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Lure and fly fishing is a challenge and he enjoys spending time with his clients teaching them how to be successful. Clients also learn when and where to fish, and about proper gear to be successful when they find that trophy fish. Captain Dean Thomas is an avid supporter of Heroes on the Water and a core group member of Flatsworthy.

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ABOUT THE COVER Austin Gary of Lake Jackson is our cover angler. Austin’s behemoth 10.43 pound speck was landed during a recent Specktacular Tournament – the heaviest ever weighed in more than 20 years.

Colton Roeder snapped the photo, a return favor for Austin having captured the image of Colton’s best trout last year. The fish was donated to TPWD for research when it could not be released alive following the weigh-in.

APRIL 2019 VOL 28 NO 12

CONTENTS

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

10 16 22 28 34

38 42 46 50 52 56 60 64 95

Clearing the Air & Paving the Way for Progress!

Of All Things Casting Things That Run in Cycles Top Baits for Cobia A Visit to Waterloo Pro Shop

Steve Hillman Kevin Cochran Chuck Uzzle Joe Richard Everet Johnson

22

Let’s Ask The Pro Shallow Water Fishing TPWD Field Notes Kayak Fishing Chronicles TSFMag Conservation News Fishy Facts Extreme Kayak Fishing & Sharks...

Plastic & Water Don’t Mix Science & the Sea

Jay Watkins Scott Null Liana Lerma Dave Roberts CCA Texas Stephanie Boyd Eric Ozolins Everett Johnson UT Marine Science Institute

46

WHAT OUR GUIDES

HAVE TO SAY

70 72 74 76 78 80 82

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

Dickie Colburn Caleb Harp Bink Grimes Gary Gray David Rowsey Wayne Davis Ernest Cisneros

REGULARS 8 Editorial 68 New Tackle & Gear 84 Fishing Reports and Forecasts 88 Catch of the Month 90 Gulf Coast Kitchen

90

76 6 | April 2019

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 Vicky Morgenroth Store@tsfmag.com DESIGN & LAYOUT Stephanie Boyd Artwork@tsfmag.com SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Jen Shive Jen@tsfmag.com Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine is published monthly.

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HOW TO CONTACT TSFMAG: PHONE: 361-785-3420 FAX: 361 792-4530 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.

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EDITORIAL

APRIL BECKONS Spring is here! All you need do is check the parking lot at your favorite boat launch to verify the fact. The hardcore grinders have had the water pretty much to themselves the past several months and we all need to be on our toes and best behavior as the spring boat traffic increases. There will be some newbies, for sure, please be patient as they get up to speed with their boat launching skills and learn to navigate the bays. If you happen to see somebody struggling to get their boat in the water, please give them a hand. Good citizenship and safety on the water are paramount to everyone enjoying their fishing days.

By the time you read this the TPWD commissioners will have made their decision whether to extend the five trout limit from the middle coast northward to the Louisiana border. As with any regulation proposal, extending the limit to include all Texas coastal waters is not universally popular but, as I wrote last month, support for the measure from anglers and fishing guides over the past year or so has gained more traction than many predicted it ever would. The model for conservative seatrout bag limits has been proven on the lower and middle coasts. Hopefully – if the commission gives the proposal a favorable nod – upper coast fishermen will see similar improvement in their waters. If passed, the regulatory change will take place September 1, 2019.

We just wrapped up the Houston Fishing Show this past weekend. As much as consumer trade shows might serve as accurate bellwethers to indicate the health of the industries they represent, it would appear that

8 | April 2019

2019’s recreational fishing market is off to a very good start. Attendance was brisk and many exhibitors were of the opinion that attendees, “brought their billfolds”…always a sign of a healthy economy in general and that interest in outdoors sport runs high in the community. Of note were the number of exhibitors selling high-end fishing rods and technical fishing apparel. Not only have the demographics of inshore fishing in Texas changed dramatically over the past couple of decades, the participants have greater discretionary income and are willing to spend it on fishing.

Time flies! The CCA Texas State of Texas Anglers Rodeo turns 30 this year!

Tournament director Bill Kinney says CCA’s first summer-long tournament drew 3400 registered anglers. They expect to top the 50,000 mark this year.

STAR is perhaps most famous for the Tagged Redfish Division’s truck/boat/ outboard motor/trailer packages.

While those are some truly incredible prizes, and certainly worth joining STAR to win, the most noble and notable prize categories are the Youth Scholarship Division that topped $6.5M in college scholarship awards during 2018.

But wait, there’s more! Tournament anglers who register prior to the end of April will also be eligible in the Early Bird Drawing that has another list of great prizes, tops of which is another boat/motor/trailer package.

Register early and get the kiddos registered too!

CLEARING THE AIR & Paving the Way for Progress!

STORY BY STEVE HILLMAN

I

just got home from the first of several Texas Parks and Wildlife public hearings regarding proposed changes to statewide saltwater fishing regulations. For me and many others, the proposed limit reduction from 10 to 5 spotted seatrout in Galveston Bay and Sabine Lake is of greatest interest.

By the time you’re reading this a decision will have been made to either reduce the spotted seatrout limit to 5 along the Upper Texas Coast or remain status quo.

Getting back to the hearing, the attendance was less than I expected. The inclement weather may have had something to do with it. I also think that the fact it was announced to be a public hearing may have scared some potential attendees away. Public hearings are more structured than the scoping meetings we’ve attended in the past. The last scoping meeting I attended in January 2014 ended up becoming somewhat of a free-for-all with folks speaking out of turn and going way off topic.

Last night’s hearing (February 26, 2019) offered some similarities from the one I attended in 2014 in that there were a lot of assumptions made as to the reasons for the proposed regulation change and a fair number of speakers went off topic wasting quite a bit of their allotted three minutes at the microphone. In addition, there were many false “facts” spewed from the podium. Let’s discuss a few.

Guides are the ones responsible for the five trout limit proposal.

Okay. Guides are not the only ones who began the push for the limit reduction. Here is a quote from an email I received from a TPWD director back in August of 2016. “We aren’t proposing any changes to trout regulations at this time. There appears to be growing interest from some anglers to begin looking at a statewide five fish bag limit for spotted seatrout.” You see, numbers of upper coast anglers have been pushing for a

More than 40 trout like this were caught this day. A great example of return on investment in good fisheries management!

change for more than three years. This didn’t happen overnight and it wasn’t just guides. However, I am a guide and I do support a change.

Blue skies peek through as the fog clears. The future looks bright!

Guides only want the limit reduced to five trout so their days will be shorter.

This assumption is not only baseless, it’s downright insulting. The majority of the guides with whom I associate are proud of their profession and thoroughly enjoy teaching clients the ins and outs of the sport. Time spent together on the water with our clients typically results in long-term friendships. In other words, we enjoy the company. Guides who do it the right way are not the ones who want to catch a quick limit and then haul butt back to the dock.

I cannot imagine how any guides that do this would have many repeat customers. Just the other day my guys had quick limits of eating sized trout and reds. Did we come in early? No sir! We waded for several hours catching and releasing quality trout. By the way, we were in Matagorda Bay where the trout limit is five. The real reason folks like me are in favor of a limit reduction is because we care not only about our livelihoods but the sustainability of our fishery. One can’t exist without the other. We want to see our bays and fisheries flourish, not diminish.

The guys wanting to go to five trout just don’t know where to go to catch trout. They have to adapt to the changes.

Some hotshot internet anglers and guides unfortunately mistake our concern for the fishery as ineptitude. They think that because we’re not putting all of our clients’ stringers together for a massive over-the-shoulder hero photo that we’re not catching anything.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve certainly done it once or twice a long time ago. However, you’ve got to grow up sooner or later and realize that setting an example for younger generations is more important than feeding your ego. Most of us older guides and a lot of the younger ones have in fact adapted to the changes. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to stay in business.

Jake White with a hefty CPR trout!

– Jonathan Hsu & Randy Shipley tricked some really solid trout on topwaters after dusk.

12 | April 2019

There is nothing wrong with our trout population.

We have millions. Stop whining!

While TPWD Coastal Fisheries data does indeed indicate that spotted seatrout numbers are “stable” along the upper coast, is “stable” where we want to be? To me, “stable” is a term used to describe the condition of someone who’s in the hospital following a car crash. I want to experience a trout fishery that’s at its maximum potential with regards to quality and quantity, not one that’s wallowing in mediocrity. We have trout. No one is saying that we don’t. However, anyone who thinks that it’s anywhere close to what it used to be or what it should be is either too young to remember or in serious denial.

The decision to reduce the limit to five trout has already been made by TPWD. The hearings are only a formality.

I hear this all the time and it couldn’t be further from the truth. TPWD conducted a series of scoping meetings five years ago to gather feedback for a spotted seatrout limit reduction from ten to five, extending from ICW Marker 21 in the Lower Laguna to Sabine Lake.

The proposal was met with strong opposition at the Galveston and Sabine meetings, resulting in the change only taking effect from Marker 21 to FM 457 at Sargent. TPWD does indeed listen.

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Another heavy CPR trout coming soon to a bay near you!

There is less fishing pressure now than before.

The folks saying this could easily qualify for the Darwin Award. There were 894,144 licenses (combo plus fishing [excluding freshwater only licenses]) sold in 2008. In 2017 that number swelled to 1,179,002. These numbers do not include lifetime fishing licenses, resident July and August all-water or saltwater packages or one-day licenses. So, in 10 years there was a 32% increase (284,858) in licenses sold. During that period of time guide license sales went from 1,095 to 1,333, which is a 22% increase. This number does not include paddle craft guide license sales. There was a slight decrease in license sales in 2018, attributable no doubt to the devastation and timing of Hurricane Harvey. Harvey made landfall as a Category 4 storm on August 25, 2017 near Rockport, then worked its way up the coast over the course of the next six days causing unprecedented flooding. Not only did Harvey come during annual license renewal time but thousands of people were displaced from their homes for months and even more than a year in many cases. Despite the timing and devastation, TPWD relevant license sales totaled 1,128,347 in 2018. Guide license sales for that year were 1,316. By the numbers, that’s almost one third more fishing pressure over the course of a decade.

(Source: 2008-2018 License Data – Zack Thomas, M.S., Human Dimensions Analyst, Policy and Education, TPWD Coastal Fisheries Division).

There is no evidence that reducing the limit to five trout will improve the quality or quantity of our catches.

False! There is a really informative section in this magazine called Texas Parks and Wildlife Field Notes. In the September 2018 issue, TPWD Lower Laguna Madre Ecosystem Leader, Jason Ferguson, put together a comprehensive article titled – 10 Years Later: A Review of the Impact of the 5-Fish Bag Limit for Spotted Seatrout in the Lower Laguna Madre.

Since the typical life span of a speckled trout is around 10 years, the effects of the limit change can be fully realized in the entire population.

Ferguson’s findings showed mean catch rates increased by 16% in the 10 years after the regulation change (2008-2017) compared to the 10 years prior (1998-2007). He noted that the increase was 5 times higher than 14 | April 2019

Oh the joy of catching great fish! A product of good management and cooperation from Mother Nature.

the originally projected 3%. In addition to higher catch rates, the 10-year mean length increased from 18.2 (1998-2007) to 19 inches (2008-2017) which equates to a 4.4% average size increase. The most impressive statistic was the percentage of trout measuring longer than 25 inches.

The average percentage for this size-class was a little over 10% of the total population prior to the change and increased to 15.6% in the 10 years following. That’s a 56% increase and considerably higher than the originally predicted 38% increase. Mr. Ferguson uses the word “robust” when describing the current population of trout in the LLM. That’s a word I could get used to using.

Galveston Bay has been dragged through the ringer during the past eleven years. She’s suffered major habitat loss in the form of oyster reefs buried in heavy layers of silt (Hurricane Ike), followed by five or six years of devastating drought, and then several more years of recordsetting fresh water inflow.

In the fourth round came the knockout punch named Harvey when flood waters flushed countless numbers of precious trout from our bay system. She has recovered quickly and is going to be fine, but she could sure use our help to get to the next level. Just a few years of cooperation from Mother Nature and us doing our part by controlling what’s controllable, will enable us to enjoy an outstanding and maybe even world class fishery once again. Sign me up!

STEVE HILLMAN

CONTACT

Plenty of pretty redfish to go around. Just ask Chris Bridges!

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

TSFMAG.com | 15

Of All Things STORY BY

KEVIN COCHRAN

T

hree aspects of casting skills form a foundation for effective angling efforts made exclusively with artificial lures. In a basic way, categorizing these skills means placing them into a time sequence. The first involve preparations made prior to casting, the next include elements present during the execution of a cast, and the last encompass details related to optimizing the effective application of casts.

Before making any cast, one must place line on the spool of a fishing reel.

Because of its obvious simplicity, this statement might seem useless in any meaningful discussion of all things related to casting. But my observations of novice anglers lead me to believe otherwise.

When placing line on a reel, an angler should fill the spool almost to the brim, leaving only about one-sixteenth of an inch between the edge of the line and the edge of the spool. Attempting to cast without adequate line on a reel hampers angling efforts.

Many times, when I notice someone in my group struggling with cast. With level-wind tackle, this means controlling the spool using casting distance, I see the problem clearly; the spool on their reel holds light pressure with the thumb, then pressing on the spool harder to half to three-quarters as much line as it should. Under-filled spools stop its spinning. With spinning tackle, engaging the reel-handle just dictate shorter casts. This truth leads to a diminished potential for as the lure hits the water or slightly sooner will do the trick. positive outcome; shorter casts create a slower catch rate, in general.

Over the years, I’ve watched many people struggle with “wind Any reasonably serious angler should not accept a reduced capacity for knots” while using spinning tackle. Truth is, wind has little to do with casting distance, since this is an element well within our control. these knots; they form because the caster doesn’t close the bail of Surely, over-filling the spool creates problems too. I see this the reel before the lures splashes down, allowing extra loops of line happen frequently, when my to fly off the spool. customers allow employees at Once the bail closes over these sporting goods stores to put line loops, problems start and knots on their reels. These folks often form. People who use spinning fill the spools past the proper tackle in a specific way tend to point, probably to prevent the experience this problem in spades. customer from feeling cheated.

By this, I refer to those who cast In order to avoid this, I advise all while holding onto the rod and anglers to fill their own spools, reel with just one hand. These and to do so as precisely as folks normally move the hand possible, to facilitate the ease and holding the equipment away from effectiveness of casting. their body while casting, almost as Once the reel carries the if tossing the equipment toward appropriate amount of line, the target. Conversely, most adjusting the spool tension effective casters, whether using bears significance in the quest to spinning or level-wind tackle, keep facilitate effective casting, in cases their hands close to their bodies when the angler deploys a levelwhile executing a cast.

A dark green SoftDine XL produced this fat trout for wind reel. As a rule, I advocate With either type of tackle, I A.J. Minns on a February trip made with the captain. disarming all centrifugal weights advocate a two-handed method, if a reel has them and reducing one which allows for pulling back Richard Hall cast his sinking Fat Boy repeatedly into silty the magnetic tension on the on the butt of the rod with one potholes lying close to serpulid rocks to catch this handsome spool so a soft plastic on a light hand, while holding the reel with seven and a half pounder on a trip to Baffin in late-January. jighead will fall steadily and slowly the other. With spinning tackle, from the tip of the rod when the this necessitates taking the hand angler pushes the thumb-bar to off the butt of the rod while the release the spool. In other words, lure flies forward, to engage the all casting should be done with reel at or before the moment it minimal tension inhibiting the splashes down. With level-wind spin-rate of the spool. tackle, the thumb of the hand Most reels come out of the box cradling the rod and reel at the with at least two brakes activated. balance point stops extra line Some also have dials on the side from coming off the spool at the plate with the brakes. If so, those same point in the cast. dials are normally set to maximum Regardless of which type of rod tension. These two facts hamper and reel an angler uses, thoughtful casting efforts significantly. I, and planning should precede each almost all the other experienced cast, with the goal of optimizing anglers I know, always cast with no the application of the lure. Ideally, brakes activated, and all dials set one can envision a specific reason to minimal levels. At the very least, behind every attempt to place a a novice angler should learn to lure in the water. At the most basic cast with no more than one brake employed, even when casting into level, this means continually and systematically moving casts around, the wind. Anglers using spinning reels need not concern themselves either clockwise or counter-clockwise, in a semi-circular fashion. with this issue, since line flows freely off their spools.

