August 2010 by Texas Salwater Fishing Magazine

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CONTENTS

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER

AUGUST 2010 Volume 20 No. 4

Everett Johnson Everett@tsfmag.com

FEATURES

VICE PRESIDENT PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

08 Summertime Fishing Is What It Is! 12 Trout Spawning Habits, Growth... 16 A Puzzle and Family 20 It’s Your Skin…Protect It! 22 New Tricks for Old Redfishers 26 Cover All Your Bases

Mike McBride Kevin Cochran Billy Sandifer Martin Strarup Everett Johnson Chuck Uzzle

Coastal Birding Science and the Sea Let’s Ask The Pro Fly Fishing Bluewater Journal TPWD Field Notes Conservation Kayak Fishing According to Scott Youth Fishing Texas Nearshore and Offshore

Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-649-2265 BUSINESS / ACCOUNTING MANAGER Shirley Elliott Shirley@tsfmag.com CIRCULATION SUBSCRIPTION – PRODUCT SALES Linda Curry Cir@tsfmag.com ADDRESS CHANGED? Email Store@tsfmag.com DESIGN & LAYOUT GRAPHICS BY DESIGN Stephanie Boyd Office: 361-785-4282 stephanie@graphicsbydesign.biz Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine is published monthly.

Dickie Colburn Mickey Eastman Bill Pustejovsky Gary Gray David Rowsey Capt. Tricia Ernest Cisneros

Subscription Rates: One Year (Free Emag with Hard Copy Subscription) $25.00, Two Year $45.00 E-MAG (electronic version) is available for $12.00 per year. Order on-line: WWW.TSFMAG.COM MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine Attn: Subscriptions P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 * Subscribers are responsible for submitting all address changes and renewals by the 10th of the prior month’s issue. Email store@tsfmag.com for all address changes or please call 361-785-3420 from 8am - 4:30pm. The U.S. Postal Service does not guarantee magazines will be forwarded .

REGULARS

06 Editorial 54 New Tackle & Gear 70 Fishing Reports and Forecasts 72, 74 Catch of the Month Photo Gallery 76 Gulf Coast Kitchen 80 Index of Advertisers

Bart Manganiello Bartalm@optonline.net

Patti Elkins

WHAT OUR GUIDES HAVE TO SAY

NATIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE

Patti@tsfmag.com

Billy Sandifer UT-Marine Science Institute Jay Watkins Casey Smartt Bobby Byrd/John Cochrane Mike Robertson CCA Texas Scott Null Scott Sommerlatte Jake Haddock Mike Jennings

56 Dickie Colburn’s Sabine Scene 58 Mickey on Galveston 60 Capt. Bill’s Fish Talk 62 Mid-Coast Bays with the Grays 64 Hooked up with Rowsey 66 Capt. Tricia’s Port Mansfield Report 68 South Padre Fishing Scene

Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-550-9918

REGIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE

DEPARTMENTS 18 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 46 48 50

Pam Johnson Pam@tsfmag.com

HOW TO CONTACT TSFMAG: PHONE: 361-785-3420 FAX: 361-785-2844 MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 PHYSICAL ADDRESS: 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, TX 77983 WEB: www.TSFMAG.com PHOTO GALLERY: photos@tsfmag.com

PRINTED IN THE USA. 6ZLPEDLWV DUH WK HW IRU GHHSZDWHU UHGH WLFN V

ABOUT THE COVER Pure Fishing pro-staffers Kris and Jon Culpepper taught TSFMag’s editor some swimbait tricks on Trinity Bay; story on page 22.

Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine (ISSN 1935-9586) is published monthly by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, Texas 77983 l P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 © Copyright 1990 All rights reserved. Positively nothing in this publication may be reprinted or reproduced. *Views expressed by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine contributors do not necessarily express the views of Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine. Periodical class permit (USPS# 024353) paid at Victoria, TX 77901 and additional offices.

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4 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Shrinking S hrinking R Resources esources I have written many times about my concern over the state of our inshore fisheries, especially spotted seatrout. A seemingly endless rise in fishing license sales (TPWD reported 1.2 million in 2008) coupled with sudden and d pressure on the h fi h enormous leaps in angling efficiency have created fishery like nothing ever seen. More anglers catching more trout has exacted a toll in more than a few areas and, naturally, as angling success wanes, conflict arises between user groups. Fingers are pointed and methods are challenged, yet these are not constructive and serve only to divide us. Now we have another situation. There are more of us along any given shoreline and sprinkled across any given flat on any given day, yet the bite on all shorelines and flats is not always equal. In this era of cellular telephones and the worldwide web, news of fishing success travels like lightning, and this concentrates fishing effort. If you thought your latest honeyhole was busy during the week, just watch what the weekend brings. Amid all this “shrinkage,” it seems ironically unfortunate that there has been uncommon growth in certain styles of shallow water fishing that have a strong requirement for undisturbed water and lots of it. Kayak fishing has exploded over the past decade and there have never been as many poling skiffs as we see today. Sight-fishing is very popular with these users, and the general mobility inherent in paddling and poling affords much greater range than, say, wading. While a half mile of shoreline might be sufficient for three or four boatloads of waders to spend several contented hours, a couple of poled skiffs or kayaks might cover it in less than one. I have been attempting to understand what I will term “angler density” on Texas bays. Texas is reputed to have some 4,500 square miles of bays and estuaries stretching from Sabine to the southern reaches of the Lower Laguna Madre. Given that far more fishing effort is applied to shorelines as compared to mid-bay waters and for purpose of discussion, I will reduce that number by two thirds. Ditto the number of licensed saltwater anglers; it would be impractical to assume that all might decide to go fishing on any given day. However, and again for the purpose of discussion, let’s assume that twenty percent might head to the coast for a summer holiday weekend. That’s 240,000 anglers hoping to find a quiet spot within 1,500 square miles. So now it’s simple math to arrive at 160 anglers per square mile, or 4 anglers per acre, and we haven’t factored in favorite spots and fishing reports that are certain to concentrate effort. And while my calculations are entirely hypothetical, I think you get the idea. Our coastal resources are shrinking in more ways than one. When a fishery starts to decline, resource managers can enact regulatory changes by reducing bag limits. While it is impossible to please all the people all the time, at least in this scenario we find a “one size fits all” solution. Unfortunately, there is no such easy solution to the puzzle of angler density. One thing is certain, though; the problem will not solve itself and will likely continue to grow. Granting our fellow fishermen the same space and respect we expect is all we can do. Bay rage and conflict will here. get us nowhere.

6 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Story by Mike McBride

6XPPHUWLPH ) LVKLQJ ,V :KDW ,W ,V The guys were trotting to the dock precisely at 0530 and I was encouraged to see such enthusiasm. However, as they tossed their gear in the general direction of my boat, I realized their antics were actually survival-based; everybody needed free hands to slap mosquitoes. The wind had lain overnight, and besides unleashing the blood suckers, it also made us bead into a balmy sweat before we could even get the boat lowered. Between clammy face and forearm slaps, their unofficial leader asked, “So whattaya think Captain, we gonna slay them today?” “Well”, I shrugged with continued animated swatting, “It is what it is.” Preparing to back from the slip, I added, “The water is low and 86°, all grassed up and crowded as the Brownsville Zoo, plus the winds are supposed to go to 20 knots by lunch time. Whether you slay them or not might depend on how high you can hold your dorsal fin. We are probably going to need a little sense of humor too. You ready?” True enough, deep summer fishing is here and the catching part will largely depend on how predatory we are as fishermen and how patient we can remain with some of our fellow enthusiasts. Of course there will be a few gimmie days when everything just happens the way we want it, but for the most part it’s going to take some concessions. There are certainly some great fish still to be caught, but as the renowned outdoor artist Sam Caldwell once told me on a particularly slow day, “Sometimes we just have to manage our expectations.” Back to our group of hopefuls – As we idled into the dark harbor we were stupefied to hear what sounded like a kid doing donuts with daddy’s truck in a Whataburger parking lot. Several other boats were squeezing past each other from the public launch and the majority had most of their lights working. Suddenly a dark silhouette appeared on full circular plane with the left gunwale buried to the rub rail. Two grown men were yelling and their engine wore no cowling. Boats at the dock were taking a beating from a twofoot wake in a no-wake zone. Above the scream of the outboard we heard one yell, “Well damn it, it worked great last year!” With due caution we idled wide of the show, heading toward Harbor Bait & Tackle for ice. 8 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

Surprise! There was no place to tie up as boats of all descriptions were sideways, cockeyed and crack-jacked into every sliver of dock. The back porch resembled an old-fashioned tent revival with people speaking in tongues. But alas, it was only croaker worshipers lined up for live bait. Inside, another line snaked toward the counter with an argument ensuing whether one should buy a one day or year-long fishing license. Onlookers, growing increasingly impatient, juggled armfuls of Gator Aid and Gulp. Excuse me sir, but did you know you were going fishing today? There should be a law about buying a license during the morning rush. We finally headed toward the mouth of the harbor and in the process ran over a fishing line attached to a four ounce weight somebody had chunked from the green-lighted bulkhead. We got on plane, and although the wind was dead, it was quite “nautical” trying

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Todd’s twenty-eight taken on a soft plastic amid rafts of mullet and lots of slicks.

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Reviving for the release; Todd says he wants to meet up with her again next year!

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

t negotiate the confused, prop-generated seas. We made to iit to the first stop just at first light and piled out of the boat w with high expectations. It looked awesome with a sweet aroma of watermelon rrising through rafting mullet. We immediately started h hooking small trout and within just a few casts Todd sticks a solid twenty-eight on a tail. As we were slapping high fi fives and taking pictures of the release, a porcupine boat p pulled within casting distance, cutting off our intended w wade; complete with stereo booming rapper thumps tthrough obviously blown speakers. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t already kknow â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a porcupine boat is one with so many rods p protruding that it looks like one. A beer can floated past; a signal the area was done. We e either need a sense of humor and just move on, or we can llet this stuff bother us and ruin our day. We decided to run the clear flats looking for reds; u unfortunately, so had everybody else that morning from ttheir top-drives and elevated consoles, so that deal was d done as well. We opted to go deeper into a color change, rright where the water went from clear to murky to mud. TThe only problem was that once we got to where the fi fish were, the floating grass was absolutely ridiculous. No ttreble hooks here, but if you let a tail drop through the fl floating frustration; slow presentations (just high enough tto avoid the growing grass) were met by countless n numbers of juvenile fish. One out of five would make the

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 9

10 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

wild rendition of the Mexican Hat Dance, convinced he had brushed wings with a sizeable stingray. Meanwhile, like a light switch, just as the moon passed overhead, a major feed kicked in. Some solid trout started sucking our plastic tails, a few going three to five pounds. Without braid, though, you missed most of them as the take was very light. At least they were eating. We played C&R, thankful for the bites. The bottom line is that summer is a time of tolerance and, if we have some, we can still win this game. Despite the oppressive and often inexperienced crowds, mosquitoes, heat, sunburns, floating grass, sharks, rays, hot water and tempers; there is still some hot fishing to be had. It is what it is; but it can still be good. We’re hanging on for Labor Day when “change you can believe in” really starts to happen. Until then, I’ll just try to keep my sense of humor.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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

Contact

box and everybody eventually had limits of nice little skillet fish, all despite a continual parade of boats drifting through and firing up on either side and a few out front. “Hey Captain…there wouldn’t be any sharks around here, would there?” Everybody froze as a seven-foot bull shark cruised through stringers of trout. One of the group began chanting in a tongue similar to which we heard at the bait camp. We opted for an early lunch. Out came the Vienna sausages, a can of Spam, and various assorted convenience store delicacies. The sunscreen came out too as by now balding pates framed by skinny visors were radiating. A generous coating of titanium dioxide made most of them look like they had been eating cake with no hands, but that’s OK, summer sun is nothing to mess with. As predicted, the crowds started leaving by early afternoon and the wind started to churn rip lines and color changes. Contrary to much outdoor press theory, fishing in mid-afternoon during summer can be better for several reasons. One is wind-generated opportunity while another significant factor can be likened to the game of chess. A great strategy is to let the pawns push the fish to a predictable refuge and then slowly make your checkmate move. Efficient predators sometimes allow quarry to be driven to cover by others before slinking in themselves. It’s quite gamey to look where most of the traffic has been all day, then go to the next off-colored level drop. It’s also quite “shrimpy” this time of year. So a shrimp-imitating tail loped deep in the grass can be a surprising if not consistent producer on fish that were only a short time earlier terrified and driven to cover. Speaking of terrified, one of the guys suddenly launched into a

Contact Skinny Water Adventures Telephone 956-746-6041

Email McTrout@Granderiver.net Website Skinnywateradventures.com/ Three_MudSkateers.wmv

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

1HZ %D\ .DW 6SHFLÀ FDWLRQV Length.............................................. 21’7” Beam................................................... 94” Persons...................................................6 Capacity .....................................1750 lbs. Horsepower ........................................225 Displacement .............................1700 lbs.

)HDWXUHV • Self Bailing Deck • Rear Casting Deck • Aluminum Burn Bar • 45 Gallon Fuel Tank • In-Deck Front Storage • (1) S.S. Pop Up Cleat • Front & Rear Baitwells • (1) Large Rear Storage Box • Console w/Front Site Casting Platform • Aluminum Leaning Post w/94 qt. cooler

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 11

Story by Kevin Cochran

I’m often asked about the spawning habits of Spotted seatrout because younger females, though more numerous than middle aged (Cynoscion nebulosus) and how these habits affect my fishing and old ones, produce fewer eggs each. Old fish produce more eggs strategies. Usually, such a conversation starts with a question like each, but they are far less numerous than young fish. this: “I heard the trout over there have already spawned out. Is No matter what the age and size of the trout, they spawn in the that what you’re seeing, or do they still have eggs in ‘em?” Such a same places and in the same manner. Spawning activity occurs question is based on the premise that trout spawn just once, and at night when numerous males make soft drumming noises to that isn‘t the case. Apparently, many people in the saltwater fishing attract ready females to an area, then mill around those females, community have been misinformed about the trout spawn. making light side to side body contact as they release their milt into In order to document accurate information about speckled trout the water and the sows release their roe. This activity can occur spawning habits, I researched dozens of studies done on the topic in various types of environments, from channels which connect over the last fifty years or so. These studies occurred all over the estuaries to the open ocean (where currents are generally strong, southern United States, from Georgia around the Gulf Coast to Texas. effectively dispersing the eggs over a large area) to shallow grassy The methods used to collect data today are more sophisticated than flats far from the sea. The types of areas chosen vary in accordance those employed a half a century ago, but all the referenced studies with what’s available to the fish in a given estuary system. Where were based on scientific methods of observation and data collection. possible, it appears trout seem to prefer to spawn around relatively In the 21st century, it’s possible to observe trout reproducing in shallow grass beds, which might offer larval offspring some captivity, where conditions have been artificially manipulated This snakelike summer specimen, longer than the fish in an attempt to maximize production of offspring. These in the other picture accompanying this article, weighed observations provide evidence of how certain variables affect just six pounds. That’s twenty five per cent less! the timing and effectiveness of trout spawns, but perhaps the best evidence of the spawning habits of trout comes from the observation of wild fish spawning naturally. According to all discovered sources, seatrout are “multiple spawners”, meaning they spawn more than once during a season. One source cited 3.6 days as the average length of time between successive spawns, but the general consensus places an average length of time between spawns at ten to twelve days, though the most recent studies assert a longer period. The season for spawning varies in different areas, since it is dependent on salinity level, water temperature and other factors. Colder areas, like those at the northern extremes of the trout’s range along the Atlantic coast, have shorter seasons than warmer areas like South Florida and South Texas. In all waters where they are found, trout start spawning by some time in May and continue to do so into at least September, though activity has been documented as early as February and as late as November in warmer locales. Female trout reach maturity and spawn for the first time when they are approximately ten to twelve inches in length and continue spawning throughout their lives. Smaller trout carry fewer eggs than do large ones, with the smallest producing less than one hundred thousand and the largest capable of producing as many as 1.5 million at a time. Since they spawn “several” times in a year, one female trout can release millions of eggs annually. Biologists have also determined that the youngest and oldest trout contribute fewer offspring to the overall biomass each year than do the mature females in the middle age categories. This is 12 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

This eight pound specimen, caught in early February 2010, during a prolonged cold weather pattern, looks more like a bass, with her fat, stretched stomach.

protection from predators. In no case does an adult trout, either male or female, create a spawning “bed” or stay at the spawning site to protect fertilized eggs or larvae. This “spawn and move on” strategy is common among

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

multiple spawners, which rely on fecundity, through mass m production of eggs, rather than on effectively raising a p ssmaller number of live young, as is the case with a onceyyearly spawner like a largemouth bass. In total, the facts related to the spawning habits of sspeckled trout have minimal impact on fishing for the sspecies. First and foremost, it is basically impossible to ttarget spawning fish, since the spawn goes on throughout tthe warm months in a variety of places. In bays with ssmall amounts of shallow grass beds, there might be a p preference among local trout for those areas from spring tthrough the summer and into early fall. In areas like the U Upper Laguna Madre, which is nearly carpeted with grass, ttargeting spawning areas is like looking for a strand of hay iin a haystack. I would not, nor do I think it’s even possible, to plan a fishing effort based on the fish’s need to spawn or the ttiming of the spawn. I do, however, believe that the facts rrelated to trout spawning habits show that killing female fi fish is more harmful to the fishery than killing male fish. In e essence, killing a female fish not only removes one fish from tthe fishery, it removes thousands of that fish’s potential adult o offspring from the fishery. The younger the female, the more potential offspring she has to contribute through future spawns, especially if she were to survive to old age. The older the female, the more eggs she’s producing each spawn, though she’s likely to have fewer spawns ahead. Killing large females also potentially removes a fish with

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 13

This partly explains why South Texas has some of the biggest trout in the world, as we generally have few days per year with water cold enough to stop the growth of the fish. It also explains why we catch so many skinny fish in hot summer months and so many fat ones in winter. The fish eat more in summer, and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re easier to catch, but their metabolism is high and most of the energy they take in is converted to growth. Conversely, in winter, whatever they ingest sits in their stomach undigested for much longer, increasing the likelihood of catching a full, fat fish. All this leads to the conclusion that the best time of all to catch a long, fat female is at the beginning of the spawning period, when water temps are still cool and the fish have eggs growing in them too. Not that such a statement is really news to any trophy trout enthusiast; we already knew that the month or so surrounding the calendar change from winter to spring is a great time to try and connect with the fish of a lifetime. Authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s note: Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to acknowledge TPWD employee Scott Walker, Ph.D., who helped me clarify the concepts in this piece, so I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

inadvertently create new misconceptions about these topics while trying to eliminate existing ones. Thanks Scott!

