East Galveston Bay Fishing Report

Apr 24, 2024

GOOD. 76 degrees. Winds and a push of freshwater have the back of the bay off colored. Those fishing the shorelines from around Elmgrove Point finding a few trout, black drum, and the occasional redfish, using live shrimp or soft plastics. Open bay reef fishing is limited due to high winds. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Surface water temperature 74 degrees. Water clarity is good for the majority of East Galveston Bay. Surface water temperature 78 degrees. Water clarity is good for the majority of East Galveston Bay, especially on the South shoreline, with stained water East of Marsh Point. This week we fished shell beds in the 2-3 feet depth range and found good numbers of trout, a few redfish, and flounder. As in previous weeks, if you catch a fish, power pole down and fan cast the entire area, as we have been picking up several fish in close proximity. If you get into an area and do not see bait activity, make a few casts, and move on, as our experience has been, if you find good amounts of bait the fish are close by. This week we have thrown various size jig heads, depending upon the wind with Wac Attack straight tails in Rollover Moon, as well as marker 54 Glide Shrimp, and the new 1/8 oz. Shrimplets, under a 1-2 foot leader and a Fish Smack Popping Cork. If you fish late afternoons, the bull redfish are chasing bait going down the South shoreline right before dark and will stretch your line if you are looking to battle one for a while. This week the early morning and late evening bite were both strong for us on our charters, and the Topwater bite was stellar. We did not see as much active bait this week, as in previous weeks, but when we found bait we caught fish. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC.

Apr 17, 2024

GOOD. 75 degrees. Winds have limited open bay fishing, but those wading are finding fair numbers of speckled trout on artificial lures. Boat anglers fishing near drains with live shrimp are catching black drum, the occasional redfish, and a few speckled trout, and flounder. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Surface water temperature 74 degrees. Water clarity is good for the majority of East Galveston Bay. Good numbers of trout and few redfish on shell beds in the 2-3 feet with �¼ ounce jig heads with Wac Attack straight tails in chartreuse, and Monkey Milk as well as marker 54 Glide Shrimp, under a 1-2 feet leader and a Fish Smack Popping Cork. As in previous weeks, if you catch a fish, powerpole down and fan cast the entire area, as we have been picking up several fish in close proximity. If you get into an area and do not see bait activity, make a few casts, and move on, as our experience has been, if you find good amounts of bait the fish are close by. If you fish late afternoons, the bull redfish are chasing bait going down the South shoreline right before dark and will stretch your line if you are looking to battle one for a while. Spring is here, and fishing will continue to heat up as the water warms and the fronts blowing thru become less prevalent. If you are looking to get out on the water and beat the crowds, now is the perfect time to make it happen. Until Next Time. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC.

Apr 10, 2024

GOOD. 72 degrees. East Bay Protected shorelines producing scattered speckled trout. Other catches consist of black drums, flounder and the occasional redfish. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Water clarity is very good for the majority of East Galveston Bay. This week we once again fished shoreline shells in close vicinity to drains in the 3 foot depth range and found good numbers of trout and redfish, and a few flounder. If you catch a fish, powerpole down and fan cast the entire area, as we have been picking up three to five fish in close proximity. If you get into an area and do not see bait activity, make a few casts, and move on, as our experience has been, if you find good amounts of bait the fish are close by. This week we have thrown �¼ ounce jig heads with Wac Attack straight tails in chartreuse, as well as marker 54 Glide Shrimp, under a 1-2 foot leader and a Fish Smack Popping Cork. The popping cork and shrimp setup was the top performer for us this week resulting in some of the most aggressive bites of the year. Spring is finally here, and fishing will continue to heat up as the water warms and the fronts blowing thru become less prevalent. If you are looking to get out on the water and beat the crowds, now is the perfect time to make it happen, and as always, we will design a trip around your expectations, and guarantee you will have a great time fishing East Galveston Bay. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC.

