For those of you that regularly run out to the oil rigs off of CC and Port A, can this be done with say a 19ft Mako CC boat? I have been told that they arent very far offshore but dont know for certain.

I've done it many times in my 19' Bluewave. Seas have to be right and it's always best to make sure you have all your safety gear in Top Notch Shape. Buddy Boat is also a plus. I've gone to Big Southern out of Packery a couple times. Great small craft fishing.

If forecasts are anything more than 1-2 ft. seas then you'd best rethink it. Check into proper offshore safety equipment: EPIRB, VHF Radio (w/ TALL antenna), GPS/Plotter, Compass (and know how to navigate with it), SeaTow or BoatUS insurance, PFD's, personal beacons.

I wouldn't venture much beyond 20 miles.

Thanks for the feedback guys. I grew up fishing off of Miami's coastline and did things in a 17ft Boston Whaler that would freak a lot of people out but I am not that familiar with the Gulf and was under the impression that the water is much shallower than the deep drop offs just offshore in Miami. I didn't realize that big southern was 25 miles off shore, thats a pretty good run. Are there oil rigs that offer good fishing that are closer than big southern?

I've been to the rigs several times in my 16 ft.

The rig at southern is gone; you would have to drift it. I would not make that trip in your boat. The rigs closes to the beach just south of the jetty�s are a lot of fun. Drop a live shrimp for a mixed bag of sheepshead, black & red drum, large whiting, red snapper and small to keeper size ling. If the water is nice you might want to set a flat line with a ribbonfish for kings and sharks. The action will be fast so your boys should be busy catching. You will have to fight through the hardheads and sand trout on some rigs but there are a lot to choose from.

Have fun

Now thats what I am talking about!

Use those hardheads for bait. Ling love 'em. Just snip off their fins to make 'em easier to handle.

Liberty Ships are something like 11 miles off of Packery. I can't remember perfectly but I think that's close.

There's some natural gas wells about 8-10 miles off Freeport.

Is there a map a guy can buy that shows these wrecks,reefs,rigs above and below water? And if so can you guys give me a tip on where I can pick these maps up in the Aransas Pass/Port A area?

here is a link to some info.


http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/water/habitats/artificial_reef/

http://www.fishingportaransas.com/htdocs/structures.htm

Contact Rik and buy this book, period.

http://redsnapperfishing.com/

This one isn't bad but Rik's book is better:

http://www.rodnreel.com/offshorefishermansbible/

Freebie:

http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/OnLineViewer.html

If you're going to fish offshore then you need to know what the seas are doing. National Data Buoy Center. Click on a weather buoy and see water temps, currents, wave data, wind data for the last 24 hours plus NOAA's forecasts.

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/

?? sharks want eat a hardhead but ling do?

Cub, let me know when to meet you down there lol