August 2012

PREDATOR BEHAVIOR Insight from Mike McBride.

WADING INTO

EXTREME FISHING

DANGER Joe Dogget & Joe Richard discuss reality.

Eric Ozolins joins TSFMag!

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aBOut tHe cOVer Young Charlie Drost is all smiles with a beautiful marsh red that inhaled a Super Spook as easily as a grass shrimp. Kudos to Charlie’s father Will Drost for instilling a passion for fi shing and strong conservation ethic. ~Will Drost photo.

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Everett Johnson Everett@tsfmag.com VICE PRESIDENT PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Pam Johnson Pam@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-550-9918 NATIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE Bart Manganiello Bartalm@optonline.net

cOntentS

REGIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE

AUGUST 2012 VOL 22 NO 4

FeatureS

Mike McBride Kevin Cochran Billy Sandifer Martin Strarup Chuck Uzzle Joe Doggett Joe Richard

Donna Boyd Donna@tsfmag.com BUSINESS / ACCOUNTING MANAGER Shirley Elliott

36

Shirley@tsfmag.com CIRCULATION SUBSCRIPTION – PRODUCT SALES

dePartMentS 25 Coastal Birding 46 Let’s Ask The Pro 48 Boat Maintenance Tips 50 Fly Fishing 54 TPWD Field Notes 58 Kayak Fishing 62 According to Scott 64 Youth Fishing 66 Texas Nearshore & Off shore 70 Cade’s Coastal Chronicles 74 Extreme Kayak Fishing & Sharks...

78 Fishy Facts

Billy Sandifer Jay Watkins Chris Mapp Casey Smartt Karen Meador Scott Null Scott Sommerlatte Marcos Garza Mike Jennings Cade Simpson Eric Ozolins Stephanie Boyd

WHat Our guideS HaVe tO Say

82 Dickie Colburn’s Sabine Scene 84 Mickey on Galveston 86 Capt. Bill’s Fish Talk 88 Mid-Coast Bays with the Grays 90 Hooked up with Rowsey 92 Capt. Tricia’s Port Mansfi eld Report 94 South Padre Fishing Scene

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

regularS

102 4 | August 2012

Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-649-2265 PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

08 Lessons from Hanger 16 The Choices We Make 22 Only the Good Die Young...

26 Meet the BUBBA BLADE 30 Broomsticks and Buggy Whips 34 Danger Afoot, Over-Rated...

38 Stingray Wars

74

Patti Elkins Patti@tsfmag.com

04 Editorial 80 New Tackle & Gear 96 Fishing Reports and Forecasts 100 Catch of the Month 102 Gulf Coast Kitchen

92

Linda Curry Cir@tsfmag.com ADDRESS CHANGED? Email Store@tsfmag.com DESIGN & LAYOUT Stephanie Boyd stephanie@tsfmag.com Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine is published monthly.

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Order on-line: WWW.TSFMAG.COM MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine Attn: Subscriptions P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 * Subscribers are responsible for submitting all address changes and renewals by the 10th of the prior month’s issue. Email store@tsfmag.com for all address changes or please call 361-785-3420 from 8am - 4:30pm. The U.S. Postal Service does not guarantee magazines will be forwarded .

HOW TO CONTACT TSFMAG: PHONE: 361-785-3420 FAX: 361-785-2844 MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 PHYSICAL ADDRESS: 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, TX 77983 WEB: www.TSFMAG.com PHOTO GALLERY: photos@tsfmag.com PRINTED IN THE USA. Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine (ISSN 1935-9586) is published monthly by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, Texas 77983 l P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 © Copyright 1990 All rights reserved.

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MEMORY MAKERS EDITORIAL Hi Everett, I am sending some recent photos of Hunter, my six-yearold. He’s already completely addicted to fi shing! This is one of many upper slot reds he, his grandpa (Bob Beckett who snapped the photos), and I caught this weekend in Corpus Christi Bay… teaching the conservation thing early. It was pretty cool to have three generations wade-fi shing together. Hopefully this will be just one of many successful trips in the future.

I know Hunter would be thrilled if you could fi nd a way to use this in the magazine because it was a really big deal for him…me and Grandpa too! ~Greg Stunz

WHOle lOt OF

SHAKIN’gOin’ On

Dear Mr. Johnson, My nine-year-old son Harrison and I had a great father-son fi shing trip out of the Arroyo Colorado recently with Capt. Leroy Gonzales. Harrison has fi shed with me several times but he always got upset when I got out of the boat and he to remain with the non-wade-fi shing guys. This was a big event for us.

We found a pair of wading boots to fi t him and he joined me for his fi rst wade this past Sunday morning, May 27th. The trout he is holding is his very fi rst caught while wade-fi shing. He is defi nitely “hooked” on wade-fi shing with artifi cials. I’m so proud.

Actually, it brought a tear of joy to my eye to see him out there catching trout all on his own. He must have caught at least seven. Half of them were undersized but that worked out just fi ne helping him perfect the art of catch and release.

Thanks and Tight Lines, ~Jeff Phillips 6 | August 2012

I make a point to avoid discussing developments at TSFMag in this column, preferring instead to pursue more worthy and hopefully informative topics. Please allow me a digression this month as we have much going on that I want to announce.

While many print outdoor magazines seem to languish in poor economic trends and the rapid rise of electronic media – all I can say is we have been blessed. With the support of loyal readers and an uncommon blend of regional and national advertisers, TSFMag is growing.

This issue marks the debut of a new monthly department; Eric “Oz” Ozolins’ Extreme Kayak Fishing and Sharks from the Sand.

Already a legend in shark fi shing conservation and fi shery research, Oz will be writing about paddling off shore for every species of gamefi sh he can fi nd and also his extreme shark angling from the beach. Oz’s stuff is, in a word…incredible; quite unlike anything you will fi nd in print anywhere. We are very proud to have him. Learn more about Oz at ExtremeCoast.com.

More news – Casey Smartt has requested release from monthly writing chores to concentrate on his other business pursuits and teenaged sons. But this does not mean that fl y-fi shing will leave our pages. Scott Sommerlatte will take over the Fly Department in September and Casey will check in occasionally with his usual fi ne writing to tell of adventures with the long rod. We wish Casey and his family well.

Scott Null will hand over the reins of the Kayak Fishing Department to Cade Simpson and take up Scott Sommerlatte’s position as skiff -guide correspondent…though not necessarily in his predecessor’s full “According to Scott” style. Cade is natural for the Kayak Department as he is “ate up with it” as they say.

Feature stories are always very popular and we have been lucky to publish quite a few pieces from Joe Richard and Joe Doggett over the past year. Reader feedback for these guys has been very good and we plan to keep them aboard as often as their other writing schedules will allow. McBride, Cochran, Strarup, Uzzle and Sandifer – our tried and true feature corps of many years – will continue to bring you the stuff you buy this magazine to read.

Last but certainly not least, TSFMag is expanding within the realm of digital outdoor media. We have a brand new website being developed that promises to make our present site look like a sixthgrader’s science project. Look for a bunch of updates and changes; easier to browse, maybe even blogs and interactive forums. Time (and this old dog learning new tricks) will tell how far we can go.

As I write, we are just returned from the grand daddy of fi shing trade shows, American Sportfi shing Association’s ICAST. ICAST is the acronym for International Conference of Allied Sportfi shing Trades.

This year’s event was held in Orlando, Florida and it lived up to its name in many ways. Lots of new tackle and gear was announced as well as improvements to a host of items we have been using for years.

Watch our tackle and gear section to learn about what’s new and better for the coming year.

STORY BY MIKE MCBRIDE

back when the good lord sPoke

in King James’ English, He said unto them, “have dominion over the fi sh of the sea, the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

What a magnifi cent assignment but…really?

Surely something must have been misinterpreted along the way.

A lure fi sherman knows full well we cannot control gamefi sh and for all those other living things, who in the heck ever had dominion over a darn cat?

Both concepts have been reinforced lately by a new household arrival, curiously in the form of a tiny rescued kitten. The thing has actually provoked some interesting and parallel thought concerning 8 | August 2012

this “sport” we call fi shing. Yeah, it’s sport all right, and so is sparring with a developing young predator’s instinctive learning curve…both physically and cerebrally. The little twit’s name is Hanger.

Hanger came to us before sun-up one morning at the boat slip when Capt. Tricia and her party kept hearing a pitiful cry for help coming from where the pilings met the water. A spotlight revealed two little eyes begging beneath two sets of deeply embedded claws.

Down goes a long-handled dip net and the house hasn’t been the same since. By nature we are dog people but, kinda like that “old cat needing a new kitten” philosophy to rejuvenate gusto, we have been enjoying how this little dweeb’s antics have reminded us about life in general. We can even draw some comparisons between its pre-

So how do we fi nd those preferred trails? They’re always changing and fi sh don’t leave tracks.

programmed but still developing predator instincts and lure fi shing.

Nothing new per se, just some reminders, often comical, about what we are dealing with out there in the animal world we are often so pitifully removed from. A darn cat…go fi gure.

A predator is a predator however, and this little feline toot symbolizes many of the same instincts seen upon the entire face of our blue-green earth, from “lions and tigers and bears, Oh no” – even extending below the surface of the sea. Let’s have a little fun and try to pit some recent observations towards our trout and reds, just trying to better understand the whole process and perhaps knock some more paint off our lures.

First off , this wacky thing has ears like a bat and misses absolutely

nothing. Interesting how quickly it learned to distinguish good noises from bad and adapt accordingly. A loud slam sends it into the deepest bowels of retreat but, the barely audible sound of foil ripping across the top of a Purrfectly Fish Tuna pouch will call it back immediately.

I once wrote a three-part article I called Sound Advice. It was about bio-acoustics and, like this furry-butted predator, a fi sh’s sound detection system is far beyond our understanding. A big trout can hear your clumsy size 13 bootie from a hundred yards off and perhaps even know whether you have a corn on your left big toe making you walk funny.

Sound can either be good or bad. So would that thoughtless deck hatch slam be a good stimulus in shallow water?

TSFMAG.com | 9

We also might consider the positive effects from good topwater choices and presentations for the immediate moment at hand. Not all topwaters, nor the workmen behind them, are created equal, and we’re looking for that “foil rip” here. We are basically talking about animal sensory perception in general and, again, we just can’t comprehend but we can address.

Besides incredible hearing, predator eyesight is also many times again what ours is. This little geek can easily plant a wet tooth precisely on the end of your nose when we can’t even see well enough to avoid destroying a shinbone against an urgent midnight toilet bowl.

Same with fish, and more than one study has shown their ability to easily pick off prey under zero visibility, even when physically blindfolded for the experiment. I still chuckle at an internet message board rule that you have to throw a black topwater at night so they can see it, but only after 20+ years of nighttime field experiments above a nighttime Google experience. Everything on the surface looks dark at night and they don’t really have to see it (Above) Not all topwaters are created equal. What we’re looking for is that “foil rip” that matches the conditions. Top: Baby Skitter Walk – Small and quiet. Middle: OneKnocker Spook – Medium size and sound. Bottom: She Dog – Loud as they get.

Predators can be drawn out with a shaker-bell toy.

10 | August 2012

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Can we talk about that muddy water stuff again?

Hopefully going to knock some more paint off of our lures.

12 | August 2012

in the first place. Can we talk about that muddy water thing again?

Watching some of the instinctive, overall movements of this fledgling predator is interesting as well. Most traveling routes are slinked along walls or some other type of structure, always using some sort of cover to get from A to B. Same with other critters, both predator and prey. Even cattle usually take specific trails to their favorite grove of trees, lay down for most of the day, and then run to the bell of the feed tractor.

Next time you are traveling, picture that roadside field covered with several feet of water. How would you find those preferred trails?

Where would you find those quail at this time of day, without using a dog? With fishing it’s even harder because their preferred trails change often and they don’t leave tracks.

A fish’s cover can be many things; bait lines, current rips, color differences, etc. We can be fifty yards off and miss everything. Jay Watkins will probably talk about those “invisible lines” soon, and how can they be possibly be taught any better than by experience? I’d listen if he goes there.

Anyway, let’s remember that the earth is 90% water, and because survival is the goal, there are some highly evolved yet predictable habits. Getting on them first is everything, so we need learn to find those walls of cover to be consistent.

Another observation about animal movements in general is that cats can easily sleep about eighteen hours per day. We see the same thing in fishing and there can easily be hours and hours of total downtime. When it’s time to assume the meatloaf position it’s not

Nothing like riding a new horse in good country.

easily overcome. Just like fi sh, when it’s time to chill, this little dude can vanish into some pretty inaccessible places. There’s nothing like a freaking cat to rip you off though and this guy was quick to fi nd some good hiding opportunity, like behind a ten year unfi nished kitchen counter trim board I continually take heat over. When fi shing, think of those safe bail-off , meatloaf spots during slow periods. Also, we can draw that predator out with a shaker-bell toy – in the form of an enticingly worked topwater.

Speaking of spots, we also watched Hanger quickly learn the most 14 | August 2012

comfortable ones for the conditions; like lying on cool tile when it’s hot or diving into a warm clothes hamper when the AC cranks down.

Let’s remember to always remember that one during temperature swings. Where would Hanger hang?

So what do you we do with some of these many reminders? Not much really, except just try to better understand nature in general by watching all of nature around us, especially the inner workings of predator vs. prey behavior. We can’t really compare intelligence to a simple brainstem, but the master plan is still quite telling, and should be above all, quite humbling. All of nature can reveal secrets if we’ll watch. The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians: “Doth not even nature itself teach you…?” Well, for me, it had to be a darn cat.

Speaking of cats, there is another one that has enlightened me lately. My new 23’ Haynie Cat sits right next to Tricia’s at night, but during the day we are both on the predator prowl with a whole new attitude. Awesome - as we can “hang” better now with much better dominion of our own, and there’s nothing like riding a new horse in good country. See you there if I can fi nd your way out of the litter box.

MIKE MCBRIDE

CONTACT

A predator is a predator - “Doth not even nature itself teach you…?”

Mike McBride is a full time fi shing guide based in Port Mansfi eld, TX, specializing in wadefi shing with artifi cial lures.

SKINNY WATER ADVENTURES Phone Email Web

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

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STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN

Will current times be looked upon by future generations as the dawn of a new, enlightened era, or as the end of the glory days?

16 | August 2012

I’m not a tree hugger.

Trees need no human compassion. They thrive when left alone. All they really require is water around their roots, sun shining on their leaves. Given these simple things, they grow to beautify and enhance the environment.

Trees do need appropriate habitat in order to survive. All kinds of living things share the same requirements--space, food sources, freedom from harassment.

Far too often, human cultures are unable or unwilling to provide these necessary things to the wild creatures with which we share the planet. The rich diversity of life forms in the world is thus threatened, as human populations continue to expand, placing greater stress on other species and the habitats they need.

We’ve heard the stories of the demise of some creatures time and time again. In the past, the American bison was pushed to the brink of extinction. In today’s oceans, giant blue fin tuna are disappearing, as the price for their flesh rises at a rate directly proportional to their increasing scarcity. Others, like the whooping crane, cling to survival most precariously, only through the efforts of the same groups of people who nearly extinguished them.

Some species survive in relative abundance, in spite of constant pressure from people. The

TSFMAG.com | 17

all corners of the bays, beachfront areas, channels and other waterways. The average size of those fish is not what it would be without so many people taking mediumsized, healthy spawners out of the schools so regularly.

The causes for the decline of the fishery are many; one of them is clearly the continued high level of harvest among fishermen targeting the fish through the use of live finfish during the warm season. According to Parks and Wildlife’s data, about one third of all trout harvested statewide are killed during guided trips, the majority of which involve using live finfish as bait. Still, I would not urge TP&W to outlaw the use of a specific kind of bait.

Some people deserve and need to fish with such a method on occasion, out of real, tangible need. Most others should choose to fish some other way. Doing what is right requires no law; doing what’s right when no one is watching defines honor and integrity.

It’s wise to act as responsible stewards for the animals and resources which help sustain us. Native Americans knew this, making use of all parts of the bison they

The careful handling of large speckled trout helps increase their chances of survival after release. Studies indicate somewhere between 80 and 90% survive if handled properly, regardless of the season.

spotted seatrout is one such species.

When the days get long, speckled trout tend to prefer cooler waters down deep, and they become kind of lazy in the heat. The bigger specimens become difficult to entice into taking plugs constructed of plastic, metal and wood, crafted entirely by the hands of man.

They will however, readily attack and eat live finfish hooked close above the anal fin and pinned near the bottom with sliding lead weights. The opportunity is simply too convenient and rewarding for them to pass up. Many of the speckled trout caught by this method are bigger than ones people would likely catch any other way.

In Texas, fishing guides discovered the efficacy of targeting speckled trout with live croakers, piggy perch and other finfish nearly two decades ago. Today, most of them prefer this method over all others, since it helps them more consistently send their customers home carrying full limits of filleted fish.

I’ve eaten my share of speckled trout over the years-fried, broiled, grilled and baked. I like the taste of trout fillets, especially those carved off the bones of smaller specimens.

As I said, I’m no tree hugger, nor am I fundamentally opposed to the idea of responsibly harvesting some trout to eat.

My conflict with the legions of bait soakers who relentlessly pursue limits of the biggest trout they can legally take starts with the concept of what constitutes “my share” and ends with what it means to “harvest responsibly.” I and many others believe the trout fishery is not as healthy as it once was, or (more importantly) as it “could” be.

Plenty of trout still populate the waters of the state, in 18 | August 2012

Keeper redfish like the one Mindy Lucas is holding here are abundant throughout the state’s waters, thanks to the efforts of Texas Parks and Wildlife and CCA.

slew with bows and arrows, revering the animal as a kind of “father provider.” Then the white European settlers came, bearing long rifl es.

They blasted the herds down to nearly nothing, making poor use of the carcasses along the way.

Are we headed down a similar path with the spotted seatrout today? Have we forgotten the lessons of the past? Is our culture without wisdom?

I believe I said it best when I wrote an article detailing the demise of the totuava in the slender, emerald ocean lying between Baja California and the mainland of Mexico. Commercial fi shermen using live bait there depleted once-plentiful schools of giant white sea bass to a point where taking one today is rare indeed. Anglers found to be in possession of one by Mexican authorities can expect to have their boats seized. When human beings identify the most eff ective way to harvest a particular species of fi sh, then deploy the method on a widespread basis, the sustainability of the species will be threatened.

It pays to remember what happened soon after Paul Prudhomme created the recipe for blackened redfi sh. Helicopters and spotter planes pointed net boats straight at schools of spawners in the open Gulf.

Without the intervention of forward-thinking pioneers who started what was then called the Gulf Coast Conservation Association, the commercial fi shing industry would likely have scooped up enough fi sh to cause a collapse of the species.

Today, at state of the art hatcheries, Texas Parks and Wildlife offi cials raise millions of red drum fi ngerlings and release them into our coastal bays. Redfi sh and the economic entities associated with them are apparently headed for long-term prosperity, partly because the recreational daily bag limit for reds is set at three.

Conversely, the trout limit remains at 10, right where it’s been since 1984, in all parts of the state except in its southern extremes. Many people believe this number is too high to sustain excellent fi shing over 20 | August 2012

the long haul.

I’ll admit I’m not concerned about the preservation of the trout fi shery for purely selfl ess reasons. On the contrary, I’m concerned for selfi sh reasons. I’d like to see the fi shery thrive and prolong the existence of the lifestyle I love, a way of life dependent entirely on the presence of large speckled trout.

Without these trout, I have no fi shing life. Without the fi shing life, I have no context in which to write, to make movies, to tell my story.

Without the trout, I am doomed to stride more quickly into the dark arms of oblivion. Forgive me for wanting to stay out a little longer in the light.

