Galveston fishing report 3-31-15

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

832-917-FISH (3474)

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Last weekend was one of the best fishing weekends of the year with catches of a variety of fish reported from the bays, surf and jetties. The action should continue, especially in light of strong tidal movement that is setting in around the upcoming full moon on April 4.

Galveston’s two largest party boat operations, Williams Party Boats and Galveston Party Boats, were in the Gulf over the weekend.

Andy Hernandez, Galveston Party Boats, said their two-day trip was a feast for the eyes and taste buds. The catch included 129 vermilion snapper, four amberjack, 106 blackfin tuna, two yellowfins, two Warsaw, three yellow edge grouper, 11 queen snapper, 13 barrel fish, tilefish, triggerfish, gulf hake and a 200-pound mako shark.

The party boat Capt. John fished the old Buccaneer Field and V.A. Fogg areas Saturday where 83 anglers landed limits of red snapper, 26 vermilions, Gulf trout and a Warsaw.

Thomas Williams of the Woodlands had a limit of snapper to 16 pounds.

On the bay side, the party boat Cavalier fished both the jetties and the bay over the weekend and ended up with good numbers of whiting, black drum and a red fish.

Sunday was not a good day on the old Intracoastal Canal for this captain. After hearing of recent problems caused by ethanol gas that had set up over the winter, I decided to make a run down the ICW toward Freeport to use much of the gas in my tanks. While heading down the waterway, I observed two barges aground, and unfortunately not far away near the Chocolate Bay entrance, I ran aground.

A strong south wind hindered my efforts to push the boat off of the sand embankment; however, two good samaritans, Ken and Rebecca Walker out of Sea Isle saved the day by stopping and towing the boat back to deeper water. My thanks to those fine folks.

Galveston Fishing Book Now.

We have 4 Boats Still Open for this Weekend.

It's going to a Nice Weekend.

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

832-917-FISH (3474)

www.galvestonfishingchartercompany.com

The recent cold front has passed through and a return to southerly winds followed. The effects of the front should be minimal as the water in the bays should return to normal and the warming trend should continue to push water temperatures up.

This weekend looks to be good for fishing. Possibly weaker tides for the next few days could be a drawback; however, for anglers pinned up for weeks because of poor conditions, get ready to get back into the battle.

An encouraging report came from the 61st Street Fishing Pier where Richard Belleau reported continued action on whiting, sheepshead and bull reds. This came with a north wind blowing at 15 mph early Friday.

Prior to the arrival of the cold front, action had been hot in the surf and around the jetties. Jack crevalle were making a run around the end of the South Jetty late Wednesday and provided a challenge to Mark Williams who was fishing for large black drum and bull reds.

Williams had three hits from the large jacks and as he put it the action wore him out. Fortunately he was using the appropriate equipment to handle the tough fish. Cut mullet was the bait.

A reader sent a note in response to my comments about severing stingray tails before trying to remove the hooks. He pointed out that the tail will not regenerate, only the barb if it is all that is removed.

This year’s Point Tournament for the Physically Disadvantaged is in need of more boats and captains.

 Currently 80 are committed and they need close to 115. The tournament is set for April 11 at the Galveston Yacht Basin and should there be an abundance of boats, there is a side competition for boats without participants. If you can help, contact Dutch Kueteman at bone

Galveston Fishing Open Trips This Weekend

We have 4 Boats Still Open for this Weekend.

It's going to a Nice Weekend.

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

832-917-FISH (3474)

www.galvestonfishingchartercompany.com

Fishing continued to be outstanding through early Thursday. The cold front that hit about 10:30 a.m. shifted winds to the north with velocities gusting to more than 30 mph. It doesn’t appear that the effects of this latest weather system will linger and by later today conditions should start improving.

The surf continues to be alive with action. Richard Belleau reported a nice variety of fish being caught by his customers that included pompano, Spanish mackerel, whiting, gafftop, bull reds, black drum and sheepshead.

Jerry Kendrick fished the rock groins in front of Kroger early Thursday and caught a limit of sheepshead. Kendrick said the fish were right next to the rocks and tossing peeled dead shrimp with a small weight resulted in a quick limit of the “jailbirds.”

Wednesday afternoon trout action around Greens Cut was outstanding, according to Perry Sawyer of Bayou Vista. Sawyer and a fishing companion found the trout in shallow water just outside the cut and landed 13 using mullet imitation lures.

Raymond Satcher, who is visiting from Mississippi, fished the San Luis Pass area Wednesday and landed two stingrays, a large black drum and a gafftop that he estimated to weigh more than 5 pounds. Cut squid was the bait.

