Catching up on Galveston Bay catches

A gentleman who I’ve fished with before inquired about the catches in Galveston Bay. He asked, “Are there not any fish to be caught?” He mentioned that my fish reports have been very limited, so he figured fishing just sucks.

So, I’ll try to give a rundown on the overall catching in this column. This time of year, the reports can sound like an old vinyl record when the needle on the record player is stuck.

So, let’s start with the Galveston jetties. Sheepshead are biting on live shrimp, tight against the rocks. Over-sized black drum and bull reds are being caught on live crab and cut mullet. You have to fish on the bottom, using enough weight to hold the baits in the current.

The Galveston Channel is producing scattered catches of flounder, sand trout and even a few speckled trout. Finger mullet, live shrimp and gulps are best for flounder, while live shrimp is best for the speckled trout and sand trout.

East Bay is producing catches of speckled trout, mostly by those anglers willing to wade. Capt. Jim West of Bolivar Guide Service said, “We’re catching fish, but lots of dink speckled trout.”

If you follow my column, then you know there are some speckled trout being caught in west Galveston Bay. In the dead of winter, this bay has in past years produced some impressive speckled trout catches. Not just in numbers but in size.

For anglers wanting a chance to land a trout of a lifetime, wading would be best. If you’re looking for numbers, then drifting the open bay reefs is best. I’ll talk more about West Bay next column.

Fishing around Eagle Point has been fair. Anglers using live shrimp have caught speckled trout, redfish, black drum and sheepshead. This area is vulnerable to the winds, but anglers can find protection inside Moses Lake, Dickinson Bay and bayou, and up in Clear Lake. Live shrimp are best when fishing this area, but soft plastic lures will work.

Tuesday’s weather was nasty, and cooler temperatures will be on tap for the next couple of days.