Bolivar: GOOD. 82 degrees. Water levels are normalizing with tides and low wind this week plus 4 tide days. The salinity has normalized as well. People are catching plenty of redfish everywhere! There are plenty of croakers along with sand trout, sheepshead, black drum, speckled trout, and crabs caught along the jetty with stingrays and sharks. Pompano and the occasional jack crevalle are still running. The surf is producing redfish and black drum, gafftop, lots of stingrays, and bigger sharks along the whole peninsula with high activity towards Gilchrist and High Island mainly. The sargassum, seaweed, remains sporadic in spots per normal. People are using all kinds of different things for bait this past week with awesome results. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.
Trinity Bay: SLOW. 88 degrees. Tabbs Bay is producing decent numbers of trout and black drum on live shrimp. Spoil Islands further up the channel holding redfish, sheepshead, and black drum on live shrimp under popping corks. East shoreline is still slow to clear. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Redfish and trout are starting to show more and more on the north end daily. Blue Water Atoll is holding good trout and redfish being caught on WACky Shad XL in the chartreuse color. Limits of redfish are being caught at HL&P Spillway on fresh caught shad and trout are being caught by Fred Hartman on live shrimp under a popping cork. The recent tidal surge really pushed the Trinity River outflow to Baytown but with that receding, fishing is starting to heat up. No founder to talk about yet but drum and sheepshead are in abundance being caught in live shrimp free-lining on the bottom. Pay attention to the weather and always wear your kill switch. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
East Galveston Bay: GOOD. 89 degrees. Scattered catches of trout over shell reefs on live natural baits and soft plastics. Better fish coming from those wading the shorelines with artificial lures. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Plenty of various-sized speckled trout, black drum, sheepshead, and reds caught on live shrimp, croakers, and topwater lures. Alligator gar has been abundant. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp. Surface water temperature 85.9 degrees in East Galveston Bay. The Bay is still very off-colored, with better-looking water over by the Ferry Landing, but fishing is continuing to improve for us in the Bay over the last week or so. You will need to weed through a number of undersized trout to find the better fish. We are still catching them around protected shorelines over shell pockets, and redfish along the grass lines and over shell, and a few nice flounder busting bait up around grass lines and over shallow shell beds, with good current flow. The lighter the jig head the better, 1/16-�¼ ounce, determined by the wind and current, and tails with paddles, performed the best for us again this week, as we were utilizing Anahuac based, WACky Shad Xl’s and top performing colors varied, depending upon water clarity and light conditions, with Salt and Pepper with Chartreuse Spike it tail, being a favorite of the fish this week. Our clients are still finding good success using Fish Smack Popping corks with a 1-2 foot leader above a pink tinted shrimp imitation lure, or Tails with a 1/16 ounce jig head, with a hard pop and a 5-8 second pause gathering the most strikes. The topwater bite has also been good when utilized on our early morning and late afternoon trips, so if you like throwing walking baits, now is the perfect time to get on the water and make it happen. We are starting to see more solid fish show up on reefs in the middle portion of the bay, which is getting better as the days go by. We also found a few birds working in the middle portion of the bay over the past couple days and found some solid trout under them. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC.
Galveston Bay: SLOW. 90 degrees. Been awhile to say this, but the middle of Galveston Bay has finally cleared up enough to produce catches of speckled trout in the gas wells and along the channel. Black drum, sheepshead, and trout, along with the occasional redfish coming off Spoil Islands near the channel. Shoreline action for trout good early on live bait and soft plastics. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.
West Galveston Bay: GOOD. 89 degrees. Good number of speckled trout drifting and wading with live croakers, when you can find them. Live shrimp producing scattered speckled trout, black drum,and sheepshead, along structure such as hard shell, rocks, and bridge pilings. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.
Houston: GOOD. Water normal stained; 83 degrees; 0.07 feet above pool. Anticipate increased recreational boater traffic for the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Largemouth bass fishing is really picking up, especially in the early morning on crankbaits and grubs around trees and stumps. Boat docks seem to the key when it heats up. Crappie are in abundance hanging tight to structure in 8-14 feet of water using small jigs. White bass are slowly but surely making their way to the south end and will be schooling soon. Catfish are on fire around the power lines and by the train track bridge being caught on fresh caught shad and live perch. Pay attention to the weather and always wear your kill switch! Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
Texas City: GOOD. 88 degrees. All eyes on the gulf this week with Hurricane Beryl entering southern waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Good catches of big red snapper 60 miles from Galveston. Speckled trout action remains good along the jetties and lower Galveston bay on live shrimp. Black drum, sheepshead, and a few slot redfish being caught too. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Fishing has been good to excellent! Anglers are still catching plenty of speckled trout, redfish, and flounder everyday with some occasional black drum, sheepshead, sand trout, and gafftop. Successful wade fishing around Mosquito Island and the Moses Lake Tidal Gate in the mornings and late afternoons. Along the dike have been productive by the shrimp boat docks and piers. Live shrimp and finger mullet have been the best baits. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.
Freeport: GOOD. 88 degrees. Fishing been steady for trout, redfish and flounder around the San Luis Pass, Bastrop Bay, Christmas Bay, Chocolate Bay and the west end of Galveston Bay. Wade fishing has been good in the guts at the pass and in west Galveston bay with croaker and shrimp for trout, redfish and a few flounder mixed in.The Freeport harbor has been steady with sheepsheads, 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. Trout are good drifting with live shrimp. Waders are having success for trout with croaker or artificials. Expect the fish to feed in anticipation of the forecasted inclement weather. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.
West Matagorda Bay: SLOW. 84 degrees. Fishing conditions have been good in the bay. Expect the fish to feed in anticipation of the forecasted inclement weather. Wading with topwaters has produced catches of trout, or drifting with live shrimp under a popping cork. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.
