Questions About Winter Texas Coastal Fishing

[Cobra2020*]

1. Although I have read that tidal flow can be a very important factor in where and when to fish inshore on the Texas coast it appears that tidal magnitudes are generally small during winter, as they are now. I have read advice that when tidal flows are weak to focus instead on wind-driven currents and fish downwind of cuts and gaps. Is this true even if the weak tidal flow is against the wind current?
2. Is the spawning migration for reds and flounder completed by now?
3. For the reds still inshore I have read that in winter when water near the surface gets colder they move to deeper water but on warmer winter days they move back to skinnier water during afternoons, so fish deeper water in the morning and skinnier water in the afternoon. Is this good advice?
4. Do trout behave similarly?
5. Do enough flounder remain inshore during winter to make it worth targeting them?

[TexasJim]

For question #5: Last Thursday, 12/10, I caught a 22" doormat flounder in the Sailboat Channel, just west of the B & R Flats, in about 2' of water on a Storm Minnow lure under a popping cork. So, yes, there are still flounder inshore. Like several have said, this season seems to be a couple of weeks later than normal. Good luck, TexasJim

[Neumie]

1. Although I have read that tidal flow can be a very important factor in where and when to fish inshore on the Texas coast it appears that tidal magnitudes are generally small during winter, as they are now. I have read advice that when tidal flows are weak to focus instead on wind-driven currents and fish downwind of cuts and gaps. Is this true even if the weak tidal flow is against the wind current?
2. Is the spawning migration for reds and flounder completed by now?
3. For the reds still inshore I have read that in winter when water near the surface gets colder they move to deeper water but on warmer winter days they move back to skinnier water during afternoons, so fish deeper water in the morning and skinnier water in the afternoon. Is this good advice?
4. Do trout behave similarly?
5. Do enough flounder remain inshore during winter to make it worth targeting them?

1. Compared to tidal movement along the East and West coasts of the US, all of our tides we see in Texas are considered "weak". So weak that you'll notice the wind can negate a tidal movement. Typically this happens the farther away from pass you're fishing. Around Lighthouse Lakes the tides are still strong enough to overcome an opposite moving wind, but say back in Copano or even at Shamrock the winds can overpower the tides. Find moving water is important. Or windblown structure such as cove or point.

During the winter months when we start getting cold fronts you'll hear people referring to "The Dump". This is an instance when a strong Northwest cold front literally dumps all the water out of the bay, regardless of what the tide is doing. We're actually experiencing a dump right now. Here's the tide gauge up in Galveston where you'll see the tide started to get dumped out of the bay about 8-10 hours ahead of the high tide.



2. Yes. Though only the "bull" reds have moved out into the gulf. Those within the slot (and smaller) have not reached sexual maturity and stay in the bays.

3 & 4. Generally, this is good advice though I would apply that to trout more so than reds. Reds can tolerate more extremes in their environment than trout. (Flounder are pretty hardy too). Fishing near deeper water adjacent to flats is a good idea. Also, softer bottoms such as mud and hard structure such as exposed rocks will hold heat which the fish gravitate towards. Prolong periods of cold the fish will definitely move towards deeper water. Generally in the winter months I'm not getting on the water as early as I would in the spring through Fall.

5. I don't target flounder, but you'll still be able to catch flounder in the bays even after the fall run. The bays aren't void of them.

[karstopo]

1. I’m not sure I completely understand the first question. Moving water is a good thing, though. I generally like fishing with the current or across the current.

2. From what I understand, virtually every redfish inshore is a juvenile here in Texas, even if it happens to be over the slot. But, it could be that there are areas with obvious adult fish inshore like in Louisiana where 20# and 40” fish are routinely caught, especially in the cooler months, inside the barrier islands and beaches. I suppose the adult redfish breed in the fall in the surf or passes and then are free to go where they wish before or after the spawn. Somewhere, I’ve read the adult fish tend to stay offshore once they are adults. Is this 100%, IDK.

Look up JMiller or Jantzen Miller or is it Flounder guru. He’s spent years perfecting fishing for flounder and has a lot of good information on his threads here. From what I remember on those, the Flounder, even keeper sized females, don’t all completely leave the bays and inshore areas in the winter. They get harder to find in January if I remember it correctly. They are already coming back inshore from the gulf by February in many cases. So there’s a tough, not impossible, to get them period for a few weeks in the winter.

I don’t really see any redfish migration inshore in my area. They might shift around seasonally and maybe stay closer to deeper water, but redfish can be found in shallow marsh areas year around.

3. I’d say that’s good advice. But warmer water periods can linger even in the winter so the redfish might not be so confined to areas right up against deeper water. But, I love a little shallow shelf or fringing reef next to a deeper drain or channel in winter.

4. I’d say trout seem more moody or less accepting of extremes of water temperature than redfish. So really extra hot or really extra cold water bothers them more than redfish. But, both seem to like someplace to warm up when the water is very cold and someplace to cool down when it gets really hot.

5. Not for me where I like to fish. I might pick up a flounder purely by accident in late December or January, but I’m not looking for them. Not saying it can’t be done. I have places I like to fish and those are about Redfish and Trout in the winter.

[2 Weight Willie]

1. Although I have read that tidal flow can be a very important factor in where and when to fish inshore on the Texas coast it appears that tidal magnitudes are generally small during winter, as they are now. I have read advice that when tidal flows are weak to focus instead on wind-driven currents and fish downwind of cuts and gaps. Is this true even if the weak tidal flow is against the wind current?
2. Is the spawning migration for reds and flounder completed by now?
3. For the reds still inshore I have read that in winter when water near the surface gets colder they move to deeper water but on warmer winter days they move back to skinnier water during afternoons, so fish deeper water in the morning and skinnier water in the afternoon. Is this good advice?
4. Do trout behave similarly?
5. Do enough flounder remain inshore during winter to make it worth targeting them?

5. Flounder will still be in the Bay just not as in the great numbers as they would be in Spring, summer, and fall. most flounder are moving off shore at this time

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[Cobra2020*]

Thank you all for the great info.