THE FISHING FORECAST IS GOOD, BUT remember to bundle up early next week as a second cold front on Monday will take temps into the low 40s as highs on Tuesday before a slow warmup into the 60s.
North Sabine: GOOD. 65–67 degrees. Water clarity is a normal dark tannic water color and visibility is 3 to 4 feet in most of the lake north to south, as well as most of the marsh areas. Water levels are still abnormally high. Spotted sea trout are biting well on jigs and soft plastics. Some action can be found under seagulls as well as drifting mud shell bottoms along shorelines. Redfish can be found mixed in with schools of trout and along shorelines. A lot of slot sized redfish have not left the marsh due to abnormally high-water levels. Best lures right now are soft plastics and jig heads fished with or without a popping cork. Some flounder are down at the Sabine Pass along ship channel drop–offs but high-water levels have kept most of them in the marsh and upper ends of bayous. Best bait is live finger mullet or mud minnow on a short fish–finder rig (Carolina rig) or Gulp lures on a jig.
South Sabine: GOOD. 65–67 degrees. Water clarity is a normal dark tannic water color and visibility is 3 to 4 feet in most of the lake north to south, as well as most of the marsh areas. Water levels are still abnormally high. Spotted sea trout are biting well on jigs and soft plastics. Some action can be found under seagulls as well as drifting mud shell bottoms along shorelines. Redfish can be found mixed in with schools of trout and along shorelines. A lot of slot sized redfish have not left the marsh due to abnormally high-water levels. Best lures right now are soft plastics and jig heads fished with or without a popping cork. Some flounder are down at the Sabine Pass along ship channel drop–offs but high-water levels have kept most of them in the marsh and upper ends of bayous. Best bait is live finger mullet or mud minnow on a short fish–finder rig (Carolina rig) or Gulp lures on a jig.
Trinity Bay: Good. 72 degrees. Water stained. Speckled trout great on soft plastics and live shrimp under a popping cork. Wade fish the flats for redfish. Flounder are very good on mullet or shrimp.
West Galveston Bay: Good. 67 degrees. Flounder are very good in back lakes and marshes on live mullet or soft plastics like Gulp bait. Redfish are fair in back marshes. Speckled trout are fair on the main bay oyster shell using live shrimp under a popping cork.
Texas City: GOOD. Still some bull red action along Texas City Dike. Flounder is excellent on live shrimp or minnow around Seawolf. Speckled trout good along levee and Mosquito Island. Black drum is good on blue crab or shrimp.
Freeport: GOOD. 67–71 degrees. San Luis Pass very good flounder and redfish along Mud Cut and Cold Pass on live shrimp. Christmas Bay good for redfish and speckled trout using live shrimp or soft plastics. Bastrop Bay redfish on the south shoreline. Freeport Jetties and mouth of Brazos River good for bull reds.
East Matagorda Bay: VERY GOOD. 72 Degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are very good on chunking plastics or live shrimp. Red drum are good on live shrimp and mostly found in the surf. Snapper are good using live shrimp or squid on ½ oz jig head in areas that have quick access to deep water. Flounder are very good on minnow.
West Matagorda Bay: VERY GOOD. 72 Degrees. Speckled trout are good on soft plastics. Redfish are very good on chunking plastics. Black drum are fair on live shrimp. Limits on flounder using minnow.
Port O’Connor: VERY GOOD. 68–70 degrees. Slightly stained. Trout are very good on a combination of live or fresh baits such as shrimp or crab. Redfish are very good in back bays on live shrimp. Tuna are good on squid. Tarpon are very good on mullet or pinfish. Flounder are good on minnows or mullet and croakers. Jack Crevalle are very good on live shrimp or crab.