Apr 3, 2024

GOOD. 70 degrees. Open reef fishing is still slow. Catches of black drum, redfish, and speckled trout coming along the shorelines, near drains and bayous. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Surface water temperature 69.5 degrees. Water clarity is good for the majority of East Galveston Bay. Good numbers of trout and redfish, with a few flounder and drum along the shoreline shell in close vicinity to drains in 3 feet of water. If you catch a fish, powerpole down and fan cast the entire area, as we have been picking up 3-5 fish in close proximity. If you get into an area and do not see bait activity, make a few casts, and move on, as our experience has been, if you find good amounts of bait the fish are close by. This week we have thrown 1/4 ounce jig heads with Wac Attack straight tails in chartreuse, as well as marker 54 Glide Shrimp, under a 2 foot leader and a Fish Smack Popping Cork. Spring is finally here,and fishing will continue to heat up as the water warms into the 70s and the fronts blowing through become less prevalent. If you are looking to get out on the water and beat the crowds, now is the perfect time to make it happen. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC. Fishing patterns are holding steady. 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.

Mar 27, 2024

GOOD. 68 degrees. Wade anglers are catching trout and few redfish along the south shoreline. Scattered catches of trout and black drum on the reefs. Best on live shrimp and soft plastics. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Surface water temperature 69.5 degrees. Water clarity is normal for East Galveston Bay. We are still finding trout, redfish, black drum, and a few flounder in the marsh and bayou areas, around deeper cuts and bends, as this past week the wind has made it impossible to fish our early Spring areas that we prefer on the main bay system, with any consistency. We have struggled finding good quantities of nervous bait, and therefore the bites for us this week were tougher to come by than in previous weeks. This week in the wind we have thrown �¼ ounce jig heads with Wac Attack tails in Rollover Moon, as well as marker 54 Glide Shrimp, under a 3 foot leader and a Fish Smack Popping Cork. Spring is finally here, and fishing will continue to heat up as the water warms into the 70s and the fronts blowing through become less prevalent. As always, the best time to fish is when you can get out on the water and make it happen, so stay safe out there. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC. Fishing patterns are holding steady for the Easter Weekend. 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. New regulations for trout went into effect this week; three fish daily bag limit per angler, a minimum size of 15 inches and a maximum size limit of 20 inches, one oversized trout greater than 30 inches allowed as part of daily bag limit. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.

Mar 20, 2024

GOOD. 67 degrees. Few reports coming from this area, but when conditions are right, catches of trout from the shorelines, along with some reds and black drum. Look for the reefs adjacent to the south shoreline for speckled trout once the weather stabilizes. Best bite on soft plastics and live shrimp. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Surface water temperature 68 degrees. Water clarity is decent for East Galveston Bay. Still catching trout, redfish, and a few flounder in the marsh and bayou areas, but the fish have started their transition out into the main bay system. We found good numbers of solid trout on the Shorelines over shell pockets and within close proximity to drains. 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 to another spot. The lighter the jig head the better, 1/16 to �¼ ounce, determined by the wind and current, and tails without paddles, performing the best, as we were utilizing Wac Assassin's in Chartreuse & Monkey Milk, depending upon clarity and light conditions. This week Fish Smack Popping corks with a 2 feet leader above a Marker 54 Glide Shrimp has done equally well on our trips, with a hard pop and about a 5 second pause gathering the most strikes. Spring is here and fishing will continue to heat up as the water warms into the 70s 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.

Mar 13, 2024

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.

Mar 6, 2024

GOOD. 65 degrees. Favorable winds have produced scattered catches of speckled trout over the reefs. Best action still on shorelines, near bayou drains for redfish and speckled trout. Best bite on soft plastics and live shrimp. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Surface water temperature dropped back down to 58 degrees, due to the front that pushed through the area. Water clarity stained for the most part, with a couple areas with better clarity west of Elm Grove. The majority of our success remains back in the marsh and bayou areas. 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 and 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. This week 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 10 second pause gathering the most strikes. Spring is coming 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.

