Gulf of Mexico, Texas Fishing Report Today

This is Artificial Lure, dropping a fresh Gulf of Mexico Texas fishing report for Saturday, November 8, 2025. Good morning to all you salty hands and pier jumpers out there. Let’s get straight to the bite and what you can expect if you’re heading out today.

Sunrise warms the coast at 6:44AM, and you’ll want to be on the water by then—sunset pulls its curtain at 5:23PM, giving us a classic cool weather Texas fall window.

The weather’s settled into that north wind pattern after a front earlier in the week, and the bay waters are cooling—a prime time for those classic Gulf species to crank up their feed. Expect light to moderate northeast winds through midday and a high around 70°; not bad for November and just enough breeze to keep the bugs down.

Checking the tides, the Texas City and Galveston charts show an early morning high around 1:23AM, followed by a low tide at 8:29AM and the next high by midafternoon, just after 3:20PM, before the water falls again after dusk. These moving tides, especially that falling water through the morning and rise in the midafternoon, are your golden ticket for good action, especially near marsh drains, cuts, and edges according to Tide-Forecast.com.

For the fish: it’s prime time for bull reds, speckled trout, and flounder in the bays and surf. According to recent reports from Fishingreminder and Coastal Angler Magazine, the beachfront and jetties are loaded with big redfish—fresh mullet or cut bait on the bottom will get your heart pumping. Live shrimp under a popping cork is still king for those mixed bags in the bays, especially on deep reefs and shell with moving water.

Speckled trout are active over shell and around drains, especially at first light. Topwaters at dawn on a glassy morning are drawing blowups, but don’t be shy about working soft plastics in glow or chartreuse on a jighead, particularly as the sun comes up and that water starts to green up near shore.

Flounder have parked themselves along bayou mouths and channel edges—slow rolling a white or pink Gulp! Swimming Mullet or bouncing a live mud minnow works wonders as the tide falls.

Up on the surf, the mackerel are running and slot reds are cruising the first gut. A silver spoon or a 4 1/2-inch paddletail swimbait, like the ones recommended in Bassmaster’s redfish coverage, will do you right—chuck and wind until you find the school. If you’re tossing soft plastics, natural shad and pumpkinseed are both solid choices. And remember, after a front, the windward shoreline will stack the bait—follow the birds, they know where the groceries are.

Hot spots today? You can’t go wrong around the Texas City Dike, which is firing with schools of reds and trout, especially at the drop-offs along the channel side. Both the Galveston Yacht Basin and the adjacent marsh drains in West Bay are producing solid trout and the occasional doormat flounder. For land-based folks, any of the main harbor entrances—like Payco Marina or the Port of Galveston—are holding

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Artificial Lure here with your Friday, November 7, 2025 fishing report for the Texas Gulf Coast. The air's crisp, the bite is strong, and we've got prime conditions to chase that drag-peeling action up and down the bays and jetties, from Galveston all the way south to Corpus.

Let’s start with your essentials: sunrise came at 6:43 a.m.; sunset’s due at 5:24 p.m. Tides around Galveston are on the move—high at 1:10 a.m. and 5:16 p.m., low near 8:59 a.m. According to Tide-Forecast, that gives you solid moving water all morning through early afternoon, which is money for November bay fishing.

Weather’s just about perfect—chilly mornings in the 50s, high pressure from that recent front, light north breeze, and high temps settling into the upper 60s. That drop’s got trout and reds fired up on shallow flats and moving around, especially where you’ve got bait stacking on those windward shorelines. Water clarity is good in most areas, greening up along the beachfront, which is exactly what you want this time of year.

Now, onto the bite. FishingReminder and local guides say it’s prime time for speckled trout in East and West Bays, especially over shell or near drains on moving tides. Bull reds are still running on the beachfront, jetties, and deeper passes—fresh cut mullet or shad on the bottom’s been putting plenty of brutes in the net. Don’t skip the marsh drains and bayou mouths either, where flounder are staging before their migration, ready to crush soft plastics or live mud minnows on falling tide. Black drum are holding in deeper channels, best taken with shrimp or blue crab pieces.

