Fishing Reports

Most recent fishing reports are listed below.

Also check out our Fishing Report Archives. These will give you and idea of how the fishing changes with the seasons here on the Texas Coast and will give you an insight of what to expect when you book a trip with us.

Fishing Report Archives: January-March 2006

Fishing Report Archives: April-June 2006

Fishing Report Archives: July 2006-May 2007

September 8, 2008...Galveston Tarpon and Epic Bull Red Bite- Had Ron Acosta on board yesterday for a Full day of Tarpon Fishing. The wind in the morning was manageable but not the calm winds we look for. It was 1-2' most of the day increasing to solid 2 1/2 footers in the evening. We were able to find a pretty good sized school of Tarpon first thing. Had trouble getting any Tarpon bites but, had plenty of Shark Bites Etc. The wind had most of the Tarpon Scattered out and they didn't want to stay up. Most of the fish were in about 30' of water around a decent amount of bait. By 3 o' clock it got down right rough. We decided to head back towards the jetties around 4 to see if we could get a few Bull Reds. We had a super strong out going tide which really had the channel roughed up with the 15-20 knot SE wind. Managed to anchor right inside the South Jetties in some halfway calm water. We rigged up and had a fish on within no time. It was non-stop till we ran out of shad. I think I had about 7 shad left from the mornings Tarpon Fishing, which would be about 15-18 Baits. Lost count of how many we caught but to tell you how good it was I caught 4 on a Tarpon Jig. There were Bull Reds busting schools of Finger Mullet in the middle of the Channel (WAY off the Rocks). I've had countless 30+ Fish days fishing for bull Reds, but this had to have been the fastest action I've ever seen. We fished for about 30 Minutes and headed to the dock after running out of Bait.

I've got a few weekend dates available thru the end of September into October for Tarpon, Bull Red Trips and Bay Trips. For more information give me a call or visit my website...

Tight Lines, Capt. Jacob Reaves

August 26, 2008- Tarpon has been the main Target here the past few weeks. The Tarpon fishing has been awesome when the weather cooperates. We've had some really nice weather the past couple of days and quite a few fish have been showing up both east and west of the jetties. We saw a bunch of fish this past weekend to the east but it was real hard to get a bite. At one point and time on Sunday there were schools of Tarpon as far as you could see in all directions. Most of these fish were moving to the west which may be the reason for the few bites. We've been encountering plenty of Sharks, Jacks and Bull Reds while Tarpon Fishing. The Shrimp boats are loaded up with black tips and bull sharks and most days you can catch more than you want.

Trout fishing has been pretty good over in East Bay and Lower Trinity bay. There have been a fair amount of Trout caught already under the birds out in front of Smith Point and the "A" lease wells. The Bay Fishing should bust wide open towards the end of September. The bays are full of white shrimp which is a great sign for the Fall Fishing.

I ran a couple of Bull Red Trips a few weeks ago and had great results. Its a little early for the big spawning fish to start doing there thing but we were able to catch over 10 each day fishing the Jetties and around the Channel. \

I am now booking Tarpon, Bay Trips and Bull Red Trips. I have a few openings through the end of September. I have a few days left for October Tarpon/Snook Trips out of South Padre Island, Oct. 4th, 5th and 7th are open. For more information or to enquire about booking a trip you can contact me at (409) 789-8044.

Tight Lines, Capt. Jacob Reaves

July 8, 2008- Summertime Fishing Report: I started off the 2008 Tarpon season down in South Texas. The fishing in South Padre Island started out pretty good for both Tarpon and Snook then declined towards the end of the first week of June. The first Tarpon caught on my boat was on June 1st and we went 3 for 5 on June 2nd. The corps of engineers started doing major dredging in the Brazos-Santiago Pass around the 4th of June and it really stained the water and seemed to push the Tarpon and bait out of the pass. The wind never really was conducive to fishing the beach. It blew 15-20 on average every day for the first 2 weeks of June down there. The uncontrollable elements really affected the Tarpon Fishing. When the wind blew we spent most of the mornings concentrating on Snook and did quite well with quite a few fish in the 5-8lb class.

