Texas Gulf Coast INSHORE Fishing Report Week of September 14th 2023

Sabine Lake

GOOD. 90 degrees. Trout and redfish catches are good in Sabine Channel on the bulkheads and rock piles with live shrimp under a popping cork. Flounder catches are in the channel biting 3.5 inch red shad plastics tipped with shrimp. Sabine Lake producing nice slot redfish and slot trout making long drifts off the oyster and clam shell in 2-6 feet of water with ⅛ ounce morning glory chartreuse jigs. Catches of flounder against the South Levy off the rocks. Beautiful trout catches continue to be had at the North Levy first and second pike with live shrimp under a popping cork, crankbaits, or ¼ ounce jigheads with five inch plastics. Neches River holding good catches of redfish and trout in 4-25 feet of water on rock piles, shell banks and points with live shrimp under a popping cork, or Carolina rigged mullet. Report by Captain Randy Foreman, Captain Randy’s Guide Service Sabine Lake. 

Bolivar

GOOD. 87 degrees. The surf is holding lots of black drum, shark, and some big redfish on cut bait or live bait on the bottom. The gulf side of the North Jetty is holding limits of trout, redfish, sheepshead, jack crevalle against the rocks with live bait and artificials. Jack crevalle are running in the surf biting big spoons or big deer hair jigs. The cuts leading in the bay from ICW holding fish against the shorelines. Lots of black drum around Goat Island. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC. 

Trinity Bay

GOOD. 87 degrees. Gas wells holding good number of speckled trout. Lots of undersized fish. Upper northwest corner of the ship channel good for black drum and the occasional redfish. Best bite is live shrimp. Scattered birds working along the west shoreline of Trinity bay. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. 

East Galveston Bay

FAIR. 85-88 degrees. Flounder and redfish catches improving around bayous and drains on the outgoing tide. Scattered trout under working birds near the back of the bay. Best bite has been on live shrimp or soft plastics. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter. Surface water temperature 85 degrees, water clarity remains good in East Bay. After dodging the recent storms fishing continues to improve in East Galveston Bay. Reefs off the shore are producing good catches of trout and redfish, and a few black drum when you find active bait in the area. The redfish bite has improved as well this week resulting in solid slots, as well as some large bulls stretching the line. Shrimp imitation lures under popping corks with 12 -18 inch leaders have still been producing the most bites for our anglers, and the Deadly Dudley, Slammin Sammy Chartreuse Tail Bay Chovey has worked well with ¼ ounce jig heads fished with or without a popping cork at various depths. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC. The cuts that come through the Intracoastal waterway, Siever’s and Stingarees, are holding fish against the shorelines coming into the bay, using live shrimp with a popping cork on a 12-16 inch leader. Hanna’s Reef, Potluck Reef, Fat Pat’s all holding fish early. Keep a watch on the birds and the restless bait. The big Poppa Pure Pearl DSL working earlyReport provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC. 

Galveston Bay

FAIR. 85 degrees. Gas wells still holding trout, with plenty of them being undersized. Redfish and mid bay island are good for black drum, redfish, and a few speckled trout. Deep protected bayous and channels producing good numbers of black drum and redfish. Best action on live shrimp under corks. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Redfish Island holding some nice trout drifting the inside with croaker or strawberry with white artificials. The A-1 gas wells off the ship channel near Brothel Island are holding some nice trout with a chatterweight and croaker. Redfish at rocks by Brothel Island on popping cork with shrimp or gulp shrimp. The speckled trout are on croaker and artificial. The end of the South Jetty is holding big redfish with a few nice slots, and nice sharks. The gulf side of the jetty is on fire for catches of speckled trout, sheepshead, pompano and redfish close to rocks using live shrimp under a popping cork or freelined, Carolina rigged float with shrimp, or chatterweight and croaker. The surf is also on fire again for speckled trout, and redfish. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC. 

West Galveston Bay

GOOD. 89 degrees. A few big trout have come from the shorelines by those wading with live croaker, along with decent numbers of slot redfish. Causeway bridge holding a few good trout and black drum on live shrimp. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The south shore is holding a lot of speckled trout and redfish for wade anglers, or drift fishing around the coves and grass lines from Waterman’s to Bay Harbor using a chatterweight with a 12 inch fluorocarbon leader 3/0 k hook. Both sides of Bird Island are holding fish, and the flats continue to hold good numbers of speckled trout and redfish for wade anglers. North shorelines between Carancahua Reef and Confederate Reef holding good trout and redfish with an occasional flounder drifting. Drift the four poles between Carancahua and Confederate Reef’s start at the poles, and drift toward the island or from the island and drift towards the poles with chatterweight and croaker or popping cork with shrimp. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC. 

Houston

FAIR. Water slightly stained; 85 degrees; 0.41 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are similar. Blue catfish are good on shad in the mouths of rivers. Crappie are fair on submerged structures in 10-20 feet of water 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. Better catches of bull redfish at night along the Texas City Dike. Jetties producing scattered speckled trout and keeper black drum for angler fishing live shrimp. Bull redfish numbers increasing everyday. Still some sharks being caught near the outside edge of the jetties. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The rock shoals in front of Swan Lake are producing some catches of black drum and speckled trout with shrimp under a popping cork. Trout are in the guts between the shoals drifting croaker across Campbell’s Reef. The shoreline on the right side as you get on the dike is holding nice trout for wade anglers using artificial or live bait. Mosquito Inland holding trout with an occasional redfish on artificials, bone color working the best. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC. 

