Venice Shrimp Boats Create the Perfect Opportunity for Your ‘Big Catch’!

27 Oct

From October to mid-November Venice Shrimp Boats bring action close in for angling opportunities of a lifetime. Shrimp boats are out day and night creating the largest chum slick on planet earth. This creates perfect opportunities for savvy anglers to catch record size fish right out from under the Gulf Shrimpers!

By-Catch
As shrimpers drag the ocean bottom for shrimp they also trap smaller fish and crabs; this is called ‘by-catch’. Once the nets are hauled on board the fishermen separate the highly sought after “Ruby Red” shrimp from the “by-catch”. During the separation process the “by-catch’ is periodically pushed overboard and hungry Yellow Fin Tuna swarm into action.

When I say by-catch; I’m talking about croaker, drum, white trout, eels, ribbon fish and all sorts of deep water crustaceans that I’ve never seen ! This is FANTASTIC bait for record size Yellow Fin Tuna.

Chum Slicks
Setting up in the shrimp boat’s chum slick puts anglers right in the middle of a feeding frenzy for record size Yellow Fin Tuna, ton’s of Black Fin Tuna and many other fish species. Fishing chum slicks in the wake of working shrimp boats can be somewhat specialized… so, it is important to book a charter with the proper experience.

Shrimp boat captains can be quite vocal when an angler ventures too close to their nets. And an angler without the correct bait and tackle for the chum line fish may miss out on the catch of a lifetime!

Tackle
Make sure you bring a gun to a gun fight. Too often anglers bring smaller tackle and highly used line. The fish behind the Mighty Gulf Shrimpers are extremely powerful fish. There are only two times during the year when I bring out my 80 wides. One such time is during Blue Marlin Tournaments and the other is to catch Shrimp Boat “JUMBOZ”….

When I’m fishing behind the shrimp boats my gear is as follows. Shimano 50wides/80wides spooled with 130lb Jerry Brown Hollow core finished with a LOOP to LOOP connection of 100lb or 130lb Yo-Zuri HD pink Fluorocarbon. I fish 50/80 Melton rods that are 5 ½ ft. in length. I have straightened out small hooks so make sure to use the 3x or 4x Mustad circle hooks in 8 or 9 ought.

Good luck-

Captain Mike Gray

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Venice Louisiana *Big* “O” = “No-Consequence”

2 Sep

The long hot muggy days of summer inVeniceLouisianaare yielding to the calling of Mother Nature.VeniceLouisiana, like the rest of the County has seen the daylight shortening by a minute or so for over 40 days now. Early morning comes later and the sunsets come sooner. InVeniceour southerly winds have given way two or three times in as many weeks to small fronts that bring us North and North East winds which carry lower temperatures and less humidity.

August in Venice was just as it should have been which gives me certain conviction that September will carry the tradition of change and October will be a stellar month. We have an abundance of Yellow Fin Tuna in open water areas of the Gulf feeding hard on open water bait balls. This is another symbol that the fish are right on cue for an October Shrimp Boat Feeding Orgy.

YES, fall is just around the corner.

I guess the high Mississippi River kept the Green Water around all summer inVenice. Early in the summer we had some real nice grass lines and blue on green rip lines. BUT, as the river stayed high the blue water just never had the energy to push in and clean all the dirty water up. Yellow Fin Tuna fishing in green water is OK and actually most times better. But, the Mahi-Mahi and Blue Marlin were way, way out in the Canyon.

Red Snapper season was too short inVeniceand IMHO the limits were too restrictive. Each day on charter we added 2 Red Snapper for every angler without any problems. This year the Cobia and Mangrove Snapper added to the fun and excitement. Cobia is a great tasting fish and a real nice surprise once on the surface. Mangrove Snapper offer a true challenge to hook and land. Mangrove’s fight extremely hard, taste very good and are plentiful. Rig/Reef fishing was a lot of fun and we all hated to see the seasons close.

Fishing has remained extremely steady since the GOM oil spill. As an offshore angler I can not report any adverse effects on the specie of fish that I target. There is a group of LDWF&P officials that fish for the same specie of fish we all catch and eat. Their program is to catch, sample, test and report findings. I am proud to say that NOT ONE sample that this group has removed from a fresh caught GOM fish has tested positive for any forms of oil related damage. 100% of the fish caught, harvested, tested and sampled have passed every test for safe consumption.

YES …… Louisianaseafood is as good as it has ever been. 

