Texas Gulf Coast INSHORE Fishing Report Week of July 26th 2023

Sabine Lake

GOOD. 90 degrees. Limits of trout can be had early in the morning on topwaters in the jetty, after the sunrises switch to a popping cork with live shrimp. Redfish and trout are good in outgoing tides inside the jetties on rock piles and bulkheads with a popping cork and live shrimp. Flounder are being caught in the Sabine Channel bulkheads with a ¼ ounce jighead tipped with shrimp. In August the flounder start transitioning from the marshes to feed up before heading offshore in the fall. Slot redfish, trout and flounder are in the Intracoastal Canal biting live shrimp under a popping cork or 5 inch plastics with 1/16 ounce jig heads. Redfish can be had along rock piles from East Pass to Sydney Island. Redfish and trout can be caught in the morning drifting under the bird action on f the north end of Sabine Lake. North Levy first and second pike continue to boast good catches of trout with an early morning topwater bite, switching to crankbaits and live shrimp under a popping cork as the day progresses. Expect bigger trout as we head into August. Trout are feeding on brown shrimp as they migrate into the Intracoastal behind Keith Lake. Report by Captain Randy Foreman, Captain Randy’s Guide Service Sabine Lake.

Bolivar

GOOD. 81 degrees. The surf is holding lots of black drum, shark, and some big redfish on cut bait or live on the bottom. The North Jetty Gulf side is holding limits of sheepshead and trout against rocks with an occasional redfish near the end with a popping cork and shrimp. The wreck is holding good numbers of trout on free-line shrimp or croaker close to rocks. Channel side holding some nice trout close and big redfish on the bottom. Sharks are at the end of the jetty on the gulf side. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC.

Trinity Bay

GOOD. 88 degrees. Bay wells are the best bet for those seeking speckled trout. In the open bay bull redfish have been working over bait. Birds pinpointing their location. Rocks lining the ship channel produce catches of black drum, sheepshead, and redfish. Best on live shrimp. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.

East Galveston Bay

FAIR. 88 degrees. Speckled trout fishing remains on the slow side. Some big redfish schooling in the middle. Water conditions are fair. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter. Surface water temps 88 degrees, water clarity varies, as previous weeks, the further west you venture the clearer the water becomes. Winds have been out of the southwest and west all week in the 8-18 mph increasing as the day progresses. This limits reef fishing efforts. Shrimp imitation lures under popping corks have still been producing the most bites for our anglers, and Blue Moon has worked well with �¼ ounce jigheads, in the upper portion of the water column. Birds are still working in the bay, as fish are still feeding on shrimp, so if you can find them the action can be fast and furious but does not last very long and then they are gone. On our live bait trips, live croaker has worked well in helping us pull in some giant bull redfish. Please remember to drink plenty of water and bring plenty of sunscreen, as we have ventured into the time of year when it gets extremely hot on the water, and it is critical you stay hydrated and do not get overheated or sunburned, as after 10am you really begin to feel the effects. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC. Little Hanna’s holding speckled trout, and an occasional flounder, or redfish, Yates Bayou drain still holding redfish against grass line on popping cork and shrimp. Siever’s Cut holding redfish near grass lines. Hanna’s, Deep Reef, Moody’s Reefs look for birds and slicks. Gas wells A1 to Eagle Point, holding some trout with live croaker. Goat Island holding Redfish under popping cork with shrimp or Carolina rigged live mullet finger mullet. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC.

