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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
New member
Username: Fishbuster
Post Number: 169
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 30, 2006 - 11:35 am: | |
I fished with live shrimp and cut-bait in 35 feet out of New Pass Tuesday with Mike Sokol, wife Ann, and the Sokol children, Michelle, Michael, Phillip and Brian. We caught Spanish mackerel, mangrove snapper, triggerfish, grunts, and released lots of blue runners. The kids had three big fish run away, and those were likely bigger mackerel or small sharks. It has been pretty slow here lately, with a lot of rain, and with a lot of folks that might have changed family travel plans, given the price of gas. Next week is looking a bit busier, so I am hoping for some good weather and good action.
The photo shown is of angler Tom Budzynski, with a 50 + pound goliath grouper, released on a recent offshore trip.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
New member
Username: Fishbuster
Post Number: 168
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 24, 2006 - 10:38 am: | |
After a few weeks hiatus, I fished Estero Bay Friday with Steve Ross and father-in-law, Jack. We caught some live shiners, and used those for bait, along with live shrimp. We fished toward Wiggins pass, along tree lines and oyster bars, and released small black drum, mangrove snapper, whiting and sheepshead.
Saturday, fishing in 45 feet out of New Pass, on a catch and release trip with Chris Van Dyke, Bill Metscher, and Matt, Ellie, Steve, and Travis Shihaweh, we used live shrimp and cut-bait to catch red grouper, triggerfish, and mangrove snapper. The bottlenose dolphin also put on quite a show for the group.
The photo shown is of angler Kevin Connelly, with a 21 inch gag grouper, released in Estero Bay on a recent backwater trip.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
New member
Username: Fishbuster
Post Number: 167
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 02, 2006 - 6:11 am: | |
I fished Estero Bay Wednesday with Frank Tota, Frank Witt, and friends, Joe and Jim. Strange as it might sound, we caught and released a seventeen inch bonefish. I have never seen, much less caught, a bonefish in this area, and I believed them to be a Keys/Caribbean fish. We caught this one on a live shrimp, on an oyster bar in the middle of the bay. Using shrimp, we also caught two keeper sheepshead and two keeper mangrove snapper, as well as one redfish. We lost two other nice reds, when they ran around the back side of the trees, and cut our lines. We also released a 17 inch snook.
Thursday, fishing with Arnie Roberts and son, Bill Roberts, in 35 feet out of New Pass, around rocky bottom, we used liver shrimp and pinfish to catch Spanish mackerel to 22 inches, triggerfish to 14 inches, and yellowtail snapper to 15 inches. We released two small goliath groupers.
The photo shown is of a 50 + lb. goliath grouper, released on a recent offshore trip.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
New member
Username: Fishbuster
Post Number: 166
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 27, 2006 - 12:58 pm: | |
Monday, I fished with live shrimp in 40 feet, 19 miles out of New Pass, with Ernie and Tim Moffet. We caught four keeper yellowtail snapper, and released three smaller ones. We also caught porgies, triggerfish, mangrove snapper, a small hogfish, a flounder, and lots of gag shorts, which were fun to catch and release. We used a blue runner to catch and release a 50 pound goliath grouper.
Charles and Frances Goehle and their two grown children fished Estero Bay with me Tuesday, using live shrimp. Fishing under trees, around oyster bars, and pot holes, we caught six redfish, one of which was slot size. We also caught three keeper mangrove snapper, and released three large stingrays and cravalle jack.
Tom Budzynski and family fished in 40 feet out of New Pass with me on Saturday. We released a 50+ pound goliath grouper, and had our lines broken four times by larger goliaths. We also caught a 30 inch king mackerel, triggerfish to 14 inches, and released snapper and red grouper shorts. We used live shrimp for all but the goliaths, and hooked those on blue runners.
* The photo shown is of a 5 pound cravalle jack, released in Estero Bay on a recent backwater trip.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
New member
Username: Fishbuster
Post Number: 165
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 20, 2006 - 10:09 am: | |
Monday, I fished the west wall of Estero Bay with brothers Tom and Kevin Connolly. We used shiners to catch three redfish, two of which were keepers, and an 18 inch trout. We released a 21 inch gag grouper and a cravalle jack.
After a couple of rainy, windy days, I fished Estero Bay again on Thursday, with Sally Faust and friends, Todd and Brenda. We used live shrimp to catch and release two redfish, mangrove snapper, and cravalle jacks.
Saturday, fishing Estero Bay was kind of slow, but J.R. Gardner caught and released mangrove snapper and cravalle jacks, fishing with live shrimp around the tree lines and oyster bars.
*The photo shown is of a 23 inch redfish, caught on a recent backwater trip in Estero Bay.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
New member
Username: Fishbuster
Post Number: 164
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 12, 2006 - 4:15 am: | |
I fished Monday in 35 feet out of New Pass with father and son Dan and Eric Harper. Using live shrimp, we caught keeper Spanish mackerel, a nice yellowtail snapper, keeper triggerfish, grunts and porkfish.
Daniel McAuliffe fished with me Tuesday morning at MAY Reef. We were chased in by a brief lightening storm about 11AM, but we caught plenty of fish before then. We caught ten keeper lane snapper, but released all but two for Dan's dinner. We also released keeper-sized triggerfish and about fifteen two-pound cravalle jacks, all on live shrimp.
