Air Temp: 65-72
Water Temp: 57
Depth: 18 feet
Water Clarity: clear on day 1 and stained on day 2
Winds: calm to 15 mph
Bait: live shrimp and Gulp 3" and 4" shrimp (color: new penny)
My daughter gave me a fish counter as a gag gift a few years ago, and I never thought it would make it to 185 for a two day fishing trip.
What a fun way to start the new year. Our family made a trip to Galveston and had a great time on the water. We arrived at the Yacht Basin on Saturday around 11:30 AM to slightly foggy conditions and decided to stay close and not try the jetties due to the fog. We first tried the concrete ship and only caught 1 whiting, so after about 30 minutes we moved into the Galveston Ship Channel near the cruise ship terminal. We had a blast there on Saturday and caught 98 sand trout and finally left about 5:00 PM with dense fog rolling in around 4:30 PM. The cold front pushed the fog out on Sunday, but made some windy conditions so we decided to stay in the ship channel again on Sunday and caught another 87 sand trout for a total of 185 sand trout and 1 whiting.
The fish were caught using live shrimp and 3" and 4" Gulp shrimp. The GYB bait camp was closed on Sunday for the new year, so we left the dock with no live bait or dead bait (not something I usually do after driving 4+ hours to get on the saltwater). It didn't take long to catch some on the Gulp shrimp and provide cut bait for those wanting to fish with it.
Most of the 185 sand trout were between 12 and 15 inches, but we did catch several really nice 16-18"+ fish. All of the fish were released except for 4 or 5 due to being hooked too deep or the necessity for cut bait.
Most of the 185 sand trout were between 12 and 15 inches, but we did catch several really nice 16-18"+ fish. All of the fish were released except for 4 or 5 due to being hooked too deep or the necessity for cut bait.
The boat traffic was very light on Sunday and when we left the Yacht Basin on Sunday around 5:00 PM, it looked like a ghost town. We were the only truck/trailer in the parking lot. I can't recall that ever being the case on past fishing trips. It was like we rented out the place for the day.
As usual, we enjoyed some Casey's for dinner on Saturday and left the island on Sunday hoping we can make another trip soon. My wife, son and daughter really enjoyed the trip and it was great family time. Talk about some Reel Fun.
