DaParson's Fishing Adventures

August 4th, 2009 - Ben's Fishing Adventure

2009-08-04T13:24:00.001-07:00

July 13th, 2009 - Dillon's Big Grouper

2009-07-13T21:07:00.001-07:00

We went out about 65 miles on the Captain John July 13th, 2009 . We caught a limit of Red Snapper and Dillon Jacoby caught a great 22lb Warsaw Grouper.

Here is video of the big catch

July 2009 - Offshore from San Luis Pass

2009-07-07T14:26:00.000-07:00

We went about 40 miles offshore and brought back 4 limits of Red Snapper to about 8lbs, 3 kings and 1 nice ling. We had a great time!

Great Authentic Heart Felt Video

2009-05-10T21:33:00.000-07:00

April 14th, 2009 - Jerry Thompson

2009-04-14T21:44:00.001-07:00

Bayano River Fishing for Snook

2009-03-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

The fishing was pretty slow - not many bites or bumps. We did catch Snook up to about 10lbs. But the story of the day was the "One that got away." Towards the end of the day, I hooked a massive Snook. After fighting the fish for about 20-25 minutes, he wrapped me around a log on the flat along the channel and the braided line snapped when we tried to free it.

The guide estimated the fish to be over 50lbs - my guess was about 45lbs. It was the size of a good Bull Red - but put on a great arial display - on jump which was caught on film.

I also put a pic here of the Corvina - they look like a cross between a trout and a red - but they are huge. We didn't fish for them - never have - but might during the future.

We also fished Lake Gatun for Peacock Bass. This is the second time I have fished for these fish on this lake - most of them are small schoolies - and this time was not different. We caught about 50 fish in about 2.5 hours. We also had a great encounter with White Faced Monkeys - and put that video on the blog.

We had a great time fishing with Capt. Tony Herndon of Panama Fishing and Catching. This was the first time I successfully fished for Snook on the Bayano River.

We caught a nice 10 pounder, then a 8 and 6. But the one that got away was truly the fish of the trip. After about a 25 minute fight, an estimated 45lb snook wrapped my braided line around a log and eventually snapped the line. It was a heart breaking loss ... but at the same time a great fish to come back and chase again.

Here is the video of the trip:

Kuna Indian Chief

2009-03-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

Panama mission trip - Monkey Gatun Lake

2009-03-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

We were able to fish for some Peacock Bass on Lake Gatun - but also had an encounter with a few of the Monkeys. The Peacock Bass Video will be later ... but here are the Monkeys!

2009-02-09T07:50:00.001-08:00

The family and I went on a Cruise that ported in Progresso and Cozumel. The recent strong northers had reached both places. Progresso was totally blown out so there was no fishing there. Cozumel was a high of 67 degrees - strong winds from the north and 4-6 ft waves with some larger swells thrown in.

We chartered 3 Hermanos - they told us up front it would be a difficult day of fishing and offered us a chance to cancel - but we headed out. We caught one 20-25lb Rock Grouper, a small bonita and some needlefish - not much - but still better than shopping. (smile) Also, February is off season - so it was iffy from the get go.

I would highly recommend 3 Hermanos Fishing Charters. The cost was $350.00 for 1/2 day with up to 6 on the boat. The boat and fishing equippment was top notch. Basically, they trolled up and down the island in 500ft of water with a 5 or 6 bait spread. Two man crew was very attentive. Click here for a link to their website.

Here is a video of the trip:

Choices

2009-01-13T13:53:00.000-08:00

Just some thoughts after preaching a 17 year old LPHS Senior's Funeral.

Hurricane IKE - Damage Video

2008-09-30T15:23:00.000-07:00

This is a video I compiled of local damage from Hurricane Ike. Some pictures are my own while many came from www.tpics.com. I have attached a couple of songs that have deep meaning.

Just a Thank You To Starbucks!

2008-09-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

August 28th - Dillon and Cole on Top Cat

2008-08-29T11:17:00.001-07:00

My nephew, Dillon Jacoby, was home from the Coast Guard for a couple of days, so my friend Jerry Thompson - and his daughter Tash - loaded up the "Top Kat" and took us out to the North Jetty looking for some Big Pulls.

It wasn't long before Cole and Dillon were locked into pull after pull fighting 3-4 foot Atlantic Sharpnose Shark. During the day, we caught several Reds, Black Drum, Sheephead, Shark and the catch of the day, a Pilot Fish.

Special thanks for Jerry for allowing us such a great day on the water!

Here is a video of the trip:

This is the first Pilot Fish we have ever picked up at the Jetty.

Jerry played the part of Captain Hard Head ... and Dewey vowed to retain his title on the next trip out! (grin)

Thursday, August 14th, 2008

2008-08-14T16:03:00.001-07:00

Dewey and I headed out this morning to chase a dream. With the wind laying down, we scouted a couple of areas for Tarpon. We couldn't find them at all - so we headed back to the Jetty and dropped a few lines for a while.

Unfortunately, we caught the end of a tide and there will next to no tidal movement. Even with that, we caught 1 nice Bull Red, some shark, and then several gaftop, hardhead and croaker. We were surprised that there wasn't more action - but when the tide slacks off - so does most everything else.

Water was mixed and temperature was 82 degrees. We fished honey hole.

2008 Mission Trip Blog Link

2008-08-09T21:36:00.001-07:00

Here is the link to the 2008 Panama Mission Trip Blog: Click Here

This blog contains videos, pictures and details of the Mission Trip to Ali Gandi, Atchitupu and Mamitupu.

Panama Fishing Report Second Half

2008-08-02T20:10:00.000-07:00

Here is a video of the fishing both in the Pacific and Carribean.

We were able to so some fishing while we were in the Kuna Yalla in Panama. We stayed on the island of Ali Ghandi working there and also on two close islands, Atchitupu and Mamitupu. Each time we went from island to island we trolled.

Honestly, I trolled a Red/White Feather Jig till the feathers almost fell off. Probably 12-15 miles of total trolling. On the other rod I used a Blue/White Rapalla, Red/White Rapalla and Red/White Cedar Plug. Those were the main trolling baits. I also used everything else in my tackle box to no avail.

The water around the islands - from island to island - varies from just a few inches deep to 30 foot. However, I also trolled up to 5 or 6 miles off shore in water (guessing) approaching 1,000 ft. And I NEVER HAD A HIT!!!! I was stunned.

This is my 4th trip to the islands. On previous trips I have seen tons of showering baitfish between islands but this time I just saw it once. I don't know if the currents have changed, the water is too warm (86 degrees) or if it has just been fished out, but I really couldn't buy a bite!

This is one of the 2 kyukas that we fished out of. It was about 30 foot long - 4 foot wide made out of a log. The engine was 15 horsepower. We took this boat out about 2-3 miles offshore trolling.

I took this picture about 3 miles offshore ... no outboard ... no safety equipment ... just a guy scratching out a living.

These were caught in about 500-600 foot of water. That is a long deep drop. They were caught on small bait fish.

Notice the boat in the background. It was about 30 foot long - about 3 foot wide - with a 9.9 horse Evinrude on the back. We were out probably 6-8 miles offshore in water upto and possibly over 1,000 foot deep. Between swells - I couldn't see anything but waves. Just another day out in the Kuna Yalla. Also notice my home made rod holders (Thanks Jerry). They worked like a charm.

These are other fish we caught on deep drops that day. I don't know what they are, but they sure are pretty!

This is Lino (on right) fishing the traditional Kuna way - with a handline. At times we could not reach the bottom - I had about 275 yards of 50lb braid on my Shimano Thunnus - I dropped all of it - down to the knot - and still didn't reach the bottom.

These guys used all of there line - weighted by a 12" piece of rebar - and then pulled it back up. They are more men than I am!

July Panama - Pedasi and South Frailes Rock

2008-07-26T15:45:00.001-07:00

On the first half of my Panama Trip, the weather didn't cooperate very much. Rather than fishing two full days in Pedasi and Frailes Rock - we were blown off the water by storms the first day and then only fished the afternoon - and again lightening storms forced us off the water. So we really fished about 1 full day rather than two.

Be that as it may, we had a good day fishing the South Frailes Rock. It was late in the day when we ran into schools of Yellow Fin Tuna. Each pass we were able to have double hook ups. Most of the Tuna were in the 20-30 lb. range.

We also picked up a few small Durado, Skip Jack Tuna, Sierra, and Bonita. We did not get to go after Rooster Fish - which was disappointing. But with the rain and lightening, there wasn't much we could do about it all.

The area around the Frailes is one of the more beautiful spots I have been. There are pristine beaches, great fishing and wonderful people both in Pedasi and the Frailes. I texted my wife and told here that I found a place to retire.

One of the cooler things about fishing Pedasi and the Frailes was the number of Whales we saw. While we didn't have any "close encounters" we did see them jumping and making huge - and I do mean huge - spashes. I was genuinely awe struck - never seen that at the Jetty! (Smile)

In a couple of days, I will be heading to Ali Ghandi in the Kuna Yalla. I hope to do some fishing down there.

When I return, I will be editing and adding more details to the blog about this years Panama Trip.

Here is Arthur Benfield with a Tuna. I shouldn't say this ... but I outfished him yet again! (grin) Arthur was a great host - we stayed one evening in his home in Behuko before we headed to Pedasi.

This is Roberto our Captain - He fishes out of Pedisi and did us a great job! The charter rates were $50.00 plus gas ($4.65 a gallon) - we used 15 gallons each day. His boat is a 22 ft panga with a 40 hp Outboard. It fished great ... but my rear end is sore! (just what you wanted to know.)

While lightening was popping around us - I grabbed one of the Tuna for a pic before we headed for cover.

