Excellent Fishing along the Houston Channel

As the water temperature heats up in excess of 72 degrees, the Houston ship channel produces solid fishing for anglers willing to understand the adverse conditions associated with fishing there.

This is the time of year to keep the channel in mind as an excellent area for trout, as well as other species such as gafftop, red drum and an occasional jackfish.

Anglers should use live shrimp or croaker. Occasionally, soft plastic shad or shrimp tails work well when trout are actively feeding.

Spoons 3/4 ounce to 1 oz and deep water diving plugs will also be choice baits when conditions merit.

Make use of your fish finder to locate areas that have flats or shell pads and place yourself in a position to drift with the current, as well as with the wind. Hopefully, both will be in the sane direction. Keep a watchful eye for slicks and pockets of bait that appear to be nervous.

Once you have hooked-up, it is time to set your anchor. This is not the time to have a short anchor line. For every foot of water beneath your boat, you should put out about five (5) feet of anchor line. For example, ten (10) feet of fishing depth, requires about 50 feet of line.

Some people may opt to use their drift anchor instead. I’ve experienced tremendous trout fishing with the use of croaker and sometimes live shrimp (more on shrimp later). The use of croaker often tests your patience and willingness to stay in the area. Let me assure you that the results will definitely jump start your heart and fill your ice chest with solid trout to seven (7) pounds.

Methods very with each and every angler and every cast.

Use a slip weight (1/4ounce to ½ ounce) depending on the currents in the area. The stronger the current, the heavier the weight. Use a 10-barrel swivel. Attach a 30-pound test leader from the leader to the hook, (wide gap or circle, use No. 4 hook). The length of the leader should be 12 inches to 18 inches.

Sometimes these trout will hit the croaker in an attempt to kill the bait and take it. Be careful not to set the hook too quickly. Other times, they will inhale the bait and move off and set the hook themselves, leaving you holding on for dear life. There have been occasions when it was necessary to literally jig the croaker much like a shrimp tail to ensure the strike. Keep your croakers separate from other live bait, if at all possible. Make use of a circular live bait well and replace the water as often as you can.

There are some bait camp operators who hold live croaker. The one that comes to mind is Eagle Point Fishing Camp in San Leon. Johnny Valentino does a tremendous job of keeping live croakers at the fishing camp. Please call before you leave home (281-339-1131). Availability of croakers depends on the pressure of the fishermen.

As I mentioned earlier, live shrimp is a good bait used under a poppin’ cork anywhere from four (4) to eight(8) feet. The Longer the distance between the shrimp and the cork, the more difficult it is to cast.

Be sure to plan your trips and have alternate spots picked out so that if one area is too crowded or no fish can be found, you can easily venture to another area.

Spoil banks are unforgiving. Ship wakes can virtually remove three (3) to four (4) feet of water in seconds, followed by a huge wave up to eight(8) feet high. This will put a damper on your fishing trip if you are not careful. But, if you insist on fishing in shallow areas along the Houston ship channel, move to deeper water when a ship wake has receded.

Another important thing to look for is the incoming and outgoing ship traffic. Take note of which direction the ship is moving and be ready to pull up your anchor and place your bow into the wake they create, or let out enough anchor line so that the boat can withstand it.

It’s a tough call sometimes, especially when you are on every cast. But, you and your friends are more important than a few fish.

As always, have fun and try not to measure your enjoyment in pounds and inches.

See y’all on Galveston Bay.

Capt. Paul Marcaccio

Vision Protection Important for Anglers

What piece of equipment is often overlooked?

Maybe your landing net or an extra rod and reel.

Nope. Your sunglasses, prescription or non-prescription.

Aside from the obvious benefit of comfort, wearing sunglasses on a bright day can help protect your night vision; as well as help preserve the long-term health of your eyes.

Studies show that exposure to strong ultraviolet light will slow your eyes’ adaptation to the dark, meaning you might not have normal night vision until several hours after the sun sets.

Intense sun bleaches the chemicals out of your retina that you use for night vision. The chemicals do recharge, but it takes time, especially if your eyes have been exposed to strong light over a period of days.

Shielding your eyes from ultraviolet (UV) rays can also slow the development of cataracts, essentially a clouding of the lens. Cataracts are caused by a host of factors, including heredity and poor nutrition. Studies indicate long-term exposure to bright sun and glare can make folks already predisposed more susceptible.

UV Standards

You can hold a sunglass lens up to the sky to see how much visible light it factors out, but your dependant on the manufacturer’s work regarding the most important aspect of sunglass performance: filtration of UV light.

Ultraviolet rays are the invisible light rays that cause sunburns and can jump start skin cancer and cataracts. There are three types UVA, UVB and UVC. UVB has the potential for causing eye damage.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends sunglasses that 99 percent to 100 percent of UV light. “UV absorption up to 400 mm,” a measure found on some labels, is the same thing as 100 percent UV absorption.

A wide variety of coating colors and types can also filter out UV rays. Glasses that don’t seem especially dark can still provide complete, or near complete UV protection.

Even sunglasses with 100 percent UV blocking can’t seal all UV light out. Moving a pair of standard sunglasses one-quarter inch away from the forehead increases UV exposure by 4 to 45 percent, depending on the design of the glasses.

Side panels will prevent light bleeding in the sides of your eyes, but depending on the shape of your face, you’re always going to have some bleeding at the top and bottom of the lenses.

