# texas sailfish



## tarpon98 (Dec 21, 2013)

Have yet to catch my first Texas sailfish and asking out to you 2coolers who would be a good charter that can put me on sails and not just a boat ride catching what I've already have caught on my own boat . Looking to learn what to look for and what to use . Appreciate any info . I call port A my port base thanks


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## blaze 'em (Jun 4, 2012)

They hang out closer than you think in port a. We've had luck around the rocks at hospital, had one bite trolling for kingfish by the anchorage but he got off. Ballyhoo and islander and plain ballyhoo is what we always pull. Pretty good all around bait for us.


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## CostaDelTejas (Jul 6, 2009)

X2 on close in. The only one I've ever caught was by the close rigs out of Packery. It ate a ribbonfish. It was a nice surprise from the Kings we were targeting. Wasn't huge but still cool. All I know ab em.


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## batsandowls (Jul 31, 2010)

Caught one out of POC 20 miles fishing for kings.


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## TOM WEBER (Aug 14, 2005)

I don't think you can successfully target just sails in Texas. Southwest airlines to Costa Rica...About to get rainy down there but still can catch em if don't mind fishing in rain or some am storms. My boy had a 5 for 8 day plus several wahoo at Suenos on ****** Honeymoon in June.


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## tarpon98 (Dec 21, 2013)

Thanks blaze em guess I just need to try a lil harder. Do you have better luck in the early morning or any time of the day . Been thinking bout heading to hospital soon . Just need time off from work . I did see one last year just below my bow at a nearby rig off mustang Island . Caught me by surprise that I stood amazed not ready to throw anything at it. Was pretty exciting to see one though . Almost like buck fever


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## broadonrod (Feb 26, 2010)

tarpon98 said:


> Have yet to catch my first Texas sailfish and asking out to you 2coolers who would be a good charter that can put me on sails and not just a boat ride catching what I've already have caught on my own boat . Looking to learn what to look for and what to use . Appreciate any info . I call port A my port base thanks


There are lots of sailfish out there. Trolling small/ med rigged ballyhoo and small to medium lures on weed lines can produce sails regularly. June and July I would fish in 150-250' water on rips. The hilltops out Freeport hold a lot of sails in June and July. Catching a lot of them can require a lot of effort and more technique. We have had multiple sailfish days in both areas. As mention above they do come in close. I have caught them in 50-80' of water on a few occasion but the 150- 250' range is more promising IMO if your limited on range. 
If your catching wahoo and dorado on a weedline be ready for your sailfish bite. 
Brett


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## tarpon98 (Dec 21, 2013)

I have about a 65 mile safety range so hospital, aransas ,southern and baker have been my points. Are they any other places within my range that I haven't fished yet.


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## bigfishtx (Jul 17, 2007)

tarpon98 said:


> I have about a 65 mile safety range so hospital, aransas ,southern and baker have been my points. Are they any other places within my range that I haven't fished yet.


You are over running a lot of good sailfishing going that far.

Starting july through september, you can catch them along the first color change. I would target weedlines and rips from 8-25 miles.

Use ballyhoo and islanders and daisy chain teasers. If you are out 25 miles don't be surprised if the man in the blue suit pays you a visit.

Imo the best time of the day will be from 10am to 3pm. It varies but we always seem to catch more billfish mid-day than early or late.


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## chuck richey (May 22, 2004)

*Sail*

Here is one caught out of Port A back in 2007. Was 40 miles offshore in a king tournament trolling blue runners. Have seen them a lot closer than that also. Good luck.


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## Chase This! (Jul 20, 2007)

chuck richey said:


> Here is one caught out of Port A back in 2007. Was 40 miles offshore in a king tournament trolling blue runners. Have seen them a lot closer than that also. Good luck.


That's a big sail for Texas! Nice.


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## sea sick (Feb 9, 2006)

chuck richey said:


> Here is one caught out of Port A back in 2007. Was 40 miles offshore in a king tournament trolling blue runners. Have seen them a lot closer than that also. Good luck.


Very nice sail....you know that was 2007!!
No yeti,salt water soul, pelagic,hook spit,colubia,Magellan, under Armour or anything with a logo in that pic!! Haha


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## blaze 'em (Jun 4, 2012)

chuck richey said:


> Here is one caught out of Port A back in 2007. Was 40 miles offshore in a king tournament trolling blue runners. Have seen them a lot closer than that also. Good luck.


That's a big ole sail!!!

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## Capt. Overkill (Jun 21, 2013)

We caught our first and only sailfish in 1998 about 20 miles off surfside beach. I was a teen and my dad still had a full head of hair. Still one of my all-time favorite days on the water. 

Yes, this photo was taken on actual film.


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## tarpon98 (Dec 21, 2013)

Nice fish guys, thanks for all the input and pics. Will get out and try for my first and only sail . Would like it to be a Texas sail also .


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## MTSkibum (Mar 12, 2014)

How fast do you troll for sailfish?


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## king_bullet (Mar 20, 2013)

I am not much help for consistency but would agree be prepared for them in close. I have seen two landed at the first pair of close platforms out Port a. I hooked one and pulled hook after a pretty good show and mis handled it when finishing fight. All 3 were in the dog days and mid morning. Mine was hooked on ballooned out perch.


