Christmas Bay, TX

Two days of SSE at under 7 kt built good water, but this morning's NW at 9-10 kt works against it and will start pushing the west shoreline muddy by mid-morning. Tide is the saving grace - a long climb to the 11:06 AM high at 0.82 ft then a hard fall to 0.07 ft at 4:26 PM, which is real moving water. Lures still work early before the NW gets organized; the technique call is EITHER because the wind is not strong enough to kill feel but the fading clarity favors scent later. Rain chances near 50 percent all morning - watch the sky.

Start with a bone Super Spook Jr over the shell in 2-3 ft at first light while the water is still clean and the tide is climbing. When the blowups quit, go to a Down South Super Model in Chicken on a Chain on a 1/8 oz head, work it slow along the deeper edges. Once the NW puts a stain on it after 10 AM, switch to plum/chartreuse and slow down further.

Live shrimp under a popping cork over the shell reefs on the incoming, working toward the 11:06 AM high. Once the NW dirties it up, free-line a finger mullet on a 2/0 kahle along the deeper drop and let scent do the work.

Two days of light SSE stacked clean water in, but the NW shift this morning starts working against it. East shorelines and the deeper shell hold color longest; the west bank will stain by noon.

Redfish will be up shallow on the flooding tide - work the grass edges and back drains before the water starts falling. Flounder should be sitting on the drains through the afternoon fall from 11 AM on.

SW at 13 kt overnight and into the morning is the wrong direction for this bay - it pushes bay water out and keeps things stained, so clarity scores lowest of the week at 64. But the tide is a perfect 100: high 10:50 AM at 0.86 ft rolling into a long clean fall to 0.03 ft at 5:18 PM. That much moving water covers a lot of sins. Bait has the slight edge at 80 to 74 because of the stain, but soft plastics still get bit if you pick loud colors.

Stained water means loud - a Bass Assassin Sea Shad in Opening Night or a Lil John in morning glory on a 1/4 oz head so you keep contact in the 13 kt drift. Work the windward edges where the SW is stacking bait and let the falling tide sweep it. A MirrOlure She Dog in chrome/black gives you rattle if they want something on top.

Live shrimp under a rattling cork is the play in stained water - the noise plus the scent finds them. Drift the windward shorelines on the afternoon fall and keep the cork popping hard. Piggy perch on a fish-finder rig works the deeper edges if you want a bigger bite.

Overnight SW at 13 kt works the bay against itself and holds the stain in. Deeper water on the south side and the guts closer to the Gulf influence stay a shade cleaner than the shallow interior flats.

Stained water and a hard falling tide is prime redfish setup - work the drains emptying on the fall with gold spoons or cut mullet. Flounder stack at the mouths of those same drains through the afternoon.

Wind swings back to due S at 9 kt overnight and softens to 4 kt by 8 AM - that is the direction that rebuilds green water, and it has had all night to work. Tide is a full 100 with the day building to a long uninterrupted fall from the 8:11 AM high at 0.94 ft down to dead zero at 6:17 PM. The morning major runs 5:15 - 7:15 AM straight through sunrise at 7:00, which is exactly the overlap you want. Light wind means lures are fully in play all day.

Topwater from dark until the sun is up - bone or chrome/black Super Spook Jr worked with long pauses over shell in 2-4 ft. When they quit blowing up, a Down South Super Model in Texas Roach on a 1/8 oz head fished slow along the drop is the follow-up. Afternoon fall calls for a MirrOdine XL in a natural mullet pattern twitched on the deeper edges.

Free-lined live shrimp on the shell at first light while the major is running - no cork, let it drift naturally with the current. As the day heats past 85F water, go to live croaker on a 1/4 oz jighead down deep along the drop-offs; the big trout go sulky and croaker is the only thing that pulls them.

An overnight and morning of S wind at 4-9 kt is the rebuilding direction after Wednesday's SW push. Color improves through the day; the south-facing shorelines clean up first while the far back reaches stay a touch off.

Redfish will be tailing the shallow grass early before the tide pulls out. The long afternoon fall to zero puts flounder right in the drain mouths - a Gulp swimming mullet on a 1/4 oz head cleans them up.

This is the best day of the stretch and it is not close - 93 clarity off two full days of S/SE rebuild, wind a flat 4-9 kt out of the S, tide a perfect 100, solunar 94. High at 6:56 AM and again 8:15 AM at 1.02 ft with the major running 6:16 - 8:16 AM through a 7:00 AM sunrise, then a long uninterrupted fall all day to -0.02 ft at 7:21 PM. Lure score of 97 says it plainly: this is a lure day, work it as one.

