Reports & Forecasts: February 2025

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag
Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242
James loves fishing in February, because he recognizes the stability of the available patterns in the Galveston Bay area. “This month, the wading is much better on average than it is in January. In January, wading is productive only in a few limited conditions. But by this month, wading is much more consistent. In West Bay, the wading is usually really good in the coves and along stretches of the south shoreline when warm temperatures linger for at least two or three days once a cold snap turns the corner and southeast winds start to blow. When the incoming tide floods back into the shallows, the mullet are usually numerous, and catching fish can be easy in the afternoons on hardbaits and topwaters. If and when the weather is colder, the fish basically move out into the middle for a while, and catching them requires getting into the boat. In depths of about four to seven feet, we target our fish by making long drifts through water that isn’t super clear, with at least some muddy streaks. The bites usually happen close to the bottom, in places with some scattered shell. We mostly throw soft plastics like Assassin Sea Shads out there.”

Jimmy West | Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054
Jim was headed home from a fishing trip when he gave this report. “We got a big push of freshwater into the upper reaches of the Galveston Bay system. Until today, the fishing has been great in the bayous and marshes up the rivers. This small flood event will push the fish out of there, but it won’t flood the bay itself, so fishing should remain steady in these areas. We’ve been catching lots of reds and easy limits of keeper trout, but no big trout. The fishing has also been good at times on the Bolivar Peninsula. Over there, we’ve had good luck targeting our fish in small ponds and lakes near where the bayous drain into the main bay. In February, this is often a great pattern in that area. When strong north winds dump warm water out of the backwater areas and into the main bay, the trout and reds often stack up and feed in the current, while it’s rolling. Then, we’ll have a tougher time catching for a day or so, until the weather warms back up and the tide level starts to rise, then we can catch ‘em pretty good again wading shorelines with twitchbaits and topwaters.”

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays
Randall Groves | Groves Guide Service
979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323
Randall rates February as his favorite month for chasing big trout in the area around San Luis Pass. “This is a month to tie on some Paul Brown Lures and target big trout in places with a muddy bottom and some scattered shell. They like to feed on mullet, so we primarily look for them in the places where we choose to stand and grind for a few big bites. Another key to locating good spots to try is finding some birds in the area. Both species of cormorants, both species of pelicans and red-breasted mergansers all tend to show up in places where the big trout lurk. On the warmest days, when we see lots of mullet herding up on the surface and/or actually jumping, we catch better on full-sized topwaters like Skitter Walks. On the coldest days, the fish often retreat to the deeper water in the channels and bayous, or into the basin of West Bay. On those days, we do best throwing Norton Sand Eel Juniors rigged on 3/8-ounce Norton SpringLock jigheads. The best color depends on water clarity and amount of light in the sky, but my favorites include salty chicken, chicken on a chain and red magic.”

Matagorda Bays | Capt. Glenn Ging - Glenn’s Guide Service
979.479.1460 - www.glennsguideservice.com
February is a great month to target some of Texas’ biggest trout in East Matagorda Bay. Wading works best for most people, but people fishing out of a boat catch their fair share too. The wading is good on both sides of the bay at times. Generally, the action is better on the south shoreline and in the coves when the weather’s fairly warm, and tides are high. Lower tides and colder water favor the other side. Muddy flats and patch reefs close to the ICW produce some big fish during the cold snaps. Waders normally throw topwaters and slow-sinking twitchbaits when they’re after a big trout, sometimes soft plastics on light jigheads. It is also possible to wade on some of the main reefs in the middle of the bay, and areas around those will produce some big trout for folks fishing out of a boat and throwing soft plastics on jigheads heavy enough to keep the lures in close contact with the bottom. When tides fall way out, the fishing out in the middle is usually better than on the shorelines. Super low tides enhance fishing for reds on the south shoreline of West Matagorda Bay too.

Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam
www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204
Winter fishing remains steady in the Palacios area. Trout fishing remains solid in the harbor when temperatures drop. These same conditions favor fishing at the deep hole at the end of the ship channel. Down South Lures in blue moon and magic grass rigged on quarter-ounce jigheads have produced best for keeper trout. The seawall has been a pleasant surprise so far this winter for some solid trout and reds. Over there, on incoming tides and low winds on warm winter afternoons, we’ve found fish crushing Paul Brown Fat Boys and MirrOlure Soft-Dines in clear with speckled glitter. The redfish have been pretty thick in the creeks, bayous and back-lakes, and have been feeding heavily on grass shrimp and small crabs. Gold spoons and pumpkin/chartreuse Bull Minnows have been best lures for them. Another good surprise this winter has been the number of flounder left in the bays. Lots of solid keepers have been caught by folks chasing reds in the backwaters. Sheepshead fishing in the harbor has also been good this winter. Small pieces of dead shrimp rigged on J-hooks jigged along the barnacle-encrusted poles in the south end of the harbor have accounted for some solid catches of these tasty fish.

Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith
Back Bay Guide Service - 361.935.6833
Lynn mentions some familiar ideas and patterns he intends to work once February arrives. “I like the cold weather partly because it means we don’t have to get up so early to start fishing. Lately, after the cold fronts roll through and winds settle down a bit, the fishing has been better in the afternoons, after the sun heats up the water four or five degrees or even more. The best spots are flats with a mostly muddy bottom and at least a little bit of scattered shell and dark grass. We like to stay close to some deeper water, either a channel or a main part of the bay. On the best days, we are catching some pretty big trout. Mostly, we’re throwing Paul Brown Lures and Soft-Dines. I like the regular Soft-Dines more than the XLs. I work them slow, with a steady turn of the reel and some occasional twitches, to pull the lure up a bit. Then I like to let it settle back down into the water some. These lures worked this way have produced some really satisfying bites over the years. My favorite color is the chartreuse one with a flashy silver insert.”

Rockport | Blake Muirhead
Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894
Blake will still be chasing reds in his airboat once February arrives and duck season ends. “We do really well catching reds this time of year in some of the back-lakes and coves where we hunt ducks all winter. Normally, we find them in water about knee to thigh-deep. They favor a muddier bottom when it’s colder, and scatter out more over the rest of the area when it warms up. On the coldest days, they stack up in the holes in the bayous and drains, especially if the tide drops to a really low level. If we have warmer than normal weather this year, I’ll start targeting the trout more often. They’re much like the reds, preferring areas with a muddy bottom and some shell when it’s cold. If we have prolonged stretches of warm weather, we start to catch ‘em better in areas with hard sand and grass on the bottom. The trout fishing can be great around some of the reefs this time of year too. And, I always have my eyes on the surf. Not too many people head out there this time of year to wade, but I won’t hesitate to do it if the conditions get right.”

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay
Captain James Sanchez Guide Service - 210.260.7454
In February, strong cold fronts can bring some of the coldest temperatures of winter, causing both air and water temperatures to drop significantly. This month, fishing late in the afternoon through the evening can yield great results. On colder days, I recommend targeting trout by wading along the edges of drop-offs in waist to belly-deep water. Effective lures include the KWigglers Ball Tail Shads rigged on eighth-ounce jigheads, Mansfield Knockers, Soft-Dine XLs or Fat Boys. During warmer post-front conditions, trout and redfish become more active, feeding on flats, along shorelines and around spoil islands with seagrass and scattered potholes. Good lure options for shallow water include the KWigglers Willow Tail Shads and Wig-A-Los, both rigged on 3/32-ounce jigheads. Surface action may be slow at times, but when the fish are active, I recommend using the Mansfield Knockers or Paul Brown Floating Fat Boys. When seeking a potential trophy fish, making short, methodical, targeted wades in a small area is the preferred method. If we catch good fish, see active baitfish still present, and we have an approaching predicted major or minor feeding period, we often repeat the wade. In these situations, stealth is one of the keys to success.

