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Reports & Forecasts: June 2010
Lake Calcasieu Louisiana
Jeff and Mary Poe | Big Lake Guide Service | 337.598.3268
June is one of the most consistent months of the year here on Big Lake. One can catch trout in a variety of ways. Topwaters will trick some big fish on the flats, birds picking will lead anglers to quick limits, and soft plastics hopped around the reefs can take big fish and easy limits too. Early in the morning is the best time to throw Super Spooks and Skitterwalks for some exciting action. Birds and busting fish will be seen all over the lake, so keep a steady eye out across the water. The trout are mainly eating shrimp, so be sure to use shrimp imitating lures like Sand Eels and Sparkle Beetles on quarter once heads when targeting fish under the flocks. Trout will also be heavily concentrated around the oyster reefs all over the lake. Reefs can be hit in the middle of the day, when the birds stop picking and the topwater bite is slower. Redfish can be caught at the jetties or in the marsh on the east side of the lake. Using Berkley Gulps always increase one's odds when trying to catch some reds.
Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag
Silver King Adventures | silverkingadventures.com | 409.935.7242
June is right up there with October as the most consistent month in the Galveston area, James says. "There are a ton of options this month. The surf can be good if it's not too windy. Same thing with fishing the open-water reefs in four to six feet of water. That works best when it's less windy. Keying on reefs or other deep structures which have bait and/or slicks will produce more fish, obviously. Wading can be great too, especially early in the morning. The topwater bite is normally an everyday thing in June, so that's a good tactic when wading. One of the good places to wade this time of year is around San Luis Pass. You want to catch it when the water's moving, but not too hard. Too much current there will muddy up the water and ruin the catching, but slack water is no good at all. It pays to use loud topwaters if the water's off color. Small ones seem to work best, especially the She Pup. Some years, June is a great month for chasing birds in open water as well. We've just had a good hatch of shrimp, so this might be one of those years."
Jimmy West | Bolivar Guide Service | 409.996.3054
"As usual," Jim says, "the weather dictates the level of success in the fishing. When the wind isn't blowing too hard and tides are at a decent level and moving some, we're having some great days. I got on a two day run just a short while back and it was about as good as it gets as far as catching quality trout in Galveston goes. In two days, we caught over thirty trout that weighed five pounds or more. Eight of those weighed between seven and eight and a quarter. We caught them on Corkys and topwaters out in the middle of East Bay on a famous shell reef. As long as winds are light, this kind of fishing will be productive, either by wading the reefs or by drifting and keying on slicks. Birds should be working too for most of the month of June on the calmer days. Our shorelines have a bunch of good fish as well. The shoreline fishing is a better option when the wind gets up. There is usually some protection from the wind on the lee side of the bay no matter which way the wind is blowing. I look for June to be great in the bays and the surf."
West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays
Randall Groves | Groves Guide Service
979.849.7019 | 979.864.9323
"Our fishing is improving rapidly. We had an influx of menhaden or shad, or whatever you want to call them, and the trout and reds came in right behind them. In fact, we've been fishing a cool pattern. You find the balled-up shad and the trout are right underneath them. Then you pitch the lure out past the shad and bring it right up to them and then jerk it up where it makes the ball of shad break up. Then the trout slam the lure! It's a cool deal. Best lure for that drill, and overall in fact, has been a full-sized Norton Sand Eel in glow sickle. We're seeing some good sized fish too. One day, the combined weight of my best eight fish was well over forty pounds. Didn't kill them all, or course, but that's what they weighed. We're catching some nice reds too on topwaters. The action is real consistent unless the wind is up. If there's too much wind, especially from the south and southwest, things get mucked up pretty bad. But if the wind is calmer, the action is steady. Should last right on through June."