Topwater from before daylight - bone Super Spook Jr or a MirrOlure She Dog worked slow over shell in 2-4 ft, and do not rush the retrieve in clear water. Clean water means natural and translucent: Down South Super Model in Texas Roach or a Bass Assassin Sea Shad in a clear/glitter pattern on a 1/8 oz head. Fluorocarbon leader matters today - they will look at it.

Free-lined live shrimp on the shell during the 6:16 - 8:16 AM major, no weight, let the outgoing carry it. By mid-morning with water above 85F, live croaker on a light jighead worked on the deep side of the drop is what gets the heavy fish.

Two straight days of S and SE at under 10 kt has pushed clean water through and let everything settle. Expect to see the bottom in 3 ft over sand and real trout-green color over the deeper shell.

Redfish will be sighted in the clear shallow grass early - throw a weedless gold spoon or a Down South rigged weightless. The all-day fall to -0.02 ft concentrates flounder tight in the drains through the afternoon.

Clarity peaks at 95 after three days of S and SE rebuild, and wind is a dead-flat 4 kt out of the SE through the whole morning - the cleanest, calmest conditions of the week. The tide is a single strong swing, high 9:12 AM at 1.06 ft into a long uninterrupted fall to -0.02 ft at 8:30 PM, with the major running 7:19 - 9:19 AM right on top of it. Lures rule the day at a 97; the only knock is that the high sits later so first light is slower water.

Slick calm and clear means a long cast and a quiet approach. Bone Super Spook Jr walked slow at first light, then a Down South Super Model in Texas Roach or morning glory on a 1/8 oz head as the tide starts to pull after the 9:12 AM high. Keep colors natural and translucent, and go to a 1/16 oz head over shallow grass so you are not spooking them with the splash.

Free-lined live shrimp through the 7:19 - 9:19 AM major over the shell, then move to live croaker on a light jighead worked deep once the water gets past 85F and the sun is up. Croaker over the drop-offs is the big-trout play on a hot clear day.

Three days of SE at 4-9 kt has settled everything out. This is the cleanest water of the forecast - sand flats will be near gin-clear and even the back reaches carry good color.

Sight-casting weather for redfish - clear water and no wind means you will see them before they see you. Flounder pile into the drains on the long afternoon fall toward 8:30 PM.

Wind is nothing - 4 kt swinging W to N to E through the morning, not enough to move water in any direction, so Saturday's clarity carries straight through. Tide is a strong single swing, high 9:50 AM at 1.06 ft then a long fall to -0.02 ft at 9:41 PM, and the major runs 8:21 - 10:21 AM right over the top of it. Solunar is the weakest piece at 73 because nothing lines up with first light. Lures at 90 to bait's 85 - work it as a lure day and be patient.

Slow start with the tide not moving hard until after 9 AM. Throw a bone Super Spook Jr at daylight anyway, then work a Lil John in morning glory or a Down South Super Model in Texas Roach on a 1/8 oz head over the shell as the water begins to pull. Once the sun is high and the water is over 87F, drop to a 3/8 oz head and fish the deeper drops slow.

Live shrimp under a cork over the shell while the tide is building to the 9:50 AM high. Switch to live croaker on a 1/4 oz jighead on the deeper drop-offs from mid-morning on - the water is going to hit 88F and the good trout will be down and sulky.

The brief N and NE swing is too light at 4 kt to hurt anything - the water Saturday built stays put. Only the far back reaches show any stain and even that is minor.

Redfish will be up on the flooding shallows before 10 AM - a weedless gold spoon on the grass edges. The long evening fall past 6 PM is the flounder window at the drains.

Light W and WNW at 3-5 kt in the morning is technically the wrong direction, but at that speed it does nothing to this system - clarity holds at 84. The high at 9:15 AM at 1.03 ft rolls into a long all-day fall to -0.01 ft at 10:45 PM, which is a tide score of 93. Solunar is the weak link at 63 with the major sitting 9:21 - 11:21 AM well after sunrise. Lures at 88 over bait at 82, but note the afternoon forecast hits 95F air - get it done in the morning.

Topwater at first light before the heat builds - bone Super Spook Jr over shell in 2-4 ft. Then work the major with a Down South Super Model in Chicken on a Chain or a Bass Assassin Sea Shad on a 1/8 oz head along the deeper edges as the tide starts its long fall. By noon with air at 94F, go to a 3/8 oz head and fish the deepest shell you can find.

Live shrimp under a cork on the shell early while the tide is still building. Once the sun and heat set in, live croaker fished deep on a 1/4 oz jighead along the drop-offs is the only thing that will pull a good trout - water this hot pushes them down hard by mid-morning.

The light W and WNW is only 3-5 kt so it barely registers, but it does put a slight edge off the back reaches. The main body and deeper shell hold sandy green color from the weekend.

Redfish on the flood before 9:15 AM in the shallow grass, then follow them out as the water drops all afternoon. Flounder set up in the drains through the long evening fall.