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GALVESTON FISHING CHARTERS
713-649-0757
USCG Master Captain Bill Curry License # 1108123
Call 713-649-0757 or Email blofish4@swbell.net
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Wahoo the speeding Bullet
When Wahoo hits your lure at 60 miles an hour and runs your 30 lbs test
line for a few spurts of 100 to150 yards , you have discovered an
allure that no other fish will give you. The Wahoo or (Acanthocybium
Solanderi) is lean, sleek, torpedo looking fish that may be confused
with a king mackerel to someone who has never seen one before. The
mackerel however does not run like a Wahoo nor does it display the
classic vertical bands that extend its lateral lines. The Wahoo are
also normally found in deeper blue water zones where tuna are often
running, as is the common case. Few argue that there is a better
tasting fish than the Wahoo.It can be argued that there isn't a fish in
the ocean that has whiter meat than a Wahoo and the texture of the meat
makes you want to eat all of it as Sashimi, Sushi or very lightly
seared. It is a crime to cook this fish for longer than a few minutes,
as there is no need to alter its texture from its right out of the
water texture.
It hits a Texas fishing
peak in May and can last all year. Wahoo grow rapidly from birth often
growing to five feet in range. The older ones seem to be rounder at the
girth, the bigger ones often reaching above 70+ pounds. On average in
the Texas waters Wahoo are caught between 20 and 80 pounds and a lot
come from 12-50 miles offshore. In Texas Wahoo is not sought out
commercially and even difficult to hook one on rod-and-reel due to
their hard mouth and razor sharp teeth. But, Most boats manage with
extremely sharp hooks and lures. Hence, they are often lost as often as
landed. When it comes down to it, Wahoo are not under much fishing
pressure and no regulations to date have been imposed or size limits.
To catch a Wahoo, a fisherman will need over 100 lb. steel test leader and it needs to be about 3 to 4 feet in length. It is often that you will see the marks of the leader wire along the sides of the Wahoo body after catching one. On a few occasions I have witnessed fishermen wanting to use monofilament test leader only to be amazed at the mono shreds left from the hoos razor like teeth. To cach them, our local fishermen will recommend Rapala And Yozuri lures and deepwater divers anywhere in the 3 to 5 inches range as with anything saltwater the bigger the lure the bigger the fish remember a weighted lure is best. Your luck with the lure will vary depending on what the Wahoo are eating in the area you are fishing.
In Texas, we troll for
Wahoo's although I have on occasion caught a few bottom fishing for
grouper. When the word is out that they are around, we´ve rarely failed
to catch them Most often trolling is the key on most charter boats a
trolling trip for wahoo can cost big bucks so choose your charter very
well make sure they have caught wahoo at least more than 3 times as
this will benefit your luck at possibly getting and landing one on the
deck and remember there is no limit on wahoo.
This being said if you have never had a chance to catch one try it
1 wahoo will make your dreams come true . One of the best time water
shows you can find. Come find out why they say "WAHOOOOOOO "
The Mighty Grouper
The classic bottom fish for a lot of anglers is the grouper. Whether
strawberry,black,snowy,yellow edge,Warsaw, a good grouper in the ice
chest means a good day fishing for most people. In Texas, we get some
good size grouper, normally found on or near bottom structure out of
Freeport Texas the run isn't deep or far, Although most larger grouper
are found diving or in very deepwater structure,holes and rigs.
They prefer to be able to seek shelter and hide, and although their name implies that they stay together, they can also be very solitary fish. The larger ones become quite solitary. Grouper will chase a bait occasionally, but their preference is to ambush their prey. Their coloration and ability to change hues and shades to blend in with their surroundings gives them that ambush capability. It is this ambush ability that makes them relatively easy to hook, but difficult to land.
Anglers find that medium-heavy bottom fishing tackle is the best way to approach the grouper.
Grouper feed on other small fish, crustaceans like crabs or crawfish,
and squid. They tend to sit back in their cover just under a ledge or
backed into a hole in a reef and wait. When an easy opportunity swims
buy they rush out, inhale their prey, and quickly return to their lair.
