August 2014

Only $3.95 www.tsfmag.com August 2014

TIDE PREDICTIONS & SOLUNAR FEED TIMES INSIDE!

ABOUT THE COVER Big fun at the big jetties! The Matagorda Ship Channel jetties near Port O’Connor ranks as one of the best places on the Texas coast for incredible bull redfish and jack cravelle action. Anglers of all ages and boats of every description converge when the incoming tides run at peak strength.

CONTENTS

AUGUST 2014 VOL 24 NO 4

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

10 Joys of Boat Ownership Mike McBride 14 The Burden Kevin Cochran 20 Techniques and Tips for Surf Tarpon Billy Sandifer 28 Just Do It the Right Way Chuck Uzzle 34 Staying Afloat Joe Richard 40 Memories & Makeovers at Mansfield Joe Doggett 44 Baffin Bay: A Texas Treasure... Dr. Michael Wetz & Scott Murray 48 Big Fun at the Big Jetty Everett & Pam Johnson

52 Let’s Ask The Pro Jay Watkins 56 Shallow Water Fishing Scott Null 60 TPWD Field Notes Ya Sheng Juan, Ph.D. 62 Inshore | Nearshore | Jetties | Passes Curtis Cash 68 Fly Fishing Scott Sommerlatte 70 Youth Fishing Marcos Garza 72 Kayak Fishing Chronicles Cade Simpson 76 Extreme Kayak Fishing & Sharks...

Eric Ozolins 78 TSFMag Conservation News CCA Texas 80 Fishy Facts Stephanie Boyd 108 Science & the Sea UT Marine Science Institute

20

WHAT OUR GUIDES HAVE TO SAY

86 88 90 92 94 96 98

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

88 6 | August 2014

Dickie Colburn Steve Hillman Bink Grimes Gary Gray David Rowsey Capt. Tricia Ernest Cisneros

72

REGULARS 08 Editorial 84 New Tackle & Gear 100 Fishing Reports and Forecasts 104 Catch of the Month 106 Gulf Coast Kitchen

106

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Everett Johnson Everett@tsfmag.com VICE PRESIDENT PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Pam Johnson Pam@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-550-9918 NATIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE Bart Manganiello Bartalm@optonline.net REGIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE Patti Elkins Patti@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-649-2265 PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Donna Boyd Donna@tsfmag.com CIRCULATION SUBSCRIPTION – PRODUCT SALES Linda Curry Cir@tsfmag.com ADDRESS CHANGED? Email Store@tsfmag.com DESIGN & LAYOUT Stephanie Boyd Stephanie@tsfmag.com Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine is published monthly.

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

Order on-line: WWW.TSFMAG.COM MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine Attn: Subscriptions P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 * Subscribers are responsible for submitting all address changes and renewals by the 10th of the prior month’s issue.

Email store@tsfmag.com for all address changes or please call 361-785-3420 from 8am - 4:30pm. The U.S. Postal Service does not guarantee magazines will be forwarded.

HOW TO CONTACT TSFMAG: PHONE: 361-785-3420 FAX: 361-785-2844 MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 PHYSICAL ADDRESS: 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, TX 77983 WEB: www.TSFMAG.com PHOTO GALLERY: photos@tsfmag.com PRinTEd in THE uSA. Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine (ISSN 1935-9586) is published monthly by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, Texas 77983 l P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 © Copyright 1990 All rights reserved. Positively nothing in this publication may be reprinted or reproduced. *Views expressed by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine contributors do not necessarily express the views of Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine.

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

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

EDITORIAL One of the things I enjoy most about my job is the opportunity to be informed of the new tackle, fishing clothing, boats, outboard motors, and the stream of other fishing related product introductions.

Leaving tomorrow, I will be attending the granddaddy of all fishing trade shows, the annual ICAST/IFTD in Orlando, FL. This year’s event will be held in the Orange County Convention and promises to be a great one. Economic trends on the upswing will usually spawn a veritable flood of new offerings; akin to Christmas morning for tackle retailers and outdoor writers, and we here at TSFMag are excited to say the least.

ICAST/IFTD, or by its full name, the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades is produced by the American Sportfishing Association in conjunction with the International Fly Tackle Dealers annual trade show. The combined effort of these organizations will mark the debut of literally thousands of new products aimed at bluewater, inshore, freshwater, and fly-fishing markets.

I will be bringing news of as much as I can cram into my ICAST recap in the September issue.

Along with the hype of ICAST/IFTD, a major wave of outboard motor technology is about to sweep the market. Chris Mapp hints of what BRP/Evinrude will be unveiling shortly in his column this

8 | August 2014

fiSHinG nEWS month, and this is but the beginning. Keep an eye peeled – what is about to appear in dealerships across the nation are not your daddy’s outboards!

Other news includes a unified push by Gulf state governments and marine resource management agencies to gain greater management control of Gulf of Mexico fisheries beyond state water boundaries.

Gulf red snapper are the headliner in this; recreational anglers are totally fed up. Nine days in June is a joke of a season when measured against the commercial side’s opportunity to access this fishery.

Winding up, I want to touch briefly on the generally dismal summer speckled trout season that is being experienced in our middle-coast bays. I have been preaching greater conservation of this fishery for years, if for no other reason than pro-activity. I do not understand how anybody could argue against a healthier stock prior to any natural disaster being the best possible recipe for quick recovery.

While there has been no major freeze; five years of horrible drought, two minor freezes in 2010 and again in 2011, and a bad dose of red tide in 2011 seem to have exacted a toll.

Fishing has been tough to say the least. Maybe now more fishermen can buy into the reasoning behind the five-trout bag limit that will take effect September 1 on the middle Texas coast.

SOLAR SO SOMBRERO

The sun’s been hurling rays this way ever since we first picked up a rod, hailed a cab to the beach, and returned home red-faced and raw. But we’ve evolved, mostly, and so has the realm of high-performance sun protection. Simms’ UV chopping EbbTide Shirt, for instance, includes advanced U PF50 rating combined with a vented, mesh-lined back panel that wicks moisture and bolsters a i r f l o w, w h i l e f u l l - c o ve r a g e S u n G a i t e r s a n d S u n S l e e ve s deliver absolute on-the-water comfort—all the time.

Simms. Apparel for silencing a merciless sun starts here.

EBB EB BTI D E S HI HIR RT

THE CHOICE OF PROFESSIONAL GUIDES + ANGLERS WORLDWIDE

/

SIMMSFISHING.COM

GUIDE PAN P T

PUT THE SUN ON MUTE.

GUIDE: CAPT ERNEST CISNEROS, SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TEXAS

VISIT SIMMSFISHING.COM FOR A COMPLETE REVIEW OF TECHNICAL INFORMATION

- orSTORY BY MIKE MCBRIDE

“We ain’t gonna worry about a few cracks and road rashes.”

“Brandon!

Y’all get walking and try to find that darned license plate…it has to be back there somewhere.”

The DPS Officers weren’t hardly amused and we were all dazed and confused from what had just happened. It was the beginning of the end for our beloved and infamous Green Bathtub. The story though is actually more about how some of us learn things the hard way, so hopefully others won’t have to.

It had been one of those seemingly perfectly scripted days, where everything that could have been perfect…was. And that should have been an omen!

I had Brandon, my nine year old and young nephew, Shawn, in tow.

It was right from the lyrics of that incredible song many of us listened to every morning on Bob Stephenson’s radio show, Across the Bridge to Paradise by Donnie Z. We were indeed across that bridge. An easy four-tide day pushed and pulled rafts of mullet across crystal-clear sandbars like the sushi buffet they were. Line stripping surf-run trout and reds were throwing them up in the air all day long and you could see them cruising in little wolf packs. They were aggressive suckers for the best lure of the era, the famous bone-colored Jumpin’ Minnow; having shed its black and chrome.

We whooped and hollered with every crash of whitewater and I experienced my first two-fish-on-a-topwater. A 24” trout on the front hook and a 23” red on the back.

We ended the day sunburned, exhausted, and totally filled with another of life’s great adventures. We had launched the boat off the beach, into a then-existing deep gut just under the San Luis Pass Bridge. An ancient tri-hull built down in Alice, called a Bay Rider, and then barely managed to drag it back out with our little Chevy LUV pickup.

More than once we had to sacrifice a stringer to rope-start that old 70-horse Evinrude. And if the tilt and trim worked, it was probably because somebody was sparking wires… “Blue for sky, green for grass.

I’ve told you a hundred times dammit, now hurry before we crash that next bar!” – Never mind the four six-gallon gas tanks, clamp-on nav lights, or the kidney belts and football mouthpieces needed to endure its ride; it was ours and it took us across that bridge.

A few DQ hot-fudge sundaes later, we were chugging back north on I-45, the little LUV protesting every precious mile gained. Out of nowhere a dump truck towing another truck appeared from the feeder and neither the LUV nor I could react in time. With smoking brakes we rear-ended it and the impact was enough to launch the Green Bathtub, again.

It flew slow motion over the cab like something out of a B-Grade UFO flick, creasing the top of the cab enough to put my chin on the steering wheel. In the rearview I watched it doing 360s on the asphalt, then a couple more as it slid to a dusty halt on the shoulder. The dump truck kept going, totally unaware of our life-changing event.

We eventually managed to load it back on the trailer, larger shards

of fiberglass and other debris we could recover in the truck bed. The license plate wasn’t one of them, but the troopers figured we’d had enough and let us go.

OK boys, we ain’t gonna worry about a few cracks and some road rash. We’ll just fix it with a little resin and foam. It’ll be good enough to get us back across that bridge.

Well, the fiberglass part went well enough, so then it was time to “expand” our no-budget project of love.

I did as much research as I could, back then it was at the library. I think I was the only one in there with “coon” eyes. Two-part expanding foam was the obvious answer.

I lucked into a couple gallons of “high-quality high-density” foam from a guy at work that had been sitting in his garage for years.

Enough remained of the labels to determine which can held Part A and Part B, and I winged it from there.

As suggested, I jacked the bow to a high angle and drilled 2” relief vents at perfectly measured intervals. The idea was to make calculated and controlled pours from low to high, going from hole to hole as the product eased to the next vent. I strutted a “Hey – I got this” attitude; already thinking about the next song-worthy trip.

After stirring vigorously I made the first pour. Nothing happened… and then nothing still happened. “Well just flip, this stuff is probably just too old and isn’t going to expand,” I thought.

OK then – We’ll just pour a little more. And nothing happened again.

My throw-down adopted step-brother showed up, and after scratching heads… ”Well heck, let’s just pour a little more and see if this stuff will finally kick.”

After a few more head scratches we heard the first ominous rumble. A little turtle head poked out of the sixth hole up.

As I stared at this brown apparition it suddenly and rudely burped at me. Little dots of foam peppered my face, bare chest and forearms.

My chest really wasn’t that bare as my DNA origin is evidently a much colder clime.

Then came a louder, more guttural rumble from deep within the bowels of the hull. I jumped back and was horrified to see all of those little foam dots turning into hair-clinging caterpillars. There was a big one on my moustache trying to plug my left nostril. Another turtle peeked out of the second hole.

It wasn’t long before those rumbling sounds became more akin to screeching, compressed-air escaping whooshes. Nuclear-class mushrooms were erupting from not only the vent holes but every tiny breach in the deck, even the little screw holes where the ice chest had been.

Panic ensued with this rapidly expanding monster so I jumped in with a flat shovel trying to kill the beast flush with the vent holes.

As soon as I cut one tentacle down there came another, and some of them were now three feet of waving arms looking for anything to lock on to. My left foot was attacked and promptly glued to the deck.

When I reached back to free myself another big caterpillar glued my TSFMAG.com | 11

The Green Tub carried us to many great adventures; this one in 1987 at San Luis Pass.

belly button to my bent-over belly. Now I was stuck in a compromising position while the monster kept growing.

There was no choice but to rip skin in desperate escape, and I fell backwards. Now my butt is glued down with mushrooming tentacles threatening the nether regions. I screamed, ripped britches, and managed to abandon ship; desperately trying to suck oxygen through my remaining nostril.

While lying on the driveway I noticed the bottom of the hull near the transom bulging suddenly downward and, growing. I tried to hold the deformity up with my hands, but since the reaction is highly exothermic, I promptly burned off all my fingerprints.

“Across the Bridge to Paradise” They were aggressive suckers for the best lure of the period, the famous bone Jumpin’ Minnow.

I rolled over and ripped off another large caterpillar between my back and the concrete, grabbed a floor jack and some plywood, and tried to stay this rapidly expanding protrusion. The boat wasn’t heavy enough to counteract the force of the jack against the bulge, so as the tires left the driveway, the trailer tongue fell with a bone-crunching crash. The remaining unreacted foam then rushed forward and started its own version of a prominent nose job. Oh, the horror!

To summarize all of this; yes, I survived, but I looked like I had mange for several weeks from removing much foam from much hairy skin, and for the first time in decades I had to grow a moustache back. The Green Bathtub survived too, and yes, we got across that bridge again. However, there was such a gynormous rocker in the hull that any speed above slow-plane would make it porpoise uncontrollably. It also took Popeye to keep it on a straight course, the strong lean-left tendency was near impossible to overcome with the old cable-and-pulley steering system.

Lessons learned the hard way? Yeah…several: When things seem perfect, something is certainly a-brewin’...be on high alert!

Pulling a boat with an undersized tow-vehicle is sorta like driving a 16-penny nail with a tack hammer. You have to hit it real hard and you just can’t stop.

Also, those cute little nylon transom tie-down straps ain’t gonna hold if you rear-end a dump truck, but those safety chains are critical.

Most importantly (and hardest for us males), is to go ahead and read those darn directions, even if the label is a little rusty. I totally missed the part about the foam being enough for twenty small craft repairs.

Ahh; the joys of boat ownership, but its part of the whole experience… agree?

See ya’ll across that bridge to paradise. One way or another.

Contact

Mike McBride

12 | August 2014

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

Skinny Water Adventures Phone Email Web

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

STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN

As most people reading

this already know, Texas Parks and Wildlife officials voted recently to lower the limit on speckled trout in all state waters south of Highway 457 from ten fish to five, starting on September 1st. The decision came after solicitation of public opinion, which proved amenable to the change, except in the Houston/Galveston area, where the prevailing sentiment favored leaving the limit at ten. I applaud the state for making the change, one I have perceived as necessary for nearly a decade.

TP&W’s own studies suggest lowering the limit will increase the number of large fish in the system within a couple years. The evidence gleaned through gill net and creel surveys taken in the Lower Laguna Madre, where the limit on trout dropped from ten to five back in 2007, supports the claim. Most of us like the idea of having more big trout to target.

People like me who rely on trophy trout to sustain our lifestyle surely love to think we’ll have more of them swimming in the waters in which we ply our trade. In a perfect world, I believe the state should also have eliminated the “one over twenty five inches per day” rule, and replaced it with a “trophy trout tag”, like the one currently issued for oversized redfish. That way, an angler could keep one 14 | August 2014

giant trout per year. I believe people should have the right to retain trout of extreme size on rare occasions. Killing one over twenty five inches per day makes no sense to me.

Large specks do not taste as good as small ones. Furthermore, large female trout produce more and better eggs than their smaller kin, so they serve the most important role in the spawning cycle and preservation/proliferation of the species. On my boat, we catch plenty of specimens over twenty two inches (hundreds in a good year) but we kill nearly none, at least not purposefully. Doing what is right requires no law!

While I did not generate this piece to stand on a soap box and preach, I do perceive a need to reiterate several things related to catching and releasing trout, while we approach the brink of a new era, one governed by a lower limit. If fishing for trout improves significantly (as evidence, both scientific and anecdotal, in the LLM suggests it will) more people will wind up releasing some of the trout they catch. Hypothetically, a limit will become easier to reach, but people won’t necessarily want to stop fishing, so they will release the “extra” trout they catch.

First off, let me here attempt to dispel the notion (which apparently

still exists in some corners of the fishing community) that trout caught by rod and reel and released generally do not survive. No one, myself included, would want to intentionally waste fish. Most of us learned a sporting ethic at an early age which severely condemns such behavior.

But well-planned and executed studies done on the mortality rates of trout caught and released suggest we can expect a high percentage of them to survive. Parks and Wildlife officials first performed an experiment to measure the mortality rates of trout caught and released in the late 1970s. The relatively crude methods they used back then proved several things. For one, crowding trout into a small “cage” in hot water during the months of August and September placed stress on the fish, and probably skewed the survival rates downward.

Still, 44% of the fish caught, transported and placed in the cages during this study survived for the duration of the study. That’s a pretty low number, in my estimation. The officials performing the work did acknowledge the probable impacts of the hot water and low tides on their results, and concluded, “The regulation requiring the release of trout....should provide many fish an additional opportunity to spawn before being harvested.” (Matlock, Dailey, i)

Back then, state officials wanted to determine whether placing a minimum size limit on trout would result in the senseless killing of thousands of small fish by recreational anglers bound by law to release them. They determined such a limit would not. Since then, “better” studies have been done, showing an even higher survival rate among spotted seatrout caught on hook and line and placed back into the water from which they came.

Dr. Greg Stunz of the Harte Institute (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) performed an extensive study in two phases, to measure not only mortality rates of trout caught and released, but also to measure the effects other variables might have on the mortality rates. Significantly, Dr. Stunz’s summary of Phase One showed a “relatively low shortterm mortality rate....18%”. Furthermore, trout observed for 30 days “showed no signs of long-term mortality”.

This phase of the experiment did identify two factors which tend to increase the mortality rate of released trout: the experience level of the angler and the location where the hook impaled the fish.

Less-experienced anglers tend to kill far more fish, as do certain types of hooking wounds.

Phase Two of the experiment attempted to “estimate catchTSFMAG.com | 15

and-release mortality of hook-and-line captured spotted seatrout by recreational anglers as a function of hooking location, season and competitive sportfishing tournaments”. (Stunz) In this phase, Dr. Stunz noted a high mortality rate among fish hooked in the esophagus and gills, but a low mortality rate among those hooked externally or in the mouth. Importantly, only 12% of fish were hooked in the high-mortality areas.

Additionally, this phase of the study showed higher mortality rates in spring and summer (when temperatures are generally higher, and

when the TP&W study of 1979 was conducted) than in fall and winter.

Also, the evidence indicated a “slightly higher” short-term mortality rate among trout caught, transported to a tournament weigh-in site and subsequently released, than on those released at the spot where they were caught, soon after being caught.

Appropriately, Dr. Stunz recommended tournament organizers not hold tournaments in the spring and summer, and that they consider maintaining multiple weigh-in sites, to reduce the stress on trout caused by transportation in the live wells of competitors’ boats.

(above) Using one hand to support the weight of a fish while a picture is taken as Beau Blackard is doing here probably causes less harm to the fish than dangling them from the lip vertically on the Boga Grip. (below) Releasing really big trout like this 32 incher caught by Caleb McCumber promotes the health of the fishery and provides opportunity for another angler to catch the specimen again.

(above) Holding a trout lightly around its tail and pushing it forward and back in the water until it “kicks” free on its own likely increases the chances the fish will survive the ordeal of being caught, handled and released. Chad Wood did so after this picture was taken.

(left) Kudos to anglers like Matt McCollum, who released four monster trout on the same day, all of which exceeded his personal-best mark prior to the events. Taking good pictures makes releasing fish much easier for most people.

16 | August 2014

CorPuS ChriSTi

Serving Texas Boaters for Over 30 Years

16’, 19’, 21’ & 23’

Cats

PoweRed by:

#1 Name in Shallow Water Fishing

Custom Rigging • • • • •

Towers Platforms Sound Systems Power Poles Trolling Motors

• • • • •

Seating Coolers Livewells Color Schemes Electronics

361-651-BOAT 3033 S. Padre ISland drIve CorPuS ChrIStI, texaS (Between KoStoryz & ayerS www.wayPoIntmarIne.Com

18 | August 2014

with a towel, nor should they place one on a stringer. Tournament anglers who wade and who choose to string fish while transporting them to the boat’s live well should do so as fast as possible.

All these issues become even more critical when balmy weather warms up the water. Following all these practices will undoubtedly ensure the highest possible survival rate of the trout caught and released.

On the other hand, when a trout has taken a hook deep in its throat or has sustained a broken gill during the fight, the fish should be retained, in order to preserve the sporting ethic which says we should eat, not waste, what we choose to kill. Our burden is this--to do the right thing. The public perceives the speckled trout as both a food fish and a sport fish. If we all do everything we can to manage the resource ethically and responsibly, we will have plenty of eating-sized trout to catch in the future, and a few more big ones too!

Kevin Cochran Contact

To obtain more detailed information from both these studies, use the following website links: www.HartResearchInstitute.org/ochealthresearch/catch-release and www.tpwd.texas.gov/publications/ pwdpubs/media/mds_coastalSeries%201_MDS15.pdf.

Several points related to the practice of catch and release can be supported by the research done in these studies. Obviously, most of the trout released can survive being caught and returned to the water.....over 80% according to Dr. Stunz’s data. Apparently, the manner in which the anglers catching the fish handle them will affect the survival rates.

Anglers should do everything possible to avoid roughly handling trout they intend to release. If wading, they should use a Boga Grip or other device to steady the fish in the water while removing the hook.

Ideally, they should then release the fish without lifting them from the water. Lifting fish from the water to take pictures and/or to measure them should be done quickly, and in a manner in which the angler uses their hands to support the fish, rather than simply dangling them by their lips on the device.

In all cases, the anglers’ hands should be wet when touching the fish, and the time the fish are held out of the water should be kept to an absolute minimum. When fishing from a boat, anglers should attempt to lean over the side of the boat to release fish in a manner similar to what a wader would. If doing so is not possible, the fish should be netted and carefully handled, rather than slung over the gunwale onto the hot, dry deck of the boat. Fish flopping around on the deck undoubtedly sustain fatal injuries more often than those which remain in the water or in a net.

