Winter Trout and Redfish Bonanza in the Texas Gulf

Today, January 3, 2025, the fishing conditions in the Gulf of Mexico, particularly around the Texas coast, are looking promising despite the cooler winter weather. Here’s what you need to know: ### Tidal Report For the Houston area, the high tide is at 1:59 AM with a height of 0.32 meters (1.06 ft), and the low tide is at 5:51 PM with a height of -0.2 meters (-0.64 ft)[2]. ### Weather Expect a chilly morning with temperatures rising as the day progresses. Late morning to early afternoon is the best time to hit the water, especially after a cold front has passed, as the shallow waters in coves and back-lakes warm up faster than the deeper waters in the main bays[1]. ### Sunrise and Sunset Sunrise is at 7:16 AM, and sunset is at 5:34 PM. ### Fish Activity The cooler weather and low tides have kicked off the winter fishing season. Speckled trout and redfish are active, especially in the warmer parts of the day. Trout have been caught in good numbers in areas like the Palacios Harbor, particularly in the deep holes, and along the shorelines and rocky sand bars of the ULM and Baffin. Redfish have moved out of the backwater areas with the low tides and are feeding heavily on grass shrimp flushed out of the marsh[1]. ### Types and Amounts of Fish Yesterday saw good catches of speckled trout and redfish. Trout were caught using slow-sinking twitchbaits, soft plastics, and topwaters like She Dogs on warmer days. Redfish were targeted with DOA shrimp and eighth-ounce gold & silver spoons. Flounder are also starting to pick up, especially on drains using swim baits and gulp baits[1][5]. ### Best Lures and Bait For trout, use DSL lures in Magic Grass and White Ice rigged on three-eighths ounce jigheads. Free-lining live shrimp on small split shots and slow bouncing Berkley Gulp three-inch shrimp in pearl color are also effective. For redfish, Flats Buggs with double bunny tails or curl tails, and DOA shrimp are highly recommended[1][3]. ### Hot Spots - **Palacios Harbor**: Deep holes here are holding good fish. Use live shrimp and slow-bouncing Berkley Gulp shrimp. - **ULM and Baffin**: Rocky sand bars are great for catching trout with slow-sinking twitchbaits and soft plastics. - **Mid-section of the Saucer**: This area is ideal, especially between the cabins along the ICW and the deeper parts of the Pipeline area south of the East Cut[1]. Keep an eye on the water levels, especially with the low winter tides, to avoid running aground. Enjoy your fishing trip and stay safe This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.