The Bill Story party took advantage of predictions for a relatively calm Tuesday forecast, with a rainy cold front headed our way Wednesday and Thursday. Seas Tuesday were 2-3 foot, but mostly 3 footers, which made for sloppy and wet south/west travelling conditions. We fished with live shrimp, southwest of New Pass, where we boated twenty assorted reef dwellers, including mangrove snapper, triggerfish, good sized porkfish, and Spanish mackerel. We fought a goliath grouper, using a blue runner, until the line broke.
The rain, winds and seas kept us in port for a couple of days, but Friday was a great day fishing at the south ledge About 10 miles off the Registry Resort) with Jack Cade and friends, Dave, Bob, Steve, Bill & (another) Jack. We caught six limits of mangrove snapper to 15 inches, triggerfish, grunts, and porgies. Then, we topped it off with a 33 inch, 16 pound permit—Sort of a strange (but welcome) catch for this time of year, as permit are usually around in April, May and June. It bit a shrimp, although permit are known to favor crabs.
Saturday, Tom Budzinski and sons, Jason and Justin, fished with me at the 240 Ledge area, using shrimp and grunts for bait. We had a great day, and boated fifteen mangrove snapper to 16 inches, lane snapper to 15 inches, a 22 inch keeper gag grouper, and Spanish mackerel, porgies and triggerfish. Find complete info and fish photo album at www.fishbustercharters.com
