Castaway Lodge Fishing & Hunting Report | September 8–15, 2026

September is rolling right along here at Castaway Lodge, and this past week was definitely all about the gators. With Texas alligator season being such a short window, once September 10 rolled around, it was time to get after it.

Captains Jake Huddleston and Cory Housworth have stayed on their toes, keeping track of where these gators are moving and making every opportunity count. When you only have a short season to work with, there isn’t much room for sitting around waiting.

Donna and her father Joe came into the lodge Thursday with a pretty special goal in mind. Donna was celebrating her birthday, and harvesting a Texas alligator was sitting high on her bucket list. She definitely wasn’t let down, getting it done on a solid gator and making this birthday one she won’t soon forget.

Michael Duke made the drive down from Arkansas to get in on the Texas gator action as well. He came ready to hunt and was able to put a solid gator on the ground, making that long drive south well worth it.

Jennifer and Stephanie with the Merriman group were up next, and those ladies had themselves a heck of a hunt. Both got it done, harvesting a couple of impressive 9-plus-foot gators.

Michelle Ewing’s group kept things rolling with two shooters, and both were able to get the job done, harvesting two nice gators. The Fowler and Haffey groups were right behind them, keeping our guides moving and making for a busy stretch of gator hunting around the lodge.

“Gator season comes at you fast. You’ve only got a short window, so when everything lines up, you better be ready to make it count.”

There was still some fishing mixed into the week. The Fowler and Haffey groups took some time away from chasing gators and headed out on San Antonio Bay with Captains James Cunningham and Chris Cady. September gives us a pretty unique mix around here, and being able to combine a gator hunt with a day on the bay makes for one heck of a South Texas trip.

“September is one of those months where there’s always something going on. Between gators and fishing, our guides stay moving and that’s exactly how we like it around here.”

Now we’re turning some of our attention toward Early Teal season. It’s one of those hunts that comes and goes in a hurry, and we’re looking forward to getting the boats back into the marsh and seeing what this year brings. We still have a few Early Teal dates open, so if you’ve been thinking about making a trip down, now is the time to get on the books.

With gator season rolling, Early Teal coming up, fishing still going strong, and October already shaping up to keep us plenty busy, fall at Castaway Lodge is officially underway.

Congratulations to all of our hunters who got it done this week, and a big thank-you to everyone who came down and spent a few days with us. Gator season may be short, but we’re making the most of every day we’ve got.

Until next week, we’ll keep the boats running, the guides moving, and see what South Texas throws at us next.

Castaway Lodge
Capt. Kris Kelley
Seadrift, Texas