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Sunday, August 31, 2014

Galveston fishing report





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)




August is ending on a sour note as far as fishing is concerned.

While there will be a few more weeks of warm weather, our summertime fishing patterns are beginning to wind down.


With the lack of fishing reports Saturday, let’s take a look at how this summer has been so far on the fishing scene.
If you ask anglers about their results this summer, the answer would vary greatly between the offshore fisherman and his inshore counterpart.
The summer of 2014 was excellent for offshore fishing. Both near shore (up to 12 miles out) and the typical offshore (beyond 12 miles) anglers had mostly outstanding fishing.
There have been a good crop of king mackerel along with numerous ling taken from both stretches of water.
Recreational red snapper fishing was almost nonexistent for private boats as the shortest season so far was imposed.
The prolific action on kings and other offshore fish should continue until the first cool front crosses the Texas Coast, normally by mid-September.
On the inshore scene, the word was seaweed. Heavy masses of seaweed hindered wade fishermen in the surf and those fishing off the piers and rock groins.
Trout action overall was quite disappointing. While some nice trout were caught, the overall numbers were down from earlier years. Reds and other fish took up the slack, however.
Most of the summer, drought conditions prevailed, which caused salinity levels in the bays to increase and no doubt that was one factor contributing to poorer trout fishing.
Speckled trout are one of the more sensitive fish to water temperature and salinity levels.
In recent years, there have been increasing numbers of mangrove snapper caught inshore; however, fishing reports this summer did not reflect a continuation of that trend.
Most other fish including black drum, sheepshead, Spanish mackerel and red fish held their own. Crabbing had one of its better summers recently.

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Galveston fishing report





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)


Bull red time is approaching, and it won’t be long before the first major run of reds in the surf takes place.

Beginning in early September, reds start making their way to the surf and jetties where they stack up in anticipation of their annual spawn.


Several key elements send signals to the big fish that it is time to spawn. Shorter periods of sunlight resulting in shorter days, a drop in water temperature and weather conditions like those that have settled on the Texas Coast this week combine to say it is time to spawn.
While the spawn is not continuous, it lasts well past October and is activated by rough weather that creates a choppy to rough surf. During late September and October, I have been on the beach front fishing piers and at times observed almost every angler battling a big red.
Before Hurricane Ike closed the Flagship Fishing Pier, there were times when there were so many tangled fishing lines in the water caused by the big fish weaving through them that fishing came close to a standstill.
The same situation likely occurs today at the two remaining piers, the 61st Street Fishing Pier and the Galveston Fishing Pier.
Before 1980 — before size limits were placed on reds — there were occasions when piles of bull reds could be observed on the fishing piers as anglers took as many as they could handle during some of the massive runs.
Today, red fish longer than 28 inches are catch-and-release, with the exception of one fish longer than 28 inches allowed with a special tag attached to it that is included with Texas fishing licenses.
The big fish are exciting to catch and need to be handled carefully and released as quickly as possible.

The disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico that has been dominating our weather lately just might trigger our first big run.

Friday, August 29, 2014

Galveston fishing report





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)




This weekend winds up the CCA-Texas Star Fishing Tournament with the final bell sounding Monday. Likely the most popular category in the annual event is the tagged red fish competition.
Actually, it is not a competitive race. If you catch a tagged red and are registered in the tournament at the time and pass examination, you win.


So far, only 12 tagged reds have been caught with three winners, one pending and eight that were not qualified. The reasons for the eight not being qualified ranged from the angler not being registered at the time for the tournament to failing a polygraph examination.
While the forecast for the remaining days of the tournament does not look good overall, conditions do not look bad for catching reds. Fortunately, red drum are not turned off by stormy weather, and some of the better redfish catches have taken place during storm tides, both in the surf and back bays.
The outlook for the big Labor Day weekend will be determined by the effects of the tropical event in the Gulf of Mexico. One bright note to the fishing and crabbing is that there have been some excellent catches of nice large blue crabs during the past few days.
Crabbers with lines in the water near the 61st Street boat ramp were catching some of the largest crabs I have seen recently. Additionally, rock crabs were around the rocks, and several crabbers had a few good-sized claws in with their live blue crabs.
Stone crabs tend to become more plentiful beginning in late summer and only the right claw measuring at least two and one-half inches may be taken. Once the right claw is removed, the crab must be immediately returned to the water. There are no possession limits for either stone crab claws or whole blue crabs.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Galveston fishing report





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)



Fishing continues to be on the slow to nonexistent side as moderate to strong easterly winds combined with stormy weather controlled the picture Wednesday. It appears that the wind will start subsiding this weekend; however, rain chances remain strong.

Hopefully, there will be acceleration in the movement of the low pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico that is causing all of the unsettled weather.


Anglers have been concerned over the erratic trout action this summer and what is causing it. At this point we can only theorize as to the cause; however Jose Aceves Jr.’s report might give a clue as to what is happening.
Aceves and other fishermen have reported some excellent nighttime action on specks resembling daytime reports we are accustomed to receiving this time of year. It could be that there has been a shift to night feeding this year and, looking at the tidal movements and strengths during the past several weeks, night feeding could be the answer.
Aceves and friends Jesse Lopez and Robert Martinez fished two consecutive Friday nights and each time found nonstop action on trout between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. The action took place in East Bay off Bolivar, with the anglers using soft plastics and live shrimp for bait.
While other fish such as reds, black drum, stingrays and whiting were caught, a flurry of action on trout took place early in the morning hours with full limits of trout taken. On both occasions, the anglers left the area with the fish still biting.
Aceves’ report came from last weekend; however, several reports from earlier in the month told of similar action not only in East Bay but from around piers and docks where either overhead or underwater lights were used to attract the fish.
And a reminder to everyone, most Texas fishing licenses expire at the end of this month.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Galveston fishing report





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)



Not much took place on the fishing scene Tuesday as several factors came together to keep anglers off the water. The beginning of the school year did as much to keep anglers away as anything, and the unfavorable weather forecast added another reason.

