FISHING REPORT

Offshore fishing is downright great.

Billfish are being caught right and left, as well as beautiful snapper, huge dolphin, monster wahoo and boatloads of yellowfin.

Capt.Tom Buckner fished aboard the Ciao Bella out of Port Aransas in 60 fathoms on Sunday, June 28. They were one for three on blue marlin and caught a 40-pound wahoo. “The blue marlin are cheap on the rip,” Buckner said. The blue, released by Dominick Pedrotti, was estimated to weigh between 275 and 290 pounds.

The Port Aransas Masters/Fred Rhodes Memorial Fishing Tournament had no shortage of billfish on Saturday, June 27, either. A total of nine billfish were caught by the top three boats.

Bill Fintel at Barnacle Bill’s Pier House said Horace Caldwell Pier anglers have been catching lots of trout since the water has cleared up, especially in the morning and evening. They are also catching “nice gafftop, occasional redfish and all kinds of shark,” he said, including bonnethead, hammerhead and sand shark, as well as stingrays.

John McNatt at Fisherman’s Wharf reported limits of red snapper, lots of kingfish, amberjack and dog snapper and Atlantic sharpnose shark. The 56-hour trip brought in limits of yellowfin tuna for every angler aboard. North jetty anglers are catching mostly redfish, trout and some tarpon.

Brock Kimball at Dolphin Dock reported limits of big red snapper caught offshore, as well as kingfish, and ling. An 80-hour trip brought in tuna, and an angler on a 40-hour trip bagged a 557-pound, 11 foot, seven inch hammerhead shark.

Brenda Owens at Deep Sea Headquarters said offshore trips brought in limits of red snapper, dog snapper, ling, blackfin tuna, Atlantic sharpnose shark, kingfish, barracuda, amberjack, grouper, vermilion snapper, wahoo and bonito. Bay guides brought in redfish, trout, black drum and gafftop.

Tom Creighton at Woody’s Sports Center said offshore anglers caught plenty of red snapper, kingfish, ling, wahoo and shark. Bay anglers caught redfish, drum, kingfish and ling. He said jetty anglers caught kingfish and ling, and one even caught a sailfish.

MaryAnn Heimann at Offshore Adventures said offshore trips brought in “beautiful red snapper limits,” kingfish, dorado, ling, amberjack, vermilion and lane snapper and Atlantic sharpnose shark. Bay anglers limited out on redfish and caught some black drum and speckled trout in the mornings.