Sabine Lake
GOOD. 74 degrees. Limits of trout and limits of redfish are good in the morning drifting points and bayous in Sabine Lake off the bottom in the morning with ¾ ounce silver and gold spoons, or ¾ ounce glo chartreuse 5 inch plastics. Early morning North Levee bite for speckled trout on topwaters, and 5 inch plastics, then live shrimp under a popping cork. Then fishing Pleasure Island Point making long drifts with a ¼ ounce jig or live shrimp under a popping cork. Bank anglers are catching trout with live shrimp under a popping cork. Redfish and speckled trout are good in the Neches River fishing ¾ ounce spoons under the birds on points and cuts as the shrimp come out of the marsh. Then fish buoys for bull redfish, slot, and sheepshead and drum with live shrimp on Carolina rig. Report by Captain Randy Foreman, Captain Randy’s Guide Service Sabine Lake.
Bolivar
GOOD. 60-65 degrees. Catches of redfish, sheepshead, big croaker, sand trout and whiting at the jetties using live or dead shrimp and finger mullet. Most catches of trout in East Bay. Flounder are at the jetty ready for the season to open December 15. Report by Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp. Fish deeper ends of the reefs or wind protected cuts with wind and cooler temperatures. 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. Stingaree to Rollover Pass holding redfish in deeper marshes on popping cork with shrimp and artificial twitch bait, or split tails. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.
Trinity Bay
GOOD. 60 degrees. Burnett, Scott, and Tabbs Bays continue to be good for speckled trout with live shrimp under popping cork or soft plastics. A few oversized black drum and bull redfish are roaming the same areas. Shallow shell reefs are holding black drum and sheepshead on live shrimp. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. Trinity Bay. Red fish are holding around rocks and drains with current catching numbers on weedless gulp and live shrimp. Trout are showing up a bit later in the morning after the front in warmer waters being caught on plastics and live under a popping cork and around reefs. Drum and sheepshead are in abundance under a popping cork with a long leader in deeper water around rocks.Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
East Galveston Bay
FAIR. 61-65 degrees. Back shorelines and bayous producing decent catches of redfish, along with some nice speckled trout. Open bay hampered by the wind. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter. Surface water temperature 65 degrees, water clarity is good. Strong winds have forced us to adjust our tactics, so we have concentrated on marsh areas where we can get some protection. This week the redfish bite has been good around areas where good current flow has bait up against the shorelines and grass lines. Fish Smack Popping Corks and shrimp imitation lures have worked well with 12-18 inch leaders. Our best trout bite has been on ⅛ ounce jig heads with paddle tails fished extremely slow, almost to the point of dead sticking it in deeper pockets, triggering the most strikes. Numerous color combinations worked this week, with Blue Moon being my preferred confidence color from Deadly Dudley. Birds are still working on the main bay and schools of Redfish are grouped up under the birds when you can locate them and wind allows it. Report by Captain Jeff Brandon, Get the Net Guide Services, LLC. North shore of Smith Pointe holding redfish and trout under the birds. Gas wells in East Bay holding black drums on the bottom with shrimp. Deep Reef to Whitehead Reef is holding fish under birds on twitch baits and soft plastic split tail in beetle green clear or just clear. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.
Galveston Bay
FAIR. 60 degrees. Eagle Point shorelines slow for catches. Bull reds roaming open bay about 1/4 off shoreline towards Kemah. Look for birds. Upper Galveston bay around Sylvan beach good for trout and the occasional slot red, along the old pier pilings. Best on soft plastics, but live shrimp will work. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The railway bridge by causeway holding some drum and oversized redfish biting shrimp, crab, or mullet. Bull redfish are in the channel on both jetties. The surf side is holding sheepshead and trout using shrimp under popping cork or free lined near the rocks. Redfish are in the harbor at both ends of Pelican Island Bridge. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.
West Galveston Bay
FAIR. 61 degrees. Chocolate Bayou and Bay continues to be the best bet for anglers wanting to catch speckled trout. Redfish have been scattered about on shells near channel drop offs. Anglers drift with soft plastics catching scattered trout over shells near Green’s Cut. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. While the winds are out of the north, 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 watch the tides in shallows. Waders are landing trout and redfish South of Cold Pass in deeper waters. Jones Bay holding a few fish early on soft plastic. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.
Houston
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 60 degrees; 0.04 feet below pool. Cold front moved in Saturday evening pushing white bass to full pre-spawn heading into the creeks. Spring creek, Cypress Creek, Caney Creek and Peach Creek are holding good numbers catching on blade baits and jigs. Largemouth bass can be caught on crank baits and worms around drop offs structure and rocks. Crappie are spread out in 10-14 feet of water on brush and stumps. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
Texas City
FAIR. 59 degrees. Catches of bull redfish and oversized black drum coming off the Texas City Dike. Galveston jetties produce scattered bull redfish and a few large black drums, but conditions have been rough. Beachfront piers seeing a few oversized reds and black drums, but little else. Report by Captain David Dillman, Galveston Bay Charter Fishing. The rock barriers between Swan Lake to the dike still hold redfish and trout on Texas roach or purple/chartreuse artificials. The croaker run is fair at the dike. Bull redfish are good from midway to the end on crab or cut bait. Gas wells, holding black drums on shrimp on the bottom. Report by Captain Raymond Wheatley, Tail Spotter Guide Service.
