Other than flounder, and I think they are gone. What else is good to catch right now?

Whiting and pompano in the surf.

Big speckled trout. Wade fishing. Before or preferably after a strong cold front. Using mullet immitaion lures; topwater, suspending, and sinking. Working them SLOW. As well as shad imitation soft plastics.

As far as places to wade fish, West Bay would be at the top of my list this time of year. Not just for speckled trout but nice sized flounder and redfish too.

Best winter fishing I have done is in West Bay. Wade fishing the south shoreline of East Bay too but West Bay is a great place for winter wading.

Fish eastern facing shorelines with muddy bottoms for the warmest water.

hey aj was wondering if you wouldnt mind giving away some details as to where in west bay.. i have never fished the winter time went wading fishing a few times in november a couple years ago at the dollar flats in texas city did ok with trout then. Was wondering if you knew if that area is still good in the winter, or if wading off in the sportmans road area, or off of the south jetty would be any good.

dont know many places to wade fish and would really appreciate it

Sheepshead are a good winter time catch as well. Just spent the weekend in the rockport area and caught over 60 sheepshead. Allot of them were undersized but we caught our daily limit each day in a few hours.

Trout man.. They are still out there, we landed 12 the other day all medium but they were nice..

Do u mind if I ask where would u recommend to fish for trout this time of the year? Do u think San Luis pass produces at all?

Hi justin, yes fishing off of Sportsman Road is a good place. Confederate Reef (which is accessible from Sportsman Road if you don't have a boat) in West Bay is a good place to fish on a moving tide and winds from the south, southeast. It is a good protected area from the south winds so you can find good protected waters for wading there and the south or southeast winds and east winds help to push water into the bay and on an incoming tide with consistent east to southeast winds you have higher incoming tides than normal sometimes.

Plus the bottom is good for wading there and remember in the winter time shallow water heats up faster than deeper water during the day as the sun comes up. So no need to wade really early in the morning during the winter right now, let the sun heat up the water and start wade fishing between 9-10 AM. Sleep late or eat a big slow breakfast or whatever.

What is good about Confederate Reef is that first of all it is a big reef, about 1 mile long. And there is close access to deeper water and guts where fish can easlily move from shallow to deep water and back to shallow water. And reefs hold baitfish and therefore plenty of trout. In the shallow water speckled trout like to burry their bellies in the mud since mud attracts heat form the sun in shallow water. A good technique is to fish right around the reef in the winter and let the lure drop and work it slow. Trout will always be around the outskirts of the reef waiting for a baitfish to make a meal out of. And sometimes you can get onto some really nice trout right now in the 5-7 pound range or more.

Another good place to fish in West Bay are the reefs around Dana Cove and also Carancahua Cove. I've caught a lot of good fish there and it's a great place to wade fish. In winter time right now there are plenty of trout and redfish and flounder. Further east is also Starvation Cove. Good flounder fishing right there along the sand and grass flats outside of the cove in winter time while wading.

One good thing about West Bay is that no matter what time of year, even when the flounder run is slow in places like Rollover Pass or Seawolf Park, etc. there is really good flounder fishing in West Bay. Whenever I fish West Bay in the winter I always catch nice flounder. Not just wading in the coves on the south shoreline but drift fishing too all around the bay and arounf Greens Cut. Good place too.

Another place I have done excellent in the winter time is Offatts Bayou. You need a boat though since it is a deep but I always give Offatts Bayou a try whenever I fish West Bay and it is a great place for flounder all winter long. The flounder have a really nice dark color too when you catch them in the deeper water there in Offatts. I tend to have most of my luck on the south shoreline on Offatts Bayou. And catch flounder on soft plastics worked real slow in about 10 to 20 feet of water.

Another favorite place of mine to wade, but you need a boat to get there, is wading on the south shoreline of West Bay further west than Carancahua Cove and that's Bird Island Cove. Wade fishing around the reef there right off of Shell Point and the reef further out called Shell Island wade fishing the south side of Shell Island reef on a moving tide and south wind.

On a north wind I focus more towards the north shoreline. Light north winds are good but strong north winds really blow the water out of the bay and on consistent strong north winds you have have some really lower than normal low tides. That's a good time to go out there and mark some places with the GPS.

Good places I like on a light north wind is drift fishing Carancahua Reef and wade fishing the north shoreline between the outlet of Carancahua Lake and the outlet of Greens Lake called Greens Cut. You need a boat to get to these places though but it's good wade fishing all along that shoreline. And also to the east of Greens Cut wade fishing that north shoreline and just south of the little islands and shell banks south of the Intracoastal Waterway but northwest of Meacoms Cut. All good fishing there in the winter on a light north wind. It's got a nice mud and shell bottom for wading.

