HotSPOTLight: UPPER TEXAS COAST

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LOCATION: Bastrop Bay
HOTSPOT: Christmas Point
GPS: N 29 4.663, W 95 10.495
(29.0777, -95.1749)

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Spoons, crab soft plastics
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Mullet, crabs, TX Red Killers, gold spoons

LOCATION: Christmas Bay
HOTSPOT: Wildlife Refuge Shoreline
GPS: N 29 3.633, W 95 12.185
(29.0606 -95.2031)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Live bait, topwaters
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Live shrimp, finger mullet, topwaters early, soft plastics later.

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay
HOTSPOT: Richard’s Reef
GPS: N 29 31.408, W 94 44.276
(29.5235 -94.7379)

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Live and artificial redfish bait
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Drift north reef edge, cast to slicks, look for nervous bait & birds; morning-afternoon

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay
HOTSPOT: Siever’s Cut
GPS: N 29 26.074, W 94 42.692
(29.4346 -94.7115)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Live shrimp
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Fish shrimp under cork; dawn-dusk

LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay
HOTSPOT: Cove Bayou Shoreline
GPS: N 29 47.026, W 94 44.703
(29.7838 -94.7451)

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: 5-in. glow/chartreuse Bass Assassins
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Wade knee to hip deep; morning to midday

LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay
HOTSPOT: Green Island
GPS: N 29 46.707, W 94 45.013
(29.7785 -94.7502)

SPECIES: Flounder
BEST BAITS: Live mud minnows, soft plastics
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Wade or drift slowly; avoid midday

LOCATION: Galveston West Bay
HOTSPOT: Bay Harbor
GPS: N 29 8.019, W 95 4.606
(29.1337 -95.0768)

SPECIES: Flounder
BEST BAITS: Soft plastics, live bait
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Best when tides are moving, use hook set count; dawn, morning, dusk, night.

LOCATION: Galveston West Bay
HOTSPOT: Carancahua Lake
GPS: N 29 14.556, W 95 1.722
(29.2426 -95.0287)

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Shrimp
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Fish shrimp under cork, work shallow early, middle later; dawn-morning, afternoon-dusk.

LOCATION: Galveston West Bay
HOTSPOT: Confederate Reef
GPS: N 29 15.7549, W 94 55.177
(29.2626 -94.9196)

SPECIES: Speckled trout
BEST BAITS: Soft plastics or small topwater lures
SOURCE: Capt. Paul Marcaccio
281-788-4041
www.gofishgalveston.com
TIPS: Confederate Reef is 3/4 mile long. Try to be careful to not walk on the shell; walk on the edge. The fish can hear you walking will move away.

LOCATION: Galveston West Bay
HOTSPOT: Dana Cove
GPS: N 29 12.768, W 94 58.308
(29.2128, -94.9718)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Soft plastics
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Fish Sea Shad plastic on weighted worm hook

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay
HOTSPOT: Killbride Reef
GPS: N 28 43.3609, W 95 50.0689
(28.7227, -95.8345)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout and Redfish
BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics with either 1/2 or 3/8 oz jig head
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: If you see one that starts off small when you first see it and it’s getting bigger and bigger, fish are going to be pretty close by.

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay
HOTSPOT: Tripod
GPS: N 28 40.147, W 95 54.813
(28.6691 -95.9136)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout and Redfish
BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics with either 1/2 or 3/8 oz jig head
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Most of the time you should be fishing under the birds and should be be using soft plastics. You can cast out, catch a fish, unhook it, and throw back out again without taking a lot of time rigging up new live bait.

LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay
HOTSPOT: Cottons Bayou
GPS: N 28 30.45, W 96 12.3816
(28.5075 -96.2064)

SPECIES: Speckled trout
BEST BAITS: Super Spook Junior or soft plastics
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Fish grass and sand bottoms, early in the morning with topwaters, then change to soft plastics as the sun rises in the sky.

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

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics with jig heads
SOURCE: 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.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake
HOTSPOT: Bridge Hole
GPS: N 29 46.0819, W 93 53.7469
(29.7680 -93.8958)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Soft plastics or topwater baits
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Glow is a good color at any time. Other good colors are Red Shad or Morning Glory in the morning. Later in the day after the sun gets up, switch over to Water Melon Red or Opening Night…something with a little more sparkle.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake
HOTSPOT: Island Reefs
GPS: N 29 45.106, W 93 53.307
(29.7518 -93.8885)

SPECIES: Speckled trout and redfish
BEST BAITS: Soft plastics
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: October on Sabine Lake is a premier month for fishing under the birds. The Jetties will only have a few trout; redfish are always there.

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HotSPOTLight: MIDDLE TEXAS COAST

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LOCATION: Aransas Bay
HOTSPOT: Halfmoon Reef
GPS: N 28 4.5259, W 96 59.062
(28.0754 -96.9844)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Soft plastics
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Trout should be in 4-6 feet of water. You may find some shallower, but they won’t stay there long.

LOCATION: Aransas Bay
HOTSPOT: Mud Island
GPS: N 27 56.635, W 97 1.266
(27.9439 -97.0211)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Soft plastics
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: In the fall, strawberry is a productive color. A gold spoon also works good.

LOCATION: Copano Bay
HOTSPOT: Copano Reef
GPS: N 28 7.5019, W 97 4.737
(28.1250 -97.0790)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Start early along the shore, and then work out toward the open bay as the temperature heats up.

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay
HOTSPOT: Shamrock Cove
GPS: N 27 45.369, W 97 9.733
(27.7562 -97.1622)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Soft plastics or live finger mullet
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: The flats should be good for redfish and the deeper water over reefs should yield trout.

