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ABOUT THE COVER Ron Richmond is a dedicated shark angler who accomplished an amazing feat recently while fishing Padre Island National Seashore with TSFMag writer and surf fishing guide, Eric Ozolins. Considering retirement from the rigors of landbased shark fishing, Richmond had but one species remaining on his bucket list – the shortfin mako. A rarity among the many species that frequent the Texas surf, Ron’s trophy is only the seventh recorded landbased specimen. Highly migratory, the fish was fitted with an ADL transmitter tag to provide data for shark research prior to the release.

AUGUST 2022 VOL 32 NO 4

CONTENTS FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

8 14 20 24 28

32 36 38 42 44 48 63 70

High Heat Solutions!

Little Gulls and Microspots The Analogy of the Swiss Army Knife Boat Fuel Blues Bringing Baffin Back (Part 1)

Steve Hillman Kevin Cochran Chuck Uzzle Joe Richard L. Scott Murray

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

Science & the Sea Boat Maintenance

32

24 WHAT OUR GUIDES HAVE TO SAY

54 56 58 60 62

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

Bink Grimes Gary Gray David Rowsey Wayne Davis Ernest Cisneros

56

REGULARS 6 Editorial 52 New Tackle & Gear 64 Fishing Reports and Forecasts 66 Catch of the Month 68 Gulf Coast Kitchen

68 4 | August 2022

Jay Watkins Andres Garcia Dave Roberts CCA Texas Stephanie Boyd Eric Ozolins UT Marine Science Institute Chris Mapp

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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

AUGUST WILL BE HOT BUT

DON’T LET THAT HOLD YOU BACK Seems like we couldn’t wait for summer and here we are entering the final full month. Temperature records have been falling almost daily as nearly all of Texas sinks into serious drought, reminiscent of 2011. A recurring question from our writing team this month asks, “After what we’ve already been through, how much hotter can it possibly get?

Weather forecasters have warned that tropical developments loom larger than normal because of elevated sea water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico. Nobody wants to see hurricanes but some cloud cover and rain would certainly be welcome.

Fishing prospects for August are good, despite View The Video the heat. We fished Port Isabel recently, hoping Open Camera & hover to find some snook, but that didn’t happen. What over QR Code. When we did find though was some very respectable link appears, tap to open in YouTube. trout action on flats near the Brazos Santiago Pass. What a relief to slip into thigh-deep 75° August Issue Highlights water streaming in from the gulf after spending the morning on super-heated flats.

Winds are typically much calmer in August, which brings potential for great surf conditions. Reports from anglers who have been lucky to hit the barrier island beaches the few calm days in late June and so far

in July are encouraging.

Nearshore angling is another prime opportunity as seas calm during August. Tarpon, ling, dorado, and kingfish are usually abundant and offer great sport, whether trolling or tossing lures. The possibility of seeing tarpon rolling within sight of the beach and getting one to slam a lure is always a thrill, even if all we get is a few good jumps.

Our regular summer program also includes forays into Matagorda Bay for tripletail, along with tussling with bull reds and jacks at Port O’Connor’s Big Jetties. Tripletail are a true mystery fish, even biologists profess scant knowledge of the species. One thing is certain though, dangling a live shrimp or scented plastic under a cork against a channel marker or other permanent structure is a sure way to learn more about them. As for the bulls and jacks, pretty much all you need is a strong incoming tide during full or new moon in early morning for all the line stretching action you can stand. Where to pitch a heavy jig or large spoon isn’t hard to figure out. We often see huge bait fish eruptions at the surface as the hungry monsters blast through them.

Heavier tackle than commonly used for trout and slot-size reds is highly recommended, lest you get spooled on your first hookup.

So that’s August in a nutshell. Don’t let the heat keep you off the water.

Practice good manners and boating safety, and enjoy the Texas sunrise.

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Dutch Duckett and his son, Jackson, enjoyed a great early morning bite before the heat set in.

High Heat Solutions!

STORY BY STEVE HILLMAN

I

t’s June 26 and the surface water temperature in West Galveston Bay is 91°! Other parts of the bay are ranging from 87 to 90 degrees. And today is not an anomaly; it’s been this way for weeks. We typically don’t see water temps this high until late July or August as the historical average for late June is around 84°F. There are more than a handful of factors contributing to the increase.

Air temperature isn’t the only thing that affects water temperature. Tide exchanges, rainfall, cloud cover, turbidity and wind all influence water temperature.

One of the reasons our bay water temperatures have been running 3 to 6 degrees above average is because of prolonged periods of westerly winds (mainly southwest). While wind normally has a cooling effect (because of evaporation) winds from this direction blow across miles of very warm land before reaching coastal bays, creating a convection oven effect. In addition, winds from this direction tend to cause lower than usual tide levels in our bays and dirty (turbid) water. Turbid water absorbs more heat than clear water.

Interestingly enough, these same winds can actually cause a cooling effect along Gulf beaches and nearshore waters. This phenomenon is known as upwelling and is more common further down the coast as nearshore waters are deeper than those along the upper stretches of the Texas coast. Upwelling occurs when surface winds drive warm surface water away from land (offshore) allowing the deeper (cooler) water to rise up and replace it from beneath. When this occurs it provides oxygen and nutrient rich water and typically can result in some spectacular fishing!

Roland Altinger caught this bonus fish in the middle of some good trout fishing!

Mayra Padron had never fished before but she caught on in a hurry!

Going Shallow for Late Summer Trout Things can get a bit tricky when it comes to figuring out these crazy trout this time of year. Almost everything we hear about late summer trout patterns say to target deeper water. While this can certainly be true I’ve witnessed the opposite many times.

Despite what many folks say, not all trout seek deeper water when the water is hot. If shallow is where the bait is then the fish will follow, especially during the first few hours of daylight. Often times dolphins will push trout up shallower than normal as well. This occurred just the other day as we were catching lots of decent-sized tide runner specks in about four feet of water along the edge of a long reef. Dolphins came in with a vengeance and drove our trout onto the shallowest part of the reef, which was just less than 2 feet!

It was 10 O’clock in the morning and the water temp was 87

degrees. Crazy stuff if you ask me!

Sharks can also have the same effect but we typically don’t quite see the corralling effect that we do with dolphins. It tends to be just the opposite. I’m guessing this is because the sharks we see tend to travel in much smaller groups and in many cases are just loners.

We’ll typically find cooler water closer to our passes because of the influx of gulf water. The incoming flow can also create enough turbulence to raise the dissolved oxygen level, which in turn attracts more fish. Trout become stressed if dissolved oxygen levels drop too low so anywhere we can find cooler water with some current velocity will increase our odds of homing in on some fish.

We’ll often walk into cooler patches of water when wading. Such areas are usually along depth changes where tidal currents have carved an underwater pathway. Some of these undulations are subtle (even less than 6 inches) but the water temperature drop is enough to attract baitfish.

Other areas we commonly find cooler water while wading are along deep edges and near tips of sandbars. These areas obviously are high percentage targets for trout.

Mike Silva and David Carroll caught lots of solid trout, casting along the edge of a sandbar that was holding bait and cooler water.

10 | August 2022

Bert Alvear was the recipient of an awesome early trout bite which gave us plenty of time to find some redfish.

Typical Deep Water Patterns Late Summer Trout 101 pretty much has deep water shell pegged as the top bullet point on everyone’s list. There’s no denying that this is about as reliable a pattern as you can get here in our area but we need to understand what to do when we arrive. We don’t just pull up to our favorite reef, flip the boat sideways and start drifting, expecting to light the world on fire. All reefs have their sweet spots. More often than not those sweet spots include a hump and some live oyster. They can have one or the other but both is much better.

Finding the high spots requires spending time on the reef using our bottom machines and then

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marking them. Google Earth can also point us in the right direction. The only way to know where the live portions of the reefs lie is to either drop anchor and find live oyster on it when you pull it up (this actually happens to me quite often) or to see an oyster boat harvesting or transplanting on a certain portion of the reef.

We talk about slicks all the time and they happen to be one of the most reliable signs for trout, especially here on the upper coast.

Once we’re on the reef we want to fish, it helps to locate fresh trout slicks. Assuming we can accomplish this, we must now approach them from the proper direction based upon what we know about wind speed, wind direction, and current. The size of the slick also comes into play.

The smaller the slick the easier it is to pinpoint the school. The simplest way is to pick a reference Keith McNeely, Chris Sizemore and Haley Mathews had a good morning point such as a crab trap float or a PVC marker trout fishing then got to cool off as we rode around chasing reds! and take notice of which way your boat is drifting in relation to that point. Another simple way is to use your GPS track to find. I keep a bag or two of Berkley GULP! 2” shrimp in my boat line to determine which direction and speed your boat is drifting. this time of year specifically to increase my chances of tricking what I Trout will sometimes venture off of deeper shell to seek the consider the tastiest fish that swims. Live shrimp definitely work the coolness of surrounding deep mud and/or clay. I’m actually best but GULP! Shrimp run a close second and my boat doesn’t have a witnessing this now, which is exceptionally early for this pattern to live well anyway. Tripletail are more plentiful some years than others in emerge. We caught virtually all our trout the other day about 100 our bay but when we have them they are well worth the effort! yards off the main reef over deep mud bottom in the middle of nowhere. Slicks gave them away.

Now Some Simple Tips to Cope With the Heat When I was very young, my dad and I would often fish the Bolivar Get plenty of rest the night before your trip wells and the helicopter pad during summer, throwing Kelly Wiggler Bring plenty of bottled water, Gatorade or PowerAde, and even start shrimptails rigged on 3/8-ounce lead heads. I remember one morning hydrating that morning before the boat leaves the dock when my PawPaw joined us. He was always the quiet one on the boat.

Cold fruit such as watermelon or honeydew melon are awesome on Well, this particular morning he was on the back of the boat throwing a hot day a pearl Bingo and reeling it through the tideline. He caught a beautiful Frogg Toggs chilly pads are amazing redfish and was just grinning ear to ear. Tidelines are another great Wear light-colored clothing and avoid cotton. Polyester blend focal point and I’ve actually been using them to my advantage a lot moisture wicking material will keep you much cooler. Long sleeve shirts lately. I’m not necessarily talking about fishing a tideline out in the with hoods, gloves with fingers cut out, and Buff-style sun masks are all middle of nowhere but one that is on or near structure. They provide smart choices to help prevent skin damage caused by harmful UV light. an ambush point and cooler water.

Crank up the motor and ride around to cool down We’re catching trout in quite a few different areas of the Galveston Boat Rides with a Purpose Bay Complex for the first time since 2014. That was the last year in Many mornings our trout bite is early. Most of my clients have booked which the majority of the water in the complex was as salty as it is full days so we’ll do different things to finish up the trip. One thing we now. This allows our most sought-after species to spread out to many love to do this time of year is chase open-water schools of redfish. It different parts of the bay system. It also allows anglers to spread out as works out great because the boat ride while searching keeps everyone well, giving us all a little more elbow room. And that I love! cool. Of course when we find them and everyone hooks up the heat Start early. Finish early. Stay safe! is no longer on their minds. MirrOlure Lil Johns and Provokers rigged on 1/4 to 3/8-ounce jig heads work exceptionally well when casting to these open bay schools.

There’s another species of fish that requires a bit of running around Steve Hillman is a full-time fishing guide

View The Video

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

Galveston Bay’s Open-Water Redfish

12 | August 2022

CONTACT

STEVE HILLMAN

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

Little Gulls &

Microspots

STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN

T

his past February, a pair of Little Gulls showed up in Port Aransas. Little Gulls can appear just about anywhere in North America, but they’re uncommon in any location. Hoping to see and/or photograph these unusual gulls, many Texans visited the beaches of Port A during the Valentine’s Day month.

I ventured to the base of the South Jetty several times, soon recognizing a pattern of behavior of the Little Gulls and of the Bonaparte’s Gulls with which they like to associate. At night, the birds would sleep on the beach. Early in the morning, they’d take flight and head out onto the Gulf, to do some fishing. Often, during these feeding forays, they’d hover and dive close to the jetty rocks. When done fishing, they’d return to the beach and join a tightly packed “loafing flock,” including other types of gulls and terns, to rest and preen.

So, at times, birders hoping to see and photograph one of the Little Gulls could do so from a parked vehicle, without even getting sand on their feet. But, the images would depict a distant bird standing in a mixed flock. Of course, fortune might allow one to take a picture of the bird coming into the flock, or taking off to leave on a fishing trip.

Taking a picture of a Little Gull hovering and diving to catch fish required making a trek down the rocks of the South Jetty, into the waters of the Gulf. There, mostly near the end of the

Immature Little Gull. Port Aransas. February, 2022.

Adrian Valdez caught this monster trout while tossing a soft plastic at the steep face of a serpulid rock in Baffin Bay, while a steady breeze blew straight at the rock, enhancing the potential of the microspot.

A sand bar and scattered, small grass beds serve as the source for the microspot shown here.

16 | August 2022

line of granite boulders, usually on the leeward side, numbers of gulls hovered and dived. A diligent few photographers managed to capture images of the Little Gulls feeding close in front of us.

All this reinforced a concept for me, one which applies to both birding and fishing.

When fishing, anglers try to accomplish a necessary task of identifying the parts of an area where fish typically hunt for their food. Especially for dedicated lure-chunkers, targeting fish in locations where they actively feed increases the chances of urging them to take a swipe at an offering. Conversely, targeting fish in places where they typically rest often results in lots of empty casts and retrieves.

Narrowing the scope of the search for specific locations in which to target actively feeding fish starts with an acknowledgment of how scale plays a part in the quest. All competent anglers naturally understand this basic tenet. When deciding where to fish, they first identify a part of a bay system in which to make their effort. We might label this large-scale element as a place. Places to fish would include (in various bay systems) the King Ranch Shoreline, the Tide Gauge Bar, Hannah’s Reef, Pringle Lake, Live Oak Bay.....and on and on. All these places, and many others, regularly hold numbers of fish.

But astute anglers don’t just go fishing in a place; they narrow their search even more, when deciding precisely where to make their efforts. The first step in this process involves selecting a spot within the chosen place. Essentially, a spot is a known productive portion of a place. Spots would include the west end of Cathead, the north side of Gladys Hole, the right pocket of Twin Lake on the right, Trout Bayou, on the outside beach of Traylor Island... The most competent anglers gain familiarity with a vast catalog of spots, fishing each in conditions conducive to catching there.

