Bolivar: GOOD. 79 degrees. Water levels are fluctuating with tides and wind this week changing back to two tide days. Still lots of fresh water on the bay side but it hasn’t affected the bite. The best bite conditions this week will be on edges of the deeper spots holding saltier water. People are catching plenty of redfish of varying sizes everywhere! Small croakers along with sand trout, sheepshead, black drum, speckled trout, and crabs caught along the jetty with plenty of stingrays and sharks. Pompano and jack crevalle are still running. The surf is producing redfish, black drum, gafftop, lots of stingrays, and bigger sharks along the whole peninsula. The sargassum, seaweed, is thick in spots. People were using all kinds of different things for bait this past week with good results. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.
Trinity Bay: SLOW. 83 degrees. Bay is still hampered by freshwater runoff. Dam release has dropped significantly. Few catches of fish coming from the edges and rocks of the Houston ship channel. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The water is muddy and fresh. Report of a white bass caught at HL&P spillway. Report of redfish being caught on the East shoreline of Trinity Bay on dead shrimp on the bottom by moving current. When the rains finally subside, we should be in for a fantastic season with less fishing pressure. Watch for a water line creeping up to us within the next few weeks. When the trout return to normal fishing grounds, they should be full of eggs very soon and the bite will be hot. Drum are being caught in the ship channel along with some redfish. Watch the weather, be prepared and wear your kill switch every time. It could save your life. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
East Galveston Bay: GOOD. 85 degrees. Fishing open bay reefs has been tough due to the winds. Those wading are having the best catches of speckled trout and the occasional red. Some anglers fishing tight to bayou drains with live shrimp finding a fair trout bite, along with some black drum. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. East Bay and Intracoastal waterway are holding plenty of small speckled trout, black drum, sheepshead, and redfish caught on live shrimp, croakers, and topwater lures. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp. Surface water temps 81 degrees, water clarity stained in most places for East Galveston Bay. Still a large amount of freshwater in the Bay system, however we have been able to locate trout without running too far from the launch spot. Winds have been less than 20 mph for the most part, allowing us to fish pretty much wherever we choose, which has increased our success rates over the past week. We have been able to find a good number of baitfish and shrimp over shell and grass lines, and the predators have been close by. We have been utilizing live shrimp, under a popping cork, as well as paddle tails and ¼ ounce jig heads on our artificial only charters. WacAttack Purple with Chartreuse worked well for us again this week. We have been able to catch trout, redfish, and flounder up and close to the shoreline, as well as open water reefs, with our larger fish coming off open water reefs. Tide movement as well as major feeding times have been where we have experienced the most success of late. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC.
Galveston Bay: SLOW. 83 degrees. Water trying to clear on calm days. Trout are starting to show back up from lower Galveston bay towards Moses Lake. Best action on soft plastics and live shrimp or croaker. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.
West Galveston Bay: GOOD. 85 degrees. Still a good amount of birds working over schools of speckled trout, sand trout, and even some ladyfish. Those throwing live bait catching a mixture of trout, redfish, and black drum. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.
Houston: GOOD. Water stained; 66 degrees; 0.40 feet above pool. When the lake starts to settle down we receive another round of showers that gets correct going again. Water stained and floating debris everywhere. Crappie are being caught in Luces Bayou in 8-15 feet of water in minnows and small jigs hanging tight to structure. Largemouth bass are in docks and riprap biting grubs and worms. White bass are starting to school up a bit in the main channels on structures East Fork and Luces Bayou. Cast WACky kickin shad in the white color. Catfish are being caught in abundance on fresh cut shad on rod and reel and jug lines. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
Texas City: FAIR. 83 degrees. Jetty action remains steady for trout, redfish, and black drum. It has been windy, and calmer days have been best. Red Snapper catches have been reported as good, but seas have been high for the smaller charter boats. Beachfront action has been limited to black drum, bull redfish, sharks, and the occasional trout. Still waiting on a trout run on the beach. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Anglers continue to catch plenty of speckled trout, redfish, and flounder everyday with some occasional black drum, sheepshead, sand trout, and gafftop. People caught limits along the levee, Mosquito Island and the Moses Lake Tidal Gate. Along the dike has been successful in some spots and sporadic at others. Live shrimp and finger mullet have been the best baits. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.
Freeport: GOOD. 85 degrees. Trout, redfish and flounder are good around the San Luis Pass. Bastrop Bay, Christmas Bay, Chocolate Bay and the west end of Galveston Bay has been producing trout, gafftop and redfish fishing under the birds using shrimps under a popping cork or gulp shrimp. Wade fishing has been good in the guts at the pass with croaker and shrimp for catches of trout, redfish and a few flounder mixed in. The Freeport Harbor has been steady for sheepshead, drum, redfish and mangrove snapper free lining shrimp with a split shot. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures.
East Matagorda Bay: SLOW. 84 degrees. Tides are high and the surf has been rough. Milder winds are in the forecast which is promising for the bite. Drum and few trout can be caught with live shrimp under a popping cork. A few waders are reeling in catches of trout using croaker. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.
West Matagorda Bay: SLOW. 84 degrees. Tides are high and the surf has been rough. Milder winds are in the forecast which is promising for the bite. Drum and few trout can be caught with live shrimp under a popping cork. A few waders are reeling in catches of trout using croaker. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.