There are basically three approaches used when fishing for grouper straight bottom fishing, free-lining live bait, and very slow trolling. Fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico are quite successful catching grouper. I myself perfer live or cut bait, Although I have been told lots of times my fishing technique's are very unconventional but, I do catch fish and maybe I am successful because I do offer baits differently. One any one trip I never know what the fish might like so I normally bring 4 or 5 different kinds. Most of the grouper we catch in Texas is warsaw or strawberry both are excellent eating and can get extremly large strawberry normally caught april-May then move alittle further out around 20-30 miles out of freeport texas. I love this area for deep water fishing and the need to not have to run deep.
Grouper run out, grab a
bait, and head back for cover. This habit will cause many lost fish and
hung lines.Serious grouper anglers will crank the drag down on their
reel as hard as they can, often using a pair of pliers to lock it down.
The idea is to stop the grouper from taking line and returning to his
structure home. This is where the "easy to hook but hard to land" quote
arises.
When a grouper strikes, anglers will lay their rod on the rail of the
boat and start winding as hard as they can. The circle hook will handle
hooking the fish. The battle now is one of brute strength between
angler and fish. More often than not the fish wins!
When a grouper makes it into a rock or reef, many anglers will simply break off the line and try again. The savvy angler will give the fish a loose line for as long as thirty minutes or more to allow the fish to relax and possibly swim out from under the structure. It has worked for many anglers on more than one occasion. The deep-water grouper lurk from 300 to 900 feet down very often you will find BIG grouper out of freeport Texas, and require some extra work to bring up and a very good back. These include the misty, snowy, speckled hind and yellowedge. And the warsaw, previously mentioned. Not many recreational care to drop a bait down that deep in the Gulf unless you use a downrigger or electrical reel I invested in a electric and I swear this will bring up a reef if you hook it especially with the steel leader/cable I have on it.. Bringing these fish to the surface is real work and is without question fatal to the fish every time, so there is no releasing your catch.
Find a school of hungry gags in 20 feet of water, and you've got your hands full. It was my great luck to find a school feeding on threadfin herring about three years ago, and these grouper were literally busting the surface like freshwater bass, hammering what must have been the year's first schools of passing baitfish. They pounced on every artificial we threw at them, both jigs and plugs, and mutilated the hooks on several Magnum Rapalas I love these buy the way, when we began trolling around them. On some days they want a live bait, or a smushed, frozen bait. Or some bait you simply don't have.But these uncertainties only makes them more sporty than snapper.
And at least they don't have the long, closed seasons that torment red snapper fishermen.
Texas Shark Fishing
Blacktip sharks both large and small are a frequent delight to many
anglers fishing along the Gulf Coast of texas. But it is the jumbo
blacktips, those hard-jumping 6-8' monster sharks that delight the
average fisherman.These Sharks have a long and pointed snout. Small
eyes. Origin of the first dorsal fin usually over or slightly behind
the insertion of the pectoral fins. Coloration: Grey, grey-brown or
bluish grey upper body, white ventral surface. Black tips usually
present on pectoral fins, second dorsal fin, and ventral caudal lobe,
and sometimes on pelvic fins. The tip of the anal fin is usually plain
(no black tip). A conspicuous white band on the flanks. Folks these are
some good eating fish. These fish are swift as a tarpon, yet carry a
cruel set of teeth. They can cartwheel through the air while snapping
at the leader, often destroying 40-pound tackle in the process. You
want excitement and cheap thrills? Try hooking a dozen of these guys in
a single afternoon. I've had charter customers cringing at the far end
of the boat while I struggled to unhook one big splashing blacktip
after another.
We have caught up to 18 Blacktip Sharks in an afternoon, simply by anchoring and setting out live baits or chumming. Shark populations have been under tremendous stress and overharvest for the past 20 years, but the blacktip seems to be hanging in there. They favor murky water along the beachfront, but venture around the jetties and into the bays during late summer and fall where they have their young then retreat. They will also follow the shrimp boats offshore that are dumping their culled fish, a natural chumline that can stretch for a half mile This is where it gets exciting for all fisherman is the roar of the boiling water ever experienced shark sounds yes, they actually make sounds as if telling the others get out of my way.This past year I had the pleasure of having some guys onboard my charter and had the privledge of fishing in a boil the boat gets bumped and adrenaline gets going and everyone is excited I believed they each got to hook and fight their own sharks, Since yrs gone by we have limits on sharks now, On my boat I personally feel keeping what you will eat nothing more as far as shark is concerned shoot if it is big enough you can have many meals off one.