Chris and Jaclyn Agee fished the west wall of Estero Bay with me on Thursday. We used live shrimp to catch keeper mangrove snapper to 12 inches, and a few keeper sheepshead. We released smaller sheepshead and small black drum.
With a family reunion planned for the weekend, I am off the water until Monday.
*The photo attached is a close-up of a 200 + lb. goliath grouper, caught offshore on a recent trip. It took all my energy to haul this one to the surface…Check out his size, relative to the size of my hand.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
New member
Username: Fishbuster
Post Number: 163
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 06, 2006 - 10:03 am: | |
I fished Estero Bay with Terry Major and friends Monday. Fishing the points on the west side of the bay, behind the Hyatt, we released one snook and nine mangrove snapper, all caught on live shrimp.
Wednesday, I again fished Estero Bay, along the tree lines. Michael Scipione and Christina Rodriguez caught and released a four pound cravalle jack, a 13 inch black drum, and mangrove snapper, using live shrimp.
Friday, fishing in 35 feet out of New Pass with Frank Vada and friends, we used live shrimp to catch keeper king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, mangrove snapper, triggerfish, porkfish and porgies.
Fishing Saturday with Reiner Neuman and friends, Dennis, Dave and Ennis, we caught keeper mangrove snapper, Spanish mackerel, porgies and porkfish, on a slow tide in 30 feet out of New Pass.
*The photo shown is of a 5 foot king mackerel, caught on an offshore trip the last week of April.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
New member
Username: Fishbuster
Post Number: 162
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 29, 2006 - 11:36 am: | |
Monday, fishing in 30 feet out of New Pass, with Bob Pumford and Steve & Lorie Seibert, we caught three king mackerel, all 28-29 inches, keeper Spanish mackerel to 22 inches, mangrove snapper and triggerfish. We had a goliath eat a bait on a light tackle pole, so we just got to watch him run!
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 on a recent bayside trip.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
New member
Username: Fishbuster
Post Number: 161
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 22, 2006 - 9:50 am: | |
I fished Estero Bay with C.B. Fisher, his seven year old daughter, Cayla, and Cayla's grandfather, Frank Graves on Monday. Shrimp were in short supply in the morning, so I cast for silver jinnies and ballyhoo, and we began at the oyster bars, where we caught a bluefish, and released some small fish. Once shrimp came in, we picked up some of those, and fished toward Wiggins Pass, where we caught two keeper redfish at 22 inches and 20 inches, lost another of those, and caught four keeper sheepshead. We released smaller sheepshead, a small snapper, and a 20 inch snook.
Tuesday, fishing 5 miles out of New Pass with Chris Polasic and fiancée, Muriel Taylor, we used live shrimp to catch three king mackerel to 32 inches, and triggerfish. We lost four big kings that broke the line.
I fished Estero Bay toward Wiggins Pass again on Wednesday, with Bob Titmas, Sr., son Bob, and grandson Jake. We caught two keeper redfish, a 4 pound cravalle jack, and we released small snapper, using live shrimp.
Bud Glancer and friend, Steve, fished in 30 feet, about five miles west of Wiggins Pass with me on Thursday. We caught three king mackerel to 30 inches, Spanish mackerel to 28 inches, mangrove snapper, sheepshead, triggerfish and grunts, all on live shrimp.
Friday, Jerry & Barbara Rudan fished with me, about 6 miles out of New Pass. We caught nine king mackerel to 29 inches, kept four of those, and released the rest. We also caught four keeper mangrove snapper. Seas started to build just before we headed in, with a storm front to the north, around Tampa.
Saturday, seas were 3-4 feet, but Mick Moritz and friends decided to give the artificial reefs a try. We used live shrimp to catch nine keeper lane snapper, and we released gag grouper shorts and blue runners. We used one of the blue runners as goliath bait, and caught a goliath grouper over 200 pounds, which Mick photographed and released.
The photo shown is a pair of kingfish caught on a recent offshore trip.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
New member
Username: Fishbuster
Post Number: 160
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 11:00 am: | |
This week brought all the winds and high seas that we were lucky to have missed for most of last month. In addition to the rough seas offshore, there were dead low tides in Estero Bay. I cancelled all my trips through Wednesday.
On Thursday, Dan Mackinnon and a friend wanted to take their sons out fishing, so we gave it a try, with four youngsters on board, at the reefs off Bonita Beach. It was still sloppy in the gulf, but better than it had been so far this week. The boys had fun catching and releasing small fish, mostly blue runners.
I had an instructional trip on Friday, on a customer’s boat, but his electronics mal-functioned, and it was tough to find spots without the GPS working. I did manage to get us right on the 220 ledge, but the main thing there were goliaths, so there’re wasn’t much else to catch. We did get our lines broken a few times by a couple of those big boys.
Fishing Saturday morning with Pete Williams and friends, we had the other extreme in terms of wind. After all the wind and seas this week, Saturday was just the opposite--no wind, and no current. The bite was pretty slow, but we got three keeper Spanish mackerel, all around 25 inches, fishing with live shrimp and finger mullet, in 36 feet out of New Pass. We released small red grouper, triggerfish, mangrove snapper and yellowtail snapper.
