Published July 7, 2011
While the big news on the fishing scene is all of the outstanding catches during the past several days, the really big news is that a likely CCA-Texas Star Fishing Tournament-leading trout was caught in West Bay on Wednesday.
Moe Carpenter, a member of the West End Anglers Fishing Club, caught a 9-pound, 3-ounce speckled trout while wade fishing West Bay early Wednesday morning. The big fish hit a Bone Super Spook Jr.
Carpenter transported his fish to GYB Bait camp at the yacht basin, one of the official tournament weigh-in stations, and had it weighed by Raymond Berry, an experienced weigh master and the operator of GYB. If all goes well, Carpenter will take the lead in the Upper Texas Coast big trout category. Fortunately, Carpenter was entered in the Star Fishing Tournament. West Bay obviously holds some trophy trout.
In other news in the area, lots of quality specks are being taken in Upper West Bay in and around Starvation Cove and the Confederate Reef Triangle. Most of the guides fishing the area have been keeping their results close to the vest.
West Bay is not the only bay producing trout. Reports from all around the Galveston Bay complex indicate action has busted wide open.
Wednesday, I was back at the jetties, this time with Brandon Rowan, from Bay Area Houston Magazine. Rowan limited out on trout to 19 inches and caught a nice flounder and large black drum as well. While most of the action came from the channel side of the North Jetty boat cut, part of the catch came from the Bolivar Gas Wells, where the water finally has turned green and trout are biting.
Manny Lyons, Bait By Hillman on Dickinson Bayou, reported excellent catches coming from all around his area. Matt and Scotty Lyons fished near the floodgates at Texas City and returned with limits of both trout and reds.
While not many reports of trout action have been received from the beach front lately, big sharks are making the news at the 61st Street Fishing Pier. Mike Wodecki reported a 7-foot shark being landed at the fishing pier Tuesday night.
Offshore waters continue to be in ideal condition for the Mosquito Fleet to make runs to the platforms and wells, commonly called rigs, that dot the horizon beyond the jetties. Tuesday, Mark Moore, of Crockett, and two family members fished a rig 19 miles south of the jetties and caught a full limit of kings, two legal red snapper among lots of throwbacks, 12 large spadefish and several pilot fish.
To get your catch in the Reel Report, phone Capt. Joe Kent at 409-683-5273, or send an email to reel.report(at)galvnews.com. There’s no charge for this service.