Galveston fishing report

Fishing continued on the slow side Friday, as a southwest wind prevailed most of the day. Later in the day, a more southerly switch occurred, and the forecast continues to call for a south to southeast breeze this weekend.

Between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Friday, I watched boats coming in from West Bay and the causeway area, where most had a slow morning of fishing. Most boats had fish, just not in the quantities they expected. Two to three specks were the norm, along with a few other varieties such as black drum, reds and whiting.

Chuck McCloud of Houston was one of the anglers returning from the causeway, and I visited with him while he cleaned his two specks. McCloud used live shrimp, as did most of the fishermen, and said his day would have been made if he had landed a speck he estimated to be 25 inches. As he said, you know it is always the one that got away that makes fishing interesting.

Vacationers are beginning to appear in increasing numbers and a lot of them are asking about crabbing. One of the more common questions is when does the big run take place in the surf — the annual spawn of blue crabs. Most years, the spawn starts about now and lasts for several weeks.

Offshore fishing continues to be excellent, and with red snapper season in full swing, the party boats are focusing on the prized table fare.

Earlier this week, the party boat made a 50-mile trip offshore where 79 guests limited out on red snapper to 25 pounds. Other fish caught included two kings, six vermilions and two sharks.

The bait shop at Louis Bait Camp on Highland Bayou at state Highway 6 is under new management. Barbara and Bubba Garibaldi, both longtime shrimpers in Galveston Bay, are now overseeing the bait shop. They are extending the hours of operation and will be open from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. and longer on weekends. Live and dead bait will be available including shrimp, squid, fingerling mullet and mud minnows.