Another great secret place to fish is Greens Lake itself. It's full of trout, redfish, an flounder year round and a good place to catch trout and redfish right now. It's really shallow though like about 1 foot deep average and but it's not that wadeable since the mud bottom is a really soft and sticky nasty mud. Unless you have a small shallow water running boat that can do 1 foot of water. Great place to go with a flyrod and catch shallow water reds and trout.

Some other place I like is wading around South Deer Island and North Deer Island. Again because it has shell and reefs and close proximity to deeper water where fish move especially in the winter.

But definitely give West Bay a try, especially in the winter. Right now is the prime time to hit West Bay. At least it is my favorite bay to fish in the winter because of the excellent and abundant places for wade fishing and the great winter fishing it offers.

Today's front blowing through pretty hard. When would be the best time to get out there when the wind dies down. I am new to inshore saltwater fishing. I have read two to three days after the front but would like to hear from some experienced fisherman.

That's generally true. You want to fish the days before a front comes in and also the days after a front passes through. So 2-3 days after a front comes through would be an ideal time. Or 4 days after a front. Basically as fronts seem to come in regularly you basically just want to fish in between the fronts. Because before and after a front is when the atmospheric pressure changes and this is what helps induce fish to feed and be on the move looking for baitfish to eat. Before a front, the atmospheric pressure drops gradually and during the front as it passes through the atmospheric pressure dips to it's lowest and then it has a small spike upwards, and then once the front has come through the atmospheric pressure starts to rise slowly. And this is why there is the best fishing during that time cause fish sense the atmospheric pressure changing and it makes them move and feed.

And then you want to fish moving tides and pick your areas according to the wind and look for baitfish. Nervous water, mullet jumping, any difference in water color, slicks, birds diving, anything like that you want to pay attention to. Especially slicks. You'll see them on the surface of the water. Small ones are better cause they are fresher. And you can smell them because they smell like watermelon or fresh cut grass. You'll know when you smell it. It's a very distinct smell. And you want to cast near the slicks.

And pay attention to the wind. You want to find protected water to wade in. So take West Bay for instance. Right now a front is blowing through and the winds are a strong west wind. And this makes the bay really choppy. After the front, the winds will shift from the north from the northwest and northeast. So you want to wade fish north shorelines to find more protected water. Fish areas where shallow water is close to deeper water like guts and so forth and fish around oyster shell reefs on a moving tide. And then when the wind shifts from the south you want to focus on fishing south shorelines in West Bay to find protected water to wade in. Again wade fishing near reefs.

The best thing when fishing in the winter is wade fish near reefs. Even if it is a small reef. Cause trout in the winter will hang around reefs and it's just a matter of time before you catch them. It's all about patience and persistence.

And during the winter in protected areas you can find some very clear green water. That's where you want to be throwing chartreuse color baits since it is an excellent color for winter fishing. Like limetreuse bass assassin plastic artificial baits and so forth.

When it's really cold you want to throw mullet imitation lures that suspend or sink slowly and cast them right outside of the oyster reefs and work them slow. Corkys and Mirrolure Catch 2000 is a favorite of mine. And I like to use orange and gold topwaters during the day too as well as bone color. And strawberry and white imitation shad soft plastic baits. Too many lures to name but chartreuse is a good color in clearer water in the winter.

AJ Perez - I want to thank you for all your input. You have been really helpful to a lot of us.

wow thanks for all the info AJ, ill definitely be trying out the deer island and confederate reefs sometime in the next month... i have fished green lake and greens cut with one of my dads friends who has a boat and i remember catching alot of trout and a few reds over there. but again thanks for all the advice will let you know how it goes

man AJ thats some very helpful info, i dont do wade fishing but i think i have to go with you next time you come down here.

That is a lot of info to take in, but I think I can retain most of it. I bought the texas saltwater fishing magazine and it has the tide charts and info in it. I don't know how good their "best" times for fishing predictions are. The only thing I have question left about is the moving tides. Does it matter whether it is coming in or going out?

Thanks for all the info, I plan to go out after the holidays.

Yeah Tank, I have been wanting to go down really bad but haven't been able to go in a while due to being busy with things on weekends here, but I should be able to go real soon. I was hoping this weekend or next but I'll see. I don't have my boat anymore since I sold it in hopes of later getting something bigger and more of what I want. But I sold my center console to this man so his son and he could do some fishing and he got it at a real good price. He told me his son likes to sit in the boat for hours at a time and do his homework in the boat and all he thinks about is going out on the boat to go fishing again. Reminds me of me when I was a kid, hah hah. But at least they are enjoying the boat. I found a nice Gulf Coast 24-25 foot center console I really like, but still looking at boats. So for now it's just walk-in wade fishing areas for me.