The best sometimes take the reduction of scale when selecting precise locations to one more level, identifying microspots within the spots they fish. All microspots, as their name implies, represent the smallest scale entities in this search for productive locations, but they do show some variability in attributes.

Microspots which exist because of the presence of a structural element are best thought of as permanent microspots.

Serpulid rocks and the granite boulders don’t move; drains emptying back-lakes into main bay systems remain mostly unchanged for long periods of time. And while giant sand bars like the Tide Gauge and reefs like Bull Shoals do change slowly over time—the key word is slowly. Therefore, the positions of microspots associated with permanent structures have relatively fixed locations.

Conversely, microspots associated with cover elements on the bottom have more transient locations.

Grass beds grow and decline, creating seams and other anomalies which generate temporary microspots, the locations of which change seasonally, with the life cycles of the plants which define them. The same applies to smaller oyster reefs, especially those present in areas where working oyster boats change their configuration regularly. Of course, all microspots, whether permanent or temporary in their design or source, provide more positive influence on anglers’ efforts in some conditions than in others. So, both temporary and permanent microspots have transitory aspects.

A particular rock on a jetty system generates an eddy during a specific portion of either the outgoing or incoming tide, creating a

TSFMAG.com | 17

microspot where predators wait to ambush likely when one identifies first a spot and Cold water temperatures and brisk north winds their prey. While the tide moves in the right then a microspot the bird will likely visit enhance the potential of the microspot which direction, with the right amplitude, the when looking for food, then sets up there in produced this ten-pound trout for the captain. microspot enhances the efforts of savvy anticipation of an opportunity. anglers within its reach. During slack tides, When I got my pictures of the feeding or when the tide moves too fast, too slow, Little Gull, a stiff north wind sent waves or in the wrong direction, the microspot crashing into the north face of the South ceases to exist.

Jetty, creating an eddy near its end, on Similarly, when brisk north winds and the lee side. Numerous gulls (including falling tides dump water out of a back-lake the targeted ones) lined up in a relatively and into the main body of a bay, predators short stretch on that side, hovering until set up on the edge of the connecting gut they spotted a fish, then diving to snatch it and take hapless prey pulled toward their from the water. Once the strong, cold blow faces. Without the influence of strong subsided, the whole scenario changed, winds and tides moving water in a specific and all the gulls moved away from the direction, the microspot temporarily rocks to fish. disappears. The same applies to microspots After the Little Gulls moved away from associated with sandbars and reefs. the jetty, photographing them feeding A tide rolling against the wind toward would require the use of a boat and plenty the steep face of a bar or reef creates an of good luck. Successful birders and anglers upwelling current. Hunting trout and reds do all they can to eliminate their need often lurk on the upcurrent side of the for luck. To hedge their bets, the most structure in such a situation. In a place accomplished use their knowledge of how where some subtle anomaly or the presence of some cover element on hunger affects the behavior of the creatures they hope to locate and the bottom further defines an ambush point, a microspot often exists, either identify and photograph, or catch on a rod and reel. They also while the current and wind play together the right way. Changing the consider how the changing conditions affect their targets’ search for wind direction and type of tide movement changes the location(s) food and their own ability to function effectively in specific places. where nearby fish seek their prey.

The video associated with this piece provides a description of a Anglers who succeed in establishing the highest productivity pair of GPS files which include over 200 microspots, from Nueces levels generally have the best awareness of how local conditions like Bay through Corpus Bay, down the ULM and into Baffin. MS203+ tidal movements and tide levels, wind speed/direction and water will work in any brand of GPS, and includes spreadsheets which give temperature influence the microspots within the spots they fish. They more information related to which conditions make fishing each understand this in both positive and negative contexts, factoring in microspot favorable, and which render them temporarily worthless. how the conditions influence not only the likelihood of fish using a The video entitles viewers to a special discount on the product. microspot to feed actively, but also how the conditions affect their For more information about MS203+, contact me via email at ability to target those fish.

KevinCochran404@yahoo.com, or text/call me at 361-688-3714.

For instance, a strong south wind blowing into a long dead-end gut surrounded by tall rocks in Baffin might fill a microspot with feeding fish, while also creating difficulty for anglers attempting to present lures to those fish. Similarly, fish using a microspot might feel no effects from a View The Video Open Camera and hover over QR Code. When link bull tide which renders the microspot unavailable to folks who want to appears at top of screen tap to open in YouTube. wade. Factoring all these issues into decisions allows productive anglers to operate where they know fish actively feed, in conditions which allow MS203+ them to function effectively.

In the end, this is the goal of all angling efforts made with a serious purpose. Anglers who identify as many microspots as possible and who understand how conditions affect those microspots both positively and negatively have a better chance at consistent productivity than those Kevin Cochran is a long-time fishing guide at Corpus Christi (Padre Island), TX. Kevin who think of all parts of a place or even a spot as having equal potential is a speckled trout fanatic and has created at all times. In this way, the attempt to catch fish on a daily basis closely several books and dvds on the subject. resembles the quest to take a specific kind of picture of a Little Gull when Kevin’s home waters stretch from Corpus one appears in a place.

Christi Bay to the Land Cut. Locating the bird might prove fairly easy, if one goes to the place TROUT TRACKER GUIDE SERVICE where others have seen it. Showing up on the beach at the base of the Phone 361-688-3714 South Jetty might provide a decent chance at a sighting of the bird at Email kevincochran404@yahoo.com distance, perhaps flying, or loafing among birds of other species. But, Web www.captainkevblogs.com taking a quality photo of the bird while it’s feeding becomes much more

CONTACT

KEVIN COCHRAN

18 | August 2022

TSFMAG.com | 19

Being well-rounded in a variety of methods and techniques enables anglers to enjoy their sport wherever they go.

The Analogy of the

Swiss Army Knife STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE

I

n a world where we tend to spend much of our efforts and time specializing in certain pursuits, it’s a breath of fresh air to see someone place value on being flexible and becoming proficient at a multitude of different things. Over and over again we see so much emphasis placed on one style of fishing or on one species of fish while seemingly disregarding so many others at the same time. This line of thinking always struck me as odd and it still does today.

I’m fairly certain many folks have heard the four basic descriptions of fishermen. I first heard Larry Dahlberg use these descriptions and they certainly make sense.

“Beginning fishermen just want to catch a fish; it doesn’t matter what kind or how they do it.

The next level of fishermen want to catch a bunch of fish, and again, method doesn’t matter. The third level of fishermen wants to catch a big fish regardless of method. Finally, the fourth level of fishermen wants to catch a particular species while using a specific technique.”

I would certainly say these descriptions are fair and accurate for the most part but they also somewhat discount the angler who takes it upon themselves to become good at a multitude of techniques. By becoming a human version of the Swiss army knife you can greatly increase your odds at not only catching fish but catching fish in a variety of circumstances and conditions.

I guess I should probably explain the Swiss army knife analogy a little further in order to get the desired point across. Take for instance a fisherman who does nothing but fish one technique for one species. Our coast is full of these folks. Day in day out they wade fish while throwing artificial plugs at speckled trout. I personally love doing this, as do many of the TSFM readers, and there is nothing wrong with fishing this way until it’s not the best choice for actually catching fish.

Many Texas anglers shun the use of live baits as if they were the plague. Many anglers look down on other fishermen for actually choosing to use live bait as if they are somehow less of an angler.

Personally I don’t agree with that line of thinking, using live bait requires a different skill set in order to be really good at it. Just because you rig up a mullet or a shrimp doesn’t mean fish magically jump into the boat by the dozen. You still have to know some things to catch fish consistently.

Understanding and perfecting different techniques doesn’t make you less of an angler, it actually makes you better. Look at all the different styles of fishing the offshore guys have to know in order to put fish on the deck. They need to know how to fish bottom structure, how to troll, how to rig live baits, or what type of plug to use to catch all those different species in the gulf. It just makes sense to become a well-rounded angler, especially if you happen to be a guide.

The vast majority of guides along the coast have no idea about what type of skill level their

TSFMAG.com | 21

Absolute flat calm seas are a welcome sight any day for the offshore crowd.

customers possess, unless of course they happen to be repeat customers. Some guides stick to one particular style of fishing and leave it up to their clients to fit that description instead of the other way around. A guide who specializes in shallow water sightcasting with fly gear expects their clients to want to fish using those techniques, which is perfectly fine and well within the guide’s expectations. This situation happens on a daily basis for some guides who choose to operate this way and it works well for those who do it until the situation calls for a different tactic. All manner of factors can change the outlook for the day in the blink of an eye and all of a sudden you are left with little to no options.

Let’s play out a scenario to illustrate both ends of the spectrum between being specialized or flexible. An angler from out west, say Colorado, wants to come to the Texas coast with his fly rod and catch a redfish. He books a guide who specializes in just that style of fishing.

Our angler shows up on the day of the trip and has all the factors working in their favor which leads to a fantastic day on the water and everybody has a great time. Next day sees a new angler show up with the same goals but is met with a completely different set of conditions, now what? As a guide you do everything in your power to accommodate the anglers wishes of trying to catch a redfish on fly but you quickly see it’s not going to happen that day, what do you do?

You have a few choices and they are very clear depending on whether or not the guide is flexible. The guide who does nothing but cast flies will either have to spend a miserable day on the water knowing full well they are against all the odds, cut the trip short and offer a discount, or cancel altogether. None of these options are

View The Video

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

Becoming A Well-Rounded Angler

22 | August 2022

Targeting different species is always a welcome challenge.

appealing but from time to time it happens.

The flexible guide shines in these situations because they can offer their client other options such as maybe using some conventional gear or perhaps even targeting a different species of fish in order to salvage the day. Time is a precious commodity and that angler who has prepared for this day on the water deserves every chance to catch a fish and have a great experience because this may be the only day they have to fish for who knows how long. It’s important to be able to do as many things as possible in order to help that person have the best day on the water they can possibly have.

Flexibility as an angler will no doubt enable you to catch more fish but that in no way is a knock against those who prefer to specialize in a certain technique or species of fish. In fact, we all owe some thanks to those who spend countless hours learning all the small nuances that enable us to catch those fish and sharing those techniques with the rest of the fishing world.

I know personally I have learned many valuable lessons from other anglers that I still incorporate into my daily routine. By taking that information and using it to become a more well-rounded angler we can all enjoy more quality days on the water and perhaps be successful on some of those days that are less than ideal. Do yourself a favor, keep your options open, learn new techniques, and be versatile.

I promise it will pay dividends.

CHUCK UZZLE

CONTACT

Every day presents a different set of challenges and opportunities.

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

Phone Email Website

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

TSFMAG.com | 23

Boat Fuel

You can bet these guys aren’t using much fuel at the jetties in a small boat, exploring with electric motor.

Blues

STORY BY JOE RICHARD

W

ith gas prices the worst ever, we’ve all faced bigger fuel bills this summer. Especially boaters.

I’m not sure what impact gas prices have had on actual boating numbers this summer, because it was too early to tell at this writing.

However a mechanic friend of mine from a major boat dealership said that when gas hit $4 a gallon a few years ago, they lost 40 percent of their business. After the boat-buying boom year of 2020, a lot of new boat owners must now be asking themselves what the heck they’ve gotten themselves into, keeping those boats in the driveway instead.

Here’s a fuel headache in the making, a Grady White far offshore in rough seas.

A short run to the Sabine jetties, with a fuel-efficient E-Tec engine.

This summer has been a real good time to learn kayaking. They run on sweat, not gasoline.

26 | August 2022

This summer has been a good time to research any tricks for lowering a boat’s gas bill. Some of the more obvious would be (1) using a smaller boat, (2) launching closer to the fish, and (3) buying cheaper gas on the highway instead of a marina. Another tip is to (4) upgrade from 2-stroke to 4-stroke outboard engines. And (5) when targeting snapper, explore those state water artificial reefs out nine miles, instead of running 30 to 50 miles offshore. (6) Avoid trolling all day. (7) Try spending a night or two offshore and getting in some serious fishing time on the same tank of gas. And (8) maybe skip those oneday tuna trips way further offshore.

Hard times for boaters. Back in the day when fishing offshore, we really had it “made in the shade.” Gas was cheap and boats were smaller.

We began to sign up in big tournaments in 1983 using a small boat (by today’s standards) that had an 80-gallon fuel tank. We also carried a 15-gallon fuel drum easily siphoned. With a single Merc 2-stroke outboard we’d stay offshore three days and two nights. We were 30 years old and could take the abuse and exposure out there. We had no reason to fish that long and far, except for the tournament’s cash prize, which was hefty.

Winning first place was worth $60K in today’s dollars. We’d win a nice stack of Benjamins instead of some underpowered boat on a locally-made trailer, a more visible and flashy prize that later became popular.

Preparation back then was slim, we didn’t even carry extra spark plugs. And looking back, we were fairly lucky to survive those years, but by then we had more than a dozen years of offshore experience in small boats. There were any number of preparations we could have made to increase fuel efficiency. We didn’t troll at all with the single engine boat. (Later, with twin Yamahas, we’d slowtroll some at each oil rig with one engine.) We’d tie up to an oil rig for hours and hours, including overnight. We never left a (preferably manned and well-lit) rig after dark, but camped right there. There was lots of fishing time, more than we wanted. Time to swim or take a nap. Catch a few snapper after dark, when the triggerfish were asleep. Gas was around ninety cents a gallon. Toss the store teller four or five $20’s and off we went on a three-day offshore adventure.

It’s hard for the younger guys to imagine those halcyon times, when today many go-fast offshore boats carry 300 or even 400-gallon gas tanks that requires $1,500-$2,000 to fill up, not counting fuel additives. As for today’s kingfish tournaments, in recent years they’ve required their boats to return by 5 p.m. each day, even if they’ve run 100 miles down the coast to fish, and never mind

the whitecaps. With today’s fuel prices, that sort of wastefulness won’t last much longer.

