Spring time brings a variety of changes and challenges to fishing in the Galveston area; but with a few key things in mind, you should see some great success with a variety of species inshore and offshore. One of the biggest things to keep in mind is making it back to the dock safely for any fishing adventure.
The typical weather pattern includes some spring rain showers and possible severe thunderstorms but also plenty of speckled trout, redfish and sheepshead inshore and at the Galveston jetties as well as cobia (ling) and kingfish offshore as the water temperature and weather warms up into the summer.
As the spring rains push freshwater into the bays, fish tend to move with the saltwater to the lower portions of the Galveston Bay Complex. None more popular than the reefs in East Galveston Bay which hold great numbers of speckled trout and redfish along many of the shorelines. They can be caught on a variety of live baits such as shrimp and croakers, but also soft plastics and topwater lures as well. Make sure you keep an eye out for birds feeding on schools of bait which often have fish under them as well. While you’re looking for those birds… its a great time to keep an eye on forming and growing thunderstorms in the area as well.
As the weather finally allows to make some offshore trips, it is a great idea to try fishing a mix of bottom structures and rigs to have a chance at catching some big ling or cobra. They can be very exciting to catch and often get picky about what they want to eat—so don’t be afraid to try something new when that finicky ling is swimming around the boat.
Here’s a great start for some recipes, feel free to try any of these with your freshly caught sheepshead:
https://www.katiesseafoodmarket.com/blogs/recipes-news