Yes USMC, it matters whether it is an incoming or outgoing tide in terms of where you want to be at a certain time and also the wind plays a part too as well as the strength of the individual tides and how many tides there are in a day. Different places are better on different tides, meaning outgoing or incoming, but the key is to fish moving water. Because tides take a while to get to different parts of a bay so you want to be where there is moving water and depending on if it is an incoming tide or outgoing tide it can tell you what part of the bay you need to be at what time based on where the tide will be moving since it can mean a time difference of several hours in different places and a moving tide means moving water and therefore baitfish. And the winds direction too plays a part in conjunction with the tides as far as how high or low the tides will be. You can have instances where there is a weak incoming tide and strong outgoing tide or vice versa.

Here are some good baits to use right now. These are baits geared more for bass fishing though but they are great in Galveston Bay in the winter time right now. The top one is a Yozuri Magnet System F lure, the middle is a Pure Poison, and the bottom is a Redfish Magic spinnerbait. That Redfish Magic is great right now on everything in all colors, Avacado, Pearl, Chartreuse. They catch trout, reds, and flounder and very effective and easy to use.

Here is a favorite lure of mine, a Mirrolure Catch 2000. A MUST HAVE in the tackle box for winter wade fishing as well as a Corky. And a great bait for winter fishing next to my other favorite, the bone color Super Spook and Super Spook Jr. But the Mirrolure Catch 2000 is a favorite winter lure of mine and my favorite color is the white back and belly with silver side and red head. It's a great speckled trout lure for the winter time right now. Just fish them near reefs while you are wading, let them drop, and work them slow just barely twitching the rod tip. They are a pretty easy lure to find at most any tackle shop but here is a pic of one of mine:

Wow! It must take some time to learn all the little tricks and good spots for wadefishing the coast. Thanks for all the info and heads up on good lures to use. I got $100 gift card to Academy and now I can put it to good use.

Yeah, over the years you learn about all the good places to fish and techniques in different times of the year and you just learn as you fish the same places over the years. I don't know a lot about other areas though, just Galveston Bay since I have been fishing it since I was about 10 years old, so about 22 years now. I fished it before then when I was even younger but at 10 was when I got really into it and started wade fishing and using lures and was getting into using better gear and so forth and that is when my dad and I got a boat too to fish Galveston Bay. We fish Upper and Lower Galveston Bay, Trinity Bay, East Bay, and my favorite West Bay.

My dad's favorite is East Bay and Trinity Bay. My favorite is West Bay and East Bay too as well as Trinity Bay but I tend to like West Bay the most with East Bay a very close second, but they are both my favorite bays to fish. But I like Lower Galveston Bay too. My dad likes West Bay too he just doesn't like how shallow it can get and how easy it is to get into trouble there with a boat if you are not careful.

East Bay is great for big trout too. Right now a good place to fish for some big trout in East Bay would be wade fishing the western facing shoreline from Frozen Point to Robinson Bayou and then the shoreline from Frozen Point to Oyster Bayou which is located behind or north of Rollover Pass/Rollover Bay. If you want to catch a monster speckled trout this time of year then that would be another good place. It's there where the Anahuac Refuge is. And wade fishing the southern shoreline of East Bay around Pepper Point where Hannas Reef goes down to the shoreline. But I am not sure how much of that reef was destroyed by Ike. But that's one place I would definitely be wade fishing right now. And the shorelines around Frozen Point way back in East Bay. Good places if you are looking to get into some nice speckled trout in the 6 to 9 pound range.

And on a north wind a good place to wade fish in East Bay is the north shoreline. Very good bottom for wade fishing and it's big long shoreline with a lot of good water to fish which is protected on a north wind. All the way from Richard's Reef area to Moodys Reef to Windmill Reef area. It's all just a big long wadeable shoreline with good wade fishing for nice trout and reds.

Another thing I like when I fish in the winter is I like to keep a flask with me in my front pocket sometimes when I am wade fishing. And I have it filled with some tequila or bourbon or whatever I happen to be in the mood for that day. Personally I like bourbon or tequila. I am not a big drinker but when I fish I like to have my flask with me. And if I take a little break I take a sip here and there. I know fishing and drinking is not good but I just have a little at a time. Not so much where I get wasted or anything cause that wouldn't be good but somehow the liquor tastes better while fishing. And it helps you stay warm. A friend of mine told me that the only survivor of the Titanic sinking that was actually in the water when the Titanic sank had been drinking heavily that night. I guess that one time heavy drinking actually saved his life cause he was the only one in the water that lived that fateful night.

Anyways sorry to digress.

That $100 Academy gift card should come in real handy. Lots of good stuff there.