I will not complain here any more about the actions of others. I have no control over such things. I will state for the record the actions I take to ensure the preservation of the spotted seatrout.

I enforce a fi ve fi sh limit on my boat, though state law allows my customers to keep ten trout each. I off er a catch and release discount which equals about 10% of the total price of an average charter. Though state law allows each angler to harvest one trout over 25 inches daily, we kill and keep no trout over 22 inches intentionally, except for a scant few, extremely large specimens, which clients wish to use for skin mounts.

I don’t fi sh tournaments which allow and encourage trout to be brought to the scales dead, though I regularly receive calls asking me to do so. I turn down opportunities to make money by fi shing in such events and by fi shing with live bait too, precisely because I do not want to be involved in those activities.

I do target big trout throughout the year, using artifi cial lures exclusively. I carry a camera at all times when fi shing, so I can document the dimensions of the trophies we catch and release. I send many clients away with something they can use to preserve lasting memories.

In essence, I operate my business out of passion for the sport of fi shing, not in the interests of greed and gluttony. I believe my actions speak louder than any words, providing leadership to anglers who look to experts as a model for how things should be done. Sadly, many people in the fi shing business do not operate from this mindset.

This importance of the “problem” related to the Texas trout fi shery pales in comparison to some others we face. With young men and women jetting off to war fronts daily, resources across the globe dwindling, and whole national economies wobbling on weak knees, other issues undoubtedly carry greater signifi cance. Still, big changes can only be made through the taking of small steps.

The perfect time for changing our collective attitude and behavior toward the spotted seatrout has probably already passed, but we can still make a diff erence. The urgency is greater than ever. If we choose to change or ways, we can help make the speckled trout’s story turn out more like the red drum’s and less like the buff alo’s. Future generations will judge us by the choices we make.

KEVIN COCHRAN CONTACT

Trout like this 26-inch specimen can be hard to catch on lures in the heat.

The author releases all such trout, hoping to catch them again someday, when they are considerably bigger.

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

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

TROUT TRACKER GUIDE SERVICE Phone Email Web

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

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STORY BY BILLY SANDIFER

We all know a great many people but in my experience it is rare to meet someone who quickly brushes aside all of the defensive barriers all of us have and almost immediately works his way into our hearts and our lives. My dear friend recently deceased, Rodney Davis, was one of those people. It was with much sadness that I attended his funeral yesterday. He died last Wednesday of a heart attack at the age of 53. He was totally fearless and never let difficulties impede his efforts. One of his eyes was badly damaged in a fishing accident in his youth yet he was an extraordinary angler and hunter.

Years ago Rodney and I were on Three Sloughs in Alazan Bay in my small Hell’s Bay flats skiff and it had to be blowing a steady 40 miles per hour. There was a large compartment in the stern and Hell’s Bay had neglected putting “clam shell” fittings over the holes cut for wiring and cables. We were steadily catching trout on plastic 22 | August 2012

when I noticed we were riding low in the stern. I opened the hatch to discover about a foot and a half of water in that stern compartment and more coming in with each swell.

Rodney was casting in the bow so I told him to crank in as we were in serious danger of sinking. I had a one gallon bucket and began bailing and Rodney just kept on catching trout. I finally stepped forward and shouted at him above the high wind that he could either help me bail or we’d both end up swimming to shore after the boat sank. He got the anchor up and I started the engine and attempted to get enough speed up for the boat to self-bail but we still needed to get more water out of that compartment first.

As I resumed bailing I looked up and Rodney was back to casting.

I finally got the boat up to self-bailing speed and headed for the shallows. As we gained speed Rodney put his rod up and joined

Below: Rodney with his biggest ever speck. Caught and released.

Right: My dear friend Rodney Davis was laid to rest recently – a sad day for me.

(Left) His first and beloved grandchild is named Colt. Not all that surprising is it? Ha.

TSFMAG.com | 23

To handle a hammerhead correctly everybody must get ready as the fish is coming in. Keeping it as deep as possible during unhooking, tagging, photographing, etc., is equally important.

“Getting it all done

and getting that fish back in the water ASAP is an absolute necessity to successful catch and release of these fish.

”

me at the center console. He said, “Gee Dad, if they’d have found us drowned they would have looked in the ice chest and they’d have said no wonder they didn’t quit fishing. They were catching good trout!” And at that he laughed and laughed. He was a good man to ride the river with and many will remember him the rest of their lives.

I want to cover something once more in hopes folks will genuinely understand. Hammerhead sharks are the most difficult of all sharks I know of to successfully catch and release. I’m quite familiar with the ol’ “they fight to the death” theory and I’ll be the first to admit that is a fact IN SOME CASES but by far the greater number die because they need to be handled with more care than other shark species.

When an angler realizes he has a hammerhead of any size on his line, other anglers with him need to be getting ready in advance.

Tags, ropes, pliers and de-hookers should all be laid out and readily 24 | August 2012

accessible before the fish comes in. One person should be designated as cameraman and take all the pictures. If everyone takes a turn at running to the truck, finding their camera and taking pics, the time involved will most often kill the shark. To you it doesn’t seem like a lot of time but to the hammerhead it is the difference between life and death.

Getting it all done and getting that fish back in the water ASAP is an absolute necessity to successful catch and release of these fish. Don’t drag a hammerhead up onto dry sand or even into a few inches of water. This dislodges its body organs and often leads to death. Look at the picture of me releasing a hammerhead a friend recently sent me. It’s obvious I couldn’t care less about pictures and am totally fixated on successfully releasing the fish and while it’s still in a few inches of water, although I prefer it be deeper than that to help support its body weight. If you leave one in the water it will twist to and fro with its tail but if you bring it out of the water it will gyrate about and slam its body on the hard sand with great force,

repeatedly. Obliviously this has the potential of injuring the fish badly.

Have the respect to buy a good pair of hook-outs or a de-hooker and remove the hook ASAP. If it becomes obvious you are not going to be able to get the hook out in a SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, cut the leader as close as possible and leave the hook in him.

When you walk out with the shark and release it; if it arches its back and its head and mouth are out of the water as it swims along it is not alright; it is badly stressed. If this happens, go back out and get it and continue to walk with the fish until it puts its mouth and head under water. It can then be successfully released. You must walk a shark forward when releasing it. To pull it backwards by the tail will drown it.

It’s not complicated, but doing it right makes all the difference in the world whether the shark lives or dies. It’s your choice.

Yesterday I had the privilege of talking with Capt. Thomas Hilton; owner of Hilton’s Offshore Atlas, Hilton’s Realtime Navigator and various related products out of Arcola, TX. I wanted his permission to include one of his daily surface temperatures charts of the Gulf in this article. He was very gracious and gave permission and told me he has data going back for some time.

I asked him if he was seeing anything different concerning our nearshore waters for the past few years and he said he hadn’t. His chart clearly shows the cold current coming out of Mexico which he says is normal. I told him that for the past 4 or 5 years we have had an unusual amount of cold water impacting the surf zone in mid summer which was actually turning it into an off-colored, no life zone.

Now, don’t misunderstand; the upwellings have always been there but not as cold and not for such long periods of time. I survived the sargassum, the wind and the red tide for a long time but it is this cold upwelling in midsummer that finally made it financially impossible for me to continue guiding on PINS. The cold water being pushed down by the warmer water of the shallower surf erodes away at the offshore bar and turns water that is typically clear to off-colored and its cold enough to move the bait fish out and the predators go with them. Our windows of opportunity for quality conditions for surf fishing seem to get smaller and smaller each year.

As of this writing 205 Kemp’s ridley turtle nests have been found breaking last year’s record of 199.

Please R eport Flamingo Sightings While flamingos are not common in Texas, one Greater Flamingo and one American Flamingo have been documented on occasion from Tampico to Louisiana since 2005. Flamingos are large wading birds, the size of the Great Blue Heron, with long bent bills used to strain food from shallow lakes and lagoons. The American Flamingo was hatched at Rio Lagartos Biosphere Reserve in Northern Yucatan and has a yellow band on its right leg inscribed - HDNT. This bird is bright coral pink. The Greater Flamingo is an old world species which escaped from a zoo in Kansas. Please report sightings at ssi@stx. rr.com or by telephone 361-980-8865.

If we don’t leave any there won’t be any. – Billy Sandifer

Contact

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

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

Sandy Baker captured this image June 02, 2012 on the shores of Matagorda Bay.

TSFMAG.com | 25

STORY BY MARTIN STRARUP

So we were in Port Mansfield

taking a break after a morning fishing trip and I was sitting in my favorite and most uncomfortable chair eating a Jimmy Dean sausage and egg croissant and watching television when a commercial interrupted some guy trying to catch big toothy wolf fish out of a no-name river in some God forsaken jungle. I was irritated because as the commercial began I could tell it was going to be one of those infomercials that go on forever and ever and I wanted to see if the 26 | August 2012

wolffish got to eat the fisherman that was trying to catch him.

I can still hear the announcer’s voice, “With the Bubba Blade, one cut and you’re through!”

Well a little chuckling went through our group as we snickered at the name “Bubba Blade” and naturally comments were made as to whether or not it came with a gimme fishing cap and a can of cheap beer.

But wait a second…look at the way it slices through that tuna! We

TSFMAG.com | 27

watched as the Bubba Blade made short work of an untold number of big fish and I made the comment that I’d like to have one to replace my old Rapala blade that has served me so well for so long.

A few weeks later a package arrived addressed to my son and later that evening Sterling handed me an early Father’s Day present; my very own Bubba Blade 9-inch flex blade fillet knife. I really didn’t realize that the knife I had seen on television was so big or that the handle was so well thought out. What I was holding in my hand was truly a new concept in fillet knives.

Now the Bubba Blade has a Teflon coated blade that protects the blade from corrosion and actually helps it slide through fish. It is made of 8CR13MOV, a high carbon stainless steel with a Rockwell hardness of 56-58. What that means is that the blade can be made incredibly sharp and then holds that edge…a shaving sharp edge, I might add.

The Bubba Blade knife has a full tang which means that the part of the blade that is in the handle goes from the guard to the hilt making for a stronger knife. The handle is unlike any that I’ve seen on a knife.

What the makers of the Bubba Blade did is added a thermoplastic polymer handle and wrapped that with a special synthetic rubber made out of the strongest compounds on the market today. The handle is big and fits my hand well and you can get a good grip on it. It has multiple thumb and finger depressions that allow you to apply different

pressures when working the blade. This heat and chemical resistant handle is engineered to stay sticky as it gets wet which gives you a great grip on the knife.

Now the manufacturer states that each knife is hand sharpened to razor sharpness before it leaves the factory but while mine was sharp it wasn’t quite that sharp. A few strokes on the crock sticks fixed that though, bringing it shaving sharp with little effort. I couldn’t wait to use it on some trout and redfish.

On our next fishing trip I was able to try the Bubba Blade out on trout and reds. It slices through trout effortlessly and it made short work of the redfish; I was impressed as were those who watched me use it. The knife would still shave after filleting a really good mess of trout and redfish…Cool. This thing would take care of zombies with no problem at all.

Now I will say that the blade doesn’t flex as easily as fillet knives with smaller blades and people with weak forearms or wrists may find it tough to use on a lot of fish. But for me the knife functions flawlessly and I have no problem bending the blade to adjust to the cut. The handle really gives you leverage and with the thumb pads on all sides of the knife it makes it easy to use.

Unfortunately I didn’t get any pictures of that filleting session, but…

This morning we had a light north wind and a quick trip to a protected shoreline found the topwater bite on at dawn. It has been a long time since I was in a feeding frenzy like we found this morning.

The trout weren’t just blowing up on our baits; they were attacking and trying to assassinate them. None of us took the time to take any pictures of the action although I did take some pictures of the Bubba Blade in action when we got back to the house.

We’ve been getting a lot of rain lately and the mosquitoes at my house are vicious and blood thirsty so I convinced my wife to let me use her kitchen to fillet some fish and take some pictures. She relented on the condition that I clean the mess up and I quickly agreed.

I cleaned my fish next to the sink and had my son who is not a photographer take a few pictures. Now I know that they do not show you how easily this knife slices through a trout but trust me it does. He also took some pictures of the knife on the deck of the boat so you can get an idea of what it looks like. If you really want to see it in action if you go to www.bubbablade.com you’ll find pictures and videos of this fillet knife and a stiff blade knife that they also offer.

Okay my wife said I missed some scales on the edge of her stainless steel sink so I have to go, but check this knife out if you’re looking for a really good fillet knife that doesn’t need electricity to function. I’ll keep using it on fish and will try it on deer when bow season starts.

Be Safe.

Contact

Martin Strarup

28 | August 2012

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

TSFMAG.com | 29

STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE

I’m not sure what they call it

but I’m guessing by now somebody surely has came with a name for the disease that plagues all fishermen and causes them to pick up every fishing rod they see and examine it as if they were searching for Excalibur.

It’s always fun to walk the rod aisles of your favorite tackle store and watch as anxious anglers remove them from the racks and put them through their own brand of testing. Shaking the rod in an exaggerated hookset or casting motion seem to be the most popular tests that perspective rod buyers perform in an effort to find just the right one. I once walked by a rack of rods and thought I was in an old cowboys and Indians shoot ‘em up because of two fishermen were shaking rods so violently it sounded like arrows whizzing through

It’s important to put a reel on any rod you are trying out in the store to get a true feel of how the rod balances and reacts.

30 | August 2012

the air. I raised the white flag as I walked up in hopes they wouldn’t mistake me for the enemy.

Trying to get the feel of a rod and how it responds in your hand is what we are all after and there is certainly no one-size-fits-all product out there. I have seen a ton of different rod models in countless sizes and configurations that are made to catch everything from panfish to grouper and everything in between. Some folks want a straight-up weapon, a fish-whooping piece of graphite that will make even the toughest adversary tremble in fear. Others prefer a more forgiving rod that allows an angler to play their catch and enjoy the fight.

Each style serves a purpose and is a welcome addition to nearly any angler’s arsenal.

One thing that I have noticed over the years is how different

Fast actions and lighter blanks are the norm for most Texas anglers.

TSFMAG.com | 31

Newer and better engineered travel rods keep anglers ready to take advantage of fishing opportunities in far flung places.

Micro rods are fast becoming popular with both freshwater and saltwater fishermen as they add another option to their fishing arsenal.

32 | August 2012

styles tend to be related to different areas of the country. One comparison that we often make here is between Texas and Florida fishermen which are usually really entertaining. I know I have personally witnessed Florida fishermen pick Texas anglers out at the dock because they were using baitcast reels instead of spinning gear, which is the norm in Florida. Another thing I have witnessed firsthand is that nearly all the Florida fishermen I have been on the boat with or been around use fishing rods that are comparable to broom sticks or the handles of garden tools. These rods are usually ultra-stiff no-nonsense models that would jerk the teeth out of a mule if need be.

These rods are generally paired up with high-end spinning gear that’s spooled up with heavy test braid. The only conclusion I can come to on this setup is that Florida anglers need to be prepared for any number of species from tarpon on down so they rarely venture out under-gunned.

I learned this lesson the hard way with my good buddy Bink Grimes and my son Hunter several years back while fishing in the Indian River and along the beachfront near Fort Pierce Florida.

We were armed with the latest travel rods from a very reputable Texas rod company at the time and were given instructions to put these new rods to the test. The rods were standard issue Texas trout and redfish models, surely capable of taming Florida fish, or so we thought. After three days of chasing trout and snook it was very evident why these guys fish with such heavy gear.

Arriving home I walked in to the rod manufacturer’s office, opened the travel cases, and poured out what was left of the shiny new graphite rods into a nice pile of splinters. Snook, jacks, and a few other unidentified species had effectively blown up every rod we brought and left the locals laughing at us as we loaded up and went back to Texas.

I should’ve known better when we started talking to other fishermen around us and told them we were using 12 pound mono with 25

entertaining when the size of the tackle gets scaled back – trust me.

I guess in the grand scheme of things it’s great to have options when it comes to your favorite fi shing setup. If we all had to use the same gear that would be like a trip to the dentist or paying taxes, not much fun at all. Varying your gear and exploring new methods will inevitably make you a much better angler and I’m sure we all would like that to be the case. The way we fi sh and how we go about chasing our favorite species to some degree actually defi nes us as anglers. It’s often been said there are four stages of fi shermen. First stage anglers just want to catch a fi sh. Second stage anglers want to catch a lot of fi sh. Third stage anglers want to catch a big fi sh. And last but not least is the fourth stage angler who wants to catch fi sh the way “they” want to catch fi sh. I heard that story about the stages and couldn’t agree more, we all fi t in there somewhere and there is plenty of room for everyone.

CHUCK UZZLE

CONTACT

pound fl uorocarbon shock leaders and they laughed at us while saying sarcastically, “Good luck with that.”

Now on the other end of the spectrum is a typical Texas setup, a rod that handles a topwater plug with ease and can scale back to accommodate a light jighead and soft plastic off ering. Here in Texas we are unbelievably blessed with some fantastic rod manufacturers from right here in the Lone Star State. Fortunately for us these rod makers are very in tune with the way coastal and freshwater anglers like to fi sh so the choices are nearly endless. Top-end rods that weigh just a few ounces and come in a myriad of actions allow anglers the opportunity to fi sh a comfortable set up and not compromise their ability to fi ght big fi sh. From lightning quick models with only a fraction of fl ex in the tip to a down right soft and whippy model that is as forgiving as your best friend these rods say it all about Texas fi shing and the anglers that use them.

A new trend that seems to be gaining in popularity are the smaller sized rods often referred to as “micro-rods.” These models are perfect for traveling or just scaling back to enjoy fi ghting fi sh of smaller sizes.

Taking one of these 4 or 4.5 foot rods on the boat or down to your favorite fi shing hole can open up a whole new world for the angler willing to give them a try. It’s very similar to the thrill a fl y fi sherman gets when they use a smaller setup or when a hunter puts down a gun and picks up a bow instead. It’s a new challenge that heightens the sense of accomplishment and thrill of the pursuit. Tackling even an undersized rat redfi sh on a micro-rod and light line is nothing short of a riot, a real eye opener if you will. Small speckled trout under the birds, swarming ladyfi sh or even a gaff top become extremely

Chuck fi shes Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes from his home in Orange, TX. His specialties are light tackle and fl y fi shing for trout, reds, and fl ounder.

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

Simply great fiShing.

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TSFMAG.com | 33

Waist-Deep wader plays a thrashing snook while hoping a shark isn’t drawn to the commotion.

A shark following a hooked fish or shadowing a stringer is guaranteed to get the wader’s attention.

34 | August 2012

– Part One

A salty friend recently stated,

“When I’m in waist-deep water, I want to be wading. I see no reason to stay in a boat, and it’s just more fun when you’re in there with ‘em!”

That is a sentiment echoed by many able-bodied anglers along the Texas coast; wading is our school of plugging, one that dates back more than 75 years. Of course, several exceptions must be conceded.

For example, attempting to traverse the seemingly bottomless goopie muck of a “back lake,” sinking to a knee with each laborious step, can be brutal. Also a consideration, a deliberate wade along a vast shoreline of unknown potential might waste too much time. You can only move so fast while effectively fishing; drifting or poling is a much more efficient approach for covering water to locate fish.

But when the bottom is manageable and prime water waits just downwind, the celebrated “Texas Two-Step” is a great way to go. The low profile helps prevent spooking shallow fish and you have the time to position for accurate casts.

And, for the uninitiated, here’s the secret thrill of wading: Each fish truly seems larger than life. A big strike at the end of a long and unencumbered cast across a shimmering flat takes the game to a higher level.

Unfortunately, “when you’re in there with ‘em,” the cozy association is not just confined to speckled trout and redfish.

