Fishbuster Charters' Captain Dave Hanson reported, "A cold-front came through the area over-night Sunday, bringing gusty winds and rough seas for Monday, 3/21. Frank Partee, his son and daughter-in-law, Mike and Ginger, and their daughter, Katie, fished in the backwaters of lower Hickory Bay with me instead of heading offshore. The family used live shrimp in whatever active spots we could find that were somewhat sheltered from the wind. They caught four sheepshead to 14 inches, an 18-inch trout, and a keeper mangrove snapper. They released short sheepshead, a crevalle jack, and two stingray weighing two pounds and six pounds.



Michael Want and his twelve-year-old son, Kevin, just wanted to wet a line in the backwaters Tuesday morning, 3/22, and catch a fish or two on a catch-and-release trip. So they were happy to release a 17-inch sea-trout, five ladyfish, a big, five-pound sail-cat, and a stingray that weighed over ten pounds. All were caught on live shrimp.


Wednesday, 3/23, NOAA predicted calm seas of two feet, and I headed offshore with Robert Miller, his son, Tim, and Tim’s young children, Cami and Drew. A short time into our journey we knew that seas were rougher than predicted, with a stronger wind factor than predicted also. We decided to fish near-shore in spots ranging 8 to 10 miles west of New Pass, using live shrimp for bait. The kids caught lots of fish, including a few keepers. They released ten bluefish to 18 inches, caught nine Spanish mackerel to 24 inches and kept four of those, caught thirty lane snapper including four keepers, and caught twenty grunts, of which they kept two.

Seas were still a little sloppy on Thursday morning, 3/24, when I headed out of New Pass with Ken and Amy Pucel and their ten-year-old son, Joe. We decided to try our luck near-shore, and the family did very well fishing spots 10 to 12 miles out. Joe caught a mangrove snapper, but before he could reel it in, a 23-inch red grouper bit it, and he reeled in the grouper instead, considering it a more than fair trade! Ken caught a near 19-inch flounder on a live shrimp. The family added three keeper lane snapper to the box, and released several lane shorts, along with red grouper shorts and a small gag grouper. They also caught and chose to release a dozen Spanish mackerel in the 22 to 23-inch range.



Friday morning, 3/25, we awoke to thunderstorms and rain. Radar showed a break in the rain for just a few hours before another batch of even heavier storms were due to roll in off the gulf. Dodging rain might have been okay, but with lightening already in the AM storm activity, I had no choice but to cancel my offshore trip for that day.

Saturday morning, 3/26, I fished 23 miles west of New Pass in calm seas with Bob Bockhorst, his son-in-law, Don Leesman, and Don’s college-aged kids, Dave, Kevin, and Kristen. Dave used a pinfish to reel in a 31-inch gag grouper—it was a beauty, but had to be released after we took its picture, due to closed season. Kristen caught a keeper 23-inch red grouper, though, which also bit a pinfish. The family used live shrimp to add a dozen keeper lane snapper, a brace of 22-inch Spanish mackerel, a 13-inch porgy, and a few grunts to the fish box. They released twenty-some red grouper shorts, and lots of yellowtail snapper shorts, and enjoyed one heck of a battle with an 8-foot sandbar shark before releasing it."

1.) Angler Mitchell Augustine with a 19-inch sheepshead, one of several large sheepshead he and his family caught on shrimp 22 miles west of New Pass on a recent offshore Fishbuster Charter.


2.) Angler Mitchell Augustine with an 18-inch mangrove snapper, the largest of several nice mangs he and his family caught on shrimp 22 miles west of New Pass on a recent offshore Fishbuster Charter.