Tarpon fishing in Galveston has been consistent when the weather allows us to get out there. We have been battling storms and wind the past week and a half. After returning from South Texas my boat went 1 for 4 on Tarpon on June 18th. On June 19th we went 2 for 3. Last week Bobby Gunther and I had a pretty good day, going 2 for 3 on Tarpon up to about 130 lbs. On July 8th my boat is 9 for 19 for the 2008 Tarpon Season. All of my Tarpon bites have come on jigs, Trolled/Cast/Drifted, in 40-50 of water. Finding the bait has been the key.

Trout fishing in upper Galveston bay has been consistent on days with good tidal movement and manageable winds. Most action has been drifting in 3-5 foot of water concentrating on Slicks and Bait. I have been using Limetreuse Bass Assasins rigged on 1/4oz jig heads. The Galveston harbor has produced a few fish on outgoing tides. The Surf has been holding allot of trout in the 2-3lb range but the wind has been too strong to get to them on most days.

I had a chance to go offshore a couple of days ago with my friend in his new 33 contender. We went out of Freeport concentrating on a billfish bite. We ended up catching 1 Blue Marlin about 130lbs and 3 nice Wahoo. We also had one other marlin bite that missed the hook. All bites came on Islanders rigged with ballyhoo.

Click here for a video clip of a nice 120 lb Tarpon caught on June 19th.

The Galveston Tarpon fishing will only get better as we get closer to August. I am currently booking Galveston Bay Fishing Trips and Galveston Tarpon Trips through the end of September.

I am also booking October Tarpon and Snook Trips for South Padre Island, I have the following dates available: October 4th thru 11th.

For more information or to inquire about open dates I can be reached at (409) 789-8044 or by email at jakereaves2000@yahoo.com.

Tight Lines, Capt. Jacob Reaves

April 28, 2008...Galveston Bay Trout Fishing and Tarpon on the Way- Galveston Trout Fishing has been good lately both Wading and Drifting. I've been spending most of the time in East bay concentrating on Mid-Bay Reefs and the South Shoreline from Sievers to Roll Over Pass. Most of the fish we have been catching wading have been on mud/shell in 1-2' of water. Bass Assasins rigged on 1/8 oz jig heads and Topwaters have been the most productive.

The Tarpon should start showing up in a couple of weeks in Port Isabel. I've had several reports of a few fish been spotted already in Both SPI and Mansfield, which is awesome to hear. I am expecting an excellent South Texas Tarpon bite this June with the water temps the way they have been.

I have just a few dates left for Tarpon and Snook trips in June in South Padre Island. June 13th, and 15 thru 18th are available. For more information click here or give me a call at (409)789-8044.

Tight Lines, Capt. Jacob Reaves

March 16, 2008....West Wind Trout Action-
I had John Pattillo and crew on Friday eager to get on some fish. Despite the strong S-SW winds we strung 36 trout to 3 1/2lbs, 2 flounder and a red. With the throwbacks we easily caught over 60 fish and had quite a few keepers come off. We caught all our fish wading upper Galveston Bay concentrating on drains and patches of shell. We caught fish on both the incoming and outgoing tides, it didn't seem to matter. All our fish were caught on Pumpkinseed/Chartreuse and Limetreuse Bass Assasins rigged on 1/8oz jig heads. As soon as this East Wind lays a bit the bite should continue to stay strong.

March 13, 2008...Galveston Drum and Trout Fishing Report- Drum fishing still remains Strong. We are boating 10-15 drum with the occasional bull red thrown in. Most fish are around 20 lbs, we caught several up around 60lbs last weekend. I've been fishing 35' of water on the channel side of the North Jetty, South of the boat cut. Live Crab with 8-12oz of weight has been the ticket. Best bite has been on the slack or the start of the incoming tide. It has been important to keep your bait on the bottom when the tide starts coming in to get the most bites. The Drum Fishing should stay good through the middle of Next Month.

Trout Fishing has been good Wading Protected Shorelines and Marsh Drains in Upper Galveston Bay and West Bay. Bass Assasins in Limetreuse and Pumpkinseed/Chart Tail rigged on 1/16 oz Jig heads have been the best producer.

I've got some openings through the weekend and Spring Break if anyone is looking to get in on some Great Spring Fishing.

