Texas Gulf Coast INSHORE Fishing Report Week of April 5th 2023

Sabine Lake

GOOD. 71 degrees. The jetties are full of sheepshead, bull redfish, drum, and limits of trout biting off the rocks using live shrimp on a Carolina rig or under a popping cork. Sabine Lake is good for redfish and flounder in the points and drops out of the bayous with live shrimp under a popping cork. When the winds are blowing fish in protected water near Texaco Island and ICW bulkheads for redfish, trout and flounder. ICW and Taylor’s Bayou holding nice trout and redfish. Trout are in the Neches River all the way to the Naval Fleet in 4-15 feet of water on the points in the turnarounds using red shad quarter ounce jig heads. Redfish and flounder are good in 15-30 feet jigging silver and gold spoons. Bessie Heights Marsh producing catches of all species. Reports of shark catches in Sabine Lake. North Levee is good for trout. Report by Captain Randy Foreman, Captain Randy’s Guide Service Sabine Lake.

Bolivar

GOOD. 70 degrees. The surf is starting to hold some black drum, pompano, small shark and occasional redfish. The North Jetty surf side holding sheepshead and trout against rocks look for bait. Redfish in the channel on Carolina rigged mullet, shad, and crab. The end holds nice schools of trout and sheepshead. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC.

Trinity Bay

SLOW. 73 degrees. Winds have kept most anglers fishing the protected areas of the bay, north of the Fred Hartman Bridge. Catches of speckled trout, black drum, and redfish coming off live shrimp. East shoreline holding fish but winds have curtailed the bite. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.

East Galveston Bay

GOOD. 73 degrees. Winds have dampened the effort in the East Bay. Waders catching a few redfish on soft plastics. Open bay reefs are too rough to fish. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter. Yates Bayou (Drain) holding redfish against grass line on popping cork and shrimp. Then Hanna’s is great early on same bait or twitching artificials. Look for birds and Slicks, small slicks could be just getting started. Look for bait moving. Watermelon smell in the air don’t pass on them. Pepper Grove Cove to Moody’s Pass holding fish. Smith Point to Moody National Wildlife. Redfish look for schools and birds. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC.

Galveston Bay

GOOD. 75 degrees. When conditions are calm, good catches of keeper black drum and redfish coming from the gas wells off Eagle Point. Shorelines producing scattered catches of speckled trout and black drum. Moses lake producing some keeper trout and the occasional redfish. Live shrimp working the best. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The South Jetty still holding Trout, sheepshead and redfish close to rocks free-lined shrimp, or Carolina rigged float with live shrimp or soft plastic. SWP Holding redfish from Pier and from rocks. Sheepshead in front on concrete Seawall. The drains out of Swan Lake and Campbell’s Slough holding sheepshead with an occasional Redfish. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC.

West Galveston Bay

GOOD. 73 degrees. Scattered catches of fish early in the morning, mostly black drum and sheepshead on live shrimp. Late afternoons are best for speckled trout, wading with artificial lures or fishing structure, such as the Causeway Bridge with live shrimp. 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 provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC.

Houston

FAIR. Water stained; 68 degrees; 0.04 feet above pool. Crappie are good in 8-16 feet of water in open water fishing black and chartreuse or blue and white jigs off the bottom. Structures are holding smaller fish. Most crappie are post spawn. Bass are in 2-6 feet of water on spinnerbaits and chatterbaits, and a little deeper on Texas rigged worms. Catfish are fair early in the day on the bulkheads where the shad are spawning, or in 2-6 feet of water on shad and punch bait. The forecasted cold front will push the shad off the bank and bulkheads, but they should return as the water warms. White bass are good under the lights at night with rattletraps and double rigged jigs. Report by Jason, Machala, JM Fishing Guide Service.

Texas City

GOOD. 71 degrees. Good catches of oversized black drum and redfish from the Galveston jetties on live halved crab and dead shad. Anglers throwing live shrimp tight to the rocks finding success on sheepshead, slot redfish, black drum, and a few speckled trout. Dike producing scattered over sized black drum and bull redfish. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The Dike is holding bull redfish along the rocks with scattered 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. Millers Point holding a few trout and occasional Redfish. Look for slicks and birds this time of year. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC.

