Big Al’s Offshore runs two of the most capable offshore boats in Corpus Christi: the Just Joan, a 41 foot Sea Ray cabin cruiser, and the Just Joan II, a 28 foot Sportsman center console, both federally permitted and fished out of the Padre Island Yacht Club under Captain Allen. On paper it has much of what the top of the port has, an experienced captain, real range, and a comfortable cabin boat. What it does not yet have is a deep review record, and that is what holds its score where it sits.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 7.1 Big Al’s is fourth in the Corpus Christi ranking and a strong choice for the boat and the captain, with one honest caveat. The fleet is genuine: a federally permitted 41 foot cruiser with a cabin and a head for a comfortable full day, plus a faster 28 foot center console, under a captain with a USCG Merchant Mariner license and 35 years on the water. The thin part is the evidence, since the operation is newer to Corpus Christi and carries only a handful of reviews so far, which is fewer than the Salty Waves, Get Bent, and White Lightning records above it. Compare the field on the Corpus Christi ranking.
The boat
The Just Joan is a 41 foot Sea Ray cabin cruiser on twin 300 horsepower Caterpillar engines, with a cabin, a head, a large cockpit, and a live bait well, the kind of boat that makes a 12 hour day offshore comfortable rather than an ordeal. It is an older hull, a 1999 build, so it is not the newest boat in the port, but it is well found, with Garmin electronics and Taco outriggers. The second boat, the Just Joan II, is a 2021 Sportsman center console of 28 feet on twin 300 horsepower Yamahas, faster and lighter for a shorter trip or a smaller group. Between them the operation can match the boat to the day.
The fishing and what you target
This is a reef, rig, and bottom operation built around red snapper, fished in Texas state waters year round and in the federal season through the summer, since both boats are federally permitted. King mackerel, cobia, mahi mahi, and jack crevalle round out the catch, and greater amberjack comes into play in the fall, when the federal season opens for a short window. The Just Joan has the range and the comfort for the 12 hour offshore trips that reach the better snapper and the deeper structure, while the 8 hour state water trip stays closer in.
Trips and prices
The boats run two trips: an 8 hour state water trip at $2,300 and a 12 hour offshore trip at $3,200, each for the whole boat, on a posted season of May 1 to November 30. Rods, reels, tackle, bait, drinks, and fish cleaning are included, and a first mate works the deck. The one transparency gap is that the operator’s own site does not post its prices; the rates here come from its FishingBooker listing, so confirm the current figure when you book. As everywhere in Texas, each angler buys their own saltwater license. Our cost guide puts a four figure offshore day in context.
The crew
Captain Allen, known as Big Al, holds a USCG Merchant Mariner license and a Texas all water fishing guide license, with more than 35 years of boating behind him. The credentials are strong and the reviews so far are uniformly positive, with anglers describing a friendly, helpful crew and good fishing, but there are only a handful of them. That is the difference between this boat and the ones above it in the ranking: the captain and the boats look the part, but the customer track record is still thin, so we score what is known and say plainly that the evidence is light.
Booking and what to know
Book through the operator or its FishingBooker listing, and confirm the price and which boat you are on, since the two hulls fish differently. Bring food, drink, sunscreen, and a cooler, and buy your Texas saltwater license before the trip. The gear, bait, and cleaning are covered.
How we scored it
Big Al’s earns its 7.1 on two genuinely capable, federally permitted offshore boats and an experienced, well credentialed captain, marked down by a thin review record and a website that does not post its prices. Trips and access and boat and equipment are its strongest factors; track record is the weak one, held low not as a criticism of the fishing but because there is not yet enough customer evidence to score it higher. See how we scored this boat and the Corpus Christi rankings for the field, including Salty Waves and Floating Debris.