My biggest Blacktip was
from Surfside Texas beach Area not far from shore 8' we just laid out 1
bait and Bam there he was , we pulled him away from shore and boated
that dude. I have used lures trolling and cut bait for my sharks .
TEXAS TUNA FISHING
One of the most popular tuna caught in Texas, the blackfin tuna which is the smaller cousin of the yellow fin tuna, are caught off of private charter boats. In addition to blackfin, yellowfin tuna are also possible on any trip where you find blackfin.The current world record blackfin is about 40 pounds, and most fish caught in Texas water will average from 15 to 30 pounds. Our biggest yellowfin tuna has been approximately 85 pounds.
Blackfin tuna usually run in large schools and can be easily located early in the morning under large flocks of birds. If you apply patience more often than not a single bird can give way to an entire school of tuna roaming just beneath the surface. If you can't locate them just underneath feeding birds, don't worry blackfin tuna can be caught in various depths ranging from 70 to 150 feet by trolling or drifting with live baits. Although the blackfin tuna is smaller in size than it's larger cousin, don't let their size fool you. Blackfin tuna have very streamlined bodies, are extremely strong, and are known to be amazingly stubborn fish. The Blackfin tuna lacks an air bladder like those possessed by other fish such as grouper so both blackfin and yellowfin tuna can literally fight from any depth with ease.
Tuna can usually and often overpower inferior tackle as well as out of shape anglers trying to fight them to the surface. It's no wonder why it can be an exhausting yet exillerating challenge when landing a tuna.A novice tuna angler will make sure to take note of a blackfin's characteristics as this fish is known to be shy toward boats. Once a school of tuna is located, extra effort must be taken to circling the school several times to make the right presentation.
One must be patient to experiment with various baits as well as trolling speeds in order to entice the tuna to answer the dinner bell.On private charter boats, most blackfin are caught around distant oil platforms The most popular blackfin bait in Texas waters is the Diamond Jig, a heavy hunk of lead that doesn't look like much more than a fancy sinker. Still, Diamond Jigs are time-tested and proven weapons for fooling finicky blackfins. Ballyhoo, cigar minnows and ribbonfish are also good baits.If you hook a big one (20 pounds and up), hang on for dear life and watch your line peel off of the reel. Blackfin Tuna always head for the bottom creating an instant intense and tiring battle. It can be said that fishing for Blackfin tuna on the Texas coast is fun and exhillarating.
So for the out-of-shape anglers who want to hunt for Texas tuna; well, it's time to hit the gym.
The Day of a Fishing Charter Boat Captain and Crew
How my Fishing Day Starts
Up at 3:00am and eating my breakfast a definite must with my wife,
Crank up the truck, back up to the trailer check all equipment is
secure and ready to travel arrive at the ramp either freeport or
galveston, Go inside buy ice,bait, lay out tackle, check lines, get
ready to unload the boat, Tie to dock and wait on you. This is how my
day starts.
How your Fishing Day starts for Galveston Freeport Offshore Deep Sea Fishing
Captain Bill will start
the day getting your snapper and grouper catches first stop is bottom
structure then on to bigger and better fish trolling and hitting the
rigs. With frozen bait and Live bait if available and his assortment of
deep sea fishing lures your set to go. Your trip will start out among
the wrecks and reefs a bit closer inshore around 30 miles out. Lots of
action can be found on these reefs. Then maybe we find a weedline now,
I don't pass these up even a little patch can produce some mahi,ling or
maybe a shark.
A day is filled with catching Snapper,Grouper,Ling,Sharks,Mahi and maybe a few amberjack and of course we cannot forget my signature wahoo trolling a day isn't fishing to me if I cannot troll we have picked them up flat liming for ling but, more than not we have gotten most trolling. Be prepared to see some action! When a wahoo hits it is the the water is on Fire this is one fast fish blowing up at 60 miles a hrs. he can tear up the finest setup but, I have found when trolling nothing can beat my Penn's.
