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361-949-7700 editor@islandmoon.com The Island Newspaper since 1996 Facebook : The Island Moon Newspaper

October 31, 2013

The only Island in Texas where we name our cold fronts

Around The Island

By Dale Rankin editor@islandmoon.com

Chamber of Commerce Weather just keeps on coming. The cool snaps that were blowing through earlier in the month have come and gone and the water temperature is still balmy. We were reminded by Diver Dave this week that when the early cool fronts come through it’s a good time to head to the beach because the water is likely warmer than the air. It’s like a giant hot tub. Even the dolphins are getting in the act as they have been active in the canals this week. Temperatures are mild, the water is nice and beach driving conditions are about as good as they can possibly get. If you only go to the beach once this year this is the week.

Coyote wind Our friends over at the PIDog Club remind us to keep a close eye on our canine friends when the wind shifts to the north. Our coyote population likes to sneak up from the south and when the wind is from the north it blows the alluring scent of any leftover food or goodies down their way and they like to come up into our neighborhoods. So keep an eye out, especially if you have a cat or a little yappy dog because coyotes seem to like those best.

Here it comes! The water from the deluge of rain in the Nueces River watershed continues our way as Lake Corpus Christi this week was at almost 90% capacity. That’s a far cry from the drought conditions we saw last summer and sooner or later all that water finds its way out of passes to the Gulf so we may be in for some murky water along our beaches in the next few weeks. We’ll see.

Next Publication Date: 11/7/2013

Vote! Vote! Vote!

Election Day is Tuesday

Turnout for early voting continued to be heavier than normal across Corpus Christi for off-year Constitutional Amendment elections as the fate of Destination Bayfront drives voters to the polls. Barring an expectantly heavy turnout on Election Day, Tuesday, the early turnout will likely decided the fate of the $44.6 million downtown project. As of close of voting Tuesday night out of 6831 early votes cast countywide 635 were cast on The Island. The results of the vote will not be known until the polls close at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. For vote totals see the complete list in this issue. Voting continued on A6

Items needed for auction

La Posada Season is Almost Here! Kickoff Party Set for December 3 at Scuttlebutt’s

By Brent Rourk The kickoff of the La Posada season is almost upon us. .

Vote!Vote!Vote! The turnout of Island voters has started to slack off a bit this week. You still have until Friday to vote early and then Tuesday is the big day.

GLO land Talks continued in Austin this week about the proposed addition of 3680 acres of land currently owned by the Texas General Land Office to Padre Island National Seashore. The sale was put on hold last week pending T-shirts and other items with this year's La Posada logo will be available soon. details about how it would affect beach access. The word out of Austin is that it appears more The La Posada Boat Parade put on by the and more likely the land will remain in state Padre Island Yacht Club (PIYC) with the help hands; an outcome that judging by the feedback of a wide array of volunteers provides more toys here seems popular with Islanders. each year for Toys for Tots than any single event in Texas. This year it marks its 39th anniversary Why the 10 Ball? with the parades on Friday and Saturday nights, A local watering hole had to replace the toilet December 13 and 14. It’s the night The Island recently because some knucklehead took the 10 throws the Mother of all Deck Parties. Ball from the pool table and flushed it down the The whole thing kicks off with the La Posada toilet. We can’t help but wonder…why the 10 kick-off party on December 3rd at Scuttlebutt’s Ball? on The Island. In only a few years since its Watch your beginning the kick-off party has become

On average…

“On average we were both billionaires,” he said. We told him he should volunteer to help people do their taxes. Say hello if you see us Around The Island…

By Dale Rankin Workers have been busy both at the work site of the Schlitterbahn Beach Country Resort on The Island and at the workshop at the company’s headquarters in New Braunfels.

At the worksite crews are continue work on what will eventually be the 37,000 square-foot clubhouse which will include a 7000 squarefoot room on the second floor as a gathering space for locals. Schlitterbahn continued on A3

A little Island history

Eleven Rules for a Pirate Ship Editor’s note: Our Island has seen its share of pirates; seagoing pirates as well as land pirates. As incongruous as it may sound pirate ships did have rules. So in case any of you Islanders decided to cast your fortune with the Bounty Main here are some rules to consider. By Dale Rankin

“We are the original of this claim,” he said. “and should a captain be so saucy as to exceed prescription at any time, when down with him! It will be a caution after he is dead to his successors, of what fatal consequences any sort of assuming may Captain Roberts be. However, it is my advice, that, while we are sober, we pitch upon a man of courage, and skilled in navigation. One who by his council and bravery seems best able to defend this commonwealth, and ward us from the dangers and tempests of an unstable element, and fatal consequences of anarchy; and such a one I take Roberts to be.

Bartholomew Roberts set sail from London in November 1719 on the ship Princess. While taking on slaves in Guinea was himself taken prisoner by pirates on a ship captained by Howel Davis. He was at first an unwilling pirate but when Captain Davis met a pirate’s fate Robert’s found himself elected pirate captain by the crew. Pirate ships were open democracies with the Captain in total charge only while in battle. The crews decided where to go, what to raid, and picked their captains by popular vote. A nominating speech for Roberts went like this:: Roberts' Flag

Pirate Rules continued on A3

Training To Help Find and Save Cold Stunned Green Sea Turtles

At stake is about $6 million in bonds from Island property owners to pay for our share of the $44.6 million Destination Bayfront bonds.

This just in from the Island Moon Figures Lie and Liars Figure Department: Last week we got a call from a friend up in San Antonio. He said he walked into Paisano’s Restaurant a while back at the same time Red McCombs did.

Schlitterbahn Hardware Set to Arrive

By Dale Rankin

We got a note from AARP this week looking for volunteers to help people prepare their taxes. The confusing part is that the note said “math skills not required.” Yikes! Seems like that would be a pre-requisite. The Taxman works in mysterious ways.

If you head down Dasmarinas you will see this contraption telling you how fast your are going. It’s part of a plan to add speed humps to the roadway. The faster people are going the more speed humps are likely to pop up so slow your roll.

Year 16, Issue 497

Early voting likely to decide fate of Destination Bayfront

They said there would be no math

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La Posada continued on A5

The Gaff Hosts 5th Reggae Music Event

By Donna J. Shaver, Ph.D. Chief, Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery National Park Service Padre Island National Seashore passes through south Texas and causes green sea e-mail: Donna_Shaver@nps.gov turtles to become “cold stunned”. Cold stunning It is a bit difficult to envision freezing occurs when severe cold fronts drastically drops temperatures now, when it is so warm. water temperatures, typically in the bays where However, every few years a severe cold front the shallow water cools quickly and the turtles are unable to escape due to limited access points to the Gulf. These reptiles become immobilized and float to the surface or wash ashore. If cold stunned turtles are not found and protected, they typically die due to exposure or predation. Cold stunning is the most significant source of mortality in the green turtle population in Texas today, but we can reduce the number of cold stunned green turtles that die by searching for them during these severe cold weather events. If cold stunned turtles are found and taken Turtles continued on A7

Dog Gone Good Time

Saturday is the day to Reggae at the Gaff and cheer on your favorite Belt Sander.. The Gaff will hold its 5th Annual Reggae Festival on Saturday, Nov. 2, and music by Flatbroke (Corpus Christi), Alvin and the SlickPunks (who were nominated by the Houston Press as one of the Best Reggae Bands in Houston this year), Soulfiya (Galveston, of Tha Black Lung Crew), and The Bad Chords (San Diego, TX) will just be the beginning of the family-friendly entertainment. Beltsander racing demonstrations, auctions, a pirate costume contest, pirate games, food, vendors, and more will be a part of the festivities as well, just as in past years. This event is made possible by support from local businesses such as Chilla's Storage and Gift Shop, and Amelia's Landing hotel. Potential sponsors, vendors, and other interested parties should email raeddrady@gmail.com.

The Animal Hospital of Padre Island hosted their annual Dog Gone Margarita Festival with headliner Junior Brown and his band. For more photos and story see A-2.

A 2

Island Moon

October 31, 2013

Dog Gone Margarita Festival

The Dog Gone Margarita festival was a dog gone success with hundreds of dogs bringing their owners out for the annual party and costume contest. Junior Brown and his band rocked the barking lot for the festivities. First place winner was Riley P Dog as the skeeter man in his vector control truck with actual fog. Second place went to Tara Cox and Third place was taken by Misty Dawn. Thank you to Dr. Christi, Ray and their staff for a wonderful dog gone party.

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October 31, 2013

Pirate Rules continued from A1 A fellow! I think, in all respects, worth your esteem and favor.” Roberts thus became captain after only six weeks gone a-pirating. Roberts acceptance speech later recorded during the trials of his crew went like this: “…since he had dipped his hands in muddy water, and must be a pirate, it was better being a commander than a common man.” But even amongst the company of this floating rogues gallery there had to be some rules. While anarchy is indeed its own political system it is not one conducive to successfully raiding ships on the high seas. So Robert laid down a set of eleven rules that pirate ships across the world adopted in one form or another through the Golden Age of world piracy. Scholars think there were probably more but the list of the more inflammatory were tossed overboard as the pirates were about to be taken prisoner for fear that the remainder of the rules would not bode well for them in future legal proceedings. The eleven rules came down through history to us are thus:

Rules for a pirate ship I. Every Man has a Vote in Affairs of Moment; has equal Title to the fresh Provisions, or strong Liquors, at any Time seized & us them at pleasure, unless a Scarcity (no uncommon think among them) make it necessary for the good of all, to Vote a Retrenchment.

II. Every Man to be called fairly in turn, by List. On Board of Prizes, because, (over and above their proper Share) they there on these Occasions allow’d a Shift of Cloaths: But if they defrauded the Company to the Value of a Dollar, in Plate, Jewels, or Money, MAROONING was their punishment. (This was the barbarous custom of putting the offender on shore, on some desolate or uninhabited cape or island, with a gun, a few shot, a bottle of water, and a bottle of powder, to subsist with, or starve. If the robbery was only between one another, they contented themselves with slitting the ears and nose of him that were guilty, and set him on shore; not in an uninhabited place, but somewhere, where he was sure to encounter hardships.)

