Galveston fishing report

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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Wind and rain were making the news Tuesday instead of fishing with the National Weather Service issuing the following warning:
“Strong rip currents are possible along the coast Tuesday night through Sunday while elevated tide levels are expected through Monday. Possible coastal flooding will depend on the location and strength of the coastal storm system.”

We have been discussing the tropical system crossing the Gulf of Mexico and its effects on Galveston area fishing. The immediate effect is to likely shut things down for a few days.

The abnormal high tide levels could cause problems with boats in slips, as the forecast calls for strong easterly winds which are behind the high water levels. The good news is that the rain is badly needed, and it is timely in arriving.

Now what can we foresee down the road, say by early next week?

No doubt we will have changes in fishing patterns due to the influx of new salt water to the bays, along with lower water temperatures.

Flounder and tarpon are the fish of concern.

For tarpon, my guess is that the prolific action of last week will be gone; however, if the water temperature along the beach front does not drop much more, there might be some scattered action for a while longer.

On the flounder scene, it is anyone’s guess as the influx of salt water into the marshes likely will put the flat fish into a holding pattern, especially the big females. One of the keys to igniting a run of flounder is for the water in the marshes to be pushed out by strong cold fronts.

The opposite is taking place now with the wetlands being replenished with warm salt water from the Gulf.

Trout will be there when the conditions calm and anglers should look for more schooling activity from specks in the near future.

Galveston fishing report 9-25-15

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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A moderate to strong easterly wind caused a hiccup on fishing Thursday, as the bays became choppy and water levels were rising well above normal.

Hopefully this is just a temporary interruption to the excellent fishing we have been experiencing this week.

Wednesday Capt. Billy Howell joined Capt. Michael LaRue helping with LaRue’s two-man tarpon charter. Their guests landed and released a 140-pound silver king and also enjoyed plenty of action on sharks, bull reds and jack crevalle.

  

Speaking of jacks, Warner Kemp had the line stripped from his fishing reel twice Wednesday by jack crevalle while wade fishing San Luis Pass. Kemp said his target was trout, reds and Spanish mackerel; however, the jacks would not stop attacking the shrimp he was fishing with under a popping cork. 

The second time his line was stripped was the final straw that ended the trip, as he brought only two rods and reels and no additional spools of line. 

Fred Griffith read a recent report about catches at the old helicopter pad which we mentioned earlier this week and asked if we had the GPS coordinates. He fished that area with success a lot during the 1980s and would like to return to the spot.  

Fred, you are in luck as I do have the coordinates. They are N29-26-33; W94-49-02.

Saturday the West End Anglers will be hosting Kids Fish 2, their second annual kids fishing tournament. The event is from 7:10 a.m. until 1 p.m. and takes place at the West End Restaurant & Sand Bar in the Sea Isle Subdivision on the west end of Galveston Island.

The tournament is open to kids 15 years old and under, with two divisions, ages 13 to 15 with an entry fee of $15 and ages 12 and under with a $10 fee. For information, call (713) 594-4252.

Galveston fishing report 9-23-15

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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www.galvestonfishingchartercompany.com

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Monday the bite was on, and it was not at all surprising that tarpon were among the catches reported.

Tarpon Express Guide Capt. Mark Gonzalez hosted Robert Fox to a memorable fishing trip Monday on which the angler from Houston landed a silver king estimated to weigh 130 pounds.

Gonzalez said the water was in excellent shape with heavy schools of bait. The action took place just off Galveston with a Woody red and white coon pop.

Capt. Mike Williams, owner of the guide service, said that the big tarpon are here now and that a large tarpon in the 180-pound range can easily destroy tackle.

Another tarpon report came from Capt. Michael LaRue, LaRue’s Guide Service, who placed his guest Mike Lewis into action landing a 90-pound silver king.

In my opinion, we are in the best time of year for tarpon action, and during periods of favorable conditions between now and mid-October, the chances of a hookup with a heavyweight tarpon is at its best. Note that tarpon are catch and release only.

