Texas Gulf Coast INSHORE Fishing Report Week of December 6th 2023

Sabine Lake

GOOD. 74 degrees. Shrimp migration has the bait fish rolling out of the marshes and birds are working leading the way to fish. Limits of trout and limits of redfish are good drifting points and bayous in Sabine Lake off the bottom in the morning with 3/4 ounce silver and gold spoons, or 3/4 ounce glo chartreuse 5 inch plastics. Early morning North Levee bite for speckled trout on topwaters, and 5 inch plastics, then live shrimp under a popping cork. There is some bird action that can land speckled trout casting under the birds. Lots of speckled trout on the North end of the lake, but mostly undersized, with redfish mixed in. Nice redfish and a few trout are good in the Neches River shell banks, points, turnarounds, rock piles and buoys using 1/4 ounce jigs with glo chartreuse plastics. Every cut has bait holding scattered catches of trout and redfish. Report by Captain Randy Foreman, Captain Randy’s Guide Service Sabine Lake. 

Bolivar

GOOD. 60-65 degrees. Scattered catches of speckled trout on incoming tides at the jetties. Most anglers are fishing the late afternoon evening for speckled trout, redfish, black drum, few sheepshead and crabs off the rocks at the jetties. Reports of a vermilion snapper and lang snapper caught off the beach. Catches of small tarpon in the bays, jetties and surf. Big stingrays in the surf. Report by Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp. Fish deeper ends of the reefs or wind protected cuts with wind and cooler temperatures. The jetty holding sheepshead and trout on live shrimp close to rocks. Yates Slough’s holding redfish on grass lines close to Siever’s Cut. Stingaree’s to Rollover holding redfish in deeper marshes on popping cork with shrimp and artificial twitch bait, or split tails. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service. 

Trinity Bay

GOOD. 62 degrees. Burnett, Scott, and Tabbs Bays are good for speckled trout, the occasional redfish, black drum and sheepshead. A few oversized black drum and redfish coming from the same area. Live shrimp is working best, followed by soft plastics. Northern end of Trinity bay producing fair catches of speckled trout. Schools of bull redfish are in open water. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Trout are showing up heavily in the morning and can be caught in live shrimp under a popping cork and soft plastics. Redfish are on protected shorelines with grass and rocks and can be caught under a popping cork or weed less gulp. Sheephead are around structures with barnacles and can be caught using a popping cork with shrimp. Drum are plentiful with the same pattern as sheephead. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing. 

East Galveston Bay

FAIR. 59-62 degrees. Shoreline waders catching decent numbers of speckled trout. A few redfish roaming the bayous and drains. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter. Surface water temperature 59 degrees, water clarity is good. Points and mud flats with scattered shell have produced good catches of trout and redfish on our artificial lure trips in the 2-4 feet of water. When we find nervous bait the fish are close by, so move on if you do not see bait activity. A few birds are still working in the bay, but not as prominent as weeks passed. Fish are biting shrimp imitation lures with Fish Smack popping corks, with 14-18 inch leaders as well as Deadly Dudley Terror Tails in Blue Moon Chartreuse on 1/8 and 1/16 ounce jig heads, depending upon wind conditions and water depth, as the fish are preferring the slower fall of the lighter heads. Live shrimp has produced consistently, and provided plenty of fish fighting action for anglers fished under a popping cork and 20-24 inch leaders. The bite should continue to be great as the water cools and the days are getting shorter. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC. North shore of Smith Pointe holding redfish and trout under the birds. Gas wells in East Bay holding black drums on the bottom with shrimp. Deep Reef to Whitehead Reef is holding fish under birds on twitch baits and soft plastic split tail in beetle green clear or just clear. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service. 

Galveston Bay

FAIR. 61 degrees. Scattered catches of trout and redfish from the west shoreline from Eagle Point north coming off of shell and old pier pilings. Good catches of oversized redfish in the gas wells adjacent to Redfish Island. Best bite on live shrimp, but soft plastics have been effective. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The railway bridge by causeway holding some drum and oversized redfish biting shrimp, crab, or mullet. Bull redfish are in the channel on both jetties. The surf side is holding sheepshead and trout using shrimp under popping cork or free lined near the rocks. Redfish are in the harbor at both ends of Pelican Island Bridge. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service. 

West Galveston Bay

FAIR. 62 degrees. Chocolate Bayou and Bay continues to be the hotspot for speckled trout and redfish, along the shell reefs lining the bayous edges. Anglers drifting in streak water finding fair numbers of speckled trout and redfish. Best bite on soft plastic followed by live shrimp. Waders found some good fish wading the south coves and along the north shoreline of the bay. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. While the winds are out of the north, look for sloughs off of the ICW holding fish in calmer water. The sloughs leading to Greens Lake, Carancahua Lake and Chocolate Bay holding redfish and trout watch the tides in shallows. Wader are landing trout and redfish South of Cold Pass in deeper waters. Jones Bay holding a few fish early on soft plastic. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service. 

Houston

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 60 degrees; 0.14 feet above pool. White bass are feeding heavily throughout the evening and night biting soft plastics. Largemouth bass are along the shorelines with heavy cover in 1-8 feet of water biting crankbaits and grubs. Gar are plentiful under a cork with live shad. Catfish can be caught on live shad in bulk heads and bridges. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing. 