Matagorda | Tommy Countz
Bay Guide Service | 979.863.7553 cell 281.450.4037
Tommy likes to do a variety of things in June. "Mostly, my choice of where to fish will depend on the wind. I do like to concentrate on West Bay this time of year. It has a great combination of trout and redfish. The drill for catching them is basically the same. We'll focus on the south shoreline, working the shallow grass beds along the bank early with topwaters, then make a move out deeper with soft plastics in mid-morning. Later, we'll often move back to the shallow grass again, using a really light jighead and working each grass bed super slowly and thoroughly. Anywhere, anytime, I tend to favor dark soft plastics, black in particular, so I'm almost always throwing those. We also like to fish East Bay some too. We'll fish a similar drill, working the shoreline coves early and favoring the mid-bay reefs later in the day. In the calmest weather, the reefs can be great at daybreak too. Needless to say, we'll look to head to the surf if it gets calm and clears up. Fishing the beach is a specialty thing in this area, but it can be world class."
Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam
www.palaciosguideservice.com | 979.240.8204
The fast-rising spring tides have finally brought in lots of bait and lots of game fish as well. Glass minnows, mullet and shrimp are flooding into the bays right now and fishing is predictably fantastic for both trout and reds. Redfish pods have been shadowing schools of glass minnows along area shorelines and any soft plastic tails that are colored clear with salt/pepper flake in them have been hot. Trout have been holding over grass beds in two to three feet of water and have been consistently hammering topwaters in bone and chrome. In June, some tripletail should show up around the wells and similar structures. Best bet for catching these migrating fish is still a live shrimp fished about four or five feet under a popping cork. Look for these brutes to be lurking very close to the structures in the shaded areas around wells and channel markers. Night fishing is still good on the area piers with glow and pink beetles with the red eyes being the best lures for tricking the schooling fish in the lights.
Port O'Connor | Lynn Smith | Back Bay Guide Service | 361.983.4434
"Fishing is picking up around here the last few days. Seems the fish are settling into a warm weather pattern. Today, we had good luck early on Super Spook Jrs., the white one with the chartreuse head. Caught both trout and reds early on those for a solid two hours or so. The trout were solid keeper size, running from about sixteen to twenty inches. The reds were mediums, right in the middle of the slot, about twenty five inches on average. This type of action should be available into June. In the calm period early in the morning, the small topwaters work well. Once the wind gets up and the sun warms the flats, soft plastics often work better. I've been throwing red flash Assassins and morning glory Assassins once the topwaters stop working as good. Speaking of topwaters, they tend to work well in the surf. We'll keep our eye on that as we get into June. When it's calm enough to get out there early, the trout are often the best ones of the whole year. And they're typically easy to catch. That's a great combination."
Rockport | Blake Muirhead
Gator Trout Guide Service | 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894
Blake anticipates excellent action in all Rockport area bays in June. "Our fishing has really picked up lately, especially for trout. We seem to have gotten a good inward migration of bait and all sorts of fish from the Gulf. I've caught and seen some mackerel and jacks and other fish in the bays that are normally in the surf. Speaking of the surf, we'll head out there as much as we can in June, when wave heights are less than a foot. Otherwise, we'll be fishing most all of the bays. We've been finding fish on sandy, grassy shorelines, on some of the shell reefs and around migrating schools of bait fish and shrimp. Best catching has been on Sand Eels, but we've had some good sessions on chartreuse and chrome Spooks. I've either caught fish or heard good reports from every bay around here, including Copano and San Antonio, two bays which weren't as good as normal last year. The redfish were the savers last year, and they are still abundant in their usual places, in the back lakes and along shorelines adjacent to the drains into those lakes."
Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut
Robert Zapata | [email protected] | 361.563.1160
Much of the water in the Laguna Madre, including Baffin Bay, has cleared up quite nicely and this is very encouraging. The water levels have come up to normal levels and this has opened up more areas for us to fish. The trout are showing up in greater numbers or, we are fishing with greater confidence and therefore having greater success. My fishing clients have been catching good numbers of trout reaching lengths in the upper twenties. We have also been catching very good numbers of redfish and they have been in shallow water, less than fifteen inches deep. The trout have been in two to three feet of water, and I think this will continue thru June. With the water being as clear as it is, I will be using light colored and natural colored Bass Assassin Blurps but I will use Berkley Gulps if the water is muddy because of strong winds. When fishing with soft plastics, I prefer to fish with swim baits, with button tails, because of the action and the noise they create in the water. This is also a great time for sight casting.
Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez www.sightcast1.com | 361.937.5961
"Since this water cleared up all over the place, the fishing has gotten good. It should be great for the next couple of months too. There aren't that many people on the water, so it might be kind of like the old days. I'll look to fish some rocks near drop-offs to deep water in places like Rocky Slough and the spoil banks down that way, also around Penascal and on into Baffin. The clear water makes it easy to see the rocks, so it allows you to place the lures right next to the rocks without getting hung up as much. Most of the time, when fishing that pattern, it pays to keep the lure as close to the rock as possible. The fish will hang right on top of the rocks or right next to them. We'll also try to do some sight casting in shallower water. The shallower flats are the place to do that, of course. Much of the time, the reds are easier to catch sight fishing, but we'll see and catch some big trout too. This clear water makes it easier to do that with flies, so I hope to be able to get in on that drill, especially on days when it's bright and not too windy."
Padre Island National Seashore
Billy Sandifer | Padre Island Safaris | 361.937.8446
In a word, June is typically good good for just about whatever you are fishing for in the surf. Redfish will be on their summer haunts in the bays but there will be a few on the beach. Sharks of various species, king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, Atlantic bluefish, whiting, ladyfish, palometa and tarpon are all possible in June. June also marks the beginning of successful topwater lure fishing for speckled trout and is the best month for adult bull sharks. The water is typically clear and winds lighter than in earlier months. A lot depends on how much sargassum is on the beach. Currently there is quite a bit but it is to be expected at this time of year and does not necessarily mean it will be abundant in June. Overnight shark fishers should throw a nighttime bait in the first gut as big blacktips and bulls often come into the first gut to feed after dark. Occasional large jack crevalle will still be encountered. Watch for children and nesting sea turtles. Speed limit is 15 mph through June.
Port Mansfield | Terry Neal
www.terrynealcharters.com | 956.944.2559
The brown tide has cleared and the water conditions are the best we've seen in a long time. It has almost reached the too clear stage but if I had only two choices I'd say better clear than brown. Running north of the East Cut there are still some patches of off-colored water that gets pushed around by the wind but it is not widespread. The grass line south of the Saucer has been holding good redfish and this should continue through June. If sight-casting is your thing, get up on the sand and have fun. Drifting close to the I.C.W. will continue producing some nice trout. In general this season seems to be about 30 days behind schedule and we see it in trout that look as though they've only begun to spawn. Please handle those big mamas with care when releasing. Offshore temperatures continue to rise so get ready for some great kingfish action and an occasional tarpon. Remember to keep only enough to eat fresh and release the rest.
Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel
Janie and Fred Petty | www.fishingwithpettys.com | 956.943.2747
Trout fishing has been exceptional in 2010, and we're netting some of the nicest specks we've seen since the eighties. Even when the wind is howling, we're limiting and boating personal bests every trip. We've seen some dirty water in the LLM, however it's from heavy winds, not brown tide. Perch are beginning to bang the Gulps, even though it's a little late; spring-like conditions are signaling new growth and a new season. We're hitting herds of reds regularly on week days; however, Saturdays are not a sure thing because of heavy boat traffic. Cajun Thunder corks are still our go to tackle. By the way, if you have problems finding our favorite CT lures, just give Janie a call or go to our website. Gulp three inch shrimp in pearl, glow or molting under a CT round or cigar cork have been getting the best results. Freddy says " If you're having trouble getting the big guys to bite in herds, try letting a Precision Tackle half ounce gold weedless spoon drop down to eye level in front of the lead fish and bounce it slowlythen hold on!"