While the tarpon were roaming the nearshore waters off Galveston, Debby Brady was fishing inshore and landed her first drum, which hit the scales at 16 pounds and measured 29 inches. Brady said she thought the fish would weigh 100 pounds by the way it fought.

The old helicopter pad was the site of a good catch of trout and Spanish mackerel by Jonathan Black and Oliver Littleton. The anglers used live shrimp fished on the bottom to land 16 trout to 20 inches and a number of Spanish mackerel that were released. Black said that they had to fight off lady fish, as hundreds were swarming the area.

The site mentioned above was once a production platform that had a large helicopter pad on top and is located just north of the Bolivar gas wells. GPS coordinates are needed to locate the spot.

Galveston fishing report 9-12-15

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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Saturday, the rain moved out; however, with it came increasing wind velocities. 

The heavy rainfall over the past several days will continue to help trout fishing. While we continue in our summertime patterns with the warm water temperatures, the shorter periods of sunlight will help cool the water.

As the temperature and length of daylight decrease, trout action will pick up as Mother Nature signals winter is not far off, and adding layers of fat is a must for survival over those long cold months.

With all of the heavy rainfall and spotty flooding last week, anglers fishing near the mouth of drains or inlets into the bays might find some excellent action early this week. The floodwaters flowing through small creeks and bayous will flush baitfish out of the wetlands and into the open bays. Fish, especially trout, have learned that such conditions usually result in easy meals as the bait fish concentrate not far from the inlets.

Last week, especially the early part, the surf was alive with fish, with tarpon being the highlight of the action.

Stormy weather shut down fishing Thursday and Friday; however, once things settle, we should have a return of hot action in the surf if calm to slightly choppy conditions return to the beach front.

This week could see a return of unsettled weather, as there are some uncertainties over the effects of the latest cold front when it dies down in the Gulf of Mexico later this week.

A reader called in asking about Lake Pasadena mentioned in an earlier Reel Report. The question was where it is and also he pointed out that NASA Road 1 is on the north side of the lake.

Lake Pasadena is known to old timers as Mud Lake and is, in fact, to th

Galveston fishing report 9-5-15

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

832-917-FISH(3474)

www.galvestonfishingchartercompany.com

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The most common question from visitors to Galveston this weekend comes from those wanting to fish and asking where to go and what will be biting. For an answer, let’s take a look at what took place on the fishing scene Friday night and Saturday.

Scattered thunderstorms were the culprit in keeping a lot of anglers off of the water early Saturday; however, those that waited it out and fished during windows between the storms caught fish.

An example came from Hal Masterson who, along with three of his wife’s cousins, fished East Bay between the thunderboomers. Masterson and the group are spending the holiday weekend in Crystal Beach and plan to be on the water as much as they can through Monday morning.

Saturday they were run in early by lightning and did not have their lines in the water very long. After waiting out the storms, they headed back to Hannah’s Reef and drift fished it using live shrimp fished under popping corks. The threatening weather sent most of the other boats home; however, for two hours they were able to make the most of the fishing and landed 12 trout to 21 inches along with three puppy drum and lots of ladyfish.

Oscar Reed reported lots of small trout under the lights at Tiki Island on Friday night with a few keepers mixed in. Reed fished from the middle of the night until 2 a.m. and managed three keeper trout along with a small Spanish mackerel. Reed said that he released at least a dozen under sized trout.

A report from Seawolf Park indicated good action on trout, drum, gafftop, sheepshead and ladyfish. The rocks produced more fish than the fishing pier according to Frank Hernandez, who was one of the early birds at the park.

The only report from the surf indicated slow fishing, with only pan fish being caught Saturday.

Galveston fishing report 8-14-15

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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Calm conditions continued in our area Friday and fishermen hitting the water early caught a variety of fish. 

Wade fishermen around the pocket at Sand Island at the Pelican Island Cut found action on school-sized trout at daybreak. Robert Bradford of Pasadena was one of those anglers, and he took home seven specks to 18 inches. A number of smaller throwbacks were caught and released. Top waters and soft plastics were the baits.

For a number of months, there has been a controversial proposal before the National Marine Fisheries Council that, in effect, would reallocate the quotas of red snapper between the commercial fishermen and the recreational sector.