If you have time, check out the video links: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T9YU273Y1g&feature=related

Good Fishing-

Captain Mike Gray

www.CajunOdysea.com

Venice Offshore Summer 2011

26 Jul
Average Venice Louisiana Tuna

Venice Louisiana Offshore Charter fishing has been very good this year. Several weeks have produced red hot action that is second to none in the Gulf of Mexico. There were many trips where customers cried “No-Mas” captain around noon because the action was so fast and furious.
June 1st marked the opening of Red Snapper season and anglers love to add the delicious hard fighting fish to the catch of Yellow Fin Tuna and Mahi-Mahi that Venice Louisiana is so obviously known for. Every single trip that was run between the opening of Red Snapper season and the closing day of that season on July 18th our customers took home their limit of Red Snapper. While fishing for the Red Snapper we would also catch Cobia aka Lemon Fish aka Ling and Mangrove Snapper. This year was the first year in a long time that the Mangrove Snapper have been as “thick as fleas” on our oil rigs and platforms that the Red Snapper live on. The Mangrove Snapper are delicious, look very similar to a Red Snapper and fight much harder. Additionally, the Mangrove Snapper have great eyes and a keen sense for safety so once you lured them away from the structure the next hurdle was to get them to bite….. There is a true level of skill that goes into catching Mangrove Snapper. Then, once hooked, the fight is on !! Since they are aware of their surroundings the Mangrove Snapper immediately heads for the pipe legs that are covered in sharp barnacles in an attempt to break themselves free. I have included pictures on my site of Mangrove Snapper and Red Snapper so you can see the difference.
As for the Yellow Fin Tuna, this year has been great at times and simply fair at others so I would label the Yellow Fin Tuna fishing thus far as just simply “Good”…. Yellow Fin Tuna catches when fishing has been fast, furious and simply exploding produced catches of tuna in double digit numbers with the average size in the 50lb/60lb range. When tuna catches have been simply good, the size has been the same with average days of 4 to 6 tuna caught.
At first the major flooding didn’t seem to affect Venice or the fishing but the longer that the cold, brown fresh water rushed into the Gulf the more impact it appeared to have on Tuna fishing. The river water has been mixing with the Gulf water and the river is slowing the flow and the level is dropping daily, so it appears the beautiful cobalt blue water that is the pelagic life blood is now being allowed to push in closer and regain it’s normal territory. Once this water makes it’s fall push close inshore the pelagics will follow and Tuna, Marlin, Wahoo and Mahi-Mahi will move up on the shelf and be as close as 10 to 20 miles offshore at times.
Amberjack season opens on August 1st allowing us an additional specie to add to our fishing boxes by days end. The Mangrove Snapper are plentiful and the season is open as well the Pelagic fish are abundant and don’t forget that Shrimp Boat season is right around the corner beginning

in late September and running through early November.
Fishing is great, the weather is cooperating and it’s time to come to Venice Louisiana for your offshore deep sea fishing charter….
Catch ‘em Up-
Captain Mike Gray
www.CajunOdysea.com

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Archive for April 2011

8 Jul

Deepwater Horizon’s anniversary in Venice Louisiana


April 16th, 2011
April 2011 marks the one year anniversary of the BP “Deepwater Horizon” Oil Spill. Many avid fishing enthusiasts are wondering what the effects have been in the area they frequent several times a year for charter fishing. www.CajunOdysea.com
Venice, Louisiana is located so close to the deep water canyons of the Gulf of Mexico making the sport fishing opportunities world class. Venice is home to several major IGFA sport fishing tournaments each year. In the world of on-camera fishing personalities; anyone, who is someone, films a television show in Venice which airs to millions of viewers.
Captain Mike Gray, Cajun Odysea Charters, located in Venice says “the fishing is better than ever.” Captain Mike reports that limits of yellowfin tuna are being caught, the mahi-mahi are already showing up and “YES” huge blue marlin are being caught. Populations of reef fish includingr are abundant. June marks the opening of some reef specie seasons and Gray says “the snapper and grouper are so thick limits can be caught in just minutes.”
One of the reasons for the increased catch in Venice can be explained by Dr. Russell Chianelli who is a professor at UT and says “There are organisms that eat oil called Hydrocarbon Degraders”… “These organisms consume oil creating CO2 and H2O and more of themselves. Approximately, 50% of the petroleum goes to making biomass and then goes up the food chain.”
Gray, who runs a charter business in Venice, Louisiana, www.CajunOdysea.com supports Dr. Chianelli’s theory stating, “We have seen an increase in bait fish, which in turn has brought more game fish.” Until I heard this theory, I had no explanation for the incredible fishing. I thought since the Gulf of Mexico had some closed areas last year during the “Deepwater Horizon” accident that the lack of fishing pressure had increased the number of fish. However, as the fishing continued to get better and better I questioned my original theory. As we took customers into the Gulf to target Yellow Fin Tuna I was seeing more and more bait. I have recently witnessed things in the Gulf I have never seen including bait pods the size of football fields and millions of bait fish that are only seen occasionally in our area.
Additionally, Dr. Russell Chianelli says “After every major oil spill there is an explosion in the number of fish and other marine creatures as they consume the Hydrocarbon Degraders. Everywhere in the ocean oil seeps occur. In fact, many of the deposits in the Gulf of Mexico were discovered by observing Oil Seeps.”
Venice, Louisiana is located 70 miles south of New Orleans which makes adding a charter fishing trip a definite possibility if you are traveling to “The Big Easy” this summer. Captain Mike Gray says “Catches of Yellowfin Tuna can be caught offshore along with Red Snapper, Amberjack and Grouper.” Trips depart daily from Venice Marina returning late in the afternoon. Your catch is filleted, bagged and loaded in your cooler for transport. Heck, you can be back in the Crescent city for dinner if you choose.
Best-
Captain Mike Gray
www.CajunOdysea.com

