Like many coastal fishing guides, Capt. Ryan Aguirre’s affinity for chasing inshore saltwater gamefish runs deep. However, his passion for the sport of fishing was initially sparked in freshwater, as he grew up targeting crappie and bass.
“I grew up near Lake Brownwood, and my dad always had a bass boat,” Aguirre said. “I fell in love with fishing for bass and crappie at a young age. I can remember being about 5 years old and catching stringers of crappie alongside old men at night under the lights of the crappie docks at the lake.”
Aguirre really didn’t get into saltwater fishing until he was an adult, when an oil field job brought him closer to the coast.
“It was one of those deals where I just started fishing the coast because it was the most convenient place for me to go fishing,” Aguirre said. “Before I knew it I was eaten up with it. I started with a little bay boat, and then got myself a bigger bay boat, and just kept trying to learn knew areas and network with locals who also loved to fish.”
Aguirre has been a full-time fishing guide for two years, and is based out of Port Aransas, where he specializes in wade fishing for speckled trout and redfish with artificial lures from Port A to Baffin Bay.
Aguirre started his guiding career in the Seadrift area, where he was running a variety of different types of inshore fishing
trips, including live bait and artificial, and both wading or fishing from the boat. He still offers boat trips for those that are not interested in wading, but his focus has shifted to wading for trophy-sized speckled trout.
“I really felt like relocating to Port Aransas was going to help me achieve my goal of becoming a better trophy trout fishing guide,” Aguirre said. “My wife supported this decision and wanted to help me live my dream, so we made the move and haven’t looked back. It also helps that she loves to fish.”
Aguirre said learning how to read the tides and adjust his game plan accordingly has been the biggest challenge in making the switch from freshwater to saltwater fishing.
“You don’t have to deal with tides on a lake,” he admitted. “Getting out of the boat and wade-fishing was also something new, but I immediately fell in love with it. I like being in the water and feeling the bay bottom beneath my boots. It shows you what’s beneath the surface and I think it makes you a better angler.”
Aguirre said his dad has enjoyed coming to the coast to fish with him over the past few years.
“It’s been fun to show him the differences and similarities between saltwater and freshwater fishing,” Aguirre said. “He has embraced a lot of it, but he still will not get out of the boat and wade fish. He always reminds me that he has caught bigger bass than I have, and never had to get out of the boat to do it. That has made for some fun jokes while fishing the coast together.”
Aguirre’s favorite thing about guiding is seeing his clients catch fish that they are excited about.
“There’s nothing like seeing folks get pumped up about catching their personal best trout,” he said. “My goal is to help as many folks as possible make unforgettable memories on the water like that.”
Even in his free time, you’re most likely to find Aguirre on the water, trying to become a better angler. When his boat is in
the shop for service, he will find a spot to walk in and wade fish, just to spend more time perfecting his craft.