These were small, but really fun to fight.

Here is a Sierra I caught. It looks like a giant Spanish Mac - but they call them Sierra.

June 23rd - Freeport Offshore with Top Kat

2008-06-24T12:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a video of the trip:

We headed out of Freeport with stops at the VA Fogg, West 21s, and Steeple Rock on the day. The Sun Rise was beautiful and the ride on Jerry's Cat was smooth and steady. We were chased from a couple of spots by Thunderstorms popping up - this one had a little more personality with the Water Spout. It was beautiful ... at a distance.

Dewey Jr. was the best fishermen on the day catching a pair of kings, several nice snapper and this small rock grouper.

I picked up this undersized ling - it was fun seeing him "stalked" and then watching him take the bait - (Red & White Feather Jig).

Jerry and Roland were great on the boat taking care of the fish. It was a great day. We ended up with 4 limits of Snapper, 3 Kings, Trigger Fish, undersized Ling, Amberjack and Rock Grouper.

June 17th - Sharks, Sharks, Sharks and That's All

2008-06-17T17:05:00.000-07:00

Dewey, Wayne, John Rayborn and I headed out to the Jetty to see what we could catch. It has been a good while since we have been out, but today was really a great day. Wind laid down, waves were all but non-existent, water was about 85 degrees and there really wasn't much of ab outgoing tide.

We started out to the right of the Jetty Pole at the end, moved to the Cement Ship and then ended up at the Moon Rock. We caught various croaker, whiting, hardheads and about half-a-dozen shark. None of the shark were of significant size.

We went out in Wayne's Boat, it is running great and Wayne is like a proud poppa!

One note - the moon was about full last night - could have had an effect on the bite - plus prime spots at the end were filled with boats.

June Vacation at Surfside - White House

2008-06-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

For the past 11 years my family has been spending a week at Surfside Beach in Surfside - near Freeport. This year we rented the White House from Beach Resort Services. It was our first time to rent from them and they did an outstanding job in every single phase. Not only will we use them again, but I would highly recommend them to anyone without equivocation!

Sitting next to a beach fire is one of my favorite things to do at Surfside. The next night, we found out there was a burn ban in effect and we weren't able to build any more beach fires - but we were able to ejoy this one.The surf was very sandy due to the high winds - but we did catch a number of whiting, rat reds, small drum and piggy perch. We used 1/4 Silver Spoon tipped with dead shrimp.

The boys did alot of wrestling.

We had a great week with the Baileys!

Christopher gets into the fish catching too!

I was the target of this massive water balloon assault!

We fished along the old pilings innfront of our beachhouse.

June 9th - Captain Casey - Church Trip

2008-06-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

We had a great trip on the Captain Casey out of Freeport. There were 16 of us that went out on Monday, June 9th. We were aboard the Captain Casey - there were only 30 on the boat total.

It was rough on the way out - even on the 80 foot long Captain Casey - but the winds died down a bit through out the day.

The total catch for the day was a boat limit of Snapper - up to 11 lbs, several kingfish and cobia.

Here is a video of the trip:

May 29th, 2008 - Offshore Trip

2008-05-29T20:16:00.000-07:00

We took a short offshore trip in Jerry's 2350 Fishmaster. We went out about 22 miles in 2-3 foot waves. The boat did great! We hopped a few rigs and picked up 2 Kingfish, 3 Shark. We stopped by the Jetty on the way in and picked up 1 Sheep Head and in honor of Dewey - I caught 3 hardhead. (grin)

Tasha (Jerry's Daughter) caught the biggest Kingfish at 39 inches. I caught the other one at 37 inches. One of the shark - about a 5 foot spinner - put on a great aerobatic show jumping and spinning several times.

All in all it was a great day!

Aunt Lucille's Catfish

2008-05-06T09:19:00.000-07:00

This is Wayne Hamilton's 82 year old aunt. Her name is Lucille Hull and she is a charter member of Fairview Baptist Church in Sherman Texas. This is a 7lb 1oz catfish she caught. It is never too late to wet a hook!

April 22nd Greg Buchanan - Jetty Red Snapper

2008-04-22T19:06:00.000-07:00

We had a great day fishing with a friend of Dewey's, Greg Buchanan. It was his first trip out with us and really was a pretty slow day. With the water too warm for the Black Drum Run and still a little cool for the summer pattern to set in, we really didn't know what to expect.

We put cut shad, crab, shrimp and cut whiting on the bottom. Fished at Moon Rock, Tarpon 2 and then back at the Moon Rock. We were only able to muster 1 Bull Red, 1 Sting Ray and believe it or not, 1 - 23.5 inch Red Snapper.

The Red Snapper was caught at the Jetty Pole on cut whiting. It is the first snapper I have seen caught at the Jetty since we have been fishing out there. We took it home - perfectly legal State Water Red Snapper.

Will be fun when the summer pattern fully develops!

Here is a video of the Trip

Historical Information on Galveston's North and South Jetty

2008-04-09T23:34:00.000-07:00

I have been doing some research on the History of Galveston's North and South Jetties. Here is a paper published about 20 years ago - very informative - a little technical, but still an amazing find.

Construction and Rehabilitation History of the Galveston Jetties

Costal Hydraulics Laboratory Fact Sheet

Galveston Harbor Jetty, Galveston Texas

www.tpub.com

Tech Report 9

1874-1879

The first attempt at constructing jetties was begun by placing cement covered gabions over distances of 9,700 and 2,200 ft. on the north (Bolivar Point jetty) and south (Fort Point jetty) sides of the inlet, respectively. An additional 500 ft of north jetty was constructed of timber piling at its landward end. The gabions were 6 ft high and wide, from 6 to 12 ft long, and filled with dredged sand once positioned. The jetties were submerged, extending no higher with the majority from 5 to 6 ft below than mean low water (mlw). The gabionades were unsuccessful in either securing a deeper navigable channel or in accumulating sediments in their immediate areas. Various geometric arrangements of gabion placement were tried but proved unsuccessful. The gabions tended to settle and move laterally due to tidal and wave-induced water motions and related movements of bottom sediments. This method of construction was used due to lack of available stone and an inability to transport stone to the inlet.

1880-1885

A second attempt at a south jetty consisted of placing multiple layers of log and brush (fascine) mattress, each layer ballasted with stone riprap. A total of 22,550 lin ft. was constructed with as many as four layers placed. The majority of the jetty was submerged with only its landward end above mlt. The mats were typically 1.5 ft and 30 to 120 wide at the base with narrower mats (15 to thick and 60 ft wide) placed in the remaining layers. Approximate y 400,000 sq yd of mattress and 9,000 tons of stone (roughly 50 16/ft2 were placed at a total cost of $968,000. By 1885, consolidation of the mattresses, settlement due to scour, and teredo damage had led to general deterioration and an average subsidence of almost 6 ft.

1887 - 1898

Rubble-mound jetties were constructed and completed to lengths of 25,600 and 34,800 ft. on the north and south sides, respectively. The south jetty was built during 1887-1893 and the north jetty was built during 1892-1898. The jetties were placed along the lignments of the earlier jetty attempts (the south jetty rubble mound being placed on top of the remains of the fascine mat jetty (from to sta 84+64 to sta 310+14) converging in the offshore direction to a distance of 7,000 ft. The jetties were built to +5ft mlt, a typical crown width of 12ft ( but as large as 20 ft at the seaward end of the south jetty) and as steep as practicable side slopes (typically 1v:1H and up to 1V:1.5H at the seared ends). The majority of the jetties were constructed using sandstone riprap varying in size from 20 lb to 3 tons. Granite blocks, varying in size from 0.75 ton to 1 tons and more, were used as the cover layer on the north jetty and seaward 15,000 ft of the south jetty. A portion of the south jetty core from sta 95+64 to sta 133+24 consisted of clay materials, but this type of construction was abandoned due to increasingly difficult methods of placement as the jetty advanced into deeper water. The general method of construction involved extending an apron of large (outside edges) and small sandstone riprap followed by a core of small sandstone riprap up to mlt, placing the granite blocks on the core side slopes, and then placing the remaining core stone and completing the cover layer. Most of the jetty construction was in water depths of less than -12 ft mlt, with the other few thousand feet of each jetty in deeper water. The jetties' seaward ends terminated at about the -27 ft mlt contour. The north and south jetty were completed using approximately 1,117,000 and 807,000 tons of stone at total costs (adjusted to price index) of $3,484,000 and $2,567,000, respectively.

1902-1909

Following the hurricane of September 1900, repairs were made to the jetties. During 1907-1909 the south jetty was extended from sta 348+00 to sta 356+00. Nearly all of the south jetty repairs were located at its landward end between 6+00 and 143+63 and its seaward end between sta 220+00 and sta 348+00. Granite blocks weighing 5 to 7 tons were placed on the landward section and large (8- to 10-ton) and small (less than 8-ton) granite riprap were used on the seaward section. The south jetty extensions was built up to +5 ft mlt with a maximum top width of 20ft and 1V:1.5H side slopes. The core stone consisted of pieces less than tons in weight placed on a 4 foot thick apron of 20- to 120-lb stone. The cover layer stone placed below and above -15 ft mlt averaged 6 (minimum of 3) and 10 tons, respectively. The south jetty repairs and extension required 128,400 and 77,700 tons of stone placed at total costs of $387,000 (estimate) and $284,000, respectively. In 1908, a concrete cap was placed on the south jetty between sta 144+00 and sta 200+00 using 1,680 cu yd of concrete and 2,409 tons of chinking stone at a cost of $48,600. The majority of the north jetty repairs were completed during 1903-1905 with 105,000 tons of 10- to 12-ton stone placed between sta 9+00 and sta 255+00. During 1907-1909 minor north jetty repairs were made between sta 80+00 and sta 285+00 using 11,600 tons of stone. Total cost of the north jetty repairs was $450,000.

