Sabine Lake
FAIR. 58 degrees. When the winds are persistent fish the Bessie Heights Marsh ditches for drum, sheepshead and redfish using Carolina rigged live shrimp, or live shrimp with a popping cork. When the winds allow, redfish are good along the shorelines, points and drops in Sabine Lake using live shrimp with a popping cork. Redfish, sheepshead and drum catches on bayous shell humps with Carolina rigged live shrimp. Limits of slot redfish can be had off the rock piles and shell flats in the ICW. The influx of freshwater has pushed most of the fish south, slowing the trout bite. As the winds lay, expect the trout bite at the levees to resume. Report by Captain Randy Foreman, Captain Randy’s Guide Service Sabine Lake.
Bolivar
GOOD. 50 degrees. Water clarity is brackish and muddy on the north end, and clearing on the south end. Catches of sheepshead, a few small speckled trout, redfish of all sizes and black drum at the jetties using live shrimp, or cut bait. Some catches of stingrays and sharks reported in the surf, along with a few bull redfish. Nice catches of speckled trout, black drum, sheepshead, redfish and flounder reported in East Galveston Bay. White, brown, ghost and hopper shrimp have all been present in the bay, indicating a good shrimp migration. Report by North Jetty Bait Camp.
Trinity Bay
SLOW. 58 degrees. Few reports while the bay is freshwater. Best chances will be to fish along the northwest and western shoreline around Dow’s Reef. Bays along the upper ship channel should begin to clear on each incoming tide. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Water continues to be stained after the recent floods but there is good water to be found in the backwaters. Redfish are being caught on swimbaits with a weedless hook. Trout can be caught south where the water salinity is higher with shad soft plastic in the chartreuse color under a popping cork. Drum and sheepshead are being caught around boat docks and structure free lining live shrimp. Forecast better weather heading into the weekend. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
East Galveston Bay
FAIR. 56-58 degrees. The bay continues to be fresh due to the recent runoff. Best bet will be to fish along deeper bayou drains for redfish. Trout catches are slow. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter. Surface water temperature 58 degrees, water clarity stained for the most part, with a couple areas with better clarity west of Elm Grove. Most of our success remains back in the marsh and bayou areas with protection from the strong wind and wave action. Redfish bite remains consistent in areas where good current flow has bait up against the shorelines and grass lines in 1-3 feet of water around oyster shells on Wac Attack Tails in Chartreuse, fished with 1/8 ounce heads, as well as weightless presentations. The trout have preferred an erratic presentation with pauses, targeting deeper pockets close to channel bends and deeper drops with shell, triggering the most bites. The lighter the jig head the better, determined by the wind and current, and tails without paddles, performing the best. Water temperature has remained steady this week, we just need the winds to cease a little to allow us to fish more of our winter time areas that seem to be blown out, week after week. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC.
Galveston Bay
SLOW. 58 degrees. Protected shorelines along the west side of the bay are best for speckled trout, but not in any big numbers. A few redfish, black drum, and sheepshead being caught on live shrimp fished on the bottom near deep shell reefs. Open bay is still off-colored. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.
West Galveston Bay
SLOW. 58 degrees. Speckled trout, with a few redfish, are best fishing deeper shell drop offs using soft plastics and hard baits. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.
Houston
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 58 degrees; 0.63 feet below pool. The main lake is starting to bounce back after the recent flooding. White bass are being caught on spinnerbaits and jigs in the creeks and rivers. Crappie are 6-16 feet of water using small jigs. Catfish are plentiful in the creeks on cut bait and stink bait. Largemouth bass are in the main lake if you can find better water or live scope being caught on grubs and drop shotting. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
Texas City
SLOW. 56 degrees. Few anglers catching oversized black drum fishing from the rocks off the Texas City Dike. Galveston beachfront piers reporting a few catches of oversized black drum. Wahoo bite is really good offshore during periods of calm seas. State water snapper bite is good, but conditions need to be right. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.
Freeport
SLOW. 58 degrees. Fishing patterns are similar as the bay stabilizes after the influx of freshwater runoff. Sheephead, drum, redfish and trout are good in the old river and old intracoastal. Bastrop Bay and Chocolate Bay are good for catches of trout and redfish using live shrimp, or 1/4 – 3/8 ounce jig heads. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures.
