Usually you can buy the ribbon fish frozen and it will thaw on the way out to fish.

Gulf season is closed for shrimpers right now and will be until usually July 15th, but i was told by a shrimper that bay numbers have not been good and they may extend that season. If bay is open, gulf is closed usually.

Duck Jerky is right, lots of protected water at POC, lots of good tidal pools and back waters to wade. Pass Cavalo is a great place to, but I would have a spare anchor for there, I have lost a couple on the rocks , but if you can get out and run the beach for trout it can be fast and furious. Big reds will show up at that pass too, night fishing there can be fantastic too.

God i wished I lived within 100 miles of the coast.

Best news I have had in a few weeks, is a buddy of mine just bought a house in POC, now I have one there and one in Rockport and one in Port A, to stay at...YIPPEE! Now my odds of getting salty have improved tenfold.

used to catch Ribbon fish all the time in the Humble channel off of the SPI causeway. Isn't that where Witt's pier and Red dot are/used to be? You can catch them at witt's right off the pier . I never have seen one caught at Rockport where I usually fish now. They put up a helluva fight.

You can buy frozen ribbon fish at most bait shops on the coast. They are common in Galveston Bay near the mouths of the bays. They stay towards the top of the water column and are rarely caught with rod and reel.

I spoke with my brother who works offshore on a supply boat earlier this month when he was in port. He was talking about the big marlin that he has been seeing lately at night. When they are parked at a rig transfering material at night with all of the big lights and such the flying fish gather up under them. He said that HUGE marlin have been just hammering the schools of bait fish and it is an amazing thing to watch.

I'll tell him to look out for your hook.

You can buy frozen ribbon fish at most bait shops on the coast. They are common in Galveston Bay near the mouths of the bays. They stay towards the top of the water column and are rarely caught with rod and reel.

I spoke with my brother who works offshore on a supply boat earlier this month when he was in port. He was talking about the big marlin that he has been seeing lately at night. When they are parked at a rig transfering material at night with all of the big lights and such the flying fish gather up under them. He said that HUGE marlin have been just hammering the schools of bait fish and it is an amazing thing to watch.

I'll tell him to look out for your hook.

Much easier to buy them. You can get them close to the surface, but why waste time doing that when you can buy them and have plenty to fish with or chum with. Herring will also work and you can buy it at bait stores, or even a shrimp house that sells bait might have them.

I have had real good luck on kings and wahoo right out from the jetty at port isabel. Never went further than 1 or 2 miles except on one battle with a hoo. Is that possible in port A? Do you routinely catch fish after clearing the jetties? Port Isabel is a much longer drive but there are several plusses for going the extra distance. I have not tried port A and would really like to know.

The jetties at Port A are the most dangerous waters on the Texas coast. Tremendous currents converge there.

A few years ago, my brother-in-law and I got in trouble in the middle of the jetty channel on a relatively calm day. We were in a 18' bay boat, when we were suddenly in the middle of 6' to 8' waves in rapid sucession. I am not sure how we got out of it with only cuts and bruises.

Guys, please be careful!



[This message has been edited by eabrooke (edited 06-14-2003).]

Here's a great link concerning what size boat is appropriate for off/nearshore: http://www.iboats.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=005258

Eabrooke, your advice can't be stressed enough. I fish Matagorda Bay about 5 to 10 times a year. I have an 18 foot, rolled Vee Kenner Bay Boat with a 90 Hp Mercury. It's made for the bays.

But, I can tell you for a fact, that the 15 to 20 mile run just across the bay itself can get tricky. Much less the gulf itself. I have spent several nights beached on Matagorda Island because of "instant" weather changes and I couldn't get back across the 15 mile bay in my "bay" boat.

When the waves come up to the point that they're breaking over the bow, and the water is full of millions of jelly fish, you know you're boat's not big enough, ha ha!!

I've fished the jetty at Port O'Connor in my boat and once, got caught in the "out draft" and had the boat at half throttle trying to get back to "calm water". The outgoing "smooth" water was like a river!

It happens so quickly and so smoothly that if you're not careful, you'll be pulled right through it and into 5 and 6 foot swells before you know it.

There is a difference between a "bay" boat and a "blue water" boat for sure. My son-in-law was 20 years in the Coast Guard with his last 4 years served in Galveston. He tells stories of recovering boats AND bodies that are sobering. He says that he knows idiots that have gone offshore in 21 foot bass boats. Fortunately, the idiots lived to tell about it.

So, having the 6 year bay experience I have already, I wouldn't venture out in the gulf itself in ANYTHING under a 22 footer. And the advice on a 'kicker' should be heeded. A single screw when you're 5 to 10 miles off shore is not smart.

I've fished with Captain Mike Mosley of Saltwater Addiction out of Matagorda for several years. I can tell you that he has a 23 foot bay boat. Unless the gulf is almost glass-like, he will not go out pass the jetties. And, this is a guy with 25 years experience as a guide down there.

So, for what it's worth!

