April 2013

Feds Clamp Down on

Snapper Season

MIKE JENNINGS REPORTS ON RESTRICTIONS.

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ABOUT THE COVER Noah Thompson landed this beautiful bull red on fly recently fishing with skiff guide Scott Sommerlatte photo by Sommerlatte).

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CONTENTS

NATIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIvE Bart Manganiello Bartalm@optonline.net

APRIL 2013 VOL 22 NO 12

FEATURES

08 Fishing the 80/20 Rule 12 Saving Grace 18 Big Shell Beach Cleanup...

24 Bodie’s Ambassadeur Reel: Part I 30 Scraping the Bottom 34 Cover the Bases with Jigs

Mike McBride Kevin Cochran Billy Sandifer Martin Strarup Chuck uzzle Joe Richard

PRODuCTION COORDINATOR Donna Boyd Donna@tsfmag.com

30 DEPARTMENTS 40 Let’s Ask The Pro Jay Watkins 43 Science & the Sea uT Marine Science Institute 44 Shallow Water Fishing Scott Null 48 TPWD Field Notes Joel Anderson 52 Fly Fishing Scott Sommerlatte 56 Youth Fishing Marcos Garza 58 Texas Nearshore & Offshore Mike Jennings 62 Kayak Fishing Chronicles Cade Simpson 68 Extreme Kayak Fishing & Sharks...

Eric Ozolins 72 Fishy Facts Stephanie Boyd 101 Boat Maintenance Tips Chris Mapp

68

WHAT OUR GUIDES HAVE TO SAY

78 Dickie Colburn’s Sabine Scene 80 Mickey on Galveston 82 The view from Matagorda 84 Mid-Coast Bays with the Grays 86 Hooked up with Rowsey 88 Capt. Tricia’s Port Mansfield Report 90 South Padre Fishing Scene

Dickie Colburn Mickey Eastman Bink Grimes Gary Gray David Rowsey Capt. Tricia Ernest Cisneros

98 4 | April 2013

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EDITORIAL Fisheries management is complex, often beyond the grasp of recreational fishermen.

Angler’s assessment of a fishery is based upon fishing success. When we catch a lot we tend to believe a species is available in great abundance. However; angling skill, effort, and seasonal patterns are not always equal. One fisherman says best in memory while another cannot find a bite. Resource managers label our assessments “anecdotal” or “effort dependent” – prone toward inaccuracy.

On one hand; biologists are better educated and far better equipped.

Their sampling gears are not dependent on fishing effort – If they’re there they catch them. Their data base includes (or should include) historic as well as recent findings. No surprise; their assessment of stock abundance is inherently more accurate than ours.

On yet another hand; when hundreds of thousands of anglers report almost identical findings over several years across a vast expanse of water – say the entire Gulf of Mexico – the “anecdotal” assessment of stock abundance might be accurate.

Enough beating around the bush…Why are the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council, National Marine Fisheries Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration having such a hard time interpreting the present abundance of Gulf red snapper? And – Why if recreational anglers so greatly outnumber commercial users, fueling the engines of fisheries research and coastal economies to a much greater degree in their pursuit of red snapper, are they forced to

6 | April 2013

POLITICS

OR

SCIENCE?

share 51% of the TAC (total allowable catch) with commercial interests?

Texas offshore anglers are facing a red snapper season that could be as short as 11 days this summer and I personally find this absurd.

GMFMC, NMFS and NOAA say red snapper were overfished in the 90s and early 2000s and rebuilding was in order – fair enough. But what is fair in their decision to shorten our Texas recreational season to just 11 days with a two fish bag limit?

Of the Gulf states, Texas is unique in that we claim territorial control of Gulf water out to 9 nautical miles and TPWD’s assessment of red snapper abundance in territorial water allows a year-round recreational fishery with a bag limit of four fish. TPWD’s assessment is based on historic as well as current data. The Feds’ assessment is arguably quite dated.

Politics have no place in fisheries management, except perhaps in the minds of special interests and politicians, and that’s what is wrong here. When Texas refused to bend to Fed recommendations and reduce the territorial season and bag limit, the Feds lowered the boom… reminiscent of states that would not enforce a ridiculous national 55 mph speed limit having their federal highway funding cutoff.

In this case, I place my trust in the anecdotal assessment and that of TPWD way more than the Feds. Red snapper stocks in territorial waters and beyond are much better than the Feds say, just ask any fisherman.

And – If a cut must be made, then cut the commercials, not the guys that fund the show!

STORY BY MIKE MCBRIDE

I again had the

entertaining privilege

during January and February of sharing the water around Port Mansfield with Jay Watkins – TSFMag’s Let’s Ask the Pro guy. It has been fun and inspiring to spar, share and compete among ourselves and also against the whims of Mother Nature. Sometimes he whacks ‘em, sometimes Capt. Tricia or I do, and other times nature wins and we all bomb out. Although we are sometimes from different chapters in the book we usually find ourselves on the same page; see also - attempting to conquer something barely within our grasp. Lure fishing, you see, will always be an exercise in fascinating frustration and the best we can ever hope for is to be temporary master.

As far as us sharing things, we just had to shake our heads after an unexplainably slow day and agree there will always be many things about fish that we will just never understand. It’s really what we learn after we think we know it all that counts, but there are a few basic principles we can follow toward understanding and ultimately becoming more successful. Enter the 80/20 Rule or Pareto principle as it is sometimes called, which basically states that roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.

A good example would be in the world of retail business where 80% of the profits are derived from 20% of the sales, and 80% of the sales might actually come from only 20% of the customers. It’s also 8 | April 2013

We seem to catch 80 percent of our biggest fish in knee deep or less wat er.

called the “law of the vital few” and has been proven time and time again to apply to most anything we do. Fishing with lures is no exception, so here are a few vital generalizations that we might consider about who catches what, along with the when and how.

First on this principle list is who typically catches the most and biggest? The 80/20 thing is pretty accurate here, in that it’s probably true that about 20% of the fishermen catch 80% of the fish. Some might say it is closer to 90/10 but, why is that?

Perhaps it’s due to more time and effort on the water, but much of their success no doubt also comes from where they fish. Getting on them in the first place is everything, and here we can find that 80/20 rule again. The largest percentage of fish are in a small percentage of water, and the best fishermen will spend as much time eliminating dead areas as they do finding active ones. That has much more to do with reading the water than just reading a map or GPS. We need to remember that 80% of our honey holes may only be productive 20% of the time, which brings us to when these better fishermen catch their better fish.

For me personally, it’s probably safe to say that we catch 80% of our biggest fish in the junk. By junk I mean trashy weather events like frisky wind, unstable weather and numb fingers. Many opt out of an adventure because the conditions may not seem very inviting but, if we really want to catch good fish consistently, learning how to be productive in all but downright unsafe conditions will get us closer to that hallowed tier of 20-percenters.

Let’s don’t forget how this mathematical principle also invites the weatherman, especially where coastal wind is concerned.

I am convinced that 80% of the forecasts are probably right about 20% of the time. When they predict 10 to 15 mph we have learned to simply add them together for the 25 that is going to blow, especially in spring. Also; that 20% chance of rain probably means 80% somewhere. Thankfully though, one source I’ve stumbled on that has been refreshingly accurate is Windfinder.com, available real time in the boat with a smart phone app.

What we fish with is definitely an 80/20 candidate. Look at your own tackle box and if the shoe fits… There’s another term for a tackle junkie with reference to ladies of the evening. Some of you better shoppers can even dress the part.

I’d be willing to bet that 80% of your catches come from less than 20% of your lure collection. unfortunately, there will probably never be anything on the shelf that will turn a mediocre angler into a top producer. We catch fish on basically two things - practical lure choices and the confidence to use them.

Statistics actually say that most big trout come from wade fishing.

TSFMAG.com | 9

Our best fish usually come during just 20 percent of the month…those precious few days before a full or new moon.

Practical here means matching our presentation to fit the current conditions, in other words, what might these fish respond to? A good analogy would be to never throw a rock when a pebble will do, something we see often during down periods when the strike zone might only be three inches, not three feet. A lowly soft plastic would probably be a better choice than a topwater in lots of cases.

I have to admit when push comes to shove, plastic tails are probably most consistent.

How we fish can alter our success percentage in an exponential way.

Do we spend 80% of our time running around, or concentrate 80% of our efforts in that 20% of active water? Do we mostly drift, wade, or anchor? Statistics actually say that most big trout come from wade fishing but, even then, are we casting thoroughly or moving like a thoroughbred? The whole purpose of wading is to be able to work an area over more efficiently and Johnny Speedracer doesn’t do as well.

In wondering how I am going to try for the biggest trout I can this spring, I imagine my 80/20 applications will probably be fairly simple.

However, someone said that the greatest derangement of the mind is to believe in something because one wishes it to be so….but I still have to go with what I We catch fish believe I know. on basically two In looking back, we things, practical seem to catch 80% lure choices for of our biggest fish by the moment and the confidence wading knee-deep or to use them. less and on 20% of our lure choices. It’s not my favorite method and might even be blasphemy to some plugging purists, but I have to admit that plastics are probably most consistent any time push comes to shove. I also can see past logs, where barring other factors, 80% of our best fish usually come during just 20% of the month. Those precious few days before a full or new moon and, you can also bet, these high percentage days will include junky weather and water.

Fishing with lures is kinda like going to church. Many attend but few really understand. However, one thing we can understand is how we might better focus 80% of our efforts on just those vital 20% of things that really matter.

Now, about Jay coming back to Port Mansfield next winter; we often make fishing more complicated than it really is, but I also intend to spend 80% of my time whacking them 20% more than he does.

Contact

Mike McBride

10 | April 2013

Mike McBride is a full time fishing guide based in Port Mansfield, TX, specializing in wadefishing with artificial lures.

Skinny Water Adventures Phone Email Web

956-746-6041 McTrout@Granderiver.net Skinnywateradventures.com/ Three_MudSkateers.wmv

STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN

While the blue-gray

light of the morning sun began to filter through a thick

layer of clouds overhead, I cast my sinking Fat Boy toward a mat of grass lying tight to the bank on the west shoreline of the Upper Laguna Madre. After it plopped down in the crystalline shallows, where sandy pockets spread creamy accents against a dark, grassy bottom, I began to move the lure through the water, using rhythmic twitches of the rod tip to make the head of the plug wobble side to side as it swam.

When the trout struck, I couldn’t tell right away she was a big one; I felt only a single, sharp tap. Once the line came tight and I was connected to the fish, I knew she had good weight. Soon after we were joined in battle, her head erupted through the water’s surface, surrounded by a gleaming collar of silvery spray. A fish often reacts this way when it has taken a lure deep, and one of the hooks has become entangled in its gills.

The fight was a short, intense one. In a matter of maybe two minutes, the trout was circling around me, turned on her side, with her life’s blood trailing crimson behind her as it flowed out from under her gill plate. Before I reached out to land her, I could already see she would never survive our tussle. One of her serrated gills protruded obscenely beyond the golden edge of her lip.

The Boga Grip and measuring tape verified her dimensions exactly. Thirty inches in length, she weighed just over eight pounds.

Immediately, I slipped into an ironic mindset, elated to catch such 12 | April 2013

a beautiful specimen, but disappointed to know I could not release her to live on and grow even larger, while spawning more of her kind. A kind of bittersweet melancholy infused me then, a feeling of sadness fueled by helplessness. These days, I never intentionally kill trout like this one, but sometimes I have no control over the outcome of our encounters.

Before I could traverse the fifty yards lying between me and my boat, the trout was already dead. Having eaten a couple of other large specimens in similar circumstances, I did not relish the thought of trying to turn the flesh of the fish into sustenance. As I began casting again in the growing light, I mulled over other, perhaps more meaningful ways in which I might make use of the trout, but no ideas came immediately to mind.

In one sense, the concept of grace can be defined as “the ability to perceive and seize upon powerful opportunities when the time is right”. The two components in this definition (perception and action) are equally important. In order to maximize the potential of these opportune moments, one must first grasp their gravity.

I became aware of this interpretation of grace while reading the work of the famous psychotherapist, Dr. M. Scott Peck. In his popular book The Road Less Traveled, he cited a perfect example of grace as viewed within this context. While working with a depressed person who had become incapable of recognizing beauty or experiencing joy, the doctor became frustrated, finding it difficult to change the patient’s negative mindset.

Here are three of the Holy Grail Gyotaku Paintings.

The bottom ima책ge is called The Ghost, because it was captured as a secondary impression, with a small amount of paint on the fish.

TSFMAG.com | 13

This image captures the look of the Holy Grail trout during the process of making a painting.

During one of their therapy sessions, Peck noticed a large, colorful butterfly tapping at the window of his office. Instantly, he recognized a rare opportunity. Without saying anything, he simply opened the pane of glass, allowing the creature to come inside. When the insect landed on the desk between him and his patient, the relevance of the event soon became obvious.

The eyes of the depressed person filled with tears of joy. The existence of beauty and goodness in the world could not be denied, as the butterfly’s delicate, gossamer wings slowly opened and closed, reflecting iridescent light. A therapeutic breakthrough then occurred, and the patient started down a road to recovery, toward a life where positive thoughts and emotions better balanced negative ones.

I learned an important lesson while reading the account of this mesmerizing moment. The ability to recognize the value in seemingly insignificant things and to maximize their utility can be extremely rewarding. I now keep an eye out for butterflies tapping on my windows. Sometimes, they are exceedingly difficult to perceive.

A couple of weeks after catching and killing the thirty-inch trout, I was sitting in my office, talking on the phone, when I became acutely aware of what was right in front of my face--a painting of the first eight pound trout I ever caught, back in 1998. I made the artwork myself, using an Asian technique called Gyotaku, first applying paint to 14 | April 2013

the surface of the fish, then taking a print, or impression, by pressing rice paper onto the paint.

Suddenly, I knew exactly what to do with the frozen specimen. I’d create a series of Gyotaku paintings and offer them for sale, then give back a portion of my proceeds to enhance and preserve the fishery in some way! As it turns out, coming up with the concept was the easy part; executing the plan proved more difficult.

In thinking about how I would be able to make beautiful and useful images, I realized it would be difficult to do alone, given the size of the fish. I procrastinated for a while, trying to solve the dilemma.

Eventually, I found a partner to help me with the project. When I met Heather Nicholson, I was immediately impressed by her verve and intensity; the passion she expressed about things rang clear and true, seeming to emanate from the center of her being. Somehow, I just knew she was the right person to assist me in making the paintings.

When we started the work, my new-found friend proved her worth immediately. Heather is a calculating, careful and thoughtful person, which was helpful to me. I tend to rush things. Her deliberate demeanor balanced my impulsiveness, served as a kind of yin to my yang. We studied the technique, viewing videos online, reading expert accounts. During the research phase of the project, the young lady rightly concluded we would benefit greatly from attempting to produce

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To this day, Heather and I continue to search for more ways to use the images of the fish.

Currently, we’ve created digital, full-sized posters commemorating two of the prints, and have also generated an 11” x 14” piece based on a picture we took of the big fish during the process of making the prints.

We believe our artwork captures the essence of the beauty of cynoscion nebulosus effectively, if not Kev and partner Heather always realistically. Some of our images are more Nicholson plan to create a abstract than others, mostly due to the colors we series of Gyotaku paintings used. All of them are done with the aim of recording based on redfish. the dimensions and character of the species in an aesthetically pleasing manner.

Some people in the fishing community might enjoy making Gyotaku prints of the fish they catch as much as we have. I will not advocate killing a bunch of trout just to make paintings, but if a fish is throathooked or has a broken gill and can’t be released, making images like these can be satisfying, especially for artistically-inclined souls who enjoy the challenges associated with producing such things.

In the twenty-first century, I believe the most ethical way to commemorate the catch of a big trout is to use digital imagery and make a fiberglass replica mount which closely resembles the fish. Doing so allows one to release the specimen, in the interests of maintaining the fishery.

Collectively, we need to keep a hopeful eye cast toward the future, to do all we can to preserve and enhance the health of the fishery. Accordingly, Heather and I have pledged to donate twenty per paintings of smaller fish before taking on the task with the big one. cent of our proceeds from the sale of all artwork related to The Holy So we sacrificed two sixteen-inch trout toward that end. I Grail Gyotaku Series toward that end. We will contribute either to rationalized the act by remembering the thousands of keepers I and a research facility, or a Parks and Wildlife Hatchery, possibly both. my customers have released over the last fifteen years. We were Anyone interested in seeing and/or purchasing some of the artwork able to capture ten images of these trout, eventually naming them can find plenty of information related to this endeavor on my website, the Keeper Gyotaku Series. Significantly, we learned plenty about the CaptainKevBlogs.com. Descriptions and prices can be found on the process of making the prints, specifically the importance of displaying Captain Kev’s Products page and the Blogs page. the fish properly before starting the production, using ink of the right All of this fun and inspiring work has helped turn a negative into consistency, and identifying an order of operations to follow while a positive. We were able to utilize the saving power of grace. In the making each impression. process, I discovered two brilliant butterflies tapping at the windows When the time came to thaw out the thirty-incher, clean the slime of my world. Both Heather and the Holy Grail trout have blessed my off her body and pin her in place with fins fully outstretched, we were life in meaningful ways. well-prepared to create something grand. We composed sixteen original impressions, which we titled The Holy Grail Gyotaku Series. I came up with the concept because the thirty-inch mark is a standard sought by so many trophy trout enthusiasts. In a way, such a trout is a Kevin Cochran is a full-time fishing guide kind of holy grail for anglers involved in this sporting quest. at Corpus Christi (Padre Island), TX. Kevin Before offering the pieces for sale, we painted eyes and dots on is a speckled trout fanatic and has created several books and dvds on the subject. them, and touched up some of their rough edges. For this reason, Kevin’s home waters stretch from Corpus mine and Heather’s work does not fit the purest definition of Gyotaku; Christi Bay to the Land Cut. I’d describe them as enhanced Gyotaku paintings.

Trout Tracker Guide Service For me, the project proved satisfying in two major ways. I’m Phone 361-688-3714 thrilled with the quality of the finished pieces, and pleased to Email kevxlr8@mygrande.net have created something meaningful while working in a synergistic Web www.FishBaffinBay.com partnership with another artist.

www.captainkevblogs.com

Contact

Kevin Cochran

16 | April 2013

STORY BY Billy Sandifer

Over the years

it has become my habit during the drive back up to Malaquite Pavilion following the Big Shell Beach Cleanup to mentally critique the day’s activities and catalog any and all problems that might need worked out before the next event. Something was troubling me on this ride but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

We arrived back at Malaquite at 2:00 PM, first time in eighteen Big Shell Cleanups we were on time instead of two or three hours late, which is normal for me. As I visited with a dear friend at the refreshment area the nagging feeling of uneasiness continued and I felt that something was definitely out of place. The event itself had gone extremely smoothly with few troubling issues. The Friends of Padre and their cleanup committee had thoroughly and meticulously planned each aspect of the event from beginning to end. Then someone casually mentioned that the cleanup turned eighteen today and instantly it came to me.

