Galveston fishing report

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As we end yet another good year for fishing, thoughts enter my mind as to what anglers need to do to ensure a continuation of this great pastime for future generations.

This subject is so complex that it is literally impossible to fully address it in a single column. Rather, let’s take a look at some thoughts and suggestions on this topic.

First, it appears that our greatest threat lies in the progressive destruction of our wetlands. We have addressed this in special columns throughout the years; however, it is ever so apparent that this vital element is the key to replenishing our stocks of finfish and shellfish.

The very basics of the life cycle of all marine life — from microscopic organisms to the large offshore fish — are dependent on the estuaries, which are a big part of our wetlands.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department cited the lack of clean, fresh water as one of the larger contributors to the reduction of our wetlands. Rivers, creeks and bayous that once generously fed the Galveston Bay Complex are experiencing a significant decline in quality and quantity of water supplies.  

Cities and other municipalities are drawing more and more water from our rivers and contaminating the streams with recycled water that has lost most of its nutrients.

Education is probably the most important tool needed to combat many of the problems. Learning to conserve fresh water while practicing conservation in fishing would be a great start.

Most of my generation grew up with the mentality that there was an endless bounty of seafood in the ocean, and you could not catch too many fish, shrimp or crabs.  

While we now know better, the good news is that our conservation practices are working, with several species of fish rebounding well following critically low stocks.

I want to wish each of you tight lines and good fishing for 2015.

Galveston fishing report

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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www.galvestonfishingchartercompany.com

As we wind down 2014, let’s take a look at how fishing shaped up this year. This will be addressed in a two-part series beginning today.

Overall, 2014 was a good year for coastal fishing; however, there were some dark spots with speckled trout action being the biggest disappointment.

During the first quarter of the year when trophy trout were the target of many anglers, 2014 seemed to be an off year for quality of trout taken. That same pattern continued all year, especially in lower Galveston Bay, East and West Bays and the jetties.

While surveys taken by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department indicated healthy stocks of specks in Galveston Bay, most anglers were finding the numbers of fish caught to be considerably less, on average, than previous years.

Normally in early May, the specks start running along the jetties. While specks were caught during this time period, we just never saw the consistent action that jetty fishermen have grown to expect. That pattern continued all season long at the jetties.  

Fishing guides had to work harder and longer to put their guests into decent numbers of fish, and for the most part, the best catches came from the northern parts of Galveston Bay and Trinity Bay.

Spring and fall bird action in East and West Bays was not what it was in recent years and overall, a big disappointment.

There was a lot of speculation on the cause of the shift in catches and most cited the lack of sufficient fresh water flowing into the bays.

In summary, anglers were able to catch specks but the fish were scattered and 10-fish limits were hard to come by. 

The late winter and spring black drum run produced a lot of fish, and this year’s run was on par with earlier years.  

Tuesday, we will discuss what took place last summer.

Galveston fishing report

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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A survey of bait camps Friday indicated a lot of fishermen took advantage of one of the better days this week to enjoy their favorite pastime. Few reports were in late Friday afternoon, and it is likely it will be farther into the weekend before we will have a good assessment of what the action was like.

We did learn that scattered trout were being caught in Upper West Bay, and the surf is producing whiting, black drum and bull reds.

Sand trout and flounder continue to be caught along the Galveston Ship Channel; however, flounder action has dropped off considerably from the peak of the flounder run earlier this month.

Galveston Bait and Tackle reported several catches of specks showing up at their cleaning table, with the fish coming from the Confederate Reef Triangle and a few from the east side of the railroad bridge.

Bulldog’s Bait shop reported several nice bull reds being caught in the surf, with most being released rather than tagged.

  

Rocky Harrisonand his son used their new rods and reels from Christmas to land 13 sand trout and a 16-inch flounder while fishing near the Pelican Island Bridge. Dead shrimp fished on the bottom was the bait.

We have entered that time of year when the fish will be at a given spot one day and at another the next. Often they will be in deep holes offering refuge from the cold weather while cold fronts are passing.

It can’t be overly emphasized this time of year how boaters need to pay special attention to the weather. Cold fronts can quickly appear along the coast, and a sudden drastic increase in wind can create dangerous conditions.  

If a cold front is in the forecast to arrive within 12 hours of your fishing trip, don’t venture too far from the ramp.

