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ABOUT THE COVER Thirteen-year-old Keelyn Merworth, with family and friends from Jacksboro, TX enjoyed a great day at Port O’Connor’s Big Jetty, fishing with Danny and Terri McGuire.

Danny rigged a 3-ounce Spro Power Bucktail on one of his custom-built rods. Keelyn made her own cast and fought her trophy to the boat without assistance. Conservation kudos all around – all fish were released!

AUGUST 2021 VOL 31 NO 4

CONTENTS

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

8 14 20 24

30 32 36 38 42 44 46 69 70

Assessing Thirteen Years of Trout Stack-Ups...

Limiting the Scope (Part 2) Creating a Brighter Future Catch Your Own Shrimp

Steve Hillman Kevin Cochran Chuck Uzzle Joe Richard

24

WHAT OUR GUIDES

HAVE TO SAY

52 54 56 58 60 62

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

52

4 | August 2021

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

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

Science & the Sea Boat Repair & Maintenance

44 REGULARS 6 Editorial 50 New Tackle & Gear 64 Fishing Reports and Forecasts 66 Catch of the Month 68 Gulf Coast Kitchen

68

TSFMag Staff Jay Watkins Carey Gelpi Dave Roberts CCA Texas Stephanie Boyd Eric Ozolins UT Marine Science Institute Chris Mapp

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

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HOW TO CONTACT TSFMAG: PHONE: 361-785-3420 FAX: 361 792-4530 MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 PHYSICAL ADDRESS: 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, TX 77983 WEB: www.TSFMAG.com PHOTO GALLERY: photos@tsfmag.com PRINTED IN THE USA. Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine (ISSN 1935-9586) is published monthly by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, Texas 77983 l P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 © Copyright 1990 All rights reserved. Positively nothing in this publication may be reprinted or reproduced. *Views expressed by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine contributors do not necessarily express the views of Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine.

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EDITORIAL

CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR!

I made a vow in 2011 that I would never again gripe about too much rain. That was during one of the worst droughts in Texas history. Most of our rivers dried to a mere trickle and salinity exceeded ocean water in upper and middle coast bays. Sure as God made little green apples; my resolve to maintain that vow is now waning.

Rainfall was scarce from January through April this year and it was beginning to look like we were headed into another serious drought. Naturally, I prayed for rain. And the rain came. As of this morning I have poured nearly 60 inches from my rain gauge. According to U.S. Climate Data – 43 inches is the annual average for the area.

View The Video So, what does 60-inches of rainfall in only Open Camera & hover nine weeks look like on the land? And how does over QR Code. When link appears, tap to it affect fishing? I think you already know the open in YouTube. answer to both. Roadways are closed due to flooding and the area bays are nearly completely August Issue fresh, save for a few salty pockets.

Highlights Steve Hillman’s article this month gives insight into what happens in Galveston Bay when inflows rage and salinity plummets. The same scenario plays out along the middle coast and sometimes even in parts of the Laguna Madre.

Steve calls them stack-ups, which is an apt description. Gamefish, especially speckled trout, leave the upper reaches of the bay where salinity can be as low 1 or 2 ppt, seeking more suitable habitat further south. In extreme situations, when the entire bay turns fresh, huge numbers of trout converge on but a few acres that remain salty, and catching them becomes incredibly easy.

A very similar development is occurring in middle coast bays here in July. Trout were generally scarce following the February freeze.

Experienced anglers reported one, maybe two or three trout during a full day effort.

Then the rain came! Long about the third week of May the upper reaches of West Matagorda and San Antonio bays had become very fresh. Suddenly, the trout shortage had ended, at least according to those taking advantage.

But let’s not be shortsighted. The effects of the February freeze didn’t suddenly disappear. The fish that are congregated in the small parts of the bays that are still salty are the survivors of the freeze.

When they were equally distributed across the whole bay everybody said they were scarce.

So, here’s my plea to all my fellow anglers. Please treat these fish as the gems that they are. Consider whether their best use is in a fryer or swimming and spawning. I do not know a single angler that will miss a meal by practicing catch and release.

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6 | August 2021

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Craig Branstetter caught this upper-slot red under a group of gulls to cap off a phenomenal morning of trout fishing!

Assessing 13 Years of

Trout Stack-Ups in Galveston Bay STORY BY STEVE HILLMAN

A

s I type, (June 21st) more than half of the Galveston Bay Complex has salinities ranging from 1 to 4 ppt (parts per thousand). It’s now been 7 years in a row that excessive amounts of local and upstream rainfall have resulted in unusually high inflows from the Trinity River and surrounding watersheds into our bay system. The same can be said for the San Jacinto River albeit to a lesser extent. Too much freshwater in the upper reaches of the system almost always results in trout stack-up situations in the lower portions of the bay. This has been the case once again.

Two of the most eccentric stack-ups I’ve ever witnessed occurred during the late-spring and early-summers of 2015 and 2016. Trout concentrated in the same two or three areas both years. The distinct difference was the size of the fish caught during the 2015 event. Many of them ranged between three- and seven-pounds. While the overall numbers of trout harvested during the 2016 stack-up period were similar, there was a noticeable size reduction with the majority of the fish falling in the two- to three-pound range.

The stack-ups of the past few years and what we’re currently experiencing pale in comparison to those of 2015 and 2016. When making these observations I think it’s important to understand the gradual changes in the dynamics leading up to each stack-up situation year after year. Nothing should be viewed in a vacuum, especially considering the many environmental and man-induced variables that help shape the ecology of a bay system.

Prior to September 13, 2008 Galveston Bay was home to about 24,000 acres of live oyster reef. Hurricane Ike made landfall in the wee hours of that dreadful morning bringing with it storm surges and sweeping currents that would ultimately cover 12,000 – 15,000 acres of live oysters in mud and silt. East Galveston Bay was the hardest hit losing approximately 80% of its oyster habitat. In 2009 the Texas Parks and Wildlife begun oyster reef restoration projects which were partially funded by federal grants. The majority of the initial planting of substrate took place in East Galveston Bay. River rock and limestone would eventually be planted closer to the ship channel and other areas. Many of the restoration sites were done in 15 to 30 acre increments and would ultimately result in hundreds of acres of new

oyster reefs over the course of the next decade or so.

From 2009 through 2014 most of Texas experienced the worst drought since the mid-1950s with 2010 and 2011 being the worst.

Many Texas reservoirs were at only 30% capacity. Bay salinity level at the mouth of the Trinity River reached as high as 34 ppt. To put this in perspective, salinities usually range from 30 to 36 ppt in the Gulf of Mexico. You may be wondering at this point why I jumped from reef restoration to droughts. Please just hang in there with me a bit longer as there are quite a few pieces to this puzzle.

During these drought years many of the new oyster growth areas that had been built by TPWD and other’s efforts fell prey to high-salinity thriving pathogens such as Perkinsus marinus (Dermocystidium). This disease causing pathogen has been responsible for massive mortalities of oyster reefs during extended drought periods. Similar to seagrasses in many South Texas bays, live oyster reefs are the base of the food chain for Upper Texas Coast bays. Not only do oysters feed on various types of microscopic plankton but they filter the water during the process, providing clearer water which allows more sunlight to penetrate through the water column. This in turn triggers more plankton growth. Under the right circumstances it’s a fascinating cycle that provides nutrients for everything up the chain beginning with lower-level consumers. In our bay system these lower-level feeders are made up of small crustaceans, shad, and many species of juvenile fish. In essence, live oyster reefs create a buffet for trout, reds, flounder and many other species of fish and marine life.

So what happens when those reefs die as many in fact did during the drought years? Where do trout find the next buffet? We have to determine which areas most of the shad, shrimp, mullet, etc. are going to gravitate toward. During drought situations these areas of attraction include lower-salinity areas such as back bays, river mouths and other upstream locales. These are exactly the locations where trout stacked up during the drought years. It didn’t take long for anglers to catch on to what was happening. 2009 through 2014 were the drought stack-up years that seldom get mentioned. Many trout were harvested during this period especially near the back reaches of Trinity and East Galveston Bays.

Enter the spring of 2015. Heavy rains, both locally and upstream, TSFMAG.com | 9

turned more than 60% of Galveston Bay into a big catfish pond within a matter of weeks. I was quickly on the move trying to find fishable waters for me and my clients. Monitoring of the Northern Gulf Operational Forecast System (Just Google NGOFS - Galveston Bay Salinity Nowcast) and the Lake Livingston Dam flow (http://lakedata.traweb.net) websites became a daily routine. We found trout concentrated in a few mid-bay deeper pockets of suitable salinity waters over what few live reefs were left. I was fortunate to find a couple of small patches off the beaten path because the main areas were a parking lot full of boats. The most popular stack-up area was a 60 acre oyster reef restoration site near the middle of East Galveston Bay. It wasn’t uncommon to see upwards of 75 boats there, even on weekdays.

These concentrations of trout got hit really hard by anglers. It was some of the easiest fishing I’ve ever witnessed. The same scenario took place in 2016 and it was Whack Fest Part 2 only this go-round the size dropped significantly as I mentioned earlier.

2017 appeared to be on track to be a so-called “normal” year. All the fresh water over the prior few years had helped purge the bay of oyster-killing parasites such as Dermo and oyster drills. The nutrients and salinity levels were finally conducive to healthy oyster growth and trout were settling in over their predictable spots.

Things were clicking right along until massive floods from Hurricane Harvey occurred in late-August of 2017, dropping bay-wide salinities to levels that were not tolerable for trout and many other species.

The entire complex got purged of trout with the exception of a few small pockets in West and Lower Galveston Bays, but what was left in those areas wasn’t enough to wad a shotgun. In addition, too much fresh water killed most of the oyster reefs that were just making a comeback. Back to square one.

2018 through 2020 was yet another period where Trinity Bay remained mostly unfishable because of excessive river inflow. Lower Galveston, West Galveston and pockets of East Galveston bays got picked on pretty hard once again. There were stack-ups in many of

Randy Thompson with a solid trout (CPR) he caught while casting into bait concentrations flushed from the marsh by heavy rains.

Haley Mathews caught this 23-inch speck after dodging monsoon-like rain all morning!

Rob Saltiel and Chris Orth caught quite a few nice trout on soft plastics fished near bottom over live oyster reef.

10 | August 2021

the same areas as prior years but a 5-pound trout was newsworthy.

With a few exceptions, most of the trout were just keepers with many undersized. The occasional “big” trout were caught in the surf, at the jetties and near passes. I tend to somewhat discount such fish because they are non-resident fish.

Now, here we are in 2021 and we’re faced with yet another stack-up scenario. But it’s not quite the same as in years past. 2021 started out as a somewhat normal year but we started experiencing a stack-up situation in early-May because Trinity Bay and the upper reaches of Galveston Bay once again became fresh. Currently, East Galveston Bay only has a few small pockets of fishable water because of fresh water flowing around Smith Point (from Trinity Bay), as well as Oyster Bayou and East Bay Bayou in the back of East Bay. This leaves Lower Galveston Bay and West Bay as the two main areas within the system holding suitable numbers of trout. The number of anglers hasn’t been reduced

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so there is more fishing pressure in smaller areas. The numbers of fish we’re catching are averaging just less than 2-pounds. There are many areas holding a ton of undersized trout as well. Four to six pounders are true outliers and 7- to 9-pound specks are unicorns.

Most of the trout are in the 1- to 3-year age class, which I believe is largely attributable to the huge flush the bay received almost four years ago during the Hurricane Harvey floods.

These days, high currents and windy conditions cause the water to get muddy more easily compared to when we had vast areas of live reef. We’ve had days when we had to throw dark-colored soft plastics such as Morning Glory and Red Shad because the water had less than two inches visibility. We’ve also been inserting glass rattles into our soft plastics on some occasions. Currently, the bulk of the trout are near the bottom where salinity levels are higher.

Lots of these little rascals throughout the Galveston Bay System. Bodes well for the future if we can keep them in the system for several years or more.

Ben Branstetter got to experience a 60-plus trout morning early during this year’s stack-up before the fleet of boats showed up. Fish was released.

There are some benefits of excessive fresh water flowing into our bays such as ushering in new nutrients and reducing oyster-killing parasites. One of the negatives include adverse effects on the growth and survival rates of trout eggs.

Our bays and estuaries hang in the balance between too much fresh water entering the bay and not enough. Hopefully, by the time this awesome magazine hits our mailboxes we will have seen reduced freshwater inflows. Once this occurs it shouldn’t take long with good tide exchanges and evaporation caused by the summer heat and wind to increase bay-wide salinities again. The sooner this happens the sooner everyone can spread out. It would bode well for the trout and their future. The longer we can keep speckled trout in our system the healthier our biomass will become and maybe we’ll start getting some legitimate size to them again one day.

View The Video

Open Camera and hover over QR Code. When link appears at top of screen tap to open in YouTube.

Galveston West Bay Jackfish

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12 | August 2021

CONTACT

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

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

TSFMAG.com | 13

One more pothole… or begin fishing back toward the boat? Always a tough decision for wading anglers.

LIMITING the

SCOPE –Part 2– STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN

I

n Part 1 of this related pair of feature articles, I offered an examination of the ways in which hanging a boat in a boathouse limits the scope of an angler’s efforts and suggested strategies to use to fight those limitations and elevate productivity. Here, in Part 2, I’ll identify a second choice many anglers make when fishing, one which ironically expands the scope of their efforts, but on a scale which generally hampers productivity. Specifically, this scenario develops when anglers choose to fish by wading.

Because I much prefer wading over fishing from a floating platform, I almost always get out of the boat to fish. Over time, I’ve developed strong opinions about the best ways to execute angling efforts made while walking around in the water. For me, using a fob to control my Power Pole remotely, from distances measuring up to about 75 yards, plays a significant role in some of these strategies. When I intend to fish an area with similar features stretching out for a long distance downwind, I can use the buttons on the fob to manipulate the hydraulic anchor and keep the boat close behind the group as we go.

For me, this fact truly revolutionized the sport. The ability to remotely deploy a mechanical device to hold the boat in place saves me energy in two specific ways. First, it prevents me from repeatedly heaving and retrieving a heavy object over the gunwale. Second, it eliminates the need for walking back to the boat at the end of each wading session. By saving me time and energy, my Power Pole remote fob’s buttons allow me to catch more fish.