1909-1915

Minor repairs were made to the south jetty following the storm of July 1909 which damaged sections at its landward (sta 0+00 to sta 144+00 and seaward (sta 300+00 to sta 346+00) end. A total of 22,500 tons of stone was placed, and several thousand tons of displaced cover stone were reset. Total repair cost was $131,000.

1915

A hurricane during August caused some damage to the jetties, but no subsequent work was undertaken. The north jetty received the most damage with numerous gaps (exposed core) at its landward end, from sta 10+00 to sta 18+00, and seaward of s t a 141+00. The south jetty needed repairs seaward of 279+00. Estimated stone quantities needed to repair the north and south jetties were 46,000 (reset 38,000) and 4,200 ( reset 1,000) tons respectfully.

1925-1927

During 1925-1926, the full length of the north jetty was repaired using 44,000 tons of stone at a cost of $305,000. The seaward end of the south jetty between sta 293+00 and sta 354+00 was repaired in 1927. Cost for placing 5,200 tons of stone was $47,600. A total of 430 tons of cover stone was placed on the south jetty.

1933-1935

An asphaltic concrete cap was placed on portions of both jetties and a concrete cap was placed between sta 0+00 and sta 20+00 at the noth jetty’s landward end. The majority of the asphaltic cap was placed on two sections of the south jetty, near the existing shoreline from ata 196+55 to sta 230+59 and near the outer end from sta345+08 to sta 347+98. The north jetty was capped at two existing low points or gaps from sta 144+15 to sta 145+75 and sta 177+00 to sta 178_00. Prior to the capseal course of asphaltic concrete was placed in the void spaces. The cap had a crown elevation of +4.7 ft, a crown width of 8ft and 1V:1H sideslopes. The capping cost was $135,000 and used 12,280 tons of asphalt. The north jetty concrete cap was placed to and elevation of +6.5 ft mlt, an 8ft crown width and vertical side. Stone totaling 9,200 tons also was placed on the north jetty inner and bringing the total cost to $82,700.

1940-1942

Repairs were made to the north jetty with 15 to 150 lb core stone and 6 to 10 ton cover stone placed between sta 135+00 and sta 253+00 near seaward end. A total of 22,300 tons of stone (87% cover) was placed and 60 coverstones set. A concrete cap was placed on the south jetty from sta 230+59 and sta 251+12. The rectangular cap was 8ft wide and had a crest evaluation of +6ft mlt. The cap required 800 tons of chinking riprap and 3,163 yards of concrete. The seaward section of the south jetty asphalt cap was destroyed during heave action in 1941. About 7,000 tons of cover stone was placed at this section and other damaged areas. Total coast of the capping and armor stong repairs was $65,300 and $264,400 respectively.

1944

The shore end of the north jetty was repaired using 610 tons of core stone for a total cost of $5,700.

1962-1966

The north jetty was rehabilitated from sta 8+00 to sta 229+00 and the south jetty was rehabilitated from sta 251+13 to sta 354+00. Stone was placed on the gulf side slope and crown of each jetty.

The outer 200 ft on each jetty was built as a head section with stone placed over the entire cross section. The design geometry was positioned 4 ft gulf ward of the existing jetty center line with a top elevation of +5ft mlt, a 3-stone-wide crown, and sideslopes of 1V:2.25H and 1V:3H on trunk and head sections, respectively. The sections were built upon a 2- to 3-ft-thick blanket of 0.5-in. to 200-lb stone. The blanket extended beyond the cover layer toe distances of 10 and 50 ft for truth and head sections, respectively. Core stone, typically 200 to 2,000 lb in size, then were placed providing the necessary side slope. One layer of cover stone was placed, except on the head sections, which used a double layer. Cover stone varied from a maximum of 1 to 1 tons at the heads to minimums of 2 and 6 tons at the north and south jetty landward ends, respectively. To decrease jetty permeability, 0.5- to 4-in. filler stone was placed in the crown area beneath the cover layer. Prior to the repairs, the jetties were in a general state of deterioration with much of the south jetty and several spots of the north jetty at or below +3ft mlt. In many cases core stone was exposed, or cover layer stone was not tightly interlocked. Due to these conditions and use of large core stone during original construction, the jetties were considered too pervious to wave, tide, and sediment motions. Scour on the channel side of the north jetty was evident from sta 50+00 to sta 190+00 where the authorized 30-ft-deep channel made its closest approach to either jetty. Along this section water depths were typically 40 ft or greater within 10 ft of the jetty center line, while on the gulf side the typical water depth was 10 ft. This was a major reason for repairing the gulf side of the north jetty, since the quantity of stone required would be much smaller. The total costs for rehabilitation of the north and south jetties were $3,440,000and $2,564,500, respectively. Although data on complete stone quantities were not found, partial quantities and several similar construction or repair projects (with known stone quantities) built during this time frame yield an estimate of from 600,000 to 1,200,00 tons of stone placed.

1986

The jetties have received no maintenance or repairs since rehabilitation the 1960's and are considered to be in good condition. The present channel is authorized at 40- and 42-ft depths between inner and outer jetty sections, respectively.

http://www.tpub.com/content/coastalhydraulicslaboratoryfact/TechReport9/TechReport90021.htm

Additional Articles written by the New York Times in 1890's
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archiv...7CF&oref=slogin
and
Click Here

Friday Night Wrestling!

2008-04-09T14:40:00.001-07:00

April 7th, 2008 - Just Like Old Times

2008-04-07T14:07:00.000-07:00

This trip was just like old times - just Dewey and I headed out to the North Jetty this morning. We grabbed some shad, crab and shrimp and headed out to the end of the Jetty and fished on the outside - fished Shrimp Boat. There was a strong incoming tide - water was about 68 and had good color.

We caught several Black Drum, 1 Bull Red and 6 puppy drum. Something of interest on the day was the overwhelming schools of glass minnows in the water. Throughout the day, Spanish Macs were busting through the minnows - coming out of the water - making quite the commotion. I threw spoons, chrome rattletraps, swimming minnows and freelined shrimp but only had one hit. Never caught one mac.

All in all - a nice day on the Jetty.

PFC Jessica Hamilton

2008-03-28T19:22:00.001-07:00

We had a great day on the water in Wayne's "Blue Blaze" Boston Whaler. I had the privilege to fish with PFC Jessica Hamilton who is home on leave. She is Wayne and Rose's daughter. On the day we boated 11 Big Black Drum caught at the Moon Rock - 33 ft. of water - on crab fished on the bottom. It couldn't have been a more beautiful day.

If you would like to email PFC Hamilton - mother_trucker_2006@hotmail.com

Here is a video that we made Jessica to take back with her to Iraq and show that the fish in Texas really are bigger!

Marth 12th, 2008 - Beautiful Day

2008-03-12T19:41:00.001-07:00

It was a beautiful day at Galveston's North Jetty. As you can see from the pic, it truly was an "Ice Cream Day." We fished at the Moon Rock and Shrimp Boat with a strong incoming tide. Water was right at 58 degrees. We fished about one day ahead of another Cold Front that is due to come in.

Here is a video of the fishing:

The first rub of the day was the absence of Crab for bait. With the North Wind blowing, the crabbers had been unable to tend their pots so we had to opt for Craw Fish! Several on 2Cool had mention this as a viable option. We boated all 4 Black Drum on Craw Fish!

As always, we vent the drum. You can find a video of how to vent them here .

American Idol - Chikezie - "She's a Woman"

2008-03-11T19:54:00.000-07:00

With all the options of television out there - there aren't really very many shows that my entire family stop to watch or DVR. When WWE Wrestlin' comes on - my wife leaves the room and my boys and I watch. When my wife watches the Animal Rescue/surgery shows ... I am outa there. When Hunt for Big Fish is on ... I am on my own - but when American Idol comes on - we are there as a family watching.

Tonight I was blown away by the performance of Chikezie ... I really don't have a favorite ... but I really enjoyed this performance.

And while this is a fishing blog ... it is MY fishing blog (smile) so ... here is the video! Hope you enjoy!

March 5th - Fishy Trip?????

2008-03-05T14:12:00.001-08:00

Dewey, Wayne and Jerry headed out in Wayne's Blue Bayou (24 ft Whaler) Wednesday morning to see if there were some drum to be had. I wasn't able to go - so I can't vouch for the report, or the pictures. (not that my vouching carries all that much weight either)

Wind was out of the SSE at about 15 - wasn't much water at first because of the strong north winds over the last couple of days. Water was right at 61 degrees. Tide was incoming.

Now for the strange part. While these guys emailed me pics of each of them holding "the fish they caught" - there are errie similarities of the fish in each pic! (grin) Now - this has never been a problem when I fish with them - then again - when I fish - we catch more than one fish! Anyway .... here are the pics in question!

Wood Carved Tarpon

2008-02-10T18:38:00.000-08:00

This was carved by Lynn Benefield, a retired Marine Biologist and Deacon at Bayshore. It is absolutely stunning. Click on each image for a high-resolution image of each picture.

February 8th - Biblical Fishing Trip

2008-02-08T14:24:00.001-08:00

I had the pleasure of fishing with a new friend of Bayshore, Lee Attema aboard his beautiful brand new Glacier Bay. This was only his 3rd trip getting it in the water and man, it was fantastic.

Lee has seen my blog, visited the church, and wanted to put some big ugly drum in the brand new boat. So out we went!

