Gulf Coast Region Week of March 13, 2024

San Antonio Bay
GOOD. 65 degrees. Trout action is good over shell and mud using chicken on a chain colored soft plastics and live shrimp. Look for mullet action along the reefs to find the trout. Redfish are good in the back lakes and along the shorelines. Good strong incoming tide. North wind forecasted as we head into the weekend. Report Captain Lynn Smith, Back Bay Guide Service.
Sabine Lake
GOOD. 65 degrees. ICW rock piles are good for catches of trout, redfish and sheepshead with live shrimp under a popping cork. Speckled trout are good on the North Levee wall with popping cork under live shrimp, but best midday with any dark 5 inch plastics 1/16 ounce jighead. Redfish, drum and a few trout are being caught in the Sabine Channel shell flats on live shrimp under a popping cork. Strong winds have kept anglers in the wind protected areas. Report by Captain Randy Foreman, Captain Randy’s Guide Service Sabine Lake.
Bolivar
GOOD. 60 degrees. It has been a beautiful week for fishing! More and more people are catching fish with the weather changes. The water has been beautiful as well. There were sightings of bioluminescence at night off the surf. Black drum and sheepshead are prevalent this week ahead of whiting, sand trout, redfish, speckled trout, plus the occasional pompano and alligator gar. Report by North Jetty Bait Camp. The surf is starting to hold some black drum, pompano, small shark and the occasional redfish. The North Jetty surfside is holding sheepshead and trout against rocks. Look for baitfish. Redfish in the channel hitting Carolina rigged mullet, shad, or crab. The end holds nice schools of trout and sheepshead. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.
Trinity Bay
FAIR. 67 degrees. Water is beginning to clear and fish are being found on shorelines, especially on the northwest side. Speckled trout bite has been good for those throwing soft plastics, scattered reds mixed in. Further north catches have been mixed. Anglers throwing live shrimp have caught reds, black drum, and speckled trout. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Trinity Bay trout are picking up at a rapid pace using shrimp under a popping cork and saltwater WAC assassins in the rollover moon and people passion. The bite lasts a good bit of the morning, then transitions to reefs in about 2-4 feet of water. Redfish are feeding aggressively if you are in the right spot with live shrimp under a popping cork and gulp shrimp. Hint, look for better water next to your good spots. Drum are mixed in with the reds and sheepshead are around docks and piling being caught free lining shrimp. Pay attention to the weather as winds can ruin a fishing trip and be safe. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
East Galveston Bay
GOOD. 67 degrees. Speckled trout are beginning to show on reefs near the shorelines. Scattered catches of redfish and black drum near the marsh and bayou drains. Best bite on soft plastics and live shrimp. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Surface water temperature 65 degrees. Water clarity stained for the most part, with a couple areas with better clarity back in the marsh and protected shorelines. We are still catching fish back in the marsh and bayou areas, but have begun to catch a good number of trout on the shell flats. This redfish bite remains consistent in areas where good current flow has bait up against the shorelines and grass lines in 1-3 feet of water around oyster shells on Wac Attack Tails in Chartreuse, fished with 1/8 ounce heads, as well as weightless presentations. The trout have preferred an erratic presentation with pauses, targeting deeper pockets close to channel bends/deeper drops with shell, triggering the most bites. Our experience has been that if you see bait flipping on the surface you will find some fish, if not, you are best to move on. The lighter the jig head the better, determined by the wind and current, and tails without paddles, performing the best. Fish Smack Popping corks with a 3 foot leader above an artificial shrimp lure has done equally well on our trips, with a hard pop and about a 5 second pause gathering the most strikes. Spring is getting close and fishing will continue to heat up as the water warms and the days continue to get longer. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC. Yates Bayou drain is holding redfish against grass line on popping cork and shrimp. Hanna’s Reef is great early in the day with twitching artificials or a popping cork with shrimp. Look for birds and slicks. small slicks could be just getting started. Watermelon smell in the air don’t pass on them. Look for bait moving. Pepper Grove Cove to Moody’s Pass holding fish. Smith Point to Moody National Wildlife. Redfish look for schools and birds. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.