Wednesday, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council voted to reallocate several hundred thousand pounds of red snapper to the recreational group.

The Coastal Conservation Association, a politically proactive organization comprised mostly of recreational fishermen, has been supporting this change.

This year, the recreational anglers using private boats were given a 10-day season in which to fish for and retain red snapper. The new allocations should result in a longer season for private boats to retain their limit of two red snapper per person, per day from federal waters.

The proposal met strong resistance from the commercial industry, as it likely will result in a lower poundage of the prized fish for that group.

Cabela’s soon will be opening a store in League City and has contacted the League City Historical Society and requested old hunting and fishing photos for this area for use in their new store. They would like pictures taken before 1970 and would like the story that goes with the photo. All post-1970 pictures with a good story also will be considered.

For more information or to submit a photo and story, contact Ronnie Richards at Ronnie@butlerscourtyard.com.

Galveston fishing report 7-27-15

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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www.galvestonfishingchartercompany.com

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This week, the Reel Report will be coming from New England where I am on a fishing vacation. 

Today it is from Rockland, Maine, where the temperature is running from the mid-50s to mid-60s.

While surveying the fishing scene back in Galveston, I mentioned this to several of my contacts and was greeted with a “boo” as it still is sweltering back home.

Anglers had a break this past weekend with lighter winds, although still from a south to southwest direction. Most of the action reported came from offshore boats, and from their reports, action is hot and heavy on pelagic fish.

Ronald Kennedy called in his report from a trip 45 miles south of the jetties on Saturday. Fishing with his wife Sandy and father-in-law, George Williams, they found lots of kings, Spanish mackerel, bonito and a few ling around several rigs. Platform 352 was the best producer and gave up a number of red snapper and spadefish to their drift baits.

After releasing most of the fish, they retained six kings, four Spanish mackerel and a 38-inch ling. 

Last week David Shinn and Chuck Combs fished the deeper waters around Sylvan Beach in upper Galveston Bay. They found a lot of shad working at daybreak and the action came fast on live shrimp fished under popping corks. Their catch included black drum to 45 pounds, croakers, red fish and an aggressive ladyfish. Reds in the 3- to 7-pound range were the only fish retained.

The party boat Capt. John made a couple of trips last week, one to the Heald Bank area and the other to the old Buccaneer Field.

The Heald Bank trip produced limits of red snapper, along with a shark, kings to 24 pounds and a 23-pound ling.

The Buccaneer Field trip also included limits of red snapper along with lane snapper, spade fish, kings, sharks and a Warsaw grouper.

Galveston Fishing Report 7-10-15

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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A gentle to moderate southeast breeze prevailed over the Galveston area Friday and conditions were beginning to bounce back.

Early Friday there were not many fishermen on the water, and that was confirmed when I called the bait camp to check on live shrimp inventories at 6:15 a.m. I was told that there were plenty of shrimp; however, business had been slow up until then.

Polly and I hit the water immediately, loaded up on live shrimp and headed off to check several areas for action.

We spent almost eight hours on the water fishing the Bolivar surf and both jetties. Our first stop was my favorite spot on the channel side of the North Jetty where the water still was not in good shape. 

So, instead of spending time there, we moved to the Gulf side and fished the rock pile. The water was in good shape, but instead of limiting out on trout like a couple of weeks ago, only a few bait snatchers and a small black drum were the extent of the action.

Then we were on to the surf, where the water was in excellent shape and full of 14-inch trout. After about an hour we decided to halt the attack on the small trout and headed to the South Jetty Gulf side. The water was off-color and in my opinion, just not worth spending time there.

Around 11 a.m. we checked the North Jetty Channel side and found the water much improved from early morning with a light outgoing tide moving. We anchored at our spot close to the boat cut, and bingo, the action turned on.

Trout, reds, lots of small jack crevalle, lady fish, sheepshead, black drum and stingrays kept us hopping until the bait was gone.

It was a great day on the water, especially beginning around noon.

Galveston fishing report 7-7-15

Galveston fishing charter company

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There was not much to report in the way of catches on Tuesday. The whole Galveston Bay Complex continues to suffer from moderate to strong southwest winds; however, that might be changing soon.