We ended up with a Biblical Fishing trip, "Simon said, "Master, we've been fishing hard all night (day) and haven't caught even a minnow." Luke 5:5 Message Translation.

I was frustrated - I knew it would be slow with the water still a bit too cold, and with the low tide and high pressure - but thought we could at least scare up one or two Big Uglies - but not today! We didn't even have a bite!

It was still a priviledge and a joy to fish with Lee! Hopefully, next trip we will put it on 'em!

February 7th - Fishing With The Thompsons

2008-02-07T12:21:00.000-08:00

It was a great day to be on the water. We had 2 boats out today - Jerry Thompson's Boat "Top Kat" and Wayne Hamiltons Boat "Blue Blazer." Jerry and his family have recently become part of the Bayshore Family, so I was anxious to fish with him, his daughters Kristian and Natsha, and his father Mr. Thompson.

Wayne picked up his boat, 22 Whaler, a few months ago and has been getting it ready for it's maiden voyage. It performed like a champ. I fished on the "Kool Kat" and really am looking forward to offshore trips this summer!

The water was about 57 degrees, we fished an outgoing tide. We fished Shrimp Boat, Boat Cut and the Moon Rock. Between the two boats we caught 1 Bull Red, 2 Slot Reds, 1 Puppy Drum, 2 Big Black Drum and 1 undersized flounder. It really was pretty slow, the Black Drum Run hasn't started in earnest yet, but shouldn't be too long.

Here are a couple of pics from Wayne's Boat -- He took them with his Cell Phone. Boy need's a camera ....

Here are the pics from Jerry's Boat.

Kristen had been eating shrimp in the backgound, while Natasha caught a nice red.

Natasha thinks she can fish ... and I think she is right! She outfished me on numbers, but I got her today on mass!

A true Big Ugly!

Progreso Mexico - Cruise Fishing

2008-01-17T17:49:00.000-08:00

My family and I were fortunate to take a 5-day Cruise on Carnival Ecstasy out of Galveston January 7th-12th. On this cruise we had stops at Progreso and Cozumel. While the fishing is better in Cozumel, as a family we made reservation at Chakanaub Park to swim with the dolphins - see video below.

That left fishing for Progreso. I asked many questions, did alot of searching to find Oscar Escobedo who arranged a fishing trip for us in Progreso. He picked us up at the end of the Progreso Pier and drove us about 20 minutes to the marina we fished out of. The boat was a 27ft Fiberglass Panga that was about 6ft across. It had a Yamaha 200 on it - plenty boat for us to fish out of.

We went out about 20 miles - PaPo (Baltazar) the captain had a hand-held GPS and anchored on over some large structure that held fish. We caught Bee-liners, Strawberry Grouper, Rock Grouper, Spade Fish, Spanish Macs, and a huge String Ray.
I also saw a school of Cobia floating along the top ... casted to them to no avail. We fished for about 2 1/2 hours with plenty of time to get back to Progreso and then back on the boat.

This was Oscar's second time to provide this fishing charter. All was fantastic but there were 2 improvements that needed he will make on future trips. First, I was the only on with a Rod and Reel. I brought it with me, the rest of the fishing was done by hand line. There was a breakdown in communication, but Oscar assured me this would be remedied on all future trips. Secondly, PaPo and his crew spoke very limited English - not a problem, but frustrating none the less.

At this point, I believe this is one of the few, if not the only chance to book fishing in Progreso. With the town really not being a shopping haven, and if you don't wish to do the Myan Ruins - it is a viable option.

Oscar's email is: escobedo_oscar@hotmail.com or escobedo_oscar@kab-yucatan.com. If you contact him, tell him I sent you - he really is a great guy. Here is a link to his website: http://www.kab-yucatan.com/fishing.html I think you will enjoy your trip! Without a doubt, I will fish with him again next Cruise!

December 31st, 2007

2007-12-31T13:49:00.001-08:00

New Years Eve - 2007

Stunningly beautiful day. Water about 51-53 degrees - not much tidal movement - not a cloud in the sky. Water flat as a fritter. Everything you would want ... but something was missing.

Looked at the Moon Rock. They weren't there!
Looked at the Sunken Ship. They weren't there!
Looked at the Sunken Shrimp Boat. They weren't there!
Looked between the Jetty Pole and the Jetty. They weren't there!
Looked at the Honey Hole. They weren't there!
Went back to the Moon Rock in Deeper Water. They weren't there!
Even peered over into Captain Mike's Boat When He wasn't looking ..... They weren't there either! (at least while I was looking)

What did we find? Plenty of whiting, croaker, sand trout, puppy drum - But NO BULL REDS! Used Shad, Whiting, Croaker, Dead Shrimp, Live Shrimp, Sand Trout and a Twinkee - but couldn't must one single run!

But man was it pretty outside!

11/02/2007 - Coach Ron Whilley & Johnny Lewis

2007-11-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

We had a blast on the water today. It was a beautiful day to be on the water. Dewey and I had great guests on the boat with us today. Coach Ron is the coach on my son Nathan's Football Team, "The Undefeated - 9-0 - Sophomore LaPorte Texans. I have been trying to get him on the boat for awhile just to show my appreciation for his work with my son and all the boys on the Texans. He is a great Coach - and even a great man.

He brought Johnny Lewis with him. Johnny and Coach Ron work together - and they trash talked the whole time! They were talking trash even before the first rod went off! And it just got better and better as the day went.

We fished a tepid tide with ENE Winds about 10-15 early. The water was 66 degrees. It has cooled off considerably in the last 2 weeks. Good news for you Flounder Pounders.

Anyway, the first Bull Red of the day came quite expectantly. I was fishing with a small rod with shrimp, trying to get some whiting, croaker, or sandtrout for bait when I set the hook and the fight was on. It reminded me of when Dewey and I started fishing for Bull Reds several years ago using small rods and 12lb test line. Anyway, after a good fight, I boated the Bull Red. He was about 34 inches. I looked around and there was Coach Ron and Johnny looking at me like ... "Hey ... I thought we were going to catch the fish!" I thought my son would never make it off the bench and into the game again. I apologized profusely and felt much better when the rods began going of pretty consistently for the rest of the day.

We fished the Moon Rock and then moved to Tarpon One. Most of the action was at Tarpon One in about 28 foot of water. On the day, we boated 10 Bull Reds with Johnny catching one more than Coach Ron. But ... uh ... Coach Ron's was bigger! (I gotta keep my boy in the game!)

It really was a great day on the water and it was great to see the guys catching their first Bulls!

Here is the video for the day:

October 19th, 2007 - Ronnie and Dillon Jacoby

2007-10-19T13:53:00.001-07:00

It was with great pleasure and joy that Dewey and I took out my brother in law, Ronnie Jacoby and his son Dillon. Dillon just graduated from Coast Guard Academy last week and was home for a few days before being stationed in Hickman Kentucky as a Buoy Tender. This was one of the few days we could get them out on the boat.

With a strong North Wind at 15-20 blowing early in in the morning, we knew that the ride over to the Jetty would be wet, but the Jetty would offer some protected water. We were right on both accounts. It was a bumpy, wet ride until the water settled down a bit around the Bolivar Ferry Landing.

We found some nice water and caught the middle of an outgoing tide. After setting out 4 rods, it wasn't long that the first rod of the day took off. Ronnie grabbed the rod and the fight was on.

It was almost 2 years to the day, October 17th, 2005, since we had taken Ronnie and Dillon out. On that day they caught 2 Bull Red's each. It took just a little over an hour on this day to top that. On the day, we caught a total of 16 Bull Reds and lost one to a snapped line.

I tried fishing for some whiting or sand trout, but was only successful in landing one hard head after another - much to the delight of Dewey, the reigning Hard Head King.

It was a beautiful day out on the water and am hoping that Dillon does well as he serves in the Coast Guard.Look Familiar Dillon?????

Pucker Up Big Boy .....

October 11th, 2007 - Arthur Benfield

2007-10-11T12:49:00.001-07:00

It was an absolutely beautiful morning. We were able to get out to the jetty right before the sun broke over the horizon. A nice cool morning, a beautiful sunrise, a great cup of coffee ... just what the doctor ordered.

After taking in the Father's Masterpiece, we put some cut shad out on the bottom, facing a strong outgoing tide. It wasn't long before the first rod took off.

Arthur Benfield, a friend of mine from Panama, began this day of fishing by fighting the first Bull Red of the day. On the day we caught 14 Bull Reds and 1 Black Tip Shark all caught on fresh shad and whiting fished on the bottom.

It was a great day to get out on the water.

October 4th, 2007 - Dave and Ken

2007-10-04T20:08:00.001-07:00

We had a great day out on the water today with Dave Kendzior and a coworker of his, Ken. This was their first trip out to the Jetty with us and both caught the biggest Red Fish they had ever caught.

On the day, we caught 8 Bull Reds, Several Shark and a nice Stingray.

We fished a tepid incoming tide, then an outgoing tide. We didn't catch but one whiting for bait, using Shad the rest of the time. The water was clear for this time of the year, still about 83 degrees. We stayed anchored up around the Boat Cut, fishing in about 27-31 foot of water.

Here is a video of the trip with pictures to follow:

500th Bull Red - September 26th, 2007

2007-09-26T15:37:00.000-07:00

We needed just 9 more Bull Reds to break the 500 mark on our Bull Red Blog Counter and we were hoping that today was the day we would hit the mark.

We have the privilege of taking Clyde Benzenhoefer from Arizona out today for some Bull Red action. Clyde is a good friend of Dewey Jr, so we all headed out to see if we could put him on his biggest Red ever. We arrived to a downpour at the Boat Ramp, but looking on radar, it seemed that if we waited about 30 minutes, we could head out to the Jetty.

