This is a chart of the area I fish. For the offshore guys notice the edge of the canyons out of south pass. 10 miles out of south pass and we are on the edge of the canyons 12 miles over 1 thousand feet deep. What looks like land in yellow is mostly marsh with pipe lines and ponds. The only solid land is on the west side of the river and as far down as Cypress cove and Venice marina. My place is where the red line on the river starts. I fish mostly out of Venice marina.
That was info I posted for some people up north. Now for the three trip report.
I decked for Capt. Eddie and we made a whole hearted attempt for wahoo but nobody was interested in breakfast. We wound up at one of the winter tuna grounds. It was a slow day with a few sharks and kingfish taking our hooks. We had a long tough day with only a few blackfin in the box, an amberjack and a small yellow. We used up all chum and as I was cleaning up the boat for the ride home our last bait in the water goes screaming and we knew instantly it was just what we were looking for. We had to chase this one because it had one heck of an additude. If we can get it in we wouldn't go in discusted with the day. After a while we stick this 127 pound beauty.
We took it down to the wire and it paid off for us. It was a tag team event.
We came in with something nice to hang on the board after all.
The last 2 days I was hired to guide Tony Nelson and his friend Matt from Arkansas on Tony's early 80's vintage Skipjack. Here is an overhead view with the standard fog added in.
Yesterday we trolled and jigged for wahoo, amberjack, and tuna around some rigs on the way out to the tuna grounds. Fighting fog all the way out and getting not even a sniff was not making for a good day. Once at the tuna grounds the day got worse. We found out the fish finder was not working right but that was ok nothing else was working not even the fish. Yesterday I sucked. 3 bonito for the whole day. Not a king, shark, or anything else. I always said I would post a report no matter how bad.
Today we start out in the same dense fog. I got some mullet with a cast net before we left the dock. Once we hit the gulf we have a head sea that pounds the heck out of us. I slowed the boat down to an idle to get a break from the uncomfortable ride when we notice we lost our livewell from the swim platform. So much for an upper edge. Once at the area we wanted to fish one of my buddies is already hooked up to a stud. We set up and get a shark. Will is getting big tuna and I am getting a damn shark. I am still carring that dark cloud from yesterday. Next bite is a small blackfin. Now we have a start. We are already 100% better than yesterday.
Next an AJ.
On the next drift we get another blackfin. Having no red meat I take it and start cutting it up for bait. Matt makes a comment that we will bring nothing back if I keep doing that. It is a short while later he has his first yellowfin. Nothing big but a good fight and something else in the box.
Not a hot bite but enough action to make a good fishing day and a nice dock picture. 3 yellows, 2 blacks, and 1 amberjack.
Tomorrow we will be doing a nearshore trip when the fog lifts. we will be forced to stay in the semi sheltered waters due to the winds. Don't want to get pounded to heck again in this.
Life is Good!
Fishing is not a matter of life or death. It's more important than that.
CAPT HOOP -- OUR FREEDOM