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Ax Man Mac

There is a HUGE differance in a bay boat and offshore boat.
Each name describes it perfectly . If it say's bay DO NOT use it to go offshore or even at the end of the Jetties in galveston I have had 10 tows already {since May} from people taking bay boats to the end of the jetties where the tides run together .
So if it is safety you want go with the largest boat you yourself can afford and have a radio installed on it.
I suggest at least 24 and above for offshore/
at least 20 above for bay.
Watch the boat capacity that is so important!
My last tow had 8 people on board it was a 18' Can you believe it?
It actually got beached not to far from the concrete ship and the woman and 2kids he had on it asked to ride in mine. Of course I radioed in the boat cap. and the tow the CG had a nice ticket waiting for them
Good Luck on your boat hunting it took me 2 yrs. of looking before I found my 26' Seaswirl Offshore.
Tight Lines ,
Capt.Bill

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ILL STILL HOLD A SEMNAR. THOSE OF YOU WHO WISH TO GO OFFSHORE CAN MAKE UP YOUR MIND AFTER.I FEEL SAFE GOING OFFSHORE IN TEXAS DURING THE MONTHS OF MAY ,JUNE, JULY, AND AUG.YOU MUST WATCH THE WEATHER AND BE RESPONSABLE. JULY AND AUGUST ARE THE SAFEST BUT YOU SHOULD USE CAUTION. I AM NOT SUGGESTING YOU TAKE TRIHULLS ETC OUT IN THE GULF. YOU CAN TAKE AN 18' AND ABOVE AS FAR OFFSHORE AS YOUR COMFORTABLE IN TEXAS DURING THE SUMMER. I HAVE BEEN OUT IN A TRIHULL WHEN I WAS YOUNG AND DUMB.I SUGGEST ALEAST 18/ DEEP V WITH ALEAST A 135 HP. TAKE SEA ANCHORS AND REGULAR ANCHORS.ALEAST 300' ON EACH ROPE. IF YOUR MOTOR QUITS YOU CAN DEPLOY THE ANCHORS AND KEEP THE BOW INTO THE WAVES TILL THE TOWING SERVICE THAT YOU ARRANGED BEFORE LEFT PORT GETS THERE.MOST TOWING SERVICES WILL COME GET YOU UP TO 25 MILES OFFSHORE IF YOU HAVE A TOWING POLICY ALREADY IN PLACE. I CALL MY TOWING CO. EACH YEAR IN FREEPORT BEFORE I GO.TEMPEST MARINE FREEPORT TX 817-233-0700.I HAVE NEVER HAD TO USE THEM. YOU WILL NOW WHEN YOU LEAVE THE JETTYS IF ITS RIGHT FOR YOU.(IF YOU HAVE CHECKED THE WEATHER YOU WILL NO ANYWAY) CONDITIONS GHANGE AS YOU GO OUT OR IN.WE FILE A FLOAT PLAN WITH A PERSON ON SHORE EACH TIME WE GO OUT. IF WERE NOT HOME WHEN WE SHOULD BE THE COAST GAURD WILL BE NOTIFIED WITH GPS CORD AND A GENERAL AREA OF WERE WE EXPECT TO BE. WE CARRY A DITCH BAG ON BOARD. EACH TRIP OUT I GIVE ONE PERSON THE RESPONIBILTY OF GETTING THIS BAG IN AN EMERGANCY.IN THIS BAG IS A CELL PHONE, HANDHELD VHF RADIO,HANDHELD GPS, FLARE GUN, REGULAR FLARES, A STROBE, WHISTLE, AN ORANGE FLOATING SIGNAL MAT,ONE EXTRA LIFE JACKET,WATER, AND A FIRST AID KIT. THE BAG IS WATERPROOF.I NOW MY BOAT AND THEREFORE I WANT TO BE TRYING TO FIX WHATS WRONG OR PUT OUT THE FIRE ETC. IF IT LOOKS LIKE WERE GOING DOWN I WANT TO BE DOING EVERY THING I CAN TO KEEP US AFLOAT AS SOMBODY ELSE IS GETTING TO SAFETY GEAR. WE ALWAYS WEAR LIFEJACKETS ON THE WAY OUT OF THE JETTYS AND AT NIGHT.(YES WE SOMETIMES GO OUT IN THE DARK.)THE FARTHER YOU GO OFFSHORE THE BETTER YOUR EQUIPMENT MUST BE. THIS SOUNDS LIKE ALOT OF SAFTEY EFFORT. THE SEA WILL REMIND YOU EACH TIME YOU GO OUT TO TAKE PRECATION. ITS A WONDERFUL PLACE AND IT IS POWERFUL.ITS BIG AND WONDERFUL. THE FISHING IS ALMOST ALWAYS GREAT.

DOES ANYBODY NOW OF A GOOD PLACE WE CAN HAVE THIS OFFSHORE THING. FT WORTH WOULD BE MY PREFERANCE FOR THE SEMNAR. I HAVE A GOOD PLACE IN MIND AT FREEPORT FOR THE FISHING.

If you guys are going to POC we have fished 3 of the last 5 weekends. Limits on AJ's to 45 lbs at the MI Liberty Ships(about 20 miles out) and the A105 has produced some nice AJ's to 60 lbs with some nice red snapper to 27 inches mixed in. We have been fishing out of 23 foot century with 105 gallon tank. The A105 is a ways out so make sure you got the gas to get there and home. We carry an extra 30 gallons with us. Live piggy perch on a 100 lb leader carolina rigged has been the trick for us. As for dead bait there are to many of those ^$%$@# trigger fish plus live ait seems to catch the bigger fish. Some small chicken dolphin on the weedlines past the libert ships(great fun on light spinning tackle). Get a good map before you go and make sure you have a compass if the GPS fails which happened to us last year.

I NOW THIS THREAD IS OLD BUT I WILL START LOOKING NEXT WEEK FOR A PLACE TO DO THE OFFSHORE THING. ILL LET EVERYBODY NOW.

Any reports?