By constantly changing the aiming point of each cast, the angler Once an angler makes the reel ready, the skills related to executing probes new water all the time, increasing the potential of presenting casts come into play. Whether casting with spinning or level-wind the lure in close proximity to a fish. This strategy should immediately reels, the angler should always stop the line from coming off the spool change, of course, if one sees a sign indicating the presence of a fish at or just prior to the moment the lure hits the water at the end of a within casting range. One should always remain ready to reel quickly 18 | April 2019

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in and cast to the spot where a mullet jumps, a shrimp somersaults them and casting away from them. into the air, or a slurping or swooshing sound indicates a feeding In addition to consideration of the physical construction of the fish. More significantly, anglers should always alter plans after a strike bottom layout, anglers should consider the direction of current, if occurs, by casting back to the spot, several times or even more, in present in a place. Up to a point, all casts should allow for working situations when bite frequency runs low. lures in line with (or at least at an angle with) prevailing current. This In addition to casting back to the site of a strike or at a sign of life truth rings loudest when related to the use of slow-sinking twitch and consciously casting to new water all the time, the smartest anglers baits. When current strength causes one to lose contact with a lure also look for other reasons to send lures sailing toward specific places. worked with the flow, casts must be made to work the lure into or When water clarity provides a view of at an angle into the current, though the bottom, anglers should make casts doing so often causes a lure to rise in which facilitate working lures close to all the water, hampering the ability of the visible anomalies, edges and structural angler to control depth of presentation. elements. This might mean casting Depth of presentation forms a critical and retrieving along the perimeter of component in the effectiveness of a sandy pothole, probing the edge of angling efforts made with artificial a reef or rock, working a lure along or lures. Sometimes, fish like to strike through a color change, or adjacent to a lures floating on the water’s surface. A seam or eddy in the current. special circumstance for casting arises In many cases, moderate winds when a fish blows up on a floating lure blowing over the water carry potential and misses. Especially when such a to boost the effectiveness of these strike indicates the presence of a big endeavors. Often, moving a lure along fish, smart anglers react quickly and the edge of a grass bed, or in front of systematically to a blow-up and miss. a structural element like a rock or reef, For me, the best reaction involves works best when anglers make casts at pausing for a few seconds, to allow the an angle to the direction of the wind. fish to gather itself, then making three In fact, most presentations generally or four sharp twitches with the rodtip, work best when made at an angle to to yank the head of the lure side to the prevailing wind. Savvy anglers side, moving it just a short distance A focus on making repeated casts down a long seam between regularly choose to cast sideways from the site of the strike. If I repeat dark grass and bright sand paid off when Mike Kelly caught to the wind, recognizing both the this more than twice without enticing this pretty trout in the Upper Laguna Madre in February. general advantages of the practice a second blow-up, I like to reel the lure and the specific way cross-wind casts allow for creating speed while in quickly and cast it a few feet beyond where the action occurred, presenting lures parallel to fishy looking features. then burn it back into the precise spot with fast turns of the reel Since my right hand and right eye dominate, I prefer making casts handle, pausing it at the location. to my left rather than my right. Looking at a lure to my left feels This reaction to a perceived positive event often results in a more natural to me than looking at one to my right. I consider this subsequent bite, either from the same fish which struck and missed fact when setting up an optimal attempt to work through an area. the first time, or another which witnessed the attack. Either way, This contrasts with what I see many beginners and novices do; they mindfully reacting to a blow-up and miss and casting back to the site tend to wade straight downwind and cast straight downwind, which makes more sense than mindlessly working the lure all the way in and limits their coverage of the area, in addition to limiting the creativity allowing the fish to move. This emphasizes and clarifies the main point and precision of presentations. underlying the discussion of all things related to casting—working Most probably prefer making casts straight downwind because from an analytical, mindful state will set up and facilitate more doing so increases casting distance. As stated above, longer casts do effective casts, resulting in more strikes earned and more fish caught. increase bite frequency, overall. But longer casts don’t always make more sense than shorter ones. When floating grass covers the surface of the water, anglers can cope effectively by looking for reachable areas with less grass and making short casts into those areas. This Kevin Cochran is a full-time fishing guide sometimes increases the percentage of effective presentation time, at Corpus Christi (Padre Island), TX. Kevin compared to making longer, less-targeted casts, which result in is a speckled trout fanatic and has created several books and dvds on the subject. repeatedly reeling in to remove grass picked up by the lure.

Kevin’s home waters stretch from Corpus Similarly, short casts made to precise parts of the terrain lying in Christi Bay to the Land Cut. front of the angler often produce bites better than long casts which TROUT TRACKER GUIDE SERVICE place lures well beyond those same features. Ideally, some fishy Phone 361-688-3714 anomaly, structural or cover element should lie between the angler Email kevxlr8@mygrande.net and the end of every cast. Staying away from fishy-looking features Web www.FishBaffinBay.com and casting to them thus makes more sense than walking right up to www.captainkevblogs.com

CONTACT

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THINGS THAT RUN IN CYCLES STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE

I

opened my front door the other day and found a package had been delivered. It was addressed to my son, Hunter, so I brought it in and hollered across the house to let him know.

“I’ve been waiting on these,” he said as he ripped open the box and proudly displayed the contents. I broke into a huge smile mixed with a tiny bit of disbelief as he handed them to me.

Right there in my hands was a fresh new pair of Vans Checkerboard Boat Shoes, the kind the character Jeff Spicoli wore in the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High. They were exactly like the pair I had when I was in high school, many years ago. I was blown away to say the least and it brought back some really cool memories.

Seeing old styles and trends come back into fashion is not uncommon, in fact it seems like we see more and more replicas of the past every day. And, if you really think about it, we see it in more than just clothing, automobiles, and movies. Many things in our lives fade from the spotlight only to return. We see it in fishing. One bay system catches fire for one reason or another and before long the limelight fades and another steals the show.

TSFMAG.com | 23

Colin Leavelle with a 28” Baffin beauty. (Jim Leavelle photo)

Years ago during the heyday of Trinity Bay, legendary angler and state record holder, Jim Wallace, posed with a heavy stringer for Jim Leavelle’s camera. Times have really changed; we kept lots of trout in those days.

It’s no secret to anyone who follows fishing on the Texas coast that a couple of popular venues are struggling right now. My home water, Sabine Lake, is perhaps struggling more than any other bay system at the moment to produce either numbers or quality of speckled trout on a consistent basis. Other upper coast areas such as Trinity Bay and Calcasieu Lake are also struggling, compared to years past.

There is no concise or definitive answer that explains why the fishing has plummeted to such disappointing levels, all we get are hypotheses and educated guesses. Most center on the fact that enormous and unprecedented fresh water inflows entered these bays at the least opportune times. And colder than average winter weather certainly didn’t help. At this point all we can hope is that it’s all part of nature’s plan. After all, this isn’t the first time it’s happened along the Texas coast and each venue, given sufficient time, bounced back to be as good or better than it ever was.

As a result of the struggles we have been having on Sabine lately, I’ve have had many conversations with knowledgeable fishermen also trying to understand what has happened. On several occasions we ended up talking about great trips from the past and how it seemed like from year to year a different bay system was “the place to be.”

I can remember vividly when Jim Wallace broke Mike Blackwood’s state record that stood twenty-one years for the largest speckled trout in 1996. Wallace’s fish weighed 13 pounds and 11 ounces, besting Blackwood’s record by two ounces. Baffin was immediately on fire and stayed that way several years as anglers from all across Texas converged in search of that one career fish. Soon though, the dominoes began to fall and the race was on to find the next great hot spot.

The next bolt of lightning struck at the opposite end of the Texas coast when Kelly Rising posted an 11 pound 12 ounce trout that officially put Sabine Lake on the big trout map in 1999. For a year or two Sabine saw unprecedented success and also saw a huge increase 24 | April 2019

Calcasieu Lake was solidly in the limelight during the early 2000s. Bink Grimes shows off a 9-pounder for the author’s camera.

in fishing participation and boat traffic. The number of anglers that had descended upon Sabine soon overflowed into southwest Louisiana where the big trout society discovered Calcasieu Lake.

During the early 2000s there was not a better venue anywhere to catch big numbers of big speckled trout. I can remember a trip in 2002 with one of my best friends, Bink Grimes, and his dad Danny.

We were running down the ship channel towards the south end of Calcasieu and I told them, “There aren’t many places on our coast where you can say if you didn’t catch a seven pound trout it was a bad day…Calcasieu is that place right now!” Less than an hour later Danny had a 30-inch 10-pounder inhale a Top Dog and make it’s way to the taxidermist. It was just that good.

Once word began to circulate of Calcasieu’s bounty, events fell into place that shaped the future for many anglers. Texans crossing the border introduced Louisiana anglers to wade fishing. The Cajuns caught on quickly and soon had another great method in their arsenal. That didn’t exactly go over very well in the beginning but eventually became more accepted. The other was a huge amount of fishing pressure by some of the best anglers in the state being redirected from other bay systems which, in turn, helped the fisheries in those places rebound. As Calcasieu began to cool off a little the focus went back to Baffin Bay, then East Matagorda, and then eastward to Trinity for a while.

At this moment there may not be a better place to find a big trout than East Matagorda Bay. The numbers of big fish landed in that small estuary the past several years has been incredible to say the least.

For whatever reason – the ending of a five-year drought, the introduction of a five-trout limit, increased emphasis on catch and release – there has been a huge surge in overall numbers of quality of fish in East Matty. A fact that has not been lost on those who know it best. Good friend, Bink Grimes, who runs Sunrise Lodge on Matagorda Bay, told me in a recent conversation that the amount of 5to 7-pound trout he has seen over the past three years is, “absolutely

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unprecedented.” To have a guy who has spent the majority of his fishing career on that body of water, as Grimes has, say the fishing is that good; well, you have to stand up and take notice.

Now with all the hype and history being shared about other bays on the Texas coast, I have to believe that Sabine Lake will eventually rebound the same as the others have. Factors like red tide, freezes, and man’s mistakes have interrupted nature’s plans and reduced populations in various areas for a few years, but somehow the bays always rebound stronger and more productive in the long run.

My hope is that it may take a year or two of struggling for Sabine to get back on her feet again, but Mother Nature has a way of correcting things, many times for the better. Until that happens we will have to make the best of what we have by taking advantage of the abundant populations of other species – flounder, redfish and largemouth bass.

There are enough fish in the system to keep us busy until the speckled trout rebound as long we can remain patient. It’s now more important than ever to conserve our trout fishery whenever possible by taking only the fish you intend to eat and releasing some of those better ones to spawn.

Eventually things will improve on Sabine and the never-ending circle of chasing big trout will come back around. I hope we all get to see that happen sooner rather than later.

John Duffy with a speckled beauty any angler would be proud to hoist for a photo.

CONTACT

CHUCK UZZLE

26 | April 2019

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 wakesndrakes@yahoo.com Website wakesndrakes.com

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Top Baits for Cobia STORY BY JOE RICHARD

A

pril marks the start of cobia season off the Texas coast, and this time of year, “they’re hungry,” as the saying goes. These early-season fish haven’t seen a hook since last year, and they’re easy enough to fool, and very aggressive at times. They’ll even grab a hooked snapper or any small fish struggling in the depths. Small snapper aren’t legal as bait, but there are plenty of substitute species out there, that a cobia will consider. Here are some favorites from over the years: Pinfish are a feisty baitfish with lots of energy, caught inshore around the docks. Lob a frantic, tail-hooked pinfish a few feet in front of cobia, and that’s pretty close to a sure hookup. Pinfish are spiky, but that long row of sharp dorsal fins can easily be trimmed with scissors, a process called giving them a “haircut.”

These “pinnies” are readily caught with a castnet, but they’re also caught with tiny hooks and scraps of skin from baitfish or shrimp. As a side note, one of the marinas in Port O’Connor has been saving their biggest pinfish for a local offshore charterboat, whose captain uses them for cobia, kingfish and big snapper. I’ve seen that boat unload a lot of big fish.

Pinfish are caught inshore using bait traps, or by hook.

They’re sturdy and wiggle hard around predators.

Small marsh minnows like these are lowmaintenance and wiggle hard when they see a cobia.

A live Gulf squid just dipped into the boat, during a night trip. Cobia love them.

30 | April 2019

Marsh minnows. If there is one thing that lights up a cobia, it’s a hard-wiggling live bait. I’ve seen cobia completely indifferent to dead and artificial baits, and then the first lively critter tossed their way is scarfed up. This includes the tiny marsh minnow, (see also mud minnow – gulf killifish) a few of which can be kept in a small bucket of water all day. One calm day we were a few miles off the beach in a jonboat, fishing a platform visible from land. A circling 20-pound ling refused all offers, until I dug around in a coffee can (space is critical on such a boat) and pinned a small hook to a marsh minnow. (I was using jetty tackle with 20-pound line). This tiny baitfish, best used on flounder back in the bays, promptly drove the cobia crazy. The marsh minnow darted and dodged and even hid in my lower unit, but the cobia finally caught him—while we watched, spellbound. The fight was anticlimactic, after watching the show.

Squid. We use smaller white, Gulf squid to tip bucktail jigs, and toss them at visible cobia. If the jig sinks deep, it tempts these fish at mid-depth, drawing them to the surface. The squid’s tentacles dance behind the jig. We use white or yellow jigs of one or two ounces, depending on current speed. The jig also has action if you work it right, and the squid adds flavor.

On overnight Gulf trips, squid will approach any lights and they can be caught with a dip net. And then you have some really fine, fresh bait that no cobia can pass up. Just remember, those puppies bite. Or pinch, anyway. I’m talking about the squid.

Cigar minnows and Spanish sardines. The latter are often sold as the former, but the cigar minnow is the real deal. When caught live, they have very firm flesh and will really stay on the hook. The sardine is softer, even mushy, but if that’s all the marina has, several fivepound frozen boxes may be the only choice. It beats running the boat offshore with no bait.

These two baitfish, when thawed, are commonly used during summer, and probably score on cobia best when fishing around anchored shrimpboats when the season begins in July. The common technique is to approach an anchored boat, preferably with its deck lights left on, which indicates the boat anchored before the sun came up. Which should mean they’ve been dumping bycatch in that one spot, chumming up all sorts off offshore predators. Stop the boat at the shrimpboat’s stern, and idle or cut off your boat’s engines, drifting away with multiple baited hooks in the water. If a cobia is idling in the boat’s shade, it should come out to investigate or better yet chow down on a free meal. That is, if it hasn’t gorged already that morning.

Check out the afternoon shrimpboats, they may harbor cobia recently arrived that haven’t eaten yet.

I’ve hardly fished the Atlantic at all, but after many years of Texas cobia, I somehow caught my biggest in the Atlantic. We’d tied up to a buoy offshore a week after a September hurricane, the water now glassy late in the day. We kept seeing cobia passing by about eight feet down. They wouldn’t hit a jig, but I lowered a Sabiki rig and came up with the biggest cigar minnow I’d ever seen, it looked eight inches long. Quickly transferred to a casting rod with 40-pound line, I lobbed it out there, where the baitfish promptly dove, pursued by several big cobia. After a 10 minute battle, my buddy green-gaffed the fish near the pectoral fin, apparently hitting its heart, a lucky break because it could have pulled the guy overboard. The huge fish partially straightened our three-foot gaff, and later at the dock on marina scales, it weighed 80 pounds even with the tips of its tail still touching the dock.

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32 | April 2019

A fresh cigar minnow rigged with treble hook is an excellent bait for cobia and kingfish.

A pack of frozen ribbonfish, mostly used around anchored shrimp boats offshore.

Menhaden or “pogies” can be bought flash-frozen and they’re good insurance during an offshore trip.

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

Ribbonfish. These are bought in packages, preferably arranged flat and with their sides still a shiny silver. Rig them with two hooks spaced a foot apart and toss them out weightless behind those anchored shrimpboats. They’ll slowly sink deeper, prime bait for kingfish but also cobia. Fresh ribbons are caught each summer in Moses Lake (use gold spoons) and the Port Aransas docks at night. Big, quality ribbonfish are also caught during July/August in Galveston harbor, by shrimpboats.

During one August kingfish tournament, we were ready to return to Galveston after three days in a 21-foot boat. We had our big kingfish, enough to win, but at noon were still anchored out there in blue water. A circling cobia grabbed our last ribbonfish, and we were duty-bound to land and release that fish, without leaving hooks and wire leader attached to him. It was probably the only time we were annoyed at catching a 50-pound cobia, which required time, effort and care in not getting injured. But we managed, without anyone ending up in the ER. Then we sped away to Galveston Yacht Basin and the winner’s circle.

Menhaden. I’ve mentioned before what a great bait this is for many offshore fish. Cobia are quite fond of the oily “pogie,” probably because of it’s high-oil content. When these baitfish get soft and mushy, they can be used for chumming purposes, calling up fish from down-current. They can be chunked on a cutting board, which I’ve done for hours, or ground up into mush. Also purchased as pure oil, which can be slow-dripped overboard, creating an oil slick that calls up all sorts of offshore critters.

We have bought our pogies from bait stores on the coast, caught our own with castnets, or boarded shrimpboats—picking and choosing the best of their bycatch. In Sabine Pass, we’d buy hundredpound boxes of flash-frozen pogies, which lasted three days offshore.

A quick rundown on other cobia baits: Old-timers favored using hardhead catfish for cobia bait, though I’ve never tried it. Clip off the poison spines and set the catfish out there with no weight, let him swim around, and cobia wolf them down. Or so say anglers from back in the 1950s and 60s. Which proves cobia will eat just about anything.