Galveston fishing report

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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Christmas visitors to Galveston now are focusing their attention on fishing, as the family holiday obligations are winding down. John Wheeler of Sherman asked about the prospects for fishing this weekend, as he would like to schedule a fishing trip before returning home Sunday.

Wheeler said that he just is interested in catching something and not particularly concerned with the species of fish as long as it is good eating.

Unfortunately the outlook for the remainder of Wheeler’s stay on the island is not promising for fishing. The good news is that he is interested in catching something and not particularly focused on the big three, trout, reds and flounder.

Wheeler said that he has night fishing available from the dock of the house he is renting in Bayou Vista and that definitely would be one of the options.

Actually, that could possibly be the best option if the dock is well-lit for fishing and live shrimp are available for bait.  

The few reports that have been received over the last week indicate slow daytimefishing, and with the next cold front expected this weekend, that situation likely will continue at least through the weekend.

Unconfirmed reports have been received of some fair to good trout action under the lights at the Crash Basin and in the canals at Tiki Island.

Richard Belleau’s beachfront fishing report from the 61st Street Fishing Pier indicated overall slow fishing with only a few whiting and stingray being caught.

The lack of fishing pressure this past week and the resulting few reports failed to give us a good indication about what is taking place on the fishing scene; however, those that had to pass on fishing likely did not miss much.

Hang in there fishermen, once conditions settle that action will pick up.

Galveston fishing report

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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Many of you recall my predecessor, Vince Stigligh Jr. One of his classic columns included a local rendition of a popular Christmas poem. With the Christmas slowdown in fishing I felt it this would be a good choice for today.

Twas the night before Christmas on the island you know; Way out on West Bay where there is no snow, Asleep in their bunks were Billy and Lou, a dreamin’ of limits like me and like you. Not stockings but waders hung close to their bed for those were two anglers, what more need be said?

Then all of a sudden from out of the night come such a ruckus it gave them a fright! They saw ’cross the water like a shot from a gun.

A highly decorated outboard com’in on the run; the driver was casting and reeling at will and horsepower not reindeer he drove with such skill.

Come on there, Johnson and you too Mercury, there’s going to be plenty of action for you and for me.

The driver in old Levi’s and a shirt that was red, had a cap filled with lures on top of his head.

As he stepped from the outboard, he was truly a sight with rod and reel ready and raring to fight. As he burst into the cabin, the anglers awoke. And both so astonished that one spoke.

He filled their ice chest with goodies galore, so much that neither could think of anything more.

When Billy recovered the use of his jaws, he asked in a whisper “are you Santa Claus?

“Am I the real Santa? Well, what do you think?” And he smiled as he gave both anglers a wink.

Then he leapt into his outboard and called back in a drawl “To all Texas Anglers tight lines and full limits Y’all”

In closing, I want to wish all of you a wonderful Christmas Day.

Galveston fishing report

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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This week just does not look good for fishing, at least not the early part. Today’s cold front likely will shut things down until well after old Santa makes his appearance tomorrow night. Following this latest cold front, expect to see our winter fishing patterns take over.

So, what are our winter patterns? Well to begin with, dodging cold fronts will be a big part of our fishing strategy as one system after another hits the upper Texas coast.  

What this means is that anglers will have to learn the patterns of trout and reds following the cold fronts. Certain areas tend to be best this time of year and are different from the standard places fish are found most other times during the year.

For instance, Upper West Bay is one of the better choices as that area tends to hold a lot of trout during the late fall and winter. One reason is that deeper waters that shelter fish during blasts of cold air are close by, and when the sun warms the shallows, especially around mud bottoms, the fish will leave their safe haven to feed.

The areas around both Deer Islands and between Mecom’s and Green’s Cuts are often quite productive for wade fishermen and those choosing to drift fish.

During periods when the water gets really cold, meaning water temperature readings in the 40s, Offatts Bayou will attract a lot of fish to several of its deeper holes such as the famous Blue Hole.

While the bayou is a refuge to fish during very cold weather, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has the authority to close Offatts Bayou to fishing during freezing weather. The areas that would be affected by a closure are east of a line from Marker 22 and south to Scholes Field.

Hopefully we will not have any weather that warrants a closing.

Galveston fishing report

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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A combination of unfavorable conditions and the Christmas lull had anglers looking at holiday activities other than fishing on Sunday. While there were no fishing reports, we did receive a note from a reader in Hitchcock who asked why live shrimp are so expensive and what is necessary to catch shrimp on your own.