Feb 28, 2024

GOOD. 65 degrees. Bayou drains and marsh still hold keeper reds, a few black drum and the occasional speckled trout. Best bite on live shrimp and soft plastics. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Surface water temperature up to 64 degrees, water clarity still stained for the most part in East Galveston Bay, with a few areas with better clarity well in the back of the marsh and back lakes. The fish are becoming more active as we continue to get more salinity back in East Galveston Bay. We had some excellent Speckled Trout catching action once again this week, with Rollover Moon & Chartreuse color tails performing the best for us. Our best catches were fishing �¼ ounce jig heads and Wac Attack Assassins in Rollover Moon and Chartreuse, with the fish staged in depths up to 7 feet, with most bites coming out of the 5 foot deep areas. As in previous weeks, we just need the winds to cease a little to allow us to fish more of our wintertime, early Spring areas that continue to be blown out, with the continual fronts pushing through. Fishing will continue to get more consistent as we push into Spring and water temperatures continue to rise, so now is the time to book your trips and get out and enjoy the great outdoors. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC. The sloughs in Yates Bayou are holding redfish on grass lines near Sievers Cut using shrimp 12-18 inches under a cork, or burner shad in black or dark green. Smith Point holding redfish and trout. Deep Reef to Fat Pat is holding fish under birds on twitch baits and soft plastics. Lil Hanna’s has some fish on deeper sides of reefs. The East bay reefs are starting to see more action with specks early then artificials twitch baits, or split tails. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatly, Tail Spotter Guide Service.

Feb 22, 2024

GOOD. 58-61 degrees. Anglers fishing the marsh finding some redfish and a few black drum, and the occasional speckled trout. Best bite on live shrimp and soft plastics. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Surface water temperature 61 degrees, water clarity stained for the most part, with a few areas with better clarity in the marsh and back lakes. The fish are becoming more active in both the marsh and bayou areas, as well as shoreline flats with shell, where one can get some protection from the Strong wind and wave action, as we continue to get more salinity back in East Galveston Bay. We had some excellent speckled trout catching action this week, with Rollover Moon and Chartreuse color tails performing the best. The redfish bite remains consistent in areas where good current flow has bait up against the shorelines and grass lines in 1-2 feet of water around oyster shells. As in previous weeks, we just need the winds to cease a little to allow us to fish more of our wintertime, early spring areas that continue to be blown out, with the continual fronts pushing through. Fishing will continue to become more consistent as we push into spring and warmer water temperatures. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC. The sloughs in Yates Bayou are holding redfish on grass lines near Sievers Cut using shrimp 12-18 inches under a cork, or burner shad in black or dark green. Smith Point holding redfish and trout. Deep Reef to Fat Pat is holding fish under birds on twitch baits and soft plastics. Lil Hanna’s has some fish on deeper sides of reefs. The East bay reefs are starting to see more action with specks early then artificials twitch baits, or split tails. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatly, Tail Spotter Guide Service.

Feb 14, 2024

FAIR. 56-58 degrees. The bay continues to be fresh due to the recent runoff. Best bet will be to fish along deeper bayou drains for redfish. Trout catches are slow. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter. Surface water temperature up to 63 degrees, water clarity stained for the most part, with a couple areas with better clarity in the marsh and back lakes. Success remains back in the marsh and bayou areas where anglers can get some protection from the strong wind and wave action. 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 were grouped up this week, targeting deeper pockets close to flats with shells, triggering the most bites. The lighter the jig head the better, determined by the wind and current, and tails without paddles, performing the best. We just need the winds to cease a little to allow us to fish more of our wintertime areas that continue to be blown out, week after week with the continual fronts pushing through. Fishing should continue to get more consistent as we push into Spring. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC. The sloughs in Yates Bayou are holding redfish on grass lines near Sievers Cut using shrimp 12-18 inches under a cork, or burner shad in black or dark green. Smith Point holding redfish and trout. Deep Reef to Fat Pat is holding fish under birds on twitch baits and soft plastics. Lil Hanna’s has some fish on deeper sides of reefs. The East bay reefs are starting to see more action with specks early then artificials twitch baits, or split tails. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatly, Tail Spotter Guide Service.

Feb 7, 2024

FAIR. 56-58 degrees. The bay continues to be fresh due to the recent runoff. Best bet will be to fish along deeper bayou drains for redfish. Trout catches are slow. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter. Surface water temperature 58 degrees, water clarity stained for the most part, with a couple areas with better clarity west of Elm Grove. Most of our success remains back in the marsh and bayou areas with protection from the strong wind and wave action. 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 and deeper drops with shell, triggering the most bites. The lighter the jig head the better, determined by the wind and current, and tails without paddles, performing the best. Water temperature has remained steady this week, we just need the winds to cease a little to allow us to fish more of our winter time areas that seem to be blown out, week after week. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC.