A low pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico is forecast to dominate fishing conditions during the next few days; however, once that passes, anglers should see a return to our more normal weather pattern for this time of year.


A steady northeast breeze prevailed Tuesday with no threatening weather for most of the day. It would have been a good day to have given the jetties a try as well as some of the deeper reefs and shell pads in East Bay.
Expect to see higher-than-normal water levels through the early part of the weekend. When the east wind blows, even at light to moderate levels, Gulf waters are pushed into the bays and tend to ignite some good action on reds.
Historically, Labor Day weekend signals the beginning of some good action on reds in the surf and around the jetties. Higher water levels in the back bays and marshes also attract reds to new feeding grounds. Reds likely would be a good choice to focus upon while we are dealing this unsettled weather pattern.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Galveston fishing report





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)



The forecast for the next several days has changed, and what appeared to be some excellent conditions for fishing are turning into stormy weather with easterly winds taking control.

The good news is that the rain in the forecast should do lots of good for fishing after conditions settle.


Sunday, Polly and I headed offshore with light winds and little chance of rain. Our plan was to fish weed lines and patches 30 to 50 miles east-southeast of the jetties. Considering all of the seaweed infestation on the beaches this year, there was little doubt that there would be some well-defined weed lines and good concentrations, especially with the light winds Sunday.
Unfortunately, the only weed build-ups were in small scattered patches that were not large enough to hold fish. What a disappointment. We did get into action on kings, large hardheads, sharks and spadefish while drift fishing several wells and platforms 40 to 45 miles out.
The party boat Capt. John was about the only other recreational fishing boat we saw that far out.
In their report Monday, Patrick Lemire noted that they fished 40 miles east of the island where their 76 guests landed 771 Atlantic spadefish, 40 bonnethead sharks, three black drum, two kings and a Spanish mackerel.
If anyone is interested in the tasty spadefish, they appeared to be thick around many of the wells and platforms to the east of the jetties.
The beach front was getting primed for some good fishing and still may be a good bet over the next few days.
Richard Belleau’s early morning report from the 61st Street Fishing Pier indicated a wider variety of fish being caught Sunday and during the early hours Monday. Whiting, gafftop, croaker, sand trout, blacktip sharks, bull reds, black drum and pompano all were being brought over the rails.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Galveston fishing report





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)



The recent illustration depicting how to hook live bait has drawn several comments and questions regarding live bait and keeping it alive during the warm summer months.

Carey Helton sent a note saying that it seems impossible for him to keep bait alive for more than a couple of hours before the shrimp start turning pink and settling on the bottom.


Jerry Hescock called in and complimented the illustration, saying that at least half of his problem with live shrimp would be solved, the other half, keeping it alive, remains an issue.
Helton uses an ice chest with a 12-volt aerator, while Hescock uses a conventional live bait bucket suspended in the water for his shrimp.
The key to keeping live bait is to have cool, well-aerated and clean water.
For Hescock, the only recommendation I can make for his type of bait container is to not overload it, keep it out of the sun and in the water.
Those type of bait buckets are designed for wade fishermen and not for boaters who have to pick up and move often.
Also, the bucket remains near the surface where the water temperature is the hottest.
Now, for Helton’s situation, there are ways to maintain longer life for live bait using bait wells such as an igloo or other large, insulated and aerated container.
No more than a quart of shrimp should be placed in the typical 48-quart ice chest.
The aerator must be continuously working, and the water should be changed often.
By changed I do not mean the container emptied and refilled, but rather take out a gallon or so and replenish with clean salt water.
This should take place at least twice an hour and more frequently during midday.
A frozen ice pack such as Blue Ice will do wonders to keep the water cool and will not add melted fresh water.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Galveston fishing report





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)


Saturday, the surf was still in poor shape under light winds from the south.

With the forecast of continued gentle winds and a switch to the southeast, better water should be coming in with the next couple of tide changes.


East Bay was showing signs of improvement with water clarity and improved catches the results.
Michael Mickey and his two sons, Hal and Lance, fished Deep Reef and the adjoining area early Saturday and found some good action on trout and black drum.
Using live shrimp fished under a popping cork, the anglers landed nine trout to 24 inches and three slot drum.
The action took place between 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. while drift fishing the reefs and keying in on slicks.
Tom Vestal has been finding good action on trout around the Seabrook Flats lately.
Friday, he anchored near a group of old pilings and caught six trout, several ladyfish and a slot red while fishing with live shrimp under a popping cork.
Vestal said the area was sheltered from the southwest wind that plagued the area most of the week.
Randy Randolph and Curtis Miller fished Long Reef in Offatts Bayou several times last week and found some excellent action soon after daybreak. The anglers used live shrimp fished under popping corks to land a total of 22 trout for the three days they fished. A jack crevalle and two flounder rounded out their catch.
Offshore fishing is sizzling.
Capt. Henry Hernandez hosted two friends to an offshore trip Saturday that took them as far as 95 miles from the jetties.
Fishing mostly wells and platforms, the group landed nine barracuda, two ling to 42 inches, numerous kings that were released, Spanish mackerel, bonito and the highlight of the fishing trip, a 30-inch wahoo.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Galveston fishing report





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)


While we continue in a period of doldrums for fishing, I want to address an issue that I feel, along with casting skills, is among the top reasons newcomers to coastal fishing have difficulty catching game fish — hooking live bait.