Galveston Bay
SLOW. 68 degrees. Open bay waters are still off-colored. Sheepshead are still active in the gas wells for those fishing live shrimp on the bottom. A few speckled trout showing along shorelines with shell, along with some black drum. Best bite on live shrimp under corks. Upper Galveston bay seeing better numbers of speckled trout and bull reds have been schooling in open water. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The South Jetty is holding trout, sheepshead and redfish near the rocks on free-lined shrimp, or Carolina rigged float with live shrimp or soft plastic. SWP Holding Redfish from Pier and from Rocks. Sheepshead are in front of the concrete Seawall. The drains out of Swan Lake Campbell Slough holding sheepshead with an occasional Redfish. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.
West Galveston Bay
FAIR. 68 degrees. Speckled trout are scattered along the south shoreline. Deep structure holding some redfish and black drum and the occasional trout. Anglers drifting open bay reefs with soft plastics catching fair numbers of trout, bigger fish being caught by those wading the shorelines. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Greens Lake holding redfish against grass lines and by sandy shores early. ICW holding fish through greens cut and Carancahua cut holding trout and redfish with the amount of wind wind we are getting. Mecom Reef will have fish on it early up by rocks with artificial or live bait free-line or under cork. You’ll need to find protected waters with bait moving around as the winds pick up. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.
Houston
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 58 degrees; 0.03 feet below pool. Water is clearing up at a rapid pace. White bass are about to spawn within a week, or so, and fishing is fantastic in the creeks and rivers using spinnerbaits and jigs on the bottom. It will not be long before these fish return to the main lake. Largemouth bass are hitting crankbaits, worms and grubs. Rig lightly and adjust heavier throughout the day if necessary. Catfish are picking up trout lining and jug lining using stink, shad and cut bait. Crappie are starting to pick up on structure in 8-16 feet of water on small jigs, silver and black and chartreuse are good. You just about cannot keep a gar off your hook in the creeks right now. They are everywhere. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
Texas City
FAIR. 66 degrees. Good numbers of large oversized black drums coming off the rocks of the Texas City Dike and the Galveston jetties. The best bite has been on live halved crab. Sheepshead, slot redfish, keeper drum, and a few speckled trout being caught by anglers throwing live shrimp tight to the rocks. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The Dike is holding bull redfish along the rocks with scattered catches of drum and flounder. Dickinson Bayou holding some redfish and drum on popping cork and shrimp or soft plastics. The rock shoals south of the dike holding fish on popping cork with live shrimp. Miller Point is holding a few trout and the occasional redfish. Look for slicks and birds this time of year. The smaller the slick, the fresher it could be. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.
Freeport
SLOW. 70 degrees. Sheepshead and drum fishing is full force at the jetties and pass on live and dead shrimp. Redfish have been good in the back lakes and bays with shrimp under a popping cork. Trout have been good with soft plastics and shrimp under a popping cork in the bays. Flounder are showing up at the pass and bays using mullet and live shrimp with a split shot and dragging them on the bottom. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures.
East Matagorda Bay
GOOD. 62 degrees. Drum and redfish are good fishing reefs or wade fishing along the shoreline. Trout bite is hit-or-miss. Expect the bite to improve with the tide schedule and in the upswing of the full moon next week. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.
West Matagorda Bay
GOOD. 62 degrees. Drum and redfish are good fishing reefs or wade fishing along the shoreline. Trout bite is hit-or-miss. Expect the bite to improve with the tide schedule and in the upswing of the full moon next week. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.
Port O'Connor
GOOD. 60 degrees. Sheepshead are biting during incoming tides throughout the jetties on dead or live shrimp. Bull redfish are good near Alcatraz on Spanish sardines. Slot redfish are slow but biting in the inside of the jetties on Spanish sardines and live shrimp. Few trout are being caught inside of the jetty washouts during incoming tides. Report by Captain Marty Medford, Captain Marty’s Fish of a Lifetime Guide Service.