One question regarding that dastardly southwest wind came from Tommy Phillips of Rockwall who is spending this week vacationing here with his family. Phillips has been virtually shut down as far as fishing goes this week and asked how long it takes for conditions to improve once there is a wind shift to a more favorable direction.

The answer to that question is determined by how strong the wind is and from what direction. Let’s use the upcoming forecast as our example. A wind shift to the southeast is forecasted at volumes that progressively decrease from 10 to 15 knots down to light levels. With a few tide changes, water clarity should improve quickly, meaning within a day or two.

Light and variable winds also contribute to a quick clean-up of off-color waters.

Offshore anglers will welcome this forecast, as seas should be running at levels tolerable for the Mosquito Fleet to make offshore trips.

Night fishing continues to be the better choice for catching fish lately and there were a couple of good reports on Tuesday.

Eleven year-old Will Clore fished from a lighted dock on Offatts Bayou and landed a 19-inch trout along with several undersized trout, a redfish and a ribbonfish. Live shrimp was his choice for bait.

Fred Moore fished from his boat which was docked at the yacht basin Monday night and caught a variety of fish using dead shrimp for bait. Among his catch were sand trout, gafftop, pinfish and a stingray.

Galveston Fishing report 6-27-15

Galveston fishing charter company

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A nagging west-southwest wind held fishing down Saturday and weaker tides did not help the situation. What is it going to take to get things back to normal in the bays and surf? Hopefully, a little time with no heavy rain and some good tidal movement will get the water back in good shape.

Capt. Mike Williams, who operates Tarpon Express Guide Service, looked at his records over the past 55 years and had an interesting observation comparing the summers of 1983 and 2015. 

“It is my opinion that the early summer of 1983 and the early summer of 2015 are carbon copies,” Williams said. 

“Both years started out on the slow side then heavy rains came in the late spring. Our area was bombarded by a deluge of rain in June. The results were that billions of gallons of fresh rain water came into our bays, rivers and bayous and all that water literally pushed most of the fish toward the better salinity of the Lower Galveston Bay and the open Gulf. At the same time, fish migrating from the Gulf were in the midst of their annual movement into our bays. 

“When these two events in nature come together, the results are a lot of fish in a very tight area. The only difference between 1983 and 2015 is in the size of the trout, with much larger trout being caught in 1983. The months of June, July and early August produced the best trout fishing I have ever witnessed, and 2015 could go down in the record books the same way.”

I have to admit that it is good to have an optimistic outlook on our trout fishing this summer. Certainly, we all hope this comes to fruition.

Galveston fishing report 6-23-15

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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The big news on the fishing scene is not fish, but alligators. With all of the heavy freshwater runoffs from rivers, creeks and bayous into the Galveston Bay System, a lot of unwanted creatures are being flushed into areas where they are seldom found. Alligators are among those uninvited guests to the party and some anglers are concerned over their appearance in fishing areas.

Susie Dewitt called in to report the sighting of an alligator estimated to be 10 feet in length while wade fishing around Mosquito Island. She also cited a similar sighting by a wind surfer near Dollar Point and asked what should people do if they see a big gator while wade fishing or kayaking. 

First and foremost, leave it alone! I have had a lot experience fishing around alligators of all sizes in a freshwater lake in Brazoria County and also hunting them during the special alligator season during September each year.

Alligators can be destructive and deadly; however, rarely do we have any encounters with them. The most vulnerable times for an attack are during the alligator’s mating season and when nesting.

Almost every year there are reports of alligators around the Galveston area and often they are spotted around Lake Como at Pirates Cove. Texas Parks and Wildlife personnel have been called to that area to trap or remove an alligator on several occasions.

They have been seen on the beach front as well and most of the time it is associated with a lot of rain. Even in dry spells I have seen them in the canals at Harborwalk.

So, they are not new to the scene around here at all. Now, how best to deal with them is to keep your distance, do not antagonize them and do not try to feed one.  

Bacteria, in all of this fresh water, are of much more concern to me.

