August 2023

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Mason Clower is our August cover angler, posing proudly with a late-summer trophy-class personal-best trout – Released! Mason was fishing with Jay Watkins and used a MirrOlure Lil John XL in Watermelon-Red Glitter to get the job done. The bite came during a midday solunar minor period that coincided with a falling tide, rising water temperature, and a setting moon. The best part was that she swam away strongly after a couple of quick photos.

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I THREW MY CRYSTAL BALL IN THE TRASH

I’ve never been a superstitious kind of guy. I’ve stepped on thousands of cracks and my mother has never suffered a spinal injury. I am, however, beginning to wonder whether I might have put a jinx on our coastal fishing by bragging in this column last month how wonderful the weather and fishing had been through late May and early June. No sooner had the ink dried on my prediction of continued great fishing and everything went to you know where in the proverbial handbasket. It had to be a coincidence, or did somebody forget to close the furnace door? Suffice it to say the past month was a windy scorcher and fishing took a bit of a nosedive. So much for crystal balls.

Historically, even though August is usually our hottest month, there’s still plenty of great fishing opportunity. Winds tend to be light and predictable, which opens lots of doors for getting in the surf and the small boat fleet to venture offshore. Under the current system where NMFS (the Feds) sets red snapper harvest allocations and state agencies decide season dates, my contacts at TPWD are hopeful that Texas anglers will be able

to fish for snapper through all of August this year. How different from the ridiculously short seasons just a few years back. This hope is based on landings; dockside creel surveys and voluntary reporting via apps such as iSnapper. Their landings data through June indicate anglers have used about one third of the 2023 allocation, so we’re pretty much on schedule. Accurate reporting can be the key to the season remaining open throughout the month. Of course, all of this depends on sea conditions, angler participation, and some careful estimates on the part of TPWD. If you do not encounter a dockside survey, get on the iSnapper app. Otherwise, we could sell ourselves short on season length.

I have a bone to pick and I’m going to get right to it. Bull redfish are a blast, no other way to describe it, and there’s no better place than Port O’Connor’s Big Jetties. Pam and I enjoy it, and along with several friends we have introduced dozens of families with kids to this great angling experience. It’s all catch and release with us, no oversize tagging, and we put considerable effort into reviving fully before releasing. We’ve noticed a disturbing trend recently – anglers in too big a hurry to fully revive the fish they’re releasing. Danny McGuire reported netting and reviving no fewer than eight a few days ago that other boats had left to struggle on the surface, and probably end up eaten by sharks, had he not intervened. Come on people…we can do better!

View The Video Open Camera & hover over QR Code. When link appears, tap to open in YouTube.

Overcoming Late

Getting a very early start paid off for Harry Heitkamp and his buddies on this full moon summer morning.

Summer Doldrums

STORY BY STEVE HILLMAN

We’ve now officially entered what seems like the toughest time of the year for catching trout on lures here in the Galveston Bay Complex. Water temperatures are ranging from 87° to 91° most days and winds have been pumping out of the southwest for more days than I care to recall. Whatever happened to those prevailing southeast winds of summer that we used to have? I guess things are just different now for whatever reason. I could write an entire article on how things have changed and we could sit here and chew the fat about how great fishing was in “the good old days” but for now I’d prefer to offer some tricks and tactics to help us in the here and now.

Avoiding Old Habits

There are lots of variables affecting the timing and location of where trout show up. Some of these changes are environmental and some are influenced by us. I’ve written about such changes many times in past articles. Regardless of the reasons, trout and redfish are not necessarily where they used to be. Not only can we not catch them where we want to, we can’t always catch them the way we like to. I can think of a dozen reefs where I could go in years past and catch really solid trout on topwaters just about any time of the day while casting to small slicks. Not only can we not catch them on topwaters there anymore, but soft plastics don’t work either, and good luck finding slicks on them. I still find myself making an occasional drift or two in those areas while holding out hope, but to no avail. The fish simply are not there and it sure seems that for whatever reason they just don’t want to be there.

We’ve refocused our efforts more on structure fishing these days. Wells, rocks, islands, etc., seem to hold more fish this time of year than our more traditionally targeted mid-bay reefs. That’s not to say that there aren’t oyster reefs that still produce some fish because there most certainly are. I’m simply stating that I’ve personally witnessed a behavioral shift in the summertime trout here in our bay system. Because of this we must make adjustments in our fishing styles and locations to improve our odds these days. I even resorted to using soft plastics rigged under a rattle cork a few times recently. It’s not necessarily the way I prefer to fish but my customers caught fish using this method.

Finding Cooler Water

I was crossing the southern portion of our bay, traveling from Lower Galveston Bay towards East Bay, when I noticed a drastic decrease in water temperature as I approached the Houston Ship Channel. My sonar reading was steady at about 89° and then suddenly dipped to 80.5° as I crossed the channel filled with cool Gulf water from the

morning’s incoming tide. As we continued eastward it climbed back up to 88°. The next day we fished some structure along the edge of that cooler water and did very well throwing MirrOlure Lil Johns and 5” Bass Assassins rigged on 1/8 and 1/4-ounce lead heads, casting up current in 12-14 feet of water. More than half our trout were small but we caught a lot of them.

Predawn incoming tides inundate shallow sand flats with cooler water, and as such can be great places to target during early morning. This is especially true when fishing closer to a pass that leads to the Gulf. We’ll catch fish up on the flats near the shorelines early, and then work our way out towards the drop-offs and ridgelines as tides begin to fall and water temperatures rise. We had a very productive day recently using this approach. The MirrOlure Top Dog Jr produced some solid trout early while casting along the edges of rafting mullet. As the morning progressed the topwater bite faded. That’s when Bass Assassin 5” Chartreuse-Silver Glitter and Laguna Shrimp colors rigged through the belly split on 1/8-ounce Bass Assassin Pro Elite jigheads became hard to beat.

As with any bay system there are sweet spots within the spots. When we’re wading the flats we tend to focus on subtle undulations and sand, potholes, especially during that interim phase when fish are moving from shallow to deeper water. These small dips will hold pockets of cooler water compared to the rest of the shallows.

I mentioned mid-bay reefs earlier. My focal points on reefs changes from early summer to late summer. In May and June I tend to target humps and clusters of live oysters on top of the reefs. When we enter the bath water temperatures of July and August, I’ll spend as much or more time fishing the deep mud and clay bottomed areas just off of these shell reefs. These areas will often hold cooler water with more dissolved oxygen than the shallower, shell-covered portions.

Get an Early Start

Not only will you beat the heat but you’ll be able to arrive ahead of

Ariela Grooms came all the way from Maryland for her first-ever fishing trip. She struck pay dirt right away when this solid speck fell for her Sour Lemon MirrOlure Lil’ John.

Justin Whitworth with one of several 30-plus inch reds that crashed our trout catching party.

It’s fun to do something different every once in a while. Crankbaits have definitely found a home in my arsenal these days.

other anglers. Lord knows there just aren’t many secrets these days. An additional 30 or 45 minutes of fishing time can certainly change the outcome of your trip. There have been many mornings recently when we started catching fish 45 minutes or so before sunrise, and then the bite tapered off quickly as the sun was rising. Another plus is the boost in my client’s attitudes when they start catching fish right out of the gate!

Focus On Redfish

Needless to say, we’ve had a few tough days for trout in recent weeks. Some days the conditions (low tides, stiff winds, etc.) make it seem as though there are virtually no areas to successfully target trout. When it gets to this point I’ve been refocusing my attention to redfish. We’ve been able to drift protected sides of jetties and other structure throwing Bass Assassin spinnerbaits as well as crankbaits to catch enough redfish to break the monotony of a slow day. Many of our reds have been oversized but it’s still been fun for clients. Working mud boils in some of our satellite bays and back lakes has also been productive at times, but not like in years past. On calm days we also have open water schools to target, even though the majority of the redfish in them are 30-plus inches.

Premium Tools

The late summer trout bite often resembles what a lot of folks liken to a wintertime bite where trout are not aggressive and bites are sometimes soft. This can present a real challenge for those who are using inferior tools. I’m extremely fortunate to have the very best gear to get the job done. As durable as some of the older rods and reels are, they tend to be too heavy and bulky when it comes to feeling the bite of a finicky late-summer speck. Fishing this time of year can be tough enough as it is. Using modern day state-ofthe-art gear such as Waterloo rods and Concept reels are imperative for success. A lightweight and sensitive rod and reel not only helps you feel every bite, they also help you to fish all day without becoming fatigued. Don’t forget to use sensitive and hassle-free line and leader material. I prefer 30-pound Seaguar Smackdown Tournament Braid and 20-pound Seaguar Fluorocarbon leader material. We will continue to face some challenges over the course of the next

couple of months because of unwanted wind directions, elevated water temperatures, etc., but if we go into each day with a positive attitude, leave the dock early, and stay prepared to try new things, we have a better than average chance to avoid slipping into those late summer doldrums. In the meantime, I’ll be counting down the days until fall.

See y’all out there!

STEVE HILLMAN

Phone 4 09-256-7937

Email captsteve@hillmanguideservice.com

Web w ww.hillmanguideservice.com

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

It was nice to get out on the water with my dad (Clifford Hillman) and trick a few giant reds on spinnerbaits and crankbaits.

It was a grind-it-out kind of day for Trey Hibbert but a few solid trout still came to hand. The best bait on this day was a 5” Chartreuse w/silver glitter Bass Assassin.

Two of my summertime favorites – Top: MirrOlure Lil’ John in Sour Lemon Bottom: 5” Saltwater Assassin in Chartreuse w/ silver glitter. Both are rigged on Bass Assassin 1/8-oz Pro Elite lead heads.

The Tapestry

STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN

In various contexts, anglers use the term pattern when describing their fishing activities. Professionals offering advice on television programs reference the term, as do amateurs casually recounting details about their adventures. On the surface, the word pattern, when used by anglers, seems simple. A deeper dive into all aspects and potential uses for the term reveals a contrary truth. In the fishing realm, patterns prove quite complex.

Anglers generally use the word pattern to refer to aspects of the locations of fish and the subsequently optimal methods which might be used to catch them. For instance, a narrator describing what’s happening in a televised B.A.S.S. tournament might say, “This competitor is fishing a shallow pattern, throwing worms at spawning fish in their beds.” In essence, the narrator has defined the pattern in terms of where the fish are and how the angler attempts to catch them. For some, nothing exists beyond this simple definition of a pattern.

Others recognize much more complexity when analyzing how the term might apply to the various components inherent to all angling efforts. The dictionary lists fourteen definitions for the noun form of the word pattern and four for its verb form. Some of these have utility only in specific contexts, such as the one related to football: a prescribed route to be followed by a pass receiver. These limited definitions of the word don’t apply to fishing at all. Perhaps the best comprehensive definition of pattern, as the word relates to the art of angling, is this –a natural or chance configuration.

Certainly, applying the previous definition to the word pattern makes sense, if we think of the term as describing where fish are located within a body of water, why they’re where they are, and how an angler might succeed in catching them. In this sense, a pattern involves the spatial relationship between the angler and the fish, which exerts influence on the type or types of lures and presentations which have the highest potential for urging the fish to strike. In this component of the situation, the biological needs of the fish come into play.

Fish like largemouth bass seek out specific types of locations when constructing their spawning beds. They choose places covered by water of depths falling within a fairly narrow range, and areas with specific types of materials on the bottom. Because of these choices and because of their tendency to protect the territory around their nests (and their young, once they arrive), spawning bass exhibit behaviors affecting which types of lures and presentations work best to make them strike.

In a similar way, schools of speckled trout focused on herding shrimp to the surface react most favorably to lures which move and look like shrimp. Typically, trout swim a few feet beneath herds of shrimp huddled near the surface, suspended some distance between the surface and the bottom, elevating the effectiveness of lures presented at or above their eye-levels. So, anglers attempting to complete the pattern in this case work lures through the area above the fish when trying to catch them, after they use visual clues to verify their locations, normally meaning after they see birds hovering over the scene, or shrimp jumping out of the water, attempting to evade the snapping jaws of attacking trout.

When thought of more extensively, a fishing pattern involves more than just the locations of the fish and the lures with the highest potential for catching them; a pattern also includes a description of the angler’s physical actions. An angler who throws a lure beyond the school and works it quickly over the fish, using rhythmic twitches to activate side to side movements in the head of the lure and create loud splashes on the water’s surface, might urge strikes at a much higher rate than one who works the lure slower and more quietly, at greater depth. Adding these elements into the equation generates more complexity for the term pattern, and other elements further elevate the intricacy of the term.

In the most complete sense, one might consider the movements of the fish, the angler and the lure as contributing to a pattern. With regard to the movements of the fish, several variables might come into play, all of them related to either hunger, the urge to reproduce, fear or the need for comfort. Surely, trout herding shrimp do so out of hunger, bass making beds do so because of their natural urge to procreate, and fish showing preference for a certain depth of water often do so because the water provides comfort or a sense of security to them, compared with other depths nearby.

Because of the veracity of these previous statements, another element can be factored into the evolving equation which defines the term pattern in the most complete sense: weather and other natural patterns. Many aspects of the weather cause fish to prefer specific areas within a body of water, including the depth of water and whether they’re likely to sit on the bottom, suspend at an intermediate depth, or prowl right under the surface. Undeniably, anglers who recognize how the fish they target respond to various weather patterns have a greater chance of catching them.

Savvy trout anglers fishing the Texas Coast know the locations where trout retreat and sit on the bottom while water temperatures decline in the wake of strong cold-fronts. They also realize the need to present lures at or near the bottom, moving slowly, if they want to coax these lethargic fish to take a bite. The same anglers fish in different locations, deploying lures at high speed on or near the surface, when temperatures climb to their highest values. In these ways, anglers acknowledge how the temperature component of the weather element affects fishing patterns. Other natural aspects exert similar effects.

Tidal movements dictate not only the times when hunger most motivates fish to eat, they also affect where the fish in a place will most likely look for their food. In a shallow estuary, an outgoing tide dumping warm water out of a cove through a drain might concentrate fish into a narrow lane, while an incoming tide swooshing around the granite boulders of a jetty and creating an eddy might cause predatory fish to lurk in the protected swirl, waiting to ambush their prey. Moving water affects more than just the locations of fish; it also affects the direction they face while waiting for a chance to snatch a meal. For this reason, working lures directly down-current or at least

The Captain used an Original Paul Brown Lure with tail bent sharply down to catch this fat trout on a windy March day.