It was a tough week for fishing around here. It’s supposed to be calm next week, so I am hoping to get more days out.
The photo shown is of a 16 inch sheepshead, caught on a recent backwater trip in Estero Bay.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
New member
Username: Fishbuster
Post Number: 159
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 08, 2006 - 10:16 am: | |
Monday, I fished with Lee Larsen, Bud Glancer, and friend Mary, about 5 miles out of New Pass. We used live shrimp, and chummed with some pre-mixed chum, as well as some blue runners. We caught four king mackerel to 30 inches, and had two big ones pull off the line on their rapid run back to toward the boat. We also caught a keeper tripletail, keeper sheepshead, porkfish and grunts, and released short gag and red grouper.
Fishing with Craig & Jan Royal, son Dan, daughter Kerri, and friend Jeff on Tuesday, the king mackerel bite was hot. We caught twenty of them to 38 inches, kept our limit of ten, and released the rest. We were fishing in 35 feet over live bottom that included sea fans, coral and sponge.
Nick Novosel, his parents, and a friend drove all the way from Lakeland to fish with me on Wednesday. We caught three kings in the 25 to 28 inch range, and released some smaller ones, along with short gag and red grouper, triggerfish and porgies. We also caught keeper sheepshead to 15 inches, in 35 feet out of New Pass, with live shrimp.
Dan & Linda Papol and friend, John, fished Estero Bay oyster bars and potholes with me on a catch & release trip Thursday. We caught two redfish (one keeper-sized and one short), an 18 inch flounder, and fourteen sheepshead, five of which were keeper-sized to 16 inches.
Friday, John Grieger fished with me in Estero Bay. We caught eight sheepshead to 14 inches, two of which were keepers, and two keeper mangrove snappers. We saw a school of about 200 jacks, but they would not bite.
Mike Cronin and friends, Richard, Dick and George, fished Estero Bay with me Saturday. We caught a keeper sheepshead, and released several smaller ones, along with mangrove snapper, a stingray, and a 4 lb. cravalle jack, using live shrimp around the oyster bars.
The photo shown is of a 22 lb. kingfish, caught on a recent offshore trip. The same day, we released the 100+ lb. nurse shark shown.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
New member
Username: Fishbuster
Post Number: 158
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 01, 2006 - 10:14 am: | |
After a windy weekend, seas calmed down quite a bit on Monday, 3/28. I fished five and a half miles out of New Pass, with Ryan Startz and Jim Schrader, along with Jim’s sons, nine year old Kane, and eight year old Jack. Using live shrimp, Ryan landed a 52 inch king mackerel that topped out on our 30 pound Boga grip (see photo)—That was a good challenge on 12 lb. test! We also caught four sheepshead to 16 inches, a 17 inch bluefish, and keeper lane snapper.
Fishing with the Louis Wolfe party Tuesday, I returned the spots I had good luck at on Monday. We caught fifteen king mackerel to 44 inches, kept five of those, and released the rest, along with gag grouper shorts, mangrove snapper and sheepshead, all on live shrimp.
Ross Christiansen and family caught a few kings with me on Wednesday, but a couple of bull sharks tried to interfere. One shark grabbed a blue runner at the back of the boat, and ran off with all the line, and a second one took the bait and ran all the line off. But, we caught 8 kings to 30 inches, and released all but three, along with some small snapper.
Thursday, I fished at the reefs off New Pass with the Jim Kauffman party. They wanted to fish for some good eating fish, other than kingfish, so we fished a different spot with live shrimp. We caught keeper sheepshead, lane snapper and grunts, and released lots of blue runners.
Stuart Norris, Rich Meckler, Charles Hooley and son Matt fished with me Friday back at the king mackerel spots, about 5 miles out of New Pass, with live shrimp. We caught our limit of eight kings to 40 inches, then continued to catch and release several that were even larger.
Will McFarland and friend, John, fished Estero Bay, toward Wiggins Pass, with me Saturday morning. We caught an 18 inch trout, a 16 inch sheepshead, and released smaller sheepshead, mangrove snapper, cravalle jacks, and a 17 ¼ inch redfish.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
New member
Username: Fishbuster
Post Number: 157
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 25, 2006 - 10:51 am: | |
I fished about five miles out of New Pass Monday with Richard Heimlich and Jeff Kirk. Seas were about four foot most of the morning, but it was worth it. Using live shrimp, and chumming with live blue runners, we caught several keeper king mackerel, and released all but a 45 inch, 22 pounder (see photo), and a 28 inch king. We also caught sheepshead to 19 inches.
Tuesday was rough offshore again, but my anglers once again decided to brave it. On a catch & release trip, we chummed with blue runners, and fished with live shrimp again, in 30 feet out of New Pass. We caught king mackerel to 40 inches, Spanish mackerel to 30 inches, and small mangrove snapper, lane snapper, and sheepshead.
Fishing Thursday, we used live shrimp in 30 feet, at the reefs out of New Pass, to catch a keeper Spanish mackerel. Two sheepshead about 16 inches, a 14 inch triggerfish, a keeper mangrove snapper and fifteen keeper lane snapper.