Obviously, no one should ever grab a trout intended for release

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

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

Trout Tracker Guide Service Phone Email Web

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

STORY BY BILLY SANDIFER

Danielle Zirkle – 6’-4” female blacktip from PINS; opportunity on the beach has been rare this summer given the abundance of sargassum weed.

James Clark – 6’-8” female blacktip; another recent “rare” PINS catch…given the conditions.

in several recent

articles i have Been

providing information and advice for various species of gamefish available to surf anglers. This month I will focus on tarpon, as to me there is nothing that equals the excitement of hanging onto my rod and reel while an adult tarpon throws its chrome body to and fro across the surface of the sea in an attempt to rid itself of my hook.

The brute strength that large surf-run tarpon exhibit is genuinely breathtaking and puts them in a class all by themselves. While the jetties produce more tarpon than the beach, this is a harsh environment and fighting a fish there can be as hard on the fish as the angler. It’s nearly impossible to get a successful release without the tarpon getting badly beaten up by the rocks. And there is something primeval and correct about doing battle with one on appropriate tackle while standing knee deep in the surf.

I grew up fishing for tarpon from Bob Hall Pier and at the time their numbers seemed beyond counting. Sadly though, by about 1970, their numbers had decreased to the point people quit fishing for them.

There were numerous reasons for the tarpon’s decline. Heavy commercial fishing pressure in Mexico where they were turned into pet food and fertilizer in huge numbers was one of the biggest.

Also in that era, Texas rivers were dammed to capture water for human needs and this greatly inhibited the flow of fresh water that traditionally came to the bays and gulf. Tarpon love “sweet” (brackish) water and with increasingly less fresh water coming to the coast they spent less time in our area during their annual migrations.

Our tarpon are actually Mexican tarpon; there is no substantial resident Texas population. They migrate northward from Mexico toward the area of the Mississippi River delta during summer, and then return to more tropical Mexico waters in the late summer and fall.

We may encounter tarpon any time after mid-May but typically these are only an occasional stray-hooked specimen while fishing for other species. This is interesting to me as June used to be the month for tarpon in large numbers off the PINS beach and now September is the time of peak abundance.

A heavy hitter in this game is large schools of anchovies which also travel along our shoreline headed south. The densely packed schools of these small fish (1.5- 2.0 inches length) contain untold numbers of individuals and they are a favorite forage species of the tarpon. Large shoals of ladyfish (skipjacks) feed on the anchovies and both these species are fed upon by the tarpon, while bull and blacktipped sharks feed on all of them.

TSFMAG.com | 21

The tarpon will free-jump and turn broadside in the air and then fall upon thousands of the anchovies. The anchovies struck by the tarpon are stunned and the tarpon turns around and siphons up all the stunned victims. We call it “the frenzies” and it is truly a sight to behold.

During the summer months, tarpon are often hooked by anglers fishing for trout or slot reds and the angler stands little chance of his tackle holding up to a tarpon of any size. Those targeting them should fish under birds or shoals of baitfish with a minimum of 30 to 50 lb test line and a six foot section of wire or fluorocarbon leader of at least 80 lb test. A live mullet of about 8 inches makes a perfect bait though butter perch (barred grunt), whisker minnows (Atlantic threadfin), small whiting or a small skipjack will do. Wide gap circle hooks are preferred.

A sliding sinker “fish-finder” type leader works well if fishing from a set position. In calm water we often use no sinker at all and the bait is monitored closely as it drifts with the current. There are times when we’ll cast out a fish-finder rig and place it in a rod holder while throwing lures with a second outfit. The trick here is to have an empty rod holder alongside the fish-finder rod to provide a handy place to deposit the lure rig in if you get a fish on the baited one.

Due to the near constant presence of the voracious ladyfish, baits need to be kept on the large side; otherwise you’ll end up hooked up to a large ladyfish all afternoon.

Tarpon are also fond of large chunks of fresh-cut ladyfish.

Regardless of your choice of baits or lures you are apt to receive strikes

(above) PINS beach-goers can be a creative lot, like carving this totem from driftwood during a slow day of fishing.

22 | August 2014

from sharks of varying sizes. Using fluorocarbon leaders will allow the shark to cut you off rather than spool your reel but, having said this, there really is no magical cure for avoiding sharks when they are plentiful and feeding. In these conditions they will hit lures as fast as bait. I often use a combination of fluorocarbon and wire leader, two feet of wire on the hook end. This allows tarpon no chance to get a grip on the leader and use that grip to aid in throwing the hook.

Tarpon fishermen have long been advised to “bow to the king.” This refers to pointing the rod at the fish each time it jumps so it doesn’t land on a tight line and break it. But a tarpon doesn’t just jump; it is a gyrating gymnast. Twisting and throwing its body into mid-air, it is actually the weight of the lure itself that causes the hook to tear loose as the fish thrashes and shakes its head violently. With this being the case, lures of lighter weight will definitely increase the angler’s chances of the fish staying hooked.

One innovation to deal with this problem is what is known as the “coon pop” a clever rigging method credited to Capt. “Coon” Schouest of Houma, Louisiana. The coon pop consists of a lead-head jig with the hook clipped at the bend. A soft plastic tail or grub type lure is impaled on the remnant of the jig’s hook and held in place with a small zip tie. Another small zip tie is then used to attach the jighead and plastic bait to the shank of the hook at the end of the leader.

When a tarpon tries to shake the hook the zip tie breaks, allowing the jighead and plastic lure to fall away, thus leaving the tarpon with just the hook it is caught on. This can also be done with swimbaits and

(top) This huge collection of birds has got to be marking a large school of fish. (bottom) We call them “frenzies” – when tarpon and other predators tear into a school of menhaden.

Fast, smooth & Dry Performance Bay Boats

Built FOR Fishermen BY Fishermen!

The Craft brothers have been building quality fishing boats for over 35 years, incorporating the best designs into making Blazer Bay the best performing fishing boats on the market.

Their hull designs ensure superior performance in rough water but also run shallow to get fishermen to where the fish are.

Best Boats, Best Value & Best Performance.

For more info, contact your #1 coastal dealer

Waypoint Marine

361-651-BOAT

(2628) 3033 S Padre Island Dr, Corpus Christi, TX 78415 • waypointmarine.com

3300 Bill Metzger Lane, Pensacola, FL 32514 blazerboats.com

these too are quite effective.

One secret of tarpon fishing is that while lures that glow aren’t particularly successful with many species; tarpon like them just fine.

Just be sure to do an upgrade on your hooks as “out of the box” hooks probably aren’t strong enough to stand up to a tarpon’s crushing strike and hard runs.

Another successful technique tests the angler’s patience. If early in the morning you drive up on a large school of tarpon working bait several hundred yards out you need to concentrate your efforts in that area. Don’t hang around for a few minutes and then drive away thinking they’re out of reach. Be patient and totally commit your efforts to this immediate area. The odds are way in your favor that those tarpon will push the bait up on the beach some time during the day. It’s always amazed me how quickly shoals of anchovies and tarpon can move from a half mile offshore to the water’s edge and you want to be there and ready when they do.

When you do succeed in landing a tarpon, get your photos made as quickly as possible and remove the hook ASAP and return the fish to the sea. They simply are too grand to kill carelessly and are protected by strict size regulations.

Life is a hoot. Get out and get you some!

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

Homemade Coon Pops, excellent tarpon baits.

Purple Gallinule -Porphyrio martinica-

Length: 13-inches Wingspan: 22-inches Weight: 9-ounces Photo by Jimmy Jackson 24 | August 2014

Billy Sandifer

Contact

Known for its strikingly purplish-blue plumage, its bright red bill is tipped with yellow. Legs and long toes are bright yellow, frequently flies short distances with legs dangling.

Found in swamps, lagoons and marshes. Present in Texas during May through August. Highly migratory, wintering mostly in central South America. Omnivorous diet includes seeds, fruit, leaves, snails, aquatic insects and frogs. With its huge feet and brilliant colors it is one of the most striking inhabitants of Texas coastal marshes.

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.

Website www.billysandifer.com

STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE

It all starts long before

you even get close to the water. If you’re like me you start reading signs along your route to the boat launch. I have a handful of indicators that are as much a part of preparing for my trip as anything else I do. The big United States flag at one of our local car dealerships is one I check every morning for a reading on the wind. I know what you’re thinking, this is the 21st century; all the info I could ever want or need is at my disposal on my smart phone. To that I say, technology is good but seeing is believing.

Another indicator for me is the steam rising from the stacks of the local refineries. Rising straight up tells me we’ll have calm seas, drifting at a slight angle usually foretells slight to moderate chop, a plume running 90 degrees from the stack means angry swells and whitecaps. The sight of the flag waving or the steam rising sets the tone for the day and helps me finalize my plan as to where I may fish or what part of the lake or bay I need to avoid. These are real-time indicators that need no internet connection or concerns of losing cellular service.

Arriving at my favorite boat launch, a glance at the water level in relation to the ramp and channel markers is another immediate tidbit of information that I reference before putting the boat in the water.

As far away as I usually launch from the main body of Sabine Lake, after all these years, I am reminded of the mystery of tide predictions. Several hours of correction factor are needed to even begin to make a halfway accurate guess, and of course the prevailing weather can blow all these out the window. Again – seeing is believing.

Now, with all the shade tree meteorology and tide measurements, I feel like I have a good idea of what I want to do for the day so I head out to make it happen. The sound of the outboard motor coming quickly to life is the final step in the process, after that it’s time to just fish.

My rendition of how my mornings begin may seem a bit remedial and that’s understandable. The act of loading up, heading to the water, launching the boat, and going fishing seems very natural after many years. But – it is the common everyday stuff that ends up being our greatest downfall, if we will let it. Think about it; when was the last time you greased the wheel bearings on your boat trailer or gave your reels a thorough cleaning?

When did you last change hooks and split rings on your hard baits? Or for that matter; when

Seamus Gildea with a great fish; pretty as they come.

was the last time you changed the line in your reels? We take too much for granted and then complain when things do not work the way we think they should.

How many times have you seen this guy at the launch, you know the one I’m talking about… cowling off the outboard and tools all over the deck while he tries desperately to get that motor cranked. After a prayer session, or maybe a cuss fest, the motor comes to life and he zooms away from the dock as if everything is suddenly just fine.

Chances are that same guy is the one waving you down for a tow a few hours later. “I don’t know what happened, it just won’t run,” he says.

All the while he knows good and well he never should have attempted the trip in the first place.

I actually had one of these guys flag me down one weekday last November, out in the middle of Sabine Lake. I did the right thing and began towing him to the dock. On the way in we ran into a flock of gulls working feverishly and all of a sudden he was screaming for me to stop. I obliged and asked him if everything was okay. “Aren’t you going to stop and fish this set of birds?” he asked.

I was stunned. When I reminded him that I was doing him a service towing him to the dock he shouted back, “Hey, just leave me here. I can make it the rest of the way on the trolling motor.” Again I obliged his wishes, cut him loose, and went my way shaking my head. But I had to wonder how in the world some people can look at things so differently.

(above) Clint Permenter’s double-digit marsh monster that destroyed a topwater plug. (top right) The author, off the poling platform for a change, took a shot at a good fish. (bottom right) Nothing beats great customer service!

30 | August 2014

It was completely obvious that my newfound friend had a very limited understanding of the word service. And by the looks of his outfit it was equally obvious that he did not understand how that term can be applied to boats and fishing equipment.

The word service is used many ways and all too often in the consumer context it is mentioned only in the negative, meaning lack of. But I want you to try something. The next time you are in a restaurant and the waiter or waitress is providing great service at your table, ask if you might be able to have a word with their manager.

Calling a manager to the table usually means you or somebody in your group is unhappy – but just watch as relief washes over their face when you tell them the purpose in calling them over was to report GREAT service.

Paying a compliment to those who give quality service is needed just as much as calling attention to those who fail. In the fishing world there are lots of folks trying to make a living serving anglers, and the ones who do it best are usually are the ones who last the longest.

Customer service is one of the highest rating factors that boat buyers and owners cite as reasons for having chosen a particular brand and dealer. Same goes with fishing gear; a company with good customer service will gain a great following and inspire tremendous loyalty.

It’s always nice to pay compliments to those who do a good job and I recently had a couple of exceptional experiences. I picked up a new Okuma Cedros spinning reel recently and a part was missing that

www.Mojo-Gear.com/storefinder

1-800-827-0640

/MojoSportfishing

allows the handle to be switched from left to right hand operation. I didn’t know at first the part was missing, until I contacted Okuma to ask a few questions. A very helpful representative named Ron realized my problem, answered all my questions, and within just two days the missing part was in my mailbox. Talk about a great way to make your customers happy and keep them coming back; Okuma knows service!

Another great company to work with is FiberTex & Supply, the makers of Stiffy Push Poles. Kevin Shaw and his team have a long

track record of going the extra mile for Texas fishermen. Over the past fifteen years I have used Stiffy Push Poles with only two issues, and they were both my fault. In one of them, another boat drifted into mine at the dock and my 21’ graphite pole got crushed. I depend on that push pole and it happened that I had trips booked in the coming days, no time for the long drive to Corpus Christi for a new one. An after-hours cell phone call to Kevin placed a repair kit in my hands the next afternoon. So when I decided it was time for a new push pole recently, you can bet I called Kevin.

I guess the older I get the more my views and priorities change, just like the ones I mentioned above. Hopefully you might look at some of those in a different light and understand that we all want to be successful with our time on the water but we certainly can’t take anything for granted. Be safe and enjoy some great summer fishing.

Kevin Shaw and his team at FiberTex go the extra mile for Texas anglers everyday!

32 | August 2014

Contact

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

Phone Email

409-697-6111 cuzzle@gt.rr.com

Fishing for the right vehicle at the right price?

Roger Rodriguez General Sales Manager

Dan Wallace General Manager

Kyle Lesak Internet Sales Director

Kevin Janak New Vehicle Director

Shop for your next truck at

 Catch a great deal on a new F-series truck or Expedition!

4506 N. Navarro • Victoria, Texas • 1-800-763-9024

Hooked up while fishing a deep pass. Without flotation gear, it’s best to stay shallow and make long casts.

STORY BY JOE RICHARD

fishing has Been

descriBed as a series

flotation. A guy chases after his boat that got loose and drifted away and gets a cramp while swimming. A heroic individual jumps in the water to save somebody in trouble. Or a boater suddenly loses steering control, clips a jetty rock with the boat and gets knocked overboard. Other scenarios: Passing out and toppling overboard from too much sun, a stroke, a heart attack or getting swamped in a storm. How about a lightning hit while you’re wading or even getting knocked overboard by a strike? All of these things happen to fishermen, and the hazards only increase when running the boat at night.

of misadventures, with occasional days that turn out right—or something like that. You really can’t predict what a day on the water might bring, or the various scenarios that can suddenly turn hazardous. And so while packing up the boat for several weeks of fishing the coast this summer, I have finally decided to wear a life vest with a whistle attached — especially when fishing alone. I keep hearing stories of anglers near-drownings and other tragedies experienced by waders and boaters. I figure it’s time for a vest, after so many years on the water. Who knows, I might get dizzy out there in the sun and fall overboard, while fighting a tournament-winning ling (without help) on a blinding, glassy Gulf.

One thing for certain, there is plenty of water out there to drown in. Wearing a vest will probably be as hot and miserable as a Georgia outhouse in mid-August, but hopefully not. My plan is to dodge the worst part of each day when possible, since I’m a fan of siestas, napping even on hard fiberglass or aluminum jonboat seats; morning and evening trips for me. Who knows what each day will bring?

Saltwater anglers can find themselves in some It’s okay to fish a pass barefoot, if amazingly bad situations. According to news reports, the beach is clean they happen in any number of ways: A surf “undertow” and you don’t from an outgoing wash of beach water drags a chestventure more deep wade fishermen a little ways offshore, without than knee-deep.

saltwater Latin for “Unvanquished in Battle”, the new Invicta series from CastAway is invincible on the water. Whether battling your favorite species or for Angler Of The Year, Invicta is the ultimate weapon to have in your arsenal.

is thoef fishing!

Thistio n n u l omaso o ev lie Th r a h C –

Fishing a deep pass offers hazards, unless you stay shallow.

True 40-Ton, 12-Toe Carbon Fiber blank construction for maximum balance and sensitivity Carbon Intruded Resins increase strength while reducing overall weight ALPS Bronze SS316 Stainless Guides / Bronze Zirconium Rings offer unsurpassed hardness & less friction ALPS Tec-Touch Triple-Exposed Reel Seat for the ultimate in blank exposure, feel & amplified sensitivity Double Locking Hood ensures that reels stay connected Custom Winn Non-Slip Floating SplitGrips perform in both wet and dry conditions for better feel, increased casting accuracy and comfort CastAway Static Zoned Guide Spacing for maximum casting distance and stress distribution

THE EVOLUTION OF FISHING For more information visit us at:

www.castawayrods.com 36 | August 2014

(above) This angler knows the local bottom is flat and without holes. (below) Bonefish flats in the Caribbean are quite shallow, and a stricken angler could literally crawl on hands and knees back to the boat.

I’ve been fortunate not to witness any drowning, but I’ve seen some near misses where people were close to going under. A year out of high school, we were adept at climbing Gulf platforms to fish, and did so on many trips. On one expedition, we were 25 miles off Sabine fishing on the up-current side of a rig, and turned around to notice our boat was 30 yards away. It seems the rope came undone. Whoops.

Seas were one foot and the current headed west. The boat belonged to my friend’s dad. It was either watch it drift away or go get it, and every second counted. My friend Dan set his snapper rod down, jumped off the rig, hit the water 12 feet below, and took off after it. But it was hard to catch. Soon it was 300 yards to the west in late afternoon, and I could no longer see him and I could barely see the boat. Not good…Turns out he was so tired, he clung to the outboard motor and rested for a while.

Somehow he climbed in, thanks to the low transom that was in style back then, and he was motivated. That trip could have easily ended in disaster. Dan’s choice was catch the boat or drown, since he was down current from the platform. In retrospect, we should have let that boat go; it was a crappy Crosby Sled with an 85-horse Evinrude.

A boat is worth nothing compared with a human life. We could have camped and fished on that platform until a helicopter came by. There was plenty of raw fish to eat and we didn’t even explore accommodations upstairs. But people tend to jump in the water when every second counts, and there is no time to ponder or consider the odds. If he’d been wearing a CO2-inflated PFD vest, that would have been ideal. Or clutched a bleach bottle with a handle, for that matter.

Another rash, split-second decision that almost ended in a neardrowning: One evening I was coming in from offshore with a charter and, since it was flat calm, avoided the big Matagorda jetties and headed for Pass Cavallo instead. I noticed a small orange object on the water, and figured it for another party balloon. As we drew nearer, it looked unusual, like the heads of two people, and indeed it was. The outgoing tide had them in 25 feet of water, headed offshore. It seems a skinny little kid with a life jacket, maybe eight years old, had stepped off the beach into deeper water. His grand dad, a real big guy, swam after him with no flotation, leaving his 20-foot Wellcraft anchored in the surf. By the time he reached the youngster, he was too tired to function and just hung on, his weight dragging them both about chin deep. Without the orange life jacket, I never would have noticed them.

We dragged the 40-pound boy into the boat easy as a redfish, but granddad was way too heavy, so we towed him into shallow water. He didn’t say anything, just grabbed the kid and dragged him towards the sand. He knew he should have used his boat to pick up his grandson, but he wasn’t thinking that far ahead. Pass Cavallo has some sharp drop-offs; if it was accessible to cars, it would have claimed many lives by now. (Of course, Cavallo is pretty sanded-in and anemic these days.)

San Luis Pass with its weekend traffic claims a higher toll.

Experience on the water counts. Another time at Pass Cavallo, I noticed a drifting, empty boat. In the distance on Sunday beach, a lonely figure waved. I towed the boat over to him only to discover that it was a local fishing guide. You can bet he wasn’t swimming after his boat. It seems a gusting SW wind dragged his anchor and chain right off the hard-packed beach. The same thing happened to me later at Mansfield’s east cut, and my three-year old son and I just chilled on the beach for a half hour, until a boat came by. It was November, not my favorite swimming season anyway.

saltwater

No Bones about it... Light, Strong & Sensitive! Others talk about it, CastAway does it. Cutting away every ounce of excess weight makes the Skeleton rods some of the lightest on the market. most The lightest, d I’ve sensitive ro y hand! m ever had in

–Todd

Multi-Modulus Blended Carbon Fiber for the ultimate balance of weight and sensitivity Balance Induced Resins provide superior strength and consistent actions ALPS SS316 Stainless Black / Black Aluminum Oxide Rings stand up to all of the newest “Super Braids” with strong and corrosion resistant frames Portuguese Grade-A Custom Cork / Composite Ring Split Grips look good and feel even better Proprietary CastAway Double Exposed Blank-Thru Reel Seat puts you in contact with more of the rod blank for superior feel and sensitivity CastAway Static Zoned Guide Spacing for maximum casting distance and stress distribution

THE EVOLUTION OF FISHING For more information visit us at:

www.castawayrods.com TSFMAG.com | 37

38 | August 2014

There are a number of options for protecting yourself and loved ones while fishing. There is a hot-weather friendly CO2 vest, which inflates automatically when you hit the water. That’s best for boaters who don’t intend to get wet, but a real nuisance for wade fishermen. There is also the self-inflatable few-puffs-of-air vest, which only inflates when you need it, another good choice. (Though said to chafe the neck).

Both vests at least won’t cook you in the summer sun. You can attach a whistle and smoke flare, if you really want to increase your odds of getting picked up.

However, something as simple as an empty jug on the end of the fish stringer could have saved a few wade fishermen from drowning, over the years. Texas surf fishermen are famous for bobbing around out there on the third sandbar, in water over their heads when a wave passes, swimming between the second and third sandbars. The old-fashioned Styrofoam pith helmets might have provided buoyancy in a swimming pool, but they probably broke up in heavy wave action and besides, they were often covered with favorite Mirrolures and Bingo plugs. I remember Bob Brister writing that he had to swim back to shore with one hand that was pinned to a big trout, courtesy of a 3-treble hook Mirrolure. Caca pasa.