Bruce Smiley caught this handsome trout minutes after the wind began to blow softly after a long calm lull.

at an angle with the current usually works better to urge strikes from predators when tides run at more than meager speeds.

In hypersaline lagoons, far from sources connecting the waters of the bays with those of the open Gulf, tides don’t really move on a regular, predictable basis. In those kinds of places, wind plays the biggest role in moving water around in the estuaries. Calm weather can dull the bite in such locations. Conversely, a breeze beginning to blow after a calm lull can elevate the feeding mood of the fish. Smart anglers recognize this and adjust their own behaviors to match the needs of the moment, meaning they use different kinds of lures moved in different ways in dead-calm weather and stagnant water than they do when winds begin to move the water and motivate fish to feed. In this specific way, timing plays a fundamental role in the development of a pattern.

Timing plays a key role in the establishment of patterns in places where the water runs exceptionally clear, since predatory fish, especially those intent on eating other fish, have difficulty ambushing their prey under bright skies. Big speckled trout become more nocturnal in such situations, often feeding actively in the shallows on the darkest nights, then retreating to deeper water and becoming virtually impossible to catch during the days, especially when clear skies prevail. Anglers who realize how this combination of water quality and weather pattern affects not only the locations of the fish but the times when they feed adjust their own behaviors and fish earlier or later than normal, deploying dark, noisy lures so the fish can find them more easily. In this way, anglers adapt their own patterns of behavior to better match those exhibited by the fish, in order to increase their chances of creating a spatial relationship which allows

them to present lures to those fish at times and in ways which have high potential to earn strikes.

The components of a pattern, then, involve natural reactions made by the fish to various urges which compel them and conscious decisions made by anglers attempting to locate and catch them. These components include the locations of the fish, the motivating factors causing them to appear in those places, the locations of the anglers attempting to catch them, and the behaviors exhibited by the anglers in attempt to urge them to strike, including their choices of lures and presentation styles, specifically the depths and speeds of those styles. These activities on the part of the angler bring up the verb form of the word pattern, as people attempt to “pattern” the fish, to predict where they’ll be and how motivated they’ll be to strike at particular kinds of lures moving in specific ways.

A pattern which produces well for an angler depends extensively on both timing and location, both of which are profoundly affected by the weather and other natural events and circumstances. Consequently, the term pattern, when applied to angling efforts, becomes a complex concept. Though superficially simple, patterns do display significant levels of subtlety and nuance. In the most complete sense, a fishing pattern is really more of a tapestry, a fabric comprised of multiple, related patterns.

KEVIN COCHRAN

Phone 361-688-3714

Email kevincochran404@yahoo.com

The Captain discusses how prevailing conditions affect the meaning of data related to catching at various locations.

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

Kevin Cochran is a long-time fishing guide at Corpus Christi (Padre Island), TX. Kevin is a speckled trout fanatic and has created several books and dvds on the subject. Kevin’s home waters stretch from Corpus Christi Bay to the Land Cut.

Ethan Aaron employed speed bursts with his Paul Brown Fat Boy to urge this long trout to strike on a hot morning early in the summer.

Randy Slocum took advantage of the high level of feeding activity among the trout in clear water to catch this trout before dawn.

The variety provided by both fresh and saltwater fish being in the same area is one of the things that makes Sabine Lake such an interesting place to fish.

“THEY’VE GOT A greatPERSONALITY!”

STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE

So, your friend greets you with an excited tone, hoping to play matchmaker. They have someone they want you to meet, promising this person would be a great fit for you. They begin by spouting all the desirable qualities this person possesses. You’ve heard all of them before… They’re easy to meet. They have a great sense of humor. They’re always very kind.

You listen intently, taking note that so far during the discussion there has been no mention of physical appearance. Then here it comes…that most dreaded phrase when describing a potential date… “and such a wonderful personality.”

All the bells and whistles begin blaring and you cannot help but form a mental picture of a cross between an ogre and a standup comedian – somebody who can make you laugh but lacks the physical chemistry to keep you interested.

I know, I know; that’s a horrible way to be. But like one of the greatest comics of all time; Bernie Mac said, “I’m just telling you what they won’t, and that’s the truth.”

So, if I had to describe Sabine Lake to someone who’s never been, I would probably say something like – Sabine has a great personality!

Now, up and down the Texas coast you have an absolute handful of jewels that attract anglers from every corner of the map. Picturesque bays that literally scream classic saltwater destination. Many of these gorgeous places are blessed with ultra-clear water, white sand, and lush seagrass as far as you can see. Pristine flats with all manner of abundant life and opportunities for any angler who is willing to go there. All of these bays would be considered in the realm of “super models” because they just have it all. The good looks and alluring chemistry that Texas coastal saltwater fishing is supposed to be all about.

On the other end of the spectrum would be my own little hometown mud hole called Sabine Lake and it most certainly has a great personality. Unlike many of the more famous venues farther down the coast, Sabine is for the most part nearly void of any of the socalled distinguishing features that make other bays more attractive.

For starters, our water during the majority of the year lacks both clarity and color which makes it less than appealing from a visual standpoint. Lower coast bays are blessed with beautiful blue-green water and outstanding clarity so you can see most everything play out right in front of your eyes. Sabine anglers are occasionally blessed with some decent water clarity, but not very often. So, being able to “read” the water or being able to dial into what the bottom structure looks like is more of a learned thing that separates the good fishermen from the bad.

This ability to be able to fish without confirmation of bottom structure and being able to actually see the fish is what makes upper coast anglers special. I can remember having a conversation with Doug Pike years ago about the difference between guys who fish clear water versus guys who fish dirtier or murky water during one of the big redfish tournament weigh-ins. Doug told me, “You can take a guy who can catch fish consistently from Sabine, Trinity, or Galveston and put them in any clear water venue from Texas to Florida and they will be successful; but not the other way around. You take the guy who fishes clear water and put them in anything where they can’t see; and it’s over for them.” I had never thought about that concept prior to our discussion, but as I have gained more experience, I now agree wholeheartedly. It’s almost like making somebody fish with a blindfold.

Sabine Lake fishermen also never get to experience grass edges, potholes, sand flats, defined oyster reefs, or most any other appealing structure that anglers from other bays take for granted.

The huge amount of fresh water that dumps into Sabine from both the Sabine and Neches rivers keeps both grass and oysters from thriving due to huge fluctuations in salinity brought on by runoff from heavy rain and discharges from Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn. The big freshwater influx isn’t completely bad though, because it certainly nourishes the local marshes and other parts of the ecosystem associated with our area. The amount of aquatic life that thrives in the vast marshes surrounding Sabine is the lifeblood of the entire bay. The backwater estuaries support all manner of bait fish, crabs, shrimp and juvenile sport fish species that will eventually make their way into the main body of Sabine Lake and out to the Gulf. It may not be pretty, but it works.

Despite our lack of aesthetically pleasing features, Sabine offers up some admirable alternatives, one of which is variety. Very few locations along the coast can boast the range of options Sabine anglers can take advantage of daily. The ability to chase both fresh and saltwater species of fish in such close proximity to one another is virtually unmatched anywhere. Very few places give you the opportunity to catch a six-pound speckled trout, six-pound redfish, and a six-pound largemouth bass in the same water, but that’s exactly what can happen on Sabine, and exactly what makes this place so interesting.

As we head toward the hottest part of the year, a few more options will begin to emerge here on Sabine, and these will do nothing but make local anglers even happier. Much of June and continuing into July, the weather conditions were downright inhospitable as high

Higher salinity in Sabine means the sharks show up. This unfortunate trout got it from both ends.

Quality trout have been showing up when the winds calm down. Topwater plugs early and late along with Z-Man soft plastics under corks are solid choices.

atmospheric pressure prevailed and we got roasted almost daily by furnace-like temperatures and stiff south and southwest winds. The big winds prevented many anglers from establishing consistent patterns, but there were some bright spots. We enjoyed days of trout schooling under the birds as well as good numbers of trout and reds showing up in the most northern parts of the bay and up into the rivers. Look for these patterns to continue to do nothing but improve as we move farther into summer and away from the high winds that plagued us during recent weeks.

The biggest draw for many folks during August will be the offshore and beachfront bite that often remains solid into fall. We had some amazing days earlier in the summer as huge schools of oversized redfish just marched daily up and down the beachfront. Those big redfish should have some company as the tripletail will become a little more prevalent and the speckled trout will gang up at the short rigs and various places in the surf. In the bay we should continue to see more schooling activity under the birds while the big schools of reds will begin to harass the pogey schools during the heat of the day. The

marsh bite will slow down due to hotter water temps and there will be a die-off of some of the vegetation, which is a yearly occurrence. Based on results from earlier in the summer, the great rebound on Sabine is still in full swing and makes the future look very bright.

Even though Sabine may not be the most attractive or hottest eyecatching date at the bar, it still has plenty to offer if you are willing to put a little work into your relationship with her. If you are looking for classic saltwater fishing where the grass beds are dotted with white sandy potholes, then you need to keep following the highway south. But, if you are looking for an opportunity-rich location that has the potential to offer angling adventures that no other body of water on the Texas coast can match, then you may have found the perfect date. Beauty, you see, truly is in the eye of the beholder.

CHUCK UZZLE

Phone 409-697-6111

Email wakesndrakes@yahoo.com

Website wakesndrakes.com

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.

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

A flat calm beach front is a welcome sight for anglers tired of incessant early summer winds.

Light winds are tailor made for grabbing a fly rod and experiencing a different kind of pull.

More Surf

Bull redfish hammering pogies at point blank range, some of them thumping against the jonboat.

STORY BY JOE RICHARD

Launchings

Aside from storms, I consider August to be the most friendly weather on the Texas coast, perfect for using small boats to cross some of the bays and even fish the inshore Gulf. If kayakers can get away with it, then a fast jonboat should have no problem. Except for one thing, launching in the surf. Texas has what is called a high-energy coastline, and you really don’t want waves slamming over your boat’s transom while launching or retrieving back on the trailer. Launching power boats in the surf is a lost art in Texas, but very common around the world. We’ve been spoiled by so many boat ramps built in sheltered waters.

Some ramps on the bay can get exciting when a thunderstorm arrives, but it’s the Gulf beaches that are often too rough for months at a time. In other regions fishermen will return by running a boat right up on dry sand with the motor tilting up. Back in June, 1980 we met a shrimper doing just that in front of the Arco plant east of High Island. (Shrimp were right in the surf and it’s possible Gulf shrimping season hadn’t started yet. But that lonely road had little if any law enforcement). Compared to all that, launching from a calm marina is nothing. Although some people struggle even with that, as videos from YouTube clearly show.

Finding a flat or “slick” Gulf is always a treat and launching an aluminum boat and fishing miles from any bay with its boat traffic makes for memorable days. In our younger years we actually launched in the surf and fished from a 12-foot jonboat that was light enough to fit in the back of a pickup truck. Caught trout, tripletail, even a 20-pound ling. We then graduated to 14-footers that were far more versatile at fishing the bays, duck hunting the marsh, anchoring on or at the jetties and yes, launching in the surf. Today, older and wiser, it’s the 16-foot johnboats we still use because even aluminum of that size floats shallow and can be manhandled in the surf. If there’s a chop, you launch and spin the hull around, pointing the bow into the waves.

An increasingly rare tilt-bed trailer makes all this far easier to launch and retrieve a boat. Or, a standard non-tilting trailer can be unhooked from the ball and the tongue allowed to rise several feet, as the boat is cranked onto slick trailer bunk pads. (No more shag carpet). It’s always

advisable to use a 4-wheel drive vehicle when backing near the water.

I mention all this because Port Arthur buddy Mike Spencer launched his own 16-foot jonboat in the surf in June, using his aging Skipper B tilt-bed trailer, a model that’s been discontinued as far as I know. Fishing during unusually calm weather, the pogy schools were out a couple hundred yards, well beyond surf-casting range, and bull redfish were crushing those baitfish. Spence cruised up and down the beach like it was a pond and landed 19 bulls, texting me photos and videos repeatedly, while I coached them on taking pictures. Pogies were jumping and redfish were thumping against the boat.

They used Shimano TLD 15 reels with 40-pound line, mounted on standup rods, preferring three feet of 125-pound Ande leader for this work. No gaffing or netting, just grab the leader and tail them aboard. Inline circle hooks are by far the best; offset circle hooks cause real problems. They throw big spoons with Shimano 200GT reels with 30-pound line mounted on 7-foot casting rods.

Meanwhile, people on the beach nearby caught little or nothing. When the usual 4:00 p.m. breeze arrived with small whitecaps, Spence gave up on catching an even 20 reds, and he drove right back on the beach by his truck. Out there in the Gulf your luck can run out fast, and you need to know when to leave.

These guys used a small castnet and caught all the pogies they needed, sometimes thirty or more per throw. They’d pin a pogey on a medium-sized circle hook and throw toward the schools, or just let that bait drag behind the boat as it drifted. They also slung

A silver drone spoon caught this bull red a few hundred yards off the beach.

Trophy redfish caught just beyond casting range of the beach.

big, 5-inch Drone trolling spoons mounted with a single hook, the kind commercial kingfish boats use. Which was a smart move; these schooling reds will hit almost anything during a frenzy, even topwater plugs. However, you don’t want to pry treble hooks from such a strong fish. That single hook is designed for fast action and is more easily jiggled loose, once a fish lands in the boat.

Other offshore players include blacktip sharks, big jacks, and occasional tarpon. They’ve seen few tarpon in recent years; it seems the Texas population has been in decline, at least on their part of the coast. Menhaden (pogies) have been scarce at times, and my friends were heartened this June to see some nice bait schools. Maybe the

Louisiana net boat fleet this year will stay in their own waters. Not sure why they’re allowed to net in Texas waters, because they’ve caused big fish kills in past years, with hundreds of dead bull redfish washing up on the beach around High Island. A lot of fish species depend on those pogey schools, including tarpon.

Anyway, next day with the Gulf still flat calm, Spence visited the Galveston jetties with great water clarity, and was impressed to see fish 20 feet below. However, the bull reds weren’t there; it was strictly big jacks that are experts at cruising up and down the jetties, busting up tackle. They caught a few and then ran back down the beach several miles until they found the bull reds again. It seems the pogey schools don’t hang around jetty rocks very much, but prefer open (and I suspect) muddier water with more plankton, which they feed on. Sometimes predator fish will corner a pogey school in a jetty pocket. (Easily marked by diving pelicans.)

