Archive for the "Tuna Fishing" Category
The Fireworks Are On The Water Fishing Out of Venice!
We at Champion Charters would like to take a moment to remind you that we are thankful to be living in the GREATEST nation the world has ever seen: The United States of America! Join us in celebrating our Independence Day on July 4th!
The legendary Venice, Louisiana fishing grounds continue to deliver on Yellowfin Tuna and Swordfish as well as other pelagic species along with amazing Red Snapper and other snapper species. Champion Charters is OPEN FOR BUSINESS and is ready to get you out to the grounds to take full advantage of this great action.
Speaking of Snappers, the Red Snapper fishing has been some of the best we’ve seen! With a little less than a month remaining in the 2022 Red Snapper season, you need to book your trip with Champion Charters NOW to get in on this action before the season closes on August 2nd! Call us NOW.
Introducing the Champion Charters FLAT FEE GUARANTEE
Here at Champion Charters, we realize that offering a “charter plus fuel” rate may cause concern with our clients due to volatile fuel prices. Therefore, we now offer a FLAT FEE CHARTER RATE to remove any concern you may have over a fuel surcharge and to deliver the best offshore fishing value in all of Venice, LA. Your charter rate remains the same, no matter how much additional fuel we need to burn to put you on the hottest Tuna and Swordfish action on the Gulf Coast of the United States.
Let’s get to the latest fishing report:
The Yellowfin Tuna are Thick
We’re hitting the Gulf of Mexico in our custom 36′ and 39′ Yellowfins to load up our livewells with live pogies and hardtails. We’re also packed with chunk baits to make sure that we have all of the snacks that these summertime Yellowfins are craving. Our clients have been relaxing in comfort and safety as we rip it out to the tuna grounds to seek the Tuna of a lifetime.
Once we arrive at the target zone and get our baits in the water, we’re hooking huge Yellowfin Tunas ranging in size from 70 lbs to 130 lbs with the occasional fish weighing up to 200 lbs! Book your trip NOW to get in on this incredible Tuna action!
Swordfishing Is Red Hot
We continue to put our clients on Swordfish in the 120 lb to 300 lb range during our “daytiming” trips as well as our specialty overnight trips. When you book your trip, let us know if you want to book the Tuna/Swordfish combination trip, where we target Yellowfins on the way out and target Swordfish once we’ve boated our limit of tunas.
Red Snapper Season Is Closing Soon!
The world famous Venice, Louisiana Red Snapper Season opened on June 1st and everyone has been “seeing Red” ever since. The season closes on August 2nd so give us a call to book your Red Snapper experience before it gets shut down. Our clients are catching huge Red Snappers as well as gigantic Mangrove Snappers in the 4 to 10 lb range! We keep running out of room in our custom coolers!
Overnight Fishing Experience
Our Overnight Trips, which leave the dock at Noon and return at Noon the following day are action-packed trips! Our anglers are catching Wahoo, Mahi Mahi, Blue Marlin and even a few Sailfish during the daylight hours on our way out to the Tuna grounds by trolling various lures and lures rigged with dead baits.
We will fish our way offshore to the point that we can get set up for the dusk “witching hour” when Yellowfin Tuna and Blackfin Tuna launch into a feeding frenzy on schools of flying fish as we pitch live baits to them. After it gets dark, the action stays red-hot. We switch from live baits to “chunking” to keep the tunas around the boat and pitching jigs.
Our Overnight Trips are worthy of your Bucket List. Call us NOW to book your Venice Overnight Trip to experience the angling experience of a lifetime!
As you can see, the Venice fishing trip of a lifetime awaits! Our Yellowfin Tuna/Swordfish combo trips and Yellowfin Tuna/Red Snapper combo trips are booking up quickly as the season nears to a close. The Red Snapper season is only open through August 1st so call us NOW to grab your spot!
Let Champion Charters get you to the fishing grounds at warp speed and in comfort about our custom 36′ and 39′ Yellowfin center console fishing machines. Nobody in Venice can get you to the bite quicker than Champion Charters!
