Fishing stuff on Galveston Island

Saturday afternoon, the high tide action busted wide open in the surf and carried over to the bays.Whether this was a prefrontal bite or just a situation where all of the right elements came together at the same time is anyone’s guess.The bottom line is that for a few hours before the arrival of Saturday night’s stormy weather lots of quality fish were caught.

Bulldog’s Bait Shop reported several customers telling of action breaking open along the beach front around 5 p.m. which was in and around the afternoon high tide.

Large bull reds were in a feeding frenzy along with gafftop well above average in size. Other fish reported caught were black drum, sharks and jack crevalle.

The causeway bridge produced a nice stringer of big “yellow mouth” speckled trout for Brandon Walker who used live shrimp and small finfish to take his eight fish. Walker estimated the largest trout to weigh close to 7 pounds and was just over 25 inches long.Two other post-25-inch trout were caught and released.

Farther down Galveston Island at Jamaica Beach, Dean Silvers found prolific action in West Bay before the bad weather came through Saturday night.Silvers had a Texas Grand Slam that consisted of nine reds, all released, three trout and an 18-inch flounder.

Action was not limited to the inshore waters Saturday,found hot action offshore for the Fishing approximately 20 miles offshore and using cigar minnows for bait, the anglers caught 10 kings to 30 pounds, 39 red snapper to 21 pounds (all released) and a lone ling.

fishing report galveston

Galveston area fishing this weekend can best be described as hit or miss. Anglers fishing the right spots are doing well; however, other areas are not consistent.

Live bait supplies have been spotty and, if you need live shrimp for your trip, it would be advisable to call ahead to check on the inventories at your favorite bait camp.

The jetties continue to produce nice-sized bull reds, along with a variety of other fish, largely gafftop, sharks and sheepshead. The beach front is holding some nice reds, along with black drum, whiting and most other pan fish common to our waters.

Mike Jewell, Ben Harp, Eric Thomas, Brad Swick and Joseph Wood, all from Princeton, to a productive jetty fishing trip Saturday morning. All of the anglers limited out on bull reds and saw action on sharks and gafftop.

 

Bulldog’s Bait Shop reported good catches of bull reds, black drum, sheepshead and other pan fish by anglers using dead shrimp while fishing the surf. An occasional jack crevalle was running through the surf, stripping lines off reels.

Nora Madden, Galveston Bait and Tackle, observed hot and cold action by customers returning from the causeway area. Anglers who fished their favorite “honey holes” were catching lots of trout along with a few reds. Others were returning with sparse catches. Trout, black drum, stingrays and sheepshead were the primary fish at the cleaning table.

Friday night, there was some good action from under lights especially at Tiki Island and Harbor walk.

Perry Hinch of Houston fished waters around Tiki Island, which were illuminated by flood lights, and landed eight keeper trout along with numerous throwbacks. The only other fish caught was a large needle nose. Free-lined live shrimp was the bait.

Eight year-old Rita Kelsey of La Marque caught her first fish Friday night with her mom and dad at the 61st Street Boat Ramp. Using peeled dead shrimp, she landed a huge hard head.

Fishing Report Galveston

During periods involving frontal systems and events in the Gulf of Mexico, warnings are posted to boaters, which appear to be confusing to some. Often we get questions from readers asking about small craft advisories — what they really mean and if it is illegal to operate a boat on the water during such advisories.

There is no legal definition of “small craft.” The small craft advisory is an advisory for sustained winds, frequent gusts or conditions exceeding thresholds specific to geographic areas.

Galveston is included in the southern region, and advisories are issued when forecasts call for conditions with sustained winds of 20 to 33 knots and/or forecasts for seas running 7 feet and higher for more than two hours.

It is not illegal to operate a boat during the time when the advisories are in effect. It is just an alert that dangerous conditions could exist for smaller boats.

The next level beyond the small craft advisory is a gale warning, and they are issued when forecasts call for wind speeds between 34 and 47 knots.

When the advisories are issued, the main concern should be to avoid open waters where waves could be hazardous. While in effect, most fishermen either cancel their trips or confine their fishing to protected waters.

On the fishing scene, Marita Schultz of Pelican Rest Marina reported a productive morning of fishing by Capt. James Plaag and his guests. Using top waters, Mirrolures and Fat Boys while wade fishing early Wednesday, they landed nine trout to almost 6 pounds.

Tuesday, Sweet Pea Woods took a nice haul of fish from the east end beach front. His catch included drum, whiting and sheepshead. Dead shrimp was the bait.

