December 2023

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December 2023

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Rotating T

here are many variations of crop rotation. Some involve growing a series of different types of crops in the same area across a sequence of growing seasons. This practice reduces the reliance of crops on one set of nutrients, pest and weed pressure, along with the probability of developing resistant pests and weeds. (Wikipedia) A good example of this method is after a farmer harvests corn he might plant beans because corn consumes a lot of nitrogen and beans return nitrogen to the soil. (Rodale Institute) Another method of crop rotation involves the utilization of multiple fields. This concept allows the soil to rest between growing sprees, resulting in a longer lasting vitality. For example, in a two field system, the farmer will grow crops in one field while the other is allowed to remain dormant. Then, when the season is over, the farmer will switch the two fields. Splitting a plot into as many as four crops provides the advantage of growing even more crops at a time. “This concept calls for one of the fields to be left for a grazing crop, allowing farmers to

Our Crops STORY BY STEVE HILLMAN

Brian Castille, Matt Byrd and JT Patton having a blast with some open water reds!

maintain livestock year after year in a more sustainable way. First developed in Belgium, the concept was crucial in the development of Europe’s dairy and meat industries. (“Crop Rotation 101,” Nick Musica, March 22, 2021) In contrast, monocropping is simply the practice of growing the same crop in the same place year after year.

This practice gradually depletes the soil of certain nutrients and invites a highly competitive pest and weed community. Corn, soybeans and wheat are three commonly grown crops using this practice. “Farmers who prefer its adoption say that this method of farming results in higher yields as compared to choosing to rotate other crops every year.” As much as the claim in regards to profitability may prove to be true, the consequences involved in it will also sooner or later turn out to We moved around a lot chunking spinnerbaits and Craig Wilson and Melissa Samperi Bass Assassins over shallow clusters of oysters to catch be more devastating than the benefits caught and released several bruiser reds some slot reds after a great morning of trout fishing. in relation to environmental safety and after a morning of catching specks!

Roy Valdez drew first blood with this one! care.” (“Disadvantages and Benefits of Monocrop Agriculture,” GeoPard Agriculture) conversations with my clients, but let’s face it, catching is the cherry on As large as the Galveston Bay Complex is (roughly 600 square miles) top. Otherwise, an aspiring angler could attend various seminars over our fish seem to congregate in the same two or three spots in each bay the course of the year and maybe watch an instructional DVD or two. every year. This is especially true for trout and it is even more prevalent Learning is great but catching fish during the process fulfills our need during the colder months. It becomes very easy for us (especially those to be entertained. of us who fish for a living) to revisit those few productive spots day There are three glaring problems with revisiting the same spots (or after day. After all, folks are paying us to put them on fish. Of course small areas) over and over again.

I pride myself on teaching new techniques and thoroughly enjoy • First and foremost, it seems like there are a finite number of

Cory Quarles tricked some solid trout on topwaters while fishing a little patch of oyster reef that I hadn’t visited in a long while.

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Sometimes the not-so-popular areas can produce some of the better fish as indicated by this 25 incher I recently tricked on a Slammin’ Chicken Bass Assassin.

legal-sized specks in most of these spots these days, and if we continuously beat on the same patches of fish over and over then the well will eventually run dry. While these areas are typically spots which still have some sort of live habitat (namely oysters in our bay), it doesn’t necessarily mean that they will magically be replenished year after year with new crops of legal trout. I want to believe that based upon current limits and regulations in place that the management formula would result in such a replenishment, but for some reason, I’ve witnessed the opposite in recent years. I almost feel like some of these trout return to the same spots each year, so if we remove the majority of them from one particular area then it disrupts the biomass cycle resulting in not only fewer trout but younger (undersized) age classes. This is precisely what I’ve witness in the past couple of years.

• Secondly, when we are going to the same area everyday other boats will eventually take notice. If there were dozens of areas holding suitable numbers of fish then this wouldn’t necessarily be a concern but that’s not at all the case. Many of these spots are one boat spots and cannot handle the pressure of multiple boats. Obviously, nobody owns the water, but we should do our best to keep what few secret spots we have as close to the vest as possible. With the networking these days a school can get wiped out with one cell phone call. I’ve witnessed the same five or six boats fishing every day on one tiny spot until the school has mostly been harvested.

• Lastly, I believe that as a professional fishing guide I have the

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The guys caught and released 17 of these beauties after an awesome morning of trout fishing in off-the-beaten path areas.

responsibility to provide my clients with a well-rounded experience.

Most of my customers are regulars who have been fishing with me a long time. Some of them fish with me two and three times per month. If I were to take them to the same spot every trip it would not be a good look in my opinion. Often times we’ll switch gears and chase redfish or flounder. This accomplishes two things.

It takes some pressure off the trout and it can be refreshing to do something different. Variety is good.

As water temperatures continue to fall trout will become more concentrated as they gorge on the final exodus of white shrimp and other forage species. Fishing will be easy during the right conditions.

Soft plastics such as Bass Assassins and Lil Johns will work great as always. Later in the month MirrOlure Corkys and MirrOdines will come into play, especially for the larger trout. December is one of my favorite months of the year for both numbers and size. Fish will be in many of their popular early winter haunts. It will be easy to fall in love with a spot. I encourage everyone to seek out other areas with similar structure, depth changes, and habitat in an effort to duplicate the results from some of those more well-known areas. It’s okay to circle back once in a while, but if we make an honest effort to rotate our crops then we’ll be doing ourselves and the resource a favor.

STEVE HILLMAN

CONTACT

Rusty Plackemeir with one of several solid specks caught while drifting shallow shell-covered spoils near deep water. Typical December pattern.

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

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

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Defining the Best Part 2 STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN

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ast month’s feature examined the ways in which the knowledge and skill sets utilized by delivery drivers distributing magazines along a route structurally resemble those of captains running charters on coastal waters. Most importantly, the article states the following truth related to how the analysis of these two activities helps clarify the best way to define which angler reigns supreme over all others. In the end, the angler who displays the highest level of productivity over the broadest area ascends to the top rung of the proverbial ladder.

The process of ranking the best angler resembles the same one used in another avocation in which I participate frequently. People who regularly make excursions to find as many species of birds as possible call themselves “birders.” I’ve engaged with others in debates over how to properly identify the best birder. I’d say some folks fall into a predictable trap when trying to arrive at such a conclusion; they place too much emphasis on the number of species a person has seen and identified in their lifetime.

Some people have observed and identified many thousands of species of birds, after traveling to far-flung destinations all across the globe. Certainly, individuals who’ve achieved such a thing deserve some consideration in the discussion of who’s the best birder in the world, or who’s the best birder of all time, with an important caveat–consideration of how much help these birders generally use in order to compile such impressively long lists. Anyone familiar with the movie titled “The Big Year” will understand what I mean by this.

People who become obsessed with seeing long lists of birds in an area (in the case of the movie, on the continent of North America) burn through barrels of jet fuel and empty sacks of cash in order to achieve their goals. Along the way, they solicit the help of many others who’ve already located species, especially unusual ones, and quickly make trips to add the birds to their lists. This kind of activity doesn’t really prove anything significant about their skills as birders; it provides much more evidence of their levels of expendable income, free-time and motivation.

I don’t believe consideration of the number of species a birder has seen in their life is the most illuminating way to decide who ranks at the top of the list of best birders in the world. I’d say a more accurate method of ranking involves the same process as the one described in last month’s feature. The world’s best birder is the one who displays the highest levels of knowledge and skills over the broadest range; the ranking relies more on identifying elite performance (process), than outcome (production).

Serious birders become proficient at locating and identifying most or all the species of birds within what might be called their “patch.” Certainly, birders who limit the scope of their patch to their backyard feeding stations, and who learn to recognize all the birds who visit them cannot stake any legitimate claim to being the world’s best birder, when compared to people who become proficient at finding most or all the birds in an entire county, state, nation or continent. Some birders do indeed meet this high standard, displaying knowledge and skills related to finding and identifying birds across large swaths of the earth’s surface.

The best birder in the world displays a wealth of knowledge about the sounds the birds make, also the physical traits they display, their habits and preferred habitats, and they can locate these species in many places, without the aid of others. Birders must acknowledge the migration patterns birds use to survive and thrive. These patterns dictate where and when some species will be found; some species live in a patch year-round, while others appear only briefly, while passing through, and still others come to stay for part of the year. The best birders know when to look for all the species, where they will most likely appear and how to locate and identify them, given the time of year, time of day and even the type of weather prevailing in a place.

In these ways, a top birder most closely resembles a specific kind of angler, one who targets multiple species of fish, rather than a single species. Essentially, anglers who choose to target one species become specialists. They might become better than all others at producing speckled trout measuring at least twenty-eight inches in length, or marlin weighing at least 800 pounds.

Surely, these kinds of feats bear some significance in the discussion

The captain with a solid trout caught in the month of December.

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of the world’s greatest angler, but specialists can’t legitimately claim higher status on the scale than anglers who produce great catches of most or all the species found within the waters they work. Just as learning to catch fish regularly in all the coastal waterways within a state proves harder than learning to catch them regularly in one named bay, learning to target and catch all the species within a body of water proves more challenging than focusing on just one species.

So, targeting multiple species over a larger area provides more legitimate potential for status.

As is the case with birders, when attempting to rank the best anglers, one should consider not only how many quality fish of how many different species an angler manages to catch, but also how much help they use in the process of catching them. An angler with endless free-time and resources who zips all around the globe targeting everything from peacock bass in Brazil to great white sharks on Australia’s Barrier Reef and who hires guides every step of the way deserves no serious consideration as the World’s Greatest Angler.

Conversely, an angler who shows productivity at catching many different species in many different places and who does so using minimal help from local experts does deserve consideration.

Who could deny that a person capable of teasing a brown trout to slurp a fly off the surface of an alpine stream in Montana, coaxing a smallmouth bass to strike a plastic worm in Lake Ontario, besting a roosterfish in a battle of brute force in Costa Rica and rigging a live bait properly in order to trick a grander marlin in the South Pacific would deserve mention as the best angler anywhere? I’m sure some person out there loosely meets this description. But, this publication is focused on saltwater fishing, specifically in the state of Texas. Accordingly, this discussion swings back around within those boundaries, to describe the optimal parameters to use when trying to identify the best saltwater angler in the Lone Star State..

