Gulf Coast Region Week of April 17, 2024

Redfish Bay

GOOD. 72 degrees. Water dropped out of the bay but redfish are returning to the shorelines perch, sea lice and menhaden. Drum are fair in grass, oyster reefs, and shell bottoms on dead shrimp. Trout should move towards outside breaks within the next month. Captain Aerich Oliver, Rockport Paradise Outfitters.

San Antonio Bay

GOOD. 65 degrees. Fishing has been slow due to high pressure, but it should move out, improving the bite. Pods of tailing redfish in the back lakes biting live shrimp on flats over grass and mud. Redfish and trout can be caught along the shorelines for wade anglers. Trout are biting on shells with live shrimp. Sheepshead, oversized redfish with a few slot fish, and oversized trout are being caught in the jetties. Report Captain Lynn Smith, Back Bay Guide Service.

Sabine Lake

GOOD. 68 degrees. Sabine Lake is fresh due to runoff from the Neches River. Navigate with caution watching for floating debris. Best catches coming from the channel, Intracoastal Waterway and jetties. Mixed bag of speckled trout, redfish, sheepshead and drum in the Sabine Channel and ICW on rock piles and shell banks with live shrimp under a popping cork. Jetties sheepshead, drum, redfish, and a few trout when the winds are calm. Texaco Island produces a few trout, redfish and flounder with live shrimp under a popping cork, or working slowly up the shelf in 10-20 feet of water with a morning glory chartreuse 1/16 ounce jighead. North Levee has slowed for speckled trout. Report by Captain Randy Foreman, Captain Randy’s Guide Service Sabine Lake.

Bolivar

GOOD. 70 degrees. Water colors changing with the wind and weather. The best bite conditions this week will be on the late incoming tides for the jetty and surf. Plenty of redfish of varying sizes everywhere. More stingrays, sheepshead, black drum, small speckled trout, and crabs caught along the jetty with an occasional pompano or shark. The surf is producing black drum, gafftop, stingrays, and bigger sharks with some fish breaking off lines. East Bay and the Texas City Dike have been steady producing drum, gafftop, small trout, and redfish. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.

Trinity Bay

FAIR. 74 degrees. Portions of the bay are off colored due to influx of freshwater from upstream. East shoreline still producing speckled trout. Northwest corner of the bay holding speckled trout, a few slot redfish, and keeper black drum. Best bite here is on live shrimp. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. April showers bring May flowers. If you get the opportunity to go out in some decent weather, take advantage of it as the good days are numbered this time of year. Decent water clarity up by Barnett and Scotts Bay. Decent tide movement if you can get away from a front. Trout are scattered on reefs in 3-5 feet of water on reefs being caught on WACky shad XL in the showtime color and live shrimp under a popping cork. Redfish are on a rock and reef pattern being caught on gulp shrimp new penny color and live shrimp under a popping cork. Sheepshead and black drum are mixed in with the redfish eating the same baits. Flounder are being found on points with tide movement being caught on gulp jerk baits. Need safe, ready weather reports and be prepared for anything. Also, wear your kill switch. It could save your life! Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.

East Galveston Bay

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.

Galveston Bay

SLOW. 75 degrees. West shoreline action is heating up for catches of keeper black drum and speckled trout on live shrimp. Anglers throwing soft plastics are doing well on trout. Rock groins along the ship channel holding black drum, a few redfish, and some speckled trout. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.

West Galveston Bay

GOOD. 75 degrees. Waders are beginning to land some nice fish with live natural baits. Open bay reefs producing scattered speckled trout on soft plastics. Those throwing bait around structure catching black drum, a few redfish, and some speckled trout, along with gafftop. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.

Houston

GOOD. Water stained; 66 degrees; 0.49 feet above pool. Water stained but slight signs of clearing up on the south end of the lake. White bass have spawned out as they are being caught with firm, empty sacks being caught in swim baits and small spins imitating shad. Largemouth bass are holding tight to structure and docks being caught on worms and grubs. Gar are still plentiful in the creeks being caught on rattle traps and cut bait. Catfish are heating up with the presence of shad showing up at the bullheads heavily in the morning. Crappie are being caught in 8-14 feet of water on brush piles being caught with small plastics and hand tied jigs. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.

Texas City

FAIR. 75 degrees. Galveston jetties producing a variety of black drum, sheepshead, slot redfish, and speckled trout on live shrimp. Those fishing heavy tackle are finding jack crevalle, sharks, bull redfish, and a few oversized black drum. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.

Freeport

SLOW. 72 degrees. Fishing been steady for trout, redfish, sheepshead, drum, and flounder around the San Luis Pass. Bastrop Bay, Christmas Bay, Chocolate Bay and the west end of Galveston Bay have been good on trout, gafftop, redfish and drum using shrimp under a popping cork. The Freeport Harbor has been steady with sheepshead, drum and redfish free lining shrimp with a split shot. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures.

East Matagorda Bay

GOOD. 72 degrees. Typical April fishing with the bite improving now that winds are blowing out of the south, and there is a good stretch of weather in the forecast. Drift in the morning with shrimp under a popping cork, then wade in the afternoon for catches of trout and redfish. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.