Galveston fishing report 5-16-15

Galveston fishing charter company

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What else is going to mar coastal fishing this summer? While having to deal with close to record flood waters pushing through the bays and into the Gulf of Mexico, Tropical Storm Bill did its thing to the middle and upper Texas Coast. Besides repeat occurrences of what we are currently battling, all we would need is a red tide to cap things off.  

While it is difficult to forecast such events, there is one effect of all of the nutrient-filled fresh water entering the Gulf that we know will be detrimental. It is called a “dead zone” and marine biologists are forecasting a much wider expanse of this year’s oxygen-depleted waters offshore.

Steve DiMarco, a Texas A&M scientist who has researched the phenomenon for more than a decade, said the following in a recent article in the San Antonio Express-News:

“When (the dead zone) happens, the coastal waters become stratified, meaning that the lighter freshwater will stay at the surface and cap the saltier, and heavier, ocean water beneath. That is exactly what is going on right now and in the weeks to come, and when this happens, it almost always means many marine organisms, particularly those that live near or at the ocean bottom, can’t get enough oxygen and will die.”

A similar situation in 2007 left dead fish on jetties near Freeport, where the Brazos River enters the Gulf.

Now, the big question is when will our fishing bounce back to the levels of earlier this month?

At this time, we need to see how long the remnants of Tropical Storm Bill last before we can start forecasting an outlook for fishing.  

Galveston fishing report 6-9-15

Galveston fishing charter company

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Today is the last day of the 2015 recreational red snapper season in federal waters. This year the weather cooperated with anglers, as each day conditions were such that the “mosquito fleet” could easily hit the Gulf of Mexico in search of the two fish-per-person limit of one of their favorite fish.

I made three long offshore trips during this time frame and we limited out each time, which was no challenge. Legal-sized red snapper were not everywhere; however, the smaller of the species was.  

During a recent discussion with Lance Robinson of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), I mentioned the large number of under-sized (under 16 inches in length) fish, with many being juveniles in the 12-inch range.

He said that the TPWD analysis shows that fish of that size will grow to the 16-inch range within a couple of years, so that is good news for the future of this valuable resource.

The near-perfect weather allowed many more anglers to fish for red snapper this year and it will be interesting to see how this affects the estimated poundage caught this season and its effects on next year’s quotas.

My only surprise was the very slow action on king mackerel. Normally, by this time of year, kings are thick around the near shore wells and platforms. That was not the case at the many stops we made during our trips.

Galveston’s party boats were able to make numerous trips the past 10 days, limiting out on red snapper each time.  

Monday, Capt. Matt Smith took 100 anglers out on the party boat New Buccaneer where in addition to full limits of red snapper they landed a Warsaw, 116 vermilions, five ricking grouper, five ling, eight almaco jack and a king mackerel.

Recreational red snapper catches will continue to be allowed on charter and party boats until July 15.

Galveston fishing report 5-29-15

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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We have talked about the effects of the recent floods on fishing, and while this does not directly affect the sport, those effects can affect fishermen.

Often following heavy floods, health warnings are issued for swimmers as bacteria levels tend to increase with the reduced salinity in the water. One strain in particular, Vibro Vulnificus, is of particular concern as it is a deadly flesh-eating bacteria.

Each year there are several cases reported and a few die from the infection. As a coastal fishing writer, I feel I would be remiss in not addressing this at least once each summer.

Although medical experts say that there is only a slim chance of contracting this deadly bacterium, I have personally known two victims. One died from the infection and the other suffered terribly during his recovery.

Experts say that the only people who are at risk are those with immune system disorders or diabetics; however, a number of cases involve neither pre-existing condition. Before getting alarmed about all of this, let’s take a look at how the infection occurs and the places offering the highest odds of exposure.

The infections almost always occur during the warm summer months and the most likely spots are areas where the water does not change often with tidal movements. Marshes and shallow areas along the bay shorelines are good candidates for breeding the bacteria. Also, following heavy rains, the surf is vulnerable to the bacteria.

