Report 8/25–8/31/2026

The last week of August around Castaway Lodge has been a good mix of time on the water and time spent getting things squared away around the lodge. September is fixing to hit the ground running for us, so we’ve been taking advantage of every chance we get to work on the grounds, knock out projects, and make sure everything is ready for the groups headed our way.

Out on San Antonio Bay, late August fishing is still all about paying attention to what the day gives you. Get out early, watch the water, watch the bait, and don’t get too married to one spot. This time of year, a little patience and a willingness to move can make all the difference.

Captain James Cunningham has spent plenty of years figuring out these bays, and he keeps it pretty simple.

“You can’t make the fish be where you want them to be. Pay attention to what the water is telling you, make your moves, and eventually you’ll run across what you’re looking for.”

That pretty well sums up fishing this time of year.

Mike Howk made his way back to Castaway this week and brought a buddy along for another day on the water with Captain James. We always enjoy seeing returning clients come back through the doors. After enough trips, you pick right back up where you left off—grab some breakfast, load the boat, and head out to see what the bay has in store.

Travis Cagney and his group also joined us this week and got a little taste of both sides of Castaway. They started things off on the water with Captain James before trading the fishing rods for shotguns and heading to the dove field with Captain Jake Huddleston for a couple of days.

That fishing-and-hunting combination is one of the things we really enjoy about this time of year. You can spend the morning on San Antonio Bay and then change gears and head to the field. It makes for a pretty good couple of days in South Texas and gives a group a little bit of everything.

As James put it:

“That’s a good trip right there. Catch a few fish, tell a few lies on the boat, then go shoot some birds. Hard to complain about a couple days like that.”

Around the lodge, our attention is definitely turning toward September. The grounds are getting cleaned up, projects are getting finished, and everybody is getting things in order because the calendar ahead of us is packed.

September is always a fun month at Castaway. Fishing is still going strong, dove season gets underway, alligator season is here, and before long we’ll be rolling right into teal season and the rest of our fall schedule.

There’s a lot coming, and we’re ready for it.

For now, we’ll keep the boats fueled, the lodge ready, and enjoy these last few days of August on the Texas coast.

See y’all in Seadrift.

Capt. Kris Kelley
Castaway Lodge
Seadrift, Texas
1.888.618.4868