Page 18 of 51

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Saturday/Sunday, May 30-31
This weekend’s 36 hour overnight tuna safari by the partyboat Capt. John was run withCaptains Johnny Williams and Shawn Clark heading up the effort. Leaving Galveston’s Pier 19 with 40 fishermen aboard and entering the calm Gulf waters, the run offshore in a southerly direction began.

Several stops were made at production platforms and rock formations during the late morning through mid-afternoon in water from 50 to 90 ft. deep. one stop was also made at a big patch of seaweed in the hope of hooking into some dolphin, ling, etc. The anticipated bite didn’t happen, but the excitement was high at the possibilities as they always are at these potential fish magnets. These various stops produced kingfish to 25#, an assortment of grouper, vermilion snapper and red snapper from 8 to 20# that were vented and released, since the red snapper fishery in Federal waters was still closed.

Around mid-afternoon Saturday, a run farther offshore was begun, where the overnight tuna fishing would be done. Our destination was the Gunnison Spar Platform, located about 125 nautical miles off Galveston. This structure is another fish magnet where yellowfin and blackfin tuna was the primary target.

Numerous drifts from near the platform to over a mile down current during the overnight period produced numerous blackfin tuna and five yellowfin. Fishing methods used were chrome diamond jigs, butterfly-type jigs in assorted color patterns, freelined Spanish sardines, chunk baits of bonito or blackfin tuna and various topwater poppers. The big fish of the deepwater drifts and the trip was a shortfin mako that was estimated to weigh 300-350# – it ate a bonito strip right at boatside.

A little after sunrise Sunday morning, we began the run inshore through the calm Gulf. Several stops were made in 225 to 90' of water from just before 9 am through a little after 1 pm, as the boat fished its way in the direction of Galveston. Stops produced vermilion snapper, grouper, barracuda, tilefish and shark. The 90 mile run back to Pier 19 was a smooth one for everyone including the hard working crew, Ben, Jonathan, John & Jillian, who had been seemingly everywhere. Their efforts are key to the success of these 36 hour or any of the Capt. John’s trips.

Catch totals were:
5 yellowfin tuna 35-43#
143 blackfin tuna to 32#
114 vermilion snapper to 3- 1/2#
19 kingfish to 25#
2 tilefish
1 barracuda
2 jolthead porgy
1 dolphin (mahi-mahi)
4 rockhind grouper to 3#
4 Atlantic sharpnose
shark
3 bonnethead shark
1 shortfin mako of 300- 350#
1 gag grouper of 14#
1 scamp grouper, est 20#
(released)
4 amberjack to 30# (released)
numerous red snapper from undersize to 20# (released)

Some of the individual catches:

Randy Derusha, (College Station), and sons Kirby, Joseph and Daniel - all had blackfin tuna, vermilion snapper and the trip’s heaviest kingfish - that nice 25 pounder.
Steve Saur, (Beaumont) - 4 blackfin tuna, 6 vermilion snapper, bonnethead shark
Greg Moliere, (Houston) - 2 blackfin tuna, 2 vermilion snapper, 1 bonnethead shark, and the 300-350# (est) shortfin mako shark.
Rita Baumann, (Texas City) - 1 blackfin tuna, 1 kingfish, 1 Atlantic sharpnose shark
Jim Marigliano, (Dallas) - blackfin tuna, vermilion snapper, kingfish
Shannon Williams, (Alvin) - Capt. Williams’ daughter had vermilion snapper and a 14# kingfish
Allen Richardson & Brad Pratt, (Cedar Hill), each with vermilion snapper and blackfin tuna. Allen also had a 4 1/2' dusky shark, released.
Hunter Reilly, Kelly Jones, John Hiboon, Kirk Reilly & Anthony Lemigs, (all from Newcastle, Okla.) - had an excellent trip with each having vermilion snapper, blackfin tuna and the trip’s five yellowfin tuna that ranged from 35 to 43#.

This 36 hour tuna safari had almost perfect sea conditions, calm the entire trip, and an excellent varied species catch to go with it. Those released red snapper would be keepers now since the red snapper fishery in Federal waters opened June 1. At this time, there is a mid-June trip scheduled. More will b scheduled as the summer progresses. To make your reservations at the rail on the partyboat Capt. John, give the office a call at Galveston’s Pier 19, 409-762-8808 or 713-223-4853. Also, call for one or more of the 12 hour trips also being run by the Capt. John. Another reminder is that you must have a valid Texas saltwater fishing license to bring your fish into a Texas port. They are available at 1-800-TXLIC4U. Academy, etc. or in the Capt. John office. Take time and get your license before the office check-in.
Patrick

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Monday, May 25, 2009

Monday, May 25 - Memorial Day
This Memorial Day 12 hour offshore fishing trip by the partyboat Capt. John with Capt. Johnny Williams left Galveston's Pier 19 with 26 fishermen aboard and later passed through the Galveston Jetties for a thirty mile run in an Easterly direction. Fishing their baits of cut squid or whole Spanish sardines throughout the water column near the area's production platforms produced another varied species catch. The day's catch was made up of bluefish, lane snapper, Atlantic sharpnose sharks, kingfish to 18# and 175 Atlantic spadefish.