I have hosted literally hundreds of guests to fishing trips during the years and frequently noticed that while they thought they knew how to hook live shrimp and other live bait, they made some fatal mistakes — fatal for the bait.


The purpose in using live bait is to keep it alive and swimming to entice a speckled trout, red, flounder or other fish to take a bite. If the bait is dead, about the only fish it will attract are pan fish and scavengers such as hardheads.
The hook is probably the most important part of the process, and properly attaching it to the bait likewise is of prime importance.
The hook should be only large enough to keep the bait on and allow freedom to swim naturally. Live shrimp are probably the hardest with which to deal. A small hook, whether a size 6, 8 or 10 treble hook, works best. Small circle and J-hooks also work.
For finfish, larger hooks are used; however, the key is to use the smallest hook that keeps the fish alive and swimming naturally.
The illustration shown pinpoints the correct spots to hook live bait. For shrimp, it is imperative to not go back beyond the horn. Hooking in the small area under the horn allows the shrimp to move freely and remain alive.
Hopefully, this will help add fish to your stringer.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Galveston fishing report





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)




We continue in the same pattern that we have been in for almost a week — sustained southwest winds at velocities that have the bays and surf in bad shape.

With no fishing reports submitted Wednesday, I want to take this opportunity to discuss what to expect from a fishing guide and how to select one.


First of all, you are paying for the guide’s fishing expertise. That includes knowing where fish should be at a given time and under what conditions. You are also paying for the use of their boat and equipment.
While the majority of guides do their best to keep up with the ever-changing movements and feeding patterns of fish, there is no guarantee you will catch fish and don’t expect to limit out.
During conditions such as have prevailed all week, many guides reschedule or cancel trips because of the reduced odds of catching game fish.
Often, readers will complain that during their guided trip, the guide caught the majority of the fish.
The reason usually has to do with the guest’s lack of experience and/or poor casting skills.
Often, it has been mentioned that inadequate casting skills are the main reason for poor results.
Fishing the Galveston Bay Complex for trout, reds and flounder requires at least minimum skills in casting a line.
When choosing a fishing guide, the first thing to decide is where you want to fish — the jetties, East or West bays, the surf or other areas.
Once you narrow down your choice, find a guide who fishes those areas often.
Bait camp operators in your area of choice are good sources for recommendations.
When visiting with a guide, give them information about your experience level, where you desire to fish and any restrictions you may have.
Visit with several guides before making your choice and choose the one that best meets your requirements.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Galveston fishing report





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)




Based on fishing reports, or the lack thereof, it feels like we are in the middle of January rather than August. A dangerously high heat index combined with strong winds off the South Texas dry lands have kept fishermen off the water and looking ahead to better times.

Hopefully, some relief will come by this weekend with a shift in wind direction.


Tuesday had just about everything going against it for fishing. In addition to the heat and wind, a weak single tide change added to the woes of fishermen. That, too, will change as double tide changes return today.
For the remainder of August, it is likely anglers will find fish in deeper waters. The hot days will continue; however, when better tidal movement returns with a more southeasterly wind along with double-day tide changes, fishing will improve.
Just about every angler I visit with asks about the prized speckled trout and the sparse year overall we have had landing them. Most fishing guides I have contacted tell me they are working harder for fewer trout this year. While most are returning from their trips with nice trout, the numbers are down from previous years.
Fortunately, we do not have any events to cite as the culprits. Fish-killing freezes and red tides, two of the more devastating events on trout, have spared the Upper Texas Coast this year.
We reported earlier that gill net surveys by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department last spring indicated a healthy stock of trout in the Galveston Bay complex.
Upper Texas Coast anglers are not alone. Last week I visited with a friend in Rockport who echoed the same story from his area. Several fishing guides there purportedly are focusing on black drum as an alternative to trout.
Hang in there. Perhaps trout are waiting until fall to go on a feeding rampage.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Galveston fishing blog





Galaveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)



The current conditions have even slowed crabbing, which has been one of the bright spots for families vacationing in the Galveston area. Not to worry, the crabs are there, just retreating while the water is so hot and there is little tidal movement.

The Hendricks family has been vacationing in Crystal Beach for the past month. They have been enjoying some nice crabs caught off the dock near their rental home. Ronnie Hendricks called in to say crabbers now are experiencing a slowdown along with fishermen.


Before Sunday, his family had been catching at least six nice blue crabs each day, but only one small crab was caught Sunday.
He asked if it were possible that the crabs have moved, and my answer is I doubt it. Later this week when the wind is forecast to shift, action should return.
Our only inshore fishing report Monday came from the 61st Street Fishing Pier where anglers were landing sand trout, pompano, whiting and reds, both slot and bulls.
Before the wind picked up last weekend, the party boat New Buccaneer made a 75-mile trip offshore where Capt. Smitty Smith placed his 96 guests into action. Their catch include 351 vermilion snapper, 45 white grunt, 11 porgy and 39 other fish that included sharks, Dorado, amberjack and kings.
If you have young anglers at home ages 14 and younger, the Mainland Chapter CCA-Texas would like for you to join them at its sixth annual Kids Fishing Tournament. The event is free and will take place this Saturday at Harborwalk Marina.
Registration and fishing is from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. with awards and lunch (hot dogs, chips and drink) from 11 a.m. to noon. For information, call Erich Schneider at 713-626-4222.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Galveston fishing report





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)


With the slow fishing since the onslaught of the ill wind from the southwest, let’s take a look at what has been taking place in East Bay. Capt. Bryan Brawner’s recent report tells the story.