West Matagorda Bay

GOOD. 72 degrees. Typical April fishing with the bite improving now that winds are blowing out of the south, and there is a good stretch of weather in the forecast. Drift in the morning with shrimp under a popping cork, then wade in the afternoon for catches of trout and redfish. Redfish catches continue in shallow water on cut mullet. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.

Port O'Connor

GOOD. 68 degrees. Slot redfish are good inside the jetties on dead shrimp and Spanish sardines. Oversized redfish are near Alcatraz Island on Spanish sardines and dead shrimp. Slot black drums are biting in the flare on the dead shrimp. Sheepshead bite has slowed but can still be caught throughout the jetties on dead or live shrimp. Whitings and gafftop catches near the lodge on dead shrimp. Report by Captain Marty Medford, Captain Marty’s Fish of a Lifetime Guide Service.

Rockport

GOOD. 68 degrees. Trout are starting to fire up with shrimp on popping corks. Redfish have been good on shrimp and cut bait in flats and along channel edges. Black drum are great on dead shrimp along channel edges and deeper pockets. Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters.

Port Aransas

GOOD. 68 degrees. Sheepshead are slowing down a bit but still catching them on shrimp along the rocks. Redfish are good on shrimp, blue crab and cut bait. Trout are good with shrimp free lined or popping corks along rocks. Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters.

Corpus Christi

GOOD. 72 degrees. Limits of redfish on perch, sea lice, and menhaden and limits of black drum on dead shrimp on the East Flats. The tide is up and fish are pushing fish into shallow water in the back lakes. Trout should start to show up on the flats with live shrimp under a popping cork, or live shrimp around the rigs. Report by Captain Aerich Oliver, Rockport Paradise Outfitters.

Baffin Bay

SLOW. 73 degrees. There continues to be a brown tide, and the tides are low to navigate with caution. Drum and redfish catches in the mouth of Baffin with live bait under a popping cork. Trout bite is improving on darker colored topwaters. Birds are now working leading the way to smaller sized catches on gulp under a popping cork. The fish are feeding on tiny shrimp, so downsize your bait. Report by Captain Cliff Webb. Spring patterns are starting to develop on Baffin Bay with water temperatures staying between 70-75 degrees. Bait is plentiful on shorelines now, look for active, jumping bait for best results! Female trout are just now starting to develop some eggs and that means the spawn has not yet begun. Trout are still eating up and getting ready to develop large eggs sacks. They will spawn when the water temperature arrives at 75 to 80 and stays there for a while. Trout do not have muscles to expel their eggs so they will beat themselves on the bottom on shorelines where there are Sandy pockets or between rocks in shallow areas of Baffin Bay. That’s why when you catch spawning trout they will be red and scarred up from all of this activity, which requires a lot of energy. So because of this, they eat a lot and gain a lot of weight at this time of the year. Mullet are the main source of food on Baffin Bay for big trout . This is why when you see jumping mullet, they are most probably jumping away from predators and that is where you’ll want to key on to throw your lure for best results. Good luck this week! Report by Captain Sally Black.

Port Mansfield

GOOD. 71 degrees. Fishing has been pretty good despite dealing with higher winds and low water. Most of our fish are coming on Mansfield Knockers most days with the others coming being caught on Wigalo’s and 4-inch KWigglers paddle tails. Good trout have been holding in thick grass and that’s one reason we are throwing topwaters. Best colors on tops have been The Dude and Cinderella Story. Water temperatures have been holding in the mid 70s which is a little cool for wet wading but certainly doable. Redfish have been in sandy areas and can be caught on the same lures mentioned above. Water should start rising a bit pretty soon. Report by Captain Wayne Davis, Hook Down Charters. The bite has been tough this past week here in Port Mansfield. The weather has played a huge role. Fish shallow to get good cover from the wind, knee to mid thigh deep water around scattered grass beds and sand pockets. Best producing colors have been Custom Corky’s and MirrOlure Little John’s in Purple Demon, Golden Bream and “Boogie Man”, to add a nice little attribute we are using a chartreuse jig head to the plastics to add a nice pop of color to the “strike zone” in dirty water. Remain confident in your technique, look for bait, birds and slicks, if those positive attributes are there then there’s a great opportunity to catch some good fish to take home or a personal best. Remember to stay safe and courteous on the water, check the weather before heading out and as always tight lines! Report by Captain Reanna DeLaCruz, Captain Reanna’s Baffin Bay Adventures.

South Padre

GOOD. 71 degrees. Trout are good early in the day, but the bite stops when the tide stops moving. Still keeper fish in feeder channels and Intracoastal at Three Islands. Redfish and trout are good under popping cork and cut mullet on Gas Well Flats. Still a lot of southwest wind every day. Mangrove snapper are good at end of Brownsville Channel. Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.

Port Isabel

GOOD. 71 degrees. Trout are good early in the day, but the bite stops when the tide stops moving. Still keeper fish in feeder channels and Intracoastal at Three Islands. Redfish and trout are good under popping cork and cut mullet on Gas Well Flats. Still a lot of southwest wind every day. Mangrove snapper are good at end of Brownsville Channel. Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.

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