John Berg sent a note asking about unhooking stingrays. While many anglers just cut the line, he would prefer removing the hook.

Stingrays are not to be taken lightly. While flopping around in a boat or on a pier they still can strike with their barb. If cutting the line is not desirable, sever the tail and then remove the hook. Yes, the tail will regenerate.

Mark your calendars for the 23rd annual CCA-Texas Bay Area Chapter’s Banquet and Fundraiser. The event takes place April 17 at the Bay Area Community Center at 5002 NASA Rd. 1 on Clear Lake.

For information, call Curtis Anderson at (832) 435-0257.

Galveston fishing report 3-26-15

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

832-917-FISH (3474)

www.galvestonfishingchartercompany.com

The beach water temperature is close to 70 degrees and we all know that the magic 70-degree mark is when action begins to ignite.

Certainly that has been the case for the past few days as the surf with its calm clear water has been red hot for fishing.

Bulldog’s Bait Shop reported outstanding action on sheepshead around the rock groins.  Anglers using live shrimp with a split shot weight fishing close to the rocks have been catching some easy limits of the “jail birds.” Bulldog said that it seems not to matter which of the sets of rock groins you fish, the action has been spread out.

Besides sheepshead, trout, reds, whiting and sharks have been caught by the live bait fishermen while dead bait has been taking some nice black drum.

Jetty Joe at Galveston Bait and Tackle reported excellent trout catches coming from upper West Bay.

  When asked what particular areas, he said most have come from the Confederate Reef Triangle.

A 4-foot shark was caught from the 61st Street Fishing Pier on Tuesday night, and one angler purportedly hooked up with a ling which eventually broke off.

Frank Steinberg and Wally Wheeler fished the Texas City Dike’s Drum Hole on Wednesday morning and landed three large black drum and a bull red using cut whiting for bait.  All of the fish were released.

On Tuesday, Lori, the Saltwater Hooker, fished with Michelle Gauthier and had a fishing trip for the books as she put it.  The lady anglers made a run to the North Jetty looking to stock up on sheepshead.  After landing 12 big ones and running out of bait, they spotted a large school of reds.

  After switching to plastics, the bite was on and within 45 minutes they hooked 10 bull reds in the 29 to 36 inch range while sight casting to them.

Galveston Fishing Report 3-23-15

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

832-917-FISH(3474)

www.galvestonfishingchartercompany.com

For those spring breakers lucky enough to have this week off, conditions should be excellent for fishing and enjoying other activities around Galveston.

Besides the gradual climb in beach water temperatures, another good sign is that we are beginning to see shrimp boats dragging their trawls close to the beach. This is a sign that bait fish, and in particular, shrimp are beginning to move. As the migration gets stronger, more and more shrimpers will be seen along the beachfront.

Austin Kimbrough sent a note from the 61st Street Fishing Pier saying that Saturday’s fishing was outstanding. Lots of sheepshead were caught as they swam around the pier’s pilings and many customers limited out on the “jailbirds”. Good numbers of black drum along with whiting, pompano and a 41-inch red were caught as well.

We are beginning to hear from more fishing guides who are getting back into the battle after a winter’s hiatus. Sunday, Capt. Ron Woods, 2 Fishaholics Guide Service, sent a note saying it was good to be back in action. His Saturday charter, consisting of the Adrian and Cherry Lamoreaux of Lawton, Okla., and Jeff Strobl, managed some nice reds and sheepshead from a trip to the South Jetty. Woods said it was a rainy day; however, the fish were biting. Live shrimp and crab were used for bait.

John Eversole called in to report that the night fishing at Harborwalk was outstanding late Saturday night. Trout were everywhere around the fishing lights at his host’s dock, and he and two other guests landed a combined 14 trout with only five being undersized and released. A lone rat red was the only other fish landed and it was released.

Galveston fishing report 3-22-15

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

832-917-FISH (3474)

www.galvestonfishingchartercompany.com

I have to sympathize with our spring break visitors this year as well as those who make their livelihood catering to them. The past two weeks are normally the two biggest weeks for out of town visitors during the March school break each year.  While we never have continuous “chamber of commerce” type weather, the full time each group usually has includes a few days of pleasant, warm weather in which to enjoy their vacation. This year there were very few days without fog, rain or otherwise unpleasant weather.

On the fishing scene Saturday, about the only good news is that the water temperature is finally beginning to climb. Along the beach front, the temperature climbed into the 60s while in the bays, warmer water was detected at several points that pushed the magic 70-degree mark.