III. No Person to game at Cards of Dice for Money.

IV. The Lights & Candles to be put out at eight o’Clock at night. If any of the Crew, after that Hour, still remained included for Drinking, they were to do it on the open Deck; (which Roberts believed would give a check to their debauches, for he was a sober man himself, but found at length that all his endeavors to put an end to this debauch proved ineffectual).

V. To Keep their Piece, Pistols & Cutlash clean & fit for service. (In this they were extravagantly nice, endeavoring to outdo one another in the beauty and richness of their arms, giving sometimes at an auction (at the mast) thirty or forty pounds a pair, for pistols. These were slung in time of service, with different coloured ribbands over their shoulders, in a way peculiar to these fellows, in which they took great delight..)

VI. No Boy or Woman to be allow’d amongst them. If any Man were found seducing anny of the latter Sex, and carried her to Sea, disguised, he was to suffer Death. (So that when any fell into their hands as it chanced in the Onslow, they put a sentinel immediately her t prevent ill consequences from so dangerous an instrument of division and quarrel; but then here lies the roguery; they contended who shal be sentinel, which happens generally to one of the greatest bullies, wh0, to secure the lady’s virtue, will let none lie with her but himself.)

VII. To Desert the Ship, or their Quarters in Battle, was punished with Death, or Marooning.

VIII. No striking one another on Board, but every Man’s Quarrels to be ended on Shore, at Sword & Pistol. Thus: The Quarter-Master of the Ship, when the Parties will not come to any Reconciliation accompanies them to Shore with what Assistance he thinks proper, & turns the Disputants Back to Back, as so many Paces Distance. At the Word of Command, they turn and fire immediately, (or else the Piece is knocked out of their Hands). If both miss, they come to their Cutlasses, and then he is declared Victor who draws the first blood.

Island Moon

On the Rocks By Jay Gardner

IX. No Man to talk of breaking up their Way of Living, till each had shared a 1000 pounds. If in order to this, any Man should lose a Limb, or become a Cripple in their Service, he was to have 800 Dollars, out of the public Stock, and for lesser Hurts, proportionally.

X. The Captain and Quarter-Master to receive two Shares of Prize; the Master Boatswain, & gunner, one Share and a half and other Officers, one and a Quarter.

XI. The Musicians to have Rest on the Sabbath Day, but the other six Days & Nights none without special Favour.

A bible or an ax The oath of fealty to these rules could be sworn by placing a hand upon a bible, reserved for that purpose only, or on an ax, which tended to be more plentiful on pirate ships that bibles. There were some other rules or order observed on pirate ships: For the punishment of small offenses, which were not provided for by the eleven articles, and which were not of enough consequences to go to a jury, there was a principal officer among the pirates, called the Quartermaster of the men’s own choosing, who claims all authority this way (excepting in time of battle). If they disobey his command, are quarrelsome and mutinous with one another, misuse prisoners, plunder beyond his order, and in particular, if they be negligent of their arms, which he musters at discretion, he punishes at his own arbitrement, with drubbing or whipping, which no one else dare do without incurring the lash from all the ships company. In shore, this officer is a trustee for the whole, is the first on board any prize, separating for the company’s use what he thinks fit to the owners, excepting gold and silver, which they have voted not returnable. The Quartermaster was I shore the civil magistrate on a pirate ship.

The Captain Next in line of authority was the military officer, The Captain. His duty was to strike a balance between the amount of discipline over his group of seafaring freebooters necessary to forge them into a fighting unit without being voted out of office. In return, he got use of the great cabin on the boat and whatever privileges and parcels the crew might see fit to award him. The crew had free run of the great cabin and the victuals and drink in it. To counter this loose marshaling of power and resources Roberts instituted what would become known in the Texas Prison system more than 200 years later as a Ward System. The pirates referred to a captain thusly organized as Pistol Proof. He made a privy-council of a half dozen of the greatest bullies, and potential rivals, onboard and made them part of his ruling junta. During battle, or chase of a ship full of booty, the captain is in unquestioned and absolute control; for pirate ships during a fight were after all military vessels. During battles pirates were subject to the same lordship by the captain as prisoners. This served to take the power to misuse prisoners from the more rash elements of the ship’s crew. Roberts treated his prisoners well but told them it was simply due to his appeasing nature rather than and love or partiality toward them because, “there is none amount you but will hang me, I know, whenever you can clinch me within your power.”

A short and merry life Roberts took the pirates life not because he couldn’t find honest work but “twas to get rid of the disagreeable superiority of some masters (he) was accompanied with, and the love of novelty and change,” maritime peregrinations had accustomed him to. “In some honest service,” he said, “there is thin commons, low wages, and hard labor; in this, plenty and satiety, pleasure, and ease, liberty and power; and who would not balance creditor on this side, when all the hazard that is run for it, at worst, is only a sour look or two at choking (hanging). No, a merry life and a short one, shall be my motto.” Roberts went into his final battle off the coast of Sierra Leon in January 1722 on his ship Royal Fortune. He was surprised and outgunned with his ship of 40 guns and 175 men. He was wearing a rich crimson damask wastecoast and breeches, a red feather in his hat, a gold chain around his neck with a diamond cross hanging from it, a sword in his hand and two pairs of pistols hanging at the end of a silk sling slung over his shoulders. He was said to have been giving orders with boldness and spirit when a round of grapeshot from a man-of-war tore through his throat and left him slumped over a gun. The crew threw his body overboard as had been his request in his lifetime; thus ended the Pirate King’s short and merry life.

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You must have had your head under the sand if you didn’t see all the shark racks and kayaks on the Island this past weekend. The Tenth Annual Sharkathon event was successfully conducted down on the Seashore during almost brutal conditions. The seaweed came back for a late season encore, and with a storm in the Gulf the waves were big and angry. A brisk 4 knot current thrown into very “surgey” water levels made fishing difficult at best, but some folks were able to maintain and triumph. I consider it a success in the fact that our group made it all the way down the beach and back off without major incident, despite not landing any target fish. But I will not hesitate to continue being a part of this event next year, due to the positive influence they have. Sharkathon is a truly an “Island” event that benefits the local community and economy. People come from all over the place to compete in the event. I think I heard someone came down from Illinois to take part. Sharkathon sponsors are typically small, local businesses that donate goods and services in support of the cause of shark conservation. People entering the tournament stay at local hotels, purchase local supplies, and fuel here. I know that I alone spent around $400 entering the tournament and getting my supplies to enter the Trout Division. That’s a conservative estimate for most of the folks, who every year pour lots of money into shark racks, kayaks, rods and reels, and the other gear necessary to compete. I would estimate that to get outfitted to come shark fishing likely costs somewhere in the $1,000 range (not counting vehicle price of course). Curtis told me that he had 850 online entrants, so you can see what a splash this worthy event has for the local business community. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, Sharkathon donates all the funds back to beneficial causes. Some of the funds are earmarked to further shark research. They donate to Harte Research Institute which is currently deeply involved with tagging sharks and other pelagic fish. This self-perpetuating funding cycle has been instrumental in furthering critical shark research, and results have been very telling (remember my article about the apparent fate of our coastal sharks a few editions ago). They also donate funds to the National Seashore

so that our friend Ranger Buzz can host children at the Park to enjoy educational programs. The funds may provide for transportation, materials and/or time for the Seashore Staff to be able to put what many of us feel are critical educational programs on for the kids. Sharkathon organizers (and I) believe that passing on the history and lessons that that we’ve heard from those that came before coupled with the experience we’ve gained with our own time spent on the sand

about the beauty, mystery, and fragility of the Seashore is of the utmost importance. If we aren’t good stewards, and don’t educate the next generation to also become good stewards, then we’ve failed. Its’ ALL of our duty, and I hope you loyal readers feel that way too. Plain and simple. Even further, Sharkathon also donates generously to the Friends of Padre to help support the Big Shell Cleanup. Of course you know the Big Shell Clean up has involved over 5,000 volunteers (many of them Sharkathon volunteers and participants) that to date have removed 2,206,000 pounds of trash from the remote beaches of the Seashore. Many sponsors and volunteers take part in this annual event started by one of my heroes, Billy Sandifer, by volunteering their time, equipment, and hard work ethic to this philanthropic cause. Its’ really amazing to see these two like-minded organizations work hand-in-hand to get SO much accomplished. Kudos to all the Sharkathon organizers, volunteers, and participants. What a great deal! Thanks to you loyal readers who have sent me your feedback regarding issues that have come up lately, especially you Diane. I really appreciate it. I’ll see you all on the rocks when the waves stop rocking them!

Schlitterbahn continued from A1 Meanwhile, in New Braunfels crews are doing prefab work on various rides and equipment which will be used in the park. Our thanks to Islander and KIII news anchor Joe Gazin for these photos. Joe will have a special report on the park which will air in the 10 p.m. newscast on KIII on November 14; A behind the scenes look at how the park is coming together.

