Welcome to the fifth edition of our series, "Meet the Captains." We extend our gratitude to all our subscribers for their continued support of the series. We look forward to introducing you to more fishing guides here at South Padre Island. This week, we had the pleasure of speaking with Captain Mike Barrera.
Mike Barrera was born in Edinburg, Texas, and was a frequent visitor to South Padre Island growing up, where Barrera started fishing when he was in diapers. Pushing his dad to go fishing any chance he got, Barrera wanted to be a fisherman and a fishing guide as soon as anyone could finish asking him that special question.
Barrera worked in the school system and the city for several years before finally turning his attention to getting his fishing captain’s license.
“I wanted to do it before I started to regret it,” Barrera said.
In 2020, Barrera got his license and achieved his dream of being a fishing guide.
Just a couple of months later, COVID shut everything down. Barrera was stuck at a crossroads. Captain Barrera decided not to go back to his old job and stick through the tough COVID protocols until things were eased back into place. His perseverance paid off, and by 2022 he knew he could provide for his family and live his lifelong dream.