Once we made it there, it was pretty constant action throughout the morning. There was one Storm Cell that came through dumping an estimated inch to inch-and-a-half of rain on us, but Dewey Sr stayed pretty dry under the awning. You can see by the picture, he wouldn't make room for me. (laughing)

On the day we caught 17 Bull Reds and lost several more due to some faulty line on one of the reels and an episode of tangled lines when we had a triple going.

The big 500 was caught by none other than the Silver Haired Hard Head Champion of the World, Dewey Walls Sr! It is pretty amazing when you realize I caught my first Bull Red just 3 years ago, we have now boated over 500 Bull Reds in the past 36 months! It is always a blast to take people out and put them on their first Bull! They are spoiled for life! God has been good to me to provide Dewey Jr and Sr that have allowed me to fish beside them!

We fished in one spot along the Jetty the entire time, fishing a tepid, then outgoing tide. Don't know the water temp, but the clarity was fair. We fished Shad, Mullet and Whiting on the bottom. The most effective was the whiting when you could catch it.

Final count for the day: 17 Bull Reds, Several Black Tip and Bonnet Head Shark, 1 Hammer Head Shark and a few whiting and hard heads.The 500th Bull Red on the Bull Red Blog Counter! Mr. Dewey Walls Sr!

Thanks for going with us Clyde! It was a great joy to have you on the boat! Come back, and we will head out again!

August 31st, 2007 - The Johansens

2007-08-31T19:58:00.001-07:00

One of the greatest things about this blog is the friends I have been privileged to meet - and this is no exception. David and Daniel Johansen are from Minnesota but were in Dallas when he called and asked if there was any possible way he and his son could go out with Dewey and I.

How can you turn down an opportunity like that! We made the arrangements and hope that Mother Nature would cooperate. I woke up Friday morning about 3:25am to Thunder - Looked at the radar and thought that the day might be a wash.

The storm blew through and we fished about 4 hours around the North Jetty. We didn't have alot of luck, but still had a good time. We caught 2 Reds - 1 slot and 1 Bull and all the Shark we wanted. Numerous Black Tips, Bonnet Heads and Sand Shark were boated - mostly bathtub to 3 1/2 foot.

Here is a video of the trip

It really was a great day on the water! Good luck to David, Daniel and entire Johansen Family on their future endeavors!

Panama Mission Trip Video

2007-08-22T19:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a video of the Mission Trip to the Kuna Yala.

Fish Identification

2007-08-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

Several people have chimed in about the fish I caught in Panama. There is some discussion whether this fish is a Spanish Mac or a Cero Mac. The one of the top is the one I caught - the bottom one is a Cero Mac I found on the net. Notice that mine doesn't have the definitive line through his body.

The Other fish without a doubt is the Houndfish - a member of the Needlefish Family.

Needlefishes are very elongate with long pointed jaws bearing numerous needle-like teeth; there are no spines in the fins; the dorsal and anal fins are posterior on the body; the lateral line passes along the lower side.

These fishes are surface-dwelling and protectively colored green or blue on the back and silvery below; some species have green bones. They feed mainly on small fishes.

When frightened, as by a predator or approaching boat, or confused by a light at night, they may leap and skitter at the surface. People have been injured by being struck by the larger needlefishes, and fatalities have been reported.

Green on the back, silvery below; a blackish keel on side of caudal pedunde; body slender in juveniles, progressively less elongate in adults; jaws relatively shorter with growth; anterior part of dorsal and anal fins elevated. The largest of the needlefishes; attains at least 53 inches (135 cm).

Worldwide in warm seas, usually in coastal waters.This living javelin is a hazard to those using a light at night.

What I can tell you is that they are mean ... and fight well! Thanks for all the comments!

Surfside Family Fishing Video

2007-08-17T18:41:00.000-07:00

Every year our family rents a beach house down at Surfside. This year we were able to do a bit more fishing and although we didn't catch anything outstanding, but still thought you might enjoy watching a video - featuring the new "Hat Cam."

Fishing in Panama - San Blas and Bayano River - August 2007

2007-08-16T22:25:00.000-07:00

We had a great time fishing on the Mission Trip to the Kuna Indians in Panama. Most of the fishing was done between islands in San Blas, but we also were able to do some fishing around the mouth of the Bayano River as it flows into the Pacific.

Here is a video of the trip

These were the guys who took me around the islands. We trolled Snapper Slappers - and all fish we caught around the islands were on the Red and White Slapper.

The locals called this a "Sierra" - which to me looks like a small Kingfish.

This Rock Grouper was a great catch! Both of these fish were taken back to the Islands and our host family was thrilled to get the fish!We caught this Spanish Mac while fishing around the mouth of the Bayona River. He was caught on a Blue and White Yozuri Minnow.This is one of the many Needle Fish we caught . They were some mean powerful little suckers!

Slow Day July 12th, 2007

2007-07-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

It has almost been a month since we have been out on the water so Dewey and I went out today. It was a beautiful day. We didn't get out till later in the morning, fished an incoming tepid tide out towards the end of the jetty.

The water was wonderful - clear with visibility up to about 8 foot. I think that with all the rain and runoff from the past few weeks of rain, the salinity was probably down.

It was slow - we fished about 3 hours and caught 1 Bull Red and 1 Shark.

One note - there was a boat of 4 guys that were wearing out nice 22-24 inch trout out by where we were fishing. Need to remember this next time we go out.

May 31st, 2007 - Dewey Jr's Day of Dominance

2007-05-31T19:07:00.001-07:00

When we arrived at the Boat Ramp - it was absolutely overflowing and packed! It looked like a Saturday with all of the Trucks and Trailers! Tomorrow (June 1st) is the first day of the Oberto Red Fish Tournament out of Kemah and there were tons of people prefishing.

Once we were on the water, it was a day of dominance for Dewey Jr. He definitely put it on us today. On the way out to the Jetty, we noticed the wind a little bit out of the north. Apparently that little cold front that came through the night before dumping rain everywhere shifted the wind during the morning hours. In addition, it was a full moon that was looming over us.

The water was very dirty from all the run off we have had over the past few days, the tide was pushing in around the boat cut, but was almost non-existent at the end of the North Jetty. We fished exclusively at the end of the Jetty this morning - it was quite bumpy early, but settled down later in the day.

We hadn't been there very long when Dewey Jr. got his first of many Bull Reds of the day.

For some reason today, we had 4 Bull Red's take the hook very deep. Both Dewey Jr. and I used our tags on the first two - there was no way they would have made it. On the last one I hooked deep - I simply clipped the leader and sent him on his way. Dewey Jr. got the hook out of this one - we both commented these were some big reds where you could stick your hand all the way down their throat. But the fish was vented and swam away.

Dewey really dominated today - he was in the hot corner of the boat and caught 9 Bull Reds on the day. We also boated 30 or so SLIMY Gaff-top. There were some humongous Gaff-top that we took home - Dewey Sr. cleaned 20 of them at the Fish Table.

Dewey Jr. caught this Ray - apparently he had been caught before - he had been "de-tailed" but was a good fish on the lighter tackle Dewey was using to catch bait.

Here is proof the I did catch fish on the day. I think I caught 4 Bull Red and would have caught 1 more if Dewey didn't knock one off while trying to get the Boca-grip on him. Funny thing was, while he was knocking the fish off, he told me Wayne (who fishes with us often) told him to knock a fish off of my line for him. Right as he was saying it, the fish (who was really loosely hooked) pulled loose. Dewey Jr. cracked up ... I cried and whined like a baby ... (grin).

Driving home, we surmised that with all the fresh water the Shark must have headed for saltier water. We hooked only 2 Shark on the day - 2 Blacktips - one was an 18" Bathtub Shark, the other was a 3 1/2 foot Blacktip we let swim another day.

There were alot of "Shrink Wrapped" fishing boats getting ready for the Oberto Redfish Cup Tournament tomorrow. We saw the Tabasco Boat, Oberto Boat, Bay and Lake Boat and several others. They were very gracious and fun to watch fish.

There were also a couple of other boats - either pre-fishing the tournament, or guys that just got their boat and really didn't have a clue what they were doing. One guy in a brand new Welcraft came in between three boats at the end of the Jetty. He was so proud of himself he did donuts in his boat out past the end of the Jetty. Beautiful boat - should have come with some lessons.

You may notice the lack of Dewey Sr. Pictures from this trip. Please rest assured, he was there and he was fishing. He did catch several nice Gaff-top and of course, he caught his share - and several others - of hardhead.

All in all, it was a great day to be on the way. Thirteen Bull Reds - Brought home 20 Big Slimy Gaff-top, 2 Shark, several whiting, 1 Ray and not to be forgotten - hardheads.

Bayshore's Captain John Trip - May 21st

2007-05-22T06:01:00.000-07:00

We had 24 friends and members of Bayshore go out with Captain John's Fishing Boats for a one day trip. This was the first offshore fishing trip for many of them. And almost everybody had an exceptional time!

Here is the video from the Trip:

I know they don't look like much ... but you should hear this quartet sing! (grin)Jonathan had a great time ... still bearing the scars from the youth paintball trip!On the way out, it was great to stand on the top deck and chew the fat!

Matt and Josh (bling bling) had a great time!

All I can say is that the door was fine when Tazz got there ... how that changed is a good story. There is the truth ... and then there is my version! (laughing) Somehow with that hat on, I think Tazz would fit in great with the Red Hat Ladies at the Church!

Dennis (Vicki's Dad) with a Spade Fish!

Stanley catching a little Rest and Relaxation!

