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Reports & Forecasts: June 2014
Lake Calcasieu Louisiana
Jeff and Mary Poe | Big Lake Guide Service | 337.598.3268
Main lake reefs in five to eight-foot depths as well as flats adjacent to the ship channel in the same depths will be our biggest producers in June. Trout will be taken mainly on eighth and quarter ounce jigheads carrying Lil' John soft plastics. Whenever fishing flats and reefs adjacent to the channel, be sure to retrieve your bait by casting up current, be it an incoming or outgoing tide. This may seem insignificant, but it's very important, especially if the tide is strong. This will ensure that your bait gets into the strike zone. Sometimes the tide isn't strong; this is usually when trout get finicky. When the tide is weaker, you can get away with fishing against the tide. Cast straight down current and let your bait fall to the bottom. This retrieve is very slow, hop your bait a lot, but do not take the slack up with your reel. Let the weaker tide slightly push the bait away from you as you feel for the bite on the way back to the bottom. If this doesn't work, try changing the height of your hops, do not change your rate of retrieve.
Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag
Silver King Adventures | silverkingadventures.com | 409.935.7242
James has been catching some big trout at times, though the weather has made the fishing unpredictable. "We located a school of big trout and were able to catch some of them on two different days. We totaled four over eight pounds and had another handful over seven, with the biggest at nine and a half. This fish was just over 28 inches, with a girth of 16 inches. Just a fat old hog of a fish. Caught all those on natural colored FatBoys, like pearl/black. We've also had a good bite on MirrOdines at times, and prior to these recent cold fronts, excellent topwater action too. I expect the topwater action to heat up and be more consistent as we head into June. We should still see excellent potential for the wading, especially in areas close to the passes. The fishing out of the boat should become more consistently productive, since we normally have more days with light winds, and the fish start throwing slicks out in the middle. We might also see the action heat up around the ship channel around the end of the month."
Jimmy West | Bolivar Guide Service | 409.996.3054
Jim says the fickle spring weather has made the fishing hit or miss throughout most of April and into early May. "We whack 'em pretty good one day, then the weather changes and it gets tough. Things should settle out somewhat as we get toward the end of May and into June. In order to have the best chances for success on a daily basis this time of year, it is important to be willing to wade. If we set up a trip to fish out of the boat and wake up to 20 mile per hour winds, the plan needs to be adjusted. On many of the windier days, it is possible to make a good catch, but only by wading protected water along leeward shorelines. And with the crowds the way they are, it is just not possible to fish those areas out of the boat. We'll see some really good fishing out of the boat around mid-bay reefs and areas with scattered shell at times during June. Those times will coincide with calmer weather, which allows the water in the middle to clear up and also allows us to function at a high level out there."
West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays
Randall Groves | Groves Guide Service
979.849.7019 | 979.864.9323
Randall says the fishing in his area has been good lately, and he expects the run to continue, though the tactics will likely change with the natural patterns. "We had a huge crop of button shad this year, and it's hard to match the hatch when they are around, because they are so small. Lately, we're seeing an increase in numbers of larger shad, and they are much easier to imitate with the lures we throw. Today, we were in the surf, and I was catching best on a black/gold/orange Paul Brown's FatBoy. It is about the same size as the shad I was seeing. We should get more excellent days in the surf during June. Best days come on northwest winds, or light winds from either the due north, northeast or southeast. Most of the time, it's easiest to catch trout along the beach by using dark colored Norton Sand Eels rigged on heavy jigheads up to half ounce. The heavier heads allow for longer casts, and make it easier to cast into the wind, if it's blowing onshore. All in all, we are set up for a great start to the summer."
