HOTSPOTS: Saltwater – February 2019

HOTSPOTS: Freshwater – February 2019
January 24, 2019
COASTAL FORECAST: Lower Coast – February 2019
January 24, 2019

UPPER TEXAS COAST

LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay
HOTSPOT: Jack’s Pocket
GPS: N 29 45.766, W 94 47.642
(29.7628, -94.7940)

Galveston Trinity Bay

Galveston Trinity Bay Jack’s Pocket

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Soft Plastic Bass Assassins
CONTACT: Capt. Ralph Frazier
281-337-0321
ralph2fish@aol.com
www.fraziersguideservice.com
TIPS: Wading: “Fish all the little pockets; look for drains. Look for guts no matter how shallow the water may be.” Capt. Frazier

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

East Matagorda Bay

East Matagorda Bay Raymond Shoal   

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Paddle tail soft plastic in chartreuse or pink on a 3/8 oz. jig head
CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz
281-450-4037
tcountz@sbcglobal.net
www.MatagordaFishing.com
TIPS: “The fish aren’t going to be in crystal clear water. Off colored water is where you will find fish. Look for streaking water … clear/dirty.” Capt. Countz

LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay
HOTSPOT: The North Flats
GPS: N 29 42.146, W 94 51.242
(29.7024, -94.8540)

Galveston Trinity Bay

Galveston Trinity Bay The North Flats

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Soft Plastic Bass Assassins
CONTACT: Capt. Ralph Frazier
281-337-0321
ralph2fish@aol.com
www.fraziersguideservice.com
TIPS: “Where I fish is going to depend on whether or not we have had a lot of rain. If we have had a lot of rain, I will be in West Bay. If we don’t, I will probably be in Trinity. Once the bay salts up, it should be wide open (fishing).” Capt. Frazier

LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay
HOTSPOT: Jack’s Pocket
GPS: N 29 44.077, W 94 45.852
(29.7346, -94.7642)

Galveston Trinity Bay

Galveston Trinity Bay Jack’s Pocket

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Soft Plastic Bass Assassins
CONTACT: Capt. Ralph Frazier
281-337-0321
ralph2fish@aol.com
www.fraziersguideservice.com
TIPS: Guts: “What most people don’t realize, the shallow water heats up faster than the deep water. The fish will get up in the shallow water guts and wait long enough to get maybe only one chance of a mullet slowly swimming by.” Capt. Frazier

LOCATION: Galveston West Bay
HOTSPOT: North Shoreline
GPS: N 29 14.315, W 95 0.677
(29.2386, -95.0113)

Galveston West Bay

Galveston West Bay North Shoreline

SPECIES: Redfish and Trout
BEST BAITS: Corky Fat Boys and Bass Assassin Soft Plastics
CONTACT: Capt. Ralph Frazier
281-337-0321
ralph2fish@aol.com
www.fraziersguideservice.com
TIPS: “If I’m wading, I will mostly throw the soft plastics and Gulp, using an 1/8- or 1/16-ounce jig head. I’m not a big believer that color makes a difference.” Capt. Frazier is more a believer in presentation and the reaction bite.

LOCATION: Matagorda
HOTSPOT: Colorado River
GPS: N 28 40.542, W 95 58.08
(28.6757, -95.9680)

Matagorda

Matagorda Colorado River

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Paddle tail soft plastic in chartreuse or pink on a 3/8 oz. jig head
CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz
281-450-4037
tcountz@sbcglobal.net
www.MatagordaFishing.com
TIPS: “The first places we are looking to fish is the Colorado River; when the water temperatures become cold, the fish seek out deeper water in the river providing there isn’t a lot of fresh water flowing down from up north.” Capt. Countz

LOCATION: Sabine Lake
HOTSPOT: East Pass
GPS: N 29 59.027, W 93 46.562
(29.9838, -93.7760)

 Sabine Lake

Sabine Lake East Pass

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Provoker Soft Plastic with a 1/4 oz. jig head
CONTACT: Capt. Bill Watkins
409-673-9211
4097862018@sbcglobal.net
www.fishsabinelake.com
TIPS: If the lake is not flushed clear from heavy rains, Capt. Watkins fishes the upper reaches of Sabine Lake. “Color of the lure is not as important as the action that is imparted to the bait.”

LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay
HOTSPOT: Cottons Bayou
GPS: N 28 30.552, W 96 12.453
(28.5092, -96.2076)

West Matagorda Bay

West Matagorda Bay Cottons Bayou

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Corky Fat Boys
CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz
281-450-4037
tcountz@sbcglobal.net
www.MatagordaFishing.com
TIPS: “Hot pink Fat Boys, worked slow have always been good. Chartreuse has always been good.” Capt. Countz

LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay
HOTSPOT: Greens Bayou
GPS: N 28 29.738, W 96 13.565
(28.4956, -96.2261)

West Matagorda Bay

West Matagorda Bay Greens Bayou

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics in Black Magic with a chartreuse tail
CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz
281-450-4037
tcountz@sbcglobal.net
www.MatagordaFishing.com
TIPS: “Wade the south shoreline. I like to go after a Norther has blown through. The tides are the lowest. I fish the drains as the fish are moving out of the back areas into deeper water.” Capt. Countz

LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay
HOTSPOT: Middle Ground
GPS: N 28 30.692, W 96 13.611
(28.5115, -96.2269)

