Fishbuster Charters' Captain Dave Hanson reported, "I was off the water for a few days this week, but headed 22 miles offshore in nice conditions on Friday, 2/3, to fish with Scott Matchette, his son, Aiden, and friend, Will. The guys used squid to catch fifteen lane snapper keepers, including some really nice ones at 15 inches. They also caught a mess of grunts, but chose to keep only a few of those. They released 23 red grouper shorts, and were about to give up on landing a keeper grouper but, with a bait fish rigged up, they landed a keeper at almost 24 inches.

Mike and Mary Campbell fished 17 miles west of New Pass with me on Saturday morning, 2/4, using squid for bait. They were after some food-fish, and they achieved their goal, with fifteen keeper lane snapper and a mess of grunts. They kept a dozen of the 25 grunts they caught. We also landed a very unusual catch: An 11-inch black seas bass, which we photographed and released. That was only the second one of those I have ever caught in local waters."


1.) Angler Marissa Gessell with a 22-inch red grouper, caught on squid 23 miles west of New Pass on a recent offshore Fishbuster Charter.




2.) Angler Vicki Dillane with a 23-inch black drum, caught on shrimp and released in Estero Bay on a recent inshore Fishbuster Charter.