Following up Friday’s Reel Report when we discussed areas to find black drum, today we discuss bait, equipment and techniques for catching the big fish.

Several readers have asked about the black drum run and in particular where to fish for the “big uglies” and what baits tend to work best.

Today, we have an update from the jetties sent in by Capt. Cody Dunn along with his tips for better fishing the rocks.

We have recently addressed the concerns of a disastrous fish kill following the recent hard freeze and, by now, we should have a clear indication of the situation.

One of the first things that I mention to spring break visitors is that the weather you find upon arrival to Galveston likely will be completely different on your departure.

Fog is the condition that anglers will have to deal with on and off for several weeks. During warming periods, like we typically see during March, fog is prevalent much of the time, especially during the morning and late at night.

We have been focusing much lately on concerns about a major fish kill following last week’s hard freeze that persisted for several days. Before taking the subject off the agenda of the Reel Report, I want to share a note from Todd Springer on the subject.

The water temperatures around the Galveston Bay Complex are hovering around 50 degrees with a few areas reporting even higher readings. This is a good sign and will help get fishing back to normal for this time of year.

Now that fishermen are able to return to the water, we are seeing good signs of the annual black drum run taking place.

For a nice change from recent Reel Reports, we have more upbeat information to highlight today.

It appears that the worst is over, and, with the gradual warming trend, we should see a return to close to normal soon. It still will be a while before we know where we are on the stocks of fish.

If we can make it several more days without any significant numbers of fish showing up on the surface or shorelines, then we all will feel better.

A large number of readers have been inquiring about any fish kills associated with the freezes and low water temperatures in the bays.

For the next several days conditions are not going to be good for fishing whether from the shore or in a boat.

With all of the damage from the freeze, anglers are not focusing on fishing but on diverting their attention to getting things back to normal. Still, there is that wait-and-see outlook toward the effects on fish, particularly trout.

Anglers and coastal residents can report any freeze related fish kills or large numbers of sluggish or cold-stunned fish by contacting the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Law Enforcement Communications office at 281-842-8100 or 512-389-4848.

Freezing temperatures and near gale force winds are posing a serious threat to our stocks of game fish. We mentioned in Monday’s Reel Report the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department shut down fishing in parts of the Galveston Bay Complex, which includes all of Offatts Bayou east of Marker 22.