A scrape or open sore or wound is where the bacteria enter and a preventative is to wash the abrasion with an antiseptic or Clorox. If after a day on the water, you notice a darkening around a cut or sore, you should promptly get to an emergency center and tell the paramedics or doctors what you suspect. Early treatment can spare fingers, toes, limbs and yes, your life.

Galveston fishing report 5-28-15

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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Good conditions for fishing appear to be ahead for the next few days. The only question is how all of the flooding above here will affect things. The best way to tell where the better fishing is taking place is from reports of catches. Unfortunately, successful anglers tend to keep such information close to their vests.

There are certain areas where trout action should be good considering the water quality and those are all along the lower part of Galveston Bay closer to the passages into the Gulf of Mexico.

We mentioned earlier that deep water tends to attract fish during flood runoffs, as salinity levels tend to be higher well below the surface. Both upper and lower West Bay should offer good possibilities for trout action.

East Bay also is a good bet as fish running from the low salinity levels of Trinity Bay tend to be attracted there first.

My choice would be the jetties, both the North and South jetties. Currents on the channel side could present a problem with all of the water flowing out of the bays. Also water clarity could be an issue.

The Gulf side of both jetties also is a prime spot to find fish as the ebb and flow of tides should help bring in salty water.

In retrospect, just think that a short time ago we were talking about the high salinity levels in the bays caused by the ongoing drought. This goes to show that conditions can change in a short time span.

With all of the flooding, another problem will be coming and that is large pieces of debris floating down rivers and eventually into the bays and on to the Gulf of Mexico. Keep an eye out for logs and other objects being swept this direction. While this exposure exists, it would be best not to push the throttle very hard on your boat.

Galveston fishing report 5-26-15

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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The good news on the fishing scene is that the Galveston area dodged all of the heavy rain Monday night; however, the effects of the flooding north of here should be felt in a few days.

Tuesday morning, Richard Eberle was at the Texas City Dike at daybreak and fished the end of the dike. Using squid for bait, he landed 10 gafftop in an hour, retaining seven in the four to five pound range. A couple of larger fish broke off in the rocks as he attempted to land them.

Dean Silvers went fishing with Bill Zimmer and Patrick Arteaga on Monday. They wade-fished the south shoreline of West Bay, near Jamaica Beach, and caught no keepers. Then on to Offatts Bayou where they finally found clear water.

“As you know, Offatts is nearly always clear, even in nasty wind. Zimmer caught a nice 22-inch trout and sheepshead behind Moody Gardens and then we headed back to Jamaica Beach,” Silvers said.

“On the way we saw some major bird activity near Confederate Reef. There were large flocks of gulls swooping and diving (no liar birds); however, the fish were behind the reef and we could not get to them. That area should really turn on with working birds when the wind lies down.”

Last Sunday was supposed to be another of the rainy and windy days over the Memorial Day weekend; however, by afternoon, the rain had ceased and the wind, while still strong, did allow some fishing from protected areas.

Jimmy Thomas took advantage of the situation and fished the Diversionary Canal near the FM 2004 Bridge in Hitchcock. Using dead shrimp for bait, he caught gafftop, hardheads, croaker, drum and the highlight of his trip, a 16-inch flounder.

Galveston fishing report 5-21-15

Galveston fishing charter company

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It seems that there is always something we can find as an excuse for not catching fish and currently it is weak tidal movement that is slowing action during the day. Weak tides are associated with the first and last moon quarters or half-moon phases as they are commonly called.

Thursday I worked the North Jetty most of the morning and, with the slack tide that set in around 9 a.m., nothing was biting. Only a lone gafftop in the four pound range was caught, and I’m not sure whether the hit was out of hunger or retaliation toward the live shrimp.

Bobby Martin of Bayou Vista and his guests Donald Box and John Majewski found the fishing slow Wednesday morning; however, that afternoon they hit the North Jetty where they found action on reds and Jack crevalle.

Martin said that during the afternoon trip they ran into a school of redfish in a feeding frenzy off the Bolivar beach front in eight feet of water. Reds were jumping out of the water chasing baitfish and it was a sight to behold.

Richard Belleau, 61st Street Fishing Pier, reported excellent night fishing from the pier. Croaker, bull reds, sheepshead and speckled trout all were being caught during the late evening by his customers.