Corpus Christi & Baffin Bay
Capt. Chris Elliott’s Guide Service
[email protected] - 361.834.7262
The calendar says it’s winter, but the conditions many days lately have felt more like fall here in Baffin Bay, and the fish have remained mostly in fall-like patterns. We’re still seeing plenty of bait in lots of places, including shrimp and pinfish that should have migrated out by now. As we get farther into January and February, we’ll expect the cold fronts to be stronger and arrive more consistently. When and if water temperatures drop and stay low, the fish should start holding along drop-offs and around the rocks in Baffin. We’ll definitely want to be on the water the day before these cold fronts hit, and then again a few days after the winds behind the front fizzle, when temperatures start to rebound. Big lures like Paul Brown Lures, larger topwaters and full-sized soft plastics like a KWigglers Ball Tail will be effective from now until sometime in the spring. We’ll target our fish on flats with quick access to deeper water, always putting a priority on finding active bait. We’ll look for any signs of mullet in the areas we target, knowing at times, a single mullet flipping can be enough reason to stop the boat and investigate.

P.I.N.S. Fishing Forecast | Eric Ozolins
361.877.3583 - Oceanepics.com
As we head into the middle of winter, we’ll likely have a lot of fog on the beaches. Anyone driving the beaches should be careful and alert for other camps. This time of year, pristine days with good water conditions are favorable for pompano. Traditional Fish-Bites or peeled shrimp will be the ticket to catching them. Red drum will be around, but expect to see more slot-sized fish showing up. Casting shrimp, mullet or cut whiting will work well on most large reds. Trout fishing can be hit or miss, but any that are available in the surf will likely be large and healthy. Black drum, both slot and oversized, will also be in the surf. Shrimp or Fish-Bites will also work well for this species. Up to this point, lots of blacktip sharks have been in the surf. With temperatures finally cooling down, expect large sandbar sharks to take over and become abundant. Sandbars are suckers for a large, whole whiting or sheepshead. If the water is warm, we might see a short run of small/medium-sized bull sharks. Structures or wrecks in the surf will hold a variety of fish that can be caught on both bait and lures.

Port Mansfield, Texas | Ruben Garza
Snookdudecharters.com - 832.385.1431
Getaway Adventures Lodge - 956.944.4000
Fronts have been coming in with more regularity lately, so trying to figure what areas to fish can be difficult. Those headed south should look at the Saucer; it can be a good place to look for fish. The number one key, especially this time of year, is bait. Bait activity can be minimal when the water is cold, so even scant signs of life can make a huge difference. Even single jumping mullet can lead to the motherlode. Early in the mornings, starting shallow, around the grass and sand break makes good sense. Eventually, moving toward the west, closer to the cabins, is a better bet. West Bay is another spot worth trying south of town, especially in mid-thigh depths, around potholes. Folks headed north should check areas like Century Point, on up to the Big Oak Mottes. Also, the shorelines both south and north of the opening to Little Bay are often be good in February. This time of year, starting with a Mansfield Knocker in colors like Bone Daddy, Ruby Tuesday and Zombie is a solid plan. As for plastics, KWigglers Ball Tails and the Wig-a-Lo in natural colors work well.

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel
Aaron Cisneros | tightlinescharters.com - 956.639.1941
With winter fishing now in full swing, the tide levels in the Lower Laguna Madre have receded, making for some great fishing on average, at least for those who know how to target fish in the right places. The trout bite has been good most days; we’re finding most of our keeper trout in three to four feet of water. Best fishing has been on flats riddled with big sand pockets close to the ICW. We’re throwing four-inch ZMan Big BallerZ in redbone rigged on Eye-Strike Trout-Eye quarter-ounce jigheads. On colder days, our favored retrieve is slow, with an occasional light twitch to jump the lure slightly off the bottom, in and around the potholes. The redfish bite has been healthy; we’re finding most of our reds scavenging on the bottom on shallow, muddy flats or shorelines covered with two or three feet of water. Four-inch ZMan Big BallerZ in plum/chartreuse rigged on Eye-Strike, eighth-ounce Trout-Eye jigheads have been most productive. We’re working them slow and in close contact with the bottom on most days. As colder weather approaches, locating bait will become a bigger factor in the catching. Finding even small concentrations of bait in cold water is key to locating predators.