Archimedes Screws The massive amounts of water that will flow through the waterpark will be moved by these large Archimedes Screws. Archimedes was born in 287 B.C. and lived in Syracuse, Sicily, where King Hiero II commissioned him to design a giant ship, the Syracusia, which would hold 600 people and included a garden, a gym, and a temple dedicated to Aphrodite. Archimedes knew a ship that big would board water and he needed some way to get it out of the bilge. What he came up with is what you see here; a rotating screw inside a cylinder. It is believed to have been an improvement on a pump design used to water the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Later, in 1839 the first steamship with a screw propeller was named the SS Archimedes. Besides inventing the screw pump Archimedes is most remembered for something that likely would get him jail time or at least a mental evaluation these days. After being commissioned by King Hiero II to determine if a goldsmith had slipped some silver into the King’s supposedly golden crown. While sitting the bathtub Archimedes noticed that as he went in the water level rose and he calculated

a way to measure the density of an object by measuring the water it displaced. Old Archimedes was a smart guy but maybe a little absentminded. He got so excited by his discovery he ran into the street and yelled, “Eureka! I have found it?” But what he didn’t find was his pants. Is his excitement he forgot to put any clothes on. But they forgave him because his calculations found that indeed the goldsmith had slipped some silver into the golden crown and when the King’s happy then everybody’s hgappy. So think of old Archimedes as you go sailing down the waterside at Schlitterbahn powered by his invention. It’ll be up to you decide if in your mind’s eye he’s wearing pants.

♥ Lucy ♥ Meet Lucy!! ♥ Lucy is wonderfully healthy today thanks to the loving hands of her foster family! It's hard to believe her pics when she was first rescued. She and her sister Daisy were in dreadful condition. We miss her sister Daisy and wish she could have made it also...we know she would have been every bit as beautiful as her sister Lucy. Lucy is a SUPER sweet girl. If you would love Lucy forever, please email us at info@ guardiansrescue.org.

A 4

Island Moon

Shrimpers – A Dying Breed

A Night Aboard the Shrimp Boat Polly Anna

By Brent Rourk It was extremely exhilarating and exhausting simultaneously, from the time I prepared for the trip 24 hours earlier until a day after I returned home, head spinning and sea legs splayed and spent. The idea of trying to make up for what I had anticipated would be lost sleep might not have been a wise idea, or perhaps it was. Regardless, I could not possibly skip the opportunity to go out on one of the last few remaining shrimp boats in the Coastal Bend for an overnight trawl. What a way to end the series of articles on shrimp.

The First Meeting Slowly but purposefully plodding on the deck of the Polly Anna was who I perceived to be Captain John Nixon, taking care of a few things, though I could not help but notice the distorted and scattered mess on shore, littered with large components of the shrimp-catching apparatus. A local saw me appreciatively staring at the Polly Anna and asked if I needed help. After I carefully explained to him what I was doing there he instantly beamed and launched into a continuous compendium of captivating facts about the Polly Anna and its owners. Obviously, he was proud of the boat and its well-known local owner. He shamelessly boasted as if it were his boat and his father. “Did you know that it is the longest shrimp boat in Texas?”, he asked. “Did you know that he built this boat in his backyard by himself?”, he followed. His questions essentially served as history lesson ‘101 Polly Anna’. Quickly scribbling notes from his on-the-dock class, my eye once again caught John walking on the deck towards us. I enthusiastically introduced myself and my mission – to interview the owners for a newspaper feature and to take an overnight ride on the Polly Anna. John sized me up quickly. He agreed but insisted that the ride would have to wait two weeks so that he could reassemble all of those massive boat parts scattered about the dock. We shook hands. Two weeks and I could not wait.

Researching the Polly Anna In the meantime, I did some research about the Polly Anna and its owners. I was more than surprised by what I learned. Indeed John built the huge 100 foot boat by hand on his property, after designing it himself. It would be the 4th boat he built by hand. Impressed? Immensely. While most youngsters and adults find building a small plastic model ship an exercise in futility, John tore into a project most would never attempt let alone even think about. Three years and $200,000 later he had the makings of a steel-hulled catamaran.

When Men Were Men He cut it in half, transported it to the harbor and put it back together again, finishing the entire vessel. Finally, on June 10th 1989 the Polly Anna was launched at Dennis Dryer Municipal Harbor. The Polly Anna was named after John and Molly’s daughter. The more I researched, the more intrigued I was. How could one man do all of that? It was clear that John was older, maybe 70. Yet here he was shrimping several times a week with his wife on a boat he designed and built by hand. They don’t make them like him anymore. I recall when I was younger that there were instances where I would meet a person who learned to do just about everything, making anything and so too did a handful of other men I met. They were smart, tough, determined, focused, and feared virtually nothing. They oozed confidence yet in a modest way. John was no different, except he

Did Ya Hear?

by Mary Craft

mkay512@aol.com

New Advertisers Realtor Kern Egger is a professional who can help you buy or sell your home. She is located at 4518 Everhart Suite 101 and can be reached at 947-KERN (5376).

Business Briefs The Gaff in Port A will host its 5th Annual Reggae Music Event on Saturday, November 2nd with several reggae bands. This family-friendly event will have beltsander racing demos, a pirate costume contest, auctions, pirate games, food, vendors and more.

Logically, it seemed silly to write an in-depth string of articles about shrimp and not personally witness where, when, and how these delicious sea creatures were caught in addition to what happened to them after being unceremoniously dumped on the back deck of the Polly Anna. It was a no brainer and my time on the water as a Coast Guard Auxiliarist certainly must have prepared me for a night excursion on a shrimp boat. Well, kind of. Dale and I regularly toss about ideas for articles. Several months ago I shared that I wanted to do a series on shrimp and he mentioned taking a ride on a shrimp boat as part of that series. Great thinking! The season would begin on July 15th so I set my sites for mid-August. After researching shrimp for the series of articles I drove to Port Aransas to meet with John and Molly Nixon, owners of the Polly Anna, to set a date for a shrimp boat adventure.

October 31, 2013

Kody’s Restaurant in Port A has “all you can eat” shrimp every Wednesday for $13.95 and prime rib for $15.95 on Thursdays.

took making things to a whole different level.

Rumblings About Imported Shrimp Voraciously finding any information I could on shrimping and shrimp during those two weeks, I discovered that the problems with imported shrimp continued; pricing our local shrimpers out of business, allegedly tainted with additives, largely farm raised in unhealthy ponds filled with dangerous bacteria, volatile shrimp prices because of a fluctuating yen, and shrimp allegedly fed human waste. What will happen if domestic harvesting becomes successful? How will that impact the shrimpers? Would foreign harvest take a precarious downturn? If so, would that favor locally caught shrimp? More questions for John and Molly. There were so few local shrimpers

Behind it is a mattress and to its head is a small clothing chest with 4 drawers held shut with large rubber bands. For six months during the year John calls this his main home. Gulls, punctuating the early evening air with selfish cries as they cleaned the nets of any residual debris, fought for tiny morels of shrimp left on the nets from the previous night. Land slowly faded away until we saw only water.

Dropping the Nets The catamaran rocked back and forth in the Gulf swells, less after John dropped two heavy weights from the ends of the outriggers. The rocking did not stop but made it bearable, at least temporarily. John’s eyes were focused on his GPS and charts as he decided where to drop the nets. In the meantime the sunset painted the sky hues of pink and orange The nets were down as was Molly, who took her shift at sleeping while John charted and kept course dragging two large nets over the bottom of the Gulf. We were trawling for shrimp. In the calm and darkness of the evening John shared stories with me about his past and about boat building. The Polly Anna was the 4th boat he had built by himself. The catamaran hull was supposed to minimize rocking movements, something it no doubt did to some degree. He discussed the challenges of building a large boat.

anymore; from about 500 in the 1950s and 1960s to a handful of boats today. Calling the Nixon’s two weeks later, I was optimistic that I would have the opportunity to trawl with them for a night. Molly answered with a kind and accepting voice. The date was set – Saturday, August 9th. Be there at 5:45.

Needless to say, I was impressed. Though on the quiet side and unassuming, John does not lack talent, skill and intelligence by any stretch. On the contrary, he is brilliant and capable of doing anything he sets his mind to do. I was a passenger on one of his projects. Here he was at 70 years old, when most men are looking for the TV remote and uncomplicated retirement, at the helm of his shrimp trawler heading out

Giggitys in Port A has “all you can eat” catfish on Mondays. They will be celebrating on Halloween day with the Lyrical Binge band. There is a $150 cash prize for first place in the costume contest. The Fall Back Festival will be held here on Saturday, November 2nd 7 pm – 10 pm. The Back Porch Halloween Party will have the Cruise Control band playing and the costume contest will be at 9 pm. The bar will be open until Sunday, December 1st when they have their annual turkey bowl party. Island in the Son United Methodist Church is looking for a piano accompanist for their Praise Team singers. The current pianist is temporarily unavailable for a few months. Practice is on Wednesday evenings and perfomances are on Sundays. Contact the church at 749-0884. FantaSea Fotos in Port A is having its Grand Opening on October 31st. There are a wide variety of costumes available in many sizes. Visit them at 345 Alister or call 876-7562 for more info. Boathouse Bar & Grill is giving away a free appetizer with entrée if you bring in their ad from this issue of the Moon. Adam Hardy is the new restaurant manager and they will be changing the menu in the coming weeks. The bar will be hosting a Halloween party on October 31st with a costume contest and drink specials. Sonic is selling 50 cent corn dogs all day on Halloween. Their latest new meal is crispy crunchy chicken tenders on Texas Toast with onion ring tots and country gravy. Padre Isles Property Owners Association has openings for two board members for a three year term. Drop off statements about why you would like to be on the board at the POA office located on Fortuna Bay.

Preparing to Spend a Night on the Polly Anna Anticipating that I would not get very much sleep aboard the shrimp boat, I lavishly napped on Saturday, rising only to prepare a lunch and snacks for the evening and to jot down some questions and notes. I loaded an already crowded backpack with a change of clothing, a toothbrush, and cameras and camera equipment.

Mikel May’s Beachside Bar & Grill had a Halloween party last Saturday that was a huge success. Almost all those enjoying the festivities wore costumes. They have live bands every weekend and football on several screens with NFL ticket on Sundays. If you have any news about your business that you would like included in Briefs email me at mkay512@aol.com

Driving to Port Aransas, my mind wandered to what the experience would be and how would the Nixon’s manage to shrimp all night and be ready again for the next evening. I wondered what drove them and how it was that they were so incredibly driven, strong, and capable.

almost every night into the Gulf to provide fresh shrimp for locals. He was only able to get sleep when he could grab it – three hours here and a couple hours there.