The gentleman said that he pays anywhere from $16 to $20 a quart for live shrimp and is interested in catching his own bait. He owns a 19-foot boat and was told that it would be suitable for dragging a shrimp trawl.

Assuming the boat is suitable for dragging a trawl, special regulations and tags apply to recreational shrimping and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website has all of that information.

From first-hand experience, I can say that shrimping is no easy task. In my early years, I owned a 20-foot bait trawl and would go after my own live shrimp and experienced the frustrations of feast or famine.

Successful shrimping is not as easy as it might appear. Skill and experience are the two keys, and it is physically challenging. 

One consideration should be in the time it takes away from fishing. Let’s say that you are going after your own bait shrimp, launch your boat and soon start dragging your net. If you are successful in pulling in a quart or more of shrimp, it is likely you have taken a couple of valuable hours away from fishing.

Most recreational bait shrimpers quickly learn that the prices at the bait camps are a bargain.

Do not get me wrong, there can be a lot of enjoyment in operating a bait trawl. Crabs are often caught in good quantities along with just about anything else on the bottom including all sorts of debris.

For small quantities of shrimp and other bait, cast nets are a good alternatives and much more user-friendly.  

Galveston fishing report

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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Today, winter officially begins and with it is nail-biting time for coastal anglers. We are in the time of year when our fish-killing freezes occur, and from now until Valentine’s Day is the period to be most concerned about such catastrophic events.

The worst event of this nature in recent memory took place in December of 1983, with other major fish-killing freezes taking place in December of 1989 and 1996.

So far this century, we have dodged a major freeze along the coast although freezing temperatures reached the Galveston area twice since 2000.

This concern prompted me to visit with Stan Blazyk, the weather columnist with the Daily News, about what the near-term forecasts predict.

When we first visited about the prospects of a hard freeze in our area at least one of the models he uses forecasted a coastal freeze between Christmas and New Year’s Day and another in early 2015.

Since then the forecasts have changed to the better, and while cold weather may be on the way, it appears that a hard freeze is not likely for the next couple of weeks.

The long-term forecasts call for a wetter and colder winter during 2015.

The next six to eight weeks are going to be the time when our exposure is the greatest.

During the most severe freeze in 1983, there were several factors contributing to the heavy mortality of trout. Probably the biggest was that the fish were still in shallower waters and had not had time to acclimate themselves to winter. The sudden drop in temperatures of more than 40 degrees occurred overnight, and the freezing conditions lasted several days.

During the freeze events of this century, cold conditions preceded the freeze, and trout and other fish had sought refuge in deeper waters.

We all will keep our fingers crossed for the next few weeks in hopes of avoiding any significant freezes.

Galveston fishing report

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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In response to Friday’s article about this year’s flounder run, a couple of notes were received shedding more light on the action.

The first was from a well-known Galveston area fishing guide who said, “I have fished the Galveston Channel for more than 50 years and saw a time when not many people fished the channel for flounder. In those days, it was no trick, under good conditions, to catch 40 to 60 floudner a trip, and we saw eight and nine-pound flounders every year in late season. It seems to me that as more people came to the channel to fish, the flounder numbers started to drop off.”

In my opinion, the biggest decline in flouder catches occurred from 2008 to 2011. This year seemed to be a much better year, with many days of anglers catching and releasing two dozen flounder or more. I have said that I would rather keep two flounder and release 24 than not catch any flounder at all. 

The 2014 average size was about two pounds with a four or five-pounder being the biggest fish for most of my trips. Flounder over seven pounds were few and far between.

Another e-mail came from Dennis Patterson, who has been fishing on the Galveston scene for over 10 years.

Patterson said that early on, around 2004, he had a hard time catching flounder during the annual migration or flounder run. Up until six years ago, his catches of the flat fish during the prime time of the run were anywhere from zero to perhaps three.

  

Beginning three years ago, he has been limiting out on flounder during November and has been batting close to 1000 for all of his flounder trips since mid-October.

It will be interesting to see the results from his flounder trip this weekend.

Galveston fishing report

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This year’s flounder run is winding down and, while there are going to be stragglers of all sizes being caught for a while, the peak is behind us.

With the lack of fishing reports for Thursday, let’s take a look at how this year’s run shaped up in comparison to other years.

The flounder run or migration, as it is more properly called, was better this year compared to recent years.  Unfortunately it was not close to the action that occurred years ago.

