Bolivar: GOOD. 75 degrees. Water temperature staying in the upper 70s, but should cool after the forecasted north winds. Water levels swapping back-and-forth this week between super high and average low tides. Anglers are still catching plenty of redfish everywhere. There are plenty of big croakers along with sand trout, black drum, speckled trout, and crabs caught along the jetty with a few small stingrays and sharks. Reminder, flounder are catch and release only through December 14. The surf is producing lots of redfish and black drum, a few gafftop, lots of small stingrays, and bigger sharks along the whole peninsula with high activity towards Gilchrist/High Island mainly. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp
Trinity Bay: SLOW. 73 degrees. Lots of birds working the bay, hit the right flock and you can catch some keepers. Waders on the east shoreline catching better quality trout with some redfish. Spoil islands along the channel producing decent numbers of speckled trout and the occasional red, along with black drum and sheepshead. Best action on live shrimp fished under popping corks. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Redfish are tight to drains and reefs early in the mornings being caught on WACky Shad XLs peppered pumpkin color with a chartreuse tail married with a 3/8 ounce rattling jig head working fast triple twitches and letting it fall. Most bites are on the fall, right before the jig hits the bottom again. Trout are on mud and sand mixed flats with scattered shell being caught with live shrimp under a popping cork with 3-4 foot leaders and in good current in drains with a ⅜ ounce jig head married with the WACky Fluke in the code red color working aggressively to entice a bite on the way back to the boat. Always fish with the current. Drum and sheepshead are tight to rock lines being caught on live shrimp under a popping cork. Remember, always wear your kill switch and pay attention to the weather. Be sure to plan your trip prior to getting on the water to map out reefs. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
East Galveston Bay: GOOD. 72 degrees. Birds are working over schools of smaller speckled trout and sand trout. Waders are catching quality fish near mouths of drains and bayous on hard and soft plastic baits. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Surface water temperature 72 degrees, and the water clarity is good. Early morning trips have been better for us this week with the high tides and strong outgoing tide movement, allowing us to fish anywhere we choose in the back lakes. Points and flats with scattered shell produced very good catches of trout, redfish, and a few black drum on our artificial lure trips in the 2-3-foot depth range. When you find nervous bait the fish are there, so move along if you do not see active bait activity. Birds are still working, so you can still pick off a few decent trout when you find them. If the birds are working up near the shoreline or in shallow water hovering the surface, the redfish are feeding on shrimp. Shrimp imitation lures with Fish Smack popping corks, with 14-18 inch leaders have still been producing the most bites for our anglers, resulting in great success on our chartered trips, as well as Wac Attack Trails in Rollover Moon on �¼ and 1/8 ounce jig heads, depending upon wind conditions and water depth. The bite should continue to improve as the water cools with this impending Front. The days are getting shorter and the crowds have thinned, so grab your friends and family and get out and enjoy some quality time together on the water. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Service, LLC.
Galveston Bay: SLOW. 75 degrees. Good action on speckled trout along the shoreline piers and reefs on live shrimp and soft plastics. Redfish numbers are better in the back lakes and bays. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.
West Galveston Bay: GOOD. 78 degrees. Birds are working over some decent size speckled trout in the bay. Shoreline reefs produce better quality trout, along with redfish and black drum. Live shrimp under corks has been the best bait and soft plastic lures when fishing the birds. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.
Houston: GOOD. Water normal stain; 75 degrees; 0.76 feet below pool. Water is stained due to recent rains. Largemouth bass are being caught on riprap and cypress trees with grubs in the mornings and in 5-6 feet of water right to structure later in the day. Crappie are good right to structure as well being caught in small jigs and minnows in the rivers. The stumps seem to be producing. White bass are great on the main lake being caught with spoons, crankbaits and swimbaits. Catfish are good on jug lines with live and fresh catch shad with an 8-12 foot leader. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
Texas City: GOOD. 75 degrees. Bull redfish bite continues to be strong from the Texas City Dike to the Galveston Jetties, and off the beachfront piers. The best bait is cut mullet or live crab. A few oversized black drums can be caught too. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Anglers are still catching plenty of speckled trout, redfish, and black drum with the occasional sand trout, gafftop and big croaker. Successful wade fishing around Mosquito Island and inside the Moses Lake Tidal Gate in the late afternoons. Along the dike has been productive from the beginning to the end. Live shrimp and finger mullet have been the best baits. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.
Freeport: GOOD. 78 degrees. Birds have been working over trout and redfish feeding on shrimp in the mornings and in the evenings in Chocolate Bay, Bastrop Bay, and upper West Galveston Bay live shrimp under a four horseman pop n corks have been working well or gulp with 1/16 ounce jig head. The old river been good with trout, redfish, sheepshead and mangroves snapper. The river has been good for trout, redfish, drum, sand trout and big croaker using either live or dead shrimp. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures
East Matagorda Bay: GOOD. 75 degrees. The bite will only improve as the cold weather brings the shrimp out of the marshes. Redfish are following the shrimp out into the middle of the bay. Trout are good in the middle of the bay. Black drums are plentiful along shell reefs. While flounder season is closed, the fish are abundant for catch and release. There is an abundance of shrimp in The Colorado River, so trout and redfish catches are good. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.
West Matagorda Bay: GOOD. 75 degrees. The bite will only improve as the cold weather brings the shrimp out of the marshes. Redfish are following the shrimp along the shorelines. Trout are good midbay. Black drums are plentiful along shell reefs. While flounder season is closed, the fish are abundant for catch and release. There is an abundance of shrimp in The Colorado River, so trout and redfish catches are good. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.
