Montgomery County Professionals - The Angler Magazine

Welcome to the Galveston / Freeport edition of Coastal Angler Magazine, designed for the enjoyment of anglers, boaters and outdoors enthusiasts of all types. One of the largest outdoors publications in the United States (circulation exceeding 400,000), Coastal Angler Magazine covers the Bahamas, as well as over 42 markets in the United States (New England, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Gulf Coast, West Coast, Alaska and Hawaii).

Here’s what is waiting for you in every issue of the Galveston / Freeport Coastal Angler Magazine:

By: Ben Bloodworth

Post-spill has been very trying here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Multiple issues come to mind, but one of the hardest for the residents of the Gulf Coast was the length of time and the vast amount of area in which the waters along the coast were closed for fishing and boating. As the days turned into weeks, then into months, doubt about the future of our fisheries became a common topic among anglers.

While it’s true that positive proof may not surface for years as to the extent of the damage resulting from one of the world’s most devastating manmade disasters, we can be sure of one thing. It’s quite apparent that because the pressure on the fish here on the Gulf Coast was temporarily relieved, we are seeing an inordinate amount of large fish being caught from the waters off the state of Mississippi.

Over the last few months the Mississippi Gulf Coast has seen four state records either challenged or broken. In late January the Department of Marine Resources officially weighed a wahoo at 111 pounds, 2.4 ounces, which missed the state record by six-hundredths of an ounce. The group of anglers that caught the fish was very disappointed, because a full day had elapsed since they caught the fish. It was fairly obvious that, had it not been for the unusual lapse of time, the fish would have been a record breaker, the first for the 2011 season.

The following month another local boat, captained by Billy Davis, left out of Biloxi and returned with the state record amberjack. The fish weighed in at 114.2 pounds. The incredible thing was that the fish was caught on the last bait and allowed the group to meet its limit for the day.

In May during the Gorenflo’s 25th Annual Cobia Tournament, weighmasters Danny Pitalo and Dr. Jim Franks allowed a complimentary weigh on a blackfin tuna. The fish weighed in at 33.05 pounds. Pending approval by the state agency, it’s the new state record here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Also weighed in the month of May was a bigeye tuna caught aboard the Subdude by Stacey Combs. It was 96 pounds and is also pending state record approval.

For a few of these lucky anglers, the memory of such a great event like breaking a state record is something they’ll want to preserve for a long time. So, they have chosen to immortalize their fish with a century old process discovered by Japanese fishermen called Gyotaku – gyo meaning 'fish' and taku meaning 'rubbing' or 'impression.’ The fish were painted by marine artist Marty Wilson and then transferred to the canvas via the full weight of the fish.

With the first leg of the tournament season over, and as we move into the summer, the Mississippi Gulf Coast is prepared for the prospects of more broken records. June brings several big game tournaments. To start, the 2011 Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic takes place the weekend of June 11. Later in the month, the MS Gulf Coast Big Game Fishing Club hosts the Jeff Alexander Memorial Billfish Tournament. Considering the records that have been broken so far this year, either of these tournaments could see records broken during the month of June.

Come visit the Mississippi Gulf Coast and you just may witness a record-breaking fish!