Charter boat fishing off the Texas Coast can be an exhilarating experience for everyone. Whether Near Shore Fishing, Off Shore Fishing, Jetty Fishing or Deep Sea Fishing, the fishing can be, and often is, exceptional. In the spring and fall, Bull Red Fish are in abundance for Near Shore and Jetty Trip Fishing. The variety of fish available is almost endless although some are quite seasonable. Catch King Fish, Spanish Mackerel, Cobia, Dolphin, Red Snapper, Bonito, Bull Red Fish, Shark and more. Only a one hour drive from Houston gets you to some of the best Inshore, Off Shore, Deep Sea and Jetty fishing on the Texas Coast in the waters off Surfside Beach – Freeport, Texas.

My name is Justin Cortez and I was born and raised in San Antonio, TX.  As a child I was always begging to go fishing!  Little did my family know it would turn into an addiction.  Upon graduating high school, I moved to Corpus Christi, to attend Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi.  In college I received a degree in Chemistry while fishing almost every day and working on a deep sea fishing boat.  After graduation, I became a high school teacher and realized that I was not getting to fish as much as I was used to and this was a BIG problem.  I left teaching in order to take fishing more serious and become a captain.  Now I am a USCG 100 ton masters licensed captain and am just dying to take you fishing.

The Knaus Ranch is located on the top ridge of a beautiful cedar and Spanish oak covered mountain top range known as the Callahan Divide, about 13 miles Southwest of Abilene, Texas and some 150 miles west of Fort Worth,  and about 8 miles south of Interstate 20. 

Abilene is a city of about 115,000 people and is located some 12 miles east of the ranch. The deer and turkey hunting area of the ranch is approximately 2000 acres  The ranch's fences are all low fences (as opposed to 9' high game fences). All of our hunts are considered fair chase hunting.

 

We have a few real big trophy bucks. We have lots of regular size bucks up to 12 points. Some of these bucks will gross out about 235lbs. And large flocks of Rio Grande Turkeys. It seems as if there are more Rio Grande Turkeys and they are bigger every year. Of course, it could be that we feed all of the animals year round with heavy feeding and food plots in the spring.

 

For folks that use GPS, our location is N32 18.425 W099 53.707 for the center point of the compound. A helicopter pad is available. The elevation of the pad is 2383' above sea level. (Check in with a cell phone for exact landing instructions and pad location.) Cell phone number is 325 665 9444. The helicopter pad is just West of the bunk house about 200 Feet, but, within our compound.

 

 The view from our camp is one of the most superb views of  West Texas.  Clear and clean Texas air, a beautiful  mountain view, and beautiful country side. In late October and early November, the Oak  leaves change to a bright red color with a few bright yellow leaves to spice it up.  Spring time brings in all of the trees, flowers, grass, and food plots turning to deep green colors and the wild flowers at their most beautiful setting preparing for a color parade season before the summer heat arrives. You can take a look at it live by clicking on the blue 'here' below. This a view on a web cam looking out the main door toward the east. And, if you turn up the volume, you can hear the wind chimes if there is any breeze at all.

 

We have no traffic, only  the moan of a distant freight train, and the mating whistle of a bob-white quail makes the ranch not only fun, but very restful and relaxing. Then too, we have our local resident turkeys calling even here at the main compound. We don't have many people to just 'Drop By'. Being off the main road some 3 miles this far out; a passer-by must be coming to see us, or that traveler is just lost.

 

Our camp is in a  remote area (on the very top of a mountain (The Callahanridge) and about 3 miles to the nearest road) however, the road to the highway is plenty good for arriving or departing is nearly all kinds of weather. We do have the best of both worlds with electricity, satellite and local TV, DSL for broad band computer contact. Central air and plenty of wonderful deep well water, and one of the most complete cooking facilities around this area (gas stoves, smokers, wood steak grills, micro ovens, etc, etc.)

 

The old Overland Stage Coach ruts are still visible crossing the ranch along with a few Indian arrowheads scattered here and there especially around the banks of the creeks, and some WWII shells and casings left over when the ranch was a part of Camp Barkley, a US Army facility during the second  world war.  The ranch's front gate opens to an 1800's cattle trail known as the Butterfield Trail. Now days that old trail is called 'The Butterfield Highway or even some folks call it Texas Highway 277 to San Angelo, Texas. There is a lot of history both on and off the ranch here.