If the forecasts hold, this could be the best week so far this year for fishing. The water is warming and a light wind is supposed to prevail most of the week, with very small chances of thunderstorms. Monday, the beachfront was almost flat and the water was rapidly clearing up after last weekend’s strong winds and thunderstorms. This could be one of those opportunities to get in on some early-season action around the jetties and the beachfront. Offshore seas should be tolerable for smaller boats, and, for those who are able to head out this week, some of the first pelagic fish of the year could be your reward. Ling in particular are likely to be making a run to the shallow waters along the beachfront and around the jetties. Early Monday, there were no signs of activity in the surf; however, keep an eye open for mullet jumping and birds, especially pelicans and seagulls, diving for bait. That will be a sure sign that fish are feeding along the beach front. East and West Bays will benefit from the nice conditions, and, as a bonus, tides will become progressively stronger as the week goes on and as we head for next Monday’s full moon. Our only fishing report Monday came from the 61st Street Fishing Pier where whiting, gafftop and Atlantic sharp nose sharks were being caught. We all know that in April we cannot depend on light winds lasting long. So, the next few days could be an excellent time to take advantage of this window of opportunity.

Other activities displaced fishing for anglers on Wednesday. Gusty wind and a tornado watch discouraged most people from getting on the water. It appears that conditions will settle by this weekend and we can get back into business on the fishing scene. The flood tides generated by strong southeast winds Wednesday afternoon will benefit fishermen, as they are flooding the marshes and wetlands with clean Gulf waters that will have a positive impact on the estuaries. Add fresh rainfall that is in the forecast to be associated with the passing frontal system and the reproductive cycle in the coastal nursery grounds should be given a big boost. The upcoming Easter weekend likely will draw a good number of anglers to the Galveston area. Each year we get questions from readers planning to visit Galveston and the surrounding areas on how the fishing will be this weekend. Almost always I respond by saying that it will be determined by the wind. How strong it blows and from what direction will dictate what kind of fishing we can expect. Based on the forecasts, it appears that the weather will start settling by Friday, and that is good news for many anglers as that is a holiday for many people. Prior to this spell of turbulent weather, nice catches were reported from all around the island. The annual black drum run was in full swing and should continue where it left off last weekend. Reds are being caught, along with good numbers of sizable sheepshead. We are in that time frame when some of the largest speckled trout of the year are caught. Recent reports indicate that the big sows are spawning and anglers who know where to find them are scoring well on the 25-inch and larger trout. Hopefully, we can get an indication of where the action might take place by the time Friday’s Reel Report goes to press.

We welcome the first wave of spring break visitors this week, and those interested in fishing the Galveston area will face the same dilemma that confronts anglers each spring break and that is erratic weather. The two big weeks of spring break, which usually begin in early March and end in middle March, are times when cold fronts stir things up, with either strong prefrontal winds from the south and east or gusting northerly winds associated with the passage of a cold front across coastal waters. This week we will be dealing with a cold front early in the week, and hopefully by Wednesday, conditions will settle enough for anglers to hit the water. We should be in the middle of the annual black drum run; however, few reports have been received of action on the big uglies. Most likely the reason lies with the windy weather we have seen early this month that has discouraged anglers from fishing. Saturday morning winds were on the light side; however, by noon, a gusting southeast wind took over and although the beach front was on the choppy side, it was fishable. Galveston Bait and Tackle reported some nice catches of sheepshead and black drum coming from the jetties and a few nice specks being caught around the causeway area in the afternoon. Reds have been the predominate catch from around upper West Bay lately, with natural baits working the best. Jamail Bay Park along 61st Street saw a good number of anglers fishing from its piers Saturday, with mostly pan fish being caught. A six-pound sheepshead was caught

Fishing overall continued on the slow side Monday; however, there were not enough anglers on the water to get a fair assessment of where the action might be taking place. Another cold front is approaching the coastal waters, and most likely, it will generate gusty winds that will not benefit fishing. Later this week, conditions should start settling and allow anglers to get back into the battle as far as fishing goes. Fortunately, we are not dealing with any freezing temperatures, as that aspect of the weather should be over until next winter. Once we get past mid-February, freezes are a rarity around Galveston, and those few that do occur are not hard freezes. While the wind will be an issue for a few days, the colder temperatures should drop the water readings and cause a temporary setback on the road to post 70-degree water temperatures. There were two unconfirmed reports of some large black drum in the 40-pound category coming from the Texas City Dike area and from near the east end of the seawall. There was no mention of baits or the anglers involved. There have been several reports of good action around the lights at night. One report from Harborwalk told of lots of undersized trout feeding under overhead lights on piers. Another came from along the Intracoastal Waterway near Crystal Beach where both reds and trout were being caught with free-lined live shrimp being the bait. Live shrimp inventories continue to be stressed; however, most bait shops are able to get supplies. Be sure to call ahead because last weekend those supplies did not last long.

Another great day around Galveston and, for a change, the fishing was fairly good. The sunny warm weather began attracting anglers late morning and those that were able to make it to the Texas City Dike, Moses Lake, Seawolf Park and the beach front enjoyed some fair action on a variety of fish. Using dead shrimp for bait, the anglers caught three nice-sized sheepshead and a 22-inch black drum. Buffington said that they can hardly wait until the water warms about five degrees more. In Tuesday’s Reel Report, we mentioned that sheepshead were caught on the channel side of Seawolf Park. A reader called in to ask if that was the Galveston Ship Channel side, and it was.

Great conditions beginning late morning have drawn anglers to the water. This is the first good test for fishing we have had in a while and the results are encouraging. Speckled trout action at the causeway area continues, with most of the trout being caught on the southwest side just out from Tiki Island. The railroad bridge is producing a variety of fish for anglers fishing the outside. Jetty anglers are getting into black drum; however, based on two reports it does not appear to be part of the big run that will be taking place soon. The jetty anglers and reported a nice catch Thursday from a trip to the North Jetty. They fished the channel side in the vicinity of the boat cut and caught four sheepshead to 17 inches and several puppy drum. The highlight of their trip was Jennings landing a 32-inch red that was tagged and retained. Live shrimp was the bait. Galveston Bait and Tackle reported some nice catches of a variety of fish coming from around the railroad bridge. Live shrimp was the bait of choice for that area. With a little cooperation from the weather, this weekend could be the best for fishing so far this year. Warm temperatures and light winds are in the forecast.