fishing report Galveston 7-25-13

While fishing is quite slow because of a nagging southwest wind gusting to more than 20 knots, those conditions will not last. Soon, our typical Dog Days of Summer patterns will return and action will bust open, especially for offshore fishermen.

The recreational seasons for greater amberjack and gray triggerfish will reopen in the federal waters Aug. 1.

New regulations for gray triggerfish include a two-fish recreational bag limit. The minimum size limit for gray triggerfish is 14 inches fork length. The bag limit for greater amberjack is one per person, and the size limit is 30 inches fork length.

Fork length is measured from the tip of the fish’s closed mouth to the center of the tail fork.

Tuesday, the party boat Capt. John had a change of plans in midstream for its offshore trip because of higher than predicted seas. The backup was to fish the concrete ship Selma just off Pelican Island. At that spot, the anglers aboard landed 79 sand trout, 41 gafftop and four whiting.

Earlier this week, the party boat made a couple of offshore trip to areas 25 to 30 miles out where the anglers caught a variety of fish including sharpnose sharks, bonnethead sharks, flounder, whiting, spadefish, ling, Gulf trout, stingray and black drum.

Inshore fishing has taken a hit with the dirty water generated by all of the wind. There have been a few reports from anglers fishing in protected waters and at night under lights.

Maurice Green found the wind too much to take his grandson Jacob Morgan fishing in the bay and instead rigged him up with a small rod and reel, pan fish rig and fresh dead shrimp to fish from his boat slip at Seabrook Marina. Young Jacob used all of the bait and ended up with a bucket full of croaker, hardheads, piggy perch, crab and a nice-sized flounder.

Green said a number of small reds were caught and released as well.

On the night fishing scene, Barry Morehouse used live shrimp to land eight specks in the 15- to 17-inch range while fishing the lights of the Crash Basin on Monday night. Lots of needlenose were around the lights intercepting the free-lined shrimp.