Micah showing a side of him that we all knew existed! (grin)

Rose is a fish catching Machine!

Here is the king I caught.

Rose's Dad with his kingfish!

Wayne with his fish. I think it is the only fish he caught all day long! (laughing) All the rest of the fish he took home were caught by Rose!

The Son's of Thunder and their fish!

We had a fantasic trip. Special thanks to Captain Tony Langston who was the Captain of the boat. He put us on fish right off the bat. Deckhands Ben and Dan took great care of our people and did an exceptional job. Even Tony the Galley Master did great! He cooked the best burgers on the boat and he was a great kingfish smasher! (grin)

We look forward to going out again with Captain John.
I highly recommend them!

FIN-NOR OS85 - Hopper Jigging Rod For Sale.

2007-05-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

I bought a Fin-Nor OS 85 and HopperRod - HOPS500FH - 5'8" Jigging Rod from FTU for the Tuna trip I went on last week. On that trip, I caught several snapper (up to 26") and 1 four foot shark with no problem whatsoever. Today I caught several Shark and a 42" Bull Red again with no problem. I have read about gear problems recently, but had not had any problems at all with this rod and reel. It is loaded with about 300 yards of 100lb powerpro. If you have read my previous posts, you will know that I am switching to a totally different Rod and Reel set up for Black Fin Tuna.

So, this rod and reel are up for sale. I have about $275.00 tied up in this combo, but will let it go for $225.00. email me at markredd@markredd.com if you are interested.

May 15th, 2007 - North Jetty

2007-05-15T18:09:00.000-07:00

Video of the Trip

It was a beautiful day out at the Jetty today. The water was about 81.5, the tide was very tepid, and it was flat as a pancake. We had several agendas at work on the trip today. Wayne and Dewey wanted to chase trout - so we stayed very close to the rocks on the outside of the Jetty. We also wanted to catch some bait for an upcoming offshore trip on Monday with Captain John, so we spent quite a bit of time at Shrimp Boat picking up whiting and sand trout.

Wayne caught this nice Black Tip Shark and it was a little bit more of a challenge to handle this (and other) sharks - we hadn't put the gaff in the boat this Summer - so we had to use an old scale we had in the boat for a gaff.

Here is a closer picture of the Shark. Wayne also hooked a Spinner Shark that really put on a show. He lept out of the water five or six times, spinning wildly each time. When we got him up to the boat, he was tail wrapped, then made a lunge snapping the line. It was really great to see such a grand show.

I honestly am not for sure what this fish is - Perhaps a pompano? It favored a small Jack Crevalle, but the fins weren't right.

Dewey started off the day catching this Rat Red up against the rocks while fishing for trout. While we usually don't take pictures of such small fish, we weren't for sure Dewey would catch anything else the rest of the day. All day long, there was only 1 hardhead caught ... you guessed it, Dewey the Hardhead King struck again! (grin)

This was the only Bull Red we caught on the day. I caught him on Cut Shad fished on the bottom. His color was very golden, he was really a beautiful fish.

We caught two Cow Nose Rays on the day. This was the larger one. Fighting these are alot of fun. With the water so clear, we also saw several swimming through the water. Although these are great for Bull Shark bait, we let both of them loose.

Here is a closer pic of the Cow Nose Ray.

This was a huge Jack Crevalle we caught. These are probably the most fierce fighting fish we catch at the Jetty. If you aren't geared for them, the can be tackle busters!

Wayne also caught several Spanish Mackerel while fishing live shrimp up against the rocks. With all the efforts to catch Specks, it just wasn't to be. On the day, we caught several nice shark, 1 Bull Red, 1 Jack Crevalle, 8 Spanish Mackerel, 2 Cow Nose Ray, Several Whiting, 1 Rat Red and of course, Dewey's obligatory hardhead.

Sopapillia Cheesecake.

2007-04-29T19:17:00.000-07:00

I know this is a fishing blog - and I did find this recipe on 2coolfishing.com - but after making this for several people - they all have wanted the recipe - so here it is.

Sopaipilla cheesecake

Ingredients:
2 rolls of pillsbury crescent rolls (room temp)
2 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese (room temp)
1 c. sugar
tsp. vanilla
1 stick butter (melted)
sugar and cinnamon

Spray or grease 9 x 12 inch pan.
Spread one can of crescent rolls in pan.
Blend cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together.
Spread over crescents.
Top with other can of crescents.
Pour melted butter over top.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Bake @ 350* for 30 minutes.

Video: How We Make Big Game Jetty Leaders

2007-04-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

Here is a video that describes how we make our leaders for bottom fishing for big fish at the Jetties.

April 11th, 2007 - Average Day

2007-04-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

It was a blustery windy day early Wednesday when we arrived at the North Jetty. The water was about 67-68 degrees - it had warmed after the Strong Norther we had during Easter. The wind was more from the West - pehaps West North West at about 15 when we arrived. It settled down to just a whisper later in the morning.

We ventured out to the end of the North Jetty and found a strong outgoing tide. Even though it is really early for a balloon line, I set one out with a shad dangling temptingly underneath it at about 6 foot. It had not takers for the hour or so it was out.

We fished crab and cut shad on the bottom with limited success, so we shifted to the outside of the North Jetty - close to Shrimp Boat - trying to see if we could catch some whiting or sand trout for cut bait. We only had hard heads on the smaller lines with dead shrimp.

We then shifted back out to the inside of the Jetty to a bit more shallower depth and again found limited success on both the crab and shad.

Later in the morning, the water glassed over as the wind died down and the sun shown brightly. The the weather improved, the fishing did not.

On the day, we caught 5 Black Drum and 1 Bull Red.

March 10th, 2007 - Mike Varnell

2007-03-10T19:07:00.000-08:00

Here is a Video of Saturday's Trip

We had a great day at the Jetty today. Normally we don't fish on Saturdays, but today we had a special guest on the boat with us. Mike Varnell, one of the great deacons of Bayshore Baptist was able to head out with us today. We have been trying to get Mike out for quite some time and Saturday was the day. Mike enjoys fishing, but had never been on a trip quite like this.

We got on the water about 7:30 and found a strong incoming tide. Water was about 63 degrees, wind was mild out of the south and the moon phase was half-moon. We fished Moon Rock exclusively and caught all fish on cracked crab.

Mike hooked this Huge Black Drum - tipping the scales at well over 50lbs. This by far was the biggest fish Mike had ever caught. He did a great job fighting this fish - the current added fight to all the fish today.

You get a little bit better idea of the size of this big ugly!

On the day, Mike caught 4 nice drum. He commented that he certainly smelled like he had been fishing! Between Drum Slime, Shad, and Crab Guts ... the boat and the fishermen were well ... quite filthy and stinky!

This black drum had a beautiful golden color on him!

Several months ago I picked up some 9 foot Shimano Rods and I really like fishing with them. Dewey Jr. was certainly all bowed up when he was fighting this Black Drum!

It was good to have Dewey Jr. back on the boat. Here is another one of the Drum he caught.

This must have been a Female that was full of eggs.

This might have been the largest Black Drum Dewey Jr. caught on the day.

Dewey Jr. caught this Bull Red on cracked crab and even though we use 9/0 to 12/0 circle hooks, occasionally a fish gets hooked deep. Dewey Jr. tried in vain to get the hook out - the fish was tagged and Mike took it home to grill.

Dewey did get in on the action today. He caught this all by himself - and Dewey Jr. gave him a hand in holding this big bad boy up. It was one of four over 50 pound drum we caught on the day.

Dewey didn't catch any hard heads today ... but since we vent all the Bull Reds and Black Drum, he did ask if I knew how to vent any hard heads he may catch! (grin)

Here is the only picture they were willing to take of me today! I caught 4 Drum - 1 was well over 50 pounds. I probably could have caught more, but between rigging, boating, venting, baiting and taking pictures, it was difficult to get much fishing in! (laughing)

It really was a great day to be on the water!

Monday - March 5th - Not too bad - not too good.

2007-03-05T15:25:00.000-08:00

We had a fair day of fishing out on the Jetty. We moved around several times, but ended up with 4 Bull Reds and 1 Big Ugly Drum. The tide was tepid when we arrived but starting moving out later in the morning. The water was 61 degrees. There was a full moon the night before - and the day started out with us being under high pressure - so both of those probably affected the bite.

Wayne caught this Big Ugly Drum on a piece of cut shad. The Drum tipped the scale a tad over 50 lbs. Wayne put on quite a show fighting this drum. You would have thought he was on "Hunt for Big Fish" with Larry Dahlberg! Which by the way is one of my favorite shows!

Poor little Dewey wasn't catching any fish - not even hard heads - I had been catching some whiting with a shrimp-tipped gold spoon - and I felt ever so sorry for him (he started whining ... grin) so I handed him my rod and he caught this whopper! (laughing)

We cut up the whiting we were catching and used then for bait and caught 3 out of the 4 reds on cut whiting. The other red was caught on cracked crab.

I have no idea what is over Dewey's Shoulder - some kind of UFO ... (laughing) ... I didn't see it when I took the picture - but sure enough it is there!

All in all it was an ok day of fishing. Nothing spectacular, but a beautiful day on the water.

Black Drum Run: How To Vent Black Drum

2007-02-26T17:57:00.000-08:00

Venting the air bladder on Bull Reds and Big Black Drum.

Right now the Black Drum Run is on. While at the jetty today - I saw numerous drum caught - pictures taken - then dumped back in the water - floating belly up because they did not empty the air bladder.

I thought it would be good to post instructions on how to do this so we can assure the survival rate of these fish. Below are the instructions. What I have found that works great is a Turkey Spice Injector - I bought mine at Academy for $3.50. It works great!