Don’t forget to ask us about large parties or corporate charter packages! We can take up to 12 anglers!
Have a Happy and Safe Independence Day Holiday! God Bless America!
Captain Chandler
It’s Time to Fall into Huge Yellowfin Tunas
We’re now into the legendary Venice, Louisiana Yellowfin Tuna bite and and fishing grounds have not let us down! We at Champion Charters continue to put our valued clients on epic Yellowfin and Blackfin Tuna as well as Wahoo, Swordfish and other pelagic species. Champion Charters is OPEN FOR BUSINESS and is ready to get you out to the grounds to take full advantage of this great action.
The Venice hotels and restaurants are open and have ready to welcome you back to the Yellowfin Tuna Capital of the world! Let’s get to the latest fishing report:
Huge Yellowfin Tuna!
We’re hitting the Gulf of Mexico in our custom 36′ and 39′ Yellowfins with our livewells crammed with live mullet and pogies and our hatches packed with chunk baits to make sure that we cover all of our bases. Our clients have been relaxing in comfort and safety as we rip it out to the tuna grounds to stalk jumbo Yellowfins and Blackfins.
Once we arrive at the target zone and get our baits in the water, we’re being greeted by huge Yellowfin Tunas ranging in size from 100 lbs to 200 lbs! Book your trip NOW to get in on this incredible Tuna action!
Blackfins Are Big…and Plentiful!
While fishing – and catching- big Yellowfins, our clients are blown away by the aggressiveness and size of the Blackfin Tunas that are mixed in with the jumbo Yellowfins! These Blackfins don’t take a backseat to anything! They’re ranging in size from 25-35 lbs!
Let’s Yell “Wahoo”!
Another species that is on fire right now is Wahoo! The Wahoo bite is off the chain and we’re catching gigantic Wahoos that weight between 30 and 100 lbs! These are record fish that we’re catching on the way to and from the tuna grounds. Unlike tunas, we’re targeting Wahoos on the troll using a various lures and ballyhoo combinations.
Swordfishing Remains Steady
The Swordfish bite continues to be strong as well! We continue to put our clients on Swordfish in the 150 lb to 300 lb range during our daytiming trips as well as our specialty overnight trips. When you book your trip, let us know if you want to book the Tuna/Swordfish combination trip, where we target Yellowfins on the way out and target Swordfish once we’ve boated our limit of tunas. That’s what’s great about operating our 36′ and 39′ Yellowfins: We have the speed and range to tap BOTH fisheries…and more!
Overnight Fishing Experience
Our Overnight Trips, which leave the dock at Noon and return at Noon the following day are action-packed trips! Our anglers are catching the large Wahoo mentioned above plus Mahi Mahi and even a Blue Marlin or too during the daylight hours on our way out to the Tuna grounds by trolling various lures and lures rigged with dead baits.
We will fish our way offshore to the point that we can get set up for the dusk “witching hour” when Yellowfin Tuna and Blackfin Tuna launch into a feeding frenzy on schools of flying fish as we pitch live baits to them. After it gets dark, the action stays red-hot. We switch from live baits to “chunking” to keep the tunas around the boat and pitching jigs.
There is not time for rest as the bite is amazing all night! As the sun peeks above the horizon to begin the day, we’ll switch back to live baits as the first hour of daylight brings the big Yellowfins back on the bite.
Our Overnight Trips are worthy of your Bucket List. Call us NOW to book your Venice Overnight Trip to experience the angling experience of a lifetime!
Keep in mind that Champion Charters is in full compliance with CDC and State of Louisiana COVID guidelines. Our boats are continually cleaned and being offshore in the salt air is one of the best ways to AVOID infection. Fishing is great for your health and now is the best time to get out of the house!
If you want to FALL into the fishing trip of a lifetime, call NOW to reserve your date before we fill up!
