Middle Texas Coast

HotSPOTlight: Port Bay

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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
TIPS: Trout should be in 4-6 feet of water. You may find some shallower, but they won’t stay there long.

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LOCATION: Copano Bay
HOTSPOT: Grass Island
GPS: N 28 3.184, W 97 9.124
(28.0531 -97.1521)

SPECIES: Flounder
BEST BAITS: Jigs
TIPS: Subtly cast into the shallows, bump jig off the bottom; midday through afternoon.

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LOCATION: Copano Bay
HOTSPOT: Mouth of Mission Bay
GPS: N 28 8.246, W 97 8.804
(28.1374 -97.1467)

SPECIES: Redfish
BEST BAITS: Piggy perch, cut bait, gold spoons
TIPS: Fish falling tide, drift/anchor, hit sand pockets; dawn through dusk.

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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
TIPS: The flats should be good for redfish and the deeper water over reefs should yield trout.

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LOCATION: Espirito Santo Bay
HOTSPOT: Matagorda Island Shoreline
GPS: N 28 20.569, W 96 26.733
(28.3428 -96.4456)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under cork
TIPS: Wade along the shore early, go deep later; avoid midday, night.

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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
TIPS: Throw a colored bait that resembles needle fish or glass minnows (light green or almost crystal clear).

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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
TIPS: Try free lining live finger mullet, rigged Carolina style so it can’t swim off…generally best all-around bait for redfish.

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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
TIPS: Wade fishing works best here 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.

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LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre
HOTSPOT: Intracoastal spoils
GPS: N 27 33.6839, W 97 16.759
(27.5614 -97.2793)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Live Croaker on a swivel
TIPS: The swivel blends in with everything else, doesn’t shine versus a gold or silver swivel.

. . .

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre
HOTSPOT: King Ranch Shoreline
GPS: N 27 29.134, W 97 21.1079
(27.4856 -97.3518)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout
BEST BAITS: Live Croaker
TIPS: Use a 20-inch leader. For a hook go with the 3/0 VMC croaker hook.

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