Unfortunately, current circumstances generally prevent anglers from purchasing hydraulic anchor systems equipped with remotes which work at distances like those possible with my older unit. The fobs sold with modern models of hydraulic anchors work well from the deck of the boat, but fail soon after an angler leaves the craft. The manufacturers of these products design them this way to stop anglers from manipulating the pole at greater distances. This discourages most wading anglers from using the pole to keep the boat close behind them when they’re working downwind through a long stretch of water.

Consequently, anglers with newer hydraulic anchors mounted on the sterns of their boats (and those who still deploy conventional anchors) can’t proceed using the same strategy I would when leaving the boat with the intention of making a long, downwind TSFMAG.com | 15

wade. Those anglers should acknowledge this fact by working with a completely different type of plan in mind, one I used for many years, before I bought my first boat with a Power Pole attached to the transom. In a way, this plan seems like a foil to the ones recommended in Part 1 of this series.

Anglers who wade away from a boat with no way to control a hydraulic anchor at fairly long distances should make a conscious decision to avoid a common mistake, one which occurs when the catch rate doesn’t match expectations, and the angler reaches a point where they realize walking back to the boat will require lost time and energy. Sometimes, the captain reaching this critical point actually turns to look at the boat to contemplate the situation.

I can imagine how this mental conversation sounds. “Hmmm.

Boat’s pretty far away now, and I ain’t really catchin’. Maybe I should head back that way. Aww heck, I see some mullet jumping a little farther down the bank. I’ll probably find ‘em over yonder.” This internal dialogue feels familiar because I’ve heard it so many times in the metaphorical auditorium inside my own head!

I remember promising myself, “Just one more pothole. One more pothole. One more pothole.” Too many times, one more pothole turns into 30, and anglers find themselves far, far away from their anchored boats. Then, they sometimes turn and proceed to make what I call the “Jesus march” back to where their boat floats in place, holding their rod horizontally behind their neck, under outstretched arms, looking like the saint nailed to a crucifix.

This does nothing to enhance the enjoyment or productivity of wading efforts. I like to live by simple rules when wading. One of those rules involves NEVER walking through the water without fishing. While moving, I like to keep a lure constantly deployed, to avoid wasting time. Anglers who choose to walk well away from their boats and then make long, exhausting hikes back to them have broken this useful rule. In order to avoid this common mistake, anglers can modify their strategies in the ways indicated graphically by the two images embedded on the pages with this piece.

The image labeled Scenario 1 depicts a situation in which I would face the same decision as an angler without a far-reaching fob, because the wind direction blows perpendicular to the necessary path of the effort. In this case, we see a sandy/grassy seam lying behind the boat, one which runs toward the shoreline, where grass extends out from the bank a short distance, and a drain allows water to flow back and forth between a tidal lake and the main-bay flat. The green line shows an intelligent path for the angler to take when moving away from the position of the anchored boat, which lies in close proximity to a perceived sweet spot in the area. Anchoring the boat within reach of a such a spot allows for optimal testing of the place.

Wading down the indicated green path would allow an angler to make casts along the seam, then proceed toward the shoreline grass edge, eventually to the area in front of where the drain dumps into the bay. Once the angler’s lure has landed and probed the grassy point extending out from the bank on the far side of the mouth of the drain an appropriate number of times, the angler should decide whether to continue on down the shoreline, on the path shown by the green line extending out from the star labeled “decision point,” or circle out and back around to the boat, like the red line shows.

The angler should base this decision on the results earned to this point in the wade. Naturally, in order to make a good decision, one must have a clear idea about what the bite and catch rates should 16 | August 2021

David Sanchez playing a solid trout caught recently on a MirrOlure Provoker while fishing with the captain.

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be, given the current conditions.

The importance of this critical component in the process of properly making the decision can’t be overstated. If the bite and catch rates don’t match the expectations for the moment, continuing down the shoreline on foot and hoping they change makes less good sense than circling back to the boat, following a different path, one which will allow for testing new parts of the area.

Only one thing regularly justifies a wading angler walking a great distance from an anchored boat—a fast catch rate. In my career, before I used a Power Pole and/or in situations where I can’t use buttons to keep the boat Average size of the trout caught since the Kev with an eleven pound red caught on a recent charter. close behind us while we wade, freeze continues above the long-term norm.

I’ve wound up hundreds of yards from my boat on a few occasions, all of which involved fast and furious only a few circumstances, though, should a wading angler venture more than 75 or 80 yards from the boat, when the bite and catch catching for hours on end. In such situations, continuing farther rates run quite low. These circumstances would occur most often in and farther from the boat while walking a path which consistently winter, with negative weather in play, when one expects to grind all produces bites at a high rate makes perfect sense, justifying the time day for just a few bites. lost to retrieve the boat once the catching stops.

In such a specific situation, a captain might justify parking the But many anglers make the mistake of wading much too far away boat in a place and making a long, slow, meticulous wade through all from the boat when the catch rate runs nil, or nearly so. Most likely, they do so because they start out with unclear expectations about bite parts of the area, at times well away from the boat. But in most cases, making a conscious decision to stay closer to the boat while wading and catch rates and stride right through the decision point, hoping makes more sense, unless the catching comes easy. An anchored boat something will change farther down the path. Many times, they’ve resembles one hanging over a canal in a backyard, because it limits done this more than once before they reluctantly turn and make a the range of the angler who uses it. grueling trek back to the boat.

Ironically, the choice to avoid wading far away from the boat This can happen easily in a situation like the one depicted in the does resemble the choice described in Part 1 of this series, since image labeled Scenario 2. In this case, the wind direction would both place a premium on mobility and both acknowledge the way allow someone like me to use my fob to keep the boat behind the limiting the scope of the effort stifles the potential for productivity in group as we walk down the bar, with the wind on our backs. After the end. But some types of mobility prove more useful than others. proceeding down the bar about 75 yards or so, I’d power the pole For wading anglers, taking circuitous paths and repeatedly climbing up, to allow the boat to drift toward us. At approximately the same back onto the boat to use the outboard or trolling motor to move point, someone without a working remote should consciously stop to new locations generally enhances the potential for productivity and circle back around to the boat, if the bite and catch rates don’t by limiting the scope of the efforts on a relatively small scale while measure up to expectations. The red line labeled B on the graphic expanding the scope on a larger one. shows one good choice for working back toward the boat; the blue

View The Video

Open Camera and hover over QR Code. When link appears at top of screen tap to open in YouTube.

A Basic Wading Decision

18 | August 2021

KEVIN COCHRAN CONTACT

line labeled C shows another.

The 75 yard estimate serves as a broad generalization. The proper distance (and time) lying between the boat and the point where the angler should make a decision to continue on or circle back around depends on the season, the weather, tidal conditions, moon phase and all other factors which contribute to the bite and catch rates. In

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 361-688-3714 Email kevincochran404@yahoo.com Web www.captainkevblogs.com

TSFMAG.com | 19

Briley Burtsfield was a quick study with spinning tackle.

T I N A G E R A C

Brighter F U T RE U

P

STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE

erhaps one of the greatest gifts one could ever share is time and knowledge, while the greatest reward is seeing the things you share being put into use by the next generation. I have been fortunate to have seen many young anglers and outdoors enthusiasts get their start and, at this point in my life, I truly enjoy seeing those younger than myself flourish in these areas.

One such group of young anglers has stepped to the forefront for the good of all those around them and for the good of the sport they love. The “Islanders” from Texas A&M Corpus Christi’s fishing club got together with Dr. Matthew Streich (PhD Assistant Research Scientist) in their free time and started up their own fish tagging program. Over the last year or so I have been fortunate to be able to spend some time with several of these young anglers, all I can say is they are top notch in every aspect and are exactly what the fishing community needs.

Three of the “Islanders” who are engaged heavily in this program are Carlin Leavelle, Parker Shelly, and Liam Qureshi. All three of these young men are very accomplished anglers and can catch fish with the best of them, which is exactly why they are so valuable to this project. “The whole idea started because of a video we watched of Capt. Wayne Davis (Lower Laguna Madre fishing guide and writer with TSFMag) tagging a speckled trout and saying it was for the Harte Research Institute. As soon as we saw the video we knew this was something we needed to be a part of,” said Leavelle, who is a senior student at TAMU Corpus Christi. “Once the decision was made to get

involved with the program the Islander Fishing Club paid for the tag applicators and tags to kick start the project,” he added.

“The goal of the tagging program was a collaboration between the Islander Anglers and the Harte Research Institute, to assist in growing their tagged fish database as well as involving students from the university in preservation and research efforts for the fish they love,” said Parker Shelly, who is a junior at TAMU-CC. Shelly went on to say “The tags we use are all “recapture” tags, which means an angler will tag a fish they catch, take note of length, weight, location, and tag number, with hopes of the fish being caught again at a later date.

Once that fish is caught again the new length, weight, and location info can be updated in to enable scientists monitor growth rates and potential travel or migration patterns.”

Also a junior, Liam Qureshi told me that thus far the Islander Anglers have tagged several other species of fish to go along with the speckled trout. “To this point we have tagged speckled trout, snook, flounder and kingfish. Each species has a minimum size in order to be tagged, for example all our speckled trout must be at least 25” long and weigh at least five pounds. Since we started the program in April of 2021, and tagged our first fish on April 20, the majority of the fish we have tagged have all come from the Upper Laguna Madre region. We hope to continue to expand our program and the areas where we tag fish in the future.”

Programs like the one started by these young anglers will do nothing but help the fishing community in the future and I applaud TSFMAG.com | 21

each of the members of the Islander Fishing Club as well as Dr. Streich for assisting them in this endeavor. To see this level of involvement and interest from young anglers is amazing and a welcome breath of fresh air, especially after the set of circumstances brought to that area by the fish killing freeze this past February. Conservation knows no age and the members of the Islander Fishing Club are proof of that.

Speaking of young anglers, I recently spent a couple of mornings on a river in southwest Arkansas giving lessons to several youngsters who wanted to learn a little more about the sport of fishing.

Several times a year my family and I frequent this river and I have grown increasingly fond of catching smallmouth bass Parker Shelly – Upper Laguna Madre Islander Angler, Liam Qureshi, preparing each time I go. On my most trout tagged and prepping for release. to release a tagged king mackerel. recent trip I had a couple of kids who had been watching me much better drag systems and much better line capacity, which is a catch fish start asking questions and expressing interest in catching big plus the first time a healthy fish decides to take off. The spinning some on their own. I happily obliged to share a few tips and a lesson rod and reel are much more user-friendly and will translate well or two. My preferred tackle, for not only this situation but for most going forward for any angler. involving kids is a spinning reel, rather the old push-button spincast My young friends on the river took to the spinning set up quickly reels that so many parents provide them. The spinning reel offers a and in no time were catching fish with the best of them. As we much better platform to both learn from and fish from for several walked down the river and waded into the gin clear water I took reasons when it comes to new anglers. First off, spinning reels have the time to point out things that would be beneficial to them later. Things like how to read the water and where the fish might stage while waiting for their next meal to appear. It was lots of fun watching these youngsters enjoying success and becoming excited about the sport of fishing. Opportunities like these are great for everyone involved because it offers a chance to get back that feeling you had as a kid and share it with another. I can’t get enough when it happens.

Easily the star of the riverbank on this trip was my niece Briley Burtsfield, she picked up the technique quickly and in no time was casting like a pro. One observation I have made over the years is how well most of the female anglers take direction, they are usually much more coachable than us guys because they listen better and have such great feel for technique.

Carlin Leavelle prepares to release one of the first speckled trout tagged by Islander Anglers group.

Briley managed to pick up several fish on 22 | August 2021

our little stretch of river including a very solid largemouth bass to go along with some respectable smallmouths. I can say it with all honesty, coaching someone to catch a fish is often better than catching it yourself, especially when it involves young anglers.

Take the opportunity to invest a little time in a young or inexperienced angler because the reward is much greater than you could imagine, and that makes fishing’s future brighter for us all.

View The Video

Open Camera and hover over QR Code. When link appears at top of screen tap to open in YouTube.

Lure Choices for Trout and Reds Along Jetty Rocks

Tools of the tagging trade.

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 409-697-6111 Email wakesndrakes@yahoo.com Website wakesndrakes.com

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Live marina shrimp ready to go fishing.

O U Y R H O C W T N A C STORY BY JOE RICHARD

I

don’t use live shrimp for bait very often but when I do, I catch my own.

Many of today’s anglers may not realize it, but shrimp are everywhere in late summer, unless the water salinity is out of whack and gone fresh. Catch a few dozen shrimp, pin a live “hopper” on a hook, toss it out in Gulf waters and just about anything that swims will grab on. Including quality trout and redfish, sheepshead, flounder, black drum and tripletail.

Getting serious about catching shrimp means buying a castnet and learning to throw decent circles with it. With shrimp, the nice part is that you don’t have to throw the net far. Or watch for fast, passing ripples, like with mullet. Catching shrimp doesn’t require clear water and polarized sunglasses. Shrimp are slow, mostly sitting on the bottom, often right under the boat, seawall or pier much of the time. Though not always: A roadside ditch or one of those rock groins sticking out in the Gulf from the Galveston seawall are exceptions; you would need to toss that net at least 10 feet.

Back in the day, as a fish-hungry 9th grader in Port Arthur, buying would out-fish us terribly, when the water was chocolate-colored live bait wasn’t an option. As a result, castnets were fairly common. and our artificial baits were useless.

After we figured out that our 20-foot minnow seine was just lame at One summer when the water was too murky for our spoons, we catching finger mullet and shrimp, we switched to castnets. I’d spend made a tentative effort to catch our own shrimp out there with hours tossing the net right at my feet, from a small wooden bridge a towed net, and it went badly. First, we towed the net for a half spanning a 12-foot pass that drained the marsh next to Rainbow hour but forgot to tie the bag’s end, and came up with nothing.

Bridge Marina. As a result, hundreds of shrimp and finger mullet The second tow yielded serious weight at the end and we eagerly were carted off to the bait freezer. pulled hard: It was a ripe moment for singing “Haul Away Joe,” the A few miles away, the seawall on Pleasure Island on Sabine Lake centuries-old sea chant. To our dismay, up came a hundred-pound had a clean bottom and you could scatter Ken-L Ration canned dog ball of writhing, foot-long hardhead catfish. Poison fins protruded food in the water, marking each spot on the seawall with a small from almost every gap in the mesh, and grabbing that net and rock. Wait a few minutes, and white shrimp were all over that chum. getting it back in the boat was a trial. We were each stuck a few In the autumn, we could fill a 5-gallon bucket with brown shrimp. If times, and the catfish laid eggs like grapes, each with a pair of tiny salinity levels in today’s chronically fresh Sabine Lake can ever level eyeballs, that bounced and rolled back into the drain plug area and out with more salt, those shrimp will return.