I recall one of my first fishing trips during the flounder run back in the early 1960s that resulted in 48 flounders for me and a friend.  We were in my family’s 16-foot Holmes Boat anchored off of the Quarantine Station in easy view of the old houses with large screened-in porches.

We used dead shrimp and mud minnows for bait and landed fish between 13 and 23 inches.

For a high school kid back then, the timing was terrible as so many school and social activities competed for our time.  In the fall, we just did not have the opportunities to go fishing that existed during the summer.

I recall that our fishing trip occurred during October and was in the middle of the migration period.

The catch that day continues to be my record, whether the fish were retained or released.  Back then we kept all of our fish of edible size.

The bleakest period seems to have been in the three to five years before our new bag limits were set, along with the special November regulation setting a two fish limit and prohibiting gigging.

Following enactment of the new rules, the stocks began to quickly bounce back.

The peak of the flounder run definitely is occurring later in the season and hopefully our regulations will result in an incremental increase in catches each year.

Galveston fishing report

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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Wednesday morning not even the hardiest of flounder fishermen were working the Galveston Ship Channel.  A moderate, cold, biting wind kept boaters off of the water; however, I did observe several wade fishermen in the water along Seawolf Park.
 
My view was from the Galveston-Bolivar Ferry and, during the short time on the observation deck, I easily could see why there were no recreational boats on the water.

We mentioned in Tuesday’s report that so few flounder reports have been received since the return of the five-fish bag limit on Monday that we cannot determine if the flat fish still are hanging around the Galveston Ship Channel and other popular fishing spots.

Dale Angelo sent a note asking about what type of fishing would follow the flounder run since most everyone feels that this year’s migration is either winding down or over.

There are some staples in our stocks of fish around the Galveston Bay Complex that tend to be around all year.  Speckled trout and reds are year-round dwellers; however, both fish, especially specks, are sensitive to weather patterns and move frequently with the changes.

For table fare, it is hard to beat two of our year-round residents and those are whiting and sand trout.

  They tend to be much easier to catch, are more widespread and offer outstanding seafood for the table.

Whiting are smaller fish and should be considered much like mountain stream trout when cleaning and preparing for cooking.  A friend that I fish with occasionally will never toss back a whiting.  He maintains that split open and cooked in an open skillet they offer one of the best tasting fish around.

His favorite way of eating them is fried with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce.

Sand trout and Gulf trout are in the same category; however, both fish can be fileted easier than whiting, especially in the larger sizes.

Galveston fishing report

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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Monday, the special bag and size limits for flounder (two fish per angler, per day) that were issued for all of November and the first two weeks of December ended. We are now back to a five-fish bag limit.

Ronald Goldman reminded me of the end of the special bag limit in his report for Monday. Goldman passed on fishing last weekend and took a day of vacation from work Monday in an effort to land five flatfish. Goldman said that for the past three weeks, each time he went flounder fishing, he and his guests landed a number of flat fish and were able to retain only two each.

You probably anticipate the rest of the story. Yes, on Monday, Goldman caught only one flounder. 

 The lone fish came from near the wall of the yacht basin. Prior to Monday, flounder were tearing up his Gulps.

No other reports were received; therefore, we cannot determine if Goldman was just fishing at the wrong spots at the wrong times or if flounder have actually moved out.

This year has been disappointing overall for speckled trout fishermen. We have had numerous inquiries about the slow action, with many readers asking if the trout stocks have declined.

Based on information from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, there has not been a noticeable decline in populations of trout. Several guides have made comments about the poor year of trout fishing, with some feeling that the fish have moved to different areas of the Galveston Bay Complex.  

The guides professing the change in location cite the fact that most of the better catches have come from farther up the bay and from Trinity Bay, especially this fall.

West Bay traditionally has been a late fall and winter hot spot, and it remains to be seen if this will hold true this season.

Galveston fishing report

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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Saturday and Sunday mornings, the best trout action came from some of the more far-reaching points around the Galveston Bay Complex. Flounder action has slowed; however, some nice flatfish were being taken from around the point near the U.S. Coast Guard Station in Galveston.

It has been a while since we have had any reports from the Frozen Point area of East Bay. Frank Caddenhead of Gilchrist drifted just off of Frozen Point early Sunday and landed nine specks, all keepers, using live shrimp fished under a popping cork.

Burnet Bay, located above Baytown off of the Houston Ship Channel, was productive for Henry Morales Saturday morning. Morales used both live mullet and shrimp to land six solid specks, with the action taking place using maulers with 15-inch leaders attached. A lone flounder was the only other fish that hit. The flatfish broke off before Morales could lift it into his boat.