Here’s a look at the top two marquee hazards of saltwater wading: SHARKS – The “Grayfin Express” is the apex nightmare. We’re not talking about three-foot ankle-snappers; no, we’re looking at a full-blown bull or lemon or blacktip measuring six-to-seven feet and appearing from nowhere in pursuit of a hooked or strung fish.

Even an honest five footer can give you a major case of the spooks. When a revved-up shark of this caliber is flying all its flags as it passes within rod-tip range, it will seriously get your attention.

Of course, the shark is after your fish – not you. The inshore Gulf species are plentiful but none is a routine man-eater. The bites that do occur (most often in Florida) almost certainly are the result of mistaken identity. A splashing hand or kicking foot can resemble a baitfish, especially amid the limited visibility of foaming waves or sandy currents.

Larger sharks traditionally are associated with the open Gulf but the Big Boys can show in the primary bays. Physical size isn’t a deterrent; look at the playful schools of dolphin often sighted inside the passes and ship channels.

Bay or beachfront, keep in mind that the successful wader either dragging a stringer or fighting/landing a fish is, literally, trolling for sharks. A keen shark is attracted by the scent and sound of

STORY BY JOE DOGGETT a struggling fish - your six-pound sow trout, you lucky rascal - and shoots in for the kill.

The bite from a six footer on a hooked or strung “keeper” speck typically severs the entire body in a clean crescent right behind the gill plates. Of course, the stricken head promptly streams puffs of blood, not exactly the best shark repellent known to man.

If this happens, you sincerely want to ease quietly out the area.

Unload the fish-laden stringer and shuffle for the beach or boat. You are using a 10- to 12-foot cord stringer with a big cork on the end, right? And a quick-release knot, yes?

It’s a rookie mistake to firmly knot a flimsy little six-foot perch stringer to your belt. Don’t even think about the horrifying matador passes that could occur when you are tangled in a waist-deep girdle of trout and a Big stingrays usually are caught in deeper water but occasionally move through passes or within reach of the beach.

TSFMAG.com | 35

Large stingrays often move onto fl ats, but at least in clear water you can see them.

“lit up” lemon is intent on feeding.

A fi sh basket (life ring fl oat with mesh bag underneath) might prevent a few gill-chopped fi sh, but the drag of the basket can be an ordeal amid breaking surf or running current. I’ve seldom used them, but the concept is valid.

A salty ploy if you see a curious shark nosing close is to viciously smack the water with the rod. You might even poke the Bad Boy with the tip - “Have some of this, sucker!”

But the key word here is “curious.” A cautious shark often is spooked by aggressive sword play; however, once the invader hits a fi sh, I question the tactic. The sudden rod commotion near the lit-up predator might send the wrong signal and excite a refl exive rush for a follow-up snap.

No, my advice once an agitated shark has grabbed a fi sh is to remain motionless or back quietly away.

You know what they say about “tugging on Superman’s cape.”

Repeat, statistics support the fact that inshore Gulf sharks almost never knowingly attack humans. What you want to avoid is a close-quarters case of mistaken identity.

Frankly, I am surprised more waders are not accidentally hit while attempting to hand-grab fi sh. You slide the splashing speck close and the grasping hand is right there as a jacked-up shark boils up to hit the easiest target.

Several years ago, while plugging waist-deep in the Florida Everglades, I had a fi ve-pound snook snatched off the surface by a big bull shark. The beaten snook was on its side, just beyond my outstretched hand.

The shark was moving fast as freight and looked almost black in 36 | August 2012

the tannin-stained water. All I saw was the blunt snout and open jaws lunging straight in my direction; I heard the “Clop!” as the shark severed the poor snook and I felt the wash against my thighs as the damned thing blew past.

That was only one of several dramatic encounters.

A year or two prior, I was yanked backwards in thigh-deep bay water when a blacktip grabbed the cord stringer trailing in my wake. Eight keeper specks were wadded under the cork and the shark took two fi sh in two bites. It made a lazy and deliberate circle, passing within several yards, then vanished.

Strap me to the nearest polygraph and I’ll swear seven feet. Well, at least six-and-a-half.

Another time, a fi ve-foot lemon chased a hooked skipjack through the tide wash along a barrier island. The terrifi ed skipjack raced up onto on the sand - and the shark followed, scattering shell and spray in a furious rush. I was standing in knee-deep foam and the shark was half out of the water behind me, feeding on the dry beach. Don’t let anyone ever tell you lemons don’t have a “Hot” button.

Yet another time - well, you get the idea.

Wade the Gulf Coast long enough during the warm-water months and you will have a legitimate shark make a close pass at a fi sh. Count on it.

Book ‘em, Danno.

And I don’t care if your old man was Tarzan and your mother was Wonder Woman, you are out of your element. In waist-deep water, the salvation of dry sand might as well be in a diff erent zip code. Think about it; you are utterly helpless and royally screwed if the wrong signals somehow shoot across the tide.

I suppose it’s a great tribute to sharks that this tragedy almost never occurs.

STINGRAYS – The notorious “male fl ounder” is a pestilence that poses a much greater real threat for pain and misery than any Gulf Coast shark.

Having a nice fi sh chopped behind the gills at point-blank range by a bull shark is a guaranteed attention-getter in waist-deep water.

They flourish during warm-water months in all the major bay systems and beachfronts. I am referring to the bottom-hugging stingrays, notably the southern stingray and the Atlantic stingray, not the free-swimming species such as cownose rays and spotted eagle rays.

The average inshore stingray is between one foot and two feet in diameter. But they grow much larger; the old Tackle Time Tournament headquartered each July 4th weekend at the base of the Texas City Dike had a stingray division that routinely produced fish weighing more than 100 pounds (not to mention really big sharks, notably tigers).

These hideous stingrays usually are caught in the open Gulf but I would not care to bet everything I own that one does not occasionally flutter near the beach or through the nearest pass.

To walk up the back of such a ghastly creature - well, let’s not go there.

Regardless of size, the stingray cozied into the muck can be a trip-wrecker for the careless (or unlucky) wader. You blunder onto or against the ray, and it reacts with a slashing stab of the tail. The nasty serrated spine with its poisonous sheath is located near the base of the tail, and the reflexive aim usually is excellent. You get struck with a ripping, tearing spike, usually in the foot, ankle, or calf.

The good news: You almost certainly won’t die (with all respects to the late Steve Erwin, the “Crocodile Hunter,” who some years ago caught the spine in the chest while swimming with a big one).

The bad news: The immediate pain can be excruciating (mitigated greatly by immersion in hot water during the race to the nearest emergency room). And the stab from the spine is “dirty,” with fragments of the ruptured sheath often remaining in the wound channel. Serious infection can result, requiring months of healing.

The salty wisdom of shuffling your feet when wading is certainly true, and this simple practice probably keeps you out of harm’s way 99-percent of the time. It works by alerting buried rays of your approach. Get in the habit, always, unless you can plainly see the bottom in shallow “gin clear” water.

Fortunately, stingrays are not aggressive. It’s the ray that you blunder onto without warning that will nail you. Keeping that in mind, before bailing from a boat for a wade, take a moment to poke the immediate bottom with a rod tip. This timely “tip” might spare a lot of grief.

Stingrays are not evenly distributed. They prefer soft bottom and dislike oyster reefs. But, as a rule, if you see one, others probably are in the area. They don’t school but they do tend to congregate, one here, one over there, that sort of thing. This is not all bad; keep in mind that stingrays and redfish often go together. The mucky bottom favors feeding for both, so seeing the occasional ray might suggest a productive shoreline.

What you don’t want is an over-abundance.

Once, I bailed from the boat to wade a small cove behind a barrier island. The water was clear, maybe thigh deep. The boat departed to drop other anglers and within moments I saw a stingray snuggled into the sand. Then another. And another.

The bottom was littered with stingrays, dozens of them, from pancake-sized zappers to brutes as large as trash can lids. Maybe it was a spawning ritual; I never before or since have witnessed such a rendezvous of rays.

I halted and looked around. The dry shoreline was 50 yards away. Casting the 1/2-ounce copper Johnson Sprite spoon never entered my mind. Like the rat in the old saying, I didn’t want the cheese anymore; I just wanted my foot out of the trap.

By shuffling a wake like a Mississippi paddle-wheeler and stabbing my rod like a mine detector every few yards I reached the beach without getting barbed.

I hope I don’t jinx myself here, but in 50 years of fishing and surfing I’ve yet to be hit by a stingray. Several of old plugging friends have, a few several times. My closest encounter was in a back bay near Port O’Connor; this was back when we waded in high-topped canvas tennis shoes.

I felt a flutter underfoot and an alarming “Whap!” but no pain. Following the wade I check the shoe - a one-inch slice from the whipping spine was on the side.

Various “stingray guards” are available, such as heavy leggings and re-enforced booties. Most semiwork, and I cannot discredit the use along target-rich shorelines. Please don them if you are so inclined.

But they are miserably uncomfortable in hot weather and I seldom wear them.

Of course, this cavalier attitude might come from never having been barbed.

Stingrays are out there over mud and sand and grass, lots of them. Regardless of footwear, if visibility is an issue remember to shuffle, shuffle, shuffle. This simple habit is your great insurance.

PART TWO: Currents and waves, sunburn and skin cancer, exhaustion and dehydration, plus flesheating bacteria and other issues that can make the white bass run on Lake Livingston look pretty good.

But we do cherish our wading.

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www.HookSpit.com TSFMAG.com | 37

Bowfishing guide Ed McCormick with an arrowed stingray. In the war of man versus stingray, there aren’t nearly enough people sticking the rays.

38 | August 2012

Let’s talk turkey about stingrays,

since August is the worst month for stinger-related injuries in Texas. In this little battle between man and beast, it’s been touch-and-go, with several thousand casualties among anglers and waders in recent years. Focused on that trophy trout somewhere up ahead, it’s easy to grow careless and speed up a bit, tromping over a serious case of misery.

Getting whipped with a poison stinger up to six inches long is one of the worst things you can expect from Nature along the coast, if you discount shark attacks, which are rare as diamonds. Stingray injuries are fairly common; some waders have been hit more than once, and coastal infirmaries have been filled with the injured on occasion, when large numbers of swimmers, spring breakers and tourists hit the beach.

Stingrays are a tough foe, nearly impossible to see. Their stingers are made of Vasodentin, a very strong cartilage. It is a stingray’s sole defense and they can rotate and jab in any direction, like a Musketeer’s The day following injury, infection growing worse very rapidly, leaving for the ER.

STORY BY JOE RICHARD rapier. Twin grooves on the stinger’s underside contain venomsecreting cells. When spines break off inside the wound, they often continue to secrete venom.

Wading bathers around the globe are often hit, but Texas no doubt leads the world in wade fishermen—some of whom limp home after being stuck. Injuries range from surface cuts more easily treated, and then deeper punctures, or even broken-off stingers that, with many barbs, have to be removed in surgery. It’s a grim business, and wade fishermen should know what they’re getting into. Precautions include shuffling slowly in murky water, wearing stingray leggings, or sticking to clean, very shallow water while keeping a sharp lookout with every step. Wading barefoot is begging for trouble, of course.

Guides have been hit and careers threatened. Wading guide Mike McBride of Port Mansfield was struck three years ago and waited until the following day for treatment. By then his foot swelled up and turned black. He missed a lot of work while recovering, and reportedly still limps to this day.

Several hours later in ER, infection raging, begin antibiotics, scary serious.

After several surgeries, infection gone, long recovery period ahead.

The grim reality of stingray wounds.

TSFMAG.com | 39

Stingray missing a tail shuffl es along. Unfortunately, their stinger will quickly regenerate. They’re also agile with the stinger, thrusting in almost any direction. NOAA photo.

One angler reportedly died while wading Boggy at Port O’Connor in the 1990s. It was early April and he was close to the boat, but stepped into a muddy hole where lay a huge stingray, that pierced his upper thigh. The guy died right there in shock next to the boat and his buddy, several hundred yards away, waded over to see what the problem was, though too late.

It’s a wonder we weren’t hit during our beach seining parties back in high school days near Sabine Pass. Out there, scooting along with the tide and neck deep in the surf, covering a few hundred yards at a brisk pace, you could step onto a real monster—though big ones lurk in the bays as well. So far, I’ve led a charmed life in stingray habitat, but then I didn’t wade nearly as much as some, except over shallow green rocks.

(We earned our visits to the ER by walking and plugging from algae and oyster-covered jetties, instead).

As for those big, life-threatening stingrays in the back- country: Some apparently spawn in mud-bottom tidal ponds every spring; guide Curtiss Cash actually targets them, not with a bow, but for big trout that hover nearby. He says if you pole the boat around and

search for big rays, you can fi nd some serious brutes spanning four feet, in water often tromped by waders. From the vantage point of a poling platform on a boat, he says you can lay a streamer fl y right on a stingray’s broad back, and often a big trout will be right there to pounce on it. “I’ve seen these big female stingrays attended during Spring by several smaller males, that moved towards us with their stingers upraised, like scorpions. It was creepy,” Curtiss said.

The only time I’ve become attached to a stingray, I was helping remove them from a purse seine pulled by state biologists. It whipped its tail around “quicker than a cat can lick its ass,” and the barb was pinned fl at to my glove’s open Velcro strap, across the wrist. There the stingray hung, big as a pie plate, fl apping its wings, its stinger a quarter inch from tendons in my wrist. I slung him off , and he skipped across the water and slunk away. I was the only crew member who avoided a direct hit, though I made fewer fi eld trips. Our boat was supplied with chemical heat packs to treat stingray wounds, which sounds like a good idea. Like a cyalume light stick, they only work once when you pop the contents inside. They’re said to produce plenty of heat for up

Stingray beds down in the sand. They can cover themselves completely, except for eyes and gill openings. NOAA photo.

40 | August 2012

wound treatment When wading, keep a hot water thermos or another source of quick heat on the boat. Heat quickly cooks or de-natures a stingray’s protein venom. Heat is your best friend if you’re ever struck, and hot water penetrates far better than dry heat.

Boil a quart of water in the morning in the microwave and store it in a thermos, but cool it slightly with extra water when treating a stingray wound. You don’t want to burn the victim, who has enough trouble. After that, you have to worry about damage and long-term infection, and the nearest emergency room can provide treatment. If you wait an extra day to visit the ER, a stingray injury can seriously worsen.

A six-inch stinger, capable of fearful damage.

Image at right shows the many barbs in just the fi rst inch of same stinger. Photo by Arlon Motsch.

stIngray leggIngs For stingray leggings, ForEverlast Fishing and Hunting Products of Hallettsville, Texas off ers a line of RayGuard shields, reef boots and wading boots with shields attached. Find them at your local tackle shop or at www.foreverlast.com.

42 | August 2012

Crystal Ruland lands a dinner plate-sized stingray. These probably injure more waders and fi shermen than any other size.

to an hour.

Most anglers struck by stingrays take the pain without really getting even. In the stingray wars some fl ounder giggers, safe in the boat, have poked a few as a means of payback. In the past few years, a few guides have started taking clients out to arrow rays. Water clarity and calm shorelines are requirements, but rays can be shot day or night from inexpensive aluminum boats rigged with or without lights. Good vision and sunglasses are required during the day. The concept is pretty simple; you fi re away at the ray of your choice, and have about 50 feet of line stored in a bottle, which feeds out at a rapid pace when a crippled ray takes fl ight. After scoring a hit, you fi ght the ray with the handline. Often in a gingerly fashion, to avoid pulling the arrowhead Ed with my stingray, shot at least 50 feet from the boat, the barb barely holding on. Ed keeps a serious gaff for bigger prey—his clients have shot monster stingrays that required three arrows. Green bottle on the bow holds the fi shing line.

Paybacks are hell. This glum stingray has given up after a spirited fi ght, after being arrowed some 20 feet from the boat by Crystal Ruland.

loose. If you miss, a primitive reel quickly cranks the line back in the bottle.

Guide Ed McCormick in Florida makes a full-time living taking guided trips to shoot rays, fl ounder, sheepshead, and in fresh water, tilapia, gar and mullet. Rays are his easiest target, of course, being broad and slow-moving. Normally you fi re downward at a sharp angle, like gigging fl ounder, but Ed was shocked when I let fl y 50 to 60 feet, and twice my arrow quivered in a ray’s back. We landed both fi sh, though the fi ght was touch-and-go with the handline, each arrow barely sticking.

One dove into a 12-foot channel and clamped to the bottom, but we eased him up within gaffi ng range and he was soon limp on the cleaning table. Besides providing dinner, that was one less ray to be stepped on by waders.

Women are getting into the action; Ed’s girlfriend Crystal Ruland drilled a few rays with her own compound bow, and she’s racked up quite a few in the past two years. Ed’s jonboat is wide enough for two shooters at the bow, and Crystal and I jostled for position when a tempting ray presented itself.

With bowfi shing, the aiming point shifts with a moving target’s direction, complicated by angle of refraction. An approaching ray requires aiming a good ways short of him. With a ray departing in a hurry going straight away, you pull back and “put the bead right on him and good,” as our Cajun neighbors say. Thud! Not as easy as it sounds: Multiply the refraction variables of a ray swimming towards any point of the compass. A bedded ray makes an easy target however, unless a rookie mistake happens.

Ed keeps a huge gaff and icechest on his boat; his clients have shot

On the cleaning table: Ed begins cutting the wings from a tasty stingray. He says cutting through on soft lawn grass is easier on the knife blade.

rays that were so big, they absorbed three arrows before being landed, and after a considerable fi ght. The somewhat-tasty wings are carved from each ray and the rest discarded.

Shooting rays is certainly more of a challenge than catching them on hook and line; they generally put up a glum fi ght with a hook in their mouth, though not always. Big “barndoor” rays will sprint around, pulling drag from a big reel, when they’re not clamped to the bottom.

In our youthful off shore days, we dealt with these monsters by blazing away with an automatic .22 rifl e, when a big hooked one passed by on the surface. Fortunately we were off shore, and our fusillades either thumped into ray or skipped and splashed across empty water.

As they say, paybacks are hell.

TSFMAG.com | 43

LegaL notice

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Economic and Property Damages Settlement Providing Money to Individuals and Businesses If you have economic loss or property damage because of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, you could get money from a class action settlement with BP Exploration & Production Inc. and BP America Production Company (“BP”). Go to DeepwaterHorizonSettlements.com for more information, including information on how to file a claim.

Who is included in the economic & ProPerty damages settlement?

The Economic and Property Damages (“E&PD”) Settlement Class includes people, businesses, and other entities in the states of Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, and certain counties in Texas and Florida, that were harmed by the oil spill.

The website DeepwaterHorizonSettlements.com has detailed descriptions and maps to help you determine whether a geographic location may be included in the E&PD Settlement. Additionally, you can call 1-866-992-6174 or e-mail questions@ DeepwaterHorizonEconomicSettlement.com to find out if a geographic location is included.

What does the economic & ProPerty damages settlement Provide?

The E&PD Settlement makes payments for the following types of claims: (1) Seafood Compensation, (2) Economic Damage, (3) Loss of Subsistence, (4) Vessel Physical Damage, (5) Vessels of Opportunity Charter Payment, (6) Coastal Real Property Damage, (7) Wetlands Real Property Damage, and (8) Real Property Sales Damage. There is no limit on the total dollar amount of the E&PD Settlement; all qualified claims will be paid.

hoW

get Benefits from the economic & ProPerty damages settlement

to

You need to submit a Claim Form to request a payment.

You can get a copy of the various Claim Forms by visiting the website or by calling 1-866-992-6174. Claims can be submitted online or by mail. If you have questions about how to file your claim, you should call the toll-free number for assistance.