Kevin Cochran

Contact

favorable genetic traits, both in terms of longevity and size, from the gene pool. This is why I fish with boat rules which significantly reduce the number of trout over twenty two inches that I and my clients kill and keep. By keeping smaller fish (when we keep fish at all), my clients and I are increasing the likelihood that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re killing males (which are generally smaller than females) and ensuring that the females we do kill are smaller ones. We consciously release almost all large females, both to allow those females to produce more offspring, and so that we or others might catch those fish again after they get bigger! While researching the spawning habits of trout, I found another fact about the fish which I find relevant and interesting. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clear that the growth rate of a trout is primarily controlled by water temperature. The fish grow fastest in hot water, during July and August, and slowest during the winter months. In fact, when water temperatures get cold enough, growth stops altogether, as metabolism slows to a point where the fish enter a state of extremely limited activity.

Kevin Cochran is a full-time fishing guide at Corpus Christi (Padre Island), TX. Kevin is a speckled trout fanatic and has authored two books on the subject. Kevinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home waters stretch from Corpus Christi Bay to the Land Cut. Trout Tracker Guide Service Telephone 361-688-3714 Email KCochran@stx.rr.com Website www.FishBaffinBay.com

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

annual

August 14, 2010 Port O’Connor, Texas Snack Packs & T-Shirts provided to the first 500 kids to check in on August 14!

Proudly Sponsored by:

REGISTRATION FORM

AGREEMENT: As a condition for the above named participant(s) involvement in The Annual Speedy Stop Fishing Tournament and for valuable consideration, the undersigned parent(s) and/or legal guardian(s), on behalf of the participant(s) and themselves, do hereby (1) agree that they will solely be responsible for any injuries, damages to or loss of personal property or person of the above named participant(s); and (2) agree to INDEMNIFY, DEFEND and HOLD Speedy Stop, Subway, Wendy’s, Texas Tackle Factory, Coca-Cola, Ozarka (Nestle Waters), Kraft, Deli Express, Ben E. Keith Co., Coffee Legends, Wells Fargo, Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Ball Park, Cadbury Adams, Snak Club, Pepsi, Hill Country Dairies, Oak Farms Hygeia Dairy, Wrigley, Big Red/7-Up Bottling Company of South Texas, Dr. Pepper, Lipton, Port O’Connor Community Center, Mrs. Baird’s, Frito Lay, Kellogg’s, Jack Links, Harrison, Waldrop & Uherek, L.L.P., Grocery Supply Co., Hudson’s Engraving & Gifts, Boat House Bait, Hershey’s, and M&M’s HARMLESS from all claims caused of action, and any losses of every kind and character (including injuries to or loss of the above named participant’s person or property) arising directly or indirectly out of or having to do with The Annual Speedy Stop Fishing Tournament (including any claims of NEGLIGENCE or FAULT by any Indemnified Party).

Ball Park Franks Mrs. Baird’s Frito Lay Kellogg’s Jack Links Harrison, Waldrop & Uherek, L.L.P. Grocery Supply Company Hershey’s Hudson’s Engraving & Gifts Boat House Bait Cadbury Adams Hill Country Dairies Snak Club Kraft

SCHEDULE This form can be mailed in early or faxed to Speedy Stop: Speedy Stop Food Stores Marketing Dept. P.O. Box 1876 Victoria, TX 77902 Fax: (361) 582-7842 Fax deadline is August 11, @ 5:00 PM

YOU STILL MUST CHECK IN AT WEIGH STATION PRIOR TO FISHING ON TOURNAMENT DAY

6:00 am - 7:30 am Registration 6:00 am - 12:00 Noon Kid’s Fishing Tournament 11:00 am - 1:00 pm Lunch & Awards Ceremony

For more information call Speedy Stop at (361) 582-5142

Story by Billy Sandifer

I have always told everyone that all good things come from the sea in June. The fact is that I was born in June and that is the main reason I say that, but it is undeniable that June has stood out as one of our top three months for surf fishing all of my life. In my youth June was our best month for tarpon, and for the past twenty-something years it has been our most productive month for big bull sharks and, in general, one of the best months for all shark species. Then came several years of excessive sargassum that didn’t allow for quality shark fishing in June and I sorely mourned the loss. Then last year there was little sargassum and we could fish, but the sharks simply weren’t there in the numbers of past years. This June the Sargassum has been tough but has still allowed for shark fishing, but once again the numbers of sharks are unusually low. The number of other fish species being caught is down as well; except for Atlantic pompano. Pompano usually are caught more frequently here during the colder winter months and this added to the puzzle. Last year Memorial Day produced good numbers of speckled trout in the surf and as of late June this year they are hard to come by. I did however notice a return of the cold water upwellings in early June that I often write about. Then I checked the water temperature charts for the Gulf of Mexico and the problem stared boldly back at me. Extending from down south in Mexico to around the 15-mile beach front of PINS, there is a distinctive drop in water temperature. To check this yourself go on line to Tyler Thorsen’s site; www. corpusfishing.com. In the left margin are a series of links. One says, “Local & Marine Weather & Tides & Gulf of Mexico water temperature maps.” Click on this link and then on the one for water temperatures and you’ll clearly see what’s going on. Not why; but what. 16 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

But it’s not as simple as that. The currents have always come in from time to time. I used to seek them out intentionally as large numbers of plankton feeders were present in the immediate areas of the upwellings, and time after time they proved excellent locations for tarpon and large sharks. This is no longer the case and I can’t figure out why. Is it because the upwellings are more frequent now than in the past or is the water temperature less than in years past. I’m told sharks, king mackerel, ling and jack crevalle are readily available two miles offshore while things are really slow on the beach even though large shoals of menhaden and other bait fish are seen

daily. Things change and that’s natural and it’s fun to try to figure it all out but this current status continues to elude me and I’ll be glad to see things back on schedule. I always say Mother Ocean always turns on sooner or later but she does it on her time schedule and not the schedule of man. I’ll be glad when she does. Rumors of tar washing in on PINS are being reported and I just want to clarify that it is not oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. We get oil in varying degrees on PINS during the summer months and have done so all my life. I’ve been down island a lot lately and that is all I am seeing. Much of it is natural seepage

U. S. Army Staff Sergeant Adam Wilson on leave from third tour in Iraq; he can fish as well as fight.

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Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

I never looked up but said, “It ain’t about friends. Friends ain’t got nothin’ to do with it. It’ about family and Mike and me are family.” Once we got the truck running I went back up on the dune and called my wife and told her to call Rocky at Roy’s Bait & Outfitters and let him know we were going to make it in on our own. Rocky had volunteered to come down after work and get us if we couldn’t get the truck running even though he had worked all day and had to be at work early the following day. Somewhere back around Vietnam I realized that in life one runs into people that he ends up being as close to or closer to than he is to his blood kin and that actually an individual isn’t stuck with the gene pool family he’s born into. An individual can choose his own family as he goes along. I am so very proud of mine. They are the genuine pay off of sixty-three years of living; not pictures of big fish I’ve caught nor conservation awards and plaques on the wall or money in the bank. Friends tend to be available when it’s convenient for them. Family puts their lives on hold to get you out of a jam. How wonderful to have people like that in my life. I hope you have them in yours. Life’s a hoot. Go get some of it. If we don’t leave any there won’t be any. - Capt. Billy L. Sandifer

and when studying the Karankawa Indians it mentions they used it to waterproof their pottery. If we see oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill I would look for it during the winter when that western arm of the loop current pushes water and debris down the Texas shoreline; not during the summer when our current is coming from the south. As of 25 June, 2010, one hundred and thirty five Kemps ridley sea turtle nests have been found along the Texas coast along with four loggerhead nests. That’s down from last year’s record 198 nests but steep increases in numbers cannot be expected every year. It’s got to level out sooner or later. I had some real nice fellas on a shark charter last week and the sargassum was so bad it forced us down near the Port Mansfield jetties. Beautiful baits in perfect conditions with shoals of menhaden moving back and forth through the area

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

and we couldn’t buy a strike. I stayed till 6:00 pm even though we were fifty nine miles down island and then after loading everything on the truck for the return trip to town the truck wouldn’t start. I crawled under the suburban to check the ground wire to the starter and the starter housing broke in my hands. I knew right off we were going to be late for supper. I climbed a dune and called Brother Mike McBride at Port Mansfield and he stopped prepping for his next day charter, drove to Raymondville, bought me a starter, drove back to Mansfield and got in his boat and delivered it to me at the jetty. I walked down the beach to meet him. My customers were in awe and said, “Billy when you can get a new starter delivered sixty miles down an isolated beach in one and a half hours you’ve got it figured out and you’ve got some mighty fine friends.”

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Capt. Billy Sandifer

Contact

James Bouget of Beaumont with tenyear-old son, Marshal – 48 inch king mackerel landed on kayaked shark bait.

Billy Sandifer operates Padre Island Safaris offering surf fishing for sharks to specks and nature tours of the Padre Island National Seashore. Billy also offers bay and near-shore fishing adventures in his 25 foot Panga for many big game and gamefish species. Telephone 361-937-8446 Website www.billysandifer.com

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 17

BILLY SANDIFER’S

&RDVWDO %LUGLQJ Crested Caracara -Caracara cheriwayThe only falcon that is a scavenger. Regularly seen feeding on road kill and other carrion. Commonly known as the Mexican Eagle. Large, long-legged, long-necked bird of prey. Black crest and red face. White chest and wing tips, black belly and white, dark tipped tail. A species on the move due to habit loss. Never seen on PINS until the last 8 years. Now seen regularly.

Length: 23” Wingspan: 49”

Photo by Jimmy Jackson

18 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

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What a bunch of lightweights! ,

and

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The Lightest Rods Ever Built in Length and Power Shimano’s Cumulus rod series extends the bar higher when it comes to performance and weight. It starts with blanks designed with all-new ‘HM-1 High Modulus’ graphite construction. Also featured is Shimano’s custom reel seat to eliminate threads and reduce weight, and Fuji Titanium SIC guides—the lightest and strongest offered. Plus anglers find will EVA split grip handles to contribute to the overall lightweight, and the comfort from an EVA teardrop butt cap.

Available in three casting and three spinning models from 6’5” to 7’1”—focusing on finesse-type applications from Texas rigs to dropshotting. Match one with a Core 50 baitcasting reels—or an awardwinning Stradic CI4 spinning reel, and Shimano can provide you with an outfit that weights less than 10-ounces with line.

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With the smallest profile ever in a Shimano reel and a half-ounce lighter than the 100 size reels (5.5 ounces), Shimano introduces the new Core 50Mg7 and left-hand retrieve Core 51Mg7. Perfect for light line finesse fishing, they feature a fast 7.0:1 gear ratio to quickly reel in slack line – 28 inches per crank.

Utilizing the new CI4 material for construction, Stradic CI4 is the ultimate in lightweight reels designed for the ultra-finesse angler using lightweight fluorocarbon, braided or monofilament lines. From drop-shotting to shakey heads and small Texas rigs, this reel has you covered.

— The lightest combos you’ve ever fished!

SPINNING

BAITCASTING Cumulus Model CMLC65M CMLC610MH CMLCX71MH

Weight (ounces)

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2.75 3.03 3.53

5.5 5.5 5.5

8.25 8.53 9.03

Cumulus Model CMLSX65M CMLSX610MH CMLSX610M

Weight (ounces) 3.17 3.39 3.67

Cumulus-Stradic Combo Wt. CI4 1000 CI42500 9.37 9.59 9.87

10.17 10.39 10.67

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 19

Story by Martin Strarup

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3URWHFW ,W

I’m still seeing way too many anglers wearing ball caps while out on the bay all day. While they may be comfortable to wear, they’re not very practical for protection against the sun. Oh I know, the wide brim straw hats, the French Foreign Legion hats, safari hats, and all the others that protect the face, ears and the back of the neck do not look cool, but neither do a bunch of scars left over from skin cancer surgery. Let’s face it; if you spend enough time in the sun, especially on the water where you a double-whammy of direct as well as reflected rays, you are a prime candidate for skin cancer and much it never shows until later in life. Having a dermatologist slice away affected tissue is not always the answer for failing to protect your skin from the sun, some folks actually die from it. There are all kinds of hats that do a good job of protecting you from the harmful UV rays of the sun. The straw hats that the golfers fancy are what I prefer but the selection of different styles and makes is almost endless. The floppy hats that protect the neck, ears and face and tie under your chin are good while running the boat but in the end it is your choice on what style fishing hat fits your personal style. Just remember that out on the water the fish really don’t care

about what fashion statement you’re trying to make. Try some on at your local tackle store and find one that is comfortable but that still protects you. Years from now you and your family will be thankful that you did. I stopped fishing in short sleeve shirts years ago and now wear only long sleeve shirts for fishing trips. Honestly, they are no hotter than short sleeve shirts and in fact when the sleeves get wet my arms are much cooler due to the cooling effect as water evaporates from the sleeve material. Besides, it’s nice to come back to port and not have your arms burned and wishing you had remember to put a tube of Aloe Vera or some other ointment in your shaving kit. With the many material choices available in fishing shirts these days there really isn’t any reason not to wear long sleeves to protect your skin, is there? On a recent trip a member of our group suffered bad sunburn on the insteps on both his feet; bad burns that could have been prevented had he worn footwear that offered protection. The next couple of days he couldn’t even think of putting his wading boots on – sad part is that it could have been so easily prevented with just a little planning on his part. He also learned that the “waterproof”

Light, breathable fabric and generous venting with SPF 30 rating make this Magellan fishing shirt from Academy a great choice for anglers.

20 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

(Autier 1995; Westerdahl 2000; Wolf 1994). • According to the American Cancer Society, malignant melanoma accounts for only 3-4% of all skin cancer cases, but is responsible for 75% of all deaths attributed to the disease each year (ACS 2010) (See side-bar: “The 3 types of skin cancer”) • To date, studies show that regular sunscreen use reduces risk for squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC) but not other types of skin cancer. SCC, a slow-growing, treatable cancer, is estimated to account for just 16% of all skin cancers annually.” Many thanks to all of the fine researchers at the EWG for all of the excellent information that they provide to those of us who enjoy the great outdoors. Sort of makes you think twice about that ball cap doesn’t it? It’s really up to all of you to do all that you can to protect yourself and your family from the harmful effects of the sun. Practicality really takes precedence over looking cool when it comes to selecting clothing that will protect you. And, there is absolutely nothing “unmanly” about lathering on the sunscreen. If you do not already have a dermatologist, find one and make an appointment to be checked out. As with all cancers, early detection is the key to successful treatment. The doctor will check you from head to foot and if there are any irregularities he or she will recognize them immediately. I visit my dermatologist once a year and the peace of mind is worth ten times more than the doctor charges. Just do it and be safe.

Martin Strarup

Contact

sunscreen does indeed come off with sweat and water and that re-applying sunscreen throughout the day is necessary. What about sunscreen? The Environmental Work Group, www.ewg.org has released their 2010 sunscreen guide and while I won’t go into what sunscreen is “best” since you can read what they have to say on their website, I will pass on what they recommend. The EWG states that “all top-rated products contain either zinc or titanium minerals to help cut UVA exposures for sunscreen users.” They go on to state that the best sunscreen is a hat and a shirt but that when you must use sunscreen you’ll be better protected when wearing one that contains either zinc or titanium than any other compounds. So now you know what to look for in your sunscreen, right? Well here comes some sobering news. “The power of sunscreen to protect against sunburn is well known; this is the feature of sunscreens identified as the Sun Protection Factor or SPF. Yet, the wide availability of sunscreens has allowed people with light-color skin to stay outdoors longer, often aiming to get a tan or to maximize burn-free time in the sun (Autier 2009; Lautenschlager 2007). Expert’s recommendations to wear sunscreen are tempered. Skin cancer rates continue to increase in the U.S. and other countries. Studies do not provide evidence that sunscreen protects against the deadliest form of skin cancer, and scientists are not certain about which type of UV radiation, UVA or UVB, is most dangerous and therefore most important for sunscreen to block or absorb. Sobering statistics on skin cancer raise basic questions about sunscreen efficacy: • Even though more people use sunscreen than ever before, the incidence of skin cancer in the United States and other countries continues to rise (Aceituno-Madera 2010; Jemal 2008; Osterlind 1992). • A number of studies conducted in the 1990s report higher, not lower, incidence of the deadliest form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma, among frequent sunscreen users

Martin Strarup is a lifelong saltwater enthusiast and outdoorsman. Martin is also a collector and dealer of vintage fishing tackle and lures, especially those made in Texas. Email Trouthunter@swbell.net

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 21

Story by Everett Johnson

here was a time I thought I was a redfish-catching fool. As time goes on, I realize I was half right. I have always loved redfish and caught tons of them: wading, drifting, and kayaking. Given that nearly all my experience had been gained between Port Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor and Aransas Pass, the shallow water approach just always seemed very natural. In fact, being able to see the fish I would catch had long been the cornerstone of my redfish strategies. Then I made a trip to Kemah.

Our first red ate a Ripple Shad but the larger Power Mullet ended up drawing more strikes in the murky water.

