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Galveston south side jetty
Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2022 11:53 am
by FromtheBend
Surf and wind looks dead flat Saturday morning, wanted to try launching out of east beach early in the morning. I have read about how strong the currents can be around the ends and plan to stay closer in. I plan on just throwing soft plastics, spoons, and jigging over anything on the fish finder.
Anything I should watch out for or target? I also heard if you arrive early enough it’s free parking as no one is working the gate? Still true?
Re: Galveston south side jetty
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2022 10:06 am
by OldTownYakBoi
Sorry this is late but it may help for others down the road. The currents around the jetties can be no joke, your best bet to fish the south jetty is a light north or Southeast wind, preferably less than 10 mph for a few days leading into the trip. If you arrive early enough to East Beach you can avoid the parking fee.
It depends on how you like to fish and time of year for what to target. But generally speaking, trout, redfish, and flounder will all be at the jetties on a given day. Sheepshead can be plentiful, but are easier to catch on live bait. It’s still warm enough you could run into some pelagic species such as Jacks or Spanish. Tarpon are caught near the jetties, but are much more rare.
All in all I have not figured out what makes the south Jetty tick. I’ve been there on glass days when the entire shoreline of Galveston was green to the beach, but at the base of the jetty was dirty. I have yet to have a really good day in that area, but I don’t attempt to fish it much due to the conditions. If you do go, let us know how you do!
Re: Galveston south side jetty
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2022 10:08 am
by OldTownYakBoi
I should add that if you fish this area to 100% wear your PFD. I would not recommend this area to a novice. There are much better, safer, and easier areas to fish in Galveston with a Kayak
Re: Galveston south side jetty
Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2022 3:20 pm
by FromtheBend
Thanks for the reply, I did end up going out Saturday morning. I arrived around 6:40 and there was no one collecting cash so I parked for free. Launch was a breeze as the surf was nonexistent. I paddled out to about 18feet and tried dropping soft plastics/jigs and only caught one Spanish. I moved out a bit further and tried fish bites and caught a toadfish and a couple grunts(not totally sure).
I found myself at the end of the jetty almost by accident. The wind and swell was so light it was a real easy paddle out. I went to the end and liked how it dropped off to 40ft but way too much boat traffic to sit there. That was maybe the worse part the number of boats out.
In the end I had the most luck just casting a spoon towards the rocks. Drifting back I caught 3 more Spanish, 3 trout and a small red. I did see honestly dozens of sheepsheads and a couple big bull reds. The water clarity after the first mile was great but not so much for the first section.
I could see how with some swell and wind pushing towards the jetty, not wanting to be out there at all. It’s a place I wouldn’t anchor and keep checking for boat traffic.