Bolivar: FAIR. 84 degrees. Water temperatures are still hanging in the 80s in the bay and gulf. People are catching plenty of redfish, trout, and black drum everywhere. There are a few flounder and speckled trout being caught along with sand trout, croakers and crabs caught along the jetty. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.
Trinity Bay: GOOD. 83 degrees. Northwest area up near the Fred Hartman bridge fair for speckled trout with better numbers of reds, black drum, and sheepshead being caught on live shrimp. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Water clarity is phenomenal around the sip channel on the south end of Trinity Bay, decent along the east shoreline and near Baytown, and a bit murkier on the north shoreline. Trout are holding deep off shell sandbars mixed with rock, biting on quarter-ounce jig heads with sparkle chartreuse Wacky Shad XLs, and decent keepers are showing up under birds on the south end. Redfish are tight to the grass in the shallows or in 3-5 feet of water, hitting live shrimp under popping corks, shrimp limitations, or shad-colored crankbaits, with bull reds beginning to appear. Sheephead are active around bulkheads and can even be sight-casted in clear water using live shrimp or crankbaits, while drum are mixed in with trout and hitting paddle tails, flukes, or shrimp under a popping cork. Flounder are being caught semi-consistently on live shrimp or Redfish Magic spinnerbaits around points, bottlenecks, and drains. With cold fronts moving in, anglers should check the weather and watch the wind. Always wear your kill switch and be safe! Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
East Galveston Bay: GOOD. 78 degrees. Surface water temperature 78 degrees, water clarity has been extremely good for East Galveston Bay this past week. Redfish can be caught on offshore oyster reefs, grass shorelines, and in the back of the marsh. Trout, redfish and flounder are in their fall spots on flats with scattered shell around pinch points with current and nervous bait. Imitation shrimp lures under popping corks with 12 inch leaders have still been producing bites for our anglers. We have also fished 1/8 ounce jig heads with Wac Attack and Deadly Dudley tails in lighter colors, as well as Fishbites tails when targeting flounder, and they performed as intended as well. Birds are still working all over the bay and if chasing birds is your thing, you can get in on that action most every day, with a few scattered keepers in the mix. The morning and evening temperatures are getting nicer, so get out there and enjoy the great outdoors and remember October 31 is the last day to keep legal flounder until mid-December, so make it happen now. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Service, LLC.
Galveston Bay: FAIR. 81 degrees. Bull redfish action remains strong on fresh dead baits. Few slot redfish, black drum, even some speckled trout being caught on light tackle and live shrimp. Galveston Bay action is a bit slower than it should be for this time of year. Big higher than normal tides and warm water haven’t helped. Scattered trout along shoreline piers when winds are favorable, best on live shrimp and soft plastics. Mix of reds, black drum, and flounder in back lakes and bayous on the western side of Galveston Bay. Best bite on live shrimp. Flounder on soft plastics. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.
West Galveston Bay: GOOD. 81 degrees. Bull redfish action remains strong on fresh dead baits. Few slot redfish, black drum, even some speckled trout being caught on light tackle and live shrimp. Galveston Bay action is a bit slower than it should be for this time of year. Big higher than normal tides and warm water haven’t helped. Scattered trout along shoreline piers when winds are favorable, best on live shrimp and soft plastics. Mix of reds, black drum, and flounder in back lakes and bayous on the western side of Galveston Bay. Best bite on live shrimp. Flounder on soft plastics. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.
Houston: GOOD. Water clear; 82 degrees; 0.23 feet above pool. Now is a fantastic time to fish Lake Houston, with water clarity ranging from great to phenomenal across most of the lake. The South end has the best visibility at 1.5-2 feet, while the East Fork averages about a foot, the West Fork 1-1.5 feet, and Lucious Bayou is a bit murkier at 6-8 inches. White bass are schooling heavily on humps in 12-14 feet of water on the south end and can be caught trolling deep jet divers with gold pet spoons or by vertical jigging with Duck Tracker slabs. Largemouth bass, mostly in the 2-3 pound range, are hitting crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and grubs around cypress tree knobs in 3-4 feet of water. Crappie are aggressive and biting great near brush piles in 10-12 feet, especially in Lucious Bayou, the East Fork, and West Fork side lakes. Catfish are biting decently around dusk on fresh shad under corks or near bulkheads using cut or punch bait. Always wear your kill switch and be safe! Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
Texas City: GREAT. 84 degrees. Anglers are catching plenty of speckled trout, redfish, and croakers every day with some sand trout and an occasional flounder. Mangrove snapper and pompano have been sporadic but still around. Wade fishing along the levee and mosquito island from 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: FAIR. 85 degrees. Speckle trout, sand trout and redfish are good under the birds in Bastrop Bay, Christmas Bay, and Chocolate Bay. Drift where mullet is present throwing lures, Four horseman corks with either gulp shrimp or live shrimp. Freeport Harbor and Brazos River has been good for redfish, trout, sheephead, drum, mangrove snapper and a few flounder using mullet and live shrimp. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures.
