Fishbuster Charters' Captain Dave Hanson reported,"Long–time customer, Scott Saveraid, brought a few friends along to fish a catch-and-release trip offshore with me on Monday, 10/6. The guys wanted to battle a goliath grouper or two, plus fish for whatever else was biting. They caught and released a 100-pound goliath grouper, twenty-one mangrove snapper, six of which were keeper-size, a mess of Spanish mackerel between 23 and 24 inches, a 25-inch cobia, a 12-inch lane snapper, and a lot of blue runners. We were fishing 10-12 miles west of New Pass, using live shrimp and bait-fish.

Ron Musick and Eddie Alfonso, who fished with me the previous Thursday, fished again offshore on Tuesday, 10/7/14, ahead of a rainy depression headed our way. Fortunately, the rain on Tuesday was mostly inland, and we managed to stay dry. We fished with live shrimp, eighteen miles west of New Pass, where the guys caught two nice triggerfish keepers at 14 ½ to 15 inches, four keeper mangrove snapper 14-15 inches, a keeper lane snapper, a 15-inch whitebone porgy, and a mess of grunts. They also released a 50-pound goliath grouper, which bit a shrimp on a light spinning rod, making for a fun battle to the surface.

Ron Musick and Eddie Alfonso added three more people for their next fishing trip, which was on Friday, 10/10. Bob Mayer and his two sons, Mike and Brian, joined the group. Winds were a little stronger than predicted, but we did fine 18 miles west of New Pass, fishing with live shrimp. The guys caught and released seventeen red grouper, two of which would have been keepers had the season for those not recently closed. Those two were 21 and 22 inches. As for boxed fish, the group went home with four keeper porkfish, a brace of 15-inch mangrove snapper, a 14-inch grunt, and twenty-five whitebone porgies to 15 inches."

Angler Joe LaPrette with a 19 1/2-inch black drum, caught on shrimp in Estero Bay on a recent inshore Fishbuster Charter.



Angler Buck Bachura with a 25-inch red grouper, caught on a pinfish on a recent offshore Fishbuster Charter. Red grouper season was extended to 10/3/14, but is now closed.