Winter kayak fishing.

[RedsOnRiot]

I am reluctant to put this up for the hordes of potlickers, noobs, and internet scouters out there.

There is a secret spot that not many know of in W. Galveston Bay that can produce well at times in the Winter.

The few in the know call this spot "Confederate Reef". Access by paddling North from either the Sportsman's ramp or cul-de-sac.

Ssshhhhhhhhh

Very productive spot when the tide is moving

[picaroon]

CONFEDERATE REEF..........SOUTH DEER ISLAND. This is a spot I fished ever since I was a 10 year old kid. I know it well. There is a cut/deep area just South of the island that runs generally East and West almost all the way over to Offatts Bayou. This is my 5 am spot and early in the morning it is full of trout. In the winter you might want to fish it in the afternoon. In the beginning we fished it with live shrimp under a popping cork from a rented wooden skiff from Martins camp in Offatts and that goes back to the 50's. Any way that gut is good in the winter but is only 5'-6' deep. There is a much deeper gut on the North side of South Deer Island about half way between North and South Deer Island. There is 10' deep water in that hole. It extends all the way out into West Galveston Bay and it is a very good spot to fish in the winter.

I have fished up and down Confederate Reef. It runs generally North West by South East for over a mile. To my knowledge there is no deep water on the reef but there are some guts over near Galveston Island that are always good. You will note that North of the reef you spill off into the holes I told you about that are to South of South Deer Island. Again this is a prime area for winter fishing and it is Kayak friendly

[Yaklash]

I am reluctant to put this up for the hordes of potlickers, noobs, and internet scouters out there.

There is a secret spot that not many know of in W. Galveston Bay that can produce well at times in the Winter.

The few in the know call this spot "Confederate Reef". Access by paddling North from either the Sportsman's ramp or cul-de-sac.

Good thing it's a big reef, but the "other" reef is even bigger.

[Yaklash]

I have fished up and down Confederate Reef. It runs generally North West by South East for over a mile. To my knowledge there is no deep water on the reef but there are some guts over near Galveston Island that are always good. You will note that North of the reef you spill off into the holes I told you about that are to South of South Deer Island. Again this is a prime area for winter fishing and it is Kayak friendly

It's been many years since I fished either of the Deer Islands, but Confederate is an annual ritual for a few of us. Finding the deepest guts is important on the coldest of days, but the "edges" are where it's at and there are 2 miles of edges - where the solid shell starts to change to scattered shell and tapers off into mud. The trout are there. Take lots of 1/8 oz jigheads because if you're fishing it right - on or very near the bottom - you're going to get hung up on the shell and have to break a few off. The trout don't bite much when the tides not moving, though, so you can be fishing the right area and there can be trout there, but you won't get but a bite or two. Then the tide picks up and it's on. Problem is, you will not be alone, the powerboaters will not respect your casting zone and the place is so overfished it has gotten to where weekdays are the only days I'll go there.

One more thing, like I said, there is a lot of edge, but if you go by where the powerboats are, one would think that all of the fish were on about 200 yards of that edge......not the case. They do tend to me more on the south (protected) side of the reef, but the trout are all along that side, even where others don't fish.

[picaroon]

You mentioned something that seems to be critical to winter fishing and that is there must be some water movement, however slight. I think this has to do with bait. Little fishes cannot handle much water movement and if there is some movement , however slight, then they are helpless and therefore easy prey for the much larger game fish. Just my 2 cents..........

[ThePopinCorkKid]

CONFEDERATE REEF..........SOUTH DEER ISLAND. This is a spot I fished ever since I was a 10 year old kid. I know it well. There is a cut/deep area just South of the island that runs generally East and West almost all the way over to Offatts Bayou. This is my 5 am spot and early in the morning it is full of trout. In the winter you might want to fish it in the afternoon. In the beginning we fished it with live shrimp under a popping cork from a rented wooden skiff from Martins camp in Offatts and that goes back to the 50's. Any way that gut is good in the winter but is only 5'-6' deep. There is a much deeper gut on the North side of South Deer Island about half way between North and South Deer Island. There is 10' deep water in that hole. It extends all the way out into West Galveston Bay and it is a very good spot to fish in the winter.

I have fished up and down Confederate Reef. It runs generally North West by South East for over a mile. To my knowledge there is no deep water on the reef but there are some guts over near Galveston Island that are always good. You will note that North of the reef you spill off into the holes I told you about that are to South of South Deer Island. Again this is a prime area for winter fishing and it is Kayak friendly

when going out in to the open bay always make sure to check the wind. It is no fun paddling in the open bay with 15+ mph winds.