Here are directions:

Venting trapped gases from a fish caught from deep water

Use the largest hypodermic needle you can find (#10 or larger) and remove the plunger. Insert hypodermic needle at a 45 degree angle, under a scale, near the tip of the pectoral fin and squeeze the fish gently. You will hear the trapped gases escaping. Make a needle clearing tool from a piece of stainless leader wire to clear any tissue, etc. from the needle and leave this tool in the needle between uses. Sterilize the needle with iodine or alcohol after use and store it in a safe place.

Why is this important to me? I learned how to do this after I caught a 40lb drum - I worked him back and forth - let him go - he floated to the top. I pulled up the anchor rope - netted him again - worked him back and forth - released him - he swam down - then floated up again. I tried a third time - same results. I assume he died as the seagulls began to pick him apart. This fish was probably 15 years old or older - and I wasn't able to keep it alive. After that - I learned how to do it - it is simple. But incredibly important. I haven't had a floater since.

Good Luck!

Here is a video that demonstrates the method.

Monday, February 26th, 2007

2007-02-26T17:15:00.000-08:00

Dewey, Wayne and I had an opportunity to sneak out on the water and try and chase some Black and Red Drum down. It was a beautiful day with the winds out of the South at 5 to 10 early, then increased to about 15 later in the morning.

We had a good day on the water. We fished several spots at the end of the Jetty - both in and outside of the jetty. Although the fishing wasn't overwhelming - we ended up with 6 Bull Reds and 7 Big Black Drum. The water was about 60 degrees and the tide was really swirling at the end of the Jetty.

The Bull Reds were caught on cut shad - and the Black Drum were caught on cracked crab. All were vented and released. By the way, we saw several fish that had been caught and released without being vented. These fish floated on the top - and the SeaGulls peck their eyes and orifices eventually killing the fish. For those who read this blog - there are instructions on how to vent Black Drum and Bull Reds! Make sure you do! It saves them to continue their spawn.Here is Wayne hooked up!

Both of these Black Drum tipped the scale at over 50lbs. Both were vented and released. This Black Drum below was a male ... and he was very excited to see me. (grin)

Something very unusual happened on this trip! I caught more hardheads than Dewey did! I caught two and and Dewey caught one! Dewey was sure that I wouldn't say anything about this on the blog ... but I am a fisherman of integrity! (laughing)

February 23rd - Foggy Foogy Day

2007-02-24T15:21:00.000-08:00

Dewey and I braved the fog for a fishing trip Friday Morning. The forecast was to be in the mid 60's - with winds of 10-15 mph wind - and possible fog. Somehow, it didn't sound that bad. So off we went. When we were on the water, it was mid 50's - East Wind 15-20mph - in the middle of a fog bank. Quite honestly, it was pretty miserable.

We GPS'd our way through the fog to the jetty - fished for about 1 hour - water was about 56 with a strong incoming tide. We fished cracked crab and cut shad on the bottom - about 28 foot of water at the Moon Rock.

We had 2 runs - one came unbuttoned and the other was a nice Bull Red.

After a cup of hot coffee, I mention to Dewey that we could either sit around in the "wonderful weather" and wait for another run or we could call it a day - head back in - and sit in the heated seats of my Durango.

We choose to leave and head back in. It was one of those days that we probably wouldn't have gone had we been fishing in a while ... but we hadn't so we did.

February 5th, 2007 - Water Too Cold

2007-02-05T18:50:00.000-08:00

It had been quite a while since we have been able to get out on the water. It was about this time last year that the Black Drum Run was getting started. With the recent weather about 10 degrees colder than normal - the water was about 51 degrees - and a bit too cold for the Run to begin.

We used cracked crab and cut shad on the bottom and didn't pick up much at all. We fished a slack and then incoming tide. We moved around quite a bit trying to trigger something - fishing at Moon Rock, Shrimp Boat, Tarpon One and then back towards the Moon Rock - and for all that effort, we picked up 1 Bull Red and 2 Black Drum.
Here is Dewey Jr with a nice Bull Red. It was the only Red caught on the day.

Dewey Sr. traded in his "Hard Head" fishing skills for "Black Drum" fishing skills!

I had the pleasure of taking Coach Leonard, my Son Nathan's Basketball Coach out today. Even though it was a slow slow day, he caught this nice Black Drum! Hopefully, we can get out there again soon when the water warms up a bit and the Black Drum run Starts.

There were several comments coming from the Dewey's about some stench coming from my section of the boat ... something about someone smelling like a skunk ... well since I was the only one in the boat who didn't catch a fish ... I wanted my picture in here too!

Da - Stinky - Parson

Ringing In the New Year!!! - January 1st, 2007

2007-01-01T16:41:00.000-08:00

Starting the New Year Right!

Dewey, Dewey Jr and I headed out to the Jetty today - January 1st, 2007! It was in the mid 40's when we launched - with a North Wind about 10. It was quite chilly. We fished Shrimp Boat, Tarpon 2 and then the Moon Rock catching several Whiting and 4 Bull Reds.

Of coarse, it goes without saying that Dewey caught his Hardhead!

While we were fishing, we wondered how many Bull Reds we caught during 2006. I ran a quick tally and the number is between 170 and 175 Bull Reds!! We also caught a 51" King, 46" Cobia, many Jacks and literally a ton of Big Ugly Black Drum! Hopefully this year will be even better and I will be able to add a Tarpon to the list!

Dewey Jr and his nice Red. This was a great female bull red. It went about 44-45 inches!

Here is the first Bull Red of the Day. And yes, it was that cold!

Here was the 2nd Bull Red I caught January 1st, 2007! He, along with all the Reds today, were released.

Here was the last fish of the day. All fish were caught on either cut shad or cut whiting fished on the bottom. It was a great way to start the new year!

December 13th, 2006 - The Deweys

2006-12-13T17:50:00.000-08:00

It was a beautiful day at the Jetty. Water was 48.2 degrees - Wind was light and variable - waves were virtually flat. Tide was very slow.

We fished Moon Rock, Tarpon One, Honey Hole and the Shrimp Boat. Most of the action came late in the day at Shrimp Boat. Bait was fresh whiting, cut shad and shrimp.

On the day there were 5 Bull Reds, 2 Slot Reds, 1 Monster Black Drum, 8-10 Puppy Drum and many whiting, croaker, sand trout.

Miracle of Miracles ... Dewey Sr. didn't catch any hardheads!

November 7th, 2006 - SLOW DAY

2006-11-07T14:20:00.000-08:00

Dewey and I had an opportunity to take Wayne Hamilton and his father, Alton out to the Jetty today. The winds were NNW at 10-13 and the current was ripping through the channel. Even with 8oz weights we had trouble keeping bait on the bottom with such a current.

We went to the end and tried fishing outside the Jetty, but the waves were beating us to death. We then took off to the outside of the South Jetty - the water was calm, the current was not bad at all - everything was great - but no fish.

We headed back towards the boat cut - the current had slowed just a tad. It was then we caught the only Bull Red of the day. Alton fought and landed the fish. I forgot to measure it, but my guess is somewhere between 38-41 inches. The fish was vented and sent on his way.

We also caught some massive Slimy Gaftop - but it was a pretty slow day fishing.

The Redd's Go To Aggieland

2006-11-05T21:45:00.000-08:00

Sharon, the boys and I went to the Texas Aggie -vs- OU game Saturday, November 4th. It was a fantastic experience for our whole family.

Here is the video of our trip.

I would like to thank Don and Nancy Weaver for making our trip possible. I do think we converted my oldest son Joseph to a full-fledged Aggie now ... my youngest son Nathan ... well we just have to keep praying for him! (smile)

Gig' Em!!! - And I Don't Mean Flounder!

2006-10-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

Man ... I just love this video! Gig Em!

Cartoons that Make Me Grin

2006-10-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

October 9th, 2006 - Dennis Smith

2006-10-09T20:24:00.000-07:00

It was a great day of fishing. Dennis Smith is the father of our Children's Director at Bayshore. He headed to the Jetty with Dewey and I today to chase some Bull Reds. He had a great time - and caught some of the biggest fish he had ever caught!

Looking at the two ... uh ... elderly men fishing ... I thought it was Dueling PaPas!

Here is the video of the trip!

We started fishing the Moon Rock - it was slow - so we moved out towards the end of the Jetty on the Gulf side. It started slow, but then picked up tremedously.

Wind was ESE at 13-15 - Tide was outgoing but tepid. Bait was cut shad fished on the bottom.

2006-10-09T20:23:00.000-07:00

Dewey did his part in catching Reds today! Here are a couple of the many that be boated.

2006-10-09T20:13:00.000-07:00

When I wasn't baiting hooks, venting Reds, or releasing fish - I did have time to catch a few Bull Reds. On the day we boated 21 Bull Red and 2 Black Drum. The best thing about the day was putting Dennis on some of the biggest fish he had ever caught! It was a great day!

2006-10-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

This was something you don't see everyday. Apparently someone had hooked this Bull Red - probably deep hooked him - so they cut the leader. The Bull processed the leader almost all the way out - all but the hook that was stuck in his ... well ... anus. I was able to remove the hook and I swear I heard the Bull Red say, "Thank you!" (grin)

I think he was probably the happiest Red we have ever released from the boat!

October 6th, 2006 - Shy Zamar & Jamie Walker

2006-10-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

Dewey and I had the good fortune of taking out Shy Zamar - my neighbor and Jamie Walker - a friends whose son plays on Nathan's football team out today. We fished a weak outgoing then tepid tide. Winds were ENE at about 15. Water temp was 72.4. It was a joy to have them both on the boat.

