Over the last few weeks, the fishing action has been improving in local coastal waters from Lake Sabine to Lake Calcasieu.

    Expect the action to get better with impending cold fronts purging the marshes and pushing the bite buttons on specks, reds and flounder.

    There are many fish in the marshes and once they get pushed out to the lake expect the action to be hot and heavy.

    Now onto the report…

    North Sabine — Capt. Skip James reports reds and specks are fair to good under birds on Gulp shrimp, live shad and soft plastic cocahoe minnows from East Pass on to the north revetment wall at Pleasure Island.  Flounder are good along the Louisiana shoreline on jigs in white and chartreuse colors tipped with shrimp. Reds have been scattered.

    South Sabine — Trout action has been good the birds on shad and Little Fishies in the middle of the lake.  Redfish are good on crab and mullet fished around Blue Buck Point and on the reef and there are a fair number of reds mixed with the trout. Flounder are fair to good on live shad and tandem-tailed grubs fished in the cuts on the Louisiana side of the lake.

    Sabine Pass — The jetties remain good for bull redfish on mullet and crab fished in the deep holes and boat cuts of the Texas and Louisiana side. The surf around McFaddin is fair to good for bull redfish on cut bait. Flounder are fair around the Coast Guard station and in Texas Bayou.

    Lake Calcasieu (Big Lake) — Capt. Buddy Oakes of the Hackberry Rod and Gun Club reports good action for trout under the birds throughout the Calcasieu system on live bait, Hackberry Hustlers and topwaters. Redfish are mixed in with the trout. Flounder action is improving daily along the cuts in the marsh on both sides of the lake.

    Toledo Bend — Texas Parks & Wildlife Department officials report largemouths are good on watermelon red and redbug soft plastic worms, and on topwaters early and late. Striped bass are slow. White bass are good on spoons in 20 feet. Crappie are good on minnows over baited holes and under bridges. Bream are good on crickets and worms. Channel and blue catfish are good on trotlines baited with live bait, shrimp, and punch bait. Yellow catfish are slow. The lake is still dangerously low for anglers unfamiliar with the underwater structure.

    Rayburn Lake — Guide Roger Bacon reports bass are good early on topwaters fished over grass beds. During the middle of the day, Senkos and worms fished on drop-shot rigs are producing bass in 12 to 15 feet of water. Crappie are very good on shiners fished over main lake brush in 25 to 30 feet of water. 

    Sabine River — Catfish action is fair around the Port of Orange on cut mullet. There are also a few reds coming from that area mainly on mullet but a few on soft plastic shad imitations.

     Hunting — Texas Parks & Wildlife Department officials report new ducks are arriving daily on the coast; and, a major influx should cross the Red River ahead of the stiff cold front forecasted this week. A harbinger of the migration is the first sign of white pelicans on the coast. Many arrived this week; and, traditionally, geese are not far behind. Specklebellies are beginning to show the coastal prairie. Expect a noticeable increase in numbers this weekend. Some pintails have been seen on the prairie and on the bays. Everyday that grows closer to November should produce more waterfowl in Texas.

TOLEDO BEND: Normal Level: 172.0 Current Pool Level: 161.53 (Was 161.78)

RAYBURN LAKE : Normal Pool Level: 164.4 Current Pool Level: 159.43 (Was 159.72)

B.A. STEINHAGEN: Normal Pool Level: 85 Current Pool Level: 63.02 (Was 62.68)



Chester Moore, Jr. is the Port Arthur News Outdoors Editor