Now is a really good time to have a fuel efficient, 4-stroke engine on a smaller boat. I’ve read that boats with today’s triple 300 outboards, running at only 26 mph, get .98 miles per gallon. In a tournament these boats run more than double that speed. Running with wide open throttle (WOT) in a tourney scenario, they get .65 miles per gallon in calm seas. And that’s with modern 4-stroke engines…

Tournaments and big boats aside, another problem on the Texas coast is the wind. And the further south, the more wind. In rough water even on the open bays, a small boat isn’t practical. We got away with it for years on the upper coast in the Port Arthur area because it was a little less windy, though it still might blow for months, like it did this year. (Let’s hope a changing climate doesn’t make it hotter and windier in the future.) Within sight of Louisiana, we had ample salt marsh or the jetties to fish on windy days. Some of my high school buddies, who made it to their 50th high school reunion last year, still bring home trout, flounder and redfish with their johnboats. Something of a rarity, these days.

Aluminum boats are super-efficient with gas. They can be trailered to faraway What I generally call trout guides today need at least states with a regular car. We used to trailer small boats from Port Arthur to Key 24 feet of fiberglass to haul an average of four anglers West almost every summer, even with a Volkswagen. This snook was caught across Texas’ typical and frequent wave chops and this summer out of Cedar Key, not far south of Interstate-10. whitecaps. That takes horsepower and lots of gas. Unless they’re running hard for the honeyhole before sunrise, they can there are no dings and dents. Years ago the guy who owned Meek’s at least throttle back and run at a more fuel-efficient rate, which Marine (John Meeks?) drove his Boston Whaler from Galveston many do. With even more of them learning that trick thanks to this to the Yucatan in Mexico. When his boat’s fuel weight dropped, summer’s cruel gas prices. More guides have started adding a fuel he stopped in the middle of the Gulf and changed props. That’s surcharge, as well. Want to run to the next bay or go try the jetties? attention to detail. On that 500 mile run, he really wanted the best It’s going to cost you. fuel efficiency. I assume he didn’t use aluminum props. They flex After fishing the Gulf since 1968, and having owned nine and reduce pitch when running, getting less fuel economy than fiberglass boats up to 25 feet, I would today never consider anything steel props. bigger than a welded aluminum boat, easily towed on the highway, >How much optional weight does your boat carry? Is the fuel tank with exceptional mileage on the water from a 4-stroke outboard. full, even though you’re fishing five miles from the ramp? Does My own aluminum boat gets nine miles per gallon; I still enjoy the your boat carry a full water tank? jetties and near-shore platforms and in the right weather they’re >On bigger boats, install a fuel flow meter, to find your top fuel easily reached, especially after launching in calm surf within sight of efficiency when running. my goal. If a rare head-on wind suddenly picks up, I take the longer >If you have four friends big enough to play defensive lineman for way back without bashing waves. The trick with these smaller boats the Cowboys, maybe don’t take them all fishing on the same day. is to watch the weather and launch near the fish. For example, don’t launch in Clear Lake to fish the Galveston jetties, which can be long and tedious and a gas burner. Even unsafe, in fog or stormy weather.

JOE RICHARD

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

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

CONTACT

More Boat Fuel Savings >Have your outboard engine tuned up. Spark plugs are cheap and can be changed in the driveway, just be sure the numbers match on those new plugs, and don’t settle for a substitute brand and number. I fished with a tournament guy in the late 1990s who would remove and toss his three engine’s 24 spark plugs every week on the tournament circuit. Although his situation was more about the need for speed, than fuel efficiency. He had a sponsored allowance of $3K per week. Today, that would require much more. >Pick the right propeller(s) for your boat. They say the right prop can make a difference of 10 percent on saving fuel. Especially if

TSFMAG.com | 27

Commercial and recreational fishermen alike have long enjoyed Baffin’s black drum fishery.

28 | August 2022

Bringing Baffin Back

STORY BY L. SCOTT MURRAY

(Part 1)

Baffin Bay – Jewel of the Texas Coast Baffin Bay is a very special, iconic Texas bay. It covers approximately 60,000 acres and is part of one of the world’s largest hypersaline estuaries, the Laguna Madre. It is laced with ancient serpulid reefs, the likes of which are not found in any other estuary in the world, with about ten square miles of them scattered around the bay. With large stretches of undeveloped, pristine shorelines, state record fisheries, waterfowl hunting, and premier birding, there’s nothing like it on the Texas coast or anywhere in the United States, for that matter. It’s still a wild remote place and that’s what really draws people to it.

A Bay in Transition Traditionally Baffin Bay has also supported an incredible fishery and is one of the most productive bays on the Texas coast for commercial and sport fishing, drawing folks from the local area and from abroad, providing an important source of income for the local community. It produces more black drum than any place in the United States.

Baffin was home to two state record trout, so it’s very well known for trophy trout fishing.

Since the 1980s however, there has been a huge increase in both commercial and sportfishing pressure. Back in the fifties and sixties, you could probably count the number of fishing guides on two hands. Now, along the Gulf Coast there are around twelve hundred fishing guides and more every year. The number of saltwater fishing licenses sold is going up and we’re recruiting more and more saltwater fisherman to the Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay every year.

TSFMAG.com | 29

that regional restaurant owners were not able to find healthy fish.

Instead, they were encountering what they called “jelly drum.”

These were emaciated fish that were literally absorbing their own bodies because they were starving to death. There are indications that poor water quality may negatively affect the primary food source for Black drum, dwarf surf clams. Dwarf surf clams live on the bottom and are very sensitive to water quality changes. There has also been a reduction in the quantity of white shrimp and brown shrimp, though it’s not clear why. Baffin Bay used to be a productive shrimping bay, but the seasonal shrimp migrations are not as common as they once were.

Over the last 40 years, there has also been a decline in habitat that is otherwise critical for Baffin Bay’s fisheries, including seagrass beds and serpulid reefs. This loss of habitat has been driven primarily by a decline in water quality.

For example, agricultural practices that strip the land of brush and grasses can contribute to erosion. Many of the serpulid reefs,

Baffin Bay citizen scientists collecting water samples.

Kirk Murray displays his personal best speckled trout, caught in Baffin Bay and released!

The increasing fishing pressure has occurred against a backdrop of harmful changes in water quality that are occurring in the bay, which negatively affect habitat and prey resources for fish. For example, although black drum have been a mainstay in Baffin Bay in terms of commercial and sport fishing, in recent years there have been times

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particularly in areas of Alazan Bay, have now been covered or partially covered with sediment.

Another contributing factor is nutrient pollution (an overabundance of nitrogen and phosphorus) from sewage treatment facilities, septic systems, and runoff from surrounding lands that has overfed the streams (Los Olmos, San Fernando and Petronila) that connect with the bay downstream.

These nutrients don’t just stay in the streams, but eventually end up in Baffin Bay, leading to symptoms that degrade the entire ecosystem.

Recurring, long-lived blooms of brown tide algae that feed off these nutrients have created many issues downstream in the bay. For example, the brown tide blooms cause reduced light penetration, leading to loss of seagrass beds that serve as a refuge for juvenile fish and as a feeding ground for larger adults. Episodic low oxygen conditions are also a symptom of nutrient enrichment, and low oxygen events have caused several major kills of spotted sea trout, red drum, black drum and forage fish over the last 20 years.

A Community Takes Action – Recollections of the Baffin Bay Volunteer Water Quality Study Around 2010-2012, when I was out in restaurants and stores in the community around Baffin Bay, I heard people talking about the negative changes in the bay. They wondered what was causing them and what could be done. These were people who had lived their whole lives around Baffin and knew the bay better than anyone. I had seen the changes myself and was also concerned. Several of us decided that it was time to do something about it, so we called a meeting at my bay house in 2012.

We invited commercial fishermen, fishing guides, sport fishermen, and a number of local business owners and residents. I also invited Dr. Mike Wetz of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and Jace Tunnell with Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program. They came and listened as we vented our concerns for several hours.

We all knew there was something wrong with the water because of the blooms we were having and the episodic fish kills that were occurring more and more frequently. That meeting was the beginning of the Baffin Bay Volunteer Study.

In order to gather the data needed to study the problem, we would need a group of people taking water samples over several years. We decided quickly that because of the university’s lack of dedicated resources, we needed to do this on a volunteer basis. My job was to source and collect a group of volunteers who would do the water sampling at least once a month.

We had eleven stations and two teams, an east team and a west team. Because it’s such a long bay, you couldn’t beat the wind unless you had boats on both ends of the bay. We were able to keep twelve to seventeen volunteers sampling for over four years They volunteered time and resources, utilizing their own boats and vehicles to get it done. These were people who really had a passion about the health of Baffin Bay. They committed and stuck with it. It was very fulfilling to work with likeminded people who cared enough and were willing to get their hands dirty to protect this Texas treasure.

A Path to Restoring Baffin Bay The water quality data that we collected has been invaluable. With the sampling and the study, we were able to get a picture of what was causing the problems. Organic nitrogen and chlorophyll (an indicator of algal biomass and of overall nutrient enrichment) were higher in Baffin Bay than readings in just about any other Texas estuary, and these water quality indicators had been increasing over time along with changes occurring in the surrounding watershed. This was a foundational step in finding the causes of the habitat and fishery changes in the bay, and it guided more recent studies that have identified some of the main causes of the brown tide algal blooms, low oxygen events, and sources of the nutrients going into the bay.

Table 1. List of citizen scientists who participated in the Baffin Bay Volunteer Water Quality study.

Jim Atkins Frank Baumann Jerry Bjork Jan Cannamore Ed Dodds Al Gordon Michael Henry Carl Hooker Thomas Mullenix

Scott Murray Bobby Richter David Rowsey Ron Ryon Jim Scoggins Charles Sellers Diane Sellers John Sutton Paul Wimberly

In next month’s issue, Mike Wetz and I will talk about an exciting and important initiative, “Bringing Baffin Back.” The initiative will address the water quality issues that are negatively affecting the bay and provide a path forward for restoring Baffin Bay’s lost habitat so that it can support an incredible fishery well into the future, even with other pressures that are affecting the bay. For a sneak peek, visit: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=ZPP0V1EnyT4 TSFMAG.com | 31

Great example of structure within structure. The primary structure is the larger pothole or washout. The structure within it are the submerged grass beds.

J AY WAT K I N S

ASK THE PRO

STRUCTURE WITHIN STRUCTURE Man, it’s hot out on the water right now. I know it is always hotter during periods of drought but it certainly feels much hotter to me than previous drought years.

Water temperatures are definitely warmer than normal, I saw 91° on Estes Flats one recent afternoon, and THAT IS HOT! I want to talk this month about what I call structure within structure. One of the accompanying photos, as well as my video, will help describe what I’m talking about. In the video I talk you through what I am seeing and where the ambush points are located. There is never a time when we should overlook broad areas of structure that have additional structure features within the primary area. That said, I have a firm belief that learning to identify and taking advantage of such structure features pays incredibly high dividends during the hottest days of summer.

Savvy anglers are already aware there needs to be a food source in place around all types of structure to attract game fish. This past week I have been concentrating ONLY on areas of structure within structure that have an abundance of baitfish activity in 32 | August 2022

or around them. One of the first things you will notice about these areas is that they have slightly greater depths, occasional shallow bars or humps, submerged grass beds, underwater grass points, windward and leeward grass edges, and pinch points. In the northern portions of my home waters, scattered oyster shell takes the place of grass beds. Some of the shell will have stringy algae and other types of vegetation attached.

I believe the slightly increased depths in these potholes allows game fish to feel a bit more comfortable, from the standpoint of the dual role they play as predators, and also as prey themselves to larger, toothier predators.

Trout, being very cat-like in the way they lie in wait and pounce on prey, need ambush points and structure features that break up their outline. They will setup and pounce, or slowly mill throughout the numerous types of structure within the primary area of structure. I cannot tell you how many times I have eased up to a position offshore of a large washout and made numerous casts without a strike, but all the while I am seeing nervous bait that I believe are aware of the presence of trout or

redfish. It’s a sense that I cannot fully explain but I know it when I see it and it is pretty reliable.

One day a week or so back we eased into the type of spot I’m describing. After sticking the first trout, a twenty-six-incher, we spread out and also backed up a short distance so we would not spook other fish that I felt were in the washout. Over the next hour we pulled over 20 trout, 2 drum, and 2 flounder out of that single washout. I was talking constantly to my guys about the importance of casting accurately to the numerous areas of structure within the basic structure of the washout.

“It’s the structure within the structure that’s holding the fish,” I told them. While we were standing there I made the comment to the guys to take a look at the next couple of washout to the south. “What jumps out at you?” I asked.

“Coloration,” one guy said. He was dead on.

The next couple of washouts were a good deal shallower, and with considerably less submerged grass. It is very noticeable how the absence of one or two of the prime elements will influence the numbers of fish a washout will hold. I don’t think game fish set up camp in areas with singular structure elements nearly as well if there are areas close by that possess multiple options. Honestly, it’s simple to grasp once you have been able to experience a bite such as the one described earlier. Another interesting aspect of structure within a washout structure is that even though we could not prove the fish were moving from one area of the wash to the other, and then repeating the process, it certainly seems that is exactly what was going on.

I remember many years ago I had gotten to a point where I would literally time the period between bites when working larger potholes that had numerous types of structure within the main pothole itself. You would be amazed at what I learned and the confidence it provided me. I remember one particular pothole that I referred to as the seven minute pothole. When trout or reds were using that pothole it took about seven minutes for them to slowly work the windward grass edge from one end to the other.

If I was on the left and stuck a fish, the guy on my right would hook up seven minutes later. Fish were coming from left to right. Seven minutes later the next guy even farther to the right would hook up, and then it was my turn again.

This went on for more than an hour. OK, maybe not exactly seven minutes, but close. For a bit of historic perspective, the wristwatch I wore in those days was called a Swatch. Most of our younger readers likely never heard of it.

I also noticed on subsequent trips to the seven minute pothole certain features that made that particular one better than others nearby. It was slightly deeper, pinched down on each end, had smaller grass beds within it, and a well-

Jay with another midday washout trout.

David Roche with a very respectable midday trout from a washout.