When the action is slow, Spence makes drifts and drags a “chum tube” made of thick PVC pipe with many drilled holes, filled with chopped pogies. This setup attracts bull reds. Sharks too, but they can’t bite through a PVC pipe like they can a mesh chum bag. Spence says they toss the weighted pipe overboard on the upwind side as they drift, and set a good-sized bait, maybe a sturdy mullet, on either side of the tube. Bingo! Another bull red. This technique has worked even in seven feet of water off the beach. He has pictures of this setup, and I’ll show them in a future issue.

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

Even a small castnet will catch ample bait, when positioned over the pogey schools.

Launching in the surf is a lost art in Texas. In the right weather, even an aluminum boat can rack up a big score. This is an old fashioned, tilt-bed trailer.

Legendary Rockport fishing guide and FlatsWorthy founder, Chuck Naiser waits for a shot.

TAKES A STAND on Boating Courtesy & Oyster Reef Conservation

STORY & PHOTOS BY DAVID SIKES

Chatter among angling circles throughout South Texas and beyond often evolves into angry rants condemning boating misbehavior on shallow bays. Topics range from burning shorelines and using seagrass flats as shortcuts to the more egregious practice of vessels creating artificial channels to access back lakes on barrier islands and mainland marshes. While most coastal anglers are all-too familiar with such childish and inconsiderate behavior on bays and at boat ramps, their growing outrage and finger pointing hasn’t resulted in positive action. That is until renowned Rockport fly-guide Capt. Chuck Naiser had seen enough. It helped that he had the historical perspective that comes from plying his home waters for nearly half a century. And along the way, Naiser garnered much respect from the angling community.

Naiser established the FlatsWorthy (Diverse Anglers Mutual Respect - FlatsWorthy Inc.) movement in 2015, by sharing with a group of mid-coast anglers, his ambitious goal of returning civility to the remote flats of the Texas coast. The original premise involved courtesy and etiquette among all bay users. Naiser’s core founders were guides, kayakers, airboaters, fly anglers, wade anglers, along with those who drift-fish or enjoy poling the flats. He labeled this group as diverse anglers with mutual respect, committed to promoting fishing as a sustainable relaxing escape, rather than a contentious battle among angling factions.

While most anglers openly applauded FlatsWorthy’s mission from the start, others bristled in their belief that the movement would lead to restrictions on certain boating activities. Pushback from naysayers mostly came from airboat operators who took to social media to denounce FlatsWorthy’s motives and to vilify Naiser. But FlatsWorthy prevailed.

From the beginning, Naiser insisted that the etiquette issues could be resolved by education, not the creation of new laws. Years earlier, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department had established a statute that prohibited the uprooting of seagrass with an outboard prop within 32,000 acres of shallow grass-flats from Rockport to Port Aransas. Of course, FlatsWorthy fully embraces this measure.

Fast forward to 2017, when Naiser began studying how the dozens of oyster boats were strip-mining this valuable resource. So, Naiser began talking to TPWD officials about how they determined the opening and closing of the commercial oyster harvest. For decades the department regulated the harvest based on the size and abundance of oysters on certain reefs on a regional basis. In response, Naiser introduced a revolutionary concept that highlighted the essential role that reef structures played on water movement, erosion abatement, and other important benefits they contribute to a healthy ecosystem. More on this later.

Meanwhile, FlatsWorthy’s growth and popularity was slow but steady for the first two years. Then came Hurricane Harvey in August 2017, which dramatically demonstrated how vulnerable the region’s sensitive coastal habitats are, especially where man’s destructive behavior had further degraded the resource by fragmenting the natural habitat. It didn’t help that prior to Harvey, area bay systems, including San Jose Island, experienced a prolonged and unprecedented period of high water, with levels of 1-2 feet above normal. The cause of this anomaly is unclear, but it’s important to note that the inundation killed swaths of certain grasses that could not tolerate prolonged submersion. The resulting conditions did not allow other plants to replace the vegetation that was lost.

Suffice to say the Category 4 storm put FlatsWorthy on pause, while Rockport and surrounding communities shifted into survival/recovery mode. However, during this time, many doors opened, allowing FlatsWorthy to forge

Angler’s dream fulfilled!

The angling experience is greatly enhanced when fellow boaters exercise courtesy when navigating backwater areas.

FlatsWorthy’s efforts also include introducing and educating youth to the angling sport. Shown is a sponsored 4H Kidfish event.

relationships with agencies and institutions, such as the University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) in Port Aransas, the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP), Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR), Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies (HRI), Goose Island State Park (GISP), and Texas Sea Grant. These relationships expanded FlatsWorthy’s reach and influence, boosted its brand, enhanced its profile, and raised its credibility, while providing access to countless scientists and volumes of research materials.

Harvey’s destructive forces changed the landscape and hydrology of the barrier islands, seagrass meadows, and oyster reefs, along with vast stretches of black mangroves. Naiser also used this period to become a student of the region’s oyster-reef dynamics, as well as the destructive methods of commercial oyster harvesting. He took a closer look at how the state determined the opening and closing of oyster seasons, solely based on the size and abundance of oysters.

Naiser continued to drill down on the essential role of oyster reefs, specifically within the shallow Mesquite Bay complex. He examined old charts and Google Earth images to compare the current dynamics at the time to the historic characteristics of a mechanism he refers to as baffle reefs. He noted that the repeated scraping of these reefs by oyster boats had undermined the ecological benefits of these reefs by chiseling away decades of growth. He brought this message to biologists at TPWD, insisting that this series of reefs provides much more than fisheries habitat. He asserted that the reefs also serve as baffles that stabilize the bay bottom, while moderating and channeling the flow of water between San Antonio Bay to the north and Aransas Bay to the south. Slowing the current allows oysters not only to thrive, but also to filter microbes and impurities from the water. Without the baffle reefs, prevailing winds from San Antonio and Espiritu Santo bays would push water through this shallow area more rapidly, resulting in erosion and turbidity, while reducing the viability of the living oysters. The wave attenuation benefits alone improve water quality, while allowing the oysters to function as nature intended.

To Naiser’s surprise, Robin Riechers, the department’s director of Coastal Fisheries, accepted this premise and went on to support Naiser’s suggestion that the only solution would be to declare more than 75,000 acres of oyster reefs as a sanctuary, free from commercial harvest. As a stop-gap measure, the department shut down the oyster season in the Mesquite Bay complex almost immediately. Perhaps nearly as significant as Riecher’s endorsement was partnering with CCA-Texas on this issue. On Nov. 3, 2022, CCA chartered a bus to TPWD headquarters in Austin to convince the TPWD Commission to

establish the state’s first sanctuary reefs. When the busload of CCA and FlatsWorthy faithful arrived, they were met by eight charter buses filled with protesters representing the Texas oyster industry.

The measure passed unanimously.

Over time, it was natural that FlatsWorthy develop a much stronger conservation element aimed at reducing human impacts on coastal resources, such as aquatic vegetation and oyster reefs. But Naiser points out that many of the boating behaviors he’s trying to curb, go hand in hand with FlatsWorthy’s overall goal to conserve and protect anything that contributes to a healthy fishery and ecosystem. This, in turn, enhances our enjoyment of this sensitive resource.

“While we’ve evolved substantially since the beginning,” Naiser said. “We’re still about leaving the resource better than we found it, for future generations to enjoy. By God, someday they’ll look back on what we did and thank us for taking a stand.”

Are you FlatsWorthy?

In addition to advancement of boating etiquette, FlatsWorthy is also involved in habitat conservation; notably closure of unnatural (manmade) passes into sensitive backwater habit via sand-bagging.

Equal access by all users to wonderful angling opportunities like this school of tailing redfish is a fundamental theme of the FlatsWorthy organization.

JAY

WATKINS

ASK THE PRO

SUMMERTIME FEEDING PATTERNS

I know I’m getting older but it sure seems like it got hot earlier this summer than prior years. One day it was 76° at 5:00am with afternoon highs in the mid-80s. The next day it was 85° at 5:00am with highs in the mid-90s. Summertime fishing has always required early starts, nothing new there, but with this current heat wave I am certainly feeling it more at days end. Renee laughs when I fall asleep on the couch at 7:30 and sends me off to bed. Luckily, I sleep well and seldom wake during the night, so I am totally rested and ready to go each morning. I want to discuss my thoughts on summertime feeding patterns. I will be speaking mainly of speckled trout but will include some thoughts on redfish since encounters with them are common in my daily search for trout. As always, there is no real science behind my thoughts, only my observations.

I get excited when it gets hot and the trout bite gets tough. I have some young anglers that book me in the worst trout months due to the difficulty involved in finding and catching quality fish. For the record, the main reason I don’t use bait is because I don’t need bait. And you don’t either; even though you might not know it yet.

I had a group wading behind me with bait a few days

ago and we could overhear occasional chatter as they noticed my guys catching trout on lures. It is amazing how sound travels on the water. Truth was those guys were working too shallow and in an area where there was little submerged grass to attract and hold trout. What they needed was better polarized sunglasses so they could see there was no structure on the line they were working – not a bucket of bait.

I love the challenge of trying to catch fish that don’t really want to be caught. There is great satisfaction to be gained in knowing that you have what it takes to accomplish it. However, the first thing one must have to be successful during the heat of summer is believing you possess the skills to trick, for lack of a better word, fish into biting.

Instinctive strikes are earned when the lure you’re presenting is doing exactly what the fish expect a baitfish to do in their presence. That’s how I describe it to my clients. I know it sounds like I credit game fish for being super smart; but what they really are is incredibly aware of their surroundings and the habits of their prey.

Here’s another thought. How depressing would it be if you believed you couldn’t catch them? I am the kind of

The same group closing ranks and focusing on more similar depth once the fish are located.

guy that believes I am way better than I really am, but with that said, it keeps me focused and keeps me working hard at my craft. If you fish often with me you might find that my attitude rubs off, and soon you are feeling the same way. So, what all this means is that you have to believe you can catch them before you can actually get it done.

The second thing you need is the very best rod you can afford. You cannot catch fish that you cannot feel picking up the lure. There are some really good rods out there and I don’t want to step on any toes, so I will only mention rods I have experience with and know to be sensitive enough to feel the slightest of bites.

My first choice is my signature series Henri rods made by Steve Henriksen. Next would be Waterloo’s Slam Mag. I use both 6’-6” medium action and 6’-8” medium-light in both. Personally, I like a little more backbone in my soft plastic rods versus my Corky or Double D series. But that’s a wintertime story.

Third is a quality reel that operates smoothly on the crank and equally smooth on the drag. I use 13-Fishing reels in both C2 and TX2 series. I am very critical of reel performance and the minute I feel the first hint of grinding or roughness, they go in for service. Use whatever brand you like and have confidence in, but I heartily recommend you do the same regarding cleaning and servicing. I want you to understand that the smoother the reel is when retrieving a lure, the less your sense of feel will be distracted.

Fourth is line selection. I’m a braid guy, but was likely one of the last converts. Braids continue to be improved each year to be smoother

and cast farther. I like Seaguar’s Phantom Grey Smackdown and green Suffix 832. I use both 6X20-pound and 8X30-pound test. This might surprise some readers but I use a plain 20-pound monofilament leader rather than fluorocarbon. Why? I like a tight drag on my reel. Tight as in a 5-pound trout will take very little if any drag, nor will a 5- or 6-pound redfish. I know it sounds crazy or slightly stupid, but I want the fish to quickly realize that the fight will not be easy.

Think of it this way: Fish picks up the lure and that tiny tap telegraphing through a super-sensitive rod is her closing her mouth on it. Cranking down quickly with that smooth-running reel prevents detection on her part. A quick but stout hookset buries the hook, and she bolts against a heavy drag. “Whoops, not that way.”

Now she burns toward you at warp spend. That smooth 7.5:1 reel catches up to her and she once again turns against the heavy drag and rolls to the surface against the tension. That run toward you has left her spent in the 85-plus degree water. Lower your rod tip to prevent her coming to the surface and shaking. Keep her tight and let the rod absorb the shock of her fight. The stretch in that mono leader will allow for heavier pressure on her. Keeping the rod tip low to the water will tire her quickly and prevent high-sticking, which is one of the most common causes of rod failure. Look at what you’re already learning!

Let’s move on to a summertime pattern I utilize often. Just this morning we had the absolute perfect setup. Moonrise Minor was predicted for 9:00am through 11:00am, which means our bite would occur well after the conclusion of any nighttime feeding. The morning began with very low tide and 86° water temperature. About the time the minor kicked in the water temperature along the shoreline had risen to 89°, but out along the drop-off we could sense a cooler layer on our lower legs. The wind was dead-calm with no tide movement, which usually means a tough bite situation. In waist-deep water I was able to identify guts running parallel to the shoreline with patches of scattered bottom grass. The bite was slow to develop but I explained to the group that just one bite, not necessarily a hookup, would tell us everything we needed to know. Bites tell the exact location and depth where fish are staged, and also the bottom structure they are relating to. Once this is determined we can target these areas specifically with retrieval speed that allows the lure to get down to them.

I had good guys, so it didn’t take long to get set up on the where and how the trout wanted the lure presented. I like my groups to wade side by side when the shoreline and bottom terrain allows. As a guide, I must plan the day to include areas that allow ALL the anglers to be in equal water. Equal meaning water with equal opportunity for everyone in the group, which is not always as easy as one might think. Today we were able to get everyone situated where we could cast at slight angles to the guts and scattered grassbeds. Angled casts are huge when winds are calm and water movement limited.

The grass wasn’t thick, so it was easy to present the lures. I was allowing my lure to barely dust the edges and tops of the grass. Short-shank 2/0 jigheads help in this regard and the Texas Customs jigs in 1/16-ounce are my favorite. They are not weedless but the shape of the lead definitely catches less grass than other styles. Many times, when the bite is off, I will purposely bump the grass with the lure, which I believe creates a tiny vibration and draws a reaction strike

During the search; notice the depth change in the lineup from left to right.

when simply dusting the lure along clean bottom will not. You must change it up and pay careful attention to what you’re doing that gains a strike and what is not.

I made the comment numerous times today that the shallow grass closer to shore, where there was a fair amount of bait activity, would become a nighttime feeding area as soon as the sun was down and water temperatures began to drop slowly. If you are paying attention, you have already discovered that there are a lot of little things in this article that will help you catch more fish in the dog days of summer.

I mentioned earlier that I would also discuss summertime redfish patterns. I notice often that redfish will be super shallow during early morning and usually the last to exit a flat. That said, midday to afternoon encounters are common. In previous years I would sometimes take a group for trout in the morning and then a second group for redfish. More times than not I found the reds in greater numbers along the drop-off near large areas of grass flats.

