Gulf Coast Region Week of July 24, 2024

Redfish Bay

GOOD. 86 degrees. Schools of black drum floating, under the surface of the water, on dead shrimp. Trout are in abundance over oyster reefs or grass lines biting piggy perch. Redfish are around structure biting cut mullet. Captain Aerich Oliver, Rockport Paradise Outfitters.

San Antonio Bay

GOOD. 88 degrees. The bay is full of trout and drum, but the unsettled weather makes for unsettled fishing. The bite is usually great on the upswing of a full moon, but the changing wind direction slowed the bite last week. When the winds are out of the southwest or out of the east the bite should improve. The best bite has been wading with croakers. Slot trout are possible, but catches are primarily undersized or oversized. Flounder giggers are doing well. Report Captain Lynn Smith, Back Bay Guide Service.

Sabine Lake

FAIR. 86 degrees. Good catches of redfish in Sabine Lake making long drifts in 8-14 feet of water. Key on mullet to locate redfish and trout in Sabine Lake. The lake is muddy on top but the salinity is improving on the south end of the lake and upper end. Black tip sharks are along the banks mixed in with the redfish. South revetment wall is good for nice catches of trout with crankbaits and slow sinking baits, or imitation shad. Nice trout and jack crevalle on the first and second pike with live shrimp with a popping cork. Hurricane Beryl moved the bait into the system. There is good trout action at the ends of the jetties early in the morning with artificials, but when the sun rises the bite is over. Catching nice speckled trout on the inside of jetties and Sabine Channel rock piles and flats. Jack crevalle and sharks at the jetties. Hooked a tarpon at the jetties. Many smaller sized trout on soft plastics at the rigs with jigs fished at the bottom around the platform. Trout are being caught drifting over mud and shell along the beach. Catches of ling at the short rigs mixed in with the trout. Report by Captain Randy Foreman, Captain Randy’s Guide Service Sabine Lake.

Bolivar

GOOD. 85 degrees. Numbers of redfish, croakers, sand trout, sheepshead, black drum, speckled trout, and crabs caught along the jetty with plenty of stingrays and sharks. The surf is producing redfish and black drum, gafftop, lots of stingrays, and bigger sharks along the whole peninsula with high activity towards Gilchrist or High Island. Finger mullet and croaker have been popular baits. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.

Trinity Bay

SLOW. 87 degrees. Shell humps along the ship channel producing decent size speckled trout on soft plastics. Upper Bay Spoil Island are good for black drum and redfish on live shrimp. Few trout showing up on the middle bay gas wells. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Trinity Bay. Trout are being caught consistently on docks by Dow Reef with live shrimp and artificial WAC assassins in the rollover moon color. Redfish are being caught on live shrimp, swimbaits in dark and chartreuse color on rock shorelines. Drum and sheepsheads are being caught on live and dead shrimp in rocks and reefs in the main channels. Watch your weather prior to your trip and always wear your kill switch. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.

East Galveston Bay

GOOD. 86 degrees. Bolivar surf full of speckled trout. East Bay producing fair numbers of trout for those wading and drifting over open bay reefs. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Plenty of various sized speckled trout, black drum, sheepshead, and redfish caught on live shrimp, croakers, and top water lures. Alligator gar are abundant. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp. Surface water temperature is 86 degrees. As in previous weeks, the water clarity is stirred up in the majority of East Galveston Bay, with clearer water as you get closer to the western portion of the Bay, with a distinct line as you venture closer over to Galveston. We are finding a few trout and redfish in the Intracoastal around the structure. Water is clear at the jetties and there is a solid trout bite utilizing MirrOlure suspending hard baits, swimbaits, and tails with 1/8 ounce heads in light colors. Success using Fish Smack Popping corks with a 1 to 2 foot leader above shrimp imitation lures, as well as Salt and Pepper Tails by WacAttack. The Topwater bite has still been good on early morning and late afternoon trips, so if you like throwing walking baits now is a great time to get on the water and make it happen. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Service, LLC.

Galveston Bay

SLOW. 86 degrees. West shoreline producing good numbers of speckled trout. Gas wells seeing mixed catches of trout and black drum. Spoil Islands are still fair for trout, black drum and redfish. Best bite on live shrimp, followed by soft plastics. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.

West Galveston Bay

GOOD. 86 degrees. Lower Bay is still good for trout, black drum, sheepshead, and the occasional redfish along the causeway bridge and rocks. Good numbers of trout over deep shell fishing with croaker. Waders are still catching trout and redfish. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.

Houston

GOOD. Water normal stained; 92 degrees; 0.99 feet above pool. Largemouth bass are hanging tight to structure, mainly in cypress stumps, and drop-offs in the morning biting grubs and worms. Crappie are scattered in 6-10 feet of water in the rivers and creeks being caught in small artificial jigs. Catfish are plentiful using jug lines in 12-18 feet of water using live perch and shad with a 25 foot leader. White bass are decent if you can find a school and have not been too active in the evenings. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.

Texas City

GOOD. 85 degrees. The Texas City Dike is still closed for repairs after Hurricane Beryl. Trout are being caught off the levee road, all the way to the flood gate. Jetties producing boxes of trout, black drum, and slot redfish. Lots of big sharks just past the jetty rocks. Surf has been good for speckled trout. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The Dike remains closed for clean-up and repairs. People are fishing along the levee towards Moses Lake tidal gate. Anglers are still catching plenty of speckled trout, redfish, and flounder every day with some occasional black drum, sheepshead, sand trout, and gafftop. Live shrimp and finger mullet have been the best baits. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.

