Sabine Lake
GOOD. 71 degrees. Trout and redfish are good in the jetties with topwaters lures. Sabine Channel is holding sheepshead, drum, speckled trout and redfish along the rock banks. Flounder are starting to show up biting three inch plastic baits. Sabine Lake is holding nice catches of flounder off the points and drops using three inch plastic baits. Sheepshead, drum, with a few redfish mixed in are good with live shrimp under a popping cork. Birds are working bull redfish and trout. It is almost time for the brown shrimp to migrate from the marsh into the lake. Mid May look for bird action and throw plastics to land trout and redfish. North Levee is on fire for limits of speckled trout with topwaters early morning, then live shrimp under a popping cork or three inch plastic swimbaits. East Pass holding a few sheepshead and drum on live shrimp under a popping cork. Redfish are biting on the flats in Bessie Heights, and sheepshead and drum are in the cuts in six feet of water. Report by Captain Randy Foreman, Captain Randy’s Guide Service Sabine Lake.
Bolivar
GOOD. 72 degrees. The surf is starting to hold some pompano, small sharks and the occasional redfish. The gulf side of the North Jetty is holding sheepshead and trout against the rocks, look for bait up close to rocks. Channel side holding some nice trout and big redfish on the bottom. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC.
Trinity Bay
SLOW. 73 degrees. East shoreline holding some solid speckled trout, with most fish being caught in four feet of water over shell. Soft plastics and live shrimp are working best. Northwest corner of the bay is good for redfish, black drum, and a few speckled trout. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing.
East Galveston Bay
FAIR. 73 degrees. Speckled trout showing up on Hanna’s Reef, Pepper’s Reef, and Deep Reef. Waders are catching the better speckled trout. A few birds are working the open waters. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter. The water clarity is 6-12 inches in most areas of the bay. Winds have been across the board from north to northwest, south to southeast, and south to southwest, depending upon the day. With speeds anywhere from 10 to 20 mph, with higher gusts. Early in the week we started out fishing flats outside the mouths and pinch points of the marsh and found good numbers of trout and were able to pick off a couple of redfish as well. The most successful fishing has been in the afternoon when tide levels are high. Target areas where you can see a good amount of nervous bait activity. After the recent front the trout and flounder moved into the deeper channels and into the lower part of the water column. The best bite has been on artificial lures, with �¼ oz jig heads and the color blue moon. The topwater bite was not as good as we experienced last week, and the artificial under a popping cork yielded a few trout, but more gafftop, which was not the targeted species. Mid-bay reefs only produced a couple bites, and due to the wind, did not venture out to any others. Now that May is here the fishing will only continue to get better for us in the Galveston Bay system. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC. Yates Bayou and Siever’s Cut are holding redfish against grass line on popping cork and shrimp. Hanna’s is great early on the same or twitching artificial. Look for birds and slicks, and for bait moving. Pepper Grove Cove to Moody’s Pass holding fish. Smith point to Moody National Wildlife. Redfish look for schools and birds using pearl, chartreuse, big papa pure [earl, and strawberry lures. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC.
Galveston Bay
FAIR. 75 degrees. Adjacent shorelines around Eagle Point have been good for speckled trout, mostly caught on live shrimp. Rock groins running along the Houston ship channel are good for speckled trout, a few redfish, black drum and sheepshead. Best bait has been live shrimp. Anglers finding working birds picking up speckled trout with soft plastics. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The gulf side of the South Jetty is holding trout, sheepshead and redfish close to rocks using free-lined shrimp, or Carolina rigged float with shrimp, or chatterweight and croaker. Channel side holding trout close to rocks popping cork with live shrimp. 61st Pier has some bull redfish with a few jack crevalle mixed in on spoons as well as bait. The causeway Pelican Island bridge are holding redfish. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC.
West Galveston Bay
GOOD. 74 degrees. Speckled trout, redfish, a few black drum and the occasional redfish are fair on the east side of the causeway bridge. Anglers following diving gulls are finding gafftop and a few decent speckled trout. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Greens Lake holding redfish against grass lines and by sandy shores early. ICW holding fish through Greens Cut and Carancahua Cut. Mecom Reef will have fish on it early up by rocks with artificial or live bait free-line or under cork. You’ll need to find protected waters with bait moving around as the winds pick up. Fish are under birds around confederate and Carancahua Reefs. Ease in on the birds for fish will spook easy. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC.
Houston
FAIR. Water stained; 68-72 degrees; 0.30 feet above pool. Catfish are biting in 15-20 feet of water on shad. Crappie are good in 8-16 feet of water in open water and on brush piles using black and chartreuse or blue and white jigs off the bottom. Bass have pushed out to 6-10 feet of water using chatterbaits, or Texas rigged worms. White bass are good under the lights at night with rattletraps and double rigged jigs. Report by Jason Machala, JM Fishing Guide Service.