This trip will give us
plenty of time to get home to the dock in time for you to get a good
nap. If there is one thing I tell everyone it's if you aren't sore
comming into dock wait until the next morning trust me if you aren't
use to
texas saltwater fishing you will be alittle tender.
Remember my trips are not timed so if you are still catching your fish
at the end of the day and haven't limited out yet we will not go in
until I believe what we have got is all we are going to get If . I
figure a 10-12 hr. charter day is plenty good fishing. With Children
onboard usually a good 6-8 hr. trip is enough for them.
Charter Description
Full Day - 10 + hrs.
This trip is designed for the serious angler and the beginner...Lots of catching action in the day.
I Trailer my boat so either fishing Galveston Freeport Fishing Charters are available.
We will head out from the dock with lures and frozen bait we will head
to our "secret spots" (shhh...don't tell anyone), set up and drop a
line in.
Novice or professional, Captain Bill will provide you with instructions
and care in using the equipment on board and he and our deckhand will
go out of their way to make this day memorable.. As your rod starts to
bend and pull away from you, hold on tight, you are in for a good
fight. Could be a Grouper,Snapper,Shark or Ling
you never know what you will get when doing a bottom fishing charter.
We have several locations
and ledges in different areas that are sure to produce some nice
catches. As we move to different locations through out the day, you can
sit back and relax,this will be an opportunity for you to take a breath!
Oh, and may we suggest you reconsider your plans for the next day as we
have had customers have to cancel that golf game due to happy
exhaustion!
Half Day
This trip is designed for the anglers who want a shorter day of fishing
action normally jetty fishing in Galveston for slot Redfish,Bullreds or
what the kids call Red Bulls,Spanish Mackeral,brown trout or the
favorite Freeport inshore fishing charters for bull red (red
Bulls),shark,maybe a few kingfish,spanish Mackeral during the summer .
When the run starts in galveston Bull reds can get up to 27+lbs now
thats a mighty big fish..
A great experience for the family and kids, or the folks that just want a half day of relaxing in the sun and just bonding and catching fish. These are what we call easy going charters and great for Family Fishing and a bonding experience.
Trigger Fish the other white meat
Trigger fish in the offshore and nearshore waters of the Texas
coastline have long drove fisherman crazy trying to bottom fish for red
snapper or grouper. Now with gulf of mexico red snapper limits hanging
in the balance, Texas Fishermen are starting to target those bait
stealing fish and wondering why didn't we start this sooner.
With color and appearance as that of a angelfish or a spade fish, the
trigger fish is all by itself also known as the other white meat or a
reef snapper with it's nice beautiful white fillets like that of a red
snapper. Fisherman are learning very quick that even with tough skin
this fish will soon replace the red snapper since the meat is just like
the snapper.
Trigger fish are apart of a very large community congregating by the
hundreds at offshore rigs and bottom structure. At times the feeding
frenzy is so quick that bait is at times not even needed for this fish.
Bottom fishing or chumming these fish are always found and one of the
very few that actually bite year around. Comming in with full limits of
this wonderful fast biting pulling fish is never a problem for the
galveston fisherman.
The Trigger Fish are strickly a saltwater fish never found in
freshwater but, maybe at times in brackish water (fresh and salt
mixture) their teeth are flat and mouths very small not like the
snapper with a jaw line.Trigger fish have powerful, chisellike teeth
adapted for cracking the coral and mollusks on which they feed on
around rigs,wrecks and bottom structure.
I have personally been out fishing and had my boat so covered in the
water you couldn't see past them in cases like this I set the kids up
and let'em go this is a fish that always has a pull and remind me of
tiny sharks the hunger is that strong. Describe the bite well I would
have to say the minute your line goes in fish on.
Just a note I have found trigger fish are not night feeders, But feed heavy during the day.
Thus being said the next time you get a triggerfish think twice about throwing it back.
Tight Lines Captain Bill
Thanks for Reading
Master Captain Bill Curry
License # 1108123
galveston bay
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