Jeff and Mary Poe | Big Lake Guide Service | 337.598.3268
June is one of the most consistent months of the year here on Big Lake. One can catch trout in a variety of ways. Topwaters will trick some big fish on the flats, birds picking will lead anglers to quick limits, and soft plastics hopped around the reefs can take big fish and easy limits too. Early in the morning is the best time to throw Super Spooks and Skitterwalks for some exciting action. Birds and busting fish will be seen all over the lake, so keep a steady eye out across the water. The trout are mainly eating shrimp, so be sure to use shrimp imitating lures like Sand Eels and Sparkle Beetles on quarter once heads when targeting fish under the flocks. Trout will also be heavily concentrated around the oyster reefs all over the lake. Reefs can be hit in the middle of the day, when the birds stop picking and the topwater bite is slower. Redfish can be caught at the jetties or in the marsh on the east side of the lake. Using Berkley Gulps always increase one's odds when trying to catch some reds.
Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag
Silver King Adventures | silverkingadventures.com | 409.935.7242
June is right up there with October as the most consistent month in the Galveston area, James says. "There are a ton of options this month. The surf can be good if it's not too windy. Same thing with fishing the open-water reefs in four to six feet of water. That works best when it's less windy. Keying on reefs or other deep structures which have bait and/or slicks will produce more fish, obviously. Wading can be great too, especially early in the morning. The topwater bite is normally an everyday thing in June, so that's a good tactic when wading. One of the good places to wade this time of year is around San Luis Pass. You want to catch it when the water's moving, but not too hard. Too much current there will muddy up the water and ruin the catching, but slack water is no good at all. It pays to use loud topwaters if the water's off color. Small ones seem to work best, especially the She Pup. Some years, June is a great month for chasing birds in open water as well. We've just had a good hatch of shrimp, so this might be one of those years."
Jimmy West | Bolivar Guide Service | 409.996.3054
"As usual," Jim says, "the weather dictates the level of success in the fishing. When the wind isn't blowing too hard and tides are at a decent level and moving some, we're having some great days. I got on a two day run just a short while back and it was about as good as it gets as far as catching quality trout in Galveston goes. In two days, we caught over thirty trout that weighed five pounds or more. Eight of those weighed between seven and eight and a quarter. We caught them on Corkys and topwaters out in the middle of East Bay on a famous shell reef. As long as winds are light, this kind of fishing will be productive, either by wading the reefs or by drifting and keying on slicks. Birds should be working too for most of the month of June on the calmer days. Our shorelines have a bunch of good fish as well. The shoreline fishing is a better option when the wind gets up. There is usually some protection from the wind on the lee side of the bay no matter which way the wind is blowing. I look for June to be great in the bays and the surf."
West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays
Randall Groves | Groves Guide Service
979.849.7019 | 979.864.9323
"Our fishing is improving rapidly. We had an influx of menhaden or shad, or whatever you want to call them, and the trout and reds came in right behind them. In fact, we've been fishing a cool pattern. You find the balled-up shad and the trout are right underneath them. Then you pitch the lure out past the shad and bring it right up to them and then jerk it up where it makes the ball of shad break up. Then the trout slam the lure! It's a cool deal. Best lure for that drill, and overall in fact, has been a full-sized Norton Sand Eel in glow sickle. We're seeing some good sized fish too. One day, the combined weight of my best eight fish was well over forty pounds. Didn't kill them all, or course, but that's what they weighed. We're catching some nice reds too on topwaters. The action is real consistent unless the wind is up. If there's too much wind, especially from the south and southwest, things get mucked up pretty bad. But if the wind is calmer, the action is steady. Should last right on through June."
