TROPICAL DEPRESSION #8 became Tropical Storm Hanna, which made landfall on the coast on Friday evening. An already rain-dominated week will be more soaked, which will hamper most anglers. Those braving the wrath of Hanna will see good water temperatures and a great run on speckled trout throughout the area.
Trinity Bay: GOOD. 86-87 degrees. Fish the wells for speckled trout with live croaker or shrimp. Redfish and speckled trout are good using shrimp under a popping cork or dredge croaker around the reefs. Flounder are fair around rocks using mullet or minnow.
East Galveston Bay: GOOD. 86-88 degrees. Speckled trout has been the most popular, and the redfish are beginning to show up as well. Best baits to use are live shrimp as well as live piggy perch. Bull Redfish season is approaching as they have started the annual pre-spawn. Watch the redfish bite increase over the next couple of weeks around the bays.
West Galveston Bay: GOOD. 86-88 degrees. The reefs and other structures located around the ship channel will be good areas to find speckled trout. Soft plastics like Bass Assassins and Norton Sand Eels are still producing well. Topwaters can be great for midday use. Redfish are schooled up and roaming the open bays. The best combo is deep water and structure.
Texas City: GOOD. 85-87 degrees. Redfish and speckled trout are best along the shoreline on shrimp under a popping cork or soft plastics. Flounder are fair on live bait around the jetties and wherever you can find rocks. Black drum are fair on blue crab around vegetation. Sheepshead are fair around the dike on mullet or minnows.
Freeport: GOOD. 85 degrees. Redfish and speckled trout will be found in the back bays around shell and marsh and are good on shrimp. Bull reds will start to ramp up over the next few weeks. Sheepshead will be found around the oyster reefs and rocks and are good on mullet or minnow. Flounder are also good around the rocks on mullet. Black drum are fair using crankbait around vegetation and structure.
East Matagorda Bay: GOOD. 85 degrees. Speckled trout can be excellent around the jetties – on and incoming tide fish the outside of the jetty and on the outgoing tide, fish the channel side. Redfish and flounder are good at Three Mile Reef on Bass Assassins. Look for trout and redfish where the reef drops off into deeper water. Bait activity is where the fish will be.
West Matagorda Bay: GOOD. 85 degrees. Sand and grass shorelines along this side of the bay have held scattered catches of trout on topwaters and soft plastics. Black drum are fair on blue crab above the grass. Redfish and trout are good on live bait and will be around reefs. Flounder are good on shrimp around the rocks.
Port O’Connor: GOOD. 84-86 degrees. Speckled trout are good over the mid-bay structure and also by wading the shorelines. ICW, the south shoreline by Mitchell’s Cut, and the fishing pier is great for redfish, trout, and flounder. Redfish have also been solid in the back lakes.