A cold front came through the area Thursday night, and kicked the winds and seas up for Friday and Saturday, so I had to cancel my fishing plans for those days.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
New member
Username: Fishbuster
Post Number: 155
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 25, 2006 - 10:50 am: | |
I fished about five miles out of New Pass Monday with Richard Heimlich and Jeff Kirk. Seas were about four foot most of the morning, but it was worth it. Using live shrimp, and chumming with live blue runners, we caught several keeper king mackerel, and released all but a 45 inch, 22 pounder (see photo), and a 28 inch king. We also caught sheepshead to 19 inches.
Tuesday was rough offshore again, but my anglers once again decided to brave it. On a catch & release trip, we chummed with blue runners, and fished with live shrimp again, in 30 feet out of New Pass. We caught king mackerel to 40 inches, Spanish mackerel to 30 inches, and small mangrove snapper, lane snapper, and sheepshead.
Fishing Thursday, we used live shrimp in 30 feet, at the reefs out of New Pass, to catch a keeper Spanish mackerel. Two sheepshead about 16 inches, a 14 inch triggerfish, a keeper mangrove snapper and fifteen keeper lane snapper.
A cold front came through the area Thursday night, and kicked the winds and seas up for Friday and Saturday, so I had to cancel my fishing plans for those days.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
New member
Username: Fishbuster
Post Number: 154
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 18, 2006 - 10:15 am: | |
I fished the north end of Estero Bay Monday. We used live shrimp to catch a dozen sheepshead, three of which were keepers. We also released ladyfish and small snook. We lost something pretty big just at the boat, but the water was murky, and we couldn’t tell what it was.
Wednesday, fishing the west wall of Estero Bay, inside New Pass, we had good action for the young anglers on board. We caught lots of sheepshead, two of which were keepers, three keeper mangrove snappers, and a three pound cravalle jack. A couple of big ones got away when the hook wasn’t quite set, but the boys had plenty of fun, and plenty of fish to take home.
I fished the reefs off Bonita on Thursday. Using live shrimp and cut ladyfish, we caught four keeper sheepshead to 19 inches, keeper lane snappers, and released small mangrove snapper. We also hooked a nice-sized fish on a little 360 Penn Slammer, but a big goliath grouper bit it, and swam off with it before we could reel it in.
Friday, I fished the reefs and a few other areas near shore. We had a great day, landing a 49 inch, 22 pound king mackerel, and releasing a 6 ½ foot nurse shark that weighed over 100 pounds. We caught a mess of nice sheepshead to 19 inches, and a few keeper mangrove snapper and grunts. The same group returned to the reefs fish Saturday morning, on a catch and release trip, and released sheepshead, gag grouper shorts, and blue runners. We had one big fish cut off the line, perhaps another king.
The photo shown is of a 21 inch trout, caught on a recent backwater trip. |
Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
New member
Username: Fishbuster
Post Number: 153
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 11, 2006 - 8:06 am: | |
Monday, 3/6, seas were supposed to be calm, with a cold front not due to rough things up until late at night. Fishing in 30 feet out of New Pass, we had mostly 3 foot seas all morning. We caught four keeper sheepshead to 16 inches, a large triggerfish and grunts--plenty of pan fish for dinner.
With rough seas offshore Tuesday, we changed our offshore plans to fish the east side of Estero Bay. We fished the current eddies at the corners of the oyster bars, mostly free-lining live shrimp. We caught twenty sheepshead, ten of which were keepers, to 17 inches. We released cravalle jacks and ladyfish.
Fishing Estero Bay on Wednesday, there was a strong wind that had blown the water out of the bay. We fished the edges along the channel, wherever the water was deep enough, with live shrimp. The bite was slow, but we managed keeper sheepshead, a keeper trout, and released a 17 inch redfish.
Fishing the east side of Estero Bay again Thursday, we fought a stiff wind all morning. We released two snook to 20 inches, small snapper and sheepshead.
Friday, I returned to Estero Bay’s east side with Andy Ungar and friends Jim, John and Dave. We traded our offshore plans for the bay, with gusty winds kicking up seas to three to five feet offshore. We caught ten keeper sheepshead, and an 18 inch trout, using live shrimp.
The photo shown is of angler, Darrin Key, with a 19 inch sheepshead, caught on a recent reef fishing trip.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
New member
Username: Fishbuster
Post Number: 152
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 04, 2006 - 12:51 pm: | |
A cold front came through on Sunday, dropping air and water temperatures, and kicking up seas offshore. I fished in Estero Bay Monday, around a group of islands east of New Pass. The bay was pretty muddy, and with a stiff wind out of the northeast, the tide did not turn on schedule. We had to work pretty hard to get fish at all. We released nine sheepshead, all just short of keeper size
I fished in 40 feet out of New Pass Tuesday. We caught a 28 inch gag grouper, which was the first keeper grouper I have seen in a while that close in. We also released lots of gag shorts, and caught mangrove snapper to 14 inches, using live shrimp.
Fishing Wednesday, just 5.8 miles off the beach, out of New Pass, we caught a 29 pound, 51 inch king mackerel (see photo)--only the second one I have gotten this winter, and the first one in about 6 weeks. He was a battle on 12 lb. test! We also got keeper sheepshead, grunts and porkfish, and released gag shorts...but the kingfish took the limelight!
