Galveston Surf Fishing Help

[.243 WSSM]

I am struggling to understand when to go surf fishing for trout. I have success when the water is pretty green and the waves are not hammering me. Is there a trick to anticipating great surf conditions? Is it all about the wind? What about the tides? I am thinking about Friday am but hate to drive all that way and get hammered by big waves and brown water. Thanks for any advice.

WOW- all that way driving constitutes 45min? I have to drive 5.5 hrs to see beach conditions first hand. Don't understand why you wouldn't at least try it if you have the time vs sitting at home and wondering what if

[Outback]

WOW- all that way driving constitutes 45min? I have to drive 5.5 hrs to see beach conditions first hand. Don't understand why you wouldn't at least try it if you have the time vs sitting at home and wondering what if

It's hard to understand if you are unfamiliar with Galveston. Most days I'm embarrassed to take guests to Galveston because it is brown and nasty. And fishing with waves crashing over your head flat stinks. Personally, I would rather not fish than get killed in brown nasty water.

[batmaninja]

Personally, I would rather not fish than get killed in brown nasty water.

I am right there with you. But I did have an old salt tell me that the ocean is basically a desert. And the fish like structure. The bigger the waves, the more produced the sand bars and guts will be, the more structure you will have. See if you can find some bays, jettys, or spots by the pass that you can pivot to if the surf is nasty.

But you never know, unless you go.

[Neck]

Learning to read the beach/waves and find the best spots to fish will help you out a lot too.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlF_Hy3kNLY"]Reading the Beach - Identifying Sandbars, Troughs, & Cuts - YouTube[/ame]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlF_Hy3kNLY

[Raleigh]

It's hard to understand if you are unfamiliar with Galveston. Most days I'm embarrassed to take guests to Galveston because it is brown and nasty. And fishing with waves crashing over your head flat stinks. Personally, I would rather not fish than get killed in brown nasty water.

I am with you. I live in Pearland and won't go unless I have very good intell. By the way never call a bait shop to ask what the surfing doing. From their perspective it's always green to the beach and folks are catching big fish.

[breederbuck33]

Look for light SE winds and high tide to bring the good water in. If you get a light wind with a northerly component it can be good, but, if you had anything but a SE wind prior to that, it'll be flat but muddy. Anything with a westerly component and just stay home. As stated above, always check the surfcam. You also have to fish the first couple of days after it clears. Starting the 3rd day, the fishing slows down considerably.

I don't surf fish, but I fish around the Galveston Jetties and in the channel and this holds true to that as well. A west wind screws up everything for us. Last weekend we had a west wind all weekend and it was awful. Then Monday it shifted and moved that good water around and they hammered them Monday afternoon. Put Windfinder.com on a list of tools. It also give a pretty good indication of wind speeds and wave height.

[hully1029]

Bringing this thread up cause I’m at surfside right now and will be til Friday morning. So, by reading the replies above, I want to make sure I get this right. Wind has been sw for a couple days. Wind should kick over to the N about noon today and should be SE for the next day or so.. so, trout SHOULD be okay soon, right?

[panhandlehunter]

Bringing this thread up cause I’m at surfside right now and will be til Friday morning. So, by reading the replies above, I want to make sure I get this right. Wind has been sw for a couple days. Wind should kick over to the N about noon today and should be SE for the next day or so.. so, trout SHOULD be okay soon, right?

Don't worry too much about the wind direction, if the water is calm, which it is and should be for the rest of the week get after it. Live shrimp under a popping cork should yield you plenty of fish.

[hully1029]

Don't worry too much about the wind direction, if the water is calm, which it is and should be for the rest of the week get after it. Live shrimp under a popping cork should yield you plenty of fish.

Awesome. I got up early and got some live shrimp, but dang they died quick. Popping cork?? Never heard of such.. its slip bobber and hookin minnows thru the lips for crappie where I live.. first time here.. lol

Also gonna try for shark too.. guys fishing beside us caught several yesterday.


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[Wits_End]

Awesome. I got up early and got some live shrimp, but dang they died quick. Popping cork?? Never heard of such.. its slip bobber and hookin minnows thru the lips for crappie where I live.. first time here.. lol

Also gonna try for shark too.. guys fishing beside us caught several yesterday.


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If you try for shark, hide the hook in the bait as best as you can. Some guys cut the fish open and sew the fish shut around the hook and leader. I learned recently that if you just hook the bait through the head or wherever, the shark will eat the other half, leaving you with just a head.

[hully1029]

If you try for shark, hide the hook in the bait as best as you can. Some guys cut the fish open and sew the fish shut around the hook and leader. I learned recently that if you just hook the bait through the head or wherever, the shark will eat the other half, leaving you with just a head.

Thanks! Haven’t heard that yet. They were using big weights and big corks that were still pulled under by the weights, letting the squid up off the bottom about a foot or so.


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[panhandlehunter]

Awesome. I got up early and got some live shrimp, but dang they died quick. Popping cork?? Never heard of such.. its slip bobber and hookin minnows thru the lips for crappie where I live.. first time here.. lol

Also gonna try for shark too.. guys fishing beside us caught several yesterday.


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Lol. Go over to Bucees and they sell popping corks. Rig about 24" of line under the cork, to a small #3 or 4 treble hook. You hook the shrimp just under the horn on their head. You have to use an aerator to keep them alive, and carry a bait bucket with you when you're wading. If you don't have any of that stuff, it will be hard to do. I'll loan you the gear if you want. I work over here, and can have it to you tomorrow. For sharks, the beach is full of smaller sharks right now. I was catching the things on topwaters down there Friday. Any cut bait should work. Use shrimp to catch a small fish, cut it up, and throw it out.

[canny]

Thanks! Haven’t heard that yet. They were using big weights and big corks that were still pulled under by the weights, letting the squid up off the bottom about a foot or so.


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We have been having fun catching the small 24-28” blacktips in the surf using our trout gear. They have been thick between the 1st and 2nd sand bar. Live 4-6” mullet with a 3/0 circle hook Carolina rigged with light wire leader and 3/4 - 1oz weight. I lost a really nice one yesterday (36-40” blacktip) on my trout rod.


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[hully1029]

Lol. Go over to Bucees and they sell popping corks. Rig about 24" of line under the cork, to a small #3 or 4 treble hook. You hook the shrimp just under the horn on their head. You have to use an aerator to keep them alive, and carry a bait bucket with you when you're wading. If you don't have any of that stuff, it will be hard to do. I'll loan you the gear if you want. I work over here, and can have it to you tomorrow. For sharks, the beach is full of smaller sharks right now. I was catching the things on topwaters down there Friday. Any cut bait should work. Use shrimp to catch a small fish, cut it up, and throw it out.

Heck yea!! We should have all the gear we need, but if not, I’ll let you know. I appreciate it!


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[hully1029]

We have been having fun catching the small 24-28” blacktips in the surf using our trout gear. They have been thick between the 1st and 2nd sand bar. Live 4-6” mullet with a 3/0 circle hook Carolina rigged with light wire leader and 3/4 - 1oz weight. I lost a really nice one yesterday (36-40” blacktip) on my trout rod.


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Again, heck yea!!! It’s on today!!

Between 1st and 2nd? Let me clarify, walk out from beach, hit shoulder deep, back up to waist. Am I now on the 2nd sand bar?


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