The fishing has been very, very good this summer. We all complain about the ever more restrictive bag and season limits being imposed on us by the National Marine Fisheries Service, but I must grudgingly admit it does seem to be working. I haven't seen fishing this good since the mid-90s. The snapper are huge, beeliners are plentiful, and we're seeing a return of the big beautiful weedlines that hold dolphin and cobia after a mysterious disappearance last year.

Snapper season closes July 23, but shrimp season opens July 15 and most of you know how much fun it is fishing behind anchored shrimp boats for tuna and dolphin. As the summer progresses the top water bite just gets better and better, so we'll have no trouble finding fish.

Everyone asks about the oil fouling much of the gulf this year. Our western half of the gulf remains open for fishing as the oil seems to be going mostly east and south from the well site at the tip of the Louisiana delta.We have seen no oil and no tar balls. I am sorry for my friends in the Destin and Pensacola area whose summer has been ruined by this disaster, however.

So call me up and let's go fishing.

Cole 817-688-2507