Matagorda | Tommy Countz
Bay Guide Service | 979.863.7553 cell 281.450.4037
Tommy plans on fishing a variety of cool and productive patterns once the late-spring and early-summer heat settles in. "When I'm wading in June, I like to hit the shallow grass beds on the shoreline in West Matagorda Bay early with topwaters, then move out to the deeper guts and use soft plastics later. We also do some drifting over in East Bay, targeting areas with scattered shell over mostly mud. We are seeing some shrimp already, so we might get some good bird-working activity by early summer. Mostly, though, we are looking to head out into the surf any time we can. The surf fishing already shows promise, and June offers some of the best potential of the year, in terms of catching quality trout on lures. Last, but definitely not least, I'm on a quest to break the state tripletail record. We had a fish that was less than a pound shy of doing just that in the Oil Man's tournament, so it seems legitimately possible. I actually went out and bought a 60-pound Boga Grip, so I'll be ready to document my catch when it bites!"
Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam
www.palaciosguideservice.com | 979.240.8204
Fishing has finally taken off in our local bays, with big spring tides bringing in lots of good water and flushing lots of bait out of our marshes and bayous. Redfish have started roaming shorelines over sand and grass, chasing all the bait, and we've had lots of luck throwing the Egret Wedgetail and Bayou Chub on eighth ounce leadheads. We have also found some trout over shell pads in about three feet of water and have been doing well catching them under Voodoo Shrimp about eighteen inches under rattling corks. The trout bite has been sporadic; some days they are over shell but the next day tight to shorelines over grass. As soon as water temperatures stabilize, I expect the trout bite to take off. Flounder have made their ways back to our bays, and we have caught a few in the local bayous on weedless quarter ounce gold spoons. The surf and swells ought to take off big time in June. I like throwing topwaters early, working the first gut along the beach and switching to working tails in the deeper guts as the morning goes on.
Port O'Connor | Lynn Smith | Back Bay Guide Service | 361.983.4434
This month, Lynn expects to settle into a pattern which involves fishing close to town, in and around the Pass area. "There's no sense in going too far right now. We're already catching some good trout around the Pass, and expect to see more of the yellow-mouthed tide runners coming in over the next month or so. We like to fish flats with sand and grass close to deep water, targeting the sandy pockets in the grass much of the time. Mostly, we throw small topwaters like Super Spook Juniors in white-chartreuse head early, then switch over to chrome ones after the sun gets higher. As long as we have good incoming tide movement and a vigorous bite, the floating plugs seem to work great. If things get tougher, we will switch over to soft plastics on light jigheads and keep fishing the same areas. Of course, we'll keep watching the surf, waiting for the calm days when the water goes green to the beach. In some years, the best surf fishing, especially for the bigger trout, occurs during calm June mornings."
Rockport | Blake Muirhead
Gator Trout Guide Service | 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894
Blake predicts the excellent trout fishing he's experienced recently in and around Rockport will continue right into the beginning of summer. "We got a bunch of menhaden in through the Pass not long ago, and the trout fishing turned from mediocre to really good in a hurry. The key has been staying around the roaming schools of shad. Wherever the shad are thick and flipping, the trout are biting. We've had banner days on topwaters at times, and of course we're catching better on Sand Eels at other times. In June, we usually have a couple of really reliable patterns available. The open-bay reefs and adjacent waters in about four feet of water or so normally produce well. Shorelines with grass beds on top of firm, sandy bottom also hold plenty of trout and reds too. Bays like Aransas, Mesquite and San Antonio all have ample features like these. I will still be using artificial lures much of the time, but June is the beginning of live bait season too. Won't hesitate to switch to croakers at times. And we'll be trying to get to the surf if we can."
Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut
Robert Zapata | [email protected] | 361.563.1160
Consistent is how I like to describe the month of June. It is a consistently good month for fishing. My confidence runs high during this month, and this adds up to successful fishing. The weather and water temperature are consistently good, and so is the catching. I will start looking for trout early in the mornings along shallow grass lines, in potholes and close to rocks in two feet of water or less. If the water temperature gets into the mid-eighties, I will move into three to four feet of water. This is a good time to use suspended lures like the MirrOlure Catch 5 in natural colors. I like the noise and the big profile of this lure. If there is too much suspended grass, I'll use the Saltwater Assassins or Die Dappers in natural colors rigged on a sixteenth ounce Assassin Spring Lock jighead. Free-lined croakers on #5 Mustad Croaker hooks also provide much success for trout, reds and flounder in the same areas. Chartreuse, shrimp-flavored Fish Bites will also catch reds and black drum in less than twelve inches of clear water on sunny days.
Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez www.sightcast1.com | 361.937.5961
Joe mentions a change in the water conditions in the southern parts of his area, and says he will likely be fishing up north unless things improve. "We have beautiful, clear ocean water around the bridge and in Corpus Bay. Spring is a great season to fish these areas. Many of the big trout and reds are in shallow water this time of year, so they can be targeted by drifting and trolling the shallows, and sight-casting opportunities are somewhat common. We'll be targeting grassy flats with sand pockets in depths of three feet or less most of the time, casting soft plastics with paddletails into the bright spots if we don't see the fish first. Areas on both sides of the JFK Causeway provide ample flats with the proper depths and bottom features for this kind of fishing. The water moves daily on these flats, since they are so close to the Packery Channel. Fish are most active when the water's moving, and working lures in the direction of the current is important if the tide is really rolling. As always, adjusting jighead sizes to match the conditions is critical."
Padre Island National Seashore
Billy Sandifer | Padre Island Safaris | 361.937.8446
The presence of sargassum and the impacts of cold currents reaching the beach are our biggest enemies in June. Should these two potential hindrances allowJune can offer some of the best fishing of the year for a variety of species. Bottom fishers using dead bait will find abundant whiting and some pompano, redfish, Atlantic bluefish and various other small game species available in the PINS surf. Tarpon, king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle, ladyfish and speckled trout can be present in good numbers. Typically the wind will lie before dawn and then increase through the day. Interestingly, the fishing is often better in the afternoon after the winds pick up and give us good water movement. Try to avoid driving on high tides; lower tides are usually much better. Numerous shark species are available and can be caught on kayaked and casted baits. Lots of big blacktipped and some big bull sharks come into the first gut this month. Watch for bait and birds and remember you are not the top of the food chain in the surf.
Port Mansfield | Ruben Garza
Snookdudecharters.com 832.385.1431
Getaway Adventures Lodge 956.944.4000
Now that Mother Nature's fury has settled down we can enjoy the summer heat. With waders off you can now enjoy the water temperature. That being said, the fish will also notice the temperatures as well. The traditional pattern is early deep, shallow midday. Early morning fishing means topwater action. If that doesn't work, switch to either a Corky or any other subsurface lure. Work the potholes carefully. If you are wading, stop walking as soon as you hook-up. No need to walk through the fish. If you are drifting add a drift sock or even two so you can slow down. As the day progresses, going shallow is the key. If you're on the west shoreline, don't be scared to chunk a small topwater. If that doesn't pay off go with a paddletail or spoon. On the east side, hard sand to me means a weedless spoon. A paddletail will also do the trick but them reds sure do love being spoon fed. Eventually, with the sun going down the fish will move back to the deeper water. Until next time; Tight lines and calm seas.
Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel
Janie and Fred Petty | www.fishingwithpettys.com | 956.943.2747
Fishing has been great when the tide is moving and it's a weekday; weekends are iffy, with multiple tournaments every Saturday from now until October, making boat traffic the major consideration when planning a trip. We've been limiting on reds most trips, unless the tide is stopped during the morning hours, which is our preferred window of opportunity. Every couple of trips we're catching big trout over twenty five inches and sometimes several on the same day. Freddy says, "This year is turning out to be like the last one, making us wait until June for trout that usually show up during the spring time. Normally we would be catching many more small trout in deeper water, which for us is about three feet or more." We're throwing Cajun Thunder round and cigar corks, trailing a Berkley Gulp! Live Shrimp in the lighter colors, on eighth ounce Norton spring hooks, targeting sandy potholes. When the wind is blowing hard, the water is too cloudy everywhere except up against the Island to see holes. Stop open bay dredge disposal!
