Gulf Coast Region Week of February 4, 2026

Redfish Bay

SLOW. 55 degrees. Cooler weather and low tides have the fish stacked on top of each other. Redfish and drum are biting dead shrimp 1-3 feet of water. Report by Captain Aerich Oliver, Rockport Paradise Outfitters.

San Antonio Bay

GOOD. 55 degrees. The cold fronts and north winds blew the tide of the bay, but the tide should be on the rise as south winds flush water back into the bay and into the back lakes. Expect redfish and trout to return to the mud flats as the water warms. Use a slow approach with a slow sinking soft plastic with a cork body. Jetties have been good for redfish and trout along the rocks in 40-50 feet of water. Report by Captain Lynn Smith, Back Bay Guide Service.

Sabine Lake

GOOD. 58 degrees. The bite is good and tides are up after several days of low tides. Water temperatures are up 10 degrees, improving the bite. The Neches River, marshes and deep cuts are producing good catches of trout and redfish. The best bite is on outgoing tide Limits of redfish, drum and trout during our found tides live shrimp on a popping cork. Target the points, drop-offs and turnarounds. Sheepshead and drum can be caught fishing off the bottom in 8-12 feet of water with Carolina rigged shrimp. With the tides returning the bite will improve throughout the system. Some nice flounder catches mixed in with the speckled trout. Report by Captain Randy Foreman, Captain Randy's Guide Service Sabine Lake.

Bolivar

FAIR. 55 degrees. Winter has definitely arrived. There are a few die hard anglers working the banks, but overall action has been slow. There are plenty more weather changes throughout the week and changing winds with super low tides going back to normal. Pockets of sunshine are expected with temperatures fluctuating. Check the forecast before you head out or call ahead to your favorite bait shop. Anglers are still catching redfish, with fewer catches of trout in the surf, jetty, bay-side canals and east bay using finger mullet and mud minnows.

Trinity Bay

GOOD. 60 degrees. Trout have begun moving back up onto the flats near drop-offs. Drop-offs have been key. Target flats that feature mud and shale near drop-offs, and even better if rocks are present nearby. As the water warms, rocks retain heat and can continue warming surrounding water throughout the afternoon and evening hours, which helps hold fish in these areas. Speckled trout are being caught with light and dark colored flukes using weedless hooks with approximately 3/16-ounce weight, keeping baits tight to the bottom and working them extremely slow. Another productive pattern is fishing deep-water choke points coming out of marsh drains on a falling tide. These areas are producing both speckled trout and redfish. Redfish are mixed in with trout in deeper water during very cold periods, but they tend to move shallow sooner than trout as conditions improve. Redfish are now being found up on muddy flats with shell, especially near rocks. Cast crankbaits, extra large shad paddle tail in a sparkle chartreuse color. Hard baits have also been producing well. Keep your bait in contact with the bottom to improve hookup and success rates. Sheepshead and drum are holding around pilings and rocks near drop-offs. These fish are being caught on live shrimp under popping corks, as well as imitation shrimp. Remember to always wear your kill switch, watch the weather, and be safe when navigating the waters. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing. Scott’s Bay, Burnet Bay, and San Jacinto Bay are producing fair numbers of speckled trout, black drum and sheepshead with popping corks and live shrimp. Decent action on redfish along the ship channel rocks. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.

East Galveston Bay

GOOD. 50 degrees. Surface water temperature 50 degrees. The water clarity is good for East Galveston Bay. Conditions are finally sunny on the water as anglers get a reprieve from the north wind. The majority of our action right now is on or close to the lower water column over deeper shell and mud. Slowly working various size jig heads with salt and pepper colored wacky flukes. Some of the bites are so subtle you really need to be paying attention. The best action has been during the major and minor fish times as well as when the water temperatures rise when the sun is out. Remember the Fish still have to eat in the colder water, although not as often, so be very methodical in your presentation, and fish areas where you have confidence in. Active bait in the area is important, so move on if you do not see bait or signs of life. As the water heats up during the day, some of the fish are moving out to mud flats to feed, so keep that in mind as well. The redfish bite has been consistent around drains and in the very shallow water areas back in the marsh. We are still using Imitation shrimp lures and tails under popping corks, with a 1-foot leader to trigger bites, as well as weightless tails. This time of year brings some of the best opportunities for anglers to catch those bigger fish on the prowl, so get out and make it happen with your family and friends. 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 falling hard jerkbaits, when the conditions are lining up. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC. Winter has definitely arrived. There are a few die hard anglers working the banks, but overall action has been slow. There are plenty more weather changes throughout the week and changing winds with super low tides going back to normal. Pockets of sunshine are expected with temperatures fluctuating. Check the forecast before you head out or call ahead to your favorite bait shop. The trout bite is still on fire, with plenty of redfish and a few flounder everywhere. Fish are in guts and channels. You can still find most of your redfish working the grasses. Trout in deeper water using artificials. Report by Captain Jack Blume.

