Thinking about a half day trip on Saturday to try and put my kids on a kingfish or two.
I'm closer to Galveston, but Freeport is not too far.
Looking to stay fairly close in.
What port would you recommend? Has anyone seen any action lately?
Also, trolling or drifting this time of year?
Structure or shrimpers?
Any input is appreciated. I've never targeted kings north of Port Aransas...but I assume a Russell lure, a ribbon fish, a cigar minnow, and a rapala should be all I need.
Thanks in advance
SQ
PS: I did search, and lots of upper and middle coast info was found- but nothing recently.
We caught 5 two weeks ago sorta messing around after getting our snapper and getting ready for the run back in.
I was jigging a flutter jig (chart with pink flash) and caught one on it and cut off on another, and my buddy put out two flat lines of cigar minnow while we washed down the deck and put snapper gear up. We caught 4 and that was all the kings we wanted to clean.
If you can find a shrimp boat that doesn't have a ton of ramora, just chum a little there and put out flat lines.
I’d go out of Freeport but mostly because that’s where I’m familiar. The kings are usually pretty thick around the middle and east banks this time of year
I’d go out of Freeport but mostly because that’s where I’m familiar. The kings are usually pretty thick around the middle and east banks this time of year
The first rigs out of Galveston have been loaded. Straight South out of the Jetties.
Troll a King Zig, Russel Lure or similar about 5mph. Make a wide circle around the rig. It usually doesn't take long. Once you find where they are holding you can focus in.
Troll 2-4 halcos, color doesnt matter, at the first color change from brown to green. usually just a few miles from the beach. You should be able to limit out in an hour or so. Super easy. Any of the buoys off of freeport also hold kings too. You can do it out of galveston or freeport, but freeport is a little easier to find them. You dont need bait, nada... Ive done this several times when just taking the boat out for my weekly run, and i run just one halco and catch em quick.
Shawn,
I drag some deep divers , and bubblers on top , till I figure out what they
want, troll about 5-6 its hard to manage drag higher speed than that unless you have releases . on rough days I have put out lures at second bouy at freeport and done great before I got 10 miles.
GYB , just past the jettys you can find jetty tuna , they will keep a kid busy
for about 40 minutes on diving lures . 6-8" long purple, wify has a pink one
that really wins.
for a short trip,
go to SE Lump, East Bank or middle banks,
see which way the current is running.
go to the up current side,
throw a couple of these out the back of the boat to drift about 60 feet out the back of the boat...
If the pole doesnt bend in half, and the reel start scream'n within a couple minutes, they aint there...
If your bottom fish'n over some place, throw one of these rigs out the back of the boat. Works like a charm if there are any kings around.
All the following work great, dead or alive.... but, for drifting, Ribbon fish are like Candy to'm JMO
The key is, learning to make your own Leaders. a couple swivels, some brown steel leader not to heavy, 4X trebles, a nose hook and learning to tie a Haywire twist....
The kids lovvvvvve catch'n the reel scream'n smokers..
currents is a must for offshore pelagic fishing, up/down swells or just tidal effect. closer to shore you'd want to be close to structure (rigs/bottom) when the tide push weed/trash past the structure.
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