Nearby on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) right in town, in October, we’d take a flashlight and scan the granite rocks at night.

If the water was salty and greenish, many of the 5-foot rocks each had about 30 shrimp sitting on top with glowing red eyes. You needed a small castnet for that job, aiming for flat rocks where no mesh overlapped into the cracks. If the net snagged, a handy pole could be used to poke around and lift the net straight out of the water. We assumed those shrimp retreated down into the rocks during daylight, grazing on algae, safe from predators.

Shrimp are also out at the big Gulf jetties, at least off Sabine and Galveston. Within 30 yards of the rocks, they seem safe enough from shrimpboats. Friends of mine anchored only 10 yards out from the Sabine rocks, in Live shrimp pitched around the jetty rocks in summer often have a short lease on life, even if the water is off-color. water about 15 feet deep, and tried a few throws of their castnet (hoping for a clean bottom), and kept coming up with jumbo shrimp. More and more shrimp followed.

Soon, all thoughts of trout fishing were tossed aside, and they kept throwing that net, catching hundreds of jumbos that late summer day. Next day they bought another net and came back for more.

At the same Sabine jetties where we misspent our youth, it was fairly common for fishermen to carry a 20-foot “sport net” onboard, which is a version of the common shrimp trawl, complete with weighted doors, but in miniature. Some of the old-timers out there wouldn’t go without them. They weren’t into tossing spoons all day like we were, but instead preferred catching live shrimp and hammering redfish and trout with a minimum of effort. They’d pin a kicking shrimp under a pop cork, toss it near the rocks, sit back and One of many rock groins sticking out in the Gulf off the wait. And often load the box, since there were Galveston seawall. That flat, brown water offers plenty of shrimp. no limits in those days. With live shrimp they 26 | August 2021

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behind gas cans. What a mess! But when the going gets tough, the tough go fishing. We gave up on that mess, anchored and strolled off down the jetties, firing gold spoons out into a green tide. On the way home, we pulled the car and boat over and plucked out the last 30 pounds of catfish, tossing them into the ditch just off the road. It was the last time we ever towed a shrimp net, which will catch all manner of sea critters, many of them undesirable and with an attitude.

In late summer, shrimp move right into the Gulf’s shore break. We’d launch in the surf and run out to offshore rigs on the horizon, east of High Island, far from any boat ramps. We had that beach and the rigs all to ourselves, except for a salty old shrimper who also launched there, using a heavy gauge 26-foot aluminum boat. He’d tow his net just beyond the breakers and load up on shrimp and also white squid, among other species. After catching enough, Eating-sized Galveston shrimp just caught with a castnet. Better on the table, than pond shrimp grown in Asia. he’d get a running start and run that big boat high and dry right up on the sand, where it was safe from wave along the seawall offer easy access to shrimp. I’ve parked right in front action. He’d then back his trailer under the bow and use a powerful of Gaido’s restaurant, walked out on that line of rocks, and caught 12-volt, battery-powered winch to pull the boat onto the trailer. In plenty of shrimp mixed with quite a few big menhaden. Tossing the those days, when hurricanes were few and far between, a paved net out 8-10 feet, I never hung bottom; it was easy pickings. The Highway 87 ran along that beach and it was easy to drive from Sabine shrimp were big enough to eat and the menhaden could be frozen to Galveston. But no longer. for the next offshore trip, or maybe the September run of bull redfish.

In Galveston, numerous rock groins that stick out into the Gulf Of course, if you’re in a hurry to hit the water and fish that honey hole at dawn, then scoring a quart or two of live shrimp from a marina makes more sense. I’ve seen them priced $20 a quart in Galveston, $25 a quart in South Florida, all the way down (this year) to 100 count for $5 on Florida’s Gulf Coast Bend, the latter using the honor system at someone’s house on the highway, leaving cash in the coffee can. Quite a rarity, these days.

If your schedule is more relaxed, save money and try catching your own shrimp. Just keep in mind that there are lots of state shrimp regulations these days. They can be read on the Texas Parks and Wildlife online page called Shrimp Regulations and Restrictions. Among other items, I notice they now frown on cast-netting in natural passes, where at times shrimp migrate en masse. But bay seawalls, Gulf beaches and the outside Gulf jetty walls still look like fair game.

JOE RICHARD

A mixed catch of shrimp and shad, just off the Galveston seawall.

28 | August 2021

CONTACT

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

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

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HYNES BAY OUTDOOR PRODUCTS:

Swallowed Fishhook Remover An innovative fish conservation tool Editor’s Note: The product shown here is a great conservation tool that fits perfectly with the effort of many Texas anglers who are more conservation-minded today than ever before. The age-old practice of releasing gut-hooked fish by simply cutting the line just doesn’t cut it anymore. Too many fish swim away to die later from injuries incurred when fish ingest natural baits and also scented lures. TSFMag gives the Swallowed Fishhook Remover twothumbs-up for its contribution to fisheries conservation! -Activate the QR code to see it in action. -Everett Johnson If you are practicing catch and release, or if you have caught an undersized or oversized fish, the main goal is to swiftly release the fish alive. If the fish has swallowed the hook, which is common with bait and sometimes with lures, it can be almost impossible to remove the hook without injuring or killing the fish.

In addition, since many hooks are made of rust-resistant metals, the age-old method of cutting the line and releasing the fish with the hook still in it can impede the fish’s ability to eat and make them unable to swallow their prey. There is also risk that the sharp hook point might puncture other vital organs. Cutting the line also entails time spent retying a hook, lost equipment, and reduced time spent fishing.

Carl Wilson, the inventor of the swallowed fishhook remover, is an avid fisherman who also spent more than 30 years as a state and federal game warden. Many of those years were spent on the Texas coast in and around the Hynes and San Antonio Bay areas near Austwell, Texas. It was there that he met his wife Jenny, a biologist who also enjoys fishing. During his time working on the coast, Carl frequently encountered anglers who kept undersized or oversized fish after being unable to remove a swallowed hook without killing the fish. They chose to keep the dead fish, risking a citation, rather than throwing it back.

Carl, who is now retired, frequently fishes with bait and is no stranger to a swallowed hook. He understands the frustration of staring deep into a fish’s mouth and seeing nothing but the shank of the hook. With more time on his hands after retirement, he set out to find a solution that would not only allow him to safely remove the hook and save the fish, but to do it quickly and easily. Not finding anything on the market, he created the Hynes Bay Swallowed Fishhook Remover.

30 | August 2021

The patented Swallowed Fishhook Remover is designed with a cylinder at the end of a long tube that is inserted into the fish’s mouth. The cylinder is slotted to accommodate the shank of the hook and, with the pull of a trigger, mechanically rotates the hook up to 200 degrees, effectively reversing its barb. This rotation extracts the hook from the fish’s stomach and allows you to remove the hook without further damage to the fish. Its simplicity and ease of use also significantly reduces the time the fish spends out of the water.

The Inshore model currently available has been tested successfully on fish such as redfish, black drum, catfish, and bass that had swallowed both Kahle and J-hooks as well as treble hooks. The 200-degree rotation of the device is designed to also work with circle hooks.

Future designs will include a model designed specifically for panfish/crappy and a larger offshore model. So, if you are interested in conservation and experience the frustration of swallowed hooks, this tool is a must-have for your tackle box.

TSFMAG FIELD TEST REPORT

Frabill Tangle-Free Wading Nets Even though we love our boats their primary purpose is to get us where we plan to fish. We are wade-fishermen, first and foremost. The only time we stay in the boat is when the water is too deep to wade.

A net comes in very handy when landing fish but most of the time it simply floats by your side. As such, there are several important attributes a good net must exhibit.

First - It must float flat on the water’s surface within easy reach until needed when an angler is fighting a fish. Nets that don’t float are next to useless in our opinion.

Second – It must have a tether that allows the angler to reach for his catch at the critical moment. An elastic tether of some type works best. Too long a tether and the net is either trailing too far behind or drifting too far ahead. A net that does not remain within easy reach can be more of a hindrance than a useful tool.

Third – Size matters! We like the 17x22 hoop size to allow large fish to be guided easily into the opening. Bag depth is also very important; too shallow means a frisky fish can leap out as soon as it is captured; too deep and grasping the fish in the bottom of the bag becomes a circus trick. The 7.5” handle on the net we selected seems perfect – long enough to provide sufficient leverage for lifting without being cumbersome.

And Finally – The fabric must be fish-friendly, meaning that it does not cause injury to the fish, and woven in a pattern that doesn’t grab hooks. We do a lot of catch-and-release, so fish-friendly is very important. Hard uncoated fabrics scrape slime from the fish, which is a big no-no in our game. Nets that snare your lure’s hooks are also useless. You cannot get the fish out of the bag when its hooked, and when you do you have to be Houdini to untangle your lure.

The net shown in the photos is the 17”x22” Frabill (SKU3673). It’s 3/16” TangleFree Micromesh is coated with a soft material that is very fish-friendly. As you can see, Pam has a nice redfish that was handled quickly and without injury for a successful release. Frabill definitely hit the mark with this one.

TSFMAG.com | 31

Carla Victory with a solid summertime trout. CPR!

J AY WAT K I N S

ASK THE PRO

DETECTING SUBTLE PATTERNS THAT MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE Summer heat has arrived and Rockport water temperatures already above 85° are living proof.

Afternoon surface temps are bumping 89° in the shallows. Water temperatures this high will most often push bait and game fish alike to the nearest drop-off.

Understand that the word drop-off does not always mean deep as many of our drop-offs along the edges of large grass flats are only a foot or so deeper than the flat itself. Finding large numbers of redfish and black drum becomes more predictable when water temperatures are aiding in concentrating them. Add a mid-afternoon falling tide and locating good numbers of reds and drum can nearly become a gimme. The heat can be even tougher on anglers so be sure to stay hydrated and wear protective clothing to protect your head, neck, arms and hands. I talk a good game but the sun is brutal and has definitely taken its toll on my skin.

I am excited to talk to you today about some of the trout we are catching and explain how and where we are doing so. First, I want to say that my trout fishing is much tougher than 2020. I have 1 or 2 days a week when I struggle if conditions force me to abandon areas where I have quality trout located. Our trout are still moving more than normal and I feel this also increases the percentage of misses. I saw similar inconsistencies in ‘83 32 | August 2021

and ‘89 but they were even greater then.

A quick side note: I had a guy ask me if I had actually documented those events when I was that young. I did not hesitate in saying that I absolutely did and that is the only way I have to measure what I am seeing now. I have always been that angler who wanted to know WHY I caught what I caught. WHERE I caught them. WHEN I caught them. And, of course, HOW I caught them.

I honestly wish I were one of those lucky fishermen who just seem to fall into them but I have never really considered myself lucky in that way. I have always had to work to catch them and maybe that was actually an advantage. I believe we learn more and we learn faster when we have to work at something.

On the days when we struggle it seems you can feel it coming from the start. Bait presence is diminished and signs of activity are fewer. There are plenty of signs to get me to punch the Power Poles but nothing in particular just jumps out at you. With the super-heated water and summer crowds it is important to sit down right on top of them whenever you can. Many days that first hour in the morning produces half or more of the day’s catch.

Lloyd Lassiter, one of Rockport’s best guides, used to tell his clients that it was a fish a minute during summer’s hottest times. I tend to agree with the captain on this

one, especially this year. All that said, my point is that once I am in an area where I previously found good fish, and I see at least some of the signs I feel I need to see, it’s hard to pass without fishing. Quite often though, it doesn’t take long to get the feeling that it just isn’t going to happen in that spot that day.

The problem is that we are there and we are chasing the bite rather than allowing the bite to develop around us. This leads to tougher days and most all the time that is on me. In the best of times we can still scratch out six or eight fish in such areas but too often this year this has not been the case. Ok, it’s a given that we are going to experience tough days this year and you get that. Let’s move on.

On those days when everything looks right and turns out right, bites come much earlier during the first wade of the morning and I am seeing constant slicking as we are fishing. Early morning slicks have been the key to the larger fish that I have been catching. These are shallow shoreline platter-sized slicks and the action sometimes ends almost as quickly as it starts. More times than not these slicks are coming from the fish we want a chance at catching. For the most part the numbers are much smaller and true patience and a conscious effort is required in the patterning process. You must allow the pattern to develop and allow them to show themselves, which they will do if you don’t push them. We have to stay off the area were the fish have become comfortable. Slow wades, parallel to the activity, casting at angles that allow the wind to bend the line during the retrieve is a must.

I like at least thirty-six inches of clear mono or fluorocarbon leader in the clear, shallow stuff. Long casts that land as quietly as possible along with a big dose of confidence that I can get these girls to eat are essential. It’s been early when we have seen these fish and caught a few of them. Now the real beauty to this article is the next pattern I am going to share.

As the sun warms the water and light penetrates the clear, shallow water, the water temperatures begin to rise rapidly. The combination of super-heated surface water and the light penetration drives these fish deep, right? Well, not so fast.

One of the biggest obstacles we face today, that we did not have nearly as much of in ‘83 or ’89, is dolphins. I cannot recall or did not notice them hawking fishermen back then like I do today. These guys are eating machines and super smart on top of that. This year with decreased numbers of baitfish and trout, these apex predators have been brutal. I just leave when they start acting like they are going to start eating fish off our lines. Some areas are worse due to fishing pressure and many anglers that get enjoyment from feeding them small trout or croaker. I say make them work like all the rest of us to get a meal. If you think I am suggesting leaving the bite you’d be right.

So with all that put into play, the larger trout are now holding on shallower underwater grass edges and submerged grassy points.

They are sticking right to the grass, even in it. I believe that when the trout are close to or in the grass and not moving it is much harder for the dolphin to locate them. Out deeper the dolphins herd them and slap the surface of the water hoping to make them move so they can zero in.

What we did the past couple of weeks was target these areas specifically after the early morning slicking had ceased. I found that by getting my anglers positioned properly we could all cast to slightly different areas where submerged grass edges and submerged grass points had formed. We had zero slicking during these periods but

Zachary Symm enjoying back-to-back 24-inch trout.

