Reports & Forecasts: August 2020

Trinity Bay – East Bay – Galveston Bay | James Plaag
Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com – 409.935.7242
James says the fishing in the Galveston area has been typical for him lately. “The ability to catch easily is weather dependent, for sure. We've got lots of fish around deeper structures in open parts of the bays. When winds allow, and the tides are moving right, those fish are pretty easy to catch, if you know exactly where to set up and how to target them. Too much wind will render some of those places obsolete, though. On windier days, we do much better wading shorelines with a mix of sand and shell, with some fairly deep water close by. Small topwaters like She Pups work well this time of year, as do some of the shiny, small twitch baits like MirrOdines. Old school MirrOlures work well too, since they can be presented a little deeper in the water more easily. When we're fishing out of the boat, soft plastics usually work better, but on some days, using the twitch baits and just reeling them in steadily produces a good number of bites too. Out in the middle, we key on slicks to locate the fish. Some days require more patience and a longer search than others.”

Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service – 409.996.3054
Jim says the fishing out in the middle of East Bay has been good lately, when winds allow for getting out there and functioning at a high level. “We've had some big schools of reds, mostly over-sized, with a few keepers mixed in. Also plenty of solid trout around the reefs. Best catching out of the boat has been on soft plastics. Key to locating the fish is finding slicks. They're much harder to find if they aren't throwing slicks. We also had some good days wading recently, when the tides pushed a decent water level up on the banks. Topwater bite was good then. If tides get real low and the fish pull off the bank, we need light winds to target them out in the middle. On the windier days, fishing in places like the Bolivar Pocket or on the lee side of the jetties is better. People have been doing pretty good out there. Things should remain much the same in August. We'll wade early in the mornings when the tide's higher, throwing topwaters, focus on slicks out in the middle when the tide drops out, and hide behind the rocks when winds dictate it.”

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays
Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service 979.849.7019 – 979.864.9323
Randall expects to be catching plenty of trout along the beachfront in August, at times without getting his feet wet! “Most people wade right through the fish when they go fishing in the surf at daylight. They usually trudge through the first gut onto the first bar and move out to waist-deep water. I catch most of my fish that time of day while wearing flip-flops and standing on the sand. Especially when the tide is coming in, the fish will move into the shallows late at night, and plenty will still be in the first gut at daybreak. I like throwing topwaters in the surf, especially early. Best ones lately have been pink Skitter Walks. Of course, later in the morning, the bite is often better in the second gut, or even farther out. Then, soft plastics usually work better than topwaters, unless we have some cloud cover. When throwing soft plastics, I generally go to either Norton Bull Minnows or full-sized Sand Eels in chicken on a chain, or similar, natural looking colors. If it's too windy for the surf to work, we'll be hitting some of the guts and drains in the bays, targeting both trout and reds in moving water.”

Matagorda Bays – Tommy Countz – 979.863.7553 | cell 281.450.4037
Tommy mentions a couple of ways in which August weather and other conditions typically make the fishing easier in the Matagorda area. “We generally have lower than normal tides this time of year. In West Bay, low tides means the redfish will pile up in the guts and drains close to the south shoreline. It also means the trout fishing will be best on the outside of the big bars fronting the coves, around the deepest grassbeds, in water at least waist-deep. These facts simplify things. Mostly, catching fish in this heat means fishing soft plastics low and slow. Using light jigheads, which can only be worked at depth when they're worked really slow, helps, as does using braided line. Often, the bite this time of year is subtle; the sensitivity of the braided line helps us detect the light strikes. Another predictable thing in August is we get some days with light winds. Which allows the green water to move up to the beach. We've got about fifty miles of surf to work with, so when we can, we like to spread out along the beachfront and work the guts early in the mornings.”

