Fishbuster Charters' Captain Dave Hanson reported, "I was off the water for Christmas Day and the weekend, with out-of-town family visiting. Monday, 12/28, I fished in central Estero Bay, east of the water tower, with Erin Bowden, Kristen Bowden-McEnery and her husband, Kevin McEnery. We had a productive morning of fishing for trout, snapper, and sheepshead, using live shrimp. The group caught five keeper trout that measured 16 to 18 inches, three keeper sheepshead 15 to 18 inches, and two keeper mangrove snapper at 11 inches and 13 inches. They released a couple of crevalle jacks and stingray.



Tuesday morning, 12/29, I fished with long-time customer, Peder Engebretson, and his young grandsons, Travis and Will Haby, along the east wall of Estero Bay. Using live shrimp, the guys caught five sheepshead to 16 inches, three mangrove snapper to 12 inches, and three trout to 18 inches.

Wednesday morning, 12/30, there was a pretty hefty swell left over from a couple preceding days of high winds and rough seas offshore, but it was calming down, and once we got out about ten miles, it was not as rough as what NOAA had predicted. I fished with Brian Matlock and his two young sons, Eaman and Graham, along with friends Matt Wentzel and his two young sons, Gabe and Luke. The boys released fifteen red grouper to 20 inches, a couple of Spanish mackerel, and a yellowtail snapper short. They boxed five keeper lane snapper and a half dozen grunts.



I have been taking the Novy kids fishing since they were toddlers, usually each spring, when the four children and their dad fish with me. This year, two of the youngest, Jimmy and Julia Novy, were visiting their grandparents over the Christmas holiday, so grandpa, Jim Neville, arranged a back-bay, catch-and-release trip for himself and the two children. Using live shrimp Thursday morning, 12/31, fishing the islands in front of New Pass, the group had fun releasing ten trout, twenty ladyfish, and one sheepshead.



Saturday, 1/2/16, my first day of the new year on the water, was spent in the backwaters with Ann McManus, her brother, Phil Arnes, and their friends, Roger and Maureen Paruie. The group opted to fish the bay instead of the gulf, since a cool front approaching promised some windier conditions and building seas offshore. Fishing the islands in front of New Pass with live shrimp, the group caught three nice, keeper sheepshead, one that was 14 inches, and two at 17 inches. They also boxed a 22-inch redfish."

1.) Angler Greg Haas with a 25-inch red grouper, the largest of four red grouper he and his dad caught on baitfish and released, due to closed season, 12 miles west of New Pass on a recent offshore Fishbuster Charter.



2.) Angler Greg Haas with a 16-inch lane snapper, caught on shrimp 12 miles west of New Pass on a recent offshore Fishbuster Charter.