Archive for March 2011

8 Jul

March 2011 Offshore Charter Fishing Update


March 31st, 2011
Venice fishing is the absolute best I’ve ever seen for this time of the year. Why? I don’t know… Yellowfin Tuna action has been consistent, Wahoo fishing picked up, Mako sharks were caught and the Blackfin Tuna are on steroids.
I’m telling you Venice Louisiana Offshore Fishing is *ON* like I’ve never seen.
I have a theory? Want to hear it? I know this is going to sound crazy but here goes….. The offshore fishing is incredible because of the amount of bait that has shown up. We have bazillions of Ballyhoo, I’ve never seen this before. We have the normal amount of flying fish and the small mackerel… The flying fish and mackerel are normal, what’s off the charts is the amount of Ballyhoo. So, here goes the craziest thing you have ever heard. I say that the Micro Organisms that eat the oil have bloomed, grown and the bait fish are here eating them, thus, “Walla” the BIG predatory fish are here in Venice.
NOW, for those of you that don’t want to read the whole article below, I’ve cut and pasted one particular paragraph here: “After every major oil spill there is an explosion in the number of fish and other marine creatures as they consume the Hydrocarbon Degraders. Everywhere in the ocean oil seeps occur. In fact, many of the deposits in the Gulf of Mexico were discovered by observing Oil Seeps.”
So, what I’m saying is THIS…. If you are considering a fishing trip to Venice Louisiana RUN don’t WALK because 2011 is the year to be fishing offshore Venice.
Who Knew? There are Micro Organisms in our Oceans that EAT Oil!
June 7, 2010 in Politics | Tags: bacteria, bp, drill, gulf, oil, organisms, spill, valdez
I just saw Dr. Russell Chianelli on Bloomberg TV, and my jaw hit the floor.
He’s a professor at UT, and helped clean up the Exxon Valdez Oil Spil by “populating” the beaches with these natural “oil eaters”. In his interview, he pointed out that oil is CONSTANTLY leaking into our oceans from various sources (obviously, not as fast and overwhelming as the BP situation).
But this is the first I’ve heard about something that makes a lot of sense: that, despite the impression we’ve all developed, oil is a NATURAL phenomenon and there are naturally-occuring creatures on Earth that have evolved to subsist on it.
In fact, he went further, and insisted that, despite popular conception, the Valdez Spill has been “almost completely” corrected using these little oil-hungry buggers. And he challenged anyone to “go up there, and prove otherwise”.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
By Dr. Russell Chianelli
As I am starting the Materials for Energy Blog, a BP oil well, located 50 miles off the coast of the U.S. in the Gulf of Mexico and one mile below the surface of the ocean, blows out releasing 5,000 barrels of oil per day. This brings me right back to 1989 when I was working on the cleanup of the Exxon Valdez oil spill[i]. People remember the Exxon Valdez but don’t realize that it wasn’t the biggest tanker spill in the world[ii].
So what was the biggest global oil spill? Before the Gulf War the biggest oil spill in the world was the Ixtoc Blow-Out in the Bahia de Campeche, Mexico on June 3, 1979[iii]. When PEMEX drilled a deep exploratory well, similar to the current blowout, the sea bottom gave way and in 9 months 3,500,000 barrels of oil were released; more than 10 times the amount released by the Exxon Valdez. The nearest coastline in the U.S. was in Texas, approximately 600 miles away! Out of this huge amount of oil, very little ever reached the shores of Padre Island, which was the closest point. Why? This is because of hydrocarbon degrading organisms, Hydrocarbon Degraders. These microorganisms consume the oil creating CO2 and H2O and more of themselves. Approximately, 50% of the petroleum goes to making biomass that then goes up the food chain.
After every major oil spill there is an explosion in the number of fish and other marine creatures as they consume the Hydrocarbon Degraders. Everywhere in the ocean oil seeps occur. In fact, many of the deposits in the Gulf of Mexico were discovered by observing Oil Seeps.
Thus the Hydrocarbon Degraders are everywhere waiting for their dinner! What can be done to oil spilling into the sea?
The science of Hydrocarbon Degraders and oil spills was originally investigated by Dr. Ronald Atlas, now of the University of Louisville, who studied the Amoco Cadiz oil spill which occurred on March 16, 1978[iv]. The Amoco Cadiz was the largest tanker spill ever, spilling 1,600,000 barrels of crude on the beaches of Brittany, France. Nutrients, N and P, from farms above the beach, enhanced the growth of the Hydrocarbon Degraders giving rise to the concept Nutrient Enhanced Bioremediation for dealing with oiled beaches. It was this idea that Ron Atlas and I developed for the beaches in Alaska after the Exxon Valdez oil spill. This was the largest successful bioremediation project. The materials used were INIPOL EAP-22[v], an oleophilic nutrient and CUSTOMBLEND, a typical agricultural fertilizer. Their application is described in reference 1. These nutrients were successfully used on the beaches in Alaska and not on oil in the open water.
For oil in open water, an EPA approved dispersant may be used such as COREXIT[vi].
Since oil and water don’t mix the oil is only available to the Hydrocarbon Degraders at the oil/water interface slowing hydrocarbon degradation. Adding the dispersant allows the oil and water to mix accelerating the degradation of the oil and destroying the oil slick. Such a dispersant is being used on the current offshore oil spill to prevent the oil from reaching the beach[vii].
A dispersant was not used in the Exxon Valdez oil spill. If it had been used the oil would not have reached the beaches after a major storm. Oil on the beach requires Nutrient Enhanced Bioremediation. In the case of the Ixtoc blow-out, natural dispersants, produced by the Hydrocarbon Degraders, allow them to access the oil. The dispersant being added accelerates the process and will likely prevent most of the oil from hitting beaches[viii].