Jeff and Mary Poe | Big Lake Guide Service | 337.598.3268
Main lake reefs in five to eight-foot depths as well as flats adjacent to the ship channel in the same depths will be our biggest producers in June. Trout will be taken mainly on eighth and quarter ounce jigheads carrying Lil' John soft plastics. Whenever fishing flats and reefs adjacent to the channel, be sure to retrieve your bait by casting up current, be it an incoming or outgoing tide. This may seem insignificant, but it's very important, especially if the tide is strong. This will ensure that your bait gets into the strike zone. Sometimes the tide isn't strong; this is usually when trout get finicky. When the tide is weaker, you can get away with fishing against the tide. Cast straight down current and let your bait fall to the bottom. This retrieve is very slow, hop your bait a lot, but do not take the slack up with your reel. Let the weaker tide slightly push the bait away from you as you feel for the bite on the way back to the bottom. If this doesn't work, try changing the height of your hops, do not change your rate of retrieve.
Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag
Silver King Adventures | silverkingadventures.com | 409.935.7242
James has been catching some big trout at times, though the weather has made the fishing unpredictable. "We located a school of big trout and were able to catch some of them on two different days. We totaled four over eight pounds and had another handful over seven, with the biggest at nine and a half. This fish was just over 28 inches, with a girth of 16 inches. Just a fat old hog of a fish. Caught all those on natural colored FatBoys, like pearl/black. We've also had a good bite on MirrOdines at times, and prior to these recent cold fronts, excellent topwater action too. I expect the topwater action to heat up and be more consistent as we head into June. We should still see excellent potential for the wading, especially in areas close to the passes. The fishing out of the boat should become more consistently productive, since we normally have more days with light winds, and the fish start throwing slicks out in the middle. We might also see the action heat up around the ship channel around the end of the month."
Jimmy West | Bolivar Guide Service | 409.996.3054
Jim says the fickle spring weather has made the fishing hit or miss throughout most of April and into early May. "We whack 'em pretty good one day, then the weather changes and it gets tough. Things should settle out somewhat as we get toward the end of May and into June. In order to have the best chances for success on a daily basis this time of year, it is important to be willing to wade. If we set up a trip to fish out of the boat and wake up to 20 mile per hour winds, the plan needs to be adjusted. On many of the windier days, it is possible to make a good catch, but only by wading protected water along leeward shorelines. And with the crowds the way they are, it is just not possible to fish those areas out of the boat. We'll see some really good fishing out of the boat around mid-bay reefs and areas with scattered shell at times during June. Those times will coincide with calmer weather, which allows the water in the middle to clear up and also allows us to function at a high level out there."
West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays
Randall Groves | Groves Guide Service
979.849.7019 | 979.864.9323
Randall says the fishing in his area has been good lately, and he expects the run to continue, though the tactics will likely change with the natural patterns. "We had a huge crop of button shad this year, and it's hard to match the hatch when they are around, because they are so small. Lately, we're seeing an increase in numbers of larger shad, and they are much easier to imitate with the lures we throw. Today, we were in the surf, and I was catching best on a black/gold/orange Paul Brown's FatBoy. It is about the same size as the shad I was seeing. We should get more excellent days in the surf during June. Best days come on northwest winds, or light winds from either the due north, northeast or southeast. Most of the time, it's easiest to catch trout along the beach by using dark colored Norton Sand Eels rigged on heavy jigheads up to half ounce. The heavier heads allow for longer casts, and make it easier to cast into the wind, if it's blowing onshore. All in all, we are set up for a great start to the summer."