Matagorda | Tommy Countz
Bay Guide Service | 979.863.7553 cell 281.450.4037
Tommy likes to do a variety of things in June. "Mostly, my choice of where to fish will depend on the wind. I do like to concentrate on West Bay this time of year. It has a great combination of trout and redfish. The drill for catching them is basically the same. We'll focus on the south shoreline, working the shallow grass beds along the bank early with topwaters, then make a move out deeper with soft plastics in mid-morning. Later, we'll often move back to the shallow grass again, using a really light jighead and working each grass bed super slowly and thoroughly. Anywhere, anytime, I tend to favor dark soft plastics, black in particular, so I'm almost always throwing those. We also like to fish East Bay some too. We'll fish a similar drill, working the shoreline coves early and favoring the mid-bay reefs later in the day. In the calmest weather, the reefs can be great at daybreak too. Needless to say, we'll look to head to the surf if it gets calm and clears up. Fishing the beach is a specialty thing in this area, but it can be world class."
Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam
www.palaciosguideservice.com | 979.240.8204
The fast-rising spring tides have finally brought in lots of bait and lots of game fish as well. Glass minnows, mullet and shrimp are flooding into the bays right now and fishing is predictably fantastic for both trout and reds. Redfish pods have been shadowing schools of glass minnows along area shorelines and any soft plastic tails that are colored clear with salt/pepper flake in them have been hot. Trout have been holding over grass beds in two to three feet of water and have been consistently hammering topwaters in bone and chrome. In June, some tripletail should show up around the wells and similar structures. Best bet for catching these migrating fish is still a live shrimp fished about four or five feet under a popping cork. Look for these brutes to be lurking very close to the structures in the shaded areas around wells and channel markers. Night fishing is still good on the area piers with glow and pink beetles with the red eyes being the best lures for tricking the schooling fish in the lights.
Port O'Connor | Lynn Smith | Back Bay Guide Service | 361.983.4434
"Fishing is picking up around here the last few days. Seems the fish are settling into a warm weather pattern. Today, we had good luck early on Super Spook Jrs., the white one with the chartreuse head. Caught both trout and reds early on those for a solid two hours or so. The trout were solid keeper size, running from about sixteen to twenty inches. The reds were mediums, right in the middle of the slot, about twenty five inches on average. This type of action should be available into June. In the calm period early in the morning, the small topwaters work well. Once the wind gets up and the sun warms the flats, soft plastics often work better. I've been throwing red flash Assassins and morning glory Assassins once the topwaters stop working as good. Speaking of topwaters, they tend to work well in the surf. We'll keep our eye on that as we get into June. When it's calm enough to get out there early, the trout are often the best ones of the whole year. And they're typically easy to catch. That's a great combination."
Rockport | Blake Muirhead
Gator Trout Guide Service | 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894
Blake anticipates excellent action in all Rockport area bays in June. "Our fishing has really picked up lately, especially for trout. We seem to have gotten a good inward migration of bait and all sorts of fish from the Gulf. I've caught and seen some mackerel and jacks and other fish in the bays that are normally in the surf. Speaking of the surf, we'll head out there as much as we can in June, when wave heights are less than a foot. Otherwise, we'll be fishing most all of the bays. We've been finding fish on sandy, grassy shorelines, on some of the shell reefs and around migrating schools of bait fish and shrimp. Best catching has been on Sand Eels, but we've had some good sessions on chartreuse and chrome Spooks. I've either caught fish or heard good reports from every bay around here, including Copano and San Antonio, two bays which weren't as good as normal last year. The redfish were the savers last year, and they are still abundant in their usual places, in the back lakes and along shorelines adjacent to the drains into those lakes."
Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut
Robert Zapata | [email protected] | 361.563.1160
Much of the water in the Laguna Madre, including Baffin Bay, has cleared up quite nicely and this is very encouraging. The water levels have come up to normal levels and this has opened up more areas for us to fish. The trout are showing up in greater numbers or, we are fishing with greater confidence and therefore having greater success. My fishing clients have been catching good numbers of trout reaching lengths in the upper twenties. We have also been catching very good numbers of redfish and they have been in shallow water, less than fifteen inches deep. The trout have been in two to three feet of water, and I think this will continue thru June. With the water being as clear as it is, I will be using light colored and natural colored Bass Assassin Blurps but I will use Berkley Gulps if the water is muddy because of strong winds. When fishing with soft plastics, I prefer to fish with swim baits, with button tails, because of the action and the noise they create in the water. This is also a great time for sight casting.
Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez www.sightcast1.com | 361.937.5961
"Since this water cleared up all over the place, the fishing has gotten good. It should be great for the next couple of months too. There aren't that many people on the water, so it might be kind of like the old days. I'll look to fish some rocks near drop-offs to deep water in places like Rocky Slough and the spoil banks down that way, also around Penascal and on into Baffin. The clear water makes it easy to see the rocks, so it allows you to place the lures right next to the rocks without getting hung up as much. Most of the time, when fishing that pattern, it pays to keep the lure as close to the rock as possible. The fish will hang right on top of the rocks or right next to them. We'll also try to do some sight casting in shallower water. The shallower flats are the place to do that, of course. Much of the time, the reds are easier to catch sight fishing, but we'll see and catch some big trout too. This clear water makes it easier to do that with flies, so I hope to be able to get in on that drill, especially on days when it's bright and not too windy."
Padre Island National Seashore
Billy Sandifer | Padre Island Safaris | 361.937.8446
In a word, June is typically good good for just about whatever you are fishing for in the surf. Redfish will be on their summer haunts in the bays but there will be a few on the beach. Sharks of various species, king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, Atlantic bluefish, whiting, ladyfish, palometa and tarpon are all possible in June. June also marks the beginning of successful topwater lure fishing for speckled trout and is the best month for adult bull sharks. The water is typically clear and winds lighter than in earlier months. A lot depends on how much sargassum is on the beach. Currently there is quite a bit but it is to be expected at this time of year and does not necessarily mean it will be abundant in June. Overnight shark fishers should throw a nighttime bait in the first gut as big blacktips and bulls often come into the first gut to feed after dark. Occasional large jack crevalle will still be encountered. Watch for children and nesting sea turtles. Speed limit is 15 mph through June.
Port Mansfield | Terry Neal
www.terrynealcharters.com | 956.944.2559
The brown tide has cleared and the water conditions are the best we've seen in a long time. It has almost reached the too clear stage but if I had only two choices I'd say better clear than brown. Running north of the East Cut there are still some patches of off-colored water that gets pushed around by the wind but it is not widespread. The grass line south of the Saucer has been holding good redfish and this should continue through June. If sight-casting is your thing, get up on the sand and have fun. Drifting close to the I.C.W. will continue producing some nice trout. In general this season seems to be about 30 days behind schedule and we see it in trout that look as though they've only begun to spawn. Please handle those big mamas with care when releasing. Offshore temperatures continue to rise so get ready for some great kingfish action and an occasional tarpon. Remember to keep only enough to eat fresh and release the rest.
Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel
Janie and Fred Petty | www.fishingwithpettys.com | 956.943.2747
Trout fishing has been exceptional in 2010, and we're netting some of the nicest specks we've seen since the eighties. Even when the wind is howling, we're limiting and boating personal bests every trip. We've seen some dirty water in the LLM, however it's from heavy winds, not brown tide. Perch are beginning to bang the Gulps, even though it's a little late; spring-like conditions are signaling new growth and a new season. We're hitting herds of reds regularly on week days; however, Saturdays are not a sure thing because of heavy boat traffic. Cajun Thunder corks are still our go to tackle. By the way, if you have problems finding our favorite CT lures, just give Janie a call or go to our website. Gulp three inch shrimp in pearl, glow or molting under a CT round or cigar cork have been getting the best results. Freddy says " If you're having trouble getting the big guys to bite in herds, try letting a Precision Tackle half ounce gold weedless spoon drop down to eye level in front of the lead fish and bounce it slowlythen hold on!"