After Hurricane Harvey I noticed reds, and sometimes trout, using the deep washouts that had been created by the dramatic currents generated during the storm. Many of those washouts are still in play today for me during summer. Redfish will stack in these washouts,

and if you wade through them you will notice significantly cooler water temperatures. Last week on the final wade of the day we found decent numbers of reds using these washouts along the edges of a large grass flat.

I am throwing basically two types of lures right now. The MirrOlure Lil John and Lil John XL, the 5” MirrOlure Provoker, and 5” Bass Assassins are my preferred plastics. I am also using the Texas Customs Double D swimming-suspending baits. Preferred plastic colors are Watermelon-Red Glitter, Moulton, June Bug, Plum-White (or Chartreuse), Bone Diamond and Cajun Croaker. My Double D colors are Crown Royal, Plum Nasty, Bone Diamond and the New Grey Ghost. It is important to take care of yourself when it’s as hot as it has been lately. Stay hydrated and snack on high-protein foods between wades. Cold fruit is another good source of hydration and quick energy. Don’t beat yourself up in the heat. Go early and get off the water when the temperatures soar. Summer will soon be over and the best time of the year to fish will follow, so make sure you are around to enjoy it.

May your fishing always be catching! -Guide, Jay Watkins

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

Telephone 361-729-9596

Email Jay@jaywatkins.com

Website www.jaywatkins.com

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

By Lily Walker, Fish & Wildlife Technician, Upper Laguna Madre Ecosystem Team

FIELD NOTES

THE RISE OF TROPICAL FISH AND FISH DIVERSITY IN TEXAS

The Texas Slam, which includes the combined catch of a Spotted Seatrout, Redfish, and Southern Flounder in a single day, holds a special place in the culture and pride of Texan anglers. While there is no replacing this iconic trio, are there other notable species to catch here?

In recent years, there has been an interesting development: the rise of tropical fish and an increase in overall fish diversity here on the Texas coast. Fishery biologists at Texas Parks and Wildlife DepartmentCoastal Fisheries Division (TPWD-CF) are finding an increasing occurrence of fish like Common Snook and Gray Snapper in our long-term dataset, a phenomenon called tropicalization. Even species like Permit and juvenile Bonefish are making appearances in our bays (Figure 1)! The northern movement of these tropical species may offer anglers opportunities to catch ‘bucketlist’ worthy fish right in our back yard.

Tarpon, Bonefish, Permit, Snook, and Snapper are some of the most popular game fish in the world. Anglers travel far and wide to have the opportunity to bring these fish to hand. There is still a lot to learn about the life history of these tropical species in Texas waters. Some species are likely using our estuaries as nurseries, then leaving to the Gulf once they are adults. Given the potential increase in sightings of these migratory fish, it is essential for Texan anglers to familiarize themselves with the identification

of these possible catches and to adhere to any relevant regulations. One notable example is the occurrence of anglers unintentionally catching juvenile Tarpon while cast netting for mullet. Therefore, the ability to recognize such bycatch is of utmost importance.

The rise of these tropical fish species in Texas can be attributed to a combination of climatic and environmental factors. As temperatures increase, coastal waters experience changes in chemistry and biology, which, in turn, affect the entire ecosystem. Tropical species thrive in warmer climates that support yearround growth, sustained by higher temperatures and ample sunlight. As Texas experiences rising temperatures, it becomes a more suitable habitat for these tropical visitors, resulting in their northward migration.

As these more tropical populations trend upward, TPWD-CF as a management agency want to know how they will affect other resident populations. For example, here pictured (Figure 2) is a Common Snook’s stomach contents- a juvenile Spotted Seatrout. This snook was caught in the Upper Laguna Madre, an area heavily fished for seatrout. Seeing this reminds us that we need to consider the food web impacts that tropic expansion might have and what the priorities of Texan anglers are.

It is not only about who is eating whom, there are also questions about how resident and visiting populations are going to respond to our changing climate. It is well known that there are preferential temperature ranges for certain species to spawn, indicating there could be temporal and spatial population shifts. This may be concerning for some of our resident species like Blue Crabs and Southern Flounder that are known to rely on relatively cool winters for their spawning and there has been an observed decrease in their numbers. There are, of course, other environmental factors to consider beyond just temperature, such as salinity.

Freshwater inflow manipulations (e.g., dams, diversions) and changing precipitation patterns may also affect the ecology of our bays. In response to

Figure 1. Juvenile Bonefish caught in Nighthawk Bay.

observed declines in these specific stocks, TPWD-CF has implemented management strategies such as various minimum size regulations with the goal of allowing a large proportion of spawning stock (of species like flounder) from being harvested. The interplay among competition, fishing pressure, and range shifts due to climatological factors creates a lot of scientific questions that are being addressed by a multitude of agencies and institutions alike.

I’ve mentioned increased temperature driving these patterns several times, so I’d be remiss to ignore the fact that with a changing climate comes more extreme weather events like the freeze of 2021. TPWD-CF wants to know if these tropical populations will become more resilient to these swings in temperatures, and if so, how to properly manage these fisheries. Mangrove Snapper, for example, are known to be particularly sensitive to cold snaps,

henceforth bag and size limits have not been implemented because it is unclear still how they will fare in our waters long-term irrespective of fishing pressure. Implementing standards on size and bag limits is one of the tools in our kit used to hedge the loss of opportunity to catch species like these, though, so TPWD-CF keeps a close eye on our resource monitoring data to see what we can realistically manage.

Tropicalization in general may very well bring unique angling opportunities to the Texas coast. We are excited to explore the relationships among habitat use by various species, species interactions (predator prey interactions), and functional impacts to local fish communities and share these findings with Texan anglers. I can’t ever picture a change to what we consider our Texas slam, but we may be afforded the opportunity to more ‘catches of a lifetime’. As always, size and bag limits of these less-common catches should be kept in mind should you be lucky to land something new.

Check

CAST WITH CONFIDENCE

Figure 2. Juvenile Spotted Seatrout found in the stomach of a Common Snook.

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CHANDELEUR ISLANDS BUCKET LIST FISHING TRIP

Ever since I was a youngster I can remember reading and hearing tales of fishing adventures at the Chandeleur Islands. At the time I didn’t know much about them; wasn’t even sure where they were, but if the fishing could live up to its reputation I knew I wanted to go. Fast forward to the present and I’m happy to say the stories were true, and not a word of exaggeration.

Earlier this year a good buddy decided it was time to take the plunge and get married. As we all celebrated the news, we talked about what he might want for his bachelor party. He threw out the idea of organizing a mothership excursion to the Chandeleur Islands and, being avid fishermen, we all readily agreed it would be a fun trip to a bucket list destination. Everybody pitched in to do some research on available charter services and ended up booking with Sunrise Sportfishing.

A few months passed and we

were finally headed east to Point Cadet Marina at Biloxi, Mississippi. Checking in, we grabbed our gear and were welcomed on board the Macie Ann by the captain and his deckhand. The guys were immediately accommodating and showed us around the boat as they got a few last minute items tidied up. As the sun was starting to set, they informed us that we could hang out on the boat, look around Biloxi and grab dinner, or whatever we would like. They would be back at midnight and the boat would be leaving to the Chandeleur Islands. Right on cue, the crew arrived and at midnight we exited the marina and began our three hour ride across Mississippi Sound to the Islands. Naturally, as most first day fishing efforts go, we were all up early and excited to hit the water. The crew was up well before us and had coffee and breakfast ready. While we ate they unloaded the skiffs from atop

DAVE ROBERTS SHALLOW WATER FISHING

the mothership, fueled them up and had us a cooler iced down with drinks, ready to go. We discussed fishing options with the captain and he pointed us in a direction with instructions to look for grass flats and keep moving until we find some fish. Pretty basic stuff, so we all jumped in our skiffs and took off to explore in our own directions.

My buddy Stu and I have fished many days together and it seemed logical to pair up and begin our day by checking out the captain’s game plan. A short boat ride took us into the back of a protected cove where the wind direction would allow making a long drift along the shoreline. The water was almost gin-clear across a huge grass flat that seemed endless, prettier even than the picture I had imagined in my head. I started off throwing a Johnson Silver Minnow spoon and Stu had a Down South plastic tied on. It didn’t take long until we doubled up with a pair of really nice reds, obviously having found a school. We got on the VHF radio and had to rub it in to our buddies, being that we were already up and leading with the most fish.

We continued on and picked up a few more reds and a handful of trout while sticking to the same program of making long drifts across the grassy flats. Along the way we ran into the other skiffs of our buddies and learned they had some trout in the box as well. Around midday we headed back to get some air conditioning and lunch.

As had been announced, the mothership crew were in the process of getting food ready when we arrived back to the Macie Ann. As we enjoyed our lunch they went to work on our skiffs again, unloaded our catch, refilled the fuel tanks, and iced more drinks. Following lunch we discussed what our next move was going to be and I had the idea to make a run to the far tip of the island and fish my way back.

After quite a long run, Stu and I noticed a few birds hitting the water and decided to check them out. I threw a topwater into the middle of them and instantly had a huge blowup. No small fish, after a long fight I reeled in a really nice jack crevalle. We continued on and found another nice flat and spotted a few redfish but didn’t have any takers. With the afternoon heat kicking in we got on the radio and called everyone over to a nice sand flat we’d found and decided to get out, enjoy a few drinks, and cool off a bit. We waited until well into the afternoon to try fishing again and the group picked up a few trout

right around dark. When we made it back to the mothership to find the captain and deck hand preparing to grill steaks. After a hearty meal and a long day of fishing, early bedtime was inevitable.

We were up the next morning, not quite as early as the day before, and as promised, the coffee was ready and breakfast was waiting. A couple of our guys decided to sleep late, so Seth and I paired up and fished together. Believing fish could be found just about anywhere, we headed the opposite direction from the day before, mostly for a look at different parts of the island chain.

It didn’t take but a few minutes into our first drift and Seth’s popping cork disappeared. He set the hook and as the fish turned sideways, so did about thirty other nice reds. Excited to get into them, I completely fumbled my first cast and ended with a terrible tangle, too much to mess with at that moment. I exchanged it for another and quickly hooked up. The fight was on and we landed a pair of upperslot reds. Copper-colored and just as pretty as could be.

Once again we got on the radio to pass the word, but come to find out one of our other buddies was on a nearby flat with plenty of trout. A quick decision was made and we headed that way to join his drift with hopes to pick up a few trout. After making several passes and enjoying plenty of action we decided to find another sandbar. Time to cool off and enjoy our last evening in the Chandeleur Islands. With the sun sinking in the west, we made our way back to the Macie Ann for a lovely dinner of fried fish from the previous day’s catch. It just doesn’t get any better than that!

Overall, the trip was an amazing experience and everything I could have expected. The Chandeleur Islands is truly a unique place, one that I believe every angler should visit at some point during their career. While the Islands have their own beauty and the fishing experience was all anybody could wish for, I must add that the service we received while on this trip was every bit as enjoyable. The accommodations aboard the Macey Ann were first-class, we ate well at every setting, our catch was expertly cleaned and packaged, and the crew were kind and attentive to our every need. Our only chore was to go out and catch fish. I can’t say enough good about the whole experience and I am certainly looking forward to making a return visit.

Keep A Castnet — Tips for Tripletail Fishing

Email: TexasKayakChronicles@yahoo.com

Website: www.TexasKayakChronicles.com

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.

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

John Blaha

CULTIVATED OYSTER MARICULTURE MOVES FORWARD ALONG THE TEXAS COAST

The Texas Cultivated Oyster Mariculture (TX COM) industry took another step forward on June 21, 2023. Blackjack Point Oyster Company, LLC joined Texas Oyster Ranch (Copano Unos); Texas Sustainable Oysters, LLC (Barrier Beauties); and DJ’s Oyster Co, LLC (Matagorda Pearls) to become the fourth cultivated oyster mariculture farm in Texas with oysters in the water.

As family, friends, local community leaders, and other interested parties gathered around, Blackjack Point Oyster Company placed approximately 275,000 baby oysters into bags and transported them to their new home in cages, located off Blackjack Peninsula in Aransas Bay. The next

step for Blackjack Point Oyster Company, LLC is to secure their certification from the Texas Health Department, and then begin processing their oysters and selling them to local restaurants and those across the state in early 2024. Cultivated oyster mariculture is not a new thing in the United States. Farms have existed for years in the Pacific Northwest, the Northeast, and other Gulf states. In 2019, The Texas Legislature passed House Bill 1300 which directed the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission to develop rules that would allow the commercial production of oysters within Texas coastal waters. With the passing of this bill, Texas became one of the last Gulf states to

Oyster Seed “Babies” being scooped and ready to be placed in bags. Image by Kiese & Co, LLC and Courtesy of Blackjack Point Oyster Co.

Oyster Seed “Babies” being scooped and ready to be placed in bags.

Image by Kiese & Co, LLC and Courtesy of Blackjack Point Oyster Co.

Blackjack Point Oyster Co. owners Debbie and AJ Minns placing bags of baby oysters in oyster cages. Image by Kiese & Co, LLC and Courtesy of Blackjack Point Oyster Co.

have permitted cultivated oyster mariculture farms. Currently there are five fully permitted TX COM farms, four with oysters in the water, three approved for harvesting and production, and seven more in the conditional permitting stage along the Texas coast.

The permitting process is a rigorous two stage process that includes the initial provisional permit secured from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). The first part of the TPWD provisional permitting process includes identifying a potential site, conducting a natural resources survey once the site has been selected, and completing the application, which includes questions about an Operations Plan, gear, maps and more. A public meeting is also held by TPWD that allows the public to ask any questions and voice concerns about the proposed farm site. Once the TPWD provisional permit is secured, applicants must then secure approval and permits from US Army Corp of Engineers (USACE), Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS), US Coast Guard, and Texas General Land Office. This process can be drawn out for a lengthy period, but the TX COM staff at TPWD works well with applicants to get through the first phase of the permitting process and helping along the way with the other agencies to get them completed.

While it is still somewhat of a learning process, all parties are working hard with one another to make the process more efficient for present and future applicants. The TX COM staff at TPWD is to be commended for their efforts in helping applicants navigate the path to permits.

Cultivated oyster mariculture has many positive impacts to the oyster fishery and ecosystems the farms are located within. The oysters are raised in off-bottom cages in areas that have no existing oyster reefs or seagrass beds. These farm-raised oysters still provided the

same filtering capabilities as natural reefs, resulting in cleaner and clearer bays wherever they are placed.