Arriving in Port Aransas, I spotted a loud and gala fishing tournament awards celebration next to the where the Polly Anna was docked. Hundreds of people ate tasty barbeque while trophies were proudly presented. I boarded the Polly Anna to a different atmosphere, one more tranquil, peaceful, and quiet.

His weathered and worn hands gently steered the boat on its course as we continued to talk about the shrimp industry, boat building, South Texas and a host of other mutually agreeable subjects in to the night. As the night wore on I found him to be a friendly, perceptive and talented man.

On Board

Trying to Sleep

Nobody was on deck so I took the liberty of climbing the steps and going on board. The massive forward deck was empty except for some equipment and coolers. I headed to the lit cabin and opened the door, to be greeted by an enthusiastic hello from Molly Nixon and the incredible odor of a fine dinner. John was sitting at the table in the galley wrestling with a chicken leg and their grandson was appreciatively downing his meal. Introductions and hellos were followed by a tour of the berths (sleeping quarters) and head (bathroom).

The persistent hum of the engines and the rocking of the boat were beginning to takes its toll on me. I needed sleep and I needed to find a spot on the boat that did not rock. Good luck! In a few hours John would pull the nets up and with the help of Molly sort the shrimp and lower the nets for the final time of the evening.

There were two places I could take a nap. Parts, filters, and tools half-filled one of the berths. After setting my backpack down in one of the berths, I headed to the galley to get a tour by Molly. After the tour she invited me to have dinner; chicken, rice and peas. It was delicious, certainly deserving of seconds.

Heading out to the Gulf While dining and chatting with Molly I heard the sound of large engines turning over and warming up. John had started the engines and in no time he was checking equipment and lines. Then with absolute ease John pulled the 100 foot boat away from the dock and through a maze of boats out towards the Gulf. I quickly finished the delicious dinner and headed up to the upper deck to see John at the helm calmly captaining the large trawler. The room is filled with equipment and a bank of windows facing the bow of the boat. A single, mammoth padded chair, what might have been a large recliner, is the only chair in the room.

I crawled slowly into the bottom bunk of one of the berths and tried to find a comfortable position. Hmm…the rocking did not stop so I tried hard to fall asleep. I could only manage 20 or 30 minutes of sleep until the rocking would wake me up. I did this several times. I needed sleep and tried to fend off any vestige of sea sickness, knowing that I needed to wake up at 1:00AM when the nets would be pulled in. This was harder than I had anticipated. I wondered how John and Molly could do this for decades as I dozed off again… Molly was still sleeping in another berth and John was alone at the helm watching the waters, staying out of the way of other vessels and shrimpers and watching a little TV.

Pulling up the Nets John opened the door to my berth and told me that they were going to pull in the nets. It was 1:00AM. I woke up startled, excited and with a body that rocked back and forth all by itself. Grabbing a camera and an additional lens I slowly headed to the helm holding onto the walls and anything else I could grab to stabilize myself. My mind was still dazed and my body was unappreciative, yet I could not wait to witness the pulling of the nets and sorting of the shrimp. Next: Pulling up nets, sorting and processing shrimp, and doing it all over again before sunrise.

To place an ad in the moon email editor@ islandmoon.com. Rates start at $45 for a business card size ad.

Contest for Ferry Art

See Your Art Work Moving Across the Water

The Texas Department of Transportation is holding its fourth annual contest to select artwork to be featured on the towers of four ferry boats in the Port Aransas ferry system. The contest is open to anyone and includes two categories – youth (age 18 and under) and adult (older than age 18). The deadline for submitting art work for the contest is 5 p.m. Central Standard Time on Dec. 27, 2011. Winners will be selected soon thereafter. Winning entries in the adult division will be reproduced on the towers of three ferry boats; the DeBerry, the Oliver, and the Stotzer. Winning entries in the youth division will be displayed on the Heald, which is one of the two newer 28-vehicle ferries. The first art contest took place in the fall of 2010. Entries should depict people, places, plants, animals, environment, scenes, settings, events, or activities relevant to Port Aransas and TxDOT’s Port Aransas ferry system.

October 31, 2013

Moon Monkeys Mike Ellis, Founder

Island Moon

Letters to the editor Airlines

Hi Dale, In the last Moon was a comment that AA (the airline that is, not the wowsers) was replacing MD80s with A319s The old aircraft was actually an Embraer 145, not MD80, with about 40 seats, the new A319 has 128 or so. I hope its true, but since its in the Moon it must be, right? Even if they fly it only once per day, that’s an extra 80 seats in/out of CRP. It might be worth a future article as our fares ex CRP are currently horrendous relative to SAT and AUS, and extra competition might help!

Distribution Pete Alsop Island Delivery

Cheers

Coldwell Banker

Kevin Brown

Advertising Jan Park Rankin

Prowlers

Patrick Kelliher Office

My fiancé and myself live off of Cayo Cantiles. Yesterday evening we caught a couple on camera driving their boat up to our deck and getting out, walking around, and then turning off all of our deck lights that shine on our boat and jet skis. Not sure how they knew we were gone or what their intentions were but nothing was stolen. Just wanted to inform everyone and to ask if this has happened to anyone else?

Lisa Towns Classifieds Arlene Ritley Design/Layout Jeff Craft Contributing Writers Joey Farah

Carly Fielding

Devorah Fox Mary Craft

Trick or Treat

Maybeth Christiansen

Question....

Jay Gardner Todd Hunter

Can people who don't live on those streets (Hawksnest/Eaglesnest) bring a table set it up on the side walk and hand out candy? ....we just moved here and I Love handing out candy and seeing all the trick or treaters......

Danniece Bobeché Ronnie Narmour Brent Rourk Dr. Donna Shaver

Carrie Ann Glenn

Photographers

Editor’s note: A nice fellow over on Hawksnest volunteered his driveway. Traditionally Hawksnest and Eaglesnest have been the center of Trick or Treat activity on The Island and the kids all know it. It’s sort of like feeding seagulls, they somehow always know where the food is.

Miles Merwin Jeff Dolan Mary Craft

Yard Sale Have a suggestion for POA (already contacted them) and maybe Island Moon can help! How about an Island wide yard sale on designated day in fall and spring maybe? Office Security/Spillage Control Riley P. Dog Editor/Publisher/Spillage Control Supervisor Dale Rankin About the Island Moon

The Island Moon is published every Thursday, Dale Rankin, Editor / Publisher. Total circulation is 10,000 copies. Distribution includes delivery to 4,000 Island homes, free distribution of 3,000 copies in over 50 Padre Island businesses and condos, as well as 600 copies distributed in Flour Bluff, 1,400 copies on Mustang Island and Port Aransas businesses. News articles, photos, display ads, classified ads, payments, etc. may be left at the Moon Office.

The Island Moon Newspaper 15201 S. Padre Island Drive, Suite 250 Corpus Christi, TX 78418 361-949-7700 editor@islandmoon.com Facebook: The Island Moon Newspaper

Where to Find The Island Moon Port Aransas Lisabella’s Restaurant Pioneer RV Park Stripes @ Beach Access Rd. 1A

Port A Glass Studio The Gaff Wild Horse Saloon Tarpon Ice House

All Stripes Stores

Amano

Whataburger

Felder Gallery

Doc’s Restaurant

Island Woman Boutique

Snoopy’s Pier

Coffee Waves Moby Dicks Spanky’sLiquor IGA Grocery Store Port A Business Center Carter Pharmacy

Back Porch Woody’s Sports Center Shorty’s Place The Flat’s Lounge Giggity’s Stripes @ Cotter & Station

If you already have the ID covered, there's more you should know. Even if you have a current, qualified ID, the name on it must be "substantially similar" to the name on the voter registrar's rolls. A seasoned Texas judge, who hadn't changed her name on her voter registration card or driver license in more than 20 years, ran into some trouble trying to early vote. One form of ID listed her middle name, and the second listed her maiden name in its place. It could happen to you too. It's worth taking out your voter registration card and your ID card to have a close look before you travel to the polls.

2013 Fall Back Festival in Port Aransas Come join us at Giggity’s for food, wine tasting, and live entertainment brought to you by Ernie Garibay and the Cat’s Don’t Sleep. It’s the 2013 version of the Fall Back Festival which celebrates the day when we all get to live one hour over again. It happens November 2, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Also a limited Chinese auction will be held as well as prizes given for best individual costume! Tickets are $30 each and can be purchased at the door or by calling the Port Aransas Community Theatre at (361) 749-6036

La Posada cont. from A1 one of the premier fundraising events on The Island thanks to the folks over at PIYC. They are currently looking for donated items to be auctioned off at the kickoff party. Last year with the generous help of many local businesses and individuals, the PIYC collected over 4200 toys and over $8000 for Toys for Tots. All of the toys and monetary proceeds go directly to Toys for Tots. So throw an extra toy in the cart when you go to do your Christmas shopping to donate to a kid that might not otherwise have one. And remember, that each year the majority of the donated toys are usually for kids under eight years old so think of the older kids too. Traditionally the cash raised by the event is used to buy toys for the older kids so they don’t get left out. Toys will be picked up by United Stated Marines during the La Posada boat parades. Additionally, toys can be dropped off at a number of local businesses – look for the drop off box and sign and we will have a list in the Moon as soon as it become available; or just drop the toys by the Moon office. Toys can also be dropped off at the La Posada kick-off party at Scuttlebutts. So get your decorated boats ready, pick up some toys and get ready for another terrific La Posada. Stay tuned for additional articles and websites that will offer you more information about La Posada including parade routes as we get closer to the event.

