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Reports & Forecasts: June 2009
Lake Calcasieu Louisiana
Jeff and Mary Poe | Big Lake Guide Service | 337.598.3268
June is one of our favorite months. With strong spring winds, we haven't been able to fish places like the beach and near shore rigs. Now that summer is around the corner, we are anxious to get out there. Look for the ship channel to heat up later in the month. The jetties are always a good place to look for trout and reds. Try a Berkley Gulp! on the bottom for monster bull reds and throw normal plastics for trout. June is also a great time to fish birds. Look for groups of diving gulls around Long Point, Washout, Nine-Mile Cut, and West Cove. Always start upwind and use a trolling motor to get into casting range. Try Norton Sand Eels, H&H Salty Grubs, and MirrOlure's new line of soft plastics. We have been using the Soft Shad in chicken/chartreuse. We fish these on quarter ounce heads unless the current is strong, then we go to three eights. Topwater action will be hot! Try Skitterwalks, Super Spooks, and SheDogs.
Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag
Silver King Adventures | silverkingadventures.com | 409.935.7242
Overall, James rates the recent fishing in Galveston as an 8 out of 10 despite higher than normal winds. "Trinity got a lot of fresh water, but I think the fish might just ride it out and let it go right over, especially if we don't get too much more. East Bay has a lot of fish right now, especially on the shorelines. There is some bird activity in Lower Galveston too, and that's usually good after a flood, so Campbell's Bayou and places like that will likely be good in June. West Bay, the end near San Luis Pass, is also holding some good fish. We had two trout over eight pounds down there recently and another one about seven. The soft plastic of choice lately has been a clear glitter/chartreuse tail Bass Assassin. The best topwater has been a white/silver/white Top Dog Jr.." He predicts that light winds in June might cause the mid-bay areas to go off. "I can't wait to see what's biting out in the middle when we can get at it."
Jimmy West | Bolivar Guide Service | 409.996.3054
"We've got the squeeze effect going on around here lately with all this rain," Jim reports. "Trinity took a real flushing and the bayous in the upper end of East Bay are all over the banks. That means that the parts of East Bay closer to the ship channel have a bunch more fish than they had just a short time ago. The key to catching them is the weather and tides. When the morning tides are high and the fish are on the shorelines, it's Katy Bar the Door. We've been catching good numbers of trout on days like that, with some nice fish in the 25 to 27 inch class mixed in. On days when the tide is out in the morning, it's tough to catch them wading, and if the wind is up, the middle is mucked up. If we get some calmer winds in June, that problem should be easier to deal with." On another note, he mentions that the Rollover Pass area is producing some monster trout for persistent anglers who work the tides intelligently.
West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays
Randall Groves | Groves Guide Service
979.849.7019 | 979.864.9323
"Fishing is outstanding," Randall reports. "We have been blessed with some real pretty water and the catching has been good. Our average trout lately have been running around three and a half or four pounds. Mostly, we are getting them on Norton Sand Eels in glowsickle. It's a new color, clear with a glow injection. We rig them on three eights ounce heads most of the time. Use the big eel if the water's a little off, the junior if it's clearer. The topwater bite has been good too when the winds are light. On that note, the surf has been really hot on the days when we can get at it. There's lot of bait out there and the fishing is easy when the wind's calm. I look for more of that in June. In most years, the first few times the wind lays and the surf gets green to the beach, some of the biggest beachfront trout of the year will be caught. If it stays a little windier, we'll keep working the bays in protected pockets."
Matagorda | Tommy Countz
Bay Guide Service | 979.863.7553 cell 281.450.4037
Tommy typically focuses on the south shoreline of West Bay in June. "We'll start of early fishing the shallow shorelines, throwing topwaters. The key early is to find where the nervous bait is in order to find the fish. Usually, in the mid-morning hours, we get off the topwaters and head to the deeper dropoffs along the outside bars, using soft plastics. You'll find me throwing Norton Sand Eel Jrs. in dark colors most every day. In the middle of the day, we often go back to the shallower areas and fish the grass beds slowly and meticulously. Often, a light jighead like a sixteenth ounce is best. We work each grass bed separately, throwing first at the left edge, then the middle, then the right. If a bite is felt, it pays to throw repeatedly back to that spot." The surf is, of course, always an option. "We'll be looking to walk across to the surf whenever it's calm enough. And the tripletailing should be back in session too on the calmer days."
Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam
www.palaciosguideservice.com | 979.240.8204
Fishing has been decent in the area despite winds blowing in excess of twenty knots daily. Redfish and flounder have stayed pretty steady in protected coves and back lakes, and trout are still being found over local shell pads. Big tides have pushed our fish tight to the shorelines with most being caught in water waist deep and shallower. Good lures for redfish have been SheDogs in chrome/bone, pearl Skitterwalk and half ounce weedless gold spoons. Flounder have been coming on Gulp and DOA shrimp rigged about eighteen inches under corks. Topwaters in bone and white/redhead have been the best plugs for the trout. The structure (wells/wrecks/shell pads) out in West Matagorda Bay will be good areas to target this month as the water temperatures begin to rise and the trout seek cooler depths. The surf should be another area to target, with June being one of the best months for trout and reds along the middle coast.
Port O'Connor | Lynn Smith | Back Bay Guide Service | 361.983.4434
Lynn says that the fishing in Port O'Connor lately has been pretty good considering the nagging winds. "It's been a little windy, but we've been able to catch some fish in protected areas most of the time. Usually, June brings a little calmer conditions, and that should open up more and better opportunities. Of course, we will be targeting potholes or sandy areas along grassy shorelines on most outings. In the morning, I like to give the topwaters a good try, mostly the Super Spook Jrs.. As the sun moves higher, I often switch over to soft plastics and won't hesitate to use the slow sinking twitchbaits like Corkys and all the MirrOlure products too. Keying on areas with plenty of bait is always a key in June." One area that holds bait this month is the surf. "We will surely have our eye on the surf. From now until August, it's a good idea to run out there when the wind allows. The topwater action along the beach is a real blast."
Rockport | Blake Muirhead
Gator Trout Guide Service | 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894
"Our trout fishing has picked up pretty nicely in the last few weeks," Blake comments. "It seems that every time San Antonio Bay gets a flush of fresh water, things pick up around here. I don't know where all these trout came from, maybe the surf, but they are here all of the sudden. We have been catching them on shorelines where there's mostly sand and grass, also a little oyster shell. Best lures have been topwaters early, Super Spooks mostly, and then Norton Sand Eels later in the day." He echoes the ideas of others in these reports when he says, "We'll be hoping to get into the surf as much as possible in June. I like to head through the jetties at Port A and turn north, looking for rafts of bait, pelicans sitting on the beach, diving birds, slicks, anything to show that the fish are there. Also, it's great to take that walk across the sand at Cedar Bayou and try the surf in that stretch. It's been great for years."
Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut
Robert Zapata | [email protected] | 361.563.1160
Even though we have not had much of a break from the wind for the last few months, the fishing has been pretty good. The water clarity in much of the Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay has been poor due to the strong winds and/or the brown tide. Adapting to the conditions of the water has been a real test, but we've been successful. There are areas holding water with decent clarity. One of the keys has been finding good concentrations of bait in shallow water (less than two feet deep). The speckled trout that we've been catching are in very good shape, with many getting close to twenty five inches and a few reaching the upper twenties. In areas where there is not too much floating grass, my bone colored MirrOLure SheDogs will be seeing a lot of action in the mornings. Otherwise, I'll be fishing with Assassin Kwik Corks rigged with four inch Berkley Gulp shrimp or Assassin Blurp shrimp about five inches off the bottom.
Padre Island National Seashore
Billy Sandifer | Padre Island Safaris | 361.937.8446
For the past five years sargassum has overwhelmed those seriously fishing for large sharks during the month of June. So far, there is much less present this spring and it looks like kayaking baits could be an option. June is the month for big bull sharks in the surf at PINS. It's also the highest percentage month for the most species of large sharks. June and July are the best months for speckled trout on topwaters as well. Whiting will be abundant as will lesser numbers of many fish species. Skipjacks, Spanish mackerel, Atlantic bluefish, tarpon, king mackerel, jack crevalle, little tunny, an occasional slot black drum, mangrove snapper, sheepshead and pompano are all possible. As always; "Fishbites" and peeled dead shrimp for your bottom feeding species, and a variety of artificials or live bait will work on the predators. Mirrolure He Dog and She Dog in chartreuse/chrome and Skitterwalks in chartreuse/silver/chartreuse are long term highest producers. Remember the speed limit is 15 and report all nesting turtles after marking their nest sites to turtle patrollers.
Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez www.sightcast1.com | 361.937.5961
"The fishing in the Land Cut has been really good for the last month or more," Joe indicates. "The best results have been for those who fish at anchor with live bait. With all the high winds, it's hard to keep control of the boat on a drift and work the west dropoff when you are lure fishing, but as long as it's not over twenty knots or so, it can be really productive. Using heavier jigheads like one quarter, three eights and half ounce help. It also pays to use more than one drift anchor too. The redfish have been thick in there, and the trout are of a good average size." Another good option is to head north to Port A to where the clear water is. "I like to fish up there in the shallow water with flies when I have customers who are interested in that. The water is crystal clear and the sight casting potential is great." It is important to respect the no-prop zones, he says, since the local TP&W officials are serious about enforcing them.
Port Mansfield | Terry Neal
www.terrynealcharters.com | 956.944.2559
Terry says early spring wind blew with a vengeance. The good news is that's behind us and fishing continues to get better. Most fishermen have been experiencing some of the best trout action they have seen here in years. Water temps are in the 80's and strong tides are replenishing the system with lots of water from the gulf. Bait is plentiful. Drifting deep grass beds north and south of the pipeline area is producing good trout and occasional reds. The King Ranch shoreline will continue to produce good number of specks and reds. Many types of lures are working, color doesn't seem to make a difference. Conditions are prime for topwaters. Warmer water means moving to deeper water, the three to four foot grass beds should be holding fish all day for drifters during June. Some of the trout will be big and since you can only keep one over 25-inches, handle the ones that are "Too Big" with tender loving care. Take a picture and get her in the water quickly so she can continue to spawn.
Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel
Janie and Fred Petty | www.fishingwithpettys.com | 956.943.2747
Super high winds have kept the deeper water muddy and rough making limiting on trout less consistent than earlier in the year; however, the Pettys like fishing in the wind. We're limiting on reds and tagging oversize daily, with the only exceptions being weekends when the boat traffic has been the heaviest ever on the LLM. We're still catching some nice trout, just not the numbers we've gotten used to. We're experimenting with some other lures like gold Precision Tackle weedless spoons, several different topwaters and worm rigs, but the top producer continues to be three inch Gulp shrimp in glow, new penny, and molting under Cajun Thunder cigar corks (both colors). Freddy says "On the weekend, get to your spot early to keep the sightseers from ruining your drift. Some boats will run right down your line in an effort to jump in front of everybody else. Be courteous – run upwind!" Summer fishing is set up nicely.
Jeff and Mary Poe | Big Lake Guide Service | 337.598.3268
June is one of our favorite months. With strong spring winds, we haven't been able to fish places like the beach and near shore rigs. Now that summer is around the corner, we are anxious to get out there. Look for the ship channel to heat up later in the month. The jetties are always a good place to look for trout and reds. Try a Berkley Gulp! on the bottom for monster bull reds and throw normal plastics for trout. June is also a great time to fish birds. Look for groups of diving gulls around Long Point, Washout, Nine-Mile Cut, and West Cove. Always start upwind and use a trolling motor to get into casting range. Try Norton Sand Eels, H&H Salty Grubs, and MirrOlure's new line of soft plastics. We have been using the Soft Shad in chicken/chartreuse. We fish these on quarter ounce heads unless the current is strong, then we go to three eights. Topwater action will be hot! Try Skitterwalks, Super Spooks, and SheDogs.
Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag
Silver King Adventures | silverkingadventures.com | 409.935.7242
Overall, James rates the recent fishing in Galveston as an 8 out of 10 despite higher than normal winds. "Trinity got a lot of fresh water, but I think the fish might just ride it out and let it go right over, especially if we don't get too much more. East Bay has a lot of fish right now, especially on the shorelines. There is some bird activity in Lower Galveston too, and that's usually good after a flood, so Campbell's Bayou and places like that will likely be good in June. West Bay, the end near San Luis Pass, is also holding some good fish. We had two trout over eight pounds down there recently and another one about seven. The soft plastic of choice lately has been a clear glitter/chartreuse tail Bass Assassin. The best topwater has been a white/silver/white Top Dog Jr.." He predicts that light winds in June might cause the mid-bay areas to go off. "I can't wait to see what's biting out in the middle when we can get at it."
Jimmy West | Bolivar Guide Service | 409.996.3054
"We've got the squeeze effect going on around here lately with all this rain," Jim reports. "Trinity took a real flushing and the bayous in the upper end of East Bay are all over the banks. That means that the parts of East Bay closer to the ship channel have a bunch more fish than they had just a short time ago. The key to catching them is the weather and tides. When the morning tides are high and the fish are on the shorelines, it's Katy Bar the Door. We've been catching good numbers of trout on days like that, with some nice fish in the 25 to 27 inch class mixed in. On days when the tide is out in the morning, it's tough to catch them wading, and if the wind is up, the middle is mucked up. If we get some calmer winds in June, that problem should be easier to deal with." On another note, he mentions that the Rollover Pass area is producing some monster trout for persistent anglers who work the tides intelligently.
