I've got a house in West Bay and we've been fishing around here for a couple of years now

Havent been out to the blue water yet but planning a trip in a couple of weeks

How close is/are the nearest rig(s) if we go out of San Luis Pass?

I'm in a 26' Blue Wave with a single 300
78 gal fuel tank

Hardly any left.

Hit up wrecks

Buccaneer field would be most realistic for you in that boat (we also have a 26 ft mod v boat) if you're looking for rigs. There's also buccaneer reef a little closer. Intersection rigs are where most people go I believe to fish rigs but I've never been that far. It's nearing the edge of the shelf 75-80 miles off Freeport.

https://www.redsnapperfishing.com/

I don't think there is anything above water there besides a marker buoy

OnlyForNow said:

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I don't think there is anything above water there besides a marker buoy

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That's buccaneer reef. There's a couple small rigs around it within a couple miles I think, but yes they removed most of it I think.

Also be cautious going through the pass. Lots of sandbars in there.

Used to be a place called car bodies reef out there too, kind of halfway between SLP and Galveston Jetties about 9 miles out if memory serves. I haven't tried to fish it in probably 25 years, but it used to hold some fish back when you needed Loran to find things.

ETA: Just did a search and sounds like maybe it has been pretty torn up and broken down over the years and may not be much left, but do look at the TPWD artificial reef maps. May be some closer in that are accessible.

One thing to consider with a single engine boat is mounting a small kicker motor to limp in with in case you have a catastrophic failure. I would be hesitant to get too far out without some means of self rescue or good confidence in the strength of your radio.

txags92 said:

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Used to be a place called car bodies reef out there too, kind of halfway between SLP and Galveston Jetties about 9 miles out if memory serves. I haven't tried to fish it in probably 25 years, but it used to hold some fish back when you needed Loran to find things.

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Yes car bodies and Mitchell's reef. Mostly undersized RS, but we did get one nice keeper last year there. Problem is if you go for RS there, you're likely to get a bunch of gafftop since you're still just 8 miles from the beach and they're both bottom feeders that eat anything. Definitely a state water option that's close though.

This Saturday is looking good. Not too many people able to get offshore all this week to start snapper season because of conditions, so I'm sure Saturday will be a parking lot everywhere. Thinking of going down, but will watch swell and wind forecast as the week goes on.

No help on reefs or wrecks but all I can say is slp is well known for strong currents and moving sand around a lot. I'd be absolutely certain you know where the channel is getting in and out

Ya I'm aware of the sketchy-ness of SLP

That's why I thought it might be better to trailer to Freeport

Darby said:

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Ya I'm aware of the sketchy-ness of SLP

That's why I thought it might be better to trailer to Freeport

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That's exactly what I would do

i can see oil rigs from the Galveston beach

PA24 said:

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TAMUworkingAG said:

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i can see oil rigs from the Galveston beach

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Those are production platforms about 10 miles offshore. You can also see an abandon cell tower on clear days about the same distance (10 miles from shore).

There are a couple platforms closer to shore off Crystal Beach.

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For fishing purposes, is there much of a difference? Never fished either.

Milwaukees Best Light said:

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PA24 said:

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TAMUworkingAG said:

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i can see oil rigs from the Galveston beach

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Those are production platforms about 10 miles offshore. You can also see an abandon cell tower on clear days about the same distance (10 miles from shore).

There are a couple platforms closer to shore off Crystal Beach.

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For fishing purposes, is there much of a difference? Never fished either.

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The one off crystal beach is shark, sand trout, and gafftop only basically. It's only like 40 ft of water. The 16 mile rig off Galveston jetty is gonna be closest to actually catch offshore fish (still mostly undersized RS, spades, and shark), and it is 58 ft of water from what I remember.

The gas platforms and tower off galveston are in like 25ft of water and I've never caught anything off them. Big man reef is worth a visit. Don't be too afraid to go out slp, just go at high tide at least the first time, and if you can, stop on the bridge and look over and get an idea of where it's safe, or follow someone out. Generally once you get under the bridge, rather than going straight out you'll want to stay pretty far north, like 75 yds off the beach to keep off the shoals. Trailering down to freeport and running out to east and middle banks are good ideas though

We have done Tall Rock a few times in a 26 footer but it was super super flat. Its about 30 miles from Freeport.

HtownAg92 said:

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We have done Tall Rock a few times in a 26 footer but it was super super flat. Its about 30 miles from Freeport.

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Yep that's where we plan to head Saturday if we go. But it's like 44 miles off Galveston jetty