I simply don’t see how specialists can be placed at the top of the list. Anglers who display superior skills and productivity levels when targeting a single species of fish and/or exclusively using a single method simply don’t reign supreme over anglers who display similar levels of skill and productivity with multiple species of fish, using

A trophy trout specialist likely knows less about targeting pelagic species around shrimp boats than does the state’s best saltwater angler.

The month of December ranks high on the list of best months for targeting big trout with slow-sinking twitch baits.

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The Captain defines what he calls Fishing Absolute Number One.

of conditions and times of year provide the ripest opportunities for targeting each of them. The best angler, then, resembles the best birder in the most meaningful way, demonstrating astute perception of how the timing of natural events and weather conditions elevates and diminishes the likelihood for making productive outings to target each species.

Like the best birder, the best angler knows when, where and how to target all the fish within their patch. These adaptable experts operate productively in all parts of the state, the birder with the goal of finding and identifying all the kinds of birds, the angler hoping to win fights with all the species of fish. The birder shows adept skills from the high plains to the sky islands of the west, through the thorny thickets and resacas of the deep south and into the soft shadows of the east’s piney woods. The angler displays equal skills poling the shallows of a backlake, wading a shallow reef in the middle of a deep, wide bay, hopping around on the granite shoulders of a jetty or floating offshore, above a vast blue basin.

The state’s best saltwater angler is no specialist, no Usain Bolt or Novak Djokovic. More a decathlete than a sprinter, like a freakish athlete highly adept at multiple sports, the angler at the top of the list has much more in common with Bo Jackson than Tom Brady. The state’s best saltwater angler reigns as a prince of all trades, not as the king of one.

KEVIN COCHRAN CONTACT

many different methods. I make that statement after immersing myself in the culture of Texas coastal fishing for many years, and after becoming familiar with and competing against some of the anglers many consider the best in the state. In my estimation, versatility carries more weight than singular focus. In the end, specialists, no matter which revered species they target or how successfully they do so, rank beneath anglers who possess a broader range of skills which allow them to successfully target more species.

Putting more species on a list, in and of itself, does not a better angler or birder make. However, producing lists which include large numbers of species over a wide area does indicate superiority, especially when the person produces the lists without significant help from others. The coastal waters of Texas certainly qualify as a large “patch,” particularly when one includes everything from the nooks and crannies of the coastal marshes, through the broad waters of the estuaries and bays, into the nearshore zone and onto the offshore waters governed by the state. These places provide homes to a long list of sport fish, including, but not limited to: speckled trout, red and black drum, flounder, sheepshead, ladyfish, tarpon, Spanish and king mackerel, jack crevalle, Florida pompano, bluefish, cobia and several species of sharks, including some real monsters, like tigers, great hammerheads and bulls.

Certainly, an angler who possesses the knowledge and skill sets to productively target most or all these species deserves consideration for placement at the top of the list of the state’s best saltwater anglers. Achieving goals related to catching so many species of fish within a calendar year involves a functional awareness of what types

Versatile anglers like Dr. John Gill, shown here with a 38-pound cobia, deserve consideration as the state’s best saltwater angler.

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.

TROUT TRACKER GUIDE SERVICE Phone Email Web

361-688-3714 kevincochran404@yahoo.com www.captainkevblogs.com TSFMAG.com | 15

Redfish will continue to lead the charge into the winter months as they stay on the hunt for their next meal.

December Dreaming STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE

I

can remember as a kid, thinking it took forever to get from one year to the next. I wasn’t sure how long eternity was but the wait seemed like it. Now as an adult it’s the exact opposite as the weeks and months just seem to fly by in a blur, leaving you wondering where did the time go?

As we tear the November page off the calendar and begin making plans for December, all we can do is wonder if we will face the same craziness we have endured the past eleven months or will we finally have a more typical month with predictable weather conditions. For whatever it’s worth, the Farmer’s Almanac has predicted a cold and wet winter, along with another big winter storm, so it sounds like another round of the weird stuff might be headed our way. All I can tell you is that regardless of what that evil villain, otherwise known as the weatherman, throws at us we are still going to fish and make the best of it.

Both Sabine and Calcasieu were spared any major storms this spring and summer, and as a result anglers were rewarded with some of the best water conditions many have ever seen. The overall health of both bodies of water was incredible and that played a huge part in the surge of the speckled trout populations. The overall size is still on the small side but the numbers and quality of those juvenile fish is absolutely fantastic. If we can dodge any real threat over the winter months we will be that much closer to seeing things get somewhere closer to normal.

I continue to believe that at some point we will see some bigger fish showing up somewhere and somehow. The decline in the past several years of trophy trout has really put a dent in the number of anglers chasing them during the winter months.

Traditionally, November and December were two of the best months to find those quality fish and we would see an increase in the amount of wade fishermen on Sabine, especially from out of town anglers. That trend has all but gone away for the most part and in a weird way it has probably helped Sabine’s recovery. The lack of pressure on the very few big fish still hanging around means greater chances of both survival and a successful spawn from those larger females, which does nothing TSFMAG.com | 17

Dorado and tuna are plentiful during the winter months in places like Mexico, Panama, and other destinations.

Yellowfin and skipjack tuna make fantastic targets on light tackle for anglers willing to give them a shot.

but make the future that much brighter. Trust me; it’s inevitable that someone willing to brave the elements this winter is going to stumble on a few of those big fish. I, for one, will be happy to know that those fish are still around and I also hope that whoever finds them will respect them enough to release them as an investment in the future.

Now going from an unknown such as big trout to a constant like redfish is no stretch on Sabine or Calcasieu. The abundance of redfish on both bodies of water is nothing short of mind blowing. The overall numbers of redfish have provided anglers with some stellar days this year and they will continue to be the prime target for many going forward. It seems that anywhere there is water there are redfish to be caught and many of those are well above the upper-slot length.

Perhaps the greatest thing about these redfish is the fact that you can catch them in so many different ways – all the way from live or dead bait to fly gear. I have taken the opportunity several times this year to explore some old patterns that were tried and true producers in some of the deeper water locales around Sabine, and like an old friend, the redfish were there waiting on me. It’s always fun to “re-discover” something and those trips back to areas that we, for whatever reason got away from, continue to prove to be worthy of attention. I look for the redfish bite to continue to be strong this month even as the water temperatures cool to seasonal levels. You won’t catch me leaving the dock this month without a good supply of crankbaits like Rat-l-traps and Hoginars just for those redfish that

will be prowling around eating everything that doesn’t eat them first.

For many anglers the thought of fishing in less than desirable elements is a turn off, so their attention tends to be directed towards warmer climates. December is a big travel month for fishermen who may be in search of a different kind of pull from a larger than normal adversary. The winter months are great times to take advantage of incredible fishing in places like Mexico, Panama, and Costa Rica. Over the last several years I have taken the opportunity to do some winter fishing in Mexico and it has everything one could hope for and more. Making a destination trip to a more inviting climate during the winter months is definitely worth the time and effort and something every angler should do at least once.

Despite the potential for colder weather, December can still prove to be a great month here on Sabine. The obvious factors like rain and runoff will go a long way toward determining how good the fishing might or might not be. Don’t be too quick to dismiss a trip this month because you could be turning your nose up at a career day.

Pay close attention to the fronts and the warming days following those fronts when the fish will really turn on. Warm afternoons with good tide changes will be some of the best times you can possibly pick to go chase that big fish you have been dreaming of all year.

Also please be sure and remember the dangers as the water temps will obviously be more of a safety concern than they would be during warmer months.

Personal Floatation Devices are always a must when you are on

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the water but they are even more important during winter. Cold water is nothing to play with so always take precautions such as making sure someone knows where you are planning to fish, and have some sort of signaling device, like a whistle, on your life jackets. A little extra preparation can make all the difference between a minor or a major mishap.

Enjoy your time on the water this month and like always, when you get a chance, please remember to take a kid fishing.

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Hardcore winter wade fishermen will continue to chase big trout regardless of the conditions.

CONTACT

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

Phone Email Website

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

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Author about to land a big snook.

STORY BY JOE RICHARD

A

nother holiday season makes me think about gifts received over the years from a well-meaning Santa who wanted to be supportive of my outdoor interests. However, he often didn’t quite understand the nuances of equipment or activities. And how fishing has changed over the years. I’ve shared a few thoughts here, for Santa to ponder.

For starters, I don’t need more push-button reels or “poles” from Aunt Martha. My last Zebco was yanked overboard at Pleasure Island pier in Port Arthur in 1968. While they’re great for beginners, today I use spin reels (size 4000) and open-face reels for those larger species (ling, snapper and kingfish). The fishing rods I’d rather inspect at the store, preferring graphite in the 7-8 foot range. That allows a good bend when the big one bites, but with strength. Not too flexible and not too stiff. Just right.

Finger mullet with my favorite circle hook.

Fishing gloves and redfish.

A short fish stringer keeps redfish alongside the boat.

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No more stainless steel J-hooks, either. I’m averse to leaving these hooks in fish; they last for years in salt water and are dangerous for the next fish that eats the first one—or a pelican, osprey or dolphin. For many years now, my favorite inshore hook is the brown, 6/0 non-offset circle hook. They have a great record for lip-hooking fish instead of being swallowed. And they begin to rust in a week, if I don’t rinse them. That means if they do end up in a fish, they degrade quickly.

If you’re packing fishing line into that bag of goodies at the North Pole, please save the braid line for someone else. One little wind knot, and that reel is done for the day. Maybe that’s why tournament guys carry so many rods on the boat.

I still use old-fashioned Ande or Berkley Big Game monofilament, which have caught many world records and consistently deliver fish to the boat .

I can always use a new pair of fishing gloves, but have become picky after trying most brands in the past dozen years. Many are made for sun protection and mountain trout streams—not handling lots of fish. Today I stick with Fish Monkey brand, with leather pads sewed on the palm. I love the stretchy fabric and comfortable fit, (Size XL).

