Fishbuster Charters' Captain Dave Hanson reported,"Monday, 6/24, I fished near-shore, about ten miles west of New Pass with Steve Boha, his wife, Davey, and their children, Luke and Jenna. Sharks were abundant, and the group had fun reeling in and releasing fourteen sharks in all, nine sandbar sharks and five sharp-nose sharks, all measuring 35 to 38 inches. They lost four additional sharks that were larger and cut the line. The family also caught ten keeper-sized lane snapper, and kept four of those for dinner. They released the rest, along with fifteen crevalle jacks, some blue runners, and nine red grouper shorts to 18 inches. Everything bit on live shrimp.

Tuesday morning, 6/24, I headed out on a near-shore trip, 11 ½ miles west of New Pass, with Robert Menendez, his girlfriend, Debbie Sardina, Robert’s teenaged son Robbie, Debbie’s teenaged daughters, Natalie and Nicole, and friend Rosie Balasquez. There was no wind and no current to speak of, along with intense heat, but we drummed up a few nice catches. Rosie landed the only keeper red grouper, at 21 inches. It bit a grunt that had bitten a shrimp. The group released lots of red grouper shorts, along with five sandbar sharks to four feet. The largest of the sharks bit a pinfish; the others all bit shrimp. The group of anglers added to the box a few keeper lane snapper and some grunts, which will provide dinner, along with the keeper red grouper.



Darrin Berloff, his son, Logan, Paul Ratliff and his son, Ryan, and friends, Logan and Parker, were all in town for a softball tournament, and decided to spend Thursday morning, 6/26, fishing with me. The teen boys wanted to have some fun with sharks and goliath grouper, so we headed out to some good spots for those, about 11 ½ miles west of New Pass. Paul released a 90-pound goliath, and the boys lost a few huge ones, one of which even snapped off the steel cable on the rig. The guys also released a 3-foot sandbar shark, along with lots of crevalle jacks to two pounds, ten red grouper shorts that were 15 to 19 ½ inches, and a half dozen each yellowtail and mangrove snapper shorts. As for food-fish to bring home, they boxed a 20 ½-inch keeper red grouper, four keeper lane snapper, and a mess of grunts."