Bolivar: GOOD. 60-65 degrees. Goat Island drains water runoff into the open water, holding redfish and trout on topwaters early and late, soft plastics later. Fish cuts through the intercoastal waterway from goat Island to rollover. Ytes Bayou drains holding redfish on soft plastics and live shrimp under popping cork. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.
Trinity Bay: GOOD. 57 degrees. HL&P Spillway producing scattered catches of speckled trout and the occasional redfish. Exxon F-Lease gas wells producing fair numbers of speckled trout for those drifting with soft plastics or live shrimp under corks. Waders are still catching some decent trout from Double Bayou, north towards the Anahuac Pocket. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The fish group up off main channels when the tides are low and can be caught on swimbaits. The bite seems to slow after water returns when the wind shifts. Redfish will follow a similar pattern but being more durable, bounce back quickly being caught on curly tail gulp and swimbaits. Sheephead are holding tight to structure eating barnacles being caught on live shrimp and gulp baits with drum mixed in. Watch for birds, bait and blow ups. Once you see 2-3 of these you know you are in the right spot. Happy new year! Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
East Galveston Bay: FAIR. 56-60 degrees. Best bite has been in the back of east Galveston bay for speckled trout and redfish. Anglers wading near bayous are doing well on soft plastics and those fishing deeper bayous from the boat are having the same results. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter. Surface water temperature is back up to 60 degrees and the overall water clarity is good. North winds and low outgoing tides have forced us to adjust our tactics, so we have concentrated back in the marsh and bayou areas where we can get some protection from the wind and wave action, as well as find enough water to fish effectively. The redfish bite has been good around areas where good current flow has bait up against the shorelines and grass lines in 1-2 feet of water on shrimp imitation lures under Fish Smack popping corks with an 18 inch leader, as well as ⅛ ounce jig heads with Glow or Chartreuse Deadly Dudley Rat Tails. Our best solid trout bite this week has been fishing deeper pockets with shell, close to mud flats, triggering the most strikes. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC. Smith Point shoreline still holding redfish and trout on artificial twitch baits and soft plastic or shrimp under a popping cork. SeaWolf Park holding bull redfish and black drum on the pier. Trout on shrimp under popping cork at the concrete wall. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.
Galveston Bay: FAIR. 56 degrees. Shorelines around Eagle Point are beginning to see better numbers of sheepshead on live shrimp. A few black drum and redfish from the same area. Clear Lake has been good at times for speckled trout on soft plastic lures and live shrimp. Bull redfish continue to roam the open bay, off the west shoreline of Eagle Point to the Clear Lake Bridge. A few black drums and sheepshead being caught in the gas wells when winds are light. Best on live shrimp. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The jetties holding sheepshead and speckled trout with shrimp under a popping cork or free line shrimp near the rocks. Trout fishing near drop off or deeper water. Swan Lake rock shoals holding sheepshead on popping cork with shrimp, trout with live shrimp or paddle tails. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.
West Galveston Bay: FAIR. 58 degrees. Drift fishing the dirty streaks around Greens and North Deer Island has produced scattered catches of speckled trout using live shrimp under popping corks and soft plastics. Still some nice fish coming out of Chocolate Bayou and Bay. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Carancahua Lake and Green’s Lake are holding redfish and black drum on shrimp at the grass lines. And some redfish and trout inside on soft plastic. Watch the tides. South of cold pass waders still getting trout and redfish in deeper waters. Jones bay holding a few fish early on soft plastic. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.
Houston: GOOD. Water slightly stained; 58 degrees; 0.27 feet above pool. White bass remain in full pre-spawn being caught on jigs and spinner baits in the rivers and creeks. Largemouth bass are in rivers off of main lake on shorelines and on structure being caught on plastics and crank baits. Crappie are in 8-14 feet of water tight to structure early being caught on jigs. Catfish are being caught on jug lines with an 8 foot leader. Big catfish are feeding heavily on shad. Gar are heavy in rivers and creeks chasing everything. Happy New Year! Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
Texas City: FAIR. 58 degrees. A few oversized black drums are showing up, along with the occasional bull redfish for those fishing off the end of the dike. Best bait has been cut mullet or halved crab. Same results off the Galveston jetties. Better numbers of sheepshead are being caught on live shrimp fished tight to the rocks. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The rock shoals near Dollar Reef are holding trout and redfish on soft plastics and shrimp. The rocks just across Texas city channel are holding nice trout on split tail soft plastic. The dike is holding Trout and redfish at night under lights. Bull redfish and big uglies are at the end of the dike. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.
Freeport: GOOD. 60 degrees. Trout and redfish are good working the deep oyster reefs in Bastrop, Christmas, and Chocolate Bay with gulp shrimp, live shrimp, or ¼ ounce jighead on soft plastics. Catching drum, sheephead, trout and redfish in the Brazos River and Bernard River using live shrimp. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures.
