Some of my recent catches

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Caught these recently @ West Beach (with exception to the Florida Blenny-I caught him in Tiki a few months ago).

[Sea-agg09]

Very nice. I'm really glad someone is keeping natives. I'll pretend like I didn't see that triple. They are now a regulated sport fish, and that is probably below minimum keep size lol.

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The Schoolmaster snapper, Mangrove snapper, and Spades may have size limits as well... The post-larval spades were fish food for some Histrio, but ended up liking them better. They are waaay better tempered than if you went out and tried to keep a wild caught 4-6inch fish in your tank-plus it is much more rewarding watching them grow. Been wandering around the rocks looking for some of the post-larval angels, butterflies, surgeons, wrasses... which on rare occasion make a wrong turn and are pushed our direction with the current.

While netting yesterday, I spotted a piece of pvc flotsam out past the second sandbar and got to thinking, "I wonder what cool stuff is being brought in with the offshore flotsam?" So I swam out and grabbed it. Thinking there may be some small coral attached to it, so it is in the tank at the moment-The spades are removing all the bryozoans, as they think it is an all they can eat buffet.

A friend caught a 6in Sailfish he was going to bring me while fishing offshore outta Galveston, but I told him to release it yesterday.

When are we gonna go seine?

Here is one of my hardhead and a pigfish, and another of the pigfish and one of 5 Sgt. Majors:

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Tried over the weekend, but had no luck finding anything out of the ordinary to add. Caught a dozen brown shrimp and about 50 grass shrimp on Saturday (I think it was Saturday?). I've got one brown and 2 grass left this morning. They managed to jump into a HOB fuge.

One thing I did get is a baseball size organism. It is green, oblong, sponge-like in texture, but without an osculum or osculii. It is teaming with misc. inverts, so it went into the fuge. I may dissect it, removing the inverts.

[trbkrb]

Pretty neat fish down there. What is that second fish on the top? Some kind of blenny? We caught one during the MARSH collection trip off the host's pier on the bay.

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Chasmodes bosquianus or longimaxilla. Unsure...

[alexrex20]

What is the yellow fish? I never knew you could catch angels/butterflies in Galveston. Where exactly on West Beach?

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Schoolmaster. Butterflies have been on rare occasion caught inshore, as have been black grouper. A&M have them documented. Angels, I've only heard of one nabbed in a shrimp net.
Beginning of the seawall west.

[cichlid1409]

Schoolmaster.

juvies look way cooler than the adults. nice collection you've got going on. mainly, what methods have you used to catch?

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Yeah, most juvies are.
Dipnetting from shore/rocks or swimming, seine, and baited traps.
Hopefully going out to some rigs before too long. Boats have been busted for too long now.

[alexrex20]

I'd love to get more serious in collecting/catching in the Bay. So far, we just dipnet on the Seawall or TX City Dike, or wade/net in marshy areas near the Causeway or airport. How easy is it to use a seine net, and what kind of areas are they best used in? Also, what do you catch with a baited trap? It seems like you'd only catch a bunch of blue crab and hermits.

[Alterna]

Those are all good spots for collecting. What species are you targeting? You want something in particular?

Seines are very user-friendly. Just be sure it is under 20', and does not have a collection bag or purse. Use them on flat bottom with no submerged obstructions (like pylings), or you will lose your catch when you have to lift the seine to go over these items.

Beginning of West Beach/Seawall @ Condo with large parking lot:
On low tide, you can seine the beginning of the seawall, running parallel to the rocks. Do not seine this location on anything but a low tide.
You can seine the other side of these rocks, which fronts the beginning of the west beach most other times. Keep the seine near the rocks/concrete to minimize getaways.
This location is also good for using a large dipnet (2'-3'dia), 1/8" mesh. Use this along rocks and in/around the large depressions and holes between rocks. You will destroy dipnets on a regular basis. Reinforce net edges with large zipties. These will act as bumpers and keep the fabric from abrading as fast.

Fine mesh minnow traps, weighted on each end with 8oz. fishing sinkers for bottom, ot tied to a jug for pelagic stuff. If you find crabs/pinfish getting inside the traps: Take a pair of plyers and close the entry openings a bit. Bait with mashed shrimp and squid. Mash bait by stomping it (use shoes) or grinding it on the rocks with the bottom of your cooler. If small crabs (<4") get in, don't worry-most fish will kill and eat them.

Cast net canals/marsh/beachfront. Let net hit bottom, then purse it very slowly. If larger fish manage to get under the net, it's ok because you aren't after those anyway. Small mesh "ghost minnow" cast nets are best. Size: whatever diameter you feel you can launch all day long-i.e. 8'+ nets get heavy quickly.

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This location is also good for using a large dipnet (2'-3'dia), 1/8" mesh. Use this along rocks and in/around the large depressions and holes between rocks. You will destroy dipnets on a regular basis.
Fish collected last Sunday:

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Rough Oceanic Triggerfish
Schoolmaster
Unknown Serranid. Rypticus species most likely.