There is also the life ring with an inner, mesh net. Academy has the Deluxe Float Well for storing fish while wading, but veteran waders say don’t depend on it for floating very long. It carries a mesh bag that could be cut loose and tossed aside, if you find yourself bobbing offshore with a few trout. Real throw-rings, required on many boats and public swimming pools, and costing twice as much, can be adapted for wade fishing. One of these will keep you floating for days, says one wader from the Christmas Bay area: “I made one myself. I purchased the throw life ring at Academy as well as the mesh bag. The mesh bag was in the football equipment area. Finding the rod holders was my biggest challenge. I ended up finding them at a Gander Mountain near Sugarland. I use a hole saw to cut the holes out for my rod holders in the throw ring, then sealed them with marine goop. I used tie wraps to secure the mesh to the throw ring. I made a couple of holes in a small tackle box and secured them to the throw ring with tie wraps as well. I’ve had it for 7 years and it’s still going strong.”

The main item to avoid drowning in most situations is to keep cool and think hard before doing anything rash. Weigh your options.

Remember that guy who fell off a commercial fishing boat off the coast of New York in the middle of the night last July? No flotation device. A smart lad, he pulled off his rubber knee boots (that his friends often made fun of ), poured out the water, placed them upside down under his armpits, and survived about 18 hours in the chilly Atlantic. Now that was one levelheaded dude.

Contact

281.238.0060 www.JHperformanceboats.com RICHMOND, TX 77406

3925 FM 359

AVAILABLE

FRONT LIVEWELL

COMPOSITE

WARRANTY

100%

LIMITED

7 YEAR

CHOICE OF

COLORS

B-240

B-210 & B-190

Flotation Options

Joe Richard Joe Richard has fished the Gulf since 1967, starting out of Port Arthur, but his adventures have taken him up and down the entire coast. He was the editor of Tide magazine for eight years, and later Florida Sportsman’s book and assistant magazine editor. He began guiding out of Port O’Connor in 1994.

His specialty is big kingfish, and his latest book is The Kingfish Bible, New Revelations, due for publication in 2013.

(above) David Sikes prepares to release a 27-inch topwater trout at Port Mansfield. (below) New Soft-Dine plug twitched over grass obviously appeals to even small school trout.

(above) Doggett watered his Texas plugging roots by using old Shakespeare President direct-drive reel. (below) Despite crowds, remote King Ranch shorelines near Mansfield still can offer classic wading experiences.

STORY BY Joe Doggett

A clean pothole

punctuated the dark grass flat ahead. Beyond the wind-riffled flat stretched the solitude of the salt-blasted King Ranch shoreline north of Port Mansfield. This was fishing country, as wild and vital as it’s ever been.

I shuffled through the thigh-deep water, angling with the southeast wind to set up the easy cast with a 1/2-ounce spoon.

The light rod flexed and the casting reel hummed. I thumbed the braid and the glittering Sprite dropped with a clean slice just beyond the choppy blur of white bottom.

I held the rod tip at a 45 and cranked fast, hustling the retrieve to keep the spoon jiving a foot or so beneath the surface. The rod bent against a sudden pull and a quick swirl. Redfish!

The line angled across the flat, plucking several times at stringing tendrils of grass.

I glanced to the low beach.

A lone coyote padded along the jumbled rim of dried seaweed and driftwood, searching for – something.

The run stopped and I gathering about half the line before the fish was off again. The redfish struggled for several minutes, working in a wide circle. I turned to follow; sliding each foot in the “stingray shuffle,” then reached for the fluorocarbon leader and grabbed the coppery shoulder.

It was a typical Laguna Madre red, maybe 24 or 25 inches.

O.K., maybe 23; it seemed bigger off the rod. I popped the hook free and watched the fish scoot away.

The incident earlier this summer was a flashback to my first trip to Port Mansfield during September of 1972. I was a rookie outdoor writer at the Houston Chronicle and thrilled to be included in a “press junket” to Mansfield. Back then, the tiny port was sort of off the map.

Several Big Names were among the group – Byron Dalrymple of Kerrville, Russell Tinsley of Austin, and John Thompson of Ft. Worth.

We had good fishing, although unregulated commercial nets and trotlines were taking a heavy toll on the shallow Laguna Madre. I vividly recall wading a clean King Ranch flat and catching several redfish. I was using a gold spoon, mainly because I lacked confidence in topwater plugs and nobody back then knew what a “Tout Tail” was.

There was an uncluttered thrill about the experience. You felt as if you had gotten someplace special and done something significant.

That feeling remains the same.

The grass beds, the remote shorelines, the solid strikes – they’re all still there. But reaching them can be a lot easier now.

After releasing the redfish, I turned to watch a flurry of commotion about 50 yards away. Mike Sutton was under a bent rod. I shuffled close as he clamped a Boga-Grip and released a fish similar to mine.

Sutton, of Houston, is the new owner of Get-A-Way Adventures Lodge in Port Mansfield. He bought the operation (located in the harbor at 1000 West Port; www.getawayadventureslodge.com) about a year ago and has done extensive remodeling and upgrading.

The two-story lodge is comfortable and well-run, managed by Sandra Garza and hosted by Robert Wilson. It’s constructed around a loft concept, with spacious double rooms on the upper deck looking over a rail to the lounge and bar area below. Clean wood abounds, tasteful and rustic, although the walls probably could use a few more of the obligatory Cowan prints.

All-in-all, Get-A-Way provides a fresh full-service option to fishing trips to Port Mansfield. The lodge can sleep 22 and a core group of TSFMAG.com | 41

Mike Sutton, owner of Get-AWay Adventures Lodge, tails a typical Laguna Madre redfish.

eight guides stands ready, with others available if needed.

Significantly, Sutton is an avid angler and stresses the classic shallow water plugging for speckled trout and redfish. South Texas combination fishing/dove hunting and fishing/duck hunting trips are offered during the fall. Limited offshore trips are available and, worth note, good water is within sight of land.

Sutton, David Sikes, and I were guided by Mitch Richmond. The veteran Mansfield guide knows his water; we made five stops during the eight-hour day and caught fish in four of them. Most, admittedly, were small trout but you never know when green tide, splashing bait, and Lady Luck can come together along a Laguna Madre shoreline.

On that note, Sikes, the outdoor writer for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, knows his stuff. On our first stop, just as the sun was topping the Gulf billows, we fanned out, chunking the coin-of-therealm dogwalkers.

Sikes was laying out the long smooth casts that are the salty signature of the player.

And, about 30 minutes into our wade, he had a major blow-up on a Bomber BadonkA-Donk. He brought to hand 42 | August 2014

a gorgeous 27-inch trout that weighed 6 1/2 pounds.

The gleaming silvers and greens and lavenders of the spotted sow in the morning light underscored the entire experience.

Sadly, Sikes’ blaze of topwater glory was a bit of a fluke. We flailed the flat for another hour and failed to raise another significant fish.

We ran to another stretch of shoreline and bailed from the boat. Guide Richmond stuck with a dogwalker but Sutton and Sikes switched to tails. I slid in between with a slow-sinking plug.

I knotted on a Soft-Dine, a relatively new soft-plastic collaboration between MirrOlure and Paul Brown (you know, of “Corky” fame). It’s a spinoff of the small MirrOdine suspending plug, a baitfish-type offering with two sets of trebles and a stainless split ring in the nose.

The compact Soft-Dine casts well and it’s designed to be fished stop-and-go just under the surface. A fairly slow retrieve is best – another reason for the selection.

I was using an old Shakespeare President 1970A reel. By “old,” I mean it was manufactured (according to the “FH” letter coding on

Remodeled Get-A-Way Adventures Lodge, located on the Port Mansfield harbor, offers full-service trips with emphasis on plugging for trout and reds.

the green aluminum side plate) in 1953. The direct-drive reel has no free-spool, no anti-reverse, no internal drag – none of the modern components.

The old reel has a pitiful retrieve ratio, maybe 3-to-1, excruciatingly slow compared to a fast-lane 7- to-1 ripper. But the slow crank mates well with the suspending twitch plug.

Why the old thumb-buster reel? I guess I just like looking back.

Angling has tradition. And the old top-shelf reels have clean style, a basic simplicity. They give a main-line contact lost amid all the “latest and greatest” gears and bearings and washers.

A well-oiled direct-drive reel on a light-action graphite rod can cast plenty far enough and I enjoy watching the little handle knobs spin and blur as the lure arcs across the water. Most significant, using only your thumb when playing a decent fish gives a better appreciation of strength and stamina.

New reels certainly are superior machines and this old direct-drive stance is not totally logical but, hey, many aspects of sport fishing are not totally logical.

The Soft-Dine I chose had a black back with greenish/gold reflecting sides. I turned it in my fingers, measuring it against the light and water, and knew it was a winner. At least a dozen trout within the next two hours agreed.

Several tried to swallow the plug. To repeat, most were “schoolies” but it’s hard to argue with wading into action. In truth, Sikes and Sutton caught more specks with the jiving tails but I was fishing the way I wanted to fish.

We quit at 3 p.m. I figure our group of four caught at least 60 or 70

trout and eight or 10 reds. Sikes’ 27-inch sow was the only trout of note but we spent plenty of time under bent rods. We had a solid day.

Richmond cut to the east to avoid the afternoon chops and we breezed back to Mansfield. Several other boats, mostly shallowdraft hulls, were converging on the harbor entrance. Fishing traffic continues to increase at the small port.

And we were there on a Monday; summer weekends are much worse. Much of the pressure typically comes from Corpus, Houston and San Antonio, but the economic upswing in South Texas during recent years has spawned additional traffic on the single artery of Texas Highway 186.

But determined anglers willing to avoid the high-profile areas certainly can find plenty of open water in the lower Laguna Madre complex. Mansfield remains surrounded by vast expanses of native Texas, a special fishing destination where deer herds amid the shade mottes outnumber boat trailers at the launch ramps (if you’ve been there, you know exactly what I’m talking about).

But now, as always, trailering a rig from anywhere north of Corpus can be a major hassle. You’ve got to really want to go there.

This is where Sutton’s Get-A-Way Adventures Lodge starts looking good. We idled through the harbor and up to the private dock, unloaded our gear, and walked past the groomed swimming pool to the main lodge.

The transfer from salty wading boots to hot showers and cool drinks doesn’t get much smoother – at Port Mansfield or most anywhere else.

TSFMAG.com | 43

(Figure 5) Extraordinary trout caught in Baffin Bay in early March, 2014.

44 | August 2014

STORY BY Dr. Michael Wetz and Scott Murray

By all accounts,

Baffin Bay, located 50 miles south of Corpus Christi, is the jewel of the Texas coast. What has made Baffin Bay so special and attractive to both recreational and commercial fishing interests is its amazing ability to grow world-class spotted seatrout along with a black drum fishery that is second to none. Baffin Bay along with the Upper Laguna Madre, are the most productive bays in Texas when it comes to finfish production. In recent years however, concerns about changes in this once pristine ecosystem have been raised by both local and regional interests who have a vested interest in the future of this remarkable bay system.

Most everyone who is familiar with Baffin Bay and the adjoining Laguna Madre are acutely aware of the persistent brown tide outbreaks that have occurred since the early 1990s. During these outbreaks, the water often turns a brownish tea color which makes fishing difficult, particularly for lure fishermen, due to very low visibility [Figure 1]. From an ecological standpoint, brown tide blooms have led to sea grass die off in parts of these systems, and there is some evidence that the brown tide organism, which is at the base of the food web, may not be nutritionally adequate for consumers.

Aside from brown tide, other concerns about the health of Baffin Bay include large fish kills that occurred in 2007 and 2010, a perceived decline in the black drum, blue crab and shrimp commercial fisheries, and anecdotal evidence of die-off of the dominant bottomdwelling suspension feeder in the system, the dwarf surf clam Mulinia. In 2012, a large percentage of adult black drum that were commercially caught had to be discarded due to flesh with a “jelly-like” consistency.

It has since been determined that this was likely due to starvation of the black drum.

Coincidentally, the Mulinia are a primary

food source for the drum. Several long time Baffin Bay users including commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen and fishing guides have commented that these symptoms appear to be unprecedented for Baffin Bay and have been increasing in frequency and intensity in recent years.

At about the same time as the “jelly” drum episode in 2012, a report was published that synthesized water quality data from the Coastal Bend region. The report indicated that over the past 35-40 years, the nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus) that support algal growth have increased by >50%. A subsequent reanalysis of TCEQ data shows that during the same timeframe, chlorophyll (an indicator of algal biomass) has increased by nearly 3-fold and has exceeded TCEQ limits in every year but two since the early 1990s, in some years by as much as 2-7 fold [Figure 3]. These findings suggest that Baffin Bay is now undergoing a process called

(Figure 1) Water collected from Baffin Bay in 2013 during a brown tide outbreak.

TSFMAG.com | 45

eutrophication, which is an all too common problem facing many coastal water bodies in the U.S. and worldwide. Eutrophication is basically the enrichment of a system with nutrients and algae, and is largely caused by man’s activity in watersheds. In fact, the symptoms of declining ecological health in Baffin Bay are classic indicators of eutrophication.

While several studies have shown that a certain level of nutrients can have a positive “fertilization” effect on the entire food web, high levels can drive a water body past a tipping point where harm to the ecosystem and fisheries becomes a real possibility.

In response to the citizen concerns and the clearly changing water quality conditions, a rigorous water quality monitoring program, staffed by citizen scientists and led by Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi researchers, was established in Baffin Bay in early 2013 [Figure 4]. The program relies on a dedicated group of volunteers, representing recreational fishermen, business and property owners and other interested parties with close ties to Baffin Bay. With an initial funding award from Kleberg County, the CCA, SEA and Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP), this program set out to address a broader scope of water quality issues in Baffin Bay that cannot be addressed by more limited routine sampling efforts. One such goal is to determine when and where symptoms of water quality degradation are most pronounced in Baffin Bay. During the first year of this study, it was found that chlorophyll levels exceeded state criteria throughout the entire bay system for 8 months in 2013, and low bottom water dissolved oxygen conditions were routinely observed during summer-fall. Thanks to a recent funding pledge by the Celanese Corporation, the study group will be able to continue its work for an additional three years to better understand how the drought-rainfall cycle affects water quality in the

system. Additionally, funding from the NOAA Coastal Management Program will allow the group to conduct experiments in order to determine whether it is the increasing nitrogen and/or phosphorus levels that are contributing to elevated algal growth in the system.

Aside from the water quality focused-studies, scientists from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi have also begun a study of black drum movements in Baffin Bay. This group is working in tandem with the water quality researchers to determine if/how water quality affects habitat availability for the drum. The same group is also conducting surveys of Mulinia populations, which have not been done for over a decade in the system. The black drum and Mulinia research will be intricately linked with findings from the water quality study to better understand how the ecosystem as a whole is affected by changing water quality conditions.

In the near future, it is certainly conceivable, if not likely, that the Baffin Bay watershed will require the implementation of strategies to reduce nutrient inputs to the bay. Reducing nutrient inputs will presumably reduce the frequency/intensity of algal blooms, though studies in other systems have shown that it can take many years or even decades for a system to “recover” from eutrophication. Unfortunately the “recovered” system often does not look like it did prior to being affected by eutrophication because other important factors have changed in it as well. In Baffin Bay for example, at the same time as nutrient and algae levels have increased (since at least the early 1970s), water temperatures have increased by >2 degrees Celsius (>4 degrees Fahrenheit).

Nonetheless, lessening the effects of algal blooms in Baffin Bay is likely to go a long way towards increasing the resilience of this system to other stressors such as the temperature increase.

Large die-off of Mulinia (dwarf surf clam) washed onto Baffin Bay beachFebruary 2013.

(Figure 3) Examples of long-term water quality changes in Baffin Bay. Solid lines show statistically significant trends, and the dashed line (bottom) shows TCEQ limit for chlorophyll.

46 | August 2014

(Figure 4) Volunteers collecting and processing samples as part of Baffin Bay water quality study.

Scott Murray, a long time coastal conservationist who serves as CoChairman of the Baffin Bay Study Group aptly states, “ I think most of us, who have spent a lifetime on the lower coast would agree that Baffin is in transition and there is no doubt that it has significant water quality issues that must be addressed. It is this generation of fishermen along with other coastal stakeholders who are the stewards and trustees of Baffin Bay. I’m confident that we can leave this system better than we found it for our children and grandchildren. It’s my sincere belief that these important and timely studies will serve as a turning point for much better things to come for Baffin Bay” [Figure 5].

Common misperceptions about Baffin Bay water quality: 1. One good tropical storm will solve the water quality problems in Baffin Bay. It is actually conceivable that a decent-sized tropical system could flush the algae out of Baffin Bay, and otherwise “reset” water quality in the system. It is equally conceivable that runoff from a storm could bring additional nutrients back into the system and promote more water quality problems.

2. All of the water quality problems in Baffin Bay are caused by drought. It is true that the first (documented) brown tide outbreak in 1990 occurred during a major drought, and there are studies that suggest the food web in Baffin Bay may be affected by drought and the hypersaline conditions that accompany it. Nonetheless, there is not a well-established linkage between drought and the long-term, continual increase in nutrient and algae levels in the system. Research conducted by the Baffin Bay volunteer water quality study should provide a much better understanding of the relationship between water quality and

drought-rainfall cycles in the system.

3. The water quality and algal bloom problems are a part of natural cycles in the system. There have been several attempts to look at past cycles of algal bloom activity in Baffin Bay by collecting sediment cores and looking for algal indicators. Unfortunately these studies have not gone through the rigor of the scientific peer review process, and given the difficulty in interpreting sediment indicators of algae, little can be said of past algal activity in the system until the studies are thoroughly reviewed by experts. The clearest indicators of change in Baffin Bay are the trends of increasing chlorophyll and nutrient levels noted since at least the 1970s.

4. Brown tide cannot use nitrate therefore nitrate runoff from land is not the cause of brown tide. It is true that the brown tide organism cannot use nitrate. However, in a poorly flushed system like Baffin Bay, nitrate that is brought into the bay can be rapidly converted to other useable forms of nitrogen by microbes. This has been demonstrated in Baffin Bay. How to get involved: The Baffin Bay water quality study group is seeking additional volunteers, especially persons with boats, to assist with sample collection. For more information, please contact Scott Murray at 361877-2090 or baffinbay@grandecom.net.

Dr. Michael Wetz is an Associate Professor of Marine Biology at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Scott Murray is a retired biologist, author and active coastal conservationist.

TSFMAG.com | 47

STORY By Everett Johnson Photos by Everett & Pam Johnson

Have you ever had

your reel nearly emptied by a huge redfish, fought

it to the boat and released it—and on the very next drop hooked another before the jig made it halfway to bottom? How about so many drag-screamin’ jacks that you simply could not reel in another?

Sound like a fish story? Well indeed it is–but it is also true!

Before I go any further I need to make a confession. I turned my back on this kind of action for more than two decades. Oh, I was well aware that people caught lots of fish at Port O’Connor’s Big Jetty. And I wish I had a dollar for every time I passed by or through those rock walls, headed out to wade the surf or some platform beyond–lines of boats full of happy people hanging onto bent rods.

Twenty years now, my fishing focus has been wading shallow water and chunking plugs, spoons and plastics. If I cannot see it through that lens it simply does not interest me, at least not until about a month ago. I really do not see myself as a trout snob; heck I also target redfish, flounder, snook and sometimes even drum. But hey, if you want to call me a trout snob…

So anyway, we were at dinner one evening with Jeff and Dawn Larson and Jeff was regaling us with tales of all these bull reds and giant jackfish his clients have been reeling in at the jetties. When he suggested we should join them in the morning, he had no charter but was taking Dawn, Pam’s eyes bulged as wide as saucers.

“You want me to go jetty jerkin’?” I asked, trying not to spew wine on everybody.

“Yeah man, it’s crazy. You’ll have fun!” he replied. And of course my little bride who has yet to meet a fish she doesn’t love was already making it a double date and who would bring what.

We pulled out of Shoalwater Flats at first light and roared up the ditch toward POC. Clearing the little jetties we were met by moderate chop in West Matagorda but Jeff’s big Mowdy Cat skipped through it like we were running in a bathtub. Within a few minutes we joined the dozen or so boats already congregated under a massive flock of birds, and more were on the way.

Gulls, terns, pelicans and frigates were hovering, wheeling and crashing while every species of bait was fleeing in every direction.

Huge blowups and tail slaps punctuated the current-boiled surface while a herd of jacks “greyhounded” so near the boat that I couldn’t help but duck for cover.

Jeff handed Pam and I both a heavy rod baited with frozen sardines and on his instruction we lowered them into the melee. Before I felt the weight hit bottom Pam’s rod was bent to the handle but nobody wanted my sardine.

That was OK though, she was having a ball and I had photos to shoot.

Pam fought that bull until the current carried us well out of the channel

toward Bird Island. We took several minutes to make certain it was fully revived, put the rods up, slapped high fives and prepared to run back and do it again.

By now boats were jostling this way and that, fighting fish, and trying to get back under the birds. We heard familiar voices and turned to find David and Sarah Clark coming alongside in their Majek Illusion with ear-wide grins.

“You got here late…,” David called over the hum of the outboards, “…we already caught four! You need to try one of these… and with that he tossed me a big 4-ounce jig that looked more like the handle of an oversized butter knife than a fishing lure.

Back under the birds, Jeff got Pam and Dawn baited up and they were about to drop down as I finished tying David’s jig to another of Jeff’s heavy baitcasters. Now don’t get me wrong, frozen sardines will catch lots of fish—but that jig was as close to dynamite as anything I’ve seen. And of course the “artificial” element met my snobbish preference.

Seriously, it was only halfway to the bottom when I realized the line was no longer going straight down and the spool under my thumb was spinning way too fast. Set the hook!

