mmontelongo
New member
Harbor Refuge Fishing Report – Port Lavaca, TX – April 6th, 2025 (5:30–7:30 PM)
Conditions:
Cooler weather blew in, but the action didn’t slow. With the tide pushing in during the afternoon minor, the harbor was active. Fish were feeding, bait was getting hit constantly, and the spot itself saw a steady stream of hopeful anglers checking it out—most drove off when they saw it was already in use. Definitely feels like one of those “if you know, you know” locations.
Bait & Strategy:
We used salted shrimp, but with a twist—this was the first run testing garlic powder as an added scent. The results were immediate: on the first cast close to shore, the bait was in the water barely two seconds before a 10” redfish crushed it. After that, we shifted to the middle of the harbor (~13ft depth), but saw mostly stolen bait and short strikes. In hindsight, the redfish seemed stacked closer to the bank.
Gear Used:
Rod: 12ft Shimano Speedmaster
This was my first time adding garlic powder to salted shrimp, and the results were hard to ignore—fish were hitting fast and aggressive, especially when casting close to shore.
Now, while there’s not a ton of official science out there on garlic and saltwater fish, anglers have been using it for years in both fresh and salt water. The idea is that garlic has a super strong smell that cuts through the water and grabs a fish’s attention. Fish like redfish and catfish rely a lot on scent to find food, especially when the water’s dirty or stirred up. Garlic might also smell like certain things they already eat, which could help trigger a strike.
Long story short—it seems like the garlic gives them a reason to sniff it out and commit to the bite. I’ll definitely be testing it more, but it looks like a solid addition to the bait box.
Conditions:
Cooler weather blew in, but the action didn’t slow. With the tide pushing in during the afternoon minor, the harbor was active. Fish were feeding, bait was getting hit constantly, and the spot itself saw a steady stream of hopeful anglers checking it out—most drove off when they saw it was already in use. Definitely feels like one of those “if you know, you know” locations.
Bait & Strategy:
We used salted shrimp, but with a twist—this was the first run testing garlic powder as an added scent. The results were immediate: on the first cast close to shore, the bait was in the water barely two seconds before a 10” redfish crushed it. After that, we shifted to the middle of the harbor (~13ft depth), but saw mostly stolen bait and short strikes. In hindsight, the redfish seemed stacked closer to the bank.
Gear Used:
Rod: 12ft Shimano Speedmaster
- Reel: Abu Garcia 6500
- Line: 20lb braided
- Rig: Double drop with 3oz sputnik sinker and 4/0 circle hooks
- 1x Sputnik sinker
- 1x leader
- ~10ft of braid (line caught by the wind, dragged into a tree and tangled in a branch)
This was my first time adding garlic powder to salted shrimp, and the results were hard to ignore—fish were hitting fast and aggressive, especially when casting close to shore.
Now, while there’s not a ton of official science out there on garlic and saltwater fish, anglers have been using it for years in both fresh and salt water. The idea is that garlic has a super strong smell that cuts through the water and grabs a fish’s attention. Fish like redfish and catfish rely a lot on scent to find food, especially when the water’s dirty or stirred up. Garlic might also smell like certain things they already eat, which could help trigger a strike.
Long story short—it seems like the garlic gives them a reason to sniff it out and commit to the bite. I’ll definitely be testing it more, but it looks like a solid addition to the bait box.