If you’re going to leave needlenose pliers in my stocking, be sure they’re an 8-inch model, coated with something that will slow down the rust. The 6-inch variety does not have enough torque for removing stubborn fish hooks and some brands begin to rust overnight, even when cleaning and oiling them after every trip. Spray-painting only slows the inevitable. I have noticed the better pliers sport bright orange or red stripes, which helps locate them quickly in my bucket of gear, when a fish is flopping on deck.

Stingray leggings? Not so much. I’ve tried wearing them wading and they kept floating up my legs, making it difficult to walk. I will take my chances with long fishing pants, slowly shuffling my feet, and scanning the bottom when possible. Or better yet, staying in a dry boat. It’s worked so far. There are many reasons to “never get off the boat.”

I really don’t need a 30-foot cord fish stringer.

Bag and size limits have greatly changed and I don’t mind releasing fish. Years ago those stringers were needed when green surf water moved in or lapped the sand, which could yield a ponderous stringer of trout. (Back when a hundred were legal.) The long cord was also meant to mostly keep sharks away from wading anglers. Mostly.

These days, anchored on a shoreline, I use a short cord stringer, about eight feet, attached to a boat cleat with the fish swimming alongside. (Don’t try it at the jetties or tied to an oil rig). When we’re ready to go, I sometimes snip a gill on each fish,

have a grapnel anchor laying around, about 9 pounds, that’s handy for anchoring both ends of the boat.

I’m good on fillet knives, thanks. My Bubba Blade carves up big-boned fish—like redfish or almost any offshore fish—and is sharp enough to make a good fillet. My long, thin Dexter fillet knife glides through trout and Spanish mackerel easily and without wasting meat. I also have an assortment of cheap bait knives that are easily sharpened before each trip. With the handles spray-painted orange, so they can be found quickly on a choppy day when knives and loose gear migrate to the back of the boat.

You want to spot them quickly when the action is on. Or a knife is bouncing around on the gas hose.

While I’ve always appreciated camping gear, I think those days are mostly behind me. For some reason, it’s getting more difficult to sleep on the ground and jump up for my mandatory two cups of black coffee. Especially after a near-sleepless night of bright moon or slamming truck doors from nearby campers. Things are now far different from camping in our youth at Toledo Bend with a minimum of equipment. Jumping up on a forested shoreline, right across the water from Fin and Feather Marina. And mixing Tang with lake water for breakfast. Or those really bad, stormy campouts, always in March, with standing water in the tent. Today, I’d rather stay at some no-tell motel with good earplugs, rather than sleep in a flooded tent with lightning all around. Or a cruel norther slamming the campground on a treeless Matagorda Island, with three-foot whitecaps rolling into the harbor.

As for hiking-camping gear, that’s definitely out. You got your last klick out of Junior.

No need for more Igloos, my generic term for fish box. I already have five, in all different sizes for different purposes. One even has wheels for cast-netting on the beach. Another is a little longer, for keeping bigger inshore tournament fish. The biggest box of course is for offshore fish. My biggest cooler ever, at five feet long and nicknamed the “kingfish coffin,” was given away to a local guy who cooks barbecue on the side of the road. Said he needed a big cooler for his ribs. I traded it for a few free dinners, freeing up much space in my garage.

For him, Christmas came early that year.

Twin anchors for keeping the boat steady. No mushroom anchors, please.

Too many campouts and smoky campfires for me, going back to high school.

JOE RICHARD

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

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

CONTACT

bleeding them before icing them down.

Long sleeve fishing shirts are great, but no more short sleeves, thanks. The skin doctor has carved on me enough. Old-fashioned 100% cotton is best. Today’s polyester shirts might look cool but they make me sweat like I’m still on the disco floor in 1977.

Also, no more mushroom anchors under the Christmas tree. I’m no longer fishing reservoirs, where they work best. In salt water we use fluke anchors with a few feet of galvanized chain that will hold bottom and keep your boat from dragging anchor across a choice oyster reef during a hot trout bite. . . Or while wading, watching the boat float away in afternoon wave chops . . . Or you find the boat has dragged anchor and wound up on the beach 20 miles from anywhere. If you

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J AY WAT K I N S

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THERE’S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NOT AGGRESSIVE AND NOT FEEDING The cooler air temperatures are nice, right? Cooler air temperatures always equate to cooler water temperatures, and after the heat wave we experienced in the summer of 2023 it has certainly been a welcome change. I made the comment to a group of anglers the other day as we eased over the side of the boat, that in the fall we will experience some drastic changes in the days between frontal passages. This is especially true with the first three or four significant fronts we receive each fall.

As fall gives way to winter, colder water patterns will begin to settle in and the changes in frontal recovery are not as drastic. Right now, we are seeing high pressure setting in, accompanied by higher temperatures. The high temperatures, which are in the mid- to upper-80s in Rockport, create rapidly warming water temperatures in our back lakes and on shallow flats. This week for instance, I saw a 10° rise in water temperature over a three day period.

There is little science to back up my beliefs that I am about to lay down, but I notice a decline in activity and the size trout I catch when we experience warming trends such as this just prior to the arrival of winter. Last week, when water temperatures were in the mid-60s, we noticed an increase in the size and numbers of trout that we caught each morning. The intensity of the bite

and the attitude of the trout was totally different from what we saw prior to the drop in water temperatures.

We did have very good weather conditions with heavy overcast skies, light NE winds and a Minor Feeding period during the morning hours. Then, as the week progressed and water temperatures began to rise, we began to encounter a much tougher bite and much smaller fish.

Now, it is true that the Minor Feed period had slid into the afternoon hours, but we did have a Major coming into play in the morning. For three days we discussed as we fished my thoughts on why this pattern seems to play out for us each year and how predictable it can be.

My belief is that drops in water temperature coinciding with reducing hours of daylight triggers instinctive moods in trout. It is possible that this happens similarly with other gamefish species, but given that my most frequently targeted species is trout, that is what my beliefs are based upon.

For years I have referred to this phenomenon as a “feeding up” period. In other words, conditions that signal trout to make the most of the conditions, which results in greater feeding intensity. Again, no science, but I have no doubt that mature trout behave and feed differently than juvenile trout. I liken it to 5th graders not hanging out with 1st graders, and for the most part this is typically true Count it down Dale!

Custom Corky and Soft-Dine time!

24 | December 2023

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C O N TA C T

of trout. Now there are extreme situations when the entire population is forced by nature to reside in the same area, but it is not the norm.

Each year I look forward to the cool down, but I also know that during those first few fronts we will see extremes in warming between the fronts, and this can create some tough feeds. The plus to all this is that these periods are very short and more severe fronts are sure to arrive soon, and with them the best trout fishing of the year will begin.

So, what do you do when you experience the in-between periods and your trout bite turns tough?

Once the waters cool into the 70s I am always looking to throw some type of suspending lure. No doubt I am huge MirrOlure, Texas Customs, and Custom Corky fan, based on my relationship with all involved, but also because these companies produce lures in color patterns that are specifically created for our Middle and Lower coast. We have Sunrise at Port Mansfield. lots of clear water and periods where we need lures that fish are comfortable with. I am big on baits with clear bodies that include subdued but distinct amounts of flash. I like some rattle that trout like to setup or stage on slightly deeper drops out in front but don’t want too much in the clear stuff. I like lures I can cast great of shallow flats or shoreline drains. Both are terrific feeding areas prior distances due to the nature of the clear waters in which I fish most to and during frontal passages, so it makes sense to me that the trout often. The more “water time” my lure sees on a cast the greater my would not want to venture too far from easy and predictable feeding chances of bringing the lure in front of the right targets. areas and feeding opportunities.

All the suspending baits allow anglers to become creative with the For these areas I will most often opt to throw soft plastics. MirrOlure cadence in which they work the lure. Not every cowboy or cowgirl Lil John XLs and 5” Provokers are go-to lures for me, as are the 5” Bass two-steps the same. This cowboy doesn’t two-step at all, so it’s a Assassins. During the toughest of weather patterns, which for the miracle I can impart any rhythm at all to my lures. Have you seen fall are most often calm, clear, and hot days, I like the Provoker best. I Steve Martin in The Jerk, trying to snap his fingers and stomp his foot believe it has a little more tail action and has a softer feel in the trout’s at the same time? That is pretty much me in the rhythm department. mouth. I am stubborn at times and try to force feed them what I want Anyway, the point is we can get more creative when we have tools them to eat, which can sometimes lead to failure. However, among my that allow for creativity. anglers some will have Down South, Z Man, JZ Lures and KWigglers, so Last week, the Custom Corky Fat Boy and Soft-Dine were dynamite the fish have a variety to look at and we can then mimic the success of in 63° water. These lures can be kept in the strike zone and hover in the others in the group that we are not achieving ourselves. water column longer than many others, which increases the chances I like to present my plastics low in the when column when I sense of trout seeing them. It is extremely important for the angler to be that the bite is off. I even like to lightly dust the bottom with short, able to establish the pattern in which the fish want the lure presented, deliberate twitches when searching for non-interested fish. You notice and then be able to duplicate that presentation. I struggle at times I said “non-interested” and not “non-feeding.” I honestly believe that I to control my emotions, even to this day, when I know I have bigger can make them eat IF I can keep the lure in front of them long enough. trout in front of me. I get all amped up and sometimes begin to work If you do not believe this then your mental game needs some the lure too aggressively. It’s a good problem to have but you must be work. If you fish with me, you have likely heard me state numerous careful and stay focused on each bite if you want to have the chance times throughout our day which level of the water column has been to experience the best that the day can offer. producing bites for me. It is critical to be able to recognize these subtle As the waters warm and the tough bite syndrome begins to set clues in order to be able to repeat them. Yesterday the fish wanted in, I focus on fishing areas where I know fish live. It’s true that a food the lure right on the bottom, even on the shallow flats. I interpret this source and preferred bottom structure needs to be in place but there as fish exhibiting non-aggression, but not non-feeding. Had they had are areas where trout will set up and camp out during these periods. been unwilling to eat we would not have caught any.