Two fishing reports were received, one from Capt. Lori, the Saltwater Hooker, on Friday who hosted Jason Heidebrechy and his son Alex from Lawton, Okla., along with Jason’s grandfather Mike Phillips. Sheepshead were the bill of fare, and young Alex’s sheepshead was his first saltwater fish to catch.

The other was from Capt. Paul Stanton’s charter on Thursday. Stanton hosted the Chad Freeman group of 10 to a fishing trip to the North Jetty where the group landed and released 11 black drum.

The action took place on crab and dead shrimp.

Crabs are beginning to show around Galveston; however, most are on the small side. Deeper waters have been the most productive; however, for table fare the size is a bit too small. As the water warms, the larger male blue crabs should start appearing.

Capt. Bryan Brawner of Crystal Beach is conducting a hands-on fishing seminar where he takes his students to various spots all over East Bay and shows them the ins and outs of saltwater fishing. For more information, contact Brawner at captbryan@swbell.net or at 409-256-1265.

Galveston Fishing Report 3-21-15

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

832-917-FISH (3474)

www.galvestonfishingchartercompany.com

It seems that we can always find something that impairs our fishing and for days now it has been fog.

Fog is not to be taken lightly as boaters not experienced in operating vessels during such conditions often have serious and even fatal accidents while trying to maneuver their boats back to dock.

Today there is a dense fog advisory until late morning and anglers using good judgment will not head out into the soupy mess.

All it takes is an experience with fog to make the point. I said experience and that is not limited to bad experience. Years ago in my early days of boating, I was caught in Clear Lake when fog set in rendering visibility to near zero. Although shore was not far away, my fishing companion and I went aground twice before reaching a point that was over a mile from where we launched. Memories of events like that will last a lifetime.

Thursday the party boat Capt. John maneuvered through fog to make it to the Heald Bank Area where Capt. Jill Williams found fish for her 52 guests. Their catch included full red snapper limits to 16 pounds with squid being the bait.

Closer to shore, sheepshead, black drum, whiting and scattered reds are being caught by anglers fishing the surf and jetties. Trout action continues to be fairly good in Upper West Bay where some nice-sized specks were caught in the late afternoon.

Marita Schultz sent a note saying that Pelican Rest Marina’s fuel dock now is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and that a number of new fishing tournaments will be operating out of there this year. Along with all those activities, the marina’s second phase which is complete is filling up quickly.

Galveston fishing report 3-19-15

Galveston fishing charter company

832-917-FISH (3474)

www.galvestonfishingchartercompany.com

While beachgoers are finding conditions not as pleasant as they hoped for with the cloudy skies, cool temperatures and cold water, anglers are finding the fish to be biting.

While we are edging into temperatures in the 60-degree category, the water temperature still is in the high 50s to low 60s, a bit cold for comfort while wading without insulated waders.

Still, the fish are cooperating.

Capt. Jaime Cantu found the jetties alive with action Wednesday. His charter landed good numbers of bull reds and sheepshead with many in the eight to 10-pound category. Free-lined live shrimp was the bait and the bite was on all day.

Jason Reuter, Aunt Margie’s Bait and Seafood, reported a customer returning from West Bay with five trout more than 20 inches in length and another customer with two slot reds. The trout hit live shrimp while the reds preferred dead shrimp and shad.

Hanna’s Reef in East Bay was the site of some good fishing early Wednesday. J.L. Loftis and Percy Moore used live shrimp to take nine specks to over five pounds along with two puppy drum and a huge stingray.

Milton Howard and a friend drift fished over shell in lower East Bay and landed six specks to 19 inches and two slot reds to 24 inches using a variety of soft plastics including Norton Sand Eels and TTF’s with light colors doing the trick. The best baits had chartreuse tails.

The West End Fishing Club is hosting its sixth annual Blackjack Fishing Tournament on April 11. The one-day event includes a crawfish boil and benefits TIRR and Robotic Research to assist those with Cerebral Palsy.

The event takes place at the Sea Isle Marina and the entry fee is $80 per person. For information check www.fishwestend.com or call Coe Parker at (713) 594-4252.

Galveston fishing report 3-15-15

Galveston Fishing Charter Company

832-917-FISH (3474)

www.galvestonfishingchartercompany.com

We all survived Pi Day Saturday and now the Ides of March are upon us. Oh well! Always something to celebrate.