Tight Lines,
Captain Chandler
Yellowfins Up to Bat with Red Snapper on Deck!
The legendary Venice, Louisiana fishing grounds continue to deliver on Yellowfin Tuna and Swordfish as well as other pelagic species. Champion Charters is OPEN FOR BUSINESS and is ready to get you out to the grounds to take full advantage of this great action. We’re also ready for Red Snapper season to open on June 1st! The Venice hotels and restaurants have reopened and we’re all ready to welcome you back to the Yellowfin Tuna Capital of the world! Let’s get to the latest fishing report:
The Yellowfin Tuna are Thick
We’re hitting the Gulf of Mexico in our custom 36′ and 39′ Yellowfins with our livewells crammed with live pogies and hardtails. We’re also loaded down with chunk baits to make sure that we cover all of our bases, Our clients have been relaxing in comfort and safety as we rip it out to the tuna grounds to find the Tuna of a lifetime.
Once we arrive at the target zone and get our baits in the water, we’re being greeted by huge Yellowfin Tunas ranging in size from 50 lbs to 60 lbs with the occasional fish weighing up to 100 lbs! Book your trip NOW to get in on this incredible Tuna action!
Blackfins Are Thick Too
While fishing – and catching- big Yellowfins, our clients are enjoying some stellar Blackfin Tuna fishing too. There are some nice Blackfins mixed in with the Yellowfin schools and these Blackfins are in the 15 lb to 25 lb range. They’re tackle busters too!
Red Snapper Season Opens!
The world famous Venice, Louisiana Red Snapper Season opens on June 1st and everyone is preparing to catch their share of Red Gold! We at Champion Charters have been pre-fishing certain areas to zero in on where the Red Snapper are holding up so that our clients can catch their limit of huge Red Snapper. Give us a call to book your Red Snapper experience!
Swordfishing Remains Steady
We continue to put our clients on Swordfish in the 150 lb to 300 lb range during our daytiming trips as well as our specialty overnight trips. When you book your trip, let us know if you want to vbook teh Tuna/Swordfish combination trip, where we target Yellowfins on the way out and target Swordfish once we’ve boated our limit of tunas. That’s what’s great about operating our 36′ and 39′ Yellowfins: We have the speed and range to tap BOTH fisheries…and more!
Overnight Fishing Experience
Our Overnight Trips, which leave the dock at Noon and return at Noon the following day are action-packed trips! Our anglers are catching large Wahoo (from 30 lbs to 80 lbs), Mahi Mahi and even a Blue Marlin or too during the daylight hours on our way out to the Tuna grounds by trolling various lures and lures rigged with dead baits.
We will fish our way offshore to the point that we can get set up for the dusk “witching hour” when Yellowfin Tuna and Blackfin Tuna launch into a feeding frenzy on schools of flying fish as we pitch live baits to them. After it gets dark, the action stays red-hot. We switch from live baits to “chunking” to keep the tunas around the boat and pitching jigs.
There is not time for rest as the bite is amazing all night! As the sun peeks above the horizon to begin the day, we’ll switch back to live baits as the first hour of daylight brings the big Yellowfins back on the bite.
Our Overnight Trips are worthy of your Bucket List. Call us NOW to book your Venice Overnight Trip to experience the angling experience of a lifetime!
Keep in mind that Champion Charters is in full compliance with CDC and State of Louisiana COVID guidelines. Our boats are continually cleaned and being offshore in the salt air is one of the best ways to AVOID infection. Fishing is great for your health and now is the best time to get out of the house!
As you can see, the Venice fishing trip of a lifetime awaits! Our Yellowfin Tuna/Red Snapper combo trips are booking up quickly as we near the June 1st opening date. The season is only open through August 1st so call us NOW to grab your spot!
Tight Lines,
Captain Chandler
Nighttime is the Right Time for Tunas!
Venice, Louisiana is known all over the world as the Yellowfin Tuna epicenter and is known for huge Yellowfins during February and March. Champion Charters is all over this red-hot Tuna bite and we’re making it happen with our exclusive OVERNIGHT fishing trips!
