GULF COAST FISHERMAN

05/20/2026

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News Release, May 1, 2026: Federal Red Snapper Season to Open May 22

05/17/2026

Everything Austin says, I’ve found through personal buying experiences, is 100% backed up by service and quality. Makes a great gift if you’re shopping for a special someone.

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04/27/2026

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💔We lost a local fishing legend. R.I.P Captain Patrick Murphy with Captain Murphy's Fishing Charters out of South Padre Island. So many of us have met him and have great memories fishing on his charter.

" It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Captain Patrick Murphy.

Captain Murphy touched countless lives over the years—through his kindness, his stories, his passion for the water, and the unforgettable experiences he created for so many. He wasn’t just a captain; he was a friend, a mentor, and a true part of the our community.

He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

We will share details regarding services as soon as arrangements are made. In the meantime, we ask that you please keep the Murphy family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. "

12/26/2025

THIS IS A DIGITAL FILE. Features 2026 Wells Daily Fishing Forecast, Daily Tides, Monthly Best Days Fishing Calendars, and Astro Data.

11/23/2025

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Check it 👉 Our Lower Laguna Madre team recently encountered a couple of unusual yet very similar looking snapper species while conducting routine sampling along the

The top fish is a juvenile mutton snapper caught in a bay trawl, and the fish on the bottom is a juvenile lane snapper caught in a bag seine. One distinguishing feature is the lane snapper has a yellow and rounded a**l fin, while the mutton snapper has a pointed red a**l fin. The mutton snapper also has faded blue lines below the eye, while the lane has faint yellow stripes along its body.

09/18/2025

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What a catch! 🐠

Our Lower Laguna Madre crew recently encountered this spotfin butterflyfish while conducting resource sampling along the

Spotfin butterflyfish (Chaetodon ocellatus) is a small yet striking species that draws attention wherever it flutters through the water. They can be found in the western Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf, and most commonly in the Caribbean Sea. We see spotfin butterflyfish in the Gulf most often from August-November. These fish are predominantly a shallow coral reef species, with juveniles residing in sea grass beds.

Spotfin butterflyfish get their name from the dark spot on their dorsal fins. This, combined with a vertical black bar that runs through their eye, is a vital form of protection from predators. Juveniles have a second spot on their a**l fin that disappears as they grow older.

Hiding their real eye with a black strip and having a dotted “false eye” near the tail expertly confuses predators. A predator that normally attacks the head of a fish to have a better chance of a successful catch will attack the wrong end, enabling the spotfin butterflyfish to make a quick escape to safety.

09/02/2025

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Check it out 👉 Our staff recently encountered this belted sandfish while out conducting routine monitoring around the

The belted sandfish (Serranus subligarius), also known as the dwarf sea bass or stubby sea bass, is found in silty waters with substrates consisting of mixed rubble and sand, often near jetties, rocky outcrops and artificial coral reefs. These marine fish are a predatory species and have a diet of small crustaceans, such as amphipods, gammarids and shrimp as well as crabs and small fish. Belted sandfish capture food by drawing critters into their large mouths, creating a powerful suction as their mouth opens and swallows prey whole.

08/18/2025

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08/15/2025

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Take a look at this hardhead cat-dad (catfish) that our Upper Laguna Madre crew encountered while conducting surveying along the

Last week, during bag seine and bay trawl monitoring in Baffin Bay, the team caught this particular cat-dad that was carrying his young in his mouth. Upon closer inspection, the crew noticed that he was carrying a total of 10 juveniles -- talk about a mouthful!

Hardhead catfish (Ariopsis felis) have six rounded barbels that stick out from their chins like whiskers. These barbels help the catfish find crabs, fish and shrimp in the muddy bays where they live. Their dorsal and pectoral fins are supported by a sharp, slime-covered barbed spine that stand erect when the fish is excited or acting in defense against predators.

And surprisingly, the males will carry eggs in their mouths until they hatch and the young catfish are able to care for themselves.

08/05/2025

ONCE UPON A TIME IN TARPON ALLEY -There was a time in the eighties when i never ever saw another boat in a location ,that many today say doesn't ever exist .I named this location Tarpon Alley ..Over the years there have many stories ,articles and interviews on this location "'Tarpon Alley "' in the Gulf of Mexico that does not exist ..IN this corridor or migration route i also gave certain waypoints names .One of the best locations i ever found for tarpon on the Upper Texas Coast was a location i named "'BUM F EGUPT "'or simply the name that went down in my log books as . B F E ... --- When B F E was right in the summer time it was not rare to see hundreds and hundreds of tarpon on the surface .On a good day of tarpon fishing ,a tarpon charter might catch 5 to 7 tarpon a day and somedays even more .When i say catch , i mean reel the fish to the boat ,take a photo ,then let the tarpon go ...Then i used a lot of natural bait for tarpon ,both live and the freshest of fresh dead ..My records show over many many years at sea i never ,-not once -caught a tarpon on any type of bait that had been frozen .-------------------------------.IN todays world 2019 i think there are times and places where certain people would do a lot better if they used live or natural baits on tarpon instead of artificial baits ..------------------------------.Example 2 boats leave a marina ,both boats are going to the Galveston Jetties trout fishing ..In one boat we have 4 men and they all can fish real good with artificial baits ..These four men are using shrimp tail jigs of different sizes and weight .Two of these men are using chartreuse colored tails with orange jig heads and the other two men are using white shrimp tail jigs with red heads ...The other boat with four good fishermen are all using fresh frisky large live croakers .....So ,here's my real world common sense question ..At the end of the day which boat has the most trout and more important "'WHY "''.Now most seasoned tarpon fishermen know you can catch tarpon on jigs ,both casting and trolling when conditions are near perfect ...But like i said ,i think a lot of people would do a lot better in Tarpon Alley ,if the used live or fresh natural baits both for trolling ,drifting or dredging and under tarpon floats .....Some say you catch a lot of sharks on natural bait which is correct but my observation ,you also catch a lot of tarpon when conditions aren't so perfect ........----TRUE STORY --One time long time ago ,i had this guy call me and said he wanted to be a fishing guide and wanted to know if i could give him any pointers ...I told this man to buy a boat and go to Eagle Point Marina on Galveston Bay and specialize in live croaker fishing for trout .................At that place in time NOBODY used croakers for trout bait ..One or two men maybe but not many ..Anyway this man bought a boat and went to Eagle Point and started a guide service where he specialized in croaker fishing for trout ..Ten years later this man was known far and wide as ""Captain Croaker ""'' ---- MY POINT .plastic jigs and artificial lures are great tools for catching fish ,but sometimes its hard to beat the real thing in the reel world of fishing .......photo ""TALL TAILS FROM TARPON ALLEY """Tarpon Express photo , B F E ,Tarpon Alley ,Upper Texas Coast 1988 ----------