The deadline to submit most E&PD claims will be April 22, 2014 or six months after the E&PD Settlement becomes effective (that is, after the Court grants “final approval” and any appeals are resolved), whichever is later. There will be an earlier deadline to submit E&PD Seafood Compensation claims. The earlier deadline to submit Seafood Compensation claims will be 30 days after final approval of the Settlement by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (regardless of appeals). Actual claim filing deadlines will be posted on the website as they become available.

Valid claims will be paid as they are approved, beginning shortly after the Court-Supervised Settlement Program commences. It is highly recommended that E&PD Settlement Class Members complete and submit their claim forms promptly. Please read the Medical Benefits Settlement notice because you may also be eligible for benefits from that settlement.

your other oPtions If you do not want to be legally bound by the E&PD Settlement, you must Opt Out or exclude yourself by October 1, 2012 or you won’t be able to sue BP over certain economic and property damage claims. If you stay in the E&PD Settlement, you may object to it by August 31, 2012. The Detailed Notice explains how to exclude yourself or object.

The Court will hold a hearing on November 8, 2012 to consider whether to approve the E&PD Settlement. You or your own lawyer may ask to appear and speak at the hearing at your own cost. The Court will also consider Class Counsel fees, costs, and expenses including an interim payment of $75 million and additional awards equal to 6% of class claims and benefits paid. Class Counsel fees, costs and expenses under the Economic and Property Damages Settlement Agreement and the Medical Benefits Settlement Agreement jointly cannot exceed $600 million. Class members’ payments will not be reduced if the Court approves the payment of Class Counsel fees, costs, and expenses because BP will separately pay these attorney fees, costs, and expenses.

DeepwaterHorizonSettlements.com



1-866-992-6174

LegaL notice

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Medical Benefits Settlement Providing Benefits to Clean-Up Workers and Certain Gulf Coast Residents If you have a medical claim related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, you could get benefits from a class action settlement with BP Exploration & Production Inc. and BP America Production Company (“BP”).

Go to DeepwaterHorizonSettlements.com for more information, including information on how to file a claim.

Who

is included in the medical Benefits settlement?

The Medical Class includes (1) clean-up workers and (2) certain people who resided in specific geographic areas in coastal and wetlands areas along the Gulf Coast during specific periods in 2010. The website DeepwaterHorizonSettlements. com has detailed descriptions and maps to help you determine whether a geographic location may be included in one of these zones. Additionally, you can call 1-866-992-6174 or e-mail info@ DeepwaterHorizonMedicalSettlement.com to find out if a geographic location is included.

What

medical Benefits settlement Provide?

The benefits of the Medical Benefits Settlement include: (1) payments to qualifying people for certain acute (short-term) and chronic (ongoing) medical conditions occurring after exposure to oil or chemical dispersants; (2) provision of periodic medical examinations to qualifying people; and (3) creation of a Gulf Region Health Outreach Program, consisting of projects to strengthen the healthcare system. Benefits (1) and (2) will be provided only after the Court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved. does the

hoW to get Benefits from the medical Benefits settlement You need to submit a Claim Form to request benefits. You can get a copy of the Claim Form by visiting the website or by calling 1-866-992-6174.

Claims can be submitted by mail. If you have questions about how to file your claim, you should call the toll-free number for assistance.

The deadline for filing a Claim Form is one year after the Medical Benefits Settlement becomes effective (that is, after the Court grants “final approval” and any appeals are resolved). The exact date of the claim filing deadline will be posted on the website. It is highly recommended that Medical Class Members complete and submit their claim forms promptly. Please read the Economic and Property Damages Settlement notice because you may also be eligible for a payment from that settlement.

your other oPtions If you do not want to be legally bound by the Medical Benefits Settlement, you must Opt Out or exclude yourself by October 1, 2012 or you won’t be able to sue BP over certain medical claims. If you stay in the Medical Benefits Settlement, you may object to it by August 31, 2012. The Detailed Notice explains how to exclude yourself or object.

The Court will hold a hearing on November 8, 2012 to consider whether to approve the Medical Benefits Settlement. You or your own lawyer may ask to appear and speak at the hearing at your own cost. Class Counsel will ask the Court to consider an award of fees, costs, and expenses of 6% of the value of the benefits actually provided under the Medical Benefits Settlement Agreement.

Class Counsel fees, costs, and expenses under the Medical Benefits Settlement Agreement and the Economic and Property Damages Settlement Agreement jointly cannot exceed $600 million.

Class members’ payments will not be reduced if the Court approves the payment of Class Counsel fees, costs, and expenses because BP will separately pay these attorney fees, costs, and expenses.

DeepwaterHorizonSettlements.com



1-866-992-6174

A nice Aransas Bay specimen coming to handle; the “line” was along the scattered grassbeds barely visible at the top of the photo.

J AY WAT K I N S

ASK THE PRO

LOCATING & WORKING THE LINE I am often asked how one picks the right area along the shoreline when you have so much that looks so much the same. It’s a great question and one that, to be honest, I have answered in different ways as my knowledge of the shoreline continued to increase.

Barrier island shorelines, mine being San Jose and Matagorda Islands, change from year to year. During normal years we see subtle changes such as less growth of bottom grass during drought to an abundance of submerged grass in years of substantial rainfall. More drastic changes can occur to the actual land masses after tropical storms or hurricanes. So it’s a given that the shorelines change and that we must change with them but, what is it that we look for that distinguishes the right area from all the other areas along any given shoreline.

Since I am limited in space I will try to explain what it is that I look for on any shoreline no matter what bay system I am fishing.

The obvious areas will have some type of bottom structure. The common ones are submerged grass and small areas of scattered shell. These two particular structure types offer good ambush points for predator species due to the generally flat and bare nature of the majority of the shoreline. Add to the areas of submerged grass and shell some contour such as parallel guts and sandbars and the area starts to take on a look I like. Of course you’re going to need some food so give me some strings or pods of bait fish residing in the area and I am starting to feel more confident by the minute.

46 | August 2012

Now comes the tricky part. After I have located the area I like I begin to look for funnels. Funnels are areas within the structure where the structure itself narrows, forming what I call a funnel. A funnel can be an area where two sandbars narrow or it can be an area of heavy grass with little to no broken bottom. Areas of what I call big sand with several scattered grass beds within it, all surrounded by heavier grass that narrows on one end is most definitely a funnel. This type of funnel might even become a form of cul-de-sac where fish travel from one end to the other and then back again.

I once had an area out on Traylor Island that fit this description. I called it the Seven Minute Pothole. Why the name? One day I had a group of guys and the day had been slow and we were winding it down. After wading up to the big sandy area one in the group stuck a nice red fish. After a few minutes without another fish I suggested we give it five more minutes. At around seven minutes we caught another fish. This time it was the angler on the opposite end of my string of waders.Another five to seven minutes passed and we caught another fish, the angler that scored first did it again. It took me almost ten more fish to realize that it was taking the scattered fish in the big sandy area about seven minutes to make the full circle.

What a terrific lesson it was and I still use that knowledge gained from that day to this day.

Now comes the part that many just don’t understand and that’s finding the line each and every day that the fish are holding on within the area you’ve chosen to fish. If

Some helpful signs to establishing and staying on a line can be the location on which the pelicans, osprey and gulls continue to search and feed. Not always do the birds have to be actively hitting the water for them show us the line we need to be on. I have watched birds on a line a long distance away only to confirm that their line was the proper line for me to follow. For me, finding the line is the most critical aspect to each day of wade fishing. It changes hourly and we must be able to interpret the changes if we can expect to be consistent.

I hope you can gain some insight from this months attempt at helping you gain a confident sense of line establishment. This is extremely important, very difficult of teach or put into words. Mike McBride and I talked for almost an hour a few days back about the pattern and both agreed that it’s difficult to acquire this knowledge and even more difficult to teach.

As for our fishing in Rockport, it’s been consistent with tons of smaller but very healthy trout and still good numbers of redfish along our shorelines. Still need rain to help maintain stable salinity in the bays over the next few months but other than that I am feeling much better about what I am seeing and catching this summer.

May your fishing always be catching. -Guide Jay Watkins

C ontact

we’re lucky, the line is along a dropoff or underwater structure change.

These lines we can actually see given the right amount of sunlight and proper eye wear. Costa has developed lens colors for every type of water and light conditions but that is an article within itself. You can go online and search the Costa Del Mar website for the type of lens that meet you’re fishing needs. I have three different lenses that I use to match the conditions that I can face throughout a season. So let’s say that some or all of the things we look for in a good fishing area are right there in front of us.

Now you need to find the line within that area that holds the largest numbers of fish. As a guide this is the most difficult concept to teach.

The reason being is that many times a line is felt versus seen. That’s right – I said felt.

We call the feeling, fish savvy, it is something that comes with time and honestly some just don’t have it, not do they believe in its existence. I locate the line by easing in and out along underwater structure. I call it bird-dogging because it resembles the methods a bird dog uses to locate the scent of birds. Beautiful to watch a seasoned pointer weave across a South Texas pasture searching for that line in which the birds are feeding along. When they get birdy, the weave becomes shorter and the pace quickens before locking in. So when I get “birdy” my weaving becomes narrower.

However, the hard part is not over once the line is established. Now you must position yourself inside the line, concentrating on casting at an angle so coverage and lure placement is correct all the while staying on the established line. This line moves due to factors still not totally understood but our ability to stay with the line is crucial to the success of the wade.

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. Telephone Email

Website

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

TSFMAG.com | 47

Chris Mapp’s Boat Maintenance Tips Boat owners frequently call or come to the shop with hydraulic steering problems – turning the steering wheel and the boat is not responding. The problem can be encountered with both center console and side-mounted steering systems.

When this condition develops, it has usually been happening intermittently and/or growing steadily worse over a period of time.

Quite often the steering stops working completely when least expected.

The problem is air entering the hydraulic system due to fluid leaking out.

There are two main areas to inspect on a regular basis to avoid this problem and these should be part of your regular preventive maintenance program.

There are shaft seals located in the end caps of the hydraulic steering cylinder. These seals are the most common source of failure.

Sand, salt, or other debris building up on the shaft over time act as abrasives and eventually destroy the integrity of the seals and sometimes the shaft can be damaged as well.

The hydraulic lines connect to the steering cylinder via two 90° fittings on the body of the cylinder and these should be inspected periodically for leaks. We see these leaks occurring from the fittings becoming loose over time or sometimes bent due to contacting the transom while over-tilting the outboard motor.

48 | August 2012

Hydraulic

Steering

Wiping your finger under each cylinder end cap and both 90° fittings will indicate a leak if a yellow film is detected.

The helm seal would indicate a leak (yellow film) either under the steering wheel or behind the console.

The fluid reservoir is located in the helm. There is a fill plug located just behind the steering wheel at the top of the housing. Removing this cap will allow the use of an applicator to screw in and fill the system using hydraulic steering fluid or, in a pinch, tilt and trim fluid.

Adding fluid will get you by for a short time but a repair must be done to correct the problem.

Washing the cylinder with soapy water while cleaning the boat will really help prevent debris buildup and a light application of Corrosion X (red) when putting the boat up is another great preventive measure.

Always keep a bottle of fluid and an applicator on the boat in a sealed Ziploc bag. This is good insurance in the event an emergency refill has to be done on the water.

We recommend Seastar Hydraulic Fluid # HA 5430 and Seastar Hydraulic Applicator # HA 5438.

Have a great fishing season.

Chris Mapp Coastal Bend Marine | Port O’Connor TX coastalbendmarine.com | 361.983.4841

CASEY SMARTT

F LY F I S H I N G

THE ARROYO On a sultry June morning I stepped aboard Captain John Spencer’s Hells Bay skiff and we pulled away from a sunbleached dock on the Arroyo Colorado in deep South Texas. Spencer owns and operates Posada Del Colorado Lodge. Located 30 minutes northeast of Harlingen,

video 50 | August 2012

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

Arroyo City is a small community of waterfront fi shing cabins built along the south bank of the Arroyo Colorado.

The town is fl anked on the north by several large iconic ranches and on the south by the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, insulating it from sprawling development.

Captain John Spencer poling a shallow flat lined with Spanish daggers and prickly pear

A unique aspect of fishing out of the Arroyo is the option to fish a handful of different types of water and target a variety of fish species.

Anglers can go after tarpon and snook in the brackish waters of the river, make the run up to the Port Mansfield Jetties for pelagic quarry, hit the sandy troughs to the south for big trout, or the shallow flats for redfish.

All of these options are within reach and make the Arroyo an exciting place to be.

If you fish, you’ll like Arroyo City. If you fly fish, you’ll love it.

Spencer’s lodge, Posada Del Colorado, caters to small groups of light tackle and fly fishing enthusiasts. The lodge is comfortable and clean, the food is terrific, and the atmosphere is relaxed and genuinely refreshing.

After our short run out the Arroyo, Spencer turned his boat south and throttled into the steady coastal breeze.

From the wide green vein of water marking the path of the Intracoastal Waterway, I stared out across the vast, shallow, windblown landscape of the Lower Laguna Madre. The western shoreline was peppered with Spanish daggers, mesquite, and prickly pear straight out of a spaghetti western. And to the east, a mind-boggling expanse of

thin water stretched toward the horizon like a flooded desert, where it eventually met the backside of Padre Island.

We pulled up to the windswept side of a narrow spit of islands and John hopped up on the poling platform. “We have been seeing some huge trout here in the sand pockets Casey, but they are spooky and very hard to catch,” John said as we drifted down the shoreline. Sure enough, up ahead I spotted what looked like a large piece of driftwood wobbling in the shallow chop.

It was a speckled trout - a big one. Before I could make a cast, the trout busted me and slid off the flat like a fat eel. It was quite a site. We ended up catching a few reds and seeing a half dozen large trout on that stretch of water, the most I have ever seen in a single outing.

Around noon, John fired up the motor and we headed east, toward what is often called “the sand.” The sand is an expansive area of hard sand flats that stretches along the western shoreline of Padre Island. The water on the sand flats stays crystal clear and when conditions are right, redfish, trout, ladyfish, and a host of other species travel great distances across the sand in search of food. Their colors adjust to match the TSFMAG.com | 51

C ontact

habitat and they can be surprisingly challenging to spot- like a bonefish. It is an awesome place to drift or wade and fishing there is truly a unique experience.

From the hard sand flats John and I headed north and ended up drifting near a series of small islands that are rookeries for the local birds. One island in particular was literally covered with gulls, skimmer birds and their hatchlings. John paused the boat at a safe distance for a few minutes so we could watch the birds squawk and squabble for territory and protect their fuzzyheaded offspring. It truly looked like something out of a nature documentary and it would not have surprised me to see David Attenborough come walking over the shell banks with some insightful narrative.

I saw some beautiful country over two days of fishing with Captain John. We caught some fish, missed a few, and saw plenty more. But no matter where we went one thing repeatedly came to mind- the importance of a good guide. A good guide with the right boat, proper navigational skills, and a sound knowledge is so important. No doubt, these are fundamental aspects of angling and watercraft operation on any stretch of water, but in the remote shallows of a place like the Lower Laguna Madre, they are especially important.

I am generally the first to preach the benefits of self-teaching and learning the hard way, even when it means enduring a string of failures and hard lessons. BUT‌ when it comes to navigating across expanses of unfamiliar water with limited cell phone service and few land marks, it’s a different story. In these types of places knowledgeable guides with sound equipment and plenty of experience are worth every penny. They will do their best to get you to fish and then get you home safely.

There are a number of reputable fly fishing/light tackle guides who fish the Arroyo/Port Isabel area. They include Captain Eric Glass, Captain Ernest Cisneros, and Captain Rick Hartman. These guys are seasoned professionals who have spent years learning the remote waters of the Lower Laguna Madre. Their knowledge is hard-earned and hiring them for a day is a smart step toward great memories and a safe, enjoyable experience.

Many thanks to Captain Spencer for his 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 hard work and a great trip Texas inland lakes and rivers. on the Arroyo!

52 | August 2012

Telephone Email

Website

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

Science and the Sea

TM

A Taste for the Toxic Swelling up like a balloon is a pretty dramatic defense mechanism, but many species of pufferfish pack an even deadlier weapon – poison.

This poison is called tetrodotoxin, a word coined after the puffer fish’s scientific name. It’s a potent neurotoxin that can kill even humans when ingested.

Though this toxin was first identified in puffers, the fish don’t actually make it themselves – in a way, they borrow it.

Tetrodotoxin is originally produced by marine bacteria.

It travels up the food chain when microorganisms, such as plankton, consume the bacteria. These creatures are, in turn, eaten by larger animals, and some of these – such as snails, marine worms and starfish – are favorite foods of pufferfish.

How can puffers handle ingesting this deadly neurotoxin? Scientists have found that puffers are resistant to tetrodotoxin because the sodium channels of their muscle tissue are genetically different from those of other fish. Puffers even have a special toxinuptake mechanism in their liver that transfers toxin into their bloodstream. After accumulating toxin through their food, puffers can secrete the toxin through their skin and into the mouth of an unlucky predator.

Despite their toxin-hoarding ways, puffers are considered a desirable dinner item in some parts of the world. Some poisonous puffers can be eaten when prepared carefully, but there’s another way around the problem: rendering the fish non-toxic by eliminating tetrodotoxin from their diets. Japanese fish farmers use this strategy by raising pufferfish in cages or land-based aquaculture systems. That’s a lot less risk on the dinner plate!

The University of Texas

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

TSFMAG.com | 53

Close up of prop scar cut through seagrass bed.

By Karen Meador Aransas Bay Ecosystem Leader | R ock por t, T X

FIELD NOTES

FUTURE EFFORTS FOR

SEAGRASS CONSERVATION IN TEXAS The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has begun a statewide education and outreach campaign to inform the citizens of Texas about the value of and the need to protect submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in Texas coastal waters. Shallow-water SAV, or seagrass beds, are among the most productive marine habitats on earth, next to coral reefs, salt marshes and mangroves. They provide many ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling that prevents large-scale algal blooms, sediment stabilization which improves water clarity and prevents erosion, and oxygenation of the water column and sediment. Seagrasses form the foundation of the food web and provide refuge for larval, juvenile and adult fi nfi sh and shellfi sh that help sustain the multi-million dollar fi sheries in Texas. Since the Seagrass Conservation Plan for Texas was adopted in 1999 by three state agencies (including TPWD), staff biologists have worked diligently to protect seagrass habitat along the Texas coast. Recent eff orts by TPWD were concentrated on the middle of the coast in Redfi sh Bay, a 32,000-acre heavily-fi shed embayment that contains approximately 14,000 acres of seagrass and that showed heavy scarring by boat propellers.

54 | August 2012

In 2000, the Redfi sh Bay State Scientifi c Area (RBSSA) was designated as part of a seagrass conservation initiative. Its establishment focused biologists’ eff orts to conduct research in the seagrass beds, and provided an opportunity to inform the public about the importance of seagrasses to the coastal ecosystem. Three voluntary no-prop zones were established within the RBSSA in an eff ort to decrease the rate of scarring by boat propellers.

After four years it was apparent that the voluntary program had been ineff ective. A noticeable absence of continuous and concentrated public education and outreach was determined to be the main reason for the lack of compliance. Boaters did not know about seagrasses or the RBSSA eff ort to reduce propeller scars.

In 2005 Coastal Fisheries staff made a proposal to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (TPWC) to make it illegal to uproot seagrass within the RBSSA. It passed muster and became the fi rst marine habitat regulation in Texas, eff ective May 2006. The Coastal Fisheries Division made a commitment of funding and personnel to refocus eff orts on educating boaters about the importance of seagrass and the new rule to protect it. Before and after the law was enacted, biologists studied the prop scars in

TSFMAG.com | 55

RBSSA utilizing in-the-water observations and several consecutive years of high resolution aerial imagery.

