Ok so I've been thinking of making the short run to the first Rig you can see from the tip of the Port-A Jetty. Will be next year once I get my VHF Radio for the boat and several other things. Do any of you fish this rig with success? What times of the year are best and what are the target species? Kings, Cobia, Snapper, Dorado??? Thanks for the input, and in the Skiff it will have to be on a pretty flat day that we venture out to it. I'm guessing by the looks it's 4-7 miles out? Thanks in advance.


Rob

Rob,
Are talking about the rig to the SSE of the jetties?

If so, they are about 7 miles out. There's 2 of them pretty close together. I've always referred to them as the "Standpipes".

I've caught ling, kings and undersized snaps there in the past. Two years ago there was a rip current/color change/weed line formed just about 2 miles outside of the standpipes. Me and buddy ended up with a nearly 20 dorado (mostly chicken dolphin), 35 kings and 2 ling in 4 hours. Of course we only kept a king each, but we did keep all of those chicken dolphin and both ling.

If your fishing the rigs then troll ribbon fish around them. Generally the up-current side will hold more kings. They maybe right at the legs or they maybe out 100 yards. A friend of mine caught a sail between those rigs and the end of the jetties last summer. So be ready.

Best time is summer. Of course you'll have head seas going and following seas coming. Worst part of the trip will traversing the washing machine at the end of the jetties.

I've been out there many times in bay boats.

Mike yeah those would be the ones I was refering to sir. I've made it out to the end of the Jetties with 3'-5' seas no problem in the Skiff so I know the Skiff can handle the "washin machine" with no problem lol. I'm looking at getting my VHF radio early next year & a few other things for worst case scenario. I have a few big rods for trolling or drifting baits (1-Penn 6/0 1-Penn 4/0 & 1-Large Penn Open Face). Also have a couple of Shimano Baitcast reels that are spooled with 300 yards of either Berkley Big Game 20# or PP 65# Braid & the old faithful Abu 6500's of course. Hopefully next summer I can make atleast 1 run out there with some good weather. I was thinkin might get lucky and get into some snapper that close maybe. I would settle for any of the others though lol. Thanks for the info sir and maybe we can hook up and make a run on the same day next summer.


Rob

Rob,
We definitely need to meet up. My new-to-me boat is set and ready to go. Just gotta wait for the calmer seas of next summer to make it happen. Just ordered a Navionics Texas Coastal chip so the last piece of the puzzle is now done.

But of course the fuel gauge quit working today so I need to fix that over the winter.

Hey guys i live here in Corpus and im allways lookin for buddys to help pitch in to do some offshore fishin. Iv'e got a 20' Hydrasports deep vee i can make it out in winter also weather permitting.

Sounds like a plan Mike. I sure would like a Depthfinder/GPS, but will have to settle for Handheld for now. Is your boat in Buda or you got her stored down @ the coast? If ya need any help with the repair work let me know if I can be of any help.......................... ReelDeal appreciate the offer sir & will be in touch........................ Rob

You have a PM ReelDeal07.

Rob,

Those rigs are a lot of fun, but during the summer you have to get out there early in the morining to get a spot on the rig. They are way over fished, because it is the first thing boaters see when the leave the jetties.

During the summer, you can easily limit out on Kings, catch a few ling, some sharks and lots of small snapper. Remember the vermillion, lane and mangrove snapper have good size limits and that is pretty much what you will catch there.

If you are going to go to a rig, my suggestion is to try out POC, much less fished and I have never been skunked there. If you head SE from the jetties, there is a group of rigs that hold decent size snapper and some grouper.

GL

GL Thanks for the tips. I have never fished out of POC. I think I will get my TOW @ the 2 rigs out of Port-A for a few trips this coming summer. Then maybe once I feel comfortable in understanding the methods and tackle needed here. I may toat the boat over to POC and hit the rigs there. Are they about the same distance out as the ones in Port-A?? I have a 19' Carolina Skiff and albeit a great boat and I'm very confident in it's abilities and mine as well. Rough seas make for one helluva rough ride in the Ole Flat bottom lol.


Rob

This is the rig your refuring too 1st rig south jetty??.. Be prepared for the unexpected..Port A seahawk 2054?

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/Redfishon/DSC00852.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/Redfishon/DSC00867.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/Redfishon/DSC00865.jpg
Video of the water spout..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rvJmRO1-Sw

we went out to the sterling platform that you can see from the jetties and the out to another rig that is 20 miles straight out from the jetty.

we had better luck at the further jetty, catching lots of decent snapper on live shrimp.

landpirate, would love some more info on fishing the ribbon fish. we bought some, like 12$ for 2 dozen, but didn't catch squat.
pics

goose we've caught plenty of kings with ribbon fish just outside the Jetties. Kingfish leaders (3 hooks about 12" long). Sometimes you can drift or troll them with no wieght at all. Sometimes you need to add weight above the leader. Start by adding 1oz & if no luck add another 1/4-1/2oz to get the bait deeper.

thatnks, will haveto try that next time!

You have to rig the ribbonfish straight on the kingfish rig. The first hook goes through the center of the bottom jaw and out through the top of the head. The second hook goes straight through the mid-section of the fish and the 3rd goes through the tail in the opposite direction of the second.

Place a 1oz egg sinker on the main line, on top of the steel leader. Just above the egg sinker I put on a teazer octopuss or squid.

Let it out about 50 yards behind the boat and slow troll at about 2-3 knots. Thats just above idle, maybe 1100 RPM. You'll know you got it right when you let a little line out and the ribbon appears to be swimming. If it's whirrly-birding then you need to re-reg or slow down.

One other thing........ If there is grass/sea weed all over the place it's gone be hard to keep your bait clean. This is when you may consider a little heavier wieght. Also +1 on the directions LP posted. If it aint straight in line they don't seem to work too well.


Rob

kicking advice. we are going to keep an eye on the weather and go next saturday. any other good strategies would be more than appreciated... ohh and we may have one open seat, pm for details.

i second the rigging of the ribbon fish..make sure they are totally straight. if not they might twist or the kings won't bite it!!! i was outfishing my family on the boat because i was taking the extra time to make sure my baited lines had perfectly straight ribbonfish.

That is very true. The better the bait tracks the more likely you are to get BIT!!! We use single strand Stainless Steel wire leaders. They seem to help keep the ribbonfish in line. TIGHT LINES!!!!

Rob

I also agree with the rigging of the ribbon fish. I believe that the key is to keep slack between each of the treble hooks. This, in combination with the first hook being through the bottom of the mouth up through the hard part of the head, will keep the bait "swimming" straight. I also use the stainles steel wire leaders, make them myself, they are very easy to make and I feel they are better than the store bought. I also use the heavy duty kingfish hooks, you can get them at Bass Pro.

When I fish a rig, there are two ways that I do it. The first is if I am tied up to the rig. While tied up, I generally float two lines out the back of the boat, one with a ribbon fish and one with a sardine (I make a sardine rig with two hooks about 6" apart, hook the first one through the mouth and leave the 2nd one trailing behind). If there is no current, I put a ballon on the two floaters, keeping them within around 5' of the surface. Then I usually put two lines on a down rigger at about mid depth with a ribbon and a sardine. Once these are out, I start having fun on the bottom for snapper/grouper/whatever hits.

The other method is if you cannot tie up to the rig, I use the same bait method and just slowly troll around the rig, getting as close as possible.

With the different baits and different depths, you can quickly zero in on what the fish are hitting and at what depth.

GL and have fun.