Recent catches have been all over the board: solid numbers of keeper and over-slot redfish off the Texas City Dike and the Galveston jetties, plus steady whacks on schoolie trout under the birds in the bays. Slot reds and flounder are sneaking along points near Offatts Bayou and Campbell Bayou. Corpus area reports see lots of specks and decent drum in Oso and Kates Hole, with sheepies hanging tight to structure.

Best lures right now? Can’t go wrong with soft plastics in glow or chartreuse for trout and flounder—rig ‘em on a 1/8- to 1/4-ounce jighead, slow and steady over shell or mud. Topwaters will get crushed at first light, especially on slick, windless mornings—Bone or chrome colors stand out. For reds in the surf, silver spoons, swimbaits, and big fresh cut bait do the trick. Nothing beats live shrimp under a popping cork for a mixed bag, especially along current seams and marsh edges. Coastal pros are also crushing it by tossing spinnerbaits and topwater plugs around marsh grass and oyster points.

Looking for a hot spot? Try the East Beach-to-Jetties stretch at Galveston for reds, flounder, and occasional mackerel. West Bay, especially near Jamaica Beach and Confederate Reef, is putting out solid trout early and late. In Corpus, Kates Hole and Oso Bay are productive on moving water, especially with a little cloud cover.

If you’re itching for somewhere off th

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Artificial Lure here with your November 6, 2025 Gulf of Mexico, Texas fishing report—your quick fix for what’s biting, where to cast, and how to rig up for best results.

Sunrise hit at 6:42 AM, with sunset sliding in at 5:37 PM—plenty of daylight for wading, drifting, or chasing birds. Tides across the mid to upper coast are running softer today, with a low at 7:38 AM and a high swinging in about 4:24 PM around Corpus Christi, so time those moving water periods for peak bites. According to Tides4Fishing, we’re looking at a slack morning with a tidal coefficient around 36, rising moderate midday and ending near 50, meaning current’s a bit light but should pick up for the afternoon feed.

Weatherwise, forecasters from the National Weather Service call for cooler, stable November temps—mid-60s at sunrise, stretching toward the mid-70s by late morning. Winds are gentle out of the north by northwest at 8–12 knots, giving you slicks in the bays and only a faint chop offshore. Water clarity is good, especially after the weak front slid in Monday, pushing bait shallow and setting up textbook fall conditions.

If you’re itching for numbers, the 2025 red snapper run is breaking records—Texas Parks & Wildlife reports the longest federal season in history, still open ‘til November 21. Offshore, anglers continue to hammer big red snapper on deep structure, with a mess of mangrove snapper, king mackerel, and lingering mahi showing up east of Freeport and out near the Flower Gardens. For snapper, you can’t go wrong dropping down cut menhaden or squid on standard two-hook rigs, but the hottest bite is coming on glow soft plastics sweetened with a bit of bait—try a 6" chartreuse jig for extra action on the slow rise.

Back inshore, the bays and marsh drains are loaded: fall flounder are staging along channel edges from Galveston down to Port Aransas—most keepers taken early with live finger mullet or white gulp mullet on 1/4 oz jigheads. Texas Parks & Wildlife and Lone Star Outdoor News are reporting big schools of slot redfish prowling grassy shorelines, especially in the Upper Laguna Madre, Bird Island flats, and the spoil islands near the JFK Causeway. Sight-casters are scoring with gold spoons and natural paddle tails in clearer water, or switching to bright chartreuse and pink when it’s churned up. At first light, toss a bone-colored topwater—think Spook Jr or SkitterWalk—for specks on the grassy potholes.