Teaming with Mickey Eastman to fish the Kemah leg of the 2007 Texas Redfish Series, although not the original plan, turned out to be an eye-opener. Pam and I had signed on for the full tour, but the landscape changed, this time a family event (on her side.) Hoping to make at least a decent showing for Team of the Year, it was decided I should find a partner for Kemah and she would apologize to the family for my absence. Mickey was happy to oblige. Saying this was an eye-opener is an understatement. To set the stage, I had never wet a line in any of the Galveston bays. The Trinity River was on an incredible rise, yet Mickey insisted we could win it in Trinity Bay. Mickey took me to backwaters where I swore I could hear strains of banjo music, not to mention that I’d never caught a redfish amid log jams and lily pads. (So much for sight-fishing.) My confidence was waning as the hours ticked away. If Mickey felt the same it never showed. You’d have thought we were having a great day. Finally, with little more than an hour remaining, Mickey says; “I’ve got one more spot…Hold On!” For the umpteenth time Mickey crammed the throttle in the corner and we somehow danced safely between partially submerged junk piles and various floating debris. If you make a Google search of “navigatin’ son-of-a-gun,” I’m sure he’s listed. Several miles into the middle of the bay Mickey jerked the throttle back and jumped on the trolling motor, prompting me to ask where we were and why. “Mary’s Reef,” he called over his shoulder as he gunned toward a platter-sized slick. “It doesn’t really have a name. I named it after my mother; she always loved fishing here. See that slick? We gotta get upwind and drift in. You’re gonna need a heavy jighead and one of these Gulp! shrimp.” I couldn’t decide whether to risk catching the jig he tossed or step out of the way – it was that big. “What the heck,” I thought tying it on, “When on Trinity…” “This reef’s about ten feet. Let it go down and just barely tickle the shell,” he instructed as he reared back. Mick was hooked up and I stuck my first solid red of the day before he got it to the boat. “Just what we need,” he allowed as he wrestled the fish aboard. It was football fat and I feared it was Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

too long yet the Check-It Stick said a tad less than twenty-eight and the digital scale said almost nine pounds. Mick was right again. We boated three more in short order, placing another just like it in the live well, and then roared away to see what the weighmaster would think of our sack. A nail-biter for sure. And yes, thanks to Mickey, we won. Now it’s 2010, and I’m discussing Berkley swimbaits with Hunter Cole of Pure Fishing Brands. Hunter suggests I should join Pure Fishing pro-staffers and noted tournament anglers, Kris and Jon Culpepper, to see the techniques they have perfected for catching redfish on swimbaits. Emails are exchanged and I’m invited to fish Trinity Bay. Easy trip for me as they would have everything on the boat. The day was perfect, except for 2025mph south wind forecast for midday that was promising to live up to prediction as we launched. The ride across Trinity was rough and I white-knuckled the grab rail as Kris laid out the plan. “We’re looking for mud boils and slicks, maybe a few birds,” he explained, steering a course for the middle of the bay. “We got on ‘em out here last week. Not sure about this wind, though.” The wind did indeed become a factor as mud boils created by bottom feeding fish are always easier to spot against a green sea. Lucky for us, the water clarity held just clean enough to make spotting the boils possible for a few hours. I really have to give these Trinity Bay guys credit. They are keyed into locating fish by means that are pretty much unheard of and largely un-subscribed to in many areas and have developed lure presentations for catching them. In the case with Mickey, we targeted a reef, albeit a last ditch. However, I must say I would have never headed to a deep midbay reef to catch summertime reds. That is schooltrout strategy where I come from. Ditto the Culpepper boys – here we were in the middle of Trinity Bay – no obvious bottom Texas Saltwater Fishing

structure, no obvious signals except a muddy spot or random slick in the middle of the bay. Hardly what I would have called sure signs. Riding the troll motor to gain upwind position of the first mud boil we found, Kris punched a waypoint and handed me a rig that consisted of Fenwick 7’ 6” mediumheavy casting rod, Abu Garcia Revo Inshore reel with 50lb Spiderwire Ultracast braid and a Berkley Ripple Shad swimbait on a 3/8 ounce head. Apart from the reel, the outfit felt quite foreign. “Hmmm…,” I thought. But,

Swimbaits can be adapted to a variety of situations and are achieving increasing popularity with saltwater anglers. Berkley’s PowerBait series include the Ripple Shad and Power Mullet. Vibration and scent combine to offer a unique blend of attraction for suspended and bottom-feeding fish and they are easy to swim through the strike zone. The weight of the Power mullet lends to its ability to be presented to deep feeders while the large tail produces natural swimming vibrations, even at slow retrieve rates.

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 23

then again, we were on Trinity Bay, so I did what I was told. Jon joined in to explain that the best technique would likely be to jig the swimbait slowly along bottom. “They’re rooting mud to scare up whatever they’re eating, that’s what makes the boils. The tails on these swimbaits make a lot of vibration and gets their attention.” The catching was slow at first, a few light taps and “heavy line” bites that we missed, one decent red that stuck, and several gafftop that I presumed were making the few small slicks. Those gafftop

would have been all I needed to look elsewhere; had I been in charge. Soon though, as more boils and slicks were spotted and visited with the trolling motor, a squiggly treasure map was being drawn on the GPS screen. Remaining within the confines of the scrolled tracks brought more action. All we needed was for the fish to feed with greater purpose. I mentioned that the tackle seemed foreign as I was not accustomed to the weight. You must remember that a 6’-6”

Jon showed that trout will mix with deep-feeding reds, and they will take a 5” Power Mullet.

24 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

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medium-light rod and a 1/4 ounce weedless Johnson spoon is about as heavy as I normally rig in the shallows. But we were on Trinity, slow-rolling for redfish in deep water, and that requires a different class of tackle. It was a race against time. Water clarity was diminishing as the wind increased and the tell-tale boils were becoming less noticeable. Jon decided it was time to switch baits and plunked down a package of Power Mullet that looked almost big enough to fillet. “We learned to use these baits during a Louisiana tournament when the reds were holding deep in dirty water. Nothing else worked but they ate these,” he informed. “We’ve been using it ever since. Here, try this gold one.” The heft of the bait in my palm better explained the rod selection. It takes a lot of stick to launch a bait that weighs 1.75 ounces! And the weight, it turns out, is the key to the bottomroll presentation. It took a few casts to chunk it without getting a backlash. I eventually found the handle and began

The Berkley 5” Power Mullet is no lightweight! It tips our digital scale at 1-3/4 ounces.

m mimicking Jon’s retrieve. Catching the aroma of a new sslick, Kris jockeyed us back upwind aand Jon hit pay dirt on his next cast. A solid eight pound red. Then Kris h hooked up, and I followed to make it a triple. Jon was beaming. “I told you rredfish like this bait,” he giggled. We managed to stick a few more rreds including a twelve-pound w whopper and a couple respectable ttrout before the conditions went ccompletely to pot. The biggest trout m might have pushed seven pounds h had the net been ready sooner, but tthat’s fishing. I was being schooled. Despite the wind that shortened o our day, I called it very enjoyable aand gained another great lesson tthat I will apply soon in my home w waters. One never knows. I may h have been driving by lots of mid-bay o opportunity all these years. That’s w what makes it fun.

Story by Chuck Uzzle

<HO>K :ee Rhnk ;Zl^l

“W “What What iin n th the he heck h k are you gonna d do o wit with ith h th that? hat? t? D Do o you y thi tthink hinkk w we’re e’re ’ l d B d or Sam S R b ? Swimbaits S i b i and d jerkbaits j kb i are for f on TToledo Bend Rayburn? spawning bass, not reds and trout!” Those were the first words out of my partner’s mouth as I tied on a lure that was not saltwater-worthy in his opinion. I took the hazing with a smile and proceeded to show him just how effective these lures can be. After four redfish and three trout it appeared that my fishing partner had been touched by a TV evangelist, seen the light, eager to repent. The thought of him getting schooled by a lure that he held in such low esteem made the whole episode that much more gratifying. Can I get an Amen? Yes indeed there is a place for such a line of lures in the world of saltwater and, as a matter of fact; I believe it’s a big place. Sub-surface swim and twitchbaits are gaining popularity, very similar to the way spinnerbaits burst on the scene a few years ago. There for the longest it was a joke to throw spinnerbaits in saltwater – until they started catching fish! Now everybody has a spinnerbait line and swears they invented the whole concept. Personally, I don’t care who figured it out, I’m just glad they did. Now as far as the swimbaits and twitchbaits go, many veteran anglers will smile as they relive days on the water when they threw Cordelle Brokenbacks and Red Fins and caught trout that turned other anglers green with envy. The concept is not new by any means; it’s just been a while since it was put in play. I can remember years ago watching a TV show hosted by 26 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

O rllando d Wilson Wilson and Wi Wil and d he h was jjust ustt w reck re ckin ing g so some me h huge ttrout rou outt on Lak LLake ake e Orlando wrecking C l i with i h another h local l l fisherman. fi h B h were throwing h i hard h d Calcasieu Both plastic twitchbaits like a Rogue or Rapala and it was amazing what kind of fish they caught. Years later, when I first started really fishing Calcasieu, I met Don Scott, the guy who was fishing with Orlando on that very TV show. As you might guess he was still throwing the same style plug and getting the same results. Since that day I have developed a great fondness for these lures and how well they catch fish in a variety of conditions. I am very thankful to have both seen that TV show and to have spoken to Don about the technique. It has helped me on many occasions when nothing else would. Now the hard plastic twitchbaits do well but lure manufacturers have gone a step farther and made these baits even more lifelike by pouring them out of soft plastic material and giving them an even more appealing swimming motion. The folks at Texas Tackle Factory have a really good representative in this line of baits called the Killer Flats Minnow XL, aka, Big Mino. The bait has a bulky profile with lots of tail action. Perfect for off-color conditions. At 5” length it is plenty big enough to entice big fish looking for a supersize meal. Perhaps the best quality about the bait would be the many ways it can be rigged. I spoke with Tackle Factory’s Jason Bryant and here’s how he explained it. “The thing I like most about the Big Mino is its versatility. The belly slot allows it to be rigged in virtually any manner you can think of. It’s equally effective on a standard jighead,

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

ccare of fish willing to feed on the surface; that’s a no b brainer. Soft plastics do a great job in the lower portions o of water column, even when rigged on lighter jigs. But w what about the zones in-between? What lure or lures do yyou offer when the fish are suspended and not feeding aaggressively? What are you going to put in their face that w will remain there long enough to draw a strike? Here is where the swimbait really stands out in a ccrowd. Think of how many days during summer when you jjust cannot get those fish to come all the way to the top aand seal the deal on a surface plug, and all those lackluster sshort-strikes and quick pecks down deeper that just drive yyou mad. Give them a shot a swimbait retrieved at a sseductive pace to suspend anywhere from one to three Originally created for freshwater ffeet below the surface and applications, Dynamic Lures new ssee what happens. “Dynamo” has great potential as a You want “crossover” swimbait. aanother place to try th h i the ttechnique? Head for the Texas-rigged d on an offset ff wormhook h k or rigged d weedless dl on one off jetties and be prepared to hang TTF’s Weedkiller jigs. On light jigs, the natural buoyancy gives it a on. The lion’s share of Sabine’s very slow fall – great during winter when fish metabolism is low and big trout in the summertime they tend to feed more casually. That slow fall also makes it a good will be caught at the jetties, choice in very shallow water over shell or grass. I like rigging the Big period. Easily the number Mino weightless and using it as a sight-casting bait for reds in the Texas one bait on the rocks at Sabine shallows. You can swim the Big Mino across the surface and create Tackle right now is the Swim’n Image Factory’s “Big Mino” a visible wake. The size and action of the big paddle tail make it an is generously sized made by Heddon. This excellent bait for off-colored water and also when fishing at night.” and offers many rigging options, (MirrOlure plug, along with others And now back to swimbaits: Obviously, topwater plugs take Top Dog Jr. shown for size comparison.)

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 27

l k it, is perfect like f ffor probing b those h out off the h way ambush points in the rocks where big trout and redfish like to hide. The bait is easy to control in that perfect two-to-three foot depth range and just flat-out catches fish. It is very user-friendly and can be retrieved in any number of ways that will drive fish mad. Only problem I can see with this bait would be price and availability. Try and find

ROYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S Bait and Tackle

year. Tapping into this style of fishing will undoubtedly pay dividends for you because now you have all your bases covered from top to bottom.

Chuck Uzzle

Contact

o one at your llocal tackle sshop; you had b better be there w when they are u unpacking a n new shipment iis all I can say. W When word g gets out the p pre-dawn jetty w warriors will b buy them all. Y You know as w well as I that sspecks and rreds arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the o only fish on h rocks k and d there h f things h the are few I hate more than donating $8.00 plugs to jacks, Spanish macks, and sharks. The bigger soft plastic swimbaits will greatly reduce your anger quotient and ease your pain when it happens. Soft swimbaits are easy on the pocketbook, catch fish, and are userfriendly; so it just makes good sense to carry some in your arsenal regardless the time of

Chuck fishes Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes from his home in Orange, TX. His specialties are light tackle and fly fishing for trout, reds, and flounder. Phone 409-697-6111 Email cuzzle@gt.rr.com Website www.chucksguideservice.net

7613 SPID Corpus Christi, TX 78412

www.roysbait-tackle.com

The new CORE reels are designed to be the ultimate, lightweight baitcasting reels. These reels both come with HEG, feature Shielded A-RB bearings and are designed to be as compact as possible for a comfortable, lightweight and maneuverable fishing experience.

The high performance Curado reel is ultra smooth, makes effortless casts, and is available in a 7.0:1 high speed, 5.0:1 power versions. New 200 size is compact and lightweight with the heart and power of a large reel.

The Chronarch has

<AKHG:K<A been redesigned with all 3529(1 32:(5

Sizes from 8# to 200# Test Available Colors: Red, Yellow, Green 28 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

%5$,' Texas Saltwater Fishing

new features inlcuding Ultra-Lightweight A7075 Aluminum Spool Construction, Magnumlite Spool Design, S A-RB Ball Bearings and High Efficiency Gearing.

361-992-2960 Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 29

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The University of Texas

Marine Science Institute

www.ScienceAndTheSea.org

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30 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

The University of Texas Marine Science Institute Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

ETHANOL 101 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT E10/ETHANOL FUEL

4 MAIN PROBLEMS WITH E10 / ETHANOL FUEL PROBLEM 1: DEBRIS IN FUEL Gums rapidly form in the fuel tank and fuel delivery systems as ethanol fuels age. However, ethanol is also a powerful solvent that will strip away and disperse this build up back into the fuel as large, performance-robbing particles. This leads to clogged ﬁlters, injectors and carburetors.

PROBLEM 4: ETHANOL CAUSES LOST POWER, PERFORMANCE AND DECREASED FUEL ECONOMY Ethanol fuel does not produce as much energy as traditional fuel. This results in inefﬁcient combustion, decreased performance, reduced throttle response and poor fuel economy.

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PROBLEM 2: EXCESSIVE WATER IN THE FUEL AND PHASE SEPARATION Ethanol attracts moisture from the atmosphere, forming an ethanol/water solution mixed in the gasoline. E-10 fuel will naturally hold .5% water in suspension, but when water levels exceed this threshold, or when the fuel cools signiﬁcantly, the water/ethanol mix drops out of suspension. This is phase separation. Excessive water in the fuel tank causes engines to run rough, stall, and can lead to internal damage to engine components. Ethanol provides a signiﬁcant amount of the fuel’s octane, so when the ethanol/water solution separates and drops to the bottom of the tank, the remaining fuel is left without enough octane to properly operate the engine. Additionally, the ethanol/water solution can become partially combustible, which can lead to engine damage. STAR TRON® SOLUTION: Star Tron®’s enzyme formula reduces interfacial surface tension between fuel and water. The molecular cluster size is greatly reduced, allowing more water to be dispersed throughout the fuel. These sub-micron sized droplets are safely eliminated as the engine operates. Star Tron® treated fuel helps prevent phase separation by allowing more water to be burned off than with untreated fuel, drying out the tank and preventing water buildup. PROBLEM 3: ETHANOL FUELS BREAK DOWN QUICKLY Over a short period of time ethanol fuel begins to break down. As ethanol and other components evaporate, the fuel loses octane and becomes “stale.” This causes hard starts, pinging and engine knock, which robs your engine of power and can cause damage. ®

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Star Tron® is a unique, multifunctional fuel additive that addresses all ethanol issues. Star Tron® has been solving fuel problems for boaters across the US since 2003. It will improve the performance of: boats, cars, trucks, motorcycles, snowmobiles, ATVs, PWCs, generators, lawn & garden equipment and all other gas-powered engines. Star Tron® is safe for use in all 2 and 4-cycle engines under all conditions, even in ethanol fuels. Star Tron® is an ideal all-season, all-purpose additive, and does all this at one of the lowest costs of any fuel additive. Be careful of what additive you use – many contain alcohol. Adding more alcohol to ethanol fuels can lead to engine problems. Read the MSDS of any fuel additive before using it with ethanol fuel. Star Tron® does not contain any alcohol and is 100% safe for use in all ethanol blends. Star Tron® is easy to use, effective and cannot be overdosed.