On Thursday, I returned to the same areas I fished Wednesday, hoping to find more kingfish. But, there was nothing of any worthy size out there at all. We released lots of sheepshead, grunts, and triggerfish, and had fun fishing, but there just wasn’t a lot to brag about this time.
Steve Gagyola, Dave Devaux, and brothers Tracy and Rob Bruttomesso fished in Estero Bay with me on Friday. We used live shrimp, in some holes along the channel toward new Pass. We caught a 21 inch trout, a 19 inch pompano, eight sheepshead to 15 inches, a keeper mangrove snapper, and two crevalle jacks.
Saturday, I returned to my Estero Bay holes with Andy Ungar, Tony Pastore, Jim Sistak, and Jim Sistak, Jr. We caught seven keeper sheepshead, four keeper pompano, and a 16 inch trout, on shrimp.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
New member
Username: Fishbuster
Post Number: 151
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 25, 2006 - 1:04 pm: | |
This is the photo I meant to post with my report for this week--The drum photo was a re-run--sorry for the mistake! |
Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
New member
Username: Fishbuster
Post Number: 150
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 25, 2006 - 12:56 pm: | |
I fished Monday, 2/20, in 34 feet out of New Pass. We caught a 15 inch black drum, five keeper sheepshead, all about 15 inches, and released smaller sheepshead and grouper shorts.
Tuesday, fishing in 26 feet out of New Pass, we did well with sheepshead. We kept thirteen of them to 19 inches, and released about 40 shorter ones. We also got a 13 inch mangrove snapper, all on shrimp.
Fishing out of New Pass Wednesday, we caught three nice sheepshead to 17 inches, grunts, and porkfish. We released small snapper and grouper. We had an eight year old angler on board, who was sure proud of his 17 inch sheepshead, and gladly posed with it!
Fishing a catch & release trip, in 30 feet out of New Pass Thursday, the sheepshead were even bigger than they were earlier this week. We released six of them to 19 ¼ inches, along with triggerfish to 14 inches, using live shrimp.
I fished Friday in 30 feet out of New Pass. We caught a 20 inch, seven pound tripletail on a crab trap buoy, using live shrimp. We also caught some nice sheepshead to 19 inches, and four keeper lane snapper.
We feared some rough conditions Saturday, with forecasts calling for small craft advisories preceding the arrival of a cold front. It was moderately choppy in the morning, with three foot seas, but it calmed to two foot in the afternoon, before it started building once again. We caught eight keeper sheepshead , average size of 16 inches, along with some grunts, fishing the reefs and also some limestone bottom, in 35 feet.
The photo shown is of a 35 pound black drum, caught on an offshore trip 1-30-06.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
New member
Username: Fishbuster
Post Number: 149
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 18, 2006 - 10:40 am: | |
Sunday and Monday this week remained rough offshore, not to mention the bitter cold, especially out on the water. Tuesday was calmer, but still very cold, and my anglers chickened out!
Wednesday was chilly at the outset, but warmed up nicely. Unfortunately, the seas weren't as calm as predicted, but at least it was possible to fish! I headed out of New Pass to about 45 feet. First thing, we hooked a big gag grouper, but he ran off with the line and broke the leader. We ended up with three limits of mangrove snapper to 16 inches, and a keeper tripletail.
I fished Thursday, in 44 feet, out of New Pass. We didn’t catch quite as many as I had the day before, but the action was steady. We caught nine snapper to 17 inches, and two keeper sheepshead. We released porgies, and gag grouper to 19 inches.
After two days of decent offshore fishing, the bite slowed down again on Friday. I fished in 45 feet out of New Pass. We caught a few keeper mangrove snapper and triggerfish, and released small grunts.
Fishing Saturday, about 26 miles out of New Pass, we caught some nice sheepshead, all about 16 inches, a few keeper mangrove snapper, some 14 inch porkfish, triggerfish and grunts. We released gag shorts to 20 inches and a few red grouper shorts.
The photo shown is of a pair of gag grouper, caught on an offshore trip last month.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
New member
Username: Fishbuster
Post Number: 148
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 11, 2006 - 10:46 am: | |
I was looking forward to some calm seas Monday, based upon predictions of two feet—Instead, we encountered four foot seas, and had to fish close in at the reefs. Even there at the reefs it was rough, and the water was muddy. The fish were just not biting well—we could see them on the sonar, but we caught and released only short grouper and sheepshead. A youngster on board, did catch one keeper sheepshead, which we photographed for him.
Wednesday, I fished in Estero Bay, wherever we could find deep enough water. It was chilly and very windy, and the bay was shallow, but we fished an incoming tide, and caught two cravalle jacks and four keeper sheepshead to 17 1/2 inches, using live shrimp.
Yet another cold front came through, with windy conditions Thursday, calming some by Friday, when I ventured offshore. The water temperature was 65 degrees when we headed out on a chilly, 47 degree morning. We went out to where the water was slightly warmer—about 68 degrees. The bite was very slow, and we changed locations a few times, trying to find some fish. But, even in 50 feet of water, we were catching pinfish, small snappers and small red groupers. We also hooked one jolthead porgie. I don’t know what to make of the slow fishing this week, except that the cold water temperature must be a factor.
I fished Estero Bay Saturday, in the channel toward Wiggins Pass. We caught two keeper sheepshead, and released lots of smaller ones, along with ladyfish. We also got a 16 inch trout, on live shrimp.”
