Hey there, fellow anglers It's your buddy Artificial Lure here, and I'm excited to share today's fishing report for the Gulf of Mexico, particularly around Texas.
As of today, February 12th, 2025, the conditions are looking pretty favorable. Let's start with the tides. For the Houston area, we've got a low tide at 10:51 AM with a height of -0.6 feet, followed by a high tide at 6:31 PM with a height of 0.9 feet. The tidal coefficient is high today, which means we can expect significant tidal movements and strong currents, ideal for catching a variety of fish[2].
The weather is still quite chilly, with water temperatures in the upper 50s, which is typical for this time of year. Light north winds are making it a pleasant day to be out on the water. Sunrise was at 7:00 AM, and sunset will be at 6:07 PM, giving us a good window for both morning and afternoon fishing trips.
Now, let's dive into the fish activity. Recently, anglers have been catching a variety of species, including speckled trout, redfish, and black drum. The annual black drum run is in full swing, and these fish are being caught at places like the Galveston jetties, Seawolf Park, and the Texas City Dike. Bull redfish are also making appearances in these same spots, particularly with live halved crab as bait.
For speckled trout, the action has been good in deeper waters around South Padre and Port Isabel. Despite the cold weather, trout are still present, and using lures like Mansfield Knockers, Ball Tails, and twitch baits has been effective. In Port Mansfield, about 80% of the fish caught were on Mansfield Knockers.
When it comes to lures, consider using Flats Buggs, especially those with double bunny tails for calm conditions and curl tails for windier days. These lures are effective for sight casting to redfish on shallow flats. For trout, tan, olive, and black crab patterns, Seaducers, and Clousers in sizes 4, 2, and 1 are good choices.
If you're targeting redfish, areas like Port Mansfield are hot spots. Here, you can use Mansfield Knockers and Ball Tails with great success. For those looking to catch black drum and bull redfish, the Galveston jetties and Seawolf Park are your best bets, especially with live halved crab as bait.
In summary, today's conditions are perfect for a day out on the Gulf. With the right lures and bait, you can expect to catch a good number of speckled trout, redfish, and black drum. So grab your gear, head out to your favorite spot, and enjoy the fishing!
Happy fishing, and I'll see you on the water