They are usually areas where the trout can easily access the preferred May Your Fishing Always Be Catching! -Guide Jay Watkins bottom structure and where bait will also be reliably present. I find Jay Watkins has been a full-time fishing guide at Rockport, TX, for more than 20 years. Jay specializes in wading yearround for trout and redfish with artificial lures. Jay covers the Texas coast from San Antonio Bay to Corpus Christi Bay. Telephone Email Website

361-729-9596 Jay@jaywatkins.com www.jaywatkins.com TSFMAG.com | 25

DAV E R O B E R T S

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

COLD DAYS & HOT FISHING The year is drawing to a close and I must say it was unique in more than a few ways. While I doubt many would volunteer for another drought as we’ve experienced in 2023, in a rather strange way I believe it has been beneficial for our Sabine fisheries. Over the past several years the upper coast region has been plagued with an abundance of rain and fresh inflow from the rivers and reservoirs above us. My take on all this is that I have seen both extremes and, for the sake of our fisheries, I will gladly take the drought.

The dry days we encountered made for a very consistent bite all summer long. I have seen plenty of reports coming from anglers all across Sabine Lake who were catching limits of fish daily. Compared to the flood years when limits were non-existent or certainly hard to come by, I’ll take it. Also, with the lack of rain, the water clarity on Sabine Lake was beyond perfect. It was so clear 26 | December 2023

that I spent a few days on the main lake shoreline sightcasting to redfish and sheepshead. If you have fished Sabine, you’re likely already aware that we don’t get many days where you can do this on our lake due to the usual murky inflow from the rivers.

By now though, we have had a little rain and a few cold fronts have moved through and it has set everything up for the wintertime bite. Fish are done gorging on the fall migration of shrimp and now focused on eating anything they can find. Combine this factor with the clearer water that we typically get during winter and it is a recipe for epic fishing. And, one more thing; don’t let the cold temperatures scare you, these can sometimes be the best days to be out there.

Fishing conditions during the colder months can be tough and I understand that it is not for everybody.

However with some proper planning you can make

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Hit the Marsh this Winter

zone longer. With the spoon, I will get it in front of a fish and nearly stop reeling, giving it only a few short pops. This will cause the spoon to flutter and almost dance up and down in the face of a fish and they just can’t resist such an easy meal.

When looking back at past fishing trips, I have had many better days during the winter than during summer. I recall a very memorable trip I made a few years back that turned out to be one of the best I have ever experienced. I was working nights and stayed late until the day crew got there and one of the guys asked me why I was hanging around. I told him I was going fishing and his reply was… “In this?”

The temps were in the mid-30s but I knew the wind was going to be next to nothing and the sun was going to be shining. My buddy Chad and I proceeded to sight-cast well over 50 fish that morning, and the best part was we were off the water before noon. What an unreal day. Other trips have not produced that number of fish but I have enjoyed more than a few double-digit days. It might be cold but it is certainly fun!

With all of this being said, don’t let the cold deter you from getting out on the water. Just make sure to dress appropriately, stay dry, and always pay careful attention to the weather forecast. There are plenty of good weather days during these months and the fishing can be flat out fun. I hope that you are able to get out and catch a few fish with your family and friends. Stay warm and safe on the water!

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a day out of it and it can be rewarding. The most important thing to remember while out there is to stay dry. Wet feet and hands will certainly ruin your trip quickly. A good pair of gloves and proper footwear are a must during this time of the year. Another article of clothing that is nice to have is a good set of bib pants. These will keep the wind off of your body and will keep you dry from any splashing or spray that might occur when driving your boat.

One of the best things about wintertime fishing is that more than likely there won’t be too many people on the water. There are days where you may be the only person at the launch and will have the entire lake to yourself. This creates less pressure on the fish and makes them easier to find and catch.

When it comes to sight-casting redfish during the colder months, I have found that you need a lure that can be presented on a slower retrieve. I have thrown crankbaits and other lures that require faster retrieve speeds and they tend not to attract as many strikes. They get the attention and a small reaction from the fish sometimes, but they usually won’t exert a large amount of energy to chase down a fast moving lure.

I tend to stick with a few basic lures and never venture far from them right now. One is a weightless Zoom Fluke on a 4/0 offset hook and the other is a 1/4 ounce weedless gold Johnson spoon. I really like the Fluke because it sinks slowly and you can keep it in the fish’s strike

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

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

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By John Blaha

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

CCA TEXAS COMMITMENTS TO CONSERVATION EFFORTS TOP $5.7 MILLION IN 2023 The grassroots efforts of local CCA Texas chapters have set the organization up for a monumental year in conservation dollars awarded for projects up and down the Texas coast. The success of CCA Texas continues to be the efforts of the 60 local chapters across the state, and the unwavering support of the membership, donors, and supporters. Local community support and a desire to ensure Texas’s coastal resources are conserved, has been the focus of the organization since the first day fourteen concerned recreational anglers first sat down to discuss their common concerns. What started as fourteen has grown to over 70,000 CCA Texas members from all walks of life and communities across the state. At the time of this article, CCA Texas State and Executive Boards have approved $5,788,560.00 for conservation efforts in 2023. $125,000 – Texas A&M Galveston Gulf Research Institute for Highly Migratory Species Funding for the Institute will support research initiatives to aid in the conservation of highly migratory species in Texas and throughout their range in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. This gift will help scientists unravel the unique life histories of these ecologically and economically valuable top predators. Additionally, the funding will support the preparation and training of the next generation of fisheries scientists.

As funds are raised, new studies will be launched, including acoustic and satellite tracking of fishes during the juvenile life phase, captive holding and spawning of dolphinfish and cobia in the Texas A&M­Galveston Sea Life CCA Texas funded $125,000 to the Texas A&M Gulf Research Institute for Highly Migratory Species. This funding will support research initiatives to aid in the conservation of highly migratory species such as tarpon.

Photo Courtesy of Texas A&M Gulf Research Institute for Highly Migratory Species.

Center, and a Gulf-wide assessment of trophic transfer of contaminants, including microplastics, to coastal and offshore fishes. $82,000 – TPWD Game Warden’s Floating Cabin in Baffin Bay CCA Texas has a long history of supporting the TPWD Game Wardens up and down the Texas coast. This support often comes in the form of equipment, intern salaries, and in this particular grant, a floating cabin that will give the wardens adequate access to the waters of the Upper Laguna Madre, Baffin Bay and the northern end of the Land Cut areas. Both floating cabins in the Laguna Madre system suffered significant and or total loss after Hurricane Hanna in 2020. Since then, the wardens have felt the loss of these vital assets in reduced efficiency of boat fuel, maintenance, and patrol hours. When overall fishing and water safety cases were compared from the two years prior and two years post loss of the floating cabin in the Baffin area, wardens observed a 28% drop in efficiency. When only speckled trout violations were compared in the same period, wardens incurred a 62% decline in citations written.

While other variables play a role in these numbers, wardens can attest that these would have been largely mitigated by the presence of a floating cabin that can allow them to stay on station longer. $39,000 – CCA Texas Conservation Billboards Hundreds of thousands of people travel the highways of Texas daily. Public outreach and education are two of the major tenants of CCA Texas, and the coastal highways provide a great outreach opportunity for this tenant. CCA Texas has funded forty-eight billboards on an annual basis to educate the general population of Texas about the importance of coastal conservation and where you can find information about projects and advocacy efforts of CCA Texas. $225,000 – Harte Research Institute (HRI) Oyster Reef Monitoring Program CCA Texas has long been a strong advocate for better management and conservation of oyster resources along the coast. CCA Texas played a very active role in the effort to see the Mesquite Bay

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Causeway Reef site off of South Padre Island and in the MU775 site, located just off Packery Channel in Corpus Christi. This reefing will take place in the first half of 2024 and CCA Texas is proud to continually support the efforts to create great nearshore habitat along the Texas coast. $19,000 – TPWD Seagrass Billboards CCA Texas partners with TPWD on outreach efforts often and the TPWD Seagrass Billboards has been one long supported.

These billboards point the general public to information that is important to the conservation of this type of habitat.

CCA Texas recognizes the importance of educating the next generation of conservationists and has proudly supported the Coastal Brigade for many years. Photo Courtesy of Coastal Brigade Baffin Bay is a unique ecosystem and fishery. CCA Texas is proud to support the efforts of Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies’ initiative of Bringing Baffin Back, and has help fund continued water quality sampling and necessary equipment to fulfill the efforts of the initiative. Photo Courtesy of Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies

complex closed permanently to all forms of oystering in November 2022. As an advocate for this effort and with a desire to see sound management in the future, CCA Texas funded $225,000 to HRI over a three-year period to monitor the changes in the reefs in this closed bay system so that a baseline can be established for these types and closures and the benefits they will bring. This project will included monitoring twice a year for a three year period. $200,000 – Friends of RGV Reef Causeway Reef and MU775 Reefing Efforts Friends of RGV Reef (FRGVR) has been a shining example of local grassroots efforts and partnership for many years now. With a daunting effort to create a 1,600 acre reef off of South Padre Island almost filled, FRGVR continues to work on reefing efforts in the area and to support those up the coast in the Corpus area. This request for funding will help reef materials already on hand into the new 30 | December 2023

$7,860 – TPWD Game Warden Equipment TPWD Game Wardens are the front line of defense for our coastal resources. CCA Texas has a long history of supporting the wardens and helping fund the necessary day to day equipment that they need to execute their jobs. $10,000 – Coastal Brigade CCA Texas has been a supporter of Coastal Brigade since its inception in 2016. This 5-day program encompasses coastal habitat management, fisheries management, coastal ecology and saltwater fishing. The tried and true Brigades model of leadership development, education, and empowerment continues at Coastal Brigade and CCA Texas is proud to continue its support for the future generations that will support and protect Texas’s coastal resources.

$80,000 – HRI Bringing Baffin Back Work Boat CCA Texas proudly supports HRI’s staff and the initiative, Bringing Baffin Back. In 2022, CCA Texas approved $225,000 ($75,000/year for three years) to primarily fund continuing water quality sampling and studies. In an effort to improve accessibility and safety, CCA Texas has funded the purchase of a new boat for HRI staff to use as part of the Bringing Baffin Back initiative and other research projects that HRI are a part of. $5,000,000 – Oyster Reef Restoration Along the Texas Coast Being at the forefront of oyster reef conservation and management, CCA Texas has stepped to the forefront of private funding. CCA Texas’s Executive Board approved $5,000,000 that is earmarked for oyster restoration efforts in areas closed to oystering along the Texas coast.