East Bay was the only area where daytime trout activity seemed to be taking place. Horace Hemphill and his wife, Sonya, fished the area around Deep Reef early Wednesday and landed 16 specks to 20 inches in length. Soft plastics in dark colors with pink or chartreuse tails were the baits.

Capt. Paul Stanton and a crew of two hosted eight customers aboard Aqua Safari’s Island Girl on Wednesday and found the fish biting 22 miles from the jetties. Bump trolling Spanish sardines, the guests landed 20 kings, two sharks, a jack crevalle and numerous red snapper that were released.

Fishing report 5-18-15

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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Our weather pattern looks like it is beginning to settle with lighter winds in the forecast this week. It is about time and lots of anglers are waiting on the sidelines for favorable conditions to return.

Not much to report from inshore fishing from last weekend. The better catches seem to have taken place in the wee hours of the morning when most anglers would rather be sawing logs than tossing baits around the lights.

While offshore seas were far from calm last Saturday, the party boat Capt. John made an offshore trip, and Capt. Johnny Williams found fish for his 80 guests approximately 55 miles southeast of the jetties.

Fishing over rocks in 100-foot depths, a variety of fish were caught including limits of red snapper to 16 pounds, vermilions, Gulf trout, sharks and a 35-pound ling which was caught by Steve Bamberg.

Speaking of offshore fishing, on June 11, I will be conducting a class on the basics of offshore fishing at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) located at 4700 Broadway.

The class will be aimed at acquainting newcomers to offshore fishing out of Galveston.

Topics to be covered will be minimum requirements for smaller boats heading offshore, tackle, baits and fishing techniques for catching pelagic fish. We will discuss where to fish within 20 miles of the jetties and other valuable information needed for that first venture offshore.

Additionally, we will address how to select a reliable charter if you prefer going with an experienced captain.

The class will take place from 10 until noon. For more information and/or to register call 409-763-5604.

Throughout the years, I have found that there are many anglers who would like to take their smaller yet seaworthy boat offshore; however, not much information has been available about how to fish, equipment needed and where to go within easy reach of the jetties. This class will address those questions. 

Galveston fishing report 5-16-15

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

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Fishing the outgoing tide at night has been quite productive for anglers willing to miss a few winks of sleep. Friday night, I was among the group taking some nice trout after midnight when the tide was moving out. Others in the vicinity were catching a mixed bag of fish including trout, reds, black drum and a lone flounder.

While I retained five specks, it would have been easy to have limited out the way the action heated up between midnight and 1:30 a.m. Live shrimp was the bait and everyone I observed fishing was using the popular live bait. The action came from lighted piers all around Offatts Bayou and English Bayou.

Dean Silvers found the fishing tough Saturday morning with stops at Greens Lake, Offatts Bayou and Seawolf Park. Later he and his guests, Nancy and Richard Newsom of Marathon, crossed the channel to the Bolivar side and found fish among deep structure. Their tally for the day was 10 trout, two slot reds, two black drum and a sheepshead. 

Jetty Joe at Galveston Bait and Tackle reported some excellent catches coming from West Bay and the South Jetty.

Justin and Blake Crocker fished with Galveston Bay Outfitters Guide Service and landed 15 trout and three reds using live croaker.

Three anglers named Trey, Cullen and Ross returned to the bait camp with 10 trout and five flounder caught using live shrimp for bait.

Three G Charters took two guests to the South Jetty where they landed 15 gafftop and two bull reds while using squid for bait.

Debbie Deckard of Bolivar Yacht Basin Bait Camp reported a 26-inch trout caught by John Larocca of Beaumont. The catch came from just outside of Siever’s Cut. There was no mention of the bait employed.

Galveston fishing report 5-14-15

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

832-917-FISH(3474)

www.galvestonfishingchartercompany.com

Thursday turned out to be a pleasant surprise for fishermen; however, most would-be anglers that day shied away because of the forecasts.

Light to moderate southeasterly winds prevailed and the few fishermen who hit the water caught some nice fish.

We are getting reports of fresh water in the bays which is reducing salinity levels.  This is particularly true of Trinity and parts of East Bay.