Today’s Fuels Demand New Additive Technology To learn the entire Star Tron® story and to ﬁnd the nearest retailer, log onto WWW.STARTRON.COM or call (800) 327-8583

JAY WATKINS

Has it been hot or what? I have traveled from Port Mansfield to Lake Charles over h past three h the weeks and temperatures everywhere have been stifling. Hydration and clothing that protects and breathes are absolute musts. Simms has clothing for just these conditions, all designed for comfort along with a very stylish look. I like looking good when I’m dying of heat exhaustion! Winds are finally starting to subside during the evening hours allowing for some clearing of the water in the open bays. Makes for very hot days but I like the ability to move around this time of year. This certainly provides the angler with more options and in the peak of the tourist season multiple options are certainly a bonus. August is a month when I begin thinking of redfish as the primary target and trout as secondary. Three things will aid in the success of locating and catching redfish this

month – low tides, light wind, and will afford the fish easy access under a rising daytime water temperatures. cloak of darkness. No doubt this brings a The combination of the three results ton of nighttime feeding no matter what in redfish congregating in areas that the moon phase might be. nearly everybody can access here on the This is not all bad. It has been my mid-coast. experience that a working knowledge Low tides leave some areas of the of an area’s drop-offs and deeper-water flats and backwater marsh virtually travel zones allows us to be in position dry so it is easy to understand that the as they exit the flat and enter the dropdeeper drop-offs surrounding such areas off. Predatory fish are opportunistic; will be holding most of the gamefish. they eat when food is in front of them. Redfish and black drum are notorious Higher water temperatures create higher for pushing as shallow as they can get during the FALLING water and then backing off as the tides and the water temperatures rise for the day. Nighttime cooling, even Flat during low tide; note though it may the water along the drop-off. be slight, and incoming water,

(4,90*(

32 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

May your fishing always be catching. Guide Jay Watkins

CONTAC T

areas the fish would use during non-feeding periods. A lack of wind can slow the bite but it certainly helps us locate more fish. Finally there is the heat issue. Rising water temperatures will definitely drive the fish to the drop-offs. On flats less than two feet deep the surface water temperature can sometimes approach air temperature according to my temperature gauge. By the way, if your boat or your GPS unit is not equipped with a surface water temperature gauge you need one. No way can you pattern fish if you don’t know what the water temperature is in the area you are fishing. The need for this is even greater come winter; I promise. On very hot days the heat drives the fish out of shallow water and into the deeper cooler

ASK TH E PRO

metabolism thus the fish burns more calories. This can create a situation where the fish might feed in longer intervals than normal. Midday to afternoon feeds can be Drain in Louisiana back marsh on awesome falling tide and slick calm. Every along dropfish could be seen as they pushed offs adjacent off the flat and into the drain. to shallow flats or around the water by the midday hours. This is one of mouths of small drains that feed shallow the main reasons so many redfish anglers backwater marshes. prefer an afternoon of fishing versus a Light winds during the dog days create pre-dawn run across the bay. The sheer the opportunity for anglers to not only see number of redfish along the drop-offs is redfish tailing or pushing bait but it also greater and this sets the stage for steady allows the observant angler the luxury of catching. I still make the pre-dawn runs watching how the fish move around the flat because I like to try for a few trout before and use the travel zones. I feel comfortable the sun gets a good bead on the bay. You in stating that exit routes are most probably can bet though, we’ll be chasing reds as entrance paths as well. By making such the water warms later in the day. observations we can plan our approach My favorite lures this time of year are to and from the area and never get too typically small topwaters such as the close to the actual fish highway. I learned MirrOlure She Pup and swimming-type this many years ago and have found that plastics such as the Bass Assassin 4” Sea it applies to just about every fishery that I Shad series. Weedless spoons of 1/4 and 1/2 have had the good fortune to visit. ounce are also good bets when the perch Last week in the Louisiana marsh we insist on nipping the tails off your plastics. discovered some fish in a back lake and, Remember that swimming-style baits lose after two days in the blistering heat without their appeal when the paddle tail is gone. a breath of wind, had discovered the Hey, I have seen people cast multiple times routes by which they entered and exited before discovering the tail was gone! the marsh. We also discovered the holding

Jay Watkins has been a full-time fishing guide at Rockport, TX, for more than 20 years. Jay specializes in wading year-round for trout and redfish with artificial lures. Jay covers the Texas coast from San Antonio Bay to Corpus Christi Bay. Phone 361-729-9596 Email Jay@jaywatkins.com Website www.jaywatkins.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 33

F LY F I S H I N G D E PA R T M E N T

C ASE Y SMART T

7KRVH :RQGHUIXO 0\VWHULRXV 5HGV One of the most thrilling sites in saltwater fly fishing is a school of redfish tailing its way across the flats. These writhing colorful packs of fish are sometimes so charged with hunger and aggression they crack anything that comes near them. When theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re fired up like this, redfish are an anglerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dream. But in spite of their normally cooperative demeanor, redfish (even tailing redfish) can also be selective and spooky. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll ignore or even dodge your fly, bolt at the slightest misstep, and vanish before your very eyes. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never quite figured out why redfish get grumpy, but they do. A kayaking trip near Rockport recently reminded me how moody redfish can be. On this particular trip the tides were strong and the weather was nearly perfect. We encountered many different fish throughout the day. There were large schools, singles, doubles, rooters, and cruisersâ&#x20AC;Ś nearly every kind of redfish scenario you could think of. But, not all the fish we sighted were responsive and by mid-afternoon we were reaching deeper into the bag of tricks and rethinking our approach to catching them. That evening as the sun lost its edge, I paddled back toward the truck and thought about the fish we had caught and the ones we hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. It rekindled some of the redfish lessons I had learned over the years. Here are several that came to mind. Direction When you spot a redfish or school of redfish on the flats, one of the first things you should do is figure out which direction theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re headed. This will help you plan your approach so you can get into position to make a clean cast. Tailing redfish may poke right or left, but they usually plod steadily along more or less in a defined direction.

about to make a cast. Oddly enough, it always seems like a cloud drifts under the sun at that same moment, ruining your visibility. It must be some sort of conspiracy. When a redfish disappears, there are usually two things I do. First, I trust my instincts and I focus on the area I think the fish was headed. Second, I freeze and look for any visual clues that reveal the fishâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s location. Sometimes these clues are slight and insignificant, like a few bubbles surfacing or a small raindroplike ripple on the water. On that kayak trip near Rockport, one fish in particular was a perfect example of how focusing on a small visual clue pays off. While wading back to may kayak after an unsuccessful attempt to catch a few black drum, I heard an unmistakable â&#x20AC;&#x153;chookâ&#x20AC;? sound behind me. I turned to see a large frothy disturbance on the surface with a sliver of pink tail disappearing in the middle. It was obviously a redfish but it utterly melted away in the tea-stained water as I stripped some line off my reel. I waited and watchedâ&#x20AC;Ś nothing. Then I saw a few tiny baitfish scatter along the edge of the cordgrass about eight feet up from where I had seen the tail. I punched a cast ahead of the little minnows and let it settle in for a moment before twitching it slightly. The

Establish direction and look for subtle clues

The direction of big pods of redfish is easy to predict because they make so much commotion. But nailing down singles can be tougher, especially in murky water. Solitary tailing redfish have a nasty habit of slipping under and vanishing just as youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re

34 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Lead the fish A relatively simple way of making an accurate lifelike presentation to a redfish is to lead him. You simply drop the fly in the redfish’s projected path (4-8 ft ahead of the fish) and then twitch it as he closes in. Leading a redfish does not require super-accurate casts or ultra-delicate presentations, and it gives you a few seconds to get ready while the fish approaches. Small weedless flies eliminate headaches

There are two challenges when leading a redfish. The first is timing your retrieve. If you strip too soon, the redfish may not see your fly or he may trail the fly back toward you, spot you and spook. If you strip too late, you’ll graze him with the leader or fly which will spook him for sure. The second challenge is keeping your fly from tangling in the weeds while you wait for the fish to approach. Make sure you use a weedless fly or a small popper if you are leading a fish. I watched a buddy of mine recently try to keep up with a school of fast-moving reds. They were tailing quickly across a hard shallow flat into a stout wind and he couldn’t manage to get a clean cast to them. So, he made a quick wide wade, got ahead of them, and dropped his weedless shrimp pattern in their path. As the redfish approached he stripped the fly once and the lead fish surged forward and whacked it. It was a great solution to an otherwise awkward casting angle. Choose a Weedless Fly For some reason I still make the bad decision of carrying nonweedless flies onto the flats. And nearly every time I do I regret it. Rooted and floating weeds, cordgrass, and oysters are not friends

VIDE

th fly. fl They Th will ill spoilil your presentation t ti every time… ti off the countt on it. Even if you think you will be fishing an area with a clean hard sand bottom, carry flies with weed guards or flies that are tied with the hook inverted. Strong tides and shifting winds often carry bits of floating or suspended weeds and grass into areas that otherwise have none. A case in point- I recently cast to and spooked 3 redfish in a row, without ever moving my feet. These fish were doing headstands in moderately clear water on a narrow sandbar. A falling tide created a strong current flowing across the bar. It was a killer set up and I was stunned to see these fish bolt from what appeared to be perfect casts. I was about to invoke the 3-strike rule when I realized my fly was getting fouled by small bits of suspended weed in the current. The weeds were snapping free on my backcast, but as soon as the fly touched down more weeds took their place. I cut off the fly and replaced it with a weedless pattern which was what I should have tied on in the first place. Lesson learned, again! Until next month… enjoy your time on the water.

CONTAC T

Lead the fish.

FLY FIS H I N G D E PAR TM E NT

second I moved the fly the redfish blasted it in a bright orange flash that made my heart jump. In spite of his large size and aggressive behavior that redfish was virtually invisible cruising up the bank. A few tiny minnows flicking on the surface ironically gave him away.

Casey Smartt has been fly fishing and tying flies for 30 years. When he cannot make it to the coast he is happy chasing fish on Texas inland lakes and rivers. Phone Email Website

830-237-6886 caseysmartt@att.net www.caseysmartt.com

Check out Casey’s Fly Fishing Video Library at www.TSFMag.com

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 35

O FFSH O R E

BLUEWATER JOURNAL

(OHSKDQWV (DW 3HDQXWV BOBBY BYRD & C APT. JOHN COCHR ANE

)LUVW *UDQGHU FDXJKW RQ 0H[LFR¶V *XOI &RDVW

Veracruz is famous for Spanish galleons that carried New World treasure back to Spain. Steeped in history and myth, Veracruz is becoming known for a new kind of treasure - big blue marlin. On June 19, 2010 the first grander blue marlin, (over 1,000 pounds), was caught in the Veracruz Canyon. Nestled in the Southern Gulf of Mexico, it is a fascinating destination for fishermen interested in fishing a new location with fewer boats and potential for big fish. In 2001, Adrian Ponce de Leon arrived in Veracruz, saw the fishing potential and opened El Pescador Tackle Shop. It wasn’t until then that big game fishing there became popular. Adrian is a very driven man and you will not find a more dedicated big game fisherman anywhere. His enthusiasm is addictive and soon most of the prominent fishermen in Veracruz were fishing for tuna and marlin. In his quest to learn everything about big game fishing, Adrian became very good friends with Jack Tullius, of Black Bart Lures. The ever-courteous Jack set Adrian up with the right tackle and then mentored him on rigging his equipment professionally. The results can be seen today.

Many blue marlin and tuna are caught every year in these waters including an 806-lb and a1038-lb blue marlin on lures and tackle rigged by Adrian. The main hurdle for visiting fishermen is the lack of a good deep-water marina. The Club de Yates (Yacht Club) in

Jack Tullius (Black Bart Lures) and Adrian Ponce de Leon (El Pescador Tackle Shop in Veracruz), pioneers in a modern-day fishery.

ɰɉȐɑȨȐȽȃȐ ɜȣȐ ɰɜɑǸɄɑȇȨȽǸɑɴ

A real find on the Sea of Cortez, Serena Residences is a world-class experience with its private marina, its championship golf course and its elegant residences. Still, what makes Serena extraordinary, is its unsurpassed hospitality.

All inclusive package from

$ 725* 4 nights at a luxury residence 3 days saltwater fishing All meals, airport transportation, fresh bait, tackle, fishing licenses and taxes included

www.serenaresidences.com For more information and group specials: (310) 995-9283 jeff@serenaresidences.com * Rate per person, based on quadruple occupancy. Airfare not included.

36 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Are you ready for a billfish tournament? Join us in Port Aransas, August 4-8th, for the Texas Legends Billfish Tournament. Also, the Texas Tuna Mania and Swordfish Championship was rescheduled to August 19-22, due to Hurricane Alex. For information, go to www.txlegends.com and www.tunamania.com. You can also find out more about big game fishing by visiting Fox Yacht Sales - Seabrook office at Tops-N-Towers. At Fox we have an extensive inventory of brokerage boats and we are the exclusive Texas dealer for Jupiter and CABO Yachts.

CONTAC T

the main harbor has moorings and fresh water, but no fuel. Just south of town, the river entrance at Boca Del Rio is too shallow for most large sportfishing boats. This is about to change though as five new marinas are under construction. One of the premiere marinas will be at the Playa Conchal Resort. This first-class marina is scheduled to open in spring 2011. The potential for more big fish being caught in this area will increase when these new marinas become available. The 9th Annual El Pescador Marlin Tournament was held June 17-19, 2010. The weather was a little unsettled the first day for the 25 boat field, but after morning showers the seas subsided and the weather was perfect. A semi-submersible, located about 45 miles southeast got about half of the fleet’s attention, but the Veracruz Canyon, only 20 miles offshore, ended up being the place to be. Two identical blues were caught the first day, both weighing 128 kg. The rig also produced a few yellowfin and that was about it. The second day was also rather slow, but as more boats moved into the canyon things started to heat up. Several blues were lost (along with a rod and reel), but as a 32’ Donzi, owned by two-time tournament winner Rafael Morales, trolled along the canyon wall, he was shadowed by a small boat that ended up getting the bite of a lifetime. The smaller boat hooked up and called in that they had a big fish on. The owner of the 21’ Trophy was new to big game fishing and had never caught a blue marlin or fished in a marlin tournament. His luck and experience were about to change. A dark shape appeared behind one lure, then dropped back, and reappeared behind another. The fish accelerated, striking the lure three times with no hookup. The mate suggested the captain

O FFSH O R E

Jack Tullius of Black Bart Lures and proud “grander” angler, Francisco Iniquez.

sspeed up a little. As the boat rose on plane, the marlin hit and was h hooked solid – game on! The experienced mate onboard knew the line was disappearing m much too quickly and turned the boat around to run at the fish. TThey gained line at a remarkable rate and within 20 minutes the b big fish was near the boat. The mate asked the owner to get the g gaffs and was terrified when he realized the only gaffs aboard w were homemade affairs for kingfish. He radioed his brother on tthe larger Donzi nearby and they decided to transfer the angler to tthat boat for a better chance. Capt. Rafael told his mate to get the fl flying gaff ready, only to be informed it had been left it in the truck tthat morning! Undaunted, Rafael kept the heat on the fish and after an hour iit came up jumping. After a total of three hours the fish was finally aat the boat. The marlin was very tired and did not give them much ttrouble on the leader. The fish was caught on a small Black Bart llure, confirming the old adage “elephants eat peanuts”, proving yyou don’t necessarily need big baits to catch big fish! The fish was very well proportioned and it wasn’t until hung o on the scale did we realize just how big it truly was. When the fi fish hung freely, the electronic scale settled at 471.8 kg. After cconsideration for the rope, the weight was established at 1038.2 llbs. An awesome fish anywhere and the third largest blue marlin e ever caught in the Gulf of Mexico. It was an incredible fish and an iincredible accomplishment. Sure, there was a lot of luck involved, tthat always helps, but a lot of credit has to go out to Adrian at El P Pescador Tackle and his mentor Jack Tullius. The excellent tackle aand rigging he does for his customers assures they have the b best possible chance for success. Francisco Iniquez caught this magnificent fish, but part of that catch belongs to Adrian and Jack…true pioneers in a modern day fishery.

Capt. John Cochrane has been a professional captain for over 25 years and is now a yacht broker for Fox Yacht Sales. He concentrates his fishing efforts in the Gulf of Mexico, promoting big game fishing and billfish research. A native Texan, Bobby Byrd has fished the Gulf of Mexico since he was eight. In 1995, Bobby combined his love of fishing and boating into a business when he opened Tops-N-Towers in Seabrook, Texas. Contact Fox Yacht Sales / Seabrook 281-291-0656 Tops-N-Towers 281-474-4000 Capt. John Cochrane 409-739-4817 Websites www.byrd-cochrane.com www.topsntowers.com www.foxyachtsales.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 37

FI ELD

N OT ES

$ 'D\ LQ WKH /LIH RI

0LNH 5REHUWVRQ By Mike Robertson | Fish and Wildlife Technician CCA/AEP Marine Development Center | Corpus Christi, TX

Meet Mike Robertson: “Howdy, my name is Mike Robertson. I started with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) in October 1983 working as a Fish and Wildlife Technician with the Game Wardens in the Law Enforcement Division in Corpus Christi. In June 1987, I transferred as a Fish and Wildlife Technician to the CCA/AEP Marine Development Center (MDC) Fish Hatchery in Corpus Christi. Here we raise red drum (redfish) and spotted seatrout to be stocked into the Texas coastal bays.” Red fish stocking, August 26, 2009.

do with them? “Brood stock are adult sexually mature redfish that we have in tanks and stimulate them to mate and lay eggs. It takes lots of commitment to create in doors what occurs naturally in the wild. By controlling light and water temperature we can make the fish think they have gone through the seasons of winter, spring, summer and the fall spawning time. For example we can produce winter like conditions with 9 hours of light and 60 degree water temperature and summer with 15 hours light and 86 degrees. We can take a year long seasonal cycle and compress it into around 5 months. We normally place 3 females and 2 males in each 3200 gallon circular tank. All of these fish are over 30 inches long.” What do you feed the fish? “We feed the fish three times a weeks about 3% their body weight. We feed shrimp, squid, beef liver and mackerel.” What next? “When the fish spawn, the eggs float. We collect them, incubate them indoors for around 3 days until the yolk sac is gone, and then they are transferred to grow out ponds. The ponds have been fertilized in advance to grow phytoplankton and zooplankton that the

MikeRobertson & Ruben Chavez, flounder harvest.

What do you do? “I do everything at the hatchery. I monitor the brood stock that produce the eggs that grow to fingerling fish in the ponds that we delivery by trailer to the bays. Monitoring fish at a hatchery is a 24 hours a day, 365 days a year job. They are livestock. We depend on them and they depend on us. Someone must always be available in the event of a power outage to keep life support going. As for other jobs, some days I may be a plumber, electrician, mechanic or who knows what. I guess you could say I’m just a “jack-of-all-trades.” What are brood stock and exactly what do you 38 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

FIE LD N OTES

Mike Robertson educating the kids.

fingerling fish need to eat.” How long do you keep the fingerlings before they are stocked? “We try to stock fish when they are about 1.5 inches total length. This takes about 35-40 days in the ponds. It takes about 48 hours to drain a one-acre pond. We like to harvest after midnight when it is cooler on the workers and the fish. Trailers can get to their stocking sites when it’s still cool in the morning. When I get back to the hatchery I clean my equipment, prepare for tomorrow. I’ll go home eat dinner, in bed by 8 p.m., and back at midnight for harvesting or in at 5 a.m. for another delivery.” How long do you keep the brood stock? “About 25% of the brood stock are rotated out each year. This is healthier for the fish and insures that we maintain genetic variability in the fish that we raise and stock.” Is stocking successful? “Stocking is one of many management tools we use in fisheries to help maintain stocks. There are studies that show survival of the stocked fish. Coastal Fisheries has crews that routinely monitor fish populations for relative abundance. And they count and measure how many fish are being caught by sport and commercial fishermen. With regulations like size and bag limits and techniques like stocking, we can continue to maintain fishing opportunities for many generations.”

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

How do you tell people about the hatchery? “Here at MDC we do a lot of education and outreach. We have school groups that have been coming here for many years in a row. We have a fishing pond where we teach kids how to fish, some for the first time. I always get a kick out of the smile on a kid’s face with their first fish.” What else do you do on a typical day? “When we are not in production mode, there is always something that needs to be done and we have to prepare for the next season as well. There is never a typical day. Since I’ve been at this hatchery for the last 23years, I know the facility better than anyone else. There is always some electrical, plumbing or mechanical maintenance issue. I have been here long enough to know that a typical day is never knowing exactly what you’re going to do from day to day. That is the challenge that keeps me going, never the same, that’s what I like.”