Galveston Bay

GOOD. 55 degrees. Scattered catches of speckled trout along the western shoreline with live shrimp and soft plastics. Bull redfish can be caught in the open bay under diving birds. Galveston jetties are producing good catches of oversized drum and redfish on live halved crab and dead shad. Live shrimp is producing sheepshead, keeper size drum and redfish. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.

West Galveston Bay

GOOD. 55 degrees. Speckled trout are good on drop-offs with soft plastics or live bait. Target areas with a softer bottom over hard shell. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.

Houston

GOOD. Water clear; 59 degrees; 0.37 feet above pool. Recent heavy rainfall has muddled area waters again, with Huffman receiving about 3.5 inches, likely delaying fishable conditions on Cypress, Spring, Caney, Peach Creeks, and parts of the East and West Fork for another week or two, though The Woodlands and Conroe areas may clear sooner. White bass are the top target, biting small curly-tailed grubs on tandem rigs–white and chartreuse are best in stained water-with Rooster Tails also effective thanks to added vibration. Largemouth bass are holding near deep drop-offs and secondary points along main channels, responding to dark Texas-rigged worms, and may move shallow onto flats as the day warms. Crappie has been good in the creeks, Lucious Bayou, and the East Fork, but muddy water will slow the bite; small, dark hand-tied jigs are best when conditions improve. Catfish action is decent in deep main-lake channels on punch bait and fresh shad. Always wear your kill switch and be safe! Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.

Texas City

GOOD. 55 degrees. Winter has definitely arrived. There are a few die hard anglers working the banks, but overall action has been slow. There are plenty more weather changes throughout the week and changing winds with super low tides going back to normal. Pockets of sunshine are expected with temperatures fluctuating. Check the forecast before you head out or call ahead to your favorite bait shop. Anglers are still catching lots of big bull redfish, black drum, speckled trout in pockets, fewer keeper flounder with a lot of small males still prevalent, sheepshead and puppy drum as well. More whiting have started to be caught. The dredge boat is still pumping from the TC Channel to the north beach side of the dike. Live shrimp and finger mullet have been the best baits. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.

Freeport

FAIR. 58 degrees. Fishing patterns are consistent for redfish, trout, drum, sheephead and flounder. Continue to target fish in Oyster Creeks, Bastrop Bayou, Chocolate Bayou, Halls Bayou and anywhere along the ICW where it is draining. Best bite has been with live shrimp under a popping cork, jig head, or working swimbaits and gulp slowly on the bottom. The Brazos and San Bernard River are producing good catches of redfish, drum, speckled trout, sand trout and few flounder on live or dead shrimp, or throwing 3/8 ounce jig with swimbaits or gulp shrimp fishing slow on the bottom. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures.

East Matagorda Bay

FAIR. 55 degrees. The weekend warming trend will improve the redfish and trout midbay. Redfish have been biting in deeper holes. Trout are on the flats biting artificials. The tides have been very low but should be on the rise. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski's Guide Service.

West Matagorda Bay

FAIR. 55 degrees. The weekend warming trend will improve the redfish and trout midbay. Redfish have been biting in deeper holes. Trout are on the flats biting artificials. The tides have been very low but should be on the rise. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski's Guide Service.

Port O'Connor

SLOW. 58 degrees. Fishing conditions should improve for the weekend. Trout are slow on the outside of both jetties with live shrimp. Oversized and slot redfish are slow in 20-25 feet of water near Honey Hole on blue crab or dead shrimp. Slot redfish are at the end of the north jetty Spanish sardines or live shrimp. Black drum are slow where the jetty widens in the apron with dead shrimp. Sheepshead are good throughout the jetties with live shrimp. Report by Captain Marty Medford, Captain Marty's Fish of a Lifetime Guide Service.

Rockport

FAIR: 55 degrees. Trout are good on live shrimp and soft plastics in flats with mud bottom and along channel edges. Redfish are great on shrimp in guts and channel edges. Black drum are great in guts and holes in flats and along channel edges with live or dead shrimp and fish bites. Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters.

Port Aransas

GOOD. 55 degrees. Sheepshead have been good on live shrimp. Redfish have been good on live shrimp or cut mullet on the north and south jetty. Oversized redfish have been great on cut crab and cut mullet. Trout are good. Pompano are good with free lined shrimp along the rocks. Redfish, pompano and trout have been good in the surf using live shrimp, shrimp bites and cut mullet. Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters.

Corpus Christi

FAIR. 60 degrees. Redfish, trout, and black drum can be targeted on the points or blocked guts. Use slow sinking lures for trout, and fishbites tipped with shrimp for drum and redfish. Big whiting can be caught along the national seashore. The pompano have migrated out. Be aware of low pressure because it will bring the water to the dunes during high tides. Take advantage of the low tides during high pressure and mark shell and structures fish might relate to. Report by Nick Meyer, YouTube at NickAway.

