Posted By: Capt Rick Hammond
Excellent Flounder action over the weekend - 05/07/18 08:54 AM
The last 4 nights of flounder gigging have been excellent, with fast action, solid fish, and lots of happy customers. Winds and water clarity improved over the last few nights, making for some fun gigging and easy spotting. Flounder were found in tight schools over sand/grass/mud bottom, making for some fast action when we found a group of them, but also slow when covering ground to find the next group of fish. Limits in 2-3 hours were the norm, with most flounder in the 15-18" range. More sheepshead have started to show up recently, giving us the opportunity to stab some bonus fish each night after we get our flounder limits. Sheepshead is excellent table fare, with a sweet taste and delicate texture. It is probably the most most overlooked good quality eating fish in Texas waters, and very fun to gig as they swim past the boat. Sheepshead are more challenging to gig than flounder, requiring a broadside angle shot while the boat is in motion. Flounder gigging should remain good for the rest of Summer, with lots of active fish on the flats chasing and ambushing small baitfish.
5/3/2018
Fun times and lots of laughs with the Mark K. group of 4, their second trip this week. Conditions were poor, with ESE winds at 20-25mph and slightly high tide levels. Water clarity was poor, with a hard outgoing tide. We worked through the tough conditions, ending with a 20 flounder limit plus 1 black drum.
5/4/2018
I had the West M. group of 5 onboard tonight, with guests from California and Oregon. Conditions were fair, with East winds at 10-15mph, and normal tide levels. We got a fast start, finding groups of active flounder over deep water grass and sand, gigging 19 in the first 1.5 hours. We only had to make one move, and we had our 25 flounder limit plus 2 sheepshead.
Late Trip - I had the Ramiro C. group of 3 onboard for the late trip, leaving the dock at midnight. Winds were now East at 5 mph, and steady rain. The rain picked up as we made our way out, becoming quite heavy in a few brief downpours. We got on the flounder right away gigging in the pouring rain, finding a huge school of active fish over grass and mud bottom. The rain must have had the flounder eager to head shallow all at once, because they were everywhere. We gigged our flounder limit quickly, in 45 minutes. After that, we surveyed the area, in awe of all the flounder moving around, seeing over 20 more flounder in the next 15 minutes. We ended with a 15 flounder limit plus 2 sheepshead, with a 17" average size.
5/5/2018
I had the Doug. R family group of 4 onboard tonight, including his 15 year old daughter and a friend. Conditions were perfect, with dead clam winds and normal tide levels. Water clarity was marginal, and slack tides made for some slower action. The teenage girls had a great time spotting and gigging flounder for the first time, they made it look easy. We ended with a 20 flounder limit plus 2 sheepshead. The largest flounder was 20".
Late Trip - I had the Marshall D. group of 2 onboard for the late trip, leaving the dock at midnight. We made quick work of our flounder limit, and went looking for some sheepshead and black drum. The boys missed many sheepshead, but eventually got the hang of it, hitting fish with the boat running fast. We ended with a 10 flounder limit plus 6 sheepshead.
5/6/2018
Fun trip with the Eric group of 3 tonight, from central Texas and Colorado. Conditions were nice, with South winds at 5-10mph and slightly low tide levels. We found scattered fish over mud and sand bottom, with the best action in deeper water 20-50 yards from the bank. After gigging our flounder limit, we made a move, and went looking for drum and sheepshead. We ended with a 15 flounder limit, plus 6 sheepshead and 1 black drum.
Upcoming open dates:
May: 9, 13, 17, 20, 22, 23
June: 5, 12-14, 18, 19, 21, 26-28
July: 1, 3, 6-13, 15-18, 22-24, 26-28, 30, 31
I also do "late trips" if I finish quickly with my first group. Late trips usually leave the dock 10pm-1am. Please call for availability. This is the best way to get a trip on short notice when I am already booked.
Price: $450 for 2 people, $100 each additional person, up to 6 people
Capt. Rick Hammond
Night Stalker Guide Service - Rockport, TX
nightstalkerguideservice.com
361-229-6053
5/3/2018
Fun times and lots of laughs with the Mark K. group of 4, their second trip this week. Conditions were poor, with ESE winds at 20-25mph and slightly high tide levels. Water clarity was poor, with a hard outgoing tide. We worked through the tough conditions, ending with a 20 flounder limit plus 1 black drum.
5/4/2018
I had the West M. group of 5 onboard tonight, with guests from California and Oregon. Conditions were fair, with East winds at 10-15mph, and normal tide levels. We got a fast start, finding groups of active flounder over deep water grass and sand, gigging 19 in the first 1.5 hours. We only had to make one move, and we had our 25 flounder limit plus 2 sheepshead.
Late Trip - I had the Ramiro C. group of 3 onboard for the late trip, leaving the dock at midnight. Winds were now East at 5 mph, and steady rain. The rain picked up as we made our way out, becoming quite heavy in a few brief downpours. We got on the flounder right away gigging in the pouring rain, finding a huge school of active fish over grass and mud bottom. The rain must have had the flounder eager to head shallow all at once, because they were everywhere. We gigged our flounder limit quickly, in 45 minutes. After that, we surveyed the area, in awe of all the flounder moving around, seeing over 20 more flounder in the next 15 minutes. We ended with a 15 flounder limit plus 2 sheepshead, with a 17" average size.
5/5/2018
I had the Doug. R family group of 4 onboard tonight, including his 15 year old daughter and a friend. Conditions were perfect, with dead clam winds and normal tide levels. Water clarity was marginal, and slack tides made for some slower action. The teenage girls had a great time spotting and gigging flounder for the first time, they made it look easy. We ended with a 20 flounder limit plus 2 sheepshead. The largest flounder was 20".
Late Trip - I had the Marshall D. group of 2 onboard for the late trip, leaving the dock at midnight. We made quick work of our flounder limit, and went looking for some sheepshead and black drum. The boys missed many sheepshead, but eventually got the hang of it, hitting fish with the boat running fast. We ended with a 10 flounder limit plus 6 sheepshead.
5/6/2018
Fun trip with the Eric group of 3 tonight, from central Texas and Colorado. Conditions were nice, with South winds at 5-10mph and slightly low tide levels. We found scattered fish over mud and sand bottom, with the best action in deeper water 20-50 yards from the bank. After gigging our flounder limit, we made a move, and went looking for drum and sheepshead. We ended with a 15 flounder limit, plus 6 sheepshead and 1 black drum.
Upcoming open dates:
May: 9, 13, 17, 20, 22, 23
June: 5, 12-14, 18, 19, 21, 26-28
July: 1, 3, 6-13, 15-18, 22-24, 26-28, 30, 31
I also do "late trips" if I finish quickly with my first group. Late trips usually leave the dock 10pm-1am. Please call for availability. This is the best way to get a trip on short notice when I am already booked.
Price: $450 for 2 people, $100 each additional person, up to 6 people
Capt. Rick Hammond
Night Stalker Guide Service - Rockport, TX
nightstalkerguideservice.com
361-229-6053