These funds will be used to help restore critical reefs lost over time due to natural and manmade forces. CCA Texas looks forward to being a leader in this effort and this grant cements commitment to the oyster resources of Texas.

For more information about CCA Texas, be sure to visit us at www. ccatexas.org, https://www.facebook.com/CCATexas/, @CCA_Texas (Instagram) and @CCA_Texas (X – formally Twitter).

PA I D A D V E R T O R I A L

Honda Unveils BF350 V8 Outboard Honda’s all-new BF350 V8 outboard motors serve as pioneers for the brand; they’re the first V8 engines ever built by Honda for use on land or in the water. With the release of the hardy BF350 V8, Honda hopes to return to prominence in the market for motors made to hang on the wide transoms of big boats intended for use over long ranges.

Once the standard-bearers for large four-stroke outboards, Honda has, in recent years, fallen behind others in the effort to make better, more powerful motors for use on offshore boats. Several significant and innovative design features enhance the attractive qualities of these new outboards, putting Honda firmly back in the race to the top of this marine industry niche. Honda’s engineers designed these elegant motors to provide a wealth of power without sacrificing fuel efficiency.

Comparing the fuel consumption rates by putting several different kinds of motors on the same kinds of hulls reveals the BF350 V8 operates somewhere between 8 and 12 per cent more efficiently than competitors’ comparable motors. When mounted as pairs on some crafts in excess of 30 feet in length, the motors achieve better than 1.5 mpg, in some cases closer to 2 mpg. In part, Honda’s Variable Valve Timing & Lift Electronic Control (VTEC) technology serves as the source for such noteworthy numbers.

VTEC technology has been part of Honda’s brand for quite some time, but never before incorporated on a motor of such impressive size. Basically, the system allows for the motor to run with high fuel efficiency at cruising speeds, but also to automatically vary the lift and duration of the intake valves at higher RPM, to provide better top-end speed. These motors also perform well on hole-shots,

partly due to their reliance on another Honda technology.

Honda’s Boosted Low Speed Torque, or BLAST, uses a patented spark advance system to propel the boat to plane in just seconds. These two technologies combine admirably in engines which provide reliable power at low RPM, fuel efficiency in the mid-range and excellent top-end speeds. The full balanced 60° offset crankshafts in the hearts of these motors help them perform quietly, with minimal vibration, from idle speeds up to full-throttle.

For motors so big and powerful, with such complex design features, BF350 V8 outboards prove easy and convenient to use. Honda is currently in the process of completing designs and testing prototypes for a new helm system intended to enhance the performance of these motors, while making them simpler for captains to use. All aspects of the system have been simplified, so users can do things more efficiently, often with the touch of one finger on one button. Captains can tilt all motors up or down using Automatic Tilt, which runs without monitoring, once deployed. Additionally, the new helm system includes a programmable gauge system which allows users to set parameters for trim at various RPM or MPH ranges, and to use cruise control in much the same way drivers use it in cars and trucks.

For safety, an advanced Engine Alert System reveals specific details related to the sources causing alarms to ring, if and when they do. Engineers considered comfort when designing the throttle assembly too, eventually with the plan of covering the tops of the throttle handles (and the spaces between them in some cases) with soft, tacky material akin to leather.

Performing required maintenance on the BF350 V8 has been made as simple and easy as possible through improved design features added to the engine cover. Despite its size, the cover isn’t hard to remove and replace from the deck of the boat. Once removed, the cover allows for direct access to the most important elements involved in the maintenance of the motor, including the oil filter, oil fill aperture and fuse panel.

Honda believes in keeping things clean and convenient under the cover, using “tools free” clips to attach internal covers protecting critical engine components, eliminating issues and hassles for users doing maintenance and inspections. This, and features like Honda’s 4-Front Corrosion Protection System help extend the motors’ lives. Like other Honda outboards, BF350 V8s are backed by transferable, nondeclining 5-year warranties.

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B y D r. D a r i n To p p i n g , C o m m e r c i a l L a n d i n g s Te a m L e a d e r | Coastal Fisheries Division, Rockpor t

FIELD NOTES

TEXAS’ COMMERCIAL FISHERIES: DATA COLLECTION AND TRENDS

Figure 1: Percentage of commercial landings by species category based on the mean of landings from 2021-2022

Figure 2: Commercial and recreational landings of black drum from 1983-2022

Figure 3: Commercial and recreational landings of red snapper from 1983-2022

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Texas’ bountiful bays, estuaries, and Gulf of Mexico waters have rich and diverse ecosystems that have long supported economically important commercial (and recreational) fisheries. Between having local seafood conveniently available at markets and restaurants to being able to stop by the bait shop to pick up an edge for that epic fishing trip, Texas’ commercial fisheries benefit many resident Texans and Texas visitors. With Texas’ aquatic resources being so critical in supporting both commercial and recreational fishing, it is necessary to collect data that can be used to properly manage the state’s fisheries and ensure their continued, long-term health.

Texas has a long history of collecting data for commercial fisheries. Reports of commercial landings of marine species from Texas bays and the adjacent Gulf of Mexico have been collected from seafood dealers since 1887. These early reports were collected sporadically, but as consumer demand for oysters, shrimp, crabs and fish continued to increase, so did the need for consistent reporting. Understanding the number of pounds harvested (landings) and the value of these aquatic products is needed to effectively manage fisheries. In 1936, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) initiated mandatory reporting by seafood dealers of their annual fisheries landings and value on the Texas Coast. From 1994-2006, TPWD used Monthly Aquatic Products Reports (MAPRs) to better track the aquatic products landings by seafood dealers.

TPWD also began requiring bait dealers to report their purchases from fishermen. These were monthly paper reports that collected information on the species caught, quantity, area fished and “ex-vessel” value (dockside price).

In 2006, TPWD replaced MAPRs with the Trip Ticket Program. A trip ticket collects detailed harvest information for each individual trip made by a commercial fisherman. This was a tremendous change from the monthly summary information that the MAPRs collected. Additionally, trip tickets collect information about the commercial fisherman, like their name, license number, and vessel information. Collecting data at the trip level is a major improvement as it allows fishery managers to better quantify the catch per unit of effort (CPUE) expended by the commercial fisherman. Calculating CPUE can show trends in the health of a fishery; for example, a lower CPUE reflects a lower catch for the same or more effort, which indicates a possible issue. These trends allow regulatory decision

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makers to make informed decisions in protecting the fishery and the industry. The records the trip ticket program maintains can also be beneficial to the fishing industry, as records of trip tickets are typically necessary when applying for financial relief for losses incurred due to a hurricane, oil spill, or even COVID. Reporting to the trip ticket program is mandatory, and citations can be given to

Figure 4: Commercial and recreational landings of flounder from 1983-2022

Figure 5: Commercial bait shrimp landings and the price per pound from 1993-2022

help with compliance. Participants are required to submit all trip tickets by the 10th day of the month following the month when the trip was completed.

Trip ticket program participants can submit either paper or electronic trip tickets; however, TPWD is working towards reporting using only a web-based reporting app, as it greatly decreases data processing time and has built in data checks that help with accuracy and data standardization. The web-based version is also more versatile as it makes it possible for a seafood or bait dealer to use a phone or a tablet if a desktop or laptop is not available.

While there are around a hundred different species landed commercially each year, most of the landings are made up of a handful of species. Specifically, shrimp make up 82% of the average (2021-2022) annual landings of 71 million pounds, whereas saltwater fish, oysters, and crabs combined are only 16% of the total landings (Figure 1). The combined monetary value of these recent annual landings is over 204 million dollars.

Red Drum and Spotted Seatrout, some of the most recreationally sought after fish in Texas, can no longer be caught commercially because they are designated as game fish. However, there are a few other important recreational species that are also landed by commercial fishermen: Black Drum and Red Snapper (Figures 2-3). These two species account for over 90% of Texas’ commercial saltwater fish landings. Black Drum and Red Snapper commercial landings are greater than estimated recreational landings; however, Black Drum have shown a significant decrease in commercial landings from their peak of over 4 million pounds in the late-90s, while recreational drum catches have significantly increased over that same period (Figure 2). Both commercial and recreational red snapper landings have significantly increased since the 80s (Figure 3).

Southern Flounder are another important recreational fish, but only account for 0.5% of commercial saltwater fish landings.

Flounder were a major commercial fishery during the mid-80s, once exceeding recreational catches. However, a significant decrease in commercial (and recreational) landings has occurred for several reasons, one of which being a decrease in daily bag limits and licensed finfish fishermen (Figure 4).

The importance of the bait fishing industry should not be underestimated as it serves millions of Texas’ recreational fishermen.

Bait shrimp, mullet, and croaker are the most popular bait, with shrimp landings being 10x greater than croaker or mullet. All bait species have tended to increase in landings over the years and their price per pound continues to increase as well (Figures 5-6).

Interestingly, since 2018, croaker landings have decreased, while mullet have increased (Figure 6).

While historic trends for some fisheries have seen some declines, observing trends in landings from trip ticket data over the last 10 years have shown increases. This indicates stability in our Texas commercial (and recreational) fisheries.

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

Figure 6: Commercial bait fish landings and the price per pound from 1993-2022

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Sandbar shark swimming back out to sea following release.

ERIC OZOLINS

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

WINTER BLISS

This time of year, when all environmental conditions align perfectly, Texas beaches set the stage for incredibly exciting and rewarding adventures. Cool, bluebird days have a way of reaching through waders to touch the soul. Once vigorous cold fronts begin rolling through repeatedly, a predictable pattern develops. Normally, optimal conditions occur two or three days after a strong front passes over the coast.

Then, the waters fronting the beach run calm and clear, and the fish become most active. This window of opportunity presents the prime time for maximizing the potential for an epic aquatic event. Particularly in southern extremes of the state, inshore fish feed like crazy during the lulls between blue northers. Magnum trout and mature reds often invade the surf zone with ravenous appetites. Several species of sharks are also present, which warms the hearts of people like me.