Roughly five years after the regulation was in place, the amount of scarring had decreased 45%. Efforts to reach boaters included bay area signage, over 50 articles in various newspapers and magazines, dozens of presentations to various groups, public service announcements, and thousands of direct one-on-one boater contacts.

Although the majority of seagrasses are found from Aransas Bay southward, seagrass beds occur in all Texas bay systems. After proven success of the efforts in RBSSA, the TPWC directed staff to identify additional areas along the Texas coast that could benefit from some type of seagrass protection. During 2011 staff identified several areas of interest containing seagrass beds including West Bay near Galveston, Christmas Bay near San Luis Pass, Matagorda Wildlife Management Area, John F. Kennedy Causeway area (JFK) near Corpus Christi, and South Bay/Mexiquita Flats near Port Isabel. The JFK area was selected as having the highest priority, so scoping meetings were held to gather public input on designating it as a SSA, which would include the no-uprooting regulation. As a result of substantial public opposition, staff realized that the public needed a better understanding of the issue in order to be willing to protect additional seagrass habitat. In January the TPWC endorsed the Division’s decision to try to protect seagrass in the Laguna Madre again through a voluntary education and outreach program. In addition, current aerial imagery will be acquired and staff will continue

Arial photo of scarring in seagrass beds.

Know your boat’s draft to avoid uprooting seagrass.

to monitor the biological and human-use factors of the JFK area in order to track any changes over time. Other future actions include acquiring aerial imagery of the other seagrass areas identified in 2011 and monitoring factors affecting their status.

Coastal Fisheries staff realized that implementation of a coastwide education and awareness strategy would benefit all seagrass habitats in Texas. An educational brochure was recently created to be distributed throughout the state. Boaters can be on the lookout for informational signs that were recently designed and are being installed at various boat ramps from Sabine Lake to the lower Laguna Madre. Coastal Fisheries staff along the entire coast will participate in this statewide campaign by educating boaters while conducting routine creel surveys at launch sites, and by submitting informative articles to local and statewide print media outlets.

The success of the education and outreach efforts will be assessed by a human dimensions study of coastal boaters, which is already underway. Almost 3,000 questionnaires were mailed to boat owners this past April. Recipients were selected from saltwater anglers who had been interviewed during routine creel surveys along the entire Texas coast. Their knowledge of seagrass habitat and their shallowwater boating practices will be assessed now and then again several years into the statewide campaign.

All boaters are being asked to avoid damaging seagrass beds along any area of the coast by acknowledging the limits of their boats and motors in different water depths within the bays. They are encouraged to LIFT, DRIFT, POLE OR TROLL: LIFT their motors when in shallow vegetated areas; boaters should learn to DRIFT with the winds to cross very shallow areas; use of a long and strong push POLE is essential when fishing shallow waters; TROLL with a trolling motor to access shallow fishing areas.

More information about seagrasses can be found by visiting the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website http://www.tpwd.state. tx.us/landwater/water/habitats/seagrass.

DO YOUR PART: BOAT SMART!

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

56 | August 2012

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

K AYA K F I S H I N G

WE WENT DOWN TO BELIZE...

“There they are, 2 o’clock moving slow left. You see them, sir?”

The voice inside my head said, “You mean those 50 fins quivering above the surface attached to those 25 pound fish?” What came out of my mouth was “Got ‘em.”

The confidence was oozing. I’ve got these guys right where I want them headed into my 11 o’clock wheelhouse, wind gently blowing from behind my right shoulder. The ten-weight swung into action, the crab fly swished back and forth as I measured my line for the easy fifty foot cast. The crab sailed into the water just behind the lead fish, right where Daniel had instructed.

I held my breath as he whispered, “Good, let it sink. Strip it…strip it…strip it.” Aaaaand…nothing. Well Scott, you’re not in Texas any more.

Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of fly fishing for permit. Had those been redfish on a Texas flat they would’ve beaten each other black and blue fighting over the faux crab. These permit were totally indifferent, or was that indignant? It was 7:30 AM and what followed was the most intense session of sight-casting I ever 58 | August 2012

experienced, bar none. The school was calm and easy going as they meandered around the mangrove-lined cove inside the lagoon of Turneffe Island. My Belizean guide poled me into position over and over. Some casts were perfect, most were acceptable, a few were awful. I threw everything you’re supposed to throw at permit as well as a few of my redfish flies. I threw to the lead fish, the ones in the middle, the single that broke away from the group to tail up on a coral head and still nothing but a single half-hearted bump. Many of them would tease with a quick turn towards the offering or maybe even follow it for a few feet, but none would commit. They tease just enough to keep you going. I have no idea where I heard this, but it kept playing in my head, “You don’t fail until you quit.” And as long as they were going to stay there I wasn’t going to quit.

My wonderful wife sat patiently behind me offering words of encouragement and talking to those stubborn fish, “Come on, eat it, eat it, eat it.” It wasn’t until the school faded into a little deeper water and Daniel piped up with a suggestion to take a lunch break that I

realized just how patient she was. I had lost all track of time and was dumbfounded when told it was after noon. Four and a half hours had passed in what seemed to be closer to an hour and a half. I hate permit. I love permit. I now fully understand the obsession so many anglers have with this species.

There were three of us at the lodge seriously chasing permit throughout the week. I ended up as the odd man out, but I had absolutely nothing to complain about. In addition to the ridiculous marathon morning, each day presented multiple legitimate shots at cruising or tailing fish. I just never found the one that wanted to eat my fly. There was, however, some solace in how my fellow anglers’ weeks played out. Spencer caught his first-ever permit on his second cast and then proceeded to no-hit the rest of the week. Randy had cast to dozens without so much as a bump. While heading back to the lodge late in the afternoon of the final day his guide swung the skiff to a stop and pointed to a fast-moving school of five permit. Randy made the cast and got yet another refusal. The school was fading out of range when he loosed what was to be his final cast of the trip. Yep, you guessed it. He caught his permit. And no, I honestly did not make that up for your entertainment.

Turneffe Flats Lodge is known for their excellent permit fishing. In fact a permit is their logo, but they are by no means the only available targets. Huge schools of bonefish cruise and tail on the ankle deep flats just inside the barrier reef. Many of these schools easily held a hundred or more fish. Tarpon of all sizes can be seen rolling and slashing into bait in the passes and mangrove creeks that lead from the lagoon to the outer flats. And then there are the less glamorous species such as barracuda, mutton and cubera snapper, and an array of grouper. They may not grab the headlines but they’ll certainly grab your topwater or well-placed fly. Camille and I elected to spend the majority of one day simply casting big topwaters against the mangroves to see what was there. Tarpon, snapper and more ‘cudas than we really wanted all came out to play. The highlight of the day TSFMAG.com | 59

So many things can go wrong it sometimes seems impossible that such an insane fish can be landed with a buggy whip. On this day my hook stuck, my knots held and Daniel’s grip upon the lower jaw of my prize was solid. He wasn’t huge, but it was still a tarpon on the fly.

The following morning found us back in this same location just prior to sunrise. What happened next is one of those moments that burns itself into your memory. A long slow strip was met with a thump and miss. I paused to gather myself and the second I moved the fly it simply stopped. I mean it stopped like it was solidly hung on the bottom, but the bottom was swimming away. My heavy two-handed twelve-weight rod was bent into the cork and I honestly don’t think this fish even knew he was hooked. It had struck coming towards the boat and continued on at a leisurely pace along the side of the skiff before making a wide lazy turn to head back down current. Daniel was steadily telling me to give him more pressure.

I don’t know how that could be possible. Every fiber of my being was fully involved. And then there was heartbreaking slack. I have no idea what creature of the sea swam away with my fly. Daniel was fairly confident that it was a very large tarpon based on its movements and his many years of working these waters. These are the moments that keep us coming back.

Turneffe Flats Lodge (www.tflats.com) is an awesome destination that I would recommend without reservation. It was the perfect place to get away from everything and celebrate 25 years of being married to my wonderful wife; no television, no e-mails and no cell phones. I’m truly a blessed man to have a lifetime fishing partner willing to sit without complaint for hours while I cast in futility at those damned permit.

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came in a quiet little creek when the rhythmic clicking of my dog-walking topwater was shattered by a huge boil and the gill-rattling leap of a five foot tarpon.

The hooks didn’t strike home, but it was still one of my favorite moments of the trip. The anticipation that any cast could bring a five pound snapper or a hundred pound tarpon made for a special day.

While that creek tarpon didn’t come to hand, I did succeed in landing my first on the fly. The tide was rolling in through the major pass out in front of the lodge with the wind blowing the same direction as the current. The set up was perfect for casting as far as possible down-current and then retrieving with long steady strips back into the current. The moving water helped make the black over purple EP baitfish pattern come to life. Scattered tarpon were rolling and gulping in the vicinity adding to the feeling that something was going to happen at any moment. About midway through a long strip the line suddenly stopped with a jolt. The hookset was immediately answered with a crazy tail-walking ‘poon.

Somehow I remembered to bow to the king on that initial jump.

This has been my undoing on past encounters. Within seconds the loose fly line had flown from the deck and out through the guides along with a decent amount of backing. What followed was the dance of the tarpon fight. He runs hard left, you counter low and right; he reverses field and you respond. He dives for the coral heads and the guide starts yelling to give it more pressure. And then you see it coming, the fly line is rising quickly through the clear water. You drop the rod tip and bow while holding your breath and praying he doesn’t throw your fly as he bolts skyward in a twisting turning leap.

60 | August 2012

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

Telephone Email

Website

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

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TSFMAG.com | 61

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

ACCORDING TO SCOT T

THE END!

WELL SORT OF...

“So what is it exactly that you do for a living?”

I have fielded this question many times and I never really had an answer other than I am just a dumb ol’ fishing guide who occasionally takes and sells a picture or two to a magazine. Then one evening last spring while lying in a tent in the Everglades trying to sort through all the thoughts that represent the pure chaos that is my mind and, of course, trying to fall asleep, I came to realize what my true profession is. I am a fishing hobo!

Now many might wonder how I can find that to be such a significant revelation. The answer is remarkably simple in that in a weird kind of way, my life somehow contradicts the typical lifestyle of a Texas fishing guide.

You see, over the years I have tried to live a normal life, well as normal as a guide’s life will allow. But as you can imagine, I have continued to fail. Why? Because I just cannot sit still…especially these days. I just find it necessary to move around as much as possible.

As the years have passed, the waters that I call 62 | August 2012

home have begun to shrink. I do not see how, considering that Al Gore has told us over and over that the waters are rising, the simple fact remains that there are more and more people on the water these days and many of them are beginning to fish the way I do, a fact that I do not particularly care for. Do not misunderstand me, I do not begrudge them one bit for doing it, it is a great way to fish however, I need space.

And, more often than not, the only way to find it is to go somewhere else. Something I seem to be doing more and more of. However, more often than not, I just seem to leave one circus for another and the only thing that ever really changes is the clowns.

For years now, in order to keep my sanity (many would argue that I never had any) I would hook up to the skiff, jump in the truck and take off to the Everglades or Louisiana for a couple of weeks to avoid having to be checked into a place with rubber walls.

On top of these trips, I realized that frequent flyer miles are wonderful medicine for treating my restless soul

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and so, as often as possible, I am off to Florida (next week) or some other country (Belize in August) to make a cast to whatever. These escapes have always been working trips that would either allow me to do some guiding or photo making to justify the expense. Most of the time I come out ahead, but occasionally, I will only break even or lose a little money. Still, even when I have not made money, seeing different things truly keeps me going.

Something else that has really kept me sane is the fact that, while I am a fishing hobo, I am a fishing hobo who wears a lot of different hats. Hell, just being a guide requires changing hats several times a day. One minute you are a guide and the next you might be an instructor, a medic or even a marriage counselor from time to time.

Some days require guides to put on the meteorologist hat to try to predict what the weather is doing and later that day putting on the mechanics hat to work on an outboard. For me, I wear all of these hats, plus a few more. There is the guide hat and all the others that go with it and then there are the others- product designer, photographer, journalist, feature writer and columnist.

It is that last hat that I want to focus on for a bit here. For a while now I have been doing this column for what started out as Gulf Coast Connections and is now Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine. In fact, I estimate that if I have not reached 100 published works in this rag alone, I am getting pretty damn close. Unfortunately I am growing restless as I have found it difficult to come up with meaningful things to write about every month and recently discussed with E.J. the possibility of ending my tenure with the magazine so that the readers can get a new perspective or at the least something else new. Over the years I have done my best to keep it fresh, fun, informative, sometimes personal and most importantly real. I know I rarely was able to get it all done in one issue and probably even failed to achieve even one of them on more than a couple occasions.

The fact is, I have been finding it harder and harder to be the “realist bitch” (I was flattered Mike) that is expected of me and have not felt like I am putting out a consistent, quality product so… this is going to be my next to the last “According to Scott.”

So, figuring that I was going to be hanging the “realist bitch” hat up for a while, I decided to get this fluff piece out of the way and go out with a bang. In the next issue I am going to put it all on the line and put something out there that I have been considering for years.

It is a subject that I believe deep down and it is controversial enough that I might even loose a couple of friends over it but, hey… it is only my opinion.

Now with that being said, my intentions were to walk away from TSFMag so that I could focus on other aspects of the fishing business but, our illustrious editor has other ideas and has offered me a new hat fresh out of the box so, I am going to try it on and see how it fits.

Until next month… be good and stuff like that!

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

Telephone Email Website

979-415-4379 vssommerlatte@hotmail.com www.scottsommerlatte.com TSFMAG.com | 63

Josh’s best speck so far…on a topwater!

MARCOS GARZA

YO U T H F I S H I N G

TOPWATER ACTION The sun was a fireball in the sky, the water like glass.

Ever alert, I cast my chartreuse Skitter Walk out into the bay; waiting for that moment when the stillness of the morning will be disturbed. I work my lure with precision to more effectively call upon the predators of the Lower Laguna Madre. After a few articulate twitches, the quietness has erupted into a watery explosion of fish and topwater. Shaking her head furiously, the massive trout breaks the surface once more to show us her size and power. Effortlessly, she shakes loose of my lure and swims off out into what seems like an eternal body of water. This is how I imagine most of the mornings that I go fishing, exhilarating isn’t it? It is always disappointing to realize that this does not happen as often as I would wish it. We cannot always have what we wish for, but when we seldom receive our wish, we savor every second and remember every detail of the moment.

Knowing that not every day can be like I imagine, I still 64 | August 2012

try my best to make it happen. While fishing with some friends one morning, it happened to my friend Josh. Josh and my other friend A.J. had just graduated and my gift to them was a fishing trip with my dad, my mom and me. We had just arrived at our first spot of the day, a spot that we had caught a lot of trout the previous day. We decided to all start off with a topwater since it was a calm morning. The sun was barely beginning to rise when Josh had gotten a decent sized blow up on his bone-silver side Super Spook Jr. He didn’t know this yet, but this was going to be Josh’s personal best so far in his fishing career.

The trout exploded and immediately started to take drag, running against the current. When my dad and I realized that this was a big trout, we both advised Josh to back off of the drag and to let her run. Josh landed the fish, being careful not to lose it. She wasn’t as big as we’d hoped for, but she was a good trout none the less. At 23 ½” and 3 pounds, Josh had just set his new personal best.

fishing offshore, I really mean that we go out in a 25’ Explorer. Capt. Bruce Shuler of Getaway lodge where I work part-time and I have found a spot within view of the Port Mansfield Jetties that has been holding decent sized kingfish.

As scheduled, I arrive at Getaway prepared to fish. Going with us on this trip is a friend and a good client of Capt. Shuler’s, Marty Watson.

Marty came prepared as well, bringing along with him a few spinning rods and a heavy G-Loomis rod. We arrive at our set location and launch our topwaters out into the gulf waiting for a king to jump up into the air with our lure in its mouth. I was lucky enough to be privileged with the first king of the season, which was about 18 pounds, on a pink and white Super Spook. Marty hooked up soon after with an even bigger king on a red and white WalkieTalkie. We were only using trout tackle for these kings, throwing Bomber Long-A’s, Super Spooks, and Bomber Walkie-Talkies. We were having a blast just watching the kingfish come up from 40 feet of water up into the air 10 feet every time they blew up on our topwaters. For a few minutes we were even talking about taking the hooks off and just watching the kings blow up without getting hooked. We hooked 32 kings that day and landed about 12 of them.

Topwaters accounted for 29 of those kings and I hooked the other three on the fly but that’s a different story for a different time.

The author with a topwater kingfish landed on trout tackle.

In my mind using a topwater has always yielded bigger and better fish than using a soft plastic bait. This summer season has proven it to me because I have caught many 23”, 24”, and 25” trout on topwater. I’ve actually only been using a chartreuse Skitter Walk and have caught all these bigger fish on this one lure. Since we are on the subject of bigger fish, I would like to share my topwater experience offshore. When I go

TSFMAG.com | 65

MIKE JENNINGS

TEXAS NEARSHORE & OFFSHORE

Shortest season

EVER!

I sit here to write with concerns following the close of yet another red snapper season that, even with an unprecedented six day extension, is the shortest on record. My concerns lie with the extension and its possible effect on the overall red snapper landings for 2012. This extension was the result of a letter written by Congressman Steve Southerland (R-FL) dated June 27 2012 and co-signed by eighteen others. Congressman Southerland requested that NOAA Fisheries Service extend the season due to an abnormal string of bad weather days in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico that kept the fishermen tied to the dock. Their basic reasoning was the effect these lost days would have on coastal economies and coastal businesses that rely on the recreational red snapper fishery.

Joe Richard wrote in my stead last month about the pitfalls of a short derby season and how it just doesn’t work. A derby season has failed the fisherman and the fishery in every place that it has been tried. It has been proven to cost lives and fail to allow the fisherman to fully take advantage of the stocks regardless of the 66 | August 2012

number of fishable weather days.

I suspect the saddest part of our most recent season is that extending for six days due to a little political pressure from a few freshman congressmen, will ultimately have little to no effect on the success or failure of a single coastal business. Plus – if the extension proves successful in increasing recreational red snapper landings – NOAA may turn around and say we over-fished the recreational quota for yet another year. And so, the extra days we are allowed to fish this year may not equal the reduction in quota that NOAA could impose next year.

All of this is just so much speculation on my part but it seems to be a common thought among many that are way better versed in the management of our Gulf fisheries than I am. To put it simply, our six additional days of glory may come at a bigger price than any of us want to pay… lending more weight to Joe’s points about our current derby style fishing seasons.

OK – enough of the soapbox. Let’s look to the day at hand and the good news for what lies ahead.

August has to be my favorite time of year to fish. Our fishery will go through about as dramatic a change as it ever makes over the next month. Our shrimp boats will go from working the beachfront to upwards of two hundred foot depths over the next few weeks, bringing daily changes to the way we fish them. The boats will hold a mix of cobia, kingfish, sharks and dorado as they fish consistently further offshore, chasing the shrimp into deeper waters. Blackfin tuna will become the ultimate prize for anglers willing to make the longer runs as the season progresses.

We can also return to targeting greater amberjack with the season opening August 1. With these fish receiving a two month rest from summer fishing pressure they should not only be stacked up and easy to target, we should see the season remain open through the end of the year.

I’m often asked if I could choose a time of year that I prefer to fish , or that I like most , and my answer is always from August until the cold fronts begin to make the weather unpredictable. By this time of year we are sitting on every species of migratory fish that pass our way. In August the high pressure systems that seem to make it so hot also allow our water and wind to consistently calm. This often allows the rips and hard current changes to stack up the large sargassum lines and patches. These trash lines, or grass lines as many call them, will hold not only fish but the hopes and full attention of every fisherman that happens upon them.