TSFMAG.com | 33

View The Video

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

Jay Watkins Aug 2022

I like to have lures in my box that I can put in their face and lures that draw instinctive strikes as well as reaction strikes. Many times the larger trout in these washes or potholes will want you to irritate them a little in order to get them to take the lure. The Double D or the MirrOdine are excellent for this application.

I am seeing a lot of small trout and this is very encouraging. I know that many of these fish are from last year’s spawn, which can only mean that they accomplished strong recruitment after the freeze. Thanks is due all of our clients as 100% have stepped up and released all their trout. Yours and all the other conservation-minded anglers contributions to conserving the species will definitely speed the recovery of the fishery. Great job!

May your fishing always be catching! -Guide Jay Watkins

C O N TA C T

defined sand-grass edge on the windward side. During the midday hours, when the water temperatures rose and SE winds picked up, this pothole saved many a day for this then young guide.

When fishing oyster reefs, I find that reefs with pockets where the shell becomes more scattered, and with individual standing shell clumps, begins to qualify for my structure within a structure pattern.

Some of these areas have clump shell that actually has vegetation growing on it. Money, money, money is all I can say. Add some tidal movement and wind stacking water against the windward underwater wall of shell and we’re golden.

Moving water plays a huge role around our shell reefs in northern Aransas and San Antonio bays. I have spent very little time on those reefs since the freeze and destruction that has occurred from the commercial oyster fleet the past several years. Many of the areas I am talking about have been completely destroyed and no longer exist.

If restrictions are set in place and logic wins out over politics, these reefs should rebound and again become productive fishing areas.

I am currently throwing primarily MirrOlure Lil John XLs, Lil Johns, Texas Customs Double Ds, MirrOdines, and 5”Shad Bass Assassins.

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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Fish kill assessment conducted by TPWD staff at the Brownville Ship Channel.

Staff sort, measure, and quantify fish along randomly selected transect lines.

By Andres Garcia | Natural Resource Specialist III, Lower Laguna Madre

FIELD NOTES

FORAGE FISH

& 2021 TEXAS WINTER STORM URI The 2021 Texas winter storm Uri was truly an unprecedented event that not only impacted the lives of thousands of Texans, but it also impacted our sensitive natural resources. Following the storm, quick actions were taken by the TPWD Coastal Fisheries (CF) division in a coastwide effort to rescue cold stunned sea turtles and protect recreational fish by implementing freeze closures. In addition to these efforts, fish kill assessments were conducted to estimate the number of fish killed by the storm. The final tally estimated that 61 species were impacted by the freeze and around 3.8 million fish were killed by the prolonged frigid temperatures. These numbers included recreationally important species such as the Spotted Sea Trout (SST), whose population was greatly impacted by the freeze event. Emergency actions in the form of a reduced bag limit and changes to the minimum and maximum size limits were implemented to counter the high mortality in SST in Lower and Upper Laguna Madre. These actions were taken to protect this valuable species and encourage its recovery so Texans can continue to enjoy it for years to come.

An estimated 91% (approximately 3.5 million fish) of the fish kill total were non-recreational species such 36 | August 2022

as Silver Perch, Pinfish, Striped Mullet, Atlantic Croaker, Spot, Gulf Menhaden, and more. These species are examples of forage fish, small schooling species lower in the marine food web that serve as prey or bait for larger commercially and recreationally important fish, mammals, and sea birds. The six bait fish species mentioned above are a biological indicator of the health of the coastal ecosystem. For example, these species are commonly predated on by SST, therefore, a decrease in their availability can reduce the health and availability of SST for Texas anglers. By analyzing data from the TPWD CF Division’s routine long-term monitoring program, TPWD can gauge the condition of the ecosystem pre- and post-freeze by looking at how forage fish populations were impacted and how that change could impact predatory fish populations like SST. The data collected from the monitoring program derives from sampling done by the CF Division in Texas bay systems using three gear types: gill nets, bay trawls, and bag seines. Gill nets target adult fish while bay trawls and bag seines target the sub adult and juvenile fish, respectively.

Catch rates from these gear types over the most recent 10-year period along the Texas coast were compared to

catches in 2021 to assess the effects of the freeze event (Figures 1-3). No gill net data was collected in 2020 due to COVID restrictions.

What did we find? Of all the non-recreational fish mortalities caused by Uri, 52% were composed of the six species of forage fish investigated here.

The catch rate from the bag seine data revealed coast wide catch rate for juvenile Sliver Perch, Striped Mullet, Gulf Menhaden, and Atlantic Croaker remained at or under the 10-year pre-freeze average, although there was a 75% catch rate increase above the 10- year average for Pinfish (Figure 1). Ongoing decreased catch rates in both Gulf Menhaden and Atlantic Croaker cannot be directly linked to the freeze event as they were already decreasing in 2020.

Bay trawl data showed a post freeze coast wide catch rate increase for sub-adult Pinfish (53% increase), Striped Mullet (38% increase), Spot (144% increase), Gulf Menhaden (70% increase), and Atlantic Croaker (66% increase) above the 10-year average. Sub-adult Sliver Perch showed a slight decrease in 2021 but remained above the 10-year average (Figure 2). Gill nets in part mirrored the trends in the bag seine data where most of the coast wide catch rates remained at or slightly below the 10-year average, with the exception of Pinfish. The coast wide catch rate of adult Pinfish showed a 75% decrease from the 10year average in 2021, the lowest within the previous 10 years (Figure 3).

Despite the large number of non-recreational fish killed during the 2021 freeze event, our most recent data indicates the event had little impact on the six fish populations examined here. Silver perch yielded the highest mortalities of all the forage fish species with a loss of approximately 1,190,782 individuals, but no major decreases were observed in 2021 compared to their 10-year average for all three gear types. Moreover, the bay trawl data indicates an increase in juvenile to sub-adult Atlantic Croaker, Gulf Menhaden and Spot. This could be attributed to the loss of predatory fish and adult fish of the same species that compete for similar resources. The only forage species that appeared to be negatively impacted by the freeze is Pinfish, as indicated by the gillnet data. However, these decreases were not seen in the bag seine or bay trawl data, meaning only adult Pinfish were heavily impacted. Therefore, the surviving juvenile and sub-adult Pinfish should replenish the adult populations in coming years.

It has only been a little over a year since the freeze event of 2021, and while it killed millions of fish within Texas waters, data indicates the impacted fish species are showing their resilience. Similar freeze events occurred in 1983 and 1989 and the Texas fisheries have endured and recovered. TPWD will continue to closely monitor trends along the Texas coast using data from the long-term monitoring program to assess the health of our fishery resources for future generations. The resiliency of these forage fish is a good indicator

that our coastal ecosystems are thriving and that they will continue to provide a steady and plentiful food source to promote the recovery of species like the Spotted Seatrout that were impacted by the freeze.

A special thanks to the Coastal Fisheries Kill and Spills Team and Resource Management Teams that assisted in the rapid coast wide fish kill assessment after the freeze event.

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

S H A L L O W W AT E R F I S H I N G

BOHEMIAN BONEFISH

PART 2

I stood on the edge of the tarmac watching as an old twin prop airplane came roaring in from the south.

Judging from the look of it I would say it’s the same one from the 1980s. I wasn’t surprised. It touched down and made its way over to where I and a handful of taxi drivers were waiting. The side door popped open as soon as it came to a stop and my friends began making their exit. I had already been in Andros for several days exploring and fishing the island, seeing familiar faces gave me a good feeling. As they gathered their luggage, I welcomed everyone with high fives and hugs and was happy that everyone finally made it down. We gathered our gear, hopped in the nearest two taxis that could carry us, and headed down the road.

An hour later we arrived to Frankie’s Two Boys Inn and were greeted by his wife Melinda. Several of the guys have been there multiple times so they knew her and the family well. Exchanging hugs and introductions, we all grabbed a room, a cold Kalik, and began preparing fishing gear for the next morning. That evening, over a fresh-grilled lobster dinner, we decided on the pairings for the next morning.

38 | August 2022

Morning came and everyone was eagerly up, dressed and ready to go. After a quick breakfast we all headed down to the dock where our guides were waiting.

Mellissa split us up accordingly and Jimmy and I got on the boat of Mr. Joe. He was an older gentleman, in his early 60s, was singing Willie Nelson in a Bohemian accent and cracking jokes before we even left the dock; I knew right then we were in for a fun day. As we came across the bight I was struck with pure awe. I didn’t know there were so many shades of blue and the sand flats lacked all of them. Our first stop was along an area he called Pine Cay and he began poling down the shoreline. After a short stretch he knew the fish hadn’t made it there yet with the tide so we picked up and moved on.

Clouds began to move in as we cut across the bight and Joe decided to put us out to wade a flat. Jimmy and Joe went right and I went left. It wasn’t long into my wade when I spotted three nice bonefish coming straight towards me. I landed a cast in front of one of them and waited for the right time to move my fly. It didn’t take much and he was on it quickly. I made a strip set and he took off, it was a picture perfect bonefish. We made it back

to the boat and Jimmy and Joe reported having seen plenty but never connected – they had evidently become a little picky. Back in the boat, Jimmy gave me the front deck and Joe began poling us toward the back of a protected pocket.

Making our way to the back corner of the pocket I looked ahead and spotted a pair of bonefish cruising in our direction. Joe set me up for a perfect cast with instruction to make it a long one. I gave it my best effort and, as the fish approached, I began stripping. Neither fish showed interest. Joe told me to make another cast and as I began picking up my rod the darting of my fly drew attention of one of them, and she quickly started hunting for it. I dropped it, she turned and ate, and was into my backing before I even knew what was going on.

At this point, Joe’s fun attitude quickly changed and it was straight business on the boat. He kept reiterating to keep my hand off the reel, keep pressure, and that it was a good fish. After nearly taking all my backing I got her to the boat and she promptly took off again, nearly spooling me a second time. Once she got close, I jumped out the boat and was able to get my hands on her. Jimmy snapped plenty of pictures and Joe told me that she was an easy nine-pounder. I let her swim away, watching in disbelief of the angling feat I had just accomplished.

That was the highlight of my week although every day included equally great encounters. We had one day with terrible weather but that just meant everyone was back early and hanging out together at the lodge. I got to spend a perfect weather day with my good friend Donnie.

When I was 12-years-old, I had a fly tying kit and I would tie my own flies to throw in the neighborhood ponds for perch and bass, though I never had a fly rod. Donnie learned of this and bought me my first fly rod. Here we were, twenty years later, chasing bonefish together in the Bahamas. What an impact that kind gesture had on me!

Between both of us that day we lost count of how many fish we caught, including at least ten double hookups. The weather was so perfect that if it wasn’t for the mangroves you wouldn’t be able to tell where the water stopped and the sky started. There was another day where I just struggled to make a decent cast and spooked a bunch of fish. Joe yelled at me all day and I’m pretty sure Robert found more entertainment in that than actually catching fish. We might not have caught the most fish that day but I know we laughed more than anyone else.

One of the things that was incredible to me was the knowledge of some of the guides. Some have been fishing all their life, they know all the tricks and when to use them.

One very notable technique was splashing water with the push-pole to spook fish out of the mangroves so we could get a shot at them. Another was watching how the fish reacted to a fly. We had a few bones follow, nosing the fly, but not eating it. The guide reached into the water, grabbed a handful of mud, and rolled the fly around in it. He wanted the scent of the mud bottom on the fly since this is what the shrimp are buried in. We never had another refusal the rest of the day.

TSFMAG.com | 39

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More Bonefish Fun

40 | August 2022

C O N TA C T

I was also impressed with the way the guides set you up with a cast from the bow. One of the coolest feelings is to be facing forward while being poled down a bank and all of the sudden the boat begins to shift left. No words are spoken but that is the sign that there is a fish coming and he is setting you up for a shot at 11 o’clock. They really are a master at their craft!

We spent the last night on the back porch with all of the guides and Frankie the owner and listened to them tell stories from the past. One of the older guys had stories of catching bait for Lefty Kreh before he was fly fishing for bones down there and said that his Dad was one of the first people to show Lefty that they could be caught on the fly. Stories of Crazy Charlie and other fly fishing legends were passed around and that was a night that I will ever forget.

Without a doubt, Andros Bahamas is one of the more beautiful places we have in this world. Words can’t properly describe it. Since I have been back there has not been a night that I don’t lie awake in bed and think about the colors and the lay of the land. My dreams are haunted by the white sand flats with the silhouettes of bonefish slowly making their way toward my fly.

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

5TH ANNUAL CHAPTER BANQUET Join us for a night of dinner, drinks, auctions, Sportsman Raffle and good old fundraising fun!

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 2022 | 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

$60 INDIVIDUAL TICKET

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

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$500 Flounder Table

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CUT HERE AND MAIL Price ____________

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Name ___________________________________________________ Email ___________________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone _____________________________________ Credit Card________________________________________________ CVC _____________ Exp. Date ______________________ Signature __________________________________________________________________________ Checks payable to Coastal Conservation Association | Mail form & money to: CCA Texas, Attn. Carson Vecera, 6919 Portwest Dr, Ste 100, Houston, TX 77024 TSFMAG.com | 41

TICKETS ALSO AVAILABLE AT www.ccatexas.org/events/2022-port-lavaca-banquet

JOHN BLAHA

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

CCA TEXAS GRASSROOTS EFFORTS CONTINUE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE CCA Texas and the efforts of local grassroots chapters have had a successful first half of 2022. The Matagorda Bays Chapter closed out the first half of the year with another great event on June 30. The strength of CCA Texas continues due to never ending support of local grassroots efforts across the state from the Golden Triangle to the Rio Grande Valley, to Midland, to Dallas and back to Houston.

The local grassroot efforts continue to grow across the state with the addition of the Saltgrass Chapter in Winnie, Come and Catch It chapter in Gonzales, and the Bastrop County Chapter. The Saltgrass Chapter held their first fundraiser event on May 19 and had a great turnout and successful event. CCA Texas and local chapter volunteers look forward to seeing the Saltgrass Chapter growing in coming years. If you are interested in getting involved with the chapter, be sure to contact Matt Still at mstill@ccatexas.org. The Bastrop County Chapter is the next chapter to host their first annual event. With great community support already onboard, the Bastrop County group will have their inaugural event on July 28 at Bastrop Convention Center. If you are interested in

tickets or tables, contact Erich Schneider at eschneider@ ccatexas.org. We expect the event to be a sellout, so don’t miss out and get your tickets or tables ASAP. The Come and Catch It Chapter in Gonzales will be the last new chapter to start up in 2022. The local volunteers will host their first inaugural event on August 11th at The Expo at JB Wells. For more information or to purchase tickets or tables, contact Taylor Rieck at trieck@ccatexas.org.

