Night Fishing for Reds & Specks in Galveston Bay
Private Trip
Inshore Fishing
Night fishing trip targets Speckled Trout and Red FishAll fishing equipment and bait provided for convenienceSolo adventure designed to beat daytime heat effectively
There's something magical about fishing Galveston Bay after dark, especially when you're hunting speckled trout and redfish in the cooler night air. This solo night trip with Sonrise Fishing puts you right in the action with sight casting opportunities that'll get your heart pumping. When the sun goes down and the heat breaks, these fish come alive in the shallows, and you'll be ready with all the gear and bait you need already on board. It's just you, your guide, and some of the best inshore fishing Texas has to offer.
This isn't your typical daytime grind – night fishing changes everything about how you approach these fish. Your guide knows exactly where the reds and specks move after sunset, hitting the shallow flats and grass beds where they feel safe to feed aggressively. The cooler temperatures make it comfortable for you and more active for the fish. You'll be sight casting, which means spotting fish in the water and making precise casts to individual targets. The anticipation builds as you watch your lure work through the dark water, waiting for that explosive strike. With just one angler on board, you get personalized attention and can really dial in your technique. Your guide will position the boat perfectly and coach you through each cast, making sure you're in the best spots when these fish are most active.
Sight casting at night requires a different skill set than blind casting during the day. Your guide will use strategically placed lights to illuminate the water just enough to spot cruising fish without spooking them. You'll be working with topwater plugs, soft plastics, and live bait depending on what the fish are showing interest in that night. The all-inclusive gear setup means you're fishing with quality rods and reels matched perfectly for these conditions – typically medium-light spinning tackle that gives you the sensitivity to feel subtle strikes while having enough backbone to handle a bull red. Bait selection is crucial for night fishing, and your guide comes prepared with live shrimp, croaker, and an arsenal of proven artificials. The boat positioning is everything in this style of fishing – staying just far enough away to avoid spooking fish while getting close enough for accurate casts to specific targets.
Redfish in Galveston Bay are absolute monsters, and night fishing gives you the best shot at the bigger specimens. These copper-colored fighters typically run anywhere from 20 to 35 inches in these waters, with the occasional bull red pushing the 40-inch mark. They're most active during moving tides, especially on the incoming water when baitfish get pushed up onto the flats. Reds are incredibly aggressive feeders after dark and will absolutely crush a well-placed topwater lure or live shrimp. What makes them so exciting to target is their explosive strike and bulldogging fight – they'll make long runs and use their broad sides to fight you every inch of the way back to the boat. The best action typically happens in 2-4 feet of water over grass beds and shell reefs where they corner baitfish.
Speckled trout are the other star of this show, and Galveston Bay produces some beautiful fish. These spotted beauties average 15-20 inches but the night bite often produces trout in the 3-5 pound range that are absolute line stretchers. Specks are ambush predators that love to hang around structure and grass lines after dark, waiting for unsuspecting shrimp and baitfish to swim by. They're incredibly fun on light tackle because of their acrobatic jumps and head-shaking fights. The key to consistent speckled trout fishing here is understanding their seasonal patterns – they move to different depths and areas depending on water temperature and bait movements. Your guide knows these patterns inside and out, positioning you over the most productive structure when these fish are feeding heaviest. Fall and winter nights often produce the biggest trout as they fatten up and move into predictable patterns.
This solo night fishing experience gives you everything you need for a world-class inshore adventure without the crowds or heat of daytime trips. You'll work one-on-one with an experienced guide who knows exactly where these fish live and feed after dark. The sight casting opportunities for both reds and specks make this a customer favorite among serious anglers looking to improve their skills and catch quality fish. With all equipment and bait included, you just need to show up ready to fish. Night trips like this book up fast, especially during peak seasons when the fishing is hot and the weather cooperates. Don't wait – secure your spot for what could be the fishing trip that changes how you think about chasing reds and specks in Texas waters.
Your night fishing adventure awaits aboard this 2021 Nautic Star 23-foot center console, perfectly rigged for chasing speckled trout and redfish in Galveston Bay's shallow waters. The 200HP Mercury gets you to prime fishing spots quickly, while the wireless trolling motor keeps things whisper-quiet when you're sight casting to feeding fish. The onboard fish finder helps locate structure and baitfish, and GPS ensures you can mark productive areas for future trips. An icebox keeps your drinks cold during those warm Texas nights. This boat handles the bay's conditions with ease, giving you a stable platform for accurate casts when the fish start feeding under the lights.
Salmo TruttaSpeckled trout are the bread and butter of Galveston Bay night fishing. These spotted silver torpedoes average 14-20 inches and have some of the best table fare you'll find inshore. They're ambush predators that love grass flats and drop-offs, especially during summer nights when they move shallow to feed. The bite really turns on after dark when water temps cool down and they feel safe hunting in skinny water. What makes them special is their aggressive strike on topwater lures - nothing beats that explosive surface hit in the dark. They're also perfect for sight casting since they school up and cruise predictable patterns. Local trick: work your lure slow and steady through grass beds. They'll follow it for a while before committing, so don't speed up when you see one tracking behind your bait.
Sciaenops OcellatusRedfish are built like tanks and fight twice as hard as you'd expect. These copper-backed beauties with their signature black eyespots typically run 20-30 inches in Galveston Bay, though bigger bulls show up regularly. They love cruising the shallow flats in 1-4 feet of water, especially around oyster reefs and grass beds where they hunt for crabs and shrimp. Night fishing is prime time - they get aggressive in cooler water and aren't as spooky. The fight is what hooks most anglers - they'll make screaming runs and test your drag hard. Plus, they're fantastic eating with mild, flaky white meat. Pro tip: when you spot their backs or tails in shallow water, cast well ahead of them and let your bait settle. They spook easy but once hooked, hang on tight.
Galveston Bay, Texas Gulf Coast, TX, United States