The Galveston County Daily News

We are definitely into fall fishing, and it should get even better as we get into November. The big disappointment so far has been the sparse golden croaker run. Normally, by now, there are numerous reports of big croaker being caught all around the lower Galveston Bay Complex.

Rollover Pass, which has been mentioned often as one of the hot spots during the annual migration, has not been producing the stringers of earlier years. We are receiving isolated reports of good catches but not of the nonstop action that used to take place. Perhaps the heart of this year’s run is being delayed because of the warmer than usual fall.

There is some encouraging news on the flounder run. Wednesday, I visited with Glenn Goff at his Galveston Bait and Tackle, 61st Street. Goff told me the marshes still are loaded with flounder, and it will take a water temperature drop of probably 10 degrees before they start leaving the shallows.

Goff frequents the marshes around West Bay, catching live fingerling mullet and other fin fish for his bait camps, and has observed the flounder while casting his net for bait. Although the annual migration is taking place, Goff feels it will be sometime in November before a serious exodus takes place. We all hope his prediction comes true.

The Hitchcock Diversionary Canal apparently is heating up. Another good fishing report from that area was received, this time from Paul Wilson, who, along with Roberta Harding, fished the canal Tuesday.

Using both live and dead shrimp, they caught sand trout to 17 inches, croaker, whiting, rat reds, puppy drum and a stingray. The highlight of their trip was Harding’s landing of a 39-inch bull red that was tagged and retained.

Tuesday, Capt. Paul Stanton, Aqua Safari Charters, made a half-day jetty trip hosting John Bailey, Gene Roberts, Mike Moran, Alex Vasquez and Ken Freeman.

Fishing the Gulf side of the South Jetty, the party of five from Houston caught 23 bull reds to 40 pounds, tagging and retaining five, 13 blacktip sharks to 3 feet, retaining seven, and two large Spanish mackerel. Spanish sardines were the bait, and Ronnie Cline was the first mate.

This Saturday, the third annual Fall Classic Fishing Tournament takes place at TopWater Grill in San Leon. The event is from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and costs $20 per person. There will be teams of up to four anglers with each team limited to entering five specks, one red and one flounder. Guides may be used but are not allowed to fish.

For information, contact Ed James at 713-939-6479.

I need to make a correction to Wednesday’s Reel Report in which I stated David Colombo caught most of the fish. Young Jacob Colombo, 9, in fact, was the fisherman of the day while competing with his father and uncle.

To get your catch in the Reel Report, phone Capt. Joe Kent at 409-683-5273, or send an e-mail to reel.report(at)galvnews.com. There’s no charge for this service.