Freeport

GOOD. 70 degrees. Fishing patterns are starting to move from mud and shell to the spring pattern on the rocks and sand. Check the wind forecast before heading out. Spanish mackerel, pompano, sheepshead and big redfish at the jetties with live shrimp. Sheepshead are spawning anywhere with moving water, so target the pass, river, and jetties. Redfish are in the river, back lakes, river and bays with live shrimp under a popping cork or soft plastics in new penny, chartreuse, Texas roach or red/white. Flounder are showing up in the bays mixed in with trout and redfish. River holding flounder and trout. Few catches of trout in the surf mixed in with jack crevalle and sharks. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures.

East Matagorda Bay

SLOW. 70 degrees. While some hop around looking for Easter eggs this weekend, the wind will have anglers hopping from spot to spot to fill their Easter fish basket. Wade fishing is producing the best catches, but when the winds allow drift. Shrimp is starting to show up and birds are working the shorelines in the afternoons. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.

West Matagorda Bay

SLOW. 70 degrees. While some hop around looking for Easter eggs this weekend, the wind will have anglers hopping from spot to spot to fill their Easter fish basket. When high winds are present fish in The Colorado River and Diversionary Canal. When the winds allow fish the reefs for redfish, drum and sheepshead. Shrimp is starting to show up and birds are working the shorelines in the afternoons. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.

Port O’Connor

GOOD. 72 degrees. It will be a good weekend to fill the Easter basket with fish. Bull redfish and jack crevalles are schooling on the incoming tides between jetties and Bird Island using blue crab. Oversized redfish up to 30 inches, and drum on blue crab and shrimp at the back of the jetties. Trout are very slow. Sheepshead are good on shrimp all over the jetties. Report by Captain Marty Medford, Captain Marty’s Fish of a Lifetime Guide Service.

Rockport

GREAT. 70 degrees. Redfish are good 2-4 feet of water on gulp and live bait. Trout are good in 2-4 feet of water on topwaters, natural colored assassins and suspension baits.. Drum are great in 2-4 feet of water on dead shrimp. Report provided by Captain Damian Hubbs, Top Gun Outfitters.

Port Aransas

GOOD. 73 degrees. Sheepshead, drum, and jack crevalle are good at the jetties and Fina Docks on shrimp. Trout are good near Redfish Bay and Dagger Island on artificials or shrimp under a popping cork. Redfish are on the front and backside of Dagger Island, and in Aransas Bay. Report by Captain Doug Stanford, Pirates of the Bay Fishing Charters.

Corpus Christi

GOOD. 70 degrees. Redfish are good in the potholes in East Flats area on shrimp, cut menhaden and mullet. Black drum can be caught in the same area on shrimp. Mangrove snapper are in the rocks in the jetties and docks on shrimp. Report by Captain Doug Stanford, Pirates of the Bay Fishing Charters.

Baffin Bay

SLOW. 65 degrees. Fishing continues to be up and down for redfish, drum and trout. Nice Easter boxes of fish can be caught using live shrimp under a popping cork on the edges and drop-offs. Report by Gilbert Barrera, Baffin Bay Hunting and Fishing.

Port Mansfield

GOOD. 69 degrees. High winds have made fishing tough but still able to catch some nice fish in about 2 feet of water. Conditions should improve moving forward and water clarity will improve. KWigglers Wigalo’s in Tx Roach color have been effective, slowly rolling it through potholes. A spattering of trout and redfish to include a flounder have been caught using this method. Report by Captain Wayne Davis, Hook Down Charters.

South Padre

FAIR. 73 degrees. Slot trout on gas well flats in clear water potholes near the island. All the trout brought in were egg laden, so spring is finally here. Redfish are slow but a few near Three Islands. Wind heavy water mostly dirty. Before the heavy wind murked up the water clarity sheepshead were good near jetties and old causeway. Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.

Port Isabel

FAIR. 73 degrees. Slot trout on gas well flats in clear water potholes near the island. All the trout brought in were egg laden, so spring is finally here. Redfish are slow but a few near Three Islands. Wind heavy water mostly dirty. Before the heavy wind murked up the water clarity sheepshead were good near jetties and old causeway. Be safe out there. Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.

Source: TPW