I am interested, have always wanted take my rig, just don't know anybody familiar with the coast. Have ocean rods, Penn reels,down riggers, gps and marine radio. The wife and I enjoy going to Port A, Mustang Island. Let's do it.

When you leave the boat ramp with a full tank and are also going farther away from where you put in.
When you get to 5/8 of a tank left.
I would suggest you start working your way back or don't go any farther out!!
Basically use your (common sense) when your out in the gulf by yourself and always have a VHF-Marine Radio and a cell phone that works in the area your in.And definitely an extra fresh deep cycle battery and some jumper-cables.

I have a 17' 1973 Falcon tri-hull with a 115hp Evinrude and have been to the first rig several times(7 or 8 yrs. ago) out of Freeport (approx. 5 miles out-80' deep water).
Believe It Or Not
Me and my uncle pulled a 14' john boat back in that was tied up to the rig.
Just as we where getting ready to leave they asked if we would wait to make sure they could start there 35hp motor.
Well, there battery went dead.
So we towed them back.
Oh Yeah,that day we caught 9 red snappers-on cigar-minnows,lots of angelfish-on on small cut-up pieces of squid,3 black-tip sharks up to 5 feet at the rig and a couple of dozen nice gulf trout(sand trout) at the end of the now Quinita Jetties on our way out.
Seas were 1'to 2',wind was calm out of the S.E.
To falcon:If I had access to a 28'boat and had time to go to the gulf.
!!I WOULD FEAR NO EVIL!!
!!ACCEPT FOR MOTHER NATURE OF COURSE!!
!!YA'LL BE SAFE NOW HERE!!
.......(GFAFTA).......
FISHINGFOOL40

If someone has an empty seat in boat and leaving from d/fw i would love to split the cost...

The standard answer on fuel I get from the guys I talk to is 1/3rd max to get there, 1/3rd max to get back and not more than the balance running around from spot to spot. The trips I've been on offshore always started with a long run out and worked our way back in from spot to spot. The "3rd a 3rd and a 3rd" formula assumes you have an accurate fuel gauge ( usually double checked on the mechanical tank top guage visually when it get close on the electric guage. I've never used one of the flow meters or a Yamaha Management unit that was hooked to a GPS but I understand that they are the most accurate and reliable of anything out there at this time. I'd be interested in a Seminar type setting. I run a Key West 216 BayReef with an 80 gal tank and believe it is useable on a calm day out to about 20-25 miles or more.
Ron

The only advice I can give an offshore novice is this: If you have never been out in the blue water take some kinda sea-sick medicine as precribed BEFORE you leave the dock. Be it pill - patch - Dr. prescribed or not. I cannot overemphasise the importance of this. Fact is on a boat the size of a striper rig or even one used for party fishing etc., --if the seas get over say 3 or 4 feet you can rest assured that many people will become seasick. Get up in the 5 - 7 foot range and I believe "MOST' onboard will.Of course I'm not including seasoned sailors that frequent offshore, as they are more acclimated to it. I can say this much...to those that have never experienced it, there is no worst feeling in the world than being 50 miles out in say a 26 to 31 footer when the seas are running about 7 foot. Imagine the worst old spinning room - just ate some tacos drunk you ever had. And imagine it not getting any better at all,no matter how many times you chum the railing. The feeling will not subside usually till you actually step on land. The seasick pills will mean all the difference in the world between having fun fishing or spending a lot of money so you can feel miserable and hurl in a bucket all day.

I had planned to go to Port Oconnor because
capt cal guide service said deep blue water
is only 12 miles out, and lots of rigs and shrimp boats. Who wants to go 30 when you
can go 12miles . More fishing time less
fuel and better fish. This guy is also a striper guide on Texoma and has boats at
Port Oconnor. This is between galveston and
port aransas. Never been but want to go sat
to tuesday and spend time there.

I had planned to go to Port Oconnor because
capt cal guide service said deep blue water
is only 12 miles out, and lots of rigs and shrimp boats. Who wants to go 30 when you
can go 12miles . More fishing time less
fuel and better fish. This guy is also a striper guide on Texoma and has boats at
Port Oconnor. This is between galveston and
port aransas. Never been but want to go sat
to tuesday and spend time there.

I would definitely be interested in going. I've got a Sea Pro center console 17'4" in length. I have to work during the week, probably like most people on the forum, but am open on weekends to venture down. I live in Austin.

