Bolivar: GOOD. 67 degrees. Water levels are swapping back-and-forth this week with the north winds pushing the tide out, and the incoming tide is clear. Anglers are still catching plenty of redfish everywhere. The big croakers are still being caught along with a few more sand trout, black drum, redfish, speckled trout, and crabs caught along the jetty with a few small stingrays and sharks. The surf is producing numbers of redfish, black drum, the occasional speckled trout and crabs along the whole peninsula with more activity towards Gilchrist, High Island mainly. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.
Trinity Bay: SLOW. 64 degrees. Northwest shoreline good for speckled trout on shell reefs and along the old pier pilings. Tabbs Bay, Burnet Bay, and Scott Bay are good for trout, and black drum, and some sheepshead. Big bull redfish and oversized drum have been caught too. Best on live shrimp under popping corks. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Water clarity is good. Redfish are being caught well in the current and near drop-offs feeding heavily in the bottom using swimbaits, gulp curly tails and gulp shrimp. Trout are fantastic in current over rock flats and shell flats being caught on swim baits and shrimp imitation baits. Flounder are starting to really pick up on drains using swim baits and gulp baits. Drum are heavy on rock flats being caught on live or dead shrimp. Always wear your kill switch when underway. God is great! Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
East Galveston Bay: GOOD. 61 degrees. Deeper bayous and drains producing mixed catches of redfish and speckled trout on live shrimp and soft plastics. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. 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. This 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/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 with WacAttack tales in Rollover Moon. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Service, LLC.
Galveston Bay: SLOW. 66 degrees. Gas wells produced good numbers of trout during the warming trend. Upper Galveston bay is still good for black drum, sheepshead, speckled trout and a few redfish on soft plastics, better bite has been on live shrimp. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.
West Galveston Bay: GOOD. 66 degrees. Deep shell reefs are fair for those throwing soft plastics in dirty streaks of water. Chocolate Bay and Bayou holding good numbers of trout, lots of under sized fish and scattered slot redfish. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.
Houston: GOOD. Water normal stain; 60 degrees; 0.15 feet above pool. White bass are on fire just about everywhere in the lake eating to be ready for winter. The sandies are very active early mornings and late afternoons eating swimbaits, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Largemouth bass are on docks and structure eating just about anything as well. Catfish are decent on the drop offs being caught with fresh caught shad. Crappie are deep and very tight to structure on the bottom being caught with minnows and small jigs but need to be enticed to bite a bit. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
Texas City: GOOD. 63 degrees. Federal water snapper fishing remained solid through December. The season is now closed but non federally permitted boats and recreational anglers can enjoy state water snapper. Bull redfish are steady at the Galveston jetties. Flounder action spotty in the Galveston harbor. 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. Wade fishing has been sporadic, but great during the incoming tides. Along the dike has been productive from the beginning to the end still. Live shrimp and finger mullet have been the best baits. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.
Freeport: GOOD. 62 degrees. Fishing has been good in between fronts. Redfish and trout have been good working under the birds with plastic or gulp under a popping cork. In Bastrop Bay, Christmas Bay, Chocolate Bay, Salt Lake and Oyster Lake. Brazos River has been good with reds,trout,drum,sand trout with either live shrimp or fresh dead shrimp. Flounder have been good on gulp, new penny shrimp and live finger mullet. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures
East Matagorda Bay: GOOD. 55 degrees. Fishing patterns are holding steady with a consistent bite for trout in the The Colorado River with artificials, or live shrimp. Very little bird action. Redfish are good wade fishing or drifting with artificials. As the weather warms the redfish venture into the marsh and can be caught with artificials or cut mullet. On calm days the jetties are producing a few catches of drum and sheepshead. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.
West Matagorda Bay: GOOD. 55 degrees. Fishing patterns are holding steady with a consistent bite for trout in the The Colorado River with artificials, or live shrimp. Redfish are best in West Matagorda Bay in the sloughs and shallow water with cut bait. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.
