Texas Fishing Reports
March 11th, 2006 by Fishing admin
Texas Fishing Reports
Trinity River
White bass fishing in the river upstream from Lake Livingston has been very good this week as the river level falls and clears.
Many of the anglers fishing from the bank immediately downstream from the Lock and Dam off Highway 7 landed limits of spawn-minded whites, reported Dylan Collins of Lock and Dam Marina.
Most of the white bass were caught on live minnows or small, white jigs, Collins said.
Good catches of whites also were taken by boating anglers fishing along drop offs at the edge of sand bars in the stretch of river between Highway 21 and Highway 7.
A fast-moving line of thunderstorms and locally heavy rain passed over the Trinity’s watershed early Thursday. Impact of runoff from that rain remains to be seen.
Lower Galveston Bay
Good numbers of adult black drum have been taken in the lower bay as the fish begin their annual spawning run. Anglers fishing along the Texas City Dike and from the Texas City Dike Lighted Pier have landed good numbers of drum, most of them measuring more than the 30-inch legal maximum.
Halved crab fished on bottom has accounted for most of the drum and a few bull redfish, said Richard Bailey of the Texas City Dike Lighted Pier.
Anglers targeting smaller fish from the pier have decked whiting and even a few speckled trout, Bailey said.
East Galveston Bay
South-southwest wind raked the bay on Thursday, creating poor conditions in the open bay where some anglers have recently enjoyed fair fishing for speckled trout and very good action on sand trout.
Before the blow, mid-bay reefs were holding good numbers of sandies and the occasional small pods of specks.
Better catches of speckled trout have been taken along the bay’s shorelines, particularly around small reefs or other patches of shell and in some of the deeper bayous offering protection from the wind.
Matagorda
Fishing has been spotty, with the wind being the biggest hurdle through the middle of the week.
A few good catches of redfish were taken earlier this week along the shoreline of West Matagorda Bay. Some of the fish were taken by waders working guts or shallow channels along the south shoreline. Others hit soft-plastic lures and live shrimp fished in the marshes along the north shore.
A fair number of flounder have made it back into the bay after wintering offshore. Guide Mark Talasek reported collecting 30 flounder on a Tuesday night gigging effort.
SHANNON TOMPKINS
Weather
Upper Texas coast
Winds south to southeast 10 to 15 mph this morning, increasing to 15 to 25 mph this afternoon and becoming 20 to 30 mph Saturday morning. Seas in deep water 5 to 8 feet this morning, rising to 6 to 9 feet this afternoon and night and becoming 7 to 10 feet early Saturday morning and 8 to 11 feet by midday. Skies will be partly to mostly cloudy with a slight chance for isolated showers or thunderstorms both days.
Thursday’s Galveston beach water temperature was 64 degrees.
Today’s tides
Galveston
Highs 4:36 p.m., 11:54 p.m.;
lows 7:43 a.m., 9:25 p.m.
Freeport
Highs 3:19 p.m., 10:37 p.m.;
lows 6:35 a.m., 8:17 p.m.
Saturday’s tides
Galveston
High 4:38 p.m.;
lows 8:28 a.m., 9:08 p.m.
Freeport
Highs 3:21 p.m., 11:49 p.m.;
lows 7:20 a.m., 8 p.m.