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

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 39

CONSERVATION PAGE

In what is becoming another fine example of what can happen when a conservation group and various companies get together for a common cause, the new Outreach Program Pier at the CCA/CPL Marine Development Center will enable thousands of children to enjoy the thrill of being introduced to fishing. Coastal Conservation Association Texas (CCA Texas), a leader in saltwater conservation, is proud to announce a partnership with EcoVantage, Turner Roofing Company and Urban Engineering in the building of the new Outreach Program Pier Project at the CCA/CPL Marine Development Center in Flour Bluff, Texas. Also contributing to the project are Sunset Marine Works, CC Contractors, Decksteriors, and Texas Decks. The 400 foot long Outlook Fishing Pier will enable children of all ages, including physically challenged individuals to fish the rearing ponds at the hatchery and gain a greater appreciation for Texas’ natural resources. Hector Mendieta, CCA Texas Mid-Coast Chapter President, explains the reason for the partnership. “CCA Texas has been stocking Texas’ bays for 30 years. Through the years we have seen a tremendous increase in fishing pressure on the fishery and it is clear we will have to continue our efforts for decades. The Outreach Program Pier is vital to the education of our fishermen of the future. The materials donated by the partner companies have the durability required to survive in this hot and harsh environment. Ecovantage, Turner Roofing and Urban engineering and the other participating companies are to be commended for their donation of materials and time for such an important conservation project.” Carlyle Holman, an EcoVantage spokesperson, explains why the company decided to become a partner in this project. “EcoVantage is committed to providing environmentally and ecologically quality products. CCA Texas’ commitment to the environment and conservation underscores our own commitment. By partnering with CCA we are able to see our products used for improving the world one project at a time.” Turner Roofing President, Tommy Mangold Jr. explains the reason for his company’s involvement. “Turner Roofing is owned an operated by avid outdoor enthusiasts. Our commitment to the environment is ongoing and is evidenced by our ability to specify and install Energy Star rated roof systems including solar all over the state of Texas. Our involvement with the CCA/ CPL Marine Development Outreach Pier Project did not end with the introduction of the EcoPrem lumber. We are proud to supply material and labor to this project to help insure that future generations have healthy fisheries to enjoy.” Urban Engineering’s Tyler Meals says of the project, “Urban Engineering of Victoria, Texas employs many avid outdoorsmen and women and takes pride in assisting in the design of the CCA/ 40 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Story by Luke Giles

CPL Hatchery Outlook Fishing Pier. Urban Engineering relies on over 29 years of experience in designing marine construction projects for producing effective and utilitarian designs that perform above and beyond owner expectations.” When complete, the pier will introduce thousands of children to the wonders of hooking up and landing a fish. Thanks to the generous donations of these companies, the future of fishing along the Texas coast has become brighter.

Other CCA Texas News Dallas Chapter wins 2010 ICC CCA Texas hosted its annual (ICC) Inter Chapter Challenge June 11 and 12, 2010 in Port Aransas. This year’s event drew twenty-four chapter teams and guests bringing the total attendance to over 225 people. ICC is an annual event hosted by CCA Texas for the organization’s local chapter boards and brings them together for a one day fun fishing tournament, meals for Friday and Saturday night and chances to walk away with some great door prizes. This year’s tournament was won by the Dallas Chapter with a weight of 20.7 lbs for three trout and one redfish. The Mid Coast Chapter finished in second place with 19.1 lbs and Guadalupe Valley rounded out the top three with 18.6 lbs. Top individual award winners included Scotty Powers from the Mid Coast Chapter with a 5.9 lb speckled trout and Bobby Lane from the Guadalupe Valley Chapter with a 7.15 lb redfish. Fish-N-Chicks win 17th annual Texas Lady Anglers Tournament The 17th Annual Texas Lady Anglers Tournament (TLAT) was held May 20 and 21, 2010 out of Boudreau’s on the Bayou Restaurant in Galveston, Texas. All the teams enjoyed great fishing and a great time. This year’s first place team was Fish-N-Chicks, led by Capt. Ralph Frazier and team members Paula Strong, Starla Hicks and Sharon Pickens and they weighed in 50.06 lbs. Second place went to Reel Lucky Ladies led by team captain Greg Beirsdorfor and members Pam Gardner, Jaime Gardner and Heather Barbert with a weight of 35.34 lbs and third place was Reel Texans led by team captain John Chesser and team members Shelley Chesser, Cheryl Richey and Melissa Gallien with a weight of 34.10 lbs. Individual winners included Sharon Pickens with a 6.98 lb. redfish, Starla Hicks with a 6.24 lb. speckled trout and Melissa Gallien with a 1.74 lb. flounder. Special thanks go out to all of the tournament sponsors and the volunteer committee led by Chairman Rhea Ann Thompson and members Mandy Scherer, Bunny DeLaittre, Phyllis Nesmith, Jill Miller and Camille Null. Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

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K AYAK

FISH I N G

C APT. SCOT T NULL

$ /LWWOH 5HVSHFW 3OHDVH

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m probably going to get laughed out of the brotherhood of Texas coastal anglers for this, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to say it anyway; I love jackfish. There I said it. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to bat for the Rodney Dangerfield of fishing. Perhaps with some decent publicity they can finally get a little respect. Yes, the often maligned and cursed jack crevalle is one of my favorites. Whether you call them jack crevalle, jackfish, jacks, or something not suitable for print, they are undeniably fun to catch. Now before you turn the page dismissing me as a nut-case please allow me to state my case. Caranx hippos is the scientific name for the jack crevalle and translates roughly to Caribbean horse. That about sums it up and few who have hooked a jack will ever question how they got that name. Perhaps Caribbean mule wouldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been a bit more appropriate because pound for pound there are very few fish that can match the stamina or stubbornness of a big jackfish. Jack crevalle are reported as one of the most abundant species throughout the warmer regions of the Atlantic and can be found anywhere from several miles offshore to brackish marshes. They are most abundant along the Texas coast during the summer months, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve caught them as early as the first of March and as late as November. I generally start looking for them in the surf when the water temperature gets past the seventy degree mark, usually sometime in April. As the water continues to warm, large schools of jacks will start working the passes and eventually pillaging their way through the bays. In the bays I most often find them in the deeper waters, but it is not unusual to find singles or small pods working flats or shorelines. Last year I watched a stud jack busting mullet on a grass flat well over a mile from water 42 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

deep enough to cover his back. I can still recall my first encounter thirty years ago. I was a pier rat spending nights at the old Gulf Coast fishing pier on the Galveston Seawall catching bull reds and sharks. I was still a rookie on the boards rubbing elbows with the older and more experienced guys when the clicker on my Penn Squidder went off like a fire alarm. My mind was filled with ideas as to what it might be but the old salts just shook their heads and simply said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Damn jack.â&#x20AC;? I was confused. Hell, I was obviously fighting the biggest fish ever hooked from that pier and nobody was the least bit interested. Upon subduing the beast there were no congratulations or even smiles from my fellow fishermen. To this day I remain confused as to why people curse the jack crevalle. You can catch them on anything natural or fake, even flies. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re abundant, easy to locate when feeding, and rarely refuse. Once hooked, they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know the word quit and will test your skill as well as your tackle. The initial run of a big jack is unmistakable and often leaves an unprepared angler with an empty spool before he knows what hit him. They are arguably the most accommodating sport fish on the coast. Most of us fish for the thrill of the fight, so why not get the most bang for your buck? My most recent experience with Mr. Jack led me to ponder this subject and eventually resulted in this attempt to elevate their status. I was chest-deep making my 1364th cast of the morning into a troutless surf. The guys lined up on either side were having similar luck. It just wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happening. As I prepared to lift the jig for another cast a huge jack appeared and ate it a foot from the rod tip. He then turned and headed for the Yucatan. My poor reel was screaming and the rod was severely bent as I tried to turn him before getting spooled. I Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

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K AYAK FISHING

h d that heard th t old ld ffamiliar ili refrain f i ffrom b both th sides, id “D “Damn jjack.” k ” Thi This was followed up by instructions to just point my rod at the fish and lock the spool to break it off. Huh? I happily battled that beast all the way to the sand before reviving him and watching him swim away. So why all the hate? Is it because you can’t eat them? What about tarpon, bonefish and permit? Nobody eats those, yet people spend handsome sums to chase them. Jacks are readily available right here in our backyard! I’ll grant that tarpon probably have a leg up due to their aerobatics but, beyond that, I can’t really put a finger on why those

big three are placed on pedestals while Ol’ Jack can hardly get his picture taken. I wasn’t going to use this, but perhaps all you jack haters just aren’t up for the fight. That’s right; I’m challenging your man-card. The excuses of “they get in the way and mess up my trout fishing” are no longer acceptable and will from this day forward be considered a cover-up for your fear. Most jacks are caught incidentally. Even those who like to catch them usually will only do so when presented with the random opportunity. But specifically targeting jacks is tailor made for kayak anglers. My favorite method is to load the yak in the truck and cruise the beachfront on a calm day. If the jacks are there; you’ll know it. On the upper coast it’ll often be happening just beyond the third bar, but keep an eye peeled beyond. I carry binoculars to scan for schools of bait. When jacks are near, the bait will ball up and push to the surface. Grab your gear and go as this is hit and run fishing. The schools usually move at a good clip so you have to get on them quick. If the school is obviously moving in a specific direction you might want to get ahead of them to intercept. I prefer a big topwater on a medium-heavy casting rod and a Curado 300 loaded with braid. I also use a section of 50 lb or heavier fluorocarbon leader attached via the uni-to-uni knot. Jacks don’t have sharp teeth but during an extended battle they can easily wear through the leader. Beyond that it is only a matter of getting close enough to dump a cast into the melee. A hook-up is as close to guaranteed as there is in fishing. On the lower coast you can employ the same drill, but also

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

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b on the be th look l k outt ffor jjacks k iin th the fi firstt or second gut. With the deeper guts down south it is not at all uncommon to find schools feeding within casting distance of dry sand. But have the yak handy to take full advantage of those fish that are out of range. As a bonus, this beach patrol style

44 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

k k fi hi will ill often ft llead d to t catches t h off kayak fishing of kings or Spanish mackerel but for these you’ll need wire leader. Specifically targeting jacks in the bays from a kayak is difficult. The schools are generally too random and fast-moving. However; if I’m fishing an area where jacks

Texas Saltwater Fishing

CONTAC T

are a good possibility I’ll go ahead and bring the appropriate gear and keep it rigged for battle. Then while I’m fishing for trout and reds I’ll keep an eye out towards the open water for feeding jacks. They’re usually pretty obvious; foot long mullet getting blasted are hard to miss. But even on those days when I’m not anticipating a jackfish encounter I’ll still pursue them if they show because you’ll never have a kayak sleigh ride quite like the one provided by a steaming jack crevalle. I know I can’t be alone in my feelings. It’s time for all of us jack-addicts to proudly step forward and start bragging about our jackfish angling prowess. Others will surely follow...right? Capt. Scott Null is a devout shallow water fisherman offering guided adventues via kayak, poled skiff, and wading. Phone 281-450-2206 Website www.letsgofishing.net

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 45

ACCORDING TO SCOT T

C APT. SCOT T SOMMERL AT TE

ɑɄȹ ɤɕȰ ɜȨȵȵ ǸɬȽ I do not know what it is about heading out real early or coming in real late but, there is something very special about running a boat or skiff across the bay under the cloak of darkness. Even more special is to spend an evening under the moon and stars fishing and then watching the sunrise on the ride in. I of course fell in love with the night-time mysteries of the bay as a youth while walking the shorelines of Christmas Bay with my father and gigging flounder. Let me tell you, there is nothing quite like the bay at night as it is viewed from inside the magic bubble created by the glow of a Coleman lantern. It is amazing to see the plethora of life-forms in the shallows we fish that usually go unnoticed because of the glare on the water during the daylight hours. Equally magical is that we do not have to chase the sunset home. One of my favorite trips that I make, sometimes several times a year, is to the Everglades. In fact, I have spent between 5 and 30 days a year fishing the backcountry of the ‘glades for nearly two decades now. Wow how time flies! Anyway, you would think a trip into that vast wilderness would be all abou ab outt th the e fis fishi hing ng g aand, nd, d yo you u woul uld d no nott be w wro rong ng g but b ut, wh when en you you about fishing would wrong but,

46 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

travel that far to see something you cherish that much, it is unreasonable to think that a person would not go overboard to milk the experience for everything it has to offer. This of course means getting up early and staying out late to just be able to fish every second that is possible. Over the years, my friends and I have come to know several ritualistic traditions while taking in the wonders of the ‘glades. One of these happens to come from necessity as much as it is just plain ole fun. You see, one of the biggest obstacles of camping in the backcountry is the bugs but, through the guidance and wisdom of some older and wiser friends that introduced us to this paradise, we learned not to go back to our dwellings, whether it is tents or a mothership, until long after the sun goes down. Apparently, because the pesky insects are most active right as the sun goes down and right as it comes up, it is possible to considerably reduce their presence by not being there to attract and feed them, hence the need to remain as far away from land as possible until things settle down around the camp. So essentially, we fish the mangrove shorelines until the buzz gets too bad to tolerate, call up the other boats on the radio and arrange a meeting plac pl ace e in open ope open n water, wate wa terr, usu u sual ally ly w wit ithi hin n at lea lleast east st a mil m ile e or sso o of tthe he place usually within mile

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

CONTAC T

morning at about four, a trio (actually 2 ½) of 26” trout on three consecutive casts on my last Paul Brown made Corky (actually, I have more but I have decided to leave the rest of them in their packages to help enhance their value later in life). Let me tell you folks, it is exciting to see a solid trout come to hand under the moonlight. For some strange reason, the iridescence of a trout’s body is only enhanced beneath the shine of a near-full moon. And, incidentally, equally exciting in the moonlight is the sight of a six foot bull shark taking half of a 26” trout. I would like to say that the moon shining off of the rows of pearly whites in that bull’s mouth had some magical effect on the moment, but think I blacked out briefly. Anyway, after a couple shocks from a defibrillator and changing my drawers, I managed to recompose myself and pressed on to land several more solid fish and then witness one of the most spectacular sunrises of the year. An hour later I was sitting at my favorite taco stand, smelling like fish, and wondering how long it would be before I managed to relive the experience. Hopefully sooner than later.

ACCO R D I N G TO SCOT T

camp and we share the joys of the day over an adult beverage or three. Hence, the tradition of happy hour! This past spring, happy hours were especially spectacular because, not only were we away from all the light pollution of civilizations, but we were there during the new moon and it allowed the stars to shine bright like they probably did when my grandfather was a child. And, every evening, when happy hour was over, I would look up above and smile as my gaze fell to the three little stars that make up the belt of the constellation Orion that seemed to outshine the rest and would then start the outboard for the journey back to camp. Always fun is the boat ride through the twisting and turning rivers and creeks of the Everglades at night. And, again, while traveling the waterways by night has its own special charm, it hardly compares to the experiences to be had while actually fishing in the dark. One of my favorite things to do is fish the surf the three days prior to the full moon in May. Weather permitting; this window of opportunity has always been a slam dunk. The trick is to catch the surf calm and then be knee to waste deep at about three in the morning to catch the minor (solunar) while throwing dark-colored plugs beneath the moonlight. How consistent can it really be? Just look at my calendar for the last 15 years. I have, nor ever will, guide on that particular three days. I will either be fishing myself those three mornings or I will be sitting up cussing the weather that kept me from fishing. This year I was particularly blessed in that the weather cooperated for all three days and I was fortunate to land, one

Capt. Scott Sommerlatte is a full time fly fishing and light tackle guide, freelance writer and photographer. Telephone 979-415-4379 Email vssommerlatte@hotmail.com Website www.scottsommerlatte.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 47

YOU T H

FISH I N G

TEXAS SALTWATER

: S V ^

JAKE HADDOCK

+H`Z

On a slow day of fishing when everyone is frustrated and bored, instead of grinding out the rest of the day, sometimes there’s an easy way to turn it around simply by changing it up. By this I mean either fishing a different style than the way you were, or targeting a different species. One of my favorite ways to change it up is to go after jack crevalle, for several reasons. First, you can catch them just about any way you want to. You can catch them on topwaters, soft plastics, homemade lures, fly tackle, live bait, just about anything. Second, they’re big, mean, and explosive. When they hit a lure you’ll know it. Third, they’re generally easy to find. If you fish in a bay that has a pass or jetty in it, then you are probably near jackfish. Now, let’s talk about how to locate jacks. The biggest indicator of Mr. Jack is an all out feeding frenzy on the surface. The next giveaway is birds that are not diving, but hovering ever so carefully. The gulls will be tight together in a large group with maybe even a frigate bird or two

mixed in, and they will be moving pretty fast. Right under them, the school of jacks will be chasing bait fish. If you find them feeding like this and you throw a lure in front of them, I promise your rod will be doubled over in no time. I’m not saying that you have to go catch a jackfish to turn a day from bad to good. I remember one day I was fishing with my uncle, Mitchell, and cousin, Dylan, and all day we were wading in deep mud holes way back in a marsh in mid July. If you have ever waded mud holes in the middle of the summer you know it feels like you’re wading in a hot tub. We had fished hard all day aand had not caught one fi fish. So we moved to a sshoreline where the cool w water off the bay comes u up to big sandbars that aare very easy to walk on. TThe water seemed to be tten degrees colder there aand it felt so good. Dylan aand I were wading side by sside and he made a cast w with his Super Spook. He h hooked a fish and half way

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

through the fight, his line broke. As I was reeling in my cast and laughing at him, I felt a tug, but it didn’t feel like a fish. I reeled in my line and noticed that his line was wrapped around my hook. I grabbed the line with my hand and could still feel the fish. So I started pulling the fish in by hand. When I told Dylan I had the fish he just lost it, he was in total disbelief. Then I grabbed the small redfish and held it in the air and said, “Then what’s this?” He told me to give him his fish, and I said, “Your fish? This isn’t your fish, it’s mine.” After arguing for a while, we let the fish go, I gave him his topwater back, and we continued fishing. We still couldn’t believe what happened. After that, we continued to walk the sand bars and we both caught multiple small redfish. It wasn’t much, but catching those small reds and the one that almost got away made the whole day. I guess the moral of this story is anytime you’re having a bad day of fishing, don’t call it quits and go home. There’s always something you can do out on the water to turn the day around. When I was younger, I would use the remains of fish fillets at the dock and catch pin fish on a slow day. Sometimes you have to just make the best of it by changing the way you would normally fish or by looking for a different species. Whichever way you choose, I think at the end of the day we all just want to feel the tug of a fish on the line.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