“Fishing conditions in Galveston East Bay still have been dominated by wind directions, which can drastically change the tide movements,” Brawner wrote.


“Last week, we had some scattered storms which cleared up a lot of the bay with variable winds. We had good catches on days when the wind was not blowing out of the west or southwest.
“We caught most of our fish on live shrimp under a popping cork on shell areas in 5 to 6 feet of water, keying on pods of bait and slicks.
“There are big pods of shad all over the bay, but mostly smaller trout and trash fish are under the shad; however, some of the shad in deeper mid bay areas are holding some keeper size specks and reds.
“Wind permitting, you just have to keep on the move working the schools of bait until you find the keepers. Well pads in Trinity Bay also have been good for specks.
“Looks like another start of a few days of the dreaded southwest wind which started Saturday so, I am taking a couple of days off. We have rescheduled a couple of trips into September when fishing starts to get a lot better with fall approaching and the crowds are off the bay.”
Offshore has been the saving grace for fishing; however, Sunday, the seas were just too much for smaller boats desiring to make close-in trips for king mackerel and other migratory pelagic fish.
While finished with red snapper for the year on day trips, the party boat Capt. John was back offshore Saturday. Capt. Johnny Williams hosted 83 anglers to the Heald Bank area where they landed a variety of both reef and pelagic fish.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Galveston fishing blog





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)



Another siege of southwest wind has hit and likely will last until the middle of this week when forecasters are calling for a switch to the southeast. Based on the forecast, it is likely I will keep my boat in the sling until Wednesday or later.

Saturday morning there was a tolerable window of lighter southwest winds and that is when David Anderson, Dr. Daniel Jacobs, Dr. Rex McCallum and I made a run to the North Jetty. Before the wind picked up around 10 a.m., we landed several specks, Spanish mackerel, sand trout and a whiting.

Live shrimp was the bait.


Dean Silvers also took advantage of that window and, along with his son Ben, Joel Turman, David Giraldi and Jordan Cooper, fished near the Bolivar Ferry Landing and caught 10 trout up to 23 inches along with two black drum. After the wind picked up, they moved to the end of the North Jetty where seven Spanish mackerel were added to their catch.
Cora Lee Davis said the weather is the hottest she has experienced in her 23 years of fishing Seawolf Park and that the fishing was among the slowest she has experienced. Davis and her grandson Mark Boyd fished from 10:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. and landed only two hardheads and a snake eel.
Terry Rizzo and Charlie Hansen of Jamaica Beach found good action on flounder in West Bay. Using live mullet for bait, they landed eight nice flounder.
Offshore action continues to be excellent and is less affected by the southwest wind.
The party boat Capt. John made its last 12-hour red snapper trip of the year Friday and will be using the remainder of their Pilot Program Allocation for an upcoming overnight trip. The trip Friday was to the Heald Bank area where limits of red snapper to 18 pound were taken along with 15 kings, 75 spade fish, bluefish and bonito.

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Galveston fishing report





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)



Morning rain and threatening weather kept fishing to a minimum Friday. While the forecast called for slight chances of rain, the skies told another story.

I was one of those who spent the morning around the Galveston Yacht Basin waiting for a break in the weather. Several boats were driven in by the ominous conditions and, like me, waited until better conditions to head out.


Just before noon, we were able to head to the jetties and the fish were biting for a short time. From 12:30 p.m. until 2 p.m., Polly and I landed several specks, black drum, sheepshead, small jack crevalle, lady fish and a flounder. All of the action came during an outgoing tide on the channel side of the North Jetty.
The conditions were ideal and, in past years, trout would have been thick roaming the rocks for bait.
Along the beach front, whiting, gafftop, Spanish mackerel, blacktip sharks and bull reds were being caught by anglers fishing the 61st Street Fishing Pier.
Offshore reports from Thursday came in and, as we have mentioned many times, the action is outstanding.
Jared Montgomery and three friends from Dallas fished more than 60 miles out of Galveston and ran into hot action on barracuda. Montgomery said his group lost count of the number of barracuda they caught. The fish ranged in size from a few pounds to one that measured 30 inches. All of the barracuda were released because of the fear of a poison that species of fish often carries.
Other fish caught and retained were full limits of king mackerel, six chicken Dorado and a grouper.
The party boat New Buccaneer made a 70-mile trip Thursday, and Capt. Smitty Smith placed his guests into fish.
Their catch included 313 vermilion snapper, 20 kings, grouper, almaco, tomtate, squirrel fish, Creole fish, lane and mangrove snapper.

Friday, August 15, 2014

Galveston fishing report





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)

Good reports came in from anglers fishing East Bay and shell pads off the Houston Ship Channel out of San Leon.

The jetties are producing a good variety of fish; however, it just seems that there is a shortage of summertime jetty trout this year.


