# Lets Talk About Chocolate Bayou



## texastrowe (Aug 15, 2009)

Man I have been out fishing this bayou and catching a bunch of smaller trout maybe every once in awhile a nice keeper. Using Gulps on the bottom and also with a rattling cork. Using the Super spook jr. as well. Catching fish but Not the amount of keepers I would like to bring home. So I'm trying to get some good solid advice or some decent spots to try out. Im still going to keep going and trying new spots seeing if I kind find em. Well Hopefully I can get some response looking forward to conversing.


----------



## gp2394 (Jul 1, 2008)

Those that know will not talk about Chocolate. It is what it is.


----------



## South Texas Swamp Donkey (Jan 5, 2008)

Chocolate Bayou (AKA Trout Daycare)

Like gp said if you don't know good luck on gettin someone to tell you. Theres no fish in Chocolate anyway!!!!!!


----------



## Joker74 (Aug 19, 2009)

Im still trying to figure chocolate out myself. A buddy of mine is showing me. We have been fishing the first oyster reef to the east of the 2004 bridge. Sometimes its good and sometimes nothing, so good luck.


----------



## Fishing Logic (Aug 25, 2005)

You ever see Fight Club? 
Send me PM I'll try to help but, you are going about it right. The bayou seems to go through phases.
FL


----------



## Texxan1 (Dec 31, 2004)

There are No fish in chocolate...


----------



## Terry G. (Jul 17, 2006)

haha, boy thats a fact,i fished it a lot and nothin but trash fish and every time i got my boat out where the fish might be i got stuck on them dang little oyster reefs.

i had though about getting me a little jon boat but the last time i got hung up i flagged a guy down and he waved me off and i got %*&( but he showed up later and said "sorry" i could not make it to you that way as i'd get run aground.

and my boat aint a big boat either 18 ft alum tracker panfish, but if ua see an old man out there shaking his fist at ya , i aint mad i am just trying to get your attention to come help me off the dang shell reefs i get hung up on.


----------



## castaway300 (Oct 6, 2007)

*choc help*

wait till fall, then fish go fishin choc bay.
went sunday picked up 4 reds 2 trout 1 snot shark.


----------



## bouy37 (Jun 18, 2008)

*CHOCOLATE BAYOU / BAY*

I agree with castaway300. Chocolate is a good fall fishing spot. However, I would not wait until then to fish Chocolate. Try and learn the area so that when fall rolls around, you are ready. 

Be careful in the bay. Once you leave the channel, slow down until you learn where the reefs and spoils are. You can go from 2-3 feet and find the top of a hidden oyster reef just below the water line in several places.

Now, I will give up one spot...........

This is a great place to try when the tide is high and water is moving in either direction. It is close to the 2004 bridge. The shoreline I have circled is an ambush point for reds, trout and flounder. The black dot in the circle is a single patch of grass in the water that bait gets corraled in. When the tide is high enough, the grass patch is completely surrounded by water and the reds and trout dart through the water as bait makes a run from the grass to open water.

Best of Luck and don't give up on Chocolate.

Jason C
Friendswood, TX


----------



## Bubbaette (Apr 10, 2005)

Thanks for the spot. We used to fish Chocolate 20+ years ago and I am just now beginning to fish it again and remember why I like it. So many coves, bayous, reefs, and protection when you need it. Also, Lutes is only about 30 minutes from my house. I'll have to figure out how to get back to that little area you circled and give it a try. BTW, I'm in Friendswood too.


----------



## Won Mo Kasst (Mar 27, 2008)

there are no fish in choco ... but if you do decide to go try it... then I would suggest going out further into the larger section of the bay! redfish alley... too bad "Bra Point" is gone! Ike!!!


----------



## firedog4$ (Aug 24, 2004)

All I,m saying is bull high tides and the mouth of Halls bayou with rattle traps.


----------



## paver (Mar 5, 2006)

I grew up fishing Choc Bay with my Dad. Back when Shaw's bait camp was stationed under the 2004 bridge. I drift fished this pass winter when everyone else was drifting WGB, and did rather well catching decent trout along the open bay channel and spoil banks. It's a great place to fish because it's off the beaten path for most Houston area anglers. Next time, try Long Reef (trout & reds), New Bayou (trout & reds), Halls Bayou (trout), Alligator Head (flounder), Big Ditch (reds) and Poor Bon Reef (trout & reds). 

Choc is a extremely shallow bay system with many open bay oyster reefs......Be careful and good luck.


----------



## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

It's good to see so many friends post up.

I have 25 years experience fishing Chocolate, as we used to have a house up Bastrop. When they started doing seismic testing in Basrtop in the 80's, we moved over to Chocolate and never went back.

