April 2016

ERIC OZOLINS PAGE 72

April 2016 Only $3.95

TSFMAG.COM

TIDE PREDICTIONS & SOLUNAR FEED TIMES INSIDE!

ri featu w no

ng ar two

rk b y

W E B R E A T H E B L U E WA T E R 800.606.4003 · denaliperformance.com

ProtectUV® Mega Solar 50+

®

about the Cover Eric Ozolins snapped the shutter on the amazing underwater image on this month’s cover. His story on page -- covers all the exciting details.

April 2016 VOL 25 NO 12

Contents

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

10 Guidelines for Choosing a GOOD Fishing Guide 16 The Fallback Strategy 22 Douglas Sellers is Going Fishing - Part Ii 26 Cabin Fever Cure 30 Ponder the Push Pole

36 Let’s Ask The Pro 42 Shallow Water Fishing 46 TPWD Field Notes 50 Fly Fishing 56 Kayak Fishing Chronicles 60 TSFMag Conservation News 64 Fishy Facts 68 Inshore | Nearshore | Jetties | Passes 72 Extreme Kayak Fishing & Sharks...

104 Science & the Sea 106 Boat Maintenance Tips

Steve Hillman Kevin Cochran Martin Strarup Chuck Uzzle Joe Richard

Jay Watkins Scott Null Mike Stahl Scott Sommerlatte Dave Roberts CCA Texas Stephanie Boyd Curtiss Cash Eric Ozolins UT Marine Science Institute Chris Mapp

30

WHAT OUR GUIDES

HAVE TO SAy

78 80 82 84 86 88 90

Dickie Colburn’s Sabine Scene The Buzz on Galveston Bay The View from Matagorda Mid-Coast Bays with the Grays Hooked up with Rowsey Capt. Tricia’s Port Mansfield Report South Padre Fishing Scene

6 | April 2016

Dickie Colburn Caleb Harp Bink Grimes Gary Gray David Rowsey Capt. Tricia Ernest Cisneros

50

REGULARS

90

08 Editorial 76 New Tackle & Gear 92 Fishing Reports and Forecasts 100 Catch of the Month 102 Gulf Coast Kitchen

102

Editor and Publisher Everett Johnson Everett@tsfmag.com VICE PRESIDENT PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Pam Johnson Pam@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-550-9918 National sales representative Bart Manganiello Bartalm@optonline.net regional sales representative Patti Elkins Patti@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-649-2265 PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Donna Boyd Donna@tsfmag.com Circulation Subscription – product sales Linda Curry Store@tsfmag.com Design & Layout Stephanie Boyd Artwork@tsfmag.com Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine is published monthly.

Subscription Rates: One Year (Free Emag with Hard Copy) Subscription $25.00 E-MAG (electronic version) is available for $12.00 per year.

Order on-line: www.tsfmag.com Make checks payable to: Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine Attn: Subscriptions P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 * Subscribers are responsible for submitting all address changes and renewals by the 10th of the prior month’s issue.

Email store@tsfmag.com for all address changes or please call 361-785-3420 from 8am - 4:30pm. The U.S. Postal Service does not guarantee magazines will be forwarded. how to contact tsfmag: Phone: 361-785-3420 fax: 361-785-2844 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 Physical Address: 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, TX 77983 Web: www.TSFMAG.com photo gallery: photos@tsfmag.com Printed in the USA. Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine (ISSN 1935-9586) is published monthly by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, Texas 77983 l P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 © Copyright 1990 All rights reserved. Positively nothing in this publication may be reprinted or reproduced. *Views expressed by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine contributors do not necessarily express the views of Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine.

Periodical class permit (USPS# 024353) paid at Victoria, TX 77901 and additional offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983.

EDITORIAL

On Stewardship & Sporting Ethic

When we first began publishing, our primary mission was to provide the absolute best and most educational fishing content available on our coast. Along with equipping anglers to become more successful in their angling pursuits, we have also been dedicated to the mission of promoting conservation of coastal resources and sporting ethic. Bottom line has always been that if we are to teach fishermen to catch more fish we also need to teach them to be good stewards of the fisheries they enjoy, and good citizens on the water.

I do not often use this column to discuss this publication or its content but I will make an exception this month as I point out three pieces I feel are highly exemplary of TSFMag writers “walking the walk.”

First is our cover story. Eric “Oz” Ozolins has distinguished himself as a master surf angler and one of Texas’s best shark fishermen of all time. Oz’s skill in targeting and landing sharks from Texas beaches has grown legendary in a relatively short span of years, ditto his dedication to catch and release ethic that has helped shape the modern-day mantra of shark angling in Texas. Oz’s account of assisting in the capture-tagging-release of a mako to enable marine research at Harte Institute is highly notable in my view.

Next is Jay Watkins. Jay began his career as a fishing guide in the late-70s and distinguished himself along the way as one of the most talented and successful to ever advertise his services. Jay’s achievements in competitive angling—as a guide, tourney partner, and individual angler—are equally impressive. To paraphrase Bum

8 | April 2016

Phillips referring to Earl Campbell—If Jay’s not at the head of the class it doesn’t take long to call the roll. Through his monthly Ask the Pro column Jay explains fishing strategies and tactics in his unique and sometimes humorous style. This month he gives us a serious, introspective look into the fundamental elements of his personal sporting ethic and the many anglers and guides who he believes have contributed to his career.

Ernest Cisneros has been with TSFMag for at least a decade and I have fished many days on his boat. Perhaps his most endearing quality is his humble nature. Ernest is a true gentleman and one of the finest stewards of coastal resources I have ever met. My first day on the water with Ernest was a snook trip and while we discussed details on the telephone he said, “I hope you will understand, all my snook charters are catch and release only.” And this was fine with me. How Ernest has managed a 130-150 day-per-year charter business while holding down a full-time teaching job is testament to his incredible passion and durability. In his column this month Ernest is announcing his latest promotion of catch and release angling, a commendable endeavor that has been embraced by all the major fishing-related companies who contribute to his enterprise as sponsors.

Thank you for reading. Practice conservation and be courteous to your fellow anglers. Take a kid fishing!

STORY BY STEVE HILLMAN

D

riving in bumper to bumper traffic everyday isn’t much fun. A bad day at work increases the stress level even more, not to mention driving home in even worse traffic than you did that morning. In today’s hectic world we need an occasional reprieve from the daily grind.

Escaping the chaos by spending a day or two on the bay is one of the best antidotes. It’s therapy for the mind and soul especially when the catching is good. Some don’t have the opportunity to fish regularly because they simply don’t have enough time. It’s difficult to consistently experience successful days on the water when only making one or two trips per month. It may be beneficial to just book a guide instead.

There are hundreds of licensed fishing guides along the Texas Coast from which to choose.

Finding the right one to meet your requirements can be a difficult chore if you don’t know the right questions to ask or where to start looking. Websites and social media pages may seem like great places to start, but please keep in mind that just because a car has a shiny paint job doesn’t mean that it runs well.

It’s relatively easy to build a catchy website with the technology available these days.

Besides, most of the long-time guides that I know are too busy fishing to keep their sites updated. I’m not saying that websites are not helpful. Just be cautious. Being a full-time fishing

I know of a place where there’s less traffic and the scenery can be breathtaking.

guide requires more hours per day than most people realize. An eight hour fishing trip can equate to a 14 hour work day considering all of the pre- and post-trip responsibilities.

Most fishing guides have families, too. So there’s not much time in the evenings to post updates, reports, etc., before going to bed. One of the best ways to narrow your search is to call local marinas in the area you plan to fish. Marina personnel are around the guides every day. They know who’s credible and they often get feedback from the clients as well. You can also log onto fishing forums and ask members who they recommend. However, make sure you’re getting first-hand information from someone who has actually fished with the guide they’re recommending.

When choosing a guide it’s important to know what your needs are before even making the first phone call or sending an email. If you prefer fishing with live bait then you would obviously call one who specializes in that. Some prefer wadefishing with lures. Others only want to drift. Catching fish isn’t always the main objective. I’ve had folks book me just to learn to navigate a bay system. I always have a lot of fun on those trips because I take them to all of my buddies’ hot spots! I’m kidding of course. Regardless of your reasons for booking a guide, there are certain attributes he or she should possess.

A Good Teacher A good guide shares his knowledge and provides instruction in a genuine effort to enhance the skill levels of clients regardless of their proficiency level. Some clients are more advanced, but it’s The morning commute the guide’s responsibility to make the necessary adjustments for most is not fun! to bring out their best and provide the best opportunity to succeed. It could be something as simple as teaching a young angler how to use a baitcaster or as advanced as explaining how the dissolved oxygen level at the surface decreases due to the summer heat, causing the trout to stage near bottom where the water is cooler and the oxygen level is greater. Depending upon skill level it may take several trips to achieve desired goals. Patience is required by both guide and client. I think it’s important for the guide to explain every why, how, and “why we’re fishing here” over the course of the day. Those who’ve fished with me will tell you that I seldom stop talking. I’ve even been known to talk to myself occasionally. I view all of my clients as students with the exception of a few who have been at it so long that I feel like I learn just as much from them as they might from me. A good client is a good student, but a good guide should never pretend like he knows it all either.

Full-Time vs. Part-Time Trout in every bay system follow patterns over a twelve month period.

Many factors can cause the timing of this pattern to deviate from the norm. We’ve witnessed it here in the Galveston Bay Complex just Knowing which baits about every year since 2009, with higher than normal salinities. to employ based on Last year, excessive spring rain altered the pattern. This winter knowledge of tides, was exceptionally mild resulting in an atypical winter pattern. water temperature, etc., is the mark My customers and I actually witnessed birds working in January of a good guide. and February. As weird as that may sound I’ve witnessed it before MirrOdine XL’s worked during mild winters with the right amount of rainfall. Knowing all great on this day when of the elements that influence trout patterns comes from spending other lures wouldn’t. many days on the water. If you spend your hard-earned money on a fishing guide I would highly recommend finding a licensed, fulltime guide who is fully insured, versus one who is just running Helping them throughout the a charter every now and then to make a boat payment or doing entire process it for a tax write-off. I’m not saying there aren’t any good partpays dividends timers out there. Most of us were on both ends for Incorporating a little part-timers when we started. Just be years to come. catch and release careful when making your decision. ethic into every trip is always a good idea, regardless of anglers’ skill level.

12 | April 2016

Models

100% composite 7 year Hull warranty

Our boats are designed and built to maximize horsepower efficiency, shallow water capability, quality of ride, and fish ability.

Come design the JH model that’s right for you!

3925 FM 359 Richmond, Texas 77406 Ph: 281-238-0060

WWW.JHPERFORMANCEBOATS.COM WWW.JHPERFORMANCEBOATS.COM

TC Nash did not have to be told twice to switch to a MirrOlure!

Using the best tools for the trade shortens the learning curve.

or the weather is unsafe, heed his advice and reschedule. Also, know that you’re going to have some slow days occasionally.

Please keep in mind that he’s a fishing guide, not a fishing god. A good guide makes sure the trip is still “good” even when the catching part may be slow.

You should always walk away from a trip with more knowledge regardless of the catching outcome. If not, then your guide hasn’t fulfilled his responsibilities.

Being versatile and making adjustments based upon weather conditions, time of year, and the types of clients he has is a must. When things change he must change his approach while also explaining to his clients the reasons for doing so. He should not be one dimensional, meaning that he doesn’t get pigeon-holed into fishing the same two or three spots every day.

Lastly, a good guide helps his clients make memories and gets more satisfaction from seeing them catch fish and develop as anglers than catching fish himself. Just let me know when you’re ready to hire a fishing guide. A know a few good ones. By the way, don’t be disappointed if you visit my website. I haven’t taken time to update it in a couple of years.

Have Fun! Many trips are booked by clients who are entertaining their own clients. Some guides get too caught up in the catching part of the trip and forget about the entertainment aspect. We’re all guilty of this at times. A good guide should make every effort to create an enjoyable environment. Unless your guide’s name is Ronald Lee Ermey he should not act like a drill Kevin and David Green picked up quickly on their sergeant. Usually one can get an idea of the first trip using artificials. guide’s personality in less than five minutes on Exceptional students very the phone with him. Make sure you book a guide willing to learn! who won’t embarrass you or your customers.

They may never want to go with a guide again.

14 | April 2016

Steve Hillman

Contact

Top Notch Gear Don’t hesitate to ask questions about what kind of equipment is provided. A good guide will provide the best possible tools for his clients and will take great pride in telling you about it because he believes in the products he’s using.

There are more than a handful of good rods, reels, lures and fishing lines out there but I truly believe the following are tried and true: Waterloo Rods, Concept reels, MirrOlures and Seaguar. Better gear equates to more catching and accelerates the learning process.

If the guide you’ve contacted might feel less-than-qualified to deliver the type of trip you are seeking, he should be willing to recommend other guides who specialize in what a client desires. For example, if someone calls me to book a fly fishing trip I will not just take them so I can get paid. Being 100% honest with them is also part of the service. I will refer them to those who I consider to be experts in saltwater fly fishing. Flip through a few pages in this magazine and you’ll find some good ones.

Listen to your guide. If he tells you that the conditions are terrible

Steve Hillman is a full-time fishing guide on his home waters of Galveston Bay. Steve fishes the entire Galveston Bay Complex, wading and drifting for trout, redfish, and flounder using artificial lures.

Phone 409-256-7937 Email captsteve@hillmanguideservice.com Web www.hillmanguideservice.com

AWARD-WINNING METALOID LEVER DRAG REELS Anglers immediately recognized the inspiring power available in the Metaloid platform. This January, industry giant Big Rock Sports awarded new Metaloid blue with their Best In Show Saltwater Reel award. A huge win for Metaloid. All because Metaloid is a huge win for anglers.

okumafishing.com

STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN

F

ormulating a sound strategy provides a foundation for success in the quest for angling consistency. Working the plan thoroughly and thoughtfully further tips the odds toward a favorable outcome. Sometimes, abandoning an original blueprint for a secondary plan becomes necessary, so leaving the dock with a fallback strategy in mind increases the chances of catching consistently. Occasionally, my experiences in other activities verify truths like these The following events bear relevance to these tenets. During the 2015 fall migration, my birding buddy and I received a reliable report about a rare bird spotted on Chapman Ranch, south of Corpus Christi. We wanted to add the species to our year and life lists, because it visits Nueces County infrequently, so we headed to the location where our friend found it the day before. While we traveled to the site, we learned he had seen one earlier in the morning on the day of our visit, so we believed it would still be present.

In such a situation, patience proves invaluable. First, one should thoroughly investigate the designated location, in attempt to locate the target. Knowing that, I and my friend spent most of an hour scouring the trees, power lines and open areas immediately surrounding the old post office in “town.” We slowly patrolled the area, scanning for movement, listening for the call of the bird(s). Though we did locate several other species, some of which proved difficult to see, we could not find our Say’s phoebe.

Disappointment settled upon us as we realized the bird had moved on. Eventually, we concluded staying

within sight of the buildings at the center of town would not likely produce an encounter with our target species.

Knowing the bird had probably not flown too far yet, I elaborated a new, specific plan. My years of trophy trout fishing likely helped me formulate the idea spontaneously.

“Let’s don’t give up,” I said. “We’ve done our due diligence right here. Seems like the phoebe isn’t around anymore. The best thing we can do now is hit as many of the sweet spots we know in the immediate area. We will have our best chance of locating it in those reliable places.”

We then proceeded to a corner of a remote road which ends at a gate leading into a private part of the sprawling King Ranch. In this small space, we almost always find a “good” bird, if not two or three. A variety of species-rich habitats intersect at the spot, providing ripe opportunity on a consistent basis. A thicket of tangled brush lies on one side of the road, a wide-open expanse of marshy field on the other. Under the road runs a boggy creek, with numerous trees and bushes hanging over the shallow water.

When we pulled up to the gate that day, we made sure to move slowly, in order to give the spot time to produce in its usual manner. We kept our eyes focused on the fence lines and tree tops. Phoebes catch flying insects to eat, so they like to perch on relatively high places overlooking areas where bugs congregate. Once they spot a potential meal, they fly quickly off to chase down and catch their prey, then return to the perch to sit and eat.

The first bird we spotted proved to be a similar species, a young female vermillion flycatcher. In fact, she tricked

Though April can be a prime month

us into thinking we for topwater action, soft plastics like the MirrOlure Lil’ John XL might have found our often produce better in post-front Say’s phoebe. While conditions. The captain used such a attempting to verify worm to catch this 8.5 pounder on a the identifying features cool, breezy, bright spring day. of the vermillion, we noticed another bird atop the fence a few yards away. The pale, salmoncolored belly, dark brown back and bobbing tail matched what we expected for our phoebe. Eventually, we captured several pictures and video clips which positively identified the second bird as the one we’d come to see. The whole turn of events provided us a great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. We lingered for quite some time, attempting to properly document the encounter, knowing we might never see the species in our home county again.

I soon realized the profound connection between these events and those I experience while tracking and targeting trophy trout in my life as a fishing guide. I have noticed many connections between birding and fishing, including this need for a strong fallback strategy when a first attempt to follow up on a legitimate lead fails.

All anglers ideally benefit from the reports others give about the location of the fish they target. Anyone who’s fished more than a few times has likely experienced a situation in which they’ve gone to a specific place because someone they trust told them they had caught fish there recently. In some cases, the catching comes easily in the location, rendering the need for a back-up plan obsolete. But, on other occasions, things don’t turn out as planned.

Several factors affect the specifics of a situation in which people attempt to follow up on a report and catch fish in a location provided by someone else. The trust one has in the reliability of the report carries significance. Only Angler Tim Zbylot caught some experience can reveal the impressive specimens in April while fishing with Captain Kev. This one proved particularly photogenic.

18 | April 2016

likelihood of the veracity and accuracy of the information gained from another. Trusted friends and partners of established reputation and ability inevitably provide more specific and dependable information than casual acquaintances.

The level of detail included with the report of the events also affects the strategy. Chasing after a report which says “we caught a bunch off Green’s Cut” or “had big fish on the King Ranch Shoreline” probably won’t turn out positively on a consistent basis, but when ample details reveal the precise location of the catching of a specific number and size of fish, one can reasonably assume a higher likelihood of reproducing similar results if they get to the spot soon enough.

In the best case scenario, weather and other environmental factors create conditions similar to the ones experienced by the person providing the report. If conditions change too much, the utility of a report can easily be compromised. The passage of a cold front, dramatic changes in tide level or movement, or any significant change in wind speed or direction can render a prime location temporarily useless.

But assuming the report seems reliable, detailed enough to follow accurately, and that the conditions remain much the same as during the time-frame in which the person giving the report made the catch, a specific strategy comes clearly into play. Thoroughly and patiently attempting to repeat the catch in the precise location becomes the first order of business.

When working this original part of the plan, anglers with the most complete knowledge of the layout of the spot have the best chance for success. Such knowledge allows for targeting small-scale “sweet spots” in attempt to locate the fish. Knowing The captain sent Rick Brill to a the tendencies and/or specific strategies

specific part of the area targeted, knowing a thirty-inch specimen had been caught there a short time earlier. Rick managed to catch the same fish again, verifying both the efficacy of the strategy, and the value of catching and releasing fish!

it later, I realize it’s really learned behavior. And though I don’t have to think about such a plan in specific terms while implementing it, I know novice and beginning anglers should do so.

In order to make this fallback strategy work consistently, one must first compile a list of sweet spots which have proven track records. Doing so takes time and effort. One must also develop a sense of how long to sustain an effort in each place, acknowledging the season, weather and other environmental variables.

In fishing, relying on the fallback strategy proves more complex than in birding, without question. But the structural similarities outnumber the variations, in the end. When following up on a report in a location where someone reported catching fish recently, it pays to attempt to repeat that catch. If a thorough attempt proves fruitless, moving a short distance to a similar, proven spot makes more sense than searching for the fish randomly in unproven places.

Kevin Cochran Contact

used by the person providing the report helps too. All aspects of this can prove significant, everything from lure or lures used, presentations made with those lures, parts of the area targeted, direction and pace of movement; the more detailed the information used as basis for repetition, the higher the likelihood of repeating an outcome.

Once a thorough attempt has been made using strategies similar to the reporter without achieving the desired result, common sense dictates making systematic changes to the plan. Making slight alterations to strategy in the form of lure choice, presentation, parts of the area targeted and pace/direction of movement could all result in locating and catching the targeted fish in some cases.

If those slight alterations don’t produce bites, resorting to the fallback strategy will sometimes save the day. By this, I mean moving to a proven, productive sweet spot or spots within a reasonably short distance and deploying similar strategies in the place(s). Ideally, one or more sweet spots nearby share common defining features--water depth, proximity to shore, structures present and types of bottom cover. The one to target first would have the best long-term track record, in terms of production of the type of fish targeted in conditions similar to those in place when the reported catch was made. In this way, the birding experience I recounted does not match the angling truths, because I had never seen a Say’s phoebe in the sweet spot I chose as a back-up to the reported location of the sighting.