Jan 31, 2024

FAIR. 50 degrees. Fishing has been slow due to freshwater runoff and the bay is off colored. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter. Surface water temperature rose to 58 degrees, water clarity stained for the most part. Our success remains back in the marsh/bayou areas where one can get some protection from the Strong North wind and wave action. This Redfish bite has still been consistent in areas where good current flow has bait up against the shorelines/grass lines in 1 to 3 feet of water around oyster shells on Wac Attack Tails in Chartreuse, fished with 1/8 oz heads, as well as fished under a Fish Smack popping cork, with an 18” leader. The trout have preferred an eratic presentation with pauses, targeting deeper pockets close to channel bends/deeper drops with shell, triggering the most bites. The lighter the jig head the better, determined by the wind and current, and tails without paddles, performing the best. Water has warmed this week and the fish are more active compared to last week, we just need the winds to cease a little to allow us to fish more of our winter time areas. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC.

Jan 24, 2024

FAIR. 50 degrees. Few anglers on the water due to inclement weather. Scattered speckled trout being caught by those wading with mullet imitation plugs. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter. Surface water temperature 47 degrees. The water clarity is stained for the most part, as a number of our areas have been blown out by the continual winds. The pattern remains unchanged, as success remains back in the marsh and bayou areas where one can get some protection from the wind and waves. Redfish bite is 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 Rollover Moon, fished with 1/8 ounce heads, as well as fished under a Fish Smack popping cork, with an 18 inch leader. The trout once again this week have preferred a super slow presentation, targeting deeper pockets close to channel bends with shell, triggering the most bites. The lighter the jig head determined by the wind and current, the better, for a slow fall, as the bites have been light for the most part. Looking forward to the warming trend this week to get the water temps on the rise. We have not seen any dead fish floating since the recent hard freeze, which is a positive for East Bay. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC.

Jan 17, 2024

FAIR. 45 degrees. Redfish dominate the catches up along grass shorelines and in deep bayous. Scattered trout from the same area. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter. Surface water temperature 50 degrees and water clarity varies depending upon where you are on the bay as a number of our areas have been blown out by the winds. Our anglers are still having the most success back in the marsh or bayou areas where we can get some protection from the wind and waves. This redfish bite has been consistent in areas where good current flow has bait up against the shorelines or grass lines in 1-3 feet of water around oyster shells on imitation shad lures in Rollover Moon, fished with 1/8 ounce heads, as well as fished under a popping cork, with an 18 inch leader. The trout this week have preferred a super slow presentation, targeting deeper pockets close to channel bends with shells, triggering the most strikes. The lighter the jig head determined by the wind and current, the better, for a slow fall, as the bites have been light for the most part. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC. Smith Point shoreline still holding redfish and trout on artificial twitch baits and soft plastic or shrimp under a popping cork. SeaWolf Park holding bull redfish and black drum on the pier. Trout on shrimp under popping cork at the concrete wall. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.

Jan 10, 2024

FAIR. 54-60 degrees. Redfish dominate the catches up along grass shorelines and in deep bayous. Scattered trout from the same area. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter. Surface water temperature is 54 degrees and the water clarity is average for this time of year. This week we have concentrated back in the marsh areas where we can get some protection from the wind and wave action, as well as find some pockets and areas with adequate water depth and slight temperature increases. The oversize redfish and speckled trout bite has been consistent in deeper cuts in 5-7 feet of water utilizing �¼ ounce jig heads with blue moon or chartreuse paddle tails. After the cold front and water temperature drop a slow presentation was preferred. Very slow movement of the lure dragging across the bottom, sometimes even deadsticking it, triggered the most strikes for our anglers. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC. Smith Point shoreline still holding redfish and trout on artificial twitch baits and soft plastic or shrimp under a popping cork. SeaWolf Park holding bull redfish and black drum on the pier. Trout on shrimp under popping cork at the concrete wall. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.

Jan 3, 2024

FAIR. 56-60 degrees. Best bite has been in the back of east Galveston bay for speckled trout and redfish. Anglers wading near bayous are doing well on soft plastics and those fishing deeper bayous from the boat are having the same results. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter. Surface water temperature is back up to 60 degrees and the overall water clarity is good. North winds and 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. The 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 or 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. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC. Smith Point shoreline still holding redfish and trout on artificial twitch baits and soft plastic or shrimp under a popping cork. SeaWolf Park holding bull redfish and black drum on the pier. Trout on shrimp under popping cork at the concrete wall. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.

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