In the Eastern Gulf, serious cobia fishermen really favor live eels.

They’re about 18 inches long and, when lip-hooked and tossed in front of passing cobia, get slurped like spaghetti. Cobia are so fond of eels, even a plastic imitation works quite well.

When offshore, almost any small, fresh and lively fish will suffice for cobia, if you’re quick enough to toss it out there in front of passing fish without backlashing.

For instance, during one Galveston tournament, we were supposed to bring in a combination snapper, kingfish and cobia for weigh-in. On the last day, however, we had no cobia. On the long run back to port we spotted a lone, anchored shrimp boat in the afternoon, no signs of life aboard. We eased in close for a look, and a 40-cobia came out and circled our boat, hungry enough to eat lots of leftover chum. However, it wouldn’t touch anything with a hook attached. (Typical late-summer cobia).

In the live well, we had exactly one six-inch banded rudderfish we’d caught from a weedline, using light tackle. Problem was, our only dip net had disappeared off the transom the day before. I could not grasp that slippery rudderfish, in five minutes of grabbing. However my buddy did grab it, pinned it to our biggest rod, and the cobia exploded on that frantic baitfish. Hours later and back at the dock, we’d somehow won another tournament.

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TSFMAG.com | 33

A VISIT TO STORY BY EVERETT JOHNSON

O

n a recent trip to Victoria, TX, I took a few minutes to visit Waterloo Rods. It had been a while since I had dropped in and was anxious to tour the new shop at 703 N. Main. Waterloo has grown remarkably over the years with Jimmy Burns at the helm and is now in its third and largest location. Growth of any small enterprise will always be a product of good business sense, fair dealing, and hard work. If you have followed Waterloo over the past fourteen years you have no doubt witnessed plenty of all the above.

Jimmy was not the founder of Waterloo, nor was the manufacture of fishing rods his first venture in the fishing business. He grew up in Bloomington, a stone’s throw from the coast, between Victoria and Port O’Connor. His passion for fishing and fishing skill led him to become a fishing guide in 1995, an occupation that suited his friendly personality and work ethic.

Jimmy acquired Waterloo from Ryan Seiders in 2005, when Ryan decided to make a career change and join brother Roy in a little

Blanks and more blanks!

34 | April 2019

venture they called Yeti. While Ryan’s name may not ring a bell, you’re probably no stranger to Yeti products.

Recognizing the obvious synergies between rod building and running a guide service, Jimmy’s original plan was to continue guiding and build rods on the side. It took but a few months to learn he had signed up for two full-time jobs.

Being a professional fishing guide, Jimmy had earned a solid reputation among his peers and forged connections within the guiding and fishing communities. More importantly, he knew what serious anglers needed and expected when they laid down hardearned cash for a premium product.

Waterloo has thrived remarkably in a highly-competitive marketplace by following a marketing strategy of fielding a sizeable pro-staff of handpicked fishing guides and top-flight tourney anglers, as well as generous donations to conservation organizations, fishing tournaments, and charity events. It is almost impossible to attend a fishing-related event in Texas today without seeing the Waterloo name on banners, caps, jerseys, and in the list of sponsors. The following

Jimmy explains deflection, a critical step in selecting a blank to match the customer’s expectations.

Kolby Peyton reams the handles with tapered reamers specific to the blank size that will be used.

Waterloo

proshop

they have amassed are almost cult-like in their allegiance to the brand.

What began simply as a fisherman building rods for a few fishermen has grown to become an enterprise of eight full-time employees producing thirteen models of high-quality, handcrafted fishing rods for both fresh and saltwater fishing applications. The saltwater market is 80% of the business while freshwater represents the other 20%.

Jimmy says they are actively seeking a larger share of the freshwater market with several new products in development.

The Waterloo slogan – “Might as well fish the best!” – probably best signifies the Waterloo mission to produce quality fishing rods and the reputation for quality their products have earned in angler’s hands. In this era of shrinking domestic content in many consumer goods, Waterloo proudly boasts of 100% U.S. Made rod blanks in their premium models. Not many in today’s fishing rod business can lay honest claim to this. Plus – all of the premium Waterloos are handcrafted in Victoria by Texans.

Custom is another term that gets bandied about rather loosely in the rod business. Custom in some brands means you get to choose

Handles are glued to the blanks one at a time – carefully and by hand.

the length or the color of the guide wrappings. When you order a custom Waterloo, the options you can specify are many and varied – including the colors.

It starts with the rod blank – length, power, and action. You can purchase a range of lengths from other makers – so long as they’re within that company’s standard offerings.

Power describes a rod’s resistance to bending under a given amount of weight – usually defined as ultra-light, light, medium, etc.

And finally, there’s action. This describes where the rod will bend when a specific load is applied. Fast means the rod will bend in the top third of the black length near the tip. Slow means it will bend all the way into the bottom third, toward the butt. All of this is measured under specific loading against a deflection graph that is standard in the industry.

A true custom rod is just that, a rod that can be custom-tailored specifically to an anglers casting style, the type of lures he plans to throw with it, and the fish he hopes to catch. The obligatory whip and wiggle we all give a rod in the showroom is hardly a test of how

Carson Marek handles the first step of guide installation, which is the size and type of guide to used and the spacing.

Got a specific wrapping color in mind?

TSFMAG.com | 35

Glue being applied to guide wrappings.

the rod will cast a lure and handle a fish. Jimmy Burns and Carson Marek at Waterloo will take time to understand exactly how you want a rod to perform and will custom design it to your exact specifications. That’s what custom is all about.

A rod needs a handle and here again there’s a slew of options with Waterloo. Length of the handle, type of material it’s made from and the style – full grip or split grip, cork or synthetic, take your pick. The new Winn Grips lend a true custom touch to your new Waterloo, not to mention how well you can hang onto it with wet or slimy hands.

What about rod guides? How many should there be and what size? I ordered an HP Lite from Jimmy at the Houston Fishing Show last year and he said, “Here, take this one. It’s exactly what you just described.” The only problem was I’m way old school when it comes to guides, the rod had full Recoils and I like ceramic rings, large enough to allow my leader knot to pass through. “No worries,” he said. “We’ll build it the way you want it.” Now that’s custom!

36 | April 2019

All custom – probably no two the same. Blue tags include customer name and order number.

Can’t wait for a custom order? Waterloo keeps a stock of popular models with a range of options.

Lots of cool stuff in here. Caution advised!

Six new Waterloos with Winn Grip handles, ready for packaging and headed to the Houston Fishing Show.

What if you can’t shell out for a full custom build?

Waterloo’s got you covered there, too. Their Phantom and Salinity series rods are available in lengths and actions that suit a wide slice of angling applications, “Right out of the box,” as they say.

If $300 to $400 is too much for your budget, how about $110 to $160. Sound better?

One thing’s certain, you get a quality rod whichever price point you choose.

For offshore enthusiasts, Waterloo also offers custom rods for snapper fishing and tarpon. These range from 30# up to 50# pound-class , with a range of options you would expect in a custom build.

Even if you have to make a special trip to Victoria, a visit to the Waterloo Pro Shop is sure to impress. There’s just something extra special in seeing how your rod will be built, each step of the way. There’s also some really cool stuff you probably won’t leave without. Waterloobranded apparel, Custom Corkys, Double D – Jay Watkins Series, stuff everybody needs.

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J AY WAT K I N S

ASK THE PRO

STRATEGIES FOR TOUGH BITE DAYS On a recent trip, during a string of days when the bite had been unusually tough, I made a comment about how we should expect the trout to react to our presentations. During my dissertation I remarked that nearly all our bites recently had been “light and tight” and one of the guys asked what that meant. “Tight to the structure and light on the take,” I replied.

Several days following most full moons, we typically see a slower than normal bite. Late afternoon feeds are common and often produce extremely nice fish, but during this stretch the morning to midday provides limited action at best. I don’t know whether this next statement will make sense or even be believable to many reading it but, I believe I can read a lot into what the fish are wanting or not wanting by the way they take the lure, along with the position in the water column and proximity to structure where the bite is received.

When fish are in less than aggressive feeding mode they will often allow the lure to pass by if it is not easily accessible. In other words, if the lure does not pass right under their nose they’ll let it go by without any reaction at all. Full moon comes along every month and these subdued feeding modes that follow the full moon can therefore be predicted. Understanding these two basic facts will give you confidence and staying power when your fishing days fall within this period.

Yours truly with a super fish on one of those tough grinding days.

38 | April 2019

This past week we had several really good days with trout weighing 4 to 5.5-pounds. Nothing larger but double digits of solid mid-range fish caught and released each day. These better-than-average fish came during a period when the bite was actually extremely slow. Knowledge that the fish were present due to visible signs and seasonal patterns in play definitely plays a huge role in placing oneself in the right place.

It’s just smart fishing and should always be the best weapon in your arsenal.

I go to the worm when the bite is off and I suspect or know fish are present. No doubt, my go-to soft plastics are the 5” Shad Bass Assassin and the MirrOlure 5” Provoker and the Lil John and Lil John XL. I have been a huge fan of the soft flexible body of the 5” Bass Assassins for what seems forever. I believe I can create an almost irresistible action with these baits to draw instinctive strikes from gamefish that are not interested in feeding.

For those that have fished with me very much, you know I am never lacking in a wide variety of the above mentioned soft plastics and my confidence in these lures is probably unmatched.

I fish primarily shallow guts, shoreline structure, and shallow flats due to the vast areas of these structure types and water conditions that predominate the regions of the Texas coast I fish most often. “Trout water is trout water wherever you find it,” has been my mantra forever. If it looks good it probably can be, is the best way to look at things in today’s crowded fishing world.

I try to not look at how close or far away from boat traffic an area might be and concentrate on what is below the surface that attracts fish.

I have had the luxury of wading my entire career. My feet are my eyes below the surface providing confirmation that what looks good from above is also good below. I had a guy tell me once that we were fishing too close to town. I guess he believed the fish knew where town was. For the record – I have never seen a trout poke its head above the water for a look around.

The long and short of it is that I fish where the fish tell me to fish and it’s hard to avoid getting into the “spot” thing.

Sometimes I just go completely cold turkey, meaning that I specifically avoid

TSFMAG.com | 39

40 | April 2019

Scott Washko keeping the reds out of our way.

light reference made earlier. They seem uninterested in hunting or running down a meal but will eat something that requires little effort on their part. Seldom are these fish alone. They may be scattered from grassbed to grassbed but they will definitely be in guts that possess this type of bottom structure and the water depth they seem to be preferring at the time.

Once we discover the most promising line of bait activity and the depth at which the line lies, it’s time to begin a slow and deliberate grind for bites. The bites might come in short flurries due to the fish being scattered and not actively moving around in hunting mode.

What is good for one fish is typically good for the majority so stand your ground and move slowly.

The grinding gig is something that many anglers have difficulty pulling off. Some believe that covering more water is the key to greater opportunity but this is only true if that person is capable of covering larger areas of water effectively. My vote is to move slowly until some kind of bite stops you, and then grind on that area and see what happens. I hope this gives those interested some insight that might improve your production during tough bite days.

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

C O N TA C T

areas where I know fish are holding – and many Steve Henriksen others know as well. For owner of Henri every day that you spend Rods with solid trout on tough day. searching and applying your fish-finding skills in other areas, you become a much better angler than those returning to the same areas each fishing day. I hope my clients understand that I am continuing my fishing education each and every day on the water.

Practice makes perfect but in practice you’ll make some mistakes. Just remember that it’s usually mistakes that provide the best learning experiences.

On tough days, I believe that locating the line that bait and gamefish alike are using is the key – whether the line lies shallow or deep. Small signs point us in the right direction but we have to pay attention. I know that I beat the find bait topic to death but bait is everything in winter and early spring. Pay close attention to the bottom structure and water depths where baitfish activity occurs most often. Wading gives us great insight into what is below the surface. We can feel the changes in contour as well as changes in bottom composition. Savvy anglers can then relate this to other places nearby.

There are seasonal periods where the fish migrate to softer, mushier bottom versus firm grass and sand. Sometimes areas of scattered oyster shell attract and hold the fish but we have to be able to see and feel the shell to know this. The only way to accomplish this is with our feet. If you drift, you need a pole of some sort to continuously keep track of bottom conditions. In my early years I used an old fishing rod to gain this information.

I move slow and steady but fish with purpose when searching. A bite stops me in my tracks and the discovery process begins. What’s the water depth where I am standing versus where the lure is being presented? What’s the bottom composition and structure type where the bite was encountered? Water temperature is something you should have already established. Don’t have a water temperature gauge on your boat? You need one!

Was the bite high in the water column, somewhere in the middle, or closer to bottom? Was the bite a distinct thump, or just a tap? Does your plastic lure show signs of a bite? Is it twisted on the hook shank?

Can you see or feel small areas where the teeth of the fish damaged the soft plastic? If you cannot see damage or scuff marks, run it across your lips, they’re very sensitive. It sounds gross but it works. My lips can feel what my old eyes can no longer see. All of these are parts of the process of locating hard-to-catch fish.

I find that during extremely tough times, larger trout will setup camp close to structure and close to bottom. Hence the tight 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

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Capt. Scott with “the other drum” he delights in chasing with fly gear.

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

ON THE TRASHY SIDE Shallow water sightcasting along the Texas coast means chasing redfish for most anglers. That’s understandable, I suppose. Redfish fit the bill quite well. They feed shallow, give away their location by tailing or pushing big wakes, readily eat lures or flies, and they fight bigger than their size. All around awesome targets for the game and certainly one of my personal favorites.

But if you’re limiting your casts to reds and passing on everything else you’re missing out. For me, sightcasting is all about the challenge and being able to watch the fish eat. If it’ll eat the fly I’m throwing I don’t care what kind of fish it is. I know some will turn their noses up at the thought, but I’ve even sightcasted and caught some really big hardheads. Why not? I release nearly 100% of what I catch anyway. And if there aren’t any better targets A variety of small shrimp flies from the bonefish box will work for most of the oddball species.

42 | April 2019

around I like to amuse myself.

Think of all the different fish you see as you drift across a flat or pole through a marsh. Sheepshead, black drum, jacks, gar and even those unidentified dark spots that you know aren’t reds. If I’m on the bow there’s a cast headed in that direction. Not only is it a challenge to see if you can get them to eat, it’s also really good casting practice for when that big red does show up. How many times have you stood on the bow for an hour waiting for a shot only to blow it because you weren’t warmed up?

I see it all the time with my customers. It’s a slow day (it happens) and the customer isn’t into blindcasting. I’m seeing the occasional sheepshead or drum and pointing them out as possible targets. Nope, not gonna do it. If it isn’t a red or trout they aren’t taking a shot. Then along comes a pig of redfish happily rooting its way down the shoreline. Miss, miss, miss...spooked.

I can fully understand if you don’t want to cast to a hardhead or piggy perch, but why pass up a sheepshead or drum? They require a perfect cast, spook with the slightest provocation and are picky about what lure/fly they eat. They also represent themselves quite well once hooked and aren’t too shabby on the dinner table if you’re so inclined.

Alright guys, now that the snobby folks have already turned the page, it’s just us fun people in here. I figure if you’re still reading I should probably let you in on a few things I’ve learned about casting to the so-called trash fish. First off, pretty much everything out there eats a shrimp. Second, most

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C O N TA C T

everything will also eat little crabs.

This is good news for fly fishermen. Most popular flies used for redfish are designed to imitate a small shrimp or crab. My Redfish Crack fly can look like either one depending on how it’s tied and how you fish it. Generally speaking, I’ve found that smaller is better for the oddball species. A #6 or even #8 size fly isn’t too small.

For those of you using conventional gear, the best thing I’ve found for catching drum or sheepies is a Buggs jig. They also work like a charm on reds. Buggs are flathead lead jigs tied like a fly using rabbit fur. When simply resting on the bottom the fur wiggles and waves like something that is alive. I’ve got a whole box of them in a variety of weights, sizes, and color combinations.

Sheepshead are perhaps the toughest of the crew to catch on artificials. The good news is they’re pretty common so you’ll get plenty of opportunities. The bad news is they’re spooky as all get out and you’ll only catch a Tough to trick with a fly and plenty good Sheepshead – AKA Texas permit. on the dinner plate, if you’re so inclined. small fraction of them. I generally find them more agreeable from fall through the dead of winter.

This time of year I see a lot of sheepshead right up against the bank. They’ll be slowly working the shoreline poking their nose into the grass hunting for little shrimp. I like to wait until the fish backs out of the grass and starts to move down the bank before casting. If you can drop a small Tie into one of these shrimpy looking fly right on its nose you can often get an brutes in shallow water immediate strike. A few inches too far away and they’ll with fly gear and hold on! never see it, too close and they’ll flee like you shot at them.

Sheepshead can also be found along the edges of oyster reefs. They can often be found tailing just like reds as they poke around the loose shell looking for a meal.