The photo shown is of angler Tony Pastore, with a 23 inch gag grouper, caught on live shrimp, on an offshore trip last month.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
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Post Number: 147
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 03, 2006 - 10:18 am: | |
Monday, I fished in 32 feet out of New Pass. Fishing was a little slow at first--we caught and released some snapper, grunts, and sheepshead. The action picked up when we landed a 35 pound black drum, which bit a live shrimp, and was quite a battle on 12 pound test! We photographed and released that one, then headed in ahead of the increasing winds.
We had hoped to fish offshore Tuesday, but with another cold front approaching, bringing high winds and rough seas, we changed our plans to fish in the backwater. Fishing was slow there, but we caught some keeper snapper, and released small sheepshead, and a 3 ½ pound cravalle jack.
Wednesday, I returned to the area where we caught the big black drum on Monday. At 47 degrees that morning, the air was chilly, and there were some rough seas first thing in the morning, left over from the front that passed through the day before. The bite was pretty slow, with water temperature cold, and with loads of bait fish on the bottom that ate our live shrimp. We caught keeper mangrove snapper, lane snapper and grunts.
Friday, just ahead of the next cold front, I fished the artificial reefs. Even close-in, in 18 feet, we had some four foot seas, with a stiff 20-25 knot wind all morning. We caught a nice sheepshead 19 inches long, and a 14 inch triggerfish. We also got one keeper pompano, and released two smaller ones, along with two baby goliath grouper and some small snapper, all on shrimp.
Saturday's forecast was dismal for boaters, so we stayed in port.
The photo shown is of the 35 pound black drum we caught Monday.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
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Post Number: 146
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 27, 2006 - 10:48 am: | |
Tuesday, fishing 17 miles out of New Pass, in 40 feet, we caught keeper triggerfish, lane snapper and mangrove snapper, and released lots of grunts and red grouper shorts. We had to work pretty hard to catch what we caught, with a slow tide and bite most of the morning.
We scrapped offshore plans Wednesday, in the face of 4-6 foot seas, and we fished instead in some Estero Bay holes. The tide was incoming, but very low, and the winds were strong. We caught a couple of keeper mangrove snapper and sheepshead, and released a redfish and a snook. The highlight of the trip was a huge, 25 pound cravalle jack, photographed and released, after a 45 minute battle.
The winds and seas were rough on Thursday, and not much better on Friday. But, Friday’s group decided to give offshore fishing a try. With dead low tides in the bay, the prospects there didn’t look too good, so we headed offshore, planning to stay close in, around the reefs, where it would be a little calmer than out further. We caught keeper mangrove snapper, grunts, and triggerfish, and released gag shorts, along with a 4 pound goliath grouper. By that time the 4-5 foot seas were getting too rough to stand up and fish, so we headed in a little after noon.
The photo attached is of an unusually large (for this area), 25 pound cravalle jack, caught in Estero Bay this past Wednesday.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
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Post Number: 145
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2006 - 12:47 pm: | |
Weather did not cooperate with the full week of fishing I had planned. After a very gusty weekend, seas did not calm down enough to get offshore again until Friday. I fished then, in 42 feet, about 18 miles out of New Pass. It was windy on shore, and we were expecting some rough seas, but we were out past the winds, and it was calm, and a little slow most of the morning. We didn’t hit rough water until we headed back in to shore. We used live shrimp to catch a dozen mangrove snapper to 14 inches and keeper lane snapper. We released keeper-sized sheepshead, triggerfish and grunts.
Fishing Saturday, 34 miles out of New Pass, we caught two limits of mangrove snapper to 15 ¼ inches, keeper lane snapper, and one keeper vermillion snapper, along with some large grunts. We released gag grouper shorts.
The photo shown is of a 23 inch gag grouper, caught on an offshore trip last week.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
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Post Number: 144
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 13, 2006 - 12:56 pm: | |
After a rough and windy weekend, I got back offshore on Monday, 1/9, and fished in 42 feet, out of New Pass. Cut-bait didn’t get us any bites, so we switched to live shrimp, caught keeper mangrove snapper, and released gag grouper shorts. I fished with the same group of anglers again on Tuesday, this time at some wrecks and ledges about 35 feet out of New Pass. We limited out on mangrove snapper to 14 inches, and caught lane snapper also to 14 inches. We released gag grouper up to just a half-inch short of legal size, and also released a 3 1/2 foot black tip shark.
Fishing Wednesday with live shrimp in 42 feet out of New Pass, we caught a keeper gag grouper at 23 inches, and ten nice mangrove snapper, all 14-15 inches, along with a few good-sized triggerfish. Seas were calm, which was a nice change, but the tide and bite were a bit slow first thing in the morning.
Thursday, I fished in calm seas, in 45 feet out of New Pass. We limited out on mangrove snapper by 11:30 AM, with twenty nice ones to 18 inches, and we released lots of smaller ones. We also caught a 23 inch gag grouper, and we got a few nice triggerfish, all on live shrimp.
Friday the thirteenth was pretty lucky for us. We fished with live shrimp on a ledge about 26 miles out of New Pass, and caught twenty-six nice mangrove snapper to 17 inches, along with two keeper gag grouper, a few nice sheepshead, triggerfish and porgies. We boated 163 fish in all, releasing all but the gags and our limit of snapper.
