GALVESTON

Reported by CAPT. DEREK YORK

 

Endless Options

 

 

MY FAVORITE TIME OF THE YEAR has arrived.  Cooler weather, working birds, giant Redfish, Deer hunting and time with family means the Holiday season has arrived!  There are so many different opportunities for fishing Galveston Bay this time of year.  Whether you like fishing the jetties, backwaters, drifting over mud and shell or wade fishing, the entire bay system can be very productive.  With the cold fronts starting to come in more frequently, the wind can sometimes play havoc on our best laid plans, especially when you can only get out on the weekends.  No doubt, if you have one day off to fish each month, the weather is usually not in your favor it seems like.  But the good thing is, you can always find a part of the bay to get into protected waters and make the most of it.

With November being the end of the Redfish’s spawning season, it can also be the best time to get them.  My best days for numbers have been in November out at the jetties.  Fishing big cut baits or blue crab on the bottom always produces.  With a good sonar these days, it’s simple to find schools of redfish on the bottom to target.  My setups for this type of fishing consist of 40 pound leader with a large circle hook and a 2–6-ounce weight depending on the current.

When I am not out at the jetties, I spend a lot of time up in Trinity Bay, Clear Lake and the Baytown area chasing trout under the birds or catching sheepshead along shorelines.  Trout fishing can be awesome up near the mouth of the Trinity River by Anahuac at times.  Soft plastics are the top choice for most anglers in this area.  I prefer throwing a heavy ¼ ounce jig head with a chartreuse color.  When fishing under birds, they tend to move quickly and having that larger jig head allows you to make longer casts and keep up with the schools.  

Wade fishing for trout is also highly productive this time of year.  With the cooler water temps and sunny days warming up the flats, big trout can become active and a lot of fun to target with artificials.  West Bay, East Bay and Trinity Bay all have great areas for this type of fishing depending on the wind direction.  Some of the biggest fish of the year are landed while wade fishing in the winter.  

Don’t overlook going after sheepshead in the bay during this time.  I really enjoy working shoreline structure and bulkheads for these tasty fish.  A popping cork setup with a live shrimp is my go-to setup.  I will fish with treble hooks and circle hooks on 25 pound fluorocarbon leader.

Regardless of what you are looking to catch, be sure to get out when you can and enjoy your time on the water.  Remember that flounder season will open back up on December 15th.  See you on the water!