Here’s a write up on my 36 hour Tuna Safari experience on the Capt. John (William’s party boats) for the trip January 25th-26th. I learned a lot and I would like to do it again. Pictures to follow.
This is aimed for the FWE'rs going on Feb 8th and 9th.
Fishing License – Texas with salt water stamp – The game wardens where waiting at the dock at the end of the trip and checked each license as each fisherman disembarked. They counted the snapper on each and every stringer. The stringers are tagged with your fisherman number.
Clothing
Dramamine
I took one tablet about 6 hours before getting on the boat and then one every ten or so hours. I took a total of three pills. Seas were pretty calm for the entire trip. I’m glad I took them.
Equipment
Tackle
The boat
The bathrooms
Food
The schedule (somewhat approximate)
Actual fishing, tangles, etc.
Trip completion
When we arrived back, the game wardens greeted us and checked the catch. The catch was distributed by fisherman number. For this trip, the cleaning was free at Katie’s seafood, a couple doors down from the boat dock. Seems that the local “street” cleaners were causing a lot of lost fish and fighting at the dock, so William’s and Katie’s come up with this option.
Tips are welcome by the deckhands and the Katie’s cleaners. For more info on this you can PM me.
This is aimed for the FWE'rs going on Feb 8th and 9th.
Fishing License – Texas with salt water stamp – The game wardens where waiting at the dock at the end of the trip and checked each license as each fisherman disembarked. They counted the snapper on each and every stringer. The stringers are tagged with your fisherman number.
Clothing
- Because of the initial cold weather I dressed in layers, similar to what I do for wade fishing. I’ve some polypro long underwear which helped cut the morning chill breeze through my nylon fishing pants.
- Later on the weather became pleasant (partly cloudy) and I shed layers accordingly.
- I did not have boots, though the deck got pretty wet and bloody. I was just fine with running shoes and wool socks. The dogs (when I got home) loved licking my shoes, due to the various residues (like shark blood).
- I had a buff and a pullover hat, which I changed to a golf cap later on.
Dramamine
I took one tablet about 6 hours before getting on the boat and then one every ten or so hours. I took a total of three pills. Seas were pretty calm for the entire trip. I’m glad I took them.
Equipment
- I took one rod (50 lb. 6’8” ugly stick) and a Penn Squall reel loaded with 30 lb mono, backed with braid. Next time I might consider two rods and reels. But more rods than that, it turns into clutter.
- There were others, who brought dozens of rods and reels, with milk crates full of tackle. All this stuff was staged on the upper deck so as not to clutter the “fishing deck”. You could stock most of an FTU store from looking at all the gear up there.
- Williams provides rods and reels, and they are serviceable, using older hardy Penn reels.
- The tip here is to have a reel with a fast retrieve, at least 5:1 and a rod that is about 7’ and no longer – due to the upper deck overhang over the main deck.
Tackle
- Williams does not provide tackle for your rod. The tackle they do have is pretty much steel leaders, egg weights, swivels and hooks only. This is generally reserved for use with their rods.
- Bring your own steel leaders, egg weights, swivels and hooks.
- Some folk used two and three hook bait rigs and these proved the most difficult to untangle from everybody else’s lines (see below).
- You must provide your own jigs. They are necessary for you to have an enjoyable trip. They recommend diamond, butterfly and tuna poppers 6 to 8 oz.
- Diamond jigs –
- I brought chrome and hammered.
- Chromes do better than hammered.
- I modified a hammered 6 oz. with two assist hooks (different sizes) and replaced the bottom treble with a single hook. I also added a squid skirt over one of the assist hooks. I caught nearly every fish with this set-up. I also baited the bottom hook when going for snapper. I found they hit both the assist and the bottom hooks.
- Be sure to attach a swivel, with a split ring, directly to the top of the diamond jig and tie your line directly to the swivel. All the regulars rigged their diamonds this way.
- In deep water, using an unmodified chrome 6 oz. jig is the norm (treble hook on).
- I’d consider trying 4 oz. or 5 oz. jig, to get a faster retrieve and retain stamina over the hours of jigging.
- Butterfly
- Williamson Benthos speed jigs – 6oz./150g (pink or bone, glow in the dark), I saw a lot of catches with this jig.
- Tuna poppers
- I saw several use these and catch with these, though the go-to jigs seemed to be diamond, then the speed jigs.
