Fishbuster Charters’ Captain Dave Hanson reported,"Monday, 2/17/14, I headed offshore from New Pass about 17 miles, with Jim Swanger and Ron Kaplan. Seas weren’t quite as calm as predicted early-on, but they calmed down nicely by mid-morning. The guys used live shrimp to box seven 13-inch mangrove snapper, two 14-inch porgies, a keeper porkfish, a brace of 22-inch Spanish mackerel, and a couple of grunts. They chose to release eight additional porgies and three additional grunts.

Tuesday, 2/18, I headed offshore 29 to 31 miles from New Pass with Ron Musick, Eddie Alfonso, Shawn Arnett and his son, Ben, and friend, Kay. The group wanted food-fish, and they caught their share on live shrimp, boxing fifteen 14-inch whitebone porgies, seven 13-inch mangrove snappers, and thirteen large grunts. They released twenty additional porgies, along with an equal number of red grouper shorts to 19 ½ inches.

Wednesday, 2/19, Peder Engebretson and friend, John, fished with me about 22 miles west of New Pass, using live shrimp. They caught fourteen keeper lane snapper, all measuring about 10 inches, along with two nice sheepshead at 14 inches and 16 inches, and a couple of Spanish mackerel at 20 inches and 22 inches. They released mangrove snapper shorts, along with about twenty-five red grouper shorts.



I fished closer in on Thursday, 2/20, about eight miles off Naples beach on rocky bottom, targeting sheepshead with Jim McGrath and Bill Crockett. The guys caught eleven keeper sheepshead to16 inches. They released a crevalle jack, about fifteen mangrove snapper shorts, numerous red grouper shorts, and one short gag grouper.
Friday, 2/21, a windy morning, Robin Latham and friends, Dave and Terry, fished a catch-and-release, backwater trip with me in lower Hickory Bay, where they used live shrimp to release mangrove snapper and sheepshead.



Saturday morning, 2/22, the bite was more active in Hickory Bay than it had been the day before. Clint Trousil and son, Jeff, used live shrimp to catch a keeper, 14-inch pompano and two nice sheepshead at 19 and 20 inches. They caught and released ten smaller sheepshead."