Strong grassroots efforts provide the power behind CCA Texas for advocacy and project funding. To date in 2022, CCA Texas Executive and State boards have approved $471,080 in funding for five requests.

• Outreach and education are key components in the conservation of Texas’s coastal resources. CCA Texas State Board approved eight conservation bill boards to be placed around the state for $39,000 in February and the Executive Board approved another $17,080 in May for three Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Sea Grass protection billboards along the coast.

• The Galveston Bay Foundation’s (GBF) oyster recycling program partners with twenty plus restaurants in

Outreach and education are key to educating the general public about the importance of respecting and taking care of Texas’s coastal resources. CCA Texas believes strongly in putting out positive and informative messages to protect Texas’s coastal resources for present and future generations.

42 | August 2022

the Houston-Galveston area to recycle oyster shells. These shells are placed back in the Galveston Bay system in restoration projects and community outreach projects.

CCA Texas State Board approved $10,000 to help purchase two trailers for GBF’s recycle program.

• TPWD hatcheries are world-class facilities that have provided years of valuable service to Texas’s coastal resources. The Sea Center Texas is a marine aquarium, fish hatchery, and education center located in Lake Jackson, Texas. The facility opened in 1996 and includes a fish hatchery, visitor center with aquaria and exhibits of Texas marine life, 36 one-acre fish culture ponds, an outdoor wetland exhibit, and a one acre youth fishing pond. The facility produces 8-12 million fingerling-sized fish for stock enhancement of Texas marine waters per year. The primary purpose of the facility is to serve as a fisheries management tool in aiding in the recovery of fisheries, and/ or to supplement existing populations by producing and stocking fingerlings (red drum, spotted seatrout, and southern flounder. The facility also has a public Visitor’s Center that specializes in education and outreach, which is free to the public. In 2022, there were twenty-nine pond liners original to the facility, all of which have exceeded their expected lifespan. This spring, TPWD funded the replacement of fifteen liners and is raising funds to replace the remaining fourteen liners. CCA Texas continues to be a staunch supporter of the program and in May the CCA Texas Executive Board approved $180,000 to replace six pond liners at Sea Center Texas.

• Baffin Bay is an iconic eco-system that was a pristine ecosystem for centuries. Over time and with continued growth and use through many decades, the water quality in Baffin Bay has degraded over time. With a grassroots effort coordinated by Harte Research Institute (HRI) and led by Dr. Michael Wetz, seventeen volunteer citizen scientists began a rigorous water sampling program to create a baseline of water quality issues and start the path forward to improving water quality in Baffin Bay. This original sampling effort lasted for four years and at this point, local stakeholders began supporting the funding to continue the sampling program.

This continued effort has helped HRI launch “Bringing Baffin Back: Restoring and Protecting a Texas Treasure.” The overarching goals of Bringing Baffin Back are to: 1) find solutions to the water quality problems that are contributing to the decline in the health of Baffin Bay, 2) restore key watershed and bay habitat that has been lost due to water quality degradation, 3) foster a stewardship ethos, especially among younger generations of residents, and 4) advance

Hatchery pond liners have a life span of approximately 20 years. Sea Center Texas liners have outlived their life span and are currently being replaced. CCA Texas funded the replacement of six of these liners.

efforts to educate the public on the relationship between watershed and bay health. These efforts represent a sustained commitment to dramatically improve the health of Baffin Bay and the surrounding economy through partnerships between scientists, citizen groups, landowners, philanthropists, policy makers, local municipalities, state officials, NGOs, and private businesses. In June 2022, the EPA approved the group’s watershed protection plan to continue moving the effort forward. CCA Texas Executive Board approved a three year commitment to fund $75,000 annually to support and continue the water sampling program. CCA Texas looks forward to being a partner in this effort to “Bring Baffin Back.”

CCA Texas staff, leadership and chapter volunteers look forward to a great second half of 2022. Be sure to watch your mail and emails for local community events. If you are interested in getting involved with a local chapter, be sure to visit www.ccatexas.org and look up your local chapter for the appropriate contact information for that chapter.

TSFMAG.com | 43

Photo by Themassiah, licensed by CC BY-SA 3.0.

STEPHANIE BOYD

F I S H Y FA C T S

WHITE IBIS The white ibis, Eudocimus albus, stands about two feet tall and has a wingspan of three feet. Its plumage is entirely white, except for black wingtips that are usually only visible in flight. It has a long, down-curved pinkish-orange bill, and pinkish-orange facial skin and legs. The sexes have similar plumage; however, there is sexual dimorphism in size and proportion as males are significantly larger and heavier than females (weighing, on average, over half a pound more) and have longer and stouter bills. This species is moderately large for an ibis but is relatively short legged, compact, and bulky for a large wader. The decurved beaks of white ibises, along with their black-tipped flight feathers, easily distinguish them from white egrets. Similarly, the other two species of ibis found along the Texas coast, the white-faced ibis and glossy ibis, are smaller and dark-colored – not likely to be confused with the actually white ibis. The species name is the Latin adjective albus, meaning “white.”

Alternative common names that have been used include Spanish curlew and white curlew.

White ibises are native to the coastal regions of southeastern North America. Year-round, their range extends from Delaware to the shores of Central America.

During the end of the summer months, white ibises can be found as far north as New York. During the spring breeding season, their population seems to be localized on the southern portion of the Atlantic coast (south of Virginia) including the entire U.S. and Mexico Gulf coast, 44 | August 2022

Cuba, Dominican Republic, the Brazilian and Colombian coast, and Hispaniola. Remote breeding locations can also be found on the northern coast of Venezuela.

During the winter months, white ibises migrate south of the Carolinas and localize in the coastal areas of the United States and internationally. Casual visitors are found in the eastern Edwards Plateau and are accidental in the Trans-Pecos region.

Because they require shallow water for feeding, many are found in coastal, aquatic environments such as swamps, marshes, wetlands, and wet agricultural fields.

Because water depth is of the upmost importance for their feeding and reproductive behaviors, white ibises may shift locations due to the rise and fall of water levels, such as moving inland to fields and wetlands when floodwaters advance.

White ibises are foraging birds that search for their prey in shallow waters. Their diet includes crustaceans, small fish, snails, frogs, insects, etc. White ibises hunt through non-visual, tactile probing with their long, curved bill. Bill tips are very sensitive, and contact with prey elicits a reflex closing action. To find prey, ibises thrust their long bill into the wet substrate, while wading at a very slow pace. Once prey are snapped up, white ibises swallow by rapidly lunging their head forward. Food availability is extremely limited by the water levels. If levels are too high, they can’t forage the wetland substrate their prey inhabits. In contrast,

when water levels are too low, many of the aquatic organisms they consume are no longer present.

While adults can feed on fiddler crabs and such in brackish waters, the salt toxicity prevents their nestlings from developing normally on brackish-water prey because their salt-excreting glands are not yet fully developed, so the adults fly inland to freshwater habitats and catch crawfish for their nestlings. They have also been known to supplement their chicks’ diet with items such as cockroaches and rotting food from human garbage in poorer years, when fish and crawfish are scarce. White ibises often feed in large groups, sometimes more than 5000 birds. When other species are around, they tend to seek small prey that can be swallowed whole, since other predators such as herons and egrets often take the opportunity to rob the ibis of its catch. Other wading birds even follow behind the white ibis and catch prey that has been disturbed by the ibis’s probing.

White ibises practice a colonial lifestyle. These birds are highly sociable and are often found in large colonies of 500 to 15,000 birds.

The colony participates in many activities together including feeding, foraging, nesting, mating, and roosting – but not preening. Much of the time roosting is spent preening, working their feathers with their long bills, as well as rubbing the oil glands on the sides of their heads on back plumage. They generally only preen themselves, not engaging in allopreening (social grooming) unless part of courtship behavior. Hundreds of birds may also bathe together around the time of courtship. They are relatively quiet birds, but are known to communicate with a honking sound – transcribed as urnk, urnk or hunk, hunk – to others in the colony. The call is used in flight, courtship, or when disturbed. Birds also utter a muted huu-huu-huu call while foraging, and make a squealing call in courtship. Young in the nest give a high-pitched zziu as a begging call.

Like other species of ibis, the white ibis flies with neck and legs outstretched, often in long loose lines or V formations. Learning to fly in this formation is essential to the survival of adolescent white ibises. Juveniles that are unable to develop this behavioral pattern exhibit a significantly higher mortality rate. A 1986 field study in North Carolina noted over 80% of adult ibis flying in this manner, while juveniles rapidly took up the practice over the course of the summer.

The V formation may improve aerodynamics, thus lowering energy expenditure, an important skill to learn when these birds regularly fly up to about 20 miles just for foraging. Heights of 1,600 to 3,300 feet can be reached as birds glide. More commonly, birds fly between 200 and 330 feet above the ground, gliding or flapping at a rate of around 3.3 wingbeats a second.

In Texas, according to colonial waterbird censuses, the annual breeding population fluctuates widely between about 1,600 and 32,000 pairs. In general, the wetter the winter/spring season, the larger the number of breeding birds. March thunderstorms commonly trigger courtship flights. White ibises are a monogamous species that go through five stages during the breeding season, which begins in early spring. The five stages include display, copulation, egg-production, incubation, and chick rearing. These stages are tied to major behavioral changes exhibited by both sexes. The first stage is display. This is when mate choice is decided and display flights take place. The legs and faces of breeding ibises turn red, and females display a red gular sac (featherless throat pouch). Involving many individuals of the colony, display flights consist of birds flying in a circular motion around the perimeter of the colony while diving up and down. Mate choice seems

to be catalyzed by the gular sac on the female. Once pairing has occurred, the male and female lock heads by wrapping their necks together, then thrusting their heads toward the ground.

Males display many courtship behaviors during the second stage, including rubbing their bill on the female’s head, preening, and headnodding at the female. Due to the aggressive nature of displaying males, females generally approach in a submissive manner. Males take the process of pairing extremely serious and may attack other males or abandon the nest if another male has bred with his mate.

Although, while the white ibis is predominantly monogamous and both sexes provide parental care to their young, the male often flies off to engage in extra-pair copulation with other nesting females after mating with his primary female partner. These extra-pair copulations make up about 45 percent of the total attempted matings, though only about 15 percent of extra-pair copulations are successful.

Females are receptive towards extra-pair copulations, but male mateguarding greatly reduces the rate of successful female involvement in attempted extra-pair copulations by other males.

Nest construction begins during this time and is dependent on both parents. Males collect twigs for the females to use, and females construct the nest by forcing twigs into the framework. Males may steal twigs and other materials from other nests. Completed nests are platforms of sticks, reeds, and marsh grasses and are located in trees, bushes, reeds, or even on the ground. In Texas, most nest in shrubs and low trees on barrier islands, salt marshes, and dredge-material (spoil) islands. The birds nest colonially near or above a marsh or wetland, often with herons and spoonbills. In fact, the presence of earlier nesting species may prompt ibises to choose the same site.

After the nest construction period, the third stage of breeding, egg production, begins. Males are still extremely aggressive towards other males of the colony, and even to their own mate, as a way of protecting their young.

During the egg production stage, female ibises lay one egg every other day for about a week, with an average clutch size of 2 to 4 eggs. Inland breeding populations tend to have larger clutches of 3 to 4 eggs, while coastal populations average 1 to 2 eggs. The eggs are brown or cream, with blueish green spots. Hatchlings are initially unable to move much or see. Their eyes do not fully open until day 9.

They also have underdeveloped neck muscles, and so are unable to sustain the weight of their neck and have to lie on their side for 1 to 2 days until their muscles properly develop. Their bills are relatively straight at this point, and they lack feathers until they are 4 or 5 days old. (The bill begins to elongate and curve downward after about 2 weeks.) Due to these limitations, the young are completely dependent upon their parents. Newly-hatched ibises have a distinctive chirping or “begging” call. This verbal communication enables the parents to distinguish their young from the rest of the colony. Female white ibises leave to gather food for the young, while the males stay to protect the nest. Because males are significantly bigger and more aggressive than females, this likely provides better protection for the hatchlings.

Hatchlings are preyed on by fish crows, black-crowned night herons, opossums, raccoons, and rat snakes.

The last stage, chick rearing, takes about 6 weeks. Adult ibises teach their young to fly by standing close to them and beginning to take off. This allows the young to mimic the adults’ technique. Fledglings have largely brown plumage and only the rump, underwing, and underparts are white. The legs become light orange. Once they are TSFMAG.com | 45

able to fly, juveniles are independent. As they mature, white feathers begin appearing on the back and they undergo a gradual molt to obtain the white adult plumage. This is mostly complete by the end of the second year, although some brown feathers persist on the head and neck until the end of the third year. Juvenile birds take around two years to reach adult size and weight. Sexual maturity for both males and females is reached at age 3. From banding data, the oldest white ibis found in the wild was 16 years and 4 months old. The maximum lifespan observed in captivity was 27 years and 7 months, with an average in captivity of about 20 years.

In the past, white ibises have been hunted and sold as a food source.

In some areas, this practice still continues today. Some consider this bird to be a delicacy due to their appealing taste, which is thought to be derived from their crawfish diet. John James Audubon reported that they have orange flesh and a strong fishy taste. Crawfish farmers in Louisiana sometimes shoot them for foraging in crawfish ponds.

Overall, the impact of hunting is not thought to be major. White ibises have no other known adverse effects on humans. According to the IUCN red list, white ibises are listed as least concern and have no special status on the US Migratory Bird Act and the US Federal List. Currently, their population is large and relatively stable. Although white ibis coastal breeding colonies are protected, their inland feeding areas are subject to rapid human development. They cannot sustain their populations without both habitats, so deterioration of inland habitat is a threat to their population. Human pollution has also affected the behavior of the white ibises in some areas due to an increase in the concentrations of methylmercury, which is released into the

46 | August 2022

environment from untreated waste. Exposure to methylmercury alters the hormone levels of the white ibis, affecting their mating and nesting behavior and leading to lower reproduction rates.