Not having any of this? If you refuse to show an ID to vote, state officials say you'll be allowed to cast a provisional ballot, but that the ballot will likely be rejected by the review board as invalid. Exemptions are available for Texans who are disabled as certified by the VA or the Social Security Administration, and you can apply through your county registrar. You don't need an ID when you're voting by mail, unless you're a first time voter who registered to vote by mail. Voters who are at least 65 years old, away from home, sick or disabled are eligible for absentee ballots, but the deadline to apply for them has passed. So regardless of your political leanings, this Election Day, let's speak up for what we want our great country to be by voting. To make your vote count, I urge you to first take a moment to look in your wallet to be sure you're prepared with the proper ID to do so. I'll see you at the polls.

AIM for the Coast 2mile/5k Run/walk/cycle for Hospice A new activity is coming to the RockportFulton area this fall. It is the Aim for the Coast Walk/Run/Cycle Along with the run/walk is also a 9-30 mile cycling event. The event is hosted by and benefits the local AIM Hospice non- profit center. The race begins at 8a.m. Saturday, Nov 2 at the Beachfront Pavilion of Rockport Beach. Aim Hospice was founded in Rockport in 1986. Its name came from the initials of Mrs. Kathleen Akin, Mrs. Frances Isles and Mrs. Mary Murphy. These women firmly believed in the concept of hospice care. It is a special type of care designed to provide comfort and support to patients and their families when a life-limiting illness no longer responds to cureoriented treatments. Hospice staff offers a specialized knowledge of medical care with a goal of improving quality of a patient’s last days of comfort and dignity. For the past 25 years, AIM Hospice has been operating in the Rockport-Fulton area on a shoe-string budget. The lack of sufficient funding is an ongoing hardship which is relieved in part, by grants and donations. Hence, the walk, run, and cycle event is hoped to bring in additional operational funds needed to grow the organization. Without the support of community members, generous donations and this fundraiser, this program would not be possible. Registrations are currently being accepted. Start by downloading the registration form at www.onestoprace.com/search/event. aspx?id=22396 and mail or drop off at the Aim Hospice office located at 703 E. Concho in Rockport. Registration includes an event T-Shirt. Registration costs range from $25-$35. Awards will be given For more information visit info.aimhospice@ gmailcom or 361-729-0507

Island Italian Holiday Inn Texas Star (Shell) Jesse’s Liquor Padre Isles Country Club

Subway

Duckworth Antiques

What do you need to take to the voting booth? A current photo ID--or one that expired less than 60 days ago--from the federal government or the state Department of Public Safety. That could be a driver license, a personal ID card, a concealed carry license, a military ID, a passport, or a citizenship certificate. If you don't have any of these, you can get an election ID certificate from DPS; but they're not available from all DPS offices or every day of the week, so call ahead before you go apply for one.

Ace Hardware

Wash Board Laundry Mat

Chamber of Commerce

Editor’s note: That sounds like a great idea Kelly. The Island Moon will sponsor it. Pick a date and let us know. Maybe we can sell all the yards on The Island…no wait…

With recent congressional goings-on, we've all sat up and paid a little more attention. More folks have been talking about the role of government and the sort of country we want to be. Now that it's time to take to the polls, it's important to be prepared for Texas' new voter ID rules to have your vote counted.

So what happens if your name doesn't quite match? What if you've gotten married or divorced or changed your name for another reason? Some officials have told the press that they're giving voters the benefit of the doubt. But the letter of the law says that if your name isn't "substantially similar," you can't cast a regular ballot. You can, however, cast a provisional ballot, and show an ID to the county registrar within six days.

Isle Mail N More

Scuttlebutt’s Restaurant

Public Library

Kelly Brooks Craven

AARP Texas

CVS

San Juan’s Taqueria

Port A Parks and Rec

Just a thought- wondering who else would be interested. It isn't always worth the time and effort to have a yard sale, but if everyone was dedicated to have it the same time and we could attract many people (and be more motivated to do it) and maybe even have some fun!

Island Tire And all Moon retail advertisers WB Liquor

Flour Bluff H.E.B. Liquid Town Whataburger on Waldron Ethyl Everly Senior Center Fire Station

Gratitude Gift Shop

Police Station

Keepers Pier House

Stripes on Flour Bluff & SPID

Voting on November 5? Here's what you need to know. By Carla Penny

North Padre

Miss K’s Catering & Bistro

Coast Club

We did this in the last community I lived in and it was very successful. We had people from several miles away coming after a few years! Maybe we can even pledge/donate 10% to an animal charity (we have a lot of animal lovers it seems- myself included!)

Sonic Drive-In 14401 South Padre Island Drive (361) 949-7886

Island Moon

A 6

November Constitutional Amendments Election

By Todd Hunter, District 32

• Proposition Number 8 (H.J.R. 147 and S.J.R. 54) “The constitutional amendment repealing Section 7, Article IX, Texas Constitution, which relates to the creation of a hospital district in Hidalgo County.” • Proposition Number 9 (S.J.R. 42) “The constitutional amendment relating to expanding the types of sanctions that may be assessed against a judge or justice following a formal proceeding instituted by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct.”

• Proposition Number 1 (H.J.R. 62) “The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a member of the armed services of the United States who is killed in action.”

As a reminder, recently the Texas Secretary of State announced the use of photo identification for this year’s election. According to the Texas Secretary of State, the acceptable forms of voter identification are as follows:

• Proposition Number 2 (H.J.R. 79) “The constitutional amendment eliminating an obsolete requirement for a State Medical Education Board and a State Medical Education Fund, neither of which is operational.”

• Texas driver license • Texas personal identification card • U.S. passport book or card

• Proposition Number 3 (H.J.R. 133) “The constitutional amendment to authorize a political subdivision of this state to extend the number of days that aircraft parts that are exempt from ad valorem taxation due to their location in this state for a temporary period may be located in this state for purposes of qualifying for the tax exemption.”

• U.S. Military identification with photo • U.S. Citizenship Certificate or Certificate of Naturalization with photo • Election Identification Certificates All forms of identification must be unexpired or expired less than 60 days at the time of voting. Additional information on the November 5th election can be found on www.votexas.org which is administered by the Secretary of State. If you have questions regarding any of the proposed constitutional amendments mentioned in this article, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-9494603).

• Proposition Number 5 (S.J.R. 18) “The constitutional amendment to authorize the making of a reverse mortgage loan for the purchase of homestead property and to amend lender disclosures and other requirements in connection with a reverse mortgage loan.”

Rep. Hunter represents Nueces (Part) County. He can be contacted at todd.hunter@house. state.tx.us or at 512-463-0672.

• Proposition Number 6 (S.J.R. 1) “The constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas and the State Water Early Voting Turnout for the November 5, 2013 Joint Constitutional Election October 21 - November 1

Early Voting Turnout

Substation Locations

Substation Subtotal Mobile Voting Locations Christus Spohn Hospital - Shoreline YWCA Lindale Senior Center Lone Star Country Store

10/21

10/22

10/23

10/24

10/25

10/26

10/27

10/28

10/29

10/30

10/31

11/1

230 257 84 62 33 66 2 9 5 12 93

Nueces County Courthouse CC Area Council for the Deaf Corpus Christi - City Hall Flour Bluff ISD - Maintenace Bldg. Greenwood Senior Center Hilltop Comm. Center Johnny S. Calderon County Building London ISD Nueces County Bishop Community Center Port Aransas Civic Center Seashore Learning Center

219 405 74 102 72 94 7 6 3 13 115

193 397 58 100 51 102 4 11 5 8 89

234 417 70 68 51 86 2 9 8 7 78

853 1,110 1,018 1,030

198 375 78 80 43 70 10 15 4 7 103 983

17 145 7 21 16 29 2 20 2 0 33 292

10 24 1 4 2 8 0 10 2 2 17 80

209 258 62 53 22 61 7 16 6 17 38 749

156 255 47 39 37 63 7 24 6 13 69 716

Voting continued from A1

10/22

10/23

10/24

10/25

10/26

10/27

10/28

10/29

10/30

10/31

11/1

What cannot be discerned by the early voting totals provided by the Nueces County Clerk is Children's Hospital 119 by voters how manyDriscoll ofOne the total votes cast were Shoreline Plaza 125 who live Nueces but not 55 in the City Garden in Estates RetirementCounty Center Driscoll ISD (Cafetorium) 0 of Corpus Christi. Those votes are reflected in Christus Spohn Hostipal - Memorial 39 the Early Voting totals but county – non-cityCCAD (Subway Lobby) 125 Towers residents are notTrinity eligible to vote in the630city’s Banquete Senior Citizens Center Destination Bayfront election since the project C. C. Medical Center - Bay Area 99 Texas A &by M - CC University Center 62 is funded city bonds. Oveal Williams Senior Center

ISD (Cafeteria) The IslandPetronila Political Action Committee, IPAC,1 has not taken a position on the Destination Bayfront item, but instead have focused their attention on getting out the vote.

The only Early Voting location on The Island is at Seashore Learning Center on Encantada where voting will continue through 7 p.m. on both Thursday and Friday nights. Voters may vote at any location during early voting; you do not have to vote in your precinct if you vote early. Only on Election Day are you required to vote in your home precinct unless otherwise noted below. Vote early and vote often...

