Sabine Lake
GOOD. 60 degrees.Sabine Lake is fresh and the winds can impede the fishing. Few redfish in the cuts and points in the bayou. Jetties are holding sheepshead, drum, and redfish using Carolina rigs with live shrimp. Sabine Channel holding redfish on concrete or shell humps using live shrimp under a popping cork. North Levy bite has slowed some but speckled trout continue to bite on live shrimp under a popping cork with a better bite using crankbaits. Neches River continues to hold redfish off the points and drops around turnarounds with swimbaits, and live shrimp on a Carolina rig or popping cork. Bessie Heights sheepshead and drum in the cuts. Redfish are biting Carolina rigs, and live shrimp under a popping cork on the flats. Report by Captain Randy Foreman, Captain Randy’s Guide Service Sabine Lake.
Bolivar
GOOD. 60 degrees. The Ditch has some redfish against grass sides with an occasional nice trout using popping cork or artificials. The deeper ends of the reefs or wind protected cuts with popping cork and shrimp. 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 biting on cut bait positioned 12-18 inches under a cork with shrimp, or burner shad. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC.
Trinity Bay
SLOW. 61 degrees. Northwest end of Trinity bay is clearing. Catches of black drum and sheepshead, along with scattered speckled trout. Live shrimp is working best followed by soft plastic lures. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. East Galveston Bay
GOOD. 61 degrees. Wading is the key to catching speckled trout, using soft plastics or slow sinking mullet imitation baits. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter. Yates Slough’s holding redfish on grass lines close to Siever Cut fish 12-18 inches under cork with shrimp or burner shad black or dark green. Deep Reef to Fat Pat is holding fish under birds on twitch baits and soft plastic. The East Bay reefs are starting to see more action with speckled trout early using artificial twitch bait, or split tails. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC.
Galveston Bay
GOOD. 61 degrees. Still lots of sheepshead and black drum being caught along old pier pilings, rocks, and shell reefs. Water has that “tannic” look especially during the strong outgoing tide. It clears as the tides slows, and begins to move back in. Live shrimp working the best. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The jetties are still holding trout and redfish. Focus on whichever side is the most calm with popping cork and shrimp or free lined shrimp. SWP holding redfish and trout by the rocks and the pier and near the parking lot using popping cork with shrimp. Lower Bay and Lil Hanna’s has some fish on deeper sides of reefs. Smith Point holding redfish and trout. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC.
West Galveston Bay
GOOD. 61 degrees. Waders finding plenty of action catching redfish on soft plastic lures. Some flounder being caught as well. Speckled trout action is spotty, but fish are coming from or near deep water canals and bayous. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. 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 on popping cork and shrimp, or top water baits early then switch to soft plastics and work plastics slow. Jones Bay and the Diversionary Canal are holding some redfish and trout on popping cork with shrimp. Mecum’s Reef drop-off holding a redfish and trout early in the day. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC. Houston
FAIR. Water stained; 56 degrees; 0.09 feet above pool. Crappie are good in deep water suspended down 10-15 feet using jigs. Catfish are good in 12 feet of water and near docks biting on cut bait. Bass are shallow on spinnerbaits or flipping laydowns and stumps. White bass are in the creeks and main lake chasing shad biting on slabs.
Texas City
GOOD. 60 degrees. Anglers using live shrimp are catching slot redfish, black drum, and lots of sheepshead at the Galveston jetties. Heavy tackle anglers using live crabs are catching big black drum and bull redfish along the Galveston jetties and the Texas City Dike. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The Dike is holding redfish and trout along the rocks with scattered drum and flounder. Dickinson Bayou is 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. Sheepshead with an occasional trout and redfish are at the entry to Campbell’s Bayou. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC.
Freeport
GOOD. 61 degrees. Fishing patterns are similar but Spring fishing patterns should be starting soon. Sheepshead should start showing up off the rocks on the jetties for the spawn. Trout should begin moving from deep mud and shell to shallow sand. For now, sheepshead, drum and flounder catches in Chocolate Bay, Cold Pass and San Luis Pass with live shrimp on popping cork or freelined. Trout catches drifting with popping cork and shrimp or artificial lures in Chocolate Bay and Bastrop Bay. Redfish and trout in the harbor with live finger mullet or live shrimp. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures.