A reader named Curtis called in to say he had gigantic hookup while fishing the 27th Street Rock Groin on Wednesday. The unknown fish stripped 100 yards of line from his reel before breaking off. The fish hit a large hunk of cut squid.

Sounds like he might have tangled with a big Jack Crevalle, as that is characteristic of that species and recent reports indicate a number of such encounters.

Galveston Fishing

The big news on the fishing scene continues to be centered on the causeway area where limits of trout are being taking by anglers using live shrimp for bait.
In addition to the trout action, Glenn Goff, Galveston Bait and tackle reported jack crevalle beginning to show.

Several customers returned from fishing the railroad bridge telling of hook ups with the big fish and having their reels stripped of line.

Monday’s light winds helped ignite a flurry of good fishing in Moses and Greens Lakes. Flounder, reds and a few trout were taken by the sparse number of anglers able to hit the water early in the day.

J.L. Abbot fished the back parts of Green Lake early Monday. Using live shrimp on a popping corks with 24-inch leaders, the angler from Josephine, near Dallas, landed two slot reds, three flounder to 17 inches and a small stingray.

Henry Mitchell and Lawrence Arnold landed a Texas Grand Slam from Moses Lake with all of the action coming before 9 a.m. Using live shrimp fished under popping corks and free-lined, the Texas City cousins managed four reds, two slots and two throwbacks, five flounder and a lone speckled trout.

John Walker fished the rocks at the bend along the Galveston Channel near the U.S. Coast Guard Station and caught two black drum to 25 inches.

Fresh cut whiting was the bait. Walker said that poor tidal movement Monday morning handicapped his efforts.

Along the beach front, mainly whiting, gafftop, black drum and bull reds were hitting according to Richard Belleau’s report from the 61st Street Fishing Pier.

Washington Park

Readers continuously inquire about Washington Park and when it will reopen.
An increasing number are showing frustration and bitterness at the length of time it has taken to make the needed repairs and are asking who is responsible, as conflicting information has been floating around as to who is in control.

I, too, have become quite frustrated with the process, and to a large extent, the lack of information being given to the public.

Reliable sources at Galveston City Hall have told me the City Parks Board is in the process of taking over the park. 

Friday, I contacted Assistant City Manager Brian Maxwell telling him that readers of the Reel Report have been asking for answers as to what is taking place and when the park will reopen.

Maxwell’s reply stated: “The county is in the process of bidding out all of the improvements. Hopefully the bids will be reviewed and the project awarded and under construction by midsummer.”

While that news is somewhat encouraging, the fact remains that this vitally needed public fishing and recreational area has been closed too long.

Damage from Hurricane Ike forced the county to close the park and it has remained that way since.

Somehow, our public officials need to get the word that we are desperate for public fishing piers around Galveston. 

Many city and county officials have heard my complaints and, while offering sympathetic responses, still we are no farther along than we were following Ike.

Not only public officials but others as well are forgetting the fact that with each major storm or hurricane, public fishing piers are lost and many are not rebuilt.

The big losers in this catastrophe are our youth. A high percentage of the fishermen today were introduced to the sport as kids learning to fish from a pier or dock.

I am included in that category and I cherish my memories of fishing and crabbing from the numerous fishing and crabbing piers that were available when I was very young.

Let’s get the word out and push to improve this sad situation. Lots of other benefits to our community come from offering families a place to take the kids fishing and crabbing.

Fishing 4-14-13

The fish are here, and when the weather cooperates like it did Friday, outstanding results are waiting for anglers who time their trips to windows of light winds and green water.
Friday’s near perfect conditions gave rise to a lot of optimism for the weekend, as forecasts were calling for tolerable winds. Unfortunately, the pattern for this time of year repeated itself and a nagging and gusty east wind greeted fishermen Saturday.

Now, back to Friday and all of the hot action that took place. Glenn Goff, Galveston Bait and Tackle, called in and said his bait camp was “Trout City” on Friday. Every boat that returned to the fish-cleaning table had limits of trout and a variety of other fish.

Trout to 28 inches were common, and some of the biggest fish of the year were being filleted. Action was good all day, and both the incoming and outgoing tides produced fish.

Among the anglers enjoying one of those windows of great fishing was Don Knapp, who, along with a friend, took two limits of trout to five pound from near the causeway bridge. Live shrimp fished under a popping cork was the bait of choice.

Luis Decker, Aunt Margie’s Bait Camp, reported customer Donald Tansey’s 23-inch trout caught in West Bay.