Rockport
GOOD. 63 degrees. Redfish and black drum are good with shrimp or cut mullet. Trout are good using a popping cork with live shrimp or soft plastics. Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters.
Port Aransas
GOODD. 63 degrees. Sheepshead with averages of 5 pounds are great with live shrimp at the tip and along the rocks. Trout are fair on live shrimp free lined along rocks. Redfish are good on shrimp and cut mullet. Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters.
Corpus Christi
FAIR. 66 degrees. Sheepshead are thick at the jetties with reports of nice size catches. Redfish are holding as shallow as possible using sardines and live shrimp under a popping cork. Drum are in waist deep water on the drop-offs in the channels running through sand bars fishing dead shrimp off the bottom. Trout bite should improve in the next couple weeks. Report by Captain Aerich Oliver, Rockport Paradise Outfitters.
Baffin Bay
SLOW. 73 degrees. The water clarity is dirty through the land cut. The drum run is on with catches using peeled shrimp and crab. There is typically a trout after the drum run. Trout fishing is slow with a few catches on soft plastics. Report by Captain Cliff Webb. Spring patterns are just beginning on Baffin Bay and there is a lot of grass on both the north and south shoreline. Mullet is plentiful everywhere and that usually means that the fish are right behind them. Baffin Bay is usually a late starter. Meaning the water usually stays cooler than the warm grassy bays of Port Mansfield and Rockport, Port Aransas. Therefore the big feed up for the trout spawn is delayed usually to the last part of March through the early part of June. Fish plastics, topwaters, and Corkys on drops and edges and shorelines where there is the most bait. Look for slicks and bird activity as well. The trout spawn usually occurs when the water temperature gets to 75 or 80 degrees and stays there so from this point forward, Fish will be eating up to give them energy to spawn. See you on the water! Report by Captain Sally Black.
Port Mansfield
GOOD. 71 degrees. Fishing and weather has stabilized, so things are looking good for the upcoming week. Fish are actively hitting topwaters most of the day. If things slow down on top we are working Ball Tail Shad’s low in the water column. Fish are still holding in about 2 feet of water. However, good trout and reds are being caught along deeper grass lines in 4 feet of water. Report by Captain Wayne Davis, Hook Down Charters. The bite and weather has been great as we approach early spring. The redfish and speckled trout are both feeding aggressively together in knee to waist deep water, around scattered grass beds and grass lines. The best producing lures in these structures have been Custom Corky Soft-Dines in darker hues, “Boogie Man” “Copper Black Dog” & “Dark Vader” as well as the MirrOLure Little John XL in “Purple Demon” and or “Watermelon Red Glitter” with a 1/32 ounce or 1/16 ounce hook. Baitfish flipping, swirls, current lines, slicks, birds diving are all positive signs that there could be bigger fish in the area. Fish thoroughly, wait them out and you will eventually get bit. Confidence and consistency is key when you’re looking for just one big bite, or just a couple to take home. Stay alert and read the water from the bottom up and it will always pay off! Stay safe out on the water, there will be an increase of boat traffic this week due to Spring Break. Keep what you need and release the rest and as always, tight lines! Report by Captain Reanna DeLaCruz, Captain Reanna’s Baffin Bay Adventures.
South Padre
GOOD. 67 degrees. Sheepshead continues to be good at The Old Causeway and it has been a banner year at the jetties with a heavy spawn. Plenty of trout catches at the Gas Well Flats and the Intracoastal at Three Islands. Trout and flounder are in the feeder channels emptying into deeper water. Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.
Port Isabel
GOOD. 67 degrees. Sheepshead continues to be good at The Old Causeway and it has been a banner year at the jetties with a heavy spawn. Plenty of trout catches at the Gas Well Flats and the Intracoastal at Three Islands. Trout and flounder are in the feeder channels emptying into deeper water. Stay safe out there. Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.

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