Archive for February 2011

8 Jul

Venice Louisiana – Spring is here – February 2011
February 27th, 2011
Venice Louisiana offshore charter fishing is booming…. Last year people could not get offshore because of the BP Oil spill so this year it appears the customers are making up for lost time. My phone is ringing off the hook and the e-mails are pouring in. For once I think there is more of a demand for offshore charter fishing than there is Charter Captains to take the trips.
See you on the water in Vencie Louisiana
Captain Mike Gray
I’m sure some Charter Captains took the BP money and went on to pursure other career desires and i’m also equally as certain that not all the Captains are released from their obligations to BP and then there are simply some that are still playing. SO, the pent up demand is high this year.
Book early if you want choice dates this summer, of course the summer saturday’s will go first, then Sunday’s and finally Friday’s….. Lodging will get tight this year in Vencie so make certain to call now and book your offshore fishing trip to Venice Louisiana TODAY….
One other thing, the fishing is GREAT but the food quality is even better. PLEASE< Please, don’t think for one second that the fish or seafood has been hurt or damaged. This is simply not the case, the seafood coming from Louisiana waters is safer than ever before. WHY or HOW you ask:
Simple- Louisiana is testing and sampling more seafood than they have in the past becasue of the possible risks. OR should I say risks that one might would assume could be possible. The State of Louisiana, NOAA, Food and Drug Administration, NMFS, all these agencies are watching the seafood so close it makes things safer and safer for you and I the consumer. CUDOS to the State for their sampling and testing efforts.
Tags: Mako, Venice Louisiana, Venice Louisiana Offshore Charter Fishing; Yellowfin Tuna, Wahoo
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Venice Louisiana Yellowfin Action
February 20th, 2011
February 12, 2011 thru February 20, 2011
Venice offshore action finally heated up. Both the weather in Venice Louisiana and the offshore charter fishing heated up on the full moon bite in Venice. Yellowfin Tuna and Wahoo were the primary targets but we had a showing on Mako Sharks and really nice size Blackfin Tuna.
We have been waiting for the Jumboz for almost 30 days and finally the stars aligned. Not only did the Jumboz show up but the weather cooperated and allowed the fleet to get after the fish.
We started the week with Jess Williams and the Wahoo bite was great early in the morning… The seas were rough as we exited out of South Pass so I opted to stop short of my intended location of Elf. We stopped at BP-109 and fished the rig as well as the “cans” for stand by vessels. The water was blue and the sea grass was floating around as were the Jellies, the temperature was 65 degrees and I really felt we would hammer the ‘hoos. As we trolled by the cans the reels would scream drag and the normal was doubles and some triples, however , this did not last much over an hour and we had a long day after that in rough seas. Just to tell you how the Wahoo move, when I returned to the dock I told Capt. Kev and Wade where to find the fish at first light being the first boat… They returned and NOT ONE WAHOO BITE…
As the week progressed we saw the arrival of the long over due JUMBOZ… My days run together but I can tell you it was a real sweet treat to finally catch big fish (see photos @ www.CajunOdysea.com) on the usual haunts. The Midnight Lump produced a 196 LB Jumbo for me as well as a 91 LB Amberjack. Boats were successful each day but the bites were few and far between. Our best day yielded 4 real nice fish.
When fishing for the JUMBOZ top notch equipment is mandatory. Tackle set ups are like elbows and belly buttons, but I will share my favorite set up with you.