I now have a fishing cabin on the bayou, and can run the bay and bayou in the dark.

I recently helped update the Hot-Spot fishing map, which they sell at Lutes Marine. New spots, structure, and other chanells are now marked.

Chocolate is different than most bays, as it's bayou that flows into it, is fed from rain-runoff, and rice farmers empting their fields.

So on a heavy rain, the Specs go with the saltwater out in the bay.
HINT HINT HINT
The reds remain in the bayou, along with the flounder, for the most part.

When its hot, stay near water drop offs, like along channels.
The same could apply during the cold months on warm days.

The channel in Chocolate has reefs that run on both sides on it. Most are shallow, but there are some passes that allow you to go east or west.

Shorelines in the bay are a redfish heaven, with mixed in flounder.

Flounder can be found at nearly every point, ditch, and cut along the shorelines.

All of the shell pads were formed from dredge material, that is why you have some out of now where reefs pop up when you running.

I am not the end all, no it all, of the system, and I am always learning new spots.

But here are some facts that you need to know

2004 bridge boat ramp, is not safe for your trucks .... to many break-ins, with it being so close to the high-way
After a bunch of rain get out to the bayou, and into the bay
The majority of the bay has mud, and it stains new fishing shirts
Chocolate is one of the best kept secrets close to Houston, for year around fishing
BTW
Lutes Marine has an email list, if you PM me your EMAIL I will add you.


----------



## Bigwater (May 21, 2004)

Right now the water temps are up there a bit. Chocolate has always been temperamental with water quality. You have bad water it's tough fishin. Good water the fishin is easier. If you fish up in the bayou the best approach is to fish the points and drops. Especially in this warm water. Don't let our dinks fool you...there are some hogs up there. 
When the water temps drop this fall and winter arrives the trout and reds head up into the bayou and stay depending on the amount of bait activity. What you need to do is either throw a dark color like pumpsd/Ch or glow. Glow is a lighter color and many months this color works up in there. As the water warms in the winter mornings you will find the majority of the trout move to the shell and rocks. Our bayou down here has a lot of small shell points and rock piles. If you find a shell point that is warmed from the sun you will find the fish. Even if it looks like you should be on the other side. When worms slow down change to a paddle tail. This always works. When you get on into winter and the fish start short striking change to a cheater jig and you will load the boat. 

Biggie:biggrin:


----------



## rstyfshooks (Sep 14, 2009)

Just recovered from surgery and Choclate will be 1st place I fish


----------



## BigBay420 (Jun 20, 2005)

What about the bubble wall? Caught 6 flounder saturday mourning.


----------



## plgorman (Jan 10, 2008)

rstyfshooks said:


> Just recovered from surgery and Choclate will be 1st place I fish


Ill be out there in all you boys' spots this wkend. Hope yall dont mind...


----------



## Splash (Oct 22, 2004)

Bigwater - what is a cheater jig?


----------



## SpoonColors (Oct 29, 2007)

We haven't had a winter......water temp is high 60's.......there is no winter pattern and the fish are scattered. I've been having very good luck by keying on the loons. Loons....if you don't know....spend their winter down here and feed primarily on mullet. They provide a very cheap guide service.


----------



## RedFlounderBass (May 10, 2015)

If you can't catch a Red in Chocolate Bayou(Not the Bay), no matter what time of year, I don't know what to say... NFIC!


----------



## cjweber09 (Mar 8, 2013)

SpoonColors said:


> We haven't had a winter......water temp is high 60's.......there is no winter pattern and the fish are scattered. I've been having very good luck by keying on the loons. Loons....if you don't know....spend their winter down here and feed primarily on mullet. They provide a very cheap guide service.


This thread is a blast from the past... Where did you dig up this thread???? You must be good with the search function.. if there are loons in the area, it might mean fish, but be careful.. My buddy thought he set into a nice red... then we saw the loon.. poor guy.. We got him unhooked and untangled.. but he was not happy about it.

.. oh, NFIC.


----------



## rat race (Aug 10, 2006)

bouy37 said:


> I agree with castaway300. Chocolate is a good fall fishing spot. However, I would not wait until then to fish Chocolate. Try and learn the area so that when fall rolls around, you are ready.
> 
> Be careful in the bay. Once you leave the channel, slow down until you learn where the reefs and spoils are. You can go from 2-3 feet and find the top of a hidden oyster reef just below the water line in several places.
> 
> ...


Lots of old timers called that spot "October flats". Should tell you something

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

Holy 7 yr old post.....

All I know is....I got numerous mean PMs from the 09' post...I now have friends who drive real fast in front of my drift and always tell me they only caught one fish but they use their middle finger...odd....???