The hardest part is getting the fly or Bugg in front of their face without hanging up. I’ll usually just wait patiently for the fish to move to the outer edge of the reef or over a clear spot. Drop the fake a foot or two in front of the fish’s path and let it sit. As he gets close give it the slightest movement to get his attention. Do it right and he’ll pounce, pinning like a charm and I had a blast. I’ve tried it several times since then it to the bottom. Do it wrong and he’s gone in a puff of mud. But without catching a thing. Like I said, drum are weird so don’t be that’s the fun of it all. I’ve thrown to hundreds of sheepshead with averse to thinking outside the box. the fly rod and only caught a few. There’s a reason they’re known as At times some really large drum can be found way back in the “Texas Permit” in fly fishing circles. marsh. It’s not unusual to see these 20- to 40-pound fish tailing like Black drum are just flat out weird. In general they can be found crazy. I’ve seen several in the last few days. These fish tend to be a bit in the same areas as redfish. The smaller drum, under 10 pounds, more aggressive about eating artificials. Treat them like you would tend to be the pickiest about eating artificials. Treating them like a a tailing redfish with the only difference being the lure often has to sheepshead on a reef will sometimes work. pass within inches of their nose to get a response. The fly needs to be The generally accepted fly is small and dark, same with a Bugg. weighted to get down to the bottom. It may take repeated shots, but However, a few years ago I found myself in a large shallow pond on it’s worth it. A really big drum in shallow water can put up quite a fight.

Matagorda Island that was loaded with 5 to 10 pound drum. I tried all Next time you’re out there and the redfish have disappeared, the traditional methods and flies to no avail. give these less-glamorous fish a try. You might just find you like On a whim I reached into my bonefish box and pulled out a small, the challenge. bright-pink shrimp. My first cast was to a drum headed straight at me. I was shooting for a spot about a foot ahead of him but Capt. Scott Null is a devout shallow water fisherman offering missed wide left and too far. I knew I was toast so I stripped the fly guided adventues via kayak, poled skiff, and wading. quickly from behind the fish towards his head while waiting for the Telephone 281-450-2206 inevitable mud puff and fleeing wake. As the fly passed within inches Email captscottnull@gmail.com of his gill plate that drum spun and hammered the fly. I figured it was Website www.captainscottnull.com a fluke but tried it again on the next fish. Time after time it worked 44 | April 2019

The El Pescador can handle

everything

I NEED ~Randy’s Story

W

hen Randy Risher was looking for a new boat back in 2016, a friend referred him to El Pescador Boats. Randy says, “On a whim, I called the owner Dave Kveton one cold Saturday after duck hunting. Dave was in Port O’Connor, and I happened to be in Port O’Connor too. Dave suggested we meet at the fishing center and take the boat out for a ride that same day.”

From that very first ride, Randy became a big fan of both El Pescador Boats and Dave. “I was so impressed,” says Randy. “I purchased a 24’ cat. It met all of my needs.

I entertain a lot of my business customers with fishing trips to Port O’Connor, and many of them have fished before. Like me, they are always impressed with the way the El Pescador feels and handles. It fishes a lot of people, it performs well, and it’s fast. Most impressive is how dry my El Pescador stays

in rough water. I can run 2 foot chop and it handles very well...I’m not drenching myself and my customers! Back when I bought that first boat, I also bought a 16’ skiff to run shallow…I thought I would need the skiff to get to all of the places I wanted to go. I ended up selling it. The El Pescador can handle everything I need.”

What El Pescador Boats offers is the fastest catamaran hull (cat hull) shallow water boat in its class. The hull is constructed with the most up-to-date composite available, no wood! It runs shallow, comes up shallow, and as Randy found, it’s an extremely dry and comfortable ride. These cats are custom built to your specifications. Choose your Evinrude E-TEC G2, pick a color (or two!)...then outfit as you wish.

Randy liked his first boat so much, he bought an updated El Pescador 24’ cat two years later. “In my opinion,” says Randy, “these are the best boats on the Gulf Coast.

They’re great for me, a sport fisherman

that goes out 30 or 40 times a year, and they are great for the professionals. Dave’s a professional fishing guide, and he’s also the most ethical, stand-up guy you are ever going to meet. When he tells you something, you can take it to the bank. Anytime I have a question or something needs tweaking on my boat, Dave is on it. As a small business owner myself, that means a lot to me.”

At The Risher Companies, Randy provides integrated fitness services, equipment and solutions. Clients include health clubs and studios, corporate/office fitness centers, universities and schools, master-planned communities, hotels and country clubs. For more information, visit www.risherco.com.

For an El Pescador Boats demo ride, call Dave today. Experience for yourself the best boats on the Gulf Coast!

El Pescador Boats ~ Dave Kveton ~ 979-292-5144

www.elpescadorboats.com

By Liana Lerma

FIELD NOTES

NO FUN FOR THE COLD STUN: SEA TURTLE RESCUES It was the first day back at work after the holiday break in January 2018. We all knew it wasn’t going to be a day at the office keeping warm as the outdoor temperature dropped to 34° F (1° C) that morning. Instead, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) staff coastwide were gearing up their boats preparing for cold-stunned sea turtle patrol out in the bay, unaware that the winter would cause the largest cold stunning event recorded in Texas since 1980.

Cold-stunned sea turtle season runs from November through early March when water temperatures drop below 50° F (10° C). A cold-stunned sea turtle experiences hypothermia and loses its ability to swim, appears lifeless, and floats on the water’s surface until it is pushed ashore by the wind and currents. Timing is critical when rescuing cold-stunned sea turtles. The longer a sea turtle is cold stunned, the more susceptible it is to boat strikes on the water or predation by coyotes and birds on land.

The Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (STSSN) is responsible for collecting nationwide reports of all stranded sea turtles, including cold stunned. Since the establishment of STSSN in 1980, the annual number of cold-stunned sea turtles recorded in Texas indicates a strong, increasing trend. A growing sea turtle population 46 | April 2019

and/or a greater search and rescue effort could explain the rise in cold-stunned sea turtles. The last largest stranding event of 1,670 green sea turtles was during the winter of 2010-2011 (Figure 1). The winter of 2017-2018 exceeded that record with 3,675 cold-stunned sea turtles found. More than 2,700 of these cold-stunned sea turtles were rescued, rehabilitated, and released.

Numerous volunteers, non-profit organizations, and federal and state agencies, all with the common interest for conserving our threatened and endangered sea turtles are responsible for these rescues. TPWD is one of these partners and monitors water temperatures closely during severe weather to determine whether cold-stunned sea turtles should be expected. If so, staff are deployed by boat and foot to survey all eight bay systems along the coast and aid with rescues (Table 1).

The majority of cold-stunned sea turtles found in the lower Laguna Madre (LLM) gather along the southern shorelines due to strong northers, on spoil islands, or between the jetties of the gulf passes. Rescue efforts consist of a diligent search of anything resembling a sea turtle’s carapace (shell) floating on the surface of the water or completely submerged in shallow waters. Once a sea turtle is spotted, it is safely pulled out of the water

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by its carapace and securely placed on the boat. Depending on the size of the sea turtle, this can be a one to two-person job. Afterwards, the sea turtles are transported to a nearby holding or rehabilitation facility for treatment.

In the LLM, Sea Turtle Inc. is the primary rehabilitation facility, but there are others serving the rest of the coast including the Padre Island National Seashore Sea Turtle Science and Recovery Laboratory in Corpus Christi and the Amos Rehabilitation Keep (ARK) in Port Aransas. A suite of data is collected and recorded for each sea turtle at these facilities. Carapace measurements, injuries, and abnormalities are documented.

A Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag - if not detected on the sea turtle – is injected under the skin of the front, left flipper. All sea turtles go through this process and are kept indoors until released in warmer water.

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The cost of resources for a successful cold-stunned sea turtle rescue can be hefty. One way these rescues are supported is through the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) funded Sea Turtle Early Restoration Project. One component of this project aims to enhance STSSN and develop an Emergency Response Program for such cold stunning events. Texas was awarded $19,965,000 for this specific project and it is one of the many restoration projects supported with NRDA funds received from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement in an effort to compensate for lost natural resources.

A big THANK YOU! goes to our network of volunteers that play an integral role in cold-stunned sea turtle rescues. It’s a good thing to know that a permit is required to handle threatened and endangered species like the sea turtle. However, volunteers and individuals who find stunned sea turtles can be deputized under a “Good Samaritan” act, to handle and transport

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Table 1. Number of cold stunned green sea turtles located by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department by bay system during the 2017-2018 winter.

them to a rehabilitation facility.

With a large area to survey and limited resources, volunteers, including recreational anglers who are on the water, provide much needed help during these events. Anglers who have access to an airboat are especially needed to assist with shallow water rescues, as these areas are the most difficult to reach. If you are interested in volunteering for the next cold stunned event, I encourage you to contact your local sea turtle rehabilitation facility for more information. Finally, should you ever encounter a stranded sea turtle, call 1-866-TURTLE5 to report it, with a GPS location if possible, and to receive instructions on how to assess the situation.

Figure 1. Annual number of cold stunned sea turtles recorded in Texas; 1980 through 2018. Data provided by Shaver et al., 2017 and the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network. Data presented for 2015-2018 is unpublished.

The biggest reward during the cold stun event of 2018 was witnessing the end result of teamwork from the entire coastal community as hundreds of rescued sea turtles were returned back to their habitat. It is truly inspiring what people can conserve when we come together.

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TSFMAG.com | 49

DAV E R O B E R T S

K AYA K F I S H I N G C H R O N I C L E S

MR. LUCKY I’m sure that if you’re like me, you have a routine you go through on the mornings you are going fishing. Mine is always the same; throw the rods in the truck, make sure my kayak is tied down properly, and stop at the same corner store for the same cup of coffee.

Like clockwork the other day I went through the routine as I usually do, meaning that I didn’t start to perk up until I had my coffee. After a few sips I mentally began to layout my game plan and turned up the volume on the truck radio. The first tune that came through the speakers was an old blues number by John Lee Hooker called Mr. Lucky.

Getting into the music, it didn’t take long until my mind drifted from game planning to pondering the question of how much of a role luck plays during a day of fishing versus sticking to a rigid game plan. If you happen to stick to your plan and catch a mess of fish, is that a product of luck or fishing skill and good planning? Because I know good and well that most all of us try to stick to a solid plan and follow it to the letter, what about the days when we catch only a handful or even none? Which brings up another question; is that bad luck?

As funny or random as the subject may seem, it does get your mind working about past trips that happened to turn out more productive than others. The truth is that there is often one split second that changes your whole day – for better or worse.

I remember a few years back, my buddies and I decided to fish Sabine Lake on a Sunday afternoon. We were too busy to go in the morning and therefore decided to make an evening of it. As we were getting prepared to launch, I 50 | April 2019

looked up and noticed a group of gulls tightly bunched on the south end of the lake. We quickly pushed off the bank and made a beeline paddle straight for them. It didn’t take long before we had our limit of trout but we continued to catch fish until we were tired. What made that trip even more special was that we were the only anglers on the water the whole time. Looking back on it, there were no expert decisions that went into that afternoon of fishing; it was purely by luck that we were there.

Then other times came to mind when I spent the entire day paddling marsh lakes and flats catching plenty of redfish, but not actually able to see any of them clearly tailing or waking. Paddling slowly forward, I might catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye, but too quickly to tell whether it was a red, a mullet, or even a fish at all. Whatever caught my eye was visible for less than a second. Without a doubt, if I was not looking in that direction, that fish would have gone undetected and I never would have known it was there. Is that being vigilant or just plain lucky to be looking in the right direction at the right moment? Also with situations like this, I wonder how many tailing fish we never actually notice.

Another factor where luck could come into play is on tournament day. I’m sure that most competitors would agree, the days that put you on the podium or prevent you being there, must certainly include some amount of luck. I recall a tournament a few years back that I was going into the second day of the Elite Kayak Redfish Series with a five-pound lead. I went directly back to the same pond that I caught my fish from the day before. As soon

great fisherman, but things definitely lined up perfectly for him that day. If the other angler had not beaten him to his first spot, it could have potentially thrown off the rest of his day, which could have resulted in him missing a nice check. When it comes to tournaments, I honestly believe that to be successful you have to be skillful enough to put yourself in a “lucky” situation.

There are definitely a host of factors that can influence the outcome of a day’s fishing, and I cannot help but believe that luck is greatly overlooked. Being in the right spot at the right time is kind of like, “You should have been here yesterday.” No matter how you may look at it, we should all strive to develop good fishing skills and formulate solid game plans, we call this preparation. I also call it preparing to get lucky!

C O N TA C T

as I entered the pond a school of about ten or more fish were heading my way. I cast directly into the middle and pulled out a fish that was barely legal. After catching at least twenty that day I ended up going to weigh-in with two fish that measured barely 20-inches and ended up second. I guess you could say that it wasn’t my lucky day.

Here recently, the Upper Coast Kayak Anglers held their first tournament, an event based on your single heaviest slot red. I tried my best that day and brought in a 7-pounder that was only good enough for sixth place. The winner of that event was James Garner, who weighed in an impressive 9.5-pound slot red, and also earned the half-pound live-weigh bonus which put him at a whopping 10-pounds.

Talking with James after weigh-in, he told me about his day and it seemed that everything fell into place, exactly in his favor. He went directly to his A-spot only to find that he had been beaten to it by another angler and had to move on. He hurriedly switched to Plan B and almost immediately landed a solid 7.5-pounder. Great recovery!

His next cast produced the behemoth that won the tournament.

I’m not saying that James won on pure luck, because I know he is a

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

TSFMAG.com | 51

Workers moving off-bottom cages to new location.

S t o r y b y S h a n e B o n n o t | A d v o c a c y D i r e c t o r C C A Te x a s

T S F M A G C O N S E R VAT I O N N E W S

COMING SOON TO A BAY NEAR YOU The State of Texas may very well see a new industry develop in coastal waters; one that can redefine the half-shell oyster market and improve water quality in the process. The term used to describe such an industry is known as “Oyster Mariculture.”

The first step to establishing oyster mariculture in Texas has been taken by Rep. Todd Hunter District 32. On February 1, 2019 Hunter filed House Bill 1300, otherwise known as the Cultivated Oyster Mariculture Bill. In a nutshell, the bill gives the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission the authority to adopt rules to establish a program governing cultivated oyster mariculture and it requires them to adopt such rules by September 21, 2020.

Oysters filter feed on microscopic algae that are typically abundant in coastal waters. Because oysters do not need additional food to sustain growth, this species is relatively inexpensive and easy to culture.

The process of growing cultivated oysters in “controlled” environments is simple in concept but there are many steps in the process. The “grower” can influence the shape, size, look, taste, texture and characteristics of the oyster depending on choices that he makes before the oyster reaches market.

The first step in oyster mariculture is to produce the 52 | April 2019

“seed” or larvae in a hatchery. Hatcheries can either produce single oysters or remote-set shellstock oysters, which are bunches of oysters that grow bound together.

For brevity’s sake, we will focus solely single oysters. To achieve a single oyster, farmers take dried and cured oyster shells from shucked meat processors, grind them into tiny sand-like grains, providing enough room for just one oyster larvae to attach. The common term for this ground shell is micro-cultch. It takes 6-8 weeks for an oyster larvae to reach the “eyed-larvae” stage when it is ready to set on this micro-cultch. Once it is set, it can be moved to the nursery phase.

The nursery phase is a labor-intensive transition from the hatchery to bay waters. In this land-based operation the newly settled larvae, known as spat or oyster seed, will be grown in flow-through upweller systems where ambient bay water is pumped (upwards) through an oyster culture tank, providing the tiny oysters with naturally occurring phytoplankton. As they grow, the oysters require routine culling, sorting and cleaning until they are large enough, usually a half to three quarters of an inch in size, to be moved to the grow-out phase in open bay water.

The final phase of oyster mariculture occurs in the

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TSFMAG.com | 53

These images display 3 different cage types that are common in oyster mariculture. Each one is at a different place in the water column. Off-bottom cages are at the lower end of the water column; Australian long-line system is used in the mid-water column; and floating cages utilize the upper end of the water column.

Off-bottom cages in shallow water marked buoys to mark locations.

open bay and there are numerous ways that a grower can achieve their desired goals for a half-shell product. Containment systems (or cages) can be located just off-bottom, in mid-water column, and/or floating at the water’s surface. Each location within the water column has its own advantages and disadvantages, ideally it should take 18 months for a cultivated oyster to reach market size. It is this phase of oyster mariculture that is most likely to catch the attention of coastal anglers; as some of these containments systems would be clearly visible at the water surface.

CCA Texas supports House Bill 1300 and will continue to work with the Texas Legislature and Texas Parks and Wildlife to develop a cultivated oyster mariculture program that addresses concerns of the angling community, redefines the Texas half-shell market, and puts more oysters in our waters to benefit the coastal ecosystem.