  1. Shimano 50 wide
  2. Melton 50-80 class deluxe tuna stand up rod with bent but
  3. Jerry Brown hollow core 130lb line. ( Approx 700 yrds.)
  4. Loop to loop connection to a BHP wind on
  5. Basil’s wind on in 80 Lb Blackwater fluorocarbon
  6. Finished with Mustad 39950BLN 9/0 Demon Perfect Circle 3x Strong

This rig is perfect for chunking cut bonito, cut blackfin, cut King mackerel and of course pogies. This rig works wonders with live mullet or live hard tails. The reason I use JB HOLLOW is because of less stretch and when you connect by loop to loop you have a very strong connection with NO KNOT, so your weakest point is your flouro and your knot. Blackwater flouro is good/great as is this rig.
*I’m sure everyone has favorites that work and deviations of this rig* My summer rig is different…
Venice Louisiana is kicking as normal and the Venice Marina has everything you need to get on these fish, whether you drag your own rig or you charter, NOW is the time to start planning your days offshore. All the charter captains are willing to render fishing information on the dock in swaps for a cold beer so come on down to south Plaquemine Parrish and enjoy what Venice Louisiana Charter fishing is all about.
Best-
Captain Mike Gray
www.CajunOdysea.com
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Venice – Wahoo and Tuna
February 12th, 2011
Venice Louisiana Wahoo have shown up and there are signs that the Jumbo Yellow Fin Tuna might be lurking around.
Hard core winter Wahoo fishing in Louisiana is heating up. There have been some good Wahoo catches and it appears the catches are getting more common and wide spread. Venice Wahoo seem to be predominantly on the East side of the river. I have not heard of many people fishing to the South or to the West. Baits of choice have been Bomber CD 30’s in the color of Pink and the white blue mackerel. I normally look for clean water, yes, clean green will work fine.
Venice Louisiana Yellow Fin Tuna action has been quantity but the quality size fish, the one’s I call Jumboz have been delinquent in their arrival. Many of my customers ask me about the Jumboz and the famous “Midnight Lump”… No one knows the answer of *why* the Jumboz have not shown up as of yet. In the past few years it appears the fish are showing up later in the season and fewer fish make the appearance. HOWEVER, we are catching a large number of fish in the 30LB range and at the end of the day, the take is just as great.
The Yellow Fin Tuna are on the floaters and have been hitting the Wahoo baits, if you are fishing an area where there are both Yellow Fin Tuna and Wahoo you should consider pulling both the large CD-30’s and some smaller baits that Yellow Fin will hit, like the X-Rap and Mirrolure MR-11…
The flesh quality of the fish has been incredible and soon we will be catching Marlin and Mahi-Mahi- on the grass lines just outside the pass… Plan now to make your Venice Louisiana fishing trip of a lifetime. Last year the pressure was off the fish and if the numbers we saw in late ‘10 and now in the first months of ‘11 are any indication of what summer can hold for us, boy it’s going to be fun in Venice this year.
OH, I never told you “WHY” there are signs the Jumboz are lurking… 2 or 3 of the charter boats had fish over 150lbs yesterday (Saturday). It appears the fish were caught in open water busting schools of mullet. This is proof that the fish are close and the bait is heading offshore.
Best Fishes
Captain Mike Gray