We fished from 7:15 to about noon and boated 23 Bull Reds, 1 Black Drum and 1 Small Blacktip Shark. We fished cut shad on the bottom at the Moon Rock.

Here are just a few of the Reds that Shy boated. These were the first Reds that Shy ever caught. He talked some trash on the video to his fishing buddies, "I've caught more fish in 3 hours here today than I have fishing for a year and a half with you guys!" (laughing) He truly had a blast.

2006-10-06T16:42:00.000-07:00

Jamie is one of my friends from Church. His son, Bucky, plays on the LaPorte Texans with my boy Nathan. He had a great day on the water. Jamie really enjoyed the fishing.

Tomorrow we are going to enjoy a LaPorte Texan's Victory!

Jamie was did a great job fighting Bull Reds and also 1 big ugly black drum.
These are just a few of the fish he caught on this trip.

Venting A Bull Red or Black Drum

2006-10-05T06:20:00.000-07:00

This is a Repost of a previous entry from March 2005 on Venting Reds and Black Drum.

Venting the air bladder on Bull Reds and Big Black Drum.

Right now the Red Drum Run is on. While at the jetty just a few days ago - I saw numerous drum caught - pictures taken - then dumped back in the water - floating belly up because they did not empty the air bladder.

I thought it would be good to post instructions on how to do this so we can assure the survival rate of these fish. Below are the instructions. What I have found that works great is a Turkey Spice Injector - I bought mine at Academy for $3.50. It works great!

Here are directions:

Venting trapped gases from a fish caught from deep water

October 3rd, 2006 - Best Day Ever ..... So Far!

2006-10-03T18:28:00.000-07:00

It was the most incredible day we have ever had fishing the North Jetty. We literally couldn't keep bait in the water! We would lower the bait to the bottom and wouldn't have to wait but seconds for our rods to go off. It was solid action from 7:20 - 8:30 at the Moon Rock and the it shut down as suddenly as it started.

At 9:15 we moved to the outside of the North Jetty towards the end and it was constant action again until 11:00. We were totally fatigued and left to head back to the house.

Watch the Video of the Action by clicking below!

Here are some more pictures!

2006-10-03T18:24:00.000-07:00

Wayne Hamilton fished with us today. It was an incredible day of fishing. The water was 71.6 - wind was 10-12 ESE - we fished an outgoing tide. Spent an hour and a half at the Moon Rock - then spent 2 hours out at Shrimp Boat. We fished cut shad on the bottom.

2006-10-03T18:19:00.000-07:00

We caught this Southern Sting Ray - and was very careful with him. Didn't want to end up with the Crocodile Hunter! He was released unharmed - the Ray - not the Hunter.

2006-10-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

We caught 2 smaller Black Tip Shark. I thought it would be fun to show you the teeth of one of this small sharks - the teeth may not be large - but they are razor sharp! I definately don't think you would want to lip one of these bad boys!

2006-10-03T18:13:00.000-07:00

Here are two of the many Bull Red's I caught on the day. All in all, I believe we caught 53 Bull Reds, 2 Black Tip Shark, 1 Jack, 1 Southern Stingray and 1 - just one - Hardhead. What an incredible day.

September 27th, 2006 - Major Bull Red Action

2006-09-26T18:35:00.000-07:00

Dewey and I headed out to the Jetties this morning. It was the first time in quite a while we have been able to get out. The water was 74.5 - with a NE then ENE wind at about 10 - we fished a slack tide - then into a strong outgoing tide. We spent the entire time - from 7 to 12:30 at the Moon Rock.On the day we caught - as best as we can figure - 27 Bull Reds - (1 at 46" and 1 at 48") - about 1/2 Dozen 3-4 foot Black Tip Shark - 2 Gaftop and a couple of Hardheads.

All fish were caught on cut shad fished on the bottom.

This was probably one of the most productive days for Bull Reds we have had on the water.

Here is a video of the trip. Enjoy!

2006-09-26T18:26:00.000-07:00

This Red went 48 inches long - she was probably one of the Top Five Bull Reds I have ever caught. My personal record is still 49 3/4 inches and 51 lbs. This one was a beauty though!Here are some of the other Reds we caught.

This was one of the larger Reds we caught - he was about 46 inches long.

2006-09-26T18:20:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the Reds the Dewey caught on the day. He also caught a couple of 3ft Black Tip Shark, a Gaftop and of couse - Dewey caught some hardhead! (grin)

Friday - September 8th, 2006

2006-09-08T12:11:00.000-07:00

Dewey and I were able to carve out a couple hours fishing on Friday Morning. It really is different fishing on the Weekend vs fishing on Monday thru Thursday. Many more boats - and few more novices also. We had a guy try and anchor up his boat next to us three times on the left - twice on the right. Never got anchored but almost drifted into our boat twice! (grin) Gotta love the weekenders.

We fished toward the end of the Jetty - Moon was in it Full Phase - water was 79.3 - wind was ENE at about 12 mph. Water clarity was average.

One the day we picked up 4 Bull Reds in about a 45 minute span. Then the bite died with the tide slacking. Even though the bite died, there were many fish on the fish finder swimming through on the bottom. We saw several boats around us catching Reds also - but no one really tearing them up.

We fished with cut shad on the bottom.

2006-09-08T12:09:00.000-07:00

This was the second Red of the day. She was healthy and beautiful. After venting her, we placed her back in the water.

2006-09-08T12:07:00.000-07:00

While I was unhooking and venting this Red, Dewey's other line took off. It was then we thought we were going to have a great day of Red Fishing. However, it was far from what we expected. Shortly after this, the incoming tide died down and so did the bite. There were tons of fish on the depth finder, but not would cooperate.

2006-09-08T12:05:00.000-07:00

This was the last Red of the day. We caught all the Red's within about 45 minutes of each other. It was good to get back on the water with Dewey. All in all a good day.

September 1st, 2006 - Captian John's Offshore!

2006-09-01T20:26:00.000-07:00

There were about 15 from our church - Bayshore Baptist - that loaded up and went offshore with Captian John's today. It was a blast.

While most were bumping the bottom for Red Snapper, I freelined off the back of the boat. I caught this 51" long King Fish - it is by far the largest Kingfish I have ever caught. He put up quite a fight - a really strong, beautiful fish.

The accomodations on Captian John's was wonderful! The air-conditioned cabin provided great relief from a hot day. The water was absolutely flat!

I would highly recommend fishing with Captian John! We will be going again!

2006-09-01T20:22:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken later in the day - on the way back to the dock. This was a beautiful fish - it is the largest King I have ever caught. There were others that posed with this fish - but they were merely 'posers' - I was lucky enough to catch the biggest fish of the day!

2006-09-01T20:20:00.000-07:00

This is the largest Ling I have caught to date. He was about 42" long and put up a whale of a fight. There were 2 other ling that were caught on the day. One was larger and one was smaller than this fish.

2006-09-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

Dewey caught this runner - this was Dewey's first trip in quite a while. He has been on the PUTP (Physically Unable to Perform) but was able to get out and do some fishing today. It was good to be back on the water with him. I miss outfishing him everytime.

Oh ... and just for the record ... Dewey DID NOT catch a Hard Head today! (laughing)

2006-09-01T20:15:00.000-07:00

Lynn caught this pretty little fish. The photo does not do the beauty of this fish justice. They told us what this fish was, but I don't remember. After we took this photo, the fish was tossed back into the water.

2006-09-01T20:13:00.000-07:00

Wayne caught this barracuda early in the day. It was the only one caught on the day. As you see - he is quite proud of his catch!

2006-09-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

This was on the inside of Captian John's Boat on the way in. Shortly after this picture was taken - a mean set of dominoes broke out. Dewey said, "I may be outfished - but I won't be outdominoed!" It really was a great day!

2006-09-01T20:07:00.000-07:00

Micah strutted around the boat like his was "King of the Fisherman" - but at the end of the day - Melody's stringer was heavier, fuller and more impressive than his! As you can see by the look on his face, Micah was not amused. However - everyone else way highly amused by this apparent fact!

2006-09-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

Lynn caught a limit of Snapper. It was fun fishing next to Lynn - he has been a friend since I was just a little snotty-nosed little boy. I have learned more about fish and conservation from him that any other person I know.

2006-09-01T20:02:00.000-07:00

Here is Frank Cannon and his son Mark showing off their stringers. They had a limit of Snapper and several Spade Fish for a nice stringer of fish!

TP&W - Tuesday August 29th, 2006

2006-09-01T19:55:00.000-07:00

The Texas Parks & Wildlife needed some Red Drum Brood stock. We have worked with them several times over at the HL&P Spillway - but this time we coordinated several boats to fish the North Jetty and try and pick up some Bull Reds.

On the day there were several caught - we had hoped for more - but it really was early in the season. TP&W had 2 boats that took the Reds to the "Mother Ship" and then on to Lake Jackson to the hatchery.

It is very important to me - and a great priviledge - to help the Red Fish Population through these efforts. Special thanks to Lance at TP&W for heading this up. Also, special thanks to Monty Weeks for allowing us to use 2coolfishing.net to coordiate the effort.

2006-09-01T19:53:00.000-07:00

Many times, the Black Drum and Red Drum run in schools. I caught this black drum just a few minutes after we caught the Bull Red.

2006-09-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

This is when I vented the Black Drum. Although is was a good fish - the Sea Center didn't need any Bull Drum - so this one was returned to fight another day!

2006-09-01T19:50:00.000-07:00

Though there were several other boats fishing in the effort - these are the only pics I have seen posted on 2coolfishing.net.

2006-09-01T19:49:00.000-07:00

Here is another one of the Reds that one of the boats caught.