I have been planning for a year to get some guys together for a trip in October out of Dolphin Docks in Port A. The date they have is October 30th, 31st, returning the 1st of November.

Questions

1. It will be a full moon that trip, how will that effect the fishing? Will we hook up below average, average, or above average?

2. How will a full moon effect the water? Will the book be a rockin due to tides?

3. I had assumed tuna would be our game for the trip, but after some reading I am not so sure. What can I expect as far as types of fish we will catch or target?

4. Has anyone done a 40 hour trip? If so, how many hours are expected fishing?

5. Any other tips and stories are welcome!!

Did you check with any of the other charters? Dolphin Docks=Buyer beware.
That is all.

deep sea headquarters or Wharf Cat(Scat Cat )

+1

+2
The dolphin docks 40 hr is not a true Tuna trip. I have been on 2 and they didnt even go near the floaters. The boat did manage a few blackfin.
If you want to do some real tuna fishing go on a 56 hour on the Scat Cat out of fishermans wharf. These guys do whats necessary to catch fish.
www.wharfcat.com tell Jan hi for me!

A group of us are going out w/ DSH on 10/23 on a floater trip.

We went in January of this year, and had a great trip. . . .more blackfin than you could possibly want to catch, AJ's, grouper, wahoo, and a few yellowfin. The reason we picked October this time, is because the crew swore up and down the Yellowfin bite is a sure thing in October/November. . . not to mention the weather is much more cooperative.

We had a blast on the Gulf Eagle. . .their crew is TOP NOTCH!!!! Capts. Nate and Keith put us on the fish and the deckhands took great care of us. I've never fished with anyone other than DSH. . . .never had a reason to. Catch my drift? (no pun intended)

Tell Capt Kieth and Capt Nate I said Hello Hopefully I will be on thier boat next year sometime. I dont think I ever put the topwater rig down last time I was on thier boat Capt Kieth didnt think it would work very well... I fooled him hehe

well [censored].

I had started my plan on the longer trips but my dad said he is only good for 40 hours and other people are not able to take off week days.

I did my bachelor party on deep sea for a 12 hour trip. We had a blast. But I also did a 12 hour off dolphin and had a blast.

So anyone have a comment about the moon.... full moon on October 30th.

Aside from tuna will we catch fish on the 40 hour trip?

If I was going alone I would do a 56-80 hour. This year it is 40 hours or zero hours.

Is it worth the $300?

JM, to try to answer your questions, I'll offer these thoughts.

1. If you go to the floaters, the full moon could make a difference at night for tuna. More moon light may scatter the tuna a bit, makes it easier for them to feed and not rely on artifical lights from boats and oil rigs.
I've had full moon trips where during the day the bite was WFO, so it could be slow at night and a good bite during the day. 'course if it's cloudy then less light concentrates the fish a bit, especially tuna. Can't say the bite will good or bad only due to the moon.

2. Tides/currents don't rock the boat, wind does by waves, and it can be from events miles away. Late Oct/early Nov. can bring a windy norther and cause rough seas, but it can also be smooth as baby's bottom, so it's a [censored] shoot always along the Texas coast.

3. You should target tuna that time of year on a 40 hour trip. Maybe not at the floaters, but at least the shrimpboats out deep. You can expect to catch tuna, kings, Dorado, AJ's, snapper, (Red are out of season), Ling, Wahoo, 'Cuda's, 'Bow Runners, Grouper, shark, Jack Crevalle, and other fish. Best thing about fishing deep, you never know what you'll hook.
If you stay at the floaters, as mentioned you'll probably not do much shelf fishing, except on the way out or back home.
If you run the shelf only, you'll most likely hit a lot shrimpboats, rocks, rigs, and wrecks, and other deep stuff for reef type fish, tuna, an other buggers.

4. You'll be on the LP or the Dolphin, neither runs much more than 10 knots, expect to either run 12-14+ hours to the floaters or at least 6-7 or more hours if you stay on the shelf.
So deep 24 to 28 hour run time, and shelf fishing 12-14 or more hours running plus from spot to spot.

Serious suggestion, I would talk to D.D. and get an idea of the plan they would do, and if you are private chartering the whole boat, then you have input on what to do. If you're only taking a number of spots on an open charter, then you fish where the captain decides to go.
I believe you asked if the $300 as worth it? It certainly can be worth it. DD for a long time was the only dock that did "Tuna Safari's" out of Port Aransas. Not the same captains, but the same boats. Slow, not the cleanest, but they got fishermen there and fished and sometimes they came back with a boat full, sometimes they came back with few fish.
Meals are included, I believe, and that is something to consider.
Only you can decide if it's worth it to you and your group, but I do suggest that you talk to the dock way before you book a trip to get an actual feel of what they offer and then ask around like you did on here.
However it works out, good luck to you and the group.

Awesome..... Thanks TOO

Two years ago (November) we chartered one of the boats out of DSH. When we got to the shelf we trolled behind the boat. We hooked up and boated a 300-350lb blue marlin.

We had a cold front blow in and roughed it up pretty good. Of the 25 of us on board only 4 of were able to fish due to sea sickness. The 4 of us limited everybody on the boat with BFT and some YFT. Seas were solid 8 to 10 footers. It was a challenge. Even our deck hand was sick. We sent him to bed and fished all night.

So the moral is that when you book a trip this far out (which you pretty much have to do), you won't know what the weather is going to do until the week of your trip. Definitely a carpshoot.