- Bait - I caught my bait (blue runner), but some had pre-purchased a 5lb box of herring through Williams. Some had frozen sardines. For the afternoon session the second day, squid is provided and small cut pieces for vermillion snapper. The red snapper loved to suck the bait off the hooks. I wasn't hurting for bait.
The boat
- Leaves out of Pier 19 in Galveston.
- Parking is $5 (exact change – self serve) and the lot is slightly further northeast of where you pass the Williams shanty on the pier. When you check in at the shanty, you’ll receive a boarding pass (with your fisherman number) and a note to put in your windshield for parking the whole 36 hrs.
- The fisherman number locates where you fish on the boat. For this trip there is a limit of 40. So you can spread out a little bit as the trip wears on.
- Closer to the back is preferred, but it’s not that important on these 40 man trips. Advantage is closer to the deckhands for gaffing catch and watching the regulars (what they are throwing and what they are catching). Disadvantage is at the corners, near the back, there is more traffic and I was knocked into a few times while reeling.
- There are 40 sleeping berths, top and bottoms. If you get onto the boat early enough, 6:00am-6:30am you’ll have a choice for the preferred bottom berths (out of the light).
- When the boat is moving to sites, it’s best to nap for the 4 or 5 hours of transit time.
- Comment – it amazed me that a couple guys slept through the entire tuna fishing sessions.
The bathrooms
- Men’s and Ladies rooms. The lady’s is much cleaner than the men’s and can be used for overflow, when there is line for the men’s. But don’t be in the ladies room when the captain (Jill) needs it (like I was). She just about threatened keel hauling me, but was very pleasant after her bladder was empty and make-up was on.
Food
- The galley is well stocked, the coffee machine is low volume, so there was a wait on coffee from time to time (but no biggie).
- Prices are reasonable (sodas, beer, hot dogs, corn dogs, brisket sandwiches, water, candy, fruit (including bananas), etc.)
- My tab totaled $11 for the trip and I had several hot dogs w/cheese, water and candy. I also snuck a couple bananas aboard (horrors!) http://www.snopes.com/luck/superstition/bananas.asp
- Your fisherman number can be used as a tab at the galley counter and settle up on the ride back to port.
The schedule (somewhat approximate)
- The boat left promptly at 7:30
- 1:00pm Stetson rock (I think) – check the website report.
- 1:00pm-2:30pm fish for red snapper until the sharks (great looking hammerhead amongst them) arrived and drove off the schools.
- 2:30pm-6:30pm travel to Nansen truss spar
- 6:30pm -11:00pm several drifts for tuna (very productive)
- 11:30pm -12:00am travel to Ensco drilling rig 8506 –
- 12:00am – 2:30am several drifts for tuna (pretty non-productive)
- 2:30am -3:30am travel to Boomvang truss spar
- 3:30am-7:00am several drifts for tuna (very productive)
- 7:00am-11:30am travel to open water location for snapper
- 11:30pm– 2:00pm fish for snapper (changed locations a few times looking for schools)
- 2:00pm-7:00pm travel back to port
Actual fishing, tangles, etc.
- Fortunately, I fished right next to regulars (the same dozen, or so, make every tuna trip) and I learned a lot from them.
- Williams will ensure you catch the limit of red snapper (4, mine were fairly large)
- I only got one tuna and lots of misses (the average was 3, about 150 for the entire boat), though a couple people got more than 20 each, which skews the average. I also caught an estimated 10 lb. squid, but they couldn’t gaff it, before it spit out the jig, that one really tired me out.
- One of the more interesting events was the catch of a 7’ long black tip at the first stop. See pics.
- Tangled lines were a common occurrence. A hooked fish would circle around and snag several lines. Also, as the boat drifted, lines would cross and tangle on being reeled in. Many times, lines from the starboard side would tangle with lines from the port side, under the boat. One side would have to coordinate slacking off, so the tangle could be brought within reach and undone.
- There seemed to be more tuna near the rigs at the beginning of a drift. Early in the water meant a better chance of a hook up. It also means a better chance of a tangle.
- There is a definite technique to working the jig and a fast retrieve on hooking the tuna. The tuna are looking for a lively and fast bait.
Trip completion
When we arrived back, the game wardens greeted us and checked the catch. The catch was distributed by fisherman number. For this trip, the cleaning was free at Katie’s seafood, a couple doors down from the boat dock. Seems that the local “street” cleaners were causing a lot of lost fish and fighting at the dock, so William’s and Katie’s come up with this option.
Tips are welcome by the deckhands and the Katie’s cleaners. For more info on this you can PM me.
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