But it's all good....I have gotten to know the local boat shops....they say I'm great for lower unit work from getting everyone to fish there....hey anything to help local business....

Btw- Hot Spot Map has been updated 4 times since Ike......F 127 .....is your best bet


----------



## dk2429 (Mar 27, 2015)

Fish up in New Bayou and the mouth of Halls Lake. If you want to stay In the bayou, there is flipped over boat that I fish next to. When the bayou splits off one through the ICW and one way off to the left, go to the left and look for a flipped over boat on the right. There is a deep reef in the middle of the bayou where that boat is flipped. Fish it.


----------



## dk2429 (Mar 27, 2015)

I got fooled lol. I thought this post was recent. Who brought this back up??


----------



## GeeTee (Aug 8, 2014)

CJ - those **** Loons in choco are full of it - out of the 10 times i chased them down there was fish under them, once.

DK - while you`re handing out places to fish ...... how far once ive taken a left into the ICW will i see the boat on my right? For awareness purposes of course ;-)


----------



## GeeTee (Aug 8, 2014)

Mouth of Halls, on the Choco Side or Halls Side? Incoming or outgoing tide?


----------



## Fishing Logic (Aug 25, 2005)

It's so bad in Chocolate Brian aka Muddskipper rarely fishes it anymore.  Need you to start doing tournaments again Brian they seem to be dropping the ball this year. The ones you used to do were a blast.


----------



## dk2429 (Mar 27, 2015)

My bad! Lol, I don't mind telling people where to fish. It's not like he/she is going to catch them all and ruin the spot... There's plenty of fish out there.


----------



## Zeitgeist (Nov 10, 2011)

NFIC yesterday!


----------



## RedFlounderBass (May 10, 2015)

Zeitgeist said:


> NFIC yesterday!


Man, check that BELLY on the Sheepie! Very nice!


----------



## Aggie87 (Jun 2, 2010)

i learned chocolate by hitting every dang reef in there when i was 16. luckily i never tore the motor up...too bad lol..chocolate is a good place to fish but the summer months are tough with the 1000 boats seeing how fast there motor can run..i would advice learning bits and pieces of it at a time. Ive waded just about every piece of shoreline in that whole by system it seems like. But that is how i like learning. Ive several people on here how to run/fish it and dont mind teaching when i have the time. Last year i finally figured out how to catch the triple tail in chocolate. Never knew they were there until i started looking for them. PM me if u need help


----------



## Chuck06R1 (Apr 7, 2015)

These we not caught in Chocolate on Saturday


----------



## Finn Maccumhail (Feb 16, 2009)

If the ramp at 2004 isn't safe, where do y'all launch from? Across the bay at San Luis Pass??


----------



## The west bay assassin (Sep 30, 2015)

Chocolate produces a lot more than anyone is gonna tell you. That spot is a good start. But there are several submerged oyster reefs you can find on google earth that are on the edge of some easily negotiated channels. Chocolate produces a great winter/fall catch on corkys work fast over shell/mud. Best way is to target one of those reefs and start a drift towards it in some deeper water until you drift shallow. Mark every strike you get weather you hook up or not and you will start to see a pattern. Big one knockers, skitter walks early with fatboys, then switch to dines and softs. stck to the basic colors schemes. chicken on a chain, natural, clear little johns, and purple with chart tails. Tequila in the fall on 1/8 jigs. You will start pulling in some larger ones.


----------



## Muddskipper (Dec 29, 2004)

Finn Maccumhail said:


> If the ramp at 2004 isn't safe, where do y'all launch from? Across the bay at San Luis Pass??


Lutes up the bayou is the ticket ... good people and all the supplies you need


----------



## Ethan Hunt (Dec 7, 2007)

Aggie87 said:


> i learned chocolate by hitting every dang reef in there when i was 16. luckily i never tore the motor up...too bad lol..chocolate is a good place to fish but the summer months are tough with the 1000 boats seeing how fast there motor can run..i would advice learning bits and pieces of it at a time. Ive waded just about every piece of shoreline in that whole by system it seems like. But that is how i like learning. Ive several people on here how to run/fish it and dont mind teaching when i have the time. Last year i finally figured out how to catch the triple tail in chocolate. Never knew they were there until i started looking for them. PM me if u need help


PMed you for some help


----------



## Zeitgeist (Nov 10, 2011)

I have to share an experience the last time I kayaked Chocolate. We were a bit South of the bridge, fishing right off the marked channel. Every boat that went buy slowed to the point of making no wake. Of course it wasn't that busy of a day as it was mid week. But, it was pretty amazing. Even a couple of work boats and the tug pictured below slowed down.

I was impressed!


----------