Archive for December 2010

8 Jul

Yellowfin and a Pink Elephant
December 13th, 2010
Venice Offshore Yellowfin Tuna fishing continues to be world class. Not only does the size of these Yellow Fin Tuna make me say world class, but the distance to these fish is less than 30 miles from Venice Marina. Combined with the very cool visual way we target these fish makes the experience a lasting impression.
OK, so to sum up Saturday and Sunday in this report, let’s get started shall we? Both days the charter was made up of “Walk-on” customers, I was able to put together enough each day to have a great crew. Saturday was totally un-expected but also very humbling. The weather, storms and wind had kept me off the water for quite a few days and I did not know if the Jumboz were behind the shrimp boats or not. So we left the dock and really did not know where to find the boats but as luck would have it, we drove straight to ‘em.
I pulled the twin throttles of the 350 Yammies, back setting the Freeman 33’ down behind the first boat. I asked Eric Newman to get some of the totally frozen pogies into a five gallon bucket to begin de-frosting …. He began pulling a few apart and we began running water on ‘em in effort to defrost them so when cut they will sink. By this point we had moved bean bags to the front and I had arranged a little tackle and visually checked out my surroundings.  I looked at the Furuno 3D depth ‘o’ meter and my eyes almost popped out at the site of HUGE markings of red…. WO, Eric look at this, they are here and we are on ‘em. I said here give me some bait, he said it’s still frozen we are working on it but I’ve cut a few pieces if you want ‘em. I took one cut pogie, about 4 pieces and tossed them into the water only to watch a JUMBO come and eat ‘em. I grabbed a whole pogie and hooked it gangster style through the eyes and tossed it into the water and walla THE Jumbo ate, but the bait was completely frozen so the fish spit it out before I could get a hook into it. Oh, well we’ve been fishing 2 minutes and they appear to be here.
We gather our composure, let the bait thaw and motor back into position. As we begin to chum the bonitos start first and almost every single time we made a drift the HUGE Jumboz showed on the surface. This day when the Jumboz appear in the slick it’s 6 up to 10 fish rolling on the surface with sickles all out of the water, boiling as they are in a frenzy and making a show like I’ve never seen.. I threw a perfect piece about 8 feet from the boat and I think the Yellowfin was lurking below the boat waiting and watching because just as soon as the bait hit the water this HUGE JUMBO sucked it down and it was on!!Hook up!! Break off!! The uni to uni was tied last fishing trip and in my haste I did not check it out this particular morning…
At any rate this type of fishing went on all day we saw an estimated 100 Jumbo YF Tuna. Now, just to tell you how stellar that is, on most days we visually spot, watch and see about 10 up to 20 if you are lucky….AND on a bunch of days you will only see 2 or 3 and then some days none at all……. So, now do you see how stellar the visual is? ?
Can you believe we ended with one Jumbo? Yep, that was it!!
On Sunday; day two, different anglers but same game plan. I did however spend most of the night swapping from 30TW’s to 50 and 80 wides. I sharpened all the saws and went to bed dreaming about the morning to come. I knew if we only saw ½ what we had seen the day before it was going to be awesome.
We departed Venice Marina and I slammed the Yammies all the way, she roared up to 5700rpm and we were cruising down the pass with a light glow of morning sun at 58mph. as we broke out into the gulf it was slick calm, I never stood up or touched the throttles, we rocked to the same area and we were fishing with the sun just breaking above the horizon.
First boat was the mother load, it was one stop shopping. This time the bait was thawed the night before and we were ready. As we pulled into position Eric threw some cut chum right onto the port side of the shrimping vessel and hollered “There they are, someone get a hook into the water. We had 2 anglers ready, belts had been properly fitted, instructions given on what a bite feels like and what to do when the fish takes off. This time, this morning we were ready!! Sure nuf here they come cruising through the slick, they were large and in charge.
I can’t explain the grace of these huge Tuna and honestly I don’t think I can convey the feelings and emotions these fish send through your soul. As a fisherman I try so hard to catch ‘em the chase is intense, preparation is continuous, thousands of dollars spent, conversations for hours and friends made because of *Fishing*… And it all comes down to times like this. This is the best of the best, it doesn’t happen every day.
We doubled up on ‘em and even could have tripled up. As the anglers would fight the fish we would continue to chum and watch the graceful behemoths swim through the slick getting the EXACT perfect pieces of bait that they chose. This was a two day stretch that I will remember forever!!
Good fishing-
Captain Mike Gray
www.CajunOdysea.com