West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays
Randall Groves | Groves Guide Service
979.849.7019 | 979.864.9323
"Fishing is outstanding," Randall reports. "We have been blessed with some real pretty water and the catching has been good. Our average trout lately have been running around three and a half or four pounds. Mostly, we are getting them on Norton Sand Eels in glowsickle. It's a new color, clear with a glow injection. We rig them on three eights ounce heads most of the time. Use the big eel if the water's a little off, the junior if it's clearer. The topwater bite has been good too when the winds are light. On that note, the surf has been really hot on the days when we can get at it. There's lot of bait out there and the fishing is easy when the wind's calm. I look for more of that in June. In most years, the first few times the wind lays and the surf gets green to the beach, some of the biggest beachfront trout of the year will be caught. If it stays a little windier, we'll keep working the bays in protected pockets."
Matagorda | Tommy Countz
Bay Guide Service | 979.863.7553 cell 281.450.4037
Tommy typically focuses on the south shoreline of West Bay in June. "We'll start of early fishing the shallow shorelines, throwing topwaters. The key early is to find where the nervous bait is in order to find the fish. Usually, in the mid-morning hours, we get off the topwaters and head to the deeper dropoffs along the outside bars, using soft plastics. You'll find me throwing Norton Sand Eel Jrs. in dark colors most every day. In the middle of the day, we often go back to the shallower areas and fish the grass beds slowly and meticulously. Often, a light jighead like a sixteenth ounce is best. We work each grass bed separately, throwing first at the left edge, then the middle, then the right. If a bite is felt, it pays to throw repeatedly back to that spot." The surf is, of course, always an option. "We'll be looking to walk across to the surf whenever it's calm enough. And the tripletailing should be back in session too on the calmer days."
Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam
www.palaciosguideservice.com | 979.240.8204
Fishing has been decent in the area despite winds blowing in excess of twenty knots daily. Redfish and flounder have stayed pretty steady in protected coves and back lakes, and trout are still being found over local shell pads. Big tides have pushed our fish tight to the shorelines with most being caught in water waist deep and shallower. Good lures for redfish have been SheDogs in chrome/bone, pearl Skitterwalk and half ounce weedless gold spoons. Flounder have been coming on Gulp and DOA shrimp rigged about eighteen inches under corks. Topwaters in bone and white/redhead have been the best plugs for the trout. The structure (wells/wrecks/shell pads) out in West Matagorda Bay will be good areas to target this month as the water temperatures begin to rise and the trout seek cooler depths. The surf should be another area to target, with June being one of the best months for trout and reds along the middle coast.
Port O'Connor | Lynn Smith | Back Bay Guide Service | 361.983.4434
Lynn says that the fishing in Port O'Connor lately has been pretty good considering the nagging winds. "It's been a little windy, but we've been able to catch some fish in protected areas most of the time. Usually, June brings a little calmer conditions, and that should open up more and better opportunities. Of course, we will be targeting potholes or sandy areas along grassy shorelines on most outings. In the morning, I like to give the topwaters a good try, mostly the Super Spook Jrs.. As the sun moves higher, I often switch over to soft plastics and won't hesitate to use the slow sinking twitchbaits like Corkys and all the MirrOlure products too. Keying on areas with plenty of bait is always a key in June." One area that holds bait this month is the surf. "We will surely have our eye on the surf. From now until August, it's a good idea to run out there when the wind allows. The topwater action along the beach is a real blast."
Rockport | Blake Muirhead
Gator Trout Guide Service | 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894
"Our trout fishing has picked up pretty nicely in the last few weeks," Blake comments. "It seems that every time San Antonio Bay gets a flush of fresh water, things pick up around here. I don't know where all these trout came from, maybe the surf, but they are here all of the sudden. We have been catching them on shorelines where there's mostly sand and grass, also a little oyster shell. Best lures have been topwaters early, Super Spooks mostly, and then Norton Sand Eels later in the day." He echoes the ideas of others in these reports when he says, "We'll be hoping to get into the surf as much as possible in June. I like to head through the jetties at Port A and turn north, looking for rafts of bait, pelicans sitting on the beach, diving birds, slicks, anything to show that the fish are there. Also, it's great to take that walk across the sand at Cedar Bayou and try the surf in that stretch. It's been great for years."
Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut
Robert Zapata | [email protected] | 361.563.1160
Even though we have not had much of a break from the wind for the last few months, the fishing has been pretty good. The water clarity in much of the Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay has been poor due to the strong winds and/or the brown tide. Adapting to the conditions of the water has been a real test, but we've been successful. There are areas holding water with decent clarity. One of the keys has been finding good concentrations of bait in shallow water (less than two feet deep). The speckled trout that we've been catching are in very good shape, with many getting close to twenty five inches and a few reaching the upper twenties. In areas where there is not too much floating grass, my bone colored MirrOLure SheDogs will be seeing a lot of action in the mornings. Otherwise, I'll be fishing with Assassin Kwik Corks rigged with four inch Berkley Gulp shrimp or Assassin Blurp shrimp about five inches off the bottom.
Padre Island National Seashore
Billy Sandifer | Padre Island Safaris | 361.937.8446
For the past five years sargassum has overwhelmed those seriously fishing for large sharks during the month of June. So far, there is much less present this spring and it looks like kayaking baits could be an option. June is the month for big bull sharks in the surf at PINS. It's also the highest percentage month for the most species of large sharks. June and July are the best months for speckled trout on topwaters as well. Whiting will be abundant as will lesser numbers of many fish species. Skipjacks, Spanish mackerel, Atlantic bluefish, tarpon, king mackerel, jack crevalle, little tunny, an occasional slot black drum, mangrove snapper, sheepshead and pompano are all possible. As always; "Fishbites" and peeled dead shrimp for your bottom feeding species, and a variety of artificials or live bait will work on the predators. Mirrolure He Dog and She Dog in chartreuse/chrome and Skitterwalks in chartreuse/silver/chartreuse are long term highest producers. Remember the speed limit is 15 and report all nesting turtles after marking their nest sites to turtle patrollers.
Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez www.sightcast1.com | 361.937.5961
"The fishing in the Land Cut has been really good for the last month or more," Joe indicates. "The best results have been for those who fish at anchor with live bait. With all the high winds, it's hard to keep control of the boat on a drift and work the west dropoff when you are lure fishing, but as long as it's not over twenty knots or so, it can be really productive. Using heavier jigheads like one quarter, three eights and half ounce help. It also pays to use more than one drift anchor too. The redfish have been thick in there, and the trout are of a good average size." Another good option is to head north to Port A to where the clear water is. "I like to fish up there in the shallow water with flies when I have customers who are interested in that. The water is crystal clear and the sight casting potential is great." It is important to respect the no-prop zones, he says, since the local TP&W officials are serious about enforcing them.
Port Mansfield | Terry Neal
www.terrynealcharters.com | 956.944.2559
Terry says early spring wind blew with a vengeance. The good news is that's behind us and fishing continues to get better. Most fishermen have been experiencing some of the best trout action they have seen here in years. Water temps are in the 80's and strong tides are replenishing the system with lots of water from the gulf. Bait is plentiful. Drifting deep grass beds north and south of the pipeline area is producing good trout and occasional reds. The King Ranch shoreline will continue to produce good number of specks and reds. Many types of lures are working, color doesn't seem to make a difference. Conditions are prime for topwaters. Warmer water means moving to deeper water, the three to four foot grass beds should be holding fish all day for drifters during June. Some of the trout will be big and since you can only keep one over 25-inches, handle the ones that are "Too Big" with tender loving care. Take a picture and get her in the water quickly so she can continue to spawn.
Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel
Janie and Fred Petty | www.fishingwithpettys.com | 956.943.2747
Super high winds have kept the deeper water muddy and rough making limiting on trout less consistent than earlier in the year; however, the Pettys like fishing in the wind. We're limiting on reds and tagging oversize daily, with the only exceptions being weekends when the boat traffic has been the heaviest ever on the LLM. We're still catching some nice trout, just not the numbers we've gotten used to. We're experimenting with some other lures like gold Precision Tackle weedless spoons, several different topwaters and worm rigs, but the top producer continues to be three inch Gulp shrimp in glow, new penny, and molting under Cajun Thunder cigar corks (both colors). Freddy says "On the weekend, get to your spot early to keep the sightseers from ruining your drift. Some boats will run right down your line in an effort to jump in front of everybody else. Be courteous – run upwind!" Summer fishing is set up nicely.