East Matagorda Bay
SLOW. 62 degrees. Trout and redfish are biting on the west end of the bay using live shrimp under a popping cork or artificial shad. Redfish can be also caught wading on the east end. Drum are scattered mixed in with the redfish. Drum fishing will improve in the next few weeks. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.
West Matagorda Bay
SLOW. 62 degrees. The Colorado River continues to be off color. The end of the Diversionary Canal near the mouths of bayous is holding some fish. Redfish are in deeper channels biting cut mullet. Drum are scattered mixed in with the redfish. Drum fishing will improve in the next few weeks. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service. Port O’Connor
GOOD. 61 degrees. Mostly catches of oversized redfish in the jetties on Spanish sardines and dead shrimp. Slot redfish are biting rattletraps and dirty tequila colored soft plastics. Few trout biting on shrimp and dirty tequila colored soft plastics. A few drum biting on dead shrimp. Sheepshead are all over the jetties using live or dead shrimp. No catches of black drum to report. Report by Captain Marty Medford, Captain Marty’s Fish of a Lifetime Guide Service.
Rockport
GREAT. 60 degrees. After the recent cold front fishing has slowed. Redfish are slow in 1-4 feet of water with a mud and shell bottom on live bait or artificials. Trout are good in 1-4 feet of water mud and shell bottom on live bait, suspension baits, and large soft plastics. Drum are great in 2-4 feet of water on dead shrimp. Report provided by Damian Hubbs, Mathis Bait Co.
Port Aransas
GOOD. 63 degrees. Redfish catches coming at the Island Moorings, jetties and Fina Docks on shrimp. Bigger redfish are biting cut perch. Estes Flats holding nice trout drifting with live shrimp under a popping cork or artificials. Lots of sheepshead at the ends of the jetties up to 22 inches. Report by Captain Doug Stanford, Pirates of the Bay Fishing Charters.
Corpus Christi
SLOW. 64 degrees. Rincon Channel or Nueces bay continues to be the key for catches of redfish and trout with live shrimp under a popping cork. Few sheepshead catches on live shrimp. Report by Captain Doug Stanford, Pirates of the Bay Fishing Charters.
Baffin Bay
FAIR. 65 degrees. Water in the bay is stirred up and winds have been blowing. Fish near the land cut for cleaner water out protected from the wind. Drum, few trout and redfish catches close to the nine mile hole using live shrimp with a two ounce slip weight with a number four circle hook. It is a long run, but it sure makes your fish box look good on the way back! Report by Gilbert Barrera, Baffin Bay Hunting and Fishing.
Port Mansfield
GOOD. 63 degrees. Fishing remains good despite strong southerly winds. Both redfish and trout are responding well to smaller baits when the water temperatures are on a warming trend. KWigglers in the Ball Tail Shad junior size has produced the best bite by targeting potholes in about 1-2 feet of water. When winds dirty up the water the 4-inch paddle tail in the Truth and Texas Roach colors have been very productive. Look for this pattern to continue until we get another cold front. Report by Captain Wayne Davis, Hook Down Charters. South Padre
GOOD. 67 degrees. Finding good numbers of trout, but very few slot size. Fished shallow to deep from the west side off of Holly Beach and the edge of Lookout. Landed trout every cast but no keepers up to barely 17 inches. Still some trout on the edges of the intercoastal at the shacks. Lots of puppy drum near Unnecessary Island. Marking schools of larger drum in middle of channel near bottom using dead or live shrimp on a bottom rig getting a few bites. A few legal redfish near the wreck coming out of the gas well channel. Gas wells are difficult to fish with the low tides. The best thing going on is Sheepshead at the end of both jetties and old causeway biting live shrimp either under a cork or free shrimping. Sheepshead are just now starting to spawn if this year is like others will run into mid March. Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.
Port Isabel
GOOD. 67 degrees. Finding good numbers of trout, but very few slot size. Fished shallow to deep from the west side off of Holly Beach and the edge of Lookout. Landed trout every cast but no keepers up to barely 17 inches. Still some trout on the edges of the intercoastal at the shacks. Lots of puppy drum near Unnecessary Island. Marking schools of larger drum in middle of channel near bottom using dead or live shrimp on a bottom rig getting a few bites. A few legal redfish near the wreck coming out of the gas well channel. Gas wells are difficult to fish with the low tides. The best thing going on is Sheepshead at the end of both jetties and old causeway biting live shrimp either under a cork or free shrimping. Sheepshead are just now starting to spawn if this year is like others will run into mid March. Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.
Source:TPW