Saturday brought a windy cold front, with rough seas persisting throughout the weekend. But, we couldn’t complain, after a full week of good fishing.
The photo shown is of a 23 1/2 inch gag grouper, caught on a recent offshore trip.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
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Post Number: 143
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 13, 2006 - 12:55 pm: | |
After a rough and windy weekend, I got back offshore on Monday, 1/9, and fished in 42 feet, out of New Pass. Cut-bait didn’t get us any bites, so we switched to live shrimp, caught keeper mangrove snapper, and released gag grouper shorts. I fished with the same group of anglers again on Tuesday, this time at some wrecks and ledges about 35 feet out of New Pass. We limited out on mangrove snapper to 14 inches, and caught lane snapper also to 14 inches. We released gag grouper up to just a half-inch short of legal size, and also released a 3 1/2 foot black tip shark.
Fishing Wednesday with live shrimp in 42 feet out of New Pass, we caught a keeper gag grouper at 23 inches, and ten nice mangrove snapper, all 14-15 inches, along with a few good-sized triggerfish. Seas were calm, which was a nice change, but the tide and bite were a bit slow first thing in the morning.
Thursday, I fished in calm seas, in 45 feet out of New Pass. We limited out on mangrove snapper by 11:30 AM, with twenty nice ones to 18 inches, and we released lots of smaller ones. We also caught a 23 inch gag grouper, and we got a few nice triggerfish, all on live shrimp.
Friday the thirteenth was pretty lucky for us. We fished with live shrimp on a ledge about 26 miles out of New Pass, and caught twenty-six nice mangrove snapper to 17 inches, along with two keeper gag grouper, a few nice sheepshead, triggerfish and porgies. We boated 163 fish in all, releasing all but the gags and our limit of snapper.
Saturday brought a windy cold front, with rough seas persisting throughout the weekend. But, we couldn’t complain, after a full week of good fishing.
The photo shown is of a 23 1/2 inch gag grouper, caught on a recent offshore trip. |
Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
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Post Number: 142
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 11:48 am: | |
Monday’s seas were predicted to be two to three feet, and I headed offshore. Fishing about 15 miles out of New Pass, we encountered rough seas—three foot on top of a 3 ½ foot swell. But, we hung in there, and caught nine nice mangrove snapper ranging 12 to 17 inches, keeper lane snapper, and some large grunts and triggerfish. We released gag grouper shorts to 19 inches.
Tuesday brought lots of AM fog, and the winds were still churning up the seas, so we postponed that trip to await better conditions.
With calmer seas on Wednesday, we fished with live shrimp, in 45 feet out of New Pass. We caught our limit of mangrove snapper—twenty of them all about 15 inches. We also caught a 23 ½ inch gag grouper.
By week’s end, another front was on us, with unsafe seas offshore, and high winds everywhere.
The photo shown is of our first king mackerel of the season, a 34 incher, caught on an offshore trip Christmas Eve.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
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Post Number: 141
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 30, 2005 - 1:08 pm: | |
Saturday, 12/24, we got into some king mackerel, fishing in about 40 feet out of New Pass. I have been expecting the kings to show up, as they usually do this time of year. We hooked four of them, all over 30 inches, but three of them snapped the line before they were boated. We successfully battled and kept one at 34 inches. We also caught keeper mangrove snapper and porkfish, and released gag shorts to 20 inches.
Monday's small craft and high surf advisories kept me in port, in the interest of safety. But, Tuesday was relatively calm offshore, and I headed out about eight miles from New Pass. We released about twenty sheepshead that were just short of keeper size, as well as a 30 inch cobia, and caught keeper lane snapper and Spanish mackerel, keeper silver trout, whiting and grunts, all on live shrimp.
Wednesday, fishing a wreck over thirty miles out of New Pass with Bob Rushlow, Fred Banker, Steve Christman, and Doug Johnson, Jr., we used live shrimp and cut bait to clean up on snapper. We caught 3 limits of mangrove snapper, and a cooler full of 51 keeper lanes. We released grunts and gag shorts.
Thursday, with seas 4-6 feet offshore, and high winds/low tide causing muddy bay conditions, I remained in port. The seas for Friday were predicted at 2 feet, but I faced a 3-5 foot swell all the way out from the beach to about 26 miles west of New Pass, where I fished in 50 feet. We caught eighteen nice mangrove snapper, all about 14 inches, and some large grunts. We didn’t get any grouper, although we were broken off twice by a couple of good sized ones.
With a minus-one tide forecast for Saturday, I couldn’t risk getting the offshore boat out, and I expected the bay conditions to be shallow and muddy, so I remained in port once again.
The photo shown is of a 26 inch gag grouper, caught on an offshore trip mid-December.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
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Post Number: 140
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 23, 2005 - 1:22 pm: | |
Monday, 12/19, it was overcast, and a lot colder than the temperature would indicate, with a damp, stiff wind blowing across the bay. I fished the Estero Bay oyster bars, and any holes we could find that had more than a foot and a half of water in them! The bay was pretty shallow. We caught five keeper mangrove snapper and sheepshead to 15 1/2 inches.