But after locating the species on Chapman Ranch that day in November, I realized I had operated using the same basic principles on which I rely while fishing, without really thinking about it in detail.

Because I have done this same thing so many times in a couple decades spent chasing trophy trout, the move felt like instinct to me. Analyzing

Kevin Cochran is a full-time fishing guide at Corpus Christi (Padre Island), TX. Kevin is a speckled trout fanatic and has created several books and dvds on the subject.

Kevin’s home waters stretch from Corpus Christi Bay to the Land Cut.

Trout Tracker Guide Service Phone Email Web

361-688-3714 kevxlr8@mygrande.net www.FishBaffinBay.com www.captainkevblogs.com

www.power-pole.com

20 | April 2016

Texas’ Largest RV & Boat Dealership Houston’s #1 Google-Rated Dealership

Join Us For

The Grand Opening Of Our New Location 29029 Katy Freeway / Katy, Texas 77494

Thursday, Friday & Saturday April 28th, 29th & 30th 8:30am – 6:00pm

Spin to Win

A Sabre 365MB 5th Wheel or A Blue Wave 2200 Pure Bay Door Prizes Free Hamburgers & Hot Dogs 11am `til 2pm

Double Your Chances of Winning!

Bring this ad for an extra spin on our slot machine to win your choice of our Grand Prize RV or boat.

Limit: one extra spin per customer/day

www.ronhooverhouston.com 29029 Katy Freeway Katy, Texas 77494 (281) 829-1560 Code: TSF

STORY BY MARTIN STRARUP

B

odie thought how best to approach Douglas Sellers about going fishing during his long drive home. He wondered if he’d even be able to get him to go, much less get him out of the boat and into the water for wading.

Bodie dialed Tommy on his cell phone and told him of his plans.

“Gee, Bodie, I doubt he even knows how to fish,” Tommy said to his friend.

“Well, he will after we’ve shown him how,” Bodie replied. “If I can get him to go we’re going to have to be patient and help him. Can I count on you?”

“Sure, Bodie, sure thing. But are you inviting Red? If Red’s going with us you can count me out because all he’ll do is pick on me and make me look bad in front of Mr. Sellers,” Tommy whined.

“I haven’t talked to Red yet but that is a good idea to get him to go with us.”

Bodie took Tommy’s whining as a cue to say goodbye and then dialed Red. “Say Red, I’m going to invite Douglas Sellers on a fishing trip and I’d like for you to go along to help me introduce him to wade fishing and just bay fishing in general.”

“I think it’s a great idea, Bodie, I got to know him fairly well on the drive up to Palacios when we picked up your new boat from Tran. I like him.” Red replied. “I hope Tommy’s not going, because if he is you can count me out. He embarrasses the daylights out of me,” Red growled.

“I don’t know, I haven’t called him yet so rest easy,” Bodie grinned into the phone.

“OK - Count me in then,” Red told him, “I’d love to go.”

Bodie decided to wait and call Douglas Sellers when he got home since he was going through an area of sketchy cell phone coverage. He planned the trip in his mind and almost missed the turn into the ranch.

TSFMAG.com | 23

24 | April 2016

Bodie shot him the look that says the discussion is over. “Let’s give him a chance, Tommy, it’s the least that we can do for him.”

Tommy and Bodie walked inside and grabbed an open table.

Eloisa came around the bar and brought them two cold beers, Red came over and sat down and Bodie ordered a bowl of Eloisa’s famous Scorched Earth Chili.

“I don’t know how you eat that hot chili, Bodie. The last time I had some I almost choked to death,” Tommy whined.

“I know you did, you ignorant freak of nature, and if Bodie hadn’t been there to get your cheeseburger out of your throat you would have died,” Red snarled.

Tommy glared at Red and leaned over and whispered to Bodie.

“See that’s why I don’t want him to go fishing with us.”

Bodie just nodded his head as Red leaned over and whispered in his other ear. “See, that’s why I don’t want him to go fishing with us.”

Bodie nodded again, grinning ear to ear.

The trio visited for a while, Bodie beat both of them in several games of pool and then announced that he needed to get some sleep because he had a busy day at the ranch in the morning.

When Bodie got home he pulled out a couple of Shimano reels that were like new and already tuned up and paired them with a couple of custom rods that he had won in a fishing contest. He put fresh braid on the reels and then set them aside. “Those should work for Doug; Lord knows what he might show up with the day after tomorrow,” Bodie said out loud.

Bodie was up early the next morning and didn’t take time for breakfast which was unusual. He poured coffee into a fancy new Yeti cup that he had gotten for Christmas, pressed the lid on and took off for the ranch. Placing the cup into a cup holder on the console, he placed a call to an implement company in Victoria. He spoke with a salesman who assured him that the new head gate and some other items were scheduled to deliver before noon, and then made a call to Monroe.

“Monroe is the water well in the big pasture still giving you problems?” Bodie asked his pasture manager.

“The pressure is up and down all the time, Bodie. It would be nice if we could have it checked out.” Monroe replied.

Bodie dialed another number and spoke to someone at the water well service he did business with and they too said someone would meet him at the ranch headquarters before noon. “Everyone’s going to get here at the same time, yeah right” Bodie said to himself.

Martin Strarup

Contact

Bodie met with his ranch foreman, Monroe, and went over some things. Then made some calls to order fencing materials and other things Monroe mentioned. Finishing that he headed to the house.

Once home and after unloading his gear and the ice chest of meat, he sat down to call Douglas Sellers. Bodie hesitated a few moments then made the call.

A voice answered: “Hello, this is Doug, who is calling?”

“Mr. Sellers, this is Bodie Allen calling and I hope I’m not interrupting anything important.”

“Why Bodie Allen, it’s great hearing your voice. I hope everything is going well with you, and how is that boat treating you?”

“I’m fine and the boat is just wonderful, and that’s part of the reason that I’m calling you.”

“Well I hope nothing is wrong with the boat, but if there is I can certainly take care of it for you, Bodie. And please, just call me Doug, we’re old friends now.”

“No sir, nothing is wrong with the boat at all Douglas, I mean Doug. What I want to do is to take you fishing.”

“Fishing? You want to take me fishing?”

“Yes sir, I just took a nice buck with the Winchester you gave me and I decided that I needed to do something for you.”

“Saving my daughter’s life was more than just doing something for me.”

“I know, I know but I would really appreciate it if you would come fishing with me on my new boat and spend a day on the bay while hopefully catching some nice trout and redfish.”

“You know what, Bodie, I really like the idea and I accept the invitation. When would we be going?”

“The weather looks like it’s going to be really nice the rest of this week, so how about you pick a day and we’ll make it happen.”

“Why actually, Bodie, I’m free for the rest of the week so just choose a day and tell me what I need to bring.”

Bodie was pleased at the excitement in his voice. “Let’s shoot for the day after tomorrow and you’ll need a favorite bay fishing rod and reel, waders, and a wading jacket if you have one.”

“I’m afraid I don’t have waders or a wading jacket, but I’ll have them by then. And I’d like to bring lunch if you don’t mind. How many will be on the boat?”

“There will be four of us, Doug, and thanks for offering to bring lunch” Bodie said.

Bodie gave Doug directions to the boat house, the time to arrive and his slip number. He then suggested a few places in Victoria where he could get waders and a wading jacket.

Bodie could not have been happier and the thought occurred that he should have extended the invitation a long time ago.

Bodie got with Red and Tommy and let them know when to be at his boat slip then decided to take a shower and go to Haddon’s for a bite to eat.

Bodie was just parking his truck at Haddon’s when an excited Tommy pulled in beside him. “Bodie, hey Bodie” Tommy yelled. “I was thinking about frying up some chicken for the trip. I betcha Mr. Sellers hasn’t ever even had fried chicken as good as mine.”

“He’s bringing lunch, Tommy, so don’t go to any trouble.”

“He’ll bring that whipped liver and hoity-toity stuff, Bodie. We’ll starve on little olives and dead fish eggs on crackers, it will just be awful.”

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

STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE

I

t’s 2:00 a.m. and you’re wide awake scrolling hopelessly through hundreds of TV channels, listening to anyone and everyone with a pulse making sales pitches for products that are certain to, “transform your life.” Everybody is searching for the next big thing, fishermen included. April fits the scene perfectly and salesmen are aware, hawking tackle wares to anglers who have been suffering cabin fever since hunting seasons closed and winter’s grip kept many off the water.

The promise of April’s longer days, warmer weather and water temperatures are impossible to ignore. If you want to get a feel for how spring jumpstarts angler participation, just go sit on your tailgate along any of the major routes to the coast or big fresh water lakes and watch the parade of fiberglass. It’s mindboggling to say the least.

Okay, with all the extra fishermen coming out of hibernation this month there are a few keys to navigating the traffic and finding fish that will be helpful. Without a doubt the most important part of a day on the water is making sure your equipment is in good shape. Nothing ruins a day on the water like not being able to actually get on the water. If you store your boat

Best spring fever cure known to man!

for prolonged periods during provide valuable clues as to the A safety chain on the An inflatable PFD is bow and transom the winter months you owe it to health and readiness of your rig. comfortable enough straps should be on to wear all day. yourself to take an afternoon and Speaking of getting ready and every rig trailered go through a list of things that problems at the launch, it’s also a down the highway. can cause big problems, before great idea to check your fuel system. Hopefully you either you head to the launch. emptied your tank or mixed some sort of additive in your fuel to Initial inspections will often reveal problems like leaks, low fluid stabilize it for the time period you didn’t run your boat. Checking levels, or other maintenance issues. If you don’t have anything in-line filters for trash or water as well as adding fresh gas and fuel leaking, start working your way to the control area of your boat treatment are a must. In the long run, the life and performance of and check your batteries, this is without a doubt the most common your motor will be greatly improved with just a few simple steps. problem boaters have after not running their boats over the winter.

Water in the fuel system and ethanol are big problems today, couple Nothing says “punch in the gut” like having your family standing on that with a motor sitting up for long periods means you have a the dock staring at you while your motor won’t crank. And let’s also recipe for trouble. In older 2-stroke motors, fixing that problem is not forget about the rest of the world lined up ready to launch while a little easier. It is imperative for those folks running newer motors you struggle with your problems, creating a traffic jam at the launch. with higher technology such as injection to be vigilant about taking A bit of preventative maintenance always goes a long way in this care of the fuel systems. type of situation. Running your motor at home on the water hose can Now, with the two major issues of batteries and fuel out of the way, the trip to the water should run much smoother.

But an inspection of your trailer is also a must. It’s not an official outing for most folks, me included, unless you have to deal with trailer lights. Besides the lights you really should take a few minutes and give the tires a thorough inspection. Jack the wheels off the ground and spin the wheels watching for any tire abnormalities such as dry rot and bulges. Listen carefully for any bearing squeaking and with a pry bar, wiggle the tire vigorously up and down to detect any excessive bearing end-play. It is always a good idea to add some grease to your bearings. If you haven’t already added a true safety chain to your trailer, along with your winch strap, now is the time to do so.

Securing your boat investment to the trailer with only a winch strap doesn’t Monofilament line can take an make a whole bunch of sense awful “set” that limits casting when you really think about it, distance and often creates horrible backlashes. Don’t skimp…re-spool now does it? A good chain and often. Better yet…switch to braid. shackle through the bow eye Don’t let boat woes prevent your first day back on the water being memorable… for GOOD reasons.

28 | April 2016

saved by not re-spooling?” If you’ve ever lost a good fish to inferior or old line then you know what the answer is. Spool them up fresh, you’ll be glad you did.

Just a few more words about getting out and enjoying springtime on the water—be patient and be safe. Everyone has the same idea as you and that’s getting out on the water and enjoying it. The crowds will be out in full force so pay attention and be courteous. Nobody wants their day ruined with some sort of foolish confrontation. Also be sure you operate your boat safely and wear a personal floatation device; that water is still cold and accidents can happen. The inflatable styles are comfortable enough to wear all day!

Chuck Uzzle

Contact

is a great insurance policy against rough roads and the potential for your boat to shift or even bounce off the trailer. I cringe when I see the way some folks just nonchalantly hook up the winch and nothing else, and head off down the highway. If you’ve ever seen a boat leave the trailer and skid along an asphalt roadway you will become a firm believer in safety chains and transom straps—trust me.

Now with the boat maintenance issues hopefully under control you may want to take a look at some of your other equipment as well. Trolling motors are notorious for developing issues that can severely hinder your day on the water. Batteries again are some of usual the culprits and should always be your first inspection point.

Low voltage to the unit is another common issue and often arises from corroded terminals and wiring connections, faulty circuit breaker and fuses. A voltage meter is a must for any boat owner and it will help you pinpoint electrical problems, saving you time, frustration, and money.

Last but certainly not least on the pre-trip checklist is of course your fishing gear. Perhaps the one piece of equipment that needs to be looked at the hardest is your fishing line, especially if it’s been stored for weeks or months. Monofilament users especially should take extra care inspecting their line as it often takes a “set” during storage and is much more susceptible to deterioration than braid.

Memory, or “set” in monofilament line is the primary source of reduced casting distance and dreaded backlashes. It’s always a good idea if you are in any doubt about the integrity of your line to go ahead and change it out. I always ask folks who try to skimp by “… is losing the biggest fish of your life worth the couple of dollars you

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 wakesanddrakes@yahoo.com Website wakesndrakes.com

Avid Inshore-SALT DIET_7x4.875_STC_Avid-Inshore_SALT DIET_7x4.875 2/11/16 8:22 AM Page 1

AVID INSHORE

Winner of “Best Saltwater Rod” at its unveiling at ICAST 2015, these exceptional inshore rods are built to excel in the toughest saltwater environments.

MADE IN

USA ST. CROIX

WHAT YOU NEED IS SIMPLY MORE SALT IN YOUR DIET.

Despite what health officials might say, there is absolutely nothing better for you than a regular dose of salt in your diet – especially when it’s saltwater and you’re fishing one of the all-new Avid Inshore rods. Completely redesigned for 2016, this 22 model series – with its SC III graphite blank featuring IPC® technology – is up to 18% lighter and noticeably better balanced.

Add in upgraded components, including Kigan solid-titanium guides for absolute corrosion-proof performance, and you’re looking at the most sophisticated inshore rods out there. Carry on, salty dog. WWW.STCROIXRODS.COM

TSFMAG.com | 29

A coastal guide waits while anglers cast at fish during dawn’s early light.

STORY BY JOE RICHARD

I

don’t usually write about equipment in the boat, but consider for a moment the humble push pole. Way down in the southern latitudes where flats fishing is king, push poles might simply be just a long cut stick, yet look at the service they provide during a day on the flats. There’s something about the feel of honest wood on the hands, while poling a boat towards visible fish. I’ve never owned one of the lighter graphite poles, and certainly understand a guide on a tower may need a telescoping model up to 26 feet long (and some muscle) to move a boat a mile or more each day.

I’m making a case here for almost any boat to carry a push pole, and not just for the shallow water guys. I fish everywhere from the flats to offshore, including the jetties, and have needed a push pole on many a day. Even at sketchy, shallow boat ramps before the day begins...

I’m a fan of stalking flats the old-fashioned way, with a pole, observing everything in view, versus planing a boat across thin water, looking for startled fish wakes. Or worse, burning a shoreline for miles. I think if boats didn’t use their motors within a hundred yards of shorelines, we’d see a lot more big trout and reds up in this water. We wouldn’t have to wade out so deep, either. (I’m also for keeping some flats motor-free as an experiment, to see if fishing improves there, but that’s another subject).

Poling the boat

Consider the advantages to having a all day from a tiny platform, with zero push pole on almost any boat. They can shade, is laborbe mounted on the gunnel of course, but intensive. With wave even on deck shouldn’t trip an angler, action, there is always since they only point towards the bow a chance of falling. and stern. In 20 years, mine have never been mounted, unless I tied one on a boat’s gunnel. My own push pole history is a little unusual, and was born of necessity.

I used to own a 25-foot Mako and for a time fished on the Gulf side of Florida. That pole was only 10 feet long, a fat wooden dowel bought at a hardware store. I bolted on some scrap wood at one end, so it wouldn’t sink into soft bottom. Along that coast were numerous limestone outcroppings, from shoreline out to maybe 300 yards. Running an outboard engine through there was asinine and

32 | April 2016

My newest pole, a 12-foot wooden dowel treated with polyurethane.

expensive, like buzzing through the oolitic limestone found in Baffin Bay, except in Florida there is miles of rock. The only way to get in close to the shoreline was by push pole. During most of the day that big boat was out in deeper water, but at high tide we’d ease in shallow looking for big trout and redfish. In that region, all of our redfish and big trout are found around these rocks or near the grassy shoreline. (Further out in six or eight feet of water, it was all drift-fishing for two-pound trout).

Anyway we would idle inshore with one motor running and tilted shallow, watching for rocks, then cut the motor and drift downwind.

If a rock loomed ahead of our drift, I’d pole around it. If the wind was calm I’d pole shorelines or explore in rocky creeks.

This was a crappy, 10-foot stick that I used to burn bagworms out of my trees back home. (Wrap an old t-shirt around the pole, soak in gasoline, and the bagworms fell in flaming heaps). Yet this same stick worked for years and years, saving my twin 150-horse outboards from cruel rocks. After 20 years I still have it, though it has become warped. It still works in the marsh while duck hunting, and has even pushed 30-foot ice floes away from my boat on a river in Iowa. It’s great for snagging decoys and dragging them to the boat, too. However, it looks pretty decrepit these days so I built another one.

This one is 12 feet long, the same two-inch thick wooden dowel from a hardware store, and cost $1 dollar a foot. I bolted on three little chunks of wood on the end, so it won’t dig into mud.

Our Mayan guide poling Also coated this new pole four days with a long, cut stick in a row with polyurethane. It has that worked perfectly a golden color, is waterproof and fine during a long and successful day. doesn’t warp. It fits very well on my

34 | April 2016

These push poles are precious items on serious flats boat in Florida, and might be considered a guide’s best friend, so I won’t knock their price. In the Keys, you don’t buzz up and down the flats hunting and spooking fish, because bonefish will just keep on going until they reach deeper water. Redfish in Texas will at least mill around and maybe settle down.

It does my heart good to see a Texas boat patiently (and more importantly) quietly exploring a shallow back bay, using one of these high-tech poles. Far away from the noise and boat wakes. It is, after all, an old-fashioned technique going back a thousand years. And I concur with Capt. Scott Null: While exploring the back bays so quietly, will anglers please for God’s sake turn off the cell phones and observe a little nature.

These shallow water specialists have their favorite push poles; I’m just an old multi-fishery guy who has found them to be very handy. They’ve probably saved my lower units any number of times. For $12 bucks? Yeah, I’ll take that. Besides, you don’t have to worry much about someone stealing a wooden push pole. And there is always the unexpected: Coastal anglers have had rattlesnakes actually swim into their boats via the motor-well. You can smack ‘em with a push-pole before they even get close.

High-end push poles General advice on high-end poles for daily work on the flats: Guides often use a light, graphite stick that is four feet longer than their boat hull. The stick should be even longer if used from a poling platform. A short pole requires more effort, especially over soft bottom when the pole’s foot sinks in. It may not require much effort to move the boat 50 yards with a short stick, but the hassle factor just keeps growing during a long, hot day.

Joe Richard

Joe Richard has fished the Gulf since 1967, starting out of Port Arthur, but his adventures have taken him up and down the entire coast.

He was the editor of Tide magazine for eight years, and later Florida Sportsman’s book and assistant magazine editor. He began guiding out of Port O’Connor in 1994. His specialty is big kingfish, and his latest book is The Kingfish Bible, New Revelations. Available at Seafavorites.com

Contact

15-foot jonboat and never Close-up of knarly wooden stick used while guiding in blows out. Last summer it in southern Mexico, near the saw extensive use during border with Belize. This guy almost two months of could probably use some gloves. coastal fishing on the Texas coast. How? >It’s great for poling thin shorelines or over oyster bottoms with the motor raised. >If we drifted into shallow water while throwing a cast net, I could pole our way back out before lowering the motor. Climbing out and pushing the boat can land you on top of a stingray.

Somehow I’ve never been hit, and maybe having that pole on the boat for 20 years saved me a trip to the ER. >I have also shoved the boat away from jetty rocks numerous times, when we drifted too close. If someone loses an anchor at the jetties and the boat won’t start, boat drifting into the rocks, a push pole (really a long boathook in this instance) could save the boat until help arrives. >On several occasions I used the pole to grab the dock with the blunt end, before tying up. Or shoved away from a crowded dock with a bad wind blowing. >Several times I grabbed a wellhead in the bay, to tie up or push away from, not wanting to use the motor around fish. Shorelines too, if the wind or current shifted but we were on fish. >The pole is nice during the low tides of winter, if the water is too shallow and you don’t feel like jumping overboard in cold water, to push the boat out deeper. >In an emergency where the engine is damaged or out of fuel or the prop is wrapped in wire from a crab trap, you could pole the boat a good distance without getting wet, into a channel marker area where passing boat traffic could offer assistance.