Glass-slick seas will allow us to travel faster and cover more water than we have been accustomed to doing over the last couple of months. This affords us the opportunity to try places and tactics that even if only a gamble will not cost us as dearly as it would on a day that we couldn’t just pick up and make a quick move when we strike out.

TSFMAG.com | 67

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I have spoken before on many occasions about trying new approaches and new tactics and learning from our successes as well as our failures. This month is a great time to apply some of these ideas, be it something that you have heard about or just some wild idea that you have concocted yourself.

To me, we are entering a time of year in the western Gulf that is just about as good as it gets. This is due to a culmination of fish migrations, water temperature, and just downright Chamber of Commerce type weather.

It’s time for this old fisherman to forget the pitfalls of a season past and lay aside concerns for what the future brings (even if just for a little while) and enjoy the next few weeks on the water. It’s time to take part in our world-class fishery that allows us to target a great number of species and make those in the eastern Gulf (that rely on only one or two fish) wish they were in Texas!

68 | August 2012

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 Email Website

979-864-9439 texassportfishing@gmail.com www.cowboycharters.com

It’s times like this you’ll forget all about us. And that’s just what we want.

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TSFMAG.com | 69

C A D E ’ S C O A S TA L C H R O N I C L E S

CADE SIMPSON

Headin' down to

PalacioS Hi, I’m Cade. Like lots of folks that read this magazine, I’m one of your everyday do-ityourself fishermen with a great passion for the outdoors and I love the adventure of learning new areas along the Texas coast.

Like many of you, I have often found myself a little lost when planning a fishing trip to a new area. Break out your Hook-N-Line Fishing map and follow me as I explore and enjoy the great fishing each area has to offer.

Where Palacios, Texas is a coastal town of a few thousand people, nestled against Tres Palacios Bay, which is a small bay system stemming off the northeast corner of major Matagorda Bay. I found that easiest access to Palacios from Houston is exiting Hwy 71 South from Hwy 59 until you hit Hwy 35. Follow Hwy 35 south to downtown 70 | August 2012

Palacios. I referenced Hook-N-Line Fishing Map F108 for my fishing trip to Palacios.

When and Weather Summer time is here. Day time temps are breaching 100 degrees making just about any outdoor activity a little sweaty. At the same time however, the fish are getting active making trips to the water more than worth the battle with the heat. From what I’ve heard “on the street” the bite can be hit or miss in the Palacios area. Perhaps it was just coincidence but we had a great trip, finding a number of redfish. At the cleaning station located at the city’s bayfront park, we encountered a group of smiling anglers with limits of trout and a few flounder in the mix.

Tackle and Gear As most anglers do, I like new gear and trying new tactics now and then. My most recent addition to the bag has been using scent attractants, mostly on my hard baits. I put a little KicknBass Fish Attractant(saltwater scent) on my topwater lures as well as spoons and RatLTraps. I let it dry onto the lure before casting it. As a big fan of Gulp baits and their dominance, I figured that adding a little taste to my lures is worth a shot. I will be honest, I don’t buy into the fact that fish just come swarming to a scented bait. However, I do believe a fish will hold a lure in its mouth a little longer, giving you a little wider window to set the hook, when the lure is scented. I used my trusty Castaway Skeleton rods with a Mann’s Waker crankbait and Gulps under a popping cork as my focused presentations.

For quick tackle and snack/grocery needs, stop in at The Point, it is right on Hwy 35 and is a well put together little store. Grassy Point Marina and Bait as well as the Shrimp Shack, are other options for bait and tackle.

TSFMAG.com | 71

Always be conscious of fishing around marsh grass lines. Redfish will blow up on your lure then run for the cover of the grass. This can lead to missed fish, as your lure gets snagged on the grass and releases from the fish’s mouth.

Fish cleaning station at the park.

Hitting the water I like shallow water and always try to find some marsh or flats in the new areas I will be fishing. After looking at my map the upper portion of Palacios Bay appeared to offer the best access to skinny water fishing. The best access to this area is north of the town off of side roads. As is often the strategy, we worked the grass lines starting the day throwing topwaters, namely Wakers. A fairly slow retrieve with an occasional pause proved very effective, yielding a number of hookups.

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Where to eat and where to sleep My buddy Cory and I had a good meal at the Outrigger Grill. I ate a platter of fried fish, Cory a cheeseburger. We both agreed the food was tasty and the service very good. The atmosphere is neat, with antique fishing and boating equipment lining the walls. Outrigger Grill also offers the “you catch it, we cook it” option. I have yet to take one of these coastal restaurants up on the offer, but I intend on trying one of these days.

For some shut eye, there are some really neat bed and breakfast establishments. I took note of The Peaceful Pelican on the bayfront and Main Inn Bed and Breakfast located in the downtown area. There are also some attractive RV parks in the Palacios area.

Peaceful Pelican B&B

Drift fishing is also not a bad choice.

The Palacios Channel extends from the ICW way down in Matagorda Bay all the way up to the harbor in Palacios. Work this area from your boat or kayak. Always be on the look out for working birds.

If you paddle the western shoreline of Tres Palacios Bay in a southwest direction you will come upon Turtle Bay. Turtle Bay offers more shallow water fishing and another area with decent marsh habitat.

Outriggers...good eats!

Wrap up Palacios is not dissimilar to many other coastal towns, but from my viewpoint it offers one of the best bank fishing facilities that I have seen. Even rivaling the Dike in Texas Main Inn B&B City. Where Palacios differs from the Dike is it has covered table areas, playground for kids, restrooms, and grassy areas for picnicking.

Numerous piers are spaced out along the parks bay side, all of which are well lit.

As always, be careful on the water, bring a friend, and have fun.

Palacios Area Businesses of Interest to Fishermen Outrigger Grill – 361-972-1479 Peaceful Pelican Bed and Breakfast – 361-972-0317 Main Inn Bed and Breakfast – 361-972-3408 The Point – 361-972-3152 REMAX Coastal Properties (vacation rentals and sales) – 361972-5900 Gulf Bay Marine Supply – 361-972-0409 Porter’s Ace Hardware – 361-972-5222 Palacios Chamber of Commerce – 361-972-2615

The Other Angles I was pleased with the marsh available in the Palacios area. It served my kayaking needs well.

Launching from town into the main bay opens up the doors to wade fishing the shorelines on the east and west sides of the bay.

C ontact

The Point...they have what you need.

Telephone Email

936-776-7028 Cademan11@sbcglobal.net

Find me on Facebook to follow along in my outdoor adventures

TSFMAG.com | 73

Pitching a shark bait.

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

ERIC OZOLINS

THE "EXTREME" SIDE OF THINGS As the scorching sun radiates down on the calm and reflective mid-summer waters along the south Texas coast, the surface action during this early-morning moment remains both silent and creepily eerie. Less than two miles offshore, a couple of us have ventured out in our plastic battleships seeking any obvious signs of ensuing chaos. The lack of sleep contributed from the previous night’s tiger shark release from the surf keeps playing in the back of my mind and yet the still hovering and very active adrenaline fuels the morning’s fresh adventure. With our ideal targeted water depth this time of year being anywhere from 30-50 feet, we manage to cover as much area as possible while trolling and are also readily available to cast various lures at any sudden signs of action. Primed up on high hopes and anxiety, we cruise around far BTB (beyond the breakers) seeking randomly appearing birds and bait. For those of you curious, my name is Eric Ozolins.

Many of you know me simply as “Oz.” The clear pristine waters and the absurdly hot temperatures as such on this grease-calm morning truly 74 | August 2012

define the dog days of summer. Fishing these dog days can, for lack of a better word, “mystify” one. It is without reason that our aquatic obsessions require us to be constantly mystified. On the water you need to be ready for virtually anything that may pop up in an unexpected instant. Fortunately for us on this ideal day in the kayak there are merging signs of life. Off in the vast distance there is a slight disturbance formulating on the surface.

Only seconds pass before our curiosity grows and the first of the gulls reach what optimistically seems like an anchovy baitball rising from the depths. Still a couple hundred yards away, a buddy and I paddle furiously, not knowing how long the action will continue.

The closer we get to the frenzy the larger the predatory explosions that begin taking place. Armed with large tunastyle topwaters and slab spoons, we are about to meld within the madness. We throw our custom tuna poppers into the mayhem and Kevin instantly hooks up with a large and aerial king mackerel - launching like a vicious subsurface rocket. Almost simultaneously my oversized

angling off the Texas coast. Having fished various parts of North America, in and out of the country, I have experienced many of the conditions that each area has to offer and all are very unique in their own right. Texas within itself is nothing short of a gem. The harsh months of brutally strong winds help protect and replenish our great fishery. Then when conditions do quiet down, the waters can come alive with uncanny activity. When the ingredients are just right, there is no other place on this planet I would want to fish and become a part of.

For well over a decade I have been targeting large sharks from the surf, often calling the Padre Island National Seashore my home and stomping grounds. Throughout my personal years of what historically

The author admiring a great king mackerel.

Summertime bull shark, tagged and ready for release.

topwater gets slammed; not by a king but by another frenzying predator - a large jack crevalle. Several minutes after fighting this tireless marine bulldog I lead him to within feet of the kayak. Then, and most unexpectedly, an aggressive boil and thunderous splash appears.

The result is the head-section of the 20 pound jackfish being the only thing that remains, still hooked to the lure. True – Utter – Chaos promptly ensues. This is what I live for. This is undoubtedly MY realm, MY uncharted and continually intriguing domain.

It is indeed moments like these that are the catalyst for the addiction that an increasing number of us are associated with. I have for years been linked to the sport of shark fishing and big-game kayak

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childhood and it is only fitting that I continue to be thrilled and fascinated by each encounter. Every upclose experience like this delivers a mesmerizing rush that burns vividly into the fibers of one’s brain. I am and will always be associated with chasing down big sharks from the shore.

However, there is more to my insane obsession than just seeking monstrous sharks from the sand... it extends just offshore in the kayak. In addition to playing the wicked game the surf has to offer, I have also actively been fishing from the safety of a thin wall of plastic for over a decade and helped pioneer biggame fishing from a sit-on-top kayak and what is also referred to these days as “beyond the breakers.” While I did not coin the term, it truly says it all. When it all The author fighting began there was great criticism regarding the fact of shark atop surf truck rig. tangling with dangerous sharks and large predators from such an unproven platform (in reality it is very real and extremely dangerous). Ocean-going kayaks were just starting their early evolution and have not been around very may be considered short in terms of shark-fishing careers - I have long. For a span of a couple years an elite few of us were known as the landed, tagged, and released a great number of sharks, some of which ridiculous guys who targeted sharks and mackerel in this “extreme” are extremely rare for inshore waters. The mystery factor once again method of fishing. is what helps drive this unbreakable obsession. I’ve been honored We never encouraged what we did; we just pursued the unknown and fortunate to be a volunteer while taking part in some recent while desiring an unrivaled adrenaline rush. The only real promotion groundbreaking studies by the Harte Research Institute and the Texas we did was if an unknown individual was in fact considering fishing A&M University–Corpus Christi, involving satellite and acoustic tagging offshore in the kayak, it was important to note to them every possible on appropriate candidates. There is something deep within my soul safety measure to avoid catastrophe. Since the sport has grown so vast regarding the various shark species that has fascinated me since early

76 | August 2012

over the last few years, I try to do everything possible to educate the new and old regarding safety. Accidents do and will always happen.

It is important to be prepared in every facet to minimize unexpected trouble as much as possible. Kayak fishing in the open gulf can be extremely dangerous and with any other extreme sport, it is not meant for everyone. I’d say only a handful of the individuals who are actively fishing beyond the breakers today are really physically fit and mentally alert for it. There is nothing I can do about this other than the idea of presenting a heavier focus of safety to these individuals in the future which I will be doing here.

Whether in the comfort of a plastic boat or on the burning sand with

C ontact

Preparing to release tagged tiger in the PINS surf.

large shark baits staggered over hundreds of yards, I thrive on the adventure that each presents. Fishing is all about learning from experienced individuals to build upon your own knowledge. For me I have learned so much from TSF’s very own Capt. Billy Sandifer who has been an invaluable mentor to me.

Unfortunately, in the world of kayak fishing, there were no real iconic figures at the time to learn from so I had to go simply by trial and error. Luckily I am still alive and have learned a plethora of knowledge over the years and enjoy educating anyone who requests information or help. I am deeply honored to be part of this great publication and am very excited that I will be able to bring many more great stories and adventures to life for all to enjoy in upcoming issues. For those who follow me on my Extreme Coast website, there are current online videos, reports, and information to help guide you on your very own adventure.

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

Email Websites

Oz@extremecoast.com extremecoast.com kayakwars.com

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A male hardhead with his brood.

Photo by Scott Eustis, University of New Orleans

STEPHANIE BOYD

F I S H Y FA C T S

CATS Finally, an article dedicated to the coastal anglers’s favorite catch: the saltwater catfish. Every fisherman aspires to reel in that whiskery confection, that spiny delight, that– what? You caught one yesterday? And the day before? Every day last week? …and you were targeting reds? Hmm… The hardhead catfish, Ariopsis felis, has six whiskers, called barbels - one long pair and two shorter pairs. It sports three spines, one on the dorsal fin and one each on the pectoral fins. Like many marine fish, it is dark on top and light on bottom. The average adult size is ten inches and half a pound. The Texas record is nineteen inches, 3.3 pounds (1997).1 The gafftopsail catfish, Bagre marinus, also has three pairs of barbels, similar coloration, and three spines. It is named for its sail-like dorsal fin. Gafftops average about 2.5 pounds; the Texas record is 13.3 pounds, thirty-four inches (1981).2 Saltwater catfish are notorious for cleaning your hooks before other fish get a chance to chomp down.

Though both are edible, there’s much debate among fishermen about their dinner value. Seems like gafftops are generally acceptable table fare; hardheads less so, 78 | August 2012

but there are a few fishermen who say if you know just how to cook them…

For those always seeking to avoid the cats, here’s a tidbit that might come in handy. During the summer, males are busy being dads. Both marine catfish species spawn May through August. Females produce only 20-65 eggs per spawning, which seems rather low compared to the thousands that other species produce, but this low egg count is offset by the males’ parental care. Eggs and young are brooded in the male’s mouth for 60-80 days. This means, most of the day is spent hanging out on Dad’s tongue, feeding on planktonic crustaceans in or around his mouth. No snacks for Dad though; brooding males do not feed.3 I can only imagine the males’ endurance during this period, as catfish have twice as many tastebuds in their mouths as humans. In fact, the catfish’s entire body is covered in taste buds and has been likened (quite often) to a “swimming tongue.” It has about 180,000 taste buds covering its body; all in all, catfish have twenty times as many taste buds as humans.4 They can literally taste the water they’re swimming through. Umm, that could

sometimes be… yucky.

While taste is one of their keenest senses, catfish are pretty well equipped all the way around. They have a powerful sense of smell and can detect some scents that are only one part per ten billion parts of water. It’s possible they use smell to distinguish individuals and maintain hierarchy. Their scaleless skin is quite sensitive to touch, but it’s the barbels that are in charge of feeling out the situation. Not only are they covered in extremely receptive nerves (and taste buds, of course), they can also pick up vibrations made by the movements of other critters. Handy in murky environments. Of course, in clear water, most catfish can rely on good eyesight, even in dim light because they possess the same see-in-the-dark eye technology that (actual) cats do. And for prey that is camouflaged or in hiding, they use their sense of electroreception. Though limited in range, this allows the catfish to sense natural electrical discharges from the body.5 Hardheads and gafftops don’t have a large pool of predators. You have to be fairly tenacious if you’re going after armed prey. Some of their predators include the longnose gar, bull shark, and large finfishes. Some fishermen use them as bait for large game fish, such as cobia. Despite being the most numerous gill-netted fish coastwide over the last thirty years (on average), there’s not really much commercial harvest, and only limited recreational.3 This due in large part to the unpopular flavor and slimy coating.

The spines are serrated, barbed, and envenomed… sort of.

Technically, it’s the slime on the spine that carries the venom, not the spine itself. It’s a complex toxin composed of high molecular weight proteins and low molecular weight compounds and is secreted by glands at the base of the spine (or possibly along it; there’s some disagreement among scientists as to the exact secretion position). More importantly, this toxin is believed to be rendered inert at temperatures over 105 degrees F.6 (Also handy for stingray stabs.) So a hot rinse and soak is recommend if spined.

(Tip: start your engine, wet a rag in the hot exhaust water, and put that rag on the wound.) Reactions to a marine catfish puncture vary

widely, but most seem to agree that it’s a very painful experience, at least. Some require a trip to the hospital. The spines are quite sturdy enough to go through even leather-soled shoes. Best to handle these creatures with a little respect.

If you’re after a certain fish, I can see how catching a bunch of cats would be frustrating, but like everything else, they’ve evolved to fill a certain ecological role. Even if it’s not obvious to us, it’s not always wise to pull a Jenga block from the bottom if you don’t know what blocks it’s supporting.

“They used to tank cod from Alaska all the way to China. They’d keep them in vats in the ship. By the time the codfish reached China, the flesh was mush and tasteless. So this guy came up with this idea that if you put these cods in these big vats, put some catfish in with them. And the catfish would keep the cod agile. And there are those people who are catfish in life. And they keep you on your toes. They keep you guessin’; they keep you thinkin’; they keep you fresh. And I thank god for the catfish, because we would be dull and boring if we didn’t have somebody nipping at our fin.” – Catfish, 2010

Footnotes 1

“Hardhead Catfish (Arius felis),” Texas Parks & Wildlife, 20 June 2012 <http://www.tpwd. state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/hardhead/>.

2

“Gafftopsail Catfish (Bagre marinus),” Texas Parks & Wildlife, 20 June 2012 <http://www. tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/gafftop/>.

3

“Ariopsis felis,” Smithsonian Marine Station, 20 June 2012 <http://www.sms.si.edu/ irlspec/ariops_felis.htm>.

4

“Which animal has the most tastebuds?” info.com, 23 June 2012 <http://topics.info.com/ Which-animal-has-the-most-tastebuds_1445>.

5

“Sensitive Siluriformes–How Catfish Perceive the World,” ferrebeekeeper, 23 June 2012 <http://ferrebeekeeper.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/sensitive-siluriformes-how-catfishperceive-the-world/>.

6

“Hazardous Marine Life,” Scubadoc’s Diving Medicine, 23 June 2012 <http://www.scubadoc.com/hzrdmrnlf.html>.

TSFMAG.com | 79

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TSFMAG.com | 81

DICKIE ColBuRn

DICKIE ColBuRnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sabine Scene

Sabine

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

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

82 | August 2012

I think I have gone through more BullFrog sunscreen than outboard motor oil over the past month but the fishing on Sabine has been every bit as hot as the weather. The water is exceptionally clear in not only the lake but also the Neches and Sabine Rivers which translates to more fishing room for everyone.

We are two months ahead of schedule as far as the amount of bait stacking in the rivers. Trout, redfish and flounder are right behind them so it has been no big deal when an occasional windy day keeps us off the lake. As you would expect, bouncing a live shad or finger mullet across the bottom or fishing one under a popping cork is hard to beat if a fish fry is a part of your agenda.

Do not think for one minute, however, that live bait is the only game in town when fishing the rivers. There is no doubt that it is the best approach to duping big flounder, but topwaters, tails and crankbaits are equally effective on the trout and reds and they consistently produce the larger trout.

A good tide change is a must and any area where the current flow is altered is a prime place to start. She Dogs, the Geaux Daley and Geaux Trout colors have been extremely good, a bone River 2 Sea Rover, and 5-inch Assassin tails in Slammin chicken and needle

fish have already produced a number of trout in the 7-pound class.

The bite in the lake has been text book for this time of year even with the exceptionally high tides.