Where I learned about white ibises, and you can too!

The Texas Breeding Bird Atlas txtbba.tamu.edu/species-accounts/white-ibis/ Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org/accounts/Eudocimus_albus/ IUCN Red List www.iucnredlist.org/species/22697411/188454802 iNaturalist www.inaturalist.org/taxa/3751-Eudocimus-albus NatureWorks nhpbs.org/natureworks/whiteibis.htm

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Shark angler’s holy grail…tagged and released mako from the beach.

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

THE HOLY GRAIL At least fifteen different species of sharks visit the shallow waters off Texas beaches during any given year.The shortfin mako ranks high on the list of rarities.

Nature and evolution combined to invent a supremely effective design when they built the mako, one of the ocean’s apex predators.

The huge keel at the base of a mako’s tail is bound with pure muscle, capable of providing the fish a tremendous amount of raw power and speed, which fuels lightningfast bursts and the ability to launch free from the water, far into the sky. Makos are like sleek sports car, built for performance—the McLarens of the shark world.

Because most makos prowl far offshore, people get excited when they hear one has been caught from the beach. Land-based sharkers have long considered the mako as a kind of holy grail. At the start of 2022, only six land-based makos had ever been caught in Texas, but the number seems destined to grow.

Generally, I can’t devote much time to pursuing makos, but recently, I was happy to help a good friend with his pursuit of the seemingly mythical 48 | August 2022

speedster shark.Fellow Team Rockstar fishing buddy Ron Richmond has had an illustrious career of his own.

For the past few years, he’s been hauling bruiser tigers to the beach, including a twelve and half foot freak specimen he landed in Matagorda last fall. The one thing missing in his respectful surf resume was catching a mako from the beach.

Some time ago, he had announced that 2021 would be his final year before retiring from the sport. But when 2022 arrived, he changed his mind, citing a still unquenched thirst; he wanted one more shot at the elusive mako. So he chose to fish one more season, mostly because of the mako need.

I’ve known Ron for several years. A genuine asset to the fishing community, he believes strongly in work ethic.

At 63 years of age, Ron routinely busts his butt in the kayak, deploying shark baits, while some in the newer generation rely on drones and other less-respected techniques. Since retiring from a career as an engineer, Ron has had time to develop his passion on the beach and explore the adventures these toothy critters present.

The obsession began a lifetime ago when he was fishing the creeks, a sudden the fight stopped and the line fell limp. The bait had pulled rivers, and lakes of Illinois and Minnesota, during his childhood. His is a out of the mako’s mouth. The mysterious beast won the day, and we story much like mine; I grew up on a lake in upstate New York, fishing left licking our wounds. freshwater, captivated by all the fish I caught. Many anglers develop Soon after that, cold fronts repeatedly blasted across the Texas their obsession for fishing in freshwater, and when they convert to salt, coast, basically for the whole month of February. Water temps it’s like throwing gasoline on a bonfire. dropped and stayed below normal for over a month. Then, in late The prevailing conditions this past January provided fuel for hope.

March, things started to get back on track. Focused and determined, Warm weather and water temps created a feeling we were still fishing Ron kept an eye on the weather and conditions. We agreed another a fall pattern. Conditions in the surf were stellar, the action fast. Ron possible mako window appeared to be looming, perhaps for just a day kept planning his trips solely around the quest to catch a mako. I or two. That’s all Ron needed to get back down and seek his revenge. provided some insights on what to look for, hoping an ultra-rare mako On March 26th, the man who needed a mako headed back to the window would present itself. beach to continue his mission. I wrangled my family to go out for a day For makos to venture close the beach in Texas, several variables and fish with Ron. Conditions looked prime and the mako variables must line up perfectly. The big three out of these are water fell in line. I finally meet up with my friend early in the afternoon, as he temperature, water clarity, and bait presence. In mid-January, we had an extremely short window where these factors aligned in textbook fashion. I had some down time and was able to meet Ron for a day to target makos. Conditions were touch Mako fitted with ADL and go—on that particular morning, tag, ready for release. the water was semi-dirty. But by early afternoon, emerald green water started pushing in around the 3rd sandbar. We wondered, would this be the day?

We ran out a small array of baits and were in waiting mode. Ron and I were parked roughly 150 yards apart, so we could assist each other if the need presented itself. Within a couple hours, the bait on one of my 80W reels got picked up; the fish ran hard offshore, but for just a few seconds. The shark then wheeled around and bolted inshore with an insane amount of speed. I reeled in Ron Richmond poses with a prize perhaps 100 yards of line, thinking few shark anglers can claim.

I’d been cut off, but I soon realized the shark had dropped the fresh drum I was using for bait.

I knew the whole scenario smelled like a mako, but I didn’t say anything to Ron. I just went on about my business and re-ran the bait. Roughly an hour later, I saw Ron climb on top of his truck, hooked up, so I started to walk his way. About halfway there, I heard his 80W getting dumped; the clicker sounded like a roaring Harley showing off. I jumped on the platform with Ron and instantly knew he was hooked up to a BIG mako. Ron couldn’t gain an inch of line for several minutes, when all of TSFMAG.com | 49

Ron and Oz team up to release Ron’s mako.

50 | August 2022

same size and designed for mega-propulsion. After a few final, frantic bursts, the mako calmed down enough for me to lasso its massive tail, and one Texas surf sharker’s dream came true.

Working quickly, we removed the hook and measured the fish. The healthy mako rang in at exactly ten foot in length, marking the fifth different shark species measuring more than nine feet Ron’s caught in his career! I attached a special ADL tag to the shark for the Harte Research Institute. With all obligations and photos completed, Ron pulled the shark out into water deep enough to prime it for release.

Once free, the creature swam almost instantly over the bars fronting the beach, headed back to the deep offshore waters of the Gulf, where it belongs, this time carrying a badge to honor the name of science. Such a cool end to a journey this provided for a man who deserved what he got. In triumph, Ron accomplished his personal goal and landed the fish of a lifetime.As a bonus, I was able to attach another satellite tag to a Texas beach-caught mako. This, just the seventh mako dragged onto a Texas beach, became the fifth one to touch my hand. I’ve caught two myself, and I’m proud of my friend Ron, who joined the tiny fraternity of Texas anglers who’ve found the holy grail while working the beach.

C O N TA C T

was getting his third bait out. I immediately put a couple baits out, and almost instantly Alexis hooked up on a solid fish... but the hook pulled, and I experienced deja vu. While I prepped a new bait, I looked down the beach and saw Ron on his platform, waving at me; he had hooked a really good shark!

Ron kept saying, “Good fish. Good fish,” while I walked up. The shark took line at will, heading farther down the beach. We both thought he’d hooked a tiger. I would have bet money and tackle on it, based on the way the fish fought. A giant tiger would be a hell of a consolation prize in March, even for a man with mako on the brain. The shark refused to slow down, continuing to head north with the current. Ron suggested I hop in his truck and drive him down the beach, so he could recover some line.

So that’s what I did. I drove, Ron cranked away, and after a few minutes, we were well down the beach, beginning to win the fight. Fortunately, the shark then made a diagonal run towards the beach, giving us a chance to intercept it. We continued the chase for a couple more minutes, until our adversary crossed the second sandbar. Once I pulled even with the shark, I parked the truck and jumped back on top with Ron. Through the lenses of my polarized shades, I could just see a dark silhouette under the water’s surface.Still in the zone, focused heavily on the fight and gaining as much line as possible, Ron battled on. The shark finally crossed into the first gut, and I hopped down to tail-rope it, as it approached the first sandbar. With leader in hand, I began to pull, and like a horror movie scene, the shark came to the surface, powerfully whipping its tail back and forth.

This provided the confirmation we needed. Once you see a mako’s tail, you never forget it. Both upper and lower lobes are virtually the

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.

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TSFMAG.com | 53

BINK GRIMES

THE VIEW FROM Matagorda

Here’s a little good news in a depressed economy – our fishery is recovering. It has been what I estimate to be 15 years since have I caught so many 2-3 pound trout in East Matagorda Bay. Our new 3-trout M ata go r d a limit (from 17-23 inches) seems to be productive. It’s amazing how feisty a 16 ¾ -inch trout is. The real joy has been the release - knowing those ageBink Grimes is a full-time fishing class fish have a chance to be 5,6 and and hunting guide, freelance 8-pounders and enjoyed by so many. writer and photographer, and Another bright spot is the changing owner of Sunrise Lodge on Matagorda Bay. attitudes of so many anglers. It is not as cool to kill everything you catch.

It is not as cool to post dead fish Telephone 979-241-1705 pictures. It is not as cool put a knife in Email a 20-inch fish. binkgrimes@sbcglobal.net It is cool to let them go. It Website is cool for captains to explain matagordasunriselodge.com to customers what we are trying to do to bring back a fishery. It is cool to post pictures with large grins and then release that healthy fish back to the fertile waters of Matagorda. It is cool that our cleaning table at Matagorda Harbor no longer looks like a butcher shop on a calm day. We can’t take, take, take and expect the fishery to give, give, give. Those days are gone. Most get it, but still some don’t. Keep smiling – attitudes are changing for the better.

Along with the heat, August normally brings a few weak cool fronts that knock down the humidity, flatten the Gulf of Mexico, and ushers in the first batch of blue-winged teal. We will work the surf and jetty on these days, concentrating in the first gut on the incoming tide and tossing topwaters on the outer bars on the falling tide.

Don’t be surprised to find birds working along the north shoreline with calm conditions. Since the ICW runs along the northern boundary of East Bay, those shrimp running the “ditch” often enter the bay on the incoming tide.

Likewise, the reefs along the north shoreline are a boon for waders tossing topwaters on the incoming tide. Never underestimate the cuts leading to the bay on the incoming tide as well. Those fish enter and exit the ditch daily through the cuts. There are some good trout on the shorelines for waders as well. Again, it’s an early bite with the heat. We find those trout over the grass early, then they fall along the ledge in about 4-5 feet of water later in the day.

When winds are light we also drift the middle of East Bay. Trout and redfish hang there all year, and slicks become more prevalent during August, especially for schooling redfish.

The mid-bay reefs consistently hold good trout in August. We start out in waist-deep water on the shell drop then end up in chest-deep water on the end of the reef as the water warms. Know your tides.

There have been many mornings I have arrived to find nothing, but patience prevails knowing the incoming tide will bring fish to the reef.

54 | August 2022

Slicks popping in deeper water adjacent to the reef are good signs.

Offshore anglers have enjoyed excellent red snapper action in 4080 feet of water.

Tripletail action in the bay has been hit-or-miss. Better catches have come on the weedlines just off the beach.

Expect kingfish, cobia and dorado to remain consistent over structure.

Expect tarpon to show along the beach in August. More and more anglers are finding large schools of poons along the Matagorda beachfront.

Teal will begin to arrive along the coast this month. In less than 40 days we will be on a shallow flat enjoying these ariel acrobats.

Keep your head up America. It is going to get better in the coming days.

Call, text or email for info on lodging, hunting, fishing or real estate along the coast. Follow our catches om Facebook (Sunrise Lodge and Properties) and Instagram (@matagordasunriselodge).

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Matagorda’s August Heat…

Surf Could Be Hotter!

TSFMAG.com | 55

CAPT. GARY GRAY

MID-COAST BAYS With the Grays

Anytime anybody asks where to catch it is too rough to be out there. I threw that in because I frequently quality fish in August, the first words see people trying to anchor in the surf when it is too rough and out of my mouth will be the surf. they could easily be swamped by the crashing waves. Use your best Granted there are some great fish discretion; the surf can be a very dangerous place when the wind or to be had by wading drop-offs and waves get up. irregularities along shorelines and reefs My all-time favorite lure for the surf is a MirrOlure She Dog in Port O'Connor in our local bays, but for quality trout GCRRH or CHPR. Those are the colors I like best but I often find that Seadrift on a consistent basis you cannot beat any color will work out there. the surf. When I say quality, I’m talking My other lure choices for the surf are the Bass Assassin 5” Saltwater trout of nineteen to twenty-three Shad (rat tail) and the 4” Sea Shad (paddle tail). Depending on the Captain Gary Gray is a full inches pretty regularly. Redfish can also water color I will usually go with either the Purple Chicken or Magic time guide, born and raised in be plentiful in the surf and most run Grass lure colors. I usually opt for 1/8-ounce Bass Assassin jigheads Seadrift. He has been guiding above average in size. Now granted, rather than my standard 1/16-ounce. the Seadrift/Port O’Connor fish have tails and can move up and Another go-to bait that will be getting a lot of air time in the surf region since 1986. Gary from me is the Texas Custom Lures Double D MirrOdine XL. This is specializes in year ‘round wade down the beachfront, so you still have fishing for speckled trout and to put forth the effort and use all the a twitchbait that floats at rest but dives during presentation with redfish with artificial lures. same signs to find and keep on top of erratic wobbling action that drives fish crazy. I have been using the fish as you would in the bay. them in the bay for a while now and they have definitely improved Telephone The first sign I look for when my catches. Another word of caution; if you are fishing a “sharky” 361-785-6708 running the beachfront is birds. I area, it might pay to switch to a lure that you may not be as fond of Email bayrats@tisd.net am always on the lookout for my as they like them also.

Website fishing buddy, the brown pelican.

In closing I would like to mention that when wading near a gulf www.bayrat.com The pelicans I am looking for need to pass you should always wear a PFD, whether of the inflatable type Facebook be standing at the edge of the water or a vest. The passes will have stronger currents than you encounter @captsgaryandshelliegray or, even better, swimming in the first further down the beaches and you could easily be swept in or out gut. Other birds to pay attention to are gulls and terns when they’re by the changing tide. I prefer not to wade near any of the passes for working within the first three guts. Hands down, though, my go-to this reason. bird is the brown pelican.

You can use this information as a guideline for fishing the surf, just If I cannot find birds within the three-gut area of the beachfront keep in mind the weather and water conditions can change quickly I will be looking for baitfish. Either schooling or in rafts, or certainly and your fun fishing trip can turn very dangerous in a matter of when appearing to be fleeing from predators in the first gut; frantic minutes. Keep a keen eye on your surroundings! bait is a good indication our speckled friends or a bunch of rowdy Fish hard, fish smart! redfish are present.

