New to Texas

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dtd004
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New to Texas

Post by dtd004 »

I am new to fishing in Texas. Louisiana transplant. I am thinking about trying somewhere around Texas city or Galveston tomorrow. Any suggestions or someone going mind showing me around would be appreciated.

Thanks.

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Neumie
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Re: New to Texas

Post by Neumie »

Welcome to Texas.

I don't fish up there much, but others on here who do will chime in.

I think posting up a couple more days in advance of your trips would help in getting helpful information.

Good luck today.
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kickingback
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Re: New to Texas

Post by kickingback »

Sent you a pm to help you out.

Anyone interested check out HardHitta SkeetaD on Youtube. Some of his older videos.
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Re: New to Texas

Post by Tombo »

Welcome to Texas. I did the same coming from Baton Rouge 15 years ago.
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karstopo
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Re: New to Texas

Post by karstopo »

Depends on what kind of fishing you like. Some folks like canal fishing at night or maybe the causeway. Since you are presumably in the greater Houston/Galveston area, I suppose mentioning places around there might work out. You have the open bay types that hit west Galveston bay and other open areas. My good buddy that has fished with me for years does well with hefty trout and stout redfish in Clear lake from his kayak. There’s the marshes like Pierce and Greens Lake and the ones off East and West Galveston bay. The Freeport area has lots of little marshes and tiny bays. Various bayous and creeks and rivers hold saltwater fish. Chocolate, Bastrop, Dickinson, The San Bernard. Virtually any place that you can launch a kayak from is worth a shot, that’s been my experience. I really don’t know your expectations. Some people don’t seem to want to risk a trip if there isn’t a near guarantee of a limit. Some of the folks are just into fishing for a meat haul so they are looking to maximize that. Some places are better at different times of the year and different water conditions. Expectations are so widely divergent it’s hard to know what to recommend.

Some days it’s chicken and some days it’s feathers, but that’s fishing. No doubt, there’s a bunch of great spots within an hour or so from Houston/Galveston. There’s books and other media available and endless threads on where to go when, what to look for, lures, techniques, etc.

Get out there, post a report or two, people get to know what you like, things feed and develop off of that kind of activity.
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Ron Mc
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Re: New to Texas

Post by Ron Mc »

after 2 weeks, I think we're due for a fishing report
dtd004
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Re: New to Texas

Post by dtd004 »

Well report. Where should I start? Went out to Texas City to find Moses Lake. Found it and the launch I had planned. Only to find out it was a pay launch and I didn't have any cash. Drove around the lake to another area I saw on a map that showed a kayak launch. Got there a little after 8 AM. Launched pedaled around through the fog hitting a few places. Tons of bait in the water, but nothing seemed to be hitting. Traveled all the way to the lock where I saw people picking up a flounder here and there. Tried what I had in my kayak, but no luck. Started heading back when the wind and heavy fog moved through. Hit a few places along the way still nothing. Got to where there were a couple of other guys where hiding in the marsh from the wind and talked to them for a bit. Learned that live shrimp is the way to go. Need to find a bait shop next time. Headed back in around noon with nothing to show. Going again this Friday in hopes of something better. Thinking Christmas Bay close to Cold Pass. Still learning and to stubborn to give up just yet. Thanks for all the info from everyone though. Looking forward to learning this area and hopefully finding fish at some point.
dtd004
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Re: New to Texas

Post by dtd004 »

Thanks for the post. I fished all over in Louisiana. Open bays, canals, marsh, and some in the gulf. Open to whatever gets me a few fish in the kayak to bring home for dinner. However, I am not against just being on the water and casting a line with no bites. Mainly looking for a good time and people to swap lies with about how big the fish was.
karstopo wrote:Depends on what kind of fishing you like. Some folks like canal fishing at night or maybe the causeway. Since you are presumably in the greater Houston/Galveston area, I suppose mentioning places around there might work out. You have the open bay types that hit west Galveston bay and other open areas. My good buddy that has fished with me for years does well with hefty trout and stout redfish in Clear lake from his kayak. There’s the marshes like Pierce and Greens Lake and the ones off East and West Galveston bay. The Freeport area has lots of little marshes and tiny bays. Various bayous and creeks and rivers hold saltwater fish. Chocolate, Bastrop, Dickinson, The San Bernard. Virtually any place that you can launch a kayak from is worth a shot, that’s been my experience. I really don’t know your expectations. Some people don’t seem to want to risk a trip if there isn’t a near guarantee of a limit. Some of the folks are just into fishing for a meat haul so they are looking to maximize that. Some places are better at different times of the year and different water conditions. Expectations are so widely divergent it’s hard to know what to recommend.

