Deep Sea Fishing Gulf of Mexico/ Carribean

[cory]

I know this isn't the forum for this, but with the sportsmen we have here I'm sure there's a lot of relevant experience here.

Some friends and I are planning to go deep sea fishing trip for my bachelor party (kind of it'll be a month to 6 months after I'm married).

Right now we're thinking an overnight (24hr) fishing trip out of Venice La. We're also entertaining the idea of doing a carribean fishing trip if we can find an island or place in the keys that won't cost us a small fortune.

Do any of y'all have any experience fishing in this area and care to give recommendations?

If I promise to shoot a shark with my Grendel, does it make this thread okay? bahaha

[Drift]

What are you targeting?

[Drift]

Let me re-phrase myself. Consider tarpon fishing. Cons: you have to fish Florida (Keys or South West Coast) and thats not quite where you want to go. Pros: it will be cheaper than deep sea fishing. Tarpon get as big as your front door, they jump and fight where as deep sea fish generally just pull. Generally you are using a salt water bass rod (unless you want to fly fish them) as opposed to being strapped into a fighting chair....Just saying..

[A5BLASTER]

Lots of guides out of Venice, and some world class fishing out around the oil platforms next to the shelf right of the river.

I would personal look for a guide that knows the Mississippi and green canyon area.

[Bigs28]

What time of year?

[Slappy]

PM sent Oh ya!!! FISH FISH!!

[cory]

What are you targeting?

A great fishing story! lol

Let me re-phrase myself. Consider tarpon fishing. Cons: you have to fish Florida (Keys or South West Coast) and thats not quite where you want to go. Pros: it will be cheaper than deep sea fishing. Tarpon get as big as your front door, they jump and fight where as deep sea fish generally just pull. Generally you are using a salt water bass rod (unless you want to fly fish them) as opposed to being strapped into a fighting chair....Just saying..

Grouper, Tuna, Red Snapper/Amberjack (Unfortunately their seasons don't overlap), mahi in this order with a chance at hooking a marlin. At least this is what I'm thinking. I'm very open to suggestions.

What time of year?

We're very flexible. Ideally it'll be whatever time of year provides the best fishing for the area we select.

Thanks for all the responses!

[Bigs28]

I can't speak for other states but in Florida our American red snapper season is only like 2 weeks long. If your talking about mangrove or grey snapper which are red in color then great. On the Gulf Coast of Florida, the grouper, snapper, aj is pretty much guarantee. Marlin not so much just because of the water depth but you can get tarpon or goliath grouper as your story. East coast of Florida you can do bill fish and even some deep dropping for swords or tile fish, plus the grouper, snapper, aj etc.... i don't know about Louisiana but in Florida i would see bottom fishing and marlin fishing as 2 different charters.

[rabiddawg]

I don't fish much but I know some folks that do. I will send a few texts and see if they have a favorite guide down in Venice.

[cory]

I don't fish much but I know some folks that do. I will send a few texts and see if they have a favorite guide down in Venice.

Thanks man!

[Klem]

You taking a guide or chartering a boat with someone who knows the area?

What are you targeting?, Bottom (demersal), or cruising (pelagic) fish?

Don't know the area but I do a fair bit of 100M+ fishing. We target demersal's (Snapper and Cod). Plenty of sharks around here so we use stainless cable near the hooks otherwise it all gets chewed up on the first bite of a shark. Some of us use electric reels. I have a Tanacom Bull with 500M of line. Otherwise it takes you 15 minutes of hard reeling just to check your baits. Reason being you need heavier weights the deeper you go so imagine reeling-in weights the size of Coke cans by hand up from 300metres and the novelty of hand-cranking wears off pretty quick... unless you are catching fish. You will need heavier weights to keep the hooks within a metre on the bottom otherwise the line gets dragged way behind the boat by the current (longer line out). We use circle hooks so the fish self-catch. Beyond 100M it starts to get difficult trying to discern a bite by looking at the tip of your rod for shakes. Everything is more elastic the longer you pay out line the harder it is to hook a fish the traditional method of jerking the rod up when struck. The size of your hooks depends on the size of the fish where you plan to go so local knowledge is a must. I use 9's to catch Snapper about 50-70cm long. Any less than 50 and we have to throw them back. Which reminds me, you will need to know the detail of the local fishing laws otherwise your fun day turns nasty when the Fun Police board for a search.

If you are fishing for fast movers closer to the surface (pelagics) like tuna and wahoo then it's a whole different ballgame. Different hooks and tackle and using material to attract fish like fish attractors (shiny reflective mirrors that spin in the water as the boar drags them).

Unsure how quickly it gets deep from the shore of where you are going but for us it's about 30 nautical miles which means about 1 hour out and 1 hour back. Not a problem unless it's a choppy day but regardless, the fuel is going to cost $$$ the further out you go.

Take some decent knives, pliers with you. Filleting knives etc. And rig your tackle and spares before you go to save time on target. Time spent mucking about with your tackle on the surface is time your bait is not attracting fish. As soon as you get to the spot, lines down = more fish.

I take a PLB and leave it in my shirt pocket. At the end of the day when you can't see the coast in a relatively small boat the danger gets real. The Skipper might claim he has all his EPIRB, flares, vests sorted but if you don't know the guy then you only have yourself to blame if you are in the drink with no means to save yourself.

[Drift]

Like klem says. Deep sea fishing comes in 2 general flavors. (1) Bottom fishing which is generally pretty close to shore. The boat goes to a reef or wreck, you turn off the engine, bob around a lot (I get seasick) lower your line to the wreck and pull up bottom fish like grouper snapper and jack. A 15 lb fish would be considered a pretty big fish. (2) Pelagic fishing for dolphin, sailfish, tuna and marlin is different. You go out a pretty long way (thats why it more expensive) and troll around. You can hook up to a pretty huge fish that way.
I have fished out of Venice La for tuna and it was a good time. Now that you got me thinking about it maybe I'll go back to Panama or Costa Rica in the fall and do some fishing; I need a break.. Thanks.

[rabiddawg]

My contact hasn't responded. Knowing him he is fishing or didn't survive mardis gras.


If he doesn't answer by Sunday evening I will give him a call

[obdoc63]

I have gone on a few day trips to the floaters out of Venice. Yellowfin tuna are a blast to catch. There should be Mahi that time of year. Good luck!!
Tim

[1075 tech]

Let me know if you find all those NY "assault weapons" everybody lost just before the SAFE ACT.