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On Galveston: September 2008
The summertime pattern is definitely in full-swing and we're all glad to see it coming together.
East Bay
Deep-water structure is holding lots of fish. East Bay's mid-bay reefs are holding good numbers of fish and as always we tend to do better in these in these areas when the wind is down. We are finding some redfish shallow along the upper end shorelines of East Bay. There have been some pretty good numbers of redfish along the Wildlife Refuge in about four to five feet of water. Trout are hanging in about six to eight feet of water over shell for the most part. Soft plastics have been producing quite well. Here of late, the southwest winds have dropped our tides, stirred the water up and slowed the bite. This does not seem to affect the croaker fishermen nearly as much as those using artificial and the live-baiters are pounding on them. They are coming in with coolers full of nice trout every day. Lure fishermen are averaging half-limits of trout per day along with limits of reds, occasionally limits on both, but half-limits of trout are more the norm right now. Barring any further tropical storm activity, East Bay anglers should have a good month in September. I would rate East Bay B+ and it could earn an A in September.
Trinity Bay
Things have really shaped up in Trinity Bay. Some of the mid-bay wells are starting to show good numbers of trout; the Little Yellow and the Big Yellow separators along with some of the old Exxon wells seem to be best right now. Notice at the beginning of this paragraph I did not say all the wells in Trinity are producing good numbers of trout, you really have to work some days to find your honey holes. Thus far the few I mentioned seem to be the ones you can catch fish on every day. For the most part, the reefs on the west side of Trinity; Dow, Beasley, Fisher, and Trinity Reef and also the HL&P Spillway are holding good numbers of fish. Deep reefs out in the middle open-water areas have been paying off really good with trout, reds, gaftop and drum all mixed together.
Galveston Bay
Along the Houston Ship Channel from Marker-72 down to Marker-40, has been holding real good fish, especially by Eagle Point and lower Galveston Bay in Dollar Reef and Red Fish Island and San Leon areas. Croaker fishermen have been smoking the trout in these areas, bring in a lot of good trout on a daily basis. Many of the old well pads on the lower channel have been doing well too, not so much for heavy trout but a lot of nice keeper-sized fish. Some of the guides and friends of mine have been hitting the Bolivar well pads and catching pretty consistent numbers and some days getting limits down there when the weather is right.
Summary
For the most part the Galveston Bay System is turned on, from East to Trinity to upper and lower Galveston and all the channel area. Pretty near anybody willing to work a little bit can find prime areas bring in a good mess of trout and redfish everyday. Most of our reds are coming in the upper ends of the bays and most of the trout are coming in on mid bay shell. These are pretty easy patterns to follow. Soft plastics on 1/4 and 3/8 oz jig heads (depending depth and currents) have been working the best. We have started seeing some topwater action in Trinity Bay drifting structure and staying in the boat. It normally starts every August, a real good consistent topwater bite and here in the middle of the month we are just now starting to see the beginning of it. The topwater bite should hold steady through August and perhaps into September when it dies out again as patterns began toward the coming of fall. For the most part things are looking good and weather permitting they should stay good. The PCB warnings about eating trout are still but you'd never know it, I do not think that have slowed the number of people fishing in the least. Everyone is still out there fishing hard.
East Bay
Deep-water structure is holding lots of fish. East Bay's mid-bay reefs are holding good numbers of fish and as always we tend to do better in these in these areas when the wind is down. We are finding some redfish shallow along the upper end shorelines of East Bay. There have been some pretty good numbers of redfish along the Wildlife Refuge in about four to five feet of water. Trout are hanging in about six to eight feet of water over shell for the most part. Soft plastics have been producing quite well. Here of late, the southwest winds have dropped our tides, stirred the water up and slowed the bite. This does not seem to affect the croaker fishermen nearly as much as those using artificial and the live-baiters are pounding on them. They are coming in with coolers full of nice trout every day. Lure fishermen are averaging half-limits of trout per day along with limits of reds, occasionally limits on both, but half-limits of trout are more the norm right now. Barring any further tropical storm activity, East Bay anglers should have a good month in September. I would rate East Bay B+ and it could earn an A in September.
Trinity Bay
Things have really shaped up in Trinity Bay. Some of the mid-bay wells are starting to show good numbers of trout; the Little Yellow and the Big Yellow separators along with some of the old Exxon wells seem to be best right now. Notice at the beginning of this paragraph I did not say all the wells in Trinity are producing good numbers of trout, you really have to work some days to find your honey holes. Thus far the few I mentioned seem to be the ones you can catch fish on every day. For the most part, the reefs on the west side of Trinity; Dow, Beasley, Fisher, and Trinity Reef and also the HL&P Spillway are holding good numbers of fish. Deep reefs out in the middle open-water areas have been paying off really good with trout, reds, gaftop and drum all mixed together.
Galveston Bay
Along the Houston Ship Channel from Marker-72 down to Marker-40, has been holding real good fish, especially by Eagle Point and lower Galveston Bay in Dollar Reef and Red Fish Island and San Leon areas. Croaker fishermen have been smoking the trout in these areas, bring in a lot of good trout on a daily basis. Many of the old well pads on the lower channel have been doing well too, not so much for heavy trout but a lot of nice keeper-sized fish. Some of the guides and friends of mine have been hitting the Bolivar well pads and catching pretty consistent numbers and some days getting limits down there when the weather is right.
Summary
For the most part the Galveston Bay System is turned on, from East to Trinity to upper and lower Galveston and all the channel area. Pretty near anybody willing to work a little bit can find prime areas bring in a good mess of trout and redfish everyday. Most of our reds are coming in the upper ends of the bays and most of the trout are coming in on mid bay shell. These are pretty easy patterns to follow. Soft plastics on 1/4 and 3/8 oz jig heads (depending depth and currents) have been working the best. We have started seeing some topwater action in Trinity Bay drifting structure and staying in the boat. It normally starts every August, a real good consistent topwater bite and here in the middle of the month we are just now starting to see the beginning of it. The topwater bite should hold steady through August and perhaps into September when it dies out again as patterns began toward the coming of fall. For the most part things are looking good and weather permitting they should stay good. The PCB warnings about eating trout are still but you'd never know it, I do not think that have slowed the number of people fishing in the least. Everyone is still out there fishing hard.