The full moon rises over Rockport this Thursday through Saturday, August 27–29, and the bite is on. Redfish lead the way with a good, steady pattern across the Coastal Bend, and with sunny skies and light winds all three days, the bays should stay smooth to a light chop.

Conditions are prime: bay water is holding around 87°F on the Aransas Bay reading, winds run southwest-to-southeast at 5–10 mph, and there are no marine advisories — just bring water and sun protection, because heat index values will push 107°F.

Best windows: the midday solunar underfoot period (roughly 11:50 AM–1:50 PM Thursday, sliding to 1:20–3:20 PM by Saturday) is the primary play during the full moon, with the moonset window at first light Friday (6:40–8:10 AM) a strong second before the heat builds.

Redfish are good on live shrimp, cut mullet, and topwaters around Estes Flats, Mud Island, and the Redfish Bay shorelines. Speckled trout are good on live shrimp, croaker, and soft plastics around Big Bayou, Mud Island, and the mid-bay reefs. Flounder are fair, with early fish staging along the Lydia Ann Channel and Aransas Channel edges ahead of the fall run. Also active: black drum are good on shrimp in the channels and cuts, and sheephead are fair around the jetty rocks and pilings.

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