Tuesday, I guided Ron & Joann Conley and friends, in Ron's boat, to 26 miles out of New Pass. Using live shrimp, we hooked a few kings, but got only one of them boated--It was just under 5 feet long. We also caught a mess of lane snapper to 14 inches, along with other bottom fish, and we released gag and red grouper shorts.
Tom Von Philp and friends Richard and Jack fished with me Wednesday in 30 feet, seven miles out of New Pass. We caught eight king mackerel and kept five of those to 32 inches. We also caught large triggerfish and keeper mangrove snapper, using live shrimp for all.
Thursday, I fished Estero Bay around the oyster bars and trees with Brent Larabee and son, Craig. Using live shrimp, we caught two keeper redfish at 23 inches and 18 inches. Craig had a bigger one hooked, but it broke his line. We also caught four keeper mangrove snapper, and five sheepshead to 17 inches. We released the sheepshead because they had all ready spawned, and were very thin—there wasn’t enough meat on them to justify keeping them. We also released a couple of cravalle jacks. We stopped fishing when the catfish started biting!
Winds and seas kicked up Friday, through the weekend. Saturday, I fished Estero Bay, along the tree lines on the wind side, with Alan & Carol Silverthorn. We caught a keeper redfish at 19 inches, keeper sheepshead and keeper sand bream. We released small snapper, cravalle jack, and an undersized black drum.
The photo shown is of sheepshead to 19 inches, caught bayside last month.
