# How to fish tankers out of Galveston



## 23pathfinder (Feb 12, 2019)

Taking some clients out to Jetties tomorrow (thurs) and with a pretty decent weather window and 2 dozen tankers just sitting out just off shore I've been told there are some opportunities fishing around these? Small kings, smacks, mangrove's ??



I'm in a 23ft PathfinderDV but don't really want to get too far out and this seems like a good way to mix in a little something near-offshore.



Would yall agree and any advice on tackle set up?


I was planning on typical jetty type rigs and some heavier bull red rods (not bull blown off-shore rods). Free-line shrimp and or cut bait or fresh dead? Metal leaders?


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## 348473 (Apr 12, 2017)

It's ridiculously easy to catch bull reds there. Soak mullet. Didn't do well on trout on lures last time but free line shrimp with chatter weight is good. Was fighting anchor most of the time in friends boat.

Chum around then drag a halco or tiger back through where you just chumed. keep chumming and making passes, should get bit like that!

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## Drundel (Feb 6, 2006)

Take a cast net, there were a ton of finger mullets by the jetties last week.


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## c hook (Jul 6, 2016)

*??*

I've never heard of fishing tankers off galveston, are you talking about the tankers between the jetties waiting to be brought in to port?? :texasflag


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## reel thing (Jul 1, 2010)

Yes the ships hold bait and kingfish and somtimes a ling. Bait is usually around the bow of the ship


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## Texans1 (May 18, 2018)

c hook said:


> I've never heard of fishing tankers off galveston, are you talking about the tankers between the jetties waiting to be brought in to port?? :texasflag


Smacks & kings around them all the time if you're into that sort of thing but you will find an occasional ling hanging around as previously stated.


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## LL42L (Nov 24, 2017)

reel thing said:


> Yes the ships hold bait and kingfish and somtimes a ling. Bait is usually around the bow of the ship


^^THIS^^ drag a russell lure or diver for kings & lings, but have a pitch rod ready for the curious ling that comes out to investigate,


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## 23pathfinder (Feb 12, 2019)

The wind laid down around 10 and we went out and drifted one. Water was still pretty dirty, was hoping for a little clearer. Was glassy but still a little rough from previous wind and clients kids got sick so we made one pass and went back. 



Going out again next week with different client, hopefully wind holds down. 



I have a few divers I will troll and have a pitch rod ready. What should I have on that? Shad (fresh dead)?


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## 23pathfinder (Feb 12, 2019)

Drundel said:


> Take a cast net, there were a ton of finger mullets by the jetties last week.


There were quite a few boats out at the jetties and I didn't see anyone catching anything. Conditions seemed great, light current, high haze, bait skittering around. Threw live shrimp under cork and freelined up against the jetties, cut bait on the bottom. Nothing but a few whitting. Crazy. Even passed through a huge flock of gulls going nuts on a rather large school of small ribbon fish between just in the middle by the bolivar ferry landing, nothing.
Asked three guides out there and they were struggling, asked another two back at the dike and they got skunked too. Lots of shrugged shoulders and head scratching.


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## poledup1 (Mar 13, 2008)

I waded West Bay this morning and managed a limit but caught a ton of dinks...topwater early and then went to tails...


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## tommy261 (May 3, 2006)

Live blue runner or Atlantic bumper as a pitch bait vs dead. Croaker, sand trout, hardheads with fins snipped off... sometimes they just get finicky on dead. Some of these were on a 6inch storm swim bait.... let us know.



















































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## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

Great eating there - Tommy WTG!


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## Tigerhead52 (Oct 9, 2016)

Tommy, 
What rod and reel setup would you recommend using for a ling that size?


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## tommy261 (May 3, 2006)

I use a shimano tld 15 with a 7 ft allstar....15 to 30lb class rod. Just my kingfish setup. Nothing special, done the job on plenty ling.

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## Tigerhead52 (Oct 9, 2016)

Thanks for the info.


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## C.Hern5972 (Jul 17, 2009)

man that's awesome


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## tommy261 (May 3, 2006)

Few more...all from a bayboat.






























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## SHARKTEETH (Aug 7, 2005)

Following


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## Jkmoore03 (Jun 19, 2015)

That’s legit man. Nice hauls.


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## SHARKTEETH (Aug 7, 2005)

What speed is a baseline to troll?


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## tommy261 (May 3, 2006)

Bump troll live bait.....but hard lures like Russell lures, diving plugs like stretch 30s etc....I troll at about 5mph. Depending on current. A hard current will sometimes cause the lure to surface and foul up, so then just slow down til the sweet spot is found.

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## SHARKTEETH (Aug 7, 2005)

Thanks for the info


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## Capt_Gilligan (Jun 8, 2016)

tommy261 said:


> Live blue runner or Atlantic bumper as a pitch bait vs dead. Croaker, sand trout, hardheads with fins snipped off... sometimes they just get finicky on dead. Some of these were on a 6inch storm swim bait.... let us know.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I see your truck all the time! I don't remember if it's in Kingwood or La Porte though. Good looking fish!


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## tommy261 (May 3, 2006)

I live in humble, so kingwood is probably where you have seen it. Although I drive through laporte sometimes going to boat storage.....

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