2010 Shark Trip to High Island (Gulf of Mexico)

Hi guys, I intend to post some pictures soon, but I recently took the FUN MACHINE to Galveston, and launched at Galveston Yacht Basin, ran out through the small boat cut in the jetties, out West toward Lousianna about 25 miles (running about 4 miles of the beach for 25 miles) to a place near High Island. From there we put some scouts on the beach where they fished with surf rods (using kayaks to paddle out the bait). We only caught one 4' bull shark, but we caught 6 nice bull reds using half a mullet for bait. We caught three from the pontoon boat, and three from the beach.

I slept on the boat and except for the 1-2' seas, it was very comfortable. I chose to set out 200' of anchor rope to make sure I stayed in one place, and with my delta plow anchor, it held firm. I want to do a product review of a surprising product. I bought a power anchor system from pontoon stuff.com It has held up great through salt water and the thin 1/4" line is surprisingly strong. Who would have thought it could hold up to the weight of my 25' pontoon in rough seas.

A couple of times I took waves over the bow while moving and while at anchor. This is where a pontoon boat is actually cool. The water just washes off the deck and under the fence. If you takes waves over the bow in a conventional boat, you had better have an excellent bilge pump systems. Not a worry with a pontoon boat!

I will post the pictures soon. (probably saturday)

Pass the word to build up our membership that pontoons are king in Texas!

Matt.

nice! can't wait to see the pics. i often wonder about taking my small toon offshore.

Thanks for joining our group. I am telling you on some days you could take a 10' jon boat in the gulf and catch bull reds (although I wouldn't reccomend it). But you could easily take your nice toon out there. How long is it? I see you are from Porter near Lake Houston..

I have been planning on taking a trip up there soon.

Maybe you can give me some details of the lake.

Talk to you soon.

it's an '18 ft bass buggy. i work in the gulf and i'm sure i could bring it out now. it is calm and quiet and hot!! Lake Houston is pretty cool, but then again, what do i know. that was my first time out. i can tell you that it is a very shallow lake. we stopped kinda in the middle one place and jumped in just to find it was only waist deep! lots of tree branches sticking out of the water, but not too bad. we did get stuck once, but got out easy enough. you ever get around this area let me know. i have a 50-50% chance of being off that week.

My friend Brandon catching his first bull red!






My Bed (slept on the couch) for the night. Nice sunrise huh?


(This kids first fish ever in his life! Nice way to start!


Anchored about 100 yds off shore in 5' of water.



A pretty flat day on the Gulf of Mexico! (rare!)

Hey Matt,
Awesome trip and pictures.
How much gas did you use getting to the island? I want to fish the Gulf in my toon, but I have no idea where and how. I have a 21 ft Avalon, 2009 with a Honda 75hp 4 stroke, and a 25 gal fuel tank. You think that my rig can handle it?

Did you take extra fuel?
Thanks for information.
You ever get up to Lewisville, holler, I would host you on the lake.
Regards,
Ron