Rough surf could trigger bull run

All of us should be thankful we have this holiday to take a break from our jobs and enjoy the time off with friends and family. While the fishing has been just so-so, the pleasant weather during the weekend allowed folks to enjoy the outdoors and that last summer holiday.

If boating is in your plans today, keep an eye on the weather. Thunderstorms and moderate to strong winds are in the forecast. It would not be surprising to see small-craft advisories in effect.

If you are one of the large numbers of bull red fishermen who converge on the beach front during the fall, this might be the week to enjoy your sport. An added bonus for your group is the fact that the 61st Street Fishing Pier is back in business, and it, along with the other beach front fishing piers, was one of the hot spots before Hurricane Ike.

The forecast is calling for wind velocities that would create rough surf, and that is one of the key ingredients that triggers runs of bull reds.

For those anglers new to this sport, keep in mind that red fish more than 28 inches in length, commonly called bull reds, are basically a catch-and-release fish. Most Texas fishing licenses have a special tag that can be used to retain one oversized red; however, the tag must be filled out and securely attached to the fish.

In other fishing news, we had two offshore reports and one from the beach front.

Cody Dunn and Gustav Elker braved the rough seas Saturday and headed 35 miles offshore in Dunn’s 19-foot Mako. The endurance was well worth it, as the hardy anglers returned with a catch consisting of three ling, two Spanish mackerel, two chicken dolphin and one each king, jack crevalle and mangrove snapper. A nice dolphin (dorado) was hooked but won the battle and still roams the area.

The party boat Capt John made a 30-mile trip east of the island Saturday where Capt. Johnny Williams placed his 58 guests into a bunch of spadefish. Their tally for the day was 453 spadefish, 18 lane snapper, 23 gulf trout, four sharks and a mangrove, jack crevalle and gafftop.

Richard Belleau, 61st Street Fishing Pier, reported catches of bull reds, black drum and sharks on cut bait, croaker and sand trout on dead shrimp and specks on live shrimp. The surf was choppy, but the water was in good shape all the way to the beach.

To get your catch in the Reel Report, phone Capt. Joe Kent at 409-683-5273, or send an e-mail to reel.report(at)galvnews.com. There’s no charge for this service.