Written by Captain Greg Verm
Current Water Temperatures
Galveston North Jetty: 57°F
Galveston Causeway Bridge: 58°F
Eagle Point: 58°F
Alligator Point: 58.5°F
San Luis Pass: 59°F
Being born on the Upper Texas Coast and spending my entire life here is something that I feel blessed to have done. Mild temperatures for almost 12 months out of the year and being able to wear shorts for over 300 of those days – is something may Americans can not say they can do. Well, here in Texas… it is the beginning of the second week in February… and I am wearing shorts and flip flops! With that being said, year after year – I still look extremely forward to Springtime. Water temperatures warm up, and there are a couple species of fun catching and extremely tasty fish that are getting ready to spawn in Galveston.
Let’s first start with the Texas BaySnapper…aka Sheepshead. The vivid black and white bars make the sheepshead or “convict fish” distinctive among fishes of the Texas coast. Large sharp spines and a razor-edge gill cover make handling and cleaning difficult. Our Galveston Fishing Guides will handle all the fish for you… you just have to reel them in! Another key feature is the jutting teeth, slightly like a human’s. Make no mistake about it, the BaySnapper is an incredible fighting fish to battle on lite tackle, and even better table fare. From February thru mid-April, these fish will migrate to our passes and jetties to spawn. The best way to target these fish is with live shrimp with little to no weight “free lined” along the rocks and pilings. These tasty fish can be prepared many, many ways. Their white flaky fillets can be used for some amazing ceviche. Some lemons, limes, fresh tomatoes, cilantro, and maybe some dice up jalapenos – and you have yourself an amazing ceviche recipe. You can also fry, grill, bake or blacken these fillets. Whichever way you may like to prepare fish to eat… you can not go wrong with a BaySnapper.
As we are fishing for the BaySnapper, we will also be targeting redfish and speckled trout. Often this time of year the speckled trout are in a transition period from their winter to spring pattern, however the specks that we do hook up during this time of year are generally of trophy caliber. Also, nice slot reds will be hitting the deck as we fish with live shrimp along the jetty rocks.
Another great trip during the springtime is the back lakes and bays of Galveston. Redfish, speckled trout, flounder, BaySnapper, and black drum will be on our hit list in the back lakes and bays. We do use live shrimp in these areas, but our rigging is a little different. Most of the time we are fishing 1 to 3 foot of water. We fish the live shrimp under a popping cork in these areas. I have found that no matter a person’s age… watching a popping cork disappear under the water from a fish slamming your bait always gets the heart pumping!
One other fish we can not forget to mention is the Giant Black Drum. Known as the Galveston Drum Run – this time of year is excellent for hooking into these Dinosaurs! Our Galveston Fishing Guides will bring the Big Game Tackle that we use for sharks and on our Deep-Sea Fishing Charters. These Big Drum are moving into our passes to also spawn during the months of February and March – and it is not uncommon to hook into 10 or more of these fish rather quickly.
Lots of great things are happening here along the Upper Texas Gulf Coast. If you are looking for a great getaway, mild temperatures and some great Galveston Family Fishing Fun – We have you covered. Our Galveston Fishing Guides are Kid Friendly and are passionate about getting families and kids hooked up on some Giant Fish! Give us a call at 409-739-8526 to get your next Galveston Fishing Trip Booked with us! I will be happy to answer any questions, and get you hooked up!