Our only flounder reports came from two fishermen, both fishing outside of the Galveston Channel. 

Frenchy Phillips of Texas City fished just around the bend from the coast guard base and landed a limit of flounder to 18 inches.  Farther down that shoreline, Cedrick Mayes and Tommy Helstrom fished near the mouth of the East End Lagoon and landed a mess of sand trout along with four flounder. Helstrom said the flounder were much smaller than those caught at the same spot over Thanksgiving weekend; however, all were legitimate keepers.

Cyril Crenshaw sent a note asking where all of the crabs have gone. In mid-November he was catching lots of good-sized crabs from around the old barges near the mouth of Dickinson Bayou. Last weekend he did not see any crabs.

Crabs have escaped to deeper waters is the answer. When a series of cold fronts blow through and the water level and temperatures drop, crabs will head to deeper waters, likely for the winter.

Galveston fishing report

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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Not much was taking place on the fishing scene Saturday except for a couple of tournaments, one focusing on trout and the other on flounder. Results were not available at press time.

This presents an opportunity to address questions from readers.

Rob Carter of Denton sent a note asking about the effects of the seasons on fishing in Galveston. Carter purchased a weekend home on the West End last year and has enjoyed fishing the San Luis Pass area.

He has fished on both the Gulf and bay sides of the pass and almost always catches fish if conditions are favorable. Recently he has been coming up empty-handed and recalled the same scenario last year from December through early 2014. Why are the fish not there like in the warmer months, he asked?

My answer was that we have migrations of fish along the beach front and water temperatures trigger their movement. When the readings are in the 70s and above, the fish begin moving in, and conversely, when the temperatures begin dropping well below 70 degrees, the fish begin to move out.

Currently, the beach water temperature is hovering in the upper 50s to lower 60-degree range, and only a few varieties of fish will hang around under those conditions.

Reds, black drum and varieties of pan fish are among the fish that typically remain year-round along the beachfront.

The bays, however, offer speckled trout in addition to the fish mentioned above. 

The big difference, and the reason that those remain, is that the other fish are driven to migrate by dropping temperatures. The ones that remain do move in and out of deeper waters when temperatures drop; however, for the most part, the ones remaining stay in the same area.

This is particularly true of speckled trout. Coming soon after year-end will be the prime time for catching that once-in-a-lifetime trout.

Galveston fishing report

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December is the beginning of our ever-changing weather patterns. One day it is warm and pleasant and the next day cold and dreary. This pattern will continue until April when more stable conditions become the norm.

This weather scenario tends to drive the full-time fishing guides crazy as one day the schools of fish will be shallow and the next, headed to a deep hole.

Today should offer pleasant conditions for being on the water. Except for the possibility of dense fog this morning, light winds and mild temperatures should prevail. Sunday is forecast to be a contrast as another cold front is expected to cross the upper Texas Coast.

On the fishing scene, not much has been taking place the last couple of days except for continued nice catches of flounder as they are making their way to the Gulf.

Maurice Hattenback reported that flounder are still in his canal at Crystal Beach. Hattenback said that the flat fish moved in several weeks ago and a few continue to hang around. His latest catch was a 22-inch sow which hit dead shrimp last Wednesday.

Mitch Ramsey reported a nice catch from his boat slip at the Galveston Yacht Basin. Ramsey fished Thursday night and landed a limit of flounder to 19 inches, eight nice-sized sand trout and a huge ribbonfish. Live shrimp was the bait. 

Next Saturday is the Texas Shoot-Out Chorizo Flounder Fishing Tournament. The event takes place from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m. and will be headquartered at Serious Tackle in La Marque.

For more information, call Lee Garcia at 281-216-3215 or check www.chorizotournaments.net.

Galveston fishing report

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A nagging east wind put a damper on fishing Thursday and drove Gulf waters into the bays and marshes.  The higher tide levels likely will temporarily slow the flounder run, as many of the flatfish will be hanging around until another cold front gets the migration back in full swing.

Fog set in early and eliminated many boats from hitting the water, so overall Thursday was a bummer for fishing.

Conditions are forecast to improve starting today and a mild cold front this weekend should help change conditions and get the flounder moving again.

Saturday’s Winter Trout Tournament sponsored by the West End Fishing Club should be a good telltale for trout in West Bay.  This time of year trout start appearing in larger numbers in upper West Bay; however, so far reports indicate that action has been spotty.