YOUTH FISHING

THROUGH <287+)8/ EYES

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 49

MIKE JENNINGS

TEX AS NEARSHORE AND OFFSHORE

What a strange ride this summer has been. Although our red snapper season is scheduled to be the shortest on record, the fishing has been world-class with limits averaging 12 to 14 pounds. Most of our structure less than 100 feet was beat up by Hurricane Ike and still not holding a lot of fish, but nearly all deeper structure is covered with them. Given the weight of these fish Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m calling it the most successful season I can remember. The National Marine Fisheries Service has just announced that because of the oil spill and vast area closures, this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s red snapper TAC (Total Allowable Catch) may not be met. Therefore, at the most recent Gulf Council Meeting in Gulfport, Mississippi, the Council requested that NOAA Fisheries implement an emergency rule to allow the regional administrator to reopen the recreational red snapper season after September 30, if the catch data allows. Personally, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not holding my breath but I will certainly take the opportunity if it comes our way. The majority of our cobia and king mackerel showed fairly late this year. By most estimates they were about eight to ten weeks late. Again, this brings us back to the oil spill. Much of

that migration, especially the cobia, were in and around the Mississippi Delta at the time of the spill. I cannot help but feel this delayed the migration and also resulted in fewer fish than we are accustomed to seeing. The long-term effect of all this is yet to be seen. For me, the most notable change this year has to be the wahoo fishery. Throughout the entire red snapper season we were seeing several large wahoo each week, most exceeding 50 lbs. The most successful method for wahoo has been medium to large hard tails (blue runners) worked over live bottom at about three to five knots. All the wahoo on my boat thus far have come from 150 feet and greater depths with success peaking on new moon and tapering off during full moon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; typical of all mackerel species. Now we enter August, our red snapper season is over and again we face early closure of the recreational greater amberjack fishery. This brings up a dilemma. What can we target as we lose two of the more popular species in the western Gulf of Mexico? For me, outside of the ever-present kingfish, my effort will shift to vermilion snapper (beeliners), dorado and blackfin. The

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

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mixed with red snapper, often above them. Don’t give up on the beeliners simply because they are deep, you can usually get them to come up in the water column as you fish for them. I know that it may sound confusing but as you spend more time targeting them it will all come together. My best advice is to fish deeper than 160 feet and experiment. If you are catching red snapper, get off of it and try another spot. Start experimenting on large areas of live bottom, areas where you can make multiple moves without having to travel far. As you gain experience and success, pay close attention to your bottom machine and you will start to understand what you are seeing and what beeliners look like. They often mark different than red snapper and you can see it when you pull up on them. Practice and patience are the keys to targeting this fish and

Texas Saltwater Fishing

TE X A S N E AR S H O R E & O FFSH O R E

b beeliner seems tto be a little m more difficult for ssome to target, b but it’s really n not that big a d deal. Beeliners aalso offer a ffairly liberal bag llimit by today’s sstandards, only ccounting toward yyour twenty reef fi fish limit. When fi fishing for them, tthrow away tthe subtleties aand trickery of fi fishing for sow rred snapper. SScale down yyour hook size. I prefer 4/0 circle hooks on a basic double drop rig with primarily squid as bait. Unlike red snapper, beeliners care little about bait size or subtle presentation. Fish your way down. I catch them anywhere from 40 feet under the boat to lying in the mud at 500 feet, sometimes

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 51

you will ill quickly i kl fi find d th the end d off th the red d snapper season tto b be th the start of a whole new fishery. Blackfin are a different ball game and I am often asked how to target them behind shrimp boats during late summer and fall. First and foremost, you want to catch up with the boats in deeper water, about 200 feet, and the deeper the better. Have lots of chum on hand and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be stingy. I will tell you this; if you are in that depth of water and you see bonito, the black fin are normally there too, usually under them. If you chum long enough and far enough off the boat you can usually pull them up where you can see them.

52 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

CONTAC T

Now the bonito can pose a problem. They are aggressive and will usually hit the bait before the tuna. I will often hold the bait out of the water and try to pitch it to the tuna when I see them start up. If the bonito are thick, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just drift the baits, you will be fighting one while watching blackfin eat your chum. Another trick is to have plenty of live piggy perch or pinfish on board. The bonito will usually hesitate to hit them, starting for it and then turning away. The blackfin will pounce on them like candy. As I have said before, we are living on the banks of a worldclass fishery. We just have to learn how to change with the seasons and the times. Give these two fish a try as the summer winds down and you will find that your problem is not a short red snapper season, but rather what is on the dinner menu; beeliner or tuna?

Captain Mike Jennings is a professional charter captain with more than 25 years offshore experience. Mike is the owner/ operator of Cowboy Charters in Freeport TX and is known locally for running further and fishing harder for his clients. Telephone 979-864-9439 Email texassportfishing@gmail.com Website www.cowboycharters.com

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 53

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54 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

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L9500-7/0: Billfish L2004EL Circle Sea™ Rig L9501-6/0: Hi-Lo Circle Sea™ Baitholder Rig L9502-7/0 & 8/0: Circle Sea™ Fishfinder Rig L991-7/0: Chain Rig L992-6/0: Sailfish Goggle Eye Live Bait Rig L993-5/0: Deep Drop Chicken Rig L994-2: Live Shrimp Hook Leaders L995-2: Snapper and Croaker Rig L996-4/0: Grouper Rig with 2oz. Weight L997-6/0: Grouper Rig L998-6/0: Ballyhoo Rig with 1/4oz. Weight L999-6/0: Mutton Snapper Rig For more information, call 720-941-8700 or visit www.eagleclaw.com

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

“Catch More, Kill Less” Yo-Zuri presents the first and only circle hook factory-produced series of lures. Circle hooks right out of the box; Sashimi Jerkbait, Sashimi Pencil and Sashimi Floating Minnow; balanced to perfection and proven for snook, redfish and seatrout. Pencil for topwater, Jerkbait for suspending fish and Floating Minnow for shallow water twitching. With patented Sashimi colorchanging technology and proven conservation circle hooks, you now have a one-two punch not available from any other

manufacturer. You will “Catch More, Kill Less”. Offered in a dozen color combinations representing all the most productive baitfish patterns. For over 50 years Yo-Zuri has been recognized as the fishing tackle industry’s leading manufacturer of quality fishing products—for professional fishermen and enthusiasts worldwide.For more information, visit www.yo-zuri.com.

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 55

DICKIE COLBURNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

Sabine Scene Even with one eye constantly on the never-ending oil spill saga a short distance to the east and having dodged the first hurricane DICKIE COLBURN to enter the Gulf during June in fifteen years, the catching on Dickie Colburn is a full time guide Sabine remains as hot as the midout of Orange, Texas. Dickie has 37 years experience guiding on day sun. Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes. Aside from increasing the number of sharks we normally see in the lake, the elevated salinity Telephone level has lured the trout into the 409-883-0723 river as far north as I-10 and that Website www.sabineconnection.com is unusual for this time of year. The benefit of that phenomenon is that we have protected water to fish when the wind blows us out of the lake. I opt to spend the majority of my fishing time north of the Causeway anyway, not because the jetties and short rigs are not great areas, but more so because the bite in the river doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get nearly as much pressure as the rest of the lake. The bite under the gulls has been so easy lately that it threatened to make lazy fishermen of us. While the birds are working all over the lake, I think the larger school trout are coming off the south end.

If chasing birds is your bag, l would start my day on the northwest pocket of the Causeway reef at daylight and patrol a line from Garrisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to the RV Park. Multiple slicks often dot the surface well before the first birds arrive! The schooling fish, both reds and trout are hustling shad and small shrimp. You can get it done most days fishing both the smaller Assassin Sea Shad and MirrOlure soft shad rigged on a quarter ounce head. When the frenzy on the surface slows we continue to catch fish by slowing down our retrieve or fishing the same rig under a Kwik Cork. Having regained our senses, even with bird chasing on the agenda for later in the trip, we are cashing in on an exceptional trout bite that lasts from about 0500 until 0800 each morning. The water is cooler and trout up to seven pounds are prowling the shallow flats on the north end of the lake in search of mullet. When they are really aggressive you cannot beat a bone or chrome Spook or Top Dog. If they are not taking the larger lures we immediately switch to a smaller offering like the She Dog or Skitter Walk. We have been successfully extending that bite by swimming a 5-inch Assassin Shad on a light head or fishing a Catch V on a very quick retrieve. Many of the strikes occur when the Catch V breaks the surface. The redfish are back in the submerged grass again on the

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

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SABIN E Louisiana shoreline and A Any time the water is A great flounder c they will crush a spinnerbait covering the root systems bite is not getting o or CrĂ¨me Spoiler Shad. The of the Roseau cane, and much attention from Sabine anglers tthat has been quite often, grass has thinned out so this summer. tthe flounder are there. They ey will swimming plastics or even h i b it fishing topwaters is an hit everything from Gulp tto spinnerbaits m option. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen most of the time, but the â&#x20AC;&#x153;canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t missâ&#x20AC;? combination is a cchartreuse or white 2-inch Assassin curly tail threaded on often with the spinnerbait, aan 1/8 ounce horse head jig. Tipping it with a small piece but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be surprised if a o big trout crashes the party of shrimp helps, but is not necessary. when fishing any of the You can easily spend an entire day fishing this p other baits. program and never have to get off the troll motor. You aare not going to miss many fish in spite of the small Only a handful of h flounder fishermen are hook and it makes catch and release much easier. I p enjoying a terrific bite on prefer a 7-foot medium action CastAway spinning rod tteamed with a 230 SX US Reel spooled with braid for this fish up to five pounds and ttype fishing. I do not know why. The schooling action is hard Coffee Ground Cove and the stretch of shoreline from TThree Bayous to the rocks at Willow are prime areas right to ignore for the weekend n angler, but five solid now. Flounder can be difficult to hold when removing tthe hook, but they deserve any extra time and care it flounder are still coveted m fare at the supper table. may take to safely return them to the lake. The points at the mouth of Cover the kids up with lots of sunscreen and a good the bayous and passes are very productive on tide changes, but the hat and take them fishing before the summer passes you by. The most consistent bite is happening on the east shoreline of the lake. future of fishing depends on them!

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 57

MICKEY As I write this, the wind is blowing east/northeast at about 25 mph up here on Trinity Bay. No fishing today, Mickey Eastman is a full-time but man what a run we have fishing guide out of Baytown, had here for the last two weeks! TX. Mickey has 26 years guiding experience on the Galveston Just to give you an idea of how area bays and is the founder good it is, pull up to any well of Gulf Coast Troutmasters, in Trinity Bay down through A the largest speckled trout Lease, get a bite, anchor up, tournament series of all time and you’ll have your limit by 7:30am every morning, and Contact I mean good fish, 18”-23” on Mickey Eastman’s average. Every now and then, Guide Service you’ll even pop a 27”. All the Telephone females seem to be lounging 281-383-2032 around over the deep well pads, and all the males are hanging out along the shoreline, waiting for the females to make their move and spawn. I’ve started wade fishing Trinity Bay along Little Hodges, Big Hodges, and the Vingt-et-un Islands (pronounced Van

On Galveston

Tune – French for twenty-one islands). The wade fishing on the east shoreline has been real good under rafts of mullet, pods of shad, and slick, clear water anywhere from knee to chest deep. Using soft plastics and topwaters, I’ve been catching lots of two to three pound trout and every once in a while a five pounder. The fish are running from 17-20” for the most part and lots of them – easy to get a limit. Trinity’s still kind of fresh up in the top end. The flow from the dam was just cut back at Lake Livingston to 8,000 (it was running about 18-20,000). That has been keeping the salinity down and that is where all our redfish are, way up in the grass beds in the far northern pockets. They’re real hard to catch, too, because they’re holding shallow, and the water is dirty and stained. But the trout fishing’s a solid A+. The ship channel from marker 72 down to 52 or 48 and all the reefs and pads around there are holding a lot of fish. Naturally, the guys throwing live croaker are having a field day like they always do when the fish are thick, and the lure and live shrimp-cork guys are doing pretty good too. I’ve been throwing a combination of baits. When I find them feeding real good on the wells I go over to a shrimp tail such as the old Kelly Wiggler; I’ve got a million of them left over from the old days, twenty years ago.

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58 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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GALVESTO ON It’s every cast with those, and you can catch twenty or thirty fish on one bait. When the bite is slow and picky, I will stick with a Big Nasty Voodoo or a Bass Assassin, something real soft that has a lot of action in it. I’ve had good luck with red shad, chicken-on-a-chain, and Calcasieu brew but, to be honest, I don’t think the color really matters all that much. I just tie on whatever I have the most of at the time and let my customers fish with that. Nothing has changed over at East Bay. All the reefs are holding fish from the front to the back along the south shoreline. I haven’t been over there, but I have friends who are just crushing them every day, wading the south shoreline with soft plastics and topwaters. There are just so many fish right now; I don’t know what to say! It’s kind of like it was in the late 80s before we had our second big freeze. The fish are really just pouring in here, and the calm conditions and clear water make all the difference. There are fish over at Dollar all along Texas City, West Bay, and I mean everybody is catching trout everywhere! When the surf is right, it’s on like crazy! People are just catching hordes of fish throughout the whole complex: over the deep shell, along the shallow flats, wade fishing, boat fishing, whatever’s your pleasure. I haven’t seen it like this in years; even when it’s bad, it’s still pretty good. On a really bad day, I can still catch twenty to twenty-five fish with lures, just grinding them out with high winds out of the boat. I hope I’ve given some inclination of how good it really is.

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Water conditions are pretty much good throughout the whole system as well. Some disturbing news amidst all this though, possibly related to the oil spill. Over east of us, our friends at Sabine are seeing quite a few more pogy (menhaden) seiners moving from the Venice area down to Sabine and Calcasieu, and they are just killing dump trucks full of bull redfish in those nets. It was a hot topic on my radio show. I think one week in late June, Louisiana Fish and Wildlife buried over ten-thousand bull redfish that washed ashore. So far, it seems like Texas Parks and Wildlife have done nothing about it, and those are Texas fish, too. It is reported that some of the pogy boats have worked on the Texas side of the Jefferson county line, and redfish are washing up over there. We’ve been stirring the pot, so hopefully somebody, maybe CCA, will make a stand because this is a terrible waste of redfish spawning stock. Other than that piece of bad news, fishing’s very good right now on the upper coast. Even in Sabine, they’re having an excellent summer season; some longtime anglers calling it the best they’ve seen. I don’t know if Alex was a sign of a busy hurricane season, but we sure needed the rain, and looks like everyone came out safe and ready to fish!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 59

CAPT. BILL’S When the wind subsided back in late June and early July it was like a light switch had been thrown, the bite really turned on. Bill Pustejovsky is a full-time guide at Matagorda, TX. I expect that with Bill fishes year-round for continued favorable trout and redfish in all the weather conditions Matagorda Bays. Wading and this scenario should drifting for trophy trout and flow right on into reds are his specialty. August, although Telephone understandably with 979-863-7353 a little added heat, Email and provided the CaptBill@GoldTipGuideService.com dog days are not too Website www.goldtipguideservice.com many in a row. With that said you’ll want to make sure to have extra water and sports drinks on the boat and pass on the alcoholic beverages as they will dehydrate your system and could possibly lead to heat stroke. It will be hot as Hades but my fishing tactics won’t change much.

Fish Talk

I plan to leave in the pre-dawn hours and get my fishing in early, returning to the dock by 1:00 PM. Hopefully, I will be able to fish from 3:00 AM until around noon. My preference is a new moon (its dark) ffor a somewhat steadier bite but I also llike a full moon because your eyes are aable to adjust to the moonlight making fi fishing quite a bit easier. Always have ssome type of light on your head to use ffor tying knots, unhooking fish, signaling w wade partners and, of course, to signal aany oncoming boats. My night fishing w will more than likely be in East Matagorda B Bay as entertaining sharks during the n nighttime hours over in West Matagorda jjust isn’t my idea of a good idea. Bob Prince with a 25 lb black Good numbers of fish are being brought drum caught on i in from both East and West Matagorda a Bass Assassin wading in West B Bays the past couple of months. Bass Matagorda Bay. A Assassin’s 5” Hot Chicken and Sand Trout h have taken center stage. Both new colors have earned their keep and are also available in the Sea Shad series. I suppose these new bait colors are not only designed to catch

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M ATAG O R DA fishermen, but fish as well. They’re eating them up. Best topwater picks have been She Pups in CRBN, CHPR, and CRRH. Another topwater bait that has been producing well is the Super Spook in Okie Shad. To me, this is a clear-water bait and great to use in West Bay over grass beds. It has proven a good choice for us lately. I think too many fishermen just go through the same old motions and I constantly remind everybody to consider conditions and plan their trips to East and West Matagorda Bays carefully. Successful East Bay wading during the summer rush requires fishing the shorelines early while ending up on a deep reef. If you decide to drift, be sure to drift over scattered shell and be on the lookout for fresh slicks and jumping mullet. I have seen too many people get fooled by slicks that are stung out or others that came out of crab traps. Neither of these are likely to help you find a tug on the end of your line. Decent West Bay wading trips will entail locating pods of mullet and I cannot stress that enough. By August all the glass minnows will be gone and mullet over grass beds will be your best bet. If the surf is right, I’d beat out there. Even on good days it doesn’t always hold for more

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

than a few hours. One last thing...thank God for no hurricane last year and I’m praying we aree ation is spared again this year. However, preparation aalways the b l For best plan. Skip Heath with an tthose of you with camp houses and boat East Bay 29 he took sslips on the coast and others who store to the taxidermist. ttheir boats locally, be sure to check the ccondition of your boat trailer, tires, wheel b bearings, springs, etc. Most individuals w who trailer infrequently, and only to and ffrom the boat shed when they do, never tthink to look at their trailer until it’s too llate. I’m not sure the number of people o out of electricity and gas after Ike due tto gas station closures but I’m sure it w was large, so here’s a tip. Keep your boat fi filled at all times and consider its fuel tank an emergency supply. Most bay boats hold anywhere from 40 to 60 gallons of gas and offshore boats hold even more. That’s a big safety net to run generators and vehicles just in case you need it. I hope we don’t experience any hurricane activity this year but AugustSeptember is the normal timeframe. Be prepared! Until next time; Good fishin’ and God bless. -Capt. Bill

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 61

MID-COAST BAYS

With the Grays

1 78

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San Antonio or Espiritu Santo Bay. A word of caution â&#x20AC;&#x201C; keep an open for alligators patrolling the areas in and around the Matagorda Island sloughs and all along the Aransas Wildlife Refuge shoreline. These guys can be a bit â&#x20AC;&#x153;overly friendlyâ&#x20AC;? at times. Early starts have been a key to success as was seen recently when my team won the Spaw-Maxwell Arriba Pescado Guides Cup and will continue during Augustâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dog days. We are leaving well before sunrise to cash in on the early morning bite. This tactic is really a must on weekend trips when the first stop can make or break your day. Once all the other boats hit the water and run up and down every shoreline; you can pretty much kiss your chances of a good second stop goodbye. Lately we have been throwing the Bass Assassin Swimming Shiners in the clown color the majority of the time. I have a lot of faith in this lure and my customers are starting to acquire the same faith as it has produced consistently, even during some of the most finicky trout bites. These baits are easily fished across shallow grass beds or

Seth Bihm occupied his time between trout bites with his first jack crevalle.

