Seas were predicted to be only slightly rougher on Wednesday, 2/3, than they had been Tuesday so John Pound and friends, Troy, Jim and Tom weren’t expecting the four-footers we encountered 20 miles west of New Pass. Winds blew considerably higher than predicted, which kicked up the seas. But these four hardy anglers had no problem sticking it out, and it proved worth their while. The guys boxed eight nice sheepshead ranging in size from 15 to 20 inches, ten mangrove snapper that were 14 to 15 inches, a dozen lane snapper keepers to 14 inches, and a few big grunts. They released ten red grouper shorts to 18 inches and, heartbreakingly, six out-of-season gag grouper, five of which were keeper-size. The groupers all bit on baitfish, while everything else bit on live shrimp.
Thursday morning, 2/4, ahead of another weather front expected to drive up winds and seas and bring some rain over-night, I headed offshore 18 miles from New Pass with Ralph Marino, Howard Ramsdale and Fred Mulchy. Seas were three-to-four feet, but fishing was good. Using live shrimp, the guys caught a dozen keeper lane snapper to 14 inches, fifteen mangrove snapper to 16 inches, four sheepshead ranging 16 to 17 inches, five 12-inch porkfish, and grunts to 14 inches. They released a 26-inch bonito, along with a few smaller sheepshead, red grouper shorts, and a 22-inch out-of-season gag grouper.
Friday was a cold, blustery day, and my anglers had no interest in being on the water, even inshore.So, I remained in port, until Saturday morning, 2/6, which was still too rough to fish offshore. But father-son anglers Butch and Chandler Cole fished a catch-and-release trip in lower Hickory Bay with me, using live shrimp. They caught seven sheepshead to 14 inches, a 14-inch black drum, an 11-inch mangrove snapper, a pair of 3-pound stingray, and a 20-inch trout."
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