In December, winter officially arrives, both on the calendar and in terms of the patterns we fish along the beachfront. With the fall and its associated migrations finished, the fish we find in the surf zone at the beginning of the winter generally stay until at least March. We’re fortunate to have so many resident species, but some are particularly abundant and active in the surf when the weather is at its coolest. Of these, three species pique my interest the most.

These fish have different appealing aspects and are of widely different sizes, but they all provide loads of fun 36 | December 2023

for me and the folks I spend time with on charters. The delicacy known as the pompano, the iconic red drum, and the somewhat scarce sandbar shark all motivate my thoughts and activities this time of year; they’re all active, sometimes with one species preying on the other.

The smallest member of my revered trifecta, Florida pompano, occur throughout the Gulf and across most of the Atlantic Ocean. Shaped and structured much like jacks, they grow to a maximum size of just a few pounds, but they’re all muscle, and pound for pound one of the hardest fighting fish in the sea. Starting in November and throughout the winter months, massive schools of these fast, energetic fish invade the surf zone looking for small crustaceans like ghost shrimp and coquina clams.

Once the waves fall silent and the water clears after the passage of a strong front, pompano usually become very active. Though they occasionally show up in the shallowest water close to the sand, they’re often more numerous in the deeper first and second guts. Long casting rods like the Breakaway surf models generally aid in the efforts to make long casts to reach the greatest concentrations of these aggressive fish.

When they’re abundant, pompano are pretty easy to catch. The simplest way to target them effectively is using fresh dead shrimp for bait, threaded onto 3/0 coated hooks. I prefer Catch Sharks PompMaster leaders, which are designed to carry two hooks. I often cut a shrimp in half before threading it onto the hook, then tip the hook

Sandbar sharks move into the south Texas surf for mating during winter.

Mature redfish provide great sport for wintertime surf anglers.

Prized for their tasty flesh, Florida pompano are suckers for brightly colored strips of Fishbites.

C O N TA C T

with a brightly colored piece of Fish-bites, a synthetic bait with lots of impregnated scent attractant. This tandem usually proves irresistible to one of the tastiest fish in our waters.

The second species on my list, red drum, or redfish, are available throughout the year, but in winter we catch more of the mature giants.

Because of their heft and strength, they provide plenty of challenging fun for folks who hook them on medium-light surf tackle. In all months, redfish can be found in coastal waters throughout the Lone Star State, but in December, South Texas specifically experiences an epic bull-red run. Massive breeding fish which can attain lengths in excess of 50 inches and weight well over 30 pounds become relatively abundant in the shallows of the Padre Island beaches.

Like the pompano, the jumbo reds gather in great schools. I’ve experienced catching over 20 bull reds in a single evening on charters.

They certainly aren’t the fastest fish, but their mass and sturdy strength make them powerful fighters. My favorite bait to use when targeting these brutes is either a large mullet or a chunk of whiting. Once caught, these revered fish look attractive in pictures with the smiling anglers who fought them and won.

Another energetic species rounds out my trifecta of favorite targets in the wintertime surf. Sandbar sharks have several attractive qualities.

Some people think of any shark caught off the beach as a sand-shark, possibly because they have sandy coloration. In fact, the skins of many shark species have hues which might be described as tan, or sandy looking. Our most common shark, the blacktip, has basically two light brown colors. Another species abundant in our waters, the Atlantic sharpnose shark, does too. Consequently, many people refer to these species as sand-sharks.

Sandbar sharks are certainly not sand-sharks. They look similar to blacktips, but attain much greater size, sometimes reaching lengths approaching 8 feet and weighing well over 200 pounds. Most wouldn’t think the cold waters in the surf in winter would be home to such an impressive predator, but sandbar sharks enter the waters fronting our beaches this time of year in order to mate.

I’ve personally tagged and recaptured sandbar sharks in nearly the same exact locations and on nearly the same dates, many years apart. Second to blacktips, sandbar sharks are the species most frequently recaptured, despite their relative scarcity. Texas has one of the best fisheries for this species in all of North America. These feisty, hardy sharks provide incredible action when hooked on rod and reel, sometimes breaching the surface repeatedly during the fight.

Significantly, sandbar sharks are the largest fish likely to be encountered off Texas beaches during the winter months. They have ravenous appetites and can be targeted with various types and sizes of baits, from small fish to massive 10 pound jacks. I’d say a large whiting on a 20/0 circle hook looks like candy to this species.

Whether hoping to do battle with a large shark or bull red, or to stock the freezer with some of the finest table fare in the ocean, the surf zone provides attractive options to anglers with variable priorities during the year’s coldest season. On some days, landing some of all three of my favorite targets is possible. I’m going to focus on increasing my winter charter schedule this year and will be offering various discounts. Please text or email me about booking a great winter trip for yourself or for the whole family. For many reasons, this is my favorite time of year, partly because of the solitude inspired by gentle waves softly washing onto mostly deserted beaches. Sometimes, the only problem is figuring out which of the fun and exciting options to exercise.

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

Email Websites

oz@oceanepics.com oceanepics.com | catchsharks.com TSFMAG.com | 37

N AT H A N B E A B O U T

M O S T LY S I G H T- F I S H I N G

HEADING SOUTH FOR

TROPHY TROUT!

Although sight-fishing for redfish can be really good in December, with conditions of light wind and sunny days after passing cold fronts; we begin to shift gears this time of year, pulling up stakes out of Seadrift and heading for Port Mansfield and the Lower Laguna Madre.

Port Mansfield is where we spend our winter and spring, up until the full and new moons in April, chasing sow trout in the Lower Laguna Madre. We spend day after day stalking these fish with clients, following the ever-changing patterns due to weather, wind, and

38 | December 2023

temperature. For me, fishing the Lower Laguna started in 2008, for a week each year after the close of duck season, and then for a few days on a favorable moon phase again in March. A guide buddy of mine, whose granddad was a guide at Port Mansfield back in the 70s and 80s, would join and venture down to revisit some of his old stomping grounds in search of our own personal best trout. Over the years we became good friends with Mike McBride and Tricia Whitley. Usually renting a room from her dad, J.D. Whitley, staying up longer than we should have, swapping fishing tales. From the first wading trip to those fabled waters I knew I wanted to share this experience with others. I also knew I had a lot to learn before I could confidently and competently guide somebody in the many miles of shallow flats.

Soaking up as much as I could from J.D., Tricia, Mike, and my buddy; the secrets of success began to unfold. Each year we would unlock just a little more with different weather patterns and water temperature changes common to the winter season. Finally, in 2016, I decided to hang up the decoys for good, ending my days as a mid-coast waterfowl guide, and begin offering January and February trips to some of my repeat summer clients. We began our winter trips as 2-day minimums

and would book little strings of them, then load up and head back to Seadrift in between trips to fish with customers there. After a couple years, and many late nights on the road, my wife and I decided to swing for the fences and go exclusively to Port Mansfield in the winter. We hit a homerun in 2018, it was some of the best big trout fishing we had experienced in our careers. The weather worked out, the patterns held in place, and client after client succeeded in landing their personal best trout. It was a winter that through the grace of God, put us on the map as a guide service who knew how to find big trout.

Our current Port Mansfield calendar starts in December and runs through the second weekend of March. Following that, we return for the new and full moon in April. Leading up to the freeze in February 2021, fishing was becoming bigger and bigger each year. It was a very healthy bay system and like nothing we had ever seen. The numbers of big trout were absolutely mind-blowing, not only from what my boat was doing, but from what we heard at the docks, and talking to other locals. Then, just like that, Mother Nature took it all away.

I can honestly say that I have never seen anything like it, nor do I ever want to again. The number of big trout was astonishing, and made you think; how, with so many floating dead from the freeze, were we not landing even more big trout? I think that just goes to show how illusive they can be.

Thankfully, Texas Parks and Wildlife put emergency regulations in place almost immediately for the Texas Laguna Madre. For that, in 2022, although there were no eight and nine-pounders landed by my anglers, we were all pleased to see the numbers of three- to six-pound fish. Most of the fish we caught that year were in the 19- to 21-inch class, with the better weights averaging around four pounds. Noticeable was the abundance of bait and the lack of predation, which made it tricky many days to pattern the trout. It didn’t matter where you went you were always in the bait. But, just because you were in the bait, did not mean you were catching fish.

To me, this is where timing became a big part of our success. Knowing,

or thinking I knew, we tried to stay abreast and ahead of each pattern change. Scrutinizing the weather patterns as they evolved, and figuring out what these fish would be doing under different scenarios, is what helped us stay on a solid enough bite to keep clients interested. Trying (hoping) to get ahead of fish, or knowing how colder or warmer water temps would make these big trout react and move to different areas of the bay, to either seek refuge, or take advantage of the opportunity to feed, makes this the incredible challenge that I enjoy. Using what I have learned from years on the water, along with countless conversations with fellow guides, trying to predict the next pattern definitely increased my knowledge and made me a better angler and guide.

The Lower Laguna offers some sixty-plus miles of knee-deep water with almost endless fishing possibilities. Learning to use subtle contour changes, drop-offs, grass lines and edges, is a never-ending learning curve, in my opinion.

Figuring out what zone fish are holding in, or more importantly, where the bait is holding, will lead to successful fishing days. From the fish we landed last year, more four- to six and a half-pounders than we could count, with a healthy smattering of sevens and a couple of eights, I am really looking forward to seeing what this coming winter season will offer. That is, if winter ever shows up. I am a firm believer that sharp temperature changes are a big part of the trigger that we need to see in order for the bigger trout to feed aggressively.

Clients often ask which month is the best to be down there. I simply reply that that is a loaded question, because there are variables that make each month special. The bigger question is whether we will be in the right place when those variables hit? I tell them there is a reason I have elected to go to Port Mansfield each of these months, TSFMAG.com | 39

C O N TA C T

and these include the cold fronts and the big warm-up periods in early spring that trigger the pre-spawn bite. There are so many things each month can present that I now offer them the two best weeks of each month, which I have found are the week of the new moon and week of the full moon.

One thing is certain, with the arrival of first cool front each fall, I get the itch to head south. My mind begins to race as to which flat I would like to be standing on, visualizing sand pockets and grass mats, already knowing what bait I would tie on and how I would approach the area. So yes, I’m ready, how ‘bout you? Give us a call for open dates and the trip of a lifetime on some of the most beautiful water on the Texas coast.