Jay and his favorite Double-D lure getting it done despite exceptional summer heat.

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View The Video

Open Camera and hover over QR Code. When link appears at top of screen tap to open in YouTube.

Summertime Trout: Hooking Subtle Takes

34 | August 2021

reeling until you feel the weight of the fish as she turns left or right and then set the hook. This prevents the fish from being telegraphed by a sharp hookset when the line and rod are not properly loaded, which almost always results in a miss. When this technique is applied properly the fish will be hooked in the hinge of their jaw where we can then apply the pressure required to land larger fish.

It was amazing the numbers of fish my groups caught by switching to this method of setting the hook. We caught big numbers of trout to twenty-six inches while targeting the submerged grass edges and submerged grass points. Many times each day we could literally call the shot as we approached a likely looking edge or point.

It’s the brain game or fishing smart, as me and my boys would say, that will make or break you during a year like this one. No matter how few fish there may be, the best of the best will consistently figure out what it takes to catch them. This is not the year to follow the crowd. Venture out on your own and let your fishing skills point you in the proper direction.

May your fishing always be catching! -Guide Jay Watkins

C O N TA C T

when we stuck a fish and she came to the surface and shook her head, a slick formed about 90 percent of the time. I believe these are the same fish that were feeding up shallow earlier. On the mornings where my clients could see the edges and points for themselves it was money and provided the best trout action I have seen since the freeze.

On overcast days I have to quietly evaluate each angler’s casting abilities and arrange them on the proper line. Coaching the unseen is more difficult for sure but if anglers will listen and trust me, it works.

Another pattern we discovered was how the trout picked up the lure either in the grass or just as the lure was coming in contact with the grass. My video this month includes a discussion of this very topic.

You can also view it on Instagram at jaywatkinsfishing.

I noticed my anglers were missing lots of takes. I use the word take rather than strike as they were very light and not really a strike in the classic sense. The take is a slight tick on the line and then it just loads the rod a little. The trout were pushing straight to us and if they jerked to set the hook the fish felt it and came up spitting the hook.

I instructed them to reel down to the fish. Just crank down and keep

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

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

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Figure 1. iTAG acoustic receiver arrays along the Gulf of Mexico

B y C a r e y G e l p i P h . D. E c o s y s t e m L e a d e r, S a b i n e L a k e M a r i n e L a b

FIELD NOTES

EARS IN THE WATER,

LISTENING FOR OUR FAVORITE FISH Over the next two years the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and Texas A&M University at Galveston will partner to expand an acoustic tagging study of southern flounder and spotted seatrout into Sabine Lake. This study will be funded through the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission Inter-Jurisdictional Fisheries Program. The acoustic receivers deployed in Sabine Lake will be part of a system of acoustic arrays called the iTAG network (Figure 1) that now exists across much of the US Gulf of Mexico (Gulf ) coastline, including estuaries in proximity to Corpus Christi, Matagorda, and Galveston Bays. These acoustic arrays give management agencies and academic researchers the ability to gather information about fish movement within local habitats as well as long-distance migratory patterns. This Sabine Lake array will help fill a blind spot in the western Gulf between Galveston Bay, Texas and Barataria Bay, Louisiana where there is currently a large area without receivers.

Sabine Lake is unique among the estuaries that are found along the Texas coast because not only does it receive more freshwater than any other Texas bay system, with inputs from the Sabine and Neches Rivers, but also the shape of the estuary makes it an ideal location for setting up an acoustic receiver system to track fish migration. Sabine Pass, the long narrow opening to the Gulf of Mexico, is particularly suited for placing acoustic receivers. It is roughly ten km long and one km wide and is the only direct way for fish to move from Sabine Lake into and out of the Gulf of Mexico. If a tagged fish enters or leaves the estuary, then well-placed acoustic 36 | August 2021

receivers within this narrow inlet will capture that information. Sabine Lake itself is long and somewhat narrow with numerous bottlenecks where it joins with the surrounding marsh and riverine habitat. Acoustic receivers will be strategically placed throughout the estuary and nearshore Gulf, which will monitor fish movements and residency within multiple habitat types, including the Salt Bayou Marsh to the west of Sabine Lake, the Sabine Lake Oyster Reef, the Sabine and Neches Rivers, multiple bayou tributaries connecting Sabine Lake to the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge to the east, and nearshore structure possibly including new artificial reefs that are now being developed (Figure 2).

The acoustic tags, which have a battery life of one to two years, are surgically implanted into the fish’s abdomen and any fish with a tag passing within approximately 0.5 km of a receiver will register the date and time of day and that fish’s unique identifier (Figure 3). Periodically, the research team visits each receiver and downloads the data, which can now be done wirelessly using the newest model of receivers. One cool and useful feature of the iTAG network is if a fish from one area happens to leave and migrate within range of receivers placed in other systems then that fish’s information will be recorded and uploaded to a shared database that can be accessed by others in the iTAG network. That way researchers not only get information about local movements within their acoustic receiver array but can also gather data on long-distance movements of fish tagged from their study area.

Acoustic tagging studies provide information about

life history and habitat preferences of different species based on time of year and other varying external factors. Behavioral responses can be correlated to environmental conditions that help us understand and manage populations. For example, it is a commonly held belief that rain from Hurricane Harvey literally flushed most of the large spotted seatrout from the Texas upper coast out into the Gulf of Mexico and that these fish did not return. Monitoring the response of a local population of tagged individuals to changes in freshwater input and salinity levels, such as that which occurs from a tropical deluge, could help explain major fluctuations in population abundance associated with such events.

Acoustic studies have already provided previously unknown details about the life history of several species. For instance, it was recently found that while most adult female flounder in Galveston Bay underwent a directional migration to the Gulf during the late fall/early winter as expected, some adult female flounder in Galveston Bay remained resident within the bay system during the spawning migration period and associated cold snaps.

Further down the Texas coast in the vicinity of

Figure 3. Illustration of tagged fish interacting with acoustic receiver

Figure 2. Currently deployed and potential future receiver locations

the Lower Laguna Madre, another acoustic study addressed the question of distinct bay and gulf populations of spotted seatrout, sometimes referred to as “tide-runners”. Gulf-tagged individuals moved up and down nearshore coastal locations and were found to make runs into the tidal inlets (potentially to forage) while individuals tagged within the bay were found to never leave the estuary but rather move long distances within the estuarine system. This suggests that the trout residing in the surf and those in the bay may actually be different sub-groups, at least on the lower Texas coast. Systems of acoustic receivers, such as the array being planned in Sabine Lake, will be able to address questions such as: how far into the estuary do the Gulf-tagged “tide-runners” move; are movement dynamics similar for bay trout on the upper coast and lower coast; and if not, how is their behavior different within the less saline upper coast systems?

Several arrays are being planned or expanded in estuarine and nearshore areas along the Gulf Coast. As acoustic arrays are deployed in greater numbers, many species of popular game fish will continue to reveal their secrets. Besides spotted seatrout and flounder, other species that are presently being tagged and monitored along the Texas coast include alligator gar, red drum, bull shark, blacktip shark, and tarpon, so don’t be alarmed if you find a small thumbnail sized tag in your fish’s abdomen. Interesting and useful life history information is sure to be gained as these arrays are set up and more fish are tagged.

Stay tuned in; we will too.

Check the TPWD Outdoor Annual, your local TPWD Law Enforcement office, or tpwd.texas.gov for more info.

TSFMAG.com | 37

DAV E R O B E R T S

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

FLY FISHING ARIZONA One of the most valuable lessons I have learned in life is that the world is full of opportunity. In the realm of fishing, there is no shortage of places an angler can fish, you just have to look for them. I personally love to challenge myself by finding new places to go. I believe by doing such one can learn from their experiences and in turn become a better angler.

I recently had the opportunity to travel to Arizona and the first thing that came to my mind was, “I wonder how the fishing is there?” I know that when you talk about fishing destinations, this dry, desert state usually is not the first to come to mind. However, after looking into the subject, it can be done and there are a few notable places that hold an abundance of rainbow and brown trout.

Originally I was going to Arizona for a weekend of playing golf in Scottsdale to celebrate with a friend who is about to get married. I had some extra time off so I figured since I was already there, might as well do some fishing. So after the weekend festivities, I headed north and my first destination was Lee’s Ferry in Marble Canyon. This is located just north of the Grand Canyon and it is the tailwater of Lake Powell. For reference, if you 38 | August 2021

have ever seen the iconic photo of Horseshoe Bend, it is about a mile upriver from Lee’s Ferry. After a drive of several hours and a pit stop at an overlook of the Grand Canyon, I started to make my descent to the banks of the Colorado River. I only had a few hours that afternoon but I walked around and did some scouting for the next day. I knew where I wanted to start and made a game plan.

The next morning I got up and eagerly headed straight to the river. After about a half mile walk upriver I was greeted by cool running water, enormous red walls that towered to the sky and wild horses on the opposite bank. I was in awe before I even made a cast. I started out throwing a nymph rig, which is standard for most rivers, and I slowly made several drifts with it. After covering plenty of water and only having one hook-up, I decided to change it up a bit. I tied on an olive wooly booger in order to cover more water. I walked a little further up to a small point and it didn’t take long until I was hooked up. She gave me a few good jumps but never could escape. Finally I landed my first trout and could not have been any happier. Everything was coming together!

I snapped a few quick photos, made the release, and got right back to it. About ten casts later I hung into another one, and this time a better trout. After a short but careful fight, I got her in and same thing – quick photos and release. At this point, my trip had been made and everything else going forward would only be a bonus. I continued on throughout the day and eventually breaking off my wooly booger on another good trout. As the sun started to set I tried my luck at throwing a dry fly. The cicada hatch was about to begin, so I figured…why not? I had three very aggressive blowups on the fly but never got a hookup. It was still really awesome to watch such a small fish react so explosively. Once dark came, I headed back to town for a bite to eat and spent my evening on the porch gazing at the stars. It was one of the best nighttime skies I have ever seen.

The next morning I planned on repeating the first day strategy. I figured I had until around noon before I needed to get on the road to my next destination. I decided that I was going to stick to nymphing and try to build my confidence using this rig. I began on the same point and started casting upstream while my rig slowly drifted across the riffles. Not too long into the morning I hung into a nice rainbow; great way to start the day! I then began to bounce back and forth between the next small point upstream and only landed a handful, but hung into several that came unbuttoned. At around midday I decided I better get on the road, so I packed up and my next destination was Oak Creek in Sedona.

A few hours down the road I started to make my way through the mountains and was relieved from the desert heat by their low-80s temperature. I weaved down the mountains and the highway ran right along Oak Creek. I pulled over at a few walk-in spots to see what I would be dealing with. I knew that I was going to have to hike down to the river so I decided that I would just start fresh in the morning. I checked into my room and decided to go see the town. Sedona is located right in the middle of the mountains, surrounded by tall red cliffs. I would recommend anyone looking for a weekend getaway to put this on their list.

Morning came and I headed down to one of the nearby state parks to have an easier entrance to the creek. After getting to the bottom I decided to head upstream to

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TSFMAG.com | 39

escape the crowds and see what I could find.

The walls were narrow and the creek was lined with huge rocks that made for a tough hike.

Luckily I’ve had my share of running down similar rocks on the levy roads of Pleasure Island. The first big pool I came to held a handful of nice trout but another angler had already beat me to it.

No worries though, there was plenty of creek ahead and I continued on. The next pool I came to had a few fish swimming around but I could not get one to bite. I trekked forward repeating the same process and continued to run into more anglers and people swimming in the deeper water. After about a mile or so upriver I figured that these fish are pressured way too much by all the walk-in traffic and would likely be hard to catch.

Already getting into the afternoon hours I decided to just stop and enjoy the magnificent scenery. I reflected on the past few days of fishing and all that I learned. I was pleased with how my trip had gone and was glad that I decided to break away to do something different. Although it was far from my normal style of fishing, I got to see some of the most pristine land in our country. I spent my last day in Arizona sitting at the edge of the creek watching trout lazily swim around in their own little world.

View The Video

Open Camera and hover over QR Code. When link appears at top of screen tap to open in YouTube.

C O N TA C T

Summer Vacation Trout Fishing

40 | August 2021

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

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

P O R T

L A V A C A

4TH ANNUAL CHAPTER BANQUET Join us for a night of dinner, drinks, auctions, Sportsman Raffle and good old fundraising fun!

FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021 | 6:00 PM Bauer Community Center 2300 TX-35 | Port Lavaca, TX 77979

$1,000 BULL RED TABLE

Reserved Seating for 8, Table gifts, Full page ad in program

$750 TROUT TABLE

Reserved Seating for 8, Table gift, Business card ad in program

$500 FLOUNDER TABLE

Reserved Seating for 8 and Program mention

$50 INDIVIDUAL TICKET

$35 YOUTH TICKET (6-17) For More Information: Blake Burnside 713.626.4222 | bburnside@ccatexas.org $1,000 Bull Red Table

Qty. ________

$500 Flounder Table

Qty. ________

$750 Trout Table

$50 Individual Ticket

$35 Youth Ticket

Qty. ________

Qty. ________

Qty. ________

CUT HERE AND MAIL Price ____________

Price ____________

Price ____________ Price ____________ Price ____________

Table Name_____________________ Total Amount ___________________

Name ___________________________________________________ Email ___________________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone _____________________________________ Credit Card________________________________________________ CVC _____________ Exp. Date ______________________ Signature __________________________________________________________________________ Checks payable to Coastal Conservation Association | Mail form & money to: CCA Texas, Attn. Blake Burnside, 6919 Portwest Dr, Ste 100, Houston, TX 77024 TSFMAG.com | 41 TICKETS ALSO AVAILABLE AT www.ccatexas.org/events/2021-port-lavaca-banquet

The recreational community is a large part of the reef fish take throughout the Gulf. The recent precedent involving red grouper will help pave the way for future allocation changes that are more reflective of the Gulf fisheries.

By John Blaha

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

GULF COUNCIL SETS PRECEDENT WITH RECREATIONAL DATA CORRECTION

DECISION ON RED GROUPER FISHERY ATTEMPTS TO FIX HISTORY OF FLAWED DATA At its meeting last week, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council adjusted recreational and commercial red grouper quotas using revised recreational historical data that gives a much-clearer picture of actual participation in the fishery. By correcting errors in the historical data, the Council’s action changed the allocation of the red grouper fishery from 76% commercial / 24% recreational to 59.3% commercial / 40.7% recreational.