The truth is we never know what the day will bring, and a push pole is just one more tool to catch fish and get the boat back safely. A push pole may look dumb offshore, but consider the people who have had their boats damaged or sunk, when fiberglass tangled with rigid steel platform pilings.

So much for all-purpose, home-made push poles. I like the feel of wood in my hands while moving the boat, but serious shallow-water anglers, especially guides who fish day after day, need something longer and lighter. Which will cost them, of course.

The longer graphite push poles like the Stiffy, ranging from 12 to 24 feet, can gobble up a thousand bucks in the upper-size range.

However they’re able to cover miles, while poling from a spotting tower. These high-dollar poles however are one more item to guard from theft, even in restaurant parking lots. One more valuable item to worry about: One Keys guide had his push pole blow out on the highway, and he quickly parked and jumped out of his car to save it.

And got his legs broken, when he was run over by the very next car.

The Hobie MirageDrive速 opens up a new world of angling possibilities.

Discover a new way to fish on a Hobie.

hobiefishing.com

Jay Ray with the second eleven-pounder of our winter season down south.

J AY WAT K I N S

ASK THE PRO

Greatness is never achieved

without great effort & sacrifice Not sure who might have said this first but I certainly believe it to be true. This month’s Ask the Pro is actually me asking you: Do you respect and recognize those in your life that have assisted you in your journey?

I’ve always felt that life is a lot like a race. Some sprint to the front and lead for a while but as the race continues those who maintain a good pace with keen awareness of what it takes to finish are most often the winners. For all the old salts out there I say, finish the race. You have earned the right to break the tape.

As February drew to a close the air and water temperatures rose to springtime versus late-winter. Winter was very good to us in the Lower Laguna with several lifetime-bests for clients, for Jay Ray, and also myself. Two of these fish, Jay Ray’s and mine, with witnesses present, were over 11-pounds. It’s kind of spooky to think maybe the Man Upstairs is filling my bucket list as my race continues and I am relishing every moment.

Huge moment standing there next to Jay Ray as he 36 | April 2016

landed our second 32-inch 11-pound trout of the winter season. We were lucky to find a pod of exceptionally long and fat fish during a window when they were willing to be caught. Very special for Ol’ Dad. With all this happening, one blustery morning over coffee, I noticed J.D. Whitley motoring out of the harbor alone. He is 75 and I wish these old salts would not go it alone but, alone is what he wants. An upwelling of emotion found my eyes as I realized he is still in the race.

A few days later I had opportunity to speak with J.D., longtime Port Mansfield fishing guide. I wanted to use the word legendary but he said to save it for after he’s gone.

My thoughts are that men like J.D. need to know these things prior to leaving us. See there—I honored his wishes but still got my compliment in.

I believe many of our old salts have a wealth of knowledge for us to gain if we will just listen. Attentive listening is a good show of respect, by the way. I definitely have a soft spot for the older gentlemen in

my business and this probably stems from losing my dad at such a Great guide, superb tournament angler and even better person. David pivotal point in my life. and I share more than fishing, it’s our belief that we play a bigger role My dad was a high school coach and teacher with a master’s degree in life but use fishing to get the messages across. David is a young guy in biology. My boys never knew him but he was a true steward of with an old man’s reasoning and sensibility and I mean that as a great the outdoors. He loved everything about competitive sports and compliment. David taught me approach methods when fishing areas everything that lived in the wild. I find this true of most of the older with large trout present. “Never hurry and control everything you can salts I have come to know. Commercial fishermen also qualify, some control when in water where you believe super fish to live,” is David’s of the saltiest of old salts. They too respect the resources and have way. He and I control our wading lines in similar fashion, stopping with valuable knowledge to share if we will listen. every bite or hook-up, and totally grinding in what we feel are the My reasons behind this story are simple. We need to listen, give right zones. With increasing fishing pressure the pursuit of lifetimecredit to those that teach us, and respect them for who they are and best trout is tougher than ever but that’s another story. Many thanks, what they have achieved. Thirty years ago there were no cell phones, David, for the fishing advice and times spent together.

Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. No GPS or Man Overboard to take us Billy Sheka; now there’s a name that resonates. I never fished with back to the X. No instant success via somebody’s tweet; you learned Billy but have talked over the years with him on many occasions. I on your own by trial and error. It’s still my opinion that this is the best wanted him to know that he has always been someone that I felt really way. I have said many times that I have been taught by some of the understood the fishery in the Baffin Bay area and one of the best of very best in the industry. I also want to say that sons, Jay Ray and the best. Whatever Billy did he always did it wide open.

Ryan, have taught me a lot. I would not have been as successful in this Lowell Odom; I learned tons from Lowell, mostly about not caring business if not for all my teachers. what people thought at weigh-in during our tournament partner days.

Danny Adams; ex-commercial fisherman still guiding at He’d win one then I would win but it never seemed to matter to him 70-something, showed me the ropes in Rockport’s back bays. My first who won. Maybe I was overly-selfish, if I couldn’t win I fretted over at trip with Danny began with him hitting his Mercury with a hammer least making a strong showing. Lowell saw it differently. “People only to get it to crank. Really! No depth finder, no GPS, no cell phone for remember who won first place because nothing else really matters,” he networking. Just a nose for what looked right, a wooden push pole to would say. Lowell also taught me that you can’t win with non-winning feel bottom, and a finely-tuned awareness of bottom structure in our fish, nor can you catch another man’s fish. I currently enjoy our bay system. Our styles of fishing were different and maybe even our occasional fishing trips and the fun we are having with his and wife approach to the business but I listened and learned and then applied Dee Dee’s Custom Corkys business. his teachings to my own methods.

Tricia Whitley has become one of my most recent educators. To Cliff Webb; trophy trout guru of Baffin Bay. My first encounter with me, Tricia has earned her spot as one of the best guides on the Texas Cliff was unforgettable. Never met coast. She has a very good working many people with passion and knowledge of the Lower Laguna willingness to do whatever it takes and the dynamics that make it what to catch big trout as Cliff. And- I’ve it is. Her dad, J.D., turned her loose not been around many guides that when she first started guiding and get the respect he does just by forced her to learn the hard way. walking in the room. Cliff showed Zero help from him. I bet if truth be me a trolling motor trick that I have known this was one of the toughest used to find many of the largest things he’s ever done. Tricia has a big-trout concentrations of my natural instinct that puts her in the career. Understand that twentyright area even when she can’t put five years ago the trolling motor her finger on exactly what it is that was not commonly used in Texas attracted her. As a visiting guide to shallow water fishing, you could Port Mansfield she has helped me almost say he was a pioneer. One on the water many times. Mostly cold-foggy morning Cliff educated with a short text, phone call or me on the difference between maybe just hand gestures to let me a trout push and a redfish wake. know I am in the right area. Tricia Huge difference once you’ve had definitely knows how to get it done opportunity to actually see a and I have tremendous respect for 30-plus trout push away in dim what she has accomplished in this early-morning light. I still use this tough business. tactic and it has certainly put me Mike McBride; this guy certainly in the right spot many times. To does it his way and wants you to Cliff Webb, still a true master, I am get more out of your day on the Clients Scott Washko forever thankful. water than meets the eye. Mike and Dustin Angerstein with very solid Lower David Rowsey; an honest-tohas taught me many subtleties of Laguna trout. CPR! goodness stud of a fishermen. the trophy trout game, especially 38 | April 2016

40 | April 2016

certainly not pulling out of the race. The race, my race, and so many others in my business, is exactly what this piece is about. It’s about respect for those that waded, drifted and poled before us. It’s about doing it right. Giving credit where credit’s due and about getting the most out of everything we do. It’s about respect; something I fear is headed south in today’s fishing culture.

For many of us older guides, our careers have been much like the race I describe. Not an all-out sprint but keeping pace has been critical. The course is long with many obstacles. What I suggest is that those who are deserving should be given the chance to finish the race with pride, and maybe even cheering them on. I will finish my race with wife Renee by my side, the grandchildren and clients.

I hope that my boys will be holding the tape at the finish line. God will be the final judge and his kingdom is the prize. Still work to be done in that department as I fear I fall short quite often. Until then I will continue fishing, trying to learn, and trying to teach any who desire the knowledge.

May your fishing always be catching. -Guide Jay Watkins

C ontact

that timing is everything. “Being in the right place at the right time is huge,” Mike says. There is nothing worse than being in the right place at the wrong time…and then tromping through and disturbing it for the next guy. Mike marches to his own drum (or harmonica) and even though I don’t totally understand some of it I respect it. I caught one of my best fish with McTrout a few years back on a cold late-afternoon moonrise minor. Mike is the solunar guru. Thanks for the memories that afternoon.

My fishing friends in the Galveston area have taught me plenty— Mickey Eastman, Blaine Friermood and James Plaag. I get to see structure and often my actual targets while they typically do not. Their knowledge of things unseen amazes me and I am ever thankful for them teaching me valuable pattern concepts that I later applied in my home waters. Mickey taught me what “perfect trout water” tasted like one day on Sabine Lake. Call his early-morning Outdoor Show on Houston 610 Radio and ask him.

Finally, and by no means last, my sons, Jay Ray and Ryan. Jay Ray has joined me in the business and Ryan is the bass master of the family.

You guys have taught this old guy so much. Lately it’s been about the energy with which you approach a day of fishing. I believe mostly you taught me about survival. You guys know what I’m talking about. Your youth and hungry-to-learn attitude inspire me to continue the race.

You’re the best two anglers I know and you consistently reaffirm this every time we get the chance to fish together. I love you and respect the men, husbands and fathers you have become. Pass it on boys, those around you will be better for it.

So what’s my purpose in this? No—I’m not sick, not retiring, and

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

And this is what a 36-pounder looks like…

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

Two months in the

Louisiana marsh

Well my two months guiding in south Louisiana is winding down. As I write this I’m awaiting the arrival of the last customers. It has been fun and challenging, as usual. It has been four years since I first tested these fertile marshes and I’ve learned so much on every trip.

I’m very thankful for all of my regular customers who make the six hour trek from the Houston area and others who travel much further.

I get a real kick out of seeing these guys shatter their personal bests for redfish and black drum on the fly. It is also nice to get shots at sheepshead that will actually eat a fly. While high winds, high tides and frequent fronts have dirtied the water more than usual; there have been plenty of great days of low tide, clear water and cloudless skies. Water clarity issues this year have led me to do more exploring than years past and have led to the discovery of some new honey holes.

Even on the toughest days there are usually several shots at good fish. And on those days when everything lines up, the fishing has been spectacular. To this point there have been eight redfish over thirty pounds, a few 42 | April 2016

ONE H G U O T T E L L MU of r goes out e v e n t e ll u r Grade A good M er Saltwate b m o B e h T style. eath for w-sinking d lo s is t e shore ll u M and other in s k c e p S , h Redfis e new . Look for th h s fi r to a d retailer. pre rea tackle a r u o y t a t Mulle

BomberSaltwaterGrade.com

44 | April 2016

up I’ll send out an email laying out the program. If you have a larger group I have a few other great guides who work the area as well.

I’m about ready to get myself back to Texas, but already looking forward to next winter.

C ontact

dozen over twenty and many more in the teens brought to hand. The largest pulled the Boga down to just past thirty-six. Amongst all of these reds, there have only been three inside the slot. The Louisiana marsh in the winter is truly an amazing place.

It is hard to describe the run of a red that size in a foot of water when he realizes he’s been duped. From my vantage point atop the poling platform it went something like this: “There’s three big reds angling toward us at ten o’clock.

Fifty feet and closing.”

“I don’t see them.”

“Those big dark spots. Hanging deep on the bottom.

Point your rod. More left, more left…right there. Now at forty feet and still coming.”

“Got ‘em.”

“Missed behind them. Pick it up, they’re veering hard left. Oh crap, there’s four more ten feet behind them. Put it back down.”

“I don’t see them.”

“How about the one coming at twelve o’clock, twenty feet?”

“Got it.”

“Perfect cast. Now let it settle. Strip, strip. He ate it! Set the hook!”

Seeing that big white mouth flash as the gills flare is so freaking cool.

As the big bull took off I could see a couple dozen large mud boils popping all over the flat. No telling how many more were scattered nearby, but we had just seen eight over thirty pounds inside thirty feet.

The bruiser never even slowed until he was a solid hundred yards into the backing. Several big runs followed and a good twenty minutes passed before we got our first good look at him. I immediately put away the thirtypound Boga and reached in the glove box for the big sixty. No doubt he’d bottom out the thirty.

The final surges and close quarters tug-o-war at the boat are always the most nerve-wracking for me. So much can go wrong. Everybody is excited and you really don’t have much ability to turn a fish like that away from the lower unit or trim tabs with a fly rod. I can hardly breathe until the fish slides over the gunnel.

Several customers have kidded me about the way I talk to fish in those final moments. Hell, I hardly even realize I’m doing it. I know it is a lifetime achievement for the angler and I really don’t want to screw it up. Luckily this one was somewhat cooperative and sufficiently worn down to allow a clean landing.

High fives, photo-ops and a nice long over-the-gunnel revival before watching the beast slide away, and a quiet “thank you.” Now let’s go get another one.

The last three years I’ve come over for January and February.

Next year I might slip over to test the waters a bit in November and December as well. If you would like to take a shot at these bull reds along with some monster black drum and hungry sheepshead, shoot me an email and ask to be put on the list. When I get my dates set

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

By Mike Stahl, Biologist | TPWD-Dickinson Marine Lab

FIELD NOTES

Southern Flounder Biology & Management in Texas Southern flounder are the third-most sought after fish species by anglers fishing Texas bays and estuaries. They are the largest of several flat fish species in the Gulf of Mexico and range from the coast of North Carolina to northern Mexico. These left-eyed flounder are a very sporting species to target with rod and reel, and make excellent table fare. Unfortunately, Texas flounder populations have “floundered� (sorry) over the last 30 years, for multiple reasons.

Southern flounder are a relatively short-lived species typically surviving only about 3-6 years in Texas.

Females grow faster and larger and can live longer than males. They can reach lengths greater than 25 inches while males seldom grow larger than 14 inches. Sexual maturity occurs at 2-3 years of age (12-14 inches for females and 10-12 inches for males).

When cold fronts reach the Texas coast during the fall months, these mature flounder start migrating toward Gulf of Mexico passes for spawning. The month of November is when the majority of flounder migrate out the passes with males usually moving out first before the females. They are known to spawn in the Gulf but may also spawn in or near the passes as well. Spawning 46 | April 2016

may occur multiple times during the fall and winter seasons with thousands of eggs released per event; approximately 50,000 eggs/pound of body weight are produced. Tides, currents, and wind carry juveniles through Gulf passes into the various Texas estuarine systems and habitats.

Before and during immigration into Texas estuaries, juvenile flounder undergo eye metamorphosis where their right eye migrates over to the left side of their body when they are about a quarter to half inch long.

At the completion of metamorphosis, both eyes are permanently positioned on the left side of the body.

Soon after arriving in the estuary they settle into marsh and seagrass nursery habitats. As these juveniles grow they start migrating towards mud and sand flat areas. As they grow and begin to mature another interesting developmental characteristic is encountered, their gender is not determined until they are at least 1.5 inches in length, with water temperature being a strong factor in this development. When estuarine water temperatures are around 64â ° Fahrenheit, juvenile flounder have around a 50% chance of being either male or female. When temperatures are higher, flounder have

Figure 1. Annual gill net catch rates for Southern flounder.

Figure 2. Annual seine catch rates for Southern flounder.

Figure 3. Annual (May 15-May 14) angler landings for Southern flounder.

a higher probability of becoming male.

To monitor the success of juvenile survival and the adult population, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) developed an extensive monitoring program for collecting fishery-independent and fishery-dependent data. Independent data is collected through the use of seines and gill nets in all Texas bays and estuaries. Seines are used to capture small organisms along shorelines, while gill nets are used to catch larger species near shore.

Dependent data is collected by surveying recreational anglers at public and private boat ramps on the Texas coast. This data is used to assess the health of populations and for implementing protective regulations when necessary. A brief history of the relevant harvest regulations can be seen in Table 1.

From the first harvest regulation changes in the 1980s up until 2007 the adult population decline continued (Figure 1). However, after implementation of the November gigging ban in 2009 and favorable winter temperatures in 2010, gill net catch rates spiked in 2011 at over 3 times the 2007 catch rate, and remained high in 2012. And although catch rates fell off after 2012 they remained above the previous downward decline and currently are on an upward trend.

Looking at the gill net catch rates (Figure 1) it is difficult to explain all of the peaks and valleys.

However, it is probable that the gigging ban, at least, contributed to the trend change that began in 2011. These gill net catch rates were also reflected in the statewide recreational landings which exhibited a decreasing trend until 2011 and then reversing the trend (Figure 2). While it is often difficult to assign a cause to all population trends, these data would seem to indicate that a combination of favorable environmental conditions and implementation of conservative harvest regulations resulted in a suspension of the downward trend in both gill net and angler catch rates.

Another benefit of the conservative regulations and favorable weather conditions were increased juvenile numbers (Figure 3). The 2010, 2014, and 2015 seine catch rates are the 3 highest since 2001 and should be followed by higher gill net catch rates of adults. Indeed, the 2011 gill net catch rate was the highest since 1991, which followed the severe freezes of 1989-90.

Additionally, TPWD hatcheries have stocked over 260,000 juvenile flounder along the Texas coast since 2006. The stocking goal for 2016 is 25,000 one-half inch long fingerlings and there is strong probability that the hatchery TSFMAG.com | 47

program will far exceed that goal. Within the next few months, construction will begin on a flounder larvae culture building at Sea Center Texas in Lake Jackson. Partially funded by the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) and various other generous donations, this new building will allow the TPWD hatchery program to culture flounder larvae nearly year round, substantially increasing production capabilities.

Southern flounder are an important species of flatfish on the Texas coast and have many distinctive life history traits. Harvest regulations have been adjusted over the last 3 decades to assist the population recovery, and the TPWD monitoring program has documented that fishery-independent catch rates and angler

landings have increased in recent years. Additionally, CCA TPWD hatcheries are continually improving Southern flounder production for stocking into estuaries along the Texas coast. These are exciting times for Texas flounder anglers!

Special acknowledgment: Shane Bonnot

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

Table 1. Historical timeline of implemented Southern flounder regulations in Texas (Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission. Pub No. 247).

48 | April 2016

For over 40 years FUJI® has designed and built the most capable, most durable rod components and reel seats in the world. Legendary frame strength, rings that stay put for the life of your rod and the most advanced reel seats in the business. If you don’t want to think about guides, think about looking for the FUJI® tag at the tackle store or order FUJI components for your next rod building project.

Choose FUJI® - and never think about guides again. www.anglersresource.net www.pointblankrods.com foley, AL 251.943.4491

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

F LY F I S H ING

Staying Connected

Part Two

So… Last month I shared my thoughts on how important the connection between your fly line and leader is but, there are so many other things that come into play when trying to stay connected to a fish of a lifetime. From all of the other knots that you might tie down to maintaining your equipment for peak performance. All these little things are part of the formula necessary for success.

Just yesterday I was guiding a friend, Justin Thomson, who had booked a few days with me over here in the ‘glades with high hopes of getting him his first snook on fly. While poling down and blind-casting a favorite shoreline, I spotted a good snook. I told him to strip in fast and give me a forty-foot cast to the 8 o’clock position.

His cast landed about five feet behind the fish. “NO, NO… pick it up and move it ten foot to the left,” I told him with urgency. “I don’t see it,” was the reply. “You have to trust me,” I said. “Ten foot to the left! Hurry!”

Well the cast was a little long and the fish was now swimming and was going to pass under the leader.

“STRIP FAST, STRIP, STRIP!” And wham, the fish exploded on the fly and hit it on the run heading away and down a bank that was littered with treacherous stumps and logs.

“Palm the reel, you have to stop her!” I yelled. Well he put the heat on the fish and was able to turn it away from 50 | April 2016

the bank. I was so relieved when the 11 pound beauty came to my hand.

Now what makes this story even more interesting is… we did this on a 7-weight fly rod with 16-pound tippet.

Needless to say, this is not the rig I would choose to chase a big snook but, I was not expecting to find a fish of that size on the shoreline we were fishing. The point is though, he was using my tackle and I am, to say the least, totally anal about my knots and my tackle. Even more importantwe did not have another opportunity at a ‘big’ fish the remainder of the day.