The Big Shell Beach Cleanup had reached adulthood and she and the Friends of Padre didn’t really need me anymore. Friends of Padre Inc, as an organization, was now well trained and capable of planning and carrying out the event without me.

This was the long-awaited goal; as I got older and my health got worse, to put together and train a younger group to carry out the event as well as to deal with situations affecting Padre Island as they arise.

However, I hadn’t prepared myself mentally for this long-awaited day.

David Sikes, our Caller-Times outdoor writer, asked me on the way 18 | April 2013

back to Malaquite how and why I had started the Big Shell Beach Cleanup and I guess that is what led to me being in this mood. I don’t and never have dwelled on good deeds done but tend to concentrate on how to make them better next time. As I told him the how and why of the beginning of the event it all came flooding back to me and the memories were overwhelming.

The trash has always been there. Shark fishermen used to keep a fire burning 24 hours a day in their camps to clear off as much of it as possible. People would ask how I could work surrounded by trash all the time and my answer never changed, and that is by insuring none of the trash is mine or anyone else’s I take down there. But there was one couple from Arkansas that haunted my memories for years.

They were affluent, owning several resorts in Arkansas that their adult children ran for them. Their plans were to open up one or two travel trailer parks in our area. When they booked me by telephone they said they wanted to evaluate the local area and community by going down island with me. I advised them that there was a whole lot more to the community and the area than they’d see on a trip into the 4-wheeldrive area of PINS. Their answer was interesting. They replied that every town was just another town and certainly any local business organization would insure prospective investors saw lots of positive aspects of the community and that was exactly what they didn’t want. They were outdoor oriented and would be spending a lot of time on the seashore.

Their interest was in the overall quality of the outdoors locally.

TSFMAG.com | 19

When I picked them up they were literally bubbling with enthusiasm. The possibility of several trips to the area during the upcoming summer months were discussed as we reached the 4-wheel-drive sign. But by the time we reached the 25-mile marker the conversation could not be steered away from one subject – trash on the beach.

My long practiced explanation about the convergence of currents in the Western Gulf and how trash originated offshore and from Mexico fell upon deaf ears. Their concern was not from where the trash came, but the fact that it was allowed to accumulate and remain. Their concern was that the local community was blessed with such a wondrous place and most certainly profited greatly financially from its visitors, yet felt no obligation for the beach’s wellbeing and took no pride in its appearance. They stuck to their opinion throughout the day and never returned, leaving behind only their troubling memory.

In January of 1995 I got permission from National Park Service-Padre Island National Seashore to start a grassroots all-volunteer cleanup effort in the Big Shell area of the beach where the trash was the worst. Once permission was received and armed with nothing but determination, I beat on every door I could think of and called every phone number anyone would give me seeking support and advice on how to organize and carry out such a cleanup.

Island House Condos and Strickland Reality were the only island businesses I could find who would support the effort. Russ Tracey and

Cleanup photo credits: Cody Moravits

20 | April 2013

Island House had event t-shirts made up and we sold the shirts to the volunteers to reimburse Island House and rent dumpsters to put the trash in. A far cry from this year when we bought and handed out over $4,000 worth of event t-shirts and NPS-PINS furnished the dumpsters.

The National Seashore administration assigned Kristy Bosworth as a co-coordinator for the event and I blackmailed our local outdoor writer, Buddy Gough at the time, to not only give us some good coverage but also to become very active in attempting to gain support. I depended heavily on friends who were long-term beach fishermen to work as section leaders and on October 29, 1995 – 300 volunteers covered 11 miles and picked up 50 tons of trash. We were starting something previously unheard of and had to wing a lot of it and learn in the field by trial and error. We still are, but now it’s more finetuning various aspects.

The most important lesson I have learned from the cleanups is that it takes everybody.

It takes all of us that care about and are concerned for this natural treasure that we have been blessed with. Those concerned with how visitors see us as a community and those concerned with the quality of life locally. I strongly urge everyone to support our resources and Friends of Padre Inc., which is currently doing everything possible to maintain the quality of the natural world that is Padre Island.

A well-earned thank you to Todd Neahr, Rick underbrink, Jay Gardner, Tyler Thorsen, Aaron Baxter, Gabe Goodman and Jeff Wolda

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The Portuguese man-o-wars were incredibly thick during the cleanup.

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is in order as well as to our trash hauling trouble-shooters, Mike and Scott McKinsey. To the public at large this is a one day event but, trust me, there are mountains of pre-event preparation that goes into making it happen.

The efforts of Casey and the crew of trucks, trailer and ice chests full of bottled water from David Ainsworth Trucking are a blessing indeed. And the continued financial support of Mr. Leon McNinch of the Ruth Parr Sparks Foundation, Ms. Laura Hill and CH2MHill and Stephen and Donna Gregory are greatly appreciated.

Team Industrial Services, CCA Texas - Corpus Christi Chapter, Daniel Dain and Domino’s Pizza, Smart Shield Sunscreen, HEB, Fish Bites, Gambler Graphics and Michael Laskowski Sr. and Jr. of Trac-Work Inc. Railroad Maintenance of San Antonio are all very much appreciated. The Corpus Christi Caller Times and outdoor writer David Sikes, along with Ron Behnke of Saltwater Angler, Everett and Pam Johnson of Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, and the Padre Moon play a very big role in getting the word out to the public. Coastal Bend Audubon Society and Mr. Ben Beaty are also much appreciated by the entire event staff.

To each of you 500 hardworking volunteers who put in a day’s work on February 23 to remove 45 tons of trash from 10 miles of the Big Shell Beach - Thank You from the bottom of my heart. It couldn’t happen without you and you remain my heroes.

Your Brother in the Sand, Billy “If we don’t leave any there won’t be any.”

Photo by Linda Alley

22 | April 2013

Contact

Billy Sandifer Retired after 20+ years of guiding anglers in the Padre surf, Billy Sandifer (“Padre of Padre Island” to friends & admirers) is devoted to conserving the natural wonders of N. Padre Island & teaching all who will heed his lessons to enjoy the beauty of the Padre Island National Seashore responsibly.

Phone 361-937-8446 Website www.billysandifer.com

STORY BY Martin Strarup

Bodie was at his boat

stall busily hunched over the combination work and junk bench that he had there. He muttered under his breath as he rebuilt an old Ambassadeur 5000 reel that his Dad had given to him when he was a kid.

“Swedes must have hands as small as the Japanese do.”

Wiggling the side plates clear of the frame on the antique he felt a little sad as he saw the results of his neglect on the treasured reel, the one that had set the bar for all casting reels so long ago. There was so much corrosion, salt and sand that cleaning it wasn’t hardly an option.

One of the things his Dad had told him when he gave him the much sought after reel of that era was to… “take care of it and it will serve you well son.” Well he hadn’t taken very good care of it in the later years.

Newer reels had come along that had caught his attention and the old “red reel” just sat in its leather case on a shelf in his store room and Bodie hadn’t cleaned it after a wade fishing trip to the surf.

Bodie had found an almost new 5000 at a flea market a few weeks before and bought it with the intention of gutting it to rebuild the reel his father had given to him. Work at the ranch and just nasty cold weather had kept everyone busy feeding and moving cattle from one pasture to another and today was the first day that he’d gotten a chance to devote some time to tackle chores.

After cleaning out the reel he felt a little better since there was no serious damage to the side plates. Just a little “boat rash” showed on the outside and he began to feel a little excited to be giving new life to the reel that had served him so well for so many years.

He had just gotten the anti-reverse dog in place when a jolt to his back caused him to drop the reel and in his horror he watched it hit the edge of the work bench, bounce to the plank floor and roll into the eight foot depths of his boat slip. The bottom there was soft gooey mud at least a foot deep.

Things were about to get mighty ugly in that boat house.

“Whatcha workin’ on Bodie?” asked Tommy Meyers as he watched the reel plop into the water. “Was that a good reel that you just dropped?”

The instant anger on Bodie’s face frightened his long time friend and 24 | April 2013

Tommy took a step back fearing what Bodie might do next.

Bodie though didn’t yell and he didn’t grab Tommy and throw him into the harbor; the big man simply sat down on the stool at the bench and stared down at the water. Tommy should feel mighty lucky that it was he and no one else who had startled Bodie with that backslap.

“Are you okay Bodie? Did I cause you to drop that reel? Man I sure am sorry buddy but I’ll sure buy you another one,” Tommy blurted hoping to calm his friend.

Bodie could tell that Tommy was sincere and told Tommy the story behind the reel. Tommy felt really bad about the whole thing and offered to buy Bodie dinner and a few cold beers at Haddon’s. Bodie just sighed and told his friend that no, he was going to head on home and call it a day and waited for Tommy to head out the door so he could lock it.

Tommy headed to Haddon’s Place and ran into Captain Red who was just climbing out of his jacked-up golf cart. “What are you up to you ignorant freak of nature” Red asked.

“Now don’t go starting on me already Red, I feel bad enough right now as it is,” Tommy whined.

Red could see that something was really bothering Tommy and he almost, just almost, felt sorry for him. “I haven’t seen you this down since you got sick after eating whipped goose liver,” Red chuckled.

“Who told you that, I , oh it don’t make no difference, I really screwed up this time Red, serious bad. I just really made a mess of things,” Tommy cried.

Well even old Red was a bit concerned. Hell, and even a dumb old stray dog needs a pat on the head now and then. So Red told Tommy, “Let’s go inside, grab a table and a beer, some supper and you tell me what’s ailing you.”

Eloisa was tending bar and there was a fair crowd for a week night. The juke box was playing an old Johnny Duncan song and Red and Tommy grabbed a table near the back of the room. A waitress named Belinda Sue took their order and said to Tommy, “You look terrible Tommy; are you sick or did you eat some more of that whipped goose liver?”

Tommy looked up with sad puppy-dog eyes then down at the table

TSFMAG.com | 25

26 | April 2013

again and Belinda looked at Red who just shook his head and told her to bring them a pitcher of beer and two mugs. “And put that on Tommy’s tab,” he added.

When the beer was set before them Red poured each a mug full and told Tommy to tell him what was going on. Red listened as Tommy told the story of how he had gone to Bodie’s boat stall and had accidently caused the special reel to go into the water.

“Well, I don’t know what to tell you Tommy,” Red sadly said. “You really messed up and even if you found another reel to replace the one you made him drop it won’t be the same because it’s not from his father.

“I know that Red, jeez I already know that and I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out what to do. Bodie’s really upset and I ain’t never ever seen him look like that before,” Tommy cried.

Red stared into his beer for a bit then looked at Tommy and asked, “Do you know the exact spot where that reel fell off the dock?

“I’ll remember that for the rest of my life” Tommy said.

“Well then meet me at Bodie’s stall in thirty minutes and let’s get that reel back,” Red said.

“Uh… ain’t you hungry Red, I mean all this sadness and stuff has made me powerfully hungry” Tommy whined.

“You can feed your face on your own time Tommy. Thirty minutes and if you’re not there you’ll get no help from me,” Red snarled.

Tommy had Eloisa fix him a cheeseburger and some fries and he was still munching when Red pulled up to Bodie’s boat stall. “What are you eating Tommy?” Red asked.

“I had Eloisa make me up a quick cheese burger and some fries,” Tommy smiled as chewed.

“Well great, I’ve not had any supper so when we get that reel back I know that you’ll be glad to follow me back to Haddon’s and buy me a nice chicken-fried steak for my supper,” Red scolded.

Tommy noticed the sack Red was carrying and asked what was in it. “You’ll see soon enough you pathetic poster boy for Misery Incorporated, now open up that door.” Red yelled.

“I don’t have a key, Red,” he whined, still chewing.

Now Red was giving Tommy a look almost as bad as Bodie had given him and the feisty former boat captain tore into him with a verbal assault that would have made a Marine DI blush.

Bodie’s boat slip was at the end of a long row and next to it were some open boat docks. Red looked at the dock that ran the depth of Bodie’s stall and figured that all a person would have to do would be to walk that dock then slip around the corner and into Bodie’s slip. Tommy didn’t like the plan at all and told Red as much.

“Well too bad Tommy; you got yourself into this mess and you’re going to get yourself out of it, with my help of course.” Red snapped.

“Now get your butt down on that dock and climb around and open the damned door; I’m hungry,” Red fired back in a rough voice.

Tommy whimpered but did was he was told and made it to the end of the dock. Tommy realized that stepping around the corner wasn’t going to be easy and the landing in Bodie’s stall was much higher than the dock that he was standing on. “You’ll have to come give me a boost Red,” he called out.

“I’ll give you a boot is what I’ll do if you don’t hurry up,” Red threatened.

Tommy thought about it but knew he couldn’t make it so he walked back to where Red waited.

“Let’s go get my boat and I’ll dock us up at Bodie’s slip Red; it will be a whole lot easier and there’s less chance that I’ll fall in,” he pleaded.

TSFMAG.com | 27

28 | April 2013

boathouse was lit up with red and blue lights from an approaching boat.

“Keep your hands where I can see them boys!” a stern voice ordered from behind a blinding spotlight.

MARTIN STRARuP

CONTACT

Red thought about it for a minute then agreed, so off they went to get Tommy’s boat.

Idling up to Bodie’s stall and Red told Tommy to just hold up for a minute. From the sack he removed a big chunk of steel tied to a rope. “What IS that thing you got there Red?” Tommy asked.

“It’s a magnet, you lame brain, a really powerful magnet, and we’re going to pull that reel up with it.” Red said.

Tommy started laughing and almost swallowed his plug of tobacco and told Red with a laugh that the Ambassadeur reel was made of aluminum not steel and a magnet wasn’t going to work.

Irritated, Red told Tommy that there was enough steel in fishing reels and his magnet would find it.

Red lowered the magnet into the water and when he found the gooey bottom he worked it side to side. “Are you sure this is the spot where it fell in?” Red asked.

“Yup, right there, I’ll never forget it,” Tommy offered with disappointment.

About then Red felt a “thunk” through the rope and knew that the magnet had hooked on to something. He pulled it up and attached to the end was what appeared to be an old Bowie knife.

“Hey, I remember that knife!”

Tommy yelled out. “Bodie used to keep it on his work bench and I was going to show him how I could throw it and stick a piling. I kinda missed and it bounced off into the water.” Tommy said with an impish grin.

Red just glared at him and tossed the crusted relic onto Bodie’s dock.

“I’m going to turn on some lights and you tell me right where to stand so we can find that reel,” Red ordered.

Red climbed out of the boat, turned on the light, and with Tommy’s instruction lowered the magnet again. In just a few seconds he had another thump. This time the magnet had latched onto something unidentifiable but Red tossed it up onto the dock anyway. Time after time he lowered away and each time he found some other corroded artifact, but no reel.

“I give up,” Red huffed in defeat. “Meet me at Haddon’s and I’ll let you buy me supper then come over to the house and I’ll give you a new reel you can give to Bodie. That’s the best I can do.”

Just as Red was about to climb back down into Tommy’s boat the

Martin Strarup is a lifelong saltwater enthusiast and outdoorsman.

Martin is also a collector and dealer of vintage fishing tackle and lures, especially those made in Texas.

Email

Trouthunter@swbell.net

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STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE

If you were to take all

the articles, reports, forecasts, and outdoor columns written this month in all the outdoor publications and put them together, you would more than likely come to the conclusion that it’s a bad time to be either a speckled trout or largemouth bass. Seemingly the entire outdoor world has “trophy fish” on the brain and everyone has descended upon the shallow water in search of that one giant fish that puts the exclamation point on a fisherman’s resumé. Can’t say as I blame anybody for wanting to catch a big fish, it’s only natural. I mean, when was the last time you heard a fisherman brag about a small one?

It’s always been about tipping the scale and stretching the tape, and for Texas salts, the speckled trout exemplifies this perfectly. No other species garners as much ink or bandwidth in Texas and, no doubt, a veritable horde of anglers go ape for the one that will set the fishing community on it’s ear – or do they?

While the masses are steadily in pursuit of the newest super bait or hottest bay on the coast, there will be a few dedicated fishermen who turn the other way and, believe it or not, choose to fish for other species. “BLASPHEMY” - you say! Yes it’s true; there are folks out there who choose to focus on fish other than speckled trout, even in the spring. Now before you drop your best rod and reel on the floor to cover your ears in disbelief; I’ll give you a minute to settle down and offer a few examples of how the “other half” fishes.

Seatrout aside, I’d say the next biggest attraction this month for saltwater anglers has to be the spring flounder run. Hardcore flounder fishermen are about as technique oriented as anybody and twice 30 | April 2013

Flounder on the fly? You bet!

Shad of this size make dynamite flounder bait, larger would be better for black drum and cut bait sometimes seals the deal quicker.

as particular, especially when it comes to baits and presentations.

Unlike the ridiculously good fall run where the flounder stack like cordwood in the passes, the spring run is different for sure. Expect a more gradual presence as these fish trickle back in from the Gulf and begin to scatter along the marshes and drains. Flounder are very structure oriented fish and depend greatly on ambushing prey rather than tracking it down. Returning flounder won’t be roaming the flats slashing through schools of mullet like trout but they certainly are not locked in place either. A detailed understanding of the bottom and how currents work is a common theme among the hardcore flat fish chasers. A lot of these fishermen are very comparable to offshore fishermen, particularly the ones who hustle red snapper. Certain areas and structure types are like magnets drawing these fish to predictable

locales year after year. Knowing how to position yourself accordingly is the key to success regardless whether you use live or artificial baits.

Boat control, getting into position without disturbing an area, is a factor that challenges flounder fishermen. Allowing your boat to drift into an area or using a trolling motor helps eliminate disturbance, and once there, anchoring systems such as Stake-Out Stik, Power Pole or Talon enables holding that position without the noise and inconvenience of a conventional anchor. The Stake-Out Stik in tandem with the Power Pole or Talon prevents the boat swinging on the anchor line which is especially important for anglers using live bait, less of a concern for those throwing lures who are probably trolling shorelines and probing structure continuously along the way. Both techniques are tried and proven methods for catching flounder from the boat in any bay system.

Lure choices for flounder tend to be more of a personal preference than a strictly dictated science and there are plenty of really good baits to pick from. My personal top choice would be anything with built-in action to create vibration, either paddle tail or grub style curly tail; I’ve had great success with both.