I reared back into the heaviest jack I have ever landed, and man did it put up a fight. Dawn tied into a smaller jack and Pam had another mule of a redfish. The TSFMAG.com | 49

current was so strong that by the time my jack finally gave up we had drifted the full distance up to Bird. I was beginning to change my mind on jetty jerkin’.

And so it went for nearly two hours, huge jack after jack and so many bull reds we had to verify the count by the images in the camera.

By the time the incoming current was playing out and the birds broke up; we had shredded leaders, sardine juice and fish slime all over the decks— reminiscent of a headboat trip I made out of Freeport a long, long time ago.

Needless to say we all needed a beer badly and the girls took a perch on the leaning post to do just that while Jeff and I swabbed the deck and got all the gear situated for the ride home.

Did we have fun? Hell yes!

Have I adjusted my fishing focus?

Hmmm…a bit, perhaps. OK, it’s now wide enough that we’ve been back to the jetties several times, with the grandkids twice.

And you know what? We are going again in the morning.

Strong incoming morning tides coincide with summertime moons at full and new phase and the peak of this flow is the catalyst. If this type of fishing is new to you, don’t be shy but 50 | August 2014

just sit off to the side for a few minutes and watch. You will see boats of every size (we saw a tiller-steer jonboat one day) and anglers from eight to eighty. Everybody has a ball when the bite is on. Get there early though; you won’t want to miss a single minute. It’s that good!

What About Tackle?

Given the current strength and water depths, knife-style jigs of 3- to 4 ounce size, worked vertically, are very effective. Lowering to bottom and working successively higher in the water column will identify the most productive depth. Some days they’re way down there and other times you will find them suspended.

Counting reel cranks to bring the jig back up to the preferred zone is a good method. Work that jig aggressively, both up and down and side-to-side. Hang on!

Release Them In Good Shape!

While the same rods and reels you would use for trout and redfish on the flats can be pressed into service for bull reds and large jacks, a step up to the 20-pound class is probably a better idea.

Large fish are tough to subdue on lighter tackle and, after all, this is primarily a catch and release fishery. The best strategy for accomplishing a healthy release is using enough tackle to win the tug-of-war within a reasonably short span of time.

Bimini Bay’s Tsunami line includes the TSSD2000L levelwind and TSC5000 Classic spinning reels. Pair these with suitable rods from their Airwave collection and you can have tough and reliable tackle for the class of fish we find at the jetties; without breaking the bank.

Spooling with 30-pound mono or braid and adding three to four feet of 80-pound mono leader is recommended.

Any fresh or frozen bait (sardines or cut mullet) will usually work like a charm but I prefer jigs – simply because I do not like fooling with natural baits or the nontarget creatures they attract. Oh, and I am a bit of a snob.

Bull reds are prime spawning stock and it is the angler’s responsibility to insure they have been properly revived before releasing. Keep the photo sessions short. Several minutes of vigorous back and forth motion to move water through the gills is recommended; always with the fish in upright position. The tail thrusts will let you know when they’re ready to go!

TSFMAG.com | 51

Windward shoreline approaches provide opportunity, even when water temperatures reach 85+ degrees.

Don’t be afraid of fishing dirty water – EVER!

J AY WAT K I N S

ASK THE PRO

August will be a test of our angling skill and dedication Writing this at 9:00 AM it has already rained three inches. I cancelled my group due to the thunderstorms; yesterday we spent a good part of the morning in the Corps of Engineers docks near Mustang Lake. Fishing continues to be tough for me as conditions just won’t let me do what I need to do for more than a day or so at a time. Wind has been the major contributor to our difficulties but I know in a few weeks I’ll probably be complaining about the lack of it.

Disgusted? Perhaps a bit at times, but not one bit deterred. Hey, its fishing and fishing is certainly not always catching. It is the pursuit that gets me up and at them each day and I hope it is the same for you.

The water in northern Aransas/San Antonio Bay system has been mostly muddy since March. Shoreline water conditions are clear where bottom grass is prevalent and bait seems to be in abundance there as well. Problem is; the fish are not staying shallow in the clear water with the bait for any period of time. I catch good fish early most days - but not numbers.

With wind roiled water and limited windows due 52 | August 2014

to daytime heating, I suggest fishing smaller areas of deeper structure where wind can move water when tidal action does not. I have noticed my entire career that smaller areas of structure where water movement can happen 24/7 will typically hold larger fish.

Just think about some of your own best spots. I hate using the word spots because I believe fish use areas, and we in turn perceive them as spots. Anyway, if you think about it, I bet you’ll find that most are on windward shorelines – and small areas along spoils or small areas of scattered shell are always my first choice when available.

Over the past several weeks I have fished some awfullooking water and it occurs that fishermen are put off by poor clarity way more than fish. I almost never see boats lined up when the water turns murky. Now besides structure and water movement, I am also attracted by the fact that all the other boats are driving by. I take note daily of areas I know to have good structure with nobody fishing. Lots of things can stop me and one is an area that for days or even weeks seems to be getting

The 12” Flex Fillet Knife Now That’s a Knife!

• No Slip Grip Handles • Razor Sharp Stainless-Steel Blade Coated with a TitaniumBonded Non-Stick Surface • Blade Guard and Trigger Grip for Protection and Control

The Ultimate Fishing Knife Collection

12” Flex | 9” Stiffie 9” Flex | 9” Tapered Flex 7” Tapered Flex

little to no pressure.

So I am working windward shorelines and spoils as well as reefs and scattered shell that typically have good daytime water movement.

Just so you’ll know, most of the reefs I prefer to fish run east to west, not north and south. This is big time important in the moving water game. Also important is locating the areas in the reef where water can pass through, even on the lowest of tides. Such areas are funnels and fish will stack up-current of them. Never mind the water clarity. Put yourself where the fish are likely holding and let them find your lure, they’re instinctively adept at feeding in murky water.

Quick side note here: I use Bass Assassins 1/16 ounce screwlock, on size 2/0 hook or the Bass Assassin Pro Elite 1/16, also 2/0. When fishing over scattered clump shell, the short hook shank allows it skip through when longer-shank hooks will hang up. But having said that; if you’re not bumping shell and hanging up occasionally, you’re probably working the lure too fast.

Another note on the shell game: When you do hang up, understand that the jig cannot come loose with you holding the line bow-string tight. Try pointing the rod tip at the snagged lure; place your thumb on the spool and pull slow and steady. Quite often the jig will roll right off. Whatever you do, do not walk into the area holding fish to retrieve the lure. Break it off and tie a new one.

On shorelines/spoils I prefer to position my group on the very outside of the deepest grass. Let the rising sun and the warming water push the fish; in a very natural way I might add, to you. If I have a group of four or more I will allow the end of the line to drift in and fish water and structure that the rest of the group is not touching until a definite pattern is established. I lead the way; I know the line I need you on. I love to fish and sometimes get caught up in that but a good guide finds them and then backs away for his clients.

The most-asked question this month will be, “How long do you stay in an area before making the decision to move?”

My answer has always been, “You stay as long as good signs are evident and you continue to have confidence.”

I know this sounds easy for me to say, since I have experienced lots of good days in virtually every area I typically choose. But I still need to see bait, feel the water moving around my legs and receive a bite now and them. If all of this is happening, especially prior to a predicted solunar feed, I am staying. Time spent fishing versus running around trying to decide where to fish most always presents the best odds of catching fish. Through July and on into first couple of

TM

Go to bubbablade.com for our online specials.

Lure selection for windward dirty-water pattern.

54 | August 2014

weeks of September you would be well advised to never leave fish to try and find more fish.

Before I close this I want to talk a little about some of the stuff I’m using. By now everybody in the world knows how much I rely on my Bass Assassin soft plastics and I will be throwing a bunch of them.

Even with my devotion to Bass Assassin, I will also be throwing the MirrOlure 5” Provoker in the Texas Roach color. It’s a very good bait and deserves some mention…and for me to say that is saying a lot.

On the topwater side I will be using my trusty MirrOlure Top Dogs

C ontact

Reward of fishing patiently along windward spoil island… in water of near zero visibility.

and also some Spooks. I like being honest with all of you on what I use and I hope my sponsors and even non-sponsors respect the honestly as well.

Back to Bass Assassin lures – some of the new names for lure colors they’re coming out with are cracking me up. Recent new introductions are the Meat Hook, Smoke Wagon, MaMa’s Chicken, Mississippi Hippie and Rainbow Shad. All of these are available in the 5” Shad, 3” Sea Shad and 5” Die Dapper series.

Still throwing my Henri Custom rods with my Quantum EXO reels in 7.3:1 ratio. These are still the lightest setups on the market and that keeps this old arm from aching too much each night. The high gear ratio on the reel allows me to keep the lure up and on top of the scattered shell in between twitches.

Also allows for gathering line quickly when that fish of a life time takes your lure over heavy clump shell and comes straight toward you at warp speed.

May your fishing always be catching. -Guide Jay Watkins

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

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

TSFMAG.com | 55

Cutting corners on the grass when there’s a channel right there.

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

S H A LL O W W AT E R FI S H IN G

Let’s all pitch in “The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.”

Joseph Joubert (1754-1824) Progress on the subject I want to discuss would be great. I’m not sure whether those who need to hear this will actually read it; but here goes.

I’m generally a go-along, get-along kind of guy. That is until someone messes with somebody or something I love.

Family, my little ranch and my dog are on that list. Also on that list are our coastal waters and the redfish that inhabit the flats.

Through my years as a cop and homicide detective, saltwater therapy kept me sane. No matter the horrors I witnessed in the big city, I could realign 56 | August 2014

Mud motor scars through the cordgrass.

my soul by disappearing onto a quiet flat with fly rod in hand to quietly stalk tailing redfish.

Here lately though, days that “calm” me are becoming increasingly rare. Instead, I catch myself getting more irritated as the day goes on. I hate it and I’m tired of it.

So what’s been getting under my skin? The total lack of respect for fellow anglers and the resource by a few inconsiderate individuals.

That’s what!

I will likely spend close to 200 days on the water this year and hardly a day goes by that I don’t see something that makes me shake my head – mostly just plain old rude behavior, others are unethical, and a few are illegal.

This past weekend near Port O’Connor I was running the

marked channel through the Saluria area around Houseboat Flat. For those unfamiliar, this is a good sized shallow grassy area bordered by an island on one side and a long curving bayou on the other. As I went by I noticed a couple kayakers were up there sitting sideways, easing along and obviously stalking fish. My first thought was, “Good for them, hope we find some where we’re headed.”

Halfway around the flat I heard the scream of a fully-jacked-up outboard behind me. I glanced back to see a boat cutting across the flat within 50 yards of the kayakers. I don’t know exactly how much time this little stunt saved them but, I’d be willing to bet it ruined the kayakers’ day, at that spot anyway.

Arriving to the area I intended to fish, I discovered another skiff already poling there. Oh well, I switched up my plan and eased to the opposite shoreline of the cove. Easing along, here’s comes another boat screaming up behind me. This is a pretty big cove and I was pleased that he was at least running the deep water down the middle. My mood changed though when he made a sharp turn directly in front of the other skiff and shut down. Another day ruined.

As we continued our day there were plenty of fish, but something was obviously not right. My customer that day was an experienced fly fisherman that I’ve had on the boat many times. The dude is good. He can cast and knows how to feed a fish. We would spot a tailing or cruising red, ease into position and drop a fly on him, only to watch the fish bolt as if he’d been shot at. That was if they even let us get close enough for a cast.

Change flies. Move slower. Same results. Why? Our answer showed up in the form of a flats scooter running straight towards us not ten feet off the shoreline. They were a good mile away, but headed straight towards us. Two guys standing on a white poling skiff are hard to miss, yet these guys rode that shoreline all the way, swung out a short distance to go around, and then went right back to the edge of the grass. Miles of good shallow water burned.

No telling how many times a day this happens on any given shoreline. Little wonder the reds were spooked out of their minds. If you had a dragster run through your kitchen every time you went to the fridge you’d get a little twitchy too. We relocated.

Our next stop was a large and shallow grass-bottomed lake. Some guys had parked in the far corner and fanned out to wade. As I poled across the flat I heard that all too familiar noise and along comes another boat, two guys atop the console zigging and zagging all around the flat, passing within casting distance of the waders. And the worst part is they never even stopped to fish!

The chain of events that followed was even crazier. The irritated waders loaded up and proceeded to do a donut on the shallow grass to get on plane, roostertail of mud and grass, etc.

They then headed towards one of several exits, right past two waders stationed along the gut.

Multiple experiences ruined just because a couple guys wanted to joyride and have a look around.

I fear this could become a rare sight if things keep going the way they have.

58 | August 2014

C ontact

Back on my home waters of Galveston things aren’t much better regarding habitat destruction. We may not have the huge areas of seagrasses like the rest of the coast, but what we do have are marshes full of cordgrass. The edges of that grass provide sanctuary and food for baitfish, shrimp and crabs. This in turn provides food for the gamefish we seek. The thick root systems of cordgrass hold the marsh soil in place, preventing erosion and loss of habitat. The last few years a disturbing trend has developed with the increased use of surface drives – most folks call them “mud motors.”

These things can push a jon boat across dang near anything, including cordgrass.

Instead of making a few turns some of these folks are just running a straight line Spinning to get on plane. to wherever they want to be. The result Uprooting seagrass is illegal. is a trench through the grass.

A couple years ago I saw one of these trenches on the north shoreline of Greens Lake. It cut from the lake, across a twenty foot stretch of grass, and into a small bayou.

Following the slough might have taken two or three minutes. This happened in November. By March the trench was a couple feet wide and flowing on high tide. By the end of summer it was several feet wide and flowing on low tide. Today it is thirty feet wide, four feet

deep, and still growing.

Why are these things happening? Is it a general lack of respect or lack of knowledge?

I’m not sure where we older salts went wrong in our mentoring, but I want to challenge each of you to make an effort on some level to do better. I know I will.

Talk to those you take out on your boat about conservation and courtesy. Politely explain to those you see doing wrong what mistakes they are making. I’m not talking about chasing them down in the heat of the moment, but if you run into them back at the dock it isn’t that hard to strike up a nonconfrontational conversation. Perhaps if we all pitch in we can steer the next generation of anglers in the right direction.

My hope is that this discussion will lead to progress, which in itself will be a victory.

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

TSFMAG.com | 59

A large female Asian black tiger shrimp collected off Texas coastal waters (photo credit: Tony Reisinger).

B y Ya S h e n g J u a n , P h . D . | A q u a c u l t u r e L i a i s o n / I n s p e c t o r Lower Laguna Madre Ecosystem Field Station

FIELD NOTES

tigers in the gulf?

The Asian black tiger shrimp is spreading through the Gulf of Mexico, and the presence of this nonindigenous shrimp has scientists concerned. Other invasive species such as lionfish, tilapia, zebra mussels, and nutria already call the region home, and the compounded impacts of these critters on our fragile coastal ecosystems is alarming. Also called giant tiger shrimp, they have an overall rusty brown appearance with distinctive black and white stripes across their backs and tails resembling their jungle namesake. These shrimp can grow to a length of about one foot and weigh 23 ounces within a life span of three years. To accommodate it’s “bigger than Texas” size, it has a voracious appetite.

Tiger shrimp are an Indo-West Pacific species distributed over a large range from East and Southeast Africa, through the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf, around the Indian subcontinent, and through the Malay Archipelago to Northern Australia and Japan. In the summer of 1988, nearly 300 tiger shrimp were collected in trawls off the coast of South Carolina, Georgia and northeastern Florida.

After that, no sightings were reported for almost two decades. In 2006, tiger shrimp reappeared in the South Atlantic Bight and for the first time ever, in the Gulf of 60 | August 2014

Mexico. Since then, tiger shrimp collections have been reported every year in the Gulf; and it was not until 2011 that the first sighting of tiger shrimp in Texas waters occurred. The number of shrimp caught in Gulf of Mexico from 2006 to 2012 is shown in the following figure.

In 2012, Tony Reisinger (Texas Sea Grant and Cameron County Extension Agent-Coastal and Marine Resources) auctioned off a shrimp print he designed for a Port Mansfield fishing tournament to raise a bounty for the collection of tiger shrimp specimens. Reisinger donated the proceeds to the Brownsville-Port Isabel Shrimp Producers Association. The Association and Zimco Marine also matched his donation to support the bounty. Texas Sea Grant at Texas A&M University printed a “Wanted” poster in English and Spanish to educate shrimpers about Asian tiger shrimp. Reisinger’s group offered a bounty reward for the largest, smallest, and most number of tiger shrimp caught and returned by the shrimp trawlers during the 2013 shrimping season.

The result was 32 tiger shrimp collected by Texas shrimp trawlers in 2013. Prior to that, Texas shrimp trawlers had collected 9 and 12 tiger shrimp in 2011 and 2012, respectively. The majority of these shrimp have been

Number of Asian tiger shrimp caught in the Gulf by year.

collected offshore near the Louisiana coast.

A frequently asked question is how did tiger shrimp get into Gulf of Mexico? The introduction of tiger shrimp is thought to have three potential sources: 1) the release of larvae in ballast water taken onboard of seaward vessels; 2) migrations or gulf stream currents from areas in the Atlantic or Caribbean Sea where wild populations have become established (most likely as a result of prior aquaculture escapes) or from South America; and 3) escaped from active and ongoing aquaculture facilities in the western Atlantic. Hurricanes and tropical storms frequently take a path through the Caribbean northward toward the south Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, which could also present a method of transport.

Another frequently asked question is why should we care about tiger shrimp in the Gulf? The primary concern regarding the impacts of tiger shrimp in the Gulf is the potential to compete with, or prey directly

upon native species because of its large size. Tiger shrimp eat young penaeid shrimps, a variety of macro-invertebrates, fish, as well as plant material, and a small amount of echinoderms, and hydroids.

There are concerns about disease transfers in which tiger shrimp can carry dangerous pathogens (e.g., White Spot Syndrome and Yellow Head Virus) that are a significant threat to native Gulf of Mexico shrimp populations. Tiger shrimp are known to carry 16 or more harmful viruses.

Researchers believe that tiger shrimp have spread along the U.S. Atlantic coast and into the Gulf of Mexico because there has been an increase in the number of specimen collections, in the occurrence of individuals that range in sizes (juvenile to adult), and an increase in collections from inshore areas that typically serve as nursery grounds for native brown and white shrimp populations.

Solutions to address concerns about invasive species such as the Asian black tiger shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico and our Texas waters requires the team work of our coastal communities. Anglers can help by reporting any unusual shrimp caught in Texas waters, please contact the following for assistance: Leslie Hartman (Texas Parks & Wildlife Department) telephone: 361.972.6253; e-mail: leslie. hartman@tpwd.texas.gov or Tony Reisinger (Texas Sea Grant Coastal Extension Agent) telephone: 956.361.8236 ; e-mail: e-reisinger@tamu. edu. Without your help, it will be tough to keep our Gulf and coastal waters free of tigers.

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

Female tiger shrimp compared to a female brown Gulf shrimp (photo credit: Tony Reisinger).

TSFMAG.com | 61

CURTIS CASH

I N S H O R E | N E A R S H O R E | J E T T I E S | PA S S E S

Peak of nearshore opportunity I once read that August is the sultry cousin of summer.

What that means I can only speculate but I can honestly tell you that this is my favorite month. What is it about calm wind, flat seas and clear water conditions that an angler shouldn’t like?

It is August’s nearshore action that I like the most, actually at its best during summer’s hottest month. The weather patterns allow bay boaters to venture beyond the confines of sheltering shorelines. With some advanced planning almost anyone can make this trip possible as long as safety is a priority. Boats need to be seaworthy, in top running condition, loaded with plenty of fuel in the tank and with a working VHF radio. As a precaution I typically never turn off my outboard once I hit the gulf. This keeps the batteries charged and affords some peace of mind knowing that a running engine will not have restarting issues.

The day’s weather should be your foremost 62 | August 2014

consideration. Look for wind forecasted less than 10 mph, clear skies and a minimal chance for thundershowers in the forecast. Having a “buddy boat” along for a trip or two starting out is also a good idea.

Why would you want to venture out of the bay? For the fishing, of course. The species available this month in state waters number the highest of the year. On the short list; king and Spanish mackerel, cobia, bonito, bull redfish, tarpon, shark and snapper are out there for the taking. If your day coincides with blue water pushing close to the beach you may also have shots at sailfish, dolphin and barracuda.

Where to fish and what to look for: Nearshore catches can be best made near structures like submerged wrecks or oil and gas platforms. Bait often concentrates in open water 35-60 deep in and around opposing current lines, water color changes and flotsam. Where you find food, the gamefish should be

LEAN BURN TECHNOLOGY IS JUST ONE WAY SUZUKI GIVES YOU MORE

You Can Also Get Three More Years Of Product Protection At No Extra Charge When You Buy A New Suzuki Outboard From 25 to 300 HP Between Now and September 30, 2014 You’ll find Suzuki’s proven Lean Burn Control System on practically every outboard we make from 15 to 300 horsepower. Advanced computer modeling programmed into the onboard control module actually predicts how much fuel you’ll need based on operating conditions. By precisely controlling the exact fuel-air ratio, you get more miles - and more fun - from every tank of gas.

In fact, our on-the-water testing has shown enhanced fuel efficiency across

all rpm, and especially at cruising speeds where the engine is used most of the time. But that’s not the only way Suzuki gives you more.

Right now, when you buy a new Suzuki outboard from 25 to 300 horsepower, you’ll get our 3-Year Extended Protection Plan FREE. Add that to our standard 3-Year Limited Warranty and you get six years of product protection - and save up to $1690. “Gimme Six!” is a limited time offer. It expires September 30, 2014.

See your participating Suzuki Marine dealer for more information or get all the details at www.suzukimarine.com.

With Lean Burn Control, you’ll get more from every tank of gas.

And with Suzuki’s “Gimme Six!” Protection, you’ll enjoy more years of hassle-free boating.

Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. Brea, CA www.suzukimarine.com

Gimme Six Extended Protection offer applies to new (unused, not previously warranty registered) Suzuki DF25A through DF300AP 4-stroke outboard motors. Promotion applicable to eligible stock in inventory which is sold and delivered to buyer between 7/1/14 and 9/30/14 in accordance with the promotion by an authorized Suzuki Marine dealer in the continental US and Alaska to a purchasing customer who resides in the continental US or Alaska. Within 60 days of purchase date, customer should expect to receive an acknowledgement letter with full copy of contract including terms, conditions and wallet card from Suzuki Extended Protection. If an acknowledgement letter is not received in time period stated, contact Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. – Marine Marketing at 714-996-7040, ext.2242. The Gimme Six Promotion is only available for recreational, non-commercial use. There are no model substitutions, benefit substitutions, rain checks, or extensions. Not redeemable for cash. Suzuki reserves the right to change or cancel this promotion at any time without notice or obligation. This promotion can be used in conjunction with other Suzuki offers. ©2014 Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. Don’t drink and drive. Always wear a USCG-approved life jacket and read your owner’s manual.

nearby. Especially concentrate on large schools of bait swimming on the surface. I regularly come across schools of dusky anchovies, ballyhoo, blue runners, menhaden, pilchards, Atlantic bumper and threadfin herring. These baits, excluding the menhaden and dusky anchovies can be caught on jigged #4 or #8 Sabiki rigs. Once caught, immediately hook a bait toward the tail and toss it to the outside of the bait school, and hold on!

Birds can be an excellent locator for bait and gamefish. Look for diving pelicans to be feeding on menhaden or dusky anchovies. Terns and bonito birds will work above Spanish mackerel and bonito while frigate birds will follow schools of any predator species looking for an easy meal. On the offshore platforms, good indicators of gamefish presence are the terns and frigate birds. They are frequently seen resting on railings overlooking the water below; terns are watching for small baitfish being flushed from the structure and the frigates constantly scan the perimeter for signs of feeding gamefish. If you see several frigates hovering a couple hundred feet above the water, do not hesitate running over to them. Most likely they are following large schools of kings, sailfish or dolphin.

It is best to approach the area slowly, from about a quarter mile. I like to slip over a lure or two to drag around while I’m figuring out the situation.

More than likely gamefish are on the prowl nearby looking for bait schools being pushed by the current. Gamefish schools normally travel into the current and/or the direction of the wind in search of food. Once you figure out current flow it would be best to go up current of the area and troll or drift back toward them.

64 | August 2014

What to use and to how use it: When trolling, I prefer 2030 pound-class tackle, while dragging chrome spoons and brightly colored diving plugs.

The #3 Clark Spoon and a Tony Accetta #18 Pet Spoon catch fish near the surface. For deeper fish I like to use a Rapala CD-5 or CD-7 or similar sized silver Russell Lures. Lure trolling speed varies between 4 and 6 mph, faster in open water and slower around big structure. Kingfish make quick work of monofilament line so a wire leader is needed. These lures are connected via haywire twists to a 30” section of American Fishing Wire #6, 58-pound stainless steel single-strand wire for smaller lures and #8, 86-pound for larger lures.

When working schools of Spanish mackerel and bonito, I expect them to be feeding on dusky anchovies or similar small finfish. Two methods can catch these fish either casting or trolling around the perimeter. Do not troll through the school, work the outside edge to keep from spooking them.

Tandem Speck-Rigs in 1/8 and 1/4 ounce sizes in various colors, as well as size-#0 Clark Spoons catch them up. Both species are very leader shy, 30-40 clear mono works well. Spinning tackle “trout size” is ideally suited to catching these fun fighting fish.

Smacks are tasty and though bonito aren’t very delectable they make excellent cut bait at the rigs.

Bottom fishing at the rigs and wrecks is fairly simple with bait. I use 60-pound mono for leader material rigged with a dropper loop, 7/O or 9/O Mustad Demon Circle 39941 circle hook, and a 4-8 ounce weight depending on current velocity. Drop straight down near the structure, all the way to the bottom. Bait up with squid, live pinfish, croaker or cut bait of whatever is available. Catches of snapper, redfish, shark, bluefish and cobia can be had in 45-70 feet of water. When fishing like this I always have a heavy spinning rod with 50lb braid rigged in case a cobia appears by surprise.

A 36” mono 60 pound leader with a Mustad 3174 5/O hook makes up the business end. Cobia are sometimes finicky so a variety of baits should be tried to entice them.

It has been a goal of mine to release a sailfish nearshore; we’ve been 0 for 5 in the past three seasons. Maybe this August our luck will change, I plan on spending more time chasing frigate birds, kite fishing bait pods and pulling hookless teasers for bait and switch on fly. Who knows it may all come together.

Keep these basics in mind when planning ahead for a nearshore excursion. Safety should be paramount in all decisions including boat operation, weather forecasting and sea conditions. Keep an eye to the sky for foul weather building farther offshore and always between yourself and the beach. If ever in doubt run back inshore, better safe than sorry, I always say.

66 | August 2014

When we Say Custom, It Means Just that!

Do you know what you want in a boat or trailer, but can’t seem to find it?

We will build to your specs.

C U STO M A LU M I N U M B O ATS & TR A I L E R S

• 12’ to 35’ Custom Built Cat or Flat Alumium Boats • Runs in shallow water & withstands rough waters.

• Single, Tandem & Triple axle Aluminum trailers.

• All Trailers Built to your boats specific hull design.

**Galvanized Trailer Tires $75.00**

Call us at 832-314-7930 Or 281-799-1078

www.LagoonTrailers.com

TSFMAG.com | 67

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

F LY F I S H I N G

Skiffs for Fly Fishing “What is the perfect boat for fly-fishing the Texas coast?”

Over the years I have run a variety of boats that have all been outfitted and rigged for fly-fishing. From my 14’ jonboat to a 20’ Haynie H2O to my first technical poling skiff in ’98 which was a 16’ Whipray, every choice I have made has been about catching fish on fly. But, it was the Whipray that changed my whole thought process in regards to the type of boat I needed.

Back then you see, like most Texans, I believed that running shallow was the key to catching fish. I have never been more wrong in my life. One week spent in the light-weight skiff with no tunnel, quietly poling into and out of the shallowest of waters, changed my mind immediately. This was it!

68 | August 2014

Since that first 16’ skiff, I have had several versions of technical poling skiffs that have included three 18’ Watermans, a Glades Skiff and two Ambushes. Oh yeah, let’s not forget the two pangas. All these boats have been great and have served me well, however, none of them have even come close to the perfect boat–hence the reason for me keeping at least two boats nearly all the time. Currently I am running Ambush hull #1 which was the original prototype of that hull and I have a 22’ panga. I love them both for what they are intended but, like the winds and tide, things change.

I currently find myself spending more time making longer runs and, like my customers, I am finding comfort increasingly important. In addition, I put a lot more

C ontact

stock in the overall performance of the hull. Used to, it was only about the fishing. It did not matter how dry or fast the boat was as long as it fished well when I got to where I wanted to be. And, I used to think that you could not have both. It was either comfort and performance or a great fishing machine. As my search continues for the perfect boat(s) for my needs, I routinely consider all the things I have liked in my previous boats and all the things I have found appealing in others that I have fished from over the years. With that being said, I will share with you what I have learned.

So what do I look for in a Texas fly-fishing skiff?

I guess the most important thing I have learned over the years is that the hull is everything.

The shape and dimensions of the bottom of the boat determines everything from speed, ride quality, draft and in some cases, how wet or dry a ride it will deliver. For fishing in Texas, in most instances you want a boat with zero deadrise or crown in the hull at the transom. Providing the hull is built light, the flat-bottomed boat will give you the shallowest poling draft. And, while most flat-bottoms tend to be a rougher ride, this can be countered by having a sharp stem and entry that extends to at least half the boat’s length. Also, the flatter the bottom of the boat, the less horsepower it needs to push it along at an adequate speed.

In addition to the above, it is important that the hull be quiet. Fully-cored (part of the construction process) hulls tend to be quieter but most importantly, you do not want a hull that is concave or flared near the waterline at the bow. Another thing to avoid are spray-rails or stylelines that are too close to the waterline. When it is calm they are no big deal, however, if you get in a chop directly abeam or at any other undesirable angle, wavelets can hit the under-surfaces of these features causing noise that will spook fish.

Now let me give you the two things that I do not want on any skiff that I intend to fish from.

The first is a key-slot or recessed transom. In my opinion the recessed transom hinders your ability to trim or “fly” the bow when making a rough bay crossing and even worse, it affects how a skiff will spin or turn when being poled and this reduces its fish-ability. Oh, I should also mention that it makes a hull very noisy when staking or anchoring from the stern.

Next on my list of things to avoid would be a tunnel. Tunnels reduce planing efficiency which slows the boat quite a bit, they rob fuel economy and potentially increase draft by reducing the displacement of the hull. I have not run a tunnel in about six years and have not had a single day when I felt having one might have improved my efforts.

Moving on… after hull selection is finalized, everything else is easy. For me, the cleaner and simpler the deck and cockpit layouts are kept the better. I want hatches that do not flex or creak underfoot and I want to eliminate anything above deck that can snag a fly-line. As for trolling motors, I think having one is a great idea so long as it can be easily removed and nothing remains to snag a fly line. I personally have been very happy with Minn Kota’s quick release system that leaves nothing but a small polymer puck on the deck once the motor is removed.

As of right now, I am currently debating which will be my new skiff–either a Maverick HPX-S or the Maverick HPX-18-V. I have recently fished both and love both hulls for all they have to offer. The S is one of the finest performing poling skiffs I have ever been in and is a smooth, dry ride in comparison to others I have owned. It addition, it floats as shallow if not shallower than any other skiff in its class and is mighty quick with the 70 Yamaha 4-stroke. However, I’m really starting to dig the idea of getting into a “bigger” skiff (HPX-18-V) that has some deadrise and is a bit heavier providing a much more comfortable ride than anything else that I have owned.

Outside of the fact that it poles extremely well for its size, it is a very fast hull. The only drawback to the 18 is it is in fact much heavier than any of my previous skiffs and of course drafts a bit deeper. No matter what, it is going to be interesting seeing what may happen should I choose to go this route.

Anyway… be gude 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 | 69

MARCOS GARZA

YO U T H F I S H I N G

SPI on an SCB

70 | August 2014

My dad woke me up at 6 to get ready, I looked out the out the window and said, “Are we really going to go in that?”

“Yup, now get ready,” said my dad.

I got up and got dressed quick so that we could meet my dad’s client, Mr. Russell Harbison, on time. We loaded up the remaining gear from inside into the truck and then we took off. We left from Port Isabel and went across the causeway to South Padre to meet Mr. Harbison at his condo because he wanted to take his boat. His boat is an SCB Recon and is the best boat that I have ever been on.

While we were loading up the boat it seemed to be clearing up. The sun was coming out a little and we thought it was going to get better soon. We left the harbor and got out on the bay. The wind picked up and the sky got dark again. My dad decided that he was just going to test the boat and these were the perfect conditions. The water was rough across the ICW and we went right over it like nothing. We started going at about 25mph and then my dad pushed the throttle down. We quickly went from 25mph to 53 mph. I was trying to keep my butt grounded on the front cooler because we were going so fast. The ride was pretty smooth though and I had a hard time staying awake.

We knew it could go fast and handle rough water, but my dad wanted to test how shallow the boat would run. We went back into a small section of the bay and my dad had the boat heading towards the flats. We got into some areas that were so shallow that there might have been enough water to cover the top of my wading boot, and we just flew through it.

My dad had turned the boat back to the entrance of the little inlet and then he and Mr. Harbison saw a trout slick so they thought that we might try to do a little fishing and take a break from running the boat. It was too deep to wade so we got the drift socks and set them out. We grabbed our rods, got into position so that we could all cast easily, and then we started fishing.

I was at the bow, Mr. Harbison in the middle and my dad was at the stern. We all had plenty of casting room. We cast out and at first we didn’t have any hits. After a few casts, I had a few hits. Then my dad had a few and even got the tail bitten off of his lure. We drifted quite a ways because the wind was pushing us fast, even with the drift socks behind us. We hadn’t caught anything, all we had were some short strikes, and after a few casts we were going to pick up and move to a different area.

On my last cast I hooked up and it jumped out of the water. It wasn’t anything big, it was decent sized and silver, but fought like a redfish. I wasn’t sure what was on the line but my dad thought it was a trout. It got closer to the boat and then I saw it. It was a small snook. It went under the boat and pulled a little drag. My dad asked if I wanted him to get the net and I looked at him and said “yes.” He netted the fish and we got it on the boat. I was happy. My first snook, I didn’t care how big it was, I didn’t care that we were drifting, I was just happy that after two days of hard fishing I had finally caught one. We took pictures and released it.

By the time we got through with my first snook, the sky had cleared up and the sun was starting to come out. We moved to another spot and got out and started wading, it was nothing but blow ups on topwaters and short strikes on plastics. The west wind shut down the fish. We moved around walking and casting. We finally left the little inlet we were in and headed over to some submerged spoils and ended our day. After two days of whupping my dad’s butt with a $3 topwater from Walmart, he finally put it on me here. It took two days, but better late than never.

TSFMAG.com | 71

CADE SIMPSON

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

Crossing the line If you don’t already know, I call Baton Rouge home. I was born in Texas and have lived here for a number of years but nevertheless my parents live in Baton Rouge and I lived a significant part of my life there. I say all of that to say that it stands to reason that I make a trip home now and again to see my folks and old friends.

Well anyone who knows me knows that if a hunting, golfing, or fishing excursion is thrown into the event schedule, I am more easily swayed to make the trek to Cajun country. Recently I was lured into a trip over there by my good buddy Laurent. He actually owed me a fishing trip, being that he promised one as a gift for being in his wedding. Anyway, we finally got a date set and made it happen.

The trip was to be with a guide 72 | August 2014

out of Lafitte. I was loaded up and ready to go before I left for work the Friday eve of our fishing date. After

THE HEIGHT OF INNOVATION AND PERFORMANCE Enter the Ride 115X MAX Angler, featuring the FlexPod removable console for integrating and consolidating fish finder electronics, and introducing the new Phase 3速 AirPro MAX high/low seating system poised to give kayak anglers the competitive advantage they need to sight fish from the seat of their boat. Fully functional in existing Ride models, the patent-pending seat has a full Phase 3 AirPro MAX

forward/aft trim range and a three phase High, Low and Recline positioning achievable without any clipping or loosening of straps. Coming to a dealer near you this Fall.

WildernessSystems.com

C ontact

work I made the journey into the swamp state and managed a few short hours of sleep before our 2:15AM alarms went off. From Baton Rouge, Laurent and I had to pick up another buddy who would be joining us. A quick stop to get him in New Orleans and we were on our way to the boat ramp.

We beat the guide to the dock but only had to wait a few minutes as the sun began to creep up. It really was funny to be in a fishing boat after so many consecutive kayaking journeys. It’s obvious that a boat gets you to and fro in a more expeditious fashion but nevertheless when you are accustomed to slow-poking in a kayak, the boat trip was impressive.

After a 15 minute ride or so we approached our first grass line.

Throwing soft plastics on 1/4oz jigheads we worked the shoreline for a couple hundred yards. No luck. Guide was ready to move so we jetted through the marsh to another spot. Second cast yielded a nice red.

For the most part this pattern made up the day. We ended up landing 16 nice reds. Perhaps I shouldn’t say we since I didn’t actually catch anything. However, I was relaxed and just enjoying the action the other guys had while simultaneously enjoying the outdoors as I always do. Overall I had a great time. Any time on the water is a blessing.

I will say it was very interesting (different) having a guide. He and I came to an understanding early on that I would use my own gear and tend to myself. Another observation is that the Gulf marsh along Louisiana isn’t all that much different than the Texas coast, once you get back in there. Had I not known any different I would say it is essentially the same terrain. All in all it was a good day with good friends, enjoying the out of doors. Success.

I will be back in the kayak ASAP. Until next time; tight lines!

74 | August 2014

Telephone Email

936-776-7028 Cademan11@sbcglobal.net

Find me on Facebook to follow along in my outdoor adventures

www.hookspit.com Come see our NEW Hookspit store!

2800 W. Main St. Ste. G • League City, TX 77573

TSFMAG.com | 75

Kevin Eager working a 10-foot shark.

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

Shark Encounters

from the Kayak

Dragging my beat-up kayak over shell and sand and finally into the breaking water, this is how so many summer mornings have begun. The greatest beauty of these adventures is the mystery of what might lie ahead. What marvelous chaos will I get into today? With slick calm seas and fading echoes of feeding gulls, I am in pursuit of king mackerel on topwaters. Tucked behind my seat is another rod rigged for cobia – just in case one comes alongside.

With the sun just above the horizon I reach an area with predatory action on the surface. I quickly begin plugging and it is not long before the kingfish are cooperating. Fish are slashing the surface and rocketing out of the water. I launch the lure again and violently jerk the oversized tuna popper across the surface. The lure gets crashed leaving a car-bomb boil. What is this beast?

Fifteen minutes into a “fee-free” sleigh ride I have the fish under the kayak and its brute strength shows me it is NOT a king. A few more minutes pass and I pour more strength into the fight, testing the rod to its full capability. I work the fish up from the depths and finally I see a dark figure and then the unique profile. The culprit in this brutal attack on my popper is a nearly six foot blacktip. While not exactly common, these instances do happen.

I have caught sharks on many types of bait and also on lures while pursuing other large gamefish. If there are birds and bait on the surface, rest assured that sharks are probably lurking nearby. Miraculously, I was able to remove the treble hook from the corner of this fish’s jaw. In most instances, your only option in regards to safety for yourself and the shark is to simply cut the leader at the hook.

76 | August 2014

Having spent half my life pursuing sharks, I have witnessed some unbelievable spectacles these creatures have to offer. They are hungry and forever on a feeding mission. I have encountered a great number of sharks from the kayak and have learned to remain as calm as possible and think clearly about what I am doing. Unfortunately, with the sport of kayak fishing exploding in popularity, newlyintroduced anglers find themselves often in unexpected situations. For any who have ventured offshore in a kayak and never experienced a shark encounter, just know that while you didn’t see them, sharks were likely below, escorting you at some point. Ironically, you are probably in more danger of a free-jumping blacktip than you are of let’s say a man-eating tiger shark attacking your kayak.

While often merely curious, sharks are just another part of the marine ecosystem. And when you paddle out there Massive dusky shark under kayak.

C ontact

you are in their realm.

Sandbar shark.

The majority of my kayak-caught sharks were actually by-catch while targeting other species.

Regardless, you have to be prepared to deal with them. Usually, any shark less than six feet will tire after dragging you around for fifteen minutes or so. At this point they are much easier to handle, allowing you to remove or cut the hook. I highly recommend that you have a good pair of diagonal/cable cutters handy at all times.

Shark hookups are always a possibility when drifting baits for kings and also when dropping for snapper.

I once hooked and fought two large scalloped hammerheads on back-to-back drops fishing for snapper from the kayak. The first hammer made an incredible display before breaking off.

The second dragged me fully two miles farther offshore before I was able to land and release Sandbar shark at the kayak. the eight foot beauty. Whether two feet or twelve, all sharks demand respect while in and alongside the kayak.

Blacktips, bulls, and Atlantic sharpnose are our most common. However, you just never know. We see some remarkable things kayaking offshore, giant manta rays and sea turtles the size of a Volkswagen Beetle exploding to the surface right beside your boat. No—I am talking about something even more magical.

The tale I want to relate happened to me and two buddies on a blistering summer day. Despite the cool-water currents curving into the coast off Padre Island there were birds and bait galore. Three of us landed and released a total of eighteen king mackerel, up to 60 inches. This is where things got interesting.

With the topwater bite waning we switched to drifting ribbonfish. Our hopes for a STAR-contender king were still alive when Kevin hooked a slow, powerful fish. Certainly not a king - we first thought perhaps a large loggerhead turtle or maybe a foul-hooked manta ray. After an hour Kevin was tiring but still all game. Kip and I followed carefully and the fish was towing Kevin as easily as a rabid pit bull might drag a small child clinging to its leash. All he could do was hold on and try to wear it down.

The battle raged on and on; Kip finally paddled back to shore to grab some lunch. When he returned Kevin was still locked in the slow

Blacktip shark on a topwater.

tug-of-war. Finally it yielded to the pressure and we could see the caudal fin of a shark coming to the surface... a VERY BIG shark. The tail waved at us and descended several times, dragging Kevin in a half-mile circle. Kevin was growing very tired and the Avet LX had withstood nearly 2-1/2 hours of abuse. Each time the shark came to the surface we would get a better glimpse but still could not identify the species. There are not many 10-foot-class sharks in our inshore waters other than hammers and tigers, and this was definitely neither. A few more minutes of Kevin putting in every ounce of his reserve energy and finally the mystery fish cooperated. Dusky sharks are not very common in the Gulf these days, especially this far inshore, and Kevin’s was a true gem.

After some teamwork we managed to get the shark stable and shoot some video to document Kevin’s feat. To our astonishment the simple wire kingfish leader held up as Kevin landed the largest shark I’ve seen caught from a kayak. When the time was right, we cut the leader at the hook and the shark swam back to the depths as if nothing had happened. It is amazing, all that had to occur in perfect order, to accomplish such an incredible “accidental” catch. It also makes you wonder about the possibilities of encounters yet to come.

Personally, this is my quest. Whether sharks or other large gamefish, moments like this are meant to be cherished. With this large shark, everything worked perfectly during the catch and release of a potentially dangerous giant. In its wake was a memory that will remain the rest of our lives.

Thin wire leader separates man from 400lb shark.

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

Email Websites

oz@oceanepics.com extremecoast.com | oceanepics.com | kayakwars.com TSFMAG.com | 77

Gates recently installed at Nueces Bay Delta Restoration Project.