So let us take a look at the complete connection between you and the fish. We will start at the reel and move down to the fly.

The first connection is going to be between your backing and fly line and it is a loop-to-loop connection.

Now I know that I said in last month’s column that I do not like a loop-to-loop connection but, it is necessary when connecting the backing to the fly line. And, it is one that will allow you to easily change out your fly line if one gets damaged. This is another connection that I have adamant opinion about. First a Bimini knot should be tied into the backing and then a loop should be served in the end of the fly line utilizing either Kevlar thread or GSN (gel spun

Take Us With You On the Water UNLIMITED TOWING

just

$158

THOUSANDS OF TOWS AND YEARS OF EXPERIENCE work in your favor—we’ve been there, done that, and seen it all! Our captains are licensed and trustworthy. With over 600 boats in 300 ports nationwide, we’re only a quick call away to assist you on the water when you need it most. Get Unlimited Towing for $158 and just show your BoatU.S. Membership card for payment on the water.

Call or go online now to join!

Download the NEW & IMPROVED BoatU.S. App!

1-800-888-4869 BoatUS.com/towing Unlimited towing details and exclusions can be found online at BoatUS.com/towing or by calling.

nylon). Another way to create a strong loop at the end of the fly line is to use at least three small nail knots about a half-inch apart. Again I will say, if there is a welded loop at the end of your fly line, cut it off and create your own loop. I also recommend using some Zap-a-Gap (a waterproof super glue-like product) on the thread or nail knots. It is very important that this loop does not come undone. If you hook into a hard-running fish and there is a snag at this connection… you will loose a rod guide or three. Again- this is a critical connection that must pass through the guides smoothly.

The next connection is between the fly line and butt-section of your leader. As I preached last month, this should be a nail knot tied onto a doubled-up fly line. From there you move down your leader.

Now, I am not going to get into the formula for building a leader; however I will say, I rarely utilize a premade, off-the-shelf, knotless leader. I believe in building my leaders because I can change the taper for throwing different sizes flies. However I will say this, a blood knot should be used when stepping down when tying knots in lines of similar diameters. For example when going from 40 to 30 or 30 to 20 or even 20-15 pound the blood knot is the way to go. When it comes to joining two lines of dissimilar diameters such as joining a 60 or 80 pound bitetippet to say 15 or 20 pound tippet, well this is the most complicated of all connections, in my opinion.

And, when not tied correctly, one of the biggest culprits when it comes to lost fish.

When making the connection between the bitetippet and tippet, I utilize one of three knots- the Huffnagle Knot, an Albright knot or an improved blood knot. As for which to use, I would say whichever one you can tie best. I say this because it does not matter which knot you tie if it is not tied properly.

So let me touch on the concept of “properly” tied knots. There are numerous things to consider. The first being that it is important that a knot seats or

ROY’S Bait and Tackle Outfitters

361-992-2960

7613 SPID Corpus Christi, TX 78412

Simply put, Aldebaran redefines the lightweight, compact low profile baitcasting reel category. Weighing in at a mere 4.7 ounces, Aldebaran delivers unmatched smoothness and precision with our S3D, SVS Infinity and new SilentTune technologies. While Aldebaran is light in weight, it is by no means a lightweight when it comes to durability in the most demanding fishing environments. This reel is equipped with our X-SHIP gearing system and is housed in an electro-coated magnesium frame. Aldebaran excels at fishing jerkbaits, light crankbaits and a variety of finesse baits.

Introducing Shimano’s latest in comfortable and light weight footwear - the Shimano Evair Marine/Fishing shoes. The Evair are an ‘open’ style shoe, meaning they’re quick drying and allow your feet to breathe even in the hottest day time conditions. A non slip sole gives the wearer added confidence when navigating slippery decks.

52 | April 2016

www.roysbait-tackle.com

The new Stradic FK utilizes Shimano’s latest technology while drawing on ways of the past. Hagane cold forged drive gear combined with X-Ship provides a smooth, powerful and durable reel. The sleek G-Free body provides a better weight balance to reduce fatigue. Every part has been designed to improve the anglers experience on the water.

Open 9 am - 6 pm 7 days/week

For the avid fisherman and tournament bass angler the new Metanium baitcasting reels are LOW PROFILE all about lightweight versatile performance. Weighing in at 6-ounces (6.2 oz for XG model), Shimano offers three gear ratios to have the optimum retrieve speed to fish jigs & worms, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, and the XG for flipping or punching.

Smooth, Dry and Fast

No Wood!

LIfetime Warranty

PERFORMANCE BAY BOATS

2220 GTS

675 Ultimate Bay

New Designs

Latest Innovations Custom Electronics

2420 GTS Designed By

FiShermen For FiShermen!

1

#

New GTS Console

Raised Console

Blazer Dealer

in the USA 361-651-BOAT

w w w. w a y p o i n t m a r i n e . c o m 3033 S. Padre Island Drive Corpus Christi, Texas

Microfilament Braided Fishing Line Introducing the newest generation of PowerPro using the latest technology in Spectra® HT fiber.

25% THINNER Under 10x magnification

DOWNSIZE TACKLE

MAXIMIZE FISHING PERFORMANCE “I find myself saying smaller is better a lot these days when I’m fishing.

Whether it’s reels, rods, hooks, baits - and the one thing for sure I’ve always believed is smaller line is always better!

More sensitive. Sinks faster. Harder for fish to see. With PowerPro Maxcuatro with Spectra HT fiber, I can now fish a braid with a 25% thinner diameter than other line, have plenty of capacity and experience exceptional casting distance. I say that gives me the advantage.

And I’m good with that! - Captain Steve Rodger – host of ‘Into the Blue’ on NBC Sports Cable

THE PERFECT BRAID FOR BOTH TEXAS INSHORE AND OFFSHORE ACTION

NOW AVAILABLE IN

20lb, 30lb and 40lb

20lb, 30lb, 40lb, 50lb, 65lb, 100lb 150, 300, 500, 1500 and 3000 yard spools

pulls together properly. If it does not, there can be slippage when fighting a big fish. When this occurs, friction caused by extreme pressure can cause a failure. To get a knot to seat properly there are two things that must be done. The first is very obvious- the knot must be tied correctly. Next, it important to moisten the knot before cinching it down. By moistening, I mean, put the knot in your mouth and generously apply saliva to prevent friction when you cinch down the knot and allow it to seat completely. The next thing to consider is that it is not only important to be careful choosing which knot to use when connecting lines of dissimilar diameters, but also when connecting lines of dissimilar brands. Some lines are softer than others so, if you connect a soft mono with a hard fluorocarbon… the fluorocarbon might cut into the mono, thus causing a failure.

One last time, knots are important when it comes to fly fishing. I simply cannot overemphasize this. However, there is a lot more to it than that. Your rod guides must be free of burrs or rust to prevent the backing from fraying while in a prolonged fight with a big fish. In the same vein, your multi-piece rods must be put together tightly and aligned properly. Don’t believe me? Just check out the image of the tarpon leaping with the upper section of the rod flopping around.

This is another top culprit in the cause of lost fish and another reason (see part one of this two-part column) to use the guide’s tackle.

The last piece of the whole “staying connected” equation is the drag on your reel. I say this last bit with great conviction, even though very few exist anymore… avoid buying a reel with a caliperdisc drag. You want a center-pull drag made of cork or a drum drag.

Also, despite what advertisement says, do not buy into the concept of a composite drag. A cork drag is the only way to go when going center-pull. As far as drum drags, well the only company I can think of that makes a drum drag is Tibor in their Tibor Light series and I have been pleased with my Tibor Light Backcountry reels for the last 10-12 years. In fact, most of the big snook and 40-pound tarpon we have landed in the last week have been on an eight-year-old Tibor Backcountry. The last bit of info I have to share in regards to reel drags is…while I feel a center-pull cork drag and a drum drag are best, neither are worth a damn without two things. First the drags must be properly lubricated (as well as any bearings) and second, the drag must be “backed off” when the reel is not in use. One of the worst things you can do to a reel is to leave the drag compressed when not in use.

All in and all done I cannot express enough the importance of having a great connection between you and the fish. Sure, you might be casting to a fish that is just a fish one second, but, the next fish you see might be the fish you always dreamed of. When that happens you want to be certain that everything is perfect.

Until next month…be gude and stuff like that.

powerpro.com

54 | April 2016

C ontact

Moss-Green or Hi Vis Yellow

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

www.superstevesuperdeal.com ON ALL IN STOCK!

1

NEW 2015 GMC SIERRA 4 DOOR TEXAS EDITION 2

AT THIS PRICE & SAVINGS!

27,930

$

or

11,300

$

SAVINGS OFF MSRP MSRP $39,230, SAVINGS INCLUDE: $2500 FACTORY REBATE, $8800 BECK MASTEN DISCOUNT OFF MSRP

MSRP $39,230, $2500 FACTORY REBATE, $8800 BECK MASTEN DISCOUNT OFF MSRP

2

NEW 2016 GMC SIERRA 2500 HEAVY DUTY 4DR

AT THIS PRICE!

32,984

$

MSRP $39,080, $1000 FACTORY REBATE, $5096 BECK MASTEN DISCOUNT OFF MSRP

NEW 2016 GMC CANYON 4 DOOR

5000

$

2

AT THIS SAVINGS!

SAVINGS OFF MSRP

MSRP $46,963, SAVINGS INCLUDE: $500 FACTORY REBATE, $4500 BECK MASTEN DISCOUNT OFF MSRP

NEW 2015 GMC YUKON

10,000

$

2

AT THIS SAVINGS!

Stop by Beck and Masten to Register to Win A FREE GUIDED FISHING TRIP with two time trout master Charlie paradoski

SAVINGS OFF MSRP

MSRP $76,225, SAVINGS INCLUDE: $1750 FACTORY REBATE, $8250 BECK MASTEN DISCOUNT OFF MSRP

Home of...

FREE WATERLOO ROD

with Every New Truck Purchase!

281-960-2651 FREE DELIVERY Anywhere in Texas and parts of Louisianna!

Ask For Super Steve!

1) 0% APR w/Approved Credit, 72 Months Financing, $0 Down + TT&L, $13.89 Per Month Per Thousand Financed. W.A.C.See dealer for details.

DAV E R O B E R T S

K AYA K F I S H ING C H RONI C L E S

REFUGE IN A BAYOU! As we all know Mother Nature is forever fickle and this must be taken into consideration when planning every fishing trip. We watch the local news and weather apps hoping the conditions will hold or change in our favor.

Unfortunately she is stubborn and not always cooperative but do not let this deter you into not going fishing. A majority of days in the coming month are going to be windy; there is no way around it. Even though wind can be a kayaker’s worst nightmare there are plenty of places on the Texas coast to seek refuge.

It often occurs that the wind will be more than 15 mph and this will always make me reassess my fishing plans.

On days with such conditions, the first thing that comes to my mind is to find a bayou. These little salt water streams in and around marshes can be found all along the coast.

With them being mostly narrow and curvy, they make for a great place to take shelter on a windy day. To top it off, the fishing can be outstanding when fished properly.

I believe that one of the key factors when bayou fishing is knowing the small distinctions that are below the surface. For example: oyster clumps and reefs, deep holes or humps, small washouts along the banks, and 56 | April 2016

even trees and bushes growing near the water’s edge all figure into choosing likely spots. My theory behind the trees and bushes growing in an otherwise barren marsh is that the soil is healthier in that area. In turn, it often also supports the growth of oysters, which along with root systems, create great fish-holding structure. Targeting these features is a must when it comes to being able to catch fish in a bayou.

It also helps to know how and where the water flows.

Tom Stubblefield, an old kayaking salt, taught me a great deal about water flow one day. Tom said that just because the outer banks may be straight, the water flowing down the channel can actually contain eddies and other current anomalies you can barely detect looking at the surface. If your kayak is rigged with a depth finder you can prove this by monitoring the depth when paddling down a bayou. If you go to YouTube, type in- Why do rivers curve? You will find a short video that will give you a better understanding of how and why bayous and rivers develop curves due to the erosive effect of currents on bottom soils and other substrates.

Tidal flow over many years erodes soft bottom and

Add GEICO To Your Crew.

Whether you own a bass, power, ski or pontoon boat, yacht, cruiser or personal watercraft, GEICO can help you protect it. As a GEICO policyholder, you’ll receive outstanding coverage for your boat at an outstanding price.

Plus, when you add towing to your policy, you’ll have the benefits of services provided by TowBoatU.S. — with the country’s largest fleet, professional, licensed captains and 24/7 dispatch service, so help is only a radio or phone call away.

geico.com/boat 1-800-865-4846 Local Office

Service provided by

Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. Boat and PWC coverages are underwritten by GEICO Marine Insurance Company. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. © 2016 GEICO

58 | April 2016

C ontact

creates deeper holes that attract and hold fish, which are challenging to locate without the depth finder.

Once discovering these hidden advantages, it is time to fish them properly. For starters, I prefer using a stake-out pole rather than an anchor. It is more convenient to stake the kayak on a shallow edge rather hassling with an anchor. It is also a must to have a trolley system rigged on your kayak. With the wind blowing one direction and the tide going another, the direction you could end up facing when trying to fish may not be ideal. With a trolley system, an angler can position themselves to face the targeted area. Being a few feet

off is quite often the difference between coming up short or having a limit.

I prefer to position my kayak to be able to fish the bends in a bayou; the rushing water from tidal flow will often create deeper holes at these areas. The fish will sit in the depths and wait for baitfish to swim above them—perfect feeding situation. Throwing a lure that perfectly imitates the baitfish that are present is not nearly as important as running the lure through the strike zone. A fish sitting in 12-15 foot of water will not typically come to the surface to hit a topwater. I am not saying it will not happen but typically they will not. So I believe that it is all about putting a lure within a reasonable distance of them.

A good selection of soft plastics and deep diving crankbaits is enough to do the trick. I use the Norton Sand Eel Junior much of the time, rigged on 1/4 oz jigheads. My favorite color is Black Magic; I have always had good luck with it. Another lure I place great confidence in is a crankbait in the H2O Express line. My go-to colors are what they call Lush and Chartreuse Shad. You can find these at Academy stores and the price is much friendly than other brands. Losing one on a reef is not as big a deal.

My second favorite areas to target are oyster reefs and clumps in bayous. This structure is a great place for fish to hide out and hang around. Oftentimes fish will lie in between the bigger clumps of oysters and wait for bait to swim right over them. So catching these fish can be a little tricky. When targeting these areas I like to put on a lighter jig head, usually 1/8 oz.

I will work my lure the same way but as soon as I feel any structure, I will speed up my retrieve. Fishing like this is more of a trial and error deal trying to figure exactly how the reefs and clumps are positioned and how the fish are relating to them. When you get a bite, remember exactly where you got it because there are usually more in that area. Also make sure that you have plenty of jig heads on hand. Oyster reefs and clumps are notorious for stealing them.

Even though some days the weather and wind may not cooperate, try not to get discouraged. I am sure that, same as many kayak anglers with work and other obligations, you only get a few opportunities a month to go. We do not have the luxury of picking the days with perfect conditions. The windy days are near but always remember that there are plenty of places in Texas to seek refuge. Find a bayou, catch some fish and, may the wind always be at your back.

Dave Roberts is an avid kayak-fishing enthusiast fishing primarily the inshore Upper Coast region with occasional adventures to surf and nearshore Gulf of Mexico.

Email: TexasKayakChronicles@yahoo.com Website: www.TexasKayakChronicles.com

Story by John Blaha

T S F M a g C o n s e r vat i o n N e w s

27th Annual CCA

State of Texas Anglers’ Rodeo Don’t Miss the Boat… Register Before the Early Bird Drawing Deadline Runs Out!

an awesome “grand prize” boat package! The Dargel 210 Skout with a Mercury 150 Pro XS OptiMax and McClain trailer, prize package value near $40,000. Everyone ages 21 and over that signs up now through April 29 will Memorial Day weekend will be here before you know it. automatically be entered in the boat drawing along with Don’t forget to mark your calendars!

20 other great prizes being offered. Everyone 20 years The 27th Annual CCA Texas State of Texas Anglers’ and under will automatically be entered for 20 other great Rodeo (STAR) is sponsored by the Texas Ford Dealers, prizes, but not the boat drawing.

Tilson Home Corporation and Capital Farm Credit.

For anglers who forget or procrastinate thinking, “It This popular saltwater tournament drew over 48,000 will never happen to me or my kids,” here’s a story from participants in 2015 and a total of 118 anglers were the dad of the 2015 StarTeen Lower Coast Trout $20,000 the lucky recipients of some very impressive prizes and scholarships, making it one of the world’s largest saltwater Scholarship winner.

Five years ago, fifteen year-old Collin Dziuk of Falls fishing tournaments. This year’s event begins at sunrise City went fishing with a relative during his summer Saturday, May 28 and ends on Labor Day, September 5 vacation. The relative asked Collin’s dad to enter him in at 5:00 p.m. Could this be your year to claim one of over the STAR prior to their trip because he felt he had a really $1,000,000 in prizes and scholarships? good chance to win. Collin was super excited about By signing up now you could win one of the many his first saltwater fishing trip and sure enough, ended fabulous prize offerings just for registering early! The up catching a 9-pound 2-ounce speckled trout! When CCA Texas STAR “Early Bird” Promotion will again offer Collin returned to the dock, his father broke the bad news. He hadn’t entered Collin in the Collin Dziuk with his 2015 STARTeens lower coast winner. What tournament because he never dreamed Collin are the odds—a young angler would actually catch a fish big enough to win. with two STAR-winning trout— Talk about a reality check, Collin’s chances five years apart? Don’t miss the of winning the StarTeen Trout Division $20,000 boat; sign up early and you will also qualify for great prizes in Scholarship with his trout that year was pretty the Early Bird drawings! clear…if only his dad had entered him.

After Collin’s first and very disappointing fishing trip, he was finally able to go fishing again last year, but the relative would not allow Collin on the boat unless he was entered in the 2015 CCA Texas STAR Tournament. Good thing, because Collin ended up winning a $20,000 college scholarship for the biggest trout caught on the Lower Coast!

Keeper-sized prizes can be claimed by STAR anglers who bring in the first 10 STAR tagged redfish. The first five winners will drive home in a loaded 2016 Ford F-150 “Texas Edition” XLT SuperCab, pulling a brand new 23’ Haynie BigFoot rigged with a Mercury 150L Pro XS OptiMax and Coastline trailer. The next five STAR tagged redfish winners will each claim a 23’ Haynie BigFoot with Mercury 150L Pro XS OptiMax and Coastline trailer.

Last year ten tagged redfish were caught, but only five anglers claimed prizes. The others, unfortunately, were not registered for 60 | April 2016

HIGH PERFORMANCE AUDIO Stealth CORE Soundbar

STEALTH SOUNDBARS Great sound & performance in one package.

STEALTH SOUNDBARS are the perfect addition to your existing system! Perfect for boats, UTV/ATVs, Golf Carts, even your garage! Available in CORE and ULTRA (Bluetooth) configurations (6 & 10 speaker configs). All in a Marine-grade, salt water resistant plug-and-play aluminum housing.

HTX AMPLIFIERS The evolution of the respected HT Series. The Hydro-Tech X Series is a highpowered multi-channel full range Class D Amp. Improved microprocessor tuning for efficient power draw while still outputting loud, rich sound. All in a compact Marine-Grade chassis.

WET SOUNDS. THE WORLD LEADER IN HIGH PERFORMANCE AUDIO. Wet-Sounds @wet_sounds

wetsounds wet sounds

Wet Sounds. Hearing is believing. wetsounds.com / 877-938-7757

the CCA Texas STAR. Other fish can net big rewards in the tournament. STAR contestants who catch the largest speckled trout in the north, central and southern regions of the Texas Coast will each take home the Mowdy 22’ V with a Suzuki DF150 motor and Coastline trailer.

STAR blue water anglers who land the heaviest kingfish, dorado and ling (cobia) in the Offshore Division will each win the awesome Polaris Ranger Crew 570 EPS UTV in Polaris Pursuit Camo with a Big Tex 35sa Trailer.

In the Inshore Division, the Shoalwater 19’ Cat boat with a Mercury 115 ELPT 4S motor and McClain trailer will also be given to the anglers for netting the biggest flounder, gafftop and sheepshead.

The STAR Scholarship Divisions were implemented twenty-one years ago in the hopes of luring more youth to the sport of fishing by offering a total of ten college scholarships in $20,000 and $50,000 increments. To date, a total of 175 recipients have been awarded a grand total of $5,525,000 in college scholarships.

This year, STAR participants ages 6-10 who catch the largest flounder, sheepshead or gafftop will again each be awarded a $50,000 college scholarship. For participants 11-17 years of age—some very exciting news this year—the scholarships in these divisions have been increased from $20,000 to $25,000!