[picaroon]

OFFATTS BAYOU...........CRASH BASIN.............Located on the bay side of Galveston Island along and parallel to IH 45/ Broadway. This thing is not really a bayou but the area dredged out to recover some ships trapped aground on the island following the hurricane of 1900. Also it was the source of spoil for the seawall and raising the elevation of the island along Broadway. Actually a very big engineering project that took many years to complete. The water has depths of over 30 feet.

For me this place has many fond memories as it was the place of my first saltwater fishing adventures at age 5-6 back around 1946. My father had a 5 HP Evinrude motor with the gas tank up on top and a rope pull start. It was quite heavy and we usually took an extra 5 gallons in a separate can. So before we could fish dad had to rent a cypress skiff with a bait well in the center. Carry the motor that weighed at least as much as a modern 50 hp motor, about 100 yards down a pier, buy bait and head out.....Sometimes the motor would not start so dad had to row.

The "bayou" runs generally East and West and is 3 1/2 miles long and about 1/2 to 3/4 miles wide. It is flanked on the North by IH 45/Broadway and on the South by Scholes Field the city airport and miscellaneous houses and businesses around the South East corner. On the East end of Scholes Field is located the famous "Blue Hole" which to this day stacks up with trout at the coldest time of the year. Across the bayou at the end of Long Reef there is another hole which is just as productive. I have a friend that wades Long Reef, at night, during the summer, with Spooks and Skitter Walks and he does quite well. He has caught a number of near 30" fish over the years.

On the South side, up near the beginning of Offatts is located the CRASH BASIN with its waters of from 12' to 15'. It is an area originally dredged out for planes that had crashed at Scholes Field during WWII. In the winter it is a spot for reds on the bottom. We used bait back in the day but now soft plastics will work. This is the spot where at age 6-7 I hung a big red and after a long fight I lost him at my feet. I promptly sat down in the cold water and cried.

Because of the boat traffic and Pilgrims this is not a weekend place. It is so good I really believe that a person can make a career out of fishing the place. Its all about knowing the place and the tides. One thing to know is that the trout are not on the bottom, they are at a intermediate depth on a side wall..

[picaroon]

MOSES LAKE..........I really do not know much about Moses Lake. There are several holes up to 35' deep and there are folks that fish there on a regular basis. I do know that up near the gate that empties out into Galveston BAY the water is dangerous especially during a tide change.. On that end of the lake I have no clue where to launch. There are a number of spots further back in the lake to launch including a marina. The regulars do well in the lake...........and it is a legitimate winter fishing spot.

A little further North is DICKINSON BAYOU.......... with some deep holes and is also a legitimate winter fishing spot for those able to find the deeper water otherwise I know little about Dickinson Bayou .

I know little of CLEAR LAKE.......... CLEAR CREEK,.......... TRAYLOR LAKE,and .......... TAYLOR BAYOU. I know that Clear lake is very shallow. There is some deep water in Clear Creek . Taylor lake is shallow as is Taylor Bayou but Taylor Bayou is a real hot spot in the Fall for reds if not ruined by rain.

[MachewTexas]

This is my first year of winter fishing, so I don't know of many spots. I've tried a few with no success (Jones bay, pierce marsh, confederate reef, GISP). I'm clearly doing a lot wrong. BUT I found a hole that has produced UNLIMITED supplies of reds and flounder. Call it beginners luck or something, but its the only place where I'm finding lots of BIG fish.

KEMAH....... SEABROOK...... just north of the boardwalk. There's a cut near the bridge, then go down the road past the stop sign. Roses, Emery's and Seabrook seafood. They always have great filets. I recommend Louisiana New Orleans fish fry. Their frozen hushpuppies are great too!


In all seriousness, I appreciate the info in this thread.

[picaroon]

Of the winter fishing spots mentioned there are three legendary, iconic spots. This is three spots where winter fishermen go and all have considerable luck and have been doing so for over 50 years. Those spots are the COLORADO RIVER, OFFATTS BAYOU and the third spot LA PORT. You could possibly list CANEY CREEK. For all intents and purposes LA PORT is in the City of Houston located on FM 146 between FM 225 and Sea Brook/Kemah.

This is a protected shoreline with your back to the North. Just drive to the boat launch/ ramp in La Port and fish the shoreline to your south or right. You will note a lot of piling along the shore where old piers once were and the bottom there is loaded with shell reefs. The trick is to fish the shell reefs on the Ship Channel side. The bottom drops off pretty quick and a friend tells me that the area is made for Kayaks. In fact he says that it is too hard to wade because the shell is right up on the shore. The time to fish is right after a cold front on a outgoing tide.

I would use a Mirror Lure I think they call it a M28 in white/gold, any of the Paul Brown Lures and a couple of the no name lures I have had for years. In cold water the fish swim slow, the bait swims slow and your retrieve needs to be slow, real slow. I have seen some real impressive strings here. The water here drops off to 10'-12' real quick and then it gets much deeper going out to the ship channel. Marburgers would be a good place to stop in order to get good advise on the right lures to use. You can fish the place up in the day as opposed to dark am. Again this place is made for a kayak.

