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Thursday, July 17, 2008

Today's fishing destination for the 81 fishermen aboard the partyboat Capt. John was a series of rock formations in 100-110 ft. of water. Capt. Johnny Williams pointed the twin hulls in a SSW direction after entering the Gulf for the fifty mile offshore run.

Working their baits of cut squid or whole Spanish sardines through the entire water column, the fishermen had this catch coming onto the boat:

162 red snapper to 11#, a boat limit.
13 mangrove snapper to 10#
2 stingray estimated at 40 and 100#, released at boatside
297 Atlantic spadefish
1 ling

Rob Richardson, Lone Oak, came in with a red snapper limit to 10#, taken on Carolina rigged Spanish sardines, fished in the mid depths. Rob also had 3 mangrove snappers to 10#, also from the mid-depths.
Jim Marigliano, Dallas, his red snapper limit to 11# was also taken with mid-depth fished Spanish sardines, as were his 3 mangrove snapper to 9#.
Fishing very near the bottom produced a big hookup that turned out to be a stingray estimated to have been around 100#, and it was released at boatside, as was the smaller 40# ray.

The chance of possibly being on a Capt. John day trip, where a nice red snapper catch, or a red snapper catch of any size is taken, is coming closer to ending for this year. Only 18 more days are left for this fishery to be open in Federal waters for 2008. Make the call to the office at 409-762-8808 or 713-223-4853 and make your reservations to go fishing offshore on the Capt. John - the last day to fish for red snapper is August 4.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Today's offshore fishing trip by the partyboat Capt. John was headed up by Capt. Johnny Williams. The trip offshore began for the 69 fishermen as the Capt. John passed the end of Galveston's South Jetty; its slim twin hulls pointing in a southerly direction. The fishing area chosen by Capt. Williams was about 60 miles out, in 120 to 130 ft. of water with its rocks and a wreck.

Once again, the standard partyboat baits, pieces of cut squid or whole Spanish sardines did their part to encourage this catch to come up and over the rails:

101 rec snapper to 12#
39 kingfish to 25#
1 gag grouper
1 rockhind grouper
1 dorado
5 Atlantic sharpnose sharks
2 mangrove snappers to 10#
19 vermilion snappers
1 lane snapper

Jim Marigliano, Dallas, had a red snapper limit to 8$ that was taken from the mid-depths using Carolina rigged sardines. Jim also had a kingfish limit, again on Spanish sardines.
Rob Richardson, Lone Oak, with a red snapper limit to 6#, also on Carolina rigged sardines and a kingfish limit.
Jeff Richardson,Lone Oak, red snapper limit to 8# and a kingfish limit to 25# (trip's heaviest). Jeff's kingfish also took the lead in the annual "Richardson Family Fishing Tournament".
Wes Richardson, Greenfield, with a kingfish limit, a red snapper limit to 10# and the day's heaviest mangrove snapper, a nice 10 pounder.
Mike Richardson from Corinth and Olivia, from Cruzado, both had red snapper limits and kingfish limits.
Ricky, Sara & Haley Richardson, all from Lone Oak, with red snapper and kingfish limits. 8 year old Haley's first kingfish was her first ever.
Tra Williams & James McGregor, Farmersville & Daingerfield, both with red snapper and kingfish limits.

Booking a trip for yourself, family or company groups only requires a call to the Capt. John's office at Galveston's Pier 19. The numbers that will get you there are 409-762-8808 or 713-223-4853. Another reminder, the red snapper fishery in Federal waters will only be open for 19 more days and will be closed for about 9-1/2 months...the clock is running faster now, make the call today.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Capt. Johnny Williams took the partyboat Capt. John to the area about 60 miles south of The Island shortly after exiting Galveston’s jetties. All 57 of us fishermen were looking forward to working our baits of sardines, cut squid or a variety of artificials over the old coral formations in the area’s 125-130 ft. deep waters.

Five stops produced red snapper to 14 lbs., a few triggerfish, several kingfish cutoffs and a big hit at about 100 ft. that quickly ran off enough line, against over 19 lbs. of drag to where it became “rocked up”. This swimming into a hole or crevice is common, particularly with big groupers . Several attempts were made at giving the line slack, in hope that whatever it was would back out and fight. This maneuver works at times - this time it didn’t. With increased pressure, a breakoff ended the situation. These type encounters are one of the attractions of fishing offshore, and show it’s easy to be “under-gunned”, so to speak.