Archive for October 2010

8 Jul

Shrimp Boat Tuna 2010
October 25th, 2010
Venice Yellowfin Tuna Fishing:
**Shrimp boats** and Yellowfin Tuna feeding bonanza! Shallow water Cobia limits daily! Snapper large and plentiful! Wahoo moving in and Mako’s showing signs of arrival!
October is the best month in Venice Louisiana, or at least this is the sweetest October I can ever remember! I’m bad about typing reports but I will sum up two weeks of fishing right here, right now.
On the maiden fishing voyage of my new FREEMAN 33’ I took a great friend Sean Newman and headed over to Grand isle from Venice via the gulf to pick up another friend and <NO relation>Eric Newman for a weekend of fishing. On the way Sean and I caught a limit of Cobia in the West Delta, then once we picked Eric up we stopped and got his limit on the way back to Venice.
The next day was the first “Real” day of fishing offshore and we were stoked, greeted by nice calm seas and a beautiful sunrise that could only be from one God we rocked on at 60+ miles per hour to the shrimp boats. Once at the shrimpers we knew it was time for the slayin to begin. The fish had no pressure for almost 6 months and there were more than 3 dozen shrimpers laying trawl trash all over the surface of the West Delta. We got the bait we needed and tossed a few pieces into the water only to watch huge, big shouldered Yellowfin Tuna muscle the smaller Bonita and Blackfin out of the way. We tossed a couple baits into the water with hidden hooks and it was on. The reels began to scream and the anglers smiled and high fived as we hand fed huge fish in beautiful blue water. Final tally for the day was 5 Yellowfin Tuna, One nice Warsaw and a Red Snapper. Jimmy from Boat Stuf had the #11 record in the Gulf of Mexico @ 221.4 LBS, congratulations Jimmy on a world class Yellowfin Tuna.
Day two and same thing.
Day three and same thing.
Took a few days off to come home and re-group. It was time to up-size the tackle, add new wind on’s provided by Basil @ B.H.P. Tackle and get ready to go after them again. The word was out and the bookings were coming in. The couple days off gave me just the right amount of time to fine tune my tackle and head after them again. This time things had changed a little and the shrimp boats were in dirty water. Some of the big ‘uns were caught but I did not duplicate the previous trips. No one can argue with limits of snapper, 15+ Jumbo size Black fin and wahoo thrown in for good taste. We did get a Yellowfin each day but the size was smaller. The seas were still calm, the temperature wonderful and friendship second to none.
On one of the days I had a 6 year old boy and his brother that was 12, both caught fish and both created memories on my boat. The 6 year old baited his hook, threw it in the water, hooked a 20+ LB Blackfin and reeled it in the whole way with zero help…. Way to go Logan! This day was great and there are two kids that have “Fish-Tales” to last a long, long time. We saw a huge Mako this day and caught a hammerhead as well as plenty other giant blacktips….
So, now my days are running together and I cant recall one trip from the other, but they were all great and even what I would consider world class. A few of the highlights included: A stud Yellowfin hooked on an 80wide with 130lb straight and a 20 ought circle hook. He fought like hell for about 15 minutes making wild long runs then dig in and circle followed by another stellar run, we were beginning to wonder, but we knew it was a stud Yellowfin Tuna because we saw the fish eat. So, after one long run it simply started coming into the boat, we just knew it had been eaten by the Mako but upon inspection the fish was intact and coming to the boat like a bass being skied across the surface, the angler kept tension on the fish and reeled a 165LB Yellowfin Tuna across the surface to the boat only to realize the 20 ought circle hook had in fact penetrated the fish somewhere down it’s throat to cause it to die. Yep, died dead, never moved, never flopped, never flinched when the point was driven home… DEAD !!
One stud size Yellowfin Tuna got greedy and ate two baits, he had a circle hook in each side of his face, each angler was equipped on 50wides and, well, let’s just say that Tuna never had a chance and the fight lasted all of 10 minutes! Of all the cool sights I will never get over a stud yellow waiting in linger below the boat and when John Buck threw a 5” live hard tail the fish hit the small bait on top of the water about 6’ from the boat and completely smoked a 30 wide, there is no doubt he would have spooled us if it had not been for the Jerry Brown line underneath the mono top shot.
Each day we fished we were no farther than 40miles from Venice Marina and in the new FREEMAN we were on the fish shortly after sunrise. The speed 60+ allows for longer fishing time and less commute. Check out my site for pictures, www.cajunodysea.com
Best-
Captain Mike Gray
www.CajunOdysea.com

