Water Activities
Captain Murphy's
Legendary South Padre Island deep-sea and bay fishing charters operating from Sea Ranch Marina since the 1970s. Experience offshore red snapper, kingfish, and shark adventures aboard the Hard Merchandise, family Laguna Madre bay drift fishing, dolphin watches, and sunset fireworks cruises.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 33256 State Park Rd. 100, South Padre Island, TX, 78597
- Phone
- (956) 761-2764
- Business Type
- ⭐ Local & Independent
What to know before you go
Details checked . Confirm prices, schedules and policies with the business when planning your visit.
Schedules 3 details
Bay fishing trips (aboard the Hard Bottom Too) run three fixed departures: 8:00am-12 noon, 1:00-5:00pm, and 6:00-9:00pm.
The fireworks cruise runs as a recurring holiday special (New Year's Eve, Memorial Day weekend, July 4th, Labor Day weekend) and also as a standing weekly summer trip on Friday and Tuesday nights, 7:30-10:00pm, each priced at $35 and combining a sunset dolphin watch with the fireworks viewing, family-friendly music and disco lights.
The full-day deep-sea fishing trip (aboard the Thunderbird) runs 8 hours, 7:30am-3:30pm, offered daily weather permitting.
Services 3 details
The Murf Dog (42-ft private yacht, up to 6 guests) is a private-charter option covering deep-sea fishing, sunset cruises, dolphin watching, Port of Brownsville tours, SpaceX launch viewings, and birthday/anniversary parties, booked by phone rather than online.
The Port of Brownsville tour is a 5-hour narrated cruise (aboard Murphy's Law) through the Brownsville Ship Channel into the working Port of Brownsville, past the SpaceX/Starbase launch site, and back through the Port Isabel Shrimp Basin (established 1953); it's billed on the site as a 'Winter Texan favorite.'
The eco tour drags a specialized net during the cruise so guests can see sea life up close, in addition to dolphin watching and passing Boca Chica Beach and the US Coast Guard station.
Amenities 3 details
The eco tour and dolphin-watch cruises are pet-friendly and guests are welcome to bring their own food and drink aboard.
The fireworks cruises are pet-friendly and marketed as a family-affordable outing.
The fleet includes four named boats for different trip types: the Hard Bottom Too (49-ft, bay fishing, covered bench seating + restroom), the Thunderbird (deep-sea, USCG-endorsed, up to 44 passengers/crew, men's and women's restrooms, inside cabin plus outdoor seating), the Murphy's Law (67-ft double-decker, used for eco/dolphin/sunset/fireworks/Port of Brownsville tours), and the Murf Dog (42-ft Liberty Express private yacht, up to 6 guests, air-conditioned salon with seating, table, bed, kitchen, and a full restroom with shower).
Policies 7 details
A valid Texas Saltwater Fishing License is required for every angler age 17 and older on any fishing trip; the company asks guests to wait to buy the license online until they get a confirmation call or text that the trip is on.
Bay fishing, deep-sea fishing and Murf Dog private fishing charters all provide rod, reel, bait and tackle; guests may bring their own gear (one pole per fisherman on bay trips) but the company is not responsible for it, and guests can bring their own food and drinks.
Cancellation policy (applies fleet-wide): a full refund if you cancel 24+ hours before your trip; no refund for a no-show or a cancellation inside 24 hours; if the company itself cancels for unsafe weather, guests get a full refund. The company does not cancel merely for guest preference over so-so weather.
For safety, pregnant guests are not permitted to board the deep-sea fishing trips, due to unpredictable offshore conditions and limited access to medical care.
On deep-sea fishing trips guests may bring their own food, drinks and coolers, and alcohol is allowed as long as it's not in glass containers.
Red snapper limits differ by where you fish: 4 per angler in state waters (within 9 nautical miles of the Texas coast, which includes the man-made RGV Reef ~12 miles north of the SPI jetties), 2 per angler in federal waters (beyond 9 nautical miles), and federal-water reef fishing requires non-stainless circle hooks.
Two separate phone lines are used for reservations depending on the trip type: (956) 761-2764 for fishing trips, (956) 761-4752 for the boat tours (eco, dolphin, sunset, fireworks, Port of Brownsville).
Prices 3 details
Bay fishing has no published child cutoff-price for the standard trip, but children ages 2-4 are a flat $10, and children 2 and under are not allowed on bay fishing trips at all.
The 1.5-hour eco/dolphin-watch tour (aboard the 67-ft Murphy's Law) has four daily time slots priced $16-$18 per person depending on the slot; the 10:30am and 3:00-6:30pm slots are $18 (kids same price as adults except the 10:30am slot, where kids are $16), and the 1:00pm slot is $16 for everyone.
The Port of Brownsville tour is $40 for the tour alone, or $50 for tour plus lunch; the tour itself includes a fresh-caught Gulf shrimp tasting with coffee and donuts, and the lunch add-on is at Lobos Del Mar Cafe (grilled chicken sandwich, hamburger, cheeseburger, hot dog, or grilled fish tacos, each with fries and a drink).
Suggested: Any time · No set time — you choose