Texas Gulf Coast INSHORE Fishing Report Week of November 22nd 2023

Sabine Lake

GOOD. 74 degrees. Limits of trout and bull redfish are great on Sabine Lake schooling under the birds. Fish off the bottom in the morning with ¾ ounce silver and gold spoons. Where there is bait along the banks there is fish, so drift off bank points and drops with ¼ ounce jig heads glo chartreuse plastics. Sot trout and redfish are chasing shad, mullet and shrimp in 2-6 feet of water from the ICW to North Island Pleasure Point. Drift live shrimp under a popping cork or 5 inch glo chartreuse plastics. North Levee is as hot as a firecracker with limits of trout early on topwaters, crankbaits midday, then live shrimp under a popping cork. Nice catches of trout in Bessie Height Marsh in 6-8 feet of water off turnaround and points. These fish are feeding off mullet. Redfish are mixed in with the speckled trout, but they are undersized or oversized. Expect the sheepshead and drum to start hitting with the cooler weather. Happy Thanksgiving! Report by Captain Randy Foreman, Captain Randy’s Guide Service Sabine Lake. 

Bolivar

GOOD. 60-65 degrees. Thankfully it should be beautiful fishing weather this weekend. Flounder catches at the Dike for catch and release until December 15. Fishing is on fire pulling in redfish and black drum off the jetties on live shrimp under a cork. Crabs can be caught off the rocks at the jetties. Bull croakers, small speckled trout in the jetties. The surf is good for redfish on the bay side and big black drum and bigger sized speckled trout live shrimp, or cut mullet. Report by Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp. Fishing patterns remain consistent. The surf is holding numbers of black drum, shark, and some big redfish on cut bait or live bait on the bottom. The gulfside of the North Jetty is holding limits of trout, redfish, sheepshead with an occasional bull redfish against the rocks with live shrimp with popping cork. The cuts leading in the bay from ICW holding redfish against shorelines by the rocks. Lots of black drum around Goat Island. Happy Thanksgiving! Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC. 

Trinity Bay

GOOD. 66-69 degrees. Scott, Tabbs, Burnet, and San Jacinto Bays are holding fair numbers of speckled trout, nice redfish, black drum, and a few big sheepshead. Live shrimp under a cork is working best, but some trout and redfish have been caught on soft plastics. Happy Thanksgiving! Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Redfish can be caught in 2-6 feet of water with live shrimp under a popping cork beneath the pelicans. Trout are schooling on reefs under seagulls biting live shrimp under a popping cork or soft plastics. Sheepshead can be caught off rock in 2-6 feet of water with live shrimp under a popping cork. Black drum are in abundance around rocks and reefs with live shrimp under a popping cork or soft plastics. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing. 

East Galveston Bay

FAIR. 65-68 degrees. Scattered speckled trout and redfish under diving gulls in open bay when wind allows. Waders doing the best along protected shorelines near drains and bayous. Happy Thanksgiving! Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter. Surface water temperature is 65 degrees and the water clarity is good. Early morning trips have been best with the high tides and strong outgoing tide movement. Points and flats with scattered shell have produced very good catches of trout, redfish, and a few black drum on our artificial lure trips in the 3-4 foot depth range. The fish are where there is nervous bait, so move on when there is not any bait activity. A few birds were working, but did not see as much bird action as the previous week. Shrimp imitation lures with Fish Smack popping corks, with 14-18 inch leaders have still been producing the most bites, as well as Deadly Dudley Terror Tails in Blue Moon Chartreuse on 1/4 and 1/8 ounce jig heads, depending upon wind conditions and water depth. Live shrimp under a popping cork with 20-24 inch leaders have provided plenty of fish fighting action for anglers. The bite should continue to improve as the water cools and the days are getting shorter. Happy Thanksgiving! Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC. 

Galveston Bay

FAIR. 69 degrees. When the winds allow, Seabrook and Kemah shorelines holding some nice speckled trout and redfish. Decent speckled trout bite inside Moses Lake under diving birds. Good redfish action along protected shorelines inside Moses Lake and in Dickinson bay. Happy Thanksgiving! Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. 

West Galveston Bay

FAIR. 68 degrees. Best catches of fish are coming from Chocolate Bayou and Bay, under the birds and drift fishing over shell reefs. Soft plastics and live shrimp have been effective. Happy Thanksgiving! Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. 

Houston

FAIR. Water slightly stained; 67 degrees; 0.07 feet above pool. White bass are in 6-10 feet of water on soft plastics, and trolling with divers and pets spoons no. 12 with a yellow tail in the morning. White bass are becoming more active in the evening. Largemouth bass are in mouths of creeks going into the main lake on wind blown points in 3-10 feet of water using a Pumpkin dark green grub on a ⅛ ounce shaky head. Catfish are grouping up on bridges and bulkheads biting shad, or juglines at night. Gar are in the creeks on shad under a cork with 4 �½ foot leader. Crappie are biting in 8-16 feet of water using imitation shad jigs in the East Fork. Happy Thanksgiving! Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing. 

Texas City

FAIR. 69 degrees. Before I begin, I want to wish all of you a very blessed Thanksgiving. Texas City Dike catches are best at night for bull redfish and oversized black drum using live halved crabs and cut mullet. Galveston jetties producing bull redfish, slot redfish, a few oversized black drum, keeper drum, along with some nice sheepshead. Happy Thanksgiving! Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. 