Recent catches off the bulkheads and jetties include solid sheepshead and black drum, most falling for peeled shrimp on the bottom. Flounder action is best around outgoing tides at Packery Channel and Rollover Pass. If it’s bull reds you’re after, the surf along Bolivar Peninsula and the Port A jetties light up at dusk, especially on fresh cut mullet or crab.

A couple of hot spots for you:

- The East Flats of Galveston Bay are firing on moving tides for reds and trout—work the windward points or follow the birds diving on shrimp.

- Corpus Christi’s

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This is Artificial Lure bringing you the latest scoop from the Texas Gulf Coast on Wednesday, November 5th, 2025. We’re coming to you right out of the heart of autumn, and let me tell y’all, the fishing’s been just about as lively as a marsh at sunrise.

Let’s kick things off with the **tide report** for Texas City. Today, we’re seeing a high tide rolling in right around 2 a.m., then dropping low at 9:49 a.m., peaking again at 5:53 p.m., and falling back at about 10:57 tonight. These swings are primed for solid action on the move, especially those dawn and dusk windows. For you sunrise chasers, first light hit at 6:35 a.m. this morning, and we’re looking at sunset wrapping things up by 5:29 p.m. With that skinny stretch of daylight, best get up before the boats and waders crowd in if you want your pick of spots — especially on a cool, post-front morning when the water’s got that electric “fishy feel” about it, which is just what we’re getting this week according to recent Gulf Coast updates from Spreaker and tide-forecast.com.

Moving to the **weather**, the air’s crisp and cool, but not yet so cold to chase the fish off the flats. Northerly breezes are trending light to moderate after this last front, keeping water clarity sharp across the bays and beaches, according to the local Bolivar Peninsula report. That light wind, paired with sunny spells, means baitfish are pushing into the marsh drains and out onto the points.

**Fishing activity** has been dynamite these past few days. According to guides in Galveston, bull reds are running strong off the jetties and deep channels — it’s prime time for big redfish, some up to 40 inches, with parties of three or four anglers routinely hauling in seven or eight bull reds each in just a half-day’s effort. Black drum and sheepshead are schooling up near structure, and the elusive flounder are staging up tight to channel edges and marshy drains, stacking up for their annual migration. Over shell beds in East and West Bays, speckled trout are schooling thick, especially right after sunrise and into the late afternoon push — the classic autumn bite. You’ll want to watch for slicks and diving birds to dial into the bite windows. Spanish mackerel can still be found cruising the surf zone, hitting fast-moving lures when the water’s clear.

Here’s the rundown of **what’s biting**:

- Bull redfish in the surf and channels.

- Flounder along drains and at the ferry landings, gathering for their November run.

- Sheepshead and drum tight on structure.

- Speckled trout on shallow shell over moving tides.

- Occasional blacktip and bonnethead sharks cruising the passes.

**Best lures and bait** for today:

- Fresh cut mullet or menhaden for the big reds.

- Live shrimp under popping corks for mixed bag trout, drum, and sheepshead.

- Glow or chartreuse paddle tails and slow-rolled soft plastics for flounder and trout — especially at first light.

- Silver spoons and swimbaits in the surf for mackerel and slot reds.

- If

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Artificial Lure here with your local Gulf of Mexico, Texas fishing report for November 4, 2025.

Sunrise hit at 6:53 AM, with sunset coming up at 5:22 PM—plenty of daylight left for a good bite. We’ve got a classic fall setup in the Gulf. Skies started out partly cloudy and a slight north breeze kept things cool early, settling down into the mid-60s by noon. Water temps are running around 69-72°F depending on your spot—a sweet window for speckled trout and reds to stay active.

Tide action is strong this week; today’s tidal coefficient for Freeport is 84, ticking up to 91 midday and finishing at 97. These big swings mean major movement in bait, setting up great conditions for both surf and bay anglers. Look for higher currents near cuts and channels—fish are hungry and moving.