Texas City
FAIR. 74 degrees. Galveston jetties are good for speckled trout for those throwing live shrimp up tight to the rocks. A few slot redfish are being caught along with keeper size black drum. Those using heavy tackle are still catching bull redfish, a few big sharks and the occasional oversized black drum. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The Dike is holding bull redfish along the rocks with live pinfish, crab. Campbell’s Reef is holding fish under the birds. Limits of trout near the rocks early live shrimp. Mosquito Island holding trout and occasional redfish early in the morning. Moses Lake holding fish under birds early. Fish holding near the piers from Topwater Grill to Eagle Point. Gas Wells has trout action on croaker. Report provided by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service LLC.
Freeport
FAIR. 72 degrees. Bay fish are biting, but the high winds create tough fishing conditions. Freeport Harbor is holding trout, redfish and drum using live shrimp under a popping cork. Fish are still in the jetties if the weather permits. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures.
East Matagorda Bay
SLOW. 73 degrees. Southeast winds should improve the fishing this week. Trout are fair to good depending on the weather wading and drifting. Redfish are good in the marshes for anglers using shrimp. May is the month the jetty bite picks up for trout, redfish and sheepshead. Flounder gigging has been tough with the high tides but should improve as the tides lower this week. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.
West Matagorda Bay
SLOW. 73 degrees. Southeast winds should improve the fishing this week. Trout are fair to good depending on the weather wading and drifting. Redfish are good in the marshes for anglers using shrimp. May is the month the jetty bite picks up for trout, redfish and sheepshead. Flounder gigging has been tough with the high tides but should improve as the tides lower this week. The Colorado River and Diversionary Canals are off colored so the bite is slow. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.
Port O’Connor
GOOD. 73 degrees. The sheepshead bite is slow to nonexistent while they focus all their attention on eating barnacle. Drum are good on blue crab at the ends of the jetties. Trout are spotty on the outside of the jetties with live shrimp or croaker. Slot redfish are good inside and outside of the end of the jetty with blue crab and Spanish sardines. Bull redfish are schooling from the back of the jetties to Bird Island biting blue crabs and Spanish sardines. Report by Captain Marty Medford, Captain Marty’s Fish of a Lifetime Guide Service.
Rockport
GREAT. 70 degrees. Redfish are good two feet of water on grass flats with sand pockets using scented soft plastics, topwaters, live shrimp and cut mullet. Trout are good 2-4 feet of water on grass flats with deep water access using topwaters, soft plastics, and live bait. Drum are great in 2-4 feet of water on dead shrimp. Sheepshead are loaded around the jetties on live shrimp. Report provided by Captain Damian Hubbs, Top Gun Outfitters.
Port Aransas
GOOD. 73 degrees. Jetties are good for sheepshead, drum, redfish, bull redfish, pompano, jack crevalle, spanish mackerel and some trout on live shrimp. Redfish Bay holding redfish and black drum on popping cork and shrimp. Fish are scattered due to the high tides, so fish close the mangroves. Report by Captain Doug Stanford, Pirates of the Bay Fishing Charters.
Corpus Christi
GOOD. 72 degrees. The Portland shorelines are good for trout on live shrimp under a popping cork. Redfish and black drum are good off the Spoil Islands in Inglesides on live shrimp under a popping cork. Fish are scattered due to the high tides. Report by Captain Doug Stanford, Pirates of the Bay Fishing Charters.
Baffin Bay
GREAT. 67 degrees. Fishing is on fire in Baffin Bay. Fishing continues to be fantastic in Baffin Bay. The recent rainfall cleaned out our estuaries creating a “tea” like color in the areas freshwater runoff entered the back bays. The salt water will be on the bottom while the freshwater remains on top. Due to this occurrence, you will find speckled trout on the bottom. Baffin continues to hold a plethora of small profile baitfish ranging between 2.5- 5 inches. Take notice of the style and size of the bait fish jumping out of the water around you, then “match the hatch” by throwing a similar bait. Catches of trout in knee to waist deep waters, along drop offs and around potholes. Redfish are lurking in off colored water around entrances to back lakes, grass lines and on the bottom. Paul Brown Softdines continue to produce, as well as soft plastics and gulp under a popping cork. Remember 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. Trout are on fire in the northeast part of the bay in 1-2 feet of water wading with topwaters or soft plastics. We are catching and releasing more oversized trout than catches of keeper slot and box fish. Report by Gilbert Barrera, Baffin Bay Hunting and Fishing.
Port Mansfield
GOOD. 75-78 degrees. Water levels have fallen some, and fishing is consistent for trout and redfish over potholes. Topwaters early in the morning, then soft plastics late morning have been working great. Drifters have been doing fair in about four feet of water using KWigglers Ball Tails on a �¼ ounce jighead. Report by Captain Wayne Davis, Hook Down Charters.
South Padre
FAIR. 74 degrees. There are a lot of undersized trout on the southern end of Gas Well waiting on a growth spurt. A few keeper size trout catches at the end of the intracoastal feeding on the edge in 10 feet of water. No reports of redfish, and one gafftop catch. Red snapper are good when the weather allows. Stay safe out there. Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.
Port Isabel
FAIR. 74 degrees. There are a lot of undersized trout on the southern end of Gas Well waiting on a growth spurt. A few keeper size trout catches at the end of the intracoastal feeding on the edge in 10 feet of water. No reports of redfish, and one gafftop catch. Red snapper are good when the weather allows. Stay safe out there. Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.
Source: TPW