Archive for September 2010

8 Jul

Some answers to recent Questions
September 2nd, 2010
Anticipation is picking up and so are the phone calls, e-mails and web site hits. I can feel the excitement in the air, seasons are changing and Big Game Anglers are gearing up for some of the best Yellow Fin Tuna fishing in the United States.
Most common questions right now are:
1)      When will the waters open?
2)      Is lodging available?
3)      How is the fishing in Venice during late September through November?
4)      Are you booked? How many people can you take per trip?
So, let me answer them one by one.
I have talked to NOAA just today and had a great “Debate” with the official lady…. It’s amazing to me that our wonderful country looks after us so well. I mean we can’t be trusted to catch and release because we (an angler) might eat a fish and get sick…. AND, once again I was reminded of the opening protocol and the systematic way we will be allowed to resume fishing. YES, the explanation I received this time was EXACTLY the same as the last explanation. It appears NOAA definitely agrees on this “Opening Protocol” and will stick to their plan. Un-fortunately they are about 4-6 weeks behind what I was told a month ago and seeming to fall farther behind rather than moving forward faster….
Lodging in Venice is becoming available once again. For several months BP and it’s contractors had all lodging taken, but as the oil headlines decline so does cleaning efforts. I will assist in lodging options as needed.
Fishing in Venice is awesome during the fall months. HUGE Yellowfin Tuna feed behind the deep water shrimp boats gorging themselves for the up-coming winter months. I’m sure the Tuna will come through, we just don’t know if the shrimp boats will be allowed to shrimp in the areas they normally shrimp. Weather is mild, temperatures are nice and normally we have ample days we can get offshore before the cold windy weather months of bitter winter set in.
I AM NOT BOOKED 100%. I have openings and only a few bookings, as the fishing closures reduce and open areas increase I expect some anglers to jump on the opportunity and book their chosen days.  I always try to run a deck hand so I will ONLY take 4 anglers per day.  Finally, “Marina-Ticket” includes ice, bait and fuel and I expect the normal “Marina-Ticket” to average about $400.. So, the trip looks like this: $1,200 + “Marina-Ticket” Avg. 400$ = $1,600 average daily fee….

Archive for August 2010

8 Jul

NOAA/Federal Government and **Closure** of Federal Fishing Waters
August 21st, 2010
 NOAA closed Federal fishing waters because of OIL…. Not because of boat traffic.
Simple enough, HUH?
There was no testing done to conclude that Federal Fishing Waters should be closed. No one knew if TOXINS were in the fish, no one checked or tested before closures!! NOAA DID NOT close federal waters because of boat traffic……NOAA closed federal waters because there was oil on the surface so **DUH** that must mean fish flesh was spoiled, the fish must be toxic to consume!!
HOG WASH !!
Now that the Federal Government has taken something away from us (Fishing Community) we must PROVE to the FDA and NOAA that fish pass testing that they ***NEVER FAILED***
You know, if the waters had been closed due to boat traffic, I could totally understand and would have been more than happy to stay out of the way, stay off the water. OR even if testing had occurred for several weeks or months to PROVE the fish did indeed exceed a level of concern but NO, oh, hell no!! The Federal Government just closed area’s and zones because they can. NOW, there is extensive testing being conducted to conclude or to prove something that was never proven. Does my writing sound confusing? Is it me? NO< Michael, it’s not you that’s the way it is…. It sounds confusing because it’s so freakin stupid that its confusing.
Oh, I’ve got another idea: ‘UM< Catch and Release? Buyer Beware? If I’m allowed to traverse the waters and it’s OK for me to be in the area and I assume all risks to my vessel, equipment, engines, line, etc…etc…. AND I’m not hampering the recovery effort, <Remember, boat traffic is not closed> then why can’t I catch and release my fish? OR for that matter catch and fillet if I’m aware? How about this, commercial fishing is closed but recreational fishing remains open? (I’m not against the commercial guys, don’t shoot)…. OR, how about testing the fish as the commercial guys bring them to the dock, that way they can continue to make a living? Why not assign a task force to Zones and Marinas in the areas of concern and let the fishing resume and test our catch at the dock randomly.
We’ll, Michael! SAID quietly; Strikes the voice of NOAA… We paint with one large brush and sorry you just got dipped in the bucket! Besides, what your explaining makes too much sense, we are the FEDERAL Government and we know best!
Continue to follow this link, Federal Fishing Waters remain largely closed, although you hear on the news “State” waters are opened.
http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/deepwater_horizon_oil_spill.htm
Have another Great Saturday!
Captain Mike Gray

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