The participants 11-17 years of age, who catch the largest flounder, sheepshead or gafftop, as well as the largest speckled trout in each of the three coastal regions (north, central and south) will each be awarded a $25,000 college scholarship.

In addition to these nine scholarship offerings, participants ages

62 | April 2016

6-17 years old in 2016, are eligible for a bonus drawing that has also been increased. This special drawing will net one lucky youth a $25,000 college scholarship even if the participant never wets a line or enters a single fish during the entire tournament.

And, keep in mind, anglers under 18 years are not limited to participate and win in just the scholarship divisions. They are eligible to participate in the other divisions and win the great prizes offered by CCA Texas STAR tournament, as well.

Major sponsors for the 27th Annual CCA Texas STAR Tournament include Texas Ford Dealers, Tilson Home Corporation, Capital Farm Credit, Mercury Marine, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Whataburger, Rio Ammunition, LP Building Products, KTRK-abc13, Houston Community Newspapers & Media Group, Fox Sports Southwest, Haynie Boats, Mowdy Boats, Shoalwater Boats, Hoffpauir Polaris, Dargel Boats, Texas Fish & Game Magazine, Texas Oilman’s Charity Fishing Tournament, Coastline Trailers, McClain Trailers, Chris’s Marine and Mt. Houston Marine.

Visit www.ccamembership.org to get signed up today. Plus, you’ll make it in time for the April 29th Early Bird Drawings deadline!

For more information, including a list of weigh-in stations, instantentry registration locations in your area and weekly leaderboard updates, go to http://www.startournament.org.

CCA Texas is a nonprofit organization of sportfishing enthusiasts and conservationists working to save the natural resources of Texas coastal waters. CCA Texas’ Web page can be found at www.ccatexas.org.

Whether you are in the surf searching for your next trophy or stalking the flats for redfish, the Tsunami Barrier combos are designed to take on the harshest punishment that saltwater gamefish can inforce on tackle. Each combo is factory balanced to provide anglers with the best setup possible to insure the ultimate experience while on the water. Built for both monofilament and braided line, Barrier combos feature a light weight graphite reinforced reel body and rotor while 4 shielded stainless steel bearings provid smooth operation. A durable graphite composite or tubular glass rod provide the perfect combination of weight and balance for casting and fighting fish.

Combo Features: • Graphite Composite & Tubular Glass Blanks • Stainless Steel Guides with Aluminum Oxide Inserts which are ideal for both mono and braided lines • Cork & EVA Grips

• Machined Anodized Aluminum Spool • 4 Shielded Stainless Steel Bearing System (IAR) • Thick Anodized Aluminum Bail Wire

STEPHANIE BOYD

F I S H Y FA C T S

Do Fish Feel Pain?

Part I

Disclaimers: The study of whether or not fish feel pain is a divisive issue that certainly can’t be thoroughly addressed in a single article. Furthermore, the neurobiology in this matter is complex, and I’m not qualified to tell if any of it is correct, though I accept that explanations of neurobiology presented in peer-reviewed studies are accurate.

There are three terms paramount to the understanding and interpretation of information surrounding the subject of fish pain: noxious stimuli, nociception, and pain. A noxious stimulus is one that is physically damaging to the body – such as cutting, extreme cold, extreme heat, etc. – or causes the activation of sensory 64 | April 2016

receptors or nerves that would be stimulated if the body were physically damaged. Nociception is the physical response of sensory receptors to noxious stimuli. Pain is a psychological and emotional response to nociception, a conscious perception that, in humans, depends on activation of certain regions in the forebrain. The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines pain as (1) an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage; (2) always subjective; and (3) sometimes reported in the absence of tissue damage.

Aerospace Engineering | Superior Ride | Blow Your Socks Off Performance | A Game Changer

Corpus Christi, TX 800.622.2449 Houston (Bayou Vista), TX 281.779.0500

Nociception vs. Pain This is how it works: noxious stimuli trigger nociceptors; these receptors send electrical signals through nerves and the spinal cord to the cerebral cortex where, with full awareness, they are processed into a sensation of pain. However, it should be noted that pain is not a necessary consequence of noxious stimuli or nociception. As an emotional state, pain can be intensified through fear, nullified through mental discipline or hypnosis, imagined without any actual injuries, or faked. Conversely, stimulation of the nociceptors can be unconsciously processed, bypassing any experience of pain. There are, for example, many stories of people who experienced severe injury without feeling any immediate pain. It is for this reason that pain research should distinguish between a conscious awareness of pain and an unconscious processing of impulses through nociception, the latter of which can result in complex hormonal reactions, behavioral responses, withdrawal reflexes, conditioned aversion, etc. This is important because what looks like pain behavior, can occur unconsciously, without pain.

Second verse, same as the first: Reinforcing what we just learned – pain is not felt at the level of a sensory receptor, peripheral nerve, or pathway within the spinal cord; it must be interpreted in the cerebral cortex. There are no ‘pain pathways’ in the nervous system, just nociceptive pathways. Similarly, rods and cones in the eye are correctly called photoreceptors, not vision receptors, because vision occurs when the brain translates the signals from the photoreceptors. And like how nociception does not necessarily lead to pain, photoreception does not necessarily lead to conscious vision (hence subliminal messaging). You can also “see” images with your eyes closed (and feel pain without injury). It is essential to understand this distinction as most studies concerning fish pain hinge on it.

One more, extra, term needs defining: anthropomorphism, which is the attribution of human characteristics or behavior to something that is not human – a god, an animal, an object, etc. As in, “That chair looks sad. That lion looks like she’s pondering the meaning of the universe. That fish looks like he’s in pain.” How you and I react to joy, confusion, pain, etc. may not be how another creature reacts, and the more different our physiology from any particular creature, the less applicable anthropomorphism becomes. (You will have more luck guessing what a chimpanzee’s behavior means than a dragonfly’s because the chimpanzee conceptualizes the world in a way more similar to us than does the dragonfly.)

Okay, on to the meat! I’m going to divide this article into two camps: Fish Feel Pain & Fish Feel No Pain, in that order.

MVP in the Fish Feel Pain camp is Sneddon et al., a study in 2003 in which Lynne Sneddon and colleagues at the Roslin Institute, near Edinburgh, Scotland, measured individual neurons in anaesthetized rainbow trout while they poked the fishes’ heads and applied acid and heat.

Their results identified up to 22 neurons that fire in response to the stimuli, in a similar pattern as neurons in humans that transmit the ‘pain’ message. They also discovered 58 receptors in the heads of rainbow trout that responded to electric and chemical shocks.

They injected bee venom, acetic acid, or saline solution (the control) into the lips of each trout. The fish injected with bee venom or acid reacted immediately, rubbing their lips on the side or bottom of their

66 | April 2016

tank, rocking from side to side, and breathing at a rate comparable to that of a fish swimming at top speed. They also took 90 minutes to resume feeding. Sneddon argues that these behaviors are not just reflex responses, but evidence of persistent pain.

Another big name in the FFP camp is Sylvia Earle, a well-known oceanographer and advocate for ocean preservation and fish welfare. Sylvia, now 80 years old, has spent the better part of her life (since she was 16) studying the ocean. She has seen the ocean deteriorate in ways humans never thought it could – between overfishing, pollution, and rising temperatures, the ocean’s chemistry is off kilter, and reef paradises that she used to love are now dead and barren. She says that populations of larger predators such as cod, marlin, halibut, and sharks have fallen 90 percent in the last 70 years, and that “eating these fish is like eating the last Bengal tigers.” In response, she has been instrumental in establishing Hope Spots, protected places in the ocean where dumping, mining, drilling, fishing, and all other such actions are prohibited. Right now, about two percent of the ocean has that protection; she hopes to have 20 percent of the ocean fully protected by 2020. However, Sylvia is concerned for fish from more than just a conservative view.

She believes the “misconception that fish can’t feel pain has been completely disproven,” a belief that seems to stem from the Sneddon study. Watching a school of anchovies, she points out that they are not “just some endlessly abundant school. Each one of these fish is also its own individual being.” At times, she sounds like the Jane Goodall of the sea.

I’ll end the FFP camp discussion with a recent (2014) study “Physiological and Behavioural Responses to Noxious Stimuli in the Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua),” by Jared R. Eckroth, Øyvind AasHansen, Lynne U. Sneddon, Helena Bichão, Kjell B. Døving. Sneddon is an important contributor in this study, as well, responsible in part for conceiving and designing the experiments, analyzing the data, and writing the paper. This study also injected noxious stimuli into the fishes’ lips – acetic acid, capsaicin (an active component of chili peppers that can produce long-lasting intense burning pain in humans), and a commercial fishing hook – and observed the results compared to fish injected with saline. Atlantic cod was chosen because it is commercially important, and we know a lot about the species already. A total of six treatment groups were used. Saline (control group), 7 fish; 0.1% acetic acid, 7 fish; 2.0% acetic acid, 7 fish; 0.005% capsaicin, 6 fish; 0.1% capsaicin, 8 fish; and fishing hook, 7 fish. Metacaine was used as a pre-treatment anesthetic. Both acetic acid groups displayed a slight delay in the recovery of OBR (opercular beat rate), reduced use of shelter, and increased hovering in the bottom of the aquaria. The 0.1% capsaicin group displayed the same (0.005% had no effect). The only effect observed in hooked Atlantic cod was occasional head shaking movements (likely the fish is, at least, aware of the hook). The study found that acetic acid, capsaicin, and the presence of a fishing hook in the lip of Atlantic cod did affect behavior when compared to the responses seen in the control group. The authors believe this corroborates results found in the 2003 study, as well as other similar studies with goldfish, zebrafish, and common carp.

Stay tuned next month for the rebuttal from the Fish Feel No Pain camp!

Savannah Fisher was very pleased with this respectable spring-run trout.

CURTISS CASH

IN S H ORE | NEAR S H ORE | J ETTIE S | P A S S E S

GETTING THE RUN­-AROUND Often while fishing I see the same boats pass by me numerous times on the weekends. The drivers seemingly oblivious to other boaters, being that they are new to the area or boat navigation. Half on plane and/or plowing bottom, these shiny new bay boats are adorned with the sunburned faces of families. It is easy to get upset with these folks, but even easier to be understanding because everyone has the same learning curve…sort of.

In the ‘80s when I learned to navigate the mid-coast bays I relied upon printed maps, polarized sunglasses, landmarks and gut instinct. Long before GPS and digital mapping, we learned the inshore waters through trial and error.

I really don’t know whether I was a good or average navigator, but I was excellent at finding oyster beds and sand bars, for sure. When the water was turbid or unfamiliar I would trim the engine, grit my teeth and hammer down while hoping for the best. In those early years I gained plenty of practice pushing a boat to deeper water, excelled at it actually.

68 | April 2016

BE RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE Being that Texas does not require a boating operator’s license almost anyone can hit the water running.

Please note that TPWD has age-related restrictions and mandatory education law requirements for certain boaters. Visit www.tpwd.state.tx.us/boat/ for more information or contact the state boating education office at (800) 792-1112.

The Department of Homeland Security/United States Coast Guard has supreme reign over boating safety and regulations on all waters. The USCG has a publication available Navigation Rules and Regulations Handbook that lays out the law for all vessels. Very good information, more geared toward maritime commerce, though.

The pleasure boater has a much simpler list of rules and guidelines to follow when it comes to safely operating their vessel. A quick internet search will show a PDF file Abbreviated Guide to Navigation Rules of the Road. The USCG also has some very beneficial information on their mobile app that can be found at www.uscg.mil/mobile/ .

Jeremy Eldridge plucked this plus-sized red off of a wind-slicked flat.

DON’T BE THAT GUY As a whole, new boaters mean well, but due to limited experience sometimes common sense and etiquette are often overlooked or not yet learned. Here are a few tips I would like to pass on for everyone’s continued enjoyment on the water.

STEREO- Sound is amplified greatly across water. Most people get out on the water to relax while enjoying nature. The sound of someone’s music blaring loudly can be extremely irritable and downright disrespectful to others in the area. In the fishing area or at the dock is not the place to “share” your tunes. Keep it to yourself or jam it somewhere more appropriate like at the beach with other people partying, or at your residence. THANK YOU! OFFER AID- If you are on the water enough, you will eventually have a mechanical issue or an operator error. When a vessel is in distress please stop and confirm that the occupants are not in need of medical attention. Vessel groundings can sometimes be helped with as little as a push, pull, or wake from your boat to break the suction. If nothing else, offer them contact information to a local tow company.

TOW MEMBERSHIP- Simple enough, inexpensive insurance in case of a mishap. Get an annual membership if you have not already.

NAVIGATION LIGHTS- Make sure they are operable and not blocked from the vision of other vessels. Mounted on the engine cowling and side of the console are not terrible, but possibly illegal locations, especially if passengers seated at the front of the console are blocking them.

Your green and red nav lights must clearly visible from ahead and the white must be 360⁰ visible.

HOMEWORK- Out of respect for others that are enjoying the same water, know your location.

In this day of information there is no reason for anyone to get lost on the bay. Study satellite maps, printed maps and charts, install a compass and learn to use it before you get on the boat.

GPS- If you have one learn how to use it before getting on the water and do not rely upon it for 100% for navigation, especially in the dark. Use it as a reference only! Constantly staring at the screen may put you and in harm’s way- floating logs and other debris, wade fisherman, crab pots, reefs, channel markers, etc.

FOG- Slow down and do not run fast just because you have a GPS! There is no way you can see very far in front of you with limited visibility. Turn off your stereo, sound your horn/whistle TSFMAG.com | 69

This month I’ll be taking advantage of the higher water level and fishing shallower points at the ends of coves.

Redfish will be the main target, but we normally box some quality trout in the same areas. Live pinfish get the bigger fish, but frozen sardines, fresh cut mullet and menhaden get the most bites.

When selecting a point I look for bait, of course, but I like to have the bait swimming into the wind and toward the boat. If the boat is positioned correctly we will catch fish that are working up the windblown shore in the cove, headed toward our baits. The bait, be it finger mullet or glass minnows, will pull reds and trout from the deeper water toward the open bay.

We should have some stout springtime winds this month. I use them to my advantage every time when fishing on a flat or nearby primary drop-off. A stiff wind will build a stronger current across some areas of a flat, I look for the wind-slicks and follow them until they all have curvature in them.

This is where the bait will be and hopefully a mud streak telling where to concentrate efforts. When fishing the primary drop-off from the flat I position the wind behind us, an east wind carries current very well down our mid-coast shorelines.

Big jacks will be putting grins on angler’s faces this month.

FISHING THE BAYS With the warming of our bays this month we will have a surge of migratory species coming inshore. As usual the seasonal change is quickly approaching and variety is once again upon us.

70 | April 2016

BROWN PELICANS These big awkward birds really put me on the fish this month. When diving in open water they are most likely over schools of menhaden or mullet, both very sought-after by me for bait. Depending on the location, there could be some bull reds, jacks or possibly sharks if the water is warm. All of these are a big bonus on a day when targeting table fare species, some good fresh bait never hurt either.

It’s a different game when pelicans are found bombing the spoil island drops, deep bay shorelines and bay passes. These areas hold an abundance of glass minnows on strong tidal flows. Trout and redfish will be right in there with them as well as a few slimers to trick you into thinking you’ve hooked a big one.

Summer is near, right around the corner in fact, and I can’t wait!

The summer after our last El Nino winter was the best-ever for catching and also for variety. I could go on and on about that, but I just wanted to mention it, more to come soon. Good (and safe) fishing to you.

C ontact

when nearing another boat or as they are approaching. Just because the ICW is deep and wide does not mean you will see a slow moving barge or an overtaking vessel coming your direction.

MAINTENANCE- Make sure your boat is safe and in good mechanical and operating condition. Your life and your occupant’s depend upon this.

WAKE- You are responsible for the damage incurred by others due to your errant wake and wash. I see this all the time, boats approaching the dock coming off plane less than a hundred feet from other boats. Boats tied at the dock bang around, get beat up, or even people getting hurt trying to protect their property.

The upwelling of water due to the displacement of the hull builds a wave and forces it forward and to the side of the offending vessel.

How about coming off plane at least 100-yards (or more) before reaching the dock? The additional 2-3 minutes at idle speed will allow you to assess the approach, ready dock lines, and clear tripping hazards on deck.

Many times boaters do not slow down enough once coming off plane and running in even greater displacement mode make an even larger wake. It is a good practice to look astern to make sure there are no swells or signs of a wake being produced.

Capt. Curtiss Cash offers charters in the Port O’Connor area; specializing in fishing the bays, passes, jetties, surf and nearshore waters. Species targeted include speckled trout, redfish, flounder, tripletail, black drum, bull reds, sharks, snapper, kingfish, ling and tarpon, when seasonally available.

Phone

361-564-7032

2016 STATE OF TEXAS ANGLERS’ RODEO

CCA TEXAS · TEXAS FORD DEALERS · TILSON HOMES · CAPITAL FARM CREDIT

$ 1,000,000

IN PRIZES & SCHOLARSHIPS 12 DIVISIONS 18 BOATS

5 TRUCKS

3 UVs

CCbAers

Mem 6-17 s Age AR

ST Fish E!

INCLUDING STARKID AND STARTEEN DIVISIONS

MAY 28 – SEPT 5

FRE

By entering the CCA TEXAS STAR you have a chance to win a 2016 FORD F-150 “TEXAS EDITION” XLT SuperCab, Boats, Prizes, Scholarships and more!

PHOTOS ARE FOR REPRESENTATION PURPOSES ONLY

Sign up Early!

Your EARLY REGISTRATION into the 2016 CCA TEXAS STAR Fishing Tournament enters you for a chance to win the DARGEL 210 SKOUT with a MERCURY 150 PRO XS OPTIMAX MOTOR and MCCLAIN TRAILER – a prize package valued at around $40,000! Sign up

by APRIL 29, 2016 to be automatically entered. Must be 21 or older.

a Enter to receive AR DIGITAL YE EON , EE FR to subscription ine!

Game Magaz Texas Fish &

713.626.4222

ccatexas.org

startournament.org

I managed a few quick underwater photos as Ricky maneuvered the mako boatside.

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

ERI C O Z O L IN S

Mako Mission for Research Perhaps the most fascinating of all sharks in our waters is the mako. There are two species of mako - the shortfin (Isurus oxyrinchus), and the less common - longfin (Isurus paucus). From an angling standpoint makos are some of the most glorified and sought-after among the shark family. The unique electric-purple and silver coloring

in addition to a harshly menacing look adds to their majestic beauty.

This is a species that above all others were biologically engineered to thrive as one of the most impressive and capable predators in the ocean. The swimming velocity and ability to leap meters into the air are unrivaled by any other shark. Each Note the trolling rig, we interaction in the wild with this fish were very lucky to avoid is considered a moment to treasure. leader failure with this shark.

Whether an angler is able to observe their surface prowling or airborne acrobatics, the awesomeness of each encounter can leave one speechless.

Just as it has been for millions of years, the mako shark is truly a king of predators in the Gulf of Mexico and will always command respect with sport fishermen.

I hold the mako very dear in my heart, and for good reason. In December 2003 I was fortunate to become only the second angler ever to land one from a Texas beach. Two years later another was landed from

72 | April 2016

the south Texas surf. Of the three surf-caught makos, my fish remains the only land-based tagand-release mako landed west of the Mississippi.

My deep respect for this species was born the first moment of my first encounter. Gazing spellbound at the magnificence of my surf-caught trophy, I observed the finer details of the mako. The wide, muscular posterior keel that was responsible for propelling this shark was unlike anything I’d ever seen. Its lit-up iridescence literally jumped off the torpedo-shaped body and became etched forever in my memory. And of course, the teeth.

Vicious teeth protruding outward like a monster in a horror flick. Absolutely everything about that shark was designed to perfection for survival in a cruel environment. Since that landmark catch over a decade ago, which initially placed me in the beach-angling media mainstream, I have been most fortunate to catch several others and be present to assist others in landing theirs.

Angling history for the mako goes back nearly a century and makos have been landed all around the globe. Specimens from both Atlantic and Pacific waters are documented to have attained weights greater than 1000 pounds. Landings from Italy and Turkey in the late-nineteenth century are rumored at nearly a ton.

Locally, a handful of anglers eagerly await the cooler months when makos can be realistically targeted on our coast. The Shindle brothers have been on the fore of Texas mako fishing for quite a while and Jeff Shindle’s 707-pound state record from 2002 still stands proudly. Much of my personal knowledge of mako sharks, and that of other anglers as well can be attributed to Mike and Jeff Shindle.

Shark anglers like Chris Sessions have also come onto the scene and have proven very successful in landing makos. Much the same as Capt. Billy Sandifer, Sessions is a long-time beach angler who reigned as one of the best big-shark fishers over a period of nearly two decades. Nowadays, he allocates the majority of his sharking time to the offshore venue. Sandifer and Sessions deserve much credit for having mentored and helping shape me to become the shark-master people now claim me to be.

