It appears anglers are going to get a break in conditions this weekend, as the wind should not be an issue and the threat of thunderstorms is slight. That is a great combination for offshore fishing.

Except for the daytime heat, conditions should be inviting for the mosquito fleet of small seaworthy boats to make it to fishing grounds in the Gulf of Mexico.

There was some good news for offshore anglers earlier this week when NOAA Fisheries reopened the recreational harvest of gray trigger fish Tuesday. The reopening will last until Oct. 26.

The reason for this is a survey indicated the recreational quota had not been fully taken, and this extension should allow the remainder of the recreational allocation for 2020 to be harvested.

Red snapper anglers are hoping for a similar situation, as many feel that the 2020 quota was not met when the season closed last month.

It appears most of the bait shops are back in business following repairs from the effects of Hurricane Laura.

Galveston Bait and Tackle, one of those damaged, has reopened. It had supplies of live croaker, but no live shrimp was available Thursday. A spokesperson for the bait camp was not sure it would have any live shrimp for the weekend.

The shortage of live shrimp has been an ongoing problem for most bait camps during the siege of dangerously high daytime temperatures and constant southwest wind.

If you need live shrimp, it would be best to check with the bait camps before you head out on your fishing trip.

On the fishing scene, red fish continue to dominate the catches, while a number of over-sized black drum known as big uglies also are being caught.

This weekend, there should be a wider variety of fish landed, as the water clears up under light winds.

Here is the original post:

Conditions looking good for offshore fishing this weekend - Galveston County Daily News