Tuna, Wahoo, Tuna, Wahoo, Tuna
Our Overnight Trips, which leave the dock at Noon and return at Noon the following day are action-packed trips! Our anglers are catching huge Wahoo (from 30 lbs to 80 lbs) during the daylight hours on our way out to the Tuna grounds by trolling various lures and lures rigged with dead baits.
We will fish our way offshore to the point that we can get set up for the dusk “witching hour” when Yellowfin Tuna, Bigeye Tuna and swarms of Blackfin Tuna launch into a feeding frenzy on schools of flying fish as we pitch live baits to them.
After it gets dark, the action stays red-hot. We switch from live baits to “chunking” to keep the tunas around the boat and pitching jigs.
The Yellowfins we’re catching range in size from 60 lbs to 150 lbs plus the Bigeyes and Blackfins are up to 50 lbs!
There is not time for rest as the bite is amazing all night! As the sun peeks above the horizon to begin the day, we’ll switch back to live baits as the first hour of daylight brings the big Yellowfins back on the bite.
At this point, we need to give those sore arms a break as we make our way back in, targeting Wahoo and Mahi Mahi as targets of opportunity.
Our Overnight Trips are worthy of your Bucket List. Call us NOW to book your Venice Overnight Trip to experience the angling experience of a lifetime!
Let Champion Charters get you to the fishing grounds at warp speed and fish all night in comfort aboard our custom 36′ and 39′ Yellowfin center console fishing machines. Nobody in Venice can get you to this amazing overnight bite quicker than Champion Charters!
Don’t forget to ask us about large parties! We can take up to 12 anglers!
Tight Lines
Captain Chandler
The Yellowfins Start 2020 the Same Way we Ended 2019
The ball has dropped in Times Square and the confetti has been swept up but the New Year’s celebration continues in Venice as the Yellowfin Tunas and Wahoo are partying like it’s 2019! The only way to get in on this craxy offshore action is to book your trip with Champion Charters right now!
Huge Yellowfins in Abundance
Venice, Louisiana is known all over the world as the Yellowfin Tuna epicenter and is known for huge Yellowfins during the winter. Well, I’m here to tell you that we’re blowing away everything you’ve ever heard with the HUGE Yellowfins that we’ve been catching!
We’ve been targeting Yellowfins in the 120 – 150 lb class on our way out to the fishing grounds when we find giant schools of Pogy and giant Yellowfins coming up to feed on the “Pogy Balls.” Believe it or not, we’re targeting these beasts by sight-fishing them with topwater plugs on large spinning reels. There are few things more exciting that getting a ferocious topwater bite on these massive tunas!
More Tunas on the Rigs
Once the Pogy Balls go deep and the action tapers off, we’ll continue out the the tuna grounds near the oil rigs and begin trolling and live baiting for the Yellowfins that are lurking on “the shelf.”
The Yellowfins are not quite as big as the fish closer to the beach but we’re still catching limits of Yellowfins up to 100 lbs! This is the action that put Venice on the map. Give us a call to get in on this crazy bite!
Everybody Yell Wahoo!
Yellowfins aren’t the only game in town during the Winter, either. Our amazing December Wahoo action has continued into January and February and has been as good as we’ve ever seen it!
Our clients have been catch world-class Wahoo that range from 40 – 100 lbs…and catching a bunch of them! Wahoo are notorious for drag-melting screaming runs when hooked and will test the skill of even the most veteran angler!
Don’t forget that Wahoo taste AMAZING and a cooler full of Wahoo will nicely complement your other cooler jammed with Yellowfin Tuna! The may be the best time of the year to pull off the best 1-2 punch for your next grilling/sushi outing.
Let Champion Charters get you to the fishing grounds at warp speed and in comfort about our custom 36′ and 39′ Yellowfin center console fishing machines. Nobody in Venice can get you to this stellar Winter bite quicker than Champion Charters!