Freeport
GOOD. 64 degrees. Fishing has been good working the birds and deep oyster reefs Bastrop, Christmas, and Chocolate Bays with gulp shrimp and live shrimp catching trout and redfish. Catching drum, sheephead, trout and redfish in the Brazos River and Bernard River. Report by Captain Jake Brown, Flattie Daddy Fishing Adventures.
East Matagorda Bay
FAIR. 60 degrees. When the winds allow drift with artificials for trout, drum and redfish. Drum and redfish can be caught with live shrimp or cut mullet. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.
West Matagorda Bay
FAIR. 60 degrees. The best fishing is in the Colorado River and Diversionary using live shrimp under a popping cork or artificials for trout and redfish. Scattered catches of flounder in the river. Report by Captain Charlie Paradoski, Captain Charlie Paradoski’s Guide Service.
Port O’Connor
FAIR. 60 degrees. Redfish are biting on the inside of the jetties with Spanish sardines or dead shrimp. Trout are biting on the outside of the jetties within the first 100 yards on freelined live shrimp without a weight. Sheephead are biting throughout the jetties on dead shrimp. Scattered catches of keeper drum inside north jetty on dead shrimp. Report by Captain Marty Medford, Captain Marty’s Fish of a Lifetime Guide Service.
Rockport
GOOD. 59 degrees. Prefrontal bites are best, conditions are poor over the next 5 days. Trout are great still holding on drop offs, soft plastics have been the go to. Natural colored paddle tails have been really good. Redfish are good still holding in the flats on the warmer days. Gold spoons, soft plastics, topwaters and Gulp new penny shrimp have really been doing well. Black drums are good near drains and drop offs on dead shrimp Report provided by Captain Damian Hubbs, Top Gun Outfitters. Trout, redfish, and pompano are great at jetties. Sheepshead are fair on live shrimp. In the bay redfish and black drum are great on live shrimp and mullet. Trout are great on lures and live shrimp. Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters.
Port Aransas
GOOD. 59 degrees. Trout, redfish, and pompano are great at jetties. Sheepshead are fair on live shrimp. In the bay redfish and black drum are great on live shrimp and mullet. Trout are great on lures and live shrimp. Report by Captain Kenny Kramer, Kramer Fishing Charters.
Corpus Christi
GOOD. 63 degrees. After a cold front the tide drops out pushing fish off the flats into deeper channels. Black drum and redfish can be caught with dead shrimp and mullet. Sheepshead are near the jetty rocks and some on oyster reefs. Trout can be had on the jetty rocks and gas wells. Report by Captain Aaerich Oliver, Rockport Paradise Outfitters.
Baffin Bay
GOOD. 63 degrees.Great. Good. Conditions before another cold front blew in was a fantastic opportunity to catch some quality fish. This time of year as temperatures are generally cooler, it is crucial to pay close attention to the baitfish, pelicans and surface activity, such as swirls, slicks and “nervous water.” If the area you want to fish doesn’t have any of these attributes, move until you find at least one of these properties. As we get deeper into the winter and cooler season, lure color, style and texture changes. FatBoy Corky’s, softdines, MirrOlure, MirrOdines, Little John soft plastics as well as MirrorLure She Dog topwaters are all top picks for this time of year. Color depends on the type of water you’re fishing, I always say “Dark lure for dark water and light lure for light water.” Knee to waist deep water is always favorable, along drop offs and guts where there is a slightly muddy bottom. Stay confident and consistent in your technique, stay vigilant of your surroundings and the surface of the water to help guide you on your journey to a personal best fish or a couple to take home. Stay safe out on the water & as always, tight lines! Report by Captain Reanna DeLaCruz, Captain Reanna’s Baffin Bay Adventures.
Port Mansfield
SLOW. 57 degrees. Fishing has been slow, likely as a result of coming off the full moon. However, things should improve greatly this coming week. Trout and redfish can still be caught slowly working soft plastics low in the water column in about 2-3 feet of water. Some bigger redfish and trout biting on topwater baits. Concentrating on potholes has been key. Report by Captain Wayne Davis, Hook Down Charters.
South Padre
GOOD. 65 degrees. The weather has been cold with a blustery north wind to up to 25 mph. When anglers are able to get out there are a few trout on the edge of the intracoastal. Redfish are spotty on gas well flats and south bay. Sheepshead are good and starting to spawn at the Old Causeway and south jetties. Smaller black drum with a few redfish and trout mixed in at southeast corner of new causeway. Good time of the year for a mix of trout, drum, sheepshead and mangrove snapper at the end of Brownsville Channel. Stay safe out there! Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.
Port Isabel
GOOD. 65 degrees. The weather has been cold with a blustery north wind to up to 25 mph. When anglers are able to get out there are a few trout on the edge of the intracoastal. Redfish are spotty on gas well flats and south bay. Sheepshead are good and starting to spawn at the Old Causeway and south jetties. Smaller black drum with a few redfish and trout mixed in at southeast corner of new causeway. Good time of the year for a mix of trout, drum, sheepshead and mangrove snapper at the end of Brownsville Channel. Stay safe out there! Report by Captain Lou Austin, Austin Fishing South Padre.
Source: TPW