On the fishing scene we are seeing the beginning of our spring migratory pattern, as good numbers of gafftop and stingrays are showing up in the surf. April is when the action usually turns on, and surprising to me, the fish are showing up in spite of the unusually cold water for mid-March.

Friday afternoon, Fabian Freidberg and daughters Taylor and Eliana fished the 61st Street Fishing Pier where they landed a 38-pound black drum and two nice-sized stingrays.

Bulldog’s Bait Shop reported that customers fishing the beachfront Friday night were catching whiting, stingrays and gafftops.

Lighted piers along Teichman Road were producing a variety of fish for anglers fishing the lights from boats.

Tommy Hemphill and Stan Vestal fished from pier to pier using a trolling motor and landed four specks to 17 inches, five undersized reds, a puppy drum and a stingray. Free-lined live shrimp was the bait.

Dutch Kueteman, an official with the upcoming Turning Point Fishing Tournament for the Physically Disadvantaged, sent a note saying that more boats and captains are needed for this year’s event.

The tournament takes place beginning Friday, April 10, with a captains meeting and shrimp boil for all of the participants. Fishing takes place Saturday morning with the awards luncheon following.

This tournament has one of the largest participations involving a variety of individuals from all over the Gulf Coast. It takes place at the Galveston Yacht Basin.  

Boats participating in the tournament should be able to handle participants confined to wheelchairs. The boats sizes range from 18 feet to large recreational and commercial fishing vessels.

For more information and to volunteer your boat, call Kueteman at 409-935-4131.

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Galveston fishing report 3-5-15

Galveston fishing charter company

832-917-FISH(3474)

www.galvestonfishingchartercompany.com

On Wednesday, fog again hampered early morning fishing; however, by late afternoon conditions improved enough to allow anglers to hit the water.

Gerald Black took advantage of the window of pleasant conditions to wade fish the shoreline of Offatts Bayou in front of Scholes Field. Using Norton Sand Eels in bone with chartreuse tails, the angler from Seguin landed seven sand trout to 14 inches and lost a good-sized red.

We have been waiting to see how Tuesday and Wednesday’s trout fishing turned out as there were high hopes that some trophy-sized trout would be landed. We did have a report of an eight-pound plus speck being caught by one of Capt. James Plaag’s guests on Tuesday.

Plaag reported that fishing on the whole that day was slower than prior days; however, the big trout made up for the lack of quantity.

Overall, fishing has been excellent all winter, said Plaag, who operates Silver King Adventures Guide Service. Saturday evening his group took limits of trout to five pounds along with a redfish and flounder. Chartreuse and Gold Mirrolures were the baits and the water temperature was a cold 47 degrees.

Sunday and Monday also were excellent with limits taken both days. Corkies in glo chartreuse and pearl with black backs were the baits that accounted for all of the fish.

Capt. Robert Liebert, Greenwater Guide Service, reported excellent catches of trout recently while wade fishing over bottoms consisting of mud and shell mix. Live shrimp worked best for his groups.

Today and Friday likely will be out for fishing as another major cold front will be crossing the upper Texas Coast.

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Galveston fishing report 3-1-15

Galveston fishing charter company

832-917-FISH(3474)

www.galvestonfishingchartercompany.com

 

 

  There was nothing to report on the fishing scene Saturday, as a biting cold east wind gusting to over 20 knots kept anglers off of the water.
Fortunately for me, I was attending the annual meeting of the Texas Outdoor Writers Association in Corpus Christi.

This organization is composed of members who write articles on various aspects of outdoor sporting activities, especially hunting and fishing in Texas.

One of the major topics at this year’s get together was the critical situation our fresh water supplies face. Most of us know how badly our wildlife resources depend on fresh water that flows into the bays, estuaries and marshes, and today we are experiencing a shortage of that valuable resource.

The continued Texas drought has been part of the problem; however, water usage farther upstream in the rivers that lead to the Gulf of Mexico is considered to be the biggest problem.

Texas continues to be one of the fastest growing states with many new residents flocking to the Austin area and other cities that draw their water supplies either directly or indirectly from the Brazos, Colorado and Trinity Rivers.

Besides water usage, a related problem of recycled water being poured back into the rivers is aggravating an already sensitive situation. For instance, in the Trinity River, water is recycled several times on its way to Galveston Bay. While the recycled water may meet quality standards for consumption, badly needed nutrients are removed.

Those nutrients are the keys to promoting growth of vegetation and animal life in the estuaries. 

While there is nothing that can been done to prevent droughts, there is something we can do on our part to help the situation and that is water conservation.