Freeport

GOOD. 86 degrees. The bays in Bastrop, Christmas and the west end of Galveston Bay are good for trout, redfish and some flounder drifting in the morning using live shrimp with popping corks. The surf is good for trout, redfish, bull redfish, and sharks. The Brazos and San Bernard are producing catches of trout, redfish and flounder early in the mornings and late in the evening. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures. 

East Matagorda Bay

SLOW. 89 degrees. The bite is best on days with north/northeast wind compared to southwest winds. Tides are still up with redfish running in schools along the shoreline, with mostly oversized catches. Redfish are good on the north shoreline for wade anglers using live croaker or artificials. September to mid October is typically a good time to fish the back lakes for redfish because the tides are up. Trout are good in the surf or drifting the west end of the bay with live shrimp or gulp under a cork. Bait camps are holding shrimp and croaker. Tarpon are good in the surf from Matagorda to Port O’Connor. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service. 

West Matagorda Bay

SLOW. 89 degrees. The bite is best on days with north/northeast wind compared to southwest winds. Redfish are good in the surf for wade anglers using live croaker or artificials. Redfish are schooling along the shorelines with mostly oversized catches. Trout are good in the surf or drifting with live shrimp or gulp under a cork. The Colorado River water is in great shape, but the weather is still a little warm for fishing. Tarpon are good in the surf from Matagorda to Port O’Connor. September to mid October is typically a good time to fish the back lakes for redfish because the tides are up. Bait camps are holding shrimp and croaker. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service. 

Port O’Connor

GOOD. 87 degrees. Slot redfish are on the inside of the ends of the jetties biting Spanish sardines and live shrimp. Bull redfish are slow in the back of the jetties on Spanish sardine. Trout are good free lining live croaker at the ends of the jetties in 20-25 feet of water. Trout are near Alcatraz off the bottom with live shrimp. Drum are scattered at the ends of the jetties but most catches are oversized or undersized. Report by Captain Marty Medford, Captain Marty’s Fish of a Lifetime Guide Service. 

Rockport

GREAT. 88 degrees. 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. Tarpon are all over. Bull and slot redfish are good at the ends of the jetties on cut mullet, live finger mullet. Tarpon are in the same area on live mullet, croaker or shrimp. Gorgeous stingrays are a wonderful site around the jetties. King fish near shore rigs, cobia mixed in biting something wiggly such as freelined shrimp or croaker. Report by Captain Doug Stanford, Pirates of the Bay Fishing Charters. 

Corpus Christi

GOOD. 89 degrees. Shamrock Island producing nice trout catches on croaker or live shrimp freelined or under a popping cork. Wells hoding trout. Aransas Bay towards Rockport redfish and drum catches near Ellen’s Byte on live finger mullet. Report by Captain Doug Stanford, Pirates of the Bay Fishing Charters. 

Baffin Bay

GREAT. 86-95 degrees. Fishing on Baffin Bay continues to be great and conditions are still hot and dry with water temperatures still reaching the mid 90s at the hottest part of the day. The wind has been very little to non-existent in the morning till afternoon. Grass lines and scattered grass beds in knee to waist deep water has been holding lots of baitfish with some big reds and trout. With these hot days, fish seek shelter in the cool grass where fish not exposed directly to the sunlight, therefore slightly dirty water is where they mostly reside. Topwaters, of all colors and soft plastics with lots of hinge action have been the top producing lures of choice. Continue to stay safe and courteous out on the water and as always, tight lines! Report by Captain Reanna DeLaCruz, Captain Reanna’s Baffin Bay Adventures. Fishing this past week has been on fire. The early morning trout bite has been non stop in deeper water catching limits with croaker. Report by Gilbert Barrera, Baffin Bay Hunting and Fishing. 

Port Mansfield

FAIR. 88-91 degrees. Fishing has picked up and topwaters have been doing well. Mansfield Knockers worked over shallow grass and potholes have provided big redfish action. Trout have also been holding in the same waters but redfish have ruled the day. Look for this to continue throughout the fall. Report by Captain Wayne Davis, Hook Down Charters. 

South Padre

GOOD. 90 degrees. Weather is perfect for fishing, but expect some rain this weekend. Speckled trout are excellent with live shrimp either free shrimping or with popping cork. Still a lot of fish in deeper water of the Intracoastal near Three Islands. Sheepshead are spawning near the Old Causeway and tips of both jetties. Spanish and king mackerel are fair trolling. Black drum with redfish mixed north of the causeway. Flounder showing up on edge of the intracoastal. Stay safe out there! Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre. 

Port Isabel

GOOD. 90 degrees. Weather is perfect for fishing, but expect some rain this weekend. Speckled trout are excellent with live shrimp either free shrimping or with popping cork. Still a lot of fish in deeper water of the Intracoastal near Three Islands. Sheepshead are spawning near the Old Causeway and tips of both jetties. Spanish and king mackerel are fair trolling. Black drum with redfish mixed north of the causeway. Flounder showing up on edge of the intracoastal. Stay safe out there! Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.

Source: TPW