Tuesday, I fished Estero Bay again, in the same areas. We caught three keeper sheepshead to 17 inches, and mangrove snapper to 12 inches. We released lots of sheepshead and snapper shorts.
On a catch and release trip in Estero Bay on Wednesday, we caught ten keeper-sized sheepshead to 17 inches, and large cravalle jack, fishing with live shrimp.
Fishing offshore Friday, for the first time in a while, seas were a little sloppy first thing in the morning, but calmed down later. We fished in 45 feet out of New Pass, using both live shrimp and cut bait. We caught fifteen nice mangrove snapper to 18 inches. We released gag grouper shorts, triggerfish, and a small, five pound goliath.
The photo shown is of a 26 ½ inch redfish, caught on a recent backwater trip in Estero Bay.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
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Post Number: 139
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 17, 2005 - 10:14 am: | |
I fished Thursday, casting around oyster bars and holes in Estero Bay, with live shrimp, and a #7 splitshot for weight. We did well on an incoming tide. We caught about twenty sheepshead, five keeper, the two largest measuring 17 ½ inches and 19 inches. We released three redfish to 17 inches and three small snook from 12 to 20 inches. We lost what looked like a pretty nice red, and a couple other bigger fish when they broke our lines. Oyster bars hold fish, but they can be tough on lines.
Friday, with seas 4-6 feet offshore, we changed our offshore plans to fish the bay instead. We fished an outgoing tide nearly all morning. Low tide was supposed to be about 8:30AM, but the northerly breeze must have delayed it, and it didn’t turn around until about 11:45AM. We fished around oyster bars and holes with live shrimp, and caught keeper sheepshead, a keeper pompano, and keeper mangrove snapper. We released four small snook.
Saturday, I again fished the oyster bars and holes alongside the channel in Estero Bay. We caught most of our fish on a slack tide with live shrimp. We caught a keeper redfish at 23 ½ inches, and released a 17 inch red. We caught about twenty nice sheepshead to 16 inches, and kept 3 of them for dinner. We also caught keeper mangrove snapper, and released a large cravalle jack.
The photo shown is of a 17 inch sheepshead, caught on a recent backwater trip.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
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Post Number: 138
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 10, 2005 - 10:02 am: | |
Monday I fished Estero Bay. We fished an incoming tide, baited with live shrimp. We caught a keeper redfish at 25 inches, kept five sheepshead that were about 17 inches each, and released smaller sheepshead, redfish, mangrove snapper, as well as jack cravalle. We had a nice snook on for a while, but he shook the hook, and got away.
Mark Ament, sons Brett and Brady, and their grandfather, Paul, abandoned offshore plans Thursday, due to 3-5 foot seas, and instead fished Estero Bay holes with me. We caught sheepshead to 17 inches, and released short snook.
Fishing Friday, in about 35 feet out of New Pass, we caught keeper lane and mangrove snapper, grunts and triggerfish on live shrimp, and a 26 inch gag grouper on a tomtate.
Saturday I fished offshore again. It was windy and foggy when we started out, which is an unusual combination, since usually there is little wind in foggy conditions. But the wind died abruptly, and remained light and variable for most of our fishing time, making it tricky to anchor on structure. The fog never lifted, and the tide was slow all morning, fishing about 8 miles out of New Pass. We caught some nice mangrove snapper to 15 inches, nice sheepshead to 16 inches, keeper lane snapper, and large porkfish, all on live shrimp.
The photo attached is of a 23 inch gag grouper and a 15 inch mangrove snapper, caught on a recent offshore trip.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
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Post Number: 137
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 04, 2005 - 11:12 am: | |
We didn’t get much of a reprieve from rough weather, as another front kicked up the winds and seas again by Monday. The whole week was pretty much cancelled out for offshore, until Friday, when I fished in 30 feet out of New Pass. Even then, with seas of 2-3 feet predicted, we had lots of four-footers, and it was pretty sloppy out there. We caught keeper sheepshead, along with a bunch of throw-backs, as well as keeper mangrove and lane snapper. We also caught a mess of grunts, triggerfish and porkfish, and released gag grouper to 20 inches, and a 28 inch cobia, using live shrimp.
Saturday, I fished about 15 miles out of New Pass. We caught nine keeper lane snapper, keeper mangrove snapper, porkfish, and again released gag shorts to 20 inches.
The photo shown is of a 50 pound goliath grouper, released on a recent offshore trip.
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Captain Dave Hanson (Fishbuster)
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Post Number: 136
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 10:48 am: | |
Monday brought rain, high winds and seas, in advance of a cold front, and I was forced to remain in port. Tuesday was very windy, and it was tough anchoring in the bay, but I fished Estero Bay. We caught six keeper sheepshead to 17 inches, and released lots of short ones. We also released a short snook and two redfish at 17 1/2 inches, just 1/2 inch short of keeper size. With seas still 3-5 feet minimum Wednesday, that offshore trip also cancelled.
After Thanksgiving Day, seas calmed, and I fished Friday offshore, 19 miles due west of New Pass. We started out using cut bait, and later switched to frozen shrimp and live shrimp. We caught eighteen nice mangrove snapper, to 18 inches, and some decent lanes to 11 inches. We released a 17 inch bluefish, along with gag shorts and porgies.
The photo attached is of a 24 inch redfish, caught in Estero Bay on a recent backwater trip.
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