Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure coming to you with your Wednesday fishing report for the Texas Gulf Coast, May 7th, 2025.
Folks, we're looking at a mixed bag of weather today with some scattered clouds and sporadic rain showers, so keep an eye on those skies. Water temperatures are holding steady between 70-76 degrees across most of our bay systems, creating prime conditions for some excellent action.
The tides have been alternating between two and four tide days, and today's higher morning tides are pushing fresh Gulf water into our bays, bringing in new recruits of fish. This morning's sunrise was around 6:30 AM, and we're looking at sunset near 8:00 PM, giving you plenty of daylight to get those lines wet.
Speckled trout action remains strong throughout the coast. East Matagorda Bay is producing some arm-length specks, especially around Brown Cedar Flats during these higher tides. If you're heading to West Matagorda, those grass beds along the south shoreline are holding fish, with the dingy water surprisingly producing more bites than the clear stuff.
Redfish are biting well in Redfish Bay and San Antonio Bay, with water temps at a perfect 76-80 degrees. Over at Texas City, anglers are scoring nice reds along with black drum, with some massive bulls in the mix if you're using crab for bait.
For lures, GULP under a popping cork remains the gold standard, but Bass Assassins, Down South Lures, and MirrOlure Lil' Johns have all been producing. Those Texas Custom Corkies have been deadly for the Rockport crowd, scoring trout up to 5 pounds.
Live bait fishermen are cleaning up with fresh shrimp and finger mullet. If you're targeting the big catfish, fresh-caught shad on the bulkheads is absolutely on fire right now.
Hot spots to check out today include Allen's Bite and Super Flat, where the incoming tidal channels are pushing in fresh recruits. Shadrock Cove and Corpus Christi Bay are also worth your time. For flounder enthusiasts, the bayous and guts on the South Shore of West Bay have been productive during early mornings.
For you largemouth bass folks, the recent rains have drawn down some muddy water, but the back lakes are still producing. Try frogs, lipless crankbaits, and Texas-rigged grubs.
Remember folks, our bays have come a long way since that killer freeze back in 2021. If you hook into one of those monster specks, snap a quick picture and let her swim away to fight another day.
This is Artificial Lure signing off. Tight lines and stay safe out there on the water. Don't forget that kill switch!