Today's relatively calm sea conditions and mild temperatures made for a relaxed fishing day offshore. To make your reservations for a spot at the rail, give the office a ring at 409-762-8808 or 713-223-4853.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

This 36 hour overnight Tuna Safari by the partyboat Capt. John was headed up by captains Johnny Williams and Mark Yamaguchi. When the passage through the Galveston jetties was completed after leaving Galveston's Pier 19, the offshore run in a southerly direction began. The area chosen for the 40 of us fishermen was some rocks about 75 miles offshore in around 175' of water. With following seas of 2-3 ft., the ride was a smooth one. That first stop produced around 25 vermilion snapper and red snapper in the 5 to 12 lb. range,which were released due to the red snapper fishery being closed till June 1. The second stop had similar catch results. Our third rock stop produced more vermilion snapper and red snapper. Around 5:30pm the run to the BoomVang Spar Platform for the hoped for yellowfin and blackfin tuna bite during the overnight period. At about 8:30 we were there; 127 nautical miles out in 3,450 ft. of water. Not only were we there, but seven or eight big sportfish boats and large center consoles were also there. The problem during our several drifts at and away from the platform, along with the other boats', was the lack of tuna action. during our hours there, there was one short time hookup on a surface popper on the Capt. John by Tony Morris and one observed bent rod on one of the sport fishermen. We did see a couple estimated at 40-50# swimming near the boat but no other hookups resulted. The tuna safari had turned virtually into a non-tuna safari...fishing. We did see some strange looking sort of "sea cucumber" looking things drifting along just below the surface out there. The photos taken will be sent to a couple of experts in this sort of marine life for a positive identification. I'll give an update in a future report.

Just before midnight, we left BoomVang and headed inshore to a production platform in 650 ft. of water, the Tequila Rig, 88 miles offshore. When we arrived, four boats were already tied off to it. No blackfin tuna action was seen either; yellowfin tuna would have been a rarity at virtually any time. With no room or action at Tequila, the next move was inshore a few miles NE and another production platform. This one, in 363 ft. of water, had a boat tied off on its down curent side. With shifting wind and current conditions, Capt. Williams elected to do the safe and right thing and anchor up on the upwind and current side. During our hours there, with the Capt. John swinging side to side on the anchor line, we stayed from close to about 75 yards from the legs of the platform. During that time period, several blackfin tuna to 25# were boated along with 10 Atlantic bonito, bonito (Little Tunny) and Amberjack to 35#, along with dusky sharks, undersize amberjack and red snapper both of which were released.

About 6:45 Sunday morning, we left this platform and began the run farther inshore to the Salvador Ridge area. Rocks fished in this area which was around 75 miles offshore, in 170 ft. of water, produced amberjack to 23#, vermilion snapper to 4#, mangrove snapper, rockhind grouper, kingfish, red snapper 10-12#, along with several of over 20#, topped by one of 26#(red snapper were released). My involvement (Patrick Lemire) with the 26 pounder was a strange one. While on "ling watch" at the port stern corner, I saw a big snapper being hand-lined up near the bow area. The line broke, and the bloated sow, along with about three feet of the mono leader still hooked into it fell into the water from a height of about five feet. I didn't see a gaff coming in to play to lip hook and retrieve the snapper, so I anticipated foul hooking it on the needle sharp hooks of a Strike Pro™ "X-Buster" to bring it into lip gaffing distance. By the time it drifted to my spot, Capt. Williams was there with a gaff. He made several attempts at connecting with the snapper but couldn't quite reach it. I made one cast, the line crossed over it as planned, a hook caught near the base of the snapper's tail. I slowly wound it into range and Capt. Williams lip gaffed it, quickly vented its swim bladder and back into the Gulf it went. After swimming down a bit, it returned to the surface for about a minute, thrashing around all of the time. Shortly afterward, as it drifted away, it wasn't on the surface. Hopefully these moves to save it worked and it lives out there to fight another day.