In the short infancy of the program in Texas, there are already stories of fish using the farms as habitat. Tripletail have been spotted within weeks on the new pilings marking the parameter of farms, and speckled trout and redfish catches have been reported along the edges of the farms.

Cultivated oyster mariculture is one of seven tenants in CCA Texas’s solutions to a healthy and sustainable oyster fishery. The tenants include:

• Promote and increase participation in the license buyback program.

• Expand the state bay-bottom lease program (certificate of location) for commercial oystermen.

• Create opportunities for non-harvestable bay-bottom conservation leases.

• Promote increased participation in cultivated oyster mariculture (oyster farming)

• Designate sanctuary reefs in bay systems to serve as spawning reserves for public reefs.

• Refine metrics for opening and closing shellfish harvest areas.

• Develop and execute strategic restoration plans.

CCA Texas has and continues to be an active leader in developing solutions for a healthy and sustainable oyster fishery. Many changes have been made in the last several Texas Legislative sessions, and CCA Texas is committed to help make changes that are lasting and effective. For more information about the Texas Oyster Fishery, be sure to visit https://ccatexas.org/oysters/.

STEPHANIE BOYD FISHY FACTS

BLACK-NECKED STILT

Five species of similar-looking stilts are recognized in the genus Himantopus. They have the second-longest legs in proportion to their bodies of any bird, exceeded only by flamingos. The Black-necked stilt is a study in contrasts. The male’s shiny black wings and back set off the white breast, and both are accentuated by the long, rose-pink legs. That black coloration on top extends from the back along the neck to the head, forming a cap which covers the entire head from the top to just below eye-level. The female’s coloration is similar, but a bit more brown than glossy black on top. Both have white rings around the eyes, red irises, a long neck, and a long, thin black bill that curves upwards ever so slightly. Stilts belong to the family Recurvirostridae which, in Latin, means “bent bill.” Juveniles look similar to adults but they have a faint scalloped pattern on their backs and paler legs. Black-necked stilts have partially webbed feet, which allow them to swim, though they rarely do. They reach a height of 13 to 17 inches, with about a 27-inch wingspan. Fun fact: ever wonder why bird “knees” bend backwards? That’s because it’s not a knee; it’s a heel. A bird’s true knee joint is closer to the body, where the femur (thigh) meets the tibia and fibula (basically the drumstick). The long, lower portion of a stilt’s leg is called the tarsometatarsus, and it’s essentially a stretched-out, fused version of what in humans are the ankle and foot bones.

Black-necked stilts are almost always seen near shallow

water, including both salt and fresh water, such as mudflats, salt pans, saltmarshes, flooded areas along rivers, shallow lagoons, mangrove swamps, and many human-modified habitats such as sewage ponds, evaporation pools, rice fields, and flooded fields. In some areas, stilts actually favor these habitats over available natural habitats. Generally a lowland bird, but in Central America, it has been found up to 8,200 feet above sea level. This common shorebird ranges from the coastal areas of California through much of the interior western United States and along the Gulf of Mexico as far east as Florida, then south through Central America to Argentina, the Caribbean to Ecuador, and the Galápagos Islands. The northernmost populations, particularly those from inland, are migratory; they winter in southern Mexico, Brazil, Peru, the West Indies, and southern parts of the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.

When they are not resting or preening, black-necked stilts spend much of the day hunting in shallow waters in search of food. Though they can swim and dive if necessary, they prefer to wade as they feed, probing with their long, thin bill for prey that is on or near the surface of water. They find most of their food visually, capturing insects, small crustaceans, and tiny fish with a quick peck. They also swing the bill side to side in the water to skim invertebrates from the surface or just below. To capture small fish, they sometimes chase them into the shallows, where the fish

Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park, Scotland Neck, North Carolina.

Photo by Dick Daniels. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

become trapped. They are opportunistic and prey on many creatures, including larval mosquitoes, soldier flies, brine flies, caddisflies, dragonflies, mayflies, crickets, grasshoppers, many kinds of beetles (including weevils), mollusks, water-boatmen, crayfish, shrimp, tadpoles, and very small frogs and fish. Floating seeds and vegetation form a tiny part of their diet. They move deliberately when foraging, walking slowly through wetlands in search of tiny aquatic prey, seldom swimming. For feeding areas, they prefer coastal estuaries, salt ponds, lakeshores, alkali flats, flooded fields, etc. For roosting and resting, this bird selects alkali flats (even flooded ones), lake shores, and islands surrounded by shallow water to deter at least some of their main predators – such as foxes, skunks, and coyotes – though it doesn’t help much with others like gulls and birds of prey.

Left to their own devices, stilts wade through shallow wetlands with a careful grace. But when disturbed, especially during breeding season, all semblance of grace disappears. Adult stilts are highly territorial during breeding season, and their incessant, yapping calls carry for some distance. Males often challenge one another early in the nesting season which can result in intense conflicts involving aerial combat in which males strike each other with bills and legs. They’ll even drive out young birds and attack chicks that are not their own. When not breeding, black-necked stilts are still fairly territorial but often will put up with each other enough to roost and forage in close proximity, if never in tight flocks. Most calls are sharp and high-pitched yaps – “keek,” “kek,” or similar – often given in series when alarmed. Most people hear it when they have approached too close to a nest or young hidden in the vegetation. Quieter versions of the call, heard between adults and young, serve as contact calls.

Breeding season occurs from late April through August in North America, with peak activity in June. Black-necked stilts are especially exuberant during the breeding season, both in territoriality and courtship. To seal the bond with her chosen mate, the female stretches out her neck and preens; the male mimics her. Then, both dip their bills in the water and preen, and this action becomes increasingly flurried, with much splashing just prior to copulation. Afterward, the pair crosses their bills and dance a few steps. Both female and male choose the nest site. They look for places with soft sand or other substrate that can be scraped away to form a depression, usually on open ground or in short vegetation, surrounded by water, such as on small islands, clumps of vegetation, or even occasionally, floating mats of algae. Both also

contribute to nest construction. A completed nest may be a simple scrape in the soil or a mound of vegetation built up above water level and lined with pebbles, shells, and debris. Most lining is added to the nest during incubation and consists of whatever material is closest. The black-necked stilt is classified as semicolonial: defending individual territories and mates, but joining with other nesting birds to drive out threats. They typically nest in loose colonies, sometimes mixed with avocets, least terns, and Wilson’s plovers. Spacing between nests ranges, but averages about 65 feet apart. Pairs defend an extensive perimeter around groups of nests, patrolling in cooperation with their neighbors. Agitated stilts yap incessantly, dive at predators, feign broken wings, and pretend to incubate in non-nest areas in order to lure predators away. A unique distraction the stilt uses is the ‘popcorn display.’ All the adult stilts in a colony alternately hop up and down while wildly flapping their wings and calling loudly at offending intruders. Sometimes, stilts will strike humans from behind with their legs if the humans approach the nest too closely. Despite a certain degree of cooperative defensive behavior, black-necked stilts are still territorial to each other, driving away others of their kind to maintain distance between their nests, and were it not for their joining in these antipredator displays, stilts would probably be considered territorial rather than semicolonial.

Clutch size is 2-5 brown-speckled eggs, which hatch in 24-29 days. There is only one successful brood a year. Both parents incubate the eggs. On very hot days, stilts may soak their belly feathers to carry water to the nests, sometimes making more than a hundred trips a day to keep their eggs cool. As with most other ground-nesting birds, the young are precocial (relatively well-developed), and downy chicks leave the nest only an hour or two after hatching and are able to run and swim as soon as their down is dry. And although both parents tend the chicks, they are capable of feeding themselves. They fly in 4-5 weeks. Downy young are light olive brown with lengthwise rows of black speckles on the back –essentially where adults are black – and dull white elsewhere, with some dark barring on the flanks. Both parents participate in chick-rearing, though males appear to accompany older chicks more often than females. The pair bond is maintained through nesting and chick rearing, but if a nest fails, stilts sometimes begin again with a different mate.

Black-necked stilts and American avocets belong to the same family (Recurvirostridae), and they are capable of hybridizing and producing young, though these hybrid offspring are rare. Birders who have documented this cross have given them the nickname “avo-stilts.” Stilts reach sexual maturity around one year. The oldest recorded black-necked stilt was at least 12 years, 5 months old. it was banded in Venezuela and recaptured in the Lesser Antilles.

In the nineteenth century, stilts were hunted throughout their range, but populations have been stable between 1966 and 2015 in continental North America, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Partners in Flight estimates the global breeding population at 900,000 birds, with a Continental Concern Score of 8 out of 20, indicating it is a species of low conservation concern. There is some evidence of range expansion to the north, possibly attributable to climate change. Although stilt populations in the continental U.S. appear stable, a Hawaiian subspecies, the Ae’o, is considered federally endangered and is particularly threatened by introduced predators, including feral cats. Because stilts are wetland birds, they are vulnerable to wetland destruction, degradation, and especially pollution – including pesticides, heavy metals, and other elements such as selenium. Stilts

Baylands Nature Preserve, Palo Alto CA. Photo by Mike’s Birds. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

are sometimes monitored as indicators of contaminated irrigation water in the environment at large. Both stilts and avocets congregate on human-made evaporation ponds to catch the abundant brine flies. While use of evaporation ponds might seem to ensure that suitable habitat will be available for stilts in the future, these ponds also accumulate contaminants. Embryo deformities associated with selenium contamination in irrigation drain water were first identified at Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge and later at the many evaporation ponds of the Tulare Basin, CA. The harmful effects of selenium on hatching success have been documented, and the effects on chick growth and survivorship are under study. Additionally, since their nests are frequently rather close to the water edge, they are affected by rising water levels of ponds or tides. This is particularly a hazard in the case of these managed salt ponds where water levels may be altered rapidly in the salt pond flooding process. The cumulative effects of wetland contamination and shifts in habitat availability on stilt populations remain to be seen.

Where I learned about black-necked stilts, and you can too!

Audubon www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/black-necked-stilt

The Cornell Lab: All About Birds www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-necked_Stilt/overview

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Birds of the World birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/bknsti/cur/introduction

TPWD

American Bird Conservancy abcbirds.org/bird/black-necked-stilt/

Project Noah www.projectnoah.org/spottings/1651283809

Missouri Dept of Conservation mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/black-necked-stilt

eBird ebird.org/species/bknsti

Bird Advisors www.birdadvisors.com/black-necked-stilt/

Animalia animalia.bio/black-necked-stilt

Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-necked_stilt

View The Video

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

Through the Lens: Black-necked Stilt

ERIC OZOLINS EXTREME KAYAK FISHING & SHARKS FROM THE SAND

THE NOBLE KINGS

I’ve spent many hours and days targeting king mackerel, after gaining appreciation for them more than fifteen years ago. I learned to respect the noble kings not while standing on the deck of a boat or the planks of a pier, but while sitting atop a specially designed piece of floating plastic, during the dawn of the age of fishing from kayaks out beyond the breakers. The speed and intensity with which kings strike and fight rank them near the top of the list of highly sought Texas sportfish.

Targeting these slender, silver speed-demons from a kayak provides plenty of thrills, while posing several inherent risks. First, the anglers must often navigate through foaming breakers near the beach, sometimes dodging curious sharks along the way. Then, they must remain afloat on their craft during the process of fighting and landing these toothy critters. To this day, I feel a rush of adrenaline every time I hook a smoker king from a kayak, and each battle with one etches an enthusiastic grin on my face.

The largest mackerel in the Gulf of Mexico, the streamlined kingfish can attain weights in excess of eighty pounds. These voracious predators show a fondness for places where structures break up the monotony of a homogeneous bottom, often found around oil rigs, reefs, rock piles and other anomalies where prolific numbers of smaller fish gather in schools.

While they’re often encountered by anglers many miles from shore, hungry kings sometimes venture much closer to the beach. Jetties and piers attract roaming kings within range of land-bound anglers in the Lone Star State. I’ve landed more than a few from the relatively shallow waters of the surf.

On my early kayaking adventures devoted to targeting king mackerel near Corpus Christi, I visited all the jetties from Port Mansfield to Port Aransas, as well as many of the nearshore rigs. In my youthful years, I displayed a fearless streak, often venturing many miles offshore on solo yakking missions. I enjoyed multiple activities on these wild quests, often starting off by tying my kayak to a rig and diving off to spear some mangrove snapper and spadefish. Back on the kayak, I’d usually drift ribbonfish around the rigs. These slim, shiny baitfish have long been acknowledged as irresistible to kingfish.

Though I caught many limits of kings by drifting and paddling ribbonfish around the legs of drilling platforms, my interest changed after a couple years, and I began to incorporate more technology into my efforts. I installed a GPS unit with a fish-finder so I could see what lurked in the waters below my kayak, and began to visit coordinates I’d gotten from shrimpers, to see which ones might feed my growing appetite for wrestling with monster kings. At several locations within sight of Padre

Tod Johnson used a tuna popper to catch this impressive specimen.

Island, I found places with ample structures on the bottom, where I’d catch everything from snapper to grouper to ling. Sometimes, I could read the messages sent by frantic baitfish at the surface and anticipate king mackerel in attack mode launching themselves entirely out of the water.

This spawned a new idea, one which caused me to abandon the somewhat boring efficiency involved with targeting kings with ribbonfish. Seeking a new challenge, I realized I could probably entice the feisty predators to attack topwater lures. Operating under the big bait/big fish mantra, I learned to stand up on my Hobie Pro Angler kayak on calm summer mornings and toss hefty poppers designed to target tuna and attract the attention of giant kings.

When I didn’t make these trips solo, my good friend Kevin Eager often accompanied me. While we both acquired a taste for catching kings on topwaters, he began to make lures specifically designed for use on kayaks, putting custom paint jobs on long pieces of hand-lathed wood. After plenty of experimentation with shapes and sizes, we learned the most productive plugs created loud, obvious splashes. We hit lots of home runs targeting smoker kings on those flashy lures back then, landing some big enough to appear on leader boards in the S.T.A.R. Tournament.

Clearly, South Texas produces some of the largest kings in the Gulf, so Kevin and I had to redefine what we thought of as a smoker. We consistently landed fish weighing more than fifty, even sixty pounds. Eventually, I evolved, and acquired admiration for a species I’d once labeled as a trash fish. With new-found respect for these regal speedsters, Kevin and I began to release most of the king mackerel we caught.

I’ve released as many as 28 kings from the back of a kayak on a single day. For me, the thrill of a fight which involves being dragged around like a kid on a sleigh never wanes. I also developed a love for working to improve my ability to capture quality photographs of these impressive fish. One memorable effort involved mounting a video camera on a rod holder and making many casts with a topwater in the frame, hoping to capture footage of an aerial strike.

