Fishing Trinity Bay

In general, the temperature slowly starts to drop from the dog days of summer and the speckled trout and redfish move into Trinity Bay, which is bordered on three sides by land (mostly marshes).

It is often said we fish all year to get ready for the final part of the season, known to most anglers as “Trinity Bay in the Fall”.

Everyone has a particular time of the year to fish or method to use, but I really enjoy the fall fishing patterns that develop from mid-September to late-December each year. These patterns include wade fishing, drift fishing, fishing gas wells and pipe stands, and the most popular of them all “chasing the birds”.

Salinity plays a major role on the trout’s ability to stay in the area, and any excessive amount of fresh water coming from several water sheds in the bay will push the trout out of the area towards Galveston, appearing in large numbers around the north and south jetties. This year, with the San Jacinto and Trinity Rivers out of its banks, fish are staging near the channel markers 50 to 72……………..

They will also fan out on the beachfront where or wade fishermen Can catch their limits. The fish will return to Trinity Bay when the salinity is stable.

Most of this bay is only accessible by boat, but some can reach public ramps by using their ‘Hot Spot’ map, and may elect to trailer to some of these ramps instead of traveling across the open bay. It doesn’t take very long for Mother Nature to turn Trinity Bay into an ugly sea with waves in excess of five to seven feet.

It is best to wade or drift fish early in the day. This is the time when the speckled trout are in shallow waters looking for bait fish.

While wading, use your previous experience and knowledge to scan the waters for signs of trout. ‘Slicks’ will pop up generally in these areas, about the size of a washtub. Position yourself upwind of these telltale signs of feeding trout and cast around and inside of each one. Not always will you catch trout, but I have found these slicks to have gaff-top and sometimes hardheads in them.

Be assured that if you work several slicks that day, your stringer will be rewarded with trout.

Look for pockets of bait that appear to be nervous or being herded around. The trout are under them and the bait is not sure when they will feed. Areas like Hodges, Submerged, and Double Bayou are noted for quality fish to 25 inches.

As the day begins to heat up from the sun, move to the open bay and work the gas wells and pipe stands or some of the large separators. Also, work structure like oyster beds or areas that have guts running parallel with the shoreline. Lady’s Pass or Deep Reef is excellent ones. You will find success because these trout will wait in ambush in these guts or oyster beds and feed on the bait as it crosses these areas.

A good method is to drift on either side of the wells and if you pick up a trout, return and anchor in the general area. Sometimes, if the fishermen in your boat are quick enough to tell you of their catch, you may want to anchor.

Keep moving from well to well until you find the fish and be alert to tide and current in these areas. Most of your fish will be caught on the down side of the well from which the tide is moving.

Another option is to set out your anchor at a particular well and work it for at least 30 to 45 minutes, Remember; fish patterns can change, so be patient in these areas.

Each year, the birds in Trinity Bay lead fishermen to limits of trout and redfish. It sounds so simple, but in practice is not often so.

Once you locate the flock, make a turn upwind approximately 100 feet and drift into the area. Schools of speckled trout and occasionally big gaff top will work under the shrimp and herd them to the surface where they catch the attention of the gulls.

Speckled trout will often go on a feeding frenzy and hit anything you throw in the area. Be sure and cast around the edges, and if you can get your bait down quickly enough, solid trout to three pounds will be your reward.

The trout near the surface will be smaller, but more aggressive. Use ‘Bass Assassin’ or even a gold spoon. There is no point anchoring here unless there is a complete absence of wind.

Once you move out of the area, crank up and move upwind and start another drift.

Some anglers prefer the “sling-shot” method, which may or may not be good in certain situations. This method means to go full tilt with your engine until you are right in the middle of the diving birds, shut your engine down and work in he area 360 degrees around the boat. While this may be successful, be sure other boats are not already working the same set of birds.

Pay attention to gulls that fly for a minute and return to the same area and set upon he water. The shrimp and trout are down deeper and the birds are waiting for them to be driven to the surface.

Take special note to be careful and not disturb other boaters working a particular set of birds. If there are three or more boats in the area, move off and start a look through you binoculars. There are sure to be other birds working over schools of bait.