Tight Lines, Capt. Jacob Reaves

February 17, 2008...Drum Run in Full Force!- Well, I think I will venture to say that the 08' Drum Run has started. I had Austin Crossely and crew out today with high hopes of getting a few pulls. They had their Lousiana Tuna Trip cancelled due to weather...We ended the day with 18 Drum to 40lbs. We should have had over twenty, lost quite a few...pulled hooks, missed bites etc...Fished the North Jetty in 35' of water on the channel side, North of the Boat Cut...Cracked Crab fished with 6-8oz of weight was the ticket...This was the best day I've had out there this year...It was a beautiful day on the water despite the Strong West Wind...It should only get better towards the end of the month...

I have quite a few openings through March if anyone is interested in getting in on the Action. I offer morning and afternoon trips, 6-12 or 12:30-Dark. $400 for up to four anglers, Everything is included except food and drinks for your crew and a Texas Saltwater fishing License. These trips are great for families, kids and anyone who wants to catch big fish.

Tight Lines, Capt. Jacob Reaves

November 20, 2007- Fall Fishing Report- Fishing has been excellent this past month. I spent the past 4 days in South Texas Tarpon and Snook Fishing. The wind early in the trip was pretty brutal but we still managed to land some really nice Snook. We were able to Tarpon Fish on the Last day but didn't have much luck. We spotted a bunch of smaller fish and had plenty of shots, just couldn't get any bites.

Trout Fishing has been excellent in between fronts. We have had a taste of some cooler weather and the fish have been responding quite well. We are catching easy limits of Trout and Reds both wading and Drifting. The birds still are going strong in the mid bay areas. Crowds are tough on the calm days and weekends but if you can find a group to yourself you can do real well. Upper Galveston has been on Fire as well as the Rest of the Galveston Bay Complex and East Matagorda. Pretty much every where we are going we are finding good fish. Most of our fish have come on Bass Assasins in Chartreuse rigged on 1/4 oz Jig Heads. Keeping a look out for Bait and water color changes is the Key for us this time of year. Our best catches lately have come on an incoming tide. As the Temperature drops on into December we will be concentrating on areas with Mud/Shell Bottom in 2-4 foot of water.

The Bull Red Run is starting to slow down. On a good day we are boating about 15 or so fish. We have been using more Mullet than shad lately. 35' of Water on the channel Side of the North Galveston Jetties has been producing the Best For us.

Tight Lines, Capt. Jacob Reaves

October 11, 2007- Early Fall Fishing Report...SNOOK!!!-

We have been doing pretty much everything in the book lately. The Bull Redfish run is in full swing. We have been Catching about 25 Reds a trip from 15-30lbs along with a few Drum and sharks mixed in. I had the pleasure of fishing with Peyton Elliot and Crew, We boated around 30 Reds to 30lbs, two Black Drum and several small sharks. We are fishing FRESH Shad in about 35 foot of water around Galveston's North Jetty. As long as the is some tidal flow we are doing real well.

I spent some time in South Texas in late September running Tarpon and Snook Trips. The Tarpon Bite was somewhat slow. We were able to jump quite a few fish, but, most of our fishing was done at night due to the full moon. When the Tarpon did go to feeding we would get several bites in a short time period. We caught a few smaller Tarpon Live Baiting and Throwing Mirolures and other baits and Jumped a few fish well over 150 Trolling Coon Pops and Live Baits. It was exciting seeing those big fish jumping and doing there thing in the moon light, What a Rush!...Kingfish, Redfish, Small Snook and Jackfish have been common by-catch while Tarpon Fishing. The Snook bite has been outstanding when the Tides and Moon are Right. We caught 4 fish over 10 lbs last week, along with quite a few in the 5-8lb range. Most of those have been coming on Plugs fished around heavy Structure. Brandon Keener and Crew had the opportunity to get on an awesome Snook bite with me at night, They caught and released around 15 Snook with three over 30". Just Like the Tarpon Bite, our most productive trips have been at night and in the early morning.

The next few weeks should be great for Trout Fishing here on the upper coast. With a few cool snaps the Shrimp should get to moving putting a lot of fish around the Drains and open Bay.