For several years, Kevin and I and a select few others had the rocks and reefs in the nearshore waters close to Padre Island mostly to ourselves. The dog days of those summers developed a repetitive, satisfying rhythm. We’d paddle our kayaks out and throw lures or troll while the morning sun hung low and the kings prowled actively, then transition to targeting snapper and ling. These days, other obligations prevent me from participating in that old, familiar routine, but I still thoroughly enjoy all the chances I get to do battle with the noble kings.

CONTACT

For the past decade Eric ‘Oz’ Ozolins has been promoting shark catch and release and assisting various shark research programs. Eric offers guided shark fishing on Padre Island National Seashore. Also renowned for extreme kayak big game fishing, Eric is the owner of Catch Sharks Tackle Company.

Email oz@oceanepics.com Websites oceanepics.com | catchsharks.com

Jason Ozolins, author’s brother, also enjoyed the challenge of paddling offshore for kings.

Kevin Eager battles a king that exploded on one of his handmade, wooden surface plugs.

A much younger Oz, during the “beyond the breakers” days of offshore kayak sport.

NATHAN BEABOUT MOSTLY SIGHT-FISHING

PREDICTING AUGUST’S SIGHT-FISHING PATTERNS

Scrolling through my fishing logbook, which began with my very first guided trip all those years ago, each entry refreshes my memory. Lots of details, but most important to me are the locations we fished and the weather and water conditions that drove those decisions. The most valuable aspect of a log book is that over time it begins to tell a story. Patterns emerge, weather cycles come around, and fish activity shifts across a bay system. One of the greatest influences on San Antonio Bay is the Guadalupe River.

Like we saw during the recent early summer, the river inflow had most of San Antonio Bay looking anywhere from muddy to tea-stained. Don’t get me wrong, I am

neither frightened nor discouraged by the river when it floods. Fresh water plays a huge role in our ecosystem, flushing shrimp and other important forage species from the Delta waters, and also delivers much-needed nutrients to our many seagrass flats. I think of it like this, the fresh water that comes down the river not only acts as a fertilizer for our grass, which is the foundation of the marine food chain, it also stabilizes the salinity and helps cool the bay water.

What does this have to do with sight-casting? Well, not only does it make us move in or out of areas because of the water clarity, it also forces us to concentrate or narrow down the areas we need to be in because of the

abundance of bait being flushed from the Delta. I also believe that in years like this it can bring more reds into our bay searching for this abundance of bait and lower salinity levels. Most of the fresh water is pushed by predominant southeast wind to the lower (western) portion and middle of the bay. The Matagorda Island marsh is affected very little, thereby allowing plenty of opportunities for finding clean, fishable water. These masses of bait tend to hang just outside the fresh water line, and at times with the right wind can get close to outside shorelines. When this occurs, schools can be found patrolling the sand bars.

So, let’s check the August log book. We see that when the river floods during spring and early summer it usually sets the stage for a very exciting August sight-casting experience. If the river flow continues to diminish and no other big rains are sent down river, the areas of muddy water will begin to settle out. This will allow us to expand our sight-casting grounds and open more areas of the bay, finally being able to actually see the pods and single giants that remained in the dirty water. To fish certain areas like this we need calm to light north wind days. Here again, my log shows a pattern of slick calm days followed by light to moderate north and northwest winds. I’m sure you have witnessed it or heard about it, the January tides in July. The way our bay system is laid out geographically, north and northwest winds can and will force water out of our bay system. I have seen it in years past where the water line ends up some 15-20 yards off the shoreline. In other words, 1-3 feet below normal tide levels.

Now, when tides fall like this in late July, August starts off a little tricky, because there isn’t much water left in the back marsh. So, what do you do? I like to set up adjacent to what are normally shallow flats and sit and watch. Positioning ourselves around these bail-off areas, as I call them, can be key. Being that these areas can be rather small we need to slow down and really take our time. What you will find is that redfish will suddenly appear out of 3- to 6-foot depths, coming up to grab a meal off the edge of the shallow, grassy area.

Being fast and accurate is key when fishing like this, because as soon as they pop up, they sink back to the deep. A typical redfish on a grass flat will offer two or three casts if they are off the mark. A fish emerging from deep water to grab a quick meal gives you one shot before disappearing. Now if you didn’t get the right cast and the fish didn’t spook, don’t move or adjust the boat. They will be back shortly, hence the patience and slow-moving advice.

I am by no means trying to predict the weather or tell you what

will unfold for the next month, but if similar patterns do emerge, then you’ll know how to react. I do know this though; August can offer many days to creep around the marsh on a tower.

Regardless whether the water falls out or remains at a normal level, viewing the marsh from a tower reveals much more than you might expect. We talk about spotting reds, but it is amazing how many big trout and flounder we see while doing this. We have seen trout in the same areas almost every time and some of them can be in that highlycoveted 28- to 32-inch class. They are harder to catch, and by the time you realize what you’re looking at, they can disappear. Still fun to see, though. I tell my clients every time we crawl up the ladder, pink and red are redfish, gray is drum, brown is flounder or stingrays… and black is monster trout!

I do love this time of year, being able to chase the reds, but as quickly as this year is passing, it won’t be long until the cooler months are upon us. When that happens, we will fold down the tower and head to the Lower Laguna, wade fishing in search of another happy client’s personal best trout. If you look at this time of year as being too hot for being on the water, give us a call and let’s go chase monster trout this winter. We offer these trips as catch and release only. We do this out of respect for the resource and resident anglers and guides in that area. We simply want the opportunity for our clients to fight and land their personal best.

Captain Nathan Beabout

USCG/TPWD Licensed

Full time guide since 2007

Seadrift, Port O’Connor, & Port Mansfield, TX. Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin (N&M Sportsman’s Adventures) Cell (210)452-9680

Email www.nmsaguide@gmail.com

Website www.nmsportsmansadventures.com

Jake Haddock grew up in the back bays of Port O’ Connor where he developed a great passion for saltwater fishing. In his younger years he was a youth writer for this publication. In present day he enjoys guiding light tackle and fly clients in Galveston and occasionally Port O’ Connor.

Phone 713-261-4084

Email frigatebirdfishing@gmail.com

Website www.frigatebirdfishing.com

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Laguna Custom Rods

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Grady-White 281 Coastal Explorer

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Telephone 713-552-0505

Email jbashaw@ifgrr.com

Address 5701 Woodway Dr Suite 330 Houston, TX 77057

FINANCIAL

MANAGEMENT & PLANNING FOR TEXAS ANGLERS & OUTDOORS ENTHUSIASTS

The Best Plan Is to Make a Plan!

Happy Summer, Anglers! I hope this finds you hydrated and catching and releasing lots of fish!

Saltwater fishing is one of the most enjoyable, family-oriented pleasures in the world. However, boating and fishing do not come without a certain level of possible danger—everything from a sunburn, a foul hook, a stingray strike, to a boating accident can put you and your family’s safety in peril. The National Boating Safety Advisory Committee reported on May 11, 2023 the results of their latest study on boating safety in the United States. During 2022, there were 636 boating fatalities and 4040 accidents with 2222 non-fatal injuries. The good news is that this number is down from the year before.

While no one “plans” to have an accident, it’s always a good idea to have a plan in the event that one occurs. First, when planning a fishing excursion—even for a day-- familiarize yourself with the nearest hospital or emergency facility. All facilities are not equal. One may be just the place for a stingray barb incident, but unable to handle a heart attack or other traumatic event. Secondly, make sure you have safety equipment on board. I’ve seen anglers make sure they have all the soft drinks, water and snacks on board but nothing as basic as a simple first aid kit. These are relatively cheap and can make the difference in what’s known as the “golden hour.” The “golden hour” is the first hour after a traumatic accident occurs. Emergency Room physicians will tell you that the first hour after an accident is the most crucial in determining the speed of the

recovery and eventual outcome of the case.

Finally, the most important thing to have is a Power of Attorney. There are two types of powers of attorney, or POAs for short. These are a healthcare power of attorney and a general power of attorney. They are relatively inexpensive to have drawn up by a board-certified estate planning attorney. A healthcare power of attorney allows someone to make health care decisions for you in the event you are incapacitated. This can make all the difference in getting the best immediate help to a loved one in a trauma situation. Secondly, a general power of attorney allows someone to make business decisions for you. This is as simple as paying bills, or agreeing to medical charges at the hospital or emergency room. Both of these are part of a well thought out plan. Years ago we had a client whose child had gone off to college and recently turned 18. Unfortunately, the child was hurt in an auto accident. When the parents were called, they were told about the accident but the hospital was unable to release any additional information as the family did not have a healthcare power of attorney on file. Because their “child” had turned 18, he was considered an adult and due to HIPAA- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Actthe child’s medical records could not be released to his parents. While this seems inane, its all part of patient confidentiality.

How can I carry around my records on a fishing trip? Well, that would be a little much. We advise the following. First, have these documents and save them on your iPhone or other personal device. Secondly, if you email me at jbashaw@ifgrr. com, we will send you an ICE (in Case of Emergency) Key fob. This portable, easy to use flash drive goes right on your keychain. First Responders/EMS personnel are trained to look for the acronym ICE (In Case of Emergency) ensuring that doctors will have the information they need to make lifesaving decisions. The ICE Key provides pre-loaded PDF forms to capture your information, your children’s or your family’s important medical information.

It will include everything from your medical information, insurance information, and a list of prescription drugs that you may be taking. This helps the health care professional get the best and safest treatment. Sadly, its estimated that up to 400,000 patients die each year in hospitals from preventable medical mistakes—like receiving the wrong drug or having an adverse drug reaction. While this is a sobering topic, we believe the best plan is to make a plan. Most of all, have a safe and fun time with your family and friends enjoying God’s beautiful handiwork and the Texas Gulf Coast!

Chief Executive Officer James E Bashaw & Co.

Securities and advisory services offered through Independent Financial Group, LLC (IFG), a Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC. Jeb & Co, James E. Bashaw & Co. and IFG are unaffiliated entities.

Jeb Bashaw along with son Travis and friend enjoying a fun day on the water.

Securities and advisory services offered through Independent Financial Group, LLC (IFG), a Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC. Jeb & Co, James E. Bashaw & Co. and IFG are unaffiliated entities.

The Mystery of Orca Trends

The news was abuzz in June with reports of orcas ramming boats, but this wasn’t the first time groups of killer whales—which are actually members of the dolphin family—have rammed boats. A similar flurry of boat-ramming by orcas occurred in October 2022, for example, though scientists have not yet figured out why these marine mammals are doing this.

But this spurt of boat ramming also isn’t the first time scientists have observed a trend spread among orcas. Over the years, scientists have seen them demonstrate a range of “trendy” group behaviors that reveal just how little we understand about their social structure and culture.

One of the oddest of these occurred in 1987 among the Southern Resident population of killer whales, those off the coast of Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. A single female orca began swimming around with a dead salmon perched on her nose. Before long, several others in the pod began carrying a dead salmon on their noses for the next couple of weeks. Over about six weeks, the trend spread throughout the pod and then, just as suddenly as it started, it stopped. Scientists never figured out why.

Another strange trend was observed in male orcas near British Columbia. They would move around fishermen’s prawn and crab traps even though these shellfish aren’t typically on an orca’s menu. The best scientists could tell, it appeared to be a form of playing, like a game. Unfortunately, the “game”—if that’s what it is—of ramming boat hulls is a dangerous one for both humans and orcas, so hopefully they’ll find less destructive ways of amusing themselves.

Groups of orcas have been seen performing “trendy” behaviors, such as ramming boats, swimming with a dead fish on their nose, and moving shellfish traps. Credit: NOAA

Matagorda

THE VIEW FROM Matagorda

I’ll state the obvious – it is hot! Always has been, always will be. It’s Texas and we love it.

We leave early, way before sunrise, and return about lunch time, just about the time you could grill a steak on the concrete.

August is one of those months where you can count on the weather to stabilize. Historically, there are many days with winds 10 knots or less; and, many days when we have the opportunity to fish the surf.

fishery and release all trout when ethically possible.”

“Can we keep a few of the smaller ones for dinner?”

“I have no problem with that; if we run in to a few male trout we can certainly keep a few.”

That conversation has been had just about every morning for the past two years. Half of the time, especially customers who have fished with me for years, take pride in saying, “We are not keeping any trout today.”

The breath of fresh air has been the strong majority of anglers who say, “You are the captain, you know what’s best. We want to do what’s best for the fishery so it will grow stronger.”

With that said, to the disapproval of many, TPWD is reinstating the 5-trout, 15-inch minimum bag limits of old, on September 1, 2023.

Telephone 979-241-1705

Email binkgrimes@yahoo.com

Website matagordasunriselodge.com

It has been almost six weeks since we have been in the surf. Late May and early June teased us with about two weeks of fishable weather along the beach. The fish were there and if August affords us another green tide, the fish will be there again.

We love duping them on topwaters and MirrOlure Soft Dines. I love a She Pup or a Top Dog Jr. in the Gulf. Work the first gut on the incoming and the edges of the first and second gut on the outgoing tide.

East Matagorda Bay has been solid so far this summer. Many days we have landed and released 20 to 30 trout while either wading or drifting. Go-to baits have been plum Bass Assassins, Down South Lures, MirrOlure Lil Johns and Soft Dines.

Sadly, there has been a lot of killing of solid trout going on this summer. How quickly so many have forgotten their pledge to release fish after the devastating freeze back in February 2021.

I hear guides ask, “How can we ask people to release their fish when they only come once or twice a year?”

That’s easy:

“Good morning. Glad to have y’all on the boat today.”

“What are we fishing for today captain?”

“Trout and redfish, we will let the weather and wind dictate and pivot from there.”

“How many can you catch of each?”

“You can catch as many as you like, but we are trying to protect our

TPWD has a difficult job trying to make everyone happy while trying to manage a fishery that all anglers can use. I have some dear friends of 25 years or better who work for the state agency. I drew a TPWD check for 20 years while compiling the Weekly Coastal Fishing report that appeared in every newspaper that had the space to print it. So, I am pro – TPWD. But not on this issue.

Anglers never had a chance to approve or disapprove. No scoping meetings were held, no online surveys, no dock-side surveys from TPWD technicians asking real anglers how they feel about the condition of the fishery.

