Category: Offshore Captains & Boats

Get to know our captains and their vessels. Experience world class charter fishing with our captains.

The Magnificent 39′ Contender FA is Made For Great Gulf Fishing

Post author By Fishing Guy
Post date August 4, 2021

Captain Troy Wetzel is proud to announce the addition of the 39′ Contender Fish Around to the fleet of Louisiana Offshore Fishing Charters. This is the boat designed to carry up to six anglers into the Gulf of Mexico in comfort and style in search of sports fish.

Boat Specs

The Contender FA is 39′ 1” with a 10′ 10″ beam for great cruising even in rough seas. This offshore fishing boat has a one-foot draft that carries it through shallow channels into the open sea. Three 350 horsepower Yamaha outboard engines give it a top speed of 68 mph for fast planning to the best fishing spots in comfort due to the twin-stepped hull. The total fuel capacity is 525 gallons.

Below the Deck

Below, the Contender offers more than six feet of headroom, and it features an enclosed head for privacy. There is also a queen-size V-berth in the bow. Electronics include state-of-the-art navigation systems, radar, and fish finders in the covered center console control station.

Drainage

The boat has good drainage with the downslope from the bow to the stern. Water runs off the self-bailing deck due to the deep gutters around the hatches. Gunnels are about 25 inches off the water all around the boat with grab bars in the bow for additional safety. An angler can work a catch around the boat safely. Guests can also relax on the bow deck while the boat is underway.

Fishing Rod Holders and Rigging

Six rod holders are located abaft of the rigging station that offers plenty of room to rig lines. Outriggers are also available. Live bait is kept in twin forty-gallon pressurized live wells that keep the bait in good condition. The tanks have clear acrylic covers, so anglers can keep an eye on the bait. Vented wells in the bilge keep saltwater fresh for the live bait. Pogie fish, also known as Gulf Menhaden, are common live bait that game fish like to bite while they are alive and wiggling.

Features under the deck, include a cavernous dry-storage compartment forward and a pair of large fish lockers in the aft cockpit for your catch. A freezer box in the stern offers immediate access to frozen bait and cold drinks.

The Fishing Experience

Marlin and swordfish are the big game fish of the Gulf, but you can fish for other species as well. This includes yellowfin tuna, wahoo, mahi-mahi also known as Dorado, flounder, cobia, red snapper, and the elusive tilefish. While the fighting blue marlin and other sailfish are catch and release, you can keep and eat the snapper, tilefish, and mahi-mahi.

January, February, March, and April are the best months for landing the big game fish. Snapper and other species are often available year-round in accordance with state and federal laws. Capt. Wetzel is familiar with all fishing regulations, and he will help you secure a Louisiana fishing license.

Louisiana Offshore Fishing Charters departs from Venice, LA, for day and even overnight trips into the Gulf of Mexico. Some of the best fishing in the world is located in this region of the Gulf. Venice is located south of New Orleans where the Mississippi meets the Gulf. There, the water runs deep very quickly and sport fish abound. Fish are often found around the offshore drilling islands.

Capt. Wetzel knows the best fishing spots. All charters give you fishing tackle designed especially for the Gulf’s big game fish. You get baits, lures, filleting, and bagging for your catch.

Contact us for information on our sportfishing charters on board the Contender 39FA. This is a great boat for fishing for marlin and other billfish. It is built for comfort and speed for your fishing adventure.

Land the Big One on a 36′ Yellowfin Fishing Boat in Venice, LA

Post author By Fishing Guy
Post date June 16, 2021

Land the Big One in Venice, LA

Sport fishing is all about the fight and landing the big one! You can catch yellowfin tuna, wahoo, red snapper, grouper, sailfish, mahi mahi, and other game fish from the Gulf of Mexico on board K3, the 36′ Yellowfin skippered by Captain Troy Wetzel. The Venice Marina near New Orleans is the gateway to the Gulf for an exciting 12-hour deep sea adventure on board a luxury vessel. Overnight big game fishing expeditions are also available.

The Yellowfin Yachts 36′ Offshore Specs

This is the customized boat designed by Yellowfin Yachts for saltwater fishing.

Length Overall (LOA): 36’8″
Beam: 10′
Weight: 9,500lbs
Fuel Capacity: 477 gallons
Draft: 1’6″

The boat is for anglers, including tournament fishers. The 36′ Yellowfin features swoop shear bow and center console.

The boat is powered by three 300 Yamaha 4.2L outboard engines with 900 horsepower. The stepped hull allows the boat to move quickly to 30 mph in only nine seconds. The boat planes over the waves even in choppy seas with a flared bow that tosses aside the spray. The optimum cruising speed is around 30 mph with about a 600-mile cruising range. You can cover a good portion of the Gulf with fuel to spare.

Comfort for Anglers

A leaning post gives anglers support while casting lines and fighting fish. A polycarbonate windshield extends from the center console to the helm area. A helm bench has room for two people with an angled footrest to help you brace yourself while you’re fishing for Yellowfin Tuna. There is a roomy ice chest under the forward console seat for food and drink.

The console area has a full stand-up head compartment. The seats in the forward section of the boat offer backrests for comfort while cruising.

There is a rigging station and plenty of storage for gear. One of the best features are the water tanks that hold live bait. This includes an 80-gallon well under seats and a 55 gallon hold in the transom. Your catch is kept in fish lockers by the hatch that offers access to the bilge.

Guided Charters

Knowledge is everything with a great charter fishing captain. Captain Troy and his crew know the best places to fish in the Gulf of Mexico. With 25 years of experience, they know where and when various species of game fish are running at different times during the year. They fish the rigs and the floaters, the lump, or even behind the shrimp fishing boats. They have the lures or catch the live bait that keep the game fish biting.

