Memorial Day Fishing Report - Texas Gulf Coast Bays and Nearshore
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Memorial Day Fishing Report - Texas Gulf Coast Bays and Nearshore
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About this listen
Today, we’re looking at classic late-spring Gulf conditions. Sunrise was at 6:23 am and sunset will be at 8:14 pm, so you’ve got long daylight hours to work with. The weather is mostly sunny with some light cloud cover early, and the wind’s been a big story—expect breezes out of the southeast continuing through the day, but they should lay down a bit by evening. Water temps are sitting in the mid to upper 70s to low 80s across our bays and nearshore Gulf waters, and water clarity is improving after last week’s blow, though it’s still on the murky side in some spots[1][2][3].
Tide-wise, we’re shifting from two to three tide days, meaning fishing activity should pick up as bait moves more predictably. Look for your best bites on moving water, especially around the higher morning tides and again on the evening fall[1].
Trout fishing has been hot, especially around the shell and grass flats in East Galveston Bay and lower Redfish Bay. Anglers have been wading or drifting and catching limits of specks, many in the 17-22 inch range. Soft plastics in light colors and purple haze have been solid, and popping corks with artificial shrimp or live shrimp accounted for 70 percent of recent hookups. The topwater bite is happening early and late, so tie on your favorite walking bait for the sunrise or after supper[1][2][3][4].
Redfish are good along the deeper grass edges and on current-washed points. Live shrimp and finger mullet continue to outfish artificial baits for reds. Slot reds, along with a few oversize, are coming from the Texas City Dike and along the levee for waders. Black drum and sheepshead are still around structure and piers[1][4].
Flounder are staging up in the guts and marsh drains as the tides move in and out. Early mornings and late evenings are best, with Gulp! baits and mud minnows being your best bets. Catfish are on fire in the bulkheads and shallow current zones, while crappie are sticking to structure and biting minnows when you can get a presentation right in front of their noses[1].
A couple of hot spots to hit today:
- East Galveston Bay shell flats for trout and reds; try the south shoreline and look for bait movement on the surface[2][3].
- Texas City Dike and North Jetty for everything from trout to redfish, plus drum and sheepshead around the rocks and pilings[1].
Overall, the bite is strong across the region, with great numbers of speckled trout, solid redfish, and a good mixed bag of black drum, sheepshead, and the occasional flounder[1][2][3][4]. Live shrimp, finger mullet, and soft plastics under popping corks are the top producers, but don’t sleep on your topwaters at dawn.
Watch for increased boat traffic with the Memorial Day crowd, be safe, and honor our heroes out there. Tight lines y’all!
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
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