Bolivar: GOOD. 67 degrees. The bite will either be on fire, or miserable and wet. Check the daily forecast or call your favorite bait shop. Four tide changes all week except for three on Friday, and the best time to fish will be in the afternoons. Fishing is fair to excellent. Water temperature warmed up to almost above 70 degrees and will cool a little with the 60 degree weather days. Water levels are changing back-and-forth per usual for the winter extremes. Anglers are catching redfish all over, and nice speckled trout , sand trout, black drum, redfish, the occasional sheepshead, and crabs are being caught along the jetty. The flounder are still there but of mixed sizes. The surf is producing lots of redfish, huge black drum, occasional speckled trout and a few sharks along the whole peninsula with more activity towards Gilchrist and High Island. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.
Trinity Bay: FAIR. 68 degrees. Fair catches of trout and redfish from Dow’s Reef to Sylvan Beach on soft plastics and live shrimp. Further up the channel, fishing is still fair with scattered speckled trout being caught on soft plastics and live shrimp. Live bait anglers picking up some redfish, drum, and sheepshead using shrimp. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Trout are thick in the San Jacinto River around rocks and reeds in 2-5 feet of water on wacky flukes. Redfish are tight to rocks near drains hitting shrimp imitations, live shrimp and paddle tails. Drum and sheepshead are tight to rocks, eating live shrimp under a cork in the current. Always wear your kill switch and be prepared! Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
East Galveston Bay: GOOD. 67 degrees. The warming trend has been good for fishing. Reefs near shorelines have been fair for speckled trout on soft plastics. Wade anglers are picking up a few better quality fish. Live bait anglers doing well on black drum in the intracoastal and over shell reefs. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Slot-sized speckled trout are showing up in the deep areas along with black drum, and redfish being caught on live shrimp and finger mullet. We are still getting a few reports of good fishing by Frenchtown Road, Siever’s Cut, and near the boat ramp by Rollover Pass. . Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp. Surface water temperature up to 69 degrees. The water clarity is good for East Galveston Bay. We finally got a break from the Sea Fog and got to see the Sun, which made great mornings to be out on the water. The trout bite was on fire using Salt & Pepper WACky Fluke tails by Wac Attack, as well as Rat Tails in Blue Moon by Deadly Dudley. Trout were on all the flats we normally fish early Spring, so start on shallow flats with scattered shell right after daylight. Active bait in the area is important, so if you do not see bait or signs of life do not spend a whole lot of time in the area. The redfish bite has been consistent around drains and in the very shallow water areas back in the marsh, as well as the flats where we have been catching the trout. We are still using Imitation shrimp lures and tails under popping corks, with a 1-foot leader to trigger bites, if you like throwing a popping cork, but the winner has been the 1/8 ounce jighead or tail setup. The Corky bite also is in full swing, so if you like throwing artificials that is a great bait to throw. As well as, walking topwater baits, as well as slow failing jerkbaits, or a ¼ ounce swimbait when the conditions are lining up. This time of year brings some of the best opportunities with fewer anglers on the water and bigger fish on the prowl, so get out and make it happen with your family and friends. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Service, LLC.
Galveston Bay: SLOW. 70 degrees. The shoreline is producing fair numbers of sheepshead and black drum with a few speckled trout on live shrimp. Other catches of the same reported from deep water in the gas wells and along the spoil islands. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.
West Galveston Bay: GOOD. 68 degrees. Schools of redfish along the south shoreline on any type of structure with live shrimp. Scattered speckled trout over shell reefs with the best bite on the incoming tide. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.
Houston: GOOD. Water normal stain; 60 degrees; 0.14 feet above pool. White bass are in pre-spawn run up the creeks and rivers. Cast spinnerbaits and paddle tails. Largemouth bass are grouped up tight around structures in the rivers and around dogs, eating grubs and small worms. Sometimes bass are higher in the water column. Catfish are in the creek eating fresh caught shad. Crappie are tight to structure and 14-20 feet of water, eating small hand ties, jigs, and minnows. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
Texas City: GOOD. 64 degrees. Good catches of oversized black drum in the Galveston jetties and off the Texas City Dike with live halved crab. Wahoo fishing offshore has been great when conditions allow. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Anglers are catching plenty of speckled trout, redfish, and black drum with the occasional sand trout, gafftop and big croakers mixed in. Wade fishing has been sporadic, but great during the afternoon incoming tide. Along the dike has been productive from the beginning to the end still. Live shrimp and finger mullet have been the best baits. To entice a massive black drum to bite bait up some crab. We have a couple more weeks until the annual crab trap clean-up. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.
