tilapia - Gulf Stream Outdoors

Posted on November 11, 2020November 10, 2020 by Brandon

Epic Houston Texas Bayou Fishing

The mission today is to catch fish in under two hours using a new setup that I am very excited to start using! This includes my Shimano Stratic 1000 that I have used before, as well as a Steelhead rod that I have never combined this way before. Hopefully, some carp come our way after this cold front in Houston, so let's get fishing!

I'm using a tiny ned head today with a swivel, so the goal is to be as lightweight as possible. I'm keeping my hand on the line to detect bites, which came almost immediately. To my surprise, there was a giant catfish in this spot which may have actually been my biggest yet!

Shortly thereafter, I continued to find success with another large grass carp to add to my list! I have been fortunate with two catches in two casts so far because the current is keeping my bread bait afloat in the mid-water column.

It may seem like these videos show me catching fish on every single cast that I throw out, but that is not always the case. However, today has been one of my luckier days because of the weather, but I like to think that my setup is also playing a part! The next catch was a channel catfish, but much smaller than the big boy we caught first.

Now, do I want to catch a tilapia to complete the Bayou Slam or go for another large carp? On days like this, it feels like you can catch just about anything. With a little help from my net, I secured another huge fish to top off an incredible day! I would have to say the grass carp was the highlight of my day, and keep in mind I was only out here for less than 2 hours.

As always, if you enjoyed this video please go ahead and give my video a like and subscribe to the channel! Be safe, catch fish, and tie lines!

Posted on July 29, 2020July 28, 2020 by Brandon

Brays Bayou Fishing The Magic Spot

Hey there people, today we are going to be fishing my magic spot at Brays Bayou now that the conditions are perfect! When it rains, all of the fish pack into this little spot that makes them way easier to catch, thankfully. The outflow from the neighborhood is what really makes this place great, and all of the rainwater comes into an area that dives down and mingles with the main part of the bayou. The water flowing down the bayou comes down very quickly, and the edge of the current has a lot of debris and trash that get sucked in as well.

A lot of fish come into this area to escape the main portion of the bayou, and they are pretty visible swimming along with the current. I'm geared up a bit heavier this time around, in which I caught three fish in only 40 minutes! I had a light tackle setup, but the water not remotely this high so it should be a good day to use my Bait Runner 4000. I have a Shimano with the bait clicker on it, but I probably won't use it.

I'm also using the Karate Reaper 86 which is a part of my California Surf Perch set up and is going to be a heavier tackle day. The water is fairly calm, but if they make it out to the current then I am absolutely toast. I'm using bread as bait with my ned rig, which I roll onto the top then fold over. A duck flew over to check out my fishing setup, meanwhile, I'm searching for some tilapia or grass carp.

After testing my patience, a big fish catches the line and definitely started to fight me for a while. Using my net, I had a hard time fitting him in because he was such a huge guy who was also bleeding all over. He's not hurt but struggled with me in my net for a while, so lo and behold the biggest common carp I've ever caught!

I had a fantastic day fishing in this magic spot, and if you enjoyed this video please remember to like and subscribe to my channel!

Posted on July 22, 2020July 21, 2020 by Brandon

Houston Urban Creek Fishing – Lure Giveaway Announcement!

In this video, we will be announcing the winner of our lure giveaway, as well as engaging in some urban creek fishing in a spot that I found while hiking with my son. This spot is pretty neat and I have already come across some tilapia and bluegill, as well as a bass the last time that I was here. With my ‘super mini' creek fishing setup, I'm all ready so let's get started!

Part of that setup includes my Shakespeare dock runner which is very tiny, an owner mosquito hook with a small split shot, and a power bait honey worm. As for my cast, I'm going out as far as I can and working it across the bottom, sort of hopping it. You want to have your wire somewhat exposed, but the hook should be penetrating through both the power bait and the fish's lip.

I've been coming to this creek for a long time, and I actually grew up about half a mile from where I currently am. After a few unsuccessful tries and getting stuck in the weeds, I decided that next time I should bring a longer rod. This line eventually brought in a bullhead, but he went a little harder than expected on the hook so I just cut off the line entirely. I've fallen on my butt twice today so I'm looking for a new, flatter location to move over towards.

I'm happy with the new spot and find immediate result, in which I found a very small, possibly a baby tilapia. The next haul appeared to be some kind of a goby, maybe even a bowfin, but I can't say with absolute certainty. I downsized my hook for this exact reason, as the fish have been very small so far. The next fish was a bit bigger, and it was a beautiful sunfish.

Also the news you have all been waiting for…

The winner of the lure giveaway is Kevin Frost, so if you're reading this Kevin, go ahead and send me an email to Bill@ncka.org so I can get those lures sent out to you. I have another giveaway planned soon, and make sure to subscribe to the channel if you enjoyed the video!

Posted on May 20, 2020May 28, 2020 by Bill Pennington

Ultimate Brays Bayou Fishing Guide

Bayou fishing is one of favorite parts of living in Houston, and by now I'm sure you've figured out that my number one spot is Brays Bayou. This awesome location features over 31 miles of slow-moving water from the western edge of Harris County, south of Barker Reservoir along the border with Fort Bend County, east to its convergence with the Buffalo at Harrisburg. In simpler terms, there's a lot to love and it's one of the most underrated fishing spots in all of Houston.

I'm not the only one who loves fishing in this Houston bayou, as many reputable news sources and fishing experts agree with me on this spot. The Houston Chronicle noted that Brays Bayou waterway is home to an extremely diverse population of fish and features more species than you might expect. Large mouth bass and catfish are two of the more popular kinds of fish in the area, but it's important to know that invasive species like tilapia also roam the bayou.

If you want more information and tips on how to catch catfish and carp in the bayou, I have a video on my experience adventuring throughout the Brays area.

Other fishing experts like Fishbrain agree with me that this is one of the best kept secrets in Houston, and I wanted to venture out to find out exactly how deep it is. My best estimate was approximately 3 feet when using my sonar, which I expect to remain somewhat consistent due to it being a manmade spillway. That would be the average depth on a good day, but I also was curious about conditions following a rain storm prior to fishing. After doing some research and making a video detailing my experiences, I have to say I had better luck than usual!

In addition to going after my favorite spots in the bayou, I also wanted to check out how things would go fishing in the outflow as well. Common carp and tilapia are the most frequently seen fish in this area, so I detailed the different ways it would be best to catch them with bait. If you're interested, here are my videos on catching these fish with:

I hope you enjoyed this post showing you why Brays Bayou is one of my top spots for fishing in Houston, and if you would like more information here is a map of the entire fishing area. Once again, take care and keep on fishing!

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