Live bait is another personal preference that has it’s own set of factors, the biggest being availability. Unless you own a castnet and can throw it well, you are more than likely going to be at the mercy of the local bait shop. Finger mullet, mud minnows, shad or live shrimp will all work and work well. Dickie Colburn, a guy who has caught more flounder than I could begin to count and with a reputation for shooting straight says… flounder like meat. There probably isn’t much difference between a mullet and mud minnow – so long as either is the right size.

Another overlooked and underappreciated fish that gets a little love in the spring is the black drum. Unlike its cousin, the red drum; black drum has been relegated to second-class status, somewhere “beneath” your average top-end angler. In all reality though, the black drum can hold its own if you’ll give it a chance. It’s a blue collar fighter that seldom disappoints when hooked or cooked.

Ron Begnaud with a fat black drum that inhaled a fly.

department, they are way down on the low end of the scale as table fare. The smaller specimens, often referred to as puppy drum, are excellent table fare. Fried, grilled or baked, Pam Johnson (TSFMag’s Cooking Editor) rates them alongside flounder and prefers black drum over red drum, hands down.

Speaking of desirability, there has been a recent groundswell of interest in black drum from fly fishermen. These fish offer a challenging target that requires pinpoint accuracy in order to entice a bite, since they rarely go out of their way to chase down a meal. Occasionally these fish stack up in the back lakes along with sheepshead and just drive fly fishermen mad. Black drum can be finicky as a permit without the pedigree. I knew a guide in Florida who really got a handle on catching them on fly but he wouldn’t tell his clients why his flies worked so well. After a few rum and cokes one afternoon he finally came clean and admitted he tied the bodies of his drum flies around some scented strips similar to Berkley’s Gulp. He

The spring is a fantastic time to target these fish, especially the really big ones that will more than test your tackle. In fact, if the whole truth were to be told, the biggest fish that many saltwater anglers have ever caught was a big black drum.

Several years ago I had some customers in my boat from Ohio and we couldn’t get away from the black drum, I’m talking about some bona fide Muy Grandes. For whatever reason these giant fish were stacked up everywhere I had been catching redfish the day before and I couldn’t figure it out. Regardless of my disgust at not being able to find a more glamorous species those folks from Ohio were having the time of their lives as nearly every cast resulted in a 15 minute fight with a 20-plus pounder. At one point we had four rods bowed and no

fish was smaller than 30 pounds. It was a rodeo to say the least and everybody was happy. It’s almost magic how a big fish will change the whole complexion of a day on the water.

Black drum are like flounder in that they too prefer meat, dead or alive. Show them some fresh cracked crab and they’ll go nuts.

Deep holes or washouts in the rivers or channels are good places to locate them. The jetty systems are also ultra-prime locales to find the oversized drum in the spring. It’s almost comical to see an angler hook up to a 30-40 pound fish and just have to follow it down the rocks dodging other fishermen until either the angler or the fish gets tired and gives up. Where the bigger fish excel in the fight 32 | April 2013

couldn’t tell his clients because they would be mortified to discover he had resorted to “cheating” with scented flies. I quickly told him, “This coonass don’t care, as long as they bite,” and we got along famously.

This spring you can open up a whole new world if you are willing to try something a little different and break away from the perceived norm that the masses indulge in. There are ample opportunities to chase much less pressured fish in areas that are easily accessible with techniques that are basic and easy. The potential to catch the biggest fish of your life on one cast and then one that will offer a great meal on the next is really a cool combination that too few anglers take advantage of. Just remember to respect your fellow anglers even if their style of fishing isn’t your cup of tea - because we all enjoy the sport in our own way.

Chuck Uzzle

Contact

Here’s an assortment of what the author calls baits with “built-in” action.

Fly anglers are learning that black drum can make a worthy target on the flats and weighted flies are the ticket.

Chuck fishes Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes from his home in Orange, TX. His specialties are light tackle and fly fishing for trout, reds, and flounder.

Phone 409-697-6111 Email cuzzle@gt.rr.com Website www.chucksguideservice.net

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TSFMAG.com | 33

STORY BY JOE RICHARD

34 | April 2013

Tro ut h

Ever tried dancing a jig?

Not on the famous dance floor at Madden’s in Port O’Connor—but saltwater lures, lead-head creations that settle deep and fish are fond of. Even the marlin crowd now labels their trolled, skirted creations “jigs,” but we’ll stick with more standard varieties here.

Savvy coastal anglers carry a variety of jigs in the boat, because they’re bad medicine on almost anything swimming past the Texas coast. We carry an entire tacklebox of different sizes and colors, and have for many years. There was a time when jigs, especially the offshore variety, were hard to find in Texas stores—they all seemed to be made in Florida and not many migrated west. Today they’re more widespread in Texas store aisles, and everywhere on the Internet. Let’s do a fast sweep of jig action, from coastal marsh to the deep Gulf:

oo

ke

do na

. ore ffsh o r ate jig in 35 feet of w

Bay Jigs: Everyone by now is familiar with trout jigs, and the endless variety of soft plastic tails available today. Years ago we favored both the Tout Tail and Kelly Wiggler, even the Chubby Shrimp made in South Texas, but now there are too many brands to name.

Soft-plastic jigs have probably caught more trout and redfish than anything else, with the gold spoon running second. Perhaps the biggest change in jigs has been the scented Gulp! Lures, so valuable in murky tides. With the Gulp! you don’t have to sweat finding green water, or turn around glumly at the boat ramp with a gusting SW wind in your face. Instead, you launch the boat and learn to work that scented jig very slowly. That’s how we won first-place flounder last Memorial weekend, out of Port Arthur. Local Mike Cichowski is a big fan of these jigs and worked it, should I say dragged it, painfully slow

TSFMAG.com | 35

Jetties Jigs held an early popularity for us at the jetties, but gravity proved relentless; leadheads and granite rocks are soon united. All it took was a moment’s lapse, and we were hung up. For that reason, we switched to slower sinkers like spoons or plugs. We did nail some big boxes of winter sheepshead with homemade mylar-tailed jigs, sweetened with a pinch of shrimp. We lost a few jigs, but there were spots so crowded with sheepshead on foggy winter days, they didn’t give the jig a chance to settle in the rocks.

Keeper amberjack with a metal jig and tethered hook.

on bottom. We limited out on flounder, tossed back a few more, and his 4.3-pounder won a thousand dollars. Not bad for murky water jig fishing. We caught a few trout, too.

Sometimes his local Sabine Lake even has clear water, which certainly helps the fishing there. Years ago when big winter trout were discovered in the deeper end of Sabine Lake during a winter of unusually clear water, local boats discovered serious trout action while jigging 20 feet down. It was easy to hang up on the ancient oyster reef still down there, unharvested for generations, jagged perhaps as a coral reef, but it held many big trout. Pete Churton from Beaumont joined the jigging fleet and tried out a big, plastic shrimptail jig “made by a local doctor,” and with it landed a trout that was fat and 33 inches long. He weighed it in Port Acres on what turned out to be badlyregistered scales, then turned the fish over to a taxidermist. Everyone said it was the biggest trout they’d seen in 40 years. The ponderous fish hangs on his wall today, a non-record. If his trout had grabbed the coveted state record away from South Texas, history would have been altered: Thousands of trailered boats would have poured east out of Houston, instead of southwest. Thanks to a simple jig worked deep.

Pompano on the platform, with a small, homemade jig.

36 | April 2013

Close inshore Jigs Just off the beach with respect to tarpon, even the successful CoonPop is a jig, though heavily modified, the hook snipped off at the curve with bolt cutters, and a large circle hook wired on top of the leadhead. The tail is always plastic with extra action, like a twister tail.

Without this lure, tarpon fishing would be very different off Texas and Louisiana. Set out a spread behind the boat, and bump troll. How else can you present five lures at once to a passing school of tarpon, with multiple hookups?

The list of marine species attacking jigs within sight of the coast is impressive. There are Spanish mackerel, ling, kingfish, jacks, bull redfish, ladyfish and tripletail. Even big trout will hit jigs off the upper Texas coast; we’ve climbed state-water platforms and “doodle-socked” homemade jigs inside, lifting a number of kicking three-pound trout to the catwalk above. Back in the day when funds were tight, we simply popped an invasive cattle egret or two (out of Africa) with a .22 along the roadside ditches, plucked the white feathers, and easily colored them with Rit dye. Wrap a bundle around a 3/4-ounce leadhead, and offshore we went; for once we didn’t have to buy more tackle at Gibson’s. On one trip we had two Igloos full of big trout, caught with pink, homemade jigs. One trout was so big that day, we

Author examines a small metal jig pinned to a keeper snapper, caught by Mike Cichowski from Port Arthur.

Port Neches crew jigging for snapper on a perfect day last summer.

took a shot at him with a short gaff, since we never carried a net offshore. Missed him and he threw the hook—the only trout we’ve ever tried to gaff.

Tempting offshore trout is fun, so last summer I tried it again, this time with a big spin rod and 65-pound braid line. When jigging inside these tight structures, you really have to horse your fish, though admittedly trout cranked up from 30 feet down haven’t been too difficult in the past.

Hook a ling or big tripletail up there, and “It’s just you and him.” On this day there were a swarm of big ladyfish following the jig and I decked several, then noticed a nice slot redfish in the swarm.

So, I lowered deeper, worked it slower, and bang! It was a serious fight in close quarters, and that red lathered the water white. Then with the rod I had to lift it maybe 12 feet straight up and over the guardrail to the narrow catwalk, where it danced but was always steered back to the center.

Two more reds followed, each 26 or 27 inches long. By then a sore shoulder was fast taking the fun out of lifting redfish that high, and I was pushing them overboard, where they happily dove back down. I didn’t care to handline redfish that high, not with bare hands and braid line. Thirty yards away and down below in his boat, Pete was slinging his usual one-ounce silver spoons, and jigging them at mid-depth. He’d landed a king and several Spanish.

Even in 50-foot depths offshore, a variety of jigs can help. I’ve always got my eye open for pompano out there, and keep a few of those short specialty jigs handy. A pompano jig is quite short to accommodate the pomp’s small mouth. It was these little pink and white creations that yanked 20 pompano into the boat last fall, near the beach. Which was a surprise; we’ve been catching them offshore at platforms in about 50 feet since the 1970s, though we tied our own.

Colorful jigs made specifically for ling have been an art form along the Florida Gulf Panhandle for many years. Nice to take a couple dozen of these back to Texas.

TSFMAG.com | 37

Alan Reynolds from Port Neches with a kingfish hooked near bottom, while using a metal jig.

The Snapper Slapper rules: One of countless red snapper caught with this Texas-made jig.

These small jigs aren’t much good for anything else in green water, except getting hammered on and cut off by Spanish mackerel.

It’s further offshore where size matters. From 50- out to about 250-foot depths, the 1 ½ to six ounce leadhead jigs are the norm, working fine on red snapper, amberjack, grouper, king and ling, even a wahoo on occasion. And of course mahi-mahi will attack small jigs around the weedlines, as will tripletail.

The standard jig out there for years, if you even saw one, weighed two or three ounces, and had a tail of mylar or bucktail. A few were for sale in the stores, but we bought ours in bulk from Miami, where they were hand-tied. We then dipped the heads in marine resin, to make them bullet-proof around toothy critters. White was the favorite. Today there is far more variety in offshore jigs; the Snapper Slapper, made in Texas City, is really a modified jighead without a traditional hook embedded in the lead. Instead, it carries a couple of strong, bad-ass tethered hooks that simply lurk in the bushy tail. They’re very effective on big snapper, but a number of offshore species have been taken with them. Last summer we boated 42 “sow” snapper at one stop using the Slappers, keeping our meager limits, before a tired crew member spoke up: Let’s go try an anchored shrimpboat…

Which we did, and that’s where a horde of jacks, bonito and one cobia descended on us…

Also available are “heavy metal” jigs, sticks of metal up to a foot long, that sink very fast. They carry one or two tethered hooks at the head of the lure, instead of the rear. This February, an angler fishing with Capt. Brett Ryan in Louisiana caught a 116-pound amberjack by jigging one of these, in this case a 7-ounce blue Williamson jig. I plan on trying more metal jigs this summer, because last year we were able to catch other species with them while on the snapper rocks, such as kings and grouper. You simply let the metal jig fall through a cloud of big snapper halfway down. They tugged and pecked at the metal jig, but turned loose if you didn’t set the hook. Finally, reaching bottom, the grouper had a shot. I’ve seen the pros nail amberjack with metal jigs, but it helps to have a long rod, which provides a better sweep. They snatched that jig up at least eight feet, let it fall, and bang! The entire partyboat was hooked up. AJs lay in heaps, and one guy finally landed a 38-pound kingfish hooked 150 feet down, the deepest kingfish I’ve ever seen brought up.

These same metal jigs have caught plenty of grouper in 800 feet of water, and perhaps even 1,000 feet, without using heavy tackle. You just need zero-stretch, braid line on the reel; detecting the bite is similar to jigging only 30 feet down—the only difference is the long drop and the fight’s endurance. Jigs are the only feasible way to reach these fish on lighter tackle and without bait.

The range of jigs used in saltwater is considerable, and matching proper weight with the job is crucial. What about manta rays on the surface during summer, with ling swimming beside them?

Even a one-ounce jig will sink from sight in murky water before ling can react, despite a high rod tip and frantic reeling. For that you would need a colorful, slow-sinking jig that ling can turn and pursue. There is just no way to predict what you might encounter out there, and that’s why we carry such a variety of these colorful creations.

38 | April 2013

John Massengale with huge red while searching for trout.

J AY WAT K I N S

ASK THE PRO

KNOW WHEN TO HOLD ‘EM! I have not always been as big a believer as I am today on the importance of staying put when trout of the size you’re looking for have been located.

Over the winter months we have the good fortune many times to find larger than normal concentrations of upper slot fish. Depending on your location along the coast, bottom structures that hold bigger fish change. In the Rockport area we have a variety of structure types and this is good and bad. Good that we have choices 40 | April 2013

and bad that the trout have the same. Upper slot fish are hard enough to pattern when presented with just a couple of bottom structure variations, much less multiple ones. I personally prefer areas of predominate sand or soft mud with scattered grass beds. A few oyster shells scattered in the mix is a bonus for sure but I am good with just grass beds. These types of areas actually concentrate the numbers of trout better than areas covered solid with grass where scattered potholes are

the structure. True that the potholes become the primary targets but the grass surrounding the potholes can give your trout a vast hideaway during times of non-feeding activity.

I like warming trends after severe cold. Trout and baitfish alike seek out the fast-warming shallows where this structure is present. Water needs to be deep enough for sunlight to penetrate and promote and sustain growth for grass but deep enough to hold some heat and survive the feeding of our winter resident waterfowl. Hey, a thousand ducks can put a hurt on the grass if it is shallow enough for them to wade around in and pull from the bottom. The grass beds present in areas that trout seek to warm gives them ambush points for stalking as well as it provides for cover for the bait fish they seek. Some telltale signs that fish may be present are from the obvious to maybe the not so obvious. You have heard just about every angler you have ever heard speak on the subject, about the importance of food, mullet primarily. It’s true that I have difficulty staying firmly planted on a flat with the perfect structure on the seemingly perfect day if there is no bait present. I don’t have to see it jumping or flipping, a push or a surface swirl will suffice. I will however gain staying power when seeing brown pelicans or an osprey continuing to survey the shallows. If only I could have a set of those eyes for a few hours each day. I use these fishfinders no matter where I fish along the Middle to Lower Texas coast. Few times have they not led me in the right direction. I don’t always catch the fish that mix in amongst the bait but I know they are present.

Knowing they are present - Now here is where experience, confidence and a trusting innerself come into play. Fortunate am I to have been raised on a shallow, relatively clear bay system.

This has allowed me the luxury of actually laying my eyes on what often lies beneath the bait in the areas I frequently fish. In past years my buddies and I, James Fox and Ronny Barker, would see very large trout during air boat rides to and from the duck blinds we hunted our clients in.

Always amazed me how shallow these beasts would be even when air and water temperatures would have suggested a deepwater residence would have been more suitable. It was no surprise when the 1983 freeze killed almost 82% of the trout population along the Middle and Lower Texas Coast. They died where they lived. Truthfully – I had caught only a few of them back in those days, even though I knew where they lived.

A serious quest for knowledge to catch more of them has led me to where I am today. Still know where they live but still not knowing very much about the total causes of their comings or goings. We know the moon plays a big role as do water movements and temperatures along with salinity and a consistent food source. Simple truth is they sometimes go off the grid and we can’t find or catch them. I positively know that I will never catch another one if I do not continue the educational process. Over several stiff drinks a few weeks back Mike McBride and I shared our thoughts after a very tough run of not catching but seeing. Truth is we just don’t know why they do what they do at times. Anyone that says they do, well I’ll be nice and just say they’re better than me.

What I do understand and what works for me, is knowing when to stay put. One day a few weeks ago a couple of great clients of mine exhibited such skills. Chris Thompson and Brett have fished on and off with me for years. Both are good fishermen and certainly don’t need much from me but I think they enjoy the confirmation that what I think they think is true once in a while.

We had an area that held some scattered grass beds over a not too terrible soft bottom but just enough squish to make it right. Winds were dead calm early and slow wading around the edges of the grass beds yielded little action. Large wakes could be seen as we motored out of the area. Plans were made to return when the winds increased and the moon rise minor was happening around 2:00pm. After several nonproductive wades in other area the winds increased, we made the move back to the first area. Idling to a stop at least 100 yards away from the targeted, area mullet could be seen flipping and jumping all around. Big change from earlier where mullet were present but not doing much except trying to get out of our way. Sun was high enough to make out the submerged grass despite some sanding that was occurring due to the wind. Soft bottom muds up quickly.

I immediately stuck a couple of 4 to 5 pound fish on the first small areas of grass I could reach, then it was Brett Nedry with a nice 24 inch trout and all the while Chris was standing in the same place. He nodded that a bite had been detected but missed. Long and short of the story is that even though both Brett and I moved slowly around the outsides of the grass beds and caught numerous trout in the 5 to 6 pound class, Chris caught and released 17 fish off a TSFMAG.com | 41

Chris Thompson’s reward for being patient and diligent.

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very small area of two to three grass beds. Not all were trout and not all big fish, but he did have one over 6 pounds and another almost 5 pounds. His knowledge, confidence and patience to hold created a day I think he will long remember. In the hours we spent in the area we released at least 25 trout and probably that many red fish. A few larger trout were lost but that, after all, is the ingredient that keeps us returning to the scene time after time with the hopes of landing that personal best.

So it’s OK to admit that we don’t know sometimes. It is not acceptable however to quit trying to learn. I hope this spring season brings you some great opportunities to learn.