All our trips are 3-day minimum bookings, all wading artificial, with catch and release of all trout and redfish. This is done out of respect to the local guides who make a year ‘round living down there. Our primary mission has and always will be to provide our clients the opportunity to land their personal best trout.

Captain Nathan Beabout

40 | December 2023

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 Email Website

713-261-4084 frigatebirdfishing@gmail.com www.frigatebirdfishing.com

TSFMAG.com | 41

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NEW

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The new TackleHarness will put everything at an angler’s finger tips to be both efficient and effective while wading!

Our new system using the same technology or concept as a binocular harness provides both a supportive and functional tackle system. With three individual lure pockets, each with heavy duty removable zip-lok bags to store baits and even treble hooked baits to prevent snagging. The tackle system combined with a jig head/leader line pocket on the front, a pair of stainless pliers w/braid cutters, and a mini-gripper, both with coiled lanyards, make this system the complete package. Also, two rod holders positioned on the back will allow flexibility in location of those using Velcro to move them around easily.

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Simply use by allowing the lure to descend to desired depth and twitching your rod tip once or twice with frequent pauses to trigger strikes. The Soft Dine, Soft Dine XL, and Fat Boy have earned a reputation for catching trophy speckled trout, redfish, and even flounder. www.ShopMirrolure.com

Grundens - Boundary Zip Stockingfoot Wader Introducing the new Boundary Zip Stockingfoot Wader, designed and engineered with GORETEX Pro Wader Laminate to give you unparalleled freedom of movement both in and out of the water. We rethought how a wader should be built, removing seams in the usual high wear areas, taking inspiration from how a climbing harness is built to create the most comfortable suspender system on the market and included a dual density, anatomically shaped neoprene stockingfoot constructed with two innovative titanium coating layers that reflect body heat back to your feet for cold water comfort and warmth. Retail $899.99 www.Grundens.com 52 | December 2023

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TSFMAG.com | 53

PA I D A D V E R T O R I A L JEB BASHAW

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT & PLANNING FOR TEXAS ANGLERS & OUTDOORS ENTHUSIASTS

Things That Go Bump in the Night!

The recent cool weather is pleasantly welcome all across our parched Texas Chief Executive Officer landscape. I hope you all had a safe and James E Bashaw & Co. Happy Halloween, filled with family fun Securities and advisory services and lots of treats. As you likely know, Halloween is All Hallows Eve, the night offered through Independent Financial Group, LLC (IFG), a before All Saints Day, and it’s both Registered Investment Advisor. fun and scary. Halloween is one of my Member FINRA/SIPC. Jeb & Co, favorite holidays of the year; it’s in the James E. Bashaw & Co. and IFG top four along with Christmas, Easter are unaffiliated entities. and Valentine’s Day. Contemplating the fall season, I think Telephone of things that could be scary to some 713-552-0505 Email people. Things like wade fishing and jbashaw@ifgrr.com the stock market. Wade fishing is my Address favorite. There is no form of fishing more 5701 Woodway Dr Suite 330 exciting than wading the flats; whether Houston, TX 77057 throwing spoons at tailing redfish or a soft plastic lure in hopes of landing a big speckled trout. This time of year is particularly fun with less fishing pressure, reduced boat traffic, cooler temperatures, and very few of those pesky jellyfish. But there are always things lurking in the water – stingrays, alligators and sharks, to name a few. If you knew where they were you would stay away. But if you are going to be in the water… they are in there with you.

Years ago, my dear and recently departed friend and Port Oconnor fishing guide, Tex Reich, was fishing nearly chest-deep at the Hump in Port Oconnor. It was during fall; the water temperature was perfect and Tex was on the fish. In fact, he had a nearly full stringer attached to his waders. Now Ol’ Tex was an accomplished angler and he knew better. He had failed to rig a quick-release clip on his stringer… and this is where the story gets exciting.

Tex’s stringer was too appealing for a passing 6-foot shark, that Tex thought he had scared away by slapping his rod on the water in the

54 | December 2023

direction of the shark. The shark grabbed the stringer and ran like he was stealing something. Tex was no small guy, but the combination of a fast shark, deep water, and being in waders with unstable footing was too much; he was yanked over backward. His waders quickly filled with water and he was being dragged… by a shark. Scary stuff, I don’t care who you are.

My point is that no matter how skilled you are or how much time you have in a profession, things can sometimes get exciting in a hurry.

I have survived the stock and bond markets of 1984, 1997, 2001, 2008, and 2022. Of course, everything gets “pulled under” every once in a while, but over a long period of time, the markets have been good to long-term investors who have a risk adjusted portfolio which meets their timeframe for investing. As we get older, perhaps our time frame starts to shorten, and we need to do safer things… like not getting out of the boat in shark infested waters!

Said more appropriately, with regard to investing; We need to know when it’s time to fish, and when it’s time to cut bait.

For the record, I have hunted and fished with my son since he was six years old. Over those many years I carried his shells, his gun, his catch, or his birds; always keeping careful watch over him to make sure he was safe. Recently, he and I were flounder fishing with his godfather and as I moved toward the front of the boat, I must have noticeably lost my footing. As I went to catch myself, I felt the sure and sturdy hand of my now 31-year-old son steadying me by placing his hand on the small of my back. Not a word was spoken, but a tear filled my eye as I realized he was keeping an eye on me.

Whether it’s fishing or investing, sometimes all you need is a steady helping hand in a time of uncertainty—or perhaps a kind word when things get scary or something “goes bump in the night.” Always ready to help my fellow anglers. Give me a call for a free and confidential review of your investment portfolio, 401k, or IRA plan.

Tight lines, Jeb

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.

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BINK GRIMES

THE VIEW FROM Matagorda

I want to begin by applauding TPWD for stepping up to further conserve our trout fishery. Coastal Fisheries Division will be conducting another round of public scoping meetings soon, introducing a new regulation of M ata go r d a 3-trout with 15-20 inch retention slot.

At the time of this writing the new regs were approved for publication and scoping by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Bink Grimes is a full-time fishing Commission, hopefully with finalization and hunting guide, freelance and enactment coming in the months writer and photographer, and ahead. This is a win for conservation and owner of Sunrise Lodge on Matagorda Bay. a win for our bays. Things can only get better for our speckled trout population, barring another major act of nature.

Telephone 979-241-1705 We at Sunrise Lodge continue Email to protect our speckled trout, but binkgrimes@yahoo.com that doesn’t mean we haven’t been Website catching trout. We have encouraged matagordasunriselodge.com catch and release and many of our anglers have adopted that practice. However, with more conservative guidelines for harvest on the horizon, keeping a few will not be frowned upon.

The shell reefs in Matagorda are full of fish and our trout really began to eat lures a lot better in October. We expect that pattern will only continue to improve in December. MirrOlure Soft-Dines, Bass Assassins, Down South Lures and Lil’ Johns are our go-to lures, along with topwaters whenever conditions are prime. Raymond Shoals, Boiler Bayou, Pipeline Reef and Cleveland Reef hold good fish during winter; and, when tides are extremely low, shoreline redfish move off the flats to these mid-bay reefs.

Locales receiving the most tidal flow often hold the majority of schools. Brown Cedar Flats, Chinquapin Reefs, Bird Island, Half-Moon Reef and The Log are all proven wintertime spots holding healthy specks.

Drifting is also an option, especially with

the low tide levels that are common during winter solstice occurring later in the month. East Bay is often 2-3 feet below normal in December, depending how hard the north wind blows.

When the wind really blows, never discount the Colorado River. Low tides in West Bay drain the delta at the mouth of the Diversion Channel and funnel all fish to the deeper channel. We had some really good days in the river in early November after the first real cold front of fall.

Nighttime is even better under lighted piers as fish seek the warmth of deeper river water.

We will continue running lots of cast and blast trips for ducks in the morning and drifting for trout and redfish in the afternoon.

Duck numbers look solid and we really cherish our private marshes loaded with pintails, gadwalls and teal. The Christmas holidays are a great time for a duck hunt. Give us a shout if you would like to enjoy decoying duck action at sunrise.

Around this time of year I normally write a Christmas gift suggestion column in various publications to help spouses buy for their angler. So here are a few ideas: -A new reel is always good. A light, sensitive piece of graphite to complement the reel is even better. I use a Waterloo HP Lite and the Salinity models for spinning tackle.

-Maybe a gift certificate to Matagorda Outfitters or a guided fishing or hunting trip would bring a smile.

-I purchased a new Mossy Oak Turtle Box Bluetooth Speaker as a gift for a friend. I also added a pair of Bart’s Bay Armor wading boots.

-A pile of soft plastics stuffed in a stocking with Seaguar fluorocarbon leader material and dozens of new jig heads is a thought; not to mention a load of Skitter Walks, Super Spooks, Top Dogs, Corkys and MirrOlures.

-Duck decoys and a pair of breathable waders or even a gift certificate for a guided fishing trip would look good under the tree as well.

-Maybe a shotgun, shotgun shells, or a new hunting jacket. How about a solid set of waterproof rain gear for fishing.

-Another good thought would be taking one of your favorite fishing photos from the year and enlarging it on canvas to hang somewhere in the house or office.

Merry Christmas to everyone! Be kind to others and find a way to bless someone.

Thank you Lord for your blessings and allowing me and my family to make a living in the bays and marshes of Texas.

Sunrise Lodge and Properties is a full service hunting and fishing lodge and real estate company servicing Matagorda and surrounding coastal counties.

View The Video

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

56 | December 2023

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TSFMAG.com | 57

CAPT. GARY GRAY

MID-COAST BAYS With the Grays

November is typically one of the better months for fishing along the Texas middle coast and it has proven to be true again this year. I come to this assumption because of the many different ways and locations Port O'Connor you can fish successfully this time Seadrift of year. Now, having said that, and luckily for us, nearly all of them can also be productive during the month Captain Gary Gray is a full of December. Granted you will have time guide, born and raised in to judge the weather and pick your Seadrift. He has been guiding fishing locales logically, meaning the Seadrift/Port O’Connor that you shouldn’t head to the south region since 1986. Gary specializes in year ‘round wade shoreline during a howling norther. fishing for speckled trout and Typically during December the cold redfish with artificial lures. fronts will become stronger and last longer with each passage. But there Telephone will be several days with calm winds in 361-785-6708 between, and this leaves the whole bay Email bayrats@tisd.net system open for great fishing.

