Fish Reports Venice, LA - MGFC

yellowfin tuna fishing charters in Louisiana with MGFC. Billy Wells MGFC photo

Do you realize yellowfin tuna fishing charters in Louisiana are a year round thing out of Venice, LA? You’ve heard that MGFC is the charter company to book when you want to catch big yellowfin tuna in Louisiana, but did you know  you can catch yellowfin tuna whether it’s January-February, or April through June?

In fact, some of the biggest fish move into northern gulf waters in winter months. Making yellowfin tuna fishing charters an ideal gift to give this Christmas and holiday season. Yellowfin tuna fishing charters in Louisiana with the MGFC — is a year-round thing.

Fish with MGFC from December through March. You won’t work on your tan, but you will work on your quads, your biceps, and your beer drinking, too! This is the time of year for big fish. This is the time of year for legendary yellowfin tuna fishing charters in Louisiana. And, we’ve got boats ready for you. The Pale Horse, The Wild Bill, The ShockWave, and Contagious.

Capt. Billy Wells and Colin Byrd have nailed it all summer, and they’ve brought in some nice sized fish in recent weeks despite a string of prolonged, nasty weather. Capt. Kevin Beach keeps doing his thing, which we all know means fishing like a mad man, acting like gonzo, and keeping everyone on board hanging on his every word. Capt. Jordan Ellis keeps putting his charter groups on large quantities of yellowfin tuna, but he never goes more than a few days without also targeting swordfish, and he can’t wait to get into some wahoo fishing, too.

Capt. Zach Lewis, the newest member of MGFC’s yellowfin tuna fishing charters wrapped his first full summer with us, and let’s just say “we learned a thing or two about Capt. Zach.” One, he’s full throttle and determined as all get out. Two, he loves putting customers on yellowfin tuna, and three — he’s got a few tricks up his sleeve that impressed us — and we’ve been doing this full-time for 20+ years.

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swordfish charters, la. Four swordfish daytime. MGFC photo, Jordan Ellis

Everyone knows Mexican Gulf Fishing Co. is home to some bad ass captains, and everyone knows The MGFC is the outfit you call for yellowfin tuna charters. What everyone might not know is The MGFC has built a name for itself as the operation you call for swordfish charters — as in daytime swordfish in the Gulf of Mexico.

True to form, and honoring that well-earned reputation, Captains Jordan Ellis and Parker Rodrigue put customers on swordfish with aplomb on a few recent outings. Mother nature hasn’t been kind to any fishermen in south Louisiana during October and November this year. Winds, usually hell bent and howling in the Spring have been a near constant this fall.

Some days felt like we were swirling in a never-ending tropical storm, and on many recent days, … the seas have matched as we’ve seen plenty of 5-7s with occasional 11s rolling not far offshore. On days like that it means the boats stay in.

Which means — on those handful of days when weather cooperates — we make the absolute best of it. So, … if that means catching our limit of yellowfin come hell and in spite of gray-green water, we’re gonna do it. If that means flashing a grin and going after daytime swordfish, too — that’s what we’re gonna do. In fact, that’s what you want us to do (and we know it). Game on.

See what swordfish charters are like when fishing with MGFC. 

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thresher sharks gulf of mexico. Capt. Jordan Ellis, MGFC. Venice, LA

Is there’s one species of fish that really gets the adrenaline flowing — for nearly all anglers — it’s the shark. Capt. Jordan Ellis has caught plenty in his decade long career as a professional guide, and many more as he grew up fishing on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Jordan put two charter groups on thresher sharks recently while fishing out of Venice Marina in the Gulf of Mexico.

Thresher sharks are strange and weird looking creatures. Average lengths are 12-15 feet long, with weights in the 200-400 pound range most common. They’re good fighting fish, though protected so it’s catch and release only. The unique thing about thresher sharks is their tail — it can be almost as long as their body — which makes it a sight to see once you realize what you’ve got on the line, and as you get it close to the boat.

There are three species of thresher sharks: the common thresher, bigeye thresher, and pelagic thresher sharks. They love warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico and can be found swimming at a wide ranges of depths.

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golden tilefish gulf of mexico. MGFC photo, Venice, LA tilefish Louisiana

Golden Tilefish are caught throughout the Gulf of Mexico and in Atlantic waters, and the tilefish fishery off the coast of Venice, LA isn’t much different from other places the species is found — meaning it’s in deep water, it’s in cold water, and the fish are funny looking creatures. Tasty, but funny looking creatures.

We get requests for golden tilefish from anglers in the know. Mostly, they’re a curiosity because the fish are something different. We don’t book charters solely for tilefish because they can be caught before or after targeting more common and action packed big game species, but they’re always something interesting to add to a charter trip, and they’re always in deep cold waters, usually around 600-700 feet, but sometimes 900 feet or below.

Captain Colin Byrd and Capt. Billy Wells had several charter groups asking for tilefish on recent trips. They’re both happy to oblige, saying “you’ll get a tasty fish to take home and serve up to your family. I’m all about catching some tilefish, so long as first, we target the tuna,” (as he gives a wink and a nod).

Tilefish are one of our most beautiful fish. Their sides are aqua-blue with light green highlights, and their backs a blend of blue-yellow and blue-green. They have a reddish pink band that runs down each sides, which then blends into a silver-yellow belly. Golden, indeed they are, and the same accolades can be given for their taste — pure gold — tilefish is delectable.

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zach lewis tuna fishing The MGFC. Venice, LA. MGFC photo

Capt. Zach Lewis has been in love with the water for as far back as he can remember. Born and raised in Ocean Springs, MS, his family had him out on the water since birth. He grew up fishing and hunting with his dad at every possible opportunity. And now, he provides these services professionally to anglers and outdoors folks who wish to have an excellent time on open water out of Venice, LA.

His boat, Contagious, is a 2014 39′ ST Contender powered by triple 300 HP Yamahas. He believes in offering his customers the best possible accommodations. His boat is not only fast and fuel-efficient, but also offers a comfortable ride and ample room.

Contagious sports the latest in Simrad electronicsYamaha outboards, and tackle by Shimano and Mustad.

Zach is a member of the Yamaha and Simrad Pro Staff.

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