Proposition No. 1 The City Council of the City of Corpus Christi, Texas shall be authorized to issue and sell one or more series of general obligation bonds of the City in the aggregate principal amount of not more than $44,600,000 for the purpose of designing, demolishing, constructing, acquiring, improving and equipping a publicprivate project known as Destination Bayfront -- a parks, recreation and cultural enrichment project developed with public input to make improvements, renovations and enhancements to revitalize approximately 34 acres of public land and beach downtown, which would leverage public construction dollars with private donations and other sources of funding for ongoing park programming, operation and maintenance costs, the improvements and amenities to be made having been developed through a series of public meetings and which include: • Improvements to Veteran’s area including shaded event space, restrooms and handicap parking; • Large event area with covered stage, including necessary utility connections and lighting to support festivals and other large events; • Boardwalk promenade along the seawall with shade structures and restrooms adjacent to shops and restaurants; • Public pier with shade structures; • ADA ramp to access Magee beach and beach wash off stations; • Children’s and family play areas including shaded seating, recreational and playground equipment for all ages, a climbing wall, and a water spray feature;

After Elec. Day

We won’t go into details here since we covered it last time, if you missed it and are interested retrieve your copy of the last issue from the bottom on the bird cage, or worse, and check it out. State Representative Todd Hunter and Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson are taking the lead at this point and things are moving quickly. The outcome is still up in the air but two things jump out at me: First, when governmental officials start talking about restricting beach access in any way, which PINS was/is considering things can get real hot real fast. Two, and this is the big one, the fact that the issue has come to light in the midst of the run up to the political season offers a great opportunity to have a real discussion about the management of our 28 miles of beaches between the current northern PINS boundary and the jetties in Port Aransas. We continue to have a hodgepodge of plans that stand in the way of the highest and best practices for managing our region’s most valuable resource.

Total

6,831 After Elec. Day

• Senior exercise area; 20

Total 37 78 44 23

• Hiking and jogging trails and sports courts; 119 • Dog park; • Picnic area;

125 55 0 39 125

63 • Adding shaded areas, landscaping, lighting, 0 drop off points and transportation connection 99 improvements throughout the site; 62 1 • Providing parking within the area; and

No fewer than six agencies have jurisdiction within that 28-mile stretch and they have never come to agreement on an area-wide approach to management. The City of Port Aransas, the City of Corpus Christi, Texas Parks and Wildlife (Mustang State Park), Nueces County, Kleberg County, and the Texas General Land Office have never had a common plan for maintaining the beach, managing or charging for access, maintaining the dune structure, or any long term planning for how to deal with the ever increasing number of visitors who arrive each year. Beach maintenance has devolved in such a haphazard manner that work crews from different governmental entities literally pass each other on SPID and SH 361 as they hopscotch their heavy equipment from their various spheres of maintenance influence in a wasteful dance of political infighting and inattention. The Muddling Through approach worked well enough before the increases in the number of visitors in the past two years ratcheted up the pressure on beach maintenance.

28 miles of Whack A Mole

1,466 2,533 481 529 327 579 41 120 41 79 635 0

10/21

37 78 44 3

If you read these pages last issue you know that the sale of 3680 acres of land owned by the Texas General Land Office on The Island that would have eventually ended up as part of the National Seashore has been put on hold.

Management by Muddling Through

• Texas concealed handgun license

• Proposition Number 4 (H.J.R. 24) “The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of part of the market value of the residence homestead of a partially disabled veteran or the surviving spouse of a partially disabled veteran if the residence homestead was donated to the disabled veteran by a charitable organization.”

October 31, 2013

by Dale Rankin

• Proposition Number 7 (H.J.R 87) “The constitutional amendment authorizing a homerule municipality to provide in its charter the procedure to fill a vacancy on its governing body for which the unexpired term is 12 months or less.”

Below is the language and order of the nine propositions as provided by the Texas Secretary of State:

Stuff I Heard on the Island

Implementation Revenue Fund for Texas to assist in the financing of priority projects in the state water plan to ensure the availability of adequate water resources.”

Next week on November 5, Texans across our State will have the opportunity to support or oppose the nine constitutional amendments passed by the 83rd Texas Legislature. Each of these Constitutional amendments would alter and/or create changes to the Texas Constitution. Constitutional amendments are first proposed by the legislature in the form of a joint resolution. The joint resolution then must pass both the Texas House and the Texas Senate by a twothirds vote. Once the joint resolution passes the legislature, it must be approved by a majority of the voters across the state in order to become a part of our state constitution.

9 2

• Construction, renovation and acquisition of buildings and other facilities for lease or grant of retail, food or other concessions to private entities.

Election Day Polling Places: Precinct 40 Island Presbyterian Church

That pressure has meant that the randomness by which a decision made at one end of The Island means new problems pop up unexpectedly at the opposite end of it like a 28-mile long game of Whack A Mole. When the digging of Packery Channel interrupted the three-mile driving loop from Zahn Road to Bob Hall Pier the result was a bigger traffic jam in Port Aransas. Without warning drivers moved north creating a bottleneck at the first Access Road in Port Aransas which proved such an impediment to inbound traffic last Spring Break that restaurateurs there were left with empty tables and spoilage rates on inventory that turned one of the biggest weeks of the year, traditionally, into one of heavy losses. The fruit of random decision making. During peak holiday weekends when CCPD shuts down beach access at Newport Pass due to full beaches suddenly inbound Port Aransas traffic backs up nine miles and PAPD has no idea the increase in coming because there is no means for coordinated real-time planning. It’s a hot mess and getting hotter as Texas’ population is now growing by 25% every ten years. A Captured Moment Photography

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Precinct 19 Port Aransas Community Center 408 N. Alister St. Port Aransas, TX 78373

Precinct 6 Flour Bluff ISD Maintenance Dept. 2510 Waldron Rd. Corpus Christi, TX 78418 Inclusive Precincts: 6, 122 [Housed In: precinct 122]

Precinct 117 Flour Bluff High School Auditorium 2505 Waldron Rd. Corpus Christi, TX 78418

Precinct 122 Flour Bluff ISD Maintenance Dept. 2510 Waldron Rd. Corpus Christi, TX 78418 Inclusive Precincts: 6, 122 [Housed In: precinct 122]

Dunes on first? Then there is the mishmash of plans for maintaining the dunes which are our first line of defense against hurricanes. Port Aransas does it one way, the City of Corpus Christi does it another, and Nueces County yet another; all on the same beach. The consensus is that front stacking works best but bureaucratic resistance, primarily from Austin has pre-empted adopting it all the way down the beach.

Maintaining the dunes: Port Aransas does it one way, the City of Corpus Christi does it another, and Nueces County yet another Elephant I the Room And then there is the Elephant in the Room; beach driving. Ever since the vote in 2004 over removing cars from the beach on North Padre no one in Corpus Christi wants to touch this flammable topic. Port Aransas and Nueces County use bollards to control traffic, Corpus Christi does not. Four years after the City of Corpus Christi had a plan approved by the GLO to use bollards to control traffic on the beach at the seawall, and a full 15 years after an agreement was made to remove cars from the beach at the seawall the cars are still there; even after the owners of property on the seawall paid $500,000 for land to build a parking lot which has been open for four years. But if cars are removed from there it will inevitably mean more cars in Port Aransas and in Kleberg County; neither of which has any input into how/when/if this is done. Three handed Whack A Mole but two of the players are blindfolded. Its hard to argue that it is good stewardship.

An opportunity This haphazard management of our single most precious economic and cultural resource demonstrably does not work. Ask Daytona Beach. What it creates is chaos and a piecemeal decision-making process that in the end doesn’t work for anyone, most of all the beachgoing public who sit in traffic wondering who is in charge. No one is. That’s the problem. So the delay in the sale of the GLO beach in Kleberg County offers an opportunity to take a deep breath and do some actually planning. Most of the beach in Kleberg County has never had any maintenance, regular cleanup, dune management, police presence, or any other kind of oversight and it has always been free of charge. One way or another that is about to change, whether the National Park ends up with land or not. Unless something changes whomever takes it over will do with it as they see fit and the mole will pop up unexpectedly somewhere else. The question is whether it will be a Lone Ranger approach or part of an overall plan that is optimal for all 28 miles of our beaches. Everyone from the governmental entities involved to fishermen, surfers, birders, beach bums, and yes, even tourists must have a seat at the table. Otherwise it is a comprehensive plan in name only. The ball is in our court.

October 31, 2013

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Tile Tips By Jennifer Wither So, you need new tile? Well, How do you know which tile is right for you? And what questions can you ask your tile installer…BEFORE…. you hire him? We are currently laying tile thru-out an entire house, in Port Aransas. With the help of my wonderful tile installer; I have decided to share a few tile tips I have learned thru out the years. 1. There is a difference between Porcelain, Stone and Ceramic tile. Porcelain is stronger, doesn’t break as easily and stands up to heavier traffic. Stone is a little softer but the prettiest and usually the most expensive. Ceramic is the weakest of the 3 tiles however, its glory is that it is less expensive. 2. You can tell the difference between the 3 tiles, when you look at their sides. Most of the time the ceramic is a 2 or 3 tone color, hence stands out like a beacon when it is chipped. Porcelain is a much denser product; made mostly of refined sand and is usually the same color all the way thru, except for the top coat. Stone is the same color all the way thru so when it chips it is practically unnoticeable. 3. Sealing grout lines and stone doesn’t prevent stains it just slows them down. Sealing also needs to be done about once a year, in heavy traffic. Vacation homes can go about once every couple of years, depending on the traffic. 4. The most important thing a tile installer must do, first, is “floor prep” or prepping the floors. If he doesn’t scrape and vacuum the floors then the fine dust particles and contaminates will not allow the mortar to stick. Floating the slab or surface when and where applicable, is also important as this allows the tiles to be somewhat level. 5. I’d have to say for the best look and my favorite tile tip, I give to you, is “Undercutting the jambs and baseboards.” This trick has nothing to do with cutting the structure, because you’re only cutting decorative molding. Basically, instead of cutting the tile to conform to the crooked parameters of the molding you are cutting the molding to fit the tile. Brilliant concept and such a glorious result!!! To ask questions inbox Jennifer Wither or follow “Before and Afters” on our page Dream It, Build It, Love It

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News from your

Brush set out does not start until November 16! Collection will be November 25! Please move the brush back behind your fence, or better yet, cut it up and put it in your garbage container. Putting your brush on a vacant lot is called illegal dumping! The City Code Enforcement is working with us and if we can identify where the trees have been trimmed, the property owner who dumps the stuff will be receiving a fine. For those who complain about rodents and snakes, the brush piles are great “homes” for them. Also, when you hire a tree trimmer, make sure they are going to haul the brush to the landfill. The trailer should not have the stuff dragging on the street and it should be covered with a tarp so that the stuff does not blow around. Think about it --- what is going to happen when that trailer is pulled over the bridge and causeway.

