Fishbuster Charters' Captain Dave Hanson reported, "On Wednesday morning, 7/3/19, I fished miles west of New Pass with Dwayne McCoy and his family and friends. Although seas were predicted to be less than two feet, that was not the case until it was nearly time to head in from our ½-day excursion. But we made it out to 23 miles, hoping for action similar to the last time I’d fished offshore, about a week prior to this trip. Fishing was slow, though, and we didn’t get many keepers. The guys boxed three grunts and three keeper lane snapper. They released a bunch of squirrel-fish, three triggerfish (out-of-season), five red grouper shorts, and a 3-foot blacknose shark. The spot where we caught the lanes might have been good for more of those, had the dolphins not decided to invade our fishing grounds! Everything bit on cut-bait and squid.


The bite was not much better when I returned offshore on Friday, 7/5. I fished with Peter and Christina Halunen, their son, Clayton, and Clayton’s girlfriend, Isabella. We only ventured out 17 miles from New Pass because seas were a little choppy and there was a visible threat of rain coming from further offshore. Using squid and cut-bait, the group caught and released three lane snapper shorts and three mangrove snapper shorts. We also a reeled in and released a live squid, which had grabbed a piece of cut-bait. Fishing offshore about a week ago, I was encouraged by the improved action and variety of catches, but recent trips have not yielded those results. Fishing action cycles, as all anglers know, and water temps are extremely warm right now. I’m hoping for better action on my next offshore trip."

1.) Angler Bill Tank with a 17-inch sheepshead, one of several sheepshead he and his family caught on shrimp in Estero Bay on a recent inshore Fishbuster Charter.




2.) Angler Bethany Tank with a 16-inch porgy, caught on squid 25 miles west of New Pass on a recent offshore Fishbuster Charter.