Last Wednesday, Darren Craig of Orange caught a 45-inch jack crevalle in the Sabine River near Adams Bayou. We’ll run a photo of that fish in next Thursday’s outdoors update.

    That is not the only Gulf-running fish caught in the area lately. We’ve had reports of sharks throughout Lake Sabine and in the rivers and there are jellyfish in Cow Bayou.

    With no water coming out of Toledo Bend and an overall dry spring, we have salty conditions, so expect to see lots of interesting creatures in the area.

    You can also expect the speckled trout to move into the Neches and Sabine Rivers as they typically do during these periods. If you have no luck fishing Lake Sabine you might want to make a river run.

    I have gotten few reports from the rivers but I suspect there are already some nice trout there.

    Now onto the report…

    North Sabine — The north revetment area off of Pleasure Island has been fair to good for trout when the wind lies. Trout are taking chartreuse plastics and topwaters on calm mornings. Flounder are fair with some action coming from the Louisiana shoreline. Most of the best flounder holes are off limits due to the refuge still being closed. There are some reds working the south end of Pleasure Island on the lake side in the evenings.

    South Sabine — The causeway area has been producing a few small sharks and some large gafftops on cut bait. Flounder are slow to fair with some nice fish coming from around Blue Buck Point. The reef has produced a few big trout drifting live bait.

   Sabine Pass — Capt. Ryan Warhola reports the snapper opener should be good with some big snapper holding around the rigs from Bolivar to Sabine Pass. Sharks are present around the rigs and well as some ling.

    Big Lake (Calcasieu) — Capt. Buddy Oakes of the Hackberry Rod and Gun Club reports trout in the four pound range are coming on the chartreuse/white Hackberry Hustler fished on a ?-ounce lead over shell. Reds are mixed with the trout and are schooling on the north end around the Intracoastal early and late.

    Bolivar — Anglers are reporting catches of trout up to five pounds on topwaters and Catch Jrs in Rollover Bay and along the shorelines on the south end of East Galveston Bay. Flounder are fair on mud minnows in Rollover Pass.

    Toledo Bend — Anglers are catching fair to good numbers of bass along the shallow grass lines on sour grape and blue whacky worms and on shallow-running crankbaits in five feet of water. Catfish are good on nightcrawlers and crawfish fished in the creeks. Very few reports of crappie.

   Rayburn Lake — Powell Park Marina reports bass are taking white/chartreuse spinners in the shallows and Carolina-rigged worms and lizards in 10 feet of water. Crappie are fair to good on white/chartreuse and solid white jigs and mini spinners fished in the creeks. Very few reports of catfish.

   Sabine River — Anglers are reporting catching some unusual fish in the river including jack crevalle. There have been a few small sharks caught in East Pass. There are very few reports of bass this week. Catfish remain good on cut mullet and shad fished in the shallows in the tributaries of Cow and Adams Bayous.

 

LAKE LEVELS

 

TOLEDO BEND: Normal Level: 172.0 Current Pool Level: 168.00 (Was 168.11)

RAYBURN LAKE: Normal Pool Level: 164.4 Current Pool Level: 163.02 (Was 162.95)

B.A. STEINHAGEN: Normal Pool Level: 85 Current Pool Level: 81.95 (Was 81.92)



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