Offshore fishing the Texas Gulf Coast

[llama]

Thanks for all the info on gearing up on a different thread.This is the most interesting forum I've ever seen (perhaps because I just bought a 210?) . Anyway, I'll be heading for Port Aransas Texas at the end of November. I'm looking for information on offshore fishing in that area. What are the target species in that area during the winter. I'll be there until the end of Feruary.Does anybody know about fishing the oil rigs there. I'm such a rookie in offshore fishing that I really don't even know which questions to ask Any information to get me started off in the right direction will be greatly appreciated. Thanks inadvance

[calicokid]

Go to Allcoast www.sport-fish-info.com click on message boards scroll down to the Gulf Coast board and ask your question you should get an answer

[PileDriver]

I thought I would post here for everyone's information, even though Llama and I have discussed this in pm's. The Mid to Upper Texas Coast is not the best place to fish offshore in the winter. While we have one of the best snapper fisheries in the late spring to fall, as well as grouper, kings, and el dorados, all of these fish are very temperature sensitive. While snapper start showing up in 70 degree water, the rest of the crew really shows when we hit 75-80 degree water. This normally occurs in late May to June. Rig fishing is the best way to find red snapper and amberjack as well as a lots of sharks. If winter fishing is all you can do, you need to run to blue water, 1000 feet deep or better and then you can get into some great tuna fishing during the winter. Unfortunately, this is about a 75 to 120 mile trip one way from most spots along the Texas coast. Thus, you are looking at a very long ride to get to them. Most charters will not make a day run to them as it isnt worth it, instead they offer 36 to 54 hour trips. The other problem is the red snapper season, since this is the preimer target species offshore in Texas, the season runs from Apirl to Nov, in most years, this year rumor has it that it will end in Sept. and of course they reduced the limit to 2 fish from 4. But that is another topic in itself.

To pass the time in between the offshore season, I personaly focus on the bays, during the winter we still hold a good number of speckled trout, reds and have a flounder run in late fall. In feb, we usually get a big Black and bull red drum run. The black drum get huge here and it is not un heard of to caught 5 or 6 in the 60-80 pound range per day. 30-50 are very common. The number you will catch depends on how many crabs you take with you! As it seems that is all they want to feed on. Well, I will quit here, as all this typing is giving me the ich to go get on the boat. Unfortunately offshore is out this weekend as we are dealing with 4 foot waves on 5 sec intervals, not fun!

Cheers and tight lines
Piledriver.

PS for the other texas triumph/logic owners, we should get together sometime.