Palacios – Capt. Aaron Wollam
www.palaciosguideservice.com – 979.240.8204
Fishing has been excellent in the Palacios area this summer, with lots of options working well. Our best pattern lately has been working the deeper well pads and reefs in West Matagorda Bay. We're catching plenty of solid trout out there. We've been rigging live shrimp about three to four feet under popping corks, also throwing DSL magic grass on quarter-ounce jigheads and bouncing them off the shell. Incoming tides have by far produced the best action. Early mornings are the best time, for sure, especially when tides roll in during those hours. Redfish have been holding in the creeks and bayous, taking Matrix Craws and white Gulp! shrimp rigged on eighth-ounce jigheads. Finding the reds by looking for jumping grass shrimp has been pretty easy. The tripletail bite has kicked off nicely, and we've caught lots of smaller fish. Finding the big ones has gotten tougher since we lost lots of our visible structures. Best way to target these tasty fish is rigging live shrimp pretty deep, like four or five feet, under popping corks and throwing them right next to structures. August patterns usually stay much the same as in July, so I expect the fast action to continue around deeper structures.

Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith – Back Bay Guide Service – 361.983.4434
Lynn reported excellent fishing in the back-lakes around Port O'Connor in the days and weeks prior to offering this August outlook. “We generally spend as much time as possible fishing the surf this time of year, but it's been too windy on lots of days. When it's windy this time of year, we venture into the protected waters of the back-lakes much of the time. In those quiet, shallow corners, the fishing for reds is usually consistent and outstanding. This time of year, the reds really like topwaters. If we get some west in the winds, or if it's calm, we like to fish the spoils and flats close to the channel. Places where grass and shell grow on sandy spots within fairly close range of the fifty-foot depths often produce excellent catches of trout. Best time to fish those kinds of places is early in the morning, especially if the tide is coming in pretty strong. Topwaters work well on a daily basis this time of year for trout, too. Soft plastics keep the bites coming when the blow ups become less frequent. When fishing close to deep water, with strong currents, heavier jigheads sometimes work better than lighter ones.”

Rockport | Blake Muirhead – Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894
Blake says fishing for trout and redfish in the Coastal Bend Bays has been steady this summer, and he expects the action to continue hot throughout August. “We've got plenty of trout hanging out on the deeper grassbeds along the shorelines protected from the effects of south and southeast winds. Catching is easiest in those places on live croakers, but we're doing well with dark soft plastics with chartreuse heads some of the time, too. The topwater bite has been good early on some days, as well. When winds are lighter, we are finding more trout around some of the mid-bay reefs. Out there, the topwaters have been working well, as long as the tide is moving. Fishing for reds in the back-lakes has been steady too. Higher tides tend to scatter the fish out in those areas, and lower tides tend to concentrate them in the deepest parts. People wanting to take part in that action need shallow running boats and some knowledge of the areas, or it can get dicey. The surf has tremendous potential this month too, so I'm always ready to run around the Port A jetties and head up the beach when conditions get right.”

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut
Robert Zapata – [email protected] – 361.563.1160
Fishing has been quite consistent this summer, and I expect the fast action to continue during the month of August on the Upper Laguna Madre. Because of the hot temperatures this month, the trout and reds will begin the day in the shallows, in water less than about three feet, but they'll move to deeper water pretty soon after the sun climbs over the morning cloud bank. Once they move a little deeper, the catching is usually best along grass lines, around submerged rocks, or in some of the sandy potholes lying close to the main drop-off into the depths. This time of year, smaller lures like Bass Assassin Sea Shads work well in the blazing heat, especially colors like Calcasieu brew, chicken on a chain, and glitter bug. Generally, eighth-ounce spring-lock jigheads work best for presenting the soft plastics at the right depths. Bass Assassin Die Dappers in colors like trickster and salt and pepper/chartreuse rigged on sixteenth-ounce heads work better in the shallower water, or when winds and currents are light. In the middle portions of the sunny days, we have great luck sightcasting redfish and black drum in water less than two feet deep, using shrimp flavored Fishbites.

Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez—www.sightcast1.com—361.877.1230
When fishing the Baffin Bay and Upper Laguna Madre in August, anglers would do well to stay fairly close to the deepest water around, for best results. “The fish will move shallow some of the time, but most reliably, they'll move to shallow places lying close to deeper water. Of course, the ICW is the deepest water in the area, so the spoils lying adjacent to it are known productive spots this time of year. Some of the less obvious sand bars which don't stick out of the water offer better potential than ones people can see easily. When fishing the spoils and the edges of the channel, using the right size jighead is critical. Stronger currents and winds dictate the need for heavier heads, to allow for keeping the lure in contact with the bottom some of the time. Other productive areas this time of year include the outside of the Tide Gauge Bar and rock formations in the Badlands, at Penascal, Marker 9, Los Corrallos, East Kleberg, and other places, where the shallow structures lie close to the deep part of the open bay. The long line of shallow rocks lying close to the depths on the Kenedy Shoreline produces well too.”

P. I.N.S. Fishing Forecast | Eric Ozolins 361-877-3583 | Oceanepics.com
Hot water temperatures this time of year generally cause a slow daytime bite along the Texas beachfront. Most of the best potential during the day occurs early in the mornings, or around dusk. Trout fishing is usually productive since we normally have clear water to work. Driving along the beach and locating nearshore structures like gaps in the bars or suckouts in the guts can lead to some impressively fast action on quality trout. Topwaters worked with a steady dog-walking retrieve usually produce best. Soft plastics sometimes work better, so smart anglers remain ready to try both. This time of year, dusky anchovies move down the beach in large numbers, attracting hordes of predators like skipjacks, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, jack crevalle and tarpon. When these fish focus on the anchovies intently, it's usually easy to catch 'em. It's important to remember bull and blacktip sharks follow these bait balls, so remain cautious when wading. Always shuffle the feet! Atlantic stingrays are abundant in the surf this time of year. In the midst of hurricane season, it's wise to watch the weather closely, since storms as far away as Louisiana can send tides surging all the way to the dunes.

Port Mansfield | Ruben Garza - Snookdudecharters.com – 832.385.1431
Getaway Adventures Lodge – 956.944.4000
This month, the fishing along the beachfront should be consistent, especially early in the mornings. Best bests out there are fishing around the jetties or chasing birds up and down the surf zone. Live bait works well in either case. Best lures to use are soft plastics and Gulp! on quarter-ounce jigheads. 52M MirrOlures and Rat-L-Traps also produce lots of strikes along the beach. When fishing in the open ocean, rigging all lures on wire leaders makes sense. It's not uncommon to encounter king and Spanish mackerel and sharks, especially around the fringes of schools of other fish pushing bait to the surface and attracting the attention of gulls, terns and pelicans. When fishing the bay waters this month, starting off each morning with a topwater makes good sense. Rigging them with single hooks will likely be necessary, given the floating grass. Bone and pink One Knockers are hard to beat. Soft plastics in natural colors also draw plenty of strikes this time of year from both trout and redfish, in places like the Weather Station, Butcher's Island and Wagner's Bar. All these places hold clear water, which allows for watching the fish strike, which is quite a hoot.

Lower Laguna Madre – South Padre – Port Isabel
Aaron Cisneros | tightlinescharters.com – 956-639-1941
So far this summer, we've had the best luck on the Lower Laguna Madre fishing pretty deep water. Areas adjacent to sand bars, where deep guts lie near spoil islands, have been holding good numbers of trout, and the action has been steady most days. We're getting most of our bites in water at least three feet deep, up to around five feet or so. Most of our trout have been caught on KWiggler Ball Tails in lagunaflauge color, rigged on eighth-ounce screw-lock jigheads. Presentation style has been important. The fish get pretty finicky in the heat, and slow retrieves which involve some contact with the bottom have produced best. Redfish have been roaming the back bays in a foot or two of water early in the mornings, feeding on shrimp and small crabs. We're also encountering some reds mixed in with the trout in the deeper water later in the day. Plum/chartreuse Ball Tails have worked best to get the attention of the reds. These patterns should hold throughout the month of August, which normally presents a carbon copy of the weather we have in July—hot, dry, calmer in the mornings, with winds cranking up in the afternoons.