May your fishing always be catching. -Guide, Jay Watkins

42 | April 2013

Jay Watkins has been a full-time fishing guide at Rockport, TX, for more than 20 years. Jay specializes in wading yearround for trout and redfish with artificial lures. Jay covers the Texas coast from San Antonio Bay to Corpus Christi Bay. Telephone Email Website

361-729-9596 Jay@jaywatkins.com www.jaywatkins.com

Science and the Sea

TM

Goby Guardians of the Coral If the home that gives you shelter and houses your food were threatened, you’d likely do what you could to protect it. Gobies are no different. These tiny fish – just an inch long – live in coral, which protects them from predators and lets them eat algae on the coral and plankton from the surrounding water. But the coral sometimes needs protection too, and gobies are up to the job.

When certain seaweeds that are toxic to coral start growing too close, the resident gobies start trimming back the encroaching plants. Some species of gobies bite away the seaweed without consuming it while others actually eat the seaweed. Scientists wanted to find why gobies “trim” the seaweed, especially if they’re not eating it. Could the fish sense toxins from the seaweed, or was something else signaling them to get rid of the seaweed?

Some gobies live with the same coral their entire lives, and protect the coral from toxic seaweed. Credit: Georgia Tech/ Joao Paulo Krajewski The scientists took water samples from seaweed-infested coral and from the same type of seaweed that was nowhere near coral. Then they introduced those water samples to gobies. The water from seaweed-infested coral brought the gobies out from their coral homes immediately to begin trimming the seaweed, but the gobies did nothing when introduced to the water from isolated seaweed. This experiment indicated that the fish were not responding to the seaweed itself; they were responding to chemical signals produced by the coral – almost as if the chemicals were a call for help.

Coral without these goby guardians becomes severely damaged pretty quickly. But the gobies aren’t just working for the coral, this relationship is symbiotic – both partners benefit. The coral gets protection from goby guardians and the gobies get a home – and the yard work that goes with it.

The University of Texas

Marine Science Institute www.ScienceAndTheSea.org © The University of Texas Marine Science Institute

TSFMAG.com | 43

Twin twenty-three pounders!

C A P T. S COT T N U L L

S H A L L O W W AT E R F I S H I N G

Louisiana Bulls – Part Two A month later and I’m still grinning about that Louisiana marsh. While the first two days were good enough to make the trip successful by any standard, the final two days pushed it to lifetime memories category.

Day three dawned cool, cloudless and dead calm.

Jason and I headed to some back lakes searching for some really shallow fish while the sun angle was too low to see into the deeper water. As the Fury settled off plane several large fish wakes scattered ahead of us. It’s nice when you can just point to a spot on the map that looks good and the fish are there.

I hopped on the platform and Jason began a few practice casts to loosen up. Moments later I heard the familiar sound of a gang of reds munching their way down a shoreline. From my elevated position I could see the splashes behind a small grassy point and set the boat on intercept. A leading line of five or six reds rounded the corner with their heads exposed and jaws popping, followed closely by a couple dozen picking leftovers. The rookie kept his cool and laid a beautiful cast inches in front of the school. The lead fish surged ahead surfing with half 44 | April 2013

his body above the water before inhaling the fly. Fish on!

As Jason fought the upper-slot fish I watched the rest of the school stop and begin milling about. Fish landed and photos taken; the rest were back to feeding within casting distance. Jason flung another cast and immediately hooked up again. I grabbed my rod and climbed back to the platform thinking I might sneak one in before they all fled. To my surprise there were dozens of reds all around the boat. We sat with the Power Pole down sight-casting to these fish for a good thirty minutes before those not yet stuck grew wise. This does not happen in Galveston.

Oh yeah, amongst the melee of feeding reds Jason also managed to snag a flounder on the fly. That made three species in three days for the rookie – and he wasn’t done.

We left the somewhat spooked school and went back to hunting. Not fifty yards later I spied a group of sheepshead nosing along a shell bank. Those who have stalked the wily sheepies with a fly know how hard they are to fool into eating fake food. I’ve cast to more than I care to mention and only managed a single landing on the fly.

Jason’s fly plopped down in front of one and gently settled

towards the bottom. Two quick strips and he ate it without hesitation. I’m not sure if these Louisiana sheepshead are easier or what, but mark another species off the list.

By this time the sun was up enough to start searching for the big fish in deeper water. Arriving on our favorite flat it was my turn on the bow. The big reds hadn’t decided to roll out of bed just yet and we ran over several that were lying motionless in the grass. I finally spotted one that hadn’t yet spooked. The first cast was perfect. I twitched and danced the fly right across her nose – nothing.

My second cast wasn’t so pretty as the line went right across her broad back. I cringed. Had this been a Galveston red the game would’ve been over.

To my surprise she didn’t spook, hell she didn’t even move. I inched the fly along hoping I could get off a redemption cast. The leader slid across her dorsal fin until the fly reached her flank. The big weighted fly then crawled up her side, over her back and was falling down the other side when the big girl erupted. She spun into a U and assaulted the fly like it was a pest. The strike was so sudden and violent it made me flinch. Somehow muscle memory took over and I managed to plant the hook. She was big, but still just shy of getting me into the twenty pound club.

Day three is pretty much a blur from this point forward. It was one of those epic days that come all too infrequently. The weather was perfect, the fish were eating and, other than boats in our group, there wasn’t another soul in sight. We had set up a group text to stay in touch and clue each other in to any hot areas. Everyone was spread out over several miles and all day long the phone was buzzing with photos of brutish reds. There was obviously no need to gang up.

As the sun eased lower and things started slowing down my phone rang. It was Jared saying they were surrounded by giant black drum – tailing!

I could hear some serious hootin’ and hollerin’ going on in the background. They were in a tug-owar with a beast not far from us. We idled over and watched as it took two of them to drag the “big ugly” onto the deck. Jared’s Boga sunk to 44 lbs. Huge tails were piercing the slick calm surface all around our skiffs. For some odd reason I grabbed an 8 wt instead of my 10 and dropped a fly in front of a finned behemoth. And it ate. The battle was like none I’ve ever had. It went on and on with the fish never getting more than twenty or thirty feet away, yet never really yielding to the pressure. I’d get it to the boat and it would waddle away. Jason made a stab with the Boga and started laughing because the jaws of the 30 lb Boga wouldn’t open wide enough to gain purchase on those big ol’ lips.

Jared tossed us his 60 lb Boga and the drum was landed. The scale slipped just past the 40lb mark.

We parked the skiffs side by side and recounted the sunup till sundown action of what is perhaps the best day I’ve ever had on the water. I hadn’t broken that twenty pound goal on a redfish, but we still had half a day left.

Our final morning we made a long run to explore an island that didn’t work out so well. With only a couple hours left we returned to our big fish honey hole. Jason insisted I stay on the bow to get as many shots as possible. It sounds crazy, but I was being picky and passing on anything that was obviously less than twenty. A big fish appeared out of nowhere and I made a good toss. Fifteen

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46 | April 2013

still crushing mullet all around us. I can’t find words to describe the excitement of that moment. Somehow we orchestrated the landings of twin twenty-three pounders.

That would’ve been a great ending to a fantastic trip, but the bulls were still busting and we weren’t leaving. The schools had moved up against the shoreline and as I poled back into the zone a monster redfish floated up just under the surface. Jason kept his cool and dropped a perfect cast in front of it. Strip, strip, strip...and then as if in slow motion the beast opened her mouth and flared her gills. The fly went in and Jason drove it home with a perfect hookset.

Nineteen minutes later I latched the Boga onto her lip and felt it bottom out before the fish had cleared the water. Needless to say, she was huge.

On the ride to the ramp we agreed that we will be coming back...and we’ll have a 60 pound Boga Grip.

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pounds. Another showed, eighteen pounds.

With thirty minutes left I put Jason back on the bow. I had gotten my personal best, even if it wasn’t a twenty pounder.

Pods of mullet had started bunching up and nosing the surface all around us. We hadn’t seen that throughout the trip and had remarked several times at how odd it was that we hadn’t seen any of these big reds eating anything besides our flies. Then the world turned inside out. A loud crash occurred nearby and footlong mullet showered in every direction.

Moments later another pod got busted and the broad copper back of a red cleared the surface. Things just got interesting.

Before long mullet were flying all around us with huge reds in hot pursuit. I poled closer to one group and Jason got a shot, but no takers. I had my rod up on the platform and looked down to see a school passing the rear of the skiff. Three bulls keyed in on my fly and were banging into each other trying to get there first. The fly was just a few feet from the tip of the rod when the lead fish surged forward and I saw the fly disappear into her mouth. She turned and burned into my backing in seconds. Two more reds cruised beside the boat and I watched as one ate Jason’s fly. Doubled up with bull reds on the fly and dozens more

Capt. Scott Null is a devout shallow water fisherman offering guided adventues via kayak, poled skiff, and wading.

Telephone Email Website

281-450-2206 scott@tsfmag.com www.captainscottnull.com

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By Joel Anderson Perr y R. Bass Marine Fisheries Research Station

FIELD NOTES

MIGRATION, GENE FLOW,

& MARINE FISHERY MANAGEMENT In fishing, as in life, there are few indisputable facts.

However, you don’t have to be a seasoned angler to pick up on one of the absolute truths regarding fish: they can be here today, but gone tomorrow. Whether it is moving into deeper water in extreme weather, moving into channels in search of prey, or moving through passes to travel offshore for spawning, many species seem to make a habit out of movement.

Although there are many different reasons that fish move from Point A to Point B, the overriding motivation involved in movement is that nearshore marine habitats such as bays can change quickly, and individuals must follow needed resources.

Whether it is a daily or a seasonal movement, ecologists refer to periodic, directed movements of organisms as migration. Here is where things become complicated. Geneticists have a subtly different usage of the term migration. To a geneticist, a fish must not only move from Point A to Point B, but it must also leave behind some offspring. To illustrate this point, imagine a single spotted seatrout which resides in San Antonio Bay. At some point in its life, this fish moves into the adjacent Matagorda Bay. To an ecologist, the

fish has migrated. However, to a geneticist, spawning is the important part. The reason for this is that geneticists tend to monitor a special kind of migration, termed gene flow, in which unique combinations of genes move from one location to another through individual movement, followed by reproduction. The basic difference comes down to the unit of migration; ecologists tend to focus on the individual, whereas geneticists tend to focus on the DNA inside the individual. If the individual dies prior to reproducing, the genes that it brought along are not added to the population. The difference may seem subtle, but each type of migration has different implications, each is important in its own right, and the difference between the two is the topic of this article.

Migration in the ecological sense has everything to do with resources and habitat. The classic examples of migration in ecology, such as Canada geese, monarch butterflies, and arctic caribou, are all examples of species which have learned to exploit different resources at different times of the year. Fish are no different. Much of the migration that takes place in marine habitats has to do with temperature, salinity, or

Figure 1. American oysters (above left) may not look like candidates for migration while stuck in the mud. However, oyster larvae (small offspring which can move through the water prior to settlement) may undergo migration. Two populations of oysters exist in Texas, a northern and southern population. Researchers from TPWD recently used DNA analysis to show that these populations meet one another in the vicinity of Aransas Bay (above right, black = southern population, white = northern population, grey = areas of mixture). The DNA evidence also suggests that gene flow between these two populations is limited. Thus, while migration of oyster larvae may occur throughout the Aransas bay area, larvae which move between areas and subsequently reproduce are rare.

48 | April 2013

depth gradients, which can have an effect on survival. For instance, some marine species on the Texas coast migrate offshore in winter where, thanks to deeper water, temperatures are relatively stable compared to shallow inshore bays. Temperature stability results in less stress on the fish, and thus offshore fish incur a smaller energetic expense. In addition to seasonal migration, daily movements might also occur in response to changing habitat conditions related to temperature, tides, or freshwater inflow. Finally, all of these factors also affect migration in prey species, which can cause a subsequent migration in predators.

Gene flow is more complicated. While movement of DNA from one place to the next may seem trivial, it becomes a critical function when genes in one population are able to confer some sort of advantage in an adjacent population. For instance, if resistance to a specific disease or pathogen arises in a single fish in San Antonio Bay, the only way for that resistance to spread to the adjacent Matagorda Bay is for that same fish (or, one of its offspring) to move into, and subsequently spawn, in Matagorda. For this reason, geneticists follow the genes, and not just the fish. Thus, when a geneticist speaks of the “genetic structure� of fish populations, he or she is attempting to quantify the rate and direction of the flow of genes among adjacent populations. Disease resistance is not the only focus; adaptations can also arise related to salinity or temperature tolerance, predation avoidance, visual acuity in turbid water, or a host of other factors that allow individuals to survive longer or spawn more successfully.

In heavily utilized and ecologically important marine species, TPWD biologists attempt to quantify both migration and gene flow. On the ecological side, the magnitude and direction of migration of individuals is assessed through routine monitoring trends, as well as special tag and release studies. This allows TPWD to define critical habitat for migratory species during different seasons, and different life stages. An example of this type of management is a seasonal closure which takes place during a spawning migration, such as the measures imposed for southern flounder.

On the genetic side of things, TPWD quantifies the rate of gene flow by population sampling and laboratory DNA studies. Genetic sampling involves taking small clips of DNA-bearing fin tissue from live fish all along the coastline, and then comparing the DNA of individuals from different areas. This is done in order to understand how closely populations are related to one another, and whether gene flow among bays is low, moderate or heavy. An example of how this affects management is in the current stocking strategy for spotted seatrout, which is based, in part, on genetic studies conducted in the late 80s and 90s, and repeated recently. These studies generally concluded that fingerlings should be stocked into the bay of origin of broodfish, or into directly adjacent bays, in order to best approximate the natural pattern of gene flow.

Migration and gene flow are critical functions of marine populations, and thus a better understanding of both is needed in order to manage a species effectively. The TPWD recently published two papers regarding migration and gene flow in southern flounder, which have declined in recent years. With some exceptions, flounder throughout the Gulf of Mexico appear to have a high degree of genetic similarity among populations, meaning that there is a great deal of migration and gene flow among adjacent areas. This is generally good news, as genes which confer advantages to the fish that harbor them will more likely be spread to adjacent areas, raising the population fitness as a whole.

These flounder genetic data will be paired with TPWD routine monitoring data to improve effective fishery management and also inform potential stock enhancement practices.

Other such measures have already been taken for redfish and spotted seatrout. Overall, TPWD strives to learn as much as possible about migration and gene flow in heavily utilized marine species, in order to inform effective management strategies.

Check the TPWD Outdoor Annual, your local TPWD Law Enforcement office, or www. tpwd.state.tx.us for more information.

50 | April 2013

Our Spring 2013 Line is Now Available In A Store Near You www.Mojo-Gear.com/storefinder 1-800-827-0640

/MojoSportfishing

S C O T T S O M M E R L AT T E

F LY F I S H I N G

Making the most of

short range opportunity He who has the best short game- wins, at least when it comes to sight-fishing the backcountry with a fly rod.

Very few days on the water are perfect. All too often there is more wind than we would like and, if there is one cloud in the sky, well that is one too many. All joking aside, cloud cover can not only potentially block the sunlight preventing us seeing fish but, it also creates a nasty glare that makes seeing fish difficult when they’re just a tad deep or the water is murky. So spotting the fish at a distance is a challenge and even more daunting is trying to make a 20-30’ cast to a fish that all of a sudden appeared at 11 o’clock because we couldn’t see it earlier. Most would consider this an almost impossible circumstance because the fish is so close that the rod cannot be loaded with only 10-12’ of line and that makes the cast even more difficult.

To cope with this scenario, the first piece of advice 52 | April 2013

that I can offer is to SLOW DOWN! When you are within 20-40’ and have to make a cast with less line than is required to load the rod, the biggest challenge faced is not the cast itself but, making the cast without spooking the fish. Just think of a great blue heron…. When they are fishing, they move very slowly and deliberately right up until the point at which they slowly draw their head back and then quickly strike at their prey. This action is quick, precise and with minimal effort. This is what is also required of a fly caster when the quarry is close.

You must realize always that- if you can see a fish, that fish can see you. However, on most days, you have the advantage because you are looking for the fish and the fish are not looking for you. To a fish at a distance, with the help of refraction, an angler and boat are nothing more than a bump on the horizon however, when you are standing over the top of a fish and make a sudden

or frantic motion that draws its attention away from the hunt and it looks up to see your mountainous silhouette against the sky, all you can expect see is a boil of mud as the fish heads for safety. Once on top of the fish, the trick is, do not give the fish a reason to look around for anything other than its next meal. To accomplish this, you must make slow but deliberate motions.

When a fish appears all of a sudden, the reaction that I see most

is that people make a rushed, frantic attempt to roll the fly out of their hand and in front of the fish. The mistake here is twofold in that the fish can sense the hurried movements through the water as the skiff “shudders� when the angler moves suddenly. And, the second mistake is that the first movement is made toward and over the fish.

To fix the first half of this two-part blunder is easy- just freeze and assess the situation. In fact, in some cases, if anglers just stop, the fish

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54 | April 2013

for accuracy and casting into the wind) with as little as 5’ of fly line out of the rod tip. The trick is keeping the rod tip low to the water, moving the rod tip in a straight line and stopping the rod tip abruptly.

So let us put this technique into use. Let’s say a redfish suddenly appears at 20’ at eleven o’clock… anglers should, rather than rolling the fly towards the fish, roll or flip the fly from their hand away from the fish and behind themselves, keeping the rod low to the water and allowing the line, leader and fly to fall to the water. By doing this, water tension on the line and leader will allow for a “water haul” on the forward cast which will help create, providing the rod tip moves in a straight line and the rod tip comes to an abrupt stop, a tight loop. This will provide accuracy and, by casting side-arm and keeping the rod tip as low to the water as possible, once the leader straightens, the fly does not have that far to fall thus allowing for a softer presentation.

For these situations, I like a fly that will sink fast because the last thing I want is for the fish to hear or sense the fly and then look up.

The trick here lies in using sparsely tied synthetic patterns with some heavier bead-chain eyes or small lead eyes. You want to be able to land the fly right in the fish’s wheelhouse without spooking it.

Be good and stuff like that.

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might turn away from the boat and open up the distance between allowing for a longer, more accurate cast. Though, more often than not, a short precise cast is required. This is when it is time to become very methodical.

To present the fly accurately and with minimal fuss to a fish that is close, anglers first need to learn that the first move should be away from the fish, not over it, and secondly to cast with a minimal amount of line. To do so, it is important to learn how to manipulate your rod.

The first and easiest way is to get a fly line that is designed to make shorter cast by placing the required amount of weight to load the rod into a shorter head. A good example of an extreme version of one of these lines would be the Scientific Anglers new Titan Taper line. With a good portion of the weight shifted to the end of the line, it allows for quick loading on short casts.