Don’t forget to ask us about large parties! We can take up to
12 anglers!
Happy New Year! Let’s go fishing!
Capt. Chandler
Move Over, Wahoo. Tunas are Coming!
As I’ve been reporting over the past few months, the Wahoo bite has been epic on the legendary Venice, Louisiana fishing grounds. Well, somebody forgot to tell the Yellowfin Tuna because they’ve returned with a vengeance and want to reclaim their crown as King of the Gulf!
We’re hitting the Gulf of Mexico in our custom 36′ and 39′ Yellowfins with our livewells crammed with live mullet and hardtails. Our clients have been relaxing in comfort and safety as we rip it out to the tuna grounds to find the tunas.
Once we arrive at the target zone and get our baits in the water, we’re being greeted by huge Yellowfin Tunas ranging in size from 40 lbs to 80 lbs and larger! Book your trip NOW to get in on this incredible Tuna action!
You Can Bet on Black Too
While fishing – and catching- big Yellowfins, our clients are enjoying some bonus Blackfin Tuna fishing too. There are some stud Blackfins mixed in with the Yellowfin schools and these Blackfins are in the 30 lb to 40 lb range. They’re tackle busters too!
The Wahoo are Still on the Prowl
Even though the Yellowfins have retaken center stage, the Wahoo bite is still on fire around the oil rigs and other areas as we make our way to the Yellowfin grounds. That’s what’s great about operating our 36′ and 39′ Yellowfins: We have the speed and range to tap BOTH fisheries…and more!
We have been averaging 2 to 4 Wahoo per trip. Even though we’re fishing top-flight tackle, these Wahoo are melting drags and burning biceps! A Wahoo run is something that must be experienced to be believed. The same goes for eating Wahoo for dinner.
The springtime bite is only going to get better but you need to get out there with us soon as our March trips are nearly filled up and April is booking quickly too. Give us a call to reserve your experience of a lifetime!
Tight Lines,
Captain Chandler
The Big Boys Are Back in Town!
As many of you know, my favorite time of year has arrived: Fall! The temperatures are starting to drop off, the days are getting shorter…and the Yellowfins are getting LONGER!
We have been running a little further out and getting away from the rest of the fleet but “going the extra mile” has been paying off with epic Yellowfin Tuna and Blackfin Tuna bites.
We’re hitting the ocean in our custom 36′ Yellowfin, our triple 300 Yamahas purring like a kitten, with our livewells “blacked out” with live mullet and with bycatch for chumming. Our clients have been relaxing in comfort and safety as we rip it out to the shrimping grounds to find the tunas.
Once we arrive at the target zone and get our baits in the water, we’re being greeted by huge Yellowfin Tunas ranging in size fro m80 to 200 pounds! As a matter of fact, I was able to “hand feed” a fish from the transom that would up weighing more than 200 pounds. What an amazing bite! Check out this monster of the deep:
As if the enormous Yellowfins weren’t enough to keep my clients busy (and well-fed), we are in the middle of an EPIC Blackfin Tuna bite right now. We’ve been catching 10 to 30 Blackfins each trip, with the fish averaging nearly 30 pounds! These bruising Blackfins have been screaming drags and leading to sore arms and backs. We’re catching so many that some of our clients are yelling “No mas!” like Roberto Duran!
For the angler who is fascinated with catching sharks, look no further. There are big sharks mixed in with the Tunas (sharks like sushi too) that will pull drag for as long as you care to fight them.
Simply put, the Gulf is alive and the bite has never been better. We still have a few dates available in October and slots are starting to fill up for November. For Thanksgiving this year, come join me to catch a Butterball to go along with your turkey. Give me a call to set up your trip. I look forward to hearing from you.