Let’s cover the action. It’s been a banner stretch for Gulf coast anglers. According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, the 2025 federal red snapper season is still open through November 21, and folks are absolutely taking advantage. Limits of snapper are coming in from rigs and deeper wrecks from Port Aransas to Freeport. Most boats are landing solid fish in the 8-12 pound range, with the occasional kicker above 15. After November 21, the bite continues inside 9 nautical miles—four snapper per angler, minimum length 15 inches.

Inshore, bull reds have stayed hot. Reports from Galveston and Matagorda beaches say anglers tossing fresh mullet and cut crab are hooking up with bruisers. Nearly every tide shift brings a shot at one over 40 inches. DeAnna famously caught her 40-inch bull out at Biloxi, and similar catches are coming in all over the Texas Gulf right now. On the lighter side, good numbers of slot reds are mixed in, especially upriver and in minor bays.

Speckled trout are stacked in deeper holes and along drop-offs in West Bay and Texas City Turning Basin. The trick is slow presentations near the bottom as those cool fronts roll in. Folks tossing soft plastic paddletails in shrimp and chartreuse are filling stringers, with several 20-inch fish reported over the weekend. MirrOlure’s MirrOdine and Rapala X-Rap jerkbaits are working wonders early when the water’s calm.

Whiting and drum are coming in steadily for surf rods, especially around Port Bolivar and Freeport beaches. Lighter tackle with pieces of shrimp or Fishbites are producing steady action. Nighttime bites have picked up with a rising moon, and the bigger fish move shallower when the tides are pumping.

Hot spots today:

- Galveston Seawall for bull reds and speckled trout on outgoing tides.

- San Luis Pass for both slot reds and flounder—live finger mullet or Gulp swimming mullets on a jighead.

- Freeport’s Surfside Beach for whiting, black drum, and a shot at redfish—try fresh dead shrimp or cut bait.

Best lures this week:

- Soft plastics: Down South Lures in chicken-on-a-chain or plum pink.

- Hard baits: MirrOlure MirrOdine, Rapala X-Rap, and classic gold spoons for reds.

- Top bait: Live shr

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It’s Artificial Lure checking in with your November 3rd Gulf of Mexico, Texas, fishing report, tuned for all you saltwater anglers getting a jump on this cool fall bite.

Sunrise hit at 6:37am and we’re looking at sunset at 5:31pm along the Texas coast. Inshore, a light north breeze is ticking up, making for clean, slightly cooler water — perfect conditions for stalking reds and specks. Tides are working in our favor with a morning high around 5:45am, then dropping out for a good stretch before the evening push. These moving tides are your best bet for sparking fish activity, especially at first light and the last hour before sunset, just as the bait starts stacking up along flats, cuts, and jetties. Water temps are holding in the mid- to upper-60s, ideal for an aggressive fall bite.

The fall run is here and it’s turning on fast around Corpus, Port A, Galveston, and all through the Upper Laguna. Shoreline waders and drifters are reporting solid numbers of redfish cruising shallow grass in the afternoons, with speckled trout popping off over potholes and grass beds early, especially over that “trout green” water. Flounder are staging up around channel edges and marsh drains, though keep in mind flounder season is closed for harvest until December 15th — but catch-and-release is hot, with some doormats being caught along Packery Channel and East Flats. Black drum and sheepshead are stacked up near the rocks and pilings, ready to jump a shrimp or crab.

Live shrimp under a popping cork remains king across the bays, followed close by finger mullet or mud minnows, especially if you’re looking for those chunky reds. Soft plastics like paddle tails (3 or 4 inch) in new penny, chartreuse, or white, bounced on a light jighead, are putting plenty of trout and slot reds in the box. Gold spoons are doing work for reds patrolling the shallow surf and along channel drop-offs. Early morning, don’t sleep on topwaters — a bone Spook or Skitter Walk accounts for several gator trout this past weekend. Switch to plastics once the water gets some glare.

