Needing a third person to be able to go. Leave College Station 5:30am Friday, Launch Freeport around 9:30. Fishing 80-90 miles out in 300+ feet with main target of amberjack and grouper. Do some light trolling at some of the deep rigs to try to pick up a wahoo. Nighttime will be jigging blackfin tuna if they're around. Back to Freeport sometime between sunrise and lunch. You do not need any gear. You do need to know if you get seasick and realize you'll be spending the night on the deck of a center console. Possibly not the best idea if it's your first offshore trip. Bonus points if you know the basics of running a boat. With three of us, equal share will run about $180-$200 each.

Pics from this trip when you get back (like the last one)

****making notes to run out with you next time****

Just an FYI. NOAA sent out today Wed Sept 24 at 5:48pm that rec fishing in Fed waters for AJs closes Sat Sept 27th at 12:01am. So get em on ice friday before midnight!

SGrem said:

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Just an FYI. NOAA sent out today Wed Sept 24 at 5:48pm that rec fishing in Fed waters for AJs closes Sat Sept 27th at 12:01am. So get em on ice friday before midnight!

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Thanks for the heads up. We ended up canceling due to the offshore north wind forecast getting a lot stronger than originally predicted. Going to try again in a few days.

The amberjack closure is a load of crap. They should have to provide a lot more notice. And not be able to put the burden on anglers, to hear of their whimsical decisions. Im signed up for their text alerts but got the text yesterday morning at 9:45am. Was supposed to be leaving the dock less than 24 hours later. We would have been legal catching them Friday but illegal possessing them Saturday. Already had AJ leaders tied on. Guess I get to cut them off now. What about the guys on sport fishers that spend 3-4 days out? Leave the dock legal, come back a criminal. BS like this is why people hate the feds.

Ended up running out of Freeport Wednesday towards the intersection rigs. Left College Station 5am. Out the jetties at 9am to calm seas.



Ripcharts showed funky water out deep past the floaters. Wahoo really key in on blue water so I knew that was probably a bust before we even left. I think we trolled five different rigs without a single strike but sometimes you just gotta try.



With AJ season closed, the plan was to try to fish low and slow near the bottom in hopes of some grouper. Ive caught grouper in these spots before but we had zero luck. Kinda seems to be the trend lately. Also had issues with kings being out deep due to the off colored water. Lost a number of jigs to them. Havent had that problem in years but still nice to see them around for a change.

And of course, it didnt take long for the AJs to find us.





Having had all that good chit we could handle, we moved to rig in 900ft of water to look for some blackfin at dark. A couple hours of jigging and everyone called uncle at twenty 10-15lb blackfin in the box. Pound for pound, those little turds have to be the strongest fish in the world.



10pm and we ease back on to the shelf for a quick limit of snapper in the dark.

After a couple of captain swaps, we're back in the Freeport jetties at 3:30am. The bull red run must be kicking off because I couldn't believe how many people were there fishing at that time of morning.

And finally back to College Station at 8:00am with a mess of fish to clean.

His private boat.