Tight Lines,
Captain Chandler
Overnight Tuna Fishing Trips in Venice La
August is some of our favorite fishing of the year. It gives us the opportunity to take advantage of predictable weather and the fish feeding at night. We leave in the late afternoon and come back the next day. Fishing all night opens up a whole new opportunity for my August clients. It allows us to not only target them during the dark when they are feeding, but also get that first light bite which sometimes is the best. Call us to see what days we have available and let’s make it an adventure.
Fishing Report:
Our day trips are doing better now. There was a lull period there for a while where the tuna were basically gone. I hate when that happens, but that is fishing. We want our customers to catch tuna more than they do, so it is really heart breaking when that happens, but I’m happy to report we are back in them. When they were absent we were making up for it with snappers, mahi and even had a blue marlin we released.
Let’s hope it gets better everyday. I have 11 trips in a row coming up and will be reporting everyday on Facebook, so be sure to follow us.
Tight Lines,
Captain Chandler
Venice Tuna Fishing Has Picked Up!
The tuna fishing has started to really pick up, in fact we are in full swing! We are catching them solid. Having quality bait has been the difference including fresh pogies and hardtails. After you catch bait, we blast out to the floating oil rigs and fish until about noon and then we go sword fishing unless you want to tuna fish all day long.
And the swordfish are still are goto transition in the afternoons after we have put some tuna in the boat. Dropping deep has yielded a lot of fish this year! In fact we are up to 19 fish caught! Absolutely on fire.
The snapper season is opening June 1st and we don’t have an end date. But it is usually 2 to 3 weeks. I recommend you book your snapper trips now as we only have few dates left. Let’s load up!
The size of the tuna are ranging from about 60 to 80 pounds with a 100 pounder throw in there.
Amerjack season is also opening up May 1st. Another fun fish we can target after we load the boat with Tuna.
The other day we had a blue marlin take the bait. We lost it after a short fight, but they are always possibility.
The wahoo have shown up big time.
And deep dropping for tile fish has been great. We have caught a few. More of a bi-catch for swordfish.
Big Tuna are our speciality though!
Tuna Fishing
We have dates available in June and July still. I recommend you get in the books asap. Remember we are all inclusive and for only $400 per person you can enjoy world class fishing with us.
Tight Lines,
Captain Chandler
Tuna Fishing is Getting Back To Normal!
It has been a weird couple weeks here in Venice, Louisiana. For the first time in a long time, the tuna fishing was slow. I believe the season transition started early or a combination of late in the year cold fronts, but whatever it is, we are glad fishing is picking back up. To make up for the lack of tuna, we have been targeting the next best thing: swordfish! I have had the opportunity to learn from one of the best sword fisherman and honed the skill over years. With a little luck on my side and a great crew, we have been crushing them. In fact on one trip we boated 4 fish!
So that has been the story as of late. Instead of struggling with a slow tuna bite, we have been putting our clients on the hot swordfish bite instead. Checking my years of log books, I have not seen a swordfish bite like this in a long time. I believe we are better at targeting them now and catching them during the day takes some real expertise, but some other factors such as wind, tides, moon, currents, etc all come into play with targeting swords.
One thing that remains constant is if you get a good bait in front of them, they will most likely eat it! This is why we take our time to prepare the bait just right. Whether we use squid, mahi mahi bellies, mackerel, etc, we take the extra time to sew and prepare it just right. When your bait is very deep you want the best opportunity and most of the time a swordfish will wack the bait with their sharp bill, so it important that the bait can withstand the attack so that they will come back and eat it. Fish on!
Check out this lit up fish in cobalt blue water we brought home for the grill:
As I mentioned, the tuna fishing is starting to turn around we are also entering our wahoo season. While I am still fishing for swordfish, I’m ready to get back into the meat of our prized Yellowfin Tuna and put some sushi on the table. This was an awesome day last month and your typical day in April. So I look forward to getting back into the grind and giving my anglers some sore arms!
I still have some dates open in April and we are filling up the rest of the spring into summer. I always recommend as soon as you know your dates, to give us a call and book them, because they go fast.
Tight Lines,
Captain Chandler