Winter Season for Red Snapper Fishing is Back

by Tony Vindell/LFN

Tired of having ham, turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy and all of the traditional dishes that are popular during the holiday season?

If so, grab a cooler and head out to South Padre Island as fishing for red snapper in gulf waters has just started for the winter season.

Cap. Murphy Fishing Charters Services is now taking fishing enthusiasts on eight hour trips in state waters where the limit is four red snapper per angler, as opposed to two fish in federal waters.

And fishing should be good as the three boat businesses that operate out of the Island have not fished in state waters for nearly the last three months.

Stephen Murphy, of the family owned charter fishing operation, said now is the time to try to hook the highly sought red snapper plus other species.

“We have not fished in a while,” he said. ”So there is plenty of fish out there.”

Murphy’s boat is the first vessel making the off-shore fishing trips but others, such as Osprey Fishing Trips, has also begun making trips in state waters which is out to 9 nautical miles in the Gulf of Mexico.

However, a trip is made whenever the weather permits it.

On the first trip aboard a Murphy’s vessel, close to 30 anglers went deep fishing on Christmas Eve and just about each of the fishing men and women came back with their four-fish limit.

Shawn Reyes, who lives in Denver, said this was his first red snapper trip.

“Fishing was great,” he said. “We will probably come back every year to fish here.”

Gus Brown of Wisconsin took 16 family members on the same trip.

They came back with a bonanza of red snapper.

“I have been fishing here for about eight years on and off, but this is the first time for many of them,” he said. “We will be having fish for Christmas instead of ham or turkey.”

Anyone interested in taking a deep sea fishing trip can call the following numbers:

Murphy’s Fishing Charters: 956-761-2764.

Osprey Fishing: 956-761-6655

Breakaway Cruises: 956-761-2212