Galveston Fishing Pier

I don't know how I ended up there the first time I went, but Galveston Fishing Pier has been my home away from home since I fell in love with saltwater fishing.

Here is what my wife loves about the pier:

1) They have clean bathrooms (apparently that is important for girls since it made #1 on her list)

2) They serve mixed drinks upstairs and the bartender "don't play" (surprised that didn't make #1 on her list)

3) It's the longest fishing pier in Texas.

I'm not sure that I can narrow down the things I love about GFP to just 3; however, my list has a whole lot more to do with fish than my wife's list. 

So let's start with fish.  One of the things I can never quite wrap my brain around is how many different species of fish there are in the ocean---some of which have not even been discovered yet.  I thoroughly enjoy pulling them all up and over the rail of The Galveston Fishing Pier. Click on the link to peep the slideshow of some catches.....

Galveston Fishing Pier

These are just a few of the pictures I have from the pier.  Obviously, I love catching reds, but, on the pier, I have caught:

• ribbon fish
• cobia
• sheepshead
• black drum
• gafftop
• hard head (aka wastes of my time)
• pompano
• bonnet head shark
• black tip shark
• whiting
• croaker
• sand trout
• golden croaker
• angel fish
• puffer fish
• stingray
• blue fish
• piggy perch
• blue crab 
• spanish mackerel

Here are some of the fish I have seen caught there, but I have never happened to pull up myself:

• flounder
• speckled trout
• spinner shark
• bull shark
• jack crevalle
• sea turtles (yes, I know it's not a fish.  And, yes, proper authorities were called and the turtles were released)

So far, the GFP has been my biggest learning experience when it comes to saltwater fishing.  It was a great place to learn many different species just from reeling them in, but it was also a great place to meet anglers with all different levels of experience. Depending on the time of day, day of the week, or how many beers you have consumed,  you could end up losing a pole, getting your lines crossed with a complete stranger, or almost losing a thumb to a hard head barb.  I might just be speaking from experience- small prices to pay for the knowledge and lifetime memories I have gained.

All in all, my idea to create Coastie Culture would not have been born had it not been for my time at Galveston Fishing Pier.  It's a wonderful place to learn, to fish, to bring a friend, and to be treated like family (thanks Diz). 

This Coastie Culture shout out goes to the owners of GFP, Jimmy and Kelly.  Thanks for the fun.