This winter season, despite the window of opportunity being a little shorter than normal due to the very mild winter, I and others were still able to get out. February provided consistent mako action in gulf waters offshore of Port Aransas and further south. Chris Session’s vessel reported action on numerous trips. While average size was smaller than years past, the action was consistent. I was able to hop aboard with Chris and partake as a member of the crew for his last couple of trips.

TSFMAG.com | 73

Up to that point, February had presented very limited mako opportunity in the surf. I made a valid attempt but none were found. Multiple variables have to line up perfectly and this simply was not the year when they would all come together. The Harte Research Institute was again seeking my help in putting a satellite tag on a fish, and if there was one sure chance to tag a mako, I knew I had to accept the offer from Sessions and find them offshore.

On February 24 Chris Sessions, Ricky Torres, and I embarked on a mission to see if we could achieve the goal. A calm and clear morning greeted us as we broke the Packery Channel jetties. Our goal of course was a mako, but our most productive times have always been in late afternoon. Therefore we would go out early and troll while essentially trying to stock up on bonito and other mako baits. Trolling immediately provided a massive wahoo. We continued the morning troll and within an hour got another quick knockdown. I handed Ricky the rod as line dumped at an exceedingly fast rate. A few seconds into the run the fish breached the surface with a great leap and there was our mako!

Knowing that a morning mako was a rarity, we knew that landing it would be even rarer. After all, we had this shark hooked on a trolling setup, how could we possibly expect to land it without a leader failure?

Ricky battled the shark for more than 15 minutes as it made multiple

jumps. As he closed in for the finale, Chris and I prepared the tagging gear. Ricky eventually got the shark calm and stationary alongside the boat and, when the time was right, Chris got the tail rope on it.

Then it was go-time! Unlike traditional passive tags that can be applied very quickly, this one had to be fixed to the dorsal via four bolts, which had to be drilled through the fin. We got it through the door of the transom and immediately went to work installing the tag.

Everything went relatively smoothly and the tag was successfully mounted. Working hastily we got the shark back in the water and it swam away very strongly, seemingly unfazed.

High fives rolled across the deck as the realization of what we had just achieved hit us. Ricky’s mako is now swimming around with a hi-tech satellite tag, aiding in research data collection for the Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation Program. Within 24 hours the tagging proved a success as it began transmitting data.

These SPOT (Smart Positioning or Temperature) tags transmit locations of the shark when at the surface. The tag relays coordinates to the satellites when the wet/dry sensor at the top of the tag becomes dry. The longer the tag is out of the water, the more messages are sent, and the better the location quality of the “ping” it transmits.

Sharks tagged by CSSC (including this mako named, Daymond) are logged on the OCEARCH Shark Tracker for anyone to follow. You may view the tracker on the official website (http://www.ocearch.org/) or you can download the OCEARCH Shark Tracker app.

C ontact

Installing a SPOT tag is fairly complicated and must be accomplished with care in positioning, and also as quickly as possible to insure a successful release.

Ricky paused for a quick photo-op as he and Chris slid it back into the water through the transom door.

74 | April 2016

For the past decade Eric ‘Oz’ Ozolins has been promoting shark catch and release and assisting various shark research programs. Eric offers guided shark fishing on Padre Island National Seashore. Also renowned for extreme kayak big game fishing, Eric runs Kayak Wars; one of the largest kayak fishing tournaments in the world.

Email Websites

oz@oceanepics.com extremecoast.com | oceanepics.com | kayakwars.com

NEW

TACKLE & GEAR

Blazer Bay - 675 Ultimate Bay

The 675 Ultimate Bay boasts a unique blend of performance, deck space and durability.

At 22 feet length and beam of 8-feet 4-inches the 675 is a fishing machine that can cross a rough bay quickly to reach your next skinny water spot. It features two livewells, large storage compartments, walk-around gunnels and recessed trim tabs. The stylish cockpit is just as functional as it is eye-catching with comfortable seating that you’ll enjoy on those long runs to your favorite fishing spot. For more information visit www.BlazerBoats.com

Bubba Blade 7-Inch Tapered Flex

Wet Sounds

Spring is here and we are just as excited as you are to get back on the water! Before you head out to your favorite fishin’ hole, pick up a Bubba Blade 7-Inch Tapered Flex Fillet Knife.

This awesome fillet knife has no competition—thanks to its tapered, high carbon, stainless steel blade and unique Big Red No-Slip-Grip. The 7-Inch Tapered Flex also has a protective non-stick coating to protect the steel from unforgiving elements. Just an extra step to ensure we provide our customers with the ultimate outdoorsman’s knife. The thin, tapered blade and ultra-sharp edge make skinning and trimming a breeze for any fish.

Visit us at www.BubbaBlade.com, or call 844486-7265 to order yours today.

The Stealth-6 Ultra Sound Bar—the world’s first universal highperformance sound bar audio system for anywhere you want a highpower, clear sounding system. All-in-one plug and play audio system features Bluetooth enabled Audio Receiver, Built in Amplification, and a 6 driver High-Performance speaker array. Includes L-brackets for end cap mounting or sliding top mount, back lit LED control panel and fully integrated wiring harness. Available in a Stealth 10-10 driver larger size as well and comes in both white and black finish.

Wet Sounds Hydro-Tech X (HTX) Series Amplifier represents the ultimate in HighPerformance Audio amplifiers. These amplifiers have extreme power output packed inside a small chassis, thermal overload protection, flexible crossovers, and extended inputs. HTX amplifiers are a well-balanced match for all the Wet Sounds products.

Log on to www.WetSounds.com from more information.

76 | April 2016

products

CastAway Skeleton V2 – New for 2016 Meet the Skeleton V2—Discover Why Less is More!

The CastAway Skeleton V2 line of casting and spinning rods assembles the optimum mix of rod blank technology and lightweight components for maximum sensitivity, lightness and durability.

“Skeleton V2 is aptly named,” explains Michael McDevitt, Vice President and General Manager for CastAway. “Lightness and sensitivity work hand in hand. The high-tech Rainshadow Revelation blank, Alps SS316 guides, Alps split reel seats, and EVA/cork composite split grips are a ‘bare bones’ combination. You won’t find excess weight anywhere!”

Twenty models comprise the Skeleton V2 line, including 12 rods tailored to freshwater bass angling and eight for light to medium saltwater sport. All are made in America, produced at CastAway’s manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas.

Skeleton V2’s Saltwater lineup contains casting and spinning models in a range of light to medium powers and a mix of actions. | MSRP $189.99 www.CastAwayRods.com

Award-Winning Okuma Metaloid 2-Speeds New Okuma Metaloid 2-Speed Lever Drag reels recently won the Best New Saltwater Reel Award at the Big Rock West Show. Big Rock Sports is the largest distributor of fishing tackle in the United States. The Metaloid 5-II is an amazing design that holds over 400-yards of 50-pound braided line, churns out 24-pounds of drag and fits in the palm of your hand. Featuring machined aluminum frame, spool and side plates over stainless steel, helical cut gearing, the Metaloid is amazingly versatile offshore. Gearing includes highspeed 6.4:1 high and powerful 3.8:1 low. MSRP of the Metaloid M-5II reels is $229.99.

www.OkumaFishing.com

Yeti YETI brings its legendary insulating power into bottle form with Rambler Bottles. Available in 18oz, 36oz and 64oz sizes, the bottles feature durable 18/8 stainless steel construction with a No Sweat™ design to keep condensation from collecting. All bottles have a TripleHaul™ cap for superior portability and unlike narrow-mouthed drink bottles that are a hassle to fill or rinse, the Rambler Bottle features Over-the-Nose™ technology for easy loading, drinking, and cleaning.

And it’s BPA-free. In other words, the Rambler Bottle is the only insulated container for cold (or hot) beverages that’s built for the wild.

Pricing: 18oz - $39.99 | 36oz - $59.99 | 64oz - $89.99

www. YetiCoolers.com TSFMAG.com | 77

Dickie Colburn

DICKIE COLBURN’S Sabine Scene

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

78 | April 2016

No rain for three consecutive days is considered to be a drought around here and a much appreciated respite on Mother Nature’s part. The SRA was finally able to cut back on the discharge rate on Toledo Bend and we are once again enjoying improving water conditions.

The combination of stronger incoming tides and less fresh water should be just what the doctor ordered to ignite what has been a hit and miss bite at best thus far. Not surprisingly, the flats on the north end of the lake have not only rebounded the quickest, but provided the most consistent action as well for both trout and redfish.

The trout that held up in the deeper waters of the Intracoastal waiting out better salinity levels are now cruising the nearby shallow

flats on a more frequent basis. Of late, regardless of the tide direction, the first and last hours of daylight have been the most productive. There is also no doubt that when the fish are Redfish and feeding they are doing most kids get along of their hunting in close just fine. CPR! proximity to any type of subtle structure change.

When wading or even drifting, be quick to stop and make repeated casts to the same small area following a strike. A small patch of clam or oyster shell or an isolated hump will hold multiple fish.

As the available bait supply improves, the fish will scatter all across the flats, but at least for right now I would recommend checking these isolated spots repeatedly throughout the day.

With surface temperatures already in the high 60s

Nice red on a windy post frontal day. CPR!

and low 70s there is nothing in the box they won’t hit, depending on their mood. While that is a blessing of sorts, I invariably wonder if I am throwing the best lure or best color even when I am already catching fish.

Because the options on their menu now include smaller baitfish, we are catching more fish by downsizing with our baits as well. This is not to say that they won’t crush the largest topwater in your arsenal nor is it meant to imply that bragging size trout won’t inhale a smaller offering. Stowing away your Super Spooks and Fat Boys, however, is a big mistake!

While I realize that not opting to throw a tail rigged under a popping cork is more about angler choice than anything else, it is also a mistake to think that the technique produces great numbers, but not big trout.

The cork is seldom if ever my first choice when targeting our largest trout, but I have countless photos of trout over seven pounds that we have caught on both Calcasieu and Sabine Lake on tails dangled beneath a cork.

A Corky Devil, of all things, fished beneath a cork resulted in one of the best big fish days I have ever experienced. One of my three clients was cold and bored and had no interest in keeping his Corky in the strike zone. Out of frustration, I rigged his under a cork and by the end of the morning, it was the technique of choice for the entire group.

While I think there is no better choice than a MirrOlure Lil John rigged under the oval TKO cork, I would never feel like I was in the penalty box having to fish a 4-inch Assassin Sea Shad under it as well. There are days when the cupped cork works better in a chop, but I prefer the subtle click of the oval cork and it eliminates added resistance when fighting the fish.

I fish this set up with a seven foot medium action Laguna spinning rod and Shimano Stradic spinning reel filled with 30-pound test Seaguar Smackdown braid. I previously used 20-pound test with other braids, but the smaller OD on the Smackdown makes it perfect for spinning reels.

As the water continues to warm and saltier water pumps its way into the lake, the Louisiana shoreline will attract more bait, fish and anglers. We have already enjoyed an earlier than expected bite with the flounder and the redfish are never far from the nearest school of juvenile menhaden shad parading down the shoreline.

The Game Reserve is also open now, but requires a non-resident Louisiana license to fish. Remember—if you launch in Texas you can only keep Texas-legal fish.

A youngster will never forget a day spent fishing with you!

NEW STEALTH BLUE CAMO BRAID FOR SALTWATER ADVENTURES SPIDERWIRE® STEALTH™

SPIDERWIRE.COM TSFMAG.com | 79

Capt. Caleb Harp

The Buzz on Galveston Bay

Galveston

Capt. Caleb Harp has fished the Galveston Bay System since childhood and, now a charter captain and fishing guide, he uses his knowledge to enable clients to enjoy the excellent fishing the area offers. His specialty is the yeararound pursuit for trophy trout and redfish with artificial lures

Telephone 281-753-3378 Website harpsguideservice.com

80 | April 2016

Galveston Bays have been in full spring pattern for a while now, at least a month ahead of schedule. Ol’ Man winter still threatens occasionally but nothing significant comes of it. March has been windy but we have all seen worse. One day it will blow 20 out of the East, then 15 out of the west, then 15-to-30 out of the south for three or four days. I call it the washing machine effect as eventually Gary Ferguson everything gets churned up playing out a producing muddy water nearly nice trout. everywhere you look.

But don’t let dirty water trick you into thinking the fish have left. You don’t just pick up and move because your house gets dirty, do you?

Fishing dirty water calls for dirtywater colors and louder baits. I am a fan of lures with a distinct break in the color scheme, for example: morning glory with chartreuse tail and glow with a red head. I think fish can see the bold contrast better than one solid color, making

it easier to catch their eye and ultimately producing more strikes. Louder baits such as the MirrOlure SheDog will gain more attention from fish in nasty water conditions as well, due to its higher-pitched rattle.

April has potential to produce heavyweight trout.

Trout will begin to spawn later this month but until they do the eggs they are carrying only add to the wintertime weight they are still packing. Spawning female trout can be likened to pregnant women; unpredictable mood swings, uncommonly aggressive at times, and they need to eat more than normal.

Biologists tell us that moon and tides affect trout spawning and the full moon with strong incoming tide is one of the biggest triggers. Unlike bass, trout do not prepare spawning beds nor do they hang around and protect their offspring. It’s a dump and run event. Females release eggs with multiple males

swimming around them releasing milt. The tide mixes it all up and everybody swims away. Nature takes care of the rest.

The full moon will occur on April 22 and I look for the days leading up to it to offer exceptional opportunity for trophy trout. All lures should produce but I favor full-size topwaters and Corky Fat Boys to take advantage of aggressive full-moon feeding behavior.

West Galveston Bay West Galveston fish are in normal spring pattern. Fishing drop-offs with shell has been consistent on cooler days but as soon as the water temperature reaches 62-63⁰ they’ve been crushing lures in shallower water over mud-shell. Fishing has been great in general whenever the weather cooperates, most bites are coming on MirrOlure Provokers with 1/16-ounce jigs and topwaters too, when bait rafts are prevalent. Look for trout and reds to congregate on shallower reefs and shorelines as April progresses.

East Galveston Bay East Bay has been good for keeper trout with a few reds and flounder around bayou drains on the south shoreline. MirrOlure Soft-Dines, MirrOdines and Catch-5s have been good choices this spring. It seems like one day they want one or the other and that’s all they’ll eat. Fishing with smaller soft plastics such as the MirrOlure Lil’ John

2016-TX-SDG-trout.pdf

has been productive on days when they seem to be in less aggressive feeding mood. April will set up the trout’s transition to the larger of East Bay’s oyster reefs. Keep an eye open for slicks and do not hesitate in making a pass on the famous “PVC poles.”

Upper Galveston Bay Upper Galveston Bay has been the hot spot for trophy caliber trout lately and the word’s been out for a while. It’s not uncommon to be wading solo and have 5 or 6 boats pull up on the same flat and join your wade. I have a suspicion that a lot of these big trout are fresh water refugees from Trinity Bay. They act like a dog dumped in a strange neighborhood, uneasy in their surroundings but hungry and willing to take from food from any outstretched hand.

Mature resident trout in general remind me of mottled ducks, a species that does not migrate and spends their whole life on our coast. They know their home turf better than you know the back of your hand, masters in detecting danger and quick to notice anything out of place. Refugee trout, as I call them, act more like blue-winged teal (and stray dogs). Quick to commit and easy to deceive.

Eventually the water temperature will get too hot They’ve been hungry for the nasty Upper Galveston mud-bottom flats for Soft-Dine’s. and these fish will push out deeper toward the ship channel.

Stay safe and be respectful to your fellow fisherman. -Capt. Caleb Harp

“The Soft Dog™...Paul Browns First Top Water” Soft Dog™ - Color Chart SDG-01 SDG-01 3-3/4” Long, 7/8 Oz.

SDG-08 SDG-09

Top Water 3-3/4” Soft-Dog™ Paul Brown Lures presents their first top water surface walker… the Soft Dog™. Walks-the-dog with ease. Soft-Dog™ is the ideal search bait. Easy long distance cast. It’s soft plastic design, creates a realistic baitfish feel that trophy gamefish find irresistible.

Soft-Dog™, the perfect mullet imitation for fishing the shallows!

SDG-12 SDG-15 SDG-18 SDG-22 SDG-91

L&S Bait Company • 1415 East Bay Drive • Largo, Florida 33771 • Tel 727-584-7691 • www.mirrolure.com TSFMAG.com | 81

Bink Grimes

The View from Matagorda

If I had a plan for April I would happily tell you. Truth is, I don’t know what April has in store until it gets here. It’s different every year—every day really.

I have caught some heart-pounders on the edge of East Matagorda Bay on an Matagorda incoming tide. Those big trout stage in the deep water just waiting for a swollen tide and rafts of mullet to pour over adjacent mud flats littered with shell. I wait on them with a Bink Grimes is a full-time fishing topwater and smile when they bang it. and hunting guide, freelance Then there are days I wait and wait and writer and photographer, and wait. That’s April. Really, that’s fishing. Hero owner of Sunrise Lodge on Matagorda Bay. or zero.

Where we fish in April is determined daily by changing winds and water temps.

Telephone 979-241-1705 If winds blow over 20 knots, we roll to the Email back lakes in West Bay and work redfish. If binkgrimes@sbcglobal.net winds are less, we work the middle of East Website Bay for springtime speckled trout. matagordasunriselodge.com My best big trout day of 2013 was in April - we released a 30, a pair of 28s, a 27, 26 and a 25—all while drifting. That same day in 2014 another 30-incher was released from LazerSharp_TexasSaltwaterFishing_L197_Redfish_April2016.pdf 1 3/1/2016 12:43:18 PM

s

E T D N A I O M P N E A L C D I E R E E N M A iggin

air W t. Bl

Cap

LO N

.

R E G

The

ric Ame

an-

97 e L1 Mad

.

R E RP

HEAT

NT A I O H S LE P G N

D I N E E K D E fSor sharpness ign H O O oint des lep

Need

82 | April 2016

NGED & O R ST FOR ATED d&

e Forg

Heat

ted Trea

©2016 EAGLE CLAW FISHING TACKLE DENVER, COLORADO | EAGLECLAW.COM

TRE

nver,

in De

C

do olora

k Blac h num Plati Plus finis or ri e p u s nce ides prov n resista o i s corro

th

treng

for S

SHA

.

R E G

R

.

PER

STR

O

LON R. E NG

GE

R.

7-INCH TAPERED FLEX FILLET • High carbon steel with full tang construction • Razor sharp serrated blade with non-stick coating • Big red no-slip-grip handle with safety guards and trigger grip my boat. That’s right, out of the boat. You don’t always have to wade to catch a big trout in East Bay. That’s not to say I won’t be wading. There are some awesome trout to be caught in April.

We are looking forward to seeing how all the freshwater from 2015 will affect this April’s fishing. We haven’t had a true glass minnow run in Matagorda in years. Of course, until 2015, it hadn’t rained in years.

Many of my captain buddies have spent mornings at the dock talking about how we bet the glass minnows will show up this year like the good ol’ days. Our bays are in awesome shape. Walk in a back lake and there are little shrimp everywhere. Wade a bayou and watch all the little crabs scurry away.

Our winter fishing was great this year, better than I can remember for its consistency. March has been just as good thus far. Fish were where they were supposed to be and in good numbers. That’s why I am so optimistic for April.

Glass minnows are really just bay anchovies. Little white and silver flashes that swim in herds and likely being swarmed by hundreds of brown pelicans, trout and redfish. When the fish go-off and gorge on the big balls of minnows it can get really silly. I have had redfish swim between my legs blowing minnows out of the water.

The good thing is some of the best wading happens on afternoon incoming tides. Get a good night’s rest, get up, read the paper, eat a little breakfast and head out. Take your time and wait for the tide to usher the minnows to the grassy shorelines of West Bay. Catch ‘em till the sun goes down.

Follow us on Instagram @matagordasunriselodge.

“one cut and you’re Through™”

See the full line of fishing and hunting knives at www.bubbablade.com Or order by phone at 1-844-486-7265 TSFMAG.com | 83

Capt. Gary Gray

MID-COAST BAYS With the Grays

Port O'Connor Seadrift

Captain Gary Gray is a full time guide born and raised in Seadrift. He has been guiding in the Seadrift/ Port O’Connor area for 28 years. Gary specializes in wading for trout and redfish year round with artificial lures.

Telephone 361-785-6708 Email bayrats@tisd.net Website www.bayrat.com

84 | April 2016

What a mild winter we’ve had. Above normal temperatures and the rain we had earlier in the year have given our bays and estuaries the much-needed boost to bring them back to normal.

It is my opinion that everything is running at least a month ahead of schedule, as far as the conditions and catching are concerned. My dad (Charlie’s Bait Camp) said his live bait catcher was finding perfect sized croaker at the end of February while trawling for bait shrimp. Believe it or not he received his first batch of croaker at the Bait Camp during the first week of March!