Oyster Mariculture Facts • Texas is the only coastal state without some form of bivalve mariculture.

• Cultivated oyster mariculture produces excellent product for the halfshell market.

• Containment systems (cages) can be placed off-bottom, in mid-water column, or floating at the water surface.

Benefits • While in the water these oysters will be providing valuable ecosystem services.

• The oysters and containment systems will provide incredible habitat for numerous aquatic species.

• Cultivated oyster mariculture will provide the half-shell market with a superior product and unique brand recognition.

Challenges • There may be some user conflicts including the “NIMBY” (not in my backyard) viewpoint, access concerns and navigation concerns.

• Containment systems will be susceptible to biofouling and will require consistent maintenance by growers.

Australian long-line system with off-bottom cages in background.

Experimental floating cages.

54 | April 2019

Workers moving off-bottom cages to deeper water.

TSFMAG.com | 55

Seaweed blenny, photo by Jackie Reid at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Gulf of Mexico. NOAA photo library.

STEPHANIE BOYD

F I S H Y FA C T S

BLENNIES As a group, blennies are remarkably varied, especially since the term has been applied to several families of fish sharing similar morphology and behavior, such as the goby and dragonet families. But the true blennies form their own taxonomical suborder, Blennioidei, comprised of six families containing around 833 separate blenny species in 130 genera. All of these blennioids share a few basic characteristics. They are mainly marine, though there are a few brackish and freshwater species. Most lack swim bladders, or have very small ones, and are therefore, unsurprisingly, bottom dwellers. The eyes and mouth are relatively large. They usually bear distinctive cirri — wispy antenna or whisker-like appendages — on their heads.

They are generally small with elongated bodies, some almost eel-like. Their dorsal fins are often continuous and long. The pelvic fins typically have a single embedded spine. The tail fin is rounded. Blennies are known for their distinctive teeth, which are close-set in a single row on each jaw, or “comb-toothed.” Some have a huge canine on each lower jaw, earning the descriptor “saber-toothed.”

Most species lack scales.

Three species can be found in Texas bays: the crested blenny, Hypleurochilus geminatus, the freckled blenny, Hypsoblennius ionthas, and the stretchjaw blenny, Chasmodes longimaxilla. The crested and freckled blennies prefer hard substrate, such as oyster beds, coral reefs, or rocks, and can be found all along the coast from the Carolinas to Texas. The stretchjaw blenny is less picky and will hang out just about anywhere in the bays – oyster beds, seagrass meadows, muddy bottoms, mangroves, etc., and is found only along the coast from Pensacola, FL, to southern Texas.

56 | April 2019

All three species are in the combtooth blenny family, Blenniidae. The body plan of combtooth blennies is typical among blennioids. They have blunt heads and large, googly eyes on top of the head. Their continuous dorsal fins have three to seventeen spines, and their small, slender pelvic fins are situated before the enlarged pectoral fins.

Their bodies are compressed, elongated, and scaleless. As their name would suggest, combtooth blennies are noted for the comb-like teeth lining their jaws. Crested blennies grow up to four inches in length and are dark brown with many small, faint, irregular orange spots and bars on the body, and a dark spot at the front of the dorsal fin. Males sport a large, arched fold of skin on each side of the neck.

In addition to the comb-like teeth, crested blennies often have a large curved canine-like tooth at the rear on each side of lower jaw and sometimes the upper jaw. Freckled blennies also grow up to four inches in length. They are yellowish-brown on top and whitish underneath with several dark saddle bars, two dark bars from eye to mouth, and a dark crescent bar with a black front edge above the gills. The feather-like cirri above the eyes are generally much longer in males. Color patterns also differ between the sexes. Females have small dark freckles covering the snout, lips, bottom half of the head, and sometimes their mid-body. In males, the freckles are either indistinct or absent. Although classified as a combtooth, freckled blennies have small, chisel-like teeth. Stretchjaw blennies only reach about three inches in length and are olive to greenish with light stripes and mottling, an iridescent blue spot towards the front of the dorsal fin, an orange streak along the dorsal fin, and oddly, no cirri on the forehead.

Although many blennies are detritivorous, meaning

TSFMAG.com | 57

they eat dead plant and animal matter, some species are herbivorous, feeding on algae and such, and others are partially to wholly carnivorous, eating small invertebrates, or even stealing bites of fin, scales, or skin of other fish. Crested blennies use their fine and flexible teeth to pick invertebrates from the substrate. They mainly prey on benthic crustaceans, mollusks, worms, and microalgae. Freckled blennies are herbivorous, using their short chisel-like teeth to scrape algae and detritus from surfaces. Herbivorous blennies, such as the freckled blenny, play an important role in grazing reef algae, keeping it from smothering corals. Stretchjaws eat detritus and other bony fishes. Being so small, blennies are often on the menu for other creatures. They rely on a secretive lifestyle to survive, camouflaging with their surroundings and hiding on the bottom in shallow waters. Many are reclusive and may burrow in sandy substrates or inhabit crevices in reefs, empty mollusk shells, or even old beer bottles. Despite that, they can be territorial, and will even sometimes harass divers that are too close to their home.

Blennies are most likely to be territorial during spawning season, which occurs from early spring through September. Many blennies develop brighter coloration during spawning, especially under the jaw (most frequently the male, but sometimes the female as well). Males attract mates near holes, crevices, or even empty oyster shells where spawning occurs. When a female enters the area, the male engages in courtship behavior that can include changing into spawning colors, bobbing the head up and down, and leading the female to the nest with‌suggestive swimming. If the female is impressed, she proceeds into the crevice (or hole, or oyster shell) and begins to lay round, ambercolored eggs. The eggs are adhesive, and are attached to the substrate via a filamentous, sticky pad or pedestal. Spawning may last few minutes,

58 | April 2019

or a few days depending on whether the female deposits the eggs all at once, or on several trips into the nest. One male may mate with several females. The male is generally in charge of deterring predators during spawning and guarding the eggs until hatching, though females may occasionally assist with guarding the nest as well. Once hatched, the larvae are on their own. Blennies generally pass through a pelagic stage after a short planktonic stage. The young pelagic fishes look different enough from their adult form that they were once classified as a separate subfamily. Larvae settle at the size of just under half an inch, and sexual maturity occurs at a length of about 3/4 of an inch.

Blennies are not food fishes (except for the giant blenny from the eastern Pacific, which is used in a soup that reportedly produces a slight intoxication of short duration), but many species are gathered for aquarium use. They are considered to have entertaining personalities and are easy to care for. Though blennies are harvested from the wild for the aquarium trade and are subject to habitat degradation, all three found in Texas bays are classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List.

And everywhere, just as there were animals on land, were the animals of the sea. The tiniest fish made the largest schools- herring, anchovies, and baby mackerel sparkling and cavorting in the light like a million diamonds. They twirled into whirlpools and flowed over the sandy floor like one large, unlikely animal.

Slightly larger fish came in a rainbow, red and yellow and blue and orange and purple and green and particolored like clowns: dragonets and blennies and gobies and combers.

Hake, shad, char, whiting, cod, flounder, and mullet made the solid middle class.

The biggest loners, groupers and oarfish and dogfish and the major sharks and tuna that all grew to a large, ripe old age did so because they had figured out how to avoid human boats, nets, lines, and bait. The black-eyed predators were well aware they were top of the food chain only down deep, and somewhere beyond the surface there were things even more hungry and frightening than they. ~ Liz Braswell, Part of Your World: A Twisted Tale

U.S. Geological Survey nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?speciesID=2403 Chesapeake Bay Program www.chesapeakebay.net/S=0/fieldguide/critter/blennies Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org/accounts/Blenniidae/ Encyclopedia Britannica www.britannica.com/animal/blenny

Where I learned about blennies, and you can too!

All At Sea www.allatsea.net/blennies-of-bonaire/

FishBase www.fishbase.de/summary/3759 www.fishbase.de/summary/3764 www.fishbase.de/summary/Chasmodes-longimaxilla

Sport Diver www.sportdiver.com/keywords/marine-life/species-9-fun-facts-about-blenny

Texas Marine Species txmarspecies.tamug.edu/fishdetails.cfm?scinameID=Hypleurochilus%20 geminatus txmarspecies.tamug.edu/fishdetails.cfm?scinameID=Hypsoblennius%20 ionthas txmarspecies.tamug.edu/fishdetails.cfm?scinameID=Chasmodes%20 longimaxilla

Saltwater Fish www.saltwaterfish.com/category-saltwater-fish_blennies Oceans, Reefs, & Aquariums www.orafarm.com/products/fish/blennies/ PetMD www.petmd.com/fish/care/choosing-and-caring-blenny-fish

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute biogeodb.stri.si.edu/caribbean/en/thefishes/species/4069 biogeodb.stri.si.edu/caribbean/en/thefishes/species/4075 biogeodb.stri.si.edu/caribbean/en/thefishes/species/4062

Pet Guide www.petguide.com/breeds/fish/blennies/ Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combtooth_blenny en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypleurochilus_geminatus en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypsoblennius_ionthas en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blennioidei

IUCN Red List www.iucnredlist.org/species/47141089/47461261 www.iucnredlist.org/species/46104074/46958826 www.iucnredlist.org/species/196686/2473830

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Large dusky shark landed and released by author.

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

ERIC OZOLINS

TEXAS SHARK RODEO EXCITEMENT

Spring is here and anglers are flocking to the beaches.

The warming of the surf zone has attracted swarms of baitfish – mullet, menhaden, anchovies, and shad, the core species of the food chain that supports the host of predators we all seek. Red drum, jackfish, mackerel, and other mid-size predators eat the smaller species, while the sharks come storming in and feed on the larger fish. It is a wonderful time to get on the beach and target sharks.

The 2019 spring season will mark the sixth year for the second and present management regime to present the Texas Shark Rodeo. The Rodeo has a storied history that began roughly fifteen years ago, the brainchild of two individuals – aspiring shark enthusiast, David Williams, and veteran surf angler and world long-casting champion “Big Lou” McEachern.

The original concept of the Rodeo was to create a friendly, competitive environment for shark anglers while compiling and submitting catch data to the scientific community. Anglers would form teams with the goal of catching and logging (in detail) as many sharks as possible – hence the name Shark Rodeo.

The nearly year-long event was conducted on the honor system and teams accumulated points toward a championship for their catches.

The initial run of the Shark Rodeo was broadcasted publicly on Williams’ shark fishing website during the early years of the internet, way before Facebook, Instagram, and other venues. It was through the Rodeo web forum 60 | April 2019

that anglers from all across Texas met and became friends on the sand. While some of the participants were veteran shark anglers with lifelong passion for the sport, others were rookies who had landed only a handful of sharks up to that point in their careers. In truth, most specimens submitted were rather small compared to those the present generation of sharkers are bringing to the sand.

A series of unfortunate circumstances eventually brought about the demise of the original Texas Shark Rodeo but there was more to come.

Even though it had faded from the scene for a few years, that original run of the Rodeo planted seeds that laid dormant until 2014 when the original organizers and promoters gave their blessing to another generation of sharking enthusiasts and the Texas Shark Rodeo was resurrected. Enter Mr. Curtis Mai and the Sharkathon organization.

At a time when the popularity of Sharkathon and shark fishing on the Texas coast was reaching an all-time high, Curtis Mai and the Sharkathon crew were keen to become involved in providing more shark data for science. They used Sharkathon as a publicity front to promote the rebirth of the Rodeo and the real game changer was partnering with Texas A&M Corpus Christi and the Harte Research Institute. Harte was quick to agree to provide passive research tags to be used in the event and all shark data would be processed back to them for research.

In addition, the Rodeo partnered with the Guy Harvey

TSFMAG.com | 61

Institute, submitting tissue samples for genetic research.

The Texas Shark Rodeo never charged entry fees to participate and teams could include up to five anglers. There are no cash payouts or valuable prizes awarded to winners – it has always been about friendly competition for bragging rights, with the goal of providing valuable data for shark research. The top anglers and teams would receive small plaques acknowledging their performance and to demonstrate appreciation for their contribution to science. The online submission system made it easy for team captains to submit shark catch data and also provided a handy database for anglers wishing to review their standing among other teams.

The new-era 2014 Texas Shark Rodeo kicked off with a bang. More than 40 teams posted catches and the excitement among competitors

Shark Rodeo angler Rocky Guerra of Roy’s Bait and Tackle with a very nice tiger – tagged and released.

Scott Nelson with a great hammer from the PINS surf.

C O N TA C T

Ray Cedillo’s goliath great hammerhead.

reached fever pitch, fueled by social media images of anglers showing off their catches. The highlight of the season was Scott Nelson’s great hammerhead that taped an amazing 13-feet and 3-inches – the largest shark by a Texas beach angler in more than twenty years.

The 2015 Rodeo also included an amazing catch - Steven Kennedy’s 13-foot tiger. The 2016 campaign was another for the record book.

Not one, but two beastly mako sharks were landed by Rodeo angler, Dwade Hickey, and another by yours truly, Eric Ozolins. Not only were these two sharks the only makos ever recorded in Rodeo competition, they remain the largest mako sharks ever brought to the sand by Texas anglers. But that wasn’t all, that year saw another 13-foot great hammer by yours truly.

The 2017 Rodeo continued to demonstrate the event’s growing popularity and participation as the tally of bigger and badder sharks increased even more. The most important factor was the near total absence of menacing sargassum seaweed that had plagued beach sharkers efforts for nearly two decades, which contributed mightily to the number of large baits anglers could kayak to deeper water beyond the surf. Simply put, more baits produced more large shark landings.

Anglers contributed unprecedent amounts of valuable data and the Harte Institute couldn’t have been happier.

Finally, the 2018 Rodeo became the grandest of all, a truly recordshattering year in Texas land-based shark fishing. For reasons not completely understood, we witnessed unprecedented numbers of quality sharks and landings of rarer species skyrocketed beyond everybody’s imagination.

Some theorize the horrific red tide outbreaks in Florida pushed greater numbers of sharks toward the western Gulf of Mexico.

Whatever the reason, 2018 produced a virtual plethora of large shark landings that included tiger, hammer, bull, dusky, and lemons all being submitted by Rodeo anglers. Not only did the number of landings surpass all previous Shark Rodeos, but the LARGEST shark ever in the event’s history was submitted by Ray Cedillo - a behemoth 14-foot great hammerhead. Three dusky sharks longer than 10-feet were registered along with multiple tigers longer than 12-feet. Truly a legendary season, the 2018 Rodeo tally rose to 1000 shark landings submitted and 757 sharks tagged.

So naturally, anxiety and hype are quite high for the 2019 Texas Shark Rodeo. The tournament has already kicked off but there is still time for you to register your team and compete throughout the year.

I am happy to announce that Catch Sharks is an official sponsor for the event and will be donating shark gear at the end the year for various prizes and awards. In a time in our sport when conservation is the only saving grace, the Rodeo can do no wrong. If you are going to be fishing the surf, anyway, register for the Rodeo so that any shark you may obtain can be passed on to researchers as valuable data for science.

Anyone interested in participating in the Texas Shark Rodeo can visit texassharkrodeo.com to learn more.

For the past decade Eric ‘Oz’ Ozolins has been promoting shark catch and release and assisting various shark research

62 | April 2019

programs. Eric offers guided shark fishing on Padre Island National Seashore. Also renowned for extreme kayak big game fishing, Eric is the owner of Catch Sharks Tackle Company.

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P L A S T I C & WAT E R D O N ' T M I X

Everett Johnson

24TH ANNUAL BILLY SANDIFER BIG SHELL CLEANUP…“NOT ON OUR WATCH!” With Billy’s passing last year it was imperative that we not let him down with a poor showing during the 24th Annual Billy Sandifer Big Shell Cleanup. It would be our tribute and crowning achievement to show Billy that no matter what came our way we would not let him down. Not this time! Not on our watch!

The odds were stacked against us early in the game as the partial government shutdown lasted through January. What would we do if the National Park Service couldn’t participate? Contingency plans were made. A meeting was held just after we received notification that the shutdown had ended, temporarily at least, and that we had a two week timeframe to work within before the possibility of another shutdown, just eight days from the cleanup on February 15.

Mark Spier, the PINS superintendent and his staff met with Friends of Padre and we decided to hold the cleanup regardless of another shutdown. Mark said he couldn’t order his staff to work the event but wouldn’t stop them if they wanted to volunteer. Law enforcement was already going to be at work since they’re considered essential staff.

Park Service employee Bridget Canning did a great jop separating recyclable materials.

64 | April 2019

And then another and even bigger problem showed up in the middle of January. Thousands of logs washed in from rivers on the upper coast, completely blocking vehicular traffic from the waterline to the dunes from the 10-mile through the 30-mile area. It looked as though a hurricane had hit.

