Redfish and speckled trout are firing on all cylinders in the Rockport bays this Wednesday through Friday — a loaded week of action despite easterly winds pushing some chop across the water. The New Moon arrives Friday afternoon, making the midday solunar window on May 16 the single best bite opportunity of the period.

Water temperature in Aransas Bay is running 80°F (NDBC MAQT2). Day 1 opens with easterly winds 14–20 mph and gusts to 24 mph, mostly cloudy with a chance of showers, barometric pressure at 29.71 inHg and falling — bay conditions will be choppy. Winds ease heading into Thursday and Friday, with New Moon conditions bringing some of the calmest fishing of the window.

The top window of the period is Friday, May 16, 12:10–2:10 PM CDT — New Moon day puts the lunar overhead transit right at solar noon, combining both forces at peak strength. The second-best window is Thursday, May 15, 6:40–8:00 PM CDT, a secondary solunar period centered on the evening moonset that fires up redfish and trout along the grass edges.

Redfish are Very Good — working Redfish Bay grass flats and Aransas Bay shorelines in 2–6 feet, eating live shrimp, topwaters, and soft plastics. Speckled trout are Very Good — limits coming over Copano Bay oyster shell reefs and Aransas Bay grass flats on live shrimp under a popping cork. Flounder are Good — holding on bottom structure at Dagger Island and San Antonio Bay shell and channel edges on soft plastics.

Also active: Good Black drum in 2–4 feet across Aransas Bay loading up on dead shrimp, and Good Sheephead stacked around the jetties and Aransas Bay structure taking cut crab.

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