Polarization

Polarized glasses are famous for letting you see structure just below the surface of the water and fish. Polarized lenses contain microscopic mesh to diffuse reflected glare. You get a lot less fatigue with a polarized lens. You do get a little less depth of field and contrast because of the way the light is diffused in the lens.

A higher price can buy you better optics and more durable frames. Fashionable colors and frames may also boost the price of a pair of shades, as do special features like polarization.

A quick test for lens distortion is to look through the glass at a straight, horizontal line. Turn your head from side-to-side. If the line seems to wobble and stretch, the lens quality is poor. Good quality sunglasses tend to have lenses made of either glass; a plastic called CR-39, or polycarbonate.

In general, glass is the most scratch resistant; plastics are lighter and more shatter resistant. CR-39 is naturally more scratch resistant than polycarbonate, which wins the impact-resistant category. Both CR-39 and polycarbonate lenses can be molded and polished to achieve a superior optical surface, neither is cheap, and CR-39 lenses tend to be expensive.

For those who still insist on tossing their glasses into the tackle box with the car keys, manufacturers have mixed up special ultra-hard coatings.

Remember, you have spent lots of dollars for fishing equipment. Don’t leave out the most important pieces the next time you go fishing. A good pair of quality sunglasses is essential and should be a part of your basic tackle.

See y’all on Galveston Bay.

Capt. Paul Marcaccio

East Galveston Bay - Best kept Secret.

 You don’t need a huge bay for good fishing. A small bay with great structure plus marsh embossed borders can fill the bill.

That’s the case of East Bay, the smallest of the major bays in the Galveston Estuary. For years it was the best redfish bay on the upper Texas Coast, but back in those years it was also a best kept secret. East Bay is still the best upper coast redfish bay, but that’s no longer a secret, and the bay now gets heavy play from boaters and waders alike.

 Starting with Hanna’s Reef on the southwest end, East Bay is rich with structure: scores of deep oyster reefs and pipe stands, Hanna’s Reef is a favorite of anglers who like to anchor their boats to fish cuts and drop-offs along the reef. The deep reefs to the northeast of Hanna’s Reef and extending back to the bay’s connection with the mouth of the Intracoastal Waterway are favored by drift anglers and those who like to fish the birds.

 The borders of East Bay offer excellent wade fishing, especially the stretch along the Bolivar Peninsula side. This stretch from Goat Island, the bay’s junction with Lower Galveston Bay, back to Elm Grove offers excellent fishing for speckled trout, redfish and flounder. When the wind is light and parallel to the length of Bolivar Peninsula some of the bigger coves can be fished by drifting. Whether you drift or wade, a boat is needed to reach these waters because you have to cross the Intracoastal Waterway that runs the length of Bolivar Peninsula.

The whole of Chambers County side of East Bay can be waded, with the best action generally on the flats near the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. Access is either by the Refuge or near Smith’s Point. Reefs like Stephenson Pt., Deep, and Robinson Bayou, just to name a few good ones.

 Some of the best redfish action in this bay is during the oyster season. Working oyster boats make the bay quite sandy and at times downright muddy. This isn’t conducive to decent fishing for speckled trout. The working oyster boats, however, stir up a lot of marine life upon which redfish feed. Fish in the immediate vacinity of the oyster boats. Fish the flats and along the saltgrass marshes on the Bolivar Peninsula side of the bay. As a rule of thumb, let the tidal movement move the sediment toward where you are drifting. Great production will results in following the oyster boats at times………………….

 East Bay is like West Bay in that it is a Galveston Estuary body of water little affected by fresh water runoff from heavy rains. This bay has two close connections with the Gulf of Mexico. Consequently the salinity level in this bay remains fairly constant. The connection with the Gulf of Mexico is Rollover Pass about 20 miles from the tip of Bolivar Peninsula. The other connection is the Lower Galveston Bay at the mouth of the entrance to the seaway between the North and South Jetties.

 Rollover Pass deserves special attention. It offers boatless anglers excellent flounder and golden croaker fishing every fall and spring.

There is no lack of fishing facilities (tackle and bait stands, boat-launching ramps, eating establishments) on Bolivar Peninsula. They are located all along the Intracoastal Waterway. It’s a different story on the Chambers County side of the bay. There are launching facilities on the roads leading to the bay, but all the concession stands selling bait, tackle, ice and food supplies are located near Smith’s Point at the far northwest corner of the bay.

 Take advantage of the north shoreline, reefs like Deep, Whitehead and Richards, are excellent reefs to drift and find good solid speckled trout and redfish. Make use of the Salt Water Bass Assassins or Mirrolures baits in soft or hard plastics. Colors include bone-diamond, limetruse, Texas roach and pearl-chartreuse. Top water products like the She Pup or the Baby Super Spook are great tools for those elusive fish over 25 inches. Colors should be light in clear water and dark in off-colored water. Present temps are in the mid-70?

 Recent winds and rains from the upper watersheds have had a great effect on quality catching of speckled trout and redfish. Spring tides are up 2-3 feet at present. Fish are close to drains and bayous on the incoming and out some on the outgoing tide periods.

  Always file a flight plan. That way, someone can start to look for your group should you break down or worse, need medical assistance.

God bless you and your families.

Capt Paul Marcaccio