Quickly, Brian Slate’s park maintenance crew with Big James Carter and Richard Lopez got after the log debris with a front-end loader. Soon after, Nueces County Coastal Parks Director, Scott Cross, lent their front-end loader and Ken and his crew quickly joined the battle, moving logs from the road all the way down through the Big Shell. Concerns of equipment vandalism were removed as Friends of Padre directors, Jeff Wolda, Kevin Eager, and Cody Moravits camped several nights at the 15-mile beach where the equipment was parked after each workday, thus saving precious time that would have been spent running the tractors 30- to 60-miles to reach the work area from park headquarters.

On February 13, Jeff Wolda and I made a scouting trip down Big Shell to check on the progress of log removal.

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Cannot imagine where this mess came from… except perhaps a medical waste processing facility that did a poor job.

This young lady who worked in my section crew found one of the three rattlesnakes discovered during the cleanup.

Billy’s widow, Joy Sandifer, made a surprise visit to the cleanup; her first after all these years. Two of Billy’s closest friends, Jeff Wolda and David McKee joined Joy for this memorable photo-op.

David Sikes photo

66 | April 2019

the 10-mile marker to the end of Big Shell at the 30-mile, they also went all the way to the 41-mile. This opened the possibility that if the tides and weather cooperated we could attempt cleaning all the way to the 40-mile mark. A feat we never even dreamed possible through twenty-three previous Big Shell Cleanups.

After four hours of parking lot prep, trailer loads of traffic cones, barrels, a thousand schwag bags, 20 ice chests loaded with ice and 30 cases of water, snacks for 1200, and 1200 event t-shirts on Friday, we waited anxiously for Saturday morning. I think we all had Billy on our minds making sure we cross-checked everything that needed to be done to avoid disappointing him.

Saturday morning dawned foggy but mild as the section leaders pulled into their prearranged positions where volunteers would fall in behind. Clay Wernli and his crew took off just after 7:00 AM, headed to the 40-mile. This process continued with vehicles streaming into the parking lot as we filled section lines, passed out goodie bags, and sent them down island to their sections of beach.

One huge surprise was seeing Billy’s wife, Joy Sandifer, with other of Billy’s relatives, ready to go on her first cleanup. Joy always thought the cleanup was Billy’s show but this day she said she was there to show everyone they were still standing behind Billy and loved and missed him, too!

In spite of my plan to fade into the woodwork doing a TV interview, schmoozing with the Superintendent, passing out supplies and thanking volunteers, we were soon out of section leaders. With 20 groups and 20 miles set to be cleared, I was tabbed to be the twenty-first section leader. Ha! Normally, grizzled veterans like 2019 CCA Conservationist of the Year, Jay Gardner, and I, hang back and take the last group of students or tired winter-Texans, ending up somewhere near the 15mile, safe from the potentially worst driving conditions found in Big Shell. Not this time. I was dispatched to clean between the 19 and 20-mile markers, and Jay was sent to work the mile-stretch of beach north of us.

After all was said and done, we ended up recruiting three more section leaders as the last of the volunteers were finally sent south.

Sonya Wolda and Lily Walker worked their magic finding all the walking volunteers rides in 4x4s, including 32 students from West Oso ROTC. Down island, the driving conditions were as good as could be hoped. The beach was narrow in spots and somehow a 16-year-old driving a new Camaro managed to fall in behind Jay’s group after heading down Park Rd 22, bypassing our 4x4-only check in the parking lot, and onto the beach as the group headed south.

A fisherman in a tight spot near the 8-mile made everyone drive into the loose stuff to get around him and that’s where the fun began. The Camaro got stuck. Jay and crew checked out the situation to see what they could do. As soon as the driver and passengers got out of the still running vehicle one of them locked the door. All windows were closed and the car was still running in drive, wheels still spinning. Jay did the only thing he could and that was to continue to lead his group further south to the work area.

No knucklehead was going to stop the cleanup effort. Jay notified the ranger who was patrolling a few miles away; a situation had developed that only a ranger could handle.

A new record of 1400 volunteers worked like a well-oiled machine throughout the day, cleaning a record 25 miles of beach from the

17-mile to the 40-mile beach, with another two miles cleaned was watching over Friends of Padre and he was proud of us and all on either side of the 10-mile marker. It could not have run any the Big Shell volunteers. As Billy would say, “Pretty cool, huh? smoother and what an honor to the man who started this whole Many thanks to fellow cleanup volunteer, Kurt Obersteller, who thing back in 1995. We should all be proud. works at Yeti for bringing this new partner to our event. The Yeti A total of 75 tons of trash were removed from the PINS beach, tumblers and Load Out buckets were a huge hit. shy of last year’s 85 tons, but from more miles of beach than ever To our largest and longtime supporter, Mr. Leon McNinch of the accomplished in twenty-three prior Big Shell events.

Ruth Parr Sparks Foundation of Alice, TX; we thank you for helping us Some of the more interesting finds included three rattlesnakes, continue our mission dedicated to the preservation and betterment one coachwhip snake, and one of the wildest pieces of medical of North Padre Island and the people and wildlife that call it home. waste we’ve ever seen in 24 cleanup events – a mass of partially Curtis Mai and Sharkathon have been one of our biggest melted hypodermic syringes, presumably from a medical waste supporters and friends for years – Thank You! Ditto, to our partners disposer that did not process them correctly. Fortunately no one in conservation at Corpus Christi Chapter CCA Texas for hotdogs was harmed by the medical waste or the snakes, nor were the and volunteers, and John Blaha at CCA Texas for the schwag bags. snakes harmed.

Michael Laskowski Sr. and Jr. of Trac-Work Inc. has been our glove If you liked Billy’s articles over the years in this magazine about his supplier for more than a decade. Brian McKinsey is our Support supernatural experiences on the PINS beach – the Karankawas, Ghost Leader and “Vehicle Puller Outer” down island. In addition to that at the 33, Indian flutes, etc. – you might find this next bit interesting. role, Brian bought ads in various publications and purchased Sunday, the day after the Big Shell Cleanup, I placed a call to my billboard space along South Padre Island Drive and I-37 in Corpus to sister on my cell phone to tell her of the great success we’d had publicize this event. the day before. I went to my contacts list and found her number, Thanks to Everett Johnson for all the support from Texas Saltwater but when I dialed it the name switched from hers to Billy Sandifer, Fishing Magazine. Catherine and Daniel Dain of Dominos Pizza, whose number is still in my contacts list. I immediately hung up The Padre Island Moon, HEB, Value Bank, Texas State Aquarium, and went back to the contacts list to make sure I hadn’t misdialed.

Saltwater Angler, Corpusfishing.com, Graf Plumbing, 1360 KKTX Her name appeared for the second time but when I pressed the dial and K99, The Bait Bucket, Gambler Specialties, Stephen and Donna command it switched again to Billy Sandifer.

Gregory, Federal Steel, Roy’s Bait and Tackle, Coastal Bend Audubon No misdial, and no explanation how it could happen, I even Society, Padre Island National Seashore personnel, Greg Smith and made a screen shot of it (see photo). Billy’s name appears above the City of Corpus Christi, and the Matt Eckstrom family. my sister’s phone number. When the call connected, even though I Thanks to Troy Adler, Friends of Padre board member, who takes was hoping it would be Billy on the line, it was my sister. I know this charge of all of our section leaders every year, parking lot supervisor sounds crazy but all I can think is that Billy was letting me know he and Friends of Padre president, Aaron Baxter and his minions – Dree Baxter, Sagan Baxter, Val Chilton, Jessica Aroyo, Willie Rivera, Matt Snowden, Scotty Groza, and Cliff and Courtney Johnstone, who helped with food service and t-shirt wrangling.

And special thanks to Jacob Augs for the awesome coyote-themed artwork for this event and for the wonderful video he shot of the 2019 Cleanup, which is up right now on our home page at friendsofpadre.com Here’s hoping to see you all on Saturday, February 29, 2020 for the 25th Annual Billy Sandifer Big Shell Beach Cleanup. As Billy would say, “Life’s a hoot. Get you some of it!”

That’s my phone showing my sister’s phone number. How Billy’s name appeared on the screen twice still baffles me…unless perhaps his spirit was trying to tell me something.

Padre Island National Seashore is truly a wild place. One of three rattlers the workforce encountered during the cleanup. Colin Davis photo

TSFMAG.com | 67

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TSFMAG.com | 69

DICKIE COLBURN

DICKIE COLBURN’S Sabine Scene

S ab i n e

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

Telephone 409-883-0723 Website www.sabineconnection.com

The turnout for the TPWD public hearing on February 28 to discuss a proposal to reduce trout limits from 10 to 5 fish proved to be as dismal as the weather outside the Port Arthur Civic Center. As expected, any support for the proposal was minimal at best.

After several of the anglers One more red weighed in attendance voiced their and released. feelings on the proposal, there was little doubt as to why most were not in favor of lowering the limit. Basically, the general consensus was that anything taken away from them would never be returned regardless of how well the proposal worked and, as long as they were sharing the lake with another state unwilling to make the same changes their concessions would make little or no difference.

Any angler that does not reside in the immediate area or fish Sabine Lake on a regular

basis has no idea how frustrating it is to abide by two sets of regulations on one body of water. The added expense of two sets of licenses along with different creel and size limits are the most obvious problems, but as visiting Bassmasters discovered, simply determining navigable or even posted waters bordering the east side of the lake is all but impossible.

Harvey and an unprecedented glut of fresh water caused the current trout problem‌ not fishing pressure. I still believe, however, that at least temporarily some changes are necessary, but no change will work as intended until every angler fishes under the same set of rules and regulations.

I was most encouraged by the fact that several of the guides that spend the majority of their fishing time on the

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south end had good reason not to share my concerns. They report that they are easily catching limits of small trout from the extreme south end of the lake to the jetties. They are equally quick to add, however, that trout over five pounds are rare.

There is no doubt that old age has eroded my “catching skills” but I can still cast and read my depth finder and neither skill has helped me much on the north end of the lake. Strictly out of frustration, I recently fished the south end three days in a row.

Nasty weather The water was no clearer down there but hasn’t slowed I did indeed catch the most trout I have them down in caught in months. It was especially nice to the least. make a cast and expect a fish to ambush my offering. The negative for me, however, was the fact that while I caught a lot of trout, very few were keeper-size fish. My largest trout might have weighed three pounds.

Regardless of size, the highlight was the better numbers as that has not been the case on the north end thus far.

While the trout bite continues to be a challenge we have had no problem catching redfish. They are running the shorelines, hanging on the deeper breaks in the bayous and cruising the shallow flats. Spinnerbaits, five-inch Assassins rigged on 1/8-ounce heads and Usual Suspect swimbaits are all dependable choices, but we never give up on

a spot until someone offers them a GULP shad under a cork.

I am now perplexed as to whether salinity is a depth thing or improves in pockets as we have located some short stretches of shoreline with no change in structure that continue to hold a few solid keeper trout regardless of rainfall and runoff from the lakes.

We are catching those trout wading and casting toward the open lake. Most of them are holding in four to five feet of water and there has been no indication whatsoever that they are present. Oddly enough, we didn’t start catching them with any consistency until we downsized our lures. We traded the Fat Boy for a Soft-Dine and the Catch 5 for a Catch 2000.

Dayglow and pink are earning the most reps.

I very much hope that by the time you read this some of those trout on the south end will have decided to swim up north. Hopefully, their larger brothers and sisters will join them.

Bait and salinity will play a big role in igniting that migration.

Dirty water has become the new normal for Sabine Lake virtually year round, but once you locate the fish you will find that it effects little more than your own confidence.

Slow your retrieve down and change colors often rather than leave a promising spot. Pay attention to majors and minors.

Kids make every trip a success!

TSFMAG.com | 71

CAPT. CALEB HARP

THE BUZZ on Galveston Bay

Galve s t o n

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

72 | April 2019

As we emerge from the spring transition pattern, the month of April brings hope for new stability in our quest to keep up with the bite. Indeed, there are few gimmes in March.

The fish don’t eat all day, nor do they HAVE to eat every day. On warmer days we’ve seen slick after slick pouring off points or shell pads but with no bites. They’re there alright, just not willing to eat what we’re offering. The closer we get to April the more aggressive their feeding habits become. Thank The Lord for rising water temperatures and stronger tides.

Wind has been inconsistent, as should be expected this time of year. The notorious “washing machine” effect of very hard southerly blows for a few days, then a hard blow out of the west, followed by a hard blow from northeast and east, before turning south again, can make it challenging if not impossible to find suitable water clarity.

The water doesn’t have to be gorgeous to catch fish, and I am honestly not much of a fan of beautiful clear water. Sure, water that’s emerald green and reminds you of the Bahamas

Bryan Jones shows off a nice early spring speck.

Drift fishing can be productive when you catch some calm weather.

is pretty to look at but you’ll need some color streaks or a little bit of sandiness to make the fish less nervous and therefore willing to offer reaction strikes, whatever lure you’re throwing. My point is not to become discouraged over dingy water. When you know the fish are there, summon the confidence to stay put and grind a while.

In dirty water conditions I like to throw a lure with distinct color contrasts. For example; Texas Roach with a chartreuse tail, Morning Glory with a chartreuse tail, or purple with a white tail. Fish can evidently see the break between two distinctly bold colors better than one solid color, which I find produces more strikes.

April initiates the trout’s first spawning of the year, a time when they begin feeding more aggressively. With that extra “baby weight” (eggs), April can be the best opportunity to catch the heaviest fish of a lifetime.

Kind of like a pregnant woman, the spawn can make the trout mean and unpredictable, ready to kill and eat anything that annoys them. Right before they begin to spawn they are known to devour unusually large mullet. Some old timers say it’s to help push the eggs out but I’ve never been able to verify this. What I do know is that a large topwater during the spawning period will draw some incredibly vicious strikes.

West Galveston Bay West Bay fish are in a late spring pattern already with the warmer than normal water temperatures. Fishing hard sand flats with a lot of shell has been the most productive. Wade fishermen have had good success throwing topwaters whenever there are plenty signs of mullet present, and also rattail soft-plastics such as MirrOlure Provoker on 1/16 ounce Bass Assassin Pro Elite jigheads. Redfish have been

abundant over thick shell adjacent to deep water and have been caught as shallow as ankle deep over grass on warmer days. As the water temperature continues to rise, expect better catches towards San Luis Pass and like areas.

East Galveston Bay East Bay has been inconsistent but there are still decent numbers of trout staging around marsh drains. If timed right, you can have a memorable catch around these drains on outgoing tides throwing small soft plastics, but mostly only keepers size-wise. Redfish are thick in back lakes and on mud-shell bottoms towards the back of the bay.

As April approaches, sandier flats will heat up for wade fisherman and become more consistent with topwater lures. Don’t be afraid to stop off on a slick or two out deep on the numerous oyster reefs that make up much of the floor of East Bay. Late April can be fantastic drift fishing over these reefs with MirrOlure Lil Johns rigged on 1/8 ounce jigheads.

Upper Galveston Bay Upper Galveston Bay has been producing decent numbers of trout and redfish and even a few healthier-sized fish. I will refrain from saying “big trout” because it’s honestly been a couple years since fish over the seven-pound mark have been seen, apart from a few rare landings. Trout in the three- to four-pound class are achievable and they’ll get the blood pumping nowadays, for me anyways. Working drop-offs with soft plastics on cooler days has been a good tactic.

On warmer days, working shallower flats with oyster shell, throwing Corkys and topwaters, will become more of a routine.

TSFMAG.com | 73

BINK GRIMES

THE VIEW FROM Matagorda

M ata go r d a

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

Telephone 979-241-1705 Email binkgrimes@sbcglobal.net Website matagordasunriselodge.com

I would love to tell you what kind of fishing April will bring. Truth is - I have no idea.

That’s not to say I don’t know whether it will be good or bad, rather, if we will be wading, drifting, chasing trout or going shallow for reds.

It all depends what face April decides to wear – cold and windy or sunny and mild. The good news is we have a fishing application for either.

Where we fish in April is determined daily by changing winds and water temps. If winds blow over 20 knots, we roll to the back lakes in West Bay and work redfish. If wind isn’t blowing too hard, we work the middle of East Bay for springtime speckled trout.

One of the best days my boat has ever had drifting was six years ago when we released a 30, two 28s, a 27, 26 and a 25.

In fact, April has coughed up more 6- to 8-pound trout than any month I recall over the last five years.

That’s not to say I won’t be wading. There are some awesome trout to be caught in

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74 | April 2019

April on the shorelines and depending how warm it gets this month we should start to see glass minnows moving along the shorelines of West Bay. Glass minnows are really just bay anchovies. Little white, silver flashes that swim in herds, likely to be 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 that some of the best wading happens on the afternoon incoming tide. Get a good night’s rest, get up, read the paper, eat a little breakfast and then head out. Take your time and wait for the tide to usher the minnows to the grassy shorelines of West Bay. We break out the topwaters in earnest during April. The myth that surface plugs only work in shallow water is just that, a myth. My largest speck of all time, a 31-incher, was fooled on a chartreuse-headed, black-bodied, prototype MirrOlure Top Dog in seven feet of water out of a boat at high noon. One of my most memorable days with a topwater came at the Sabine Pass jetty as I consistently duped five-pounders against the granite in 14 feet of water. Topwater plugs only work when you throw them.