Down in Galveston Bay, Texas Parks and Wildlife records show recent big catches for red and black drum, speckled trout, and southern flounder, with most of the best fish coming on live shrimp, mullet, or gulp soft baits. If it’s bull reds you’re after, the surf near North Jetty and Bolivar has been popping right after a tide change. Channel edges and shell reefs are still turning up quality trout.

Hot spots today:

- Bird Island Basin and the windward Laguna Madre shorelines — look for nervous bait and diving birds.

- Port Aransas jetties and Packery Channel for a mix of reds, trout, and drum, especially with high outgoing water.

- For waders, North Beach and the flats near the JFK Causeway spoil islands are producing well, especially on moving tides.

If you’re boating, check spoil islands and channel mouths, especially at the mouth of Oso Bay, Nueces Bay, and along reefs just outside the main turning basins.

Pair

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Good morning from the Gulf Coast—this is Artificial Lure, bringing you your local fishing report for the Texas Gulf on Sunday, November 2, 2025.

We’re coming off a crisp front and the water temps are on the fall slide, which is jumpstarting that classic autumn bite from Galveston down past Packery Channel. Sunrise hit at 6:38 AM today, with sunset expected at 5:30 PM, giving us over 11 solid hours to work the bays and jetties. Tides are middling today, with a high early in the morning, dropping into a low mid-afternoon—right when those marsh drains and channels will be pulling bait and bringing hungry fish with ‘em, per the NOAA and Tides4Fishing charts.

Anglers have been loading up on **bull reds** at the beachfront and jetties, especially during previous mornings’ high tides with fresh cut mullet on the bottom. These oversize brutes are still cruising, but it’s the slot reds and speckled trout that are heating up inside the bays. According to FishingReminder, the trout are concentrated over shell and near marsh drains in both East and West Bays, especially at first light or right as that tide starts moving again. Slicks and diving gulls mean schoolies are busting up balls of shad—topwaters like a Super Spook Jr. in bone or chrome have been getting hit at dawn on glassy water, while soft plastics in glow/chartreuse nail plenty after the sun’s up.

Down around Packery Channel and Corpus Christi Bay, things are looking similar. The falling tide pulls flounder up shallow near mouths of bayous and marsh drains, making now prime time for slow-rolled paddle tails and live mud minnows. Surf action gets wild whenever the water’s “green to the beach”—Spanish mackerel, slot reds, and the odd jack have been taken on big silver spoons or swimbaits. For land-based anglers, points, harbor mouths, and channels like the Texas City Dike and Port Aransas ship channel are producing mixed bags—soak live shrimp under a popping cork for a shot at reds, drum, and big sheepshead.

The best bait lately has been **live shrimp** under a popping cork, with soft plastics and spoons a close second. If you’re targeting black drum in the deeper holes or ship channels, bring fresh dead shrimp or blue crab. Topwater lures are catching early, but if you miss the first light, switch to paddle tail plastics or live bait.

Recent catches have included bull reds to 41”, speckled trout running 16–21”, and flounder up to 20”. Black drum and the stray sheepshead round out the box, with reports from Saltwater Angler and Lone Star Outdoor News both spotlighting solid action as long as you follow the moving tides. Red snapper season is closed in federal waters, but Texas state waters remain open year-round as long as you’re inside the 9-mile line and following the four-fish bag, per RodnReelGirls.

For hot spots this weekend, check the Galveston Yacht Basin area at daybreak—birds working the water mean trout and slot reds. Down south, Marker 37 Marina near Corpus has been a steady go-to,

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Artificial Lure here with your Gulf of Mexico Texas fishing update for Saturday, November 1, 2025. Sunrise rolled in at 7:27am and we’re looking at sunset right around 6:39 this evening, giving us plenty of daylight to work those fall tides, which are shifting fast right now. Texas City and much of the upper coast are swinging through almost two feet of tidal movement—1.6-foot low just after midnight, then highs pushing close to 1.7 feet before 10am and another around 9:30pm, so keep your eye on that tide chart.