Once we have found our buddy the pelican and/or schools of active baitfish, the next thing we need is a plan of attack. If you are planning to anchor and wade the surf you need to pay special attention to where the waves are breaking. I prefer to anchor my boat in the second gut, dropping anchor right on top of the third bar, and then letting out line until the stern of my Shallow Sport X3 is right in front of the second bar. This allows for easy in and out access using my Coastline Custom Aluminum ladder mounted on the stern.

Mash Bucek landed this nice pair of flounder Some of my favorite colors A word of caution; if waves while wading with his father Nathan. for the Double D MirrOdine. are crashing on the third bar 56 | August 2022

THE NEW STANDARD FOR SALTWATER CASTING REELS HAS ARRIVED

TSFMAG.com | 57

DAVID ROWSEY

HOOKED UP WITH Rowsey

Here we are. Hottest month of the year and probably my least favorite to be on the water. To ease the burden, I had a shoulder surgery in July to give me a good excuse to stay inside and away from the devil’s breath.

I guess one of the few good Upper things about August, for me, is that Laguna/ September is right around the corner Baffin and that means bird hunting with friends and lots of good times. Another August positive is greatly reduced boat traffic. Many folks are busy getting kids David Rowsey has 30 years back in school, can’t stand the heat, in Baffin and Upper Laguna or just had a gut full from all the prior Madre; trophy trout with days on the water. I don’t mean for this artificial lures is his specialty. to sound completely negative; there David has a great passion for are still plenty of trout to be caught in conservation and encourages catch and release of trophy fish. the wee hours for those that are serious and will commit to a very early start.

Telephone Traditionally, we would have giant 361-960-0340 schools of reds to pursue right now, Website and we may yet, but the flotillas of www.DavidRowsey.com Email high-drive burn boats (not all) seem david.rowsey@yahoo.com to keep them scattered and spooky from the crash and burn technique @captdavidrowsey that has become the new normal for “red fishing”. Although the redfish are a lot spookier in this new environment, they are still out there. One just has to be a little stealthier and think outside the old normal to catch them consistently. Personally, I really miss those easy catches, especially on these hot days of August.

After the freeze last year, just about everyone I know was all in on conservation and releasing most every trout. That turned out to be mostly tongue and cheek, I guess. When that yellow flag at the bait stands started waving, a great number lost all sense of what’s best for the fishery and opted for the stringer shots at the marina to bump the ego. It’s been pretty discouraging to watch, as these are the same guys that are making a living off a public resource. Maybe I’m missing something, but seems to me that if those trout are the source of my future income, I would do all I could do to conserve them. What are you going to sell when there is no longer a viable resource to target?

With reduced limits for nearly two years, we have been given a real opportunity to do some good and “right the ship”. Too many, way too many, are caught up in bragging rights for a few hours of social media glory that is being traded for what needs to be done for the future of the trout fishery in the Upper Laguna and Baffin Bay. I remember a few adults in my youth telling me, “Grow up, not everything is about you.” I think there are lots of fishermen that must never have heard that or have yet to understand it.

Low tides and deep rocks have been a great summer pattern for me for longer than I can remember. It’s some of the easiest Baffin fishing you can possibly do, as it is so easy to visualize. What I mean by that is schools of mullet taking refuge on rock piles is about as 58 | August 2022

easy to spot as a blinking red light. Fishing the edges of the schools and rocks produces strikes more often than not. Making long wades in areas that have scattered rock piles can and will provide hours of entertainment during this heat. Of course, I’m searching for trout, but we commonly run into cruising schools of reds and black drum in the process. Drum are a big bonus on this deep structure as solid to big trout routinely cruise with them, picking off all the critters the drum spook up. This is a pattern that I routinely go to after a first light wade on something skinny. The late Doug Bird was a master of this type of fishing, but from the boat. He looked like Bill Dance out there working that trolling motor and wearing out the edges of rock piles like an old bass fisherman (which he was). RIP Doug!

Three lures are all I need in the rocks. MirrOlure Dog series topwaters, 5” Bass Assassins rigged on 1/16oz 2/0 jigheads, and a floater-diver such as the Double D by Texas Custom Lures. One of those three will get it done on the rocks!

Remember the buffalo! -Capt David Rowsey

Curtis Burch with a summertime beauty. Love to see a few big girls still swimming. Bass Assassin. Released.

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WAYNE DAVIS

WAYNE’S Mansfield Report

Greetings from Port Mansfield! Boy, the Dog Days of Summer came early this year. Just as we got past the windiest spring I can recall we jumped right into Port June with water temperatures climbing to 91°. The hottest I can recall at such Mansfield an early date, which has me wondering what we’ll see in August. This has been a strange year weatherwise; uncommonly powerful winds through Captain Wayne Davis has April and May, super-hot temperatures been fishing the Lower in June and July, plus we saw a few Laguna-Port Mansfield for over 20 years. He specializes days of northerly winds because of a in wade fishing with lures. mild disturbance in the Gulf. Unsure if this unusual weather pattern caused Telephone this but we are already seeing large 210-287-3877 schools of redfish forming near the East Email Cut. This pattern typically develops captwayne@kwigglers.com between mid-August and September.

Water levels remain exceptionally low with only small windows of opportunity to catch good trout shallow in early morning. As soon as the sun rises and you feel that uptick in the temperature, most (not all) fish move out to the deeper, more comfortable water temperature zones. On the bright side, since the water is so low, those fish holding deep are within striking distance for anglers who wade. I am no longer a “deep” wader, but I will do the waist deep thing if pushed, and lately I am being shoved. Mostly trout, with a few reds mixed in on those deeper ledges and grass lines have been Shelbie Kaples landed requiring 1/4-oz jigheads (something I her personal best trout rarely use), but those fish are holding on recently…CPR! the bottom and the additional lure weight is effective for this scenario. The KWigglers Ball Tail Shad is the preferred soft plastic simply because its profile lends so well to this method of fishing.

I have encountered a few small pods of redfish and the occasional twenty-fiveinch (and longer) trout along spoil islands, but with the water being extremely low this can be challenging to wade because of an abundance of grass and soft bottom.

That said, if you are willing to muster through it you can be rewarded by watching the “copper” mud balls of 15-20 redfish form where you can pick them off from the outside one by one…if you are good. I recently executed this exact scenario with Mike Frazier (see photo) where we enjoyed catching “podding” reds along a spoil.

During August I will continue to be stubborn and work shallow as much as I can. I do this because I know the rewards can be great as experience tells me a few true trophy-class fish of all kinds are stubborn like me and will stay shallow. This is where mine and my clients trophies have come from. As we work the shallow stuff, I will 60 | August 2022

have a 1/16 or 3/32-ounce 2/0 jighead paired with a Bone Diamond Wig-A-Lo in most cases, or a Bone Diamond Willow Tail Shad. On my other rod I will have a Mansfield Knocker with single hooks to get it through floating grass. The plastic will be rigged on my FTU G2 Spinner paired with a Shimano Vanford 2500 reel. The topwater will be on my FTU G2 Classic model bait caster paired with a Shimano Aldebaran, Metanium, or equivalent. They say confidence is key and this is what I am confident in.

Our trout population is looking better than I ever imagined. Anglers are having fair to good catches, but I do not think just because there may appear to be an abundance of trout that now is the time to forget about the devastating fish kill. I believe we should move cautiously through this recovery period and pay close attention to what is unfolding. The cautious and open-eyed approach has been proven to work best in many aspects of life, from stock market strategies to business models and the like. Some may disagree, but this is my play as I believe it is the right approach based on current observations, years of experience, and data coming from respected biologists.

June through July has been busy between fishing trips, fishing shows and tournaments, and I am happy to report we are holding our own in most tournaments and have continued to be successful in live releases, even trout. We have a couple of months left of hot temperatures but, soon enough, the peak of the temperature curve will be reached and we will be sliding into cooler temperatures and lots of catching will be going on.

Until next time – Stay safe and remember; fresh is better than frozen!

Mike Frazier with a bruiser shallow water red.

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TSFMAG.com | 61

CAPT. ERNEST CISNEROS

SOUTH PADRE Fishing Scene

If I had to pick the most challenging month to catch fish in the Lower Laguna Madre it would be August.

Two primary factors contribute to this Arr o y o – extremely high water temperatures C ol o ra d o and the probability of tropical weather. t o Po rt The water temperature thing pretty I sa bel much explains itself; trout and redfish change movement and feeding habits as they adjust to the daily high water A Brownsville-area native, temperatures. As for the tropical Capt. Ernest Cisneros fishes the Lower Laguna Madre from weather aspect; tropical depressions Port Mansfield to Port Isabel. and storms in the Gulf of Mexico bring Ernest specializes in wading unstable weather to the Laguna with and poled skiff adventures for frequently heavy rainfall and runoff snook, trout, and redfish. that can affect salinity and also sudden rises in tide levels. Still another problem Cell 956-266-6454 will be dead grass at the surface and Website throughout the water column that can www.tightlinescharters.com make it all but impossible to fish with artificial lures at times.

Redfish catches have been holding fair to good for us most days.

We have been seeing them in the shallows in early morning, even during the lower tides, but as the day goes by and the water warms the reds retreat to deeper water and become harder to find. The major concentrations remain in tucked-away places where there’s less boat traffic and fishing pressure. Even though we will begin seeing reduced pressure as summer winds down and schools reopen, I expect rising water levels will keep the reds in remote backwater areas through late August and into September.

Troy Fowler was excited to land Depending the amount of cloud cover and his first-ever rain we receive from the tropics, we could also Texas snook. see a reduction in bay water temperatures. This would improve the availability of small shrimp, pinfish, mullet, and crabs. If this happens we should experience some redfish tailing action in the shallows as they root the small forage from the grass. This will bring greatly improved topwater action compared to previous months.

Go-to lures will be Super Spook Jrs and weedless KWiggler Willow Tails in shallow water, Ball Tails on standard jig heads in deeper water.

In general, I would say the rebound of our trout population continues as a welcome surprise to most anglers. The fishery is by no means fully recovered from the freeze last February, but if our landings are any indication it is well on its way.

The number of undersized trout in the system certainly reinforces this.

Handling them with care is of utmost importance as they will be the eventual keepers and trophies that will entertain us for years to come.

Tell-tale surface slicking continues to be one of the best indicators of trout feeding activity. Remember, the smaller the slick the fresher it is, so always try to work the area upwind of the slick very 62 | August 2022

thoroughly. Catching a limit of keeper trout has not been hard lately, if that is your goal. Trout over twenty-five inches have been hard to find, and they tend to be skinny from several months of spawning activity when you do.

The best place to find a steady trout bite lately has been along the ICW drop-off. Lots of little ones but also some keepers in the mix.

KWiggler Ball Tails in plum-chartreuse have been a mainstay for fooling trout of all sizes. In the deeper water of the drop-off I have been using a 1/4-oz jig head to probe the full water column. The trout will tend to be deeper from midday until late afternoon. When fishing shallower I switch back to my old standby 1/8-oz. As with the reds, and depending the amount of rain and fresh inflow, we could see a boost in topwater action this month.

Flounder landings of recent weeks reminds me of the early-2000s when limits were easily attainable. Most of our catches have been incidental, but the numbers are pretty impressive when specifically targeting them. Sandy potholes along spoil islands, drains, and old oil field cuts have all been productive. Let’s hope this recent trend remains.

As I mentioned in the beginning, August has historically been a tough month for me and my charters. Hopefully the weather changes that are likely to come our way will make this one more productive. I strongly advise keeping a close watch on the weather forecast, storms can pop up out of nowhere when the tropics are active. Winds should be generally favorable except during storms.

Nearshore and offshore fishing will be busting at the seams with plenty of tarpon, kingfish, bull redfish, and other species, if that type of fishing appeals to you. Whatever you plan to do on the water this month, be safe and fish it well!

Jordan Osteen with one of numerous good fish she caught on this day.

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Snook: More Valuable Swimming Than Filleted

Science and the

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Shhhh! It’s a Whale Nursery!

Deciding where to have their baby is an important aspect of birth planning for many expectant mothers. Southern right whale mothers also take their birthing location very seriously, traveling thousands of miles to shallow-water sites before giving birth to their their calves. It turns out, these whale moms have a very good reason for these long migrations: the shallow water provides a safe harbor where it’s more difficult for predators to find them and their calves.

Giving birth in shallow-water areas may protect southern right whale calves from predators. Credit: NOAA A trio of biologists at Syracuse University recently looked into why southern right whales pick these shallow nurseries along the coasts of Brazil, South Africa, and Australia. The clues were in the acoustics of these nursery areas.

Like all whales, southern right whales make sounds to communicate with one another. Often these sounds travel quite far, which is useful for large whale pods that need to communicate over long distances. But when they have vulnerable, young calves to care for, such long-ranging sounds may attract predators. Shallow, sandy nursery areas have poor acoustics, making it harder for whales to hear each other, unless they’re in very close proximity. But if they can’t hear each other except at close range, that means potentially hungry hunters can’t eavesdrop on them either.

The scientists found that the depths where the mothers and their calves spent the most time were also the depths where their sounds traveled the shortest distances—no matter what part of the world they were in. In coastal waters less than 10 meters deep, their calls couldn’t be heard more than 500 meters away. Yet in deeper waters, the calls of right whales can travel 30 to 100 km away. The limited acoustic range of shallow waters may protect young whales from predators and even other whales.

www.ScienceAndTheSea.org

© The University of Texas Marine Science Institute TSFMAG.com | 63

FISHING REPORTS

ORECASTS F from Big Lake to Boca Chica

AND

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 August usually means fishing pretty deep water in parts of the bays without any visible, defining features, James says. “I spend a lot of time fishing out of the boat when it gets as hot as it’s gonna get. I like to target trout around old well pads and other structures that break up the bottom. Reading the tide and setting the boat up in exactly the right place so we can cast our lures out and work ‘em through the strike zones in the right direction plays a big part in our ability to catch fish in places like these. People without intimate knowledge of underwater structures will be better off targeting fish under birds, around slicks and around big rafts of jumping mullet this time of year.