East Matagorda Bay
FAIR. 58 degrees. Few days of favorable weather heading into the weekend with southerly winds. Fish between fronts after the high pressure moves over for redfish and trout. West end of the bay is clear and beautiful to fish for redfish and trout using artificials, or shrimp. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.
West Matagorda Bay
FAIR. 58 degrees. Few days of favorable weather heading into the weekend with southerly winds. Fish between fronts after the high pressure moves over for redfish and trout. South shoreline is good and clear for wade anglers. Influx of freshwater in the bay, so best success will be out of the freshwater line targeting mid bay reefs for trout and redfish. The Colorado River is on the rise again and off color, so it will take a few weeks for fishing to improve. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.
Port O’Connor
FAIR. 58 degrees. Fishing patterns are holding steady and the weather forecast will be good for fishing this weekend. Trout are biting at the outside of the jetties on live shrimp and dirty tequila soft plastics. Sheepshead are biting throughout the jetties on live shrimp. Slot redfish are at the end of the north jetty biting Spanish sardines and dead shrimp. Bull redfish are biting at the back of the jetties in Alcatraz on Spanish sardines. Very few catches of drums. Report by Captain Marty Medford, Captain Marty’s Fish of a Lifetime Guide Service.
Rockport
SLOW. 60 degrees. Trout and sheepshead are good on shrimp at the jetties. In the bay redfish are good on cut mullet and shrimp. Redfish and black drum are great in flats in drains and guts on low tide on shrimp and cut mullet. Trout are good on soft plastics and popping cork and shrimp. Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters.
Port Aransas
FAIR. 60 degrees. Trout and sheepshead are good on shrimp at the jetties. In the bay redfish are good on cut mullet and shrimp. Redfish and black drum are great in flats in drains and guts on low tide on shrimp and cut mullet. Trout are good on soft plastics and popping cork and shrimp. Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters.
Corpus Christi
GOOD. 61 degrees. Redfish and drum are on fire in deeper channels with dead shrimp. Trout can be found in knee to thigh deep water, on oyster reefs and crush shells with lures. Sheepshead should be showing up in a few weeks. Report by Captain Aerich Oliver, Rockport Paradise Outfitters.
Baffin Bay
SLOW. 53 degrees. High winds and extremely low water levels this week. The bite has been good fishing areas with signs of baitfish and looking for good cover and structure, such as scattered grass beds and drop offs. This time of year can be challenging due to cool water temperatures, cold fronts and low water levels. Although, these factors will not impede having a stellar day out on the water. Fish the guts this time of year, if you feel good about an area, get out, throw your confidence lure and dissect the area completely. Dark colored Custom Corky’s and MirrOlures have been producing great strikes. Stay confident, safe and as always, tight lines! Report by Captain Reanna DeLaCruz, Captain Reanna’s Baffin Bay Adventures.
Port Mansfield
FAIR. 67 degrees. Fishing continues to improve now that the weather is stabilizing. Redfish and trout are still holding shallow and topwaters are producing well if you have cloud cover present. On high sun days working plastics through potholes have been working well. This pattern should continue if weather conditions hold. Report by Captain Wayne Davis, Hook Down Charters.
South Padre
FAIR. 67 degrees. Cool nights and warm days until the weekend, the forecast has a cold front pushing us into 40-50s at night warming to upper 60s during the day with high winds. Few catches of trout at Three Islands in the intracoastal. A few trout and redfish can be caught near the color line off of the Zipline. Sheepshead are spawning at the Old Causeway and jetties. Best bite should be with live shrimp under a popping cork or free shrimping with a small split shot. Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.
Port Isabel
FAIR. 67 degrees. Cool nights and warm days until the weekend, the forecast has a cold front pushing us into 40-50s at night warming to upper 60s during the day with high winds. Few catches of trout at Three Islands in the intracoastal. A few trout and redfish can be caught near the color line off of the Zipline. Sheepshead are spawning at the Old Causeway and jetties. Best bite should be with live shrimp under a popping cork or free shrimping with a small split shot. Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.
Source: TPW