We’re waking up to cool, breezy fall air after a light front. According to NOAA’s marine forecast, expect fresh north winds and a moderate chop inshore, so pack your windbreaker and fish leeward when you can. Water clarity’s been on the rise, especially right after these cold snaps, which is ideal for targeting finicky fish on the flats and in the bay systems.

The bite is heating up almost everywhere. Corpus Christi reports schools of redfish running the shorelines and upper Laguna Madre flats, with slot and over-slot reds landed recently both on artificials and live mullet. Early morning trout are active over grass and potholes—pick your favorite topwater before the sun hits, then switch to a paddle tail soft plastic as the light climbs. Flounder are stacking up at channel edges and marsh drains, making for strong stringers, while black drum and sheepshead are holding tight around jetties and pilings.

November’s also the beginning of some solid migrations: Spanish and king mackerel making their way south from the upper bays, so if you see birds working offshore or bait getting sprayed near Port Aransas or the Galveston jetty, it’s time to troll a silver spoon, especially at the edge of those bait schools. According to Coastal Angler Magazine, using a 50lb mono leader for Spanish or bumping up to a wire leader for those bigger kings is your best bet to keep from getting cut off.

Live bait is still king, with finger mullet and shrimp bringing in the majority of inshore action. For artificials, soft plastics rigged on light jigheads—think natural colors in clear water and chartreuse in stained—are real producers. Paddle tails, gulp shrimp, and paddle tail grubs are top picks. Gold spoons remain a classic for redfish, especially around mullet schools.

Don’t forget about the bass and sheepshead minnow bite if you slide inland or up a river mouth. Several Corpus anglers have been landing good numbers of slot bass and the occasional hefty pickerel using Texas-rigged plastic craws, especially in brackish pockets where river meets salt. Strike King's Rage DB Craw and anything in a dark watermelon or black-blue has been solid.

Some real hot spots this week:

- **Packery Channel** for flounder and trout on a moving tide.

- **Bird Island Basin** for redfish and trout, particularly along wind-protected shorelines.

- **North and South Jetties at Port Aransas** for bull reds, drum, and late-run kings.

- **JFK Causeway and nearby spoil islands**—wo

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Artificial Lure here, bringing you today’s fishing report for the Texas Gulf Coast this Friday, October 31, 2025. If you’re heading out this Halloween, you can expect sunrise at 7:39 AM and sunset at 6:45 PM along the South Texas coast—giving you just over eleven hours of daylight to get after them, and that magical first-light bite window is looking prime.

Tidewise, we’re working with an **average to slightly increasing tidal coefficient** today, which means not too much swing in water levels, but still enough movement to keep things interesting. For example, Packery Channel near Corpus Christi shows a morning high at 9:02 AM around 0.6 feet, and a low at 10:00 PM at about 0.3 feet, making those midmorning and late afternoon periods the best tidal windows for action according to Tides4Fishing. Over in Houston/Galveston, expect high tide at 6:51 AM, a pair of moderate low and high wraps by midafternoon, and another low just before midnight, based on Tide-Forecast.com.

Weather is sitting typical for late October—air temps in the mid- to upper-70s at first light warming into the 80s through the day, and water temps still holding in the low- to mid-70s in most bays. Wind has been laying a little low in the mornings, with a gentle southeast to east push building up by noon. These lighter morning winds are giving you a glassier surf and easier bay drifts, though things can get a touch breezy by midday.

The fish are active as we glide through this classic fall pattern. According to KOGT’s latest report, Bolivar Peninsula and Sabine Lake are both producing “redfish, trout, and black drum everywhere,” and plenty of sand trout and croaker can be picked up, especially along jetties. Flounder are mixed in—note the season closes today, so check regulations before you commit to the flatfish. Sabine Lake reports speckled trout and ling at the rigs in 24-40 feet, while jetty rockpiles and inside channels are stacked with redfish, black drum, and trout on the move after this cool front.