Small topwaters work great sometimes, but old school 51 and 52M MirrOlures and other sub-surface lures work better, on average. This time of year, we start thinking about targeting the silver kings too.

We need some relatively calm weather to get after them consistently.

The wind has recently stopped blowing so much on a daily basis. If we wind up having a calm summer, the tarpon fishing might be fantastic.”

Matagorda | Bay Guide Service Tommy Countz – 979.863.7553 cell 281.450.4037 Like most everybody else, Tommy likes to fish the surf when he can during August. “Whatever else we’re doing, we keep our eyes on the surf. When the water gets green to the beach, the fishing is just better out there than it is in the bays, on average. Especially for about two days after the winds die, and the water clears up. When we can’t fish the surf, I like to wade West Matagorda Bay most of the time, this month. If tides are high, I like to stay tight to the banks. If it’s low, we fish in the guts, where the water’s deep enough. In either situation, it’s best to throw soft plastics on light jigheads, like sixteenth-ounce. Putting on a light jighead forces you to slow down, and that works better in the hot weather. If you can see the lure right at the surface, you’re working it too fast. Some people struggle with this, so they do better by dangling their soft plastic under a small cork. Another option that works well during the peak of summer is drifting the areas around the reefs in East Bay, using heavier jigheads, to keep the lure close to the bottom.”

Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054 Jim says the fishing has been excellent lately in a couple of specific types of places. “I’ve been fishing the surf some. Fishin’s good out there when we go, because we always wait for the right conditions. On average, the trout run a little bigger out there lately than in the bays, so it’s good. I expect quite a few more good days once the winds calm and stay calm for a while, which they usually do in August. Fishin’s been good in the bays lately too. Just regular fish, no big ones, but real good numbers. We’re finding them by keying on slicks, in places with shell on the bottom. There’s a little bit of bird activity at times, but using the slicks is the real key. The big mud stirs help too. The bait will root around on the bottom and the reds will be where the bait is.

When you find a big mud stir, catching fish usually means finding the slicks in the muddy water. And, you have to find the small ones. The big ones are basically worthless, because they’re too far from the fish.

Looking for small slicks and working upwind of them is the way to go.”

Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 Light winds have finally allowed us to work all the patterns and places we like during summer, and we’ve been catching plenty of fish. Our trout bite has been steady over deep shell and around rigs in West Matagorda Bay. Out there, we’re using live shrimp rigged about four feet under popping corks. We had a good run in the surf already, and expect plenty more. The catching was great on SheDogs with chrome on them. Most of the trout were solid keepers, up to about twenty two inches. The reds have been biting great in the local rivers. We’re trolling banks and throwing three-inch Gulp! shrimp dangled under corks at the ledges. The rivers are all pretty salty right now, with the drought, and the fish are hanging in the deeper holes. Tripletail up to twenty three pounds have been hanging around structures in the main bay. We’re using popping corks with big fresh dead shrimp rigged anywhere from three to six feet under ‘em for best results. In August, I expect these patterns to continue to produce. We’ll be heading out and coming back to the dock early, to beat the worst part of the heat.

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 Randall says the fishing has been steady and the catching good so far this summer in the area around San Luis Pass. And he sends out a reminder: it’s always cooler on the water than it is in town! “We’ve been catching good numbers of trout in the surf when winds are calm. And, the fishing for both trout and reds has been excellent in the immediate vicinity of the pass since the menhaden showed up.

The best part of the recent run has been the explosive topwater bite early in the mornings. This kind of fishing is about as much fun as we have all year. Of course, later in the days, when the sun climbs high overhead, soft plastics like Norton Bull Minnows typically work better.

Lately, we’ve been doing best on the glow color with chartreuse tail, rigged on a three-eighths ounce Norton screw-lock jighead. As the heat drags on, the fishing usually picks up in the deeper water, like around six feet or even more, behind the pass, where we target our fish by watching bird signs, looking for slicks and following herds of bait. This pattern should kick off any time now.”

64 | August 2022

Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith Back Bay Guide Service - 361.983.4434 August is one of Lynn’s favorite months, because the Port O’Connor area offers so many good options for catching trout and redfish within a short distance from the dock. “We love the surf in August.

Usually, winds are light and the green water stays close to the beach.

You really can’t beat early morning sessions catching surf trout on topwaters. We also do well on the trout in West Matagorda Bay this time of year, usually throwing topwaters and tails on flats with grass and sandy potholes lying close to deep water, in places close to the jetties and the pass, also up the bay toward Port Lavaca on the spoil banks, at times. The deep reefs in Espiritu Santo Bay can be good for trout too, when the water’s moving. Reds will also be found in all these places, but folks specifically targeting them do better by fishing around the mouths of the sloughs connecting the backwater areas with the main bays, sometimes in the coves and lakes too.

The reds will blow up on topwaters even better than the trout

sometimes, especially small ones like Spook Juniors, but soft plastics usually work better to get their attention.”

Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894 Blake had been fishing the surf quite a bit in days prior to giving this report. “The surf got really good once the wind laid for a while. The water’s been beautiful out there lots of days. The fishing has been easy for the most part. We’re catching plenty of trout and a decent number of reds on topwaters. This is not unusual in the surf close to Port Aransas and Cedar Bayou. August is a great time to fish that stretch of water, historically. In the bays, we’re finding some trout on sandy shorelines with some grass and potholes, but the action has been faster around some of the reefs surrounded by deeper water, out in the middle. This pattern also produces great catching once we get into the middle of the dog days of summer. Reds sometimes start schooling and become easy to catch in places close to all of the channels leading out of the jetties in Port A. Places like Super Flats in Aransas Bay and East Flats in Corpus Bay sometimes hold big schools by the end of August. The fishing around the humps over in Ingleside can be great this time of year too.”

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 So far this year, the fishing has been good. Lately, I’ve been able to locate good numbers of keeper trout early in the mornings. We’re catching them best on Bass Assassin Die Dappers in colors like chicken on a chain and salt&pepper/chartreuse, rigged on sixteenthounce Spring-lock jigheads. We always use a fluorocarbon leader about twenty inches long, to prevent the chance the fish won’t strike because they’re leader shy. With the clear water lately, that’s a must.

The trout have been hanging in two to three feet of water, along grass lines and around rocks. I’ve also been finding good numbers of schooling redfish and black drum while running slowly across the flats in two or three feet of water. When I find the schools, I circle upwind, then approach them with the wind, using the trolling motor. Die Dappers in natural colors rigged on eighth-ounce heads cast to the outer edges of the schools usually won’t spook the fish. A half-ounce weedless gold spoon will attract the attention of the reds most of the time too. The black drum don’t strike lures nearly as readily; they like shrimp flavored Fish-bites and free-lined live shrimp better.

Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.877.1230 With the water so clear in the Upper Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay, fishing should be good for anglers targeting both trout and redfish in the area in August. “We’re able to see the rock formations well when the water’s clear like this. Also, the deep outside edges of the grass beds are easy to see. When we’re fishing for reds this time of year, we usually look for them shallow early in the mornings. They often push wakes when they move to get out of the way of the boat if we pass reasonably close to them. Later in the day, the bright skies and clear water have been allowing us to keep track of the schools even when they move out in the middle. We look for reddish-gold patches in the water when we’re working that drill. Trout fishing is best in relatively deep water most of the time this month. All the major rock formations in Baffin have great potential, as does the line of rocks lying offshore of the Kenedy Ranch, from Penascal Point to the Land Cut. Our catching’s usually best on soft plastics worked low in the water column this time of year. Unless we’re sight-casting our fish in the shallows!”

P.I.N.S. Fishing Forecast | Eric Ozolins 361-877-3583 | Oceanepics.com In August, with the typical hot water and light winds, fishing for

speckled trout in the surf early in the mornings usually produces excellent results. These trout can be large and they’re muscular, so they put up a great fight. One of the best ways to have fun fishing saltwater in Texas is to throw topwaters along the shore in deep holes or cuts between the sandbars. When conditions are right, the trout attack lures like SheDogs and others with vengeance. Spoons and swim-baits work well at times too. Other species present this time of year include king mackerel and tarpon. Both can be caught on relatively light gear. We should have dusky anchovies running the beach by August, heading toward the peak in September. Skipjacks follow them faithfully. Spanish mackerel should become somewhat plentiful too, especially when bait balls are present. Fishing for sharks will be slow during the daytime hours, but fishing for big tigers and hammerheads at night will become more consistent. Both these species love to eat big stingrays. So targeting them with whole rays is a great way to get a big bite. With sharks, the mantra of “big bait, big fish” rings true!

Port Mansfield | Ruben Garza Snookdudecharters.com – 832.385.1431 Getaway Adventures Lodge – 956.944.4000 August heat can be brutal do deal with. Water temps reach their highest point of the year, which usually means the fish will retreat from the shallows sometime in the middle of the mornings and stay in relatively deep water through the hottest parts of the days. In the mornings, we like to look for schools of mullet in the shallows while driving the boat along really slowly. We can usually watch them head toward the deeper water as the sun climbs into the sky, followed by the trout and redfish. This is easiest to see on the east side of the bay, in places with a bright, sandy bottom. Topwaters work well early this time of year. We’ve been doing best on Mansfield Knockers in the golden croaker color, rigged with single hooks. Weedless spoons work well too. In the deeper water, later in the day, KWigglers on eighthounce jigheads in colors like plum/chartreuse and pollo loco work great. If the bite is tougher, dangling a Gulp! in new penny color under a popping cork often draws plenty of attention. The jetties should produce well too. Out there, use a wire leader, to cope with the teeth of sharks, king mackerel and Spanish mackerel.”

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Aaron Cisneros | tightlinescharters.com – 956-639-1941 So far this summer, the fishing in the Lower Laguna Madre has remained good. Lately, with the hot temperatures, we’re finding most of our trout in water about belly-deep, meaning three or four feet. The best bite by far has been when the tide’s coming in, during the morning hours. With the strong current, we’re catching best using quarter-ounce jigheads on KWiggler soft plastics, in dark colors with light tails, like plum/chartreuse. The heavy heads are required, so we can keep the lures down in the water column, in contact with the bottom at times. Keeper trout ranging up to about twenty-four inches have been schooling with smaller fish, so we’re culling through lots of bites at times. The reds have been somewhat more difficult to locate, with lower tides. They retreat to deeper, cooler water when the tide falls out. Gold weedless spoons have worked best for them, as they’re feeding on pinfish.

They’re biting early along shorelines with deep water close by. In the afternoons, the bite in guts funneling water off the flats is better. We’re also catching a fair amount in water too deep to wade later in the days.

I expect these patterns to continue producing, in this heat wave.”

TSFMAG.com | 65

Morgan Peltier Texas City Channel - redfish

Sarah Raney Inner Coastal - 32” first oversized red!

Matt & Ruth Ann Forrester Packery Channel - redfish CPR 66 | August 2022

John Vann Trinity Bay - 24” redfish

Evaristo Medrano Port Isabel - 25” first snook!

Jaime Quiroga Lower Laguna Madre - 23” redfish & 19” speckled trout

Mark Smith West Galveston - bull red

Jacob Casillas Estes Flats - 22” redfish

Landon Waits Aransas Bay - 26” personal best red!

Charles Chapman 42” 34 lb - first bull red!

Howard & Jonathan Wade Aransas Bay (Goose Island) - 40” black drum

Frank Garza 29” redfish & 29” black drum

Martha Christison East Galveston Bay - redfish CPR

Julius Cepeda Arroyo City - 23” redfish

Margaret Casillas Estes Flats - 21” redfish CPR

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.

Meliza Alvarez Port Aransas - 33” first redfish!

Tyler & Luke Bowen Sargent - redfish CPR 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

Tequila Sunset Redfish Grilled redfish on the half-shell has been a longtime favorite of many Texas fishermen.

Many thanks to Walt Kalinowski for sharing this very unique and delicious recipe.

INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

2 large half-shell redfish fillets 2 Tbsp tequila, drizzled evenly on each fillet 1 Tbsp Kahlua coffee liqueur, drizzled evenly on each fillet 1 orange, halved, squeeze juice on each fillet Monterey Steak Seasoning, sprinkle liberally McCormack Roasted Garlic Seasoning, to taste Honey, enough for a light coating on each fillet 1/2 stick butter cut into eight pieces, four per fillet

Grill @ 375F for 25 minutes or until fillet flakes easily.

68 | August 2022

Yields - 4 Servings Serve with: Shrimp and Corn Maque Choux, recipe can be found in the July 2022 issue or

THE

GREATEST

CATCH

(NO BAIT REQUIRED) JULIOSCORNCHIPS.COM

TSFMAG.com | 69

CHRIS MAPP

R E PA I R & M A I N T E N A N C E

WHEN THE WAY YOU’VE ALWAYS DONE IT ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH

The highlighted engine is a DF250SS Suzuki. Suzuki, like all outboards today, are very well made, yet Chris Mapp, owner of outside influences can sometimes Coastal Bend Marine and Flats Cat Boat Company. have negative impacts.

Great Service, Parts & Sales.

Lower unit and water pump “What can we do for you?” service is something we do every day.

However, after service, this engine would overheat while coming off plane following a moderate to long run. The lower unit, water pump, pickup tube, grommets, thermostats, and bypass valve were all inspected, and then reinspected.

We use a gasket sealing compound where recommended, and also on mating surfaces where maintaining seal is critical. Sometimes, it turns out, the way you’ve always done it, or the way you were taught to do it, needs a bit of an upgrade.

We discovered a very slight imperfection in the metal surface under the water pump that created a tiny gap in the seal under the pump’s lower plate. An area less than a quarter-inch, where the sealant could get washed out under normal operating pressure.

Using a black engine silicone compound with greater ability to seal a

less-than-perfect surface was the remedy. A big shout out to our Suzuki Technical Advisor, James Pratt.

Have a safe August!

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

Home of the & USE COUPON CODE TSFM15 FOR 15% OFF OF CFG ONLINE ORDERS www.CoastalFishingGear.com | 281-736-6670

70 | August 2022

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

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)

• 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

Check out our YouTube Channel!

TSFMAG.com | 71

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