“We appreciate the efforts of NOAA Fisheries and the Gulf Council to improve recreational harvest data and implement it into the management system,” said Bill Bird, chairman of CCA’s National Government Relations Committee. “Although this was a science-driven process, it was complicated, and we appreciate everyone – including staff at NOAA and the Gulf Council – who were a part of this precedent-setting decision.”

NOAA Fisheries is in the process of correcting the historic recreational data in many of the fisheries it manages which will likely result in additional allocation 42 | August 2021

changes. Red grouper was one of the first fisheries to work the new numbers through a stock assessment and although it was not a true reallocation process, it did present the opportunity to correct the allocations which have been based entirely on past catch history from a select and limited set of years.

CCA and other groups representing the recreational boating and angling community have called for a reallocation process that is based on forward-looking criteria, including economics and demographics to provide the maximum benefits to the nation.

“This correction to historic data is a step in the right direction, but for the most timely data and efficient management possible the Gulf states should be responsible for more fisheries off their coasts,” said Trip Aukeman, CCA Florida Advocacy Director. “Florida and the other Gulf states have developed state-of-the art data collection systems for red snapper that provide much more flexible and responsive management that could easily be adapted to other fisheries.”

The Gulf Council will soon begin discussing regulation changes for red grouper, which are presently at a historically low level of abundance for a variety of reasons, including red tide. Despite the changes in allocation resulting from the data correction, anglers may see shorter seasons and tighter limits in the near future.

What does this mean for Texas and other Gulf states…..

This precedent is an important one on many levels. As this recent press release from CCA National states “NOAA Fisheries is in the process of correcting the historic recreational data in many of the fisheries it manages which will likely result in additional allocation changes.”

Snapper, amberjack, and other federally managed reef species in Texas, and other coastal states are set for possible allocation changes by this important precedent. These types of changes are not possible without sound science, and participation by the recreational community. It is important for us all to participate in surveys and other data collection efforts, so that the voice of the recreational angler is heard.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) August commission meeting is set for August 25-26, 2021. This is your opportunity to provide your feedback directly to TPWD and the TPWD Commissioners. Take the time, and make your voice heard.

Summer banquets on tap……

CCA Texas and local chapters across the state continue to have successful banquets on all levels. Over half of the 31 banquets held to date have had record attendance and/or record fundraising nights.

This would not be possible without the continued and dedicated

support of CCA Texas volunteers, donors, sponsors and attendees.

Thank you all for your continued support. Late July and August will be big months for the organization. The larger events such as Corpus Christi, San Antonio, and Austin were all moved back in the year in abundance of caution for CCA Texas banquet attendees and volunteers. The chapters are excited and look forward to holding their events. Be sure to check out the CCA Texas Events calendar, and the local chapters and staff look forward to seeing you soon.

July Events: • July 29th | Brazoria County | Dow Academic Center, Lake Jackson • July 29th | Corpus Christi | American Bank Center, Corpus Christi • July 31st | Redfish Bay | Aransas Pass Civic Center, Aransas Pass August Events: • August 5th | San Antonio | Freeman Coliseum Expo Hall, San Antonio • August 5th | San Gabriel | Sheraton Georgetown Hotel, Georgetown • August 5th | Northwest Houston | Shirley Acres, Houston • August 6th | Lower Colorado | Bay City Civic Center, Bay City • August 12th | Orange County | Orange County Convention and Expo Center, Orange • August 13th | Port Lavaca | Bauer Community Center, Port Lavaca • August 13th | Trinity Bay | Armentas, Baytown • August 19th | Guadalupe Valley | The Venue, Cuero • August 19th | Hill Country | New Braunfels Civic Center, New Braunfels • August 24th | Austin | Palmer Event Center, Austin • August 26th | Lower Laguna Madre | Port Isabel Event & Cultural Center, Port Isabel

TSFMAG.com | 43

NOAA photo

STEPHANIE BOYD

F I S H Y FA C T S

SPINY LOBSTER All the ingenious men, and all the scientific men, and all the imaginative men in the world could never invent, if all their wits were boiled into one, anything so curious and so ridiculous as the lobster. ~ Charles Kingsley From time to time, when the currents are right and the winter is mild, some tropical creatures can be found in the Gulf off the Texas coast. Among these, are Caribbean spiny lobsters, Panulirus argus. Named for the many forwardpointing spines that cover both the body and antennae of this marine invertebrate, spiny lobsters conspicuously lack the large pinching claws of their Maine lobster relatives.

Adults range in color from red to brown to blue, marked with occasional dark spots. The tails sport large cream or yellow spots, along with orange-yellow and black stripes on the fan. Their walking legs are striped in blue and have bristly “feet,” while the swimming legs are bright orange and black. They have two pairs of antennae. The first are slender, black or dark brown, and biramous (separated into two branches); they sense movement and detect 44 | August 2021

chemicals in the water. The second pair are longer than the body, whip-like, studded with small forward-pointing spines and setae (bristles), and are sometimes waved to scare off predators. They also have compound eyes that detect orientation, form, light, and color. Although males and females are typically the same length, sexual dimorphism is apparent in the relative size and shape of the tail: the males having somewhat lighter and shorter tails, as well as heavier carapaces.

Caribbean spiny lobsters live in western Atlantic tropical and subtropical waters, ranging along the continental shelf of the southeastern United States from North Carolina to Texas, in Bermuda, throughout the Caribbean Sea, and south to Brazil. Adults are gregarious, migratory, and benthic, most commonly found in coastal and shallow continental waters in coral reefs, rocks, and eelgrass beds to depths of 295 feet. They are relatively selective when choosing a hidey hole and seem to prefer ones that allow complete concealment, exclude large predators, and contain other lobsters.

Since spiny lobsters don’t have large claws to catch

prey, they are primarily omnivorous foragers, relying on chemoreceptive setae in the smaller antennae and a complex nervous system to discern the scent of their next meal. They emerge only at night to feed on a wide variety of marine invertebrates and detritus – primarily gastropods, bivalves, and chitons; but also carrion, crustaceans, polychaetes, sea urchins, and occasionally vegetation.

In aquariums, they have been observed trying to catch small fishes. The massive mandibles with grinding molar surfaces are adapted for crushing hard-shelled animals or plants.

Many animals (besides humans) prey on this species: sharks, rays, skates, sea turtles, moray eels, octopuses, other crustaceans, snappers, groupers, and even a small whelk which kills lobsters in traps by boring through the carapace. In addition to their heavily armored body, spiny lobsters avoid predation by hiding in crevices during the day. If approached, they can rub one of their plectrum – a nub-like structure found on their antennae – against plates below their eyes. The result is a screeching sound that hopefully repels the predator. If startled, they may flip their tail forward, thrusting them rapidly backwards.

Autumn storms are thought to instigate mass movements of lobsters to deeper water where the effects of those storms are lessened, and water temperatures are more temperate. During migration, individual lobsters line up in a single file called queuing, with each resting its long antennae over the carapace of the one in front. The lobsters have been shown to navigate by an internal magnetic compass using the earth’s geomagnetic field. The return migration in the spring is much more haphazard.

Though adults often inhabit estuaries, bays, and lagoons, spawning typically occurs in nearshore and offshore reef fringes and other hardbottom areas with low turbidity, low wave action, but with adequate currents for larval transport. The peak spawning period is temperaturedependent but often falls between March and June. Males are strongly attracted to females with ripe ovaries, that are recently molted but hardshelled. (The female releases pheromones into the water to let nearby males know she is preparing to molt and, thus, mate.) After courtship, during which the male must gently coax the female out of her hidey hole, the male deposits a spermatophore mass (often called a tarspot because it’s a black sticky blob), on the female’s sternum. The mass has an outer protective matrix which hardens and adheres immediately after deposition. Males mate with many females, while the females only mate with one male during a single reproductive episode. When the female judges the time is right, she breaks the spermatophore open and releases her eggs, which pass by the tarspot and are fertilized with the stored sperm. The female then attaches the eggs, anywhere from 5,000 to 500,000 of them, under her tail with a glue-like substance where they will stay for the next three to four weeks. During this time, she is called a berried lobster because the eggs look like tiny berries. She keeps her eggs well aerated and cleaned by pumping her pleopods (swimming

legs). Large berried females are less common than small berried females, suggesting that the frequency of broods might decline with age. Since females normally molt before mating, it’s possible that decreased frequency of molting in older females results in a decrease in the frequency of spawning. Eggs are bright orange and darken in color as embryos develop. Embryonic pheromone levels increase when the eggs are ready, triggering vigorous pleopodal pumping and repeated abdominal flexing by the female, helping the eggs to hatch and dispersing the larvae into the water column.

The life history of the spiny lobster consists of four phases: planktonic phyllosome larvae, swimming postlarval pueruli, benthic juvenile, and adult. The phyllosome larva hatch as flat, transparent, spiderlooking plankton. They float on currents for a year or more, eventually moving into shallower areas. After 11 molts, at about 1.3 inches, they become swimming pueruli, which are colorless and still lack hard exoskeletons. After several weeks – whenever they encounter suitable inshore substrate, such as mangrove roots or seagrass beds – puerli molt and metamorphose into juvenile lobsters. Young benthic lobsters are cryptically colored in varying shades, and have banding and striping that aid in camouflage. They start off as solitary but soon become more gregarious and migrate offshore where they develop into adults. Throughout their lives, these lobsters will molt to grow larger. Growth in the first year averages 1.5 inches, with growth thereafter averaging approximately 1 inch per year. They molt about 25 times in their first 5 to 7 years of life, and once per year when they’re older. It takes them about 2 years to reach sexual maturity, at about 3 inches in length. They can reach up to 15 pounds / 23 inches, but are more commonly found around 8 inches. Estimated longevity in the wild is between 12 to 20 years.

Spiny lobsters are listed in the IUCN Red List as Data Deficient. There are four stocks: the South Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico stock, and three stocks in the Caribbean—the Puerto Rico, St. Thomas/St. John, and St. Croix stocks. The Gulf stock is not currently listed as overfished, though the population status is unknown. It is managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Spiny Lobster in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic and also the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Commercial Regulations for Spiny Lobster. The species is commonly harvested, both commercially and recreationally. They are second only to shrimp in commercial importance to Florida fisheries.

Items marketed as “lobster tail” are usually from spiny lobster. Minimum spawning size has declined in Florida females, possibly due to intense fishing pressures. In 1922, the minimum spawning size of females was reported to be 3.0 inches. Recent surveys have revealed reproductive Florida Keys scuba instructor, Brian Slann, shows off a spiny from his dive.

Continued on page 53...

TSFMAG.com | 45

Mature spinner shark attacked by much larger mako while being reeled to the boat by author.

ERIC OZOLINS

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

CLEARING UP CONFUSION ABOUT SHARKS THAT SPIN Those of us who love fishing for sharks in Texas can count our blessings. Though we typically don’t experience ideal conditions on a daily basis like our Florida counterparts do, we certainly have a productive fishery. Over a dozen shark species can be caught from the Texas surf, ranging in size from frisky and small to monstrously large. I’ve been lucky enough to land 13 species of the toothy critters from Texas’ beaches and been present while others landed additional rarities.

Out of all these, one species here in Texas stands alone as the most abundant, most frequently encountered shark of the surf—the blacktip shark.

These are acrobatic, medium-sized sharks which max out at around 100 pounds. When hooked, they often leap into the air, spinning radically. When beginners and novice anglers see this, their first thought typically is, “That’s a spinner shark!”

Spinner and blacktip sharks are separate species, both of which occur in our waters, the blacktips far more abundant, spinners less common. Most of the breaching, leaping sharks fought in Texas are blacktips, not spinners. Labeling blacktips as spinners and vice versa ranks at the top of biggest identification mistakes made by anglers who target sharks.

All over the United States and beyond, people regularly mistake blacktips for spinners. Certainly, this 46 | August 2021

The spinner shark has a long, pointed snout; blacktip is shorter and more rounded.

is true in both Texas, and in what I like to call the “over glorified” Florida waters. In fact, some academic references name the blacktip the “lesser blacktip shark” and the spinner the “greater blacktip shark,” probably because the markings on the two species look so similar. Their flank patterns and coloration are nearly identical. Their size averages quite close as well, and the behavior of one is also basically a carbon-copy of the other, so it’s easy for newbies to confuse these two.

Though spinners and blacktips share some similar traits, each species shows some unique features. Three main physical features aid in definitively identifying blacktip and spinner sharks.

First, spinner sharks have a much smaller dorsal fin—almost 30% smaller. Their smaller dorsal fins help spinners move hydro-dynamically, with faster forward speed bursts, but provide less balance and turning power than larger dorsal fins. Sometimes, this feature alone allows for positive identification of an individual specimen. An angler reeling a spinner in from the beach who gets a glimpse of its dorsal fin and thinks they’ve hooked a really small shark, only to beach it and realize it’s much bigger than anticipated, has received a useful clue.

The creature’s head provides a second helpful physical trait to use when trying to distinguish the difference between these two sharks. Overall, spinners have longer, more slender bodies. At full maturity, they average about a foot longer than blacktips. Spinners well over eight feet long have been documented around the globe. The snouts of spinners perfectly match their long, slim bodies, looking more pointed and extending further out than those of blacktips. Additionally, spinners have slightly smaller eyes than blacktips; the difference is slight, but discernible.

The last and best way to separates spinners from blacktips involves looking at their anal fins. A spinner shark has a black spot/marking on its anal fin, the one on the underside of the torso, in front of the tail. The size and darkness of the marking varies from spinner to spinner, from a jet-black dot to a dusky smudge; all show some kind of a mark. A blacktip shark has a white or pale anal fin without any dark, contrasting markings. Out of the many hundreds, if not thousands, of blacktip sharks I’ve encountered, I’ve never seen one with a black marking on its anal fin.

Behavior patterns also help distinguish the two species. Spinners are opportunistic feeders.

At times, people see huge congregations of the species, either during mating season or when they’re in a feeding frenzy. Here in Texas, the majority of our spinners will be encountered in late spring and early fall. They show a liking for small baitfish like menhaden and anchovies,

Blacktip shark fitted with SAT tag, ready to be released.

Note the tall dorsal fin.