Baffin Bay

GOOD. 60 degrees. With water temperatures hovering between the mid 50s and the mid 60s, it seems that the fish cannot decide to stay shallow or deep. Fish are shallow on calmer days, then deeper on cooler windy days. Adjust your fishing ideas based on the conditions and the water temperature. Slow sinking soft plastics with a cork body are working great! Use soft plastic suspending twitch baits in pistachio when the water is green and there is sunshine, and The Truth and Dark Vader in greener water with cloud cover. Good luck and see you on the water! Report by Captain Sally Black.

Port Mansfield

GOOD. 50 degrees. This week should be productive since we had some southerly winds and a slight warm up. Mansfield knockers are the lure of choice for hungry redfish and trout up to 7 pounds. The best bite has been midday in water about knee to thigh deep. Working Wigalo’s in the same areas is good when the winds are light. Big grass beds accompanied with big sand pockets have been key. Water levels remain low so be mindful of running too shallow. Report by Captain Wayne Davis, Hook Down Charters. Warmer air temperatures ahead should promote an active bite up on the flats, and over grass. Low tides have exposed grass mats all up and down the lower Laguna Madre, making these areas prime fishing grounds for targeting speckled trout and redfish. These grass mats tend to hold heat making them ideal sanctuaries for baitfish in colder weather conditions. You can often find pelicans floating over these grass mats, diving or pecking their heads underneath the surface to scrounge up their food. Lures of choice that have been producing strikes hard plastics, suspending or sinking switchbaits, or floaters. Color depends on the water clarity and sunshine. In clear to somewhat chalky water, natural colors work best. In dirty water and overcast, dark colors are gonna be your best option. The floating baits means that they sink slower and this allows the angler to work over the grass in the lower column much more effectively. Stay safe and courteous of other anglers on the water ways. As always, tight lines! Report by Captain Reanna DeLaCruz, Captain Reanna’s Baffin Bay Adventures.

South Padre

GOOD. 60 degrees. The bite is outstanding fishing between cold fronts. Schools of redfish, with slot and oversized fish, are being found on the spoils near Port Isabel. Sight fishing with garlic scented soft plastics with a squiggle tails has been the ticket. Most colors work well. Speckled trout have been hungry with best bite during incoming tide when the water is clear and around 54 degrees. Massive black drum schools can be found near Mexiquita Flats. Check the lunar tide charts for the best times to fish. The morning super low tides and very calm winds have made it easy to fish. Gas well flats have huge redfish, and numbers of black drum. Gayman Channel bridge is producing tons of fish. Snook are being caught in Port Brownsville. The bay from Port Isabel to Port Mansfield has redfish everywhere in shallow water. Come on down to South Padre Island for good fishing. The fish are fat with piggy perch, eels, crabs and shrimp. Report by Captain Cliff Fleming, Crystal Flats Guide Service. Fishing remains solid on the backside of the cold front as conditions stabilize. Unfortunately, the window between fronts was a little shorter but it is a weaker front so conditions on the backside should stabilize quickly. Winter time patterns have fully established with redfish and trout being found in soft bottom grass areas with potholes. Jigs fish on 16th ounce heads, Corky style baits, and Texas rigged fluke style baits fished slow have been the ticket. Speckled trout, redfish and drum can also be caught on the channel drop offs and deeper edges upsizing 1/4 ounce jig heads and fishing baits slow on the bottom. Fly Fishing remains steady in shallow grass flat as Fish move shallow immediately following cold snaps. Report by Captain Glenn Harrison, Double Mermaid Outdoors.

Port Isabel

GOOD. 60 degrees. The bite is outstanding fishing between cold fronts. Schools of redfish, with slot and oversized fish, are being found on the spoils near Port Isabel. Sight fishing with garlic scented soft plastics with a squiggle tails has been the ticket. Most colors work well. Speckled trout have been hungry with best bite during incoming tide when the water is clear and around 54 degrees. Massive black drum schools can be found near Mexiquita Flats. Check the lunar tide charts for the best times to fish. The morning super low tides and very calm winds have made it easy to fish. Gas well flats have huge redfish, and numbers of black drum. Gayman Channel bridge is producing tons of fish. Snook are being caught in Port Brownsville. The bay from Port Isabel to Port Mansfield has redfish everywhere in shallow water. Come on down to South Padre Island for good fishing. The fish are fat with piggy perch, eels, crabs and shrimp. Report by Captain Cliff Fleming, Crystal Flats Guide Service. Fishing remains solid on the backside of the cold front as conditions stabilize. Unfortunately, the window between fronts was a little shorter but it is a weaker front so conditions on the backside should stabilize quickly. Winter time patterns have fully established with redfish and trout being found in soft bottom grass areas with potholes. Jigs fish on 16th ounce heads, Corky style baits, and Texas rigged fluke style baits fished slow have been the ticket. Speckled trout, redfish and drum can also be caught on the channel drop offs and deeper edges upsizing 1/4 ounce jig heads and fishing baits slow on the bottom. Fly Fishing remains steady in shallow grass flat as Fish move shallow immediately following cold snaps. Report by Captain Glenn Harrison, Double Mermaid Outdoors.

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