Secondly, if you want to load the rod more quickly and in a shorter distance, well you can go old school and over-line your rod. Back before line companies started making specialty fly-lines, anglers would sometimes put a 9 wt line on an 8 wt rod to allow for quicker loading. In fact, I remember at one time I used to put a 9 wt on a 7 wt rod to achieve a very aggressive short-game.

And, while both of these methods are completely acceptable ways of making shorter casts, neither truly deal with the fish that is 15-30’ away. This is where the water-haul comes in to play. The water-haul is a method used to load the road by employing the tension or resistance of the water against the line, leader and fly as it is pulled from the water to provide a load for the rod.

When using a water-haul, anglers can create tight loops (necessary

Scott Sommerlatte is a full time fly fishing and light tackle guide, freelance writer and photographer.

Telephone Email

Website

979-415-4379 vssommerlatte@hotmail.com www.scottsommerlatte.com

MARCOS GARZA

Y OUT H F I S H I N G

Outdoor Texas Camps Summer is just around the corner and it will soon be time to start signing up for summer camps. This past summer I was a counselor in training (CIT) at the Outdoor Texas Saltwater Camp in Port Aransas, Texas. The activities at the saltwater camp consists of kayaking, fly tying, knot tying, bay fishing, offshore fishing, jetty and surf fishing, and an overnight trip on a floating cabin in the bay. Being a CIT meant that me and my co-CIT Garret Peay were in charge of cooking breakfast, getting the kids up in the morning, cooking lunch and some other responsibilities. I had fun even though sometimes the kids would get out of hand.

Our campers had fun and we had caught a decent amount of fish for the week. The highlights of the camp were our offshore trips, jetty fishing trips, and the trips overnight trip on the floating cabin.

First, I want to talk about the jetty fishing. Fishing had been slow early on in the week and we had been going to the jetties in hope of catching a few fish. One day we 56 | April 2013

had headed out in the morning to get a good spot out on the end of the Port Aransas North jetty. We got all of the gear distributed and rigged up. Fishing started off slow but one camper had a big bite. The fish ran and ran and ran. Finally, after taking almost all of the line the fish broke off and we had to rig the rod again. A few minutes later we had kids come ask for some more lures because all of theirs had been bitten in half. We gladly tied on new lures and sent them back out to try and catch the fish that took the other half of their previous lure. Garret grabbed an extra rod, tied on one of the half eaten lures and chunked it out pretty far and not soon after did he hook on to a nice bull red. After Garret had caught his red a few of the campers started hooking up and we landed a few more nice bulls.

Now the offshore fishing wasn’t my favorite because I do the same thing out here in Port Mansfield quite often; without the bait, people, and a lot closer than

12 miles offshore. Putting my own thoughts aside, and putting the kid’s enjoyment first, I did the best I could to make it as much fun as possible for the campers. The ride out to our spot was a long one so most of us took naps on the bunks aboard the boat. When we get out to our spot the deck hands rigged our rods with dead ribbon fish and we let out the lines into the water. Its not long until a few people hooked up on kingfish at the same time. The kids must have caught close to 40 kings between the 13 of them. They even had a few sharks and one bonito out there. The kids had a great time and we were

happy that they enjoyed this part of the camp.

Lastly I’m going to talk about my favorite part of the camp, the overnight trip on the floating cabin. This is probably where the most fun is at besides at the jetties. We start by launching kayaks from the Red Dot Pier in Corpus Christi and paddle maybe a half mile to the floating cabin. I have my fly rod, my conventional rods, and all of my lures with me in the back of my kayak. Some campers have tackle in their kayaks and others have our food and drinks for the night. We get to the cabin and string up our kayaks once we are all up and on our feet. We take our gear and food inside and then start up the generator so that we can turn on the halogen light for later. Night falls and the big halogen light is blazing into the water, attracting all of the nearby trout. When we hear the pop of the trout feeding, we all grab rods and start casting away. I load up my fly rod and catch a few fish here and there. I give my fly rod to one of the younger campers so that he can catch some fish and so that I can go help unhook fish and measure them. The campers definitely enjoyed this activity.

Everybody enjoyed this camp and I had fun working with all of the kids and teaching them how to use different techniques. It’s a great way to spend an entire week fishing if you’re up to the challenge of waking up early and having fun all day.

If you’re interested you can visit www.

OutdoorTexasCamp.com for more information.

TSFMAG.com | 57

MIKE JENNINGS

TEXA S N EAR S H ORE & O F F S H ORE

Disappointing news

for recreational offshore anglers Today’s offshore fishing seems to be more about closed seasons and federal mismanagement than it is about enjoying our great resources. Gulf anglers are not only frustrated with the federal management of our fisheries; they are downright angry and have every right to be. The federal management of our fisheries is failing not only the fisherman but is also failing the health of the fishery.

This year’s red snapper season was originally projected to be somewhere around 27 days – however the feds are now basing it on the premise that recreational angler’s somehow overfished red snapper yet again during the 2012 season that lasted less than two months.

All of this is in light of growing scientific and anecdotal evidence that the red snapper population has rebounded in a manner well beyond what was expected 58 | April 2013

just a few short years ago. It has also been documented that they now inhabit places which they have never been known to be found in the past. These fish are basically more abundant and reaching an average size that has never been seen before, yet our seasons grow shorter by the year.

Add to these frustrations, the fact that all these management decisions are made with outdated stock assessments, (official fish counts), no accurate way of knowing how many fish are actually landed, no realworld assessment of how many people are fishing for red snapper, and a multitude of computer models that all seem dubious at best. This lends one to wonder if the Federal management of our fisheries has failed us.

Yet one doesn’t have to contemplate the issue for long to understand that this fiasco is a miserable failure for all involved.

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Even members of congress have taken notice. Congressman Jo Bonner recently wrote in a letter concerning red snapper, “Red snapper has been described as the crown jewel of the Gulf fi shing industry from Texas to the Big Bend of Florida. Unfortunately, the government has been overzealous in managing red snapper fi shing to the point of eff ectively shutting it down.”

When speaking about the Gulf red snapper, I often refer to them as the signature fi sh of the Gulf, and that is exactly what they are.

As a charter boat captain I get calls daily from people wanting to know when they can fi sh for red snapper, usually the fi rst question asked. Snapper are by far the single most popular fi sh that people enjoy catching.

On top of all the recent federal failures in the management of our Gulf fi sheries, we now face yet another challenge here in the Great State of Texas, this one as the result of an emergency rule that will restrict even further our ability to fi sh for snapper.

Texas, unlike the other four Gulf States, has always maintained a year-round red snapper fi shing opportunity within state boundary waters. The state water boundary is set at three leagues, (nine nautical miles) from shore. This year-round season has long been a source of heartburn so to speak, not only with the National Marine Fisheries Service, but also with Gulf Council representatives of other states that have structured their red snapper season in line with the federal closures.

The basic idea behind this year-round open season, as far as I see it, is that those nine miles and the fi sh within belong to the

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A dorado of this class will put a smile on any angler’s face.

citizens of Texas. TPWD has felt that our landings within that boundary are minimal in the bigger picture and the fishery is healthy enough to withstand the current level of harvest.

Even the National Marine Fisheries Service’s data shows our state water landing impact to be minimal at best.

Texas’ total landings for an entire year, including the federal snapper season, is now projected to be as low as 10% of total Gulf landings. Another way of looking at it is that our state water

While snapper are very popular with my clients we are lucky to have many other species available.

60 | April 2013

mirrored those set by the Gulf Council in recent years.”

When you consider that Texas landings can barely account for a single day of fi shing Gulf-wide, added to the fact that this emergency rule will cut our projected season by two thirds, it’s hard to see it any other way.

This year is going to be a challenging one for all off shore fi shermen and as much as we may distrust the federal managers, it still doesn’t take away the fact that we are sitting on a world class fi shery. Every day I break that jetty this year I will be wearing a smile. I will be reminding myself that we are still going to bring home plenty for the freezer. The failures in the management of one fi shery will just make me chase another and I will take comfort in the thought that this fi shery has rebounded to a point where the mismanagement can no longer be overlooked or that major changes can no longer be passed off as undermining its rebuilding.

C O N TA C T

landings, in the context of a federal season, are equal to about one day of fi shing Gulf wide. Basically, if we closed state waters in compliance with the federal requirements, the entire Gulf of Mexico would see one more day of fi shing at best. Those stats are based on NMFS own numbers. How’s that for minimal impact on a fi shery?

Taking all that into consideration as well as our state’s stellar track record on managing wildlife and fi sheries, it’s hard to mount much of an argument for a closure on red snapper in our state waters.

In the recent past the Gulf council has taken measures to restrict recreational angler’s access to even our state water fi shery by passing a rule that all federally permitted charter boats must follow the more restrictive federal season, no matter where and when they fi sh. Thus, the federal permit requirement on all charter boats is another way to deny a large portion of the fi shermen access to fi shing in their own state. Now the latest move by Federal managers, even more restrictive than the charter boat permit debacle, is the recent emergency rule passed by the Gulf Council.

This rule gives the National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Regional Administrator the ability to shorten the season off the coast of any state that establishes a season that is less restrictive than the federal season, and reduces that state’s federal season in an amount to account for its state water landings. So what this all boils down to is that Texas recreational anglers are looking at a federal red snapper season that will likely last only eleven days.

Carter Smith, TPWD’s executive director, was recently quoted in a TPWD media release, “This recommendation is clearly directed at Texas and it strikes me as more punitive and political, rather than biological, because state regulations in Texas waters have not

Captain Mike Jennings is a professional charter captain with more than 25 years off shore experience. Mike is the owner/operator of Cowboy Charters in Freeport TX and is known locally for running further and fi shing harder for his clients.

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Cliff’s fish bag and stringer system provides an option to coolers and towing fish behind the kayak.

CADE SIMPSON

KAYAK F I S H I N G C H RO N I C L E S

“It was THIS big!”

I have a big fish story for you, kayak style. The difference between this one and many others is that mine is true. (I know you’ve heard that line before.)

It was a mild late-winter day. Forecasts were for a fairly strong NE wind to start the day, but had it calming down midday as the skies were supposed to turn sunny. Cliff and I launched our kayaks at around 5:30 AM. We had about a three mile paddle to reach our destination.

Approaching the area we had our sights on, we double checked the wind direction to best position ourselves for a drift over a mud/shell mix bottom with depths averaging two-and-a-half feet. Cliff and I both worked soft plastics through the just slightly murky water.

It didn’t take long until we started seeing action. My first fish was a decent speck while Cliff wrangled in a nice slot red. The drift covered probably 400 yards before we decided to paddle back and do it again.

Here is where the big fish story begins..

We repeated the same drift several times. Not long into one of the later drifts I witnessed Cliff hook up on a fish. About 80 yards away I just kept on with my fishing effort and casted a few more times, not thinking anything more than Cliff just having another average fish. After a few casts I turned back his direction and witnessed him still fighting the fish, rod doubled over and all. I jokingly yelled over to him to hurry up already.

Cliff remained silent. I cast two or three more times 62 | April 2013

How’s this for top-rate photography of Cliff’s monster?

TSFMAG.com | 63

and again turned to see him still fi ghting that same fi sh. At this point I decided that perhaps he had on a more than average fi sh and decided to shoot some action shots of him landing it.

I paddled to within twenty yards and got out my SLR digital camera and began clicking off pictures. First the photos were just of Cliff in the heat of battle with the bent rod and fi sh still under the water. The photos transitioned into the fi sh surfacing and giving a few thrashes of its whale-sized tail, then to Cliff netting the behemoth, and fi nally to well posed shots at various angles with the fi sh.

To clarify a bit, it’s not as if this is some world record fi sh, but when you catch a run of mid-slot reds and then suddenly have a redfi sh that is easily 35 inches take your lure, it’s a bit of a diff erent situation, a notable moment at the least.

Our last moment with the fi sh was capped off with Cliff insisting that I feel the weight of this monster. I paddled up next to him and foolishly thumbed its bottom lip thinking, “I can one-hand it, no

problem.” WRONG! As soon as Cliff removed his hand from the fi sh’s stomach, it immediately fell from my grip and splashed into the water. Just like that the beast was gone and I was left with bleeding tooth marks on my thumb. I apologized to Cliff for the less than ideal release of his fi sh but also congratulated him on a nice catch. We regrouped and proceeded to fi sh on a few more hours, landing a number more reds and trout.

To wind the day up I wanted to get some good photos of the last couple of fi sh that we caught. After fi rst catching the fi sh we picked a good spot for pics. I pulled out my camera and as any careful photographer would do, I checked the metering and other settings to ensure the pictures came out decent.

“Oh no..” I thought. My heart instantly sank as I realized I had not done this in the heat of the moment with Cliff and his big red and I immediately went back to look at the photos. To my dismay I discovered all of them were totally whited-out from overexposure. I had left the shutter speed on a setting from a previous shoot of some Tandem yak Bob has rigged low-light whitetails I was photographing and in the middle of the for fi shing with his wife. sunny day on the water, the pictures came out completely white.

I scrolled through picture after picture, hoping that at least one would give some glimpse of the fi sh, to no avail.

About this time, with my heart sunk, Cliff happens to ask how the big fi sh photos turned out. With a blank face I gave him the look of a lost puppy and subtly shook my head. Then I had to explain to him what y’all are reading now.

Now the tale of the big red will go down as one of legend. “I swear he was this big!” (Arms stretched wide for eff ect.)

Wrap up: What a memorable day Cliff and I had on the water. Cliff ’s fi sh is not the biggest red I have ever seen but certainly one of the biggest I have witnessed being landed from a kayak. As I type this my heart hurts thinking about the misstep in my photography. I was so excited about the action shots and

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C O N TA C T

awesome poses with the monster that I failed to pay attention to the details. I believe however (or at least have justifi ed to myself) that its days and stories like this that cement some of the most fond memories into our catalog of fi sh tales. I hate that I missed the photo-op on a hog, but all the more reason to go back out and do it again!

A reader asks: “What do you do with the fi sh you catch in your kayak – do you put them on a stringer and hang it over the side or place them in an onboard cooler? I would imagine that if you put them on a stringer and hang it over the side it would attract sharks which we do not want to do.” -Bob Hello Bob - Great question! Personally, I prefer keeping them in a cooler. I have a slender cooler that is perfect for holding fi sh up to about 24 inches. If you prefer stringing them, I wouldn’t be too worried about sharks when bay or marsh fi shing. In my opinion, the downside to the stringer is when paddling to a new location and having the drag of the fi sh slowing you down. Of course you could throw the fi sh into the rear cargo area, however, they are susceptible to fl opping around and potentially making a mess of your gear.

My buddy Cliff deserves credit for a third option, and that is using a dry bag. When Cliff decides to keep a fi sh or two for dinner he strings them but puts them in a medium sized dry bag which he then places into the hull of his yak through the center hatch while back underway.

You can see a picture of his dry bag lying across the kayak, as well as a stringer fl oat in the water next to the kayak.

Thanks for your question and photo. Good luck on the water!

Reader comments and questions are always welcome via telephone and email. –Cade telephone email

936-776-7028 Cademan11@sbcglobal.net

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A solid ling taken by the author.

E X T R E M E K AYA K F I S H I N G & S H A R K S F R O M T H E S A N D

ER I C O Z O L I N S

It’s a Ling Thing Mother Nature’s moodiness lashes the Texas Gulf coast starting in March and continues into April. With what seems endlessly pounding southeast wind comes treacherous nearshore currents, sargassum seaweed, and warmer water – the warmer water brings a variety of fish species within easy reach of our shores that are mostly absent during colder months. If you venture to nearly any structure within a few miles of the beach you are likely to encounter cobia - a sleek and robust gamefish favored by anglers for sport and also as table fare. Cobia (Rachycentron canadum) can be found in nearly any temperate, tropical, or subtropical region around the globe. During springtime, Texas nearshore waters are under a ling invasion.

The coast of Texas and Louisiana is peppered with offshore oil and gas platforms that provide some of the best structure for a great number of species. Ling (most common name for cobia here in Texas) will often gather within the shade of these platforms feasting on crustaceans and small finfish that are also attracted to the structure. While many anglers traditionally target ling at platforms from larger boats, I prefer paddling to those 68 | April 2013

A legal limit of quality ling taken offshore Padre Island National Seashore.

Author pitches to a curious ling.

I can reach in my trusty kayak. The voyage can be strenuous and obviously not for everybody, still it can often prove fruitful for what I consider one of the tastiest fish in our waters (hence the name lemon fish). Being stealthy around the platforms does have its advantages but despite all that, ling are a very curious species and will often inspect your vessel upon arrival although this visit may be brief before they disappear back to the depths of the rig’s shadowy shelter.

On the serious side, kayaking for ling poses many unique challenges. First off, due to the offshore paddling distance, it is important to pick your days properly. Calm wind and minimal wave heights increase not only the safety factor but also increase your range. There are many factors that could put you or your kayaking buddies in danger if the elements are not conducive.

You do not want to be battered by the waves or over-exert yourself against a raging current.

During the early spring there can be periods of randomly developing fog, perhaps thick and soupy, which causes additional danger on the water. Alertness and careful planning also plays a key role whenever handling a ling of any size. Cobia are very powerful and seem to use their reserve strength at the most unexpected times, which usually is right at the gaff or in the kayak.

I have witnessed firsthand an angler pulled out of the kayak while gaffing a large ling. These fish can inflict injury with the whack of a tail or the unexpected throw of the hook. When in the kayak, these fish demand the angler’s utmost respect!

Fortunately for anglers this is a species which both hunts and scavenges. Cobia will often gather in groups and orbit whale sharks or follow in formation behind large manta rays, other large sharks, or even large turtles such as the leatherbacks. The reason for this is the opportunity to pick off an easy meal as they scavenge off their “leaders” feedings. Chumming is therefore often extremely productive around structure and in addition to any ling, you’ll likely also lure up snapper, grouper, and other reef fish. Since ling are highly opportunistic feeders, they do not often pass up well-presented bait. I personally prefer fluorocarbon between 40-60# with a small, sharp Owner brand circle hook. While waiting on a cobia to appear you may decide to drop down and target species such as snapper and grouper. In this case, it is important to have a separate rod prerigged and ready to pitch at a ling should one decide to conduct a “drive-by.”

While ling are physically quite different from sharks their behavior can be very similar, especially feeding habits. They cover a lot of area around weed lines and platforms and are known to feed on anything they can get in their mouths. Over the years I have caught cobia from the TSFMAG.com | 69

jetties, piers, boats, kayaks, and even from the surf. In fact, the largest ling I ever landed came as by-catch while shark fishing the beach in April a decade ago, and this brute stretched every inch of five feet. I have also caught many from the kayak weighing up to 40lbs.

