GALVESTON

Reported by CAPT. DEREK YORK

Email Derek York at spotstalkerfishing@yahoo.com

 

Before the Swelter

LISTEN: (3 Min, 5 Sec)

WHAT A GREAT TIME to be out on the water fishing in early summer with still bearable temperatures during the day.  With cooler mornings still and hopefully no 100-degree days, May and June can be prime months to catch fish here in Galveston Bay.  This time of year, is the busiest for most guides with schools getting out for their summer break and families looking to get out and spend some quality time with each other.  There’s nothing better than making memories out on the water!  

Typically, this time of year, I am drifting flats with scattered shell or grass with soft plastics and shrimp under popping corks targeting speckled trout and redfish.  Marsh drains are always good spots to key in on as well.  Water movement and bait are always key to being successful.  Areas around Moses Lake, Dollar Point, Clear Lake, East Bay and Houston Point are all areas I cover on a regular basis.    I like to spend the early part of my days fishing inside the bay.  Once we get to mid-morning, I like to run out to the jetties and finish up my trips out there usually.  

The jetties are always producing fish throughout the year.  With the water heating up and lots of baitfish and shrimp, the trout like to stack up on the rocks out there.  And normally until about the 2nd week of June, the sheepshead bite is very consistent.  For trout, we are fishing free-lined shrimp just under the surface.  I place a small split shot weight about 15-18” above the hook to help keep the shrimp down in the water column where I want it to be.  The trout are usually aggressive when fishing this method and we have caught many nice fish this time of year at the jetties.  For sheepshead, I am still fishing along the bottom with a knocker rig and sometimes with a popping cork along the rocks.  Both jetties in the Galveston entrance offer numerous places to catch fish, but there are always some that produce better than others.  Fishing near the ends of the jetties when the tide is not ripping can be highly productive.  Also, fishing near any wash throughs in the rocks where you have water moving freely from one side to the other always produces.  This allows bait to be pushed across and makes a great ambush spot for predators.  The Galveston north jetty is somewhat unique in having a dedicated boat cut which is one of the busiest spots to fish around with all the boat traffic moving through and the large number of boats usually anchored up on either side.  

One thing to remember when fishing near the jetties is always be on the lookout for waves coming from fast moving tankers.  These things can sneak up on you quickly and really catch people off guard if they aren’t paying attention!  So, get out and enjoy this part of the summer and remember, take a kid fishing!

 

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