With light winds and green water around the jetties, action busted wide open in that area as well. Sarah Melcer and her husband, Stephen, fished Abby’s Hole on Friday afternoon and landed 15 gafftop, two bull sharks and a bull red. Only the gafftop were retained.

Those of you who know Sarah are well aware that the target she aims for is gafftop.

Fishing the North Jetty was Samantha and Brandon Yates of Conroe, who both landed bull reds.

Keep your rods and reels ready for action, as there is going to be some excellent fishing during the next break in the weather.

More Fishing Stuff Coming

Springtime is synonymous with banquets and tournaments and this year is no exception.
Next weekend, the West End Anglers Fishing Club is hosting it annual Blackjack Tournament and Fundraiser at Sea Isle. It is a one-day event April 20 from noon until 6 p.m. and benefits The Gary J. Lynn Foundation for the Research and Cure of Cerebral Palsy.  

For more information on this event call Coe Parker at 713-594-4252 or check the club’s website at www.fishwestend.com.

May 3 is the date of the Mainland Chapter CCA-Texas annual banquet and fundraiser. It will be held at the Nessler Center in Texas City and for more details on that event call Eric Minor at 281-534-6242.

On the fishing scene, everyone is anticipating a good weekend for fishing with light winds and warming conditions. The beach front water temperature likely will return to the 70- degree mark, which hit just before the arrival of this week’s cold front.

We are nearing that time of year, which could be any day now, when the jetties have their first run of speckled trout. Normally that occurs sometime between mid-April and early May.

April is when the surf turns on. While the wind is usually the culprit in hindering fishing this month, during windows of fishable conditions, the surf can offer a bonanza of fish.
  

Capt. Mike Williams said the biggest stringer of trout he ever caught from the surf occurred during April, so this just could be the weekend for a window of opportunity to hit the beach front and check out the surf.

Reports from the 61st Street Fishing Pier did not indicate any hot action in the surf early Friday, as only blacktip sharks, black drum and croaker were reported.

Following this week’s rain, it might be worthwhile to check out drains emptying into both East and West bays. Often following a good rain, predator fish will be found at the mouths of creeks, bayous and other drains feasting on bait being washed into the bay.

Fishing Stuff

The beach water temperature is approaching the 70-degree mark, and that is music to the ears of coastal fishermen. We might have a setback with the cooler weather headed our direction; however; soon we will be seeing consistent readings in the 70s and higher.
This week has been typical of many, with weekend fishing reports trickling in midweek. Wednesday, we received three reports, and all were good, lending optimism to the fact we are headed for a good season of fishing.

Friday,James Pallon and Wayne Blackburn to a productive afternoon of fishing in East Bay. Free-lining live shrimp, the anglers caught 17 trout from 22 to more than 28 inches in length and a 25-inch red. All of the action came between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Dixie Starter and Hal Moran fished the South Jetty late Friday afternoon and landed four bull reds, six large sheepshead and two large black drum. Gaff top kept the anglers busy baiting hooks and removing the unwanted fish. All of the fish were released. Live shrimp and fingerling mullet were the baits.

Raul Gomez, Jamie Meadows and two friends fished Moses Lake from 5 p.m. until dark Friday and returned to the dock with six black drum 15 to 21 inches in length along with two flounder, a large sheepshead and a huge stingray. Fresh dead shrimp was the bait.

Gomez said he felt that readers would question why he would bring in a stingray and explained his mother-in-law has a terrific recipe for the fish — yes, stingrays are fish — that she learned while living in Corpus Christi.

Tuesday night, the lights were shining bright on the diversionary canal where Joe Domm and his son David caught 13 sand trout, three puppy drum and a whiting. Cut squid was the bait.

fishing 4-9-13

Fishing is picking up and should continue to improve as the water warms. Among the better results from last weekend was the report from Galveston Party Boat’s overnight tuna trip.
A group of anglers on the party boat New Buccaneer to a weekend trip to fishing grounds more than 100 miles out of Galveston. The overnight voyage resulted in a big haul that included 436 vermilion snapper, four amber jack, 266 black fin tuna, three yellow fins, 14 grouper that included a Warsaw, three sharks, a ling and a variety of other fish.

Dr. Todd Hamel took his son Layton to the North Jetty on Sunday where they landed four black drum and a big red. They also caught six large sheepshead. Live shrimp and cracked crab was the bait and all of the fish were released.