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Ed Utley

WOW. I NEVER NEW THERE WOULD BE SO MUCH ENTREST. FIRST OF ALL I WOULD BE GLAD O SET UP THE MEETING IN FW. IF WE HAD A GET TOGATHER AT THE COAST I WOULD SUGGEST FREEPORT. YOU CAN GO OFFSHORE AS FAR AS YOU WANT. GO AT YOUR OWN PACE. OUT 7 MILES OFF FREEPORT YOU CAN SEE LAND ON A CLEAR DAY. THE BEST FISHING IN THE SUMMER IS FROM 7 TO 25 MILES OFFSHORE. HERE IS WHAT ILL COVER IN THE CLASS.
1 PREPARATION BEFORE YOU GO.
2 WEATHER SOURCES
3 NAVIGATION
4 TACKLE & TECH.
I AM NOT AN EXPERT AT ANY OF THESE. BUT I CAN GET YOU STARTED.

WOW. I NEVER NEW THERE WOULD BE SO MUCH ENTREST. FIRST OF ALL I WOULD BE GLAD O SET UP THE MEETING IN FW. IF WE HAD A GET TOGATHER AT THE COAST I WOULD SUGGEST FREEPORT. YOU CAN GO OFFSHORE AS FAR AS YOU WANT. GO AT YOUR OWN PACE. OUT 7 MILES OFF FREEPORT YOU CAN SEE LAND ON A CLEAR DAY. THE BEST FISHING IN THE SUMMER IS FROM 7 TO 25 MILES OFFSHORE. HERE IS WHAT ILL COVER IN THE CLASS.
1 PREPARATION BEFORE YOU GO.
2 WEATHER SOURCES
3 NAVIGATION
4 TACKLE & TECH.
I AM NOT AN EXPERT AT ANY OF THESE. BUT I CAN GET YOU STARTED.

WOW. I NEVER NEW THERE WOULD BE SO MUCH ENTREST. FIRST OF ALL I WOULD BE GLAD O SET UP THE MEETING IN FW. IF WE HAD A GET TOGATHER AT THE COAST I WOULD SUGGEST FREEPORT. YOU CAN GO OFFSHORE AS FAR AS YOU WANT. GO AT YOUR OWN PACE. OUT 7 MILES OFF FREEPORT YOU CAN SEE LAND ON A CLEAR DAY. THE BEST FISHING IN THE SUMMER IS FROM 7 TO 25 MILES OFFSHORE. HERE IS WHAT ILL COVER IN THE CLASS.
1 PREPARATION BEFORE YOU GO.
2 WEATHER SOURCES
3 NAVIGATION
4 TACKLE & TECH.
I AM NOT AN EXPERT AT ANY OF THESE. BUT I CAN GET YOU STARTED.

HERE IS A GREAT SOURCE FOR WEATHER IN THE GULF.WWW.NDBC.NOAA.GOVMAPS/WESTGULF.SHTML

I have done this in all sorts of boats, mostly at POC out of 18 foot and headed down the beach to fish for trout and reds at the wrecks, but have gone out on calm days. Went out of Port A, 8 miles and got kings last week, in a 25 foot shoalwater. I have been out of Freeport and we only went 11 miles. Roughest part of the trip is when you break the jetties then it is easy. Lately at Port A, the kings have been close and no need to troll, most of the trolling however has been with hard baits free trolled and without a downrigger. But tying up or anchoring and drifting back ribbon fish or herring has been the key.

The key is calm days, you do not get too many of them and you must check the interval of frequency of the waves, 2 foot seas are easy, but if they are coming every 4 seconds, then it is not..I am interested in the seminar and possibly a trip. I have places that i can stay in POC and Port A, and a buddy close enough to Freeport so I could stay with him, but I will have 2 other people in my boat already who I have planned on going down there with.

Steve,

Where do you get "Ribbon-fish"? I move to the Dallas area from Tampa in 94 and I had never seen a ribbon fish until the TFF Tuna Trip last November, when we received them with the Shrimp Boat by-catch.

Are there any chances of locating a few shrimp boats this time of year?

Oh, and one more thing....

Has anyone seen a marlin out there this time of year? I lost a hook last November and I want to get it back .

I have not fished the coast that much, but it has always been out of Port O. I would suggest this place only because I know you can still fish areas even if the winds are up a little.
You may be able to do this in other areas also...just my .02

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Gig 'Em, Aggie class of '94.