Castaway Lodge Fishing Report

June 15 – June 22, 2026

Well, we found ourselves watching the weather maps once again late last week as Tropical Storm Arthur spun up and worked its way past the Texas coast. Thankfully, we dodged any major issues here around Seadrift. We did have to shuffle schedules and reschedule one trip, but after that it was right back to business as usual with another busy week on the water at Castaway Lodge.

Jesse Schuurman and his crew rolled in to kick things off. At this point, Jesse’s group feels more like family than clients. Captain James Cunningham had them on the water early and it didn’t take long for things to get interesting.

“The trout didn’t make us wait around very long,” James said. “Once we found the bait, it was game on. Those guys can flat-out fish.”

Gregg Appel brought his annual crew down as well, including his two grandsons. Captain Chris Cady loaded them up in the airboat and went to work. The morning started a little slower than everyone hoped, but the boys stayed after it and were rewarded late.

“It wasn’t pretty at first,” Chris laughed. “But sometimes that’s how it goes. We stayed patient and finished with one of those afternoons that makes everybody forget about the morning.”

One of the highlights of the week was hosting Aaron Caldwell and Texas Air Products out of San Antonio. Aaron brought a group of 12 anglers down for a couple days of fishing and their annual friendly fishing tournament. Some teams chose to wade while others worked from the boats, and our guides spent the week helping everyone chase that one fish that could move them up the leaderboard. Between the competition, plenty of fish stories, and a little friendly trash talking at the dock every evening, it was another great trip with a group we always look forward to seeing.

The weekend stayed busy with drive-in clients keeping Captains Chris Cady, Doug Russell, James Cunningham, Devin Spencer, and Casey Jones running hard. We had anglers choosing everything from wade fishing to airboat trips and traditional bay boat adventures, giving everyone a chance to experience our fishery their own way.

As for the fishing, not much has changed—and that’s a good thing. The trout bite remains absolutely on fire throughout the system. Good numbers of fish are being caught daily, and there have been plenty of quality trout mixed in. Redfish continue to cooperate, especially for anglers willing to cover some water, and a few black drum have rounded out the catches along the way.

“The trout are doing exactly what we want them to do right now,” said Captain Casey Jones. “We’ve got good bait, good water conditions, and fish that are feeding. Summer is setting up really nice.”

Captain Devin Spencer echoed the same sentiment.

“If you’re a trout fisherman, it’s hard to ask for much more right now,” Devin said. “We’re seeing solid numbers and enough quality fish to keep everybody excited.”

With summer officially here, the fishing continues to improve and conditions across our bays look great heading into the weeks ahead. If you’ve got a trip on the books, we’re excited to see you. If not, now is a great time to make some plans.

We’ll keep the coffee hot, the boats ready, and look forward to seeing you at the dock.

Until next time,

Capt. Kris Kelley
Castaway Lodge
Seadrift, Texas