The 36′ Yellowfin carries up to six anglers for a full day or overnight fishing expedition. The cost of the excursion includes rods, reels, tackle, bait or lures, cleaning and bagging of your catch. It does not include your Louisiana fishing license although Capt. Troy will instruct you on how to obtain a temporary license.

The 36′ Yellowfin carries the latest sonar systems, depth sounder, autopilot, radar, radios, and other equipment necessary to find fish and cruise safely. The vessel meets all US Coast Guard safety requirements. Capt. Troy and his crew are familiar with all rules and regulations including the catch and release of certain species.

The flat rate for the day includes fuel and the opportunity to explore various areas of the Gulf. You never want to run out of fuel, oil, or even fresh water while fishing.

Come prepared for a day on the Gulf of Mexico with hats, sunscreen, water, ice, preferred snacks, deck shoes, and taste for adventure. You may also need a raincoat or windbreaker, based on the weather. Be prepared to land that fighting game fish!

Fishing Charters Offshore Captains & Boats

Tips and Tricks for Tuna Fishing in Louisiana Gulf Coast Waters

Post author By Fishing Guy
Post date April 25, 2018
5 Comments on Tips and Tricks for Tuna Fishing in Louisiana Gulf Coast Waters

Tips and Tricks for Tuna Fishing

Tuna fishing in any water can be quite an experience, but fishing with Captain Troy Wetzel is a once in a lifetime experience. Yellowfin Tuna in the Gulf can reach record sizes and if your fishing with Captain Troy he is sure to provide visitors a thrill that will last forever.

Your local charter boat fishing Louisiana captain uses decades of experience to get you to where these fish are in abundance, and has a few secrets up their sleeves for finding those monsters.

Here are some tips and tricks for tuna fishing in the gulf coast waters of Louisiana that will help you land that storytelling monster tuna.

Tuna Fishing Near the Oil Rigs

One of the best kept secrets in the south is the amazing tuna charter fishing that can be found near the many oils rigs off the coast of Louisiana. There are numerous rigs dotting the horizon of the Gulf, and local fishermen have been spoiled for years. They bring their fishing boats as close as possible and that is where they find the gulf coast monster tuna. Now it isn’t just about cruising the rigs to find tuna, it also about having the right bait fish, fishing at the right time of year, and the weather and water conditions.

A good charter boat captain will know that you have to pay close attention the surface waters as you approach the rigs. The Yellowfin tuna are well known to hang around the up-current on the side of the oilrig. He will also check the waters around the rig for sub-currents. The larger of the tuna will move around in different currents, despite what you are seeing on the surface. An experienced charter boat captain can read the waters and will know where the tuna are waiting to be caught.

Finding Big Tuna in Deep Water

The deeper the water you are fishing, the bigger the tuna you are catching. It is very important that you are paying close attention to your depth sounder, marking locations beneath the boat to make sure that your lures are down at the correct depth. The reason being is that the larger tuna are less afraid down that deep, and more likely to take a stab at your bait if you can find them.

Make certain that you get a good feel for the weight of the tuna on your line. If you don’t and set the hook, it is going to be gone in the blink of an eye.

Chumming the Deeper Waters

One of the more productive ways to attract the tuna near the boat is to chum the waters. Not only will the tuna come closer to the surface, they will arrive in record numbers too. Once they reach the chum, the action could be fierce as they fight each other for a free meal. One of the tricks for attracting the big tuna after chumming the water is to turn off the boat engine or generator, and allow the vessel to just drift along. Without the sound, the tuna will get amazingly close to the boat.

One tip to consider when chumming the deeper waters is that your actions could also attract sharks. Sharks are not good for fishing, so just start the boat and move on to another spot once the sharks arrive.

Tips for Faking Out the Tuna

Trying to catch the tuna near the surface can be extremely frustrating because the fish will quickly dive to deeper waters as the boat approaches. The trick to faking out the tuna is trolling slowly, somewhere around three knots while running a line on a high angle so the bait floats 300 yards behind your boat. The reason that this trick works is because the tuna will not associate the bait and the boat that far apart, so you can move in for the taking.

Spotting Signs of Tuna in the Area

One tip for locating the tuna is to simply follow where the shrimp boats are trolling. The team on the shrimp boats will chum the water, which attracts schools of tuna to the surface. As the shrimp boats move about, you can get lucky and hook up with the tuna who are in a feeding frenzy and wander away from the chum trail. The waters of the Gulf near 20 miles out or more are ideal for catching the bigger tuna. When you are out with a charter boat, the captain usually has an idea which shrimp boats have been out a few days.

The tuna get used to the patterns of those shrimp boats and can make for easy fishing. If you can get out on the water before dawn, you can intercept the shrimpers and be there when the chumming starts.

Catching Tuna Takes Some Patience

Catching tuna takes patience, so let the charter boat fishing Louisiana captain get you near the fish, while you and your group scan the waters for signs of the tuna. There should be someone near the helm all the time, while some toss chum into the waters. If nothing else, you have to be patient. Although the tuna are in abundance in the area, they tend to hide very well and come out under ideal conditions.

It might be seven hours of hard work on the water before you see your first bite, but it will be worth the wait.

If you’re visiting the area and want to land your own monster tuna, book a day trip with the local charter boat fishing Louisiana captain. Fishing for those tuna in this part of the south is not just a hobby, it is a way of life for locals. End the perfect fishing day by catching your very own tuna that might just get you in the local Louisiana record books.