As always, enjoy the day fishing and catching your favorite species.

Remember what you have learned and pass it on to the little ones. You too, were young once.

Good lock and good fishing.

See you’ll on Galveston Bay.

Capt. Paul Marcaccio

April Options on Galveston Bay

The trip was planned to explore several areas in the San Leon, Dickinson Bay, and Texas City near the Dike. But, the old pier pilings that have always been such a magnet for redfish beckoned. It's hard for this guide to give up good old bad habits, especially when they have produced fried redfish filets so many times. The Big Bay Parker just seemed to go on autopilot, quickly swinging into familiar territory.

On a Bass Assassin ¼ oz wide gap lead head, the limetruse plastic mullet imitation looked deadly swimming through the sandy green bay waters. Long cast with my All-Pro Fishing Tackle Unlimited rod back toward the shallows drew the bait in an almost parallel course to the old pier pilings near April Fool Pt. Just as the sun was clearing the eastern shoreline of East Bay, my 6-½ foot rod bowed deeply. The power and style of the run indicated that I had a good redfish. The ultra light action of the rod along with my 10 lb. Elite line by Suffix proved to be lethal again. However, the pier pilings are different. It was over in less than two minutes. Twice more, my presentation proved to fool me'. It was embarrassing……

Then there was that magic day a couple of days later, back near the Texas City Dike. Using medium action All-Pro FTU rods, four of us did battle on some awesome black drum. Lots of Big black drum. It was a bright sunny day with a light east wind. Those fish were stacked in a deep hole near the Dike. And they were eating fresh blue crabs just as fast as we could serve them up. Passers by on the Bolivar Ferry were treated to several Herculean tussles. These spawn-minded females were all in the 25-40 lb class and they make ones forearms similar to Popeye's……

There was the beautiful April morning, spent with a very dear friend, Brother Chuck, around Goat Island near the Hog Pins in East Bay. We used several assortments of She Dog's and soft plastic Assassins and Tidal Surge baits to tally a mixed bag. By the end of the day, we had waded that entire shoreline and come away with speckled trout, redfish, sand trout and even one grandee gaff stop. My brother Chuck was equal to the test and found great success, both on top as well as feeding those great fish with soft plastic.

And yet again was the morning with Mike Heidaman and Casey, along the north shoreline of Trinity Bay. Get this, with no tidal movement, we boxed speckled trout to around four pounds on soft plastic Salt Water Assassins and Tidal Surge baits. On still another day, when cabin fever trampled good sense, a hasty run to the back of Moses Lake seemed to ease the situation. That campaign featured deteriorating conditions with a light drizzle. The only fish happening were several sand trout and some Hugh ribbonfish. Still again, the need was served.

The aforementioned episodes are described, not for the quality or quantity they produced, but to highlight the exciting fact that April is the month when it all begins. Most of the action we find on the Texas Coast pecks during the warmer months. By the firth of May, water temperature is in that magical 70's and the summer smorgasbord is being served up…

The large black drum show first. While the run pecks in September, bull redfish are year round possibility. As the beachfront warms to the sunlight, gaffs top, speckled trout and keeper redfish begin the work the shallow guts. Big flounder are funneling through the passes and ditches, working there way back into the upper part of Trinity and East Bay. Sharks will oversee the migration in numbers most people do not begin to realize. The first of these will usually be the small sand sharks. Not far behind them will be the black tip, bulls and hammerheads. By mid-June, Spanish mackerel, jackfish pompano, king mackerel and even ling will be taken near the beach front.

It is easy to rush this great out door experience. As much as this writer and guide love fishing the colder months, I eagerly anticipate that which is to come. Rare is the year that I don't try to will the fish into place before it's time. The next three months will offer more and more varied opportunities than any other time of the year. The possibilities are virtually limitless. And every year, during the dog days of summer, I suddenly blink one hot, steamy afternoon and wonder where those magic days of spring went already……

God bless you and your families, while you enjoy His great backyard.

Captain Paul Marcaccio, USGC & TP & W.

Article-April 2006-a B.O.I.(born on the island) with over 30 years of Coastline experience.