That tells me I am correct in thinking we are a month ahead of our regular fishing schedules. With that being said the fishing in March has been on fire and every sign indicates it will continue into April.

There are a few things we can depend on in April; the most important of these will be the wind. I know, we all cuss it, but during those days that we have weak tides, the wind will make the water move up and down shorelines at a stronger rate. It will push water into the back lakes or out of them, depending on the wind’s direction. It will push water across reefs and around points on any given shoreline. Given the choice I will take a windy day of fishing over dead

calm conditions any day.

The areas I will be fishing in April are probably the same areas I am fishing now in March. Shorelines with back lake entrances are what I am keying in on, mainly on the south shorelines of West Matagorda and Espiritu Santo. The bay I will be fishing on any given day will be dependent on the quality of fish the bay has given up recently. As of this writing West Matagorda is my go-to.

On the main bay shorelines, what I will be looking for is our annual migrations of menhaden and/or glass minnows. We normally see an influx of menhaden running up and down the shorelines during April. You will be able to see the rafts of baitfish easily, cruising just off the shorelines. To set up and fish these you will want to wade to within casting distance of the rafts and cast towards them as they approach, working your lure along with them. I will make some drastic jerks and pauses to make my lure stand out from the baitfish crowd and hopefully entice a trout to make an instinctive strike.

I will also be making casts across the leading edge of the menhaden and the tail end of the bait school as well to see where I might get a hungry trout to pounce on my lure. A lot of times the water

Hungry April redfish absolutely inhaled a MirrOlure She Dog!

will be clear enough to see the trout and reds swimming with the menhaden. This can sometimes become annoying if they are not biting, but still cool to see.

The type of lures you will see attached to my Waterloo HP Lite will vary more this time of year than any other. I will usually start with a MirrOlure She Dog in the GCRRH (red head, chartreuse back, chrome body) and the CHPR (chartreuse back and belly, pearl sides). I personally like the way these colors look but I also feel it’s more the action and sound of the plug that draw strikes over the colors, normally.

Another lure that works great for the menhaden schools, and especially on the glass minnow influx that happens on afternoon incoming tides in West Matagorda Bay, is the MirrOlure MirrOdine XL in the 27MR-CH and in 27MR-S. Again, the flash and the action of these lures account for more of the catching, not the color. But that’s my opinion and you know what they say about opinions.

You know, I can’t talk about lures and catching fish without mentioning the tried and true Bass Assassins. Whether it be the 4” Sea Shad paddletail or the 5” Saltwater Shad rat tail. I prefer these lures over other soft plastics because…you guessed it…the action of these baits is what does the trick, not the fantastic array of colors they are available in. I have been known to stick with one color day in and day out that has been producing. This is my preference and how I fish, and this is how it will always be until someone comes along and shows me that another certain color will work better. I have seen that happen maybe five times in 30 years of guiding. My Assassins are almost always rigged on 1/16 ounce Assassin jigheads. But again…that’s just my opinion.

Fish hard, fish smart!

NOW AVAILABLE IN 4 " AN D 5 ” SIZES

Weedless, ElaZtech® topwater popper is extremely durable and unlike anything else on the market Cupped face pops, spits, and chugs when twitched along the surface for maximum fish-calling attraction Naturally buoyant ElaZtech material floats on the surface, even when rigged with a heavy-gauge hook Baitfish profile accurately mimics a number of fresh- and saltwater forage species Made in the U.S.A.

zmanfishing.com

ZM16_0225_PopShadZ_HALF.indd 1

TSFMAG.com | 85

2/25/16 10:07 AM

david rowsey

HOOKED UP WITH Rowsey

Upper Laguna/ Baffin

David Rowsey has 20 years experience in the Laguna/ Baffin region; trophy trout with artificial lures is his specialty.

David has a great passion for conservation and encourages catch and release of trophy fish.

Telephone 361-960-0340 Website www.DavidRowsey.com Email david.rowsey@yahoo.com

86 | April 2016

Things have been moving along at an unrelenting pace here on the Upper Laguna and Baffin. Rising at 4:00 a.m. and trying to be asleep by 8:00 p.m. is a feat in itself. I pull it off daily, with a smile, but would be lying if I said I did not look forward to sleeping in on Saturdays.

Clients often say, “Man, I love fishing, but how do you do it every day? I am exhausted after just two days.” The truth of the matter is that it takes GREAT mental focus, TONS of passion, a STRONG back, and a LOVE for watching others succeed with your guidance. It’s a rewarding gig but really is harder work than the romantics make it out to be. Wouldn’t change a thing, though!

Mother Nature has thrown us another unexpected curve this year

in the form of receding seagrass. The 2015 rain put much-needed fresh water in the system and water quality has been the biggest winner—best in five years. At the same time, and for whatever reason, we have lost tons of grass in many key areas. The root

systems are still there, but the expansive grass beds have “come up short.” Without going into detail on why seagrass is such a positive for any bay system, it is the relationship between grass, wind, and water quality that I want to discuss.

The beauty of the Upper Laguna is that it is, normally, flush with tall grasses on the bay floor, and the way this grass functions as a filter. As wind hits max rpm the grass helps prevent bottom sediments being stirred into the water column, thus providing vast areas of “fishable” water.

Unfortunately we are experiencing the opposite this spring. The grasses have receded (no filter), the wind blows hard, and the great water quality we have been experiencing goes to crap. With wind coming from every imaginable direction during this season, the redistribution of ugly water blows from one side of the bay to the other. The good news is that it settles out quickly during low wind periods, usually during the night. For that reason early-morning starts on the Upper Laguna Madre, Meadows, and Yarbrough are essential for catching versus just casting.

Fishing has been solid all spring. Getting bites and hookups has not been much of an issue and should only get better as we get further into the month. April has always been a five-star month in my book. Between the spawn, max fatness of the trout, topwater antics and spring’s tides, there is much to like about April.

We will see a big push of water towards the end of the month, known locally as “the Spring Tide”—(not to be confused with spring tide that refers to periods of abnormally high and low fluctuations when the moon is at perigee.) This is without a doubt a highlight of the fishing year. Much new life will be pumped into the bay in the form of tide-runner trout and a slew of baitfish. Truly a magical time that will afford some of the best fishing of any given year.

Some of the best fishing will occur in the Land Cut itself as the fish start pushing through. As they advance north, look at areas along their travel routes—Kenedy shoreline (Rocky Slough), spoil islands along the ICW and rock formations around the mouth of Baffin for some of the most consistent opportunity.

Your best lure selection is whatever you are most confident with.

For most, it’s soft plastic (perfect choice). The 5” Bass Assassin on 1/16-ounce jig is highly recommended for wade fishermen and 1/81/4 if working out of a boat. Colors will depend on water quality. If the water is stained, I go real dark or bright. Clear water for me means natural-colored lures. Bass Assassin only has about a million in every shade known to man and Roy’s Bait and Tackle here in Corpus always has the best colors for the season in stock. (They actually listen to us…what an amazing concept!) If topwater explosions are your game there is no need to have anything in the box other than MirrOlure He Dogs and She Dogs, in a variety of colors. Loud, proud, and most importantly, producers!

Charters are now wide open for June through September. Please get on the books now. Waiting last minute usually equates to not getting the dates you want. Don’t be that guy! Looking forward to having y’all back and meeting the new ones.

Remember the buffalo! -Capt. David Rowsey

TSFMAG.com | 87

Capt. Tricia

TRICIA’S Mansfield Report

Port Mansfield

Capt. Tricia’s Skinny Water Adventures operates out of Port Mansfield, specializing in wadefishing with artificial lures.

Telephone 956-642-7298 Email shell@granderiver.net Website SkinnyWaterAdventures.com

88 | April 2016

I have had quite a busy and awesome time on the water since my return from Costa Rica. While that is a wonderful thing, it has been none-the-less very demanding physically and mentally. The redeeming feature of long busy stretches is that the fishery of the Lower Laguna remains so giving. So even when I’m all worn out the great Mother Lagoon continues to bless us with so much opportunity in so many places.

The realization that the next cast could bring a lifetime fish for a client, or me, is a huge part of what keeps me going.

Giving a VERY mild winter, our spring patterns are already present a full month ahead of schedule. Knowing where Another great the fish are is always a big step one from up, but no matter how many skinny water for fish might be available the Chase Smith. catching part is always highly

dependent on the weather and moon phases and the way in which it effects their feeding style.

Knowing this, you might should throw in some good planning (and a bit of luck) to insure consistent catching. Speaking of planning, do your best to organize a game plan before heading out. This time of year, wind direction, velocity, atmospheric pressure and temperature all have to be considered. Down here we live or die by the wind, and when the forecast call for 10to-15 we pretty much know to add them together to get a better idea of what to expect.

There are plenty of areas in our bay system that can hold decent clarity despite strong winds, especially during bull tides of spring. Just know that there is a large difference between south, southeast,

Excellent examples of biggies in the skinny!

30

Leaderboard F i s h i n g

Get on board www.LeaderboardFishing.com . st Po it! , se lim e ea el siz R , x a to ho o M , P "/N h 5 tc Ca in 1 M

and a south-southeast blow. Tiny degree changes on the compass can totally wreck a lot of areas, so choose wisely.

Many of the productive areas during late-February and early-March were not the postcard clear waters Port Mansfield is famous for, but rather in murky water, with scattered grass beds, where the first clue was nervous baitfish. Most of the shallow areas we found holding concentrations of bait also held some good size predators. Catching them required much more than luck, though, confidence combined with the willingness to stay with it was the key.

Faster action may occur out deeper, but up in the skinny the next cast could very well bring your best fish ever. Wade slowly, be confident they are there, and stay alert to every sign. Above all, keep casting.

April will mark some significant changes. Some very exciting and some will be the typical and frustrating challenges of spring. April is also one of the better months to expect heavier trout. Fat fish laden with roe are often available to wading fisherman stalking shallow shorelines and submerged spoil banks. Spawning activity will have them feeding voraciously and the signs will be small slicks popping in the shallows, and bird activity. The fishing game is very good when you find these.

I’d like to emphasize that large topwaters which I wrote about last month are still awesome producers, but let’s not forget that much of springtime forage is quite small, and I am seeing that already.

The flats should be teeming with small shrimp, crabs, and several species of juvenile baitfish. Competing with these natural foods can definitely lean toward the challenging side. Last spring the smaller Norton Sand Eels Junior and smaller to mid-sized topwaters caught fish when little else would. Your lure doesn’t always have to be big and loud to get big results.

Remember, when the wind blows hard in the Laguna, it moves water from somewhere and pushes it somewhere else. As mentioned before, planning and timing is critical, so let’s be patient and work to catch the fish we know are there. Good luck and here’s to you getting your personal-best fish in spring 2016!

Texas Coastwide Speckled Trout Tournament

Fishing this weekend?

Make it count and get on the Leaderboard!

Fish any/all weekends through June 26. Points are cumulative for your top 5 trout.* *see official tournament rules at www.leaderboardfishing.com/rules

Download Instagram to post entries

follow us on instagram @Leaderboardfishing

TSFMAG.com | 89

Capt. Ernest cisneros

SOUTH PADRE Fishing Scene A rr oyo C olorado t o Port I sabel

A Brownsville-area native, Capt. Ernest Cisneros fishes the Lower Laguna Madre from Port Mansfield to Port Isabel.

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

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

2016-03- Texas Salt

M

Y

Y

Y

90 | April 2016

Heading into April always produces a mix of emotions.

I hate the prospects of fighting windy conditions all month. Then again, I love the fact that our trout often attain the greatest weights we see all year. Cold fronts are fewer but the boat traffic increases.

Despite the possible negatives, the Laguna Madre comes alive in April. Seagrasses flourish, mullet will be jumping everywhere and piggy perch can be seen darting around potholes. Quite often we see tiny shrimp skipping along the surface and telltale mud trails from stingrays on the flats remind waders to step cautiously.

If drifting is the way you prefer to fish, you may want to invest in an extra drift sock, or two. You may get a window of opportunity in the morning, but if the breeze is stiff through the night you might find nearly the whole bay churned to the point of barely fishable. Launch early and make the best of it.

Protected shorelines will be our allies this month.

The edges of color changes and murky streaks can be good places to find trout and reds hiding in ambush. Potholes are always worthwhile targets, if Water Ad 04-04-16 3/1/16 4:25 PM andRS when they cancopy.pdf be seen in1 wind-stirred water.

Many times a pothole will be holding multiple trout so always hold your ground and fan-cast the area thoroughly after hooking-up.

Sand flats on the east side from South Padre all the way up to Port Mansfield will turn on in April. The presence of stingrays is a good sign that small baitfish and crustaceans are abundant. Redfish can often be found working alongside the rays, and occasionally large trout will cruise the same water, feeding opportunistically on baitfish the rays disturb.

Christopher Spiers with a 9-pound trophy. CPR!

Paddle-tailed soft plastics are a good bet in murky water as the tails give off vibration for fish to key on. Scented lures can also make a big difference. Quite often I see anglers hurrying through off-colored water to reach a cleaner stretch but even a single bite is enough reason to put on the brakes and work the area thoroughly…no matter the water color.

As the water warmed this past month the fish began to scatter, especially the bigger trout. We have caught and released some pretty good fish in the last few weeks but only after wading all day for that one big bite. In other words, they have not come easy.

Topwaters will soon begin producing more steadily and on windier days I recommend noisier plugs like the MirrOlure She Dog. If you are lucky to find a calm day my trust would lie with the Super Spook Jr. or a Bagley Rattling Finger Mullet.

Redfish catches continue to be somewhat sporadic, especially during windy days. When we have found them they seem to be in tight schools. Mud boils made by feeding and spooked reds have been some of our best signals. Multiple mud boils indicate you might have found a school. Plum-chartreuse K-Wiggler Ball Tail Shads have been working in murky water and Flomingo is a good choice when the water is clearer. If shrimp are plentiful in April we could see some bird activity as gulls and

terns hover above feeding fish.

I want to recognize my sponsors who have joined me in promoting a new conservation incentive in my charter business—Shallow Sport Boats, Simms, K-Wigglers, Costa del Mar, and Fishing Tackle Unlimited.

My snook trips have always been strictly catch and release, likewise I have always encouraged CPR on big trout. Recently I began increasing the CPR emphasis.

I am pleased and excited to offer catch and release trips on all species. Whoever agrees to release all fish caught when fishing with me will receive a Simms or Shallow Sport cap or a Costa sun mask. Their name, and all anglers onboard, Stacy always will be entered in a drawing to be held at the seems to place 2017 Houston Fishing Show. The winner will himself in the right spot—9receive a free, full-day guided fishing trip for 1/4 pounds. CPR! two; along with two FTU rods, a pair of Costa sunglasses, and K-Wiggler lures for the trip.

Since I started this incentive back on February 12 we have caught and released 202 “keeper” fish, including all the big trout we have landed.

In closing I want to recognize Shallow Sport for putting me on a new 24 Classic. The ride this boat offers is way beyond my expectations. I say, if you are ready to pull the trigger on a new boat, I highly recommend you take a look at one of these magnificent machines. Better yet, come fish with me and find out for yourself.

Best fishing to you!

38101W

91768S116/18

91768UB116/18

SH786/SH824

Weighted Grip-Pin

Power Lock Plus

Power Lock Plus

Shrimp Heads

• Big Mouth™ Extra Strong Wide Gap • Solid Metal Grip-Pin™ Keeper for Superior Hold • Durable, Slick Black Polymer Coating • 38101NPW116 (1/16oz) Sizes 3/0 - 5/0 • 38101NPW18 (1/8oz) Sizes 3/0 - 6/0 • 38101NPW14 (1/4oz) Sizes 5/0 – 6/0

www.mustad-fishing.com

SSD786

Inshore Darter Heads

SD824/SD840

BUH120/BUH824

Shad/Darter Heads

Bullet Heads

• Precision Injection Molded • Exclusive New 2X Jig Hooks • High-Impact Gloss and Low-Vis Matte Epoxy Finishes

facebook.com/mustadamericas TSFMAG.com | 91

FISHING REPORTS

Lake Calcasieu Louisiana Jeff and Mary Poe - Big Lake Guide Service - 337.598.3268 Late-March and early-April will be the best time of the year to catch the trout of a lifetime. Topwater action will be in full swing and the bite on Paul Brown Lures will be on fire. Trout will still be located on shallow reefs in three to five feet of water. They’ll also gather along the shorelines on big incoming tides. By this time, they will be spread throughout the entire estuary, from the south bank all the way up to Prien Lake. West Cove and Joe’s Cove consistently give up the biggest trout of the year, so starting a search there wouldn’t be a bad idea. If you’re looking for a box of fish, the weirs will produce both trout and redfish at this time. Flounder are also in the middle of their spring run at this time. You’ll find them in bayous and off points on incoming tides. We are really looking forward to April. This February has been excellent, and we are looking for that to continue straight into the spring and summer. Many limits of trout and reds have been taken, as well as quite a few big trout.

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 “Fishing has been really good lately, especially for regular to mediumsized fish. For a while, when the weather was a little cooler, we were catching them in the coves in West Bay. Lots of solid trout, with slot reds and some pretty big flounder coming in. In fact, I’ve caught more

92 | April 2016

ORECASTS F from Big Lake to Boca Chica

AND

four-pound flounder already this year than I can remember in a long time. Since the weather warmed up, we are catching more fish over in East Bay. Over there, it’s an afternoon bite almost exclusively, and the tide movement is critical. While the tide is really ripping, the bite will be tough, but when it turns and slows, the fish will start champing.

Best bite lately has been on slammin’ chicken Bass Assassin Sea Shads, and on the clear glitter/chartreuse tail Paul Brown FatBoy. If this April is anything like the last, we will be catchin’ ‘em on topwaters soon.

Last year, during this time frame, we were getting dozens and dozens of blow ups on most days, using TopDogs and SheDogs and other floating plugs like that, mostly while wading, of course.” immy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054 “With the warm weather, fish are spreading out into various parts of the bay. That’s a good thing, I guess,” Jim says. “Water is warm for this time of year, and most of the fish we’re catching are just average-sized fish, up to about five pounds max, and they are biting best late in the afternoon.

Some people are catching big trout on a regular basis, mostly around Rollover Pass, where the fish are extremely fat right now. Best conditions for catching them over there are incoming tides, with relatively light winds. Warmer weather should spread the fish out even more. Upper Galveston Bay has been producing well all winter, but we should start seeing more consistent catching in lower portions of the bays. Fishing protected shorelines will be the key when it blows. As long as the tide

I silently judge others by their boat name.

AGREE

DISAGREE

Stand out from the crowd — give your boat a new look!

SAVE

20% CODE: TEXAS20

Quick, easy and affordable do-it-yourself boat lettering.

EXPIRES 5/31/16

Visit our website to see samples and create your own at BoatUS.com/Graphics or call (800) 937-3300.

TATULA CT TYPE R MSRP $179.95

TATULA CT MSRP $129.95

LONG CAST WITH MINIMAL BACKLASH

New design, compact size and lighter weight. Check ‘em out at your Daiwa dealer today.

www.daiwa.com TSFMAG.com | 93

level is high enough, that will work really well. If tides get low and the wind starts blowing, things will get tough. Topwaters have been working well, and should continue to as water temperatures rise.”

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 Randall was recovering from a hernia surgery when we spoke, so he hadn’t been on the water much. “I’m looking forward to getting back after it soon,” he said. “The last hours of the day are usually the most productive in March and April. The glass minnows lay their eggs in the shallows, and the trout and redfish feed on them reliably during the lateafternoon and early evening hours. I use small terns to help me locate the schools of glass minnows. Part of it is a sound thing. The terns will make noises which indicate a bit higher level of excitement when they find the minnows. They also fly around and dive a little differently, in a less-random manner. When I see and hear the terns doing the right things, I can locate the schools of minnows, and that’s the key to finding the trout and redfish this time of year. We’ll target them with all the different types of lures at times, but soft plastics often work best to get the bites, because they look a lot like the minnows. Lures like the junior versions of Norton Sand Eels are particularly effective.”

Matagorda | Charlie Paradoski Bay Guide Service - 713.725.2401 “Both our bays are full of fish right now. In April, the glass minnows typically show up, and that creates a reliable pattern, especially in West Bay,” Charlie says. “One of the most productive lures lately has been a SoftDine, and they should work really well once the glass minnows arrive, since they mimic them pretty well. The glass minnows tend to create a better bite early and late, so it pays to fish those hours once the

94 | April 2016

pattern sets in. Lately, our best fishing has been on shorelines in East Bay. We’re catching some pretty big trout in the shallows of the coves, and around some of the reefs, wading. We’re also catching some fish out of the boat. When we’re fishing out of the boat, we throw mostly soft plastics, using jigheads heavy enough to keep the lures in close contact with the bottom. The soft plastics work when we’re wading too, but we have better luck on the bigger trout sometimes with slow-sinking twitch baits and topwaters. April should be really good around here, especially if it’s not too windy.”

Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 Fishing has been on fire with these warmer temperatures. We have been on a great trout bite drifting over shell lying in three to five feet of water.

When the water has been clean, we have been catching them on pearl/ chartreuse paddletails under popping corks. When the wind blows and the water dirties, we have been using morning glory and pumpkinseed/ chartreuse. We have had some good bird schools working bait in South Bay, where heavier jigheads rigged with paddletails seem to work the best. Redfish are already on shorelines; quarter-ounce gold weedless spoons and bone Spook Juniors have worked best to catch them.

Flounder are showing up in numbers; we have been catching quite a few on the shorelines and gigging a few at night. My advice for next month will be to look for the influx of glass minnows. When the fish find these schools of bait, catching can get down right crazy! Look for flocks of pelicans and gulls working bait down the shoreline and position yourself in front of the school at the ready.

Knowing there’s

nothing like a bayou

Sunset

#bayoulife

In Bayou Lafourche there are plenty of ways to enjoy living on the bayou. You can cast a line into peaceful bayou waters or venture deep into the Gulf to catch your fill of specks and reds. Launch your own boat or take a charter out for the day, then relax under the glow of a bayou sunset. Just 45 minutes from New Orleans, visit Bayou Lafourche to experience a different kind of life, the Bayou Life.

VisitLafourche.com/fishing 877.537.5800

THIBODAUX | LOCKPORT | GOLDEN MEADOW

TSFMAG.com | 95

Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith Back Bay Guide Service - 361.983.4434 Lynn predicts he will be wading shorelines which have guts running parallel to them, with sandy pockets surrounded by grassy areas. “I’ll be staying close to guts running adjacent to area shorelines, targeting large trout. This is a prime month for catching some of the biggest trout of the year. I am hoping to be able to do quite a bit of sight-casting. This normally works well, as the big trout move out of the grass beds and cross over the sandy bottom. We’ve got some clear water in the bays, so we’re already seeing some potential for fishing of this kind. It should get more consistent as we get into April. This kind of fishing is normally really good during the middle of spring. Topwaters usually work well early, when we are blind-casting, when we can’t see the fish. If we can see the fish, later in the mornings, it is usually much easier to target and catch them on soft plastics. Locating lots of bait is another big key.

Those big trout will be lurking in areas which are holding an ample food supply for them.”

Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894 April is a month which provides plenty of options for Blake in the Coastal Bend bays he frequents. “I’ll be targeting my trout on shorelines with lots of hard sand bottom, with scattered grass close to the shore, more grass and scattered potholes further out from the bank. Generally, the bigger trout will stay in the shallower parts of the area, while the smaller keepers will be easier to catch out a little deeper. Topwaters and slow-sinking twitch baits work best for us when we’re fishing this pattern, particularly in the shallower parts of the areas. Lots of redfish will be roaming those same kinds of areas, particularly in places near cuts leading from the main bays into the backwater areas. We also have plenty of fish on reefs this time of

with g a m e EE R G et F h a se! c r u p y p o c hard onth subscripreceive a 12-m Order today and ry and sign up family memur tion for $25.00. H iends at the same rate! bers and/or fr

year. When winds are lighter, it’s often possible to catch easy limits of trout around the shell humps in all the area bays. Norton Sand Eels generally produce best around the reefs. We’ll also try fishing for both trout and redfish on flats close to the Pass and Cedar Bayou, and in the surf, if winds allow.”

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 I like the month of March, but I love the month of April because everything is coming up. The air temperature is on the rise, the water temperature is going up and the trout and reds are coming up into shallower water. This is a great month to fish for the trophy trout because it is during this month that the trouts’ average weight is the heaviest, according to the Parks and Wildlife gill net surveys. The trout will be loaded with eggs as they get ready to spawn. This means that the chance of catching the next state record trout will be relatively high during this month. I’ll be looking for the fish along shallow grass lines and sandy potholes in less than two feet of water. I use bone diamond Bass Assassin Shads or sand trout colored Die Dappers on sunny days and pumpkinseed/chartreuse or morning glory/chartreuse on cloudy days and dirty water. This is no time to fool around, so make sure the Power Pro along with 20-25 lb. test fluorocarbon are in good shape. My natural-colored SheDogs will also see plenty of action this month.

Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.937.5961 Joe says the fishing has been better than normal for catching regularsized trout and redfish throughout this warm winter, and he expects an excellent spring. “We have some clear water in most places. Normally, April is a great month for fishing down south, around and in the Land Cut and in places close to the entrance to it. Sometimes, we’ll be targeting fish in very shallow water, sight-casting. At other times, we’ll target our fish around deep grass edges, rocks lying close to deep water,

Subscription

Form

Sub0416

To order subscriptions simply fill this form out below and mail it to the address below, fax, email or go online.

361-785-3420 Monday – Friday 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

FREE EMAG WITH HARDCOPY PURCHASE E-mail required

AM EX

12 months print - $25.00 or 12 months digital only - $12.00

Subscribing for more than yourself? Please write additional information on a separate sheet of paper.

96 | April 2016

All subscriptions come with yearly autorenewal.

A FEW NEW ITEMS TO ADD TO YOUR BUCKET LIST The Frabill Bait Bucket.

It has been a staple for anglers for years and is now getting a complete overhaul. Available in 5 new options with updated designs, new features and more durable construction, there is an option for everyone’s live bait needs.

• BUILT-IN AERATOR LID • DUAL-BAIT AERATED BUCKET

W W W . F R A B I L L . C O M

CODE:

• CLASSIC BAIT BUCKET • INSULATED BAIT BUCKET • DRAINER BAIT BUCKET

MUDHOLE.COM/TSF (800) 315-3326 Must create free account to use coupon code. First Order Only.

10% off, excludes SAGE and OKUMA. Retail sales only. Expires 12/31/2016.

TSFMAG.com | 97

and along the edge of the intracoastal waterway. Sight-casting is pretty much a no-brainer. If you can see the fish and bring the lure close in front of them, they will usually bite. Fishing deeper structures and channel ledges requires a more thoughtful approach. It pays to match jighead size to the wind speeds and current speeds. More wind and water movement necessitate heavier jigheads, to allow for maintaining contact either with the bottom or with the edge of the channel. Lighter winds and less current will allow for the use of lighter jigheads.”

P.I.N.S. Fishing Forecast | Eric Ozolins The unusually mild winter has had a strong impact on our surf zone.

Blacktip sharks came in full force earlier than expected and jack crevalle arrived in late-February. Jackfish feeds have been aggressive, albeit sometimes brief. Topwaters have worked well when you are lucky to find them. Otherwise, live mullet or cut bait will randomly produce a feeding jack. Redfish, pompano, drum, and sheepshead can be caught on fresh-dead shrimp and Fishbites. If last year repeats, there will be a lot of sheepshead cruising the surf in April. If we have a cool month, there is a chance of little tunny invading the surf. These tuna-like fish can be caught tossing the smallest of spoons and also on fly gear. The million dollar question will be the presence of sargassum; there has been very little offshore thus far. IF sargassum remains absent, I look for a stellar spring shark season. Scalloped hammerheads should be in as early as mid-March, and we will likely see lots of monster bull sharks being caught. Warm water likely diminishes the seasonal threat of heavy fog.

Port Mansfield | Ruben Garza Snookdudecharters.com – 832.385.1431 Getaway Adventures Lodge – 956.944.4000 Is it just me or does it feel like summer to you also? There have been days here lately that you could wet wade. Well, with the warming

98 | April 2016

temperatures the fishing has been outstanding. The topwater and Corky bite have both been unbelievable. The pink and bone Super Spook Juniors have been producing solid trout. Bone/chartreuse and amber/chartreuse Paul Brown FatBoys have also been a consistent ticket. And if that action begins to wane, a K-Wiggler Ball Tail Shad on an eighth-ounce jighead is the best way to keep the bites coming. The lagunaflauge, Mansfield margarita and red with white tail have been great K-Wiggler colors. The redfish have been really active and there have been many days that boats are coming in with limits of both reds and trout. These fish are in mid-thigh depths where the bottom is soft (not muddy) with lots of grass. The Saucer and West Shoreline have been the most popular spots. I believe that as good as it is right now we could be in for a record year in the Laguna Madre. Tight lines and calm seas!

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Janie and Fred Petty – www.fishingwithpettys.com – 956.943.2747 The last half of this past month has been challenging. Although we’ve had some great days in February, there has been a noticeable lack of slot redfish. Tides have been low, making it a must to run a Shallow Sport, and the last couple of weeks, tide movement has been sluggish in the morning. Having said that, we’ve boated lots of oversize reds and one of the largest trout we’ve seen since last year. Trout fishing has been productive, even with high winds that make the LLM muddy and rough. Freddy says, “The bay can get overrun with black drum, making it hard for reds to find enough food to stay in the area. Many years ago, the state allowed black drum to be netted in an attempt to keep the population controlled.” We’re continuing to fish Cajun Thunder corks with Berkley Gulp! Live three-inch shrimp in pearl and new penny. The bait will stay in the freezer for the rest of 2016, unless water temperatures drop dramatically. We are looking forward to higher tides and cleaner water in the coming months. Let’s all get on the bandwagon and put a stop to open-bay dredge disposal.

More Fish. More Fun.

Coastal Bend Marine

– Authorized Alumacraft Dealer – 361.983.4841 | Open Mon-Sat 7:30am - 5:30pm | coastalbendmarine.com Fax - 361-983-4676 | 1808 West Adams Ave. | Port O’Connor, Texas 77982

Art, seafood, birding & shops. rockport-fulton.org Call 1-800-242-0071 visitrockportfulton Photo by Dawn Huff

TSFMAG.com | 99

Channing Saenz Galveston - kingfish

Casey Ballard redfish

Jason Morin Arroyo City - 18” trout

Katelyn Krivan Matagorda - ladyfish

Derek Harkrider - Surfside beach Ryder Krivan Lisa Barton 23” Spanish mackerel Galveston West Bay - trout Rockport - first speckled trout!

Lee Miller Big Lake - redfish

Devyn Ritter - Galveston 21” personal best trout!

B.J. Babineaux Big Lake - speck 100 | April 2016

Tim Whorley Hackberry - 26” redfish

Eric Blancka sharks ate blackfin tuna

Rudy Gomez Port Aransas - 33” black drum CPR

Luke Cody Port Bolivar - 40” first bull red!

OJ Whittenburg Port Aransas - 48” mahi-mahi

Glean Fish & Fun 11 - snapper CPR

TSFMag

Catch of the Month &

Silverstar Fishing Jewelry

Photo Contest Sponsored by

Gaby Guillen - Port Lavaca Ella Molina - South Padre 27” first keeper red Island - first shark!

Johnny Oquendo Galveston - flounder

Beginning with the November 2015 issue, Silverstar Fishing Jewelry will be sponsoring a brand new photo contest. Winners will receive a beautiful 1-inch diameter custom-designed sterling silver pendant that would look great worn on a neck-chain.

Contest Rules Gail Jendrzey - San Antonio Bay 29” personal best red!

Kristin Jendrzey - San Antonio Bay 29.75” personal best red!

1. Only current magazine subscribers, their dependents, and members of household are eligible to win.

2. One winner each month selected by TSFMag for photo quality and content.

3. Single-fish photos only, please. We do not publish multiple-fish images or stringer shots. Photos are judged for display of sporting ethics and conservation.

4. Send entries to photos@tsfmag.com **Photo entries must be submitted electronically— prints cannot be accepted. All images submitted to Catch of the Month become property of Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine.

APRIL WINNER

Ovi Saldana Moses Lake - 36” black drum

Frank Villanueva Galveston - 22” speckled trout

CW Raetzsch Ranzel Rock - blackfin tuna

Cody Stripling & wife trout

Yadi Sanchez

Port Mansfield 27.5” 8 lb redfish TSFMAG.com | 101

Pam Johnson

Gulf Coast

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

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

Crab Cake Poppers with Spicy Aioli INGREDIENTS • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

1 pound jumbo lump crab meat 2 tablespoons butter ¼ cup green onion, diced 2 tablespoons red bell pepper, diced 2 tablespoons celery, diced salt to taste 1 tablespoon parsley, minced 1 egg ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce ¼ cup mayonnaise ¼ teaspoon dry mustard ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1¼ cup panko breadcrumbs 1½ cup canola oil

For the Spicy Aioli • • • •

½ cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 clove garlic, minced 1 teaspoon chili sauce

PREPARATION Rinse lump crab meat and pick through for any shells, drain well and add to large bowl.

In medium sauté pan, melt butter and cook green onions, red bell pepper and celery. Season with kosher salt and cook 3-5 minutes or until vegetables have softened. Add to lump crab meat with parsley.

In small bowl combine egg, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, dry mustard and cayenne pepper and add to crab meat. Stir gently to combine. Fold in ¾ cup panko bread crumbs.

Roll crab meat mixture into 1-inch balls, and coat in remaining panko bread crumbs. Refrigerate crab balls for 30 minutes.

Heat 1 cup of canola oil, or about ½ inch of oil in large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Fry crab cake poppers in batches making sure not to crowd pan, gently turning so all sides are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes each side. Drain poppers on paper towel lined plate while frying remaining crab cake balls, adding more oil as necessary. Serve hot with Spicy Aioli.

For the Spicy Aioli 102 | April 2016

Mix all ingredients together until smooth and serve on the side as a dipping sauce.

THE

original

TEXAS ORIGINAL

found

at m

TEXAost S retail ers

www.julioscornchips.com

TSFMAG.com | 103

Science and the

Sea

TM

Fatty Corals Fare the Best Carrying a bit of extra fat isn’t usually considered ideal among the human population, but for corals, extra fat could be a lifesaver. The more fat reserves a coral has, the stronger its recovery appears to be after severe stress.

Severely bleached coral in Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, Hawaii. Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Designer & Manufacturer of Specialized High Performance Fishing Rods Office: 361.573.0300

805 B. South Bridge Victoria, TX 77901

Fax: 361.573.0304

One of the biggest threats to corals is bleaching, which results from the stress caused by changes in light, nutrient availability or temperature.

Microscopic algae called zooxanthellae live in coral tissue. The coral and algae live symbiotically, depending on each other for survival. The coral obtains much of its energy from the sugar made from the algae’s photosynthesis. But when they experience severe stress, corals expel the zooxanthellae, which leaves them pale or even white and more vulnerable to disease or harm from storms.

As climate change has warmed the seas, coral bleaching has become more common and ocean ecosystems have suffered from increasing coral death. But corals can recover from these bleaching events and having more fat storage helps. Scientists exposed three coral species — finger coral, boulder coral and mustard hill coral — to elevated temperatures for two and a half weeks to induce bleaching . When they tested them six weeks later, the finger coral was in the best shape — and had the largest fat reserves. The animal in the poorest shape was the mustard hill coral, which stored the least amount of fat.

Scientists suspect the fat helps the coral because it provides energy to make up for the sugar lost as a result of the departed zooxanthellae during a bleaching event. Less fat means greater difficulty healing from the bleaching. Knowing this can help scientists predict how a coral reef will fare with the expected increase in bleaching events.

www.ScienceAndTheSea.org © The University of Texas Marine Science Institute 104 | April 2016

texas saltwater fishing holes matagorda to corpus M ATA G O R D A B AY Speckled Trout / Redfish

USCG Licensed Captain Stan Sloan

832.693.4292 fintasticcoastalcharters.com

• Bay Fishing, Offshore, Floundering, Waterfowl, Dove • Night Fishing off Lighted Pier • Right On The Water • Lodging with/without Meals www.matagordasunriselodge.com 979-241-1705 TSFMAG.com | 105

CHRIS MAPP

B OAT M AINTENAN C E TI P S

Don’t be that guy!

Spring is here and social media is filled with big trout jumping in the Chris Mapp, owner of boat—you cannot wait to get out Coastal Bend Marine. there. Who needs a spring check or Evinrude, Suzuki, Yamaha, make-ready list, you ask. All those Mercury, Honda, BlueWave, bad things only happen to other SilverWave, Shallow Stalker people, right? Besides, I just used Boats, Coastline Trailers, my boat Thanksgiving weekend and Minnkota & Motor Guide Trolling Motors. everything was fine.

Great Service, Parts & Sales This sounds a bit like all of us at “What can we do for you?” times—anxious for that first big day on the water. But who wants to be the guy holding up traffic at the launch ramp, or the one needing towed back to the dock? Running through the items on this checklist is a good first step to preventing it.

Let’s start with the boat trailer: -When you first walk up to the boat in the storage building, give the whole rig a thorough once-over. Any stains or evidence of fluid leaks on the concrete (fresh or otherwise) you do not recall seeing before?

-Tire inspection before hitting the road is critical to safe towing. Do you see any cracks or dry rot in the rubber? Check tire air pressure, including the spare.

-A shot of wheel bearing lube is recommended, taking time to conduct a visual inspection of the hub seals. Wheel bearing lubricant leakage in any amount needs addressed immediately.

-Connect the trailer lights to your tow vehicle and make sure all are in good working order.

-Trailer brakes are notorious for corroding and sticking after prolonged storage. Check before towing.

-What about a 4-way lug wrench and hydraulic jack? License plate registration current?

one is good insurance.

-What about the engine-cranking battery age and charge level?

Twenty-four to thirty months is average wet-cell life expectancy. Are there any signs of corrosion at the terminals?

-Turn the steering wheel full-lock both ways. Is it hard to turn or locked up…or maybe sloppy and loose? Any sign of hydraulic cavitation? Any evidence of fluid leakage under the helm or the hydraulic steering cylinder at the transom?

-Turn the battery selector to the on-position and flip the switch for each system. Are the navigation lights bright? Are the lenses clouded?

Are the baitwell and bilge pump working? If either pump squeals at start-up it’s time for replacement. What about the GPS? How did the jack-plate sound, raising and lowering?

-Pre-starting the boat on the garden hose. Squeeze the primer ball until tight, smell any fuel?

Water running, turn the key and choke if carbureted, if fuel injected how long does it take to start?

-Did the engine only start in neutral? Slip it into gear, forward and reverse. Let it run five minutes and then shut it down and restart on each battery as might be applicable. Pull the kill switch with engine running, did it stop? Operate the tilt and trim, sluggish or noisy?

-Verify that date stamp on signal flares is compliant and fire extinguisher pressure indicator is in the green. Life jacket labels all legible and one for each passenger? Any PFD torn or frayed should be replaced.

Ditto, the throw-cushion. Signaling horn and/or whistle on board?

-Dock lines, anchor lines and anchor all in good shape?

-What about boat registration, registration decals and TX numbers?

-Is your Tow Boat U.S. membership current? (Just in case you find that new sandbar that wasn’t there last year).

Have a great spring fishing and boating season. Remember you come to the coast to have fun and it is our job to help.

Moving on to the boat: -Open every hatch. Can you detect any fuel odors?

-Inspect fuel water separator for rusty spots, how old is it? A new

Chris Mapp Coastal Bend Marine | Port O’Connor, TX www.coastalbendmarine.com | 361-983-4841

106 | April 2016

texas saltwater fishing holes Galveston

Capt. Billy Penick III

USCG & TP&W Licensed • Galveston Bay System • Full and Half Day Trips • Trout, Redfish, Flounder

corpus to port isabel

281-415-6586 www.gypsyguideservice.com penickbilly@yahoo.com

classifieds

PESCADO PARK RV PADS & BOAT STORAGE

Baffin Bay

near Kaufer-Hubert Boat Ramp DAN WARD

OWNER / OPERATOR

832-860-4600

dwPescado@gmail.com

ON THE WATER

Saltwater Fishing Clinics WITH

Capt. Robert Zapata

If you are having difficulty catching fish on a consistent basis, the clinic is designed for you. Learn Capt.Robert Zapata’s secrets to finding and catching more fish from his 25 years of experience as a professional fishing guide.

For Information Call 361-563-1160

TSFMAG.com | 107

The catch that day was only half the story.

Sun, meet your match. Get ultimate UV protection from MagShield™ fabrics, available with up to UPF 50+.

only at

Since 1983

POWERED BY

X3 - 25’ 27’

The X3 line offers unbelievable performance & provides the ultimate multi-hull inshore/offshore boat. It is engineered for high performance & longevity, has absolute comfort features & extreme shallow water maneuverability. The revolutionary design of the X3 makes it the perfect crossover boat that allows you more days on the water despite conditions. The X3 will deliver you dry and safe across shallow flats, wind blown bays, and even to the rigs offshore. The X3 will make any bad weather day a good fishing day!

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 coincide 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 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

w w w. t e 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 . c o m