Trinity Bay seems to be the hot spot for trout lately and should continue to produce some nice fish for the next several weeks.

Richard Belleau’s report from the 61st Street Fishing Pier told of whiting and bull reds being caught by his customers.

A late report from Monday indicated flounder are still hanging around the Diversionary Canal and Highlands Bayou.  Larry Henderson fished near the mouth of the big canal and landed a 17-inch flounder along with several sand trout and black drum.  Henderson said that he had heard of some nice flounder coming from Highlands Bayou near the railroad trestle.

For the upcoming weekend, flounder are likely going to be the best bet for action, especially along Flounder Alley, better known as the Galveston Ship Channel.

Galveston fishing report

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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The cold, dreary weather Wednesday was not pleasant for fishing; however, the few anglers who hit the water found the fishing to be good.

Trinity Bay continued to produce good stringers of trout in the 15 to 24-inch range for wade and drift fishermen.

Gray Jenson of Beach City hit the water near his home early Wednesday and caught eight solid trout while wading among old pilings and piers. Imitation mullet soft plastics accounted for most of the fish.

Dan Walker and Bob Hester caught their trout drift fishing near the mouth of the Trinity River. Live shrimp fished under popping corks and Chicken on a Chain Bass Assassins were the baits of choice.

The action in that area took place between 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Their tally for the morning was 15 trout to over four pounds and two slot reds.

Larger flounder are appearing in strong numbers along the Galveston Ship Channel where Frank Aves and Pete Cardinas fished. Fishing the outgoing tide near the Sulphur Docks, the anglers caught 12 flounder up to 22 inches and retained four from 18 to 22 inches.

Bulldog’s Bait Shop reported an excellent catch by John Pak of Classic Auto Group who was hosting Howie Bentley, the owner, and his wife, Renee, and Michael Graves, the finance manager. The group fished the Galveston Channel near the Coast Guard Station and caught 30 flounder to 18 inches while retaining their limit of eight. Live mullet and shrimp were the baits.

Capt. Jaime Cantu hosted Dr. Calvin and his son Luke and cousin Gaby to a productive flounder trip along the Galveston Channel where they caught some large sows using Chicken Boy, Gulp and Flounder Pounder soft plastics.

Saturday, the West End Anglers Fishing Club will hold its annual Winter Trout Tournament from 6 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. at Sea Isle’s West End Restaurant and Sand Bar. For information call (713) 594-4252 or check www.fishwestend.com.

Galveston fishing report

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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Tidal strength is improving and action is picking up on the fishing scene.

Flounder continue its migration and the bays are beginning to come to life with good catches of trout, reds and other fish being reported.

Capt. Jaime Cantu had a good trip last Friday morning with returning customers Dr. Tracy and two friends. A quick limit of flounder was picked up along the Galveston Channel and then it was off to the back bays. The morning trip ended up with a Texas Grand Slam.

Larry Marquez, Mike Holbrook and Charlie Broker fished the Galveston Channel on Saturday and limited out on flounder from 15 to 22 inches in length.

Capt. James Plaag, Silver King Adventures, fished deep holes in the marsh over the weekend where his three guests limited out on trout and reds. Sunday’s charter limited out on trout; however, instead of reds, a three-pound croaker was caught.

Houdini Sea Shad Bass Assassins were the baits. Plaag said that the fish were in the shallows last weekend with the action coming on an outgoing tide.

Carl Hastings and Ken Kelpa fished the Texas City Dike on Sunday and landed half limits of flounder along with two large ribbonfish. Fresh dead shrimp was the bait.

Richard Belleau reported whiting, bull reds and black drum being caught from the 61st Street Fishing Pier.

Al Sanchez opted for night fishing Saturday and landed a limit of trout while fishing from a friend’s dock near the Crash Basin. Free-lined live shrimp was the bait and along with the trout several undersized reds were caught and released.

Offshore anglers should note that the recreational gag grouper season in federal waters closes Wednesday and will not reopen until July 1, 2015.

Galveston fishing report

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Fishing overall was on the slow side over the weekend, with night fishing under lights offering the best catches.

Weak tidal movement associated with the half-moon phase was the culprit in slowing the bite.

While action might have been on the slow side, there were some nice fish caught. Azalia Deckard of Austin caught a 21-inch flounder while fishing at the Bolivar Yacht Basin Bait Camp.

