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Wednesday, August 06, 2008

A 36 HOUR TUNA SAFARI HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY,SEPT. 3-4. CALL THE OFFICE AT EITHER 409-762-8808 OR 713-223-4853 TO MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS FOR THIS 36 HOUR TUNA SAFARI.

Sunday, August 03, 2008

This offshore trip by the partyboat Capt. John was made during the "calm before the storm". With tropical storm Edouard heading for the Galveston area and a forecast landfall for Tuesday, today was actually pretty nice offshore. With Capt. Johnny Williams at the helm, the southerly run offshore began through a 4 ft. chop. By the time we reached the first fishing stop, seas had dropped to about 2-1/2 ft. and continued to lessen as the day progressed.

The area fished, about 60 miles offshore in 110 ft. waters over several old coral formations and a wreck, produced a catch of mostly red snapper. Naturally, a number of other species were included in the catch that ate the cut squid or Spanish sardine offerings of the 78 of us fishermen.

The catch totals were:
154 red snapper to 21#, a boat limit, many of whom were in the 6 to 8 lb. class.
10 lane snapper
9 vermilion snapper
3 rockhind grouper
9 bluerunner
8 gray triggerfish
5 kingfish to 21#

John & Marpy Hayse and their son A.J., from Katy - their red snapper limits, and everyone else's on the boat, were topped by A.J.'s 21# sow red snapper. A.J.'s big snapper hit a live piggy that was offered by a Williams regular, Sammy Arcidiacono - a nice gesture which hopefully contributed to A.J.'s enthusiasm for offshore fishing. This was A.J.'s first offshore fishing trip and surely not his last - how could he not be ready for more. Of course, the two biggest smiles on the Capt. John today, besides A.J.'s, were on his mom and dad, A.J.'s primary connection for his (hopefully) many trips to come.

Sammy Arcidiacono's Group from Galveston - the four of them had red snapper limits to 6#. Sammy's trip highlight was obviously young A.J. Hayse's success.
Steve Saur, Beaumont; his red snapper limit went to 8#.
Harold Portier Nederland, red snapper limit to 7#.
Rita Baumann, Texas City - red snapper limit to 6#.
Paul Kluge, Waco - red snapper limit to 4#.
Shannon Williams, Alvin (the Capt's. daughter)-red snapper to 4#.
Patrick Lemire, Texas City - My red snapper limit to 8#, taken on Carolina rigged Spanish sardines, fished from mid-depths to near the bottom.

By the time to return to Pier 19, Gulf conditions had dropped to less than a foot and, for the last 30 miles or so, to a slick calm. However, the approach of Edouard did have an effect on this report's being written and submitted. Sunday night and most of Monday was storm prep time in Texas City. My personal highlight on the trip was seeing A.J. with his sow and in taking photos of the two of them. Sammy's contribution of the live piggy to A.J.'s catch made both their day. Sammy's gesture is a fairly common one, folks helping others they just met to have a better fishing trip.

Now that the red snapper fishery is closed in Federal waters until probably June of next year, the Capt. John's offshore trips will be shortened to 8 hours, leaving at 8:00 AM and returning around 4:00 PM throughout the remainder of summer. Cost for these 8 hour trips is $70 per fisherman on weekends and holidays and $60 during the week. Target species will be other snappers, grouper, kingfish, ling, Atlantic spadefish, dolphin (mahi-mahi),etc.

Give the office a ring at 409-762-8808 or 713-223-4853 for info on available days to make reservations. Shortly, a schedule for some 36 hour trips will be out and they'll be posted on the website - Capt. Williams is working on the schedule now.

Saturday, August 02, 2008

Today's offshore trip by the partyboat Capt. John was a charter by New Life Tabernacle Church. This group of 83 from Beaumont was headed up by Charles Johnson & Herman West.

After a short ride from Galveston's Pier 19, Capt. Johnny Williams turned the Capt. John SE after passing the end of the South Jetty. He chose for today's fishing, an area in 110 ft. of water about 50 miles offshore, with its old coral outcroppings and a wreck.

Those always reliable baits, pieces of cut squid or whole Spanish sardines, fished from near the surface to the bottom, did their part in producing this catch:
166 red snapper to 7#
7 vermilion snapper
2 lane snapper
3 triggerfish
3 kingfish
73 Atlantic spadefish

With the red snapper fishery in Federal waters coming to a close Tuesday, focus will shift to the multitude of other species available off the upper Texas coast. Among them are kingfish, ling, other snappers and a variety of groupers to name a few. The Capt. John will also offer 8 hour offshore fishing trips starting Tuesday of next week. Give the Capt. John's office at Galveston's Pier 19 a call, 409-762-8808 or 713-223-4853 to make your reservations.

Friday, August 01, 2008

With red snapper still biting offshore of Galveston, after exiting the Galveston jetties,Capt. Johnny Williams pointed the partyboat Capt. John's twin hulls in a SE direction that ended over several old coral outcroppings 50 miles out in about 110 ft. of water. With the standard partyboat baits of squid or sardines and 83 fishermen working together, this catch came up over the rails and into the fish boxes:

166 red snapper to 13#,limit for all 83.
8 lane snapper
14 vermilion snapper
1 mangrove snapper
3 gray triggerfish
2 kingfish
1 Atlantic sharpnose shark

Only three days are left for the red snapper fishery to be open in Federal (offshore) waters. With the reduction to just 2 red snapper per person daily, the closure is really not that severe; the variety of fish in the upper Texas Gulf still offer numerous catch opportunities to tap into, such as other snappers, groupers, kingfish, ling, etc. Another change in the near future for the partyboat Capt. John will be the running of 8 hour offshore fishing trips. Cost is $70 per person weekends and holidays and $60 gets you on the boat week days. Call the office at Galveston's Pier 19 to make your reservations. The numbers to call are 409-762-8808 or 713-223-4853. Call today, we'd love to fish with you!

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Steady red snapper action continued today on the partyboat Capt. John. Today, conditions offshore increased to a bit on the bumpy side: in spite of that, Capt. Johnny Williams put the full boat of 83 fishermen on another multi-species catch and another red snapper limit.

Working their baits over several old coral formations about 50 miles to the SE of Galveston in 110 ft. of water generated this catch:

166 red snapper to 19#, a boat limit.
21 vermilion snapper
18 lane snapper
3 gray triggerfish
3 kingfish

With the closure of the red snapper fishery in Federal waters just around the corner, catch makeup will certainly change. While red snapper are a prime target for many, let's not forget that the active Gulf is home to a variety of other species, such as kingfish, ling, Atlantic spadefish, vermilion, lane and mangrove snapper, an assortment of groupers, wahoo, dolphin (dorado), shark, gray triggerfish, etc. The bottom line is that, for the rest of the summer, the Gulf is alive with fishing opportunities. Call the Capt. John,'s reservations office today at 409-762-8808 or 713-223-4853. Come out and see how your "fishing opportunity" works out.