fishing report galveston

Sunday, the wind velocity dropped and shifted to a northerly direction which, hopefully, will result in the return of southeasterly breezes for the big holiday weekend ahead.

If the extended forecast holds, it appears that fishing conditions will be excellent for Fourth of July visitors. Both offshore and inshore winds are predicted to be light and that is good news for a lot of anglers.

On the offshore scene, seas were calming Sunday and this week looks like a good one to venture past the jetties.

Luis Decker, Aunt Margie’s Bait Camp reported Aaron Young of Keller landing a 36-inch red snapper while fishing aboard one of Galveston Party Boat’s vessels. No mention of when Young caught his fish, hopefully it was before last Saturday as he could have retained it then.

Red snapper season in federal waters closed at midnight last Friday. A cigar minnow was used to catch the big sow.

Sunday,Chris Helstrom of Austin along with David Helstrom and Larry Gray of Houston to a productive fishing trip at the South Jetty. Using cut mullet for bait, the anglers caught their limit of bull reds, several nice gafftop and sharks up to six feet long.

Brenda Rilat, Lee’s Bait and Tackle at the Texas City Dike, reported a nice catch by Greg Chapa, Dog Maxwell and Elvin Maxwell. Elvin Maxwell is one of the leaders in the Texas City Tackle Time Fishing Tournament. Using live shrimp for bait, the anglers caught seven trout, three sheepshead and a flounder while fishing the south side of the dike.

Henry Helbros hit the water before daybreak outside of Sea Isle and fished the grassy area east of the fishing pier where he landed a 27-inch slot red and several throwbacks using pearl colored Norton Sand Eels with chartreuse tails.

Galveston Fishing Report

Fishermen in the Galveston area are accustomed to weather warnings being issued which, most of the time, deal with high winds necessitating small craft advisories. Saturday, heat advisories were issued for dangerous heat indexes accompanied by warnings to limit outdoor exposure.

The mercury hit 93 degrees under gusty west and southwest winds that virtually shut down fishing after midmorning. The heat index was 106 degrees, and that is almost unbearable to tolerate very long in this area.

Our only fishing report Saturday came from Malcolm Mencacci, who, along with his wife, Melanie, and 6-year-old nephew Aiden Gonzales, fished West Bay and ended up with six reds, a 25-inch trout, two hardheads, three ribbon fish and a gafftop. The fish were caught around reefs in 5 feet of water. Mullet was the bait.

Sarah Melcer has been entertaining Dr. Robert Fefferman and his son Harry of Dallas most of this week, hitting the jetties almost every day. Friday, they landed two gafftop and a 5-foot bull shark despite the choppy, off-color water.

Fred Lomax reported action picking up around his underwater lights beginning around 4:30 a.m. when several reds came through chasing glass minnows and shad. Lomax landed two — a 19-inch throwback and a 23-inch keeper. Live shrimp was the bait.

Live bait is going to be increasingly difficult to keep alive during this period of extreme heat. One suggestion is to freeze small portions of ice in airtight containers and drop them in your live well. The shielded ice will keep the water cooler for longer periods and help keep alive those expensive croaker and shrimp.

Patrick Lemire, publicist for Williams Party Boats, sent a report for last Wednesday when the Capt. John made a 55-mile trip with 83 anglers aboard. Their catch included a boat limit of 166 red snapper to 17 pounds along with three mangroves, 25 bluefish, two kings and nine sharks.

Galveston Fishing Report

Wind continues to be an obstacle to fishing; however, tides are improving and the result is more trout are being reported caught.  Offshore fishing continues to be outstanding and more Dorado are being caught, especially around large patches of weeds and weed lines.

Jetty Joe at Galveston Bait and Tackle reported a number of good catches of speckled trout along with other fish being brought to his cleaning table by anglers fishing from Lower WestBay all the way to the Houston Ship Channel.

Jose and Julian Santana of Houston landed three specks, 10 sand trout and two reds while fishing the Houston Ship Channel Spoil Banks using live shrimp for bait.

Fun Fishing Trip, hosted a party of three and returned with three limits of trout to 25 inches and three slot reds to 26 inches.Live croaker fished over heavy shell in six to eight feet of water did the trick.

Russell Carmichael fished the Causeway Railroad Bridge and landed three specks, two drum and two stingrays using live shrimp for bait.

Ray Garza fished West Bay and landed a limit of trout and two flounder using live croaker and shrimp for bait.

Joe and Debbie Smith of Lake Jackson fished Mecom’s Cut using live shrimp fished under popping corks and landed 10 trout to 22 inches and three reds to 24 inches.

Thomas Wrister and Chris Petty to a trip to lower West Bay where they landed two limits of trout to 24 inches and three reds using live croaker for bait.

Along the beach front, whiting, gafftop, sharks, black drum and bull reds were being caught off the 61st Street Fishing Pier.