( 6

Here recently, the summer of 2010 is shaping up to be the CAPT. GARY GRAY closest thing to the good old Captain Gary and Captain Shellie days as I have had the pleasure Gray fish year-round for trout to present to my fishing clients and redfish in the Port Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor/ in a long time. I think the Seadrift area. Gary started his Bay positive effects of all the rain Rat Guide Service 20 years ago. The Grays specialize in wade and and cold weather this past drift fishing with artificial lures. winter are finally being realized Gary and Shellie also team up to as our entire San Antonio Bay fish many tournaments. ecosystem returns to some kind of normalcy. We had some very light Telephone wind days in June and July so I 361-785-6708 made my way to the surf along Email Gary@BayRat.com Matagorda Island numerous Website times only to find myself back www.bayratguideservice.com in either San Antonio or Espiritu Santo Bay the next day. The surf trout bite that we have grown accustomed to over the years just hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t materialized for me â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not yet anyway. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had a few good days in the surf but the norm has been making six or more stops to get on a decent bite. One of the problems in the surf has been hoards of gafftopsail catfish, â&#x20AC;&#x153;slimersâ&#x20AC;? as we call them. They will hit a MirrOlure She Dog or a Saltwater Assassin as readily and hard as any surf-run trout. Trying to avoid them has been the single biggest reason we have been making so many moves. No sooner we find trout action and the gafftops take over and shut it down. We should still be fishing the same late-June and July patterns well into August. This means calm day reef hopping in San Antonio Bay, so long as the size of the trout holds up. When the size is not to our liking or the wind dictates another plan, we will opt for wading the shorelines of either

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5REHUW 0D[ZHOO 62 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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P O R T O ’CO N N O R / SE AD R I F T

We have been blessed with more large trout this summer than in many years. Please remember CPR – Catch/Photo/ Release!

by allowing them to sink along a ledge. The paddle tail and larger body helps anglers control the lure much better than some of the other paddle tail type lures we’ve tried. When we are not using the Swimming Shiner, our second choice has been the Saltwater Assassin in bone diamond, pink diamond and

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hot chicken. A good color h cchoice for water that has been torn up by strong wind b h orning has been the one they call morning g h the h glory. I have been rigging both SSwimming Shiners and the Saltwater Assassins on 1/16 o ounce Assassin jigheads, part number JA 05001. Not much of a topwater bite to speak of lately but that d doesn’t necessarily mean there’s no topwater action to be h had. I start most mornings with a surface plug but it won’t sstay on my line very long if I cannot trick them into hitting iit steadily. It has simply been too good with Swimming SShiners and Assassins to miss that morning bite. In my last article I mentioned my new 24’ Shallow Sport ffrom Coastline Marine in Seabrook. You would have to ride iin this boat to believe how well it performs. I like to call it m my office and all I can say is I am now fishing from the best llooking and most functional office I have ever occupied. TThis Shallow Sport combined with the Yamaha 225 SHO four-stroke outboard has made my job so much more pleasant and easier on me and my customers. If you are wondering how a shallow water boat is supposed to perform, give me a call or stop by Charlie’s Bait Camp for a test ride. Fish hard, fish smart!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 63

HOOKED UP WITH Rowsey Has anyone told y’all how pretty the water is down here? I hate to sound like a broken record, but we have been so blessed with great DAVID ROWSEY conditions this summer. As I write, we just dodged a bullet David Rowsey has 20 years in the form of Hurricane Alex. experience in the Laguna/Baffin We have gotten some much region; trophy trout with artificial needed rain that should keep lures is his specialty. David has a great passion for conservation the salinity levels down to and encourages catch and what is considered normal release of trophy fish. on Baffin. If there is any downside to all of the rain it is Telephone with the possibility of brown 361-960-0340 tide raising its ugly head. Website Years of wading these bays www.DavidRowsey.com has taught me that brown tide usually appears after a big runoff from the large ranches that keep Baffin on the wild side. I am hopeful the pristine water conditions we have been enjoying will continue through the fall and winter months. Fishing remains good down here in the Coastal Bend. We are not setting any records in the large trout category, but we are catching

64 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

great numbers of reds and trout. The large trout that we have been catching from June through the end of July have been on the skinny side. The good news is that August will bring us closer to fall when they will begin putting on more weight. Prior to becoming a guide, when I was still eligible to fish CCA’s STAR Tournament, I would always swing for the fence in the first two weeks and last two weeks of the summer long tournament. I never won a STAR but released some fish in late August they were “Like Father, Like Son.” very close to the Brian Kiefer with a big topwater trout. released leader. I never had it in me to kill a super trout to get second place. The leader, as of writing this, is a 9-1 trout. Great fish and congrats to the angler who caught it, but my money is on an even larger fish to hit the leader board during August. So far it has been a really hot summer. I have not checked the actual history of it, but it feels hotter than most. Wading helps with the heat and I find myself heading for deeper waters on a regular basis. It seems to work out well as the trout seem to be out there also. I know there are some rogue trout that stay up in the skinny stuff even in the heat of the day, and that is where you will most likely catch that STAR winner, but the greater numbers of trout have slipped off into the 4-6 foot depths. Usually at this time of year I am doing better on deep rocks, but the deeper grass has been paying off better than the rock pattern of late. The grass lines and potholes change every year, and with the great water clarity, I have been able to stay on top of it, and make some wades in areas

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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UPPE R L AGUNA / BAFFI N that have never been great producers, but it has been different this year. Figuring out these patterns is one of the many things that will always keep fishing interesting to me. Always fish with your eyes and brain before making your first cast (not to be confused with chasing the â&#x20AC;&#x153;bent pole pattern.â&#x20AC;?) Trout have been eating topwaters on a regular basis. The bite usually only lasts until the sun comes up, but fun while it happens. Saying that, I have had some midday success with She Dogs, and the smaller She Pup under ideal conditions, i.e. bait rising during a feed period, but the heavy hitter remains the 5â&#x20AC;? Bass Assassin in natural colors like Chandeleur Isle or the new Copper Juice. MirrOlureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paul Brown Original (PBO), in the original style, has been great when worked methodically along deep grass drop-offs. I prefer this style over the Fat Boy this time of year as it has more of a tendency to get into the depths and stay there with minimal effort. Note: Be sure and tune

the tail of the PBO, and make a few short casts to make sure it is â&#x20AC;&#x153;walking the dogâ&#x20AC;? properly. A little bend goes a llong way w with this lure, so CRAIG KIEFER...... Corky Devil.......... d donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t over do it. I am also staying Released w with natural colors in this lure. The D Day Glo color is about as bright as I am using, and that is only after tthe water has been milked into a â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;&#x153;trout greenâ&#x20AC;? color. I will sign off by saying to all of tthe good people along the Gulf C Coast that have been affected by tthe BP oil disaster that yâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;all have ffriends in Texas that are praying ffor this thing to come to a close sso yâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;all can, hopefully, resume a n normal life. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For the rich, there is ttherapy. For the rest of us, there iis fishing.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Unknown Author Set â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;em Loose. - Capt. David Rowsey

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TRICIA’S Mansfield Report

Capt. Tricia’s Skinny Water Adventures operates out of Port Mansfield, specializing in wadefishing with artificial lures. Telephone 956-642-7298 Email shell@granderiver.net Website www.SkinnyWaterAdventures.com

Mid-summer fishing can be a hit-or-miss deal and lately we have either been hitting it big or missing it totally. On good days the bite has been steady with some great fish mixed in. During some of the hotter days with no wind and no water movement, when the surface gets all grassed-up, the catching part has been a struggle. With any luck, the flushing from Hurricane Alex just might do for us what Dolly did in 2008; setting us up for the most incredible fall and winter seasons we’ve ever

seen. We shall see. As of this writing, there are about as many undersized trout as anybody could want to catch, but going through them trying to find larger specimens can be frustrating. Some of the boaters, however, can be even more frustrating and it has been as crowded down here as I have ever seen, especially during weekends. (What recession?) It’s also tournament time and it seems we have a private or corporate

66 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

event here almost daily. Let’s all please be respectful of others, and especially respectful while handling these smaller summertime fish as they are the future of our fishery. Virtually all of the deeper grassbeds and submerged points have been holding good numbers of trout. Even though many don’t meet the minimum mark, they are all in there together so by continuing to go through them some nice fish can be found. A good example would be the twentyeight pictured here caught by Tolar Hamblen. Typical for this time of year, it was fooled with a slow-moving tail just above the grass. He said the fish “pecked” at it three times before it finally committed. Although there has been the occasional early topwater bite, the plastic tail has ruled as far as action goes. “Shrimpy” colors such as pumpkinseed/chartreuse have been consistent producers, but in offcolored water, plum and even black have done well. In the absence of a strong feed during these hot water conditions (temps on the flats are reaching 92 degrees on sunny, low wind days), the best bet has been tails worked low, just above the grass tips, about waist deep in murky color changes. Redfish, a huge attraction here for many sightcasting sportsmen, strangely disappeared from the flats for several weeks. They seemed to have preferred the deeper dirtier waters instead, but finally started to show back in the shallows during late June and early July. Sight-casting in the clear sand became a great option, but often

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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POR T MANSFI E LD these fish were far too shallow for most boats and long walks were required. When you could get to them, gold spoons worked as well as anything. They often worked better simply because of the casting distance they offer on these spooky cruisers. August is an interesting month and hopes are high for a great summer’s end. Winds should be down with many days when we will all beg for even the slightest breeze. Redfish should be in their shallow patterns and we typically see larger groups pushing wakes in the early morning calm – an awesome sight to see and often from hundreds of yards. They can stay grouped together and remain catchable for hours at a time, but unfortunately, increasing numbers of over-zealous boaters tend to push them down quickly. There are better ways to approach these schools ’t b h than to just use the big motor. Let’s don’t be iin a h hurry here. Topwaters on these bigger groups of fish can be a blast, literally! She Dogs can be met with some extreme aggression and often the whole school will turn and charge the bait. Hooking up on the edge

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of the school usually gives the chance to catch several before they sscatter. W We should aalso start to see more ttailing activity in the sshallow grass and up on the sand. Not ssure which is more of a rush – throwing sspoons at waving tails or having ttopwaters crushed by schoolers – but it’s aall good, you can bet on that. When tides drop, look for bait and p predator alike to become concentrated iin small depressions, guts and tapering sshelves near deeper water. For whatever rreason, we usually start to see big trout u using the extreme shallows as well ttowards the end of the month, often ttailing right along with the reds. How e exciting is that? An active tropical season is predicted, l t’ hope h f the th potential t ti benefits and not the potential so let’s for destruction. We don’t know what this season is going to bring, but I am excited to be out there most days finding out. Here’s to a great August…just keep those tails moving.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 67

SOUTH PADRE Fishing Scene Fishing-wise, the past two

especially around the full moon, have been very productive.

months have been outstanding

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

This year, unlike the past two, we have experienced many

for the many anglers that have

windless early morning conditions. These calm mornings have

made the trek deep to South

allowed us to sight-cast to redfish with their tails and backs out

Texas. The Lower Laguna Madre

of the eight-inch-deep water. Getting out on a calm morning is

has been gracious to provide

also beneficial when trying to pattern fish because the number of

many anglers I have guided

fish wakes will tell you what depth and location these fish prefer

with personal bests in the form

early in the day. If the same conditions persist, you can probably

of Texas snook. The smiles,

find them there again the next day and the next until something

experiences, and stories that

causes them to move on. When you find a fish pattern such as that,

come with these adventures

learn to carefully observe all the conditions such as water level and

have made it all worth while,

temperature, bait availability, time of day and month, and direction

even when we had to endure

of tide flow. I say this because, when conditions are similar, I’ve found fi fish in the same exact spot

the intense Texas sun.

During June and July, fishing shallow early in the morning, then going deep in the middle of the day has been consistently producing good catches of

Jim Tinken experienced Texas snook fishing at its best. His group caught and released twenty-five snook.

ffor the past two years. The tides have generally b been in their normal ssummer lows, except during

redfish and trout. For the most part, this pattern

H Hurricane Alex when we

should continue in August.

rreceived a significant surge, b but I expect all that will

In the long run, the benefits of large amounts of rain on the Lower Laguna Madre watershed are

cchange during August as

being reaped in tight lines and screaming drags.

m more tropical systems reach

Already, we can see that the recent rain certainly

o our shores. We will see

helped this year’s phenomenal shrimp crop. I’ve

ttides rise with each system,

seen flocking gulls, tailing redfish, and keeper specks

aand there will be plenty

feasting on shrimp buffets on both sides of the ICW

o of water for fish to roam.

all the way up the Brownsville Ship Channel. The

O Our approach will certainly

easiest trout catching, currently, is in the evenings,

cchange from fishing out

especially when the wind has been blowing over 15

iin the middle of the bay

mph on an outgoing tide. Bird action is also great

tto fishing back lakes and

in the early morning if the wind is blowing, and it

sshorelines. All the water will

repeats late in the afternoon all the way into the

ccause bait and fish to inhabit

darkness. Overall, the late afternoons and evenings,

rremote flats and shorelines,

%RDW /LIWV 3:& /LIWV 0RUH 68 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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AR ROYO CO LO R AD O TO P O R T I SABE EL making them temporarily more difficult to pattern, but once you find the pattern, stick to it

A August will Talk about lucky; the last of the day produced this 33-incher.

ccontinue to b be topwaters

and remember, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sometimes

aand Kelly Wiggler er

more important to find

B n plum/chart Ball Tail Shads in

concentrations of bait than it

aand olive/chart rigged on 1/8 oz jig heads.

is actually seeing the reds and

N Never rule out a gold weedless spoon when

trout in the shallows.

cchasing shallow water redfish.

I have found that two major

In closing, a product worthy of

influences create bait patterns:

m mentioning is the new Simms Flats Boot.

tidal movement and water

I was lucky enough to field test them last

temperature. Find where the

yyear and loved their durability, support,

bait is thickest at dawn, during

aand comfort. I put over 400 hours on the

the hottest part of the day,

p pair I field tested and they held up very

and then again as darkness

w well showing little wear. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in the

approaches. You can bet the

m market for comfort, good ankle support,

fish will be there with the bait

aand durability, take a look at the Simms Flats

and daily movement can then

B Boot. You might want to try them on before

be pinpointed. The local bait

b buying because they tend to have a slightly

population looks very healthy

ttight fit. You can find them at Fishing Tackle

and will continue to thrive

U Unlimited; or visit their online store www.

with all the freshwater that we

fi fishingtackleunlimited.com

are getting. Our top baits for

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 69

Fishing Reports and Forecasts from Big Lake to Boca Chica Lake Calcasieu Louisiana Jeff and Mary Poe - Big Lake Guide Service - 337 598 3268 Consistently hot weather means it’s time to head for deeper, cooler water to locate fish that are seeking relief from the heat. The Ship Channel, close rigs, and beachfront are three areas to concentrate hardest on. The Johnson Bayou Rocks are always a good place to try in August too. As far as soft plastics go, try MirrOlure Soft Minnows, H&H Beetles, and Norton Sand Eel Jrs. Topwaters also work really well, especially out on the beach. If live bait is necessary, try finger mullet or pogies, but resorting to such tactics is usually not required to catch plenty of fish. When you fish the channel, clean water and a moving tide are the keys to catching fish. Fish drop offs and oyster reefs in any depth, from about three feet all the way down to twenty feet. Don’t forget about the Cameron Jetties either! Live mullet or pogies will be hard for jetty trout to resist. Look for clean, green water, current movement, and rafted mullet holding tight to the rocks and there should be feeding fish hanging close by.

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service - 979 849 7019 - 979 864 9323 With all the unsettled weather and dirty water, Randall has been using live bait most of the time lately. “You can bang out a few fish on lures, but bait has been better most of the time. Live pinfish have been the best. Both the redfish and the trout love ‘em. Just the other day, we boxed nice limits of fish using those. Live shrimp will work at times, but you get so many trash fish that it makes it more of a hassle. Of course, live croakers and mullet are good too and the quality of the fish you will catch is great. By August, I expect to see the weather calm down some and we should have some of those hot, still days with a flat surf. If that happens, we’ll be out there along the beach looking for schooling trout and trying to catch them on top waters and tails. I love the Skitterwalks out there. Normally, it seems like when we have a rough weather pattern early in the summer, the second half of summer turns out to be still and hot. If that happens, we’ll be whackin’ ’em in the surf around here.”

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay - James Plaag Silver King Adventures - www.silverkingadventures.com - 409 935 7242 James reports that the fishing is mostly hot around Galveston lately. “It’s not real good when it’s windy, of course, but when conditions are decent, you can catch ‘em pretty much all over the bays. The redfish in particular have been easy and should be through August. The key to catching them is to locate slicks in four to six feet of water. When you find one red, you’ll usually find a bunch. Best lure for them has been Bass Assassin Sea Shads in 10W40 and hot chicken. The guys up and down the ship channel are catching good numbers of trout on humps near deep water, mostly on live bait, but you can do it with soft plastics and heavy jigheads too. Of course, chasing slicks around the shell reefs in East Bay has been productive for trout too, especially when winds are lighter. Most of the fish have been in fairly deep water close to the reefs. Trinity has been producing too. Some of the guys have been wading the east shoreline around scattered shell. That works best when the east wind is blowing steady and tide levels are high.”

