A big group of kayakers was hitting the ship channel this weekend and was pretty well skunked. There were a few bull reds caught between the piers at High Island. There were not alot of big uglies in the ship channel.
I was fishing the marshes from a kayak, and marked LOTS of big fish in the ICW on the FF. I only trolled a lure when passing thru, but didnt catch anything there.
The weather there is changing today and the next few days, so you might hit it just right.
Good Luck