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## gethookedadventures01 (Dec 29, 2015)

We caught ours out on the shelf, saw another free jumping also.


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## beantownwhaler (Jun 17, 2012)

*Dredge it*



tarpon98 said:


> I have about a 65 mile safety range so hospital, aransas ,southern and baker have been my points. Are they any other places within my range that I haven't fished yet.


Ive caught billfish at every spot you mentioned. Blues to whites. Dredge fish! Naked and islander hoo. 6-8 knots. Circle hook. Light drag let em eat. Tighten drag and hang on. Takes a while to master. But youll see them.


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## 22Conch (Feb 28, 2009)

MTSkibum said:


> How fast do you troll for sailfish?


And what is the minimum water depth?


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## Slightly Dangerous (May 21, 2004)

Caught a big one about 30 miles out of Matty on a bottom rig for snapper. Chased him for 15 minutes but got the picture. Was using cigar minnows.


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## Fin Reaper (May 31, 2012)

sea sick said:


> Very nice sail....you know that was 2007!!
> No yeti,salt water soul, pelagic,hook spit,colubia,Magellan, under Armour or anything with a logo in that pic!! Haha


The give away the denim shorts ha


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## Dmullins85 (Apr 6, 2012)

Slightly Dangerous said:


> Caught a big one about 30 miles out of Matty on a bottom rig for snapper. Chased him for 15 minutes but got the picture. Was using cigar minnows.


 That's nuts you caught that dude on the bottom like that... haha geez what a surprise


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## haparks (Apr 12, 2006)

wow yall have me xcited im taking my son trolling in july fer mahi and kings maybe we will get lucky and hook one of these dream fish


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## Charlietunakiller (Jan 30, 2013)

Got this one trolling for wahoo last year.


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## DragAddiction (Sep 10, 2008)

We caught a nice one down here out of Port Mansfield, 2 years ago. 220ft of water. Out in the middle of nowhere. On a mold craft long range. That one fish turned a slow day into a day to remember.


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## Crossroads (May 21, 2004)

This one was caught straight out the jetties at Port-A, 19 miles out on the way to Southern. We were dragging medium ballyhoo with a small skirted jet head over it. I love those colors when they're lit-up.


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## fishinfool (Jun 30, 2004)

i worked on Galveston party boats in 2000-05. we caught two while fishing close in i think it was summer of 04. we could see the island (parts of it) on both of them. we were fishing a platform for bottom fish and had some king fish action on as well. they get close for sure.


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## T_Sad (Aug 6, 2013)

They are not kidding about close. I caught this one about 4 miles off the beach at Padre Ntl Seashore at the rig (gone now) where the 4x4 sign is.

Trolling a ribbonfish


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## Charlietunakiller (Jan 30, 2013)

T_Sad said:


> They are not kidding about close. I caught this one about 4 miles off the beach at Padre Ntl Seashore at the rig (gone now) where the 4x4 sign is.
> 
> Trolling a ribbonfish


That's f'ing awesome!
Green to you sir.


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## offshorebound (Dec 7, 2012)

Y'all are killing me!!! I need to get my fix!


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## [email protected] (Mar 7, 2008)

Both my Mom and Dad have landed a sail out of Freeport. They were caught about seven years apart but both were caught about 8 miles out of Freeport jetty fishing for kings on ribbon fish.


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## Blueshoes (Jan 24, 2013)

A wise man once told me that sailfish fishin is kingfish fishin. 

caught mine within sight of galveston last year, friend picked the rod up first, thought it was a king and handed it to me :clover:


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## Momma's Worry (Aug 3, 2009)

Blueshoes said:


> A wise man once told me that sailfish fishin is kingfish fishin.
> 
> caught mine within sight of galveston last year, friend picked the rod up first, thought it was a king and handed it to me :clover:


I saw two big sails working a large school of menhaden along with a school of all sized Kings and large Spanish Macs two years ago at the Buccaneer P&W arty reef ....I was broke down at the moment and unable to get any lures 
in front of them....30 min later the boat was up and running again but the action was over cept for the large surface oil slick!!!!!


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## Friendswoodmatt (Feb 22, 2005)

We had one swim under the boat during snapper season over by German Charlies-- of course none of us were ready for that (pitch bait)


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## justhookit (Sep 29, 2005)

TOM WEBER said:


> I don't think you can successfully target just sails in Texas.


Sure you can. We did it for 4 years here and other boats have too. Now, I agree that targeting only them nearshore is not really possible, but if you can get out to Dutra, Dumping Grounds, Peacekeeper, Colt range it is effective.

Also some years are far better than others. 2011 and 12 were amazing, 2013 and 14 were pretty terrible, and then last year was really good again. The added bonus is that you catch a lot of white marlin and dorado plus the occasional blue. It's not that unusual in the good years to raise double digit sails per day. We've even seen over 20.

Dredges help a ton, but when the weed is bad they are unusable. At a minimum you need to be pulling daisy chain teasers and naked ballyhoo for your baits.


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## blastcote (Mar 30, 2013)

Just FYI if you bring the fish on board there is a 95% it will die. Get your pics in the water. It may eventually swim away but you just made its heart and guts lay on each other. Just saying.


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