Some days it’s chicken and some days it’s feathers, but that’s fishing. No doubt, there’s a bunch of great spots within an hour or so from Houston/Galveston. There’s books and other media available and endless threads on where to go when, what to look for, lures, techniques, etc.

Get out there, post a report or two, people get to know what you like, things feed and develop off of that kind of activity.
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Re: New to Texas

Post by karstopo »

dtd004 wrote:Well report. Where should I start? Went out to Texas City to find Moses Lake. Found it and the launch I had planned. Only to find out it was a pay launch and I didn't have any cash. Drove around the lake to another area I saw on a map that showed a kayak launch. Got there a little after 8 AM. Launched pedaled around through the fog hitting a few places. Tons of bait in the water, but nothing seemed to be hitting. Traveled all the way to the lock where I saw people picking up a flounder here and there. Tried what I had in my kayak, but no luck. Started heading back when the wind and heavy fog moved through. Hit a few places along the way still nothing. Got to where there were a couple of other guys where hiding in the marsh from the wind and talked to them for a bit. Learned that live shrimp is the way to go. Need to find a bait shop next time. Headed back in around noon with nothing to show. Going again this Friday in hopes of something better. Thinking Christmas Bay close to Cold Pass. Still learning and to stubborn to give up just yet. Thanks for all the info from everyone though. Looking forward to learning this area and hopefully finding fish at some point.

I haven’t hardly fished the saltwater this year so I really can’t say I’m on any fish. In the past, April has been a pretty strong month at Christmas Bay. In the spring, I tend to launch at the end of Christmas Bay at the launch everyone calls Ernie’s. It’s free and it’s easy to launch from the packed sand there, but there’s also a boat ramp. No shrimp or any other bait for purchase there, though.

I used to do some drifts around the Churchill bayou openings, sometimes there’s decent concentrations of fish in those areas. Topwaters like skitterwalks can be productive as you drift along, bouncing tails like the DSL or an Assassin can produce as well, spoons are another thing to work through that area. Mostly hard packed sand there with just a little mud and shell here and there on that end of the bay. Submerged Grass and sand bars extend down the south shoreline from the Ernies launch. In the lesser Churchill bayous, you might poke along in those, could be some redfish hugging a bank or some flounder around some tiny openings into the marsh.

In cold pass, I’ve found fish around the pier that juts out into the pass. There’s a central sand bar in the pass that can hold some trout, but you might have to hunt around a little for them. Boaters in the know avoid running over that bar, but typically one or two will run up on it a stick their boat hard on the sand. You can go into Titlum Tatlum bayou and probe the edges there as well.

Seems like years ago, Christmas Bay was a little better in the spring than maybe the last couple of springs, but I haven’t fished there as much in recent Springs out there so there’s that. I tend to really like Christmas Bay in November and December. I have kept a fishing log for years so I can look back at what happened in previous years.

I hardly ever believe I fish any place just right and my attitude is generally “what clues am I missing” when I fish. Christmas Bay is capable of producing a really good day with lots of good fish to be caught, but it’s not anything like an automatic bay for me, at least in the spring these days. I’m more confident that I’ll zero in on some fish out there in the fall than in the spring the last 2-3 years. Cold pass, I don’t even have as many good working ideas there as I might at Christmas Bay. I almost always think I should have found more fish there than I did, but I’ve had a pretty good time with flounder there and caught some trout and a few redfish there also.
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Re: New to Texas

Post by Mr. B »

Come join us at some PACK meetings. We have a number of Louisiana folks and there are lots of people willing to give you any info they can. We meet every 3rd Tuesday of the month at the Sosa Community Center. Open invite, no cost to stop in and talk. You can find more info on www.packtx.org

Hope to see you there. Just FYI I have been here for going on 22 years but originally from Donaldsonville, LA. We still go fish trips in South Louisiana but many trips are around the Galveston, South Texas area.
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Re: New to Texas

Post by TroutSupport.com »

karstopo wrote:Seems like years ago, Christmas Bay was a little better in the spring than maybe the last couple of springs, but I haven’t fished there as much in recent Springs out there so there’s that. I tend to really like Christmas Bay in November and December...... but it’s not anything like an automatic bay for me, at least in the spring these days.
I've killed it spring after spring in Christmas (granted I didn't fish it this year since I stayed in Baffin longer). Fall is also good, and like you say December can be good. It's like anywhere else, you have to look for them and hunt them down... there's daily conditions to adjust for in the spring.. one morning they are on the shoreline up against the grass and the next they're out off the drop off. They can be on one area one day and gone the next. dtd you can email me at tobin@troutsupport.com and I'll see how I can help you get on more fish. We certainly have less fish density compared to where you were fishing in Lousianna but there's enough there to get bit.
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