John McMichael, manager of Sea wolf Park, reported large quantities of sheepshead and a number of bull reds and black drum being caught along with an occasional speckled trout. The largest speck measured 25 inches and live shrimp was the bait of choice.

Sea wolf Park has begun their extended hours of operation for fishing and will be open for fishing 24 hours a day, seven days a week until the end of September, weather permitting.

Beach-front action was good over the weekend with the 61st Street Fishing Pier reporting catches of whiting, gaff top, sheepshead, black tip sharks, bull reds and black drum.

Monday, the surf was chopped-up and off color under a moderate to strong wind from the southeast. The flow was good for the bays, as warm Gulf waters were raising tide levels.

Another cold front is forecast for later this week, which continues a pattern we have been experiencing for too long now.

Fishing Reoprt

The first weekend in April looks like a dandy for fishing and other outdoor activities. Daytime temperatures are forecast to climb into the mid 70s with a southeast wind.
Friday, the surf was shaping up for some potential great action, possibly the best of the year so far. Water temperatures still are dragging behind where they should be for this time of year; however, with a spell of warm, sunny days, look for that to change.

Seasoned fishermen look for the magic 70-degree water temperature as a sign that overall fishing will start its per-summer pattern where fish will feed more aggressively.

Steve Albrecht reported excellent per-dawn action around Offatts Bayou where large trout and reds, both slot and bulls, were feeding. Albrecht said shad and mullet are moving in and with them, the predator fish are close behind.

While black drum continue to make the news, today’s tournament at the yacht basin should be a good indicator of the status of this year’s black drum run.

Close to 80 boats will be hosting participants all going after black drum. With that many anglers focusing on one species of fish, it should tell us if the run still is on or behind us.

The frontal system that brought the recent rain and inclement weather in parts of Galveston County has moved on and the lingering north winds have kept water levels lower than normal. Today’s switch to a southeast wind should help return tide levels to normal heights.

This week’s unsettled weather has hampered fishing and as a result, not many reports were received. That should change during the next couple of days, as conditions should draw a large number of fishermen to the coast. It will be interesting to see what is caught with settled weather returning.

Personally, I would not be surprised to hear of this season’s first report of pelagic fish along the beach front.

report

Wednesday, the estuaries received some badly needed rain and that should help promote life in the nursery grounds for a while. The rain was associated with yet another cold front that will be crossing the Upper Texas Coast.
The effects of the latest system should not last long if the forecast holds. By Saturday, a southeast breeze should return and that usually spells good conditions for fishing.

Eddie Franz and a guest to a good day of fishing earlier this week. Although the wind was strong, there was action while drifting the flats during the incoming tide. Using Bass Assassin Tide Tappers in sand trout color, the anglers landed 19 trout to almost 6 pounds.

Tuesday, the docks just south of the yacht basin cleaning table produced a nice variety of fish for Hal Peterson. Using his trolling motor to slowly work the pilings and bulkheads, Peterson and his son Michael landed three flounder to 18 inches, three large sheepshead, five sand trout and a 22-inch black drum. Free-lined live shrimp was the bait.

Saturday is the day of the annual Turning Point Drum Tournament for the Physically Disadvantaged and, with the forecast of nice conditions, there should be a lot of boats around the Galveston Yacht Basin hosting participants. Bait supplies could be an issue, especially for crabs, one of the top baits for large black drum.

If you are a host boat and coming from off the island, you might want to consider purchasing your bait before arriving. Boyd’s at the Texas City Dike has a good inventory of bait and, if your route takes you down state Highway 146, Hillman’s Bait and Seafood on Dickinson Bayou should have crabs on hand.

If a large quantity of bait is needed, call ahead to your favorite bait shop and check on their inventories. Each year, it seems that the tournament places stress on island bait supplies.

4-3-13

March is now behind us, and April, the month saltwater anglers wait for during the first quarter of each year, is here. April is the month when we begin the transition from winter to spring and summer fishing.
Before the end of this month, the first pelagic fish will show up along the beach front and, usually, it is the ling that arrives first. While the fish will not be making a run with large numbers, there likely will be some hookups reported. The jetties will see ling as well.

night fishing.

Night fishing around lights, both underwater and overhead, is proving to be the better choice over midday fishing. Saturday night late through almost daybreak Sunday, there were some excellent catches from all across the Galveston Bay Complex.
The North Jetty Bait Camp reported a lot of fish being caught by anglers fishing the beach front with large lights focused on the surf. Whiting, gafftop, sand trout, sharks and stingrays were taken in good numbers after being attracted to the lights by small bait fish hovering in the illumination.