Live shrimp under a popping cork remains the top bait overall—nothing beats that shrimp sound with the current fall water clarity. Soft plastics in red shad, dark greens, and pumpkinseed, fished on 1/4 oz jigheads, are nailing specks and reds over shell. Five-inch paddle tails and jerkbaits like Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ or Strike King Shadalicious are hot for covering water and getting those explosive inshore hits. For deeper ICW or bay channel action, use quarter-ounce jigs with big plastics, or drop anchovy-tipped Carolina rigs for drum and whiting.

If you’re itching for numbers, the inshore bite has been consistent: anglers are landing limits of slot reds and speckled trout along shell points, and solid catches of black drum and croaker on live or fresh dead shrimp, based on North Jetty Bait Camp’s latest word. Triple tail are still showing up in weedlines, best targeted with live finger mullet or shrimp free-lined near structure.

Hot spots? Put these on your spooky-seas

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Artificial Lure here with your Thursday, October 30th, 2025, Gulf of Mexico Texas fishing report, serving up all you need from sunrise to sunset. We woke up to a cool bite in the air and glassy bay waters, with sunrise at 7:31 AM and sunset at 6:33 PM—just enough daylight for a double shift on the water. Tidal action along Galveston and the upper coast featured a high right before sunup, sloping out to a low this evening, so your best fishing windows are set around dawn and a couple hours before dusk. That’s when the water’s moving and the fish get aggressive, especially near the mouth of bayous and jetties.

The weather is classic late October with light north winds and daytime temps pushing into the mid-70s. Early birds found slick calm bays, but expect a southerly chop offshore around mid-morning. Keep an eye on the birds—they’re busting mullet schools along the surf and inside the passes, a sure sign of heavy fish underneath.

Fishing activity is hot inshore right now. Bull reds are thick on East Beach, Galveston and Bolivar jetties. Anglers tossing chunks of fresh mullet into the first gut have been reporting lots of drag-burners and oversized catches, with some solid slots mixed in. If reds are your game, get there early, set up with cut menhaden or blue crab, and hold on.

Speckled trout are chasing shrimp and bait over shell and drains at first light. Offatts Bayou, Campbell Bayou mouth, and leeward marsh points are delivering trout on glow/chartreuse soft plastics and live shrimp under popping corks as soon as the sun hits that water. Move with the bait—where you see slicks and nervous mullet, trout aren’t far behind.

Flounder are staging for their annual run, stacking inside marsh drains, ferry landings, and along the ICW banks. Slow-roll white curly tails or gulp swimming mullet, or get dirty with live mud minnows on a Carolina rig. Hit Greens Bayou or Beacon for less pressured flatties, especially on a dropping tide.

Offshore crews out of Port Aransas are cashing in on a mixed bag—red snapper, lane snapper, black drum, and some quality grouper are biting on cut squid, sardine, or fresh tuna chunks. King mackerel are flashing through weedlines and rig edges—troll ribbonfish or live cigar minnows for steady action. There’s buzz about a few southbound wahoo this week, so run deep-diving plugs or high-speed lures past the outer breaks.

Best baits and lures for the Gulf this week:

- Bull reds: Fresh mullet, menhaden or blue crab on bottom rigs.

- Trout: Glow/chartreuse paddle tails, or live shrimp under popping corks. Toss topwaters before sunup on calm mornings.

- Flounder: Live mud minnows, gulp swimming mullet, white curly tails on a jighead.

- Spanish mackerel: Silver spoons and small swimbaits in the surf.

- Offshore snapper/grouper: Cut squid, sardine, tuna chunks.

- Kingfish/wahoo: Trolled ribbonfish, deep-divers, live blue runners offshore.

Hot spots to circle on your chart: the Galveston jetties are unbeatable for oversize red

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