Website During these calm days between www.bayrat.com fronts is when you will see the bow Facebook of my Shallow Sport X3 pointed @captsgaryandshelliegray toward San Antonio Bay. Nothing gets me more excited than knowing I am going to be reef hopping across the bay where I honed my skills for the trade I chose to make a living. These reef hopping scenarios have already played out during November for me and my clients with great success. We have enjoyed many days wading the shell reefs, and when wading wasn’t an option, we drifted the reefs with equally good outcomes.

On the drifting trips we generally choose the larger reefs that run north to south so we can drift along the deeper edge using my MinnKota trolling motor to adjust the drift as necessary. The MinnKota has also saved many a day when there was no wind to move us along.

On those days I would just slowly troll along while we tossed lures at the drop-offs and underwater points, and also towards the shallower sections of the shell.

When choosing a reef to wade there are many factors to help decide which reef and how to begin your wade. First should be the presence of bait, whether mullet or shad. Just remember that during the cooler part of the month the bait will likely be subsurface and less active. Look closely for swirls or underwater flashes, sure clues when they’re not active on the surface. Another factor can be the presence of birds, whether pelicans or gulls. They can be sitting on the shell or hovering above it.

Having multiple birds present tells me there is definitely bait in the area.

When you have found the reef you are going to wade, you now need to have target areas in which to concentrate your efforts. This is especially true on the very large reefs in the San Antonio Bay System, like Panther and Dagger. They are too large to just start wandering around making unproductive casts to unproductive water.

One of the targets you will want to look for and concentrate your efforts on are what I call breaks. This could be a place where the reef takes a dip just below the water’s surface and has water flowing across it, or it could be a four foot deep cut running through the reef.

Concentrate your casts on both sides of the reef around these breaks.

Another target would be the points of the reef. I’m not just talking about the ends of the reef; I’m talking about any point you might encounter anywhere along the main body of the reef. There are many reefs with fingers jutting off laterally, and each will have points that you will want to focus upon.

When wading what I call open water reefs, I generally start with my trusted 4” Bass Assassin Sea Shad paddletails. I rig these on the 1/16 ounce Bass Assassin Jighead, #05001. As far as lure color is concerned, I generally use darker colors during early winter, such as the Magic Grass or Purple Chicken. I will use these until the dead of winter or when the water gets very clear, and then I will switch to more natural hues, such as Opening Nite or Houdini.

Wrapping this up, I would again like to thank Coastline Marine in Seabrook and Shallow Sport Boats for my Shallow Sport X3. This is my third X3 and I can honestly say I do not believe there is a better all-around boat for the way I fish here on the middle coast. I can cross rough bays safely without discomfort for my customers and cruise anywhere I want in the back-lakes of Matagorda Island… with confidence of getting back out!

Fish hard, fish smart!

Vic Vitanza landing a solid reef trout.

Jim Sholders found lots of trout on this reef.

58 | December 2023

TSFMAG.com | 59

DAVID ROWSEY

HOOKED UP WITH Rowsey

Seems like Decembers sneak up on me like they have a 50 mph tailwind.

I know the clock is a little slower for y’all under 40, but for me they’re like falling asleep in August and waking up with the whitetail rut in full motion and the trophy trout bite getting started.

Upper Whichever this finds you enjoying… do Laguna/ it often and do it well.

Baffin Our fishing has been pretty rough of late; however, I just got my hopes up with a client popping a trout over 8 pounds. Almost three full years since David Rowsey has 30 years the freeze and any trout of that class in Baffin and Upper Laguna is like hitting the lotto. Getting one Madre; trophy trout with to hand this early in the season is, artificial lures is his specialty. hopefully, a good indicator of what we David has a great passion for have to look forward to in 2024. It’s also conservation and encourages catch and release of trophy fish. a testament to what tighter regulations can do for the fishery after such a Telephone great loss. So, big thanks to TPWD 361-960-0340 Coastal Fisheries for those emergency Website measures (recently expired) and all the www.DavidRowsey.com Email sports that took it upon themselves to david.rowsey@yahoo.com practice catch and release during this recovery time. We are making good @captdavidrowsey progress, but a long way from the finish line. Keep up the solid work!

Coastal Fisheries just completed the first round of public scoping to

account for not only the recovery of the fishery but, more importantly the future of it, considering the overwhelming number of users, Mother Nature, etc. The change in mindset from participants is pretty amazing, with 80% wanting the bag reduced from 5 to 3 trout. A small number want a 1-2 fish bag limit, which would push that 80% for greater conservation even higher. I’m so proud that TPWD is obtaining this info in an effort to manage our fisheries toward sustainable quantity and quality. Being an eternal optimist, I’m hopeful that positive action will be taken soon and we can get our fishery back to the old school numbers from not too long ago. If you were unable to attend a scoping meeting but would still like to be heard, Coastal Fisheries encourages comment via their online portal at: cfish@tpwd.texas.gov December is really the kickoff for me when it comes to trophy fishing. In fact, as I write this article, we have a big front blowing in with rain and temperatures in the high 40s. I certainly wouldn’t want to be in the water today, but this ugly weather is setting the trout up for what will eventually become more predictable patterns in their movements and staging areas.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, sustained cooler water temperatures will begin concentrating fish in significantly smaller areas. It is this time of year when rogue trout will be forced into smaller areas that are holding what baitfish remain present in the Laguna and Baffin. Warmer locales along miles and miles of shorelines, shallow flats with abrupt breaks into the protection of deeper water, and expansive spoil areas that offer a combination of all of that are going to be where my eyes will be focused before I ever consider getting out of the boat.

A water temperature gauge on your boat (or in your pocket while wading) is just essential this time of year, and the months ahead, as a 2° change can make all the difference in the world to where you will find baitfish that will Art Kneland getting it done for many years; he just keeps stacking 7-pounders lead you to bites. Giving credit where due, I read on to his resume. Texas Customs Double similar advice close to thirty years ago in an D for the win. Released! article that Jay Watkins wrote. It was a light bulb moment for me as a young grinder and one that has paid great dividends ever since.

As I have progressed as a saltwater angler for thirty-five years, the most important thing I have had to master is patience. Gone are the days that you could be having a mediocre bite, pick up and just move to the next great area.

Chances are today that someone is already in it or a boat just ran through it. When I’m in such an area these days that has all the right stuff, I tend to grind it out long and hard for the best bites. There have certainly been days when this mindset bit me in the bottom but, more often than not, we get what we came for. This was especially true when tournament fishing was my bread and butter. I cannot tell you how many times that slow grind paid off in the last hour, or minutes, to take home a win. Patience!

Remember the buffalo! -Capt David Rowsey

60 | December 2023

Science and the

Sea

TM

A Sponge Sneeze Feast Every time you sneeze, your body is taking the opportunity to violently eject allergens, viruses, bacteria, chemicals or other particles trying to invade your nose that don’t need to be there. It’s waste that might even make you sick if your body didn’t force it out. But what if sneezing was also how you cleaned your entire body, like taking a shower? That’s how ”sneezes” are for sea sponges. And the sponges take their time with their body-cleansing too—up to half an hour for a single sneeze!

Sea sponges will “sneeze” when there are too many particles that are unwanted or too big for them to filter and eat. The sponge will excrete these waste particles in a mucus that collects on the outer surface, which nearby fish will feast upon. Credit: NOAA-OE Sponges gather their food by pulling in water through various openings and then filtering food particles out of the water before pushing the water back out. But since sponges are firmly attached to the bottom, they can’t move away from dirty water if it becomes polluted with too many particles they can’t eat. As particles it can’t use or particles that are too big to eat build up in the sponge, it needs a way to get rid of them.

And that’s where sponge sneezing comes in.

Unlike a human sneeze, which only takes a second or two and sends particles traveling from 100 to 200 miles per hour, sponges take their time slowly pushing mucus full of waste products out the same openings it uses to draw in water. As the mucus collects on the sponge’s outer surface, it becomes a feast for nearby fish because the sponge has concentrated many food particles in the mucus. The fish benefit because it would take a lot more work for them to pick so many particles from the water on their own. And, when fish eat the mucus from the sponge, it clears the openings for the sponge to continue pulling in water, as scientists observed with Aplysina and Chelonaplysilla sponges last year.

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© The University of Texas Marine Science Institute

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TSFMAG.com | 61

WAYNE DAVIS

WAYNE’S Mansfield Report

Greetings from Port Mansfield! Fall finally arrived and we are now looking forward to winter. I am often asked which of the cooler months is the Port best month to catch “good” fish. My long-standing reply has been that Mansfield December is tough to beat and my opinion hasn’t wavered. December has earned a well-deserved reputation for opportunity to catch both numbers and Captain Wayne Davis has quality speckled trout. I say this because been fishing the Lower they’re equally eager to eat topwaters, Laguna-Port Mansfield for over 20 years. He specializes suspending baits, and plastics this in wade fishing with lures. month. That said, I often lean toward topwaters, mostly for the visual thrill.

Telephone I am pleased to report that our Lower 210-287-3877 Laguna is currently in good shape Email with great water quality and abundant captwayne@kwigglers.com forage, much of which I attribute to continued strong flows through our East Cut jetties. We have a lot of smaller trout (12”-14”) working over our lures, which is often cited as an excellent sign for the future of the fishery. However, on that topic, I would like to share a recent observation.

On September 1 trout regulations reverted to the former 15” minimum length. Almost immediately I began noticing lots of folks keeping that class of fish. Remarkably, I also noted that it didn’t take long until many began commenting on the numbers of “just under 15-inch trout” being landed. What that tells me is that we rapidly depleted the 15–17-inch class of trout that were protected under the “emergency” regulations and we are now back to working through a lot of small trout in search of 15-inch keepers. While I might be jumping the gun, I see this as evidence that our fishery wasn’t quite ready to revert to the former length regulations. In less than three Larry Higgins with Preston Beck with a nice early-winter trout.

a 7-plus pound flounder caught