| Fishbuster
Charters' Captain Dave Hanson reported, "A cold front came through
on Sunday, dropping air and water temperatures, and kicking up seas
offshore. I fished in Estero Bay Monday, around a group of islands
east of New Pass, with Ted Boehlke and friends, Gary, Tony and Bill.
The bay was pretty muddy, and with a stiff wind out of the northeast,
the tide did not turn on schedule. We had to work pretty hard to
get fish at all. We released nine sheepshead, all just short of keeper
size.
Dan Barnett and son, Mark, fished in 40 feet out
of New Pass with me on Tuesday. We caught a 28 inch gag grouper,
which was the first keeper grouper I have seen in a while that close
in. We also released lots of gag shorts, and caught mangrove snapper
to 14 inches, using live shrimp.
Fishing with Carl Graham and Paul Long Wednesday,
just 5.8 miles off the beach, out of New Pass, we caught a 29 pound,
51 inch king mackerel (see photo)--only the second one I have gotten
this winter, and the first one in about 6 weeks. He was a battle
on 12 lb. test! We also got keeper sheepshead, grunts and porkfish,
and released gag shorts...but the kingfish took the limelight!
On Thursday, I returned to the same areas I fished
Wednesday, this time with Russ Swank and friends, hoping to find
more kingfish. But, there was nothing of any worthy size out there
at all. We released lots of sheepshead, grunts, and triggerfish,
and had fun fishing, but there just wasn't a lot to brag about this
time.
Steve Gagyola, Dave Devaux, and brothers Tracy and
Rob Bruttomesso fished in Estero Bay with me on Friday. We used live
shrimp, in some holes along the channel toward new Pass. We caught
a 21 inch trout, a 19 inch pompano, eight sheepshead to 15 inches,
a keeper mangrove snapper, and two crevalle jacks.
Saturday, I returned to my Estero Bay holes with
Andy Ungar, Tony Pastore, Jim Sistak, and Jim Sistak, Jr. We caught
seven keeper sheepshead, four keeper pompano, and a 16 inch trout,
on shrimp."

(Paul Long: 51 Inch, 29 Lb. King) |