Christmas-eve morning, 12/24, I fished Estero Bay with Vince and Jenny Tomlinson and Katie and Mike. We caught a nice variety of fish on live shrimp. We released eleven spotted sea trout (currently out-of-season), cravalle jack, small sheepshead and ladyfish. We kept a half dozen mangrove snapper that all measured around the twelve-inch mark, along with some keeper whiting.'
Wednesday, Dr. Boyd Bowden, daughters Emily and Erin, and friend Ron Baldwin fished with me in 35 feet out of New Pass. We caught three keeper mangrove snapper, all about 14 inches, a 15 inch flounder, a 13 inch triggerfish, a 25 inch Spanish mackerel and some whitebone porgies. We released lots of grouper shorts to 18 inches.
On Thursday, I fished with Jerry and Andy Spetzler, Art Herman and friend, Ed, in 45 feet out of New Pass. We caught whitebone porgies, grunts, and released lots of red grouper to 19 ' inches, just a quarter inch shy of keeper-size, and lots of gag shorts. We also used a blue runner to hook an 80 pound goliath grouper, which was fun to fight and release.
Friday, in 31 feet out of New Pass I got into a strong king mackerel bite fishing with Terry Hopkins, Cody Hennessey, Brad Byk and his sons Ryan and Will Byk. We caught six kings to 30 pounds. We photographed the largest one and released it with all the others except for one 37 inch king (see photo). We also caught a keeper hogfish, several keeper mangrove snapper, a keeper sheepshead, triggerfish and porkfish. We caught everything on live shrimp except for the big mackerel: I saw that one jump so I threw a blue runner on a pole with 12 pound test and a piece of leader, and the mackerel struck that in about ten seconds.
Saturday morning, I was kind of aching to get back out where the kingfish were, but I had a backwater trip booked. I fished Estero Bay with John & Kelly Hull and John's dad, Bob Hull. We released a 16 inch redfish, a 23 inch snook, cravalle jacks, ladyfish and some sea-trout that would have been nice ones if they had been in season. We kept two sheepshead at 13 inches and 15 inches, one mangrove snapper and some whiting. All were caught on live shrimp, from Wiggins Pass to Barefoot Beach.
I'm hoping the kings will be waiting for me on Monday.
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!
