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HOTSPOTS: Saltwater – October 2018

UPPER TEXAS COAST

LOCATION: Keller Bay
HOTSPOT: Mud Reef
GPS: N 28 36.467, W 96 28.059
(28.6078, -96.4677)

Keller Bay: Mud Reef

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Pink Skitter Walk topwater bait
CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz
281-450-4037
tcountz@sbcglobal.net
www.matagordafishing.com
TIPS: “Topwater action early in the morning, working some of the drains, scattered shell along the shorelines.” Capt. Countz

LOCATION: Carancahua Bay
HOTSPOT: Pipeline
GPS: N 28 42.6, W 96 23.816
(28.7100, -96.3969)

Carancahua Bay: Pipeline

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Pink Skitter Walk topwater bait
CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz
281-450-4037
tcountz@sbcglobal.net
www.matagordafishing.com
TIPS: Capt. Countz likes to wade fish in October for redfish. “The redfish, a lot of times, can be found schooling in October. The tides are usually a little bit better, and I can get the boat in closer to the shoreline.”

LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay
HOTSPOT: Raymond Shoal
GPS: N 28 40.449, W 95 53.898
(28.6742, -95.8983)

East Matagorda Bay: Raymond Shoal

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Pink Skitter Walk topwater bait
CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz
281-450-4037
tcountz@sbcglobal.net
www.matagordafishing.com
TIPS: “Find a school of reds, get ahead of them. Just sit there and wait on them and throw a topwater out.” Capt. Countz

 

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LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay
HOTSPOT: Chinquapin Reef
GPS: N 28 43.994, W 95 47.954
(28.7332, -95.7992)

East Matagorda Bay: Chinquapin Reef

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Pink Skitter Walk topwater bait
CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz
281-450-4037
tcountz@sbcglobal.net
www.matagordafishing.com
TIPS: “As the redfish get to the lure, twitch it a little bit and hang on…a lot of action.” Capt. Countz

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay
HOTSPOT: Hanna’s Reef
GPS: N 29 28.471, W 94 43.251
(29.4745, -94.7209)

Galveston East Bay: Hanna’s Reef

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics with jig heads
CONTACT: Capt. Ralph Frazier
281-337-0321
ralph2fish@aol.com
www.fraziersguideservice.com
TIPS: October and speckled trout under birds over the reefs … secret for filling limits.

LOCATION: Galveston Bay
HOTSPOT: Pasadena Reef
GPS: N 29 28.2, W 94 49.22
(29.4700, -94.8203)

Galveston Bay: Pasadena Reef

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics with jig heads
CONTACT: Capt. Ralph Frazier
281-337-0321
ralph2fish@aol.com
www.fraziersguideservice.com
TIPS: Capt. Frazier’s’ favorite soft plastic: Bass Assassin Sea Shad. “When working the birds the color doesn’t really matter.”

 

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LOCATION: Galveston East Bay
HOTSPOT: Deep Reef
GPS: N 29 30.802, W 94 40.581
(29.5134, -94.6764)

Galveston East Bay: Deep Reef

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics with jig heads
CONTACT: Capt. Ralph Frazier
281-337-0321
ralph2fish@aol.com
www.fraziersguideservice.com
TIPS: Jig head size: “The smaller the better because the fish are pushing shrimp to the surface. The lighter jig head will stay longer with the shrimp on the top.” Capt. Frazier

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay
HOTSPOT: Middle Reef
GPS: N 29 30.202, W 94 39.42
(29.5034, -94.6570)

Galveston East Bay: Middle Reef

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics with jig heads
CONTACT: Capt. Ralph Frazier
281-337-0321
ralph2fish@aol.com
www.fraziersguideservice.com
TIPS: “Stay ahead of the working birds. Anchor and let them work toward you. You should get six to eight fish every time the birds come through.” Capt. Frazier

LOCATION: Matagorda Bay
HOTSPOT: Shell Island
GPS: N 28 37.533, W 96 3.515
(28.6256, -96.0586)

Matagorda Bay: Shell Island

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Pink Skitter Walk topwater bait
CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz
281-450-4037
tcountz@sbcglobal.net
www.matagordafishing.com
TIPS: “Watch for the shorebirds concentrating in one area. They are usually following redfish, blowing them up into the grass.” Capt. Countz

 

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LOCATION: Sabine Lake
HOTSPOT: Black’s Bayou
GPS: N 29 59.866, W 93 45.182
(29.9978, -93.7530)

Sabine Lake: Black’s Bayou

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics with jig heads
CONTACT: Capt. Eddie Hernandez
409-673-3100
www.goldenhookguide.com
TIPS: The birds are working shrimp with trout under them. Any of the bigger bayous are good places to check during October.