Weyland Manning and Smitty Smith fished Deep Reef and Hanna’s Reef in East Bay early Thursday and landed 15 trout to 20 inches, along with two slot reds and a bull red that was released. The anglers used Bass Assassins and Norton Sand Eels for bait.
Purvis Easley reported good results from his trip to the shell pads around wells across the ship channel from San Leon. Easley and a friend landed nine specks, five large sand trout, a flounder and a jack crevalle using live shrimp bottom bumped. The action did not get underway until close to 10 a.m.
Along the beach front, Richard Eberle found lots of sharks in the surf near 43rd Street. The predators were feasting on thick concentrations of shad and mullet. After landing a 6-foot spinner shark and a 4-foot blacktip, Eberle called it quits as he was after bull reds, not sharks. Lots of seaweed was in the area as well.
Richard Belleau, 61st Street Fishing Pier, reported catches of gafftop, croaker, sand trout, whiting and blacktip sharks.
Terry Thompson drift-fished about 5 miles off the beach front Thursday morning and jumped a nice-sized tarpon that quickly spit the hook. Besides the excitement of the tarpon encounter, Thompson landed and released five sharks to more than 6 feet long and several huge gafftop.
Sells Newsome and four friends fished on the charter boat Wild Wind on Wednesday and landed full limits of kings, two ling to 28 pounds and several large sharks that were released.
Today, 2014-15 state of Texas fishing licenses are available.
Most fishing licenses expire Aug. 31, so beat the last-minute rush and get yours before Labor Day weekend.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Galveston fishing report





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)
 




Crabbing and night fishing are the bright spots on the inshore scene, while offshore fishing continues to produce the most fish.

Crabbing continues to outpace fishing during the morning, with good numbers of large blue crab being taken from waters ranging from just more than a foot in depth to 5 feet. Crabs likely are in deeper waters; however, those crabbing with conventional crab lines and dip nets are limited on where they can drop their lines.


Most of the better reports have come from inlets and canals on Bolivar Peninsula and along Dickinson Bayou and Dickinson Bay.
Herman Bastrop and his family did their crabbing along the edges of Dickinson Bay in San Leon and literally loaded a wash tub with crab. Most were male blue crabs; however, there were a number of large females in the mix.
Jerry Samson got into some nice stone crabs around the docks of one of the bait camps in Bolivar.

Samson used crab traps baited with fish heads from the cleaning table. Several blue crabs were mixed in, but there were mainly stone crabs.
Samson said several of the stone crabs appeared to have already been caught and released as the right claw was being regenerated and small.
Perry Philmon reported excellent trout action around 3:30 a.m. off his dock at Tiki Island. None of the fish were more than 17 inches in length, and he released a number of undersized trout. Live shrimp was the bait.
Arnold Greenburg and Seth Wallace fished underwater green lights in Cold Pass on Monday night and caught five reds, two specks and several sand trout. Live fingerling mullet and speck jigs were the baits.
Monday, Theresa Banuelos hosted Daniel Trieff from St. Paul, Minn., and his friend Vincent to an offshore trip on the party boat Capt. John. Both young men limited on red snapper and kings while Daniel added a 38-inch ling to their catch.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Galveston fishing report





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-fish(3474)



Fishing is beginning to pick up; however, offshore results continue to outpace inshore fishing.

Two friends joined me on a run to the vicinity of the V.A. Fogg reef Monday where we landed kings, ling, amberjack, bonito and too many pilot fish.


Capt. Jaime Cantu ventured offshore with three guests Sunday. Their 80-mile round-trip resulted in kings, bonito and red snapper, all released.
Calvin Johnson and Harold Manley landed Texas Grand Slams while fishing off Eagle Point on Monday. Using live croaker and shrimp for bait, the anglers from San Leon landed eight speckled trout, four reds and two flounder. Black drum and sand trout rounded out their catch.
Action has picked up around the 61st Street Fishing Pier, according to Richard Bellow, who reported good numbers of sand trout, sharks, black drum, bull reds, gafftop and stingrays being caught.
The Chorizo Tournament Series, Texas Slam Tournament is scheduled for Saturday. Weigh-in will be held at Serious Tackle, as part of its 20th anniversary celebration The captains’ meeting will be Friday at Taqueria El Nopalito, at Dixie Farm Road and Interstate 45 north. For details, call Lee Garcia, 281-216-3215.
Fishermen and other good-hearted individuals should mark your calendars for Sept. 12-13 for the Cast for a Cure Tournament benefiting Officer Chris Sanderson, a 7-year veteran of the Galveston Police Department who has had to battle an ongoing fight with rhabdomyosarcoma cancer. All proceeds from this event will be used toward his medical bills.
Fishing will take place from noon to 8 p.m. Sept. 13. The event will be held at Pelican Rest Marina, and the registration fee is $250 for a four-man team. For information and online registration, go to castforacure.org.
If you want to make a donation, make it payable to Christopher Sanderson and mail to Catherine Healy, 17207 Feather Craft Lane, Webster, TX 77598.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Galveston fishing report





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)




Except for the offshore reports, fishing continues to be on the slow side in the bays and around the jetties.

The area that is producing some of the better trout catches is around the Houston Ship Channel spoil banks from just south of Red Fish Island to Marker 59 and the surrounding area.


Live croaker have been the preferred bait, and while fair-to-good quantities of trout have been taken, no limits were reported.
Steve Allison and Jerry Sanders fished out of April Fool Point early Sunday and, while the action was not as prolific as they had hoped, eight trout to 22 inches, three reds, two slots and a throwback were caught.
Live croaker was the bait, and the action did not begin until around 10 a.m.
Eagle Point Camp is were Fred Azios and Dexter Henley pivoted from and worked reefs and the spoils between the camp and the ship channel.
Their catch included six specks and eight sand trout.
The specks went to 17 inches in length, and the largest sand trout was a half-inch shy of tying for the largest fish.
Live shrimp accounted for the sand trout, and croaker were the choice of the specks.
Readers often ask about the spoil banks as they are often mentioned in the Reel Report, especially during the summer.
The area we refer to is all along the Houston Ship Channel from the Texas City Dike area to well beyond San Leon.
The spoils are the dredge from the Houston Ship Channel that ended up on both sides of the channel and create a rise that is full of shell and mud.
During the summer, trout roam up and down the spoils looking for food.
On the offshore scene, the party boat Capt. John continues to find limits of red snapper for its guests and last weekend, kings, spadefish and sharks were added to the catch.