Regardless of where I catch them, I notice a pattern in the stomach contents of the ones I fillet - crabs and hardhead catfish. If you are able to pitch a small crab at a curious cobia; it’s usually game on in short order! The big surprise though is the hardhead catfish. While some would see hardheads as the ultimate trash fish of the sea, I have indeed caught large cobia using live hardheads (fins clipped) for bait.

Try it; you may be surprised!

Our ling fishery is quite healthy, due in part to the strict regulations from Texas Parks & Wildlife. We are able to keep only 2 fish per day in Texas waters (which is plenty for table fare) at a minimum length of 37 total inches. One of the biggest concerns when fishing for ling, whether out of a kayak or in a boat, is that it may be hard to tell a barely legal fish apart from a non-legal fish. The majority of fish I encounter are right around 3 feet in length and a school of 10 or more fish that size may all be present. You’ll have to learn self-control and if a fish appears close to the legal size -DO NOT GAFF IT. You can still carefully land a fish that size without the gaff and you certainly do not want to stick an undersized fish and then try to release it. This would be unethical in a sporting sense and certainly not compliant with the length regulation. You will likely have your chance at a larger fish as ling can actually grow massive and tip the scales at over 100lbs.

There are rumors of specimens to 150lbs from around the world, however, the I.G.F.A. all-tackle world record hails from Australia at a still monstrous 135lbs.

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Due to the incredible fun-factor of angling for ling, along with their reputation as excellent table fare, ling are among my top five favorite species. If you can make the trek to the platforms and go properly prepared, odds are you’ll have a great chance at encountering a few and with luck hopefully even hooking into and landing one or two.

Remember, kayak fishing offshore can be risky and it should be deemed mandatory you have at least one equally capable and well-prepared fishing partner to join you on these adventures. Please check the weather and then re-check it right before you go out, especially during the spring months. If everything leads to the green light - go for it! Cobia are nothing short of a blast to play with and having a 50 pounder pulling you away from the rig on a yak-ride is an adrenaline packed moment you will cherish forever.

Kevin Eager brings a borderline ling to the boat – note no gaff!

For the past decade, Eric ‘Oz’ Ozolins has been a key figure promoting catch and release with sharks and assisting various shark-research programs. Oz is renowned in the kayaking world for extreme biggame fishing and runs Kayak Wars – one of the largest kayak fishing tournaments in the world.

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Stippled spoon-nose eel, Echiophis punctifer (also known as a snapper eel; can grow up to 6 ft).

Photo credit: TPWD.

STEPHANIE BOYD

F I S H Y FA C T S

EELs There are many myths concerning the origin of the coconut tree… …and they all center around eels – specifically, the eel god, Tuna (aka Tuna-roa, Te-Tuna, etc.). Each myth is a unique version of Tuna’s pursuit of the woman he loves, Hina (aka Hina-moa-aitu, Sina, etc.). They all end with Tuna’s head being chopped off and planted, and ta-da!

The first coconut tree sprouts. Some of these myths explain the origin of eels as well, but western scientists have their own thoughts about that.

Aristotle, the pioneer of eel research, postulated that the European eel, the most familiar eel of the time, was born of “earth worms,” which emerged from the mud spontaneously. They grew from the “guts of wet soil.” Since no one could prove otherwise, this theory stood for a long time. Later scientists adopted a new origin theory: the eelpout, Zoarces viviparus, known in Germany as aalmutter, “mother of eels.” Well, the translation alone is suspicious…

Some actual science came along later in the guise of Carlo Mondini, the Italian who found eels’ gonads and 72 | April 2013

proved that they were indeed fish. In the 1870s, a young Austrian student dissected hundreds of eels in search of the apparently elusive male sex organs. He failed, though I doubt many people remember Sigmund Freud for that particular pursuit anyway.

Until the 1890s, larval eels were thought to be a completely different species, unrelated to their parents.

But I guess that’s not too unusual; plenty of kids claim no relation to their parents at some point in their life.

Fortunately for eel parents, French zoologist Yves Delage kept leptocephali (the transparent, ribbon-like, two-inch larval eels) alive in a laboratory tank until they matured into eels, and Italian zoologist, Giovanni Battista Grassi furthered this discovery by observing the transformation of a leptocephalus into a round glass eel in the Mediterranean Sea, thus ending the deception.

This uncommon larval form is a distinction of eels, though the tarpon and ladyfish share this early lifecycle stage as well, suggesting a possible common ancestor.

Eels have other characteristics that set them apart, too.

They are Anguilliformes, a type of fish that propels itself underwater by anguilliform swimming, or swimming in a

series of undulating waves. Basically, the eel swims using its entire body, whereas most other fish use only their tails for propulsion.

They have a dorsal fin that is continuous with the caudal and anal fin. They have numerous sharp teeth. Their gill openings are usually small and placed behind the edge of a concealed gill cover. Modern eels all lack pelvic fins; many are also without pectoral fins. Most are marine for at least part of their lives, and all spawn in the ocean. They are slippery! Very small, embedded scales (or no scales at all) combined with a robust production of slime give them this memorable trait.

Fun fact: the well-known green moray actually has blue skin; a yellow topcoat of slime+algae over the blue skin produces that handsome green color.

The whole slime thing isn’t really unique. Most fish have slime covering their bodies. Produced from glands beneath the scales, this mucous serves three main purposes: 1) Osmoregulation: the process by which fish (and other organisms) maintain fluid and electrolyte balance with their surroundings. The amount of slime on the fish’s body affects how much water passes in and out. A thinner slime layer allows more water to pass, and a thicker slime layer allows less. This might also contribute to the eel’s ability to move from ocean to freshwater, and vice versa.

2) Physical protection. A slippery slime layer helps to suffocate pathogens or parasites trying to enter through the fish’s scales and protects any open wounds from further external damage. It also lets the fish slip through barriers, such as coral or your hands, with relative ease.

3) Aerodynamics. Slime fills up the tiny spaces between scales, making the fish more streamlined, much like the way competitive swimmers shave their bodies in order to reduce drag.

Removing an eel’s slime will kill it. Many commercial fishermen sprinkle salt on their eel catch to quickly remove the slime and kill the fish. Although eel is a delicacy in many cultures, you should always cook it first. Eel blood is quite toxic.

Eels carry proteins in their blood that are toxic to humans. These proteins are usually referred to as ichthyotoxins, literally “fish poisons.” Ichthyotoxins are an old enemy, fisherman having long known that certain fishes have to be heated before they are safe to eat. Proteins are made of long chains of amino acids that fold together in a specific way that defines their shape and, to a very large extent, their function. Enough heat unfolds the proteins and renders them harmless, so you are fine eating cooked eel. Fun fact: Charles Robert Richet used the toxin derived from eel blood in his Nobel winning research that discovered anaphylaxis (an exaggerated allergic reaction to a foreign protein resulting from previous exposure to it).

Now that we’ve nailed down what an eel is, it’s time to learn what is not. Electric eels, for instance, are not eels. Electric eels spawn in fresh water, have no teeth, have no dorsal fin, and are air-breathers (supplemental to gills). They’re just a wannabe from the knifefish family. Slime eels are also not eels. Forget not having teeth; these guys don’t even have jaws! Though, they can produce massive amounts of slime…

The eel is its own very peculiar fish, with an imperfectly understood life cycle. All spawn in saltwater. Freshwater eels, such as the American eel and the European eel are thought to travel as far as the Sargasso Sea (middle of the North Atlantic) for spawning. The leptocephali larva drift with the currents as they mature into their next phase: glass eels, another totally transparent form. Glass eels are often found in coastal areas and estuaries. They then grow into pigmented young known as elvers. In freshwater species, this is the stage where they migrate upriver, often over very long distances, and enter their final juvenile stage: yellow eels. They may live for over ten years before morphing into silver eels for their return journey, to spawn and die in the waters where they hatched. Some species spend almost their entire lives in fresh water while others spend their entire lives at sea. Since the spawning process is a mystery, biological information about the early life of eels is primarily conjecture.

The large diversity of existing eels is poorly known. Worldwide, there are over 700 species, some known only by a single specimen. In our mind’s eye, we see the reputation that has been shaped by the sport and resultant table fare of freshwater eels and by fearsome tales of morays attacking divers on coral reefs. However, eels are actually quite secretive in all of the varied types of habitats where they reside. These habitats include lakes, streams, estuaries, coral reefs, and the deep sea, but most live in shallow tropical or subtropical marine habitats.

On the Texas coast, and in the Gulf, there are over 30 species of eel, some only six inches long; some up to seven feet! The best key I found was Saltwater Fishes of Texas: A Dichotomous Key, Second Edition (the McKee Key), prepared by M. Shane Merryman, Kenneth C. Rainer, David

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A. McKee, and Edward O. Murdy. Also a good book, Fishes of the Texas Laguna Madre: A Guide for Anglers and Naturalists, by David A. McKee, has more detailed descriptions for some of the common species. For technically accurate line drawings, consult Edward O. Murdy’s 1983 book, Saltwater Fishes of Texas. For photos, check out Fishers of the Gulf of Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and Adjacent Waters, by H.D. Hoese and R.H. Moore.

Though not the most common, I think the most unusual family found in our waters is the snipe eels. Sometimes called a threadfi sh (despite there being an actual threadfi sh that is not a snipe eel), the slender snipe eel resembles a long piece of ribbon or string with a large bulbous head at one end. It’s sometimes also called the deep sea duck, but it is not in the duckbill eel family, either.

These guys can really rack up the misnomers. Fun fact: the snipe eel has more vertebrae in its up-tofive-foot-long body than any other animal on Earth. Its body is so slender that it is actually 75 times as long as it is wide, yet it weighs only a few ounces.

But the real eye catcher is the beak. The snipe eel’s upper and lower jaws are quite long and curve away from each other at the tips, so they don’t meet when the eel closes its mouth. If you didn’t know better, you’d probably think it was a deformity, but these curved jaws have a special purpose. They are covered with tiny hooked teeth that snag the antennas of small shrimp and other crustaceans as the eel swims along vertically with its mouth open. At maturity, both sexes lose their teeth, although only males lose them all. But no matter. Snipe eels are thought to be semelparous, meaning they mate once and then die immediately. No dentures needed.

The most common eels in Texas bays belong to the snake eel family. Snake eels have virtually no fi ns, giving them a striking resemblance to their family namesake: snakes…and worms. Their pointed snouts and tails are used to burrow backwards beneath the sand. They can usually be found with just their head showing above the sand, waiting for their prey; a few species prowl the sands at night. Some, such as sharptail eel, mimic banded sea snakes and can be found in the open during the day.

The speckled worm eel (a snake eel) is one of the most common eels found in Texas bays.

These guys seem to favor the grass fl ats in the upper Laguna Madre, but they do live all along the Texas coast and into the Gulf, from mangrove swamps to off shore reefs. The upper body surface is profusely peppered with black spots, and the snout is pointed when viewed from above. Also, they are adorable.

There are other common eels to be found, but for my last act, I have to talk about Ophichthus rex, the King Snake Eel. This is the seven-foot eel. Hangs out around oil rigs. Reputed to have “nasty sharp teeth.” Supposed to be great table fare. Will chase feet if pulled on board. Will still be alive and up for round two when you get to the dock. State record: 52.00 lbs, 86.50 inches; Patrick Lemire, Texas City, Gulf of Mexico; February 11, 1997. I can absolutely see this eel inspiring myths and legends. Who wouldn’t expect a coconut tree to grow if you planted its head?

Where I learned about eels, and you can too!

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74 | April 2013

buzzle http://www.buzzle.com/articles/why-are-eels-slippery.html whoZoo http://whozoo.org/fi sh/teleosts/eels.htm How Stuff works http://science.howstuff works.com/zoology/marine-life/eels-slippery.htm boston Globe http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2011/07/04/eel_is_always_served_cooked_why_is_that/ wiseGeek http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-eel.htm Sea & Sky http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/snipe-eel.html encyclopedia of Life http://eol.org/pages/207943/details Fishes of the Texas Laguna Madre: A Guide for Anglers and Naturalists

By David A. McKee Saltwater Fishes of Texas: A Dichotomous Key, Second Edition (the Mckee key)

By M. Shane Merryman, Kenneth C. Rainer, David A. McKee, and Edward O. Murd

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TSFMAG.com | 77

DICKIE ColBuRn

DICKIE ColBuRn’s Sabine Scene By the time you have received this month’s issue of TSFMag, Sabine Lake will once again be the main draw for area fi shermen. That has not been the case ever since the city of Orange got the nod to host the fi rst Bassmaster Elite tournament of the year in mid-March.

Wrapped bass boats, crowded restaurants, and even an occasional traffi c jam were the order of the day as the pros were in town scouting months before the actual event.

People that don’t even know what a bass is were eager to rub elbows with ESPN cameramen and the pros themselves. Orange had its bases covered and rolled out the red carpet, but quickly discovered that these tournaments are not a one week aff air!

When local anglers weren’t riding shotgun with a pro on one of the rivers or bayous or referencing points on a Google map, we were taking advantage of what has been one of the best big trout bites on Sabine Lake in the past several years. The much anticipated bite started earlier than usual and it is still going on. The only notable change is that the big fi sh are no longer as concentrated as they were in the colder months.

We lost a number of days to unfi shable winds and more rain than most of the state has gotten, but even

Sabine

Dickie Colburn is a full time guide out of Orange, Texas. Dickie has 37 years experience guiding on Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes.

telephone 409-883-0723 website www.sabineconnection.com

the tiniest of windows has rewarded us with some great trout. An eight pound trout still turns heads, but it’s the numbers of fi ve to seven pound trout that have made this a memorable year.

While the Louisiana side of the lake has given up the majority of the larger fi sh thus far due mainly to more protected water, the fl ats on the north end will steadily improve through early June. Look for fi sh transitioning from the deeper water of the ICW to the shallow fl ats on either side, especially early and late in the day.

For some reason, and it’s not because we don’t fi sh them a lot, topwaters like the She Dog and Skitter Walk have consistently produced better than anything else in the box. Black/chartreuse, chartreuse/redhead, and pink have worked especially well.

It should come as no surprise that the Fat Boy has also worked well enough to once again create a mini-shortage at area tackle shops, dayglow and Texas chicken are working very well.

Because we have been doing so much wading and fi shing in water less than four feet deep, I have been rigging an Assassin Die Dapper on the lighter TTF Shiney Hiney head with the glow eyes. The weighted portion of the hook is inside the body and the barbell

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Topwaters have been the ticket on the larger trout.

eyes help keep the fi ve inch paddle tail bait from rolling over on a slow steady retrieve.

I have done so well with this set up that I probably fi sh it more than anything else, even when clients are hammering fi sh on another lure.

Trout, redfi sh and fl ounder love it. I have done better running it as swim-bait rather than bumping it off bottom.

There are a number of good swim-baits and another favorite is the three inch H&H Usual Suspect. Every color has its day, but I have a lot of confi dence in 159 and 201.

Over-pressuring small areas of the lake will not be a problem this month as the bite on the revetment walls and the Causeway reef will also catch fi re. You will have to cede stretches of the walls to the bank fi shermen fi shing shrimp under a cork, but there are some good fi sh to be caught just out of their casting range.

Crankbaits like Catch 2000 and Swimming Image and larger topwaters like the Spook in clown or trout patterns can be very good throughout the day. Not unlike fi shing the Causeway reef, picking the right color tail can be a challenge when fi shing these trout, but it is akin to magic when you do.

Drifting the massive shell reef on clearing, incoming tides is a program that will also attract lots of folks this month. Fortunately, it is a bite that can be successfully fi shed by a large number of anglers at the same time when boating etiquette prevails. Aside from picking the best color and length of tail, the key to consistently catching trout is controlling the speed of your drift. A drift sock, sometimes two, is as necessary as a good supply of extra jig heads!

The bonus to this program, at least visually, are schools of redfi sh chasing ribbon fi sh that may surface within casting distance at any time.

They will eat anything that you can launch into the midst of the melee.

Don’t leave the kids at home!

TSFMAG.com | 79

mICKEY Eastman

mICKEY On Galveston The month of February and thus far into March has been nothing less than a weather rollercoaster for Galveston Bay fi sherman. April should prove to be a lot friendlier once these frontal systems start to play out and spring kicks in. Spring winds, even though strong at times, are usually quite fi shable as long Galveston as they blow out of the same direction for longer periods of time. Consistent wind direction allows us to establish a pattern on the fi sh and we can deal with Mickey Eastman is a full-time fi shing guide out of Baytown, TX. whatever else comes our way on Mickey has over 30 years guiding a day to day basis. experience on the Galveston Moon phases, tides, water area bays and is the founder clarity, and an abundance of of Gulf Coast Troutmasters, baitfi sh are without a doubt the largest speckled trout the primary building blocks tournament series of all time. for good fi shing this time of year. Structure plays an telephone 281-383-2032 important role for holding fi sh to certain areas whether it’s shallow towheads along

80 | April 2013

shorelines, points, dropoff s, or even guts leading into your favorite cove or bayou. These areas become frequently traveled highways for specks and reds, and most importantly of all - baitfi sh. If the baitfi sh are there the fi sh will come sooner or later.

The springtime shoreline Terry Buckner bite can range from feast to shows off a famine, too much famine in nice Trinity fact, when we are trying to Bay speck on a sunny March unravel the pattern. Timing is afternoon. never more important than early spring and this can really weigh heavily on a fi sherman’s patience. Some days the bite can be early and other days late, this drives me nuts trying to narrow it down to a specifi c timeframe. The best days of course are when the fi sh bite all day as this allows you to move around and try diff erent strategies and locate more fi sh, which in turn leads to greater

understanding of the rapidly changing patterns. Once you’ve been fortunate enough to have that great day, you have more options and you are able to patiently sit on a spot and really fish for that big bite, because you know the fish are there. Without that confidence you can worry yourself sick second guessing every move.

Confidence is everything when it comes to catching big springtime fish. Throwing your favorite lure or the one you know how to work the best is a big factor in successful outings. As these frontal systems approach the coast and stall out we experience pumping southerly winds that can last for days if not weeks.

Protected shorelines are our only options for making a day on the water. Open water becomes muddy and sooner or later everything moves to the shallow flats. Being able to read the signs offered by feeding fish are keys to catching fish on a consistent basis.

A few flipping mullet, big rafts of mullet, pods of shad, schools of glass minnows, and slicks are what I look for this time of year. Color changes and tide lines on flats adjacent to deep water also play a roll in catching fish on breezy spring days. Wade fisherman live for these kinds of conditions because it keeps most of your boat fisherman off the water and allows the fish to stage better with reduced pressure of boats running every which way. When frontal systems stall we sometimes see moderate southerly flows varying from due east, southeast, and then to hard-pumping south all in one day. Knowing what bays and shorelines of these bays are best for the various wind directions is very important.

