With fall bringing cooler temperatures and gorgeous weather to Texas Gulf Coast fishing grounds, Gigging fishing presents numerous fishing opportunities. As flounder make their annual migration through, this technique provides excellent catches.
Use a soft plastic jig with a shrimp head attached to a heavy fluorocarbon leader, and fish around eddies and the tops of hydrilla beds.
1. Redfish
Redfish is one of the most sought-after species to target year round, but as fall nears their popularity is bound to rise further. Their bronze and gold colors and easily distinguishable dot or dots on their tails make them easy to spot in shallow waters; typically seen cruising near docks, oyster reefs, channels, cut-offs or jetties they are voracious predators that can be caught using nearly any bait available.
Redfish is an esteemed member of the Drum family and exhibits various behavior that depends on its environment. Spawners that produce millions of eggs annually, Redfish typically prefer salt marshes, coastal bays and lagoon estuaries with sandy or muddy bottoms where seagrass or other forms of natural vegetation exist as spawning grounds.
As temperatures cool off, redfish become active along shorelines in search of food. Look out for them chasing schooling baitfish or cruising shallow grass flats – most active between morning and dusk.
The fall “Bull” Red run typically begins around October and continues into winter, attracting armies of anglers along the Texas coast who offer baited shrimp or crab to feed the predatory redfish.
To catch Redfish, it’s wise to employ a stationary rig with a popping cork as this mimics the sounds of baitfish being scared away by predators and draws in curious Redfish to investigate it. A Carolina Rig may work well here: just attach an egg sinker, swivel, jighead bait and hook all to an 18-24 inches leader; use bait like mullet, menhaden or chopped shrimp pieces as bait; or try using Chum as an effective means of getting Redfish’s attention over reefs or drop-offs!
2. Speckled Trout
Texas natives love fall as an enjoyable time. School buses zip by, Friday Night Lights start up, Dove Season opens its wings, and of course there’s the amazing fishing along the upper Texas Gulf Coast. Mustang Island and Trinity Bay both boast fantastic inshore fisheries where Speckled Trout and Redfish feed throughout the year; however, fall is best time for targeting Speckled Trout as their feeding intensity spikes significantly before winter sets in.
These Gulf Beach regulars enjoy feasting on shrimp, crabs and baitfish in the shallow waters that they call home, making their location easy to pinpoint. Unlike their more elusive cousins – Grey Trout (Weakfish, Yellowfin Sea trout or Spotted Trout), specks are easily visible in shallow water environments and can be lured in with soft plastic lures designed to mimic shrimp; spoons or jig heads tend to work best, although topwater lures that imitate minnow or torpedo can provoke strikes from cautious specks!
While flounders can be caught throughout the year, September and October mark peak Flounder Run season for Texas residents looking to try their luck Gigging Flounder – an ancient Texas pastime requiring only a gaff, torchlight, and keen eyesight for optimal success!
Corpus Christi jetties provide ideal locations for fishing specks in the fall. Packed full of shrimp and baitfish that attract predators like bull sharks, Jack Crevalle or Cobia – as well as local birds like pelicans – they make excellent spots to find these prized fish.
3. Flounder
The flounder is a flatfish species known for blending into seabed environments. Both male and female specimens feature distinctive round body shapes with variations that change to blend in with their environment. While flounder can be found year-round in Texas waters, their most sought-after fishing opportunity occurs during fall migration when they move from back bays into Gulf of Mexico passes to spawn. They can be targeted using various techniques; one popular strategy involves using gigging spear with shrimp or crab bait when water clarity allows; flounder are known for their delicate flavors and flaky textures – both qualities which makes them very sought-after by consumers!
One popular recipe is baking flounder fillets in a lemon butter sauce. This simple yet straightforward method works great with any mild white fish fillet, such as sole, haddock or halibut. Fresh breadcrumbs are key here; try cubing bread then pulse pulsing in your food processor until coarse crumbs form; for those short on time store-bought dried breadcrumbs could work too.
Galveston Bay offers year-round flounder fishing opportunities and it is one of the Big 3 fish species every angler hopes to catch when visiting Galveston. They become particularly active during fall as they make their way from Galveston’s canal system through ship channels to deeper Gulf waters to spawn.
Galveston Bay in October is an excellent spot for speckled trout, redfish and black drum fishing. Many locals head out onto bayous or marshy areas during afternoon or evening hours to target these species; Galveston bay provides ample bayous, channels, islands and bridge pylons from which anglers can seek them out.
4. Black Drum
Pogonias cromis) is an increasingly popular species for both recreational and commercial anglers alike. While its population remains steady, fishing pressure remains high. As the largest species within Sciaenidae family, this bottom feeder utilizes sensitive chin barbels to detect food sources while heavy pharyngeal teeth allow it to crush invertebrates such as oysters, crabs, shrimp, etc. for sustenance.
Bull drum fish can be found throughout Texas bay systems and the Gulf of Mexico, preferring brackish waters such as estuaries. Most abundant in mud flats, oyster beds, creeks, inlets, jetties and channel edges; large schools of bull drum are typically found spawning before spring/summer arrives; average Texas catch sizes range between 20-40 pounds.
For this species of fish, shrimp, cut bait, sand fleas and blue crabs make an excellent bait selection. Casting or fly fishing tackle with 15 to 30 pound test should be utilized; larger flies that reach down into deeper waters such as Redfish Worm, Clouser Minnow or Black Mirage work well.
Now is an ideal time of year to try a new fish or technique, with mild temperatures and light crowds relative to summer’s bustle. Take advantage of Texas’ prime inshore fishing conditions to target some of its popular inshore fish species; for the ultimate experience book a guided fishing trip that specializes in targeting such as these as well as others that call our area home.
5. Sheepshead
Sheepshead are one of the more sought-after targets in Texas during October and throughout fall, both for fly anglers and light tackle spinners alike. These inshore targets make excellent targets for both fly fishing and light tackle spinners, due to their formidable predatory abilities and aggressive feeding behaviors. Sheepshead are commonly known by different names: convict fish, sheephead seabream, rondeau mouton (French), sargo chopa (Portuguese) or sparus owczarz (Polish).
They belong to the drum family and share characteristics with Atlantic spadefish and black drum. They feature a compact body with high forehead, silvery-greenish coloration with five or six distinct vertical bars on juveniles; dusky or black caudal and dorsal fins and can grow up to 30 inches and 22 pounds, feeding on both invertebrates and small vertebrates.
Spawning of these fish typically occurs between February and March in coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico near jetties, pilings, rock reefs or shallow grass flats near jetties, pilings or rock reefs. Sheepshead are known to inhabit shallow grass flats, oyster shoals or brackish bay systems where their strong incisor teeth allow them to feed off barnacles or other hard-shelled organisms while their strong jaws allow them to grab onto artificial baits more readily than traditional fish species.
Sheepshead can be targeted effectively by casting inshore grass flats near structures such as docks, seawalls, piers, or mangrove roots. You’ll likely catch these fish using shrimp bait, jigs and cut bait – and night fishing might even prove successful as that’s when they tend to be most active and hungry for sustenance – sheepshead are delicious table fare that can be grilled, baked or fried before being served up on your dinner table!
Bert Swope