Monday, August 11, 2014

Galveston fishing report

Galveston fishing charter company
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Light winds and hot weather settled in on the Upper Texas Coast on Sunday and that, combined with the full moon and weak morning tides, slowed action to almost a standstill.

The better catches have been coming from deeper waters where the only reports of significant trout action have taken place.

All of this has not slowed tarpon action, as there have been several reports, most unconfirmed, of hot action on the silver kings not far off the beach front.
I am checking on two unconfirmed reports involving fishing guides I know well who purportedly raised a number of tarpon Saturday afternoon.
It should be noted that many of the tarpon guides often go to lengths to hold the information on their catches close to their vests.
The only confirmed report came from Lawrence Arnold who was fishing for sharks with his two young sons about a mile west of the South Jetty when a tarpon took one of the baits. The big fish gave quite a fight before breaking the line.
Arnold said the hit took place in 30 feet of water.
August is usually prime time for tarpon, and when the seas calm to the 1- to 2-foot category, that is when we see them rolling in large schools.
Tarpon Alley, as it was designated by Capt. Mike Williams of Tarpon Express Guide Service, tends to be full of tarpon this time of year.
The mythical alley runs parallel to the Upper Texas Coast for a number of miles.
Spanish mackerel continue to be prolific around the jetties, especially closer to the end of both the North and South jetties.
Marion Hicks was one of many anglers taking a large number back to the cleaning table.
She and her companion, Marsha, landed 12 along with two gafftop and a bluefish. Live shrimp was the bait.

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Galveston fishing report





Galveston Fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)



Tonight’s full moon likely will slow morning fishing even further as fish will be taking a break from nighttime feeding under the light of the silvery moon.

Personally, I have found that the effects of the full moon are the greatest during the four summer months of June through September, and the least during the fall months.


Actually, trout action has been the slowest as anglers have been reporting catches of other fish in fair-to-good quantities.
Areas around the far West End of Galveston Island are where the best reports came from Saturday.
Dean Silvers, a frequent contributor to the Reel Report, fished San Luis Pass on Saturday with guests Richard Newsom and Jeb Braue.
While the water around the pass was off color, that did not slow the action.
Two black drum more than 20 pounds were landed, along with eight keeper drum, two specks and a bull red that was tagged and retained.
Rounding their catch were 13 nice whiting.
Not far to the north, the bite was on around the intersection of the Intracoastal Waterway and Chocolate Bay.
Daryle Hall, Blake Godwin and Lacey Godwin landed 55 croaker, 10 sand trout, 10 whiting, nine gafftop and a skipjack while fishing that area.
The party boat Capt. John fished 40 miles south of the jetties where the 82 anglers aboard caught full limits of red snapper along with kings, sharks, bluefish, spadefish, vermilions and blue runners.
The Capt. John has been participating in a red snapper pilot program which for this year is expected to end in about a week.
Their participation in the program will resume Jan. 1.
Mark your calendars for Oct. 11, as the third annual CCA-Texas Castaway Cup Tournament takes place.
The event will be held at Harborwalk Marina and the entry fee is $95 per person.
For information call Gary Brown at 281-870-8740.

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Galveston fishing charter





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)



The marine forecast calls for a wind switch to the southeast this weekend and, while velocities continue to run moderate to a bit strong, the switch in direction should give fishing a boost.

The southwest wind that has plagued the area this week has the water in poor-to-marginal shape for fishing.


The southeast wind should quickly clear the bays and, hopefully, ignite betting action on trout.
While trout have been scarce at the jetties lately, Spanish mackerel have been taking up the slack.
Almost all reports from jetty fishermen lately include good numbers of the “smacks,” as many fishermen call them.
Johnny Smalley of Grand Prairie fished the surf close to the North Jetty Bait Camp and landed six Spanish mackerel and three sharks using live shrimp fished under a popping cork.
Most of the catches have taken place on the leeward side of the jetties, which would be the Gulf side of the North Jetty and channel side of the South Jetty.
Thursday morning, Max Henderson of Friendswood and his daughter Carlotta Mock and grandson Kevin from Lakeway fished near the end of the Gulf side of the North Jetty close to the old wreck and landed 12 Spanish mackerel, two jack crevalle, one weighing 22 pounds, and several sharks and gafftop.
Live shrimp fished on the bottom was the bait.
Capt. Dean Chiles, Hookup Guide Service, hosted Brad and Matt Throne along with Scott Hukabay of Round Rock to a fishing trip along the Galveston Ship Channel where they caught three slot reds, a 39-inch bull red, 16-inch trout and numerous sand trout.
Live croaker and shrimp were the baits.
Offshore seas were a little bumpy Friday and proved to be too much for Rodney Wheeler and his family to handle.
Wheeler cut the trip short after their first stop at a rig 10 miles out, but not before four large kings were landed.

Friday, August 8, 2014

Galveston fishing report






Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)


A moderate southwest wind has the shallower bays in poor shape.