Pre-dawn wades to avoid the heat have been very productive. Due to the higher water, the bait is stacking up in very skinny water tighter to the shore and both the reds and larger trout are waiting on their arrival each morning. She Dogs and the Die Dapper rigged on a 1/16 ounce head have negated the need for any further experimenting most days.

The bite in the open lake has been equally good, but locating the schools of better trout has been a little more difficult for the angler that leaves the dock depending on the gulls to do the hard work.

As a matter of fact, the terns have been a much more reliable resource than the larger gulls thus far. Too many folks make the mistake of ignoring or misreading the so-called liar birds.

If they are scattered and traveling they are not much help, but if they are holding even a little bit they are worth checking out. At the very least, they have found some bait and that is a key factor in locating open water schools of fish. The better part of finding one of these schools is that the terns will quickly leave

and you will have the fish to yourself as there will be no circling birds to attract other anglers!

We are finding some fish chasing shrimp, but most of them are working on schools of shad right now. When the birds aren’t working, we are simply idling around in the open lake looking for ladyfish beating up on these same shad.

When you find the ladyfish…, you have found the trout and by the end of the month you will have found the reds as well.

Do not leave out of frustration because you initially catch only ladyfish. Keep switching lures.

Sometimes the color makes the difference and at other times it is the length of the tail. It is the same thing with a topwater. It is not at all unusual for these trout to prefer the larger bait because they are eating the ladyfish rather than the shad.

A minnow type lure that you can pull down a foot or so under the water like a Strike Pro Arc Minnow or MirrOlure floating MirrOlip

John Storm with a nice trout caught on what else...a Storm Chug Bug!

often works even better than a conventional topwater. Swimming a longer tail rigged on a light jig head can be deadly as well.

You are absolutely going to catch more fish when fishing this program rigging a 4-inch TTF Flats Minnow or a Sea Shad on a two foot leader under a Kwik Cork, but it is almost impossible at times to keep the lady fish off the smaller tails. If that becomes a problem, try rigging a 5-inch tail on an exposed 4/0 Mustad wide gap hook beneath your cork before calling in the dogs.

The weightless tail sinks slower and the trout love it!

By the time you read this we will be sweating out hurricanes and cruising the lake looking for those massive schools of redfish churning the surface. It happens every year about this time and the bait is already there. There is no right or wrong lure or retrieve when you find these fish!

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TSFMAG.com | 83

mICKEY Eastman

mICKEY On Galveston

Galveston

Mickey Eastman is a full-time fishing guide out of Baytown, TX. Mickey has 26 years guiding experience on the Galveston area bays and is the founder of Gulf Coast Troutmasters, the largest speckled trout tournament series of all time

Telephone 281-383-2032

84 | August 2012

We have had some calm weather across the Galveston Bays region and some really good catches, so things are looking up. I would say probably East Bay continues to be the best for speckled trout. All the deepest reefs over there, from Hanna Reef on back to Deep Reef, Middle Reef, Drum Reef and Frenchy’s has been holding some really good fish. They are crowded though and I haven’t been messing with it much as I have been staying over here in Trinity Bay. There are fewer boats and the fish are moving back up the middle of Trinity now that the water conditions and salinity have improved following the big flood we had this spring.

Everybody I talk to is doing real well in East Bay. They are targeting slicks, mud boils for reds, running the bait schools, the whole nine yards.

Tide changes are critical whether it is coming or going and, favorable wind is always in the equation when targeting open-water shell. There

have been a lot of four and five pound trout taken consistently. Redfish have been plentiful along the north shoreline and the top end of East Bay and they are running the shad. Look for them over mud in 3-5 feet of water. Be patient and use your trolling motor.

The Ship Channel is producing lots of trout. The croaker guys, especially the guides, are getting daily limits. Lures are working too but it is not a gimme – decent catches of trout and reds can be made working the slicks and bait if you are patient. Unusual the number of redfish holding on the channel this summer.

You ask for it WE DELIVERED

I think it is due to the ribbonfish, there are huge schools and the redfish are just gorging on them. It is a beautiful sight when the reds push ribbonfish to the surface; it gets pretty crazy. I think you could throw a screwdriver into the frenzy and catch a redfish.

Over in Texas City and lower Galveston Bay there are good numbers of trout coming from Dollar Reef and Texas City Flats and off Skyline Drive. A lot of guys have been doing well parking their cars and wading toward Mosquito Island and Texas City Flats. I have heard of some six and seven pounders from over there so it must be good.

The Galveston Jetties are giving up some very nice trout this summer. I spoke with an eleven-year-old on my radio show last Sunday. He weighed in a 7lb-9oz trout and is leading the Upper Coast CCA STAR Teens. It is always gratifying to see these youngsters into fishing like he is.

Over here in Trinity Bay, for several weeks now, our best trout action has been coming from the gas wells. Back when this started we were pulling a lot of solid females in the four-to-five pound class with an occasional six or seven, but now the males have moved in with them so they must be spawning. A variety of soft plastics have been working.

One day the MirrOlure Lil John will be hot and the next day the Voodoo Shad or Tidal Surge Split Tail. What it boils down to is we have been getting them on whatever you like to throw. There was one day we caught them on MirrOdines, just slow-rolling them off the edge of the well pads about three to four feet below the surface.

When we get our fill of trout fishing I start looking for mud boils the reds are making and also keying on terns. Most of this action is in anywhere from six to nine feet of open water, not associated with any specific type of structure other than mud bottom. Those greater terns will get over the fish and they will not leave; this makes them very reliable indicators. I had a day last week where the reds came to the top like goldfish swimming around and that was real beautiful and cool to watch.

The last couple of weeks have provided very realistic opportunity for double limits when everything goes our way. When the wind gets up though, it is a different ballgame out there in the middle of the bay, and you might as well figure out something else to try. We have had some really nice weather here lately and fishing has been fantastic. It seems like the hotter it gets and the more the wind lays – the better the fishing!

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TSFMAG.com | 85

BIll PustEJoVsKY

CaPt. BIll’s Fish Talk

Matagorda

Bill Pustejovsky is a full-time guide at Matagorda, TX. Bill fishes year-round for trout and redfish in all the Matagorda Bays.

Wading and drifting for trophy trout and reds are his specialty.

Telephone 979-863-7353 Email CaptBill@GoldTipGuideService.com Website www.goldtipguideservice.com

Dear Friends - It is almost ten years I have been very good opportunity for her while at the same writing here and I want to thank everybody for all time will give me the recuperation period I need. At their support. It has been a great run for Karen and some point, I’m sure I’ll be hunting mule deer out me. She has supported me 100% in good times west again and whitetails in the Catskill Mountains. and bad, and I have done the same for her. Some I’ll be coming back to Texas to fish and hunt for sure, people might say I’ve been lucky but, Karen and I God willing. are blessed.

This is my story… When we moved to Matagorda I had a bad fall recently on concrete from about in the early 1990s, we came with very little. I met four feet, landing on my right shoulder. It messed Capt. Mike Williams of Tarpon Express and we things up pretty bad and I’ll have surgery July 23 spent time together. My brain was like a sponge in San Antonio. Dr. Stephen Burkhart will perform and I soaked up everything. Mike told me what to the reconstruction and I’m looking at extended do in order to become a successful fishing guide. downtime. I’m not sure how long but we are praying Everything he shared was true to the letter. He is a quicker than forecasted. My physician Cory Jones with very nice explained that without surgery I will speck wading shell in eventually lose all use of my shoulder.

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Many of you have spoken with or emailed Karen when booking fishing trips. By the time you read this she will have completed her doctorate in special education with specialization in autism spectrum disorders. She has accepted a position with the Department of Defense at West Point just north of New York City. This is a

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86 | August 2012

great friend to this day and always will be. weighing 9 lb 6 oz. I was also in the top Thanks Mike and God bless you. rankings in the TroutMasters Pro Division from My brother Dickie found me an 18’ jon boat 1997-2003. from the Madisonville Fire Department with a Mickey Eastman and Don Farmer started 60 hp motor. A friend loaned me the money and ran the original TroutMasters Series and to buy it. This is the boat I used to begin my it was the biggest trout tournament up and guide business. Every guide in Matagorda at down the Texas Gulf coast. There hasn’t been that time made fun of me and had little good another like it since. One thing I can say to say about my humble beginnings with the about Mickey; when he does something, he exception of Melvin Talasek. Melvin passed does it right. Mickey is a living legend and a away recently and I miss him but will always great person all-around. His Outdoors Show carry him in my heart. on Houston 610 AM radio Thursday through Melvin and I worked together running Sunday is the best we’ve ever had by far. trips out of C&R Marina and we caught a lot I was also able to take home first prize for of fish, big fish. I learned a lot from Pops, the Matagorda Guides Cup for 1997, 2004, and Melvin’s nickname. He never met a stranger.

2005. In 2005, I had the biggest trout, redfish, Pops told me more than once not to let and overall stringer. those “idiots” get to me. He would say, “Boy, I’d like to offer special thanks to Robin and Jennifer Wright waded East Matagorda remember this, boats don’t catch fish, people Teresa Shriver of Bass Assassin Lures, Mike with Capt. Bill – Bass Assassin lure. do. You just go on about your business and and Melody Grigar of Johnny’s Sport Shop, keep catching fish.” Melvin had a saying, “Partner, let’s go burn the Don Busha of Busha Boat Works, Cleve Ford of Dargel Boats, and last bays up today.” Pops was right. I went from a jon boat to a Carolina but not least, Everett and Pam Johnson of Texas Saltwater Fishing Skiff, 22’ Transport, 24’ Triton, 25’ Explorer, and now one of the Magazine, the greatest fishing information tool on the Texas coast. greatest boats on the market, 25’ HDX Dargel Kat. An additional thank you goes out to all of the readers that have read I fished a lot of tournaments over the years and was fortunate and supported this magazine. to win the Gulf Coast TroutMasters Pro Division in 1997 and again There won’t be a next time. God bless. in 2003, catching the third largest trout in TroutMasters history - Capt. Bill and Karen Pustejovsky

TSFMAG.com | 87

CaPt. GaRY GRaY

mID-Coast BaYs With the Grays

Port O'Connor Seadrift

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

The Grays specialize in wade and drift fishing with artificial lures.

Gary and Shellie also team up to fish many tournaments.

Telephone 361-785-6708 Email Gary@BayRat.com Website www.bayratguideservice.com

88 | August 2012

The extreme temperatures of July and August make me think of fishing two different locations when it comes to my speckled friends. I will be looking for structure that has deepwater access and plenty of bait.

First place that comes to my mind is the surf along Matagorda Island. Anytime the wind lays and the conditions are right I will head that way. We had a few good days in June and already in early July when everything came around and the fishing was phenomenal. My groups had trout up to 25-26 inches often with the average being about 20 inches.

When we picked our spots right we could catch them on anything you wanted to throw. There were days a topwater would produce better than any other lure and days when it seemed you couldn’t retrieve a Bass Assassin on a 1/8 head without getting bit. The surf is one of the few places where boat anglers can keep up with a stealthy wader. I sometimes find it better to keep my groups in the boat so that we can make a quick change without the delay of gathering and loading them to

make a move.

Now this is not to say the surf is a gimme; you will still need to look for clues as to where the fish will be located. Just like looking for fish in any bay system you will also have to use your head and look for the many telltale signs that would point towards a good place to start your hunt. I look for bait activity and bird activity and then based on how strong the wind is, I decide where I can safely anchor the boat Ben Moya and Frank O’Riley scored very nice trout on a recent charter.

Young John Liebham was proud of this one!

to fish the area or where we can jump out and wade without it getting swamped by a rogue wave.

Another good thing to remember when wading the surf is to always use a landing net. I have a fear of reaching for a thrashing trout at the same time as a toothy critter of the deep. Also when wading near any pass make sure you always wear a PFD. The currents here can be very swift and dangerous. I myself stay away from fishing too near the passes for this reason.

The other type of fishing I want to mention here would be the reefs located in San Antonio Bay. On the north side of the bay there are many reefs that you can be standing in knee-deep water and throwing into five to six feet over a shell bottom. Early in the morning the trout and redfish can be found right at the crown of the reef herding finger mullet. As the sun rises they seem to drop off to the edges and they can be found on or near the fingers that jut out off the reefs in the deeper water.

Soft plastics such as Bass Assassins always seem to work best for probing the depths of the shell. I rig them on 1/16 Bass Assassin jigheads. I always tell my guys that if you are not hanging up on shell you are fishing too fast, so if you are not getting bites and also not snagging shell occasionally you might to try slowing your retrieve. I will use more of a twitch than a hop on the reefs to keep the jighead from hanging up too seriously when I am fishing it slowly.

A safety tip I have incorporated into all my wading trips is to always put your anchor out or a stake-out stick along with your Power Pole when leaving your boat on the shell reefs. Too many times I have rescued wade fishermen that put trust in their Power Pole or other mechanical anchor, only to have a boat or barge wake come along and set it loose. This could put a kink in your plans if you had to spend the day waiting for a boat to rescue you. Even worse, I have picked people up in the bay that thought they could swim and catch a windblown boat. Believe me, you are not Mark Spitz so donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even try.

I would like to take this time to thank our editor Everett Johnson for the use of his 25â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Majek Redfish Line, it was a worthy fishing platform whether I was in the surf, open bay or the flats. It has been a savior since the middle of March when I sold my last boat.

Fish hard, fish smart!

TSFMAG.com | 89

DaVID RoWsEY

hooKED uP WIth Rowsey

The Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay have been witnessing some above average tide heights from the end of June and on into July. Although they have Upper scattered the fish from one end of the bay the other, Laguna/ the exchange of clean water from the Gulf is exactly Baffin what we need to fight back the brown tide. Yes, it is still hanging around, like crazy cousin Joe from your wifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side and just refuses to take a hint to go away.

Much of the water has cleared, but deep into Baffin David Rowsey has 20 years the brown tide still prevails. At this point, it is going to experience in the Laguna/Baffin take a big tide from a tropical depression or hurricane region; trophy trout with artificial lures is his specialty. David has a to flush it out. Excluding a another push of Gulf water, our next best chance will be cold northern fronts, and great passion for conservation we all know that is a ways down the road. and encourages catch and release of trophy fish.

It has been unseasonably hot down here but it seems to affect us more than the trout. Regardless of Telephone the high heat indices, the largest trout have been in 361-960-0340 skinny water, like calf deep. Not the easiest to catch Website www.DavidRowsey.com but, when they decide to take a lure, it is of the highest Email excitement in the skinny water. Had a recent trip david.rowsey@yahoo.com where one customer and I worked a 100 yard stretch

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of potholes on some skinny flats, and we raised eight large trout, landing exactly half of them. They were teeing off on MirrOlure Fat Boys (Corky), and made for some of the most concentrated big trout action of the summer. This same pattern has proven itself over and over again as the sun gets high and bakes our once cool heads.

If numbers and action are more your game, schools of black drum and some reds are showing in good numbers in the general area of Bird Island and as far south as Nine Mile Hole (Graveyard). I rarely fish from the deck of my Haynie, but this is when I do a lot of it.

Besides the quick hookups offered from these schools, the savvy trout angler will soon realize that there are some big trout hanging on the fringes of these schools - if you can be patient enough to keep your lure away from the reds (hard to do sometimes). Large trout deserve to be on a pedestal, but they are not below letting some other species buy them lunch and wash the dishes as they run in at the last minute for a quick meal of whatever is being served up. Calm August

Slicks remain to be the key indicator on where I will fish and, not a surprise, these areas will also be where I find the most bait to keep the trout within casting distance. After the sun gets high and the bite slows down you have a few options: For trout, you can go out deep and grind it out or, what I prefer, go skinny to seek out the largest fish (but you do run the risk of far less action). The next option is to go chase redfish.

I prefer to go skinny for them as well, but then Jeremiah Jones with a I love sight-casting. To me, sight-casting is the solid brown tide trout. JJ perfect combination of hunting and fishing. I had the hot hand catching get so into it at times that I have to remind numerous solid trout on myself that I have clients with me. Easy to get plum Bass Assassin. lost in it all when you are sliding quietly through the water looking for a shadow of a big trout or that orange glow of an unsuspecting redfish.

In closing, the fish kill that was blown up on the internet did exist; however, the kill was minor and mostly of shad. Personally, I only witnessed three dead trout during that time days offer ideal conditions for spotting the telltale signs of masses of period, and those could have been due to bad handling, just no way fish bulging up the water as they congregate together. to know. The reason is believed to have come from depleted oxygen Trout action is early for the most part. I’m typically departing levels that form during minor tidal movement and excessive heat, of Bluff ’s Landing Marina around 5:00 a.m. every day to catch the best which we have had both. Y’all get an early start, drink lots of water, trout of the first two hours of sunlight. Regardless of brown tide, I am and stay cool out there. almost always starting my days in Baffin for the initial flurry of action.

Remember the buffalo. -Capt David Rowsey

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TSFMAG.com | 91

tRICIa’s Mansfield Report CaPt. tRICIa

There are many reasons why we chose fishing as a pastime and the ever-changing challenges that nature presents would not be last on the list.

Over the past month exceptionally high tides and overflowing parking lots have presented some tough hurdles. Fish naturally scatter given the amount of water they have to roam in and boat traffic has the Port tendency to spread them even further. Each summer Mansfield season it seems that yet another wave of hopeful anglers discover Port Mansfield, so it goes without saying that you had better get out early, have a good plan, and execute it well.

Capt. Tricia’s Skinny Water Good plans during the past month have included Adventures operates out of beating the crowds and targeting mostly deeper water Port Mansfield, specializing in with heavy grass beds. Best catches have routinely wadefishing with artificial lures. come from waist-deep or deeper areas with good cover, or strong sandy drop-offs near shorelines and Telephone spoils. Finding good concentrations of bait with the 956-642-7298 slimmest concentration of boats has been the key.

Email Topwaters have done well even in uncomfortably deep shell@granderiver.net water, with One Knockers, Skitter Walks and She Dogs Website www.SkinnyWaterAdventures.com being reliable. Calmer periods have called for juniorsize plugs, but large baits have been hit hard during aggressive periods.

Besides flurries of topwater action, plastics on 1/8

92 | August 2012

ounce jigs remain hard to beat. Pick your poison. I have been throwing mostly Kelly Wigglers and the Die Dapper from Bass Assassin has also been a steady producer, especially when we need to go weedless.

The importance of color is never a constant and we certainly have days when it doesn’t seem to matter.

Here lately, pumpkinseed/chartreuse works in most water with plum/chartreuse getting it done most consistently in darker water. After that, it’s simply finding the right retrieve speed and depth to match the feeding pattern, and of course we always pray that good luck will be with us.

The key is to beat the crowds with a good game plan and stealthy approach.