C C A Te x a s S t a f f / P h o t o s b y L i s a L a s k o w s k i

T S F m A g C O N S E r VAT I O N N E W S

hABITAT TODAy FOr FISh TOmOrrOW PrOJECTS

ENhANCINg AND rESTOrINg TEXAS COASTAL hABITAT CCA Texas’ habitat initiative, Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow (HTFT) continues to move forward with habitat restoration and creation up and down the Texas coast. Projects including Cedar Bayou and Vinson Slough restoration, Galveston Bay Oyster Restoration, Bird Island Marsh Restoration (West Galveston Bay), Oyster Lake Shoreline Stabilization (West Galveston Bay) and Port O’Connor Nearshore Reefing Site permit acquisition are still

Cedar Bayou/Vinson Slough – (looking north) excavation of the new VS channel is approaching the intersection point with backwaters of San Jose Island.

78 | August 2014

in process and are set to be completed by the end of the year.

The Nueces Bay Delta Water Management control system was completed in late June and is now is full operation.

The Nueces Bay Delta Water management control system was completed in late June. This project was led by the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program (CBBEP) and CCA Texas contributed $70,000 in funding to this project. The basis of the

project is to keep water that is pumped into the delta in the delta, and not allow it to back flow back into the Nueces River, thus bypassing the lower portions of the delta. After a temporary pilot project of swinging gates proved to have some success, the project moved forward with the installation of three 48” box culverts with sliding gates installed on them. As water is pumped into the delta per agreements with local agencies, these new gated culverts will keep the water in the delta and force it to flow that direction. By creating the “dam”, the delta will get the full benefit of the water pumped into the system. Downstream salinity monitors allow CBBEP to see when the water has reached the lower end of the delta and once pumping is completed and the water has made its way downstream, the gates will be opened back up to allow for natural tidal movement.

CCA Texas looks forward to continuing habitat restoration and creation work with CBBEP in the future and continuing to build a strong partnership.

The Cedar Bayou and Vinson Slough Restoration project continues to move forward and estimates still are looking for a mid to late September 2014 completion, with weather days figured into the schedule. The dredging and excavation process is progressing steadily and as of June 29, 2014, 2,400 feet of advancement had been made by the dredge in Cedar Bayou and 2,800 feet of advancement had been made in Vinson’s Slough with the use of two excavators and five off-road dump trucks. The intersection of Cedar Bayou and Vinson’s Slough is expected to be completed in late July before this issue of TSF hits the news stands. The final portion of Vinson’s Slough will be completed by hydraulic dredge. CCA Texas looks forward to the completion of this historic project and all the benefit that will be realized by the surrounding bays and wetlands. For weekly updates, be sure to visit http://www.ccatexas.org/conservation/habitat/cedar-bayou/.

The East Galveston Bay Oyster Restoration Project continues to move forward. Originally scheduled to be completed in July, the project now looks to be finished the first of August, culminating in the completion of the 10 acre CCA Middle Reef restoration work. This project will have restored 180 acres of oyster reef in the East Galveston Bay complex when completed. This includes 85 acres at Hannah’s, 70 acres at Pepper Grove, 15 acres at Middle Reef and 10 acres at CCA Middle Reef. This effort is one of the largest to date in the Galveston system and has a total cost of over $3.5 million with CCA Texas contributing $500,000 towards the effort.

TPWD and CCA Texas encourage local recreational fishermen to participate in data collection via the “Citizen Scientist” program. This effort will help set baselines for this restoration work and requires fishermen to fish in specific areas and specific methods. For more information, please visit http://www.ccatexas.org/cca-texas-tpwd-fish-survey/ or contact John Blaha at jdblaha@ccatexas. org or Bill Rodney at Bill.Rodney@tpwd.texas.gov.

CCA Texas staff and volunteers along with volunteers from Galveston Bay Foundation (GBF), NRG Energy United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW), and the Houston Zoo gathered in June for a grass planting at the Oyster Lake Shoreline Stabilization Project. This effort was to plant approximately three-quarters of an acre with over 2,000 smooth cord grass plants provided by NRG. These plants were placed behind the first 500 feet of breakwater on the West Galveston Bay side. This project is a great example of the success that breakwater and marsh restoration efforts can provide.

Since the installation of these initial breakwaters in September, roughly 1,100 cubic yards of sediment materials have accumulated behind the breakwater on the West Galveston Bay side of the project, which is a good start to rebuilding the barrier island between West Galveston Bay and Oyster Lake. Once completed, this breakwater will span approximately one mile along the West Galveston Shoreline. Additional breakwaters are also being placed inside Oyster Lake. CCA Texas contributed $200,000 to this effort. NGOs such as GBF and CCA Texas are another example of groups working together to ensure a healthy coastal resource in Texas.

CCA Texas has contributed in excess of $3.6 million dollars to habitat projects since the inception of Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow in late 2009. These contributions are through the direct efforts of CCA Texas volunteers via the banquet fundraising process in chapters across the state. Dollars raised in Texas, stay in Texas for projects like these, supporting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Coastal Fisheries and Game Warden divisions, graduate student scholarships, and TPWD hatcheries.

TSFMAG.com | 79

STEPHANIE BOYD

F I S HY F A C T S

barracuda Slowly, slowly, he cruises And slowly, slowly, he chooses Which kind of fish he prefers to take this morning; Then without warning The Barracuda opens his jaws, teeth flashing, And with a horrible, horrible grinding and gnashing, Devours a hundred poor creatures and feels no remorse.

It’s no wonder, of course, That no little fish much likes the thing, And indeed, it occasionally strikes the thing, That he really ought, perhaps, to change his ways.

“But,” (as he says with an evil grin) “It’s actually not my fault, you see: I’ve nothing to do with the tragedy; I open my mouth for a yawn and —ah me!— They all swim in.” ~John Gardner The barracuda has a fearsome reputation, and no wonder, with its streamlined body that can reach lengths over six feet and speeds over thirty miles per hour, its large eyes that track even slight movements, a protruding lower jaw, and two rows of long, razor-sharp teeth. It’s an efficient predator, found all across the globe in warm seas, with an absence only in the Eastern Pacific. The great barracuda, Sphyraena barracuda, is typical of the approximately 80 | August 2014

twenty species of barracuda (but can be distinguished from the other species by black spots on its lower sides).

Generally solitary, adult barracuda live predominately at or near the surface of deep reef habitats, though they are, occasionally, found at depths up to 325 feet. Juveniles mature amongst mangroves and seagrass beds, habitats that offer cover from predators, but once adults, they generally tend to avoid areas of brackish water. Coloration of the adult is brownish or bluish gray on the upper side with several dark bars (most often observable when the fish is resting over variegated substrate); the top shades to silvery sides and a white belly. This countershading is advantageous to a fish that swims near the surface of the water, camouflaging it from both predators and wary prey.

For much of its life, the great barracuda appears to disinterestedly float or coast among other fishes, periodically striking in a short, lighting flash. You would think most fish daren’t come near, but like many other denizens of the deep, the barracuda shares a mutualistic relationship with a little fish known as the cleaner wrasse.

The barracuda sits patiently in the water with its mouth partly open and its gills flared to allow the wrasse to eat off dead skin and parasites: a spa day for the ‘cuda, a free meal for the wrasse.

Barracuda are voracious predators and generally hunt using a classic ambush style, relying on surprise and short

TSFMAG.com | 81

bursts of speed to overrun their prey (not that they aren’t capable of good ol’ fashioned chase-’em-down style). Sight-oriented and generally diurnal, great barracuda locate their prey visually. They are piscivorous at all ages, feeding on array of fish including jacks, grunts, groupers, snappers, small tunas, mullets, killifishes, herrings, and anchovies. Even other barracuda are on the menu. As juveniles, these fish compete with needlefishes and small snapper for food. As they get older and bigger, they may compete with larger animals such as mackerel, or even dolphins, depending on their habitat.

That characteristic lower jaw is designed to quickly break the prey into bits, enabling barracudas to feed on large fish by chopping them up (Hello, Clarice). The needlelike teeth fit into their own holes in the opposing jaw, allowing the great barracuda to close its mouth, leaving no gaps. This means that once the barracuda has hold of a fish, there is no way for the fish to escape without leaving a part of itself behind. Even when a barracuda has eaten its fill, no fish is safe.

Great barracudas have been observed herding schools of fish into shallow water. They will guard their livestock until their last meal has been digested and they’re hungry again. Though juveniles fall prey to a variety of inshore predators, few predators are large enough or fast enough to feed on adult great barracuda. This exclusive group includes sharks, tuna, and goliath grouper, though even they are restricted to preying on small adult barracuda. Very occasionally, adults will school during the day, possibly for protection; groups of hundreds, even thousands, have been observed, but this is quite rare.

Based on scale analysis of large specimens, great barracuda have a lifespan of at least fourteen years. Sexual maturity is reached at a length of about twenty-three inches. At this size, males are typically about two years and females close to four years of age. The timing and location of spawning has not been well-documented. Some research reports that they spawn in the spring. Others claim that they spawn in association with particular phases of the moon. Still other research suggests that great barracudas spawn throughout the year, with the exception of cold winter months. Some report spawning in inshore waters; others believe it takes place in deeper, offshore waters. Perhaps great barracudas show different spawning patterns and locations in different areas of the world. Overall, the picture of timing and location is incomplete. What seems concrete is that great barracuda do not care for their fertilized eggs; they are left to drift in the ocean and be dispersed by currents. However they get there, larvae do tend to settle in shallow, vegetated areas of estuaries. Juveniles spend their first year of life within mangrove and seagrass habitats.

For those people who like to eat great barracudas, ciguatera is a concern. Ciguatera poisoning is caused by the bioaccumulation of ciguatoxins in the flesh of tropical marine fishes. Ciguatoxins are produced by the marine dinoflagellate species, Gambierdiscus toxicus, that grow on marine algae, and as such may be incidentally ingested Catches from an angler survey in Port O’Connor; photos by Norman Boyd.

by herbivorous fishes, so the highest concentration of toxins is found in the highest trophic levels, the large predatory reef-dwelling fishes occupying the apex of the food chain, namely barracuda. Ciguatera poisoning is a debilitating illness that results in gastrointestinal maladies that may last several days, a general weakness in the arms and legs, and a reversal in the ability to differentiate hot versus cold. The illness is serious (symptoms may persist for weeks), and sometimes deadly. Due to the danger of poison in barracuda meat, the Food and Drug Administration “requires seafood processors to conduct a hazard analysis of the potential food safety hazards that are reasonably likely to occur with the seafood products they process and to have and implement written Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point plans to control all hazards identified in the hazard analysis.”

Because of the health problems associated with ciguatera poisoning, barracudas have been used in research studies dealing with these toxins and have proved very effective in tracking and understanding ciguatoxins. Studies like these will allow us to more efficiently detect toxic areas and improve the treatment of ciguatera poisoning.

Although barracuda have formidable arrays of teeth, attacks on humans are rare. Inquisitive, visually stimulated fish, barracudas sometimes exhibit the unnerving habit of trailing snorkelers and divers, but more often than not, attacks occur because a barracuda attempts to steal a fish from spear fishers or mistakes a shiny object, such as a diving knife or jewelry, for the glint of a shiny fish. Such incidents usually consist of one very quick strike. Unfortunately, since their teeth are so sharp, even one strike can result in fairly serious lacerations.

So barracuda might not be prized as a commercial fish in Texas waters, and there may not be a Swim with Barracudas! attraction at SeaWorld, but the great barracuda puts up an excellent fight and is consequently esteemed by some anglers as a gamefish. The world’s record on hook and line is a 5.5-foot, 103-pound great barracuda taken in the Bahamas. They tend to be lure-shy and can be difficult to induce to strike (seems ironic), but once hooked, barracuda provide swift runs and frequent leaps. What more could you ask for?

Where I learned about barracudas, and you can too!

Marine Bio marinebio.org/species.asp?id=108 Florida Museum of Natural History www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/GreatBarracuda/GreatBarracuda.html Gulf Fish Database www.rodnreel.com/gulffish/gulffish.asp?cmd=view&FishID=2 Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Sphyraena_barracuda/ BioWeb Interactions: bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2008/sellnow_hann/Interactions.htm Nutrition: bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2008/sellnow_hann/Nutrition2.htm The Nature Conservancy nature.org/newsfeatures/specialfeatures/animals/fish/giant-barracuda.xml U.S. Food & Drug Administration www.fda.gov/food/guidanceregulation/ guidancedocumentsregulatoryinformation/seafood/ucm375214.htm

82 | August 2014

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

ADVENTURES IN GUATEMALA!

Read about one of our VIP Customer’s Catch & Release Adventures in Guatemala

2014 Product Guide | Vol. III, Issue 1

GEAR UP GE ARFOR GREAT T

EA !

GR FISHING! ING FISH GET TECHNICAL NICAL

FOR

WITH OUR GREAT SELECTION TEES

OF TECHNICAL GETOURTECH SEL GREAT WITH AL TEES OF TECHNIC STOCK UP! STOCK YOUR TACKLE BOX WITH UP! TEAM FAVORITES! BOX WITH STOCKOUR TACKLE 26-27

YOURSee PagesES! STOCK FAVORIT OUR TEAM 26-27 See Pages

““

were

Conditions were FUL Conditions

UTI BEA the action and BEAUTIFUL P!the action STOand NON NONSTOP!

SPECIAL

OFFER!

SEE BACK COVER FOR DETAILS SEE BACK COVER FOR DETAILS

SPECIAL

On All

””

rnhard Bernhard - Alex Be ter, pg25 Wri Writer, Guest Wr - Alex Bernhard Guest Writer, pg25

ER! and Handling and Handling On All Free Shipping OFFFREE Free Shipping Over $200* Orders SHIPPING! Over $200* PPIN G! Orders FRE E SHI

Photo By:

3 for Details See PageSee Page 3 for Details

Alex Bernhard

Photo By: Alex Bernhard

4496•TD_MARCH_CATALOG_SP.indd 1

2/26/2014

1:20:59

PM

2/26/2014 1:20:59 PM

request our current catalog at tackleDirect.com/catalog for promotions & Deals text “tackle” to “33233”

dd 1

_CATALOG_SP.in

4496•TD_MARCH

VE

EX

CLUSI

T

EC

TA C

D a i wa L e x a S p i n n i n g R e e L S : KL

E D IR

buy the reel receive a free team Daiwa spinning rod WATCH VIDEO

lexa spinning combo

LEXA4000SH REEL /TDT701MXS RoD Was $204.90

NOW ONLY

12995

$

DAI-1865

• Action: Medium • Lure Rating: 1/4-3/4ozs.

Scan QR Code or Visit This URL tdire.co/LEXA

• Line Rating: 6-15lbs.

• Pieces: 1 • Length: 7’

the softest shirt We sell

Sierra Blue

Sage

T

EC

TA C

KL

VE

EX

Burnt Orange CLUSI

E D IR

Moss

DAI-1863

Priced at

199

95

$

Watch ViDeo

DAI-1517

Starting at

49

$

99

CLUSI

KL

VE

95

free fly bamboo tech l/s shirts TA C

119

$ NOW ONLY Was $189.90

lexa300h high capacity stanDarD speeD reel

T

LEXA3000SH REEL / TDT661MXS RoD

EC

WATCH VIDEO

EX

lexa spinning combo

E D IR

• Action: XF

• Aluminum frame and side plate (gear side)

• TackleDirect logos on both front and back

• Lure Rating: 1/4-3/4ozs.

• 7 Bearing System (2CRBB, 4BB +1RB)

• Soft and comfortable

• Line Rating: 6-15lbs.

• Magforce Cast Control

• Stylish performance

• Pieces: 1

• Infinite Anti-Reverse

• Designed to be silky smooth and eco friendly

• Length: 6’6”

• Swept Handle with weight-reducing cutouts

• off the shoulder design

WATCH VIDEO

Please note: Many colors & sizes (XS-3XL) available.

Other Daiwa Lexa Spinning Combos available at TackleDirect.com

SHOP WITH US:

WHY SHOP WITH TACKLEDIRECT?

REWARDS PROGRAM:

Online:

TackleDirect.com

• Award Winning Service & Expertise

• Hassle-Free Returns & Exchanges

Mobile:

tdire.co

• Frequent Promotions & Daily Deals

• Loyalty Rewards Program

Join Our Loyalty Rewards program @ Myaccount.TackleDirect.com

Toll-Free:

888.354.7335

• Huge Selection of In-Stock Inventory • Product Videos with The Pros

Int’l:

609.788.3819

Store:

Egg Harbor Twp, NJ

Earn points for purchases, referrals and product reviews!

High Quality Customer Service

FLAGSHIP RETAIL STORE 6825 Tilton Road, Bldg. C Egg Harbor Twp, NJ 08234-4426

Scan QR code or Visit tdire.co/TDHP

NEW

TACKLE & GEAR

Outdoorsmen! Meet your new best friend: the Esky™ Series 85 Quart Cooler Esky™ Series Coolers are engineered to be the new standard in ice retention. By incorporating high-performance insulation, a gasket seal around the lid, and non-skid feet, engineers were able to significantly reduce heat transfer, resulting in a cooler that holds ice 44 percent longer than the nearest competitor. (Comparison based on independent testing of Esky™ Series 135 and Yeti® 160 coolers.) Tie down points allow you to secure the cooler while leaving the lid free to open and close. This is a tough, American-made cooler made to excel in the wild – just like its owner. www.EskySeriesCoolers.com

Road Armor – Proudly Made in Texas • 100% made in the USA • Built to Last and Built to Perform • Recessed light pods for Rigid Dually D2 series lights or Vision-X Optimus single • Designed around a Warn 16.5K non-integrated winch • Fully functional park assist and proximity sensors front and rear • Also available as a non-winch “Illuminator” which utilizes the winch cavity to house a 20 inch light bar • Recessed reverse light pods for two 3 inch lights (Rigid Industries SR-M shown) • 3/16 “ CNC laser-cut shell with 1/4” internal frame structure and frame brackets • Lifetime structural warranty 877-294-2726 or online at www.RoadArmor.com

Tackle Direct Battle II – The new PENN Battle II has been redesigned to achieve higher drag ratings, smoother drag curves, and greater corrosion resistance. With the addition of a new 2500 size in the lineup, anglers fishing lighter braided lines have a full assortment of sizes to choose from.

Battalion – The new PENN Battalion rods have been designed to match up with the new Battle II reels. Using a 30-ton graphite blank, Fuji components, premium cork grips on the lighter actions, and EVA grips on the heavier rods, there is a Battalion rod for every application from inshore to nearshore. www.TackleDirect.com 888.354.7335

84 | August 2014

products

Mud Hole Custom Tackle Mud Hole Custom Tackle offers the widest variety of rod building and tackle crafting products in the world. We are the one-stop shop for all your needs.

Our integrated website and ordering system accepts your order on 24/7 basis from the convenience of a location of your choice. With over 2.5 million products on hand in our 15,000 sq ft warehouse, it’s hard to not find what you’re looking for, and we ship 7 days a week!

Mud Hole has a full staff of expert rod builders and fisherman to answer all your technical questions. Call us today at 407-447-7637 and get started tomorrow or visit our website at www.mudhole.com and take a look around.

Salt Life – Sport Optics Salt Life Sport Optics sunglasses frames are handmade in Italy of premium TR90 material for strength, durability and great looks. Compare with any competitor’s brand and you can feel the difference!

Zeiss lenses! For over 160 years Zeiss has been the world’s leading brand in precision optics. Zeiss laserengraves their trademark “Z” into each lens after it passes careful inspection. Salt Life lenses are crafted of PPC (Polarized Polycarbonate) – lightweight, crystal clear, scratch and impact resistant, 100% UV protection!

Ri-Pel goes into each Salt Life lens; a proprietary treatment technology that repels water, dirt, dust, and oil.

Clear vision through clean lenses has never been so easy! www.saltlife.com/optics.html

FishHide Sportswear FishHide Sportswear has created the most complete performance fishing shirt on the market. Safety features, superior sun protection, sunglass cleaning lens cloth topped off with 2 pockets! Everything you need in a moisture wicking, high SPF, to catch more fish and not get burned by Man or Mother Nature. www.fishhidesportswear.com

TSFMAG.com | 85

DICKIE ColBuRn

DICKIE ColBuRn’s Sabine Scene

Sabine

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

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

86 | August 2014

Sabine anglers that have adjusted to daily winds of 15+ mph are not complaining about the weather or the bite. As far as they are concerned the only bad news is that it forces more fishermen into small semi-protected areas. The good news is that fewer fishermen are willing to make a long wet run or grind away in the whitecaps.

For fishermen that have confidence in their adjusted approaches, the only bump in the road has been exceptionally high tides and dirty water on most of the flats on the north end. Toledo Bend has not released as much water of late, but we are under a flash flood watch coming on the heels of five consecutive days of thunder storms even as I write this column.

Not unlike every bay on the coast our usually predictable patterns are all a month or so late, but that affects the bulk of the summer anglers that look to chase trout and reds under the gulls more than it does hardcore trout fishermen. The fish are out there, but smaller concentrations of shrimp and the white caps discourage the birds from working.

We have absolutely made a living on the dirty side of color changes on the flats, both at the north and south end of the lake. The tide is a major player

but we are keying on pods of shad and scattered mullet more so than depth or any type of structure. Preferably the color change will be in water three to five feet deep and any shell in the area is a bonus.

We were starting to see more visiting anglers score with croaker prior to the latest round of rain, but we have still enjoyed some very good days swimming 5-inch tails and twitching suspending hardbaits just beneath the surface. Color has not been nearly as important as the length of the bait and speed of retrieve.

Russell Fregia took advantage of a flat lake.

We are making long casts ahead of the drift; 1/16 or 1/8 jigs makes it easier to keep the lure up in the strike zone. In the dirtier water the Assassin Die Dapper and Big Minnow XL have worked better due to the vibration of the paddle tail, but when fishing the clear we have done better with the Assassin rat tail and the Tidal Surge split tail.

Hands down our number one choice for hunting fish has been the H&H Usual Suspect, some days we never take one off, but it is not unusual to locate the fish with it and then beat up on them with everything from She Dogs to tails.