Deeper pockets of water are holding fair to marginal water clarity along with the jetties.


Thursday afternoon, I surveyed the North Jetty with the idea of fishing for a couple of hours; however, a stiff south wind was just too much to deal with during the early afternoon.
Fish are being caught despite the conditions.
Around 2 p.m. Thursday, I stopped by the cleaning table at Galveston Bait and Tackle and observed Capt. Steve Hewitt, Five Star Fishing Charters, cleaning a mess of fish.
He had just returned from a fishing trip with the Phillips party from Mansfield.
A Texas Grand Slam including 10 trout, five reds and a flounder was lying on the table in line to be processed.
Earlier this week, Charlie Hanson of Jamaica Beach hosted the Stricklin family to a West Bay fishing trip where they caught speckled trout, redfish and flounder.
All of the fish were caught using live mullet for bait.
Crabbing has been good recently with the best action taking place between daybreak and noon.
Marilyn Grippon, who is visiting Crystal Beach with her children, asked about places in that area to take the kids crabbing.
Just about any spot around a pier, bulkhead or boat dock should be a good candidate for catching crabs.
Be sure to have the owner’s permission before dropping any crab lines in the water.
The party boat Capt. John made a 156-mile run to a drill ship working in 4,000 feet of water.
The overnight trip earlier this week included Rosalee Mierzwa, wife of Port Director Michael Mierzwa, who along with 36 other anglers landed a variety of deep offshore fish.
Included in their catch were red and vermilion snapper, 40 yellow fin tuna, 98 blackfins, a skipjack tuna, 12 amberjack and grouper.

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Galveston fishing report





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)



Wednesday, Dr. Alan Jarrett and his grandson Morgan Rosenbaum joined me for what was supposed to be an inshore fishing trip; however, with the slow fishing lately, I talked them into a short offshore trip focusing on kings and other fish.

The forecast called for slight seas and low probability of rain. Heading out the channel between the jetties, I became concerned when observing waves breaking over the South Jetty and, sure enough, when we rounded the corner, waves were white capping and the rain started. Heavy rain fell for the first 8 to 10 miles, but after that, conditions began improving.


We limited our distance to the Mitchell Reef area where we drifted the artificial reef several times along with three platforms, all within 15 miles of the jetties.
We had several hookups with what must have been kings and landed two, along with a large Spanish mackerel. A slow day overall; however, it was fun being on the water again with friends.
Our only report from inshore Wednesday came from Mary Jewett, who along with her two sons Mike Jewett and Rodney Jewett and grandson Mark fished the Gulf side of the North Jetty during the morning and landed 12 Spanish mackerel, two sheepshead and numerous hardheads.
It was 6 year-old Mark’s first fishing trip, and he is now “hooked” on the sport.
Johnny Smalley of Grand Prairie sent a note asking which surf is best for action. Smalley will be visiting the Galveston area next week and wants to do some wade fishing for trout and other fish.
My response to him was that it could be any spot along the Bolivar-Galveston beach front that is away from swimmers and holds calm, green water and active bait. Looking for concentrations of mullet and other bait is one of the keys to finding a good spot to fish out from the beach.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Galveston fishing report





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)



There have been a lot of notes and calls from readers inquiring about the controversial Amendment 40, as it is commonly called, that proposes a change to the regulations for the recreational quota of red snapper.

Many of the inquiries were prompted by two guest columns in The Daily News, one supporting the amendment and the other opposing it.


The proposed amendment would take the annual red snapper quota and divide it between the boats-for-hire group, which includes charter boats and head boats (party boats), and the private recreational sector.
I have read both columns, and both have their merits. The common dominator in each is the fact that both writers agree our stocks of red snapper have been mismanaged by federal agencies. I join them in their views.
Monday evening, I attended a meeting at the Hilton Hotel where the Gulf Council presented its ideas and listened to close to 100 members of the fishing community give their views. It appeared that a solid majority of the crowd was from the private recreational group.
I could see benefits from this amendment if properly drafted; however, as it stands, there are a lot of flaws.
Party boats provide a valuable service in that they allow anglers with limited resources to make offshore fishing trips. Allowing them to extend their season for taking red snapper would definitely help them make it financially.
The main opposition I have detected is “not at the expense of the private sector.” The opponents have a good argument. If the private allocation is reduced and the method of determining when that allocation is met is not changed, the time frame will be further reduced from the stingy 10-day limit that was set for 2014.
The solution to this whole problem would be to arrive at a system that allows both groups to have equal and longer seasons.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Galveston fishing report





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)



Tarpon are back in the picture, with several hookups and landings reported in the past few days.
Surf fishing for trout has been spotty, with the best action coming later in the morning; however, other fish are filling stringers for wade fishermen along the beach front.


An angler named Greg sent a note saying that he fished the surf both Saturday and Sunday with only one trout to show for his efforts. While trout were scarce, he landed sand trout, black drum, whiting and bluefish. Lots of mullet were in the surf, and bluefish were after everything in sight.
Hank Cornelius waited until 10 a.m. to wade the surf and within an hour had eight trout. All were caught using Super Spook Juniors for baits.
Capt. Michael LaRue, LaRue’s Guide Service, fished just off the Galveston beach front Monday with Capt. Billy Howell and John Novecky and raised three tarpon, landing two with the largest silver king weighing 120 pounds.
Also reporting a tarpon catch was Damien Nelson, who caught his fish while fishing with Capt. Shane Day.
Offshore fishing continues on the hot pace it has been on recently with good numbers of fish being caught within 20 miles of shore.
Last weekend, Galveston Party Boats had both of their party boats in the Gulf.
The New Buccaneer made a 70-mile trip where Capt. Smitty Smith placed his guests into action.