Freeport

GOOD. 71 degrees. Trout and redfish are good working the birds in Bastrop, Christmas, and Chocolate Bays with gulp shrimp and live shrimp. Drum, sheepshead. trout and redfish are good fishing the cuts dumping out of the bay. Happy Thanksgiving! Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures. 

East Matagorda Bay

FAIR. 65-70 degrees. Fishing before the recent was good and should pick back up heading into the Thanksgiving weekend. Redfish and trout are biting midbay over shell drifting with artificial lures or wade fishing. Drum bite is slow. Happy Thanksgiving! Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service. 

West Matagorda Bay

FAIR. 65-70 degrees. Fishing before the recent was good and should pick back up heading into the Thanksgiving weekend. Redfish, trout and drum are good along the banks of the North shoreline while the tides are high with cut mullet or artificials. The Colorado River is good for trout using shrimp or vudu shrimp under a popping cork. The occasional redfish can be caught at night off the docks with mullet. Happy Thanksgiving! Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service. 

Port O’Connor

FAIR. 66 degrees. Windy weather has created tough fishing conditions, but thankfully the weather looks good heading into the Thanksgiving weekend. Slot redfish are good on the inside and outside of both jetties using dead shrimp or Spanish sardines. Bull redfish are good from the back of jetties to Bird Island biting blue crab and Spanish sardines. Trout bite has been nonexistent. Sheepshead bite is improving on live or dead shrimp and fish bites all over the jetties. Pompano and Mangrove snapper are biting live shrimp at the back of the jetties near Honey Hole and Alcatraz. Drum are fair on in the flare of the jetties on dead shrimp. Happy Thanksgiving! Report by Captain Marty Medford, Captain Marty’s Fish of a Lifetime Guide Service. 

Rockport

GOOD. 62 degrees. Prefrontal bite is great, but the 2-3 days following fishing can be slow. Trout are good in 3-6 feet of water over mud and shell slow retrieving paddle tails and topwaters. Redfish are great in some of the back lakes and shallow shorelines midday on cut bait and soft plastics. Black drum are great in back lakes and shallow shorelines on dead shrimp. Sheepshead are great near structures in 3-6 feet of water on shrimp. Happy Thanksgiving! Report provided by Captain Damian Hubbs, Top Gun Outfitters. Slot redfish and bull redfish are good at the jetties on cut mullet and shrimp. Trout are fair along the jetties on live shrimp. Sheepshead are starting to show up. Redfish and black drum are good in the guts and drop-offs in the flats when tides are low on shrimp and cut mullet. Happy Thanksgiving! Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters. 

Port Aransas

GOOD. 57 degrees. Slot redfish and bull redfish are good at the jetties on cut mullet and shrimp. Trout are fair along the jetties on live shrimp. Sheepshead are starting to show up. Redfish and black drum are good in the guts and drop-offs in the flats when tides are low on shrimp and cut mullet. Happy Thanksgiving! Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters. 

Corpus Christi

GOOD. 65 degrees. Target redfish and black drum on deeper channels and flats with dead shrimp. Happy Thanksgiving! Report by Rockport Paradise Outfitters. 

Baffin Bay

GOOD. 65 degrees. The weather has been warm this week, with high barometric pressure and high water levels. These conditions can make for a tough day on the water, so remain patient and consistent. Look for swirls, baitfish jumping, diving birds and slicks which can be an indicator that there are bigger fish in the area. Move to a different area if none of these are found. Shallow water has been key, with deep guts or parallel drop offs. Deep grass beds have also been a great structure to fish as well. Shrimp are starting to move out, so pink colored lures have been top picks here lately, in soft plastics, MirrOlures and Corky’s. Fan out your casts and patiently work throughout an area, if you get a bump or a bite, plant your feet and throw back in the same area. Stay warm and safe out on the water, watch the weather for any cold front before deciding to go out fishing. Wishing everyone a Happy and safe Thanksgiving! Tight lines! Report by Captain Reanna DeLaCruz, Captain Reanna’s Baffin Bay Adventures. 

Port Mansfield

FAIR. 55-60 degrees. Trout and redfish have been fair to good while the tides continue to be high. With this next front we can expect water levels to fall out, which should set us up for some good fishing in low lying areas such as potholes and guts. Concentrate on areas with bait. Topwaters such as Mansfield Knockers have been good and big paddle tail soft plastics. Bone Diamond has been a great color. Trout are putting on some weight which is nice to see. Happy Thanksgiving! Report by Captain Wayne Davis, Hook Down Charters. 

South Padre

GOOD. 75 degrees. Thankful for the wonderful fishing weather in the forecast for the Thanksgiving weekend. Fishing has been windy, so check the wind forecast before heading out. Redfish are good on live shrimp under popping cork on the north end of gas well flats. Trout are good with live shrimp all over gas well flats. Mangrove snapper continue to be at the jetties and the Brownsville Channel. Stay safe out there and Happy Thanksgiving! Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre. 

Port Isabel

GOOD. 75 degrees. Thankful for the wonderful fishing weather in the forecast for the Thanksgiving weekend. Fishing has been windy, so check the wind forecast before heading out. Redfish are good on live shrimp under popping cork on the north end of gas well flats. Trout are good with live shrimp all over gas well flats. Mangrove snapper continue to be at the jetties and the Brownsville Channel. Stay safe out there and Happy Thanksgiving! Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.

Source: TPW