Winter Redfish and Trout Bite on the Upper Texas Gulf Coast

This is Artificial Lure with your Gulf Coast Texas fishing report. Down around Freeport and the upper Gulf this morning, we’ve got a cool, light northerly flow, clear skies, and a weak to moderate tide cycle. NOAA’s marine forecast for the middle Texas coast is calling for 10–15 knot north to northeast winds with seas running 2–4 feet just off the beach, laying down a bit through the afternoon. Tide-forecast for Freeport shows a low just after daylight with a strong incoming push into mid‑afternoon, which lines up nicely with prime bite windows. Sunrise is right around 7:05 a.m. and sunset about 5:25 p.m., so you’ve got a tight daylight package to work with. Solunar tables from FishingReminder put the big feeding periods late morning and again after dark, but that first hour of incoming around sunup has been the money tide in the bays. Cooler nighttime temps have dropped water temps into classic winter mode: trout and reds sliding off the skinny flats early, then easing up as the sun warms that knee‑deep water. Reports coming out of Captain Experiences guides and local captains around Galveston, Freeport, and Matagorda have been steady. Inshore, folks are boxing **slot redfish**, **keeper speckled trout**, and a few **flounder stragglers** on shell and mud near drains. Most boats are seeing 5–10 solid trout and a handful of reds on a half‑day when they stick to bait-rich drains and windward shorelines. Mid‑bay reefs are giving up better trout numbers when the wind stays under 15 and the green water sets up on the up‑current side. Best producers right now: - **Lures:** In the stained winter water, locals are leaning hard on **soft plastics** like Down South and Gulp shrimp on 1/8–1/4 oz jigheads, slow‑rolled just off bottom. MirrOlure MirrOdines and Corkys are starting to shine over mud and shell for bigger trout. Gold or copper **spoons** and 3–4" paddle tails are fooling reds in knee‑deep guts. - **Live bait:** **Live shrimp** under a popping cork is still king around channel edges and drains. Free‑lined or Carolina‑rigged **live mullet** and mud minnows are putting bull reds and drum on the deck. Cut mullet and cracked blue crab are getting the nod around deeper bayous and near jetties for black drum. Off the beachfront and nearshore, when the wind lets you sneak out, boats running out of Freeport and Matagorda have been picking up **bull reds**, **black drum**, and a few **sharks** on cut bait over nearshore structure. Kingfish action is spotty but still possible on deeper rigs with ribbonfish or big diving plugs when the water cleans up. Couple of hot spots if you’re sliding a skiff in today: - **San Luis Pass / Christmas Bay side:** Work the drains and guts on the incoming. Slow‑roll soft plastics in the swirls and throw live shrimp under corks along the edges. Current’s tricky here, so watch your drift and keep it safe. - **East Matagorda Bay, south shoreline:** Classic winter pattern—mud and shell with scattered grass. Drift with This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.