[picaroon]

ANAHUAC..........Several years ago I was a guest on a guided fishing trip with some friends and the guide was James Plaag who I feel is the very best guide in the Galveston Bay System. It was a warm day in December, we launched at the Fort Ahahuac Park and headed up river. In a mile or so we came to an intersection of the river and several Passes. James made the remark that the water was quite deep there, about 35 feet. deep. He showed me on his Garmin and there it was, he lied it was only 33 feet deep. This was during the week and there were 8-10 boats in a 1 block area, all catching fish, mostly small trout.

We continued on to Jacks or one of the passes out into the bay and fished reefs for and caught much larger fish. Rather than going to Fort Anahauc just launch in the town of Anahauc and paddle West and fish the many holes in the river there.

Apparently this is a hell of a fishing area when the weather/water is right. I have not fished the deep holes but I know that they are good. At the right time perhaps the very best spot on the Texas Coast for fish is in the fall up until December at Jacks Pocket out into Triangle Pass.....

NOTE:..................I promised a list of at least a dozen winter fishing spots. In the next several days I will list the last spot which is in the City Limits of Houston. Winter fishing in the winter is great in the Houston area..................

[oldmanpaul]

lots of info............great

[Yaklash]

NOTE:..................I promised a list of at least a dozen winter fishing spots. In the next several days I will list the last spot which is in the City Limits of Houston. Winter fishing in the winter is great in the Houston area..................

I am anxious to see if it is the place I have been thinking about thru this entire thread. One spot that may not even be good anymore seeing as the amount of man-made change that has taken place there. One spot that, when it is on, it is on like Donkey Kong. One spot that to get there by kayak, you'd need serious stones and a fortuitous break in the weather that makes it turn on in the first place.

[Milkjug]

I knew you were going to save those stocked rainbow trout for last.

[MachewTexas]

NOTE:..................I promised a list of at least a dozen winter fishing spots. In the next several days I will list the last spot which is in the City Limits of Houston. Winter fishing in the winter is great in the Houston area..................

I am anxious to see if it is the place I have been thinking about thru this entire thread. One spot that may not even be good anymore seeing as the amount of man-made change that has taken place there. One spot that, when it is on, it is on like Donkey Kong. One spot that to get there by kayak, you'd need serious stones and a fortuitous break in the weather that makes it turn on in the first place.

i'm anxious to know now.

[picaroon]

When I started on this "Tome" I thought that I would list a dozen "Winter" fishing spots less than 100 miles from Houston but it would be a difficult. As I have gotten into this there are many, many more. I have listed 18 and can list at least 18 more. I may need some help from some of you but it can be done.

I see right now that a small investment in a depth indicator would be money well spent.

My last spot for right now is the LOWER SAN JACINTO RIVER..........Some years ago I would have to go to Beaumont on business and of course I had to cross the San Jacinto River Bridge on IH10. During the winter I would glance over to my left towards the town of Highlands and there would be a large group of boats fishing in the river. They would not have been there if they were not catching fish. Over the years I have been very curious about the area and have spent some time talking to people that have fished the area and clearly, at times it is a great area. It is very kayak friendly.

First launch your kayak on the East side of the river under the bridge and go North following the shoreline. At a time, perhaps 40 years ago, there was a Shell Hopper on the East shore, a mile up stream and that was a spot folks fished. They still do. Further up on that shoreline there is a pier that belongs to a RV Park. I had a friend that often stayed there and I asked the caretaker if anyone ever fished from the pier. He said yes and promised to show me some pictures.. Later that day he brought me a photo album full of photos of flounder,trout and some reds. He or someone caught the fish from that area.

As recently as two years ago I talked to a Plumber,I know, that said that he fished the small island out in front and to the left of the pier. He called the island "Red Fish Island". Apparently he and his wife go to the island with bait and fish for reds, on bottom, during the summer. Along with a couple six-packs they do well. Apparent it is also good in the winter. The area across from the river back near the IH10 bridge is also quite good.

Still on the river but about 2-3 miles back towards Houston take IH10 to Magnolia turn right and head North to River Road and turn right and go about 1/2 mile down to the Meadow Brook Park. Across the street (River Road) there are 2 or 3 launches.
Go about a mile up stream and there is a Rail Road Trestle. On the North bank more or less under the trestle there is a large sand bar that parallels the river. I stopped there and talked to some fishermen and one of them had a Igloo loaded with 7 good sized Reds that he caught off the sand bar with bait. Back at the launch there is an old barge pulled up on the shore and someone built a hamburger joint on it. The Hamburgers are very good. There is some Barge traffic in the river there so be careful.