All of our reports lately have been from inshore and included mostly flounder. While red snapper are no longer available for recreational anglers this year, there are a lot of other fish offshore that can make a trip worthwhile.

Capt. Shannon LaBauve fished the Clay Pile area last weekend and his guest Danny Leverette of Fort Worth landed a 65-pound black grouper at a cut off rig nearby.

During windows of light to moderate winds, the near shore rigs are excellent spots to find a variety of reef fish.  

A reader called in asking about flounder regulations beginning Dec. 1. In recent years, the November special regulations for bag limits and gigging ended Dec. 1. This year, an extension of the two-fish bag limit was imposed until Dec. 14, while taking flounder by gigging resumed Dec. 1.

December can be a crazy month for weather changes. One day tropical temperatures prevail and the next day a north wind blasting cold temperatures will take over. Capt. Mike Williams, Tarpon Express Guide Service, has kept detailed records of his December fishing over the years and has found that a major movement of fish takes place in advance of strong cold fronts during December. 

Williams said that when a big system is moving through Texas, the bite is on about the time the cold front passes Austin heading this direction. From that point until it crosses the coast, fish, trout especially, are in a feeding mode.

Galveston fishing report

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

832-917-FISH(3474)

www.galvestonfishingchartercompany.com

Saturday, weak tidal movement slowed the action on flounder. While there were a lot of limits taken, anglers were not picking up quick limits as had been the norm earlier in the week.

Very few other species of fish were caught around Flounder Alley, as the weak tides caused most fish to retreat until the water started flowing with bait.

East Bay produced some nice catches of trout early Friday and Saturday. Page Henley and Marco Delgado fished Hanna’s Reef early Friday and landed seven trout to 22 inches. Two flounder and a large croaker rounded out their catch, with the action stopping around 9 a.m.

Otto Adams fished out of Stingaree Marina Saturday morning and returned around 10 a.m. with five trout, a slot red and two puppy drum. Adams said that the bite started just after daybreak and lasted for just over an hour. Live shrimp fished under a popping cork, with a duel leader of a shrimp on one hook and a jig on the other, did the trick.

Lawrence Arnold was one of the many anglers returning to the Yacht Basin cleaning table with a limit of flounder. His catch measured 17 and 19 inches and took most of the morning. Several undersized flatfish were caught and two small keepers were released while Arnold waited for larger fish to fill out his limit.

Gary Kroll gave a report on night fishing from his pier on Channelview. Kroll has been taking close to limits of trout and a few reds and flounder using live shrimp free-lined. The action took place much later than usual, with 3 a.m. being prime time for getting bites.

Albert Miller called in to say that the crabs have moved away from the shoreline of West Bay. Miller crabs from his dock at Lafitte’s Cove and had been catching some nice blue crabs up until the last cold front.

Galveston fishing report

Galveston fishing charter company

832-917-FISH(3474)

www.galvestonfishingchartercompany.com

Black Friday likely will draw many anglers away from the water today, and for those who are able to dodge the malls, flounder are out there in good numbers just waiting for you.

No reports have been received from Thursday and that is not surprising with the early press time for the Reel Report. Wednesday, however, there was a lot of action around Flounder Alley as I have nicknamed the Galveston Channel during November.

First let me give my report from a late morning trip to the Cedars and the Yacht Basin Flats. It did not take long to catch our four fish and this time we held off on the last fish until a saddle blanket was caught.  

Surprising to me was the number of undersized flounder being landed by anglers all around us. In fact Polly caught her smallest flatfish ever, one that could not have measured over 8 inches in length. 

Obviously flounder are not cannibalistic or that little fellow would have been devoured by the huge number of fish around the piers and pilings.

Number four to complete our catch was a 23-inch saddle blanket caught in front of the cedars in 12 feet of water just before noon. 

Another surprise was that no other fish were caught. Normally that would not be an issue; however, we were planning on bringing back a bunch of sand trout for the smoker. All other trips this month the sandies were aggressively taking our baits.

Incidentally, they make excellent smoked fish logs! 

Lori, the Saltwater Hooker, was in the area with guests from Bayou Vista, Michelle, Neil and Toby. Their limits consisted of fish in the 15 to 21-inch range.

Gilbert Santos fished the Galveston Causeway Tuesday night with no success and moved into Offatts Bayou to fish a few lights. He finished the night with four specs to 18” and a 22” red using Gulf shrimp for bait.