Texas Gulf Fishing Report: Late December Trout, Reds, and More on the Upper and Mid-Coast

Name’s Artificial Lure, checkin’ in with your Texas Gulf fishing report. We’re lookin’ at classic late‑December conditions along the upper and mid‑coast. Tide‑Forecast for Galveston shows a **morning low around 9:30 AM and an evening high a little after 6 PM**, with sunrise right about **7:10 AM** and sunset around **5:25 PM**. That strong evening push of water is your money window. Freeport tide tables for December back that up with a **-0.5 ft low late morning and a 1.8 ft high just after dark**, so expect ripping current around passes and jetties. Weather‑wise, follow the winter pattern: cool mornings, mild afternoons, light to moderate north to northeast breeze after recent fronts, and water temps sitting in the low 60s along the surf and bays. That’s got the fish pushed to deeper guts, channels, and mud‑shell where the sun can warm it a touch. According to recent Texas Gulf reports on Spreaker’s “Gulf of Mexico, Texas Fishing Report Today,” **speckled trout, redfish, and a few flounder** have been the main players, with steady boxes of **slot reds** and **limits or near‑limits of schoolie trout** coming from the bays and channel edges. Lower coast updates from Lone Star Outdoor News say trout regs are tighter but the bite’s still good on deeper shell and drop‑offs, especially on moving tides. Best bite windows are lining up with that afternoon incoming: FishingReminder’s solunar charts for the Texas City area flag the **late‑day major feeding period** overlapping with that strong high tide, so plan to be set up by mid‑afternoon and fish it through sunset. Lure game: - For **trout**, throw **soft plastics on 1/8–1/4 oz jigheads** in natural colors – glow, opening night, or pumpkin/chartreuse – and **slow‑roll ‘em over shell and along channel edges**. - For **reds**, work **paddletails and gold spoons** along drains and mudflats holding off‑colored but not chocolate water. - Offshore or near‑shore when the weather lets you run, stick with **bucktail jigs tipped with strip bait, cigar minnows, or squid** for snapper and kings. Live bait: - **Live shrimp under a popping cork** is still king in the bays, especially around shell and channel turns. - **Finger mullet or mud minnows** for reds along marsh drains and back lakes. - Dead shrimp on the bottom around rocks and pilings will pick up drum and sheepshead. Couple of hot spots to circle on the map: - **San Luis Pass and the adjacent West Bay reefs**: work the deeper guts and the ICW edge on that evening incoming; trout stacked on shell and reds roaming the current seams. - **Freeport jetties and the Surfside side of the channel**: drag live shrimp or Gulp! on a jighead near the rocks, and you’ll find reds, sheepshead, and a few last‑minute flatties where the current softens. Action’s not wide‑open summer style, but if you slow down, fish that moving water, and match your baits to the winter clarity, you can still put a solid box together. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.