When you have a summer with several weeks if not months of little or no rain upstream towards the Lake Houston Dam big Reds will hit a Chrome Rattle Trap. Troll them or cast into into brush along the banks. They are in 8' to 10' water..............

So now you have 18 spots and they are legitimate and some are very, very good........Next month perhaps I will give you another 18 if I can get some help from Yak Lash and Machew Texas and others.....

[troutslinger]

Far East bay from frozen point to oyster bayou can produce some large trout. Fish the mouth of oyster bayou on a outgoing tide and you can catch you a trout of a lifetime. Also clear lake and Taylor lake will produce some big trout.

[StevenM]

Do not come down to Corpus. The water is so shallow that all the fish are gone for the winter. If you believe that I have a concrete kayak to sell you. He He He

I agree. My wife and I came down here to do some fishing. Boy, are we disappointed. We cannot find any fish in the winter. I would recommend you stay away from this area.

Yep no fish in the Aransas Pass area this time of year either. I wouldn't waste your time
But if you wanna go just let me know

[Coastal Country]

BRAZOS HARBOR-VELASCO..........When I was in Law School we would sneak off to Brazos Harbor in the winter. Where FM1495 crosses the harbor the ship channel has a streach of water that ranges from 17' to 9 foot and at times it is quite productive. In those days (1960) I had a 14' fiberglass skiff sold by Sears. We would throw it in the back of a pick-up and give it hell for a couple hours before school. We did well. We also sneaked into the Dow Plant and fished a spot near a wier/ small spillway and it was also very good but you cannot go there now. This is a very good spot and you should explore it.

BETTER CHECK IF IT IS LEGAL TO GO THERE NOW.

It's not but the fish are still there from what I've seen while in the plant.

[Skydog]

Has anyone tried Titlum-Tatlum bayou this time of year? I have had luck in the marshes, bayou and Cold Pass but it has always been in the spring / summer.. Looking for a spot for Sunday.

[trondude]

Thanks for all the spots! I'm new to Bay fishing and really appreciate the time you spent sharing your knowledge.

[Floundapounda122]

Would jumble cove by Jamaica beach be a good winter spot?

[Russ in Rockport]

My thanks as well, Picaroon, although I have my hands full down south trying to try out all the places down here. I have already been whining about going down to Baffin and the Land Cut. My wife would throw a hissy fit if I were to expand my "home waters" to include so much great water north of here.

By the way, don't quote me as gospel on this, but i don't think TPWD shuts down certain areas (such as development canals, Army Hole, etc) throughout the whole winter but only after really profound temperature drops. I talked with the main game warden here in Rockport and that is my understanding--that when it does appear that there is going to be a significant freeze lasting more than a day or two, they post the closing on the Internet.

Thanks again,

Russ

[JimD]

There are a bunch of places in west bay area.

Mike McBride told me about Eckhards bayou way back.

Protected from winds and deep water where the houses and canals are. Place to launch a small john boat or kayak right there ck google earth. In summer and some water and you can get into the back of Starvation cove or you can go the boat channel and get into the next cove down.

Confederate reef is a give if the wind is not too bad.

Offatts is a great place with the launch off 101 street down right next to the airport on the south side? there are multiple reefs all over with shallow and deep water and long reef in the middle with deep water surrounding it.

On the way in you cross the bridge that drains the golf course lake/ bayou. This is great fishing on an out going much of the year. BE DARN careful as you can wade some of the area but it drops straight off too. Fish tend to hang right on the east drop off so do not anchor or stand there among the fish. Buddy used to fish this around all the old Christmas freezes and tear up limits of fish. The basin on the other side of the bridge is 12-15 ft deep too.
Another place is on 61st at the back of Offatts in the old days fishing an out going under the bridge has put some big fish in the boat.
Launching and kayaking the ski lake is good too . Not been in there in years but the lake is about 10 ft deep except for the edges with the east and north being the most shallow.

I was told that mullet free lined under either bridge esp the golf course bridge can put big fish on the line. Lots of cr-- in the water by the bridge. NOt sure on the 61 bridge but feel it is the same.

The golf course bridge or looking at google earth and where just west of long reef is shallow water from shore till it runs out to what look like a butt crack and mud in one side and sand on the other drops 3 ft to 9-9 another place for winter big trout. WATCH THESE AREAS and look at them close if your are wading out of the kayak but several can be parked and walked into or DID years ago.

[Merman]

I've fished out of a yak for years and winter fishing is where its at ... catching bulls , big sows , and door mats ... yep winter fishing . If you know where the fish are and can tolerate the cold , there's some of the biggest fish you'll ever catch in your life biting in some of the nastiest weather ... Many a nite in the back bay behind the power plant ... yep winter fishing , there's some of the best fishing at nite where it's glowing ...