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Friday, July 11, 2008

Today's offshore fishing trip by the partyboat Capt. John was headed up by Capt. Johnny Williams. Chosen for today's fishing was a series of wreck pieces about 45 miles to the SSW of The Island. This area's 100' deep water produced the following catch for the 67 fishermen:

119 red snapper to 10#
6 lane snapper
3 vermilion snapper
1 porgy
3 gray triggerfish
1 Warsaw grouper
132 Atlantic spadefish
7 kingfish

For inquiries or to make your reservations about the Capt. John, call the Pier 19 office at 409-762-8808 or 713-223-4853. Since the last day for red snapper fishing in Federal waters is August 4, book your trip soon, as the fishery will be closed until June 1, 2009. We now take Visa, Discover and Mastercard, along with the usual cash, money orders and company checks for your convenience in booking a trip with us.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

The partyboat Capt. John was back to the routine 12 hour offshore fishing trips today. With Capt. Johnny Williams at the wheel, and his daughter Shannon among the 55 fishermen aboard, the offshore run began upon exiting the Galveston Jetties.

After a 60 mile or so run in a SE direction, they arrived at the day's fishing area with its rock formations in 80-95 ft. of water.

Working their baits of whole spanish sardines and/or pieces of cut squid from the near surface to the bottom, this catch was produced before heading back to Pier 19:

36 red snapper to 11#
9 lane snapper
11 gray triggerfish
168 Atlantic spadefish
1 ling of 35#
1 Jack Crevalle
27 kingfish to 29#

Shannon Williams, Alvin - this hard fishing 17 year old's catch consisted of a kingfish limit and a red snapper limit which included the trip's heaviest red snapper, a nice eleven pounder.

Making your reservations on the partyboat Capt. John starts with making a call to the office at Galveston's Pier 19, 409-762-8808 or 713-223-4853. The office is now taking Visa, Discover and Mastercard, along with its usual, cash, company check or money order. Also, don't forget that the red snapper fishery in Federal waters closes soon, and the last day to fish for those delicacies from the Gulf is August 4. Make your reservations - call today.

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

This mid0week 36 hour tuna safari by the partyboat Capt. John was run with captains Johnny Williams & Mark yamaguchi heading up the effort.

Leaving Galveston's Pier 19 with 36 fishermen aboard, a run was begun in a southerly direction. The first fishing stops Tuesday afternoon were made in the Salvadore Ridge area. Its rock formations in 180 feet of water are about 73 miles south of The Island. Species taken on those stops included kingfish, red snapper, vermilion snapper, triggerfish, whitebone porgy, mangrove snapper, etc.

The next fishing area was in the area of the Boom Vang Spar production platform. This example of a man-made Gulf mechanical marvel is about 127 miles to the south of The Island, anchored in 3,450 feet of water, where the water is always a clear, cobalt blue. Numerous drifts were made during the overnight period, the predominate species hitting the deck and beating out a "Tuna Tango" with their tails were blackfin tuna. Several yellowfin tuna were hooked but only one of legal size went into the fish boxes, a nice 45 pounder that hit a freelined sardine. The unusual catch of the trip, taken on one of the drifts was a member of the pomfret family that hit a diamond jig at about 250-300 feet. Pomfrets are deep water fishes that come up to shallower depths during the overnight period. Its length of around 8 inches and having a small mouth sort of indicates that the strike was based on a flash off the 6 ounce daimond jig's surface rather than the size of the diamond jig.

After sunrise Wednesday, the run home, with fishing stops along the way was started. Those stops at several rocks in 140 to 150 feet of water produced red snapper, kingfish, Warsaw grouper, vermilion snapper, ling,etc. Those last stops of the trip accounted for most of the red snapper, the heaviest kingfish and the trip's only ling and Warsaw grouper.