For a pumping south wind it’s tough to beat East Bay because it has more miles of shoreline with the right structure and the fish bite good in this bay on hard south wind. West Bay is often good as well with some of its coves lying protected on a due south but for the most part I like West Bay with some east in the wind. The fish bite better and the tides bull up in the back of the coves better. My alltime top choice with east in the wind is the east shoreline of Trinity Bay. On a pumping south in Trinity Bay you can find decent water in places but the fish will not light-off and give you a strong bite. A pumping east wind on this shoreline is absolutely the best for the right tidal movement, water clarity, and all-around fish-ability. For whatever reason fish just tend to bite hard on an east wind in Trinity Bay. Play the winds and work these shorelines hard throughout the spring and it will spell success for most and, who knows, that double digit fish could be waiting for you around the next point, towhead, cove, or bayou when you least expect it.

Fish hard my friends.

TSFMAG.com | 81

BInK GRImEs

thE VIEW fRom Matagorda

Matagorda

Bink Grimes is a full-time fi shing and hunting guide, freelance writer and photographer, and owner of Sunrise Lodge on Matagorda Bay.

telephone 979-241-1705 email binkgrimes@sbcglobal.net website www.binkgrimesoutdoors.com

82 | April 2013

Green symbolizes new life, rebirth, rejuvenation of the soul – all that is spring. Is it me, or are the trees blooming with more vitality than ever before?

Our estuaries are beginning to blossom as well.

Water temperatures are rising and bait is becoming active – the winter doldrums are gone. MirrOlures, Corkys and Bass Assassins have been our best baits.

With warmer temperatures comes the propensity for specks to eat surface-running topwaters, a favorite of mine. As fi nger mullet show on shorelines en masse, look for the topwater bite to get even better.

Longer days and continuously swelling incoming tides prompt glass minnows (bay anchovies) to move on grassy shorelines anytime. Look for gaggles of diving brown pelicans to point the way.

Afternoon incoming tides over sand and grass is usually the best time. It’s a great time to get a good night’s sleep, eat a good breakfast,

and then hit the dock about noon and fi sh till dark.

Bass Assassins in glow, pearl or opening night are what we throw that best resembles a glass minnow. When it really gets rockin’ the redfi sh will lose all control. Don’t be surprised to see trout or redfi sh blow up bait right beside you. Balls of baitfi sh bunch tight and hungry fi sh get a running start and

blow through the mass like a Friday night high school football team running through an end zone sign.

Standing completely still, I have had redfish swim between my legs and bump my shins. Likewise, I have had trout eat my topwaters 15 feet from me. It gets really crazy.

As tides bloat, back lakes will come to life with redfish and trout as well. Drifters working shell with live shrimp should find lots of

redfish; and, large, solitary trout normally are found in the same vicinity.

Crab Lake, Oyster Lake and Lake Austin are prime spots during April in Matagorda. These locales are often windbreaks from spring blusters in excess of 20 knots.

Long drifts are often the ticket for covering large amounts of water; and, a live shrimp under a popping cork temps both trout and redfish. Seldom does a shell reef in west Bay, even a small hump, fail to yield a fish on an April tide.

Shell Island’s maze of reefs hold specks, reds and highly edible black drum. It’s tough to fish jigs on the shell without losing a dozen or more, so tie them under your favorite cork to keep the bait suspended.

The warming trend should wake up the jetties for trout and redfish. Large black drum and sheepshead have been roaming the rocks for the past month, throw in a thermometer inching closer to 70 degrees and trout, Spanish mackerel and jack crevalle become players.

We will let the weather dictate our plan of attack.

When winds are tolerable and East Bay is green, you can bet we will be drifting deep shell or wading Drull’s, Long, Barefoot and the Chinquapin Reefs. If southerly breezes stiffen, the south shoreline of West Bay holds clean water over all that shoal grass.

Few things rival an afternoon wade with a consistently bent rod while dodging late migrating teal in cobalt plumage.

TSFMAG.com | 83

CaPt. shEllIE GRaY

mID-Coast BaYs With the Grays

Port O'Connor Seadrift

Captain Gary and Captain Shellie Gray fi sh year-round for trout and redfi sh in the Port O’Connor/ Seadrift area. Gary started his Bay Rat Guide Service 20 years ago.

The Grays specialize in wade and drift fi shing with artifi cial lures.

Gary and Shellie also team up to fi sh many tournaments.

telephone 361-785-6708 email Gary@BayRat.com website www.bayratguideservice.com

March fi shing along the middle coast has been nothing short of great! We’ve had our standard gusty winds all month, the only diff erence this year is the unusual amount of northwest. When this happens we are dealing with much lower tide levels due to the water being pushed out of our bays to the Gulf.

Fishermen see this ultra-low water situation from two perspectives. One group says, “Man, I can’t get into here or there and I will have to fi sh the shorelines of the main bay system or in a channel somewhere.” The other group says, “Yippee! This water level will congregate the fi sh into deeper depressions on shorelines and in the back lakes.”

I belong to the latter group. I would rather fi sh a tide two feet below normal than one eight inches above. If you use your head you can catch fi sh in either situation, but with a lower than normal tide the fi sh congregate into larger schools waiting for the water to rise so they can get back to their normal haunts.

Ever since the tide fell out back in January we have been concentrating our wades on bay shorelines such as Blackberry Island, Dewberry

Island and the south shore of San Antonio Bay. The location is usually decided by wind direction and velocity. There was always a common denominator – we found fi sh stacked near channels or sloughs leading into backcountry lakes and marshes.

What I feel happens is as the water starts to fall the

Team Salt Life:

Cameron Kirkconnell

84 | April 2013

I found this trickle of a slough absolutely full of redfi sh; trapped by rapidly receding water during an exceptionally strong norther.

majority of the fi sh follow the current out into the bay and hold there waiting for the tide to come back in. Granted, there are always a few fi sh that lag behind the falling water and end up getting trapped in the back lakes or the cuts that lead to the bay. I personally have found hundreds of reds trapped in a small creek no more than three feet wide and fi fty feet in length. I would hate to think what could happen if a fi sherman with no conscience came across them. So if you happen across fi sh that are trapped, please keep it to yourself. You may trust the one you told but little slips here and there could surely put these fi sh in danger. Okay enough of that; let’s get back to fi shing.

My top lure recently when fi shing these shore-bound fi sh was the 4” Bass Assassin Sea Shad in the bone diamond and sand trout colors.

I rigged these on the Bass Assassin 1/16 ounce screwlock jig heads.

Most of the fi sh were available for catching on sight-casts. For the rest we would throw at nervous water or around schools of mullet.

The same or similar scenarios can also be played from the boat.

During the month of December I had quite a few trips where the guys decided to stay in the boat. With my trusty Minn Kota trolling motor on the bow of my 24’ Shallow Sport we would sneak to within casting range, tossing lures to the individual fi sh or into any kind of nervous water we would see. When someone would hook up I would stick the Power Pole and fi ght the fi sh, usually while the angler was fi ghting his fi sh another guy would hook up which made for lots of happy clients.

More than once they would exclaim, “That was so cool, I have always wanted to sight-cast to a fi sh like that!”

When our winds did calm down the reefs in the middle of San Antonio Bay produced well for the guys happy with keeper trout, but plan on a ratio of about one keeper to every fi fteen undersized. For this reason I try to put my waders in locations where they are more likely to catch heavier trout and possibly even a trophy.

Locations such as a back lake drain with a depression where it meets the main bay or main bay coves that have a lot of grass and other structure such as mud bars and holes or even a little scattered shell.

As of mid-March Shellie and I will be using Waterloo Rods. I have always admired the Waterloo line and how Jimmy Burns is usually one step ahead of the competition. I will be using the HP Lite 6’7” medium-light action because, as you know, I’m a soft plastic guy at heart. Even though medium-light, this rod has a fast action with enough stuff to also launch my She Dogs way out there.

Fish hard, fi sh smart!

TSFMAG.com | 85

DaVID RoWsEY

hooKED uP WIth Rowsey

A wind advisory was in aff ect for today’s fi shing charter and it proved to be well founded. The front Upper hit us around 9:00 AM with as vicious a wind as I have had to boat in for quite some time. The good news Laguna/ was the pre-front bite was awesome and we took full Baffin advantage, catching (but not killing) easy limits of trout up to fi ve pounds. We made an attempt to do a second wade in sustained 35 north wind, catching a few dinks before we cried Uncle and headed back David Rowsey has 20 years to the safety of Bluff ’s Landing Marina. Spring winds experience in the Laguna/Baffi n in Baffi n Bay will humble even the saltiest of grinders. region; trophy trout with artifi cial Y’all be safe out there. lures is his specialty. David has a April is here, and I’m glad to have her back. April great passion for conservation and encourages catch and was very kind to me last year and proved to be the release of trophy fi sh. fi shiest month of 2012. February and March of 2013 have already been great months (weather permitting), telephone but I will be looking forward to greener waters as 361-960-0340 spring tides should be entering the bay around website www.DavidRowsey.com April 25 (full moon) and I am hopeful for a repeat email performance of 2012. A strong tidal push from the david.rowsey@yahoo.com direction of Port Mansfi eld is much needed to help put

86 | April 2013

a dent in the ongoing brown tide that we have been battling for a year now. Spring tides will not cure the problem but will defi nitely aid in bringing down the salinity count of Baffi n and bring some new fi sh into the bay. This month has always been one of the fi shiest for me - for many years.

My favorite byproduct of big April tides is the amount of baitfi sh that will fl ood our bay system.

After a long winter without much of it around to be seen, morning “eye candy” of fl ipping mullet, shad and shrimp will be almost as exciting to me as setting the hook on a big trout. The anticipation of what is under the bait will give the knowing angler buck fever.

Every cast along the edges of structure where the bait is stacked holds the potential for personal best catches, as well as many solid thumps at the end of the line. The big rush of water will also open up many more areas of potential to fi sh. Having a solid stretch of shoreline fi lled with bait, and fewer peering eyes practicing the “bent pole” pattern of fi shing strategy, is something I hope for every day. The distribution of

baitfi sh throughout the bay in April will certainly provide for those kinds of opportunities.

Patterns are pretty straight forward in April. Utilizing the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), the bait and fi sh will be traveling down this virtual highway to areas of comfort like spoil islands,

Dennis Charleton enters the 30� club with this personal best. She was released and a replica is in the making.

shorelines, and large fl ats that off er both cover for hiding, and sand for hunting. The many little side drains that connect the ICW to the fl ats are going to be major ambush spots during April. From these drains the bait and predators will start to scatter, and this is when the hunting really begins. Your eyes are going to be 50% of the hunt for you and a good pair of polarized glasses (Maui Jim brand for me) are as important as the rod and reel. When you are coming into an area that you think you may want to make a wade, stop the boat way out from the fi nal destination and just view from afar for a few minutes. To be successful you need to see two things: bait and structure. The bait part is obvious but the structure could be many things - potholes in the grass, grass lines snaking across sandy fl ats, large or small dropoff s on fl ats, rock piles, etc. The bottom line is that trout need ambush spots to hunt successfully. Combine these hunting grounds with an ample food source and April could be your best month of the year.

A more consistent topwater bite will begin this month. My go-to topwater this season will most likely be the MirrOlure She Dog, with the occasional He Dog mixed in. Colors will be chosen based up on water clarity, bright and loud in the off -colored water and more natural patterns in the clearer stuff . This color selection also applies to the 5� Bass Assassins I am never without. With the infl uence of shad invading the bay, the MirrOlure Paul Brown Original Fat Boy and the MirrOdine XL will be getting lots of play time at the end of my line.

Remember the buff alo! -Capt. David Rowsey

TSFMAG.com | 87

CaPt. tRICIa

tRICIa’s Mansfield Report It’s always an adventure anytime we go fi shing and this past month brought more than a few challenges. We had several excellent days along with the normal good ones but there will always be those unexplainably tough ones in the mix. If it was always easy lots of little Port girls like me would do it for a living – LOL! Patterns are Mansfield stabilizing and I hope the early signs of spring continue to develop and give us great fi shing.

Over the past month we often found conditions requiring extra creativity. We saw some of the Capt. Tricia’s Skinny Water lowest tides I’ve ever witnessed and many surprises Adventures operates out of appeared that I never knew existed – good and bad!

Port Mansfi eld, specializing in Thankfully my Haynie Cat has enabled me to get wadefi shing with artifi cial lures. around where few boats could go. Most everybody understands that low tides concentrate fi sh in telephone deeper depressions on the fl ats and naturally we 956-642-7298 took advantage when we could. Finding them wasn’t email always easy though and some days I was amazed to shell@granderiver.net fi nd trout (big trout) and redfi sh cruising chilly, ultrawebsite www.SkinnyWaterAdventures.com skinny fl ats. I never would have believed it if I hadn’t seen it. Unfortunately, they were sometimes in water too shallow to off er much opportunity.

Another challenge was a series of strong fronts

88 | April 2013

followed almost immediately by equally strong southern blows. The lack of recovery time in-between makes for tough fi shing; mostly tide level and clarity related, so we just had to go on faith and other subtle signs, some days were luckier than others. Believe it or not we actually had several great topwater days through all that craziness.

We found some of our best trout in shin-deep

water, especially during warming periods after strong northers. The more sun we had the more they pulled up and ate for us. Strangely though, many of our better bites came later in the day. Few will stay as long as we do, but if you gave up early you often gave up disappointedly. If we want to catch in addition to a long day of casting practice, you sometimes have to be willing to invest those “extended” eff orts. Bottom line to this is that big trout can be very picky and never expect anything normal going into full moon.

Several things seem to be arriving earlier than expected this year. Along with our town deer shedding antlers early we have been seeing trout with egg development coming weeks ahead of schedule.

Another clue of an early spring has been schools of cownose rays, skipjacks, and an uncommon number of shrimp popping from the grass while wading. Stingrays also seem more numerous than I ever recall for early March.

Thus far we’ve caught no nine or ten pound trout although we have been able to get our clients on a decent number of heavy sevens and solid eights. There has been no hard and fast rule bait-wise for these better trout, everything from tails to Corkys and a few on top depending on the water depths and conditions. You just

have to go with whatever seems to be working at the moment.

Redfi sh have been fairly plentiful. We’ve seen legal fi sh (within the slot) pushing ten pounds, something you don’t see often, and when you found one or two you usually found a school. More good news is the number of eighteen to twenty inchers in the system, and being that they can grow an inch per month under good conditions, I say look out for super late-summer and fall fi shing!

By the time you read this spring should have already bust wide open. Spring equinox occurs on March 20 which should bring quite a bit more water and many new areas to explore. Look for lots of trout and reds on the sand-grass fl ats along the east side of the Laguna and also bunched on the ICW spoils. Rapidly developing grass will improve windy day clarity which gives lots of options. Hopefully the north wind will soon become infrequent with south/southeast more of the norm.

Sometime during the month of April we should be able to shed our waders until next fall – Yay! We will have to battle what seems endless spring wind at times but the bottom line is that if you don’t go you won’t know. With the increasing amount of bait we see daily in the Laguna and the big fi sh we have seen recently on the fl ats we should be set for excellent spring and early summer fi shing.

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CaPt. ERnEst CIsnERos

south PaDRE Fishing Scene

A rr oyo C olorado t o Port I sabel

A Brownsville-area native, Capt. Ernest Cisneros fi shes the Lower Laguna Madre from Port Mansfi eld to Port Isabel.

Ernest specializes in wading and poled skiff adventures for snook, trout, and redfi sh.

Cell 956-266-6454 website www.tightlinescharters.com

“Go fl y a kite!” – I know everybody has heard that one at least a thousand times.

I loved April’s perfect kite-fl ying wind as a kid but as a fi shing guide I have diff erent thoughts. Extreme windy conditions complicate fi shing plans, sometimes to the point of having to cancel trips scheduled months in advance, as has happened on several occasions recently. Even though April’s wind will be predominantly southerly, anything stronger than sustained 25 mph can whip bay water into chocolate foam. We will see a notable increase in both water temperature and water level this month along with increased feeding activity, all good, but the problem will be one of fi nding decent clarity after mid-morning.

Redfi sh catches have been inconsistent over the past month, better than we saw during late-summer and throughout the fall, but still not what we hope for.

Our best redfi sh days have been during cooler weather patterns and low tides as these fi sh become more predictable and can be found hanging around edges of deeper pockets. Hopefully as the tides increase we will fi nd them in smaller groups but more generally distributed across the fl ats. We are beginning to see increasing numbers of shrimp in backwater areas and

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this usually means that good afternoon and evening tailing action won’t be far behind. I never pass on small batches of gulls hovering low over shallow fl ats as this is a sure sign that reds are pushing shrimp to the surface.

My favorite baits for tailing reds are the Kelley Wiggler ball-tail shads and paddle-tails. Lure color isn’t usually as important as getting it in front of them. Never cast into the middle of a school or small group. If you cannot see the fi sh, trust the birds to tell you the direction they’re

FTU's Green Rod with split grip handle has worked wonders on my thumb joints, allowing me to fi sh pain-free for longer periods.

feeding and aim your cast slightly ahead or just to the side; landing a lure dead-center of the group usually spooks them and none will bite.

When you hook up, apply enough pressure to pull the fi sh away from the others as quickly as possible. A hooked fi sh bolting through the pod or school usually means you’ll catch only one whereas if you fi ght it away from the others you can have multiple chances. If by chance you scatter a tailing group, a switch to a smaller topwater will often draw a strike with its subtle surface commotion when soft plastics might go unnoticed. The Spook Jr will also draw plenty of strikes when singles and small groups are feeding along sand and grass transitions.

Moving on to trout, I would say the fi shery from the Arroyo down to South Padre is very healthy. Limits of decent keepers have been Jorge Sosa displays the size of trout we hope to fi nd as spawning activity increases in April.

predictable and fairly easy. Plastics have been best so far but I expect a good topwater bite soon with warmer water temperatures. In shallow, clear water I like the Super Spook Jr in the clear glass color. In semi-clear conditions I prefer a bone, redhead, or Okie shad. Rigging topwaters of all sizes with Gamakatsu 1/0 single live bait hooks is standard for me.

Our best trout action recently has been during stronger tide fl ows.

Back in February we were fi nding big trout schooled in depressions on the fl ats but this has not been the case since the water level, temperature, and fi shing pressure have increased. We are already seeing egg development in the trout and serious spawning activity should have begun by the time you read this. I’ve always felt that large spawning females prefer mullet and piggy perch to other forage and mullet tails protruding from their mouths is not uncommon as spawning activity increases. Keying on mullet and throwing Spook Jrs shallow and Skitter Walks in deeper water is my go-to plan for big trout in April.