Freeport

GOOD. 84 degrees. Fishing is consistent in the surf for trout and redfish in the morning on topwaters and down south lures. Bastrop Bay, Chocolate Bay, Christmas Bay have been steady under the birds with trout and redfish. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures.

East Matagorda Bay

SLOW. 84 degrees. The bay is full of trout and drum, but the unsettled weather makes for unsettled fishing. The bite is usually great on the upswing of a full moon, but the changing wind direction slowed the bite last week. When the winds are out of the southwest or out of the east the bite should improve. The best bite has been wading with croakers. Slot trout are possible, but catches are primarily undersized or oversized. Flounder giggers are doing well. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.

West Matagorda Bay

SLOW. 84 degrees. Conditions on the bay are looking good after Hurricane Beryl, and bait camps are holding bait. Southwest winds slow the bite, but we are on the upswing to a full moon so fishing will be good. Lots of trout in the system with many catches of oversized trout. Catches of drum are good drifting the reefs. Redfish bite is better in the afternoon than in the morning. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.

Port O'Connor

GOOD. 86 degrees. Trout are biting around Alcatraz Island, Honey Hole, outside of both jetties and in the surf with live croaker or shrimp fished off the bottom. Bull redfish are on the flats between Bird Island and the back of the jetties with live piggy perch and Spanish sardines. Slot redfish are biting Spanish sardines and blue crab on the outside of the north and South Jetty. Few catches of drum halfway down the inside of the South Jetty on dead shrimp. Black tip and spinner sharks are in the surf. Report by Captain Marty Medford, Captain Marty’s Fish of a Lifetime Guide Service.

Rockport

GOOD. 84 degrees. Trout are great on croaker along grass and rocks in 3-4 feet of water with a popping cork and shrimp have been producing in flats while drifting. Redfish are fair on shrimp, cut skipjack or mullet in flats. Black drum are great on live or dead shrimp and fish bites in drains and sand pockets and along oyster beds. Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters.

Port Aransas

GOOD. 84 degrees. Redfish are good on shrimp and cut bait. Trout are good with croaker or shrimp free lined along rocks. Surf fishing has been producing good redfish and trout in the first and second gut with an occasional shark. King fish are at the first rigs and have been good on ribbon fish. Jack crevalle are showing up at jetties. Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters.

Corpus Christi

GOOD. 81 degrees. Schools of black drum floating, under the surface of the water, on dead shrimp. Trout are in abundance over oyster reefs or grass lines biting piggy perch. Redfish are around structure biting cut mullet. Report by Captain Aerich Oliver, Rockport Paradise Outfitters.

Baffin Bay

GOOD. 86 degrees. Big female flounder catches up to 4 pounds with gulp. Big trout are good in the back of the bay in the white sand with pink and silver and bone and silver topwater plugs. Trout are spawning. Redfish are good schooling shorelines and spoil islands hitting gold spoons. Report by Captain Cliff Webb.

Port Mansfield

GOOD. 92 degrees. Fishing is good for redfish and trout. Trout have been consistent along the flats near the channels. Additionally, a few flounder have been located in the same areas. BTS and junior Wigalo’s have been effective. Small pods of redfish are also found in shallow water early and are easily taken on junior BTS. Some bigger trout have been found along the outer edges of the redfish by slowly working Mansfield Knockers by the pods. Report by Captain Wayne Davis, Hook Down Charters. The weather has been great, with a full moon, occasional thunderstorms and a slight breeze. The bite was active throughout the morning and into the afternoon. The topwater bite was great first thing in the morning during the major feeding period. As the morning proceeds and temperatures rise, switch to soft plastics in deeper water with grass structure, grass or scattered sand pockets or grass lines and drop-offs. Top lures of choice have been the MirrOlure Little John XL, DownSouth Supermodel and Mansfield Knocker top waters in every color between white/bone to purple. Areas that have lots of bait, scattered grass beds in about knee to waist deep water have been the most productive areas for trout, redfish and flounder. Dusting a lure off bottom or walking a top water over the edges of the grass beds has been working well for catching some good quality fish. Traffic on the water can be quite heavy on the weekends, remember to always stay courteous and mindful of other boaters and wade fishermen in the area and as always, tight lines! Report by Captain Reanna DeLaCruz, Captain Reanna’s Baffin Bay Adventures.

South Padre

GOOD. 84 degrees. Low winds and high tide, so fishing is good. Trout can be found everywhere. Best bets are Gas Well Flats and in the Intercoastal at Three Islands. Redfish are spotty on the Gas Well Flats. Black drums are in small schools along the color line on the Eastside in small schools. Flounder are good mixed in with trout on the edge of Intercoastal at Three Islands. Mangrove Snapper excellent at end of Brownsville Channel. Stay safe out there! Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre

Port Isabel

GOOD. 84 degrees. Low winds and high tide, so fishing is good. Trout can be found everywhere. Best bets are Gas Well Flats and in the Intercoastal at Three Islands. Redfish are spotty on the Gas Well Flats. Black drums are in small schools along the color line on the Eastside in small schools. Flounder are good mixed in with trout on the edge of Intercoastal at Three Islands. Mangrove Snapper excellent at end of Brownsville Channel. Stay safe out there! Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre

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