We have taken so many positive strides for our fishery since the Freeze of 2021. Our fishing is better, our fish are bigger and, more importantly, our attitudes toward conservation are greatly improved. Catch and release works. It just doesn’t make sense to revert to the days of old. But what does make sense these days?

Here’s what I am going to do: Keep controlling what I can control – me. Keep letting way more trout go back to the bays instead of the cooler. Keep teaching conservative attitudes on my boat.

Keep praying for more wisdom for lawmakers. Every little thing you can do for our fishery gives hope for better days on the water.

Sunrise Lodge and Properties specializes in fishing, hunting, vacation rentals and coastal real estate. We are happy to offer free advice to anyone to enhance your experience in Matagorda.

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

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

“We contracted the construction of the TSFMag office building with Farrell Jackson. Jackson also built my son’s bay house here in Seadrift. We were completely satisfied with both projects…a professional and trustworthy contractor.” ~ Everett Johnson | Editor/Publisher, TSF Mag

Gary Gray is a full time guide, born and raised in Seadrift. He has been guiding the Seadrift/Port O’Connor region since 1986. Gary specializes in year ‘round wade fishing for speckled trout and redfish with artificial lures.

Telephone 361-785-6708

Email bayrats@tisd.net

Website www.bayrat.com

Facebook @captsgaryandshelliegray

MID-COAST BAYS With the Grays

During normal years, my approach to fishing in July and August are basically the same. Sure, the lure styles and colors may change, but as far as the areas I target during these warmer months, they do not really change very much. On average, I will continue fishing shallow nighttime feeding areas adjacent to deeper water.

Now that the summer pattern is in full swing I look for things to be on the up and up, especially if we can get some much-needed rain. San Antonio Bay, West Matagorda Bay, and the surf will be the areas I frequent most often. Anytime the wind allows it is really hard to beat the surf, whether you choose to stay in the boat or wade. For whatever reason the fish we catch surfside are so much more aggressive than the fish in the bays. The variety of species we catch there is also pretty cool. It is not uncommon to encounter Spanish mackerel, pompano, tarpon and an occasional tripletail.

In West Matagorda, places like Ranch House Shoreline and the spoil banks along the ship channel are two areas that shouldn’t be overlooked during summer. These areas were mostly off limits when the wind was at its worst the past couple of weeks, but now that our summer pattern is in full swing the wind won’t be an issue most days. When fishing the Ranch House Shoreline it is imperative to wade deep in order to find a good trout bite. That is not to say you won’t catch any up shallow, but the numbers will be out in the waist- to chest-deep. If redfish are more to your liking, hang tight to the shoreline to better your odds of hooking up a coppery brute. The lure I have been putting more and more faith in lately is Texas Custom Lures Double D. This lure can be worked over grassbeds with ease. I prefer them in the Crown Royal and Pistachio colors.

Birds working out in the open bays will be more common now that the shrimp are on the move. I have customers that get really excited when they notice a flock of birds working over an area of water. I wish I could share their excitement, but I know what lurks under our birds is almost always dink trout, skipjack, and many gafftop. I know they have great success working the birds over in in East Matagorda Bay but it just isn’t the case in our area.

With that being said, there is one exception to this scenario. If you ever notice birds working close to the crown of a reef then you could be in luck. The trout that are under the birds close to a reef are usually better quality with fewer of less desirable species in the mix, for whatever reason. You may still catch some small trout but solid keepers will be more abundant.

Now that we are in the middle of summer I can’t stress enough how important it is to get an early start. I am not saying that you’re not going to catch ANY fish in the mid-afternoon hours but I can tell you I have more confidence and success when fishing the early morning hours than I do later in the hottest part of the day.

The Plashlights LED bar light on my X3 comes in handy when leaving out before sunrise. It helps me avoid channel markers, crab traps and other obstructions. But please, try not to blind oncoming traffic. Headlamps that fit on your hat also come in handy for tying knots, etc. when you’re away from the boat.

Please try to remember, and I mentioned this in my June article, it is never okay to pull in close to anglers when you see they are working on a steady bite. Bent rods do not qualify as structure. When you try to crowd your way into the action, you will likely not only fail to get in on the bite, you could end up shutting it down for the people that found it in the beginning.

August can be a scorcher. The first remedy for dealing with this is getting on the water early. Quite often I will have my crew wading and catching fish an hour before sunrise. Next is staying hydrated. Cold water and sports drinks…beer doesn’t qualify. What you wear is also important. Wide-brimmed hats and long sleeve shirts are worth their weight in gold. Dipping down in the water to soak your clothing can also be helpful.

Fish hard, fish smart!

CAPT.

GARY

Tim Unger with a nice surf redfish.

58 | August 2023

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Upper Laguna/ Baffin

HOOKED UP WITH Rowsey

I know we have all experienced it now, but can y’all believe the heat this year? I’ve been kicking rocks in Baffin now for about thirty-five years and I cannot ever remember a June so hot. July wasn’t much better and some days worse. There are just no “gimmes” for a lure fisherman, it seems.

David Rowsey has 30 years in Baffin and Upper Laguna Madre; trophy trout with artificial lures is his specialty. David has a great passion for conservation and encourages catch and release of trophy fish.

Telephone 361-960-0340

Website

www.DavidRowsey.com

Email david.rowsey@yahoo.com

When I was much younger, and not guiding, somehow or another I became a nocturnal fisherman for about eight years during the summer months. I’m not sure who sparked the idea in my head, but it took off like a raging forest fire.

Now, before I go any further with this, I no longer recommend this activity, at least the way I was doing things.

always the best bet during this warm season. Scraping bottom with Bass Assassins is perhaps the best way to trigger a bite from trout that are laid up in the depths and just want to be left alone. And, while I will readily admit that it’s not always the sexiest way of pluggin’, nonetheless, it is the method I find to be most effective when the water temps are sustained at 90° and above. It’s not an easy assignment though, if your goal is to turn a tough bite into a good day, it will more than likely require a good deal of fortitude on your part. One truth that cannot be denied is that if you don’t have your line in the water the chances of catching are zero.

The TPWD commission is meeting this month and has a couple days built in to hear public comment. I intend to be there and plead the case for a permanent lower bag limit on trout. We have certainly made gains since the big freeze, but we still have many miles to go to get back to historic numbers.

Taking the current bag limit and length restrictions back to the pre-freeze regulations (5 trout at 15-25” with one over 25” per day) is no longer sustainable with close to two million users. All of the gains we have made since the freeze are going to be handed back over… potentially putting almost every spawning-age trout back on the fillet table.

@captdavidrowsey

Those years taught me much about all saltwater species in the area, but especially trout. The most important lessons were that trout just feed better in the dark nights of the hot summer months versus the sun beating down on them, including that first light feed we so count on every morning we launch the boat 1.5 hours from making our first wade. The real lesson was in the importance of the moon’s position in relation to the earth, with regards to fishing (major and minor feed periods). So many calm, quiet nights would be just that…calm and quiet! However, when the moon started to get overhead or fall from the western sky, all hell could and would break loose.

Many nights you could almost set your clock to the feed periods. That was wonderful stuff and still exists, but just not in my wheelhouse anymore since I started guiding.

The point of sharing that is because fishing is downright tough during the daylight hours of August. The best bite in any 24-hour period right now is well after the sun has gone down, and usually before it breaks the eastern horizon in the morning. So often on these days we will pull into an area and find everything looking perfect, on paper anyway. Decent bait activity, slicks, etcetera; only to find that the bite is tough. Well, those slicks are telling you that the trout are still around, but they also tell me that they have already gotten their bellies full in the dark and are now just offshore of us, relaxing and burping up all the work they have been putting in before we arrived.

Fishing offshore of the more shallow feeding grounds is just about

In the event that we have another freeze in the next few years, we will be forever trying to make up lost ground. TPWD needs to plan for such events, and keep “operating expenses” in the bank account for stormy days in the future. Being proactive towards the fishery versus reactive just makes common sense for the future of every Texas bay system.

So, in closing, y’all do what you can in the water. Educate, lead by example, and let your voices be heard via letters and emails to TPWD Coastal Fisheries and the commissioners.

Remember the buffalo! -Capt David Rowsey

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

Bridger Murray with his first trout on his first saltwater wade. He backed it up with many, many more over the following days. Hooked!

WAYNE’S Mansfield Report

Greetings from Port Mansfield! Boy, what a difference a month can make.

Port Mansfield

Telephone 210-287-3877

Email captwayne@kwigglers.com

The last time I sat down to write this report the fishing was absolutely on fire and the wind and daily high temperatures were both very pleasant. Since then the temperatures have just skyrocketed with wind consistently strong out of the south/ southwest, which drives the heat up even more. We are also having to deal with that annoying floating grass that can frustrate even the best of anglers. With all that said remember this: When life gives you a bag of lemons, make lemonade.

I’ll admit we’ve had some slow days recently, which can really take a toll on a guide, especially if slow days become the norm over a period of a week or so. Having said that, just when you think the next day will be like the previous one, you end up hitting a home run. When this happens I immediately note what has changed – wind velocity, wind direction, temperatures, barometric pressure, lunar phase, fishing pressure and whether I’m in an area I’ve fished recently or exploring somewhere new – which is often based on a string of continuously slow days. It is at this point though, when anglers can learn some of the most valuable lessons.

Out of all that I’ve learned, I can say the most consistent play for fishing in extreme heat is to get out early, maybe even fishing at night. For the record, our early morning water temperatures have been steady at 85° and then tapping out around 90° in the afternoons.

The only fish in our area that seems unaffected by heat is snook. They like it, and I’ve been probing a few areas when the opportunity allows for it. I’ve found a few cruising the shallows, and on a recent trip Marie (see photo) was able to talk one into inhaling her KWigglers Wig-A-Lo. She was excited, as was her boyfriend, who had been hoping she would catch one. Mission accomplished!

Perhaps the most consistent action for trout lately has been for anglers drifting deeper water. This makes sense because the flats are first to heat up, and if you don’t get them early they quickly move deeper. We are getting a few stragglers in the skinny but most of the “smart” fish are moving out deeper pretty early and holding there until the flats cool down during the night. On rare occasions when the wind has calmed, we are catching good fish along humps near deep water with some trout in the 25–28inch range. We are using 1/4oz jigheads with soft plastics, throwing deep and letting the lure fall toward bottom. Short twitches working the bait up the hump does the trick.

I believe fishing will improve if we can get more of an east-southeast flow in our wind pattern. I recently went out through the jetties to the gulf beach and noticed a steady decline in water temperature as we cruised the East Cut. I recorded 78° at the mouth of the jetties –12° cooler than the flats just off East Cut. I’m betting a shift in wind direction would push some of that cooler water into the bay.

Moving forward. I’ll continue to get out early and target areas that have proven productive, especially smaller flats near drop-offs to the ICW. I will likely not be working larger flats that have a gradual decline to deeper water until we see a significant change in the weather.

Another tidbit worth noting is that I’ve been downsizing my baits and tossing the Ball Tail Shad Junior much of the time. I can say this bait has been consistently earning more strikes than say a full-size Wig-A-Lo. I’ve also been comparing this bait to some Wig-A-Lo Junior prototypes and have been pleasantly pleased with its performance. Both baits are right at 4-inches but have completely different profiles. It’s been fun and educational for me to be able to catch fish on those smaller baits. You can still catch them on topwaters, but mostly only in very early morning. If you find yourself throwing them later in the day you’ll notice more of a quick slap-strike rather than the fish devouring the bait.

Finally, for all you Fishing Tackle Unlimited Green Rod lovers, you must check out the accompanying QR code. We’ve just launched the G2 spinner in the Classic blank and you are going to love it.

Until next time – remember fresh is better than frozen.

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

Captain Wayne Davis has been fishing the Lower Laguna-Port Mansfield for over 20 years. He specializes in wade fishing with lures.

Marie Tobias was ecstatic to land her first-ever Texas snook.

Steve Brandt was happy to land a personalbest flounder on a recent trip.

Arroyo Colorado to Port Isabel

SOUTH PADRE Fishing Scene

Fishing is a sport loved and enjoyed by millions worldwide. It’s neither a contact sport nor one that leads to great physical exertion, unless perhaps you’re fighting a giant fish for a long time in hot weather. Participants in some sports can benefit from certain physical advantages; such as being tall, fast, strong, or possessing keen eyesight to boost their success. Fishing, though, is quite different. Physical attributes aside, the one thing that will improve your angling success more than any other is lots of practice.

with the rise in water temperatures the smaller trout have definitely become more predominant. Slicks will continue to be prime indicators in locating trout through the month of August. This time of the year, I like fishing the drop-offs of the ICW, deeper potholes, and other deeper depressions created by tidal currents. A moving tide, whether coming in or going out, will increase your chances of getting on a good trout bite this time of the year.

Fishing for trout near the Brazos Santiago Pass is another good option as the cooler gulf water rushing along shorelines and across sandbars during incoming tide flows will often trigger feeding that simply isn’t happening elsewhere in the bays. I heartily encourage that if your GPS/Depth Finder does not include a water temperature gauge, you need to get one.

Cell 956-266-6454

Website

www.tightlinescharters.com

But, what about fishermen who cannot get out as much as they would like? The answer is that you can make up for it by studying aspects of fishing that contribute to consistent success, even when you cannot be on the water. Some of the most important of these are moon phases, tides, atmospheric pressure, seasonal fish patterns, and local weather patterns.

If you want to speed up the learning process, you might consider hiring a guide that fits your fishing style and is willing to teach while trying to put you on fish. Another option is to fish with anglers that are more accomplished than yourself. Attend fishing seminars and read all the articles in this magazine every month. You should also keep a logbook to gain understanding of migration and feeding patterns. This might take years but you must start somewhere. Last but not least, try to fish at least one new area every time you get out.

Moving on to what’s been happening on the water. Water temperatures have been running mid80s early and rising into the mid-90s later in the day. Finding redfish in reliable numbers has slowed considerably. I can blame part of this on the rise in water temperature. Increased boat traffic could also be a factor. If you like fishing shallow for redfish, do it early in the morning as the reds have been retreating to deeper water by midday.

Flats near the ICW can be excellent areas to find redfish this time of the year, given their tendency to head deeper as the water warms. Sand bars and spoil humps with access to deeper water can also be excellent producers. Z-Man’s PaddlerZ, KickerCrabZ, and the five-inch StreakZ continue to fool redfish for us. I highly recommend Z-Man’s Texas Eye Finesse Jighead as it is by far the best weedless jig I have ever used. The hook angle gives it a better chance of getting a solid hookset and it comes in a variety of sizes. So, when targeting redfish, think shallow early and deeper later. Halfway through the summer heat wave, we are finding upperclass trout numbers dwindling rapidly. The past two months were surprisingly good to us for solid trout up to twenty-seven inches, but

As far as trout baits go, Z-Man StreakZ on 1/8-ounce jigs has been a generally steady producer for us. On windier days, the tail action and vibration of the four and five-inch DieZel MinnowZ seems to draw more strikes.