LOCATION: Espiritu Santo Bay
HOTSPOT: Saluria Bayou
GPS: N 28 23.9839, W 96 25.1479
(28.3997 -96.4191)

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork, cut bait, or soft plastics.
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Rigging the popping cork: The Mid Coast cork us a good choice… it has a weight underneath and swivel. Tie the leader, usually about two feet, and then a number four croaker hook.

LOCATION: Port Aransas
HOTSPOT: Estes Flats
GPS: N 27 57.058, W 97 5.331
(27.9510 -97.0889)

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Cut Bait or Live Mullet
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Redfish fishing should be on fire using cut bait and live mullet.

LOCATION: Port Aransas
HOTSPOT: Traylor Island
GPS: N 27 56.6849, W 97 4.4609
(27.9448 -97.0744)

SPECIES: Flounder
BEST BAITS: Gigging
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Anglers will have their chance for flounder in October as the season is closed in November. You can still fish with rod & reel for flounder, but no gigging.

LOCATION: Port O’Connor
HOTSPOT: Jetties
GPS: N 28 25.212, W 96 19.5439
(28.4202, -96.3257)

SPECIES: Speckled trout
BEST BAITS: Super Spook Junior or soft plastics
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Throw a colored bait that resembles needle fish or glass minnows (light green or almost crystal clear).

LOCATION: Redfish Bay
HOTSPOT: Dagger Island
GPS: N 27 50.1019, W 97 10.2659
(27.8350, -97.1711)

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Live finger mullet
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Free-line live finger mullet, rigged Carolina style so it can’t swim off… generally best all-around bait for redfish.

LOCATION: San Antonio Bay
HOTSPOT: Shell Reef
GPS: N 28 12.9319, W 96 47.155
(28.2155, -96.7859)

SPECIES: Speckled trout
BEST BAITS: Super Spook Junior or soft plastics
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Wade fishing is your best bet because once you find a school of fish, you can be quieter, stay with the fish, and then walk away and leave the fish biting.

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre
HOTSPOT: Boat Hole
GPS: N 27 39.169, W 97 14.9989
(27.6528, -97.2500)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Live Croaker
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: “Put three red glass beads on the leader before I tie on the hook. Makes a lot of difference because of the noise, and because of the color.

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre
HOTSPOT: Dead Man’s Hole
GPS: N 27 38.665, W 97 12.4279
(27.6444, -97.2071)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Super Spooks or Skitter Walks
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: When fish are shallow, use both live and topwater baits. The top color has been pearl/chartreuse.

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre
HOTSPOT: Kates Hole
GPS: N 27 39.5849, W 97 12.2159
(27.6598, -97.2036)

SPECIES: Flounder
BEST BAITS: Live Croaker
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Free lining a live croaker, just as you would for trout, works for croaker.

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HotSPOTLight: LOWER TEXAS COAST

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LOCATION: Baffin Bay
HOTSPOT: Badlands
GPS: N 27 18.447, W 97 25.993
(27.3075, -97.4332)

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Topwater artificials
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Topwaters early, looking for sand potholes with weeds around the pothole.

LOCATION: Baffin Bay
HOTSPOT: Kennedy Shoreline
GPS: N 27 15.598, W 97 27.6509
(27.2600, -97.4609)

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Popping cork with live shrimp or Gulp!
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Rigging the popping cork: If you’re fishing with live shrimp, use an 18 inch drop and 3/0 croaker hook. With Gulp, use a 1/16 ounce jig head.

LOCATION: Baffin Bay
HOTSPOT: Rocky Slough
GPS: N 27 9.903, W 97 26.716
(27.1651, -97.4453)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Live Croaker
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Fish a 30 lb. test fluorocarbon leader, tied to 20 lb. Windtamer Braid line, using a #8 or #6 black swivel to attach the two lines together.

LOCATION: ICW Lower Laguna Madre
HOTSPOT: Holly Beach Area
GPS: N 26 8.518, W 97 17.6639
(26.1420, -97.2944)

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Topwaters or soft plastics
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: In September the bigger reds move in. It’s not uncommon to encounter 20 fish at a time.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre
HOTSPOT: Marker 45 sandbar
GPS: N 26 46.1219, W 97 26.8249
(26.7687, -97.4471)

SPECIES: Speckled trout
BEST BAITS: Corkies, big topwater artificials, live croaker and live piggy perch
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Use a chatter weight on your rig. Small or big depends on how deep you are fishing — knee deep, smaller; waist to chest deep, bigger.

LOCATION: Middle Ground
HOTSPOT: Century Point
GPS: N 26 38.506, W 97 26.768
(26.6418, -97.4461)

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Gold/chartreuse topwaters, red/yellow plastics
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Drift; best dawn to midday.

LOCATION: Port Mansfield
HOTSPOT: East Bay
GPS: N 26 23, W 97 17.029
(26.3833, -97.2838)

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Live Bait, Gulp! Shrimp pearl, soft plastics in pearl/red, strawberry/white, topwaters in bone, chartreuse.
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Fish topwaters in the cuts early morning, move back as the sun rises iand fish the edges. Fish soft plastics deeper on a ¼ ounce jighead.

LOCATION: Port Mansfield
HOTSPOT: The Saucer
GPS: N 26 28.134, W 97 23.667
(26.4689, -97.3945)

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Topwaters, soft plastics in LSU, Black/Chartreuse, Gold spoons.
SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas
FishGame.com/FishGameGear
TIPS: Tarpon will be cruising up and down the beachfront in the summer. When the wind is down and “ice cream” conditions prevail, an angler can run his boat out and watch for these silver marauders.

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