Fishing the Matagorda Bay system in August

Guides Tommy Countz (www.matagordafishing.com) and Ken Marshall (www.fishmatagorda.com) share where and what to fish in the Matagorda Bay area in August.

“If I’m wading, fishing for trout, I will be in West Matagorda Bay,” says Countz, “wading the grass beds, looking for the guts that run along the beds in the deeper water, throwing a dark colored, soft plastics on 1/8 or 1/16 oz. lead heads, keying on bait. The fish will probably be in the deeper water where it’s a little cooler.

His favorite soft plastics colors for August are Chicken on a Chain or Black Magic. Favorite spots to wade are the Pipeline (28.71, -96.396933), Cottons Bayou shoreline (28.5075, -96.20635), and Middle Ground (28.508417, -96.22425).

“If I’m drifting I’m normally in East Matagorda Bay, throwing live shrimp, drifting the west end,  Raymond Shoal (28.550467, -96.30135)  and Bird Island (28.731, -95.760283) fishing under a popping cork about 2 ft. deep. We are fishing in 5-6 ft. of water.”

If Countz is going after redfish, look for him in Oyster Lake (28.61499, -96.1833) or Crab Lake (28.66999, -96.05024).

“Anytime the winds are right, calm, we will be out in the surf, throwing soft plastics and topwaters.”

If the winds come up, Marshall will be wading the protected the south shorelines of East Bay. If the winds allow a drift, he will be working deep shell throwing live shrimp on 2-4 foot leader under a popping cork. He’s partial to a Mid Coast, red, 4” cork because of the noise it puts out. Raymond Shoal (28.67415, -95.8983), Parkers Cut, (28.617967, -95.981183) and Shell Island  (28.62555, -96.058583) are some of his favorite spots.