I will be running Bay Trips, Bull Redfish, and Trophy Snook Trips throughout the Fall and Winter Months.

Tight Lines, Capt. Jacob Reaves

(409) 789-8044

September 5, 2007- Upper Coast Tarpon Report and Fall Fishing Prospects- The past few weeks has been outstanding for Tarpon Fishing here on the Upper Coast. The weather has somewhat cooperated for us better than earlier in the season. There are a bunch of Tarpon both East and West of the Galveston Jetties Right now. Most of the schools consist of 80-100 lbs fish with the occasional big fish mixed in. We landed one about two weeks ago in the 175-180lb class. Last Week we landed 1 or more Tarpon every day and jumped several more. Large Sharks, Jacks and Redfish have been right in the same areas of the Tarpon. Last Thursday we landed over 20 Sharks from 50-150lbs while fishing for Tarpon. The majority of the Tarpon Bites we have been getting have come by casting to Rolling Schools of 20-100 fish with Coast Hawks or 2 oz Jigs. We have been finding most of the fish around Rain Minnows and/or Current Breaks.

The next two to three weeks the fish will start migrating back South. Typically, around the end of September there will be a large concentration of Tarpon Stacked up around the Brazos Santiago pass down in South Texas. I will start running Tarpon Trips down there the end of this month into Mid-October. The Fall Snook and Tarpon Fishing down there can be outstanding. The Snook Bite in the fall is amazing. You have a legitimate chance of Catching a Trophy Snook over 10 lbs without having to Travel to Florida or other further destinations. For those of you who are interested in booking a Trip down there I have the following Dates Available For Tarpon and Snook fishing out of Port Isabel; September 29th and 30th, October 2nd and 3rd. Some of my clients fly into Harligen and rent a car. It is about a 30 minute drive to Port Isabel. I reccomend Staying at the White Sands Resort which is located on the water in Port Isabel. Their rooms are affordable and nice. I leave from there every morning and the Rooms are walking distance to the docks, along with pretty much everything else you need (restauraunts etc.). Visit their website Here.

Fall Trout fishing and The Bull Redfish run is right around the corner. The beach front is already covered up with bull reds right now. I won't be log till the jetties are stacked with 15-50 lb Spawning Reds. Start watching for Birds working in East Bay and Trinity towards the end of this month and early October.

If anyone is interested in booking a Trip or for more information give me a call at (409) 789-8044.

Tight Lines, Capt. Jacob Reaves

August 6, 2007- Galveston Summer Tarpon Report- Calm days the past two months have been hard to come by, especially in a consistent pattern. When we get two or three days of light winds allot of fish have been spotted both to the East and West. Last weekend was the 2nd annual Tarpon tomorrow Tarpon Tournament. The Tournament is dedicated to get several Satellite tags placed in Tarpon to increase our understanding about these great fish. Saturday was a banner day for all. Many fish were jumped and 3 fish were successfully tagged. Our boat took 1st place in the Pro Division with two fish being Tagged and released. We had 4 other Tarpon bites on Saturday. We targeted large groups of bait and had success on the troll and casting to rolling fish. Coming into mid August I will have to say the prime Tarpon Fishing is in the works. Keep an eye out for a few calm days and get after em.

Check out some footage of a satellite Tags being placed in a Tarpon Here.

I have some dates available for Tarpon and Shark Trips out of Galveston and a couple of Dates available for South Padre Island Tarpon and Snook. I am also booking Fall Bull Redfish Trips.

Tight Lines, Capt. Jacob Reaves

June 18, 2007- Tarpon, Trout and Snook- Spent most of Late May and Early June Chasing Tarpon and Snook down in Port Isabel. The Tarpon and Snook Fishing was pretty solid. we were getting a Few Tarpon Bites each afternoon on the outgoing tide and caught several Snook each Day. We caught several Snook over 25 inches including one that was right at 11lbs. We lost several that were well over 10 Lbs.

The Trout fishing in Galveston bay has been Fair to Good. Limits of Trout to 6 lbs have been Taken by Drifting mid bay Reefs in East Bay. The Beach Front has been producing on the first or second day of Calm Winds. Chartreuse Bass Assasins on 1/4 oz heads and 51 Series Mirolure's have been the most productive.