Fishbuster Charters' Captain Dave Hanson reported,"Monday morning, 12/15, I fished inshore with Frank Richards, his son Tony, Tony's grandfather, Largus Bruer, and family friend, Alvin Bodin. The guys used live shrimp to catch six nice sheepshead to 15 inches and two trout, one at 15 inches and one at 17 inches. They released some smaller sheepshead, a ladyfish, and a stingray.

Tuesday morning, I fished again in lower Hickory bay, this time with sister and brother, Shirley and Dan Host. They used live shrimp on a catch-and-release trip, and released a 17-inch redfish, four sheepshead to 14 inches, a 22-inch ladyfish, two stingray, and two puffer-fish.



Wednesday, 12/17, seas were calm and conditions were great 19 miles west of New Pass, where I fished with Joe George and his son, Brad. We had steady grouper action, which was great, even though they all had to be released, due to closed season. The guys used live shrimp to catch and release fifteen red grouper, five of them keeper-sized at between 22 and 27 inches. They also released seven gag grouper, two of which were keeper-sized, along with an 18-inch hogfish. They boxed three 15 and 16-inch mangrove snapper, out of five mangs caught, and added twenty nice whitebone porgies to 16 inches to the fish box. They released a brace of 15-inch triggerfish, along with a porkfish, and they battled, photographed, and released an 8 1/2 –foot sandbar shark, which bit on a porgy. All in all, it was a great morning of fishing.



Paul Oleff and friends, Sandy and Howard, wanted to explore Estero Bay and check out various fishing spots with me on Thursday morning, 12/18. They released sheepshead to 15 inches, and learned a good bit about the bay."


Angler Mike Lischer with a 25-inch red grouper, caught on a blue runner and released, due to closed season, 26 miles west of New Pass on a recent offshore Fishbuster Charter.



Angler Darren Rachman with a 17-inch black drum, caught on shrimp in Estero Bay on a recent inshore Fishbuster Charter.