Last Sunday the party boat New Buccaneer made a 12-hour trip offshore where Capt. Matt Smith found fish 60 miles out.Their catch included 198 red snapper (a boat limit), 11 mahi mahi, two scamp grouper, a sharpnose shark and a 40-pound grouper.

Galveston fishing report

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

fishing report galveston

While a few fish are being caught, overall, fishing has been quite slow. The main culprit has been the southwest wind.

For several days, that cursed wind has muddied up the bays and surf. That alone would slow action, but another problem with persistent southwest winds is that they are hot, dry cross winds and interfere with the normal ebb and flow of tides.

The good news is that the weather folks are forecasting a return of the southeast wind — the most favorable for fishing — on Friday. With the lighter velocities and double tide changes each day, the bays and beach front should clear-up quickly.

Watch for some outstanding catches to be reported once that change takes place.

Most of the bait camps reported poor results from the few anglers fishing; however, Aunt Margie’s did have a good catch to report. Deeadra Moby landed a 23-inch speckled trout early Wednesday fishing Offatts Bayou using live shrimp for bait.

While anglers using hook and line are finding slow action, flounder gigging has been good. Capt. Josh Arscott, Non-Typical Outfitters, has been limiting out his guests on nice quality flounder this week.

It is approaching the time for the fifth annual West Bay Slam Fishing Tournament and Benefit. The event, sponsored by the West End Anglers Fishing Club, will be from 6 a.m. until 5 p.m. July 6 at Sea Isle.

The entry fee is $80 per angler, with a maximum of four adults per boat. Kids 12 and younger enter for $10, and each receives a participation trophy.

For information, call Coe Parker, 713-594-4252, or visit www.fishwestend.com.

Galveston Fishing Report

Reports from the weekend indicated spotty action, with some anglers hitting windows of good action and others taking home sparse catches.

The jetties produced scattered catches of trout, reds and other fish. One group that hit the right spot at the right time was the Ciaccio Party consisting of Ron, Rhonda and Don.They boated 30 trout to 25 inches with several going more than 20 inches.

A 31-inch red was caught and released with all of the action coming within one-and-a-half hours.

Another productive jetty trip came from Capt. Russell Keillor who hosted Roy Glasgow, Zach Vercher, Preston Wallace and Eric Osbourne. Their catch included bull reds and sharpnose sharks.

Wray Widner of Sea Isle took his 6-year-old daughter Iola offshore Sunday and found action at the Aztec Rig just out of San Luis Pass where Iola caught her first shark.

Terry Hornburg and Sandra Leet fished offshore Sunday and returned with limits of red snapper, kings and small Dorado. The kings and Dorado were caught along a large weak patch and the snapper were taken from a working platform 35 miles east of the jetties. Hornburg reported the water choppy and the trip back uncomfortable.

John King fished off Teichman Point about an hour before daybreak Monday and landed three specks, a slot red and a bunch of lady fish.Live shrimp fished under a popping cork did the trick.

Capt. Matt Smith hosted a group of 100 aboard the party boat New Buccaneer Sunday and took them 60 miles offshore.The 12-hour trip resulted in 200 red snapper, 56 vermilions, two kings, seven Almaco jacks, five blue runner, four ling, two porgies, a scamp and a Warsaw grouper.

This weekend fishing report from galveston

Tarpon Alley is hot with action, as several reports of hookups and landings were received Saturday.
 U.S. Marine Cpl. Joshua Reid of Seabrook, who was home from duty in Afghanistan, to a great day of fishing. Reid hooked up with a huge tarpon Saturday morning. The fight lasted almost three hours before the fish was landed, measured, photographed and released.

The estimated 200-pound silver king was 86 inches long and had a girth of 45 inches. Reid’s fish was an inch above the minimum length to retain.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department regulations allow the retention of one tarpon 85 inches or longer as a possible new state record. The state record is 91 inches and 210 pounds.

Several other reports of tarpon action were received by John Boone and Chris Johnson fished Tarpon Alley off the beach front Saturday where Johnson landed an estimated 110-pound tarpon.

Friday night, Carlyn Garner tagged and retained a 37-inch bull red from the Galveston Fishing Pier.

Mark McDavid conducted a class in catching sand trout Saturday at Offatts Bayou where he caught 20 sandies and eight croaker.

Lots of trout are being caught off Eagle Point and April Fools Point near San Leon.

Saturday, Jerry Miller added his name to the list of anglers catching limits and near limits of trout around the Houston Ship Channel spoil banks just off San Leon. Using live free-lined croaker for bait, the Dickinson angler landed 14 specks to 23 inches, retaining seven.

The party boat  made an offshore trip Friday where fish were found in 130 feet of water. The 74 fishermen onboard returned with a full boat limit of snapper, two sharks, three ling to 40 pounds, 10 kings to 48 pounds and a 65-pound Warsaw, which is the one-fish limit per boat.