 

MIDDLE TEXAS COAST

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay
HOTSPOT: Mustang Island/Fish Pass
GPS: N 27 41.755, W 97 11.309
(27.6959, -97.1885)

Corpus Christi Bay: Mustang Island/Fish Pass

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Bone color One Knocker topwater bait
CONTACT: Chris Grapentine
TIPS: “Nueces Bay is a unique bay with a lot of varied structure…lots of oyster reefs, abandoned wells. If you don’t know your way around the bay, it could eat your lower unit.” Chris Grapentine

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay
HOTSPOT: East Flats
GPS: N 27 49.135, W 97 6.266
(27.8189, -97.1044)

Corpus Christi Bay: East Flats

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Bone color One Knocker topwater bait
CONTACT: Chris Grapentine
TIPS: “I target bit trout, but you won’t get the real heavy trout in October. I occasionally target redfish.” Chris Grapentine

LOCATION: Nueces Bay
HOTSPOT: Nueces Bay
GPS: N 27 51.893, W 97 21.13
(27.8649, -97.3522)

Nueces Bay

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Bone color One Knocker topwater bait
CONTACT: Chris Grapentine
TIPS: Chris was the early leader for big trout in the CCA Middle Coast Division. His trout, a personal best was 9 lbs. 4 oz., caught from Nueces Bay.

LOCATION: Nueces Bay
HOTSPOT: Nueces Bay
GPS: N 27 51.035, W 97 25.966
(27.8506, -97.4328)

Nueces Bay

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Bone color One Knocker topwater bait
CONTACT: Chris Grapentine
TIPS: “It was a very windy afternoon and I was tucked behind some islands, working guts that had water moving through.” Chris Grapentine

 

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LOCATION: Redfish Bay
HOTSPOT: Estes Flats
GPS: N 27 56.541, W 97 5.944
(27.9424, -97.0991)

Redfish Bay: Estes Flats

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics
CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland
361-290-6302
treblejcharters@yahoo.com
www.treble-j-charters.com
TIPS: “All of the flats should produce fish at this time of the year.” Capt. McPartland

 

 

LOWER TEXAS COAST

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre
HOTSPOT: South Bay East Table Top
GPS: N 26 1.431, W 97 11.089
(26.0239, -97.1848)

Lower Laguna Madre: South Bay East Table Top

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Topwaters, Live Mullet, Soft Plastics
CONTACT: Capt. Carlos Garcia
956-433-6094
texasredfish20@gmail.com
TIPS: “It doesn’t matter if you fish the flats, deep, shallow, the jetties…every place you will find oversize redfish … small schools of five to six oversized redfish coming in to deposit their eggs.” Capt. Garcia

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre
HOTSPOT: Cullen Channel
GPS: N 26 15.812, W 97 17.166
(26.2635, -97.2861)

Lower Laguna Madre: Cullen Channel

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Topwaters, Live Mullet, Soft Plastics
CONTACT: Capt. Carlos Garcia
956-433-6094
texasredfish20@gmail.com
TIPS: Oversized redfish, a chance to catch a trophy fish is good at this time of the year.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre
HOTSPOT: Del Mar Beach
GPS: N 26 3.388, W 97 8.961
(26.0565, -97.1494)

Lower Laguna Madre: Del Mar Beach

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Topwaters, Live Mullet, Soft Plastics
CONTACT: Capt. Carlos Garcia
956-433-6094
texasredfish20@gmail.com
TIPS: Feeling the bite: “You will feel the hit; stop reeling in. They have inhaled the bait. When the fish starts moving off, set the hook.” Capt. Garcia

 

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LOCATION: Port Mansfield
HOTSPOT: North Jetty
GPS: N 26 33.93, W 97 16.303
(26.5655, -97.2717)

Port Mansfield: North Jetty

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Topwaters, Live Mullet, Soft Plastics
CONTACT: Capt. Carlos Garcia
956-433-6094
texasredfish20@gmail.com
TIPS: Free shrimp off the edge of the intercoastal: When you see a mullet moving really fast, a redfish is chasing it. As soon as it gets right on top of the mullet, set the hook and hold on for dear life.” Capt. Garcia

LOCATION: Port Mansfield
HOTSPOT: Rincon de San Jose Shoreline
GPS: N 26 47.384, W 97 28.459
(26.7897, -97.4743)

Port Mansfield: Rincon de San Jose Shoreline

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Topwaters, Live Mullet, Soft Plastics
CONTACT: Capt. Carlos Garcia
956-433-6094
texasredfish20@gmail.com
TIPS: “Fish from the boat or wade, doesn’t really matter that much how you are fishing. The fish are hungry, and they are ready to feed.” Capt. Garcia

 

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