Galveston Bay Flounder Fishing
Private Trip
Lakes/Reservoirs/Ponds Fishing
Six-hour weekend flounder gigging trips with Captain Mike AguirreBright boat lights illuminate shallows for targeting flounder and drumAll gigging equipment provided for groups up to six guests
Captain Mike Aguirre knows Galveston Bay like the back of his hand, and his weekend flounder fishing trips are quickly becoming a customer favorite among anglers who want to try something different. This isn't your typical rod-and-reel adventure – you'll be gigging flounder in the shallows using bright boat lights to spot these bottom-dwellers before they know what hit them. At $800 for two guests with room for up to six people total, this six-hour charter gives you plenty of time to master the technique and fill your cooler with some of the bay's tastiest fish.
Your adventure starts when the sun goes down and Captain Mike fires up those powerful lights that turn the shallow waters into an underwater stage. The whole setup is designed around sight fishing – you'll be hunting flounder, sheepshead, and black drum in water so clear you can see every detail on the bottom. Mike provides all the gigging equipment, so you don't need to worry about buying specialty gear you might only use once. The technique takes a little practice, but most folks get the hang of it within the first hour. You'll be moving quietly through the shallows, scanning the bottom for the telltale outline of a flounder pressed flat against the sand. When you spot one, it's all about a quick, accurate strike with the gig. The rush you get when you connect with a nice fish never gets old, and Captain Mike's years of local experience mean you'll be fishing the most productive spots where these fish like to hang out.
Flounder gigging is all about stealth and precision, and Captain Mike has the setup dialed in perfectly. The boat's lighting system illuminates the water column and bottom structure, creating perfect visibility for spotting fish. You'll be using multi-pronged gigs – think of them as sophisticated spears designed specifically for flatfish. The technique is straightforward but requires good hand-eye coordination: spot the fish, aim for the thickest part of the body, and make a quick, decisive thrust. Captain Mike will coach you through your first few attempts, showing you how to read the water refraction and adjust your aim accordingly. The best part about this style of fishing is that you're actively hunting rather than waiting for a bite. You'll cover different types of bottom – from sandy flats where flounder love to bury themselves to rocky areas where sheepshead cruise around looking for crabs and barnacles. The shallow water means you can see everything happening below, making it an incredibly visual and engaging way to fish.
Southern flounder are the main attraction on these trips, and for good reason. These masters of camouflage can grow up to 20 inches and provide excellent table fare with their mild, sweet meat. Flounder are most active during cooler months from October through March, making weekend trips perfect timing for consistent action. What makes them so fun to target is their ambush-style feeding behavior – they bury themselves in sand with just their eyes exposed, waiting for baitfish to swim overhead. When you're gigging, you're essentially beating them at their own game by spotting them before they see you coming. The challenge is that a good flounder can be almost invisible against the bottom, so developing that "search image" is part of the skill that keeps anglers coming back.
Black drum add serious pulling power to these shallow water adventures, with fish ranging from slot-sized specimens to bruiser bulls pushing 30+ pounds. These copper-colored fighters are year-round residents of Galveston Bay, though they're most abundant during spring and fall months. Drum have a habit of rooting around oyster reefs and grass flats looking for crabs, making them perfect targets for the gigging approach. What guests love about drum is their fighting ability – even a moderate-sized fish will give you a workout, and the bigger ones can really test your equipment and technique. Plus, smaller drum make excellent eating, with firm white meat that's perfect for the grill or blackened in a cast iron skillet.
Sheepshead round out the target list and are arguably the most challenging species you'll encounter on these trips. Known for their black and white stripes and human-like teeth, these fish are notorious bait stealers on conventional tackle, but gigging gives you a completely different approach. Sheepshead love structure – you'll find them around oyster bars, pilings, and anywhere they can find barnacles and small crabs to munch on. They're most active during warmer months but can be targeted year-round in the bay's protected waters. What makes sheepshead special is their incredible eating quality – the meat is firm, flaky, and has a clean taste that rivals any fish in the Gulf. They're also smart fish that will test your stealth and accuracy, making every successful gig that much more satisfying.
This top-rated charter fills up fast, especially during prime flounder season, and Captain Mike only runs these specialized trips on weekends. You'll need to bring a valid Texas fishing license with saltwater stamp, plus any snacks and drinks you want for the six-hour adventure. The $100 per person rate for additional guests makes it easy to bring the whole crew, and the memories you'll make learning this traditional Gulf Coast fishing technique are worth every penny. Keep in mind that deposits are non-refundable, so make sure your dates work before booking. This isn't just another fishing trip – it's a chance to learn a skill that's been passed down through generations of bay fishermen, guided by a captain who knows where the fish live and how to put you on them consistently. Whether you're looking to try something new or you're a seasoned angler wanting to add another technique to your arsenal, these Galveston Bay flounder trips deliver the goods.
Captain Mike's custom 20' Boatright is built specifically for prowling Galveston Bay's shallow flats where flounder hide. The reliable Suzuki 150 pushes you quietly through skinny water while bright LED lights illuminate the bottom for perfect gigging conditions. This stable platform gives you plenty of room to move around and spot fish, with an icebox to keep your drinks cold during those productive night runs. The boat's shallow draft design lets Captain Mike access prime flounder spots that bigger vessels can't reach, putting you right where the fish are feeding in the grass beds and sandy bottoms.
Pogonias CromisBlack Drum are the heavyweight champions of Galveston Bay, commonly running 5-30 pounds with some monsters pushing 50-plus. These powerful fish cruise oyster beds, muddy flats, and shallow structures where they use their crushing jaws to demolish crabs and shellfish. Spring is prime time, especially February through April when they school up for spawning - that's when you'll hear their distinctive drumming sounds underwater. They're tough fighters that'll test your drag, and the smaller ones under 15 pounds make excellent table fare with firm, white meat. Bigger fish are better released since the meat gets tough. The key to landing drum is getting your bait on the bottom near structure. Fresh blue crab is hard to beat, but here's my local trick: when the water's murky after a front, fish the edges where clean water meets dirty water - that's where they'll be feeding most actively.
Archosargus ProbatocephalusSheepshead are the bay's pickpockets with their famous human-like teeth and black prison stripes. These 1-8 pound fighters hang tight around any structure - docks, pilings, jetties - feeding on barnacles and crabs. They're notorious bait thieves that'll clean your hook without you feeling a thing, which makes landing them a real challenge. Spring months are best when they're most active around shallow structures. The payoff is worth it though - their white, flaky meat is some of the finest eating in the bay. They're spooky fish, so get your boat close to structure without making noise. Here's the trick that works for me: use the smallest hook you can get away with and keep your bait pinned tight to the structure. When you feel that subtle tap-tap-tap, don't wait - set the hook hard. They'll try to cut you off on barnacles every time.
Paralichthys LethostigmaSouthern Flounder are masters of camouflage, hiding in sandy and muddy bottoms throughout Galveston Bay's shallows. These flat fish typically run 15-18 inches, but we regularly see keepers up to 24 inches that'll put up a surprising fight for their size. What makes them special is both eyes sit on their left side, and they can change colors to match the bottom perfectly. They're ambush predators that bury themselves and wait for shrimp, crabs, and small fish to pass by. Fall and winter are prime time when they're staging to head offshore. The meat is sweet and flaky - some of the best eating you'll find. My tip: when gigging, move your light slowly and look for that telltale outline in the sand. They'll often give themselves away with a quick movement when they think you've spotted them.
Galveston