Braided line has to be one of the like we should, and it’s not hard to imagine greatest innovations for lure fishermen boats being part of the equation. Pole, drift and I can’t imagine trying to feel a soft or wade into these schools and more folks bite or work a lure as well without using can share without sending them fleeing in it. For most folks, somewhere along the fear…or perhaps even change their minds braided line learning curve, we realize about areas they want to feed. that we might have been better fisherman Trout should be easier to pattern as than we ever imagined, we simply were well. For some reason, every August we not feeling the bite. start seeing large trout show up shallow We try to learn something new every and becoming receptive, even tailing at day and I have been searching for clues times for those on the lookout. That large all summer to understand why we have square black flag waving in the distance not been seeing fish following the reliable should make anybody’s adrenaline spike. patterns of the past i.e., high in the shallows They are catchable too, but again, a silent early and then dropping down as the day approach is critical. That’s another reason wears on. We have mostly been starting why we wade, we can simply address Best catches have routinely come deeper and staying there. Who knows why, those exciting opportunities much better from waist-deep or deeper grassbeds. but again, every year is different. on foot, plus it’s a heck of a lot more fun As far as August goes, we are certainly looking forward to a drop in getting in there with them. overall water levels and also less boat traffic as anglers grow tired of As of now things remain inspiring in the Lower Laguna, and fighting the searing heat. This should put fish in the more predictable should remain so barring any tropical catastrophe, colored tides, depressions, funnels and swales. We should see redfish start or more importantly, overwhelming human interaction. It’s a very patrolling the flats in larger groups and becoming more aggressive shallow system without the many safe havens of the bays further up as they will feed competitively. Approach is the key, and I sure wish the coast, so indeed, we can all make a difference good or bad. Take more boaters would chill a bit and ease into obvious schools instead what you need, but remember that this is about much more than just of “torpedoing” them as has become so common. I firmly believe that food for our tables and egos. Enjoy the challenge of August…the last “over anxious” fishermen are helping to change fish patterns by being summer act before the wonders of fall arrive. Can’t wait for either! too aggressive. We just don’t see large groups of tailing fish anymore

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TSFMAG.com | 93

CaPt. ERnEst CIsnERos

south PaDRE Fishing Scene

A rr oyo C olorado t o Port I sabel

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

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

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

94 | August 2012

Last month I wrote of how fishing can be a window of opportunity - the size of the window varies, with the right place and the right time dictating if you get into consistent action or not. During the past few weeks I think that window has shrunk to about the size of a bathroom window on a child’s playhouse. It has been nothing short of a grind to pattern fish, especially the reds. Since Tropical Storm Debby hit the eastern Gulf our water levels have increased nearly two feet above normal and remained that way which means they have a lot more room to roam. As a result our redfish action has been scattered and a lot tougher than we expect this time of year.

I have been trying to put it all together and so far I’m blaming higher than normal tides, very warm water temperatures, the usual summer time boat traffic, and last but not least our seagrass is still recovering from the floods of June 2010. It is sad to see areas South of the Arroyo that once held a rich carpet of grass nearly barren and the fish just aren’t using them. They remind me of an underwater desert

without baitfish and without redfish.

These are some of the obstacles and conditions we are currently facing but that is enough of the doom and gloom. Let’s talk about what we are doing to make the best of each trip. I don’t want to come across that our fish population has dwindled or that our fishery has diminished. Just this past winter I was writing about how outstanding our trout and redfish

Melis Ainsworth and Michelle Hominga can catch reds even when the bite is tough.

fishery was and still is, but currently, as far as The FTU pink and redfish goes, they are doing a pretty good chrome Super job of hiding.

Spook Jr will be Trout have been easier, holding in their a big hit on any usual summer time haunts; deeper pockets coast as Joe Meyer displays here. of water along spoil islands and the ICW. I like to concentrate my efforts on flats alongside the ICW as the water moves in or going out. As long as you have water movement it tends to spark the trout to bite, not failing to mention that many undersize trout have been mixed in with keeper fish, you just have to grind them out.

The durable Kelley Wigglers continue to be top trout producers for me rigged on 1/8 ounce jigheads and sometimes we add extra weight by slipping a small piece of solder wire into the plastic to keep it closer to the bottom. I mentioned current and when the water is moving at peak flow this trick comes into its own.

For the limited success we’ve had on redfish we have been really creative and looking for them in places we typically tend to pass up.

Days with less boat traffic have definitely been the best.

Those of you that are familiar with our waters know that tidal movement is everything when it comes to getting on a good bite and for the most part, the best tidal movement has been occurring in the early morning and late evening hours. I can say that we have had

some exceptional days when we decided to stick it out and wait for the bite to turn on as the optimal water movement begins to occur. Studying the tide charts has been a big help for predicting water movement.

In August we should see more redfish on our flats and a few schools running around in the deeper water, but the way things have been lining up all we can do is hope this pattern takes place.

August can be a wet month depending weather activity in the tropics that comes our way. We could also see a continuation of high water levels, which will be nothing new as we have been dealing with this right along.

In closing, I recently got a chance to fish with Everett and Pam Johnson (TSFMag) and Joe and Norma Meyer (FTU). As always we had a blast and lots of laughs. We caught a few, but a bit short of our expectations.

As we fished for two days I noticed Joe using a new topwater that quickly caught my attention - a pink and chrome Super Spook Jr that is now in stock exclusively at Fishing Tackle Unlimited. My tackle box will certainly carry one and I suggest your box should have one too. If you cannot get to one of their stores you can shop online at fishingtackleunlimited.com.

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TSFMAG.com | 95

FISHING REPORTS

Lake Calcasieu Louisiana JeďŹ&#x20AC; and Mary Poe - Big Lake Guide Service - 337.598.3268

By August, water temperatures are high and fish seek deeper water. The ship channel, close rigs, and deeper reefs in the lake will be productive.

Long gone are the mornings throwing topwaters on shallow flats. When water temperatures reach their peak, we sometimes use live bait. Carolinarigged mullet, croakers, or live shrimp are usually what we try. When fishing in the channel with live bait, it's important to use enough weight to keep the tide from sweeping the bait away. The bait needs to remain stationary on the bottom so lethargic fish don't have to expend energy to eat it. When fishing soft plastics, we switch to fluorocarbon line and lighter jigheads. so they get down to the bottom quickly and stay there with a slower presentation. Redfish will be wallowing in shallow marshes in a foot of water or less. They will eat topwaters early in the morning but once the sun gets higher, more subtle lures work better. Gulp!s rigged on sixteenth-ounce heads usually get a reaction. Live shrimp under a popping cork works too.

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 James says the typical summer pattern has been consistent for him lately in the Galveston area. "We're fishing out in the middle in pretty deep water, mostly ten to thirteen feet, catching lots of trout and reds too. The best lures for the trout lately have been Bass Assassins in pumpkinseed/ chartreuse rigged on three-eighths-ounce heads. Some of the time, the trout fishing slows, but when that happens, the redfish have been keeping us busy. We're finding them schooled up in big herds, making mud boils

96 | August 2012

ORECASTS F from Big Lake to Boca Chica

AND

and slicks. They are feeding on ribbonfish. It's kind of cool. Best way to catch 'em is with a shiny topwater. We've been throwing the blue-back/ chrome She Dogs mostly. Tarpon fishing is looking promising too. I caught one about 120 pounds last Sunday. The total catch for the boats out over the weekend was about a dozen. We're seeing lots of fish already, so August and September should give us a great shot at numbers of the silver kings if we don't get too many storms out there stirring up the Gulf."

Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054 Galveston's bays have gotten saltier over recent months, and good fishing has returned to more places. "People are well spread out lately. Some are catching in Trinity Bay, others in Upper Galveston Bay, and of course, it's been good in East Bay too. We're finding limits of both trout and reds pretty easily on days when the winds allow us to fish the way we want to. Our drill is to work depths of five to seven feet, looking for slicks and schools of bait to lead us to the right specific areas. Some days, the fish are over shell, but on others, they are over more of a muddy bottom. The reds in particular are easier to locate when they are making mud boils. Some days, they move fast, and it's hard to keep up with them. On other days, double hook-ups are more common. The reds are running big, with about 60% oversized. The trout are just solid fish in the pound and a half to about five pound class, with an occasional big one. Surf has been good on the calm days too. We'll keep fishing these patterns right through the end of August."

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service - 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 Like other guides, Randall says he will be keeping an eye on the surf

come August. "In the hot, still month, fishing along the beach is usually great. We've already been able to get out there a few times, and we really whacked 'em. Topwaters work great when the water goes green to the beach, and the best fishing is most always close to the sand, early in the morning. Lately, we've been getting just enough west wind in the morning to keep it mucked up, but we'll see some good days during August, I bet. When I'm not fishing the surf, I like to look for reds in shallow water this time of year. The water is clear a lot, so we can see the fish on most days. If we can see 'em, we can usually catch 'em. We go after the reds with topwaters on occasion, but Norton Sand Eels work better most of the time. When it's windier, we will use live bait if we need to. Lately, on days when the lure fishing would likely be really tough, we've been catching limits on live bait, mostly piggy perch and croaker, because they make some noise. Early limits are the norm."

Matagorda | Tommy Countz Bay Guide Service -979.863.7553 cell 281.450.4037 Tommy mentions the surf as option number one for August fishing in the Matagorda area. "We'll be trying to get into the surf every time we can.

We've already had some good days out there in July, and it should be more consistent in August. We'll throw topwaters out there early, then switch to soft plastics of other sinking baits as it gets later. East Bay has been the best so far this summer. We're catching some nice trout out in the middle in both ends, over mud in the east end and over scattered shell in the west end.

The key is to work soft plastics really slow and close to the bottom in five or six feet of water. Wading the mid-bay reefs has been good when it's calm too. I like to fish them the same way I would fish the surf, with topwaters early, switching to sinking baits later. We should see some redfish schooling around drains on the south shoreline of East Bay toward the end of August.

When I head over to West Bay, I'll be focusing on the deeper grass beds on the outer bars, working them thoroughly, sometimes twice a day each."

Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 It’s hard to describe how good fishing has been these past couple of

weeks. Last weekend, we caught twenty three tripletail up to eighteen pounds in three days.

We also fished the grass flats on the shoreline of West Matagorda Bay and had limits of trout up to three pounds. Redfish have been schooling in the back lakes off the intracoastal, and they’ve been violently attacking topwaters. The surf has just turned on again, and from the beach at East Matagorda all the way to Port O’ Connor, the fishing has been on fire! The only thing I can attribute all the good catching to is the amazing amount of bait present in the bays. Everywhere I go, from the flats, to the wells, to the surf, I don't think I have ever seen so many schools of mullet and menhaden. Look for hot fishing to continue into August. In the heat, we fish shallow early and follow the bait out deeper as the water warms during the day.

Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith - Back Bay Guide Service - 361.983.4434 Lynn's plan for August outings is dependent on the winds and the ability to get into the surf. "Of course, we are planning on fishing the beachfront as much as possible. We've had a few good days out there already, and August is usually the best month. I like to throw topwaters in the waves early, all day if I can keep getting blown up. Lately, the junior versions of the Skitterwalk have been working great, especially the baby trout one with the blue back. The old standby pink and silver is a consistent producer too. We will be looking to wade some shallow areas close to the beach that have grass growing in the gut. When we can't get to the surf, we'll be fishing flats adjacent to deep water around the passes, targeting schools of bait fish around areas with lots of grass and sand. We'll use topwaters as much as possible when we're in the bay too, then switch over to soft plastics as the sun gets higher and heats up the shallows.

Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894 Blake intends to keep running a similar plan in August to what he's already

TSFMAG.com | 97

been doing this summer. "I'll spend some time in most of the area bays, fishing sand and grass shorelines some, especially early in the mornings and when it's windier.

I'll get out and work the mid-bay reefs too. Doing that is better and easier when winds are lighter. Of course, the surf has been good already, and I'll be looking to take advantage of some opportunities to get out there and join in the catching. I'll be throwing a variety of things at the fish, topwaters at times, Sand Eels more often, and live bait when the going is tougher, or if I have clients who want to go that route. Toward the end of the month, I'll start looking around the drains and cuts and passes for schooling reds. They usually start to gang up somewhat by that time.

And, I'll be gearing up for the dove and teal seasons. We've had plenty of rain to create some food in the fields, so the dove hunting should be good.

It's a little early to tell about the teal."

98 | August 2012

Upper Laguna Madre - BaďŹ&#x192;n Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata â&#x20AC;&#x201C; rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 So far, so good! That is what I think about this fishing season up to now.

The fishing has not been fast and furious, but it has been steady. I have been catching very good numbers of trout, with many ranging from eighteen to twenty four inches. Brown tide has kept me from fishing in the heart of Baffin Bay, but the water has had good clarity along the Kennedy Ranch Shoreline and in the Yarborough area. Recently, the water has been clearing up in the upper end of the Laguna Madre, and this has opened up many more areas to fish along grass lines, pot holes and drop-offs in about four feet of water. Free-lining croakers has been the most efficient method for catching trout. Redfish have been a little scarce for me, but with the water clearing up in the upper part of the Laguna Madre, I will be getting my half-ounce gold spoons and Bass Assassin Die Dappers rigged on eighth-ounce jigheads ready to cast while

running slowly and trying to "wake up" and locate the schooling reds.

occasionally even in the middle of the day.

Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.937.5961 Joe says he'll likely be splitting time in the far ends of his local waters in August. "The water is really clear down south, so the fishing in the Land Cut area, Nine Mile Hole, Summer House and along the Kenedy Shoreline is good. I like to work all kinds of deep edges down there this time of year, including the main drop off in The Cut, the deep sides of rocks along the edge off the Kenedy Shoreline, and the edges of the gut in Summer House. Most of the time, trout are hanging out on these grassy edges.

They are easiest to catch on soft plastics. We use lighter jigheads when we can, to keep the lures out of the grass better, but switch over to heavier ones in stronger winds and currents. The reds can often be found in the shallower parts of these same areas. With the clear water, it's possible to sightcast them. Paddletails on light jigheads work best for targeting the fish this way. I'll also probably venture north into Corpus Bay some too. Sightcasting the reds up that way is usually good this time of year in Shamrock and East Flats."

Port Mansfield | Terry Neal www.terrynealcharters.com – 956.944.2559 Looks like our wind pattern is finally starting to settle down. Bay fishing will be good for trout and reds but calmer days are always the hottest so an early start is advised. By the time you read this bay water temps will be pushing into the upper 80s and deeper grassbeds will be good places to look for trout. Redfish will be schooling on the flats, very shallow at daybreak and then moving deeper during midday. The best offshore opportunities also come during August, when it is so hot and still out there you can hardly breathe. One of my favorite things is to take some of my old topwater baits, cut the old rusty hooks off and play with the fish.

Nothing like a kingfish coming eight feet out of the water and landing on your bait. The bait balls have started to show up so everything else is not far behind. The new reef is producing some good snapper and some pretty nice dog snapper. A day of fishing beats a day at the office.

Padre Island National Seashore Billy Sandifer - Padre Island Safaris - 361.937.8446 The quality of surf fishing on PINS in August is determined by two words - water color. It tends to be hot with calm wind conditions and generally smooth, clear seas. August is as close to tropical as it gets in Texas. We will drive slowly along the beach looking for speckled trout and redfish laid up in small pockets quite close to shore and sight-cast with small paddle tails. Don’t hit them on the head; let them find it on their own.

King mackerel, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, tarpon, and tons of ladyfish (skipjack) are usually available. Use speck rig jigs or small silver spoons wire leader is often necessary. There will be plenty of whiting available.

Sharks are scarce the first half of the month but tend to show up the second half. Fishing at night with baits kayaked far offshore tend to be most productive. With hot water temperatures small baits often work better than large ones. Topwaters often produce trout early and late and

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Janie and Fred Petty – www.fishingwithpettys.com – 956.943.2747 So far this summer, we’ve had warm, windy, and occasionally wet days with some extremely high tides due to tropical activity. Limiting on trout is pretty common, but reds are not hanging out on the flats like they used to, thanks to boat traffic. We’re managing to limit most days on redfish, but haven’t seen the herds, so we’re making long drifts and hitting every hole.

Our biggest problem has been floating turtle grass, which runs down the line and hangs on the hook and can really hinder the retrieve and take the action out of the lure. Freddy says, “Use single hooks and fish shallow to avoid grassing up. We’re throwing the cigar-shaped Cajun Thunder cork trailing a Hogie’s black-nickel sixteenth-ounce springhead hook, baited with Berkley Gulp! three-inch shrimp in new penny and glow. And of course, we run Shallow Sport boats to get us as skinny as possible.” Please help us stop open bay dredge disposal!

TSFMAG.com | 99

Colton Tucker 27” & 27.5” reds

Roland Vogel Freeport - red snapper

Shaun Vogel Laguna Madre - 31” redfish

Dagan Turner 42” bull red

Lola Alanis Port Mansfield - 27” speck

Brynn White POC - 23.5” first slot red!

David Alanis, Jr. Port Mansfield - 29” trout

Jason Voorhees 9-Mile Hole - 27” red

Christi & David Diaz Baffin Bay - 29” & 25” reds, Christi’s first!

100 | August 2012

Nicolas, Isabella, Sabrina, Karina, Triana, & Oscar Lopez Port Mansfield - kingfish

Joshua Dickson Galveston - flounder

Trey German Trinity Bay - 25” redfish

Jerry Bissonnette POC - 46.5” red

Lee Bonfiglio 35-40lb dorado

Faustino Chapa South Padre - 30” red

Adrian Garcia Baffin Bay - 50” bull red

Jacob Flores black fin tuna

Christine Fowler Rockport - 23” red

Lucrecia Foster Sargent - personal best dolphin!

Caitlin Patteson & Travis Williams Galveston - shark

Galvin Guerrero South Bay - 29” first snook! CPR

Kelley Osina POC - 45” red Liz Garza & Kim Chavarria San Antonio Bay - 27.5” reds

Please do not write on the back of photos.

Jennifer Henriksen Rockport - 26” redfish

Connor Lofton Port Aransas - 28.5” trout

Email photos with a description of your Catch of the Month to: Photos@tsfmag.com Mail photos to: TSFMag P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 TSFMAG.com | 101

Pam Johnson

Gulf Coast Kitchen

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

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

Baked Fillets – Julie’s Way Credit to Julie S. Bertolino

2.5 pounds speckled trout fillets 6 large tomatoes 1 medium onion 4 cloves garlic 1 cup fresh basil leaves 1 sleeve Keebler Town House Original crackers 1/2 stick butter ½ tsp Old Bay Seasoning

¼ tsp dill weed ¼ tsp garlic powder 2 Tbsp mayonnaise 1 tsp Dijon mustard Tabasco Sauce Salt and pepper to taste I lemon

Take 6 large tomatoes (homegrown preferred), 1 medium onion halved, 4 cloves garlic; drizzle lightly with olive oil and your favorite seasoned salt.

Place in shallow pan and bake at 350° until tomatoes are soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool, and then peel tomatoes.

Place all above in blender, along with the basil. Run on puree speed until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste. Add to small sauce pan and simmer slowly for 30 minutes.

Crumble one sleeve of Keebler Town House crackers in Ziplock bag (no large pieces.) Melt butter in small no-stick fry pan. Add dill, Old Bay Seasoning and garlic powder. Stir to mix and slowly add cracker crumbs. Sauté at low heat stirring occasionally until crumbs are lightly browned.

Preparing the fillets: In a small bowl add mayo, Dijon mustard, and a dash of Tabasco- mix well. With pastry brush, apply mixture to both sides of fillets.

Coat fillets with browned cracker crumbs, lightly on bottom, more on top.

Squeeze lemon on coated fillets.

Baking the fillets: Place coated fillets on lightly oiled baking sheet and place in 350° oven until tender and flake easily with fork.

Serving: Ladle puree mixture onto plate, place baked fillets on top. Goes well with grilled veggies of your choice and saffron rice.

(For a special touch you can add shrimp or crab to top of fillets before baking.)

102 | August 2012

Darrell Murski’s Tasty Fillets “Works great on the pit or the griddle.”

4-6 fillets of your favorite fish 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 6 tablespoons olive oil 1 tsp. dried basil 1 tsp. lemon pepper 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes 1 tsp. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning Place the fillets in a gallon Ziploc bag.

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.

Pour over fish and marinate in refrigerator one hour.

Turn and mix at least once while marinating.

Grill or cook on griddle until fillets flake easily.

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GALVESTON TIDES & SOLUNAR TABLE Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine AUGUST 2012

The BEST Choice… Any Place, Anytime!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

w w w. t e x a s s a l t w a t e r f i s h i n g m a g a z i n e . c o m