This week also started the annual “Richardson Family Fishing Tournament” at Williams Party Boats. In its eleventh year, this family group has a plaque with engraved nameplates showing the family member who catches the heaviest fish each year. Their tournament and plaque is in honor of their father, Weldon, who passed away in 1995 and had years before started his sons, Ricky, Mike and Rob’s interest in family togetherness, fishing and the outdoors in general. The leader for 2008 after today’s trip is Rob, with his 14 lb. red snapper. If you have a chance to fish the Capt. John this week, look them up, they have spots on every trip through Friday...you won’t meet a nicer group. The family tournament plaque is in the Capt. John’s Pier 19 office – give it a look, it’s pretty neat.

Back to the fish...catch totals for the day were:

99 red snapper to 14#
95 vermilion snapper to 3#
7 gray triggerfish
3 Atlantic sharpnose shark

Rob Richardson, Lone Oak, with a red snapper limit which included the 14# “Tournament Leader”. He also had 3 vermilion snapper. Wes, from Greenfield, had a red snapper limit to 8#.
Mike & Olivia from Corinth and Cruzado had red snapper limits to 8#.
Ricky, Sara & Haley, all from Lone Oak, with red snapper limits to 8#. Sara had the 2nd place red snapper, a nice 13 pounder and the trip’s heaviest vermilion snapper at 3#. Also in the Richardson’s group, Tra Williams & James McGregor, Farmersville and Daingerfield, both with red snapper limits to 7#.

Jim Marigliano, Dallas, had a red snapper limit to 5# and 2 triggerfish.

Shannon Williams, Alvin (Capt. Williams’ daughter), had a red snapper limit to 5#.

Patrick Lemire, Texas City – my red snapper limit to 5#. I also had that “mystery fish” that ran against over 19# of drag and rocked itself. Groupers are known to get into holes or crevices, expand their gills and fins and lock themselves into place. Who knows what went on down there? A report Tuesday out of Galveston stated that a 30# kingfish was hooked and “a large dorado ate the big king before they could get the fish on board”. That would indeed be a “large dorado”, something like a T-Rex dorado. Could be, that’s what scared my “whatever” into the rock? My natural assumption is that the “large dorado” was actually meant to say “large dolphin”, the mammal, as in “Flipper” - sounded interesting, though.

Reserve your spot on the Capt. John and see what kind of “string pulling and knot creaking” offshore beast you might connect with – give the office a ring at 409-762-8808 or 713-223-4853, the numbers that will get you with the friendly and informed office staff. Don’t forget, there’s only twenty days left for the red snapper fishery in Federal waters to be open, time is running short.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

With Capt. Johnny Williams at the helm of the partyboat Capt. John, the run offshore began shortly after leaving Pier 19. Capt. Williams was taking the 80 fishermen to the area about 50 miles SSW of The Island. Its rock formations in 100-110' were the target. The fishermen's efforts, along with their sardine and squid baits, added up to bring this catch over the rails:

160 red snapper to 13#, a boat limit which contained many over 5#
94 vermilion snapper
5 lane snapper
11 gray triggerfish
1 rockhind grouper
1 Warsaw grouper

Paul Kluge, Jeff Jones (Baylor Lettermen's Club), Jones' wife Sheryl Jones and their son, Jeff, Jr., all from Waco, all had red snapper limits to around 8#.
Harold Portier, Nederland - his red snapper limit went to 13#, the day's heaviest snapper.

Make your reservations for an offshore fishing trip aboard the Capt. John by calling 409-762-8808 or 713-223-4853. Don't forget that August 4 is the last day you can fish for red snapper in Federal (offshore) waters, so make that call. We now accept Visa, Mastercard & Discover.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Today's offshore fishing trip with Capt. Johnny Williams was a charter trip, part of a long standing yearly event by the Hope Lumber Company, headed up by David Scott.

Leaving Pier 19 with 39 fishermen and shortly entering the open Gulf of Mexico, Capt. Williams pointed the boat's twin hulls SSW toward the general area of the wreck of the V.A.Fogg. These wreck pieces and other structure in this area's 100 ft. deep water were fished. The multi-species catch was made up of the following:

78 red snapper to 11#, a boat limit
4 lane snapper
15 vermilion snapper
1 ling
3 gray triggerfish
1 rockhind grouper
1 kingfish
1 Atlantic spadefish
1 almaco jack

Whether it's a company charter like this onw by Hope Lumber Company or an individual, if multi-species offshore fishing is of interest to you, the partyboat Capt. John is the place to experience it. Give the office at Galveston's Pier 19 a ring to get your reservation process started; call 409-762-8808 or 713-223-4853.