The assortment of species totals that ended up iced down in the fish boxes was:

16 kingfish to 25#
1 Warsaw grouper
1 ling
10 whitebone porgy
1 greater amberjack
1 pomfret
9 gray triggerfish
1 mangrove snapper
231 vermilion snapper
144 red snapper to 16# (the allowable 2 day double limit for 36 fishermen).
1 yellowfin tuna of 45#
60 blackfin tuna to 27#

Rita Baumann, Texas city, had the trip's only greater amberjack, kingfish, blackfin tuna and a double red snapper limit to 7#.
Robert Goode, Alvin, with double red snapper to 8#, 16 vermilion snapper and 5 blackfin tuna.
"Tex" Lee, Vernon, along with his double red snapper limit to 7#, he had 2 blackfin tuna and 2 gray triggerfish.
Andy Mayes, Dallas, 3 blackfin to 27# (trip's heaviest), two hit a topwater popper, the other a freelined blackfin chunk. He also had 5 vermilion snapper, a double red snapper limit to 8# and a released yellowfin tuna.
Michael Robertson, Houston, with 2 blackfin tuna, 1 kingfish, 9 vermilion snapper, double red snapper to 8# and the trip's unusual fish, the pomfret.
Randy Jones had a double red snapper limit to 8#, 1 gray triggerfish, 1 blackfin tuna and the trip's only yellowfin tuna of 45#, the trip's heaviest that hit a freelined Spanish sardine.
Jeff Penske & the A & M Sea Camp group - this group of 16 had double red snapper limits that went to 14# along with vermilion snapper, gray triggerfish, blackfin tuna, kingfish and ling. The kingfish also included the trip's heaviest at 25# and the trip's only ling about 23#. Nice catch for this group of young fishermen.

As of today, there's only one more of these 36 hour tuna safaris scheduled this year, on August 13-14. Make your reservations early, give the office at Galveston's Pier 19 a call, 409-762-8808 or 713-223-4853. This will get you connected with the friendly and informed office staff. Make your call today before space and time run out.

Monday, July 07, 2008

Well, "Bumpy" and "Breezy" were back for today's offshore fishing trip by the partyboat Capt. John... unfortunately, they brought around five foot seas with them.

While the ride offshore was a bit on the bumpy side, it was definitely on the "do-able" side. The target area for the day's fishing was again the general area 50 miles offshore, with its wrecks and rocks, in 110 ft. of water. Capt. Johnny Williams had the 45 anglers working their cut squid or Spanish sardine baits throughout the water column. The resulting catch was made up of:

56 red snapper to 10#
4 lane snapper
46 vermilion snapper
5 gray triggerfish
4 Atlantic sharpnose sharks

Your reservations on the Capt. John can be made by calling the office at Galveston's Pier 19 - 409-762-8808 or 713-223-4853. Get aboard and see what part of one of the Capt. John's standard multi-species catches you wind in. Remember, there are only 28 more days for the red snapper fishery in federal waters this year, and it's not expected to reopen until at least June, 2009.

Sunday, July 06, 2008

With Capt. Johnny Williams in command for today's offshore fishing trip, the partyboat Capt. John's twin hulls knifed through the Gulf swells shortly after departing Pier 19. Today's area to be fished was several rock formations and a wreck about 50 miles south of The Island in 110 ft. of water.

Using baits of cut squid and/or whole Spanish sardines, the 64 fishermen brought this catch over the rails:

126 red snapper, 2 short of a boat limit
6 vermilion snapper
2 kingfish
1 rockhind grouper
9 Atlantic sharpnose shark

With red snapper fishing seeming to pick up lately, this brings to mind that the red snapper fishery in Federal waters has less than a month to be open. The last day this year for red snapper fishing beyond none nautical miles offshore is August 4. At this time the scheduled re-opening is June 1, 2009. That's roughly a ten month closure...almost forever to any fisherman interested in catching red snapper.

To make your reservations on the Capt. John call the office at Galveston's Pier 19. The numbers are 409-762-8808 or 71-223-4853. This will get you in touch with a smiling voice that will put the steps in motion to get you aboard. Also, in addition to cash, money orders or company checks, we are now accepting Visa, Mastercard and Discover.