Oz prepares to release a surf-caught spinner; note the slender body profile.

The dorsal fin of the spinner shark is small compared to body size and usually noticeably rounded at the tip.

TSFMAG.com | 47

way, left by the teeth of the attacking mako.

This year has proved to be a good one for spinners in the Texas surf. Some years they run; some years they don’t. Quite a few quality specimens have been landed recently in our state. One of the more curious anomalies is the high number of spinner pups running rampart in the waves along the beach. This year, more than any other I’ve experienced, we have a copious amount of small spinners in the two to three-foot range. For weeks straight, we were catching them cast after cast, on small baits. Does this have anything to do with enhanced nursery habitat provided by all the freshwater in the surf?

It’s tough to be certain.

The good news is the numbers of reproducing spinners seems high and viable for a stable fishery, one on the rebound. Spinners, like all other sharks, play important roles in our marine ecosystem.

The balance of nature depends on them, so catch and release is highly encouraged. Any angler who hooks an acrobatic shark on a beachfront excursion will likely find the thrill to be real, whether the flying critter turns out to be a common blacktip or a member of the less abundant species, a truly legit spinner.

View The Video

Open Camera and hover over QR Code. When link appears at top of screen tap to open in YouTube.

Spinner Sharks and Blacktips Are Similar; Here’s How to ID

C O N TA C T

which form tight schools, or balls, sometimes measuring in acres, in the surf. When such schools form, hundreds of spinners may lurk close by. From the kayak, I’ve seen enough circling a bait ball to send shivers down my spine!

Spinners spend more time offshore than they do in the surf zone.

Offshore anglers regularly encounter spinners scavenging behind culling shrimp boats. This fits into the opportunistic methods of the species; they seem intent on getting fed without working too hard. As shrimpers shovel countless pounds of by-catch into the water, swarms of spinners often swim in the depths, gulping down easy meals.

We sometimes encounter spinners during offshore mako adventures in winter. Where sandbar and/or mako sharks swim in Texas’ offshore waters, spinners likely also gather. One of the most incredible experiences I’ve had occurred when I hooked a spinner nearly eight feet long, while fishing for grouper. When I got the shark up close to the boat, I noticed a giant silhouette underneath it—a mega mako. The spinner dove down deep, and the mako followed.

When I succeeded in wrestling the spinner back to the surface, I saw dagger like marks on its side, mind blowing proof of nature’s savage

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 is the owner of Catch Sharks Tackle Company.

Email Websites

oz@oceanepics.com oceanepics.com | catchsharks.com

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TSFMAG.com | 49

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TSFMAG.com | 51

DICKIE COLBURN

DICKIE COLBURN’S Sabine Scene

While scattered showers every doggone day make the heat a little more manageable, we could do without additional fresh water right now. They were finally able to shut the gates on Toledo Bend and that S ab i n e has given the Sabine River a chance to drop a little. The Neches, however, is still at flood stage, but they waited as long as possible before pulling the Dickie Colburn is a full plug on Rayburn. Even with all of that time guide out of Orange, water we are still not in bad shape for Texas. Dickie has 37 years the shape we are in! experience guiding on Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes.

One hurricane or tropical storm that moving too slowly will short Telephone circuit what has been a slow, but 409-883-0723 consistent summer bite thus far. The Website fish catching patterns have changed www.sabineconnection.com on the main lake, but according to the folks I talk with, the trout on the jetties and lower ship channel are acting like trout should act.

Tides and wind direction merit more consideration when fishing

south, but the Louisiana side of the jetties has been good for both trout and redfish all the way back to the beach front. The pocket can truly be an adventure as you never know if it is going to be wall to wall sharks or schools of redfish running the shallow surf.

While the redfish are filling the gap for a lot of trout fishermen, that bite has been anything but normal for the past couple of weeks. Our shad hatch took place late and that alone has slowed the open lake madness that usually occurs this time of the year.

Finding big schools of redfish blowing holes in the surface and shrimp or shad in the air is downright exhilarating, but we are not seeing much of that at this point. Those redfish are still there, but much more difficult to locate when the birds aren’t ratting them out.

We have had a few occasions when we caught multiple fish out of a single school without ever seeing any signs on the surface. The best part of that pattern is that they seem to hold better when cruising the bottom and not herding shad where we can spot the activity.

It could change tomorrow, but we are doing most of our catching from Willow south to Garrison’s. By the time you read this, however, they could be all over Coffee Ground as well, or we could be evacuating.

Do not overlook the Intracoastal. Several redfish tournaments have been won by anglers fishing only the ICW. The marsh bite has been woefully slow of late, but the bite in the deeper water of the ICW has been very consistent.

For my money, the best shot at a productive day on the lake is working the flooded grass on the Louisiana shoreline.

Because we are currently catching more flounder than I have caught in a long time, I am now targeting them and have downsized to the three-inch Usual Suspect and Gulp curly tail grubs rigged on a one-eighth ounce heads.

Flounder bite is The majority of the keeper fish are only in the sixteen to not a bad Plan B! nineteen inch range, but we are releasing a lot of smaller fish as well. The bonus is that occasional four pound flounder or a solid slot red that unexpectedly crashes the party.

This is a program that will last all day long regardless of tide movement. The bite will slow down a little at times, but as of yet has not completely stopped. I am most comfortable fishing this pattern with a Laguna 6 ½ foot medium-light rod and reel filled with 20-pound braid and 12-pound mono leader. A loop knot will get you more strikes.

Any time the trout bite is tough, fishing pressure is nonexistent on Sabine Lake and that has been the case most of the summer. I feel certain that it is more crowded south of the Causeway, but I am yet to work a flock of birds with another boat in the lake.

It is not like you can’t catch a Texas legal trout in the lake right now. They are all but impossible to pattern, but you can still limit very quickly if you find yourself at the right place at the right time.

While fishing the shorelines we are constantly scanning the open lake for birds that have already found the trout. Most of these fish are on the small side, but they are fun to catch.

Remember…kids don’t care what is pulling on the other end of their line just as long as it is happening on a frequent basis!

52 | August 2021

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...continued from page 45. females as small as 2.6 inches. Egg production in females has also been shown to be greatly reduced in fished populations, compared to unexploited populations, with females in exploited populations producing only 12 percent of eggs. Restrictions have been placed on fishing for spiny lobsters, mainly to prevent berried females from being caught, and to allow juveniles to grow.

Where I learned about spiny lobsters, and you can too!

World Register of Marine Species marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=382891#distributions NOAA Fisheries www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/caribbean-spiny-lobster www.fisheries.noaa.gov/management-plan/gulf-mexico-and-south-atlanticspiny-lobster-fishery-management-plan IUCN Red List www.iucnredlist.org/species/169976/6697254 Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org/accounts/Panulirus_argus/ Smithsonian Marine Station naturalhistory2.si.edu/smsfp/irlspec/Panuli_argus.htm Caribbean Coral Reef Fishery Resources, edited by J.L. Munro books.google.com/books?id=yuGjAS0kwlgC&pg=PA207#v=onepage&q&f=false

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TSFMAG.com | 53

BINK GRIMES

THE VIEW FROM Matagorda

It’s an August morning and the flags are hanging limp at the bait camp; you are already sweating as you launch the boat before sunrise. You have a problem.

In the words of Capt. Tommy Alexander, “Should I go with a double M ata go r d a meat with cheese or just get the triplemeat Whataburger? In fishing terms that means, “Should I take the safe bet and drift East Matagorda Bay and catch and Bink Grimes is a full-time fishing release 5- to 8-pound trout, or do I roll and hunting guide, freelance the dice and head to the calm-green writer and photographer, and surf and hope for one of those magical owner of Sunrise Lodge on Matagorda Bay. days when every trout out there is ready to bang a topwater?

Neither are a bad choice in August.

Telephone 979-241-1705 The reefs in East Matagorda Bay are Email a good place to bide my time; and, you binkgrimes@sbcglobal.net need calm, green waters to fish these Website pieces of shell during an arid August. I matagordasunriselodge.com start at Long Reef and look for flipping mullet. If I see mullet, I begin wading on the far west end of the reef and work my way to the east. It usually takes at least two hours to wade it right. My bait of choice is a She Dog or Super Spook Jr. If there is a chop on the water, the She Dog is my bait. If calm, the subtle Spook Jr. gets the call. Drull’s Lump, Halfmoon, Barefoot, Red Cone, Three Beacon and Bird Island reefs are all solid choices.

Say my first choice of the morning is the surf. I arrive and look for hopping shrimp, nervous shad and jumping mullet, and begin working the second bar with a topwater. If I get a blowup I get out and wade the first gut so I can fan-cast both the first gut and the top of the bar.

This scenario plays out best on a day with an ardent incoming tide.

If the tide is falling, I have had better success using my Power Poles or “spot-lock” on my trolling motor and staging in five feet of water and casting back toward the beach from the boat. The attitude of the surf determines everything.

Many mornings the waves are too angry to get in tight on the beach. There is nothing worse than your boat taking “Hawaii 5-O” waves over the bow as you try to push your boat off the beach. I speak from experience.

The new trolling motor technology of “spot-lock” allows your boat

to remain outside the big waves while not fighting an anchor to hold you in place.

There is no shame in arriving on the beach and turning back around and heading to the bay. Sometimes conditions look prime for a tranquil Gulf of Mexico, but as you break the jetties 2-3 footers are rolling onto the sand; and, there is nothing worse than a humid August day with Mal de Mer. Post Freeze Report: I am happy to report we have had some wonderful trout days in the past six months, since the Freeze of 2021.

What I am not happy to report is the loss of enthusiasm for taking care of our trout.

Several guides and outfits declared they would take the lead in changing attitudes on their boats for more of a catch-and-release mentality, while losing the stringer and dead fish pictures on social media. Everyone was on board with thousands of Facebook likes and pats on the back for conservation.

What happened? Those same captains who stepped up for the fishery in the spring are now back to the “good ole’ days” of killing everything they catch. It is very disappointing.

Many cry, “I have to make a living; I have to post dead fish pictures.”

What I have found on my boat has been just the opposite.

We explain what we are trying to do for the fishery and 99% of our customers are on-board. There has been one instance in the last six months when an angler on my boat was not hip to what we were selling. I will take those odds and keep on rolling.

As professionals in our craft we control the narrative. We are the ambassadors, good or bad, for our estuaries. The freeze, as bad as it was, gave us a reason to change and be better anglers and a real opportunity to make our fishing so much better.

The good news is there remain many anglers who are carrying the torch of conservation.

We can’t control everything, but we can control ourselves.

There is nothing wrong with partaking of the bay’s bounty and enjoying the wildlife God has granted us for sustenance – just be good stewards and consider giving back more than you take.

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Matagorda: Hot August Surf and Trout Conservation 54 | August 2021

TSFMAG.com | 55

CAPT. GARY GRAY

MID-COAST BAYS With the Grays

It’s no secret the amount of rainfall we’ve been receiving and sooner or later it all ends up in the bay. The water color in much of San Antonio and Espiritu Santo bays resembled iced tea during most of June; ditto the Ranch Port O'Connor House shoreline in West Matty. Never Seadrift a good sign. What we learned, though, was that even when the water looked completely fresh didn’t mean it was.

Captain Gary Gray is a full We caught trout in many places in time guide, born and raised in Espiritu Santo while San Antonio was Seadrift. He has been guiding a different animal altogether. All along the Seadrift/Port O’Connor the south shoreline from the South region since 1986. Gary Pass area down to Panther Point gave specializes in year ‘round wade fishing for speckled trout and us nothing but gafftops. redfish with artificial lures.

Fast forward to July and we are seeing trout green water returning Telephone to Espiritu Santo and small areas of 361-785-6708 San Antonio. No surprise; the trout Email bayrats@tisd.net bite has improved with the water Website color in Espiritu Santo as far south as www.bayrat.com the First Chain of Islands. Not saying Facebook there haven’t been any trout in San @captsgaryandshelliegray Antonio proper, I’m just saying the fishing has been better for me in Espiritu Santo. If the water color continues to improve in San Antonio we will make some excursions that way to investigate.

June was very good for us in the surf and it continues to hold up well thus far in July – lots of hungry trout and redfish. Somewhat different than years past as we’ve had to dodge pockets of offcolored water at times due to runoff from the beach. I dodge the dirty water in the surf because you usually end up catching mostly hardheads and sharks. We’ve had to play the winds and tides, deciding whether to head west out of Pass Cavallo or east out of the Big Jetties to find green water.

Hopefully, heading into August, and barring additional heavy rainfall and runoff events, the fresh water will have worked its way out of the area bays and surf. Notice I said hopefully.

The surf can be fished by a variety of methods and wading is preferred by most of my clients. The key to wade fishing the surf safely

Garrett Weischwill with his San Antonio Bay redfish.

Toothy critters are a common catch near the gulf during summer.

is where you anchor the boat. I always try to anchor between the second and third bar, in the second gut. In some instances, where the first gut is wide enough, I will anchor my Shallow Sport there.

Wading is our first choice, although really calm days offer the chance to remain in the boat and ride the troll motor along the beach.

When fishing in this manner we concentrate our casts in the first and second guts. Pitching your favorite She Dog into a flat surf is an excellent way to spend the morning. The explosions you get from an angry tide-runner are second to none!

Another way to fish the surf, and probably the most popular for many anglers nowadays, is setting your anchor so that you can throw live bait back into the first and second guts. I am going to tell you right now though; you have to get that bait where the trout and reds are.

I see anglers out there every day anchored too far offshore, outside the third gut. Some will be casting further offshore and others just throwing alongside the boat. This is where you will pick up stuff like large stingrays, sharks, and any number of undesirable species. You need to target the first and second guts!

Granted there will be days when it is unsafe to anchor near the beach and these are the days you simply shouldn’t try it. My rule of thumb is that if waves are breaking on the third bar, turn around and go back to the bay. Better yet, if the marine forecast says seas bigger than two feet, don’t even try. The surf can become a dangerous place very quickly.

Lure selection lately has primarily been our trusty Saltwater Assassins in Purple Chicken and Magic Grass, rigged on 1/16 ounce Assassin jigheads. I occasionally have a topwater aficionado that only wants to throw tops, and I’m fine with that. I will say that the angler that sticks with his topwaters will end up one of two ways; he will either have the largest stringer of the group…or the lightest.