West Matagorda Bay

West Matagorda Bay Middle Ground

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Corky Fat Boys
CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz
281-450-4037
tcountz@sbcglobal.net
www.MatagordaFishing.com
TIPS: “In front of the drains are some big guts which are normally four feet deep, but on a low winter tide, the gut may be only two feet deep. The gut is warmer for the fish to settle into.” Capt. Countz

Mt Houston Marine

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MIDDLE TEXAS COAST

LOCATION: Copano Bay
HOTSPOT: Outer Lap Reef
GPS: N 28 7.502, W 97 4.737
(28.1250, -97.0790)

Copano Bay

Copano Bay Outer Lap Reef

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork if live bait is available
CONTACT: Capt. Troy Butler
361-534-2913
madfish017@gmail.com
TIPS: “Working the oyster reefs in Copano is where the action will be.” Capt. Butler

LOCATION: Copano Bay
HOTSPOT: Lone Tree Reef
GPS: N 28 4.474, W 97 6.832
(28.0746, -97.1139)

Copano Bay

Copano Bay Lone Tree Reef

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: One Knocker Spook topwater or soft plastics
CONTACT: Capt. Troy Butler
361-534-2913
madfish017@gmail.com
TIPS: “Work a lot of soft plastics off the edges of the reefs,” said Capt. Butler. He likes the 3jd soft plastic that has the inverted paddle tail.

LOCATION: Copano Bay
HOTSPOT: Swan Lake/Port Bay
GPS: N 28 1.711, W 97 8.632
(28.0285, -97.1439)

Copano Bay

Copano Bay Swan Lake/Port Bay

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: One Knocker Spook or soft plastics
CONTACT: Capt. Troy Butler
361-534-2913
madfish017@gmail.com
TIPS: “3jd has a thicker plastic and beautiful flake colors. I caught 25 slot trout on one before I had to change out the lure.” Capt. Butler

LOCATION: Redfish Bay
HOTSPOT: Upper Estes Flats
GPS: N 27 57.058, W 97 5.331
(27.9510, -97.0889)

Redfish Bay

Redfish Bay Upper Estes Flats

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork if live bait is available
CONTACT: Capt. Troy Butler
361-534-2913
madfish017@gmail.com
TIPS: “Mud and grass flats…water temperatures are going to be low and the fish want to sunbathe.” Capt. Butler

LOCATION: Redfish Bay
HOTSPOT: Estes Flats
GPS: N 27 55.245, W 97 05.928
(27.920745, -97.098795)

Redfish Bay

Redfish Bay Estes Flats

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: One Knocker Spook or soft plastics
CONTACT: Capt. Troy Butler
361-534-2913
madfish017@gmail.com
TIPS: “Up tight in the grass is where you will find the redfish.” Capt. Butler

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre
HOTSPOT: King Ranch Shoreline
GPS: N 27 29.134, W 97 21.108
(27.4856, -97.3518)

Upper Laguna Madre

Upper Laguna Madre King Ranch Shoreline

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics in either chartreuse or pink
CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz
281-450-4037
tcountz@sbcglobal.net
www.MatagordaFishing.com
TIPS: “A lot of times we find some really good fish on the shoreline of King Ranch, lot of big trout working some of the grass beds.” Capt. Countz

Maverick Boat Company Pathfinder

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LOWER TEXAS COAST

LOCATION: Baffin Bay
HOTSPOT: Rocks at 4
GPS: N 27 16.599, W 97 25.003
(27.2767, -97.4167)

Baffin Bay

Baffin Bay Rocks at 4

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics
CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz
281-450-4037
tcountz@sbcglobal.net
www.MatagordaFishing.com
TIPS: Capt. Countz fishes the north shoreline of Baffin Bay when a Norther blows through. “You have protected shoreline and the grass keeps the water pretty much filtered, doesn’t get to looking like chocolate milk.”

LOCATION: Baffin Bay
HOTSPOT: Tide Gauge Bar
GPS: N 27 18.248, W 97 27.593
(27.3041, -97.4599)

Baffin Bay

Baffin Bay Tide Gauge Bar

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Corky Fat Boys
CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz
281-450-4037
tcountz@sbcglobal.net
www.MatagordaFishing.com
TIPS: “Fishing the Bar is like fishing the surf…walk along and throw out to deep water. Keep moving until you catch some fish.” Capt. Countz

LOCATION: Baffin Bay
HOTSPOT: Kleberg Point Rocks
GPS: N 27 16.371, W 97 36.636
(27.2729, -97.6106)

Baffin Bay

Baffin Bay Kleberg Point Rocks

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Borboleta LeLe
CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz
281-450-4037
tcountz@sbcglobal.net
www.MatagordaFishing.com
TIPS: “The LeLe (a bait from Brazil) is the perfect bait for grassy areas that are about waist deep. It won’t get down on the bottom and hang grass.” Capt. Countz

LOCATION: Port Mansfield
HOTSPOT: Yarborough Flats
GPS: N 27 12.532, W 97 24.414
(27.2089, -97.4069)

Port Mansfield

Port Mansfield Yarborough Flats

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: LeLe’s and Soft Plastics
CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz
281-450-4037
tcountz@sbcglobal.net
www.MatagordaFishing.com
TIPS: “We’ll make long drifts if we are fishing from the boat. If I’m wading, I’ll be throwing baits like he Corky. Be ready for a big fish.” Capt. Countz.

 

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