August can bring a tropical depression or even a hurricane to our shores once either enters the Gulf of Mexico. Our bay waters will rise way above average, and that’s when the playing field changes. Higher water levels will scatter fish as they will have more territory to roam. If that should happen, our focus will shift to main bay shorelines and back lake areas for both trout and redfish.

Recapping August’s fishing prospects, concentrate on shallow areas early in the morning and deeper water closer to noon and into the evening. Be sure to watch the weather, as thunderstorms can pop up out of nowhere this time of the year. In the meantime, do your homework, apply it to your fishing, and watch your fishing turn into more consistent catching.

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

A Brownsville-area native, Capt. Ernest Cisneros fishes the Lower Laguna Madre from Port Mansfield to Port Isabel. Ernest specializes in wading and poled skiff adventures for snook, trout, and redfish.

Landing a snook is always a possibility here on the Lower Laguna Madre. This one couldn’t resist my ZMan PaddlerZ lure.

Michelle Hominga had a lot of fun with redfish on this trip.

FISHING REPORTS AND FORECASTS from Big Lake to Boca Chica

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag

Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242

During the blazing hot days at the height of summer, James mentions two options he relies on when fishing the Galveston Bay system. “When targeting trout and reds in August, the best patterns involve fishing around structures lying in open parts of the bay, close to deep water, mostly meaning close to the ship channel. Wading can be decent early in the mornings on flats close to the ICW and the channel, but overall, fishing out of the boat around abandoned well heads and similar features on the bottom works better. Success in that game requires one to develop skills related to where to anchor the boat, so casts can be made in ways which present lures at the right depth and in the right direction. Excellent awareness of the tide cycle and how it affects where fish position themselves around the structures is also a must. This time of year is actually better, in my opinion, for targeting silver kings out in the Gulf. We like to chase them in the nearshore waters up and down the coast from the Galveston jetties. So, I’ll be hunting the schools of tarpon as often as I can for the remainder of summer.”

Jimmy West | Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054

Jim recalls the recent run of productive fishing in the surf, and predicts another one is coming later this summer. The surf is just about to get right again. The green water is creeping closer to the beach. Once we have another stretch of calm days, it will bust wide open again. Fishing the beachfront is one of the most productive ways to catch plenty of trout when the weather is at its hottest. Of course, we do have some fish out in the middle of East Bay right now, around the main reefs. As long as it isn’t too windy, folks can target trout and reds out there, focusing on slicks, mud stirs and big rafts of jumping mullet to figure out the key areas to work. If it’s calm, it’s possible to catch some trout on topwaters out there, especially early in the mornings, but overall, soft plastics work best for both species when the water is this hot.” Jim also mentions he’ll be taking some time away from fishing, doing work on properties in advance of the coming hunting seasons. I’ll be spending lots of time in the tractor and on a bulldozer in the coming weeks.”

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays

Randall Groves | Groves Guide Service

979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323

Randall ranks August at or near the top of the list of best months to fish in the area around San Luis Pass, but he cautions that producing consistently good catches can be tricky at times. “With the water so hot and with so much food available to the predators, we sometimes resort to using live menhaden for bait. Most of the fish we target can’t refuse them, and the waters of the surf are often full of them this time of year. We do put a priority on fishing the surf when winds are light enough to allow the water to clear. When we’re throwing lures, we like topwaters most of all, especially One Knockers and Skitter Walks in either bone or chrome/blue. On days with good weather, meaning ones with typical light winds in the morning, we usually get plenty of blow ups to start off our days. If and when the bite gets a little tougher, and we’re sticking with artificial lures, we usually switch over to Norton Sand Eel Juniors, rigging them on three-eighths ounce Norton Screwlock jigheads. Two colors seem to work best this time of year: Chicken

On A Chain and Tequila Gold.”

Matagorda Bays | Capt. Glenn Ging

Glenn’s Guide Service - 979.479.1460

www.glennsguideservice.com

The fishing has been pretty steady in the Matagorda area as we dive deeper into the dog days of summer. East Matagorda Bay is coughing up some impressive catches for waders fishing the mid-bay reefs, both with live bait and lures. Drifting areas with fairly deep water and some scattered shell on bottom remains steady, with good catches of both speckled trout and redfish reported by anglers using live shrimp. Vudu shrimp and Gulp! lures fished under Coastal Corks are also working well for anglers fishing out of the boat. West Matagorda Bay is producing some nice mixed bags of speckled trout, redfish and black drum for people fishing around oyster reefs with live shrimp under popping corks. Wading the south shoreline with live bait and lures is also producing some impressive catches of speckled trout and redfish, with the best bite on redfish coming in the shallow nooks and crannies in the recesses of the coves, and the best trout bite happening in the guts associated with the bars fronting the coves. We’ll continue watching for opportunities to fish the surf and jetties, since August ranks high on the list of best months for those areas historically.

Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam

www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204

We quickly went from having one of our best months to one of our toughest. The last couple weeks have been a grind! Low tides and lots of southwest winds have made fishing in our area quite tough. We’ve been getting out early and working shell pads in depths of two to three feet, grinding out boxes of redfish and drum on live and peeled dead shrimp rigged about two feet under Coastal Corks. We’ve been transitioning to working deeper water as the mornings warm up, fishing ledges and drains and other structures in local bayous for redfish. The trout have been hard to come by, as we haven’t been able to fish our favorite spots due to the strong southwest winds. Good summer spots for trout include the wells and deep reefs out in West Matagorda Bay and the surf. Flounder giggers have been doing well when they have been able to get to shorelines protected from wind. The dog days of summer are here, and when winds calm, the fishing will swing back around to the excellent end of the scale. We should then find better numbers of redfish schooling and roaming area shorelines.

Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith

Back Bay Guide Service - 361.935.6833

Lynn expects to spend most or all of his fishing time in August in two main types of places. “We hope to get into the surf as much as we can this month. We were doing well out there when the weather first heated up, because winds were calm. Then the winds cranked up with the heat for a while and messed that up. But, we should have more calm days to work with once August arrives. When we’re fishing the surf, we like to start off just after daylight throwing topwaters in the shallow water inside the first gut. We usually catch plenty of trout in there for a while. Once that bite dies down, we start moving farther from the sand and working soft plastics in the deeper guts. When we aren’t in the surf, we usually fish flats close to deep channels this time of year. We like that pattern best when the tide is coming in during the early-morning hours. The fish will usually come out briefly to feed in shallow water on the tops of spoil

banks and beside reefs or in potholes on sandy, grassy flats lying close to the cooler, deeper water.”

Rockport | Blake Muirhead

Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894

Blake likes to fish the surf this time of year, and he mentions some other favorite places for targeting trout and redfish in August in the bays of the Coastal Bend. “We do well in the surf on several days in a typical August. With the water moving through Cedar Bayou, that area is usually a prime one for people heading out to fish the beachfront. When we’re not fishing the surf, we like to stay on flats close to deep water in bays like Corpus Christi Bay and Aransas Bay. The sandy, grassy flats lying in close proximity to the Lydia Ann and La Quinta channels provide fish good places to find food and also to escape the heat by slipping off into the depths for a while. Places like the spoil islands in Ingleside, East Flats, Super Flats and the Quarantine Shoreline produce excellent catches during the peak of the hot season, because they lie close to places where relatively cool water gushes in from the Gulf on a daily basis. We do well throwing topwaters at times during August, but we won’t hesitate to switch over to soft plastics, Gulp! lures and live bait if the bite is tough.”

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut

Robert Zapata | rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160

With the really hot temperatures, the fish in Baffin Bay and the Upper Laguna Madre have settled into predictable daily patterns. People hoping to catch plenty of trout and redfish need to react accordingly to these patterns in order to have success. After the relatively cool, short nights, the fish will move into somewhat shallow water, meaning water around two or three feet deep, along shorelines, on top of spoil islands, and close to sand bars and rock formations. So, I like to target trout and redfish early in the mornings by wading and throwing She Dogs and Catch 5s, also Assassin soft plastics in natural-looking colors. I always rig my soft plastics on Spring-lock jigheads, usually sixteenth or eighth-ounce, depending on how hard the wind is blowing. As the sun and temperatures rise during the middle of the morning, the bite on topwaters and twitchbaits usually slows, and the fish move into deeper water farther away from the shorelines and structures. Then, the bite is almost always best on soft plastics rigged on the heavier jigheads. Once the middle of the day comes and stronger winds begin to blow, sight-casting both black and red drum in super shallow water with Fish-Bites works well.

Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez - www.sightcast1.com -

361.877.1230

The blistering heat of August makes some fishing patterns reliably hot in the Corpus Christi area, Joe says. “The deeper waters of Corpus Christi Bay provide some fast action for anglers targeting trout. The rigs and wells out in the bay hold plenty of fish. People who learn how to match jighead size to the depth and current speeds do best catching them. In deep water, fairly heavy heads are necessary to keep the lures in close contact with the rubble around the bases of the structures, especially if more than minimal currents are running. Waders do better around the big spoil dumps near Ingleside, working both sides and concentrating on subtle structures created by the sand bars and grass beds. The ULM provides excellent opportunities to target schooling reds this month. Large groups of fish ranging from the middle of the slot to well over thirty inches roam around in the shallows early in the mornings, then move into depths where no grass covers the bottom during the middle of the day. With sunny weather and moderate breezes, the schools are usually fairly easy to find and approach. Tossing paddletails, spoons and small crankbaits around them generates fast action most days.”

P.I.N.S. Fishing Forecast | Eric Ozolins

361.877.3583 - Oceanepics.com

What a roller coaster we have had in the surf lately, as far as conditions go. We went from epic, calm conditions in May with clear water to a horrendous month of June. The winds blew hard all month. This resulted in cold, dirty water and upwellings along the entire coast at the start of the summer. Due to this, the seatrout bite slowed dramatically from the great run, and is just starting to come back. With the water both clearing and warming back up, I expect all sorts of crazy action to happen in August. The dusky anchovies should start moving closer to the beach. Following the birds leads to the chaos, where all kinds of fish join in the fray, everything from trout to tarpon to sharks. If the water clears up enough, sight-casting small schools of slotreds in the guts with spoons might become possible. Spanish mackerel and skipjacks should be abundant and easy to catch on spoons as well. Jacks will be further offshore most of the month, but may make their way close to the beach at times, to feed on balls of baitfish. Shark fishing will remain slow, except for the occasional big shark caught overnight.

Port Mansfield | Ruben Garza

Snookdudecharters.com - 832.385.1431

Getaway Adventures Lodge - 956.944.4000

The early morning bite in the shallows has been outstanding in this hot weather. As the days progress, the fish move to deeper, cooler water. The topwater action first thing in the mornings is still good, but the KWiggler Junior Ball Tails in Plum Perfect have produced best. South of town, the best bite has been in water about waist-deep. Areas like the old duck blind in West Bay and Bennie’s Island Bar have been holding plenty of schools of redfish. The Saucer area has been productive as well, early in the days. Once the heat settles in, drifting deeper water from the Pipeline to the East Cut is a better bet. North of town, the west shoreline from Little Bay to Gladys Hole is the most productive area for those intent on wading. In the mid-morning hours, getting into the boat and drifting around Century Point often keeps the bites coming. Watching for slicks will often pinpoint the locations of feeding trout in this heat. Approaching them from well upwind is the key to finding the fish that made them. On the east side, the water of middle depths around the Weather Station and at Wagner’s Bar often holds plenty of trout and reds.

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel

Aaron Cisneros | tightlinescharters.com - 956.639.1941

Summer heat is in full swing, and working deep water has been the key to finding a consistently good bite. Trout fishing has been fair. We’ve been finding fish of all sizes schooled together. Our most productive approach has been wading on the sand bars near or right at the edge of Intracoastal Waterway. Z-Man Streakz in Redbones rigged on quarter-ounce Redfish-Eye jigheads have worked best, as the heavier weights help keep the lures in close contact with the bottom. With water temperatures stuck in the upper 80s, we’ve been working our lures low and slow to keep them in the coolest depths, jigging them up slightly off the bottom from time to time. We’re catching most of our trout in water at least four feet deep, more often around six. In the middle of these hot days, once the winds pick up, the redfish bite gets better. We’re catching plenty during the heat of the days, fishing grass beds barely visible in depths of four to six feet. Gold spoons reeled in slowly so they stay under the rafts of floating grass have worked best. Spook Juniors rigged with single hooks have been earning plenty of blow ups late in the evenings.

Pac-Man McIntyre Matagorda - 32” redfish

Lowry Ragsdale Benz redfish CPR

Jacob & Jackson Etlinger redfish

Steven Guevara POC big jetties - redfish

Bruce Bessner Dewberry Island - 30” redfish

Ellis Halverson with dad East Matagorda Bay - first trout!

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.

G-Money McIntyre Matagorda - 28” first redfish!

Emma Meador black drum

Kai K Thompson Matagorda - 26” redfish

Jay McNaughton Baffin Bay - 30.75” speckled trout CPR

Adam Wollam Port Bay - 37” redfish

Larry Quijas Moody Island - 42” redfish

Matt Bessemer Shoalwater Bay - 26.5” redfish

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

Red Snapper Creole

INGREDIENTS

6 cups Red Snapper (cut up in one-inch cubes)

1 jar of Bayou Brothers Creole Sauce – found at HEB

2 Tbsp olive oil

½ stick of butter

1 medium onion - diced

6 garlic cloves - finely chopped

1 Tbsp Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning, or more to taste

2 bay leaves

¼ cup chopped green onions or parsley for garnish

Many thanks to Melinda Scheps for sharing this recipe. Nothing beats a quick and delicious seafood dinner after a long day fishing offshore.

PREPARATION

In a large stock pot add olive oil and butter and bring to medium heat. Add diced onion and garlic; sauté for 3 minutes. Add the Bayou Brothers Creole Sauce, Tony Chachere’s seasoning and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and add Red Snapper cubes, stirring gently to coat the cubes evenly. Reduce heat to low and continue simmering for 12 to 15 minutes or until fish is cooked through. DO NOT stir while simmering to avoid the fish crumbling.

Serve over pasta or rice and garnish with green onions or parsley.

Yields 6 to 8 servings