AJ, I think you and I would have problems fishing, haha. Yeah, I took a small bottle of Gold Schlager and put it in my wading belt. Man, by the end of my fishing period, I could barely stand up. My older son was with me. He was like, I think we need to leave, we are going to drown, haha.

man i have to pick up some of those lures aj, this way i can be prepared when you come down..i dont wanna be using all your lures and i be catching all your fish, lol..jkjk!!!

Yo, Tank, at this point I would use anyone's lures. H e l l, I just want fish.

Yeah Surferguy, that is the stuff with the gold flake in the bottle right? I have tried it before on an occasion or two. A freind of mine really liked that as well as Jaegemeister. I like Jaeger from time to time. Or when friends and I go out and we order Jaeger bombs. Or we get Jaeger shots.

Yeah Tank, the Yo-Zuri lures I love a lot. They are pricey. But they are great lures.

But the Pure Poison and Redfish Magic are really good too.

I like a lot of different baits in a lot of colors.

But strawberry with white tail soft plastics are pretty much my go to baits. Whether it is (pictured from top to bottom) a fluke-style bait, shrimp tail, shad tail, or mullet imitation bait. Any color as long as it is strawberry with a white tail, heh heh. Just because I consistently catch fish with them any time of year, in most color water, and most any place in the bay. These are just some soft plastics I always have with me:



But if I could only have one lure to use it would be this bait because I can catch trout, reds, or flounder with it any time of year any time and any place:

Jaeger to me is too much like cough medicine. I do really enjoy a good bloody mary, especially 5:00 in the morning right before going out to hunt. Nothing beats sitting in your blind at around 5:30am sipping a bloody mary.

Hey, anybody want to learn to surf. You put me on fish, and I will spend the day teaching you to surf.

Yeah J�germeister does have a sort of cough medicine taste but what is really cool about it is all the ingredient and herbs and spices it has. It was originally used as a medicine I think when it first came out in the 30s. I like it every now and then but not regularly. I like a Bloody Mary too sometimes.

I would love to learn to surf. Where do you surf at?

Jaeger used to be a german cough syrup

AJ im glad to see your plastics are ready. good color. Lets put em to use next weekend.

by the time aj and surferguy finish the jaeger and patron, i might have limit out the fishes..lol!!!

Thanks Redchaser, yeah I have a lot of other soft plastics. If we head out there I'll show you the Brown Devil Eye soft plastics I like a lot too. With the Tru Loc jig heads. Really good lures to use and they last very well too and have a good swim action.

Yeah Tank, I love Patron tequila. A little overpriced due to the popularity of it but it's good tequila. I remember I bought a bottle of Patron Anejo the Christmas before last and a friend of mine and I drank it and almost finished the bottle and man I was so wasted. Terrible hangover the next morning. And this was a good smooth sipping tequila.

But yeah I don't drink that much anymore. Sometimes I drink beer but I like gin and tonics the most. And bourbon and tequila and scotch too. But when I fish and have my flask with me I take sips here and there. Not to get buzzed or drunk or anything just a sip every now and then. Barely enough to even feel a buzz.

Yeah Surferguy, my next door neighbor is going on a hunting trip soon. To hunt geese. He tells me that it's a lot of fun in the blinds and waiting for the geese. I have never hunted geese before though.

The end of the week this week is going to be a real dip in temperature. It's gonna get cold !! Should make the trout move to a little deeper water if it gets cold enough.

A friend of mine was out the past few days and did pretty good in Galveston Bay. He caught some nice reds and quite a few smaller trout but the few nice trout he caught were nice solid fish between 17-21 inches. All of them caught on Brown Devil Eyes and Skitterwalk topwaters and Redfish Magic spinnerbaits. But the action was slow and the fish scatterted but did pretty good overall.

went out in trinity today, we only fished the rigs and the spillway, no fish cant say we tried hard to catch fish. it was really really cold espesially when your doing 50mph. the bay was relatively calm.

You should try the reefs just off of Umbrella Point and between Umbrella Point and Houston Point. And the North Flats around Elliotts Reef and that area in Trinity Bay. And look out for the birds in Trinity just east of Fisher Shoals and later in the day just south of the wells on a moving tide.

It is supposed to get even colder here starting Wednesday and Thursday.

A good cold snap should push the trout into deeper water for a little bit.

But yeah I went fishing Friday or Saturday here on the lake though, not on the coast, and didn't catch a thing. I did catch a tree stump. A really nice tree stump at that. I kept it too. Nice one for a fish tank or garden.

congrats on the tree stump AJ, any pics? how much did it weigh?? lol jk bro,,, im itchin for fishin bad

Hah hah, yeah I have the tree stump still in my car trunk.

It's a beautiful tree stump too. Nice shape and everything. I'll take a picture.