One interesting, but unconfirmed, report came from an angler on the west end of Galveston Island who told of a neighbor returning from Chocolate Bayou with two channel cats that were caught along with two reds.  The fish came from grassy areas above the FM 2004 Bridge.

Obviously the water is fresh in the bayou or the catfish would not have been there.

Bulldog’s Bait Shop reported some excellent night action from West Bay along Sportsman’s Road.

  The Hoffman family from Breckenridge and the Leveridge family from Arlington fished around lights using live shrimp for bait and landed 13 keeper trout to 18 inches.

Several of the bait camp’s customers reported good action on puppy drum from around the beachfront rock groins.  Rain did not hinder the fishing and live shrimp was the bait.

Fred Eastman sent a note saying that Thursday morning there was an unusually large amount of bait fish around his dock off of the Intracoastal Canal near Crystal Beach. He asked if all of the fresh water in the bay could have driven them to his canal which connects with the Intracoastal.

That certainly is a possibility; however, at this point I am not certain just how fresh that part of East Bay is at this time.

Today could be another pleasant surprise for fishing if the recent change in forecast holds.  If so, you just might see my boat at the jetties this morning.

Galveston fishing report 5-11-15

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

832-917-FISH(3474)

www.galvestonfishingchartercompany.com

Monday’s forecast kept most anglers off of the water, and while the early part of this week does not look great, there is good news and that is the wind velocities are dropping. Good probabilities of rain are in the forecast all week, so keep an eye on the weather if you are planning a fishing trip later this week.

Conditions are prime for some excellent trout action when conditions settle.  

Last weekend, wind was the killer for fishing and the only reports of fair to good catches came for anglers finding sheltered waters or battling the wind in the marshes and back bays.

With all of the uncertainties surrounding fishing this week, let’s look ahead and visit about how fishing will be later this month. We mentioned earlier that shrimping is being closed in both federal and state waters on May 15.

This is an annual event to allow the smaller brown shrimp to have a safe migration, at least safe from shrimp trawls. Predator fish will be after them and we all know that where there is bait, there also will be fish.

This migration, which usually lasts until early to mid-July, is the time when a lot of schooling activity takes place in the surf.  

Once seas settle enough to allow smaller boats to make offshore runs, expect some excellent action on a variety of our pelagic fish, especially king mackerel and ling. Sharks will be around as well and will be offering some excellent fights when hooked on a rod and reel.

The federal regulations governing a large variety of our offshore fish are constantly changing, so it is highly recommended to check the NOAA fisheries website for updates on what fish are in closed season and the size and bag limits on those in season. The website is found at www.gulfcouncil.org.

Galveston fishing report 5-10-15

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

832-917-FISH(3474)

www.galvestonfishingchartercompany.com

One of the most common questions from readers lately has been about the wind. Most are asking if this is normal to have such an extended period of high winds and if this is a sign of a windy summer.

Fishing has been slowed considerably by all of the recent wind. Velocities in excess of 20 knots are just too much to deal with for most anglers and that is especially true of speeds close to 30. One negative outcrop of this has been the extraordinarily high tide levels.  

In response to the questions, it is not at all unusual for our area to experience a lot of high winds during May, especially the early part. May, after all, is the third-windiest month of the year preceded by April, the windiest, and then March.

Sustained high winds this time of year do not indicate that we are going to have higher than average wind velocities during the summer. If tradition holds, more stable weather along with lighter winds should set in close to Memorial Day Weekend. Let’s hope for that pattern to repeat itself this year.

Now, on the fishing scene, fish are being caught, just in selected areas. During times of above-average tide levels, red fish will be found of feeding around newly-covered terrain by the rising waters. Anglers fishing the marshes of Bolivar along Big Pasture Bayou have been finding good action on reds, with most being taken by kayakers and waders.

The weather reports seem fairly consistent that we are in for unsettled weather this week. Keep an eye on the weather if you are planning a fishing trip, and if not, keep your tackle ready because at the first sign of stable weather setting in, action is going to bust wide open. Those conditions could be appearing as early as late this week.