to Hwy 35, with what each keeps live, the shop's own published hours, and who sells licences. Fulton's harbor stands have their own page; Rockport is 40 minutes from Port Aransas by the causeway.

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8 shops · every listing checked against the shop's own listing, site or Facebook page, August 2026

Where can you buy live bait in Rockport?

Live shrimp and croaker are stocked at 5 of the 8 stops, concentrated at Rockport Harbor on Navigation Circle and at Cove Harbor, where the stands open at 5 a.m. in season, plus the bait house on Hwy 35 north of town. The two tackle stores sell no bait; the harbor stands do.

Bait shops compared: live bait, opening time, licences, ice
Shop Live bait Opens Licence Ice
Capt. Cady's Bait Shop (Cove Harbor) Rockport shrimp, croaker, mullet, piggy perch, crab, minnows — ? ?
Fleming's Bait Stand Rockport shrimp, croaker, piggy perch, pinfish, finger mullet, minnows, crabs, sea lice 5:00 a.m. ? ?
Mom's Bait Shop Rockport shrimp, croaker, crab — ? ?
Paradise Key Bait & Tackle Rockport shrimp, mullet, crab 5:30 a.m. ? ?
Rockport Bait and Tackle Rockport shrimp, croaker 7:00 a.m. ? ?
Rockport Tackle Town Rockport None 8:00 a.m. Yes ?
Sea Gun Bait House Rockport croaker, shrimp, mullet, crab 5:00 a.m. ? Yes
The Fly Trap Rockport None 10:00 a.m. ? ?

? = not published by the shop. Licence = sells Texas fishing licences.

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Bait shops in Rockport

Where do you buy a fishing licence?

Online from TPWD is fastest, and Rockport Tackle Town sell licences over the counter; Salemi's Ace Hardware and the H-E-B below do too, and TPWD sells them at the Goose Island State Park headquarters. Every angler 17 or older needs a Texas fishing licence with the saltwater endorsement. TPWD licences

Licence, ice and supplies stops that are not bait counters
Stop Sells Hours
Salemi's Ace Hardware 2631 Highway 35 N, Rockport, TX 78382 · (361) 729-8600 licences, tackle Mon to Sat 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sun 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
H-E-B Rockport 1409 Hwy 35 N Business, Rockport, TX 78382 · (361) 729-8230 licences, fuel Daily 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Goose Island State Park store 202 S Palmetto St, Rockport, TX 78382 · (361) 729-2858 TPWD sells licences at the park headquarters. licences Park open daily 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

What time do bait shops open?

The harbor stands open at 5 a.m. in season and the big tackle store at 8 a.m.; Rockport Bait and Tackle runs to 11 p.m. 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. Mom's closes for part of the winter, so call before a dawn run.

Straight answers

Bait questions, answered

Where is live croaker sold in Rockport?

Rockport Bait and Tackle, Fleming's Bait Stand, Mom's Bait Shop, Sea Gun Bait House and Capt. Cady's Bait Shop (Cove Harbor) all list live croaker. The harbor stands on Navigation Circle open at 5 a.m. in season, Sea Gun on Hwy 35 is the stop on the way to Goose Island, and Rockport Bait and Tackle runs to 11 p.m. for the night bite.

Which Rockport shops sell fishing licences?

Rockport Tackle Town sell licences over the counter, and so do Salemi's Ace Hardware and the H-E-B in the table, plus TPWD's own counter at Goose Island State Park. Buying online from TPWD before you arrive is faster; the licence lives on your phone.

Own one of these shops?

Every bait and tackle shop on this coast is listed here free. No paid placement: Shops are ordered alphabetically within each town, nothing else. 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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