Their catch included 417 vermilion snapper, 10 kings, three amberjack and a variety of other fish including a Warsaw and other grouper.
Capt. Cody Carter took the Cavalier 65 miles out where his guests landed king and Spanish mackerel, sharks and a variety of other fish.
The party boat Capt. John fished 40 miles out where Capt. Johnny Williams placed his guests into limits of red snapper. It was 20 miles closer in where he found other fish that included kings, Spanish mackerel, stingrays and sharks.

Monday, August 4, 2014

Galveston fishing report





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)



Sunday, the surf was flat, and lots of wade fishermen were testing the waters for trout and other fish.

No beach front reports were in by late Sunday afternoon; however, conditions this morning certainly looked favorable for some good trout action.


Capt. Bryan Brawner of Crystal Beach sent in his fishing report for last week, saying the fishing conditions mainly have been dominated by wind directions and from the pop-up storms and, of course, the tides. He said when there has been tide movements, the fish really turn on with slicks popping and active bait.
“As soon as the tide quits, the slicks and bait disappear and the bite totally stops,” Brawner said. “It is absolutely necessary this time of year to fish around water flow movements to catch fish.”
Brawner said as the tide goes slack in the bay, it is a good time to move to spots like gas wells near the ship channel and oyster reefs in Trinity Bay where there is more water flow.
“The fish are more scattered now and we have had to stay on the move more to stay on top of them,” Brawner said. “We have been catching specks, reds and a few sand trout, with most trips keying on slicks and bait activity on oyster shell in 6 to 7 feet of water.”
 
Brawner said live shrimp under a popping cork have produced more fish this week with darker soft plastics working well on redfish and smaller schools of trout under scattered birds and pods of bait..
The sixth annual Kids Fishing Tournament will be held at Harborwalk Marina on Aug. 23. The event is sponsored by the Mainland Chapter CCA-Texas.
The event is from 8 a.m. until noon, with sign-in and fishing until 11 a.m. and awards and lunch from 11 a.m. until noon. Admission is free and limited to kids 14 and younger.
For information call Erich Schneider at 713-626-4222.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Galveston fishing report





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)




Under light northerly winds Saturday, shark fishing in the surf and from around the jetties was outstanding.

Anglers were returning to 3-G Bait Camp at the Galveston Yacht Basin with good numbers of blacktip, spinner, bonnet head and bull sharks.


A few tagged bull reds were mixed in along with pan fish and gafftop.
Trout action was slow as it has been recently with the best results coming from Trinity and East bays.
Offshore conditions were excellent, and that is where the better fishing has taken place. Friday, king mackerel were pouring onto the cleaning tables from boats fishing 5 to 50 miles out.
Reports from the Texas City Dike indicated slow fishing with mainly pan fish being caught. Jesse Vasquez reported the largest fish landed from the dike Saturday was a huge stingray that had a wingspan measuring longer than 3 feet. The big ray was caught using dead shrimp for bait.
Several readers have inquired about a boat shown on a local newscast last week that had been towed into the Galveston Yacht Basin after running out of gas about 70 miles offshore. Most asked if I had any facts on how this occurred.
Actually, I read about the event in The Daily News, and it puzzled me as well. While I do not know what happened, I speculate the boat’s fuel gauge must have malfunctioned.
The boat was definitely an offshore caliber boat with sufficient fuel capacity for a trip of that distance from shore.
Fuel gauges often malfunction, especially on older boats and those exposed to a lot of salt air.
For newcomers to offshore fishing, I always emphasize the importance of knowing the fuel consumption of your engines and carrying 30 percent more fuel that you anticipate using.
Before departing on an offshore trip, you should know exactly how much fuel you are carrying, with no more than 70 percent needed to cover your journey.

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Galveston Fishing Report





Galveston fishing charter company
832-917-FISH(3474)




August is here and barring disruptions from events in the Gulf of Mexico, it should be a good month for fishing.

For anglers like me who enjoy both offshore and bay fishing, August is one of the top months to focus on the sport.


Several times I have said that it is my favorite month for coastal fishing as the weather tends to be the most stable of the year and just about all species of fish are available to catch.
While most anglers have experienced poorer than normal inshore catches for this time of year, I expect that to change during August.
Inshore fish, particularly the big three of flounder, reds and trout, are going to be caught in deeper waters.
Among the areas that are productive during August are deeper shell pads around gas wells and the dropoffs along both the Houston Ship Channel and Galveston Channel.
The jetties are in one of their prime months and the beach front is often a hot spot early in the day.
From now until Labor Day, trout should be found in good numbers schooling up and down the jetties, especially the channel side of the North Jetty and Gulf side of the South Jetty. Fishing the jetties is always an adventure as just about any species of fish found in the near shore waters of the Gulf is a candidate to take your bait.
The Tejas Vaquero Pescado Challenge was held last weekend at The West End Marina and the results are:
• First Place, Non-Guided Division — largest stringer: Harry Klein, George Bollinger and Mark Brock.
• Guided Division — largest stringer: Defending champions Mike Curley, Mike Curley Jr. and Larry Romero.
• Largest trout: Mike Martin
• Largest slot red: Mike Curley Sr.
• Largest flounder: Big Mac Ruffeno
• Redfish (most spots): Robbie Smith
• Largest Junk Fish: Joe E. Pedigo (jack crevalle)
• The Hard Luck Award: John O. Smith