We expect swollen tides in April, which gives us another plan in our back pocket if April winds blow. The reefs along East Matagorda’s north shoreline will hold good numbers of trout, redfish and black drum for anglers tossing shallow popping corks with live shrimp.

If you are not a live bait angler, try a Gulp or a 3-inch DOA Shrimp. On certain days, especially with cloudy water, these lures actually catch fish better than live.

The Colorado River and Diversion Channel has not been green very often in the last six months; however, on the few days it has been fishable, we have found good numbers of trout and redfish while trolling the banks. Again, these areas are great locales to hide from spring winds. Here’s to lots of sunshine and a dry landscape.

Follow our reports daily on Facebook and Instagram @matagordasunriselodge.

TSFMAG.com | 75

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 the Seadrift/Port O’Connor region since 1986. Gary specializes in year ‘round wade fishing for speckled trout and redfish with artificial lures.

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

76 | April 2019

March fishing in the Seadrift-Port O’Connor area has been nothing short of great this past month.

Writing this, we’ve had only one night when the temperature dropped below freezing and that was for only a few hours back in November. So, even though it has seemed a miserably cold and wet winter, we haven’t had to deal with freezing weather or anything even close a fish-killing freeze on the Middle Coast.

I don’t want to use the word too loosely but mild might accurately describe this past winter. Yes, there were days when you thought you might freeze to death wade fishing, but that was due more to the wind than the temperature. The water temperatures during the warm ups after the fronts were what I would call above average. My Simrad was constantly showing the shallow back lake regions in the upper 60s. Not a bad temperature for our bait and game fish. Numerous times during February I found glass minnows in trout and redfish stomachs – something we do not expect until April.

April target areas will remain pretty much the same as March. You’ll probably see my Shallow Sport X3 parked in many of the same back lakes but you

Even sheepshead like Bass Assassins!

A nice late-winter speckled trout comes to the landing net.

might also see me working main bay shorelines, depending how early the water temps rise and the bait begins to congregate there. We sometimes see quite an abrupt transition between March and April but since the winter has been milder than average it could be more subtle this year.

We experienced a couple mild stretches this past winter when the water got warm enough to trigger April-like action on main bay shorelines – meaning that mullet left the warmth of the back lakes for a few days. And, of course, we found a few trout mingling and feeding on them.

What an angler needs to be looking for in April is the transition of mullet and other forage species from the backwaters out onto the main bay shorelines. The astute angler will fish areas of shorelines that have irregularities – reefs jutting into the bay and curves in the shoreline or small coves. Sloughs that run between the bay and back lakes also qualify as irregularities.

My favorite thing to see happening on the main bay shorelines is the arrival of menhaden that should occur later in April. This is just a suspicion but I believe trout and redfish would rather eat a menhaden than a mullet. Maybe it’s the oily nature of their flesh.

When fishing the rafts of baitfish, menhaden or mullet, pay close attention to the way the bait is behaving. What you want to see is erratic movements, weaving hurriedly away from shorelines.

There is a reason the bait schools do not travel in a straight line along the shore. It is quite likely that a predator or two caused them to veer toward more open water for safety.

There will be calm days when the water along the shorelines will become quite clear and this is when your Costa fishing glasses really earn their keep. You will be able to spot reds and trout shadowing the bait and you certainly do not want to miss those sightcasting opportunities.

My daily lure selections change with the conditions but the 4-inch Bass Assassin Sea Shad will always be near the top of the list. Not far behind is the 5-inch Bass Assassin Saltwater Shad. Magic Grass and Slammin Chicken are go-to colors that I keep in my Hookset Marine over-the-shoulder box. I use mostly 1/16 ounce Assassin jigheads, rarely feeling the need for anything heavier.

Another lure that I keep handy is the MirrOlure She Dog in the CHPR color. The She Dog comes in a rainbow of colors but I believe the way you present a floater is far more important than the color.

In closing I would like to share what I consider another breakthrough for the Waterloo Rod Company. Well, it’s breaking news for me, anyway. I use the Waterloo HP Lite exclusively, rarely finding need for a stiffer or heavier action, but that’s just me. Everybody has a personal favorite.

Jimmy at Waterloo has introduced a new blank for the HP Lite that is lighter and stronger than the one previously used. In the last few months of fishing with the new blank I have noticed that I consistently get an additional 20- to 25-feet casting distance. I am also enjoying the new premium polymer Winn Grips on these new HP Lites versus my old standby cork grips. I’m not much for change but the Winn Grips are definitely my new favorite.

Fish hard, fish smart!

TSFMAG.com | 77

DAVID ROWSEY

HOOKED UP WITH Rowsey

Upper Laguna/ Ba f f i n

David Rowsey has over 25 years in Baffin and Upper Laguna Madre; 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 @captdavidrowsey

78 | April 2019

Spring is here and we have been catching the fish to prove it. Heading into April is something I always look forward to; not only are we trading our Simms waders for Flats Sneakers and wet wading, but the fishing is just some of the best you will have for quality and trophies. Mixed bags of trout, reds and flounder will be the norm from now through June. If you want in on the magic of this month, get in touch with me soon as my dates are getting swooped up quickly.

As of late March we started seeing trout show up in the Land Cut. These fish are headed north in their annual migration from points further south. By the end of April they will be dumping into Baffin Bay, all the way to Cayo Del Grullo, in the westernmost stretches of the bay.

Why you ask? Spring’s equinox tides will be pumping new water into the system from the south.

With that large tidal movement, all species of gamefish along with shrimp, shad and mullet will be enjoying the free ride provided by Mother Nature. My journals have been telling me the same story, year after year.

The full moon closest to the end of April and the beginning of May will be the biggest push of water

and the largest movement of gamefish. For those willing to make a long ride down the Land Cut you will get an early jump on the migration. Wading the edge of the big ditch can be some of the most rewarding topwater fishing you could ever experience; however, a trolling motor and a drift sock are equally as effective (and cover a lot of water quickly).

For the more traditional wade fisherman, areas such as Summer House, Rocky Slough shoreline, all of Yarbrough, and many spoil islands will be the first to start loading up with baitfish and great trout. As they keep heading north into Baffin, expect the south shoreline of Baffin to really heat up. The amount of baitfish you will see in this area will be overwhelming to the senses but should provide you with confidence that you are in the right area.

We all have our favorite lures to throw at big trout but April and May are my top two months for topwaters. The number of surface explosions during this period is usually off the charts when big groups of baitfish are in the area. MirrOlure’s She Dog is my go-to lure during these months, especially the CRCH (chartreuse back-chrome body) and 808 (black back-

Chris Gwyn shows off a solid 8-plus landed on a Bass Assassin during the second pass we made through an area we had waded earlier in the day. Confidence and grinding for one bite is the key to catching trophies. Released!

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When I walk into areas where shad are prevalent, I’m going with the MirrOdine XL series. I fish this lure hard and fast with short pauses. It’s a great match-the-hatch type of lure, especially in the new Skin Series colors. Y’all really need to check them out if you haven’t already.

Rounding out my favorite lure choices is the 5-inch Saltwater Shad Bass Assassin (straight tail) and the 4-inch Turbo Shad. Both of these lures excel as fish-finder tools and in making them eat when the bite is very slow. Colors ranging from white to anything silver-flaked are on my line 90% of the time.

I’m much closer to 50 than I am 48, and I’ll admit that much of the younger generation just makes me shake my head in disbelief when I see what they stand for and what they think this country should be. Saying that, I have the pleasure of hosting many young men and women on my boat in their 20s and early 30s that I can’t help but admire.

Most of them have carved out a plan for their lives, gainfully employed, well-mannered, and have a tremendous passion for fishing. The majority of them are really good fishermen, have great equipment, and just a grinder attitude when they step off the boat for a two-hour wade.

Half the time they do not even carry a stringer and, when they do string fish they are always small and few in number.

Unfortunately, the Texas fishing culture has long been programmed to kill what you catch. That may have been OK back in the day, but there are too many of us out here now to hang onto that mentality. This new generation of fishermen is giving me some hope for the future of trout fishing.

My hat is off to you younger guys and gals, and the old salts too, that have progressed from the old days and realize that times have changed.

Remember the buffalo! -Capt David Rowsey

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TSFMAG.com | 79

WAYNE DAVIS

WAYNE’S Mansfield Report Howdy from Port Mansfield – where we have been anticipating spring for quite some time.

As of this writing I have documented water temperatures as high as 76° recently. Heck, that’s nearly warm enough to wet wade if the air temperatures were warmer.

I see April as our last “best” opportunity to land the heaviest trout of the year. I must say though, I am a little concerned with the water temps rising so early. However, we had a cold front the first few days of March that knocked those temps back down, so hopefully that will delay the onset of spawning a bit and the larger trout will maintain their winter weight an extra week or two.

I am happy to report we have seen some heavy trout, up to almost nine pounds. Having said that, only a few have been seen and reported. We would love to see more, but we have not. This trophy trout season has been fair with the occasional great days mixed with some tough ones. Heck, that’s exactly what “fair” means…right?

Port Mansfield

Captain Wayne Davis has been fishing the Lower Laguna-Port Mansfield for over 20 years. He specializes in wade fishing with lures.

Telephone 210-287-3877 Email captwayne@kwigglers.com

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Joe Meyer of Fishing Tackle Unlimited sifted through a bunch of redfish, hoping for a trophy trout.

As we battled some pretty cold days during late February and early March, we landed some trout that were unusually heavy for their length. A 28-incher weighing more than eight pounds fits that category. When we were in the zone of those heavy fish, I kept thinking what if we hook a 30 or 32-incher?

As heavy as the fish were running, one that length could have easily surpassed the 10-pound mark.

April is the month that I put trophy trout fishing on hold and transition to concentrating on what I call solid fish. However, last April through June, we did land a few touching the 30-inch mark, but the weight just wasn’t there. Having said that Larry Smith I’ll be sure to be fishing where found what he those opportunities exist was looking for at Port Mansfield. because you never know your next cast could be “the one.”

Our water is in great shape, the seagrass is healthy, and when fishing potholes I am pleased to see piggy perch and other small bait chasing my plastics. These are great signs – grass, potholes and bait. A surefire recipe for catching lots of fish.

As many are aware, spring means wind and here in Port we have no shortage of that. I used to cringe at 5:00 AM when I awoke for a charter and could hear the wind howling. However, it’s just part of it nowadays and I have learned to use it (under 30 mph) to my advantage. Wind creates current, color changes, and can funnel bait and gamefish into predictable locations. Best of all you can cast a mile. Besides, I have now two Power Poles and they hold my 24-foot Shallow Sport Classic just fine.

Dealing with April wind, I’ll likely be up on the protected east flats much of the time, where bait has congregated. Redfish should be plentiful on the flats along with occasional “late bloomer” trophy trout. On the flats you can either work edges of grasslines, potholes, or thick grass bottoms. This time of year the fish could be in any or either of those “fishy” zones so search for signs of bait and start there.

If floating grass is not too thick I’ll be tossing topwaters, even if it is super windy. I have become confident throwing tops in high wind. I’ll be tossing the good ol’ One Knocker, She Dog, or a new one from Shimano called the Colt Sniper. I’ve only used that bait a couple days but I can tell you the coloring and sheen on it looks awesome. If we have a floating grass issue I’ll be on the KWigglers Ball Tail Shad if out in waist deep water, or the Willow Tail and 4-inch paddletails if shallow. Either one of those two lure styles in shallow water are very effective. The Lagunaflauge color has far exceeded our expectations. It can flat out catch fish in nearly any water clarity.

A friendly suggestion for those hosting fishing tournaments this year. It might be worth considering more conservative tourney stringers and fish lengths being weighed in. With increasing numbers of anglers on the water, coupled with more tournaments, it just seems reasonable to adjust the formats. Our fishery is fragile and any efforts we can undertake can make a difference. Just because the law says we can retain a certain number doesn’t mean we have to.

I would like that thank everyone who came out to the Houston Fishing Show and visited, we had a great show and it is always nice to see old friends and meet new ones. Until next time, stay safe on the water and practice catch and release whenever applicable.

The owner of Diamond J, James Rosalis, was a partner in Circle J Enterprises at the time our office and son’s home were built by Circle J. Workmanship and attention to detail were both excellent!

– Everett Johnson, Editor/Publisher, Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine

TSFMAG.com | 81

CAPT. ERNEST CISNEROS

SOUTH PADRE Fishing Scene Arr o y o C ol o ra d o t o Po rt I sa bel

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

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If you thought March was windy, hold onto your hat. April brings more favorable weather in general but strong wind will continue to dominate the daily forecast. If you were attentive in March as to which areas remained fishable with decent water clarity when the wind was whipping, I would say you are ahead of the game heading into April. If you enjoy drift fishing you might want to invest in a second drift sock; you’ll probably need it. While we cannot control the wind there are times when we can use it to our advantage.

We had been on a decent bite recently in a relatively small area and I took note that they would only hold there when the wind was light to moderate. Several times we tried in windier conditions but the fish seemed to have disappeared. It finally dawned on me that the wind might have pushed the bait to the nearby windward shoreline and the fish had likely followed the bait.

A visit to that windward shoreline proved that my guess was accurate and we found both bait and fish stacked there. Keep this in mind when the wind blows in April and think of other areas where this tactic can be put to good use.

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Ron Bergen caught this beauty on a KWiggler Willow Tail in the Mansfield Margarita color. CPR!

Joey Jimenez with one of the two solid trout he caught back to back recently. CPR!

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Fish will be more mobile in April than during winter as water temperatures will be rising and tides will be running higher and stronger. Add persistently high wind to the equation and when you think you got them figured out, you’ll probably find out they’ve moved. Does wind play a significant role in April? Absolutely!

As the water continues to warm through the month of April we will see more frequent and more aggressive feeding taking place. This will become very noticeable during daily predicted solunar feeding periods and especially during late afternoon and evening hours as a full moon is rising, several days prior to the actual event of the full moon and a couple of days following.

April also marks the return of the floating seagrass problem here on the Lower Laguna. On the windiest of days the water column will be filled with grass uprooted by wind-generated current from top to bottom, with row after row of floating grass spread across the surface. It can be very frustrating trying to fish in these conditions.

The best ways I have found to deal with this grass problem are to swap the trebles on your surface and slow-sinking lures for single hooks and switching to weedless rigging on your soft plastics. An excellent choice in the soft plastic department is the KWigglers Willow Tail Shad on their new Willow Maker Weedless Jigs. The Willow Maker jighead has a moveable weight molded to the shank that can be positioned forward to create a vertical diving action or slid rearward to produce a flatter, more horizontal descent through the water column.

Last month I mentioned that our landings of larger trout had slowed significantly from the great start we experienced in early winter. Luckily, that tide has turned and we have been doing much better recently. We are now regularly seeing concentrations of larger trout on the flats and our landings have also improved considerably. I am encouraged that this bite will only get better as the spring spawning activity triggers the need to feed more regularly. Prime locations for finding larger trout will be sandy potholes in areas of solid grass bottom and also edges of shallow grassbeds adjacent to mostly sandy bottom.

Redfish action has also improved. We are entering a period when shrimp grow rapidly and become a major part of the redfish diet. One of the keys to finding reds of late has been locating muddy patches of water where the reds have been rooting bottom as they feed on the small shrimp. Gulls hovering above these muddy patches of water are another solid clue. Quite often on windy afternoons we see large areas of water becoming muddy due to the wind, which makes a single fish or a pod of redfish rooting bottom impossible to spot. Just follow the gulls working above that muddy water and get a gold spoon or topwater under them as quickly as you can.

Here’s my best advice for April fishing success. Keep your eye on the weather forecast, especially the wind. Study the tide and solunar tables to position yourself in potentially productive areas at prime feeding times. Fish will be on the move so be patient and read all the signs above and below the surface as you search for them.

Best fishing!

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TSFMAG.com | 83

FISHING REPORTS

Lake Calcasieu Louisiana Jeff and Mary Poe - Big Lake Guide Service - 337.598.3268 April looks pretty good. Salinities are higher than normal at present.

Barring some major rain event, salinity will remain at the current level, and trout will be prolific throughout the entire estuary. This spring, catches have been much better than last, and we are praying it stays consistent throughout the spring and summer. Traditionally in April, trout will move southward in the estuary, seeking saltier water for spawning purposes. They will be caught in areas similar to March, just farther toward the southern end of the lake. Shallow oyster flats in three to five feet of water will be very productive for both quantity and quality trout. Warm spells will produce some decent topwater action, but more often than not, slow-sinking lures will produce more bites than topwaters in April. The hottest slow-sinker on Calcasieu has been the MirrOlure MirrOdine, by far. Our best colors have been, 17MR-BKGCH, 17MR-808, and the newest favorite 17MRBG-750SBG. These lures work about equally whether the water is dirty or clean.