You may have read about the possibility of the land south of Bob Hall Pier becoming part of the National Seashore. One of the reasons the GLO gave for wanting to get rid of the property is that they have no way to patrol the area and prevent folks from DUMPING on that land. We have had reports of some of the inexpensive (cheap?) tree trimmers dumping on that property. Working together, we can make sure they are hauling the material correctly and that they are taking it to the landfill. A really inexpensive tree trimming job is no deal when it causes these types of problems. Lot mowing continues at a good pace. The mowers are just about caught up. If there are lots in your area which have not been mowed, rest assured, we are working on having the owners get them done. We are also working on getting owners whose yards need cleaning up to get it done. We have some yards where so many weeds have grown thru the rocks that they are now the “lawn.” Now that the weather is cooler, get out and clean up your area.

Rusty Fire Hydrant of the Week a nice big pump to keep near your swimming pool. Because if you are going to rely on water from this baby to put out the fire in your hot water heater closet your gonna be One Steamin’ Hombre. And that’s our Rusty Fire Hydrant of the Week! After our first Fire Hydrant of the Week photo we got this note from District 4 Council Member Colleen McIntyre: Hi Dale, The winner of this week is not one of those photos that I sent to staff on September 24th and followed up with last week. After the Fire hydrant at 15649 Three fathoms bank drive incident on the 24th, the fire department inspected every hydrant on the island and in the bluff and issued 118 work orders. The photo of this little beauty comes to us from Robin over in the 15,000 block of Three Those work orders have been completed. Fathoms. It must have taken years of bearing There are still some hydrants which require down by Mean Old Mr. Oxide to achieve this scraping down and bonnet bolt replacement due delicate patina. Kind of cool looking don’t you to corrosion, but Chief Rocha assures us they are safe and fully functional. In addition to think? working on these hydrants, staff is developing But one mighty twist of the spud wrench by a plan outlining hydrant maintenance to assure a burley firefighter to wrest this baby open is that we do not face this situation again. I expect going to torque that rusty nut into a swizzle to see this plan soon. stick of flaking, heartrending powder. Thank you, If you live in this neighborhood you might Colleen want to double up on your fire insurance and get

“Dead Zone” Researcher Briefs Congress on Effects of Federal Ethanol Policies Every year, nitrogen used to fertilize corn fields in the Midwest leaches into the Mississippi River and out into the Gulf of Mexico. Experts say the fertilizer feeds a giant algae bloom, which eventually dies and settles to the Gulf floor, consuming oxygen and suffocating marine life. The area is known as a “dead zone,” and many say the federal government’s ethanol policies are to blame. "There is a correlation between the increased acreage of corn being planted and fertilized in the Midwest and the size and persistence of areas of hypoxia off the Mississippi River, commonly known as the “dead zone," said Dr. Larry McKinney, Executive Director of the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A& M University-Corpus Christi. McKinney traveled to Washington D.C. last week to brief lawmakers about the effects of federal ethanol polices on the health of the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, Oct. 29, in Washington, D.C. The briefing has been organized by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. His presentations focused on potential reforms in the renewable fuel standard and its impacts on fish and wildlife habitat, water quality, and marine fisheries. The mandate to use ethanol as a fuel additive was an effort to reduce United States dependence on foreign oil when it was first introduced six years ago. "I think we need to reconsider federal policies

Port A Happenings…

By Pam Greene Community Program Coordinator Parks and Recreation Department City of Port Aransas, Texas pamg@cityofportaransas.org 361-749-4158

By Maybeth Christiansen We are starting to see palm fronds and other brush clippings showing up in front of properties, or even worse on vacant lots!

Recycle-Bowl Let’s get ready to RECYCLE!!! Make sure to stop before you throw your used container or paper into the trash and ask yourself, “Can this be recycled?”

Goodwill and Dell. KPAB, established in 1953, is the nation's largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. This national nonprofit forms public-private partnerships and programs that engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community environments. For additional information, visit www.kab.org. More information about RecycleBowl can be found at http://recycle-bowl.org.

Walk & Talk

Port A Schools are competing in a nationwide recycling contest. Through Nov. 15, H.G. Olsen Elementary and Brundrett Middle Schools are trying to reduce, reuse and recycle plastic bottles, aluminum cans and paper. The two schools are competing in Recycle-Bowl in its third annual nationwide recycling competition.

Come see the flora and fauna that are around this time of year in the Port Aransas Nature Preserve at Charlie’s Pasture. Although not a true nature tour, you are guaranteed to see a lot of nature.

The schools will track and report how much material they collect for a chance to win prizes. At the close of the four-week competition, the school in Texas that collects the most recyclable material per capita will win $1,000. A national champion will then be chosen from among the statewide winners to receive a grand prize of $2,500. The material must be collected only from ordinary uses at school—students are not allowed to bring material from home. The goal is to promote awareness of recycling, and to increase the recycling effort, thus reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills.

Join us Thursday, Nov. 7, at 9 am. Meet at pavilion in preserve. FREE!

Olsen Elementary School began recycling paper seven years ago in the fall of 2006, when this year’s seniors were in fifth grade. They created presentations on the benefits of recycling, and the school held a contest for the best-decorated recycling box, according to then fifth-grade teacher Julie Findley. Ever since that time, fifth-graders have been in charge of picking up used paper from each classroom. The principal at the time, Sylvia Buttler, enlisted the help of her husband, high school teacher Randell Buttler, to help haul the bags of paper to the recycling station at the end of Ross Street. Later, recycling expanded to the middle and high schools. Mr. Buttler still volunteers to be in charge of picking up the material to be recycled, now with the help of his shop class students. Last year the district received its own recycling bin on campus, which is emptied by Republic Services. Keep Port Aransas Beautiful (KPAB) is A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is also an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, Inc . and Keep Texas Beautiful, Inc. As part of KPAB’s mission, the organization promotes the philosophy of reduce, reuse, recycle, and rebuy. During the month of November, KPAB, in conjunction with the Port Aransas Parks and Recreation Dept., traditionally holds its plant and book swap to promote reuse and sharing. During the past four years, they added electronics recycling through a partnership with

Turtles

continued

to rehabilitation quickly they have a good chance of survival, but we need your help to achieve this. The green turtle is classified as a Threatened Species in Texas, and by helping rescue cold stunned individuals you can aid with recovery efforts for this species. We have scheduled a training session to inform potential volunteers and the public about how they can help save these turtles if a cold stunning event occurs this winter.

Walk a little, meet some people, see some birds … a true win-win.

The City of Port Aransas Parks and Recreation Department conducts this event on the first and third Thursday of each month.

Movies at the Point The City of Port Aransas Parks and Recreation department will be hosting the first golf cart drive in movie of the season at the new outdoor screen located next to the Fred Rhodes Memorial Pavilion in Roberts Point Park on Nov. 13. “Movies at the point will be a monthly opportunity for our full time residents and visitors to gather at the city harbor and watch a movie on a large outdoor movie screen, just like the drive-ins I grew up with,” says Pam Greene community program coordinator for the City of Port Aransas Parks and Recreation Department. ”You can drive right up and park your golf cart, or you can bring your lawn chairs or blankets. You’ll be able the see the screen.” The screen is located in between the pavilion and where the Polly Anna docks at the marina. The city is adding making a bigger space where the Deep Sea Roundup officials put the numbers to make it a full screen size If it rains, or in the case of extreme winds or cold, the movie will be shown in the pavilion. Either way, sunny or rainy, calm or windy, the shows goes on. Refreshments such as sodas and popcorn will be available for purchase by a different organization or club that will keep the money to fund more projects. You are also welcome to bring your own. The movie will be family friendly and will begin at 7 pm. Movies at the Point are scheduled for the second Wednesday of every month, so mark your calendars.

from

largest event was during January 2010, when about 450 cold stunned turtles were found. Most cold stunned turtles are found on middle and south Texas bay and pass shorelines. So, help in the Coastal Bend is particularly important. Being able to respond to these events rapidly is vital, so we provide training in advance of the cold stunning season to help become prepared in case an event occurs. Even if an event does not happen this year, it is just a “matter of time” before another large event occurs since the juvenile green turtle population is increasing in Texas.

Training Date and Time that result in such unintended consequences or at least develop and fund federal actions to mitigate the damage,” said McKinney Experts say the ethanol polices now in place have had unintended and negative consequences on the our most valuable coastal resource, the Gulf of Mexico, as they have contributed to creation of a growing and ever more persistent area of hypoxia off the coast of Louisiana, commonly known as the “dead zone.” In 2013, the “dead zone” covered an area of 5,840 square miles. The bi-partisan Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation includes nearly 300 members of the U.S. House and Senate representing almost all states. The CSF works at both the state and federal levels on numerous policy issues to protect and advance the interests of sportsmen on legislation issues including recreational angling.

The BACK PORCH

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The Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network is a national network that documents sea turtles found washed ashore or floating, alive or dead. Stranding network participants search for stranded sea turtles, but the network also relies upon reports from the public, which we are grateful for. It can be extremely challenging to find and rescue cold stunned green turtles. The potential search area is large and many turtles can be found over a period of days or weeks. About 1,600 stranded green turtles were found “cold stunned” during early-February 2011, in the largest cold stunning event recorded since the stranding network was established in 1980. With this article we have included some photos of turtles found and taken to rehabilitation during the February 2011 event. The second

Live Music

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You do not need to sign up in advance to attend. If you have questions about this training or our volunteer program, you can contact one of our staff members by calling 361-9498173, ext. 268 or sending us an e-mail at pais_ seaturtlevolunteer@nps.gov. We will announce this training date and post a reminder on our Facebook page titled Padre Island NS Division of Sea Turtle Science & Recovery. In March 2014, we will hold another training session to help prepare volunteers and the public to aid with our sea turtle nest detection and protection efforts that will begin in April 2014. In January 2014, we will provide details about the nesting training dates and locations.