Galveston Bay

FAIR. 91 degrees. Gas wells have been good for speckled trout on live shrimp, but there are still a lot of undersized fish. Rock groins producing black drum and sheepshead, along with the occasional redfish. Best bite on live shrimp. Some speckled trout on shallow reefs, best bite on soft plastics, or live shrimp under corks. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The piers on the island are good for redfish, sharks, and jack crevalle. When water and waves permit, Pleasure Pier to Surfside is hot for redfish, speckle trout, pompano on Live bait,artificial. Live shrimp under a popping cork, croaker on an OCTO Circle with small Chatter weight. The South Jetty is holding some big redfish with a few nice slots, and some nice sharks at the end. The gulf side is on fire for speckled trout, sheepshead, pompano and redfish close to rocks on popping cork with live bait, free-lined shrimp, Carolina rigged float with shrimp, or chatterweight and croaker. Channel side holding trout close to rocks popping cork with live shrimp. Catches of jack crevalle and bull redfish off the 61st and 91st Piers on cut bait. The railroad bridge is holding redfish, drum and a decent number of speckled trout early on live bait. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC.

West Galveston Bay

GOOD. 89 degrees. Water clarity is improving. Those wading for speckled trout are successful with live croaker. Boat anglers finding a few trout on deep shells with live shrimp and croakers. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. West Bay’s south shore is producing good numbers of speckled trout and redfish for wade anglers around the coves and grass lines from south of Deer Island to San Luis Pass on both sides of Bird Island. Bird Island flats are holding good numbers of speckled trout, and some redfish for wade anglers. North shorelines between Carancahua Reef and Confederate Reef are holding good trout and redfish with an occasional flounder drifting croaker. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC.

Houston

FAIR. Water stained; 88 degrees; 0.10 feet below pool. Summer fishing patterns are here like the heat. Catfish are good on cut bait and on baited holes. Crappie are fair on submerged structures with jigs tipped with minnows. Bass are fair with an early morning topwater bite, transitioning to deeper structure with crankbaits and Texas or Carolina rigged worms.

Texas City

FAIR. 87 degrees. Daytime action along the dike is slow. Better catches of speckled trout at night under lights fishing with live shrimp. Galveston jetties are hit-or-miss for speckled trout, few slot redfish, black drum and sheepshead. Offshore bite is good for red snapper. Amberjack season opens August 1. Decent numbers of kingfish in state water, along with a few ling. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The Dike is producing catches of trout at night under lights on live bait or artificials. The rock Shoals southwest of the Dike are holding trout and redfish on live croaker, shrimp, or artificials. Look for bird action from Campbell’s Reef to Virginia Point. The gas wells across from Moses Lake are holding trout on live croaker. Moses Lake is holding fish by the gate on both sides. Dollar Reef is producing catches of trout on live croaker. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC.

Freeport

GOOD. 86 degrees. Fishing is good for redfish, trout and some flounder drifting with live shrimp under a popping cork in the mornings in Bastrop Bay, Christmas Bay and the west end of Galveston. Wade fishing the guts in 3 feet of water has produced good catches of croakers. The river is starting to pick on trout, flounder and a few redfish. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures.

East Matagorda Bay

SLOW. 85 degrees. West end of East Bay is good for trout and redfish. The low tides have brought the redfish out into the bay. Most reliable bite will be drifting with live shrimp and artificials for redfish, drum, croaker and the occasional trout, or wading with croaker for trout. Bait camps are holding plenty of bait. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.

West Matagorda Bay

SLOW. 85 degrees. The surf should improve this week. Scattered catches of trout and redfish due to the weather. Bait camps holding plenty of bait. Tides are low, but drifting shallow water can produce redfish on cut mullet. Most reliable bite will be drifting with live shrimp and artificials for redfish, drum, croaker and the occasional trout, or wading with croaker for trout. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.

Port O’Connor

GOOD. 80 degrees. Black drum catches are oversized at the ends of the jetties on dead shrimp. Bull redfish are slow to fair from the back of the jetties to Bird Island on Spanish sardines or blue crab. Slot redfish slow backs of jetties on Spanish sardines. Trout are good at Bird Island and back of jetty free-lining live croaker. Catches of bonnet, black tip and spinner sharks are mixed in with trout. Report by Captain Marty Medford, Captain Marty’s Fish of a Lifetime Guide Service.

