CORPUS CHRISTI – Grab your rod and reel and saltwater fishing bait and enjoy a day of coastal fishing at the newly renovated Bob Hall Pier in Corpus Christi.
Located within Padre Balli Park in Nueces County, Bob Hall Pier is a 1,240-foot pier that extends over the Texas Coast. The pier, which finished construction in early 2026 and officially reopened to the public in late February, was rebuilt after being severely damaged by Hurricane Hanna in 2020.
Spearheaded by Nueces County Commissioner Brent Chesney, construction for the $28.5 million renovation began in 2024. Renovations to the pier include enhanced structural durability, wider walkways, and ADA accessibility, providing saltwater anglers another avenue for coastal fishing along the Texas Gulf Coast.
One of the most abundant species of fish that can be found in the south Texas coast is the black drum. These fish are common in the Upper Laguna Madre, which is a unique hypersaline (saltier than seawater) ecosystem that has been and continues to be the "black drum factory" among Texas bays. The Packery Channel at the northern end of this bay system serves as a passageway for fish headed to the Gulf, and this pass is located just north of the newly reopened Bob Hall Pier.
"Black drum have been a favorite of coastal anglers for decades," said Brian Bartram, the Corpus Christi Bay Ecosystem Leader for the Coastal Fisheries Division at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. "In the late winter and early spring, mature black drum find their way to deeper water to spawn and occasionally venture into the surf, passing by Gulf piers like Bob Hall Pier and giving anglers the opportunity to hang onto a 'big ugly' and catch a monster black drum, with fish in the 35-40-inch range being common."
However, according to Bartram, a big attraction for locals and tourists alike is spotted seatrout – especially during the summer at nighttime underneath Gulf pier lights.
"As the water temperatures warm up and summer sets in, the Texas surf will start to hold good numbers of spotted seatrout," said Bartram. "A popular activity on Bob Hall Pier is fishing with live shrimp under a popping cork at night under the pier lights, usually up in the shallower parts of the surf. Action can be quick, and anglers can catch a limit of trout (three per angler per day) in short order when conditions are right and the trout are hungry."
These surf trout are often sizeable, with a minimum size of 15 inches and a maximum size of 20 inches, so anglers should be sure to land the big ones with care, so they can be released to sustain our trout populations, added Bartram.
Saltwater anglers looking to fish at the newly rebuilt Bob Hall Pier, as well as all visitors, can access the pier for free until May 24.