In closing, I can honestly say your possibility of catching a trout of magnum proportions defi nitely increases during the month of April. Don’t expect it to be easy though; it will take determination and patience as I mentioned in last month’s article. Think protected shorelines and sheltered coves with grassy bottom. With April’s wind you can bet that fi shing the leeward side of shorelines might be your only option when it really gets to howling and this limits our fi shing territory. Being pinned down to smaller areas of good water clarity can really test your patience.

Look at April this way; if it’s too windy to get out and if a big spawning trophy could talk, she would probably say, “Go fl y a kite!” Best fi shing to you this spring!

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FISHING REPORTS

Lake Calcasieu Louisiana Jeff and Mary Poe - Big Lake Guide Service - 337.598.3268 Water temperatures are on the rise, and our catch totals are too. April is great for topwater action. West Cove, Joe's Cove, and the south bank of Calcasieu provide excellent opportunities to catch lots of large trout. As is the cast throughout most of the transitional season of spring, the fish are always on the move. Just because you caught them at a particular location the day or week before, does not mean they will be there today. Other times it's chaotic because you are in an area that is loaded with fish and you are able to hit school after school.

Predominant southerly winds will force you onto the southern bank of whatever bay you choose to fish. Look for slicks; April is when trout and reds really start slicking hard. While running, scan known reefs and look for the oiliest slicks. Approach them quietly from upwind.

Throw soft plastics on quarter-ounce jigheads mostly, but topwater lures also work very well when thrown around reefs where lots of oily slicks are popping and spreading.

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 Various patterns have been working for James lately. “The water is salty everywhere, so the fish are scattered throughout the bay complex.

When we're drifting, we are doing really good late in the afternoons.

The other day, we had full limits of trout in about an hour and a half

92 | April 2013

ORECASTS F from Big Lake to Boca Chica

AND

while the sun was going down. Wading has been good too. We are using a bunch of different lures successfully. Mostly, the best retrieve has been a straight reel, with no twitching. We're using Sea Shads, Corkies, 51 MirrOlures and soft plastics rigged on Bass Assassin flutter jigheads. The redfish action has been hot and heavy, with limits most every day. We'll continue to see similar patterns working as we move into the spring. Both wading and drifting should be good. East Bay normally picks up in April. It can be especially good when onshore winds are blowing pretty hard. As long as we don't get any heavy rains, we'll be able to catch 'em wherever we want to. Trinity Bay has been good lately for the drifters and it should be next month too.”

Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054 Fishing had been excellent in the days leading up to this report, Jim says. “We're having lots of days when we're catching plenty of two to five pound trout. Mostly, I've been leaving the dock in the middle of the day and fishing through the afternoon into the night. Best bite has been right before the fronts hit, during the last couple of hours of daylight and the first part of the night, especially when the tide is coming in during that time. I stuck one trout that weighed a little over eight pounds a short while ago, and we've had a bunch of solid fours and fives. Best bite has been on slow sinking twitch baits like Corkies, Catch 2000s and Maniac Mullets. Wading is the best way to make best use of lures like that. I've heard of some other guys having a good

topwater bite at times, but I've been sticking with the sinking lures.

We've had a couple of pretty strong fronts lately that have cooled the water down some. During April, we should see the consistency of the bite improve, and topwaters should be working well most of the time.” west Galveston - bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate bays randall Groves - Groves Guide Service 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 Randall was happy to have his new JH Performance 240 boat when we talked. “I love my new boat; it's the best one I've ever had. Really slick, all black. Fishing has been good lately, nothing spectacular, but steady. As always, the weather has been playing a big role in our productivity. The fronts have been coming through one after the other, so the water in the bay goes up and down and in and out over a pretty extreme range. Around here, the southeast wind provides a real boost to the bays. When the wind is blowing water in from the Gulf, the fi shing picks up. When a northwest wind blows the water out, it is tougher. We are catching fi sh out of the boat some and also by wading. If we're fi shing out of the boat, we're doing best with Norton Sand Shad Juniors in the tequila rock color. We're staying in areas about three to fi ve feet deep with a mix of mud and shell on the bottom. If we're wading, we're throwing Corkies and topwaters more of the time. Our best trout lately have bitten the Corkies. The wading should get better in April.”

Matagorda | tommy Countz bay Guide Service - 979.863.7553 cell 281.450.4037 As usual, Tommy mentions plenty of productive patterns which should be available in the Matagorda area in April. “I like to fi sh the south shoreline of West Bay most of the time. Over there, we'll key on the shoreline grass beds throwing small topwaters like Spook Juniors and Baby Skitterwalks early. As the morning progresses, we normally

work the feeder guts leading into the coves as the fi sh move in and out. Later in the day, we often switch over to eighth-ounce jigheads and dark soft plastics like black magic and chicken on a chain and work the outer bars and grass beds, casting along the drop off s. East Bay can be great in April too, especially when winds are lighter and allow us to get out on the mid-bay reefs. We'll throw a lot of Corkies and some topwaters when wading the reefs. If we are fi shing out of the boat, we'll switch over to soft plastics on heavier jigheads and drag them along the bottom, ticking the shell. If most of the water is really clear, we'll look for mud streaks which are holding plenty of bait fi sh.” palacios | Capt. aaron wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 When the wind isn't blowing a gale, we are catching tons of fi sh.

Unusually warm water temperatures have an early-season topwater bite established full force in our area. We have been focusing on scattered shell and mud in areas with water depths ranging from one to three feet, and of course fi shing areas with concentrations of bait. All diff erent types of topwaters have been successful lately: Skitterwalks in pearl, pink/silver, and blue/orange; ShePups in black/ gold/orange and bone/silver; and fi nally Spook Juniors in bone/fl ash, white/redhead, and chrome. Varying retrieves have worked best, sometimes slow, other times fast. Trout have been tougher to pattern.

Some days we are catching them over shell with the reds, but some days we fi nd them in the deeper water. Night fi shing has been a bonus lately. Lots of good eating-sized specks and sand trout have been coming out of the Tres Palacios River at night, with best lures being tandem rigged beetles in glow and pink.

TSFMAG.com | 93

port o’Connor | Lynn Smith back bay Guide Service - 361.983.4434 Lynn was out at the fi shing show in Houston at the time of this report, but he expects to be on the water a lot in April.

“Fishing should be ON in April,” he predicts. “We'll be fi shing along shorelines in shallow water, throwing at sandy pockets in the grass beds. I will be using topwaters most of the time. I especially like the Super Spook Junior in the white with chartreuse head. It's my favorite topwater of all. We'll also throw the black/chartreuse head SheDog some of the time. If it's not a topwater thing, we will fall back on soft plastics mostly. I like to throw the Norton Bull Minnow in the red colors, with some metal fl ake in them. The Bull Minnow has done a lot of damage for me over the years. It's a big lure with a lot of action built into it. Works especially well when we have a bunch of glass minnows out there. When we do, I also use clear soft plastics with silver fl ake in them and chartreuse tails. We'll be trying to catch some of our best trout of the year. The key is to stay shallow along shorelines which are holding a lot of bait.” rockport | blake Muirhead Gator trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894 Fishing in the Rockport area has been good lately, and Blake expects the run to continue into April, though the productive patterns will likely change somewhat. “April is kind of a transition month. I will be fi shing in all of the area bays this month, from San Antonio to St. Charles, Aransas, Mesquite and Corpus Bay. I'll mostly be wading with artifi cial lures, targeting shorelines with more sand than mud and abundant grass beds. We'll throw topwaters as much as we can, Super Spooks mostly. If the weather is good and the blow ups are coming steadily, we usually catch some of our biggest trout of the year this month. If conditions are tougher and the bites are harder to get on

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the fl oating plugs, we won't hesitate to switch over to soft plastics. I generally stick with the same ones, specifi cally Norton Sand Eels in dark colors like plum and pumpkinseed with chartreuse tails. They should be cast at bright sandy spots within the grass beds. Overall, we seem set up for a good spring run on both trout and redfi sh.” upper Laguna Madre - baffin bay - Land Cut robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 I really like the month of April because the weather is usually consistently suitable for fi shing. The air and water temperatures are on the rise, and so are the trout and reds, as they come up into shallower water. This month is when, on the average, the trout are heaviest, according to the Parks and Wildlife’s gill net surveys. The trout are getting ready to spawn, and they become very aggressive, so make sure your Power Pro and shock leader are in good order. Look for the fi sh along shallow grass lines and around rock formations, also in areas with scattered potholes. Make sure the hooks are sharp on the bone and natural-colored MirrOlure SheDogs. This is also the time to use your “confi dence” lure, the one you would use if you could only use one. For me, it is the Bass Assassin Die Dapper in the color chartreuse dog. The Berkley Ripple Mullet will work very well in the color bone/chartreuse. Since these plastics are heavy, I rig them up on sixteenth-ounce Assassin Spring Lock jigheads and retrieve them at medium speeds.

Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.937.5961 Spring time is Land Cut time, Joe says. “I'm hoping the Land Cut will be good in April. As of right now, the water quality down there is not perfect, but often, when the spring wind gets to cranking daily out of the southeast, clear water is pushed in from the south, and the fi shing gets fast and easy. If that's the case, and we get a push of good water in The Cut, I'll be fi shing there on most days. The drill is pretty simple

really. It's important to use the trolling motor and drift anchor to keep the boat the right distance from the edge of the ditch. Casts should be made to the ledge, since most of the fish hang pretty close to the drop off. If topwaters are used, the lure should land on the shallow grass near the edge and the lure worked over the drop off. If soft plastics are used, the lure should be cast where it lands within a few feet of the visible grass, so it can be worked in close proximity to the ledge. The more the wind blows, heavier jigheads will be necessary to keep the lures in the right place, sometimes up to half-ounce ones.”

Padre Island National Seashore Billy Sandifer - Padre Island Safaris - 361.937.8446 It’s all about what the winds and tides are doing and how much sargassum is present during April. It is absolutely wonderful for naturalists as there are high numbers of birds and seashells present.

Jack crevalle will patrol the beachfront and bull and blacktipped sharks are usually in good supply quite close to the beach. Often they can be caught quicker on cast baits than kayaked ones. Bottom fishing flourishes in April with most of the effort being natural bait fishing for redfish, black drum, pompano and whiting. There are few trout in the surf this early and it’s also early for Spanish mackerel and ladyfish.

Every now and then large shoals of little tunney are available and this is a treat not to be missed. Use Manno and other small silver lures or speck rigs to entice the tunney. Fresh peeled shrimp and “Fishbites” will produce the greatest majority of fish. Keep an eye on the weather and don’t go down island if a cold front is forecast. Good Fishin’ -Capt. Billy Port Mansfield | Terry Neal www.terrynealcharters.com – 956.944.2559 Good news! Port Mansfield anglers can now get gasoline on the water at Poco Loco Dock (the old Port Mansfield Marina on the north side) and also the Exxon station on TX-186 at the edge of town. More

good news – We now have one of the strangest winter seasons on record behind us and things are really shaping up. A recent university study reveals the Lower Laguna Madre holds excellent populations of species such as brown shrimp, croaker, shad and mullet – all vital to the continued health of our trout, redfish and flounder. Fishing will continue to improve as water warms and tide levels increase. For now we are still working the edges of deeper water but the move to the flats has certainly begun although cloudy and cooler days will drive them temporarily back to the depths. Please take care when releasing undersize trout and please also consider releasing trophy fish. The future of our fishery depends upon their spawning success. Snapper headboats continue to bring in nice catches. Keep what you will eat fresh and release the rest!

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Janie and Fred Petty – www.fishingwithpettys.com – 956.943.2747 We’ve been battling fierce, forty-knot post-front winds, following southeast gusts which are just as strong. All this wind has made for muddy conditions, but we’re still able to pluck some nice reds and trout out of the silty waters, throwing Cajun Thunder round corks with Berkley Gulp! three-inch shrimp on quarter-ounce Norton Lock jigheads. About half the redfish we’re boating are at the lower end of the limit size, but we’ll get one or two days a week where our catch consists of the top-enders, with the addition of an oversize. Two stand-out trophy reds over forty inches were boated during those dead calm periods when the wind is switching around to the north and silt blooms are visible in the shallows. Freddy says, “The upcoming spring season is usually associated with windy conditions, however, it can’t get a whole lot worse than what we’ve been dealing with already, so we’re planning to stick with what’s been working.” Help stop open bay dredge disposal.

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TSFMAG.com | 95

Taylor Anderson & Jake Ehlinger Sargent - bull red

Jacob Clarke Sargent - black drum

Grzegorz Mentelis San Luis Pass - redfi sh

Ernesto Flores South Padre - 25” redfi sh 96 | April 2013

Jada Clarke Sargent - sheepshead

Frank Sanchez, Jr. Arroyo City - 28” trout

Jason Estridge Galveston - 26” fl ounder

Bill Berry Espiritu Santo Bay - jack

Chen Chiang Bolivar Peninsula - 28” redfi sh

Jim Boyd Chocolate Bay - 39” 25lb red

Glen Janow Matagorda - 26” personal best trout!

Erika Vela Salt Water Bay - 26” red

Wes Jones Matagorda - 30” 9.6lb trout

Debbie Vasquez Shaw Port O’Connor - 27.5” fi rst red!

Riley Sellers Port Neches - 24” fi rst redfi sh!

Anthony Rather POC - 26” trout

Ed Hanzik Matagorda - 45” bull red

Rachel redfi sh, caught while kayaking

Gus & Brodie Focke Clear Lake - 18” fl ounder

Stuart Hanzik Matagorda - 50lb drum

Chad Marrs Port O’Connor - 44” bull red Bob Wight St. Charles Bay - 26” trout CPR

Rick Tamez Laguna Madre - 30” redfi sh

Doug Ramsey Sabine Lake

Please do not write on the back of photos.

Email photos with a description of your Catch of the Month to: Photos@tsfmag.com

Madeline Renee Tidwell Lake Jackson - fi rst fi sh!

Clare Sutherland Freeport - fi rst cobia!

Mail photos to: TSFMag P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 TSFMAG.com | 97

Pam Johnson

Gulf Coast Kitchen Rosemary-Peppercorn Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimp

Got ideas, hints or recipes you’d like to share?

Email them to pam@tsfmag.com or send by fax: 361-785-2844

1 pound of shrimp ¼ cup olive oil 2 Tbsps Rosemary – finely chopped 2 Tbsps crushed black pepper 2 pkg prosciutto ham

Peel, devein and butterfly shrimp, leave tails on. Set aside.

Mix together; olive oil, rosemary and black pepper. Dredge prepared shrimp generously in oil-seasoning mixture. Wrap each shrimp with prosciutto ham and place on skewer.

Place over medium-hot mesquite charcoal in BBQ pit and cook until done, approx. 5 minutes per side.

Great as appetizers or entrée.

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fIshInG REtREats

2013 Catalog_Sampo 9/17/12 11:26 AM Page 1

t Chris Mapp’s Boa s Maintenance Tip

Preventing Lower Unit Gearcase Failure We have seen quite a few lower unit gearcase failures in recent months and the majority of these could have been avoided with better Rounded understanding of how the shoulders on gearcase works. clutch dog Shifting from neutral into teeth caused by improper forward or reverse is usually shifting. done without thinking but the way it is done is very important, and a crisp shifting motion is the best. A single lever binnacle control (combination shifter and throttle control) is designed with 5° of travel between the in-gear positions and throttle engagement and this allows the operator to advance the throttle carefully after the shift is made. The operator that gently nudges the lever during shifting for fear of “goosing” the throttle could be unknowingly creating premature wear and damage.

Shifting too slowly into and out of gear produces a “bumping” effect on the clutch dog and also the forward or reverse gears. This can sometimes sound like “ratcheting.” A crisp shift produces only a clean “click” when the gears engage. Every audible bump-bumpbump or ratcheting sound is taking metal off the square edges designed into the gear teeth. The accompanying photos show rounding of clutch dog teeth that slow shifting creates – a primary reason for difficulty shifting into forward or reverse.

The second most destructive thing you can do to your lower unit is grinding through sand and oyster shell. The prop in the photo has a bent blade and has been sharpened by sand. The broken gear teeth are a direct result of this and the part you can’t see is the bent prop shaft, which is a huge indicator of trouble ahead.

Pay attention to your prop, check frequently for deep nicks, gouges and bent blades. Spin it and check for wobbling, (watch the sharp tips.) Have it inspected immediately if it does not run true.

Change lower unit lube every six months and pull the prop and check for fishing line wrapped on the shaft every month.

Prop damage… but that’s not all!

Since 1957

119 Remsen Rd PO Box 328 Barneveld, NY 13304 315-896-2606 sampoinc@dreamscape.com www.sampoinc.com

Note broken teeth on drive gear caused by oyster reef.

Have a great season!

Chris Mapp Coastal Bend Marine, Port O’Connor, TX coastalbendmarine.com TSFMAG.com | 101

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galveston tides & Solunar Table Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine April 2013

The BEST Choice‌ Any Place, Anytime!

To find a location near you, please visit us at www.speedystop.com

Tidal Corrections Location Calcasieu Pass, La. Sabine Bank Lighthouse Sabine Pass (jetty) Sabine Pass Mesquite Point Galveston Bay (S. jetty) Port Bolivar Texas City, Turning Basin Eagle Point Clear Lake Morgans Point Round Point, Trinity Bay Point Barrow, Trinity Bay Gilchrist, East Bay Jamaica Beach, Trinity Bay Christmas Point Galveston Pleasure Pier San Luis Pass Freeport Harbor

High -2:14 -1:46 -1:26 -1:00 -0:04 -0:39 +0:14 +0:33 +3:54 +6:05 +10:21 +10:39 +5:48 +3:16 +2:38 +2:39 +2:32 -0:09 -0:44

Low -1:24 -1:31 -1:31 -1:15 -0:25 -1:05 -0:06 +0:41 +4:15 +6:40 +5:19 +5:15 +4:43 +4:18 +3:31 +2:38 +2:33 +2:31 -0:09

For other locations, i.e. Port O’Connor, Port Aransas, Corpus Christi and Port Isabel please refer to the charts displayed below.

Please note that the tides listed in this table are for the Galveston Channel. The Tidal Corrections can be applied to the areas affected by the Galveston tide.

Minor Feeding Periods are in green, coinciding with the moon on the horizon, and the last from 1.0 to 1.5 hrs after the moon rise or before moon set.

Major Feeding Periods are in orange, about 1.0 to 1.5 hrs either side of the moon directly overhead or underfoot.

Many variables encourage active feeding current flow (whether wind or tidal driven), changes in water temp & weather, moon phases, etc. Combine as many as possible for a better chance at an exceptional day. Find concentrations of bait set up during a good time frame, and enjoy the results.

Te x a s S a l t w a t e r F i s h i n g M a g a z i n e l

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