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 James had experienced good fishing on a variety of patterns prior to giving this report. “We've had a pretty good topwater bite lately, catching some solid trout on little ones, like ShePups. The best bite on topwaters has been in really shallow water, like knee-deep. Most of the fish have been on the shell. Whether we're fishing towheads or around main bay reefs, the best bite has been on the harder bottom, not out away from it, over the softer mud. We did have some fish in deeper water, about twelve feet or so, catching them best on soft plastics, of course. And, we've been catching a few fish in the coves, around the grass beds. But mostly, when the fishing has been good in there, we're having to cull through lots of small fish to catch a few good ones. That should all change this month, when the water stays warmer all the time.

The bigger fish will pull into the coves in better numbers. This harsh cold front we just got will force us to figure out the puzzle all over again in some places. The water temperature today is 48 degrees.”

Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054 When the weather warmed up at the end of February, fishing took a turn for the better, Jim said. “With the warmer water, people have been catching pretty good. Fishing has been best on the south side of both East and West Bays. Wading has been best in the afternoons. Topwater bite has been decent along the shorelines, especially around dusk and into the first hour or two of the night. Guys trolling around in the marshes and bayous have been doing well too, throwing soft plastics more of the time. We did get a harsh front a couple days ago, and this will set some of these patterns back for a while. Once the weather warms up again, we'll be back at it in earnest. I will continue fishing primarily afternoon hours for a while. We usually catch some pretty big trout this time of year, on the calmer days when the water gets green and the tide is fairly high. Best trout I've heard about lately have come from areas around Rollover Pass. The guys who know when to be there have been catching trout over seven pounds when conditions get just right.”

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 Randall had been seeing lots of prey species moving into the bays 84 | April 2019

ORECASTS F from Big Lake to Boca Chica

AND

around San Luis Pass in days prior to a strong cold front which passed over the coast in early-March. “We were already seeing adult glass minnows, and signs indicating a pretty significant shad hatch. Normally, in April, we start seeing a better variety of bait species, including the glass minnow, menhaden, shrimp and sometimes even ribbonfish, sand eels and ballyhoo. For me, this means I need to pay close attention to the predator points of interest. I'll be on the lookout for wheeling and diving terns and other birds. They often lead us right to the migrating schools of bait and the predator fish following them. Since we often have lots of small forage in the bays this time of year, I like to throw soft plastics mostly, to mimic their size. If we start seeing some of the larger bait species like the ballyhoo and ribbonfish, we often do well with topwaters like SkitterWalks, which not only imitate their size, but are also effectively worked with speed and skimming action.”

Matagorda | Charlie Paradoski Bay Guide Service - 713.725.2401 In the middle of spring, a variety of excellent options for catching fish present themselves to anglers in the Matagorda area, according to Tommy. “For me, April is primarily a month for wading West Bay. I like to park shallow and wade out, often starting with small topwaters and sticking with them until the fish stop blowing up. We throw at the grass beds close to the bank early, then move out to those studding the bars further out. Of course, if onshore winds have the water level high enough, the fish will be scattered around the coves and pockets, and we'll catch a good mix of trout and reds. If north winds blow the water out, we'll catch mostly reds, and they'll be concentrated in the deeper feeder guts which funnel water in and out of the coves and lakes. If I'm not wading, I'll likely be fishing in East Bay, or some of the satellite lakes surrounding it. We have lots of areas over there with a mix of mud and shell on the bottom, where we can bounce soft plastics off the bottom and catch trout. And, birds might start working regularly over there.”

Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 We've been on a consistent pattern all winter, catching fish over shell in three to five feet of water along shorelines lying close to deeper water. Our best method of catching fish has been to throw lures dangled about two feet under popping corks. We've been using a variety of lures, with the top ones being DSL chicken of the sea and Gulp! Jerk Shad in chartreuse. Trout have been ranging from fifteen to twenty-two inches and most of our redfish have measured between twenty and twenty-three inches. Flounder have made their way back to the shorelines, and we've been gigging lots of keepers, to about seventeen inches. April should be an awesome month with the amount of bait we're already seeing in the bays. Glass minnows should be showing up any time now, and when you catch trout/reds feeding on them in the late-afternoon, the action is like no other! Bird activity should also be great this spring. Some consistent spots are Turtle Bay, South Bay by the ship channel, and East Bay. Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith Back Bay Guide Service - 361.983.4434 Lynn expects to be fishing a couple patterns really hard this month, targeting the bigger trout in his area. “We like to fish the warmer hours of the day most of the time, so we still don't leave the dock early like

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we will as we move into the summer months. If we find lots of active bait along area shorelines with a mix of mud and shell on the bottom, we'll wade those places and throw topwaters and slow-sinking twitch baits like Paul Brown Lures, MirrOdines and SoftDines. We like to keep the lures right in the midst of the rafted bait if possible. If that pattern isn't working, we prefer wading close to drains connecting the main bays with the backwater lakes. Best bite there normally occurs with water moving out of the lake and into the bay. We still catch on topwaters and twitch baits when fishing this way some of the time, but overall, this pattern favors fishing soft plastics, working them along the edges of the guts and drains. I do prefer dark soft plastics like chicken on a chain and red flash this time of year.”

Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894 April is a great month to catch trout on topwaters, according to Blake.

“I'll be fishing all the area shorelines this month, focusing on stretches with a hard, sandy bottom, covered with some grass beds. Normally, the grass beds and areas close to them produce best, especially if they are in the vicinity of a cut leading into a backwater lake, or some kind of point on the shoreline. We throw a lot of topwaters like Super Spooks this time of year, and we catch well on slow-sinking twitch baits like Paul Brown Lures too. If the catching isn't so good on a given day along a sandy/grassy shoreline, I like to try fishing around some of the reefs, throwing Sand Eels or Bass Assassins in dark colors with chartreuse tails. Most days, this will solve a tougher bite and allow us to keep catching. I do like to head out to the surf a few times in April, when calm weather allows the green water to move close to the beach.

Some of the biggest surf trout of the year will usually be caught in the spring, though the bite becomes more consistent in summer.”

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 April is here! This is one of my favorite months because the trout will be spawning, so they will be loaded with roe. This is when their average weight is the heaviest, so this month provides good opportunities to catch not only a trophy trout, but also the next state record. This is a good time to fish with natural-colored topwaters like MirrOlure SheDogs or slow-sinking MirrOlure Catch 5s, if there is not too much floating grass. Vary the speed and rhythm of the retrieve to get more strikes with these lures. Soft plastics will bring much success this month, especially if there is a lot of suspended grass where you decide to fish. My favorite soft plastics are Bass Assassin Die Dappers in colors like salt & pepper/chartreuse, plum/chartreuse and sand trout rigged on sixteenth-ounce Spring-Lock jigheads. Another productive Bass Assassin is the Elite Shiner in colors like Houdini, meat hook and salt & pepper. Start the day by fishing along shallow grass lines, potholes or rock formations in two feet of water or less.

Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.877.1230 April is a great month for targeting trout and redfish in the ULM/ Baffin Bay system, and the trout can be the biggest ever. When winds are light to medium, shallow flats in the middle of the ULM can offer plenty of sight-casting opportunities for both species. Areas to key on include ones with plenty of bright sand on the bottom, which allows for seeing the fish better. Sandy areas tight to the King and Kenedy Ranch Shorelines also provide the same opportunities. If winds crank up more, areas in the Middle Grounds and in Nine-Mile Hole hold water of better clarity. The sand bars on the west side of the intracoastal waterway, especially in the Land Cut, also produce lots of monster trout and over-sized reds this time of year. Of course, tossing topwaters and

86 | April 2019

soft plastics in the deeper water just off the edge of the sand bar in the Land Cut can produce epic action too.

If winds get really strong, which they sometimes do in April, fishing in East Flats and Little Flats in Corpus Bay can become preferred over areas south of the JFK Causeway.

P.I.N.S. Fishing Forecast | Eric Ozolins 361-877-3583 | Oceanepics.com What a whacky six months we’ve been through. Cold weather came harsh and early in November, then moderated, and once again turned harsh early in March. Expect many species storming the surf during April. Slot and over-sized red drum will be available; all reds will take finger mullet while over-sized fish might also take smaller shark baits.

Pompano might still be around early this month. Shrimp and Fish-bites are the best baits and might also produce black drum. Using shrimp can also entice sheepshead. If water clarity is good, there is always a chance at little tunny. Other visitors to the April surf might include cobia and king mackerel. Although somewhat rare, I’ve landed both species during April. Keep an eye open for schools of jack crevalle and Spanish mackerel. Spoons on wire leaders work well for both. Blacktips and bull sharks will be plentiful throughout the month. Caution – logs washed ashore and dense fog can make driving treacherous. Be cautious when approaching and driving through beach camps.

Port Mansfield | Ruben Garza Snookdudecharters.com – 832.385.1431 Getaway Adventures Lodge – 956.944.4000 Bait and gamefish alike become increasingly active as the water continues to warm. Watching for birds will become an effective method to find fish this month. Look in areas such as Peyton's Bay and the along the ICW from West Bay down to the Arroyo, also along the west shoreline from the Tio Moya pier to the Land Cut. Inside the Land Cut there should be plenty of action under birds. The area from the Pipeline to the Saucer should be good all month, anywhere from knee to chest-deep. Watch for smaller bait flipping and occasional shrimp fleeing hungry predators. I target sandy potholes in these areas; topwaters and KWigglers plastics on light jigheads will provide steady action. Should the action become slow when fishing deeper water with plastics, try a popping cork above your favorite plastic or a Gulp! shrimp. You might be surprised what this rig can do. Caution is advised when fishing the ICW spoils north of port. Recent dredging has created a lot of very soft bottom that was recently firm and easy to wade.

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Aaron Cisneros | tightlinescharters.com – 956-639-1941 Expect wind, wind, and more wind! Wind ripping across the flats displaces seagrass that suspends in the water column and floats on the surface. Switching to weedless-rigged soft plastics and single hooks on topwaters has already saved many days for us. I'm happy to report that fishing has remained consistent despite these challenges. The trout bite has been steady along ICW spoil banks and we’re getting them on KWigglers Ball Tails and Willow Tails retrieved at medium to fast speeds, catching enough keeper fish to make it interesting. Redfish action along west shorelines and back-bay areas has been reliable.

Small topwaters such as Spook Juniors rigged with single hooks have been getting clobbered. Weedless gold spoons have been effective too. The eastside flats are holding scattered redfish around grassbeds at this time. April winds will likely require anglers to target protected shorelines and coves on most days. Spring is off to a good start, and I expect the fishing will get even better as the season develops.

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Cash & Kiley Thompson Copano Bay - 12” trout

Colton Talbert 85 miles offshore, northeast of colt 45 - dorado

Michael Welps West Bay - alligator gar

Janet Cary 28.5” personal best trout! CPR 88 | April 2019

Tammie Gentry SPI - 27.5” personal best trout! CPR

Amy Lee Port Mansfield - personal best snapper!

Jason Hallmark 36” blacktip shark

JJ Rodriguez III Port Mansfield - trout

Harper with dad, Jarrett Mearns Galveston Bay - 23” speckled trout

Taylor Fuentez Freeport - 24” redfish

Landon Bartley San Luis - 29” trout

Chloe Turner Florida Keys - 15 lb barracuda

Bruce Terrill Padre Island - 26” first surf speck

Dailyn Vallejos Bolivar surf - blackrip

Rylan Faust Port Aransas surf - 30” blacktip

Kelly Underwood 40 miles offshore - dorado

Daniel Carpenter Rockport - 26” trout

Dylan Goodrich 28” first redfish!

Dave Jones Galveston surf - 43” first bull red!

Austin Hallmark 30” redfish

Raven Debose Matagorda Bay - 27” 6 lb personal best trout!

Kylie Pope Galveston Bay - 25.5” first red!

Jackson Swanburg Kemah - 28" redfish CPR

Butch Shook Aransas Pass - 22” redfish

Charles Coker & son, David 28” redfish

First come – first published!

Photos are judged on artistic merit and sporting ethic displayed. No stringer, cleaning table, or hanging board images allowed.

Digital images only. Adjust camera to high or best quality. All images become property of TSFMag. Email to: Photos@TSFMag.com Include short description of your catch with name, date, bay system, etc.

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PAM JOHNSON

Gulf Coast

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

Email them to pam@tsfmag.com or send by fax: 361 792-4530

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• 2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a medium baking dish.

• 2 cups milk • 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

In large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, croutons, cheese, onion, and parsley. Stir in the crabmeat. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion

Bake 1 hour.

• 1 tablespoon dried parsley

Serve immediately.

• 2 cups seasoned croutons

• 1 pound fresh crabmeat • salt and pepper to taste • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

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S P O N S O R E D B Y C O A S TA L B E N D M A R I N E

C H R I S M A P P ’ S R E PA I R & M A I N T E N A N C E It feels good to be back among the Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine writers and contributors. The feedback received during our absence from supporters is an encouragement to know that sharing the repair service Chris Mapp, owner of and maintenance concerns we address Coastal Bend Marine. every day are enjoyed by the TSFMAG Evinrude, Suzuki, Yamaha, family every month.

Mercury, Honda, BlueWave, The accompanying photo shows a SilverWave, Shallow Stalker water pump impeller and housing from Boats, Coastline Trailers, an almost new engine with only 40 Minnkota & Motor Guide hours of operation on the meter. The Trolling Motors. owner asked a series of questions; “Why Great Service, Parts & Sales did the water pump melt? Is this normal?

“What can we do for you?”

How can it be resolved?”

The water pump melted from either lack of water, or aerated water, running through it. This is not unusual if the right conditions exist, and yes, it is avoidable.

We see this occasionally on outboards where a jackplate is involved. The area where the water pump is located is in the area above the lower unit where it meets the exhaust housing; this is where the bolts hold the lower unit in place, and the water intakes are about 6-inches on average below this split.

The gearcase split-line needs to be submerged when starting the engine, and the pump allowed to prime before throttling up. When the water pressure gauge indicates pressure, the motor is ready to accelerate.

92 | April 2019

In conclusion, a water pump not submerged or too high from the waterline cannot pull water up through the intake screens and then into the impeller/housing area. A new water pump and a slight modification to the owner’s operating technique solved the problem.

Have a great spring fishing season!

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

©JASON ARNOLD

IF WE SAVE THE SEAGRASS,

WE SAVE THE FISH. Seagrass is critical to good fishing. Marine organisms depend on it for survival—for food, shelter, and oxygen. But boat propellers are destroying Texas seagrass, which is seriously impacting saltwater fishing in the coastal shallows. When boaters do not lift their propeller in shallow water, the prop cuts and uproots the seagrass beds—leaving long barren trenches or “scars” that may take years to heal ... if ever.

Stop Prop Scarring – Lift, Drift, Pole, Troll

PROP SCARS

It is ILLEGAL in Texas to uproot seagrass with a propeller.

Avoid damaging seagrass – lift your prop!

When in shallow waters, lift your motor and drift, pole, or troll through it. After all, there’s nothing like a redfish on light tackle in shallow water. Let’s keep it that way!

For more information visit:

www.tpwd.texas.gov/seagrass

TSFMAG.com | 93

TEXAS SALTWATER FISHING HOLES GUIDE SERVICES M ATA G O R D A B AY Speckled Trout / Redfish

USCG Licensed Captain Stan Sloan

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Capt. Lynn Smith’s Back Bay Guide Service Port O’Connor Area

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Call 361.983.4434 (cell 361.935.6833) Email lynn@tisd.net (tswf.com/lynnsmith)

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94 | April 2019

CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS

Science and the

Sea

TM

Baby Sharks Hang Out Off Long Island If you’re a baby white shark, could Long Island be your summer refuge?

That’s the question a team of scientists asked after they noticed a concentration of baby sharks spending time in the New York Bight. They suspected the bight, which is the stretch of the Atlantic Ocean between Cape May, New Jersey and the eastern tip of Long Island, was a white shark nursery because young sharks had been frequently spotted there for several years. But to confirm it, they needed to know the sharks actually stayed there for lengthy periods.

Kyle Nethery

PESCADO PARK RV PADS & BOAT STORAGE

Young white shark with satellite tag attached.

Credit: OCEARCH/R. Snow

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The scientists attached satellite and acoustic tags to ten sharks under a year old found swimming near Long Island. The tags monitored the locations of each shark and revealed that they spent several months in that area from August to October, probably because the shallower waters near the shore offer shelter from predators, including other sharks. The scientists also learned that the baby sharks headed south in late fall to shallow waters off the Carolinas. The sharks remained there for winter and returned to Long Island in the spring.

The tags have now given the scientists a clear map of where these little sharks hang out, when and where they move and the routes they take. For white shark populations to recover from years of overfishing, baby sharks need to grow up and produce their own baby sharks. This information can aid in conservation efforts to ensure the babies of this vulnerable species reach full maturity.

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