Rockport

GREAT. 88 degrees. Consistent weather makes for consistent fishing patterns. Redfish are great in 1-4 feet of water on paddle tails and topwaters. Live and cut bait have been doing great in sand pockets. Trout are great early morning moving deeper as the sun rises. 2-4 feet of water over grass and mixed sand pockets targeting bait heavy areas. Down south lures, mirrolures, and live bait have been doing well. Drum are scattered along wind blown shorelines in the marsh. Dead shrimp is working best. Report provided by Captain Damian Hubbs, Top Gun Outfitters.

Port Aransas

GOOD. 89 degrees. Bull redfish are good at the jetties on live or cut mullet, cut or whole menhaden, or piggy perch. Shrimp will catch anything from hardtails, triple tails, king fish, and tarpon. Lydia Ann Channel from the Lighthouse to Quarantine Shoreline catching lots of redfish and a few trout on cut mullet or menhaden, or Carolina rigged croaker with a �½-1 ounce weight. In the same area trout can be caught in 4-6 feet of water on live croaker. Report by Captain Doug Stanford, Pirates of the Bay Fishing Charters.

Corpus Christi

GOOD. 89 degrees. Trout and black drum are biting on the wells with shrimp in this heat, but croaker will put some in the boat too. Trout, occasional redfish and black drum are at the T entrance to the jetties free-lining live shrimp on the rocks and letting the bait drift. There is an afternoon trout bite in Redfish Bay near the football fields on cut mullet. Inside Dagger there is an early morning trout bite on croaker. Report by Captain Doug Stanford, Pirates of the Bay Fishing Charters.

Baffin Bay

GOOD. 89 degrees. Weather remains consistent and conditions continue to remain dry, hot and windy with high pressure lingering around bringing furnace-like winds. Our tides are still extremely low, measuring at -0.12 feet. These conditions have played a vital role in how and where to fish. Grassy areas with scattered sand pockets in about 2-3 feet of water are ideal for this time of year. Speckled trout and redfish are seeking shelter in this type of structure, waiting in the grass surrounding the sand pockets to ambush their prey. Typically this structure has clear to somewhat off colored water, therefore light colored lures with 1/32 ounce or 1/16 ounce jigheads has been persuading a strike amongst oversized and slot sized speckled trout. Topwater bite has been hot first thing in the morning along grass lines and drop offs. Redfish are cruising grass flats in the early to mid morning and grass lines later in the day chasing baitfish. Gold and silver spoons over grass beds have been productive as well as white colored lures. Continue to stay safe and hydrated out on the water, as always tight lines! Report by Captain Reanna DeLaCruz, Captain Reanna’s Baffin Bay Adventures. When the wind allows, nice boxes of fish are possible. Fishing with live shrimp under a popping cork along the grass lines where you could find green water is producing numbers of redfish, black drum, solid trout and a few flounder. The North East part of Baffin seems to be best. Report by Gilbert Barrera, Baffin Bay Hunting and Fishing.

Port Mansfield

SLOW. 88-91 degrees. Fishing has improved as the winds have calmed. Water is still warm, but the southeast winds have helped the bite. Drifters are still doing good in about 3-4 feet of water using BTS juniors on 1/8 and 3/16th ounce jigs. There are still a few good fish shallow tossing Mansfield Knockers and soft plastics rigged on light jig heads. Flounder are starting to show up. Report by Captain Wayne Davis, Hook Down Charters.

South Padre

GOOD. 87 degrees. Light wind from SW but it is forecasted to pick up by the weekend. Trout, redfish and puppy black drum are good. Best action is in the South Bay small channels, and the Old Causeway. Redfish are schooling in the intracoastal at Three Islands, with black drum and trout mixed in. Red snapper are good on the artificial reefs. Stay Safe out there. Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.

Port Isabel

GOOD. 87 degrees. Light wind from SW but it is forecasted to pick up by the weekend. Trout, redfish and puppy black drum are good. Best action is in the South Bay small channels, and the Old Causeway. Redfish are schooling in the intracoastal at Three Islands, with black drum and trout mixed in. Red snapper are good on the artificial reefs. Stay Safe out there. Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.

Source TPW