I am convinced that simply casting it out and reeling it back will catch fish much the same as when a novice bass fisherman is armed Clint Edwards beat the wind and released a personal best.

with a Rat-L-Trap. There are also subtleties in the speed of retrieve that, much like the Trap, tend to make it even more effective. More importantly, however, the bait spends most of the retrieve in the strike zone, produces a ton of vibration and few strikes go undetected as you are always in contact with the bait.

At this point, just to be on the safe side for the upcoming month, I am going to assume that the wind will not grant us any extended breaks and continue to make catching a little tougher. It will eventually stop raining and evaporation due to the summer heat will help minimize that problem. The deep water river patterns may suffer a little, but they will improve by early fall.

As much as I hate to say this, the jetties and ship channel south of the Causeway will probably yield the most consistent trout and redfish bite on clearing tide changes. The protected Gulf side of the walls and beachfronts have been good for everything from trout to tripletail.

Oversize redfish are never far off the rocks and Spanish mackerel alone will keep you busy.

Gulls in the open lake will be an unexpected bonus most days. We will continue to drift the flats and wade them when possible, but the revetment walls will also draw big crowds for good reason. The water, more so on the north wall, is usually clearer and the constant buffet of mullet and shad attracts big trout. She Dogs and Spooks as well as Catch 2000’s and Swimming Images are good choices even in the heat of the day. Look for the slicks!

I hope you have had an opportunity to get the kids on the water as another summer is all but over and school is right around the corner. A trip tomorrow is never a bad idea!

TSFMAG.com | 87

CaPt. stEVE hIllman

thE BuZZ on Galveston Bay

The last four days of May gave great hope for a stellar June. The wind was finally subsiding and catching was pretty consistent. June 1st gave us easy limits. On June 2nd the winds came and almost four straight weeks of misery ensued. The forecast was about the same every day – “Southwest 15–20 with gusts to 25; small craft should exercise caution.” Catching was tough

by June standards with only a handful of semi-calm Galveston days. The dreaded southwest wind was pretty much a daily occurrence and if you’re a lure chunker then you know what a stiff wind from that direction does to the bite, not to mention the Steve Hillman is a full-time water clarity. About the only folks catching fishing guide on his home much were some of the guys using live bait waters of Galveston Bay. Steve and fishing protected on the western side of fishes the entire Galveston Bay Galveston Bay. Complex, wading and drifting We fished through most of the adverse for trout, redfish, and flounder conditions with mixed results, a couple days using artificial lures. of three to four fish and quite a few “dozen” Telephone days. It was a true grind but we made it 409-256-7937 work. Late June and early July brought calm Email captsteve@hillmanguideservice.com conditions. Twenty to thirty trout per day with some reds and flounder mixed in was Website www.hillmanguideservice.com not uncommon, but you still had to work for

them. Salt Water Assassins and Tidal Surge Split Tail Mullets were our go-to baits. The topwater bite has been pretty good also.

Overall, our catch rates seem to be down a bit compared to this time last year. I’m not ready to start drawing conclusions just yet, it’s been such a strange year and things can change overnight. However, there are a few observations worth mentioning. There are more shad bay-wide than I’ve seen in a very long time.

EL CAMPO BOATING CENTER 3598 W. BU 59S Hwy, El Campo, Tx, 77437

Toll Free: 1-800-843-2201 or 979-543-2201/www.elcampoboating.com

• • • • • •

88 | August 2014

BOATS MOTORS TRAILERS SALES SERVICE PARTS & ACCESSORIES

Acres of Sargassum near the Bolivar Wells in East Bay.

I believe numbers of trout get pulled away from reefs, following the shad. In addition, 20 plus mph winds prevent us from fishing where most of the fish live this time of year. It would be anybody’s guess how many trout we actually have in the bay at present.

Growing up on Dickinson Bay, a west or southwest wind didn’t necessarily ruin our day because we had numerous live oyster reefs from which to choose. We had Dickinson Reef, Half Moon Shoal, Mosquito Island, Dollar Reef, the Levee Reef, Todd’s Dump, and April Fool Reef just to name a few. They were all thriving with live oysters and held plenty of trout and redfish. Through the years hurricanes and high salinities have taken their toll. Many of those reefs are partially silted over or have experienced some mortality from high salinethriving parasites. There are other oyster reefs throughout the bay system that have suffered as well. We still catch some fish in these areas, but “some” is all we catch. Many of our trout seem to have relocated to areas with more live reefs. Ongoing oyster reef restoration projects being handled by TP&W Coastal Fisheries and commercial oyster dealers will continue to help the situation, but Mother Nature and Father Time will be the true healers.

Throughout July and August the patterns shouldn’t change much. East, Trinity and lower Galveston Bays will be our focus areas. Trinity

has shown some good signs recently. Open-water shad balls, slicks over shell and a few wells are starting to produce. East Bay reefs have been only average most days, but you can still catch enough by being persistent. Some reefs are holding more trout than others, but you’ll have to be willing to deal with some traffic if you want to fish there. Wells, reefs and spoils near the channel are all holding decent numbers of trout and reds when the water clarity holds up out there.

Reefs in lower Galveston Bay are holding a fair number of trout, but many are in the 12 to 15 inch range. We’re Bill Davidson actually seeing this in several areas right now. with a solid We’ve had quite a few open-water schools trout caught of reds for a while and that’s been a lot of fun. on a Slammin’ They’ve been in just about every part of the Chicken Sea Shad Assassin. bay system. They’re slicking and mudding on some days while others they’re just popping breadcrumb-trail slicks. H & H Queen Cocahoe Minnows and Hogie swimbaits on 3/8 ounce jigs have worked great, but it almost doesn’t matter when you get on the right school. The jetties have been good for trout and reds for those using live bait. Some of the guys wading the surf have had a handful of decent days, but the sargassum is so bad most days that it’s almost impossible to fish.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer.

Pray for calm seas and good catching!

TSFMAG.com | 89

BInK GRImEs

thE VIEW fRom Matagorda

Matagorda

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

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

90 | August 2014

Meteorologists warn that we have not seen the hottest part of the summer. How can it get any hotter than August?

Don’t let the dry, blistering, arid days scare you from enjoying a day on the bay. As of this writing, water temps were running daily in the mid-80s range and threatening to boil. You know what? Fish have begun to bite better.

Late summer days have a way of draining tides from the shorelines and boiling what is left. With lower water levels and the brine feeling like bath water, a change in fishing tactics is definitely in order.

No, we don’t stay out and bake all day. We leave the dock about an hour earlier and hit the dock before we roast, just in time for a cold glass of iced tea.

Dandy speck taken off a When the water gets late-summer mid-bay reef. this hot, most of the trout leave the shorelines in East

Bay during the day. Right now, the best fish in East Bay are in the middle in about five feet of water and just off the dropoff for waders fishing mid-bay reefs.

East Matagorda is a unique estuary and it takes time to learn its quirks and summer patterns. Often, west winds blow early, then calm to nothing around mid-morning. That means the majority of the bay may be off-colored early, but patient anglers know in August the wind lays, the bay greens and becomes streaky.

By streaky, I mean streaks of green in the middle of sandy green, perfect ambush areas for aggressive trout; and, large schools of redfish do circles in the bay and many times leave small slicks alerting their location on a falling tide.

Though the water may not be appealing to the eye, trout continue to eat in off-colored water. We manage to catch some nice boxes of fish by being patient and waiting for them to slick later in the morning.

Keep an eye on the surf; that first green-to-the-beach morning is usually perfect for plugging.

In August, live shrimp is the ticket when we drift, but plastics like Bass Assassins’ Chicken on a Chain and Texas Roach will coax bites while wading the reefs. Low tides congregate the fish on the deep shell and when you find some streaky water with bait and slicks you will probably find fish.

In West Bay, somewhere around the pass is the place to be, especially on days with weak tides. Tides are going to be strongest around the pass, so maximize your opportunity by finding a prime piece of sand and grass where the current moves the most.

Toss topwaters early and don’t be bashful about sticking to the surface through the heat of the morning. I have had some of my best topwater bites with the sun overhead and baking, including the best trout of my life in 95° heat.

Keep an eye on the surf and try to fish it the first day it greens to the beach. Too many days of calm, clear water invites sharks and other predators to the shallows and sends speckled trout to the cover of deeper water.

Get out early, get off early. That’s our August game plan.

TSFMAG.com | 91

CaPt. GaRY GRaY

mID-Coast BaYs With the Grays

Port O'Connor Seadrift

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

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

92 | August 2014

Fishing in July has been a bit more “normal” than previous months, if that term might be applicable to anything we’ve seen so far in 2014. The water temps finally reached normal in July and just recently the wind has been giving us a break.

What this means is that we are finally getting into our summer patterns; fishing shallow early and slowly moving to deeper water following our speckled friends.

Not sure yet whether the whole “moving deeper” thing we are seeing is a product of warming shoreline water once the sun is up or a natural reaction to angling pressure and boat traffic on the shorelines.

I have probably been as guilty as anyone about boating too David Stauber shallow in years past, and now shows that even make a conscious effort to run a hardheads love greater distance out away from Bass Assassins! the dropoffs – If for no other reason than to dodge wade

fishermen that insist on parking on the bank and then wading back out 200 or 300 yards.

The calming of the wind that has allowed normal summer patterns to evolve in the bays should continue into August and hopefully you will be seeing my Shallowsport in Pass Cavallo or the Big Jetty soon, headed to the Matagorda Island surf. You cannot beat the surf when the conditions are right and those Gulf trout and reds are certainly more aggressive than their bay cousins during Dog Days.

Topwater action in the surf can be as good as it gets. My favorite plugs out there have long been MirrOlure’s He Dogs and She Dogs. In my experience the high-pitched “clacking” of these baits will draw significantly more trout strikes than just about anything you can throw. Over the last few years my preference

between these two has drifted toward the smaller She Dog (easier on the wrists), but there are times when the larger profile and voice of the He Dog can make a difference.

The reason I am emphasizing the larger of the “Dogs” is based on an experience several days ago.

I pulled into a spot where we had been getting a good midday trout bite. Riding the trolling motor the last hundred yards or so, I was surprised to see very little bait activity in the guts along the shoreline as it had been earlier in the week. Only a few lazy mullet flops, none close together.

I had a feeling the trout should still be there but the lack of a specific target zone defined by bait activity was gnawing at my confidence.

So I coached my guys on the bait situation, saying it might still be worth a shot. One of Trout and them asked what to throw and I said the best redfish are locator lure might be a topwater, possibly not the only species that dropping down with a plastic if they wouldn’t spend the hit it aggressively. Thirty minutes of nothing, I summer on announced that I was going for the boat.

SAB’s reefs.

Wading back, I caught a glimpse of mullet activity way, way the heck offshore. I yelled back that I was going to wade that way, hoping I’d find the trout and not a school of jacks blasting those mullet.

As I got within casting distance, where I could

tell there was a lot more mullet out there than I originally thought, I tied on a He Dog. More for casting distance than anything; two twitches and kaboom! A sleek twenty-two inch trout came to hand.

My guys had seen it and were already on their way. I yelled, “Topwater” and they all frantically switched over. Some were hooking up immediately as I had, but two were not. I asked one of them what he was throwing and he said, “Spook Jr.” I yelled back “Bigger” and he switched to a full-sized, bone Super Spook. His first cast was crushed within seconds.

Lot to think about here; why those fish were more than two hundreds from the shoreline they’d been on all week. But then it came to me. Even that far off the bank, the water was about the same depth and temperature as the shoreline guts they’d been using – and – it was midday of Friday. No telling how many fishermen and how much boat traffic had already plowed that shoreline ahead of us.

I cannot think of a better example of learning something every day you’re on the water and keeping your eyes on the ball every second of the game. Had I simply trudged forlornly to retrieve the boat, staring down and cursing my luck, I would have surely missed a great opportunity.

Fish hard, fish smart!

TSFMAG.com | 93

DaVID RoWsEY

hooKED uP WIth Rowsey

Mother Nature has thrown us some crazy curves this year. Prolonged winter turned into a breezy summer and I can only expect that the heat will remain until who only Upper knows when. The upside is that the water clarity has improved dramatically through Laguna/ the summer. I’m not speaking of a small Baffin improvement; it is substantial. The interior of Baffin still has its issues with brown tide but the Land Cut to the JFK Causeway has amazing clarity that has enhanced our fishing David Rowsey has 20 years by leaps and bounds. Catching has been experience in the Laguna/Baffin region; trophy trout with artificial better than average for me and my clients lures is his specialty. David has a and I look forward to catching some healthy, egg-laden female trout in August. great passion for conservation and encourages catch and August has the reputation of being a tough release of trophy fish. month to catch big trout. I will admit, when it’s tough, it can be very tough but, the truth Telephone of the matter is that your best opportunity 361-960-0340 to catch a legitimate summer time pig is Website www.DavidRowsey.com this month. When clients have specifically Email booked me to try and catch STAR trout, I david.rowsey@yahoo.com have always told them that we need to book

94 | August 2014

the trip in August. As previously mentioned, they are going through another spawn, there is a ton of bait in the bay for them to gorge on, and many of the weekenders have shut it down for the summer. As of this writing the current STAR-leading trout is 9lb-4oz. That is pretty strong, but certainly beatable for this area. On a side note, if Tobin Stillwell with a great summer trout; 8.5lbs – 30 plus, on Red-Gold you are choosing to take a large Shiner Bass Assassin. Released! trout to a STAR weigh-in site, make certain as possible that it is 9lb-5oz or better. There is no need to kill 8 pound-plus fish for a gift card or tackle box. The good karma of C&R will come back to you tenfold.

Throughout summer our days start early. We are generally pulling away from Bluff’s Landing Marina by no later than 5:30. The warm conditions of August require that you be in an area that you know is holding good fish at daybreak. As much of a believer as I am in solunar tables, the first crack of light in the morning, more often than not, will be your best chance of getting a big bite. If you are fortunate enough to have one of four feeding periods mixed in with it, you have no excuses for not catching (a bit of sarcastic humor).

A typical pattern for us is starting in an area that has shallow flats that break quickly into deeper water. Many areas of Baffin posses this setup, as well as many spoil islands that run along the ICW to the Land Cut. You will know you are in the right locale when you drift or troll in and the crest of the spoil or edge of the flats is covered with busy mullet. Our biggest bites, generally, are taking place right on the transition line from the shallow to the deeper water. As the sun gets up the food chain drifts into the deeper water and the game fish will be right behind them. When this takes place, we are switching from floating and suspending plugs to Bass Assassins rigged on a combination of 1/16 to 1/8 ounce jigs to plug the deeper waters where most of them will reside the rest of the day.

It is important to remember that fish have usually fed in the earliest parts of the morning and the bites are going to slow down. I tell my clients, “Fish are much like humans. They get their bellies full and they are not going to roll off the Lazy Boy to have another big plate of food. However, if you can get that Bass Assassin right in front of them, like mom walking by with a plate of cookies, you can make them eat again.” (See also; grinding it out.)

So now that the sun is up and everything has almost gotten to be too much of a grind (for most), I like to switch gears and hit the flats for some sight-casting. Being the trout snob that I am, I love stalking the flats when the sun is high and looking for that one big, rogue trout that I know is up there. Even if we don’t see her, there will always be some reds to stretch our lines. It is the perfect combination of hunting and fishing.

Remember the buffalo! -Capt David Rowsey

Super tough Spiderwire® Ultracast® can handle any fishing condition. Plus, its spider sensitivity transmits strikes and structures. And an extremely high strength-per-diameter ratio means you can reel in the toughest fish out there.

NOTHING GETS AWAY.

The Worldʼs Strongest Fiber™ Dyneema® is a registered trademark of Royal DSM N.V.

TSFMAG.com | 95

CaPt. tRICIa

tRICIa’s Mansfield Report The water is in good shape, fishing is not too shabby, and they are knocking the heck out of topwaters.

Considering the oppressive heat of summer, catches are improving and, quality trout are still a reality. Yes, we still have our slow days but, expectations are high everyday before leaving the harbor.

Port August should be another great Mansfield month with the only threats being tropical weather and high boat traffic. The five fish limit obviously did not drive fisherman from the Capt. Tricia’s Skinny Water Lower Laguna!

Adventures operates out of Traditionally, August is known Port Mansfield, specializing in to bring exceptional redfish wadefishing with artificial lures. opportunities. Yes, we still have that but, every year they are becoming harder and harder Telephone 956-642-7298 to pattern, especially on the Email flats. It is the opinion of many shell@granderiver.net long time locals that the massive Website www.SkinnyWaterAdventures.com amount of boats running the flats has changed their traditional movement and, I wish fisherman would be more conscious of it.

96 | August 2014

Education is highly needed and hopefully this will be addressed more in the future.

On calm less-crowded mornings redfish are more predictable and smacking topwaters with reckless abandon. As wind increases later in the day, changing

out topwater size and retrieve can keep you on fish longer. A few years ago I mentioned an experiment that worked after missing good blow ups as the wind increased. The fish were still coming to the surface, they just would not commit. I tied on a plain old Top Dog, a bait that is a proven game changer. The series 94MR21 is naturally “fishy” and much less obnoxious than his sister, the She Dog. This lure floats lower, especially the tail end, and I have watched it turn swirls and boils into take-downs many times over the years. Also of note, floating grass is a big issue down here and, can’t say enough how crucial single hooks and weedless rigs will beef up your success rate.

Do not leave home without them!

While topwaters are exciting, soft plastics are still your most effective strike producer most of the time. The Hogie Major Minnow is a great choice when fish are finicky; they are soft-bodied with lots of action, especially when paired with the Hogie spring-lock jig. Of course, I am very loyal to K-Wigglers soft plastics but, they are not easily rigged in a weedless arrangement. Bass Assassins and Gambler Flapping Shads are naturals for easy weedless rigging.

In August we will not see much change except maybe some tropical storms, and while we can’t predict everything, we do know we will have low water levels early in the month. Boat traffic might decrease when school starts; let’s hope. Less water for fish to hide and fewer fishermen may improve our opportunities. I look forward to seeing schools of reds on the flats and staying there longer during the day.

Sight-casting to fish in shin-deep water is one heck of a thrill and wish we all could experience it more. By all counts August could be the month we have been waiting for on the flats.

Let’s all enjoy the rest of summer, be courteous on the water, and continue to respect and care for the Mother Lagoon.

TSFMAG.com | 97

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

98 | August 2014

Over the last month our fishing has improved significantly. Still not up to par for this time of the year but we gratefully take any improvement that comes our way. Our water temperatures continue to remain slightly below normal. Believe it or not, back in lateJune we had days when waders would have helped during early morning wades.

This is totally unheard of – my waders are usually in the closet by late-April.

Tide levels have been running fairly normal although the daily lows during new and full moon periods have been uncommonly low throughout the summer. These super low tides kept us away from the remote corners of many backbay areas. However, all that should change this month as tropical storms push the tides way above normal. Backwater areas will be inundated and the fish might be scattered, still

though, I expect the improvement in fishing success will continue. It’ll just take a bit more work to find them.

Redfish are being found either in small schools or scattered pods, while not what we have been hoping for it is still an improvement from a couple of months ago. I believe the reds are reacting to increased boat traffic and seeking quieter water as far into the remote backwaters as they can find food. Structure has been the key to finding them, slight changes in depth (sometimes mere inches), sandy spots, or scattered grass. Being that our water is in great shape and the wind has finally laid, we have been enjoying excellent sight-fishing and this is always a bonus.

What will be different in Witty Stephens fishing with targeting redfish this month family and friends compared to the past few; I caught this nice predict the shorelines, little summer redfish. hooks around spoils, back bay

pockets and the sand on the east side will turn on and consistently hold fish throughout the higher water level periods. Topwater action has been improving and I am hopeful this will continue when the higher tides arrive. If I find them to be unwilling to smash our plugs I will be quick to pass out the K-Wiggler Pink Flomingo Ball Tail shads and the 1/4 ounce gold spoons.

Quality trout finally are showing up in good numbers including lots of little ones. We have been keying on sandy bottoms to edges of grass lines, which have been good to us especially during low tides. The bigger trout we are seeing and catching are up real skinny in grass beds and small potholes along spoils. If you’re after a trophy, don’t hesitate to look for them up skinny!

If targeting a batch of nice-sized keepers, I would say to work the potholes off the east and west edges of the ICW during a falling or incoming tide. You will run into lots of little ones, but the better ones have come when the current really picks up. When releasing the little ones, make sure you handle and release them with care.

They are the future of our trout fishery.

On a good note, we are presently catching good trout numbers in their usual places when they weren’t there a few weeks ago.

A bonus to our catching! Flounder

are starting to emerge on the edges of channels and sandy bottom depressions. The ICW and old oil field cuts that are widespread throughout our bay system are good places to give it a go. I believe their numbers should increase even more this month. We presently have a few schools of drum out there, and soon tarpon will show up at the jetties, including some juvenile tarpon that will venture away from the Arroyo Colorado and end up on nearby flats, sure to give some lucky anglers a tug of their life.

Overall, the outlook is much better this month in my personal opinion. Just recently, I saw an influx of marine life that was not present in our bay system. The once absent cownose rays showed up by the hundreds; schools of hundreds and hundreds of mullet showed up all of a sudden. As I mentioned earlier, we All decked out in Fishare finding trout in places where we n-Hunt gear, Mallory couldn’t buy a bite a few weeks ago. was very pleased with On a closing note, with school her first redfish. starting and with many outdoorsmen and women getting ready for hunting season, boat traffic should lighten up and give our fisheries some rest. Bear in mind that with the onset of the tropical weather season and possibly frequent thunderstorms, all boaters and anglers should monitor local and marine forecasts carefully. Safety on the water should be everybody’s primary concern.

Best fishing to you!

WWW.SALTLIFE.COM TSFMAG.com | 99

FISHING REPORTS

Lake Calcasieu Louisiana Jeff and mary Poe - Big Lake guide Service - 337.598.3268 The weather is finally starting to cooperate! Trout fishing has been excellent for the last few days. The lake is loaded with trout, from Turners Bay all the way to the South Bank. The action mid-lake has been especially hot. Plenty of trout are snapping under hovering birds, waiting for all you bird fishermen. Long Point, Commissary Point, and South Bank reefs have been producing as well. Quarter ounce jigheads with MirrOlure Lil’ Johns in opening night, golden bream and glow/ chartreuse have been the ticket. If trout aren’t your thing, and you would rather catch reds, Prien Lake and Black Lake have been producing consistent limits. Points and islands are the name of the game for redfish in these areas. Most of the reds have been caught on live shrimp rigged about a foot under a cork. The weather is starting to settle down, and the trout fishing is just getting cranked up. I believe we are in for one heck of a summer and the best is yet to come. Hope to see everyone fishing very soon.

Trinity Bay - East Bay - galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver king Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 James experienced excellent trout fishing on calm bays on days leading up to this report. “We have been whackin’ ‘em pretty good when winds are light. Fishing deep water, around ten feet or so, keying on slicks and balled-up schools of shad. Topwaters like She Dogs and She Pups are

100 | August 2014

ORECASTS F from Big Lake to Boca Chica

AND

working well, even in these depths. Our trout fishing will continue to be like this throughout August. We’ll be working areas along the channel and other places where deep water is close by. Slicks normally lead us to the schools of fish, and catching them is easiest during the right parts of the tide-movement cycle. Windy weather will normally cause us some problems this time of year, making it harder to effectively work the areas where fish are concentrated. Wading doesn’t generally produce as well.

Except along the beachfront. Speaking of that, we are already starting up our tarpon season. Everybody saw some fish this past weekend, and a couple were caught, along with some nice ling. Outlook for catching silver kings in August is outstanding.”

Jimmy West - Bolivar guide Service - 409.996.3054 Jim reports seeing several excellent signs and trends on his fishing excursions lately. “The topwater action has picked up some. When the water is somewhat calm and clear, we’re catching quite a few nice trout on top lately. I had one over 28 inches the other day, and we’ve had good numbers of fish around 25 inches or a little bigger. When the topwaters aren’t working as good, I’m throwing soft plastics mostly, in dark colors like plum and pumpkinseed/chartreuse when the water is in good shape, and bright colors like limetreuse and glow when it is murkier. We are catching most of our trout out in the middle, keying on slicks to find them. There are big herds of reds out there too, and on the days when the trout bite is slower, they have been saving us somewhat.

We are catching lots of upper-slot keepers and a fairly high percentage of oversized ones too. The soft plastics are working best on the reds.

Lots of times, we are able to locate them by seeing the mud boils they create when they stir up the bottom.”

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 Randall says the best fishing he’s experienced lately has been in the surf, despite the presence of more than normal amounts of seaweed. “We have been able to make some really good catches. The key is to find a stretch without too much seaweed where there’s plenty of bait. All of our fish are coming from under thick rafts of mullet. We’re throwing topwaters like Pink Skitterwalks really close to the sand early in the morning and moving out some as the sun gets a little higher. You’ve got to keep the lure moving right in there with the rafted bait, knocking the mullet out of the way ideally. This seems to drive the fish crazy and make ‘em strike. We’ve also noticed another cool thing. Seems the trout will gang up on the ribbonfish and pressure them into the rafted seaweed. The other day, we were seeing ribbonfish flying out of the water and landing on top of the mats of weed. It was cool. We also expect to see some outstanding redfish action in August. Normally, we see plenty of schooling activity on the flats behind the pass this month.”

Matagorda | Tommy Countz Bay Guide Service - 979.863.7553 cell 281.450.4037 Tommy says he still holds out hope for getting into the surf in August, but acknowledges a problem with such an expectation. “I’ve never seen so much seaweed along the beachfront in my life. August weather usually makes the surf fishable, but we will need a break from all the seaweed to make it work. If we can’t get into the surf, we’ll

mainly stay in West Bay and work some of the grass beds lying along the outer edges of the sand bars early, throwing soft plastics on light jigheads right into the grass, then switch over to slightly heavier heads and toss them along the drop offs into deeper water, say five or six feet. We like to throw colors like black magic, chicken on a chain and lately, slammin’ chicken. We’ll also keep our eyes open for signs indicating the redfish are schooling up.

If we see lots of bait busting along shallow shorelines, it can lead to a bonanza. If we head over to East Bay, we’ll try drifting mud flats and areas with scattered shell in the west end using heavy jigheads, or wade the mid-bay reefs if it’s calm.”

Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 Windy conditions continue to plague our local waters. Our deepwater structures around the well pads in West Matagorda have been inaccessible, along with our shallow reefs being blown out most days, making for a summer of grinding so far. On the few days we have had with lighter winds, we have caught plenty of trout on live shrimp rigged about eighteen inches under Vudu corks. Limits of upper-slot drum and redfish have dominated our boxes when the weather has been right.

August should bring us some calmer seas and let us get out to the rigs.

During the heat of the summer, the shell pads out around the platforms can hold tons of trout. Free-lining live shrimp or throwing eighth ounce Vudu Shrimp can add up to some good catches this time of year.

The surf has not turned on yet. I do expect the seaweed will start to decrease and lighter winds will allow us access to some great fishing eventually. Throwing topwaters off the beach early, then following fish

TSFMAG.com | 101

to deeper guts as the day progresses is a great plan to follow when surf-fishing.

Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith Back Bay Guide Service - 361.983.4434 Lynn predicts continued excellent fishing throughout the summer, which has started off sizzling in the Port O’Connor area. “With all the freshwater coming down the Guadalupe River, the fish are starting to stack up on shorelines south of town. I’ll be targeting them by focusing on stretches with guts and sandy potholes in the grassbeds, using topwaters primarily, and switching to soft plastics when the bite is a bit tougher. Typically, August winds are light, making topwaters especially effective, particularly during early morning sessions. The shell reefs in San Antonio Bay promise to be productive too, given the influx of sweet water. Targeting fish on top of them and around their edges when it’s calm will be another plan. Of course, we’re still hoping to get a prolonged run of fishing in the surf too. Surely, winds will begin to remain calmer on a regular basis this month. If they do, we’ll head out along the beachfront, targeting trout early with topwaters close to the sand, and moving out a little deeper with soft plastics later in the morning.”

Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894 Blake plans on fishing in the surf if possible during August. “I expect the surf to pick up and be more consistently productive this month. We’ll be taking our topwaters, tails and even the bait onto the beachfront if it does. Other than that, I plan on hitting some specific areas which tend to produce well when tides are low, which they usually are during the second half of summer. All of the local bays have troughs which tend to fill up with fish which pull off shorelines and out of back lakes when tides drop way out. We’ll target areas around the entrances to big marsh

lakes and adjacent to large, shallow flats using soft plastics like Norton Sand Eels in colors like plum/chartreuse and pumpkinseed/chartreuse.

We won’t hesitate to use live bait either, if the bite is somewhat tough.

Basically, during the heat of the summer, we will just plan on doing whatever it takes to get the fish to bite. Typically, we see some schooling activity and a move toward the pass area among the redfish sometime during the second half of the month.”

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 Winds have been rather strong recently, but if we get normal conditions during August, we should have calm winds during the first few hours after sunrise. The calm winds will allow me to look for the schools of redfish that are usually common this time of the year. I will run slowly in two to three feet of water and look for the wakes the reds make when trying to get away from the noise of my motor. I will then run my boat and stop so I have the wind, and hopefully the sun behind my back. I will approach the school from about 100 yards, with my trolling motor, and cast to the edge of the school, using half ounce weedless gold spoons or other lures like Bass Assassin Die Dappers in sand trout, pumpkinseed, salt & pepper, silver phantom or plum/chartreuse. If I cannot locate the reds, I will look for potholes, grass lines or drop offs in about three feet of water and fish with live croakers or piggy perch for trout.

Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.937.5961 The water is looking good throughout most of the area, and Joe plans on taking advantage of a variety of options during the hot month of August. “The clear “ocean water” down south in Nine Mile Hole, the Land Cut, Rocky Slough and Yarbrough is really pretty. And there are plenty of places down there to do some sight-casting for big reds and also to catch trout. The trout fishing is better lately. We’re working patterns along the edges of structural elements like rocks, channel edges and

Subscription

Form

Sub0814

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

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

FREE E-MAG WITH HARDCOPY PURCHASE E-mail required

AM EX

12 months print - $25.00 or 12 months digital only - $12.00 Subscribing for more than yourself? Please write additional information on a separate sheet of paper.

102 | August 2014

All subscriptions come with yearly autorenewal.

the fringes of spoil humps, tossing soft plastics mostly. The clear water allows us to see exactly where we should place our casts. Fishing for reds has been better closer to the JFK Causeway. For the most part, the water up here isn’t as clear, making it more difficult to see and cast to specific fish, but we’ve been able to catch some good ones anyway, just drifting and throwing soft plastics. I expect things to continue pretty much the same throughout the next month, and lighter predicted winds should make things a bit easier on average.”

Padre Island National Seashore Billy Sandifer - Padre Island Safaris - 361.937.8446 As of late June, conditions have been horrible on PINS, with neverending large amounts of sargassum weed arriving daily and crippling fishing efforts, not to mention making driving hazardous and dangerous. What happens and what’s available in August will be determined by the status of the sargassum at that time. Driving probably won’t get better till we have something tropical push the water level to the dunes and clear the beach forward of the weed deposits. August is right in the middle of hurricane season, so monitor weather forecasts before planning trips. August can be great fishing if the conditions are moderate. Long-sleeved shirts and broad-brimmed hats are advised, as is ample use of sunscreen and remaining hydrated. Tarpon, king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, speckled trout, redfish and hoards of ladyfish (skipjacks) are all possible in August, and all of our surf shark species are possible.

Whiting will be in good supply, but run a bit on the small side. Target flocks of feeding birds and bait balls of anchovies.

Port Mansfield | Ruben Garza Snookdudecharters.com – 832.385.1431 Getaway Adventures Lodge – 956.944.4000 Fishing has definitely improved down here in Port Mansfield for those

willing to get out early and work the traditional summertime patterns.

The best trout action is almost always early. Here lately the wind has been blowing pretty hard some days but if you grind it out you can still pick up some solid fish. The trout have either been in waist to chest high water or on the flat right next to the ICW. The topwater bite has been OK on average. Occasionally you can have a really great day on tops. For the most part we have been using K-Wiggler Ball Tail Shads. Mansfield Margarita and Lagunaflauge continue to be my go-to colors on eighth ounce jigheads. Reds continue to be a puzzle for me and when we do find some they are in smaller schools. Gold weedless spoons are still very effective lures. The big monster schools of reds we used to see on the sand just aren’t around anymore. Hopefully one day we will see that pattern coming back into play. Until next time; tight lines and calm seas!

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Janie and Fred Petty – www.fishingwithpettys.com – 956.943.2747 It seems like this year has been windier than any we can remember.

Usually by this time of the year, we’ve already had a couple of weeks of calm mornings, but June has been windy from sunup to sundown and the fourth is looking like it might be a little less windy, maybe even a little wet. The fishing has been good; a recent trip produced a thirty inch trout and we’re catching lots of oversized redfish, but the water has been very muddy. There has been no clear water on the west side, and sightfishing has been limited to a strip of water next to South Padre Island that is somewhat blocked off from the predominant southeast wind.

We’ve had all of our success using Cajun Thunder corks with a Gulp! Live three inch shrimp. Freddy says, “Keep drifting where you know there are potholes even when you can’t see the bottom. A little later in the day, you can usually see some definition when the sun is higher.” We’re dealing with the unfortunate water conditions, but hopefully, we can put a stop to open bay dredge disposal for the future of the bay.

TSFMAG.com | 103

Loren Cristelle Alonzo Rockport - 19” speck

Carlos Campos Port Aransas - redfish

Phillip Lawlis East Galveston Bay - 22” redfsh

Braxton Garcia Matagorda - 16.5” first flounder!

104 | August 2014

David Dunham, Jr. Point Comfort - redfish

Leslie Kregel Galveston - first southern flounder!

Rudy Gomez & Danny Esparza Copano Bay - black drum

Taylor Battle Trinity Bay - redfish

Stephen Gillaspie West Bay - trout

Shannon Drawe Galveston - 6lb redfish

Sharkman & Bob Franklin South Padre - black tip CPR

Ricky Limas, Sr. Baffin Bay - 36” black drum

Sandra Pacheco Laguna Madre - 18” sheepshead

Charlie Terrazas Cosway Pier - trout

Juan Pacheco Lower Laguna - 34” black drum

Doug Meyer Flour Bluff - personal best trout!

Courtney Politz West Bay - 31.25” 9lb trout

Billy Stine Crystal Beach - redfish CPR

Sandy Saunders POC - 49” bull red

Danny Scarborough Galveston - 5.5lb red

Joslyn Pacheco South Bay - first speckled trout!

Brandy Drozd POC jetties - redifsh CPR

Immanuel Salas Galveston - first red!

Please do not write on the back of photos.

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

Taylor Thurmond Palacios - 24” red

Efrain Trevino Lower Laguna - 25” black drum

Aidyn Truong Sabine Lake - 28” red

Mail photos to: TSFMag P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 TSFMAG.com | 105

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

Elizabeth’s Sand Trout Ceviche The beauty of this recipe is that it uses fresh, delicious sand trout which do not freeze well but you can substitute any firm, whitefleshed fish with the same excellent results. – Elizabeth Petit Cut the fish into 1/4 inch cubes and cover with freshly squeezed lime juice to “cook” the flesh while refrigerated. Sand trout will require about 2 hours, thicker fillets up to 4 hours.

Ingredients -1 pound fillets -1/2 red or yellow onion, finely diced -1 bell pepper, finely diced (1/2 yellow, 1/2 green – or whatever you have) -2 medium jalapenos, seeded and finely diced (more or less depending on your taste) -Chopped tomatoes – (summer fresh are great, but I like to quarter grape or cherry tomatoes, approximately a 1 pint carton.)

-1 can (3.8 ounce) sliced black olives, drained. Plus chopped green olives, in same amount, with a little of the juice -1 small jar capers, drained -Several tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro -1 avocado, chopped -Olive oil -Juice of 1/2 lemon -Balsamic vinegar and seasoned salt (to taste) Drain lime juice from cubed fish and mix with other ingredients. Drizzle lightly with olive oil – Enjoy!

106 | August 2014

Vitamin Sea Charters Galveston Bay Complex Redfish, Trout, Flounder, & Shark Captain Chad Handley USCG# 3475367 CaptChadHandley@gmail.com www.VitaminSeaCharters.com 832-309-1079

21-8886 | PO Box 1 (907) 3 549 | Seward, AK 99664

FishWithHill.com TSFMAG.com | 107

Science and the Sea

TM

By the Light of a Bioluminescent Bay Perhaps you’ve heard of a full moon so bright you can read by its light. But what if you could also read by the light of ocean waves — at night, with no moonlight at all? If you’re in one of Puerto Rico’s famous “bioluminescent bays,” you might be able to. In these three bays, the water is full of tiny plankton called dinoflagellates which produce neon blue light called bioluminescence.

Bioluminescent waves containing billions of dinoflagellates. Credit: Wikipedia. This image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Bioluminescence is not like a glow-in-the-dark toy, which glows from light it has absorbed. It’s more like a glow stick, which creates its own light from a chemical reaction. The light in dinoflagellates is triggered by movement in the water. The chemical reaction involves a compound called luciferin, named after the devilishly eerie glow it produces.

Scientists don’t completely understand why dinoflagellates create light, but it’s thought that they use it for defense. The flashes of light may startle grazing predators away, or the light may attract other predators to eat the ones feeding on the dinoflagellates. Although the light seems like a continuous glow to human eyes, it’s actually a series of flashes lasting about one tenth of a second each.

Only a few places in the world have a concentration of dinoflagellates dense enough to create the blue brilliance seen in Puerto Rico’s three bays. But the tiny creatures exist throughout the world’s oceans, from San Diego to England to Turkey to Japan to Australia. When enough of them gather in one place, they sparkle like stars when boats cut through the water, porpoises jump among the waves and humans wiggle their toes in the surf.

The University of Texas

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

108 | August 2014

tEX as saltWatER fIshInG holEs M ATA G O R D A B AY Speckled Trout / Redfish

USCG Licensed Captain Stan Sloan

832.693.4292 fintasticcoastalcharters.com

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

805 B. South Bridge Victoria, TX 77901

Fax: 361.573.0304

GalVEston

ON THE WATER

Saltwater Fishing Clinics WITH

Capt. Robert Zapata

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

For Information Call 361-563-1160

mataGoRDa

Capt. Billy Penick III

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

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

CoRPus to PoRt IsaBEl

• Bay Fishing, Offshore, Floundering, Waterfowl, Dove • Night Fishing off Lighted Pier • Right On The Water • Lodging with/without Meals www.matagordasunriselodge.com 979-241-1705 TSFMAG.com | 109

CHRIS MAPP

B O AT M A I N T E N A N C E T I P S

Evinrude Reinvents

the Outboard Engine!

Chris Mapp, owner Coastal Bend Marine.

Yamaha, Evinrude, Suzuki, Mercury, Honda, BlueWave, SilverWave, Haynie, El Pescador Service, Parts and Sales.

110 | August 2014

A two stroke on steroids, Evinrude reinvents the outboard engine with the new E-TEC G2 series.

Last month I had the privilege to visit Milwaukee, Wisconsin on beautiful Lake Michigan. This invitationonly event was hosted by BRP/Evinrude to unveil the new E-TEC G2 series to select Evinrude dealers from all over the world. Dealers from Brazil, Sweden, Great Britain, Italy, New Zealand and even Texas were invited.

This was a mammoth undertaking and it was delivered with the same precision that goes into the new G2.

A tour of the factory located in Sturtevant, Wisconsin was an outstanding experience, one that would make the founder of the outboard motor, Ole Evinrude proud.

The G2 will come in five different models; 200 H.O., 225 HP, 225 H.O., 250 HP, 250 H.O. and 300 HP. Built upon innovation, technology and boasting the highest torque in the industry, this engine will take the outboard market by storm.

1). Hundreds of bold color combinations will now allow the boat and engine to be color matched.

2). The PurePower Combustion engineering with starboard-starboard engine design combined with E-Tec Direct injection is smooth, quiet, and extremely powerful.

3). E-Tec G2 Engine is 15% more fuel efficient.

4). Gearcase is sleek for less drag, built very heavy-duty with electric shift and runs 30° cooler. Want to check the gearcase oil?

Pop the panel in 15 seconds and look at the oil tube which allows for inspection while the boat is in the water!

5). Electronic controls and fly-by-wire design means instant shift and better control.

6). Integrated hydraulic steering.

7). Integrated Hydraulic steering assist.

8). Extra Heavy duty engine brackets with oil lubed internal bearings.

9). I-Trim means the engines trims itself so you don’t have to.

10). Dual Axis rigging saves space and, when you see the engine turn but the rigging stays stationary... What a clean concept!

11). Beltless magneto alternator has 40% percent more electrical power available at idle for large electrical/ electronic needs.

12). No break-in, no oil changes, no oil tank on the boat and self-winterization features make this product both owner and pocket friendly.

13). Cleanest engine on the market and that says a lot just by itself.

14). The 250 H.O. will run on 87 Octane, has a 5 year non-declining warranty, produces 600 ft/lb torque and weighs only 537 lbs. The slim look is due to the 74 degree cylinder block design.

I have written countless articles on outboards/boats maintenance and repair, and when I say BRP/Evinrude got it right; I mean they got it right.

See for yourself: http://www.evinrude.com/en-US Have a great, safe, and fun season!

Chris Mapp | Coastal Bend Marine chrismapp@coastalbendmarine.com Check out the new website; coastalbendmarine.com

tEXas saltWatER fIshInG holEs fIshInG REtREats

ClassIfIEDs

BENTLEY’S INTERCOASTALS HOUSE RENTALS Port O’Connor, Texas: 3 Bedrooms, Sleeps 6, Fully Furnished. Great Location between the little Jetties & Clark’s Restaurant. Boat Slip upon availability. Guide service available with Capt Keith Gregory. Call Steve or Lydia at 361-983-4660 or 361-482-9095. Special winter rates available.

Dolphin Point 50 x 150 drive-through lot between Maple & Commerce, Port O’Connor. Wet Boat Slip included!

361-649-2265

TSFMAG.com | 111

EVERYTHING YOU NEED for a complete day on the water

The Perception Sport Pescador 12-ft. Sit-On Kayak features a one-piece, seamless hull made of durable, lightweight polyethylene, and has a padded, adjustable seat. Pick up the versatile No•Limits™ Fusion Kayak Paddle, which features a lightweight, adjustable aluminum shaft, for a complete day on the water.

Stay safe with the MTI Adventurewear Excursion Personal Flotation Device. Its 300-denier polyester shell is durable, while 3-D contoured front foam panels are made from PVC-free eco foam. This U . S . C . G . approved Type III device has a 15.94-lb. buoyancy.

M

www.sportsmanboats.com San Benito, TX 800.503.4044

www.coastlinemarine.net Seabrook, TX 281.291.0101

www.gcmboats.com Corpus Christi, TX 800.622.2449

A

R

I

N

E

www.southaustinmarine.com Austin, TX 512.892.2432

The BEST Choice… Any Place, Anytime!

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

361-992-2960

Shimano gives you more with the new Curado I series reels.

Now featuring the latest in Shimano fishing reel technology and offered in multiple gear ratios, Curado builds on its legacy as the ‘go to’ baitcasting reel for both fresh and saltwater action.

7613 SPID Corpus Christi, TX 78412 www.roysbait-tackle.com

Strength to withstand any situation, toughness to endure intense fight, durability to withstand the harshest conditions. Models for inshore use up to big-game size for Bluefin tuna.

The professional’s choice!

HEG Gearing developing incredible power and torque.

Available in multiple gear ratios to cover entire applications.

New modern compact design and appearance that ties in perfectly with new Cumara rods.

ROY’S Bait and Tackle Outfitters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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