Around 11:30 Sunday morning, a run of about an hour put us at our next fishing spot. Unfortunately, 3 big sportfishing boats were already anchored near or at the rock formation. With no safe spot near enough to anchor, we did some drift fishing for something for around thirty minutes with little to show for it. At a little after 2, we were at our last fishing stop of the trip. Bonito, red snapper and kingfish were hooked. The bonito were kept for future baits, the red snapper released and one of the kingfish was sorta released. This true smoker, estimated at 45 to 55#, when just off the stern, was hooked by Pat Larson. He was fishing off the port side of the near bow area with a freelined Spanish sardine when the strike came, followed by a long, hard run. Larson ended up fighting it back to the boat from the stern. Problem was, this sizeable kingfish decided to make a quick circle maneuver that apparently wrapped the line around the rudder and cut the line. The good part is that the "personal best" contender was brought very near the boat after an exciting run and fight and seen clearly. The other good point is that Larson wasn't entered in Galveston's Hall of Fame Tournament or the CCA S.T.A.R. Tournament -- regardless of all that, it would have been really nice for this big king to be on the boat with Larson.

Just before three Sunday afternoon, our final run to the dock began. Four hours later we turned the end of Galveston's South Jetty.
Catch totals for the trip were:

6 greater amberjack to 35#
10 Atlantic bonito (delicious white meat).
8 bonito (Little Tunny)-not delicious, red meat.
1 scamp grouper - 6#
1 creole fish
3 rockhind grouper
4 kingfish
43 blue runner
433 vermilion snapper to 4-1/2#
3 triggerfish
1 lane snapper
2 mangrove snapper to 6#
2 Almaco jack
1 scorpion fish
6 blackfin tuna to 25#
CAUGHT/RELEASED:
Numerous red snapper, most 8-12# with several 20# and 1 of 26#.
12 dusky shark
"Mystery" tube animal of 12"

Some of the Individual catches:
Lee Bull, Conroe - he had the trip's heaviest blackfin tuna at 25#, released red snapper to 14#, the creolefish, the scorpionfish, 2 rockhind groupers and 22 vermilion to 4-12".
Rita Baumann-Texas City, she had 3 Atlantic bonito, 35 vermilion snapper, along with 2 dusky shark, released, and numerous red snapper, also released.
John McCracken- 29 vermilion snapper, red snapper(released).
Tony Morris-Houston: near double vermilion snapper limit and released red snapper.
Glen Van Dyke- vermilion snapper, 1 amberjack, released red snapper to 21#.
Marty Clark Group - Plano and area, numerous vermilion snapper, bonito, kingfish, numerous released red snapper. This group included Marty's sons Chris and Michael & Bill Riegel & Son Kelly.
Mr. Calloway- Near vermilion snapper double limit and released red snapper.
Mile Decuir group, included Mark Holl, Bruce Lanham and Craig Quendstead. All had near double vermilion snapper limits, red snapper to 20#, released. Mike also had greater amberjack of 23 and 35#, the scamp grouper of 6# and the "Mystery tube" that's to be positively identified later.
Pat Larson & Son, Dale - Had double vermilion snapper limits of 40 each to 4#, numerous released red snapper to 18#, a couple of those relaesed dusky sharks and unfortunately Pat had the "rudder released" smoker kingfish.
Patrick Lemire-Texas City. Besides a slightly undersize ling while on "ling watch", I had released red snapper which hit a Carolina rigged oleander leaf. Yes, an oleander leaf. It was an experiment of an unusual bait. You will hear more about them in future reports if the bite continues.

The bottom line of this trip is that the yellowfin and blackfin tuna weren't cooperating in the areas where expected - that's fishing. These tuna just didn't understand that the weather, Gulf conditions and dark of the moon were all aligned for great tuna fishing. The next scheduled 36 hour tuna safari is scheduled for the last weekend this month and then one in mid-June. Fishing for all the other species usually involved in these overnight trips was there. The two in particular, besides tuna, that avoided being taken in any numbers were the assorted groupers, along with kingfish. Give one of these 36 hour trips a try soon, don't forget that on the mid-June trip, you can keep double red snapper limits.

Give the Williams office at Galveston's Pier 19 a call at 409-762-8808 or 713-223-4853. Your spot or spots at the rail on the partyboat Capt. John are waiting for you, along with a variety of hard-hitting and great-eating species out there in the deep blue Gulf. Call today and tell the office you saw it in this report or wherever you heard about it.
Patrick

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Today's twelve hour offshore fishing trip by the partyboat Capt. John was a charter trip by the ACR SUPPLY CO. Jason Villareal headed up the group of 74 for the company from Stafford. After their departure from Galveston's Pier 19, Capt. Johnny Williams headed the twin hulls of the Capt. John in an easterly direction after passing through the Galveston jetties. A run of about 30 miles and the fishing started and continued through the afternoon at several production platforms in that general area. Working their baits of cut squid or Spanish sardines throughout the water column produced a catch which included ling, undersized and released; sharks that were released, blue runner, Florida pompano and 312 Atlantic spadefish.

Reserve your spot at the rail on the Capt. John by calling the Pier 19 office at 409-762-8808 or 713-223-4853. Come out, drop a bait and see what comes up to join you on the deck.