Capt John 12 Hour Offshore Thursday June 2, 2016

With offshore conditions roughly the same as yesterday ( pun intended)  the party boat Capt. John departed Pier 19 with 74 anglers aboard.

With Captain Johnny Williams at the wheel the offshore run began in a southeasterly direction. After a bit of a bouncy ride they arrived at the wreck pieces of the V. A. Fogg. The 100 feet deep waters, about 47 miles to the south southwest of the island had snapper but the bite was on the slow and small side. The hi-light at the Fogg and the day was the catch by Yolanda Baker. While fishing a sardine tipped, green/chartreuse, 5 oz snapper slapper she had a big hit and a bump. Who knows what the hit sequence was but the result was that each of the two hooks had a fish on it! The pair was a keeper ling and 14# red snapper. My guess would be that the snapper hit first then the aggressive ling did its bite. It was one of those strange things that happen offshore at times.

After the Fogg a move to the East was made to spots in 120 feet of water over natural bottom were made. The red snapper bite definitely picked up. The usual natural baits of cut squid or spanish sardines and the tried and proven snapper slappers were the heart of the strike generators. Again, most hits come from the mid-depths and or near the bottom. Todays total catch consisted of :

148 Red snapper to 15# (many of 10-15#)

1 Ling

1 Kingfish

Yolanda Baker, Wamego Kansas, with the “memory maker” dual catch of 14# red snapper and keeper ling on her snapper slapper. Incidentally, in a show of friendly sharing with someone he just met, Capt John regular Gino Asuncion, gave her the snapper slapper because he knew it would help her being successful.

Jeff Mac, Seabrook, had a red snapper limit to 10# on a blue/green snapper slapper

Zack Martwick, Seven Points, with a red snapper limit to 8# on a red/white snapper slapper

Gino Asuncion, Galveston, red snapper limit to 15# with a 7 oz sardine tipped, pink/chartreuse snapper slapper

Walter Lemons, Houston, red snapper limit to 14# on Carolina rigged spanish sardines

Rob Richardson, Athens, he had a pair of kingfish on free lined spanish sardines that were released due to being “length challenged.” He did succeed in taking a red snapper limit to 15# on a faded, pink/chartreuse, 5 oz sardine tipped snapper slapper from the mid-depths while on the sink.

I didn’t make this one due to a re-occurring knee problem and I surely missed another good one in spite of the wind, bumps and rain. So far the opening of the red snapper fishery’s catches have matched the hype and I know the best is still to come. Another fishing point, snapper slappers are for sale in the Capt John office.

See you on the Capt. John!

Patrick Lemire