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From 10:00 am to noon on Saturday December 7, we will hold a training session to inform people how they can help if cold stunning occurs this winter. The training will be held at the Seashore Learning Center Gymnasium. The gymnasium is the large building with green aluminum siding located on Encantada, near South Padre Island Drive and St. Andrews by the Sea Church. The session will be open to people who want to volunteer with the Padre Island National Seashore Sea Turtle Program, as well as to the general public.

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October 31, 2013

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Backwater Adventures Leader Connections By Joey Farah Farah’s Fishing Adventures For days I had been making drifts over the finger of deep sand, hooking up with some nice trout and some solid redfish. As our endless summer days passed we memorized the area in great detail. In between drifts we were snorkeling the spot gigging flounder with slings. Our little secret spot was on fire. My father Joe had just got in from a three week work trip offshore and my stories of big fish flew off my tongue. Finally I talked my dad into getting out on my small boat for a fishing trip to the magic sand spot.

his part had me boiling to tears and probably scarred me for life. I think that day set me on a path to prove something. To this day that secret sandy hole along the Flour Bluff shoreline proves worthy year after year.

Lesson learned The lesson learned from that story many years ago is one I don’t forget too often. If I had secured a good leader on that day victory would

baits a disadvantage in that the movements of lures seem un-natural and erratic. The line will often dig into the spool when setting the hook or working the lures. This in turn fowls up casting. The solid color of the braided lines also spook fish in clear water at times. With this, the use of good monofilament leader is very important to anglers using conventional mono main lines as well as new braided lines.

The best leader I have found for fishing the Laguna Madre’ and Baffin Bay the best leader is 30lb clear Suffix or Berkley Big Game. I get the regular spool and stuff it into drink koozy. This keeps the line from coming unspooled, fits easily in my cup holder, and is ready to make up a quick leader at all times. The thickness is small enough to tie knots easily and still is flexible to give you the flowing presentation of natural bait movements. In super clear water conditions switch to fluorocarbon line, this is a very clear invisible line meant for leader use only. Fluorocarbon leader is not as flexible and is more brittle.

A guide at 13

Our first drift I was already playing fishing guide at 13 years old. Dad just laughed and grinned and listened to this know-it-all kid. As he fiddled with his tackle box and rod I flipped a soft plastic into the deep sand pocket. The silver flash of a rolling trout came on the longest part of my cast. The trout bolted and ran drag out of my small reel. Its head surfaced and the yellow mouth spit white foam and Close inspection of the leader is a good frothy water from side to side. I yelled for Dad Island resident Joe Kelly with a great nearshore idea after hang ups or fish catches. The to get the net, which was only about 12 inches way we attach the leader to the main line snapper. wide. As the massive trout came to the boat might be the most important detail of the the small net lowered down to intercept my lesson. Line to leader is something that have been mine. Leader material is a piece of trophy. The wise old trout quickly turned and many experienced anglers will disagree on and shot away from the net and as fast as it struck, line heavier than your main line between it is personal preference. I have experienced with broke the line and swam off into the Laguna and your bait hook or lure. The purpose for thousands of situations, anglers, and varied this is the obvious, greater strength, better techniques. For bait fishing I like a good swivel, Madre’ to become a legend in her lifetime. abrasion resistance, and a better chance to get Dad just sat down and continued to tie up his in that fish without breaking the line. There are not a tiny size but one that will be large enough rig and ended up showing me up out there that other situations that using a leader provides an to allow the line to roll and spin without kinking day on the water. As we idled in my friends advantage in catching fish. With the new braided up the swivel’s action. eagerly waited at the corner fishing in the canal. fishing lines out today using a monofilament When using a sliding egg weight pick a swivel I yelled out that I lost a monster, dad just shook leader is very important. The “super lines” of big enough to withstand the abuse the weight his head. As I told the story play by play my dad today are braided, very strong, but stretch free. will cause from bouncing up and down on it. just laughed and said, “Don’t make up stories, This no stretch character gives your lures and The Texas Rattler Chatter Weights are good I never saw any big trout.” This funny play on choices. The chatter weights are really pretty much natural in buoyancy and make a good line to leader connection as well as attracting fish with its loud rattling sound. The Chatter Weights do not spin or keep the line from twisting, but Tides for Corpus Christi (Bob Hall Pier) Oct. 31 - Nov. 6, 2013 are extremely durable and do bring fish in.

Tides of the Week

Day

High /Low

Tide Time

Height in Feet

Sunrise Moon Time Sunset

% Moon Visible

Th F Sa Su M Tu W

31 31 31 31 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6

High Low High Low High Low High Low High Low High Low High Low High Low High Low High

12:32 AM 7:33 AM 2:18 PM 8:25 PM 12:45 AM 7:53 AM 3:21 PM 9:41 PM 12:53 AM 8:20 AM 4:19 PM 7:53 AM 4:17 PM 8:32 AM 5:16 PM 9:17 AM 6:17 PM 10:06 AM 7:20 PM

1.7 0.9 1.8 1.4 1.6 0.6 2.0 1.5 1.6 0.4 2.1 0.2 2.2 0.0 2.3 -0.1 2.4 -0.1 2.3

7:39 AM 6:46 PM

Rise 4:45 AM Set 4:52 PM

7:40 AM 6:45 PM

Rise 5:43 AM Set 5:32 PM

7:41 AM 6:44 PM

Rise 6:43 AM Set 6:15 PM

6:41 AM 5:44 PM 6:42 AM 5:43 PM 6:43 AM 5:42 PM 6:43 AM 5:42 PM

Rise 6:45 AM Set 6:02 PM Rise 7:49 AM Set 6:55 PM Rise 8:52 AM Set 7:52 PM Rise 9:52 AM Set 8:53 PM

0 0 2 7

Snap swivels Snap swivels are barrel swivels with a metal clip, these are convenient and on most premade set-up’s. The snap swivel is not strong and many of big fish are lost to snap swivels when big fish twist their heads or pull the snap free. When free lining live baits, and using lures I choose not to use a swivel at all. Any kind of metal between the lines act as a small weight. I use line to line knots for all my lure fishing except spoons. Spoons create such an erratic motion line twist can be a problem so I go with a good sized swivel and 18 inches of leader. My line to line knots have over the years come down to two, the TRIPLE SURGEN AND THE ALBRITE KNOT. The TRIPLE SURGEN is a very easy knot that is designed to attach two lines of very different diameter. This knot is a bit bulky and doesn’t slide through the eyes of your rod that easily but is very strong. I use an average leader length of about 18 to 20 inches

Here is one of many Baffin Bay reds caught on shrimp and popping corks in the last few weeks. so this is not a problem. Gather both lines end to end and bring them together side by side. With both lines tie a large overhand knot but pass the lead line through the loop three times and tighten. Trim the knot with long ends until you bounce the knot tight then trim well. The Albright knot is very smooth and can be the right knot to affix longer leader pieces together, letting the angler reel the leader into the reel. This is important when fishing with long leaders offshore or using 6ft or longer leaders with braided line. The Albright knot is a bit more difficult to tie but easier than a blood knot and much stronger. Print out some diagrams on line, or get a small knot book. Practice makes perfect, and the best place to practice is in the bathroom. Get a spool of leader line, a pair of scissors and your knot book next to the throne. Your legs might fall asleep before you master them but eventually you will have your own technique down to second nature.

The right leader Don’t lose that fish of a lifetime because you didn’t have a leader. Many times we land giant 30lb plus fish on 10 and 12lb test line with the use of a good leader and proper drag settings. Anyone who needs a knot lesson can call and show up at Marker 37 Marina and I’ll give you a few tips. Fishing is still great for anglers hitting the major feeding times. The migration of bait has continued to allow game fish to feed well when it’s right for them. The windy days seem to be the best and lures are working well on long drifts in 4 to 5ft of water. The use of live shrimp and popping corks is what I’m doing down south and filling up the boxes with reds, drum, sheep head, and trout. Duck season starts this weekend so I hope both fishermen and hunters remember to respect each other on the water. Go get you some line and head to the bathroom and get yourself all tied up.

Padre Station 14457 S. Padre Island Dr.

Donut Palace The Customer is Still King! Open 7 Days a Week 4am - 2pm

New & Used Motorcycle Sales, Clothing, Parts & Service, Rentals, Financing, and Motorcycle Safety Riding Classes 502 SPID Corpus Christi

361-854-3146 www.corpuschristiharley.com

LYCO’S NAILS 2

• Tip Overlay • Sculptured Nails • Solar Nails • 2 Colors • Manicure & Pedicure • Wax • Facial

Professional Nail Care

Call for appointment 949-2003 Walk-ins always welcome!

VINTAGE FURNITURE HOME DECOR & UNIQUE GIFTS Present coupon at time of purchase for

10% off

Offer expires 12/31/13

www.twosistersvintage.com

Two Sisters

vintage Present coupon at time of purchase for

Frozen Yogurt • Ice Cream • Snow Cones Self Serve Topping Bar

10% off Offer expires 12/31/13

361-949-1144

www.sweetswirlfrozenyogurt.com Open everyday at 6:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. / Fri & Sat till 8 p.m.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Dine in or Carry Out Catering available Present coupon at time of purchase for

10% off

Excluding alcohol & catered event • Offer expires 12/31/13

Trick or Treat at the shops at Padre Station Oct. 31st

A 10

Island Moon

October 31, 2013