Matagorda | Tommy Countz
Bay Guide Service | 979.863.7553 cell 281.450.4037
Tommy plans on fishing a variety of cool and productive patterns once the late-spring and early-summer heat settles in. "When I'm wading in June, I like to hit the shallow grass beds on the shoreline in West Matagorda Bay early with topwaters, then move out to the deeper guts and use soft plastics later. We also do some drifting over in East Bay, targeting areas with scattered shell over mostly mud. We are seeing some shrimp already, so we might get some good bird-working activity by early summer. Mostly, though, we are looking to head out into the surf any time we can. The surf fishing already shows promise, and June offers some of the best potential of the year, in terms of catching quality trout on lures. Last, but definitely not least, I'm on a quest to break the state tripletail record. We had a fish that was less than a pound shy of doing just that in the Oil Man's tournament, so it seems legitimately possible. I actually went out and bought a 60-pound Boga Grip, so I'll be ready to document my catch when it bites!"
Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam
www.palaciosguideservice.com | 979.240.8204
Fishing has finally taken off in our local bays, with big spring tides bringing in lots of good water and flushing lots of bait out of our marshes and bayous. Redfish have started roaming shorelines over sand and grass, chasing all the bait, and we've had lots of luck throwing the Egret Wedgetail and Bayou Chub on eighth ounce leadheads. We have also found some trout over shell pads in about three feet of water and have been doing well catching them under Voodoo Shrimp about eighteen inches under rattling corks. The trout bite has been sporadic; some days they are over shell but the next day tight to shorelines over grass. As soon as water temperatures stabilize, I expect the trout bite to take off. Flounder have made their ways back to our bays, and we have caught a few in the local bayous on weedless quarter ounce gold spoons. The surf and swells ought to take off big time in June. I like throwing topwaters early, working the first gut along the beach and switching to working tails in the deeper guts as the morning goes on.
Port O'Connor | Lynn Smith | Back Bay Guide Service | 361.983.4434
This month, Lynn expects to settle into a pattern which involves fishing close to town, in and around the Pass area. "There's no sense in going too far right now. We're already catching some good trout around the Pass, and expect to see more of the yellow-mouthed tide runners coming in over the next month or so. We like to fish flats with sand and grass close to deep water, targeting the sandy pockets in the grass much of the time. Mostly, we throw small topwaters like Super Spook Juniors in white-chartreuse head early, then switch over to chrome ones after the sun gets higher. As long as we have good incoming tide movement and a vigorous bite, the floating plugs seem to work great. If things get tougher, we will switch over to soft plastics on light jigheads and keep fishing the same areas. Of course, we'll keep watching the surf, waiting for the calm days when the water goes green to the beach. In some years, the best surf fishing, especially for the bigger trout, occurs during calm June mornings."
Rockport | Blake Muirhead
Gator Trout Guide Service | 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894
Blake predicts the excellent trout fishing he's experienced recently in and around Rockport will continue right into the beginning of summer. "We got a bunch of menhaden in through the Pass not long ago, and the trout fishing turned from mediocre to really good in a hurry. The key has been staying around the roaming schools of shad. Wherever the shad are thick and flipping, the trout are biting. We've had banner days on topwaters at times, and of course we're catching better on Sand Eels at other times. In June, we usually have a couple of really reliable patterns available. The open-bay reefs and adjacent waters in about four feet of water or so normally produce well. Shorelines with grass beds on top of firm, sandy bottom also hold plenty of trout and reds too. Bays like Aransas, Mesquite and San Antonio all have ample features like these. I will still be using artificial lures much of the time, but June is the beginning of live bait season too. Won't hesitate to switch to croakers at times. And we'll be trying to get to the surf if we can."
Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut
Robert Zapata | [email protected] | 361.563.1160
Consistent is how I like to describe the month of June. It is a consistently good month for fishing. My confidence runs high during this month, and this adds up to successful fishing. The weather and water temperature are consistently good, and so is the catching. I will start looking for trout early in the mornings along shallow grass lines, in potholes and close to rocks in two feet of water or less. If the water temperature gets into the mid-eighties, I will move into three to four feet of water. This is a good time to use suspended lures like the MirrOlure Catch 5 in natural colors. I like the noise and the big profile of this lure. If there is too much suspended grass, I'll use the Saltwater Assassins or Die Dappers in natural colors rigged on a sixteenth ounce Assassin Spring Lock jighead. Free-lined croakers on #5 Mustad Croaker hooks also provide much success for trout, reds and flounder in the same areas. Chartreuse, shrimp-flavored Fish Bites will also catch reds and black drum in less than twelve inches of clear water on sunny days.
Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez www.sightcast1.com | 361.937.5961
Joe mentions a change in the water conditions in the southern parts of his area, and says he will likely be fishing up north unless things improve. "We have beautiful, clear ocean water around the bridge and in Corpus Bay. Spring is a great season to fish these areas. Many of the big trout and reds are in shallow water this time of year, so they can be targeted by drifting and trolling the shallows, and sight-casting opportunities are somewhat common. We'll be targeting grassy flats with sand pockets in depths of three feet or less most of the time, casting soft plastics with paddletails into the bright spots if we don't see the fish first. Areas on both sides of the JFK Causeway provide ample flats with the proper depths and bottom features for this kind of fishing. The water moves daily on these flats, since they are so close to the Packery Channel. Fish are most active when the water's moving, and working lures in the direction of the current is important if the tide is really rolling. As always, adjusting jighead sizes to match the conditions is critical."
Padre Island National Seashore
Billy Sandifer | Padre Island Safaris | 361.937.8446
The presence of sargassum and the impacts of cold currents reaching the beach are our biggest enemies in June. Should these two potential hindrances allowJune can offer some of the best fishing of the year for a variety of species. Bottom fishers using dead bait will find abundant whiting and some pompano, redfish, Atlantic bluefish and various other small game species available in the PINS surf. Tarpon, king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle, ladyfish and speckled trout can be present in good numbers. Typically the wind will lie before dawn and then increase through the day. Interestingly, the fishing is often better in the afternoon after the winds pick up and give us good water movement. Try to avoid driving on high tides; lower tides are usually much better. Numerous shark species are available and can be caught on kayaked and casted baits. Lots of big blacktipped and some big bull sharks come into the first gut this month. Watch for bait and birds and remember you are not the top of the food chain in the surf.
Port Mansfield | Ruben Garza
Snookdudecharters.com 832.385.1431
Getaway Adventures Lodge 956.944.4000
Now that Mother Nature's fury has settled down we can enjoy the summer heat. With waders off you can now enjoy the water temperature. That being said, the fish will also notice the temperatures as well. The traditional pattern is early deep, shallow midday. Early morning fishing means topwater action. If that doesn't work, switch to either a Corky or any other subsurface lure. Work the potholes carefully. If you are wading, stop walking as soon as you hook-up. No need to walk through the fish. If you are drifting add a drift sock or even two so you can slow down. As the day progresses, going shallow is the key. If you're on the west shoreline, don't be scared to chunk a small topwater. If that doesn't pay off go with a paddletail or spoon. On the east side, hard sand to me means a weedless spoon. A paddletail will also do the trick but them reds sure do love being spoon fed. Eventually, with the sun going down the fish will move back to the deeper water. Until next time; Tight lines and calm seas.
Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel
Janie and Fred Petty | www.fishingwithpettys.com | 956.943.2747
Fishing has been great when the tide is moving and it's a weekday; weekends are iffy, with multiple tournaments every Saturday from now until October, making boat traffic the major consideration when planning a trip. We've been limiting on reds most trips, unless the tide is stopped during the morning hours, which is our preferred window of opportunity. Every couple of trips we're catching big trout over twenty five inches and sometimes several on the same day. Freddy says, "This year is turning out to be like the last one, making us wait until June for trout that usually show up during the spring time. Normally we would be catching many more small trout in deeper water, which for us is about three feet or more." We're throwing Cajun Thunder round and cigar corks, trailing a Berkley Gulp! Live Shrimp in the lighter colors, on eighth ounce Norton spring hooks, targeting sandy potholes. When the wind is blowing hard, the water is too cloudy everywhere except up against the Island to see holes. Stop open bay dredge disposal!