Texas Gulf Coast INSHORE Fishing Report Week of March 8th 2023

Sabine Lake

GOOD. 67 degrees. Redfish, sheepshead and drum continue to bite in the jetties on live shrimp under a popping cork, Carolina rigged live shrimp. Speckled trout are in the channel rock piles and points, and the mouths of bayous on live shrimp under a popping cork, or Carolina rigged live shrimp. ICW holding slot redfish on rocks and points. Nice limits of speckled trout at the Sabine Lake North Levee off the rocks early morning on topwater lures and swimbaits, switching to glo chartreuse soft plastics midday. Sabine Lake continues to be fresh. River holding fish in the turnarounds, and Bessie Heights ditch and flats. Report by Captain Randy Foreman, Captain Randy’s Guide Service Sabine Lake.

Bolivar

GOOD. 67 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. 71 degrees. Scattered catches of redfish and trout along the east shoreline. Those fishing structures are catching sheepshead and black drum. Water clarity has greatly improved in the northwest corner of the bay. Fair landings of black drum, speckled trout, and sheepshead all on live shrimp. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.

East Galveston Bay

GOOD. 69 degrees. Open bay reefs fair for catches of black drum and sheepshead on live shrimp. Waders catching a mix of speckled trout and redfish on soft plastics and mullet imitation plugs. 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. 73 degrees. Shoreline catches consist of black drum and sheepshead on live shrimp. Moses Lake area inside and out, producing sheepshead, speckled trout, and the occasional redfish and black drum, Live shrimp working the best. Gas wells fair for black drum and sheepshead. 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. 70 degrees. Mixed results of speckled trout and redfish both by those drifting open bay reefs and wading shorelines. Live shrimp and soft plastics working equally well. 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; 60 degrees; 0.02 feet above pool. Bass are shallow in cover on spawning beds out to 12 feet biting crankbaits. White bass are running in the creeks biting roadrunners. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good in 12 feet of water and near docks biting on cut bait.

Texas City

GOOD. 69 degrees. Big black drum catches at the Galveston Jetties and off the Texas City Dike on live crab. Speckled trout showing along the jetty rocks, best on live shrimp. Sheepshead and keeper sized drum are also being caught at the Galveston jetties. 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. 66 degrees. Jetties holding good numbers of sheepshead.Good numbers of flounder, redfish, drum, sheepshead and trout in the river free-lining shrimp with a light split shot or egg weight. Bastrop and Chocolate Bay holding trout biting live shrimp or gulp under a popping cork. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures.

East Matagorda Bay

SLOW. 67 degrees. Fishing has improved with the weather. Trout and a few redfish can be caught drifting, or wading in the afternoon. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.

West Matagorda Bay

SLOW. 67 degrees. Fishing has improved with the weather. Catches of drum, with few redfish mixed in, are good in the reefs. Flounder activity is slow. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.

Port O’Connor

GOOD. 69 degrees. Water is clear and the weather has been beautiful. Big bull redfish over 40 inches are biting on Spanish sardines and blue crab at the back of the jetties near Bird Island. Oversized black drum, 60-80 pounds, are good in the same area on blue crab. Slot redfish are good halfway to the end of the jetties on Spanish sardines and live shrimp. Trout are outside of the jetties on live shrimp, and soft plastics in blue moon or dirty tequila. Sheepshead continue to bite all over the jetties using live or dead shrimp. Expect the sheepshead bite to taper off when the water temperature reaches 70 degrees and the barnacles start to open. Report by Captain Marty Medford, Captain Marty’s Fish of a Lifetime Guide Service.

Rockport

GREAT. 67 degrees. Redfish are good 1-2 feet of water on cut bait, soft plastics, and topwaters near sand pockets. Trout are good in 1-4 feet of water with a 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. Pre-front bites have been really good. Report provided by Captain Damian Hubbs, Top Gun Outfitters.

Port Aransas

GOOD. 70 degrees. Bull redfish, slot redfish, pompano and sheepshead are good using live shrimp on the rocks in 15 feet of water at the ends of the jetties. Redfish, sheepshead, and drum are good in Piper Channel on shrimp. Mostly undersized flounder catches in Piper Channel. Report by Captain Doug Stanford, Pirates of the Bay Fishing Charters.

Corpus Christi

GOOD. 68 degrees. Catches of sheepshead over ten pounds, with a few trout mixed in, are on the gas wells biting live shrimp. Redfish are along bank potholes in the La Quinta Ship Channel on cut mullet, perch and live shrimp. Report by Captain Doug Stanford, Pirates of the Bay Fishing Charters.

Baffin Bay

FAIR. 70 degrees. Fishing is slow while the water in the bay continues to be stirred up and winds blowing. Few catches of drum, trout and redfish coming from live shrimp, but producing numbers of keeper fish. Report by Gilbert Barrera, Baffin Bay Hunting and Fishing.

Port Mansfield

GOOD. 69 degrees. Fishing is fair along the flats that contain scattered potholes. Fish were finicky last week so downsizing your profile seemed to get good responses. KWigglers Ball Tail jr’s were working better than the larger baits. Water temperatures have touched 80 degrees which is warm for this time of year. Hoping for a cool down that would help keep those bigger fish active. Report by Captain Wayne Davis, Hook Down Charters.

South Padre

GOOD. 65 degrees. Sheepshead are plentiful around the jetties, Old and New Causeway, and at docks at the end of Brownsville Channel. Small schools of black drum are at the end of Brownsville Channel. Speckled trout are along the edges of the intercoastal from marker 16 north to Arroyo, but mostly undersized. Trout with a few redfish mixed in on Long Bar, but very few keepers. Still some redfish on Gas Well Flats. The forecasted wind heading into the weekend will provide good drift fishing with popping cork for trout and redfish on Gas Well Flats and the Saucer area. Be safe out there. Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.

Port Isabel

GOOD. 65 degrees. Sheepshead are plentiful around the jetties, Old and New Causeway, and at docks at the end of Brownsville Channel. Small schools of black drum are at the end of Brownsville Channel. Speckled trout are along the edges of the intercoastal from marker 16 north to Arroyo, but mostly undersized. Trout with a few redfish mixed in on Long Bar, but very few keepers. Still some redfish on Gas Well Flats. The forecasted wind heading into the weekend will provide good drift fishing with popping cork for trout and redfish on Gas Well Flats and the Saucer area. Be safe out there. Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.

Source TPW