Texas City

FAIR. 59 degrees. Catches slowed for those anglers fishing from the rocks off the Texas City Dike, and fishing from the beachfront is hindered due to the abundant seaweed. Slot redfish, a few oversized black drum, keeper drum, and plenty of sheepshead in the Jetties. Bull redfish bite has slowed. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The rock barriers between Swan Lake to the dike still holding redfish and trout on Texas roach or purple/chartreuse artificials. The croaker run is fair at the dike. Bull redfish are good from midway to the end on crab or cut bait. Gas wells, holding black drums on shrimp on the bottom. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service. 

Freeport

GOOD. 64 degrees. Trout and redfish are good working the birds in Bastrop Bay, Christmas Bay, and Chocolate Bay with gulp shrimp and live shrimp. Catching drum, sheephead, trout and redfish in the Brazos River and Bernard River. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures. 

East Matagorda Bay

FAIR. 65 degrees. Redfish are isolated midbay biting mullet when the weather conditions allows. Few catches of trout can be had by wade anglers using artificials or shrimp. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service. 

West Matagorda Bay

FAIR. 65 degrees. The best fishing is in The Colorado River under the birds for trout using primarily artificials but some bites on live shrimp. Some catches of trout, redfish and drum in the bay. Redfish are scattered but a few catches with mullet. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service. 

Port O’Connor

FAIR. 66 degrees. Bull redfish are good from the back of jetties to Bird Island biting Spanish sardines or dead shrimp. Trout are good on live shrimp, dirty tequila artificials, Vudu root beer shrimp outside the jetties. Slot redfish are inside the jetties on Spanish sardines and dead shrimp. Sheephead can be caught throughout the jetties on live shrimp. Drum are biting in the apron of jetty on dead shrimp. Report by Captain Marty Medford, Captain Marty’s Fish of a Lifetime Guide Service. 

Rockport

GOOD. 64 degrees. Rockport has been great and will continue to be that way until the front on Saturday. Redfish have been plentiful around the terminal island throwing soft plastics and cut bait. Trout have been excellent off the drop offs on soft plastics. Black drum have been fair in deep pockets or drains on grass flats on fish bites and dead shrimp. Report provided by Captain Damian Hubbs, Top Gun Outfitters. Redfish and trout are good at jetties on live shrimp. Sheepshead are fair at jetties on live shrimp. Redfish and trout are good on live shrimp with popping cork and lures on the flats. Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters. 

Port Aransas

GOOD. 64 degrees. Redfish and trout are good at jetties on live shrimp. Sheepshead are fair at jetties on live shrimp. Redfish and trout are good on live shrimp with popping cork and lures on the flats. Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters. 

Corpus Christi

GOOD. 65 degrees. Tides are high in the morning before dropping out in the afternoons. Limits of redfish are possible some days on dead shrimp and cut mullet as scattered shallow as the fish can get on flats in the morning then moving to deeper areas as the tides drop. Drum are plentiful in the same areas as the redfish. Trout are in deeper water, and on the well heads with live shrimp. Sheepshead are near the jetty rocks and some on oyster reefs. They Report by Captain Aaerich Oliver, Rockport Paradise Outfitters. 

Baffin Bay

GOOD. 65 degrees.Great. The bite has been exceptional, with weather temperatures lingering in the 70s, which makes for mild fishing conditions for both wading and drifting. We are seeing baitfish in deeper water early in the morning and as the morning progresses they move up shallow. Redfish are running in schools along grass lines and grassy areas. Trout will follow these schools of redfish and feed behind them. Popping corks with gulp, MirrOlure MirrOdines, topwaters and FatBoy Corky’s have been producing some great bites for both trout and redfish. Pay close attention to baitfish this time of year, as well as the surface of the water for swirls and birds flying above. These factors will help guide you in fishing particular areas. Stay safe and warm out on the water and as always, tight lines! Report by Captain Reanna DeLaCruz, Captain Reanna’s Baffin Bay Adventures. Fishing is slower for a few trout, good redfish and plenty of drum fishing with gulps under a popping cork on structure in six feet of water. Report by Captain Gilbert Berrera, Baffin Bay Hunting & Fishing. 

Port Mansfield

SLOW. 57 degrees. Fishing has been slow, likely as a result of coming off the full moon. However, things should improve greatly this coming week. Trout and redfish can still be caught slowly working soft plastics low in the water column in about 2-3 feet of water. Some bigger redfish and trout biting on topwater baits. Concentrating on potholes has been key. Report by Captain Wayne Davis, Hook Down Charters. 

South Padre

GOOD. 70 degrees. Calm water on the bay. Trout are very good in the Intracoastal free shrimping with a small split shot. Redfish are plentiful on the Gas Well Flats and the color line off of the Zipline, but best on the south side of the jetties using popping cork or on bottom rig with cut mullet. Sheepshead are mixed in with small black drums near and under the Old Causeway. Good mangrove snapper at Brownsville Channel. Stay safe out there! Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre. 

Port Isabel

GOOD. 70 degrees. Trout are very good in the Intracoastal free shrimping with a small split shot. Redfish are plentiful on the Gas Well Flats and the color line off of the Zipline, but best on the south side of the jetties using popping cork or on bottom rig with cut mullet. Sheepshead are mixed in with small black drums near and under the Old Causeway. Good mangrove snapper at Brownsville Channel. Stay safe out there! Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.

Source: TPW