Matagorda - Tommy Countz Bay Guide Service - 979 863 7553 cell 281 450 4037 Working the grass beds along the south shoreline in West Matagorda Bay is the standard drill in August for Tommy. “Most days, I’ll be in West Bay, working the shallow grass early and moving out to the beds along the main bay drop offs later in the morning. We’ll anticipate a topwater bite and give those a try, but our best luck is on soft plastics. Lately, the Norton Bull Minnows in dark colors have been producing well. We’ll rig them on light jigheads, either eighth or sixteenth ounce, so we can pull them really slow over the grass. As for topwaters, I like the small ones, the Super Spook and Skitterwalks in junior versions and the She Pup from MirrOlure. Those little baits work well over in East Bay too. Last August, the redfish were in the coves pretty thick and I expect this August to be much the same. We’ll work the grass over there the same way we do in West Bay, starting off close to the shoreline early, then moving out with the rising sun and heat. All of this we’ll do unless the surf is right. We’ll head out there every chance we get.”

Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409 996 3054 “The fishing was real good before the rough weather associated with these storms settled in. We were catching fast limits of trout up to over twenty seven inches and you could get ‘em pretty much how you wanted to. I’ve been keying on slicks out in the middle of East Bay mostly. Sometimes, the fish are over shell, sometimes over mud, but the slicks won’t lie about where they are. There’s some topwater bite on most days, but we are having our best luck with soft plastics, mostly Texas Trout Killers. I’ll throw the clear metal flake one if the water gets really clear, and stick with the white and chartreuse colors mostly, when the water is a little off color. There has been some good wading on area shorelines too, everywhere from the east side of Trinity to both sides of East Bay, and the topwaters usually work when wading. That works best when the tide is high and water temperatures are running a little below normal, meaning there’s been some clouds in the sky. These patterns should hold all the way through August.”

Palacios - Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979 240 8204 Calm seas and light winds have turned on the fishing around deep structures in West Matagorda Bay. With water temps in the mid to upper eighties, our fish have moved to the wells and barges to seek cooler temperatures. Trout ranging from fifteen to seventeen inches have been common catches at these deepwater structures. Live-shrimp freelined or glow DOA shrimp have been most productive for the schoolies. Tripletail fishing has been on fire as of late. Last week my party had a personal best of twenty five pounds with two others over twenty pounds. Live-shrimp dangled under a popping cork about five feet deep seem to best bet on those tasty fish. The surf should turn on anytime now and should continue hot through the month of August. Topwaters such as chrome/green and chartreuse/chrome are two of my favorites for catching trout in the surf. Soft plastics in any dark colors with chartreuse tails seem to do the trick in the surf too.

70 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

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Port O’Connor - Lynn Smith - Back Bay Guide Service - 361 983 4434 Lynn wants to head to the surf in August as much as possible, but knows that plan is dependent on a change in weather patterns. “We’ll need some calm days and a break in this steady storm pattern. If we get that, the surf will be the place to be. Out there, we tend to stick with the larger topwaters like Super Spooks and She Dogs. We’ll work them close to the beach early and move out to the deeper guts later. If we can’t get into the surf, we’ll fish areas close to access to the gulf, mainly around the pass and the jetties. We’ll key on grass flats with sand pockets on flats which are very close to the deep water, which is generally cooler this time of year. I like to keep targeting the bright spots in the grass. This pattern works best when the tide is coming in during the morning hours. We’ll throw smaller topwaters when fishing inside the bay, especially the junior version of the Super Spook. Of course, if the blow ups aren’t coming, we’ll switch over to soft plastics pretty quickly.” Rockport - Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361 790 5203 - 361 441 3894 Blake does a little of everything in terms of tactics during the hot summer months. “I’ll fish all different kinds of ways, from wading with live croakers to soft plastics to topwaters. Lately, our bite on topwaters has been only fair, so I’ve been using soft plastics and croakers more of the time. As the summer wears on, I hope to get out in the surf some. I’ve had years where I spent about half of my fishing time in August out there. I’ve had reports this year that it isn’t off to a great start, but that can change. It will be better if we get some calmer weather of course. I’ll also start looking for schooled up redfish in areas which are somewhat close to access to the Gulf. Usually, the southern portions of Aransas Bay will see an influx of migrating herds, as will the flats in Redfish Bay and Corpus Christi Bay. Locating these migrating schools can be the ticket to fast and easy fishing during August, when the heat can make the trout a little tougher to catch. Once you find the herds, it’s usually pretty easy to catch a bunch and have a blast doing it.” Padre Island National Seashore Billy Sandifer - Padre Island Safaris - 361 937 8446 August surf fishing is either feast or famine. Tarpon, sharks, jack crevalle, speckled trout and redfish are all possible. Especially if we have some tropical activity. Water is typically clear and calm with somewhat low tide levels. Spanish mackerel, king mackerel and lots of ladyfish are often present feeding on shoals of anchovies. Silver spoons and speck rigs work well. Fish under the birds. If we get a tropical event in the Gulf the finger mullet migration will kick off early and redfish will migrate early out of the bays. Wire or heavy mono is necessary for the mackerels and ladyfish. Topwater lures work well for all species. By driving slowly and being observant one can often sight-cast trout, redfish and sharks. Usually there is little to no sargassum in August. Speed limit will be back up to 25 mph. Peeled fresh shrimp and Fishbites will catch lots of whiting and occasional palometa. Loggerhead and green sea turtles will still be nesting but they nest at night. Report fresh tracks so eggs can be gathered. Good Fishin’ Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 563 1160 Thank goodness Hurricane Alex didn’t come any closer to our part of the Laguna. We did experience some very high tides for a short while, but the water level has already gone back down. The fish scattered out into all new areas flooded by the high tides and this created more areas available for sight casting at reds, trout and black drum, which has been a blast. I’m going to continue looking for schooled up redfish in the upper end of

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

the Laguna early in the morning and casting light colored Bass Assassins rigged on eighth ounce Spring-Lock jigheads or half ounce weedless gold spoons. The redfish schools will be holding in about two feet of water and I’m casting to the outer edges of the schools to keep the rest of the school from getting spooked. The trout fishing has also been great, and it should continue for the rest of the summer, but the trout are not as heavy as they were earlier in the year. I’ve been having greater success using live croakers. I’ll be fishing with the croakers along grass lines and potholes in three feet of water. Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361 937 5961 Joe reports excellent fishing for redfish lately in the northern parts of the Upper Laguna Madre. “I’ll probably be staying up north most of the rest of the summer. The redfish are roaming around in schools and are usually pretty easy to locate and see, since the water is nice and clear. The best days for sight casting the fish is when it’s bright and not too windy, but not dead calm either. We’re catching them on soft plastics and topwaters too. Actually, I’m finding that Super Spook Jrs. with single hooks on them are working best. The single hooks prevent the lure from fouling in the floating grass as bad, and I like the action of the lure better than with treble hooks too. The hook up ratio doesn’t seem to be suffering too much, as the reds often take the small plugs all the way into their mouth. Even if the hook up ratio is a little lower, you save so much time because you aren’t reeling in to remove grass. It’s a good trade off. This action should only get better as more and more schools of fish come this way, heading to the Gulf at the end of summer.” Port Mansfield – Terry Neal – www.terrynealcharters.com – (956) 944 2559 Don’t be surprised to run into some big schools of redfish this month; they are getting ready to move out to the Gulf on their normal spawning run. Some of the best fishing will come when you wade into one of the schools. They are hard to keep up with when they are tight and pushing water but if you can wade into them, it will be fish after fish. Trout continue to be holding on the deeper grass beds and I don’t expect any changes until water temperatures start cooling off. If you are into afternoon fishing, the next couple of months offer some of the best opportunity. The last two hours of daylight can be magical. Offshore action is really picking up, lots of bait balls are at the jetties with all kinds of big fish following them. It’s like everything else though; you’ve got to be there when they are biting. Alex could really change fishing for the better; it is usually excellent fishing following a tropical storm. Keep only what you can eat…release the rest. Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Janie and Fred Petty – www.fishingwithpettys.com – (956) 943 2747 Trout fishing remains constant, with all our clients bringing in limits throwing Cajun Thunder round corks and Gulps. Normal conditions for this time of year would be calm to no wind and very dry, hot conditions, however at the time of this writing we are battening down for hurricane Alex. Short, but heavy rains and high winds are already affecting the LLM. It remains to be seen whether or not the hurricane will go in south of us, but we know from experience that the north side of the storm will be the worst for fishing. Freddy says, “We can expect the bay to be a mess for at least a couple of weeks. The high winds will keep everything stirred up, so the water will be muddy for awhile, then the run-off from all the rain will most likely make fishing difficult, keeping the water cloudy and offcolor, depending on wind direction and tide.” We know there’s always the possibility of hurricanes; we just have to deal with short-term affects and usually benefit long term. The best fishing we’ve seen in decades occurred after Dolly and Ike.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 71

Catch of the Month! All upcoming Photo Galleries are now online! Check out when your photo will appear in the magazine.

Marvin Schwarzer Port O’Connor - 36” redfish

Narce Alvarado Galveston Jetties - first bull red!

Larry Korry Sabine Lake - 26” redfish

Ryan Malone Pita Island - 29.5” redfish

72 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

Taylor Chaney Port Lavaca Bay - redfish

Jeremy Bernal Port Aransas - 44” redfish

Debbie Fougerat Port O’Connor - 37” redfish

Verna Headley Surfside Jetty Park - 40” first bull red!

Jake Hoover 29” first redfish!

Chase Griffin Matagorda Bay - 28.5” 7.5lb trout

Michael Mahler Port O’Connor - 33” redfish C&R

Debi Screnci San Luis Pass - 33” redfish C&R

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Greenway Surfside Beach - 37.25” redfish

David Sedmak Galveston Island - 44” bull red C&R

Henry Tomerlin PINS - redfish Celeste Wolff Bolivar Peninsula - 40” black drum C&R Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Carly Mae Rotramel Freeport - 26â&#x20AC;? first redfish!

Jesse Vega Port Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor - 42â&#x20AC;? bull red

Clayton â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bubbaâ&#x20AC;? Webernick Carancahue Bay - redfish C&R

Tom Zaehler Galveston - 25lb 4.5â&#x20AC;&#x2122; & 55lb blacktip & redfish

Butch Wisehart Rocky Slough - 25â&#x20AC;? trout

Amanda Vega Rockport Fulton - 16â&#x20AC;? black drum

Miguel Tanner Arroyo City - 43â&#x20AC;? redfish

Jaden Teare Galveston Bay - 19â&#x20AC;? trout

Kalyn Watson Rockport - trout

Salvador Arroyos redfish Frank Arroyos Port Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor - redfish

Mary Arroyos redfish

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Zack Belcher San Luis Pass - 32â&#x20AC;? redfish Eric Burkhart Sargent - 48â&#x20AC;? redfish Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Kelly Hablitz Rockport - 41â&#x20AC;? black drum Texas Saltwater Fishing

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www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 73

Back to School! Lau Quach Freeport - 18lb scamp grouper Meagn Chandler Galveston Bay - 18” first trout!

Zack first keeper trout!

Sam Mattingly first Spanish mackerel!

Lance Nunley 20” trout C&R Augie & Derrick Hinojosa Baffin Bay - 29.5” Derrick’s biggest trout!

Matthew Potts Lower Laguna Madre - 28” red

Landen Grable W Galveston - personal best red! 74 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

Michael Sassin Jr. Brazos River mouth - redfish

Jake Belz Port Aransas - first trout!

Joseph Perez Laguna Madre - redfish

Sam Giammalva Port O’Connor - 42” bull red

Rebecca Tietze Lighthouse Lakes - 21” red

Jack Stallings Pirates Cove - 19” trout

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Matthew Potts Laguna Madre - 23’ 4.5lb trout

Ryan Bagwell Port Isabel - 29” 8lb trout C&R

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Rachel Newton West Bay - 21.5” first keeper trout!

April Spearow Freeport - 19.5” flounder

Henry Stopschinski Dewberry Island - black drum

Garret Cot Corpus Christi - redfish

Dylan Dunn W Galveston - 26.5” trout C&R

Ada Stopschinski Dewberry Island - first redfish!

Bailie Olson Laguna Madre - 34” first redfish!

Emma Doria Nueces Backbay - 27” first keeper red!

Lukas Gautney Chocolate Bayou - black drum

Aiden’s first fish! South Padre

Katie Douglas first kayak trout! C&R

Micah Gautney Chocolate Bayou 45” black drum

Kyle Duffin Land Cut Marker 13 - 26.5” trout Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Allyson Bishop Batie Bishop Laguna Madre - fishing for redfish Laguna Madre - 29” first redfish! Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 75

GULF COAST

We were introduced to Paesano Shrimp by Beverly Albrecht. We found it delicious and, with the pasta prepared in this method, a rich and satisfying meal for seafood and pasta lovers alike. We hope you enjoy it as much as we have.

PAM JOHNSON Got ideas, hints or recipes you’d like to share? Email them to pam@tsfmag.com or send by fax: 361-785-2844

Kitchen

Pasta

Preparing shrimp

Sauce • Prepare pasta as per package 1 lb shrimp - peeled and deveined 1 egg yolk instructions and drain, do not rinse. 1 cup milk 1-1/2 Tbsp lemon juice • Pour sauce over pasta, and toss. 1 cup flour 1 stick butter • Serve immediately topped with 1 cup olive oil 1 tsp fresh garlic-minced shrimp from broiler. • Soak shrimp in milk 10 minutes and drain 2 tsp. fresh chives-finely chopped • Coat shrimp with flour 2 tsp. fresh parsley-chopped • Sauté evenly in hot olive oliv oil, just beginning to brown Salt and black pepper to taste • Place under preheated broiler until golden, without • Melt half stick in heavy sauce pan over very low heat. turning or moving, important impo for crisping. • Combine egg yolk and lemon juice, add to melted butter. • Add rest of butter and garlic, chives, parsley, stir until all butter is melted. • Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Hint: A dash of cayenne or crushed red pepper can add a tasteful zip.)

76 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

From Justine Taylor, TSFMag Subscriber

I was fishing with David Bishop and just as we were talking about calling it a day and heading in; David got a bite and set the hook on this beautiful 40-inch, 35-lb bull red. As David was reeling it in, I noticed what appeared to be another line tangled with his. I knew I had reeled in our other lines but doubled checked anyway just to be sure and didn’t think anymore of it. I saw the other line tangled with David’s a couple of times during the fight with the big red and each time I checked the other rods, everything was in and rolled up neatly. After I lip gaffed David’s red at the side of the boat (too big for our net), hauled it aboard and handed it over to him, I STILL noticed another fishing line and grabbed it. David cut the mystery line where it was tangled with his and handed me one end while he took the other. We soon figured out there was something on each end but we were so busy admiring his big redfish that whatever was on there was not important. At the exact same time, David hauled in a small shark and I hauled in an almost new rod and reel. So, in one catch, David ended up with a beautiful bull red, a shark, and a rod and reel. He’ll have to work hard to top this one but we’ll definitely have fun trying. And for any who might be interested; the red and the shark were released but we kept the rod and reel.

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2010 79

I N D E X O F A DV E R TI S E R S For more information about these advertisers visit: http://www.texassaltwaterfishingmagazine.com/contact_advertisers_product.html APPAREL

FISHING PRODUCTS (RODS, REELS, ETC.)

Capt. Steve Hillman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Bass King. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

American Rodsmiths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

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Peligac Offshore Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Bass Assassin Lures Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

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Costa Del Mar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

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Boat Lift Distributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

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Capt. Glenn Hammond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Coveralls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

EZ Drainer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

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Fibertex & Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Fins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Capt. Stan Sloan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Gulf Coast Trolling Motor . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Fishing Tackle Unlimited Green Rods . 57

Capt. Brandon Banta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

House of Fiberglass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

ForEverlast Hunting/Fishing Products 43

Capt. Ruben Garza Jr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

McClain Trailers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Goyen Electric Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

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Safe Floor Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Kevin Cochran Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

South Texas Trolling Motors . . . . . . . . . 68

Luresafety Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

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Specialty Aluminum Works . . . . . . . . . . 7

Mud Hole Tackle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Aventura - Jewelry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

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Night Angler Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Cove Harbor Marina and Drystack . . . . 41

Tops-N-Towers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover, 1

Pier 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Crab Master - Pearl Products . . . . . . . . . 76

Rods by Pepper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Exmark’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

BOATS, KAYAKS, OUTBOARDS

Russelures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Solunar

Hillman’s Seafood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Anchor Marine of Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover, 1

Shimano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

TSFMag Subscription Form . . . . . . . . . . 77

Bernie’s Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

SmartShield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Busha Boat Works. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Star brite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

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Coastal Backwater Marine . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Strike Pro America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Baffin on the Rocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Coastline Marine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover, 1

Stunt Grunt Lures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Bluff’s Landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Dargel Boat Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Texas Tackle Factory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Capt. Carl Bauer / Liar Lagoon . . . . . . . 79

Flatstalker Boat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Third Stone Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Solunar

Floating Cabin Rentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

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Gulf Coast Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coverf, 1

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Hell’s Bay Boatworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Yeti Coolers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

REAL ESTATE/RENTAL

Huff Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Kroll’s Marine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

FISHING RETAIL LOCATIONS

Majek Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Academy Sports + Outdoors Inside Back Cover

Mt. Houston Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Bass Pro Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

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Rockport Marine, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Fishing Tackle Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover

Kevin Severance Insurance . . . . . . . . . . 49

Sail & Ski Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Fish-N-Hunt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

West Point Boat Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Shallow Sport Boats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover, 1

Roy’s Bait & Tackle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Texas Marine-E Sullivan . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Speedy Stop Kids Tourney . . . . . . . . . . . 15

TOURNAMENTS/EVENTS

The Sportsman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover, 1

Speedy Stop Solunar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Solunar

Texas Hunters & Sportsmans’s Expo . . 67

The Oaks at Bentwater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Texas International Boat Show . . . . . . . 2, 73, 75

Trans Fiberglass Boat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

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Texas Music Throwdown . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

BUILDER & BUILDER PRODUCTS

Capt. C.T. Siems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Building Products Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

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WEBSITE

Eco Vantage Wood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Capt. Mark Huse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

The Chupacabra Outdoors . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Specialty Shutters Systems . . . . . . . . . . 61

Capt. Shelly & Gary Gray . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

80 August 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

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GALVESTON TIDES & SOLUNAR TABLE Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine AUGUST 2010

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