A final bit of advice about wade fishing near passes to the gulf pertains to wearing some type of PFD. There are many styles available, from inflatables to vest types. Passes have stronger currents than you encounter further down the beach and the risk of being swept in or out by the tide is often very real. I prefer not to wade near any of the passes for this reason.

Fish hard, fish smart!

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Simple Cleaning Tip: Make Fishing Rods Look New Again 56 | August 2021

TSFMAG.com | 57

DAVID ROWSEY

HOOKED UP WITH Rowsey

Upper Laguna/ Baffin

David Rowsey has over 25 years in Baffin and Upper Laguna Madre; trophy trout with artificial lures is his specialty.

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

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

“Would somebody please throw some water on the fire?” That’s a verse from a song I heard this afternoon as I jumped into my super-heated truck to load the boat after being in the hot sun all day, and what seemed like bubbling hot water.

The lack of wind in July is par for the course but dang if it doesn’t seem especially hot this year. Some kid told me it’s global warming. My doc says it’s the diabetes meds. One old salt said I’m just not as young as I used to be.

There may be some truth to all but I’m thinking that becoming a Yellowstone River fly fishing guide, June through August, may be how I redefine myself next year. I’m kidding, of course, but there are days that fighting bears seems more appealing than fighting a typical south Texas summer.

Despite the killing freeze, we are still targeting trout daily. The good news is we are catching them. The majority are small, but I am so thankful there are trout in the bay to continue spawning.

We are getting on the water very early, arriving to our first wading area

just as light is breaking through. Without doubt, your best chance to be successful on trout is before 9:00 a.m. After that, you have one of two options to keep the catching going. For trout, get on the deepest breaks you can find that are holding bait. Wade deep and cast deeper, working your lure close to bottom as you retrieve it back up along the drop-off you are wading. This technique can produce bites just about all day, albeit the process can be a true grind.

Wading deep rock piles can be equally effective. Keep in mind though, not every rock is guaranteed to have trout on them. There must be bait present to have even half a chance. The good news is that you can make that determination before you even get out of the boat.

No bait…move on to other rock formations.

When the sun climbs higher, long about 10:00 a.m., your fishing effort can be redirected to site-casting on the flats that we are blessed to have miles of in the Upper Laguna/Baffin system. Schooling reds and black drum will be easy targets during this part of the day and can make for some exciting fishing. And before you thumb your nose at black drum, be advised that trout of all sizes routinely cruise with them to snatch up whatever bait they are spooking and not devouring.

Another bonus is that black drum can be mighty fine on the dinner plate, if you care to take some home.

“Back in the day,” as they say, you could always count on running across some big schools of reds while headed back to Bluff’s Landing Marina. The good news is we still find them; however, it may take a little more work versus past years. The number of boats pursuing them now is tenfold, and they tend to stay on the spooky side, so the challenge is real when you do find them. My best advice as to spot them from a distance and drift into them quietly. Unbelievably, even a trolling motor can spook them beyond casting distance.

TPWD should be releasing results of their spring gill net surveys sometime in July. Personally, I would like to see the bag limit remain at three fish, but with the “keep” slot restructured to 17- to 20-inches, from the current 17- to 23-inches, enacted following the freeze. These bays have been banged up by fishermen using live croaker almost thirty years now, and the decline in the fishery was obvious even before the freeze.

Adding the setback of the February freeze to the perceived long-term decline (croaker related harvest and explosion of fishing pressure), we will be hanging by a thread if TPWD opts to return to “business as usual” going forward. Two technicians with Coastal Fisheries tell me the post-freeze gill net surveys are showing an increase in trout numbers. I find that especially disturbing when our trout-to-hand numbers are down 70-75% in Baffin, and 90% in the Upper Laguna. It is hard to fathom how their science and our manhours with rods and reels are so vastly different, and I am speaking for many fishermen and guides.

Remember the buffalo! -Capt David Rowsey

View The Video Gretchen Sengelmann with one of many reds caught over two days with her dad, Bill. I just drive the boat. All CPR! I appreciate them looking out for the future of the fishery.

58 | August 2021

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Post-Freeze Mullet Schools in Upper Laguna; Like the Good Old Days!

TSFMAG.com | 59

WAYNE DAVIS

WAYNE’S Mansfield Report

Greetings from Port Mansfield! I will the Harte Research Institute – Texas A&M Corpus Christi. jump right in and point out that water Speaking of the Harte Institute. Dr. Greg Stunz and team will be in temperatures got hot in a hurry this Port Mansfield on Sunday, September 19 assisting with a ReleaSense summer. What we normally see in seminar and training. The Port Mansfield Chamber of Commerce will August arrived in June. I’ve seen it as be hosting and everyone is invited. Dr. Stunz will provide scientific Port high as 91° and the average has been data regarding post-release survival and other topics. This is your Mansfield around 88°. There are patches of cooler opportunity to get the facts and ask questions of those who know. water near the East Cut but the flats Moving into late summer we should see redfish beginning to and backwater areas get toasty by school. If the water remains hot this might actually start in deeper midday. Makes me wonder what the water, and then move shallower as the water cools. There is nothing Captain Wayne Davis has water temps will be in August. quite like walking into a school of hungry reds in knee-deep water been fishing the Lower In my last column I reported redfish with everyone hooking up and having a good time.

Laguna-Port Mansfield for action being relatively strong with Just yesterday I ran across a school of redfish in a big pothole. When over 20 years. He specializes trout still slow. Fishing has slowed in this happens, make a wide circle and set up about 75 yards upwind. in wade fishing with lures. general since then and some days can Let it settle down for a few minutes and then slowly wade back toward flat out be a struggle.

Since the rise the pothole. Most of the time the reds will resume feeding and you Telephone 210-287-3877 in water temperature both the reds can ease in and catch a few. We did this and were successful. Check Email and trout have ventured off to deeper out the accompanying QR-code video. Brad Jackson had never wade captwayne@kwigglers.com water. It is challenging for the wade fished or even caught a redfish. However, on this day he had the rare fisherman, but it can still be done. pleasure of watching the school approach and with a little coaching When winds are relatively calm you can set up on submerged spoil he nailed it. On his third cast, no less. humps and toss soft plastics toward deeper water. The key is fishing Right now, our topwater bite has not been all that great but them near bottom while slowly bouncing the lure back up the spoil. the KWigglers 4-inch Paddle Tail and Willow Tail Shad have been This method has produced for us, but as noted, it is up to the wind producing the best bites in the shallow. The Ball Tail Shad has been on whether you can make it work. point in deeper water.

On breezier days we set up near the ICW and work close to the Stay safe and remember now is the time to help our bay. Please ledge. This scenario works best with south-southeast wind. You want release more than you keep. to cast parallel to the channel and Brad Jackson’s red caught from a Who says redfish aren’t southerly winds help in that regard. school we found in a large pothole. fun? Jimi Frausto sure Our next play, if it is blowing 15-plus, is enjoyed catching this one! setting up along spoils early and working between them and the ICW. This is typically good until mid-morning or a bit later, depending on the amount of boat traffic.

Floating grass is another issue we have to work around and it can be a deal breaker at times. Floating grass can be wind or tidal driven. If you watch the currents, you can usually find a stretch of water that is fishable. It may not be the exact area you want to fish, but it is what it is. Later in the day we are also working deep grassbeds and ledges to get bites when fish on shallow flats become scarce.

If you have caught on that we have to fish near deep water with current, you are correct. The primary exception would be at first light.

Snook are a different animal; they love hot water. The tricky part is View The Video finding them. Based on the February freeze it’s sure to be a challenge.

Open Camera and hover over QR Code. When link But I am up for a challenge, so I will be poking around the flats and appears at top of screen tap to open in YouTube. potholes I have found them in years past and see what I come up Brad Jackson’s First Time Wade with. I sure hope that some made it through because they are such a Fishing and First-Ever Redfish! spectacular fish. I would also like to get a few more tags in them for 60 | August 2021

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CAPT. ERNEST CISNEROS

SOUTH PADRE Fishing Scene

On a recent charter I was guiding a new client with minimal fishing experience.

On one stop, he asked me, “Do redfish ever go deep?” I replied that indeed Arr o y o they do and proceeded to explain the C ol o ra d o seasonal patterns of the species. Finding t o Po rt fish that day had been frustrating and I sa bel toward the end of my explanation I almost wished I was an offshore guide rather than inshore. Part of our problem A Brownsville-area native, that day was fishing the backside of a Capt. Ernest Cisneros fishes the Lower Laguna Madre from full moon, which is almost a given for Port Mansfield to Port Isabel. tougher than average fishing.

Ernest specializes in wading I don’t want to sound like it’s all and poled skiff adventures for doom and gloom down here but I am snook, trout, and redfish. experiencing the most challenging summer in my twenty-three year career Cell 956-266-6454 as a Lower Laguna Madre fishing guide.

Website Not only are we seeing the effects of www.tightlinescharters.com the devastating February freeze almost daily, it doesn’t help that the scorching air temperatures have caused water temperatures to rise much earlier this summer than normal. To add to the frustration, bottom grasses torn loose by the near constant winds are clogging the water column and floating on the surface. It has been nearly impossible to work lures through the stuff some days.

Suffice to say we need a change in weather and water conditions to get back on track and hopefully August will bring such a change.

August marks the beginning of tropical storm We are still activity in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. finding a few good ones - CPR! Even when storms do not affect us directly they create high tides that push cooler water into our bay system. Not wishing for a hurricane, but the low barometric pressures, overcast skies and cooler Gulf waters flowing into the bays would undoubtedly help our situation and improve our fishing.

Redfish have been generally scarce and catching them has been somewhat hit and miss. We have found small schools in isolated areas but they don’t stay very long due to boat traffic and fishing pressure. The most consistent locations have been edges of spoils in early morning and a falling tide helps concentrate them in scattered sand pockets along the ICW. Even when the tides have been super low they have been vanishing like Houdini. In recent months we found success keying on schools of bait but even this pattern has become rather unreliable. A moving tide, coming or going, and focusing on channel edges and nearby potholes is my best suggestion at present.

August’s higher tides will bring the back bays back into play and the edges of channels and spoils should continue to hold redfish.

Redfish love blue crabs and if you can find areas with an abundance of 62 | August 2021

small crabs there’s a good chance redfish can be located nearby. Small topwaters should attract lots of attention from redfish as the water begins to cool. Gold spoons and KWigglers Ball Tails and Willow Tails are also very effective.

Of all the species we target there is no doubt in my mind that our trout fishery was hit the hardest during the freeze. Areas that were covered with dinks are now void of trout of any size. With water temperatures currently being as hot as they have been, trout have stayed in deeper water. I purposely cruised the ICW with my GPS down scan; on my screen I could see balls of baitfish and larger fish in the middle of the channel. As with the redfish, once the water cools down a bit, I look for trout to begin frequenting the flats in targetable numbers and staying there for longer periods.

I will add, more now than ever, it’s critical how we handle and release trout that will not be retained. The species needs every little bit of help they can get to rebound to pre-freeze numbers.

When weather permits, fishing the jetties this time of the year can bring some success. The tarpon will be in full migration along the beaches and kingfish will be roaming the jetties in good numbers.

Snook fishing will be in full swing around the new and full moons as they get ready to spawn during days with optimal tide exchanges.

Keep an eye on the weather forecasts as things can change quickly for the worst in August. Target days with strongest tidal flows with special attention to the day’s solunar feeding periods. Water temperature can be critical to fishing success, whether measured on your GPS unit or with a handheld thermometer and, above all, remain patient. Boat traffic will soon be lighter as school starts and preparations for hunting seasons capture the interest of many outdoor enthusiasts.

Chris Colin caught this solid trout on a KWigglers Ball Tail while wading deep.

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Trophy Snook Showing in Lower Laguna

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TSFMAG.com | 63

FISHING REPORTS

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 James reports catching limits most every day in June and July, usually by working shallow structures lying close to deep water. “Not sure why all the fish are so close to deep water. You could shoot a BB Gun and hit water 30 feet deep in most of the spots I’m catching lately. If you have some rocks and shell in the shallows and deep water close by, with some mullet rafted up in the shallow part, it’s been money in the bank. We’ve been catching a fair number on pink ShePups. The shrimp colored Assassin Sea Shads are working well too. Today, the glow/chartreuse Lil’ Johns worked best. For a while there, it was a dark bodied lure with a white tail. I expect this to continue as we head on through the summer. Not seeing a reason for the fish to move shallow until we get some cooler weather now. Average size of the trout has been pretty good, with lots of two and three pounders, a few around four or a little more. No big ones really. But it’s good fishing. Better than I expected after the freeze and better than last year, with more spots producing fish consistently.”

Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054 Jim says the fishing in East Galveston Bay during the heat of the summer is best in deeper water, on average, with a few exceptions.

“Mostly, we catch ‘em out in the middle this time of year. We key on slicks and rafted baited, occasionally mud stirs and working birds to find fish around some of the deep reefs. Topwater bite can be good at times, but it’s mostly a soft plastic thing. Mostly, though, location is more important than lure choice. Wading can be better than fishing out of the boat at times. When it’s windy, sometimes we’re forced to wade the shorelines, or fish in the bayous and marshes. The shorelines produce better when tides are pretty high, especially when they’re coming in early in the mornings. Low tides and high winds are tough this time of year. It’s sometimes possible to catch fish in deeper holes in the bayous on low tides, when it’s windy. Of course, when the surf is right, wading out there is often as good or better than the fishing in the open waters of East Bay. I don’t do it much as a guide, but it works really well for others, for sure.”

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 August is a great month to fish in the vicinity of San Luis Pass, with multiple productive options, Randall says. “When winds are light, the surf on both sides of the Pass produces limits of trout on a steady basis. Topwaters work great out there when the waves are quiet. We also like to make some quick runs offshore to target king mackerel, snapper and other pelagics this time of year, when conditions allow.

It’s really a hoot to watch kings blow up on topwaters. Calm winds also make the fishing good on the flats behind the Pass this time of year, when the tide is right. A decent high tide without too much strength in the current makes the fishing best. On windier days, and when tides are a bit lower, fishing the deeper water in West Bay is better. The spoils close to the ICW often produce good catches of trout on days like those. And, of course, fishing for reds in the backwater areas can be excellent this time of year. Some days, the reds will make fools of themselves taking topwaters like SkitterWalks. On other days, throwing soft plastics at them works a whole lot better.”

64 | August 2021

ORECASTS F from Big Lake to Boca Chica

AND

Matagorda | Bay Guide Service Tommy Countz- 979.863.7553 cell 281.450.4037 Tommy anticipates some fast action in the surf in August. “We’ve had some light winds recently, and August usually brings more calm days, with green water to the beach. When that happens, we head out to the beachfront. I like to wade early, working topwaters in the first gut, especially if I see birds working close to the sand, or lots of mullet in the shallows. We’ll walk out a little deeper once the sun gets higher and switch to soft plastics. If we’re fishing East Bay, we’re usually drifting and throwing live shrimp under popping corks, unless winds are light and water clarity is good. Then, we do well with topwaters early and soft plastics later. Usually, we throw quarter-ounce heads and light colored worms, but if the bite is tougher, it’s sometimes better to move to a sixteenth-ounce head, which forces you to slow way down in order to stay low in the water. Same kind of plan works well at times when we’re wading West Bay. Especially on falling tides, the reds will sometimes pile up in some of the deeper guts a ways from shore, and they’re easiest to catch with low and slow presentations.”

Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 Lately, out trout bite has been pretty fast and furious out around the wells in West Matagorda Bay. We’ve been fishing live shrimp rigged four to five feet under popping corks, also working closer to the shell pads on the bottom at times, with good success rates. The surf has also been quite productive when winds are light. We caught good numbers of trout out there on SheDogs in green/chrome and pink/chrome recently, fishing the first gut just after daybreak, then moving out to the deeper guts later, where we caught better on pearl paddletails. Fishing for reds remains great; we’ve been catching most of our reds in the upper reaches of Tres Palacios Bay on live shrimp or mullet rigged about a foot under popping corks, close to any concentration of shell we find. Lots of black drum in the lower end of the slot have been running with the reds. Flounder gigging has picked up lately, as the water has gotten more salty, and we’re starting to see lots of good sized ones on most trips. Best time for gigging is on a falling tide early in the night. In August, we’ll continue to work these same summer patterns for the most part.

Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith Back Bay Guide Service - 361.983.4434 Heavy rains and flooding conditions in the rivers dumping into West Matagorda and San Antonio bays will likely concentrate the fish in the area around Pass Cavallo at the end of the summer, Lynn says. “All this rain generally sends the fish right to us here in Port O’Connor.

We’ll be fishing the shoreline flats close to the pass the rest of the summer, most likely, with trips out into the surf when winds get light enough to green the water up along the beach. This time of year, we spend most of our time wading and throwing topwaters early in the morning, then switch over to soft plastics as the day heats up. On some of the cloudy days, the switch is never really even necessary.

As always, when the weather’s warm, finding concentrations of bait is a big key to catching the fish. That really shouldn’t be a problem as we get so many fish crowded into the area around the jetties and the pass, except it’s important to look for signs of the predators within

the schools of bait. Slicks, lots of frantic jumpers, mud stirs and swirls usually indicate feeding trout and reds.”

Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894 Blake had been experiencing good fishing prior to giving this report, and he expects it to continue through the rest of the summer. “We’ve had some good days in the surf lately. Conditions haven’t allowed us to get out there that much, but when we have been able to, it’s been easy fishing. Fishing in the bays has been good too. The average size of the trout has been nice, and we’re catching plenty, mostly using live croakers, but some days the lure fishing is steady too. With all this rain, we might see a concentration of fish around the areas which already produce well this time of year, meaning the sandy flats adjacent to both deep channels leading out of Port Aransas. These places normally produce big catches of schooling trout and reds in hot weather. The reds begin to show up in concentrations there by August, on their way out to the Gulf for winter. I also expect the dove hunting to be excellent this year. All this rain helps produce crops on the ag fields inland from here. There’s lots of milo and other crops flourishing right now, so we should be set up for fast shooting.”

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 The water in Baffin Bay looks beautiful right now, as is usually the case when the area receives plenty of rain. The clarity of the water is about as good overall as I’ve seen in a long time. I’ve been seeing a few schools of redfish early in the mornings on days when the winds are blowing light, less than ten miles per hour or so. The best way to approach the schools after they’re located is to move well around upwind of them with the big motor, at least one hundred and fifty yards or so, then approach them slowly with the trolling motor. Stop the boat at a distance where the casts will just reach the edge of the school and throw Bass Assassin Die Dappers in natural colors rigged on sixteenth-ounce heads for best results. Half-ounce gold weedless spoons also work great. Don’t allow the boat to drift through the school, as this normally breaks it up and scatters the fish. When the fish aren’t visible, live shrimp rigged about eighteen inches under popping corks tossed into water about two or three feet deep have been producing decent numbers of reds, black drum, flounder and trout.

Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.877.1230 In August, Joe still likes to do some fishing in the shallows, especially early in the mornings. “It’s still possible to locate plenty of schools of redfish in shallow water covering grassy flats this time of year. We get calm winds on a good many August mornings, and that allows us to find the schools by looking for the wakes they push. Sight-casting later in the day can be tougher, on average. Some of the fish definitely retreat to cooler, deeper water during the heat of the day, and calm conditions under bright skies can create a mirror effect on the water’s surface, making it tough to see the fish if they’re scattered in small pods, or as singles. In conditions like those, fishing deeper water and targeting trout makes more sense some of the time. Areas in Baffin where rock formations lie in deep water, also the outside edge of the rock line on the Kenedy Shoreline are good places to try down south.

Up north, the wells and platforms in the deep parts of Corpus Christi Bay hold lots of fish this time of year, and they’re easiest to catch when winds are light and the tide is moving.”

P.I.N.S. Fishing Forecast | Eric Ozolins 361-877-3583 | Oceanepics.com Hot, calm days generally deliver large schools of baitfish cruising

down the beach, usually well away from the sand during the day, closer to the surf zone near sundown, when predators chase them more actively. Dusky anchovies begin their migration late this month, or early next month. A variety of gamefish will follow them, including great numbers of skipjacks, Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, speckled trout, redfish, jack crevalle and tarpon. Throwing lures into the chaos could result in a hook up with any of these species. Sharks will also be on the prowl, mostly blacktips and bulls, feeding on both the anchovies and the predators attempting to eat them. Typically, August shark fishing is slow, but this can change in a hurry when a bait ball comes through. Late night outings can produce bites from big tigers, which come into the shallows under the cover of darkness trying to feed on the plentiful adult stingrays there to give birth. Wading anglers should keep their feet tight to the bottom this month. Unfortunate folks who do get stuck by a ray should seek medical attention immediately, to offset the effects of all the bacteria generally inserted into the wound with the barb.

Port Mansfield | Ruben Garza Snookdudecharters.com – 832.385.1431 Getaway Adventures Lodge – 956.944.4000 Fishing has been inconsistent in Port Mansfield lately, good for a few days, then slower for a while. The trout bite better on days when winds are calm, mostly in fairly deep water, north of the East Cut. Wading deep from the old weather station up to Dubb’s Island has been the best bet. The prime part of this area is the break from the shallows to the depths. We’re catching best by targeting the fish in areas where we find schools of finger mullet. South of the East Cut, the deep area east of Bennie’s Island all the way past the Pipeline has produced on some days, a mix of trout and reds. On the west side, on days with light to moderate winds, the stretch between Century Point and the Oak Mottes has produced at a fair rate, as has the entrance to Gladys’ Hole. The action on the reds has been steady, but a high percentage of the fish measure under the slot. Best lures lately have been KWigglers in Lagunaflauge and plum/chartreuse Ball-tails, rigged on eighthounce jigheads. KWigglers shrimp-tails dangled under the STX Tackle popping corks have also been calling up some fish.

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Aaron Cisneros | tightlinescharters.com – 956-639-1941 With the summer heat in full swing, we’re catching most of our fish by wading deep water, about as deep as we can. Trout fishing has improved somewhat over the days just after the freeze. We’ve been finding decent numbers of fish in three to five feet of water, focusing on bright sand spots on the bottom. Our best presentations have been low and slow, close to the bottom. Soft plastics have worked best. KWigglers Mansfield Margarita Ball-tail Shads have been the steadiest producers. The reds have also been hanging in pretty deep water, taking topwaters in the mornings, but biting soft plastics better the rest of the day. Searching for signs of bait in depths about three to five feet has helped us locate them on most days. Early morning wades along the spoils have also produced decent catches of reds before the boat traffic ramps up too much. KWigglers Ball-tails rigged on quarter-ounce screw-lock jigheads have worked best, since they’re easy to keep close to the bottom. I expect the fish to remain concentrated in the deeper sand pockets until we get some cooler weather at the end of the summer and heading into fall.

TSFMAG.com | 65

Lincoln Patterson Sargent - black drum CPR

Blaine Teare Galveston Jetties - 26” redfish

JJ Rodriguez III Port Mansfield - trout 66 | August 2021

Mark Hooker East Galveston Bay - 14 lb redfish CPR

Chris Zak and son, Kaiden Aransas Bay - 23” redfish

Brooks Hollis Galveston - 27” first big red!

Carl Hooker Alazan Bay - ~20 lb red CPR

Ricky Juarez Matagorda Fishing Pier - 41” bull red

Garret Bonnerjee East Matagorda - redfish

Christopher Mariscal Jr. Freeport Park - 18” black drum

LeeAnne Mesquite Bay - 24.5” 6 lb redfish CPR

Jennifer Zoller Chocolate Bay - 26.5” redfish

Jackson Volmert San Luis Pass - 24.5” flounder

Photo Gallery Guidelines First come – first published!

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

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

Jim Wilson Galveston Bay - ~10 lb tripletail CPR

Chris Smith Pelican Island - 46’ 26 lb redfish TSFMAG.com | 67

PAM JOHNSON

Gulf Coast

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

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

Buttery Tarragon Shrimp Move over BBQ shrimp! This new kid on the block just might steal your crown with its buttery goodness and savory hint of tarragon.

INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

1 pound shrimp tails - peeled and deveined 2 cloves garlic - minced 1 Tbs fresh parsley - finely chopped 1/2 shallot - medium size, minced 2 sticks butter - softened 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 1 tsp fresh tarragon - finely chopped Salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F.

68 | August 2021

Mix together garlic, parsley, shallots. Add breadcrumbs, and tarragon.

Place a stick of butter in each of two large ramekin dishes and melt in microwave oven. Arrange shrimp in melted butter and stir lightly to coat evenly.

Cover with breadcrumb mixture and bake about 25 minutes. Baking time can vary depending on size of shrimp.

Great as an appetizer or as a compliment to steak or seafood dinner.

Science and the

Sea

TM

Coral Strikes Back at Crown of Thorns Crown of thorns sea stars are dangerous predators on coral reefs. The sea stars are intimidating creatures that can grow to nearly a foot and a half across. Their multiple arms—up to 21 on a single individual—are covered in long, toxin-tipped spines, and they feed on coral. They can devastate entire reefs. One of the sea stars’ primary natural predators, the giant triton snail, is a threatened species, so it has been unable to prevent the crown of thorns from taking over massive coral reef regions in the Pacific Ocean.

Crown of thorns sea stars eat coral and often devastate reefs.

Credit: Jon Hanson, Wikipedia, CC-BY-SA-2.0 But it turns out, coral isn’t as helpless as scientists previously thought when it comes to defending itself against the crown of thorns. Young crown of thorns sea stars feed primarily on algae and then switch to feeding on coral as they grow into adults. During this transition, stinging cells on coral’s tentacles and outer tissue can damage the delicate tube feet the sea stars use to move across the coral.

Scientists have been able to catch this interaction on video. They watched the juvenile sea star curl back its arm to avoid the coral’s sting.

Repeated damage to its arms can stunt the sea star’s growth and reduce the arm’s length by up to 83 percent. More than a third of the 37 sea stars studied by Australian biologists sustained injuries. Most of them survived and regenerated the missing or damaged arms within a few months, but 11 percent of the young sea stars studied died.

It’s good news that corals can fight back at least a little against these ruinous sea stars. But scientists also know these defenses aren’t enough to save coral when it still faces threats from global rises in temperature, acidification of seawater, fishing and pollution.

www.ScienceAndTheSea.org © The University of Texas Marine Science Institute TSFMAG.com | 69

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

C H R I S M A P P ’ S R E PA I R & M A I N T E N A N C E

BATTERY MAINTENANCE & SELECTOR SWITCHES Chris Mapp, owner of Coastal Bend Marine and Flats Cat Boat Company.

Great Service, Parts & Sales.

“What can we do for you?”

selector switch has three positions; 1, 2, and All. How should it be set when running the boat?

Wet cell batteries are most common and have life expectancy of twenty-four to thirty months, on average.

During their life the terminal connections must be inspected and cleaned regularly to insure proper charging. Also, keep the battery case between the

70 | August 2021

Some of the most frequently asked questions we receive pertain to batteries. How often should batteries be changed? Another deals with selector switches; My battery

terminals free of dust build-up to prevent formation of a conductive path that can deplete voltage while the boat is stored.

Battery switches with 1, 2, and All should be set on either 1 or 2 when running – not All. The engine’s charging system is based on twelve volts and physically produces between twelve and fourteen volts. When set on All, any combination of twelve volts, six and six, or eight and four, will cause the charging system to shut off, whereas position 1 or 2 guarantees full charge to the battery selected.

In the case of low charges in both batteries, switching to All allows combined voltage of the pair to help crank the engine. Leave the switch on All until back to port. Never change the battery switch while the engine is running to avoid spiking the electrical system.

Enjoy safe boating in August.

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

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

Fin Tastic Coastal Charters

USCG Licensed Captain Stan Sloan

832.693.4292 www.fishfcc.com

ON THE WATER

Saltwater Fishing Clinics WITH

Capt. Robert Zapata

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

For Information Call 361-563-1160

• 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

TROUT REDFISH FLOUNDER

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

Wade & Drifting the Back Bays & Surf

Call 361.983.4434 (cell 361.935.6833) Email lynn@tisd.net (tswf.com/lynnsmith) TSFMAG.com | 71

BE PREPARED FOR YOUR NEXT

FISHING EXCURSION

TM

This rod is great for saltwater trout and redfish fishing and is made with a 1-piece construction for long-lasting use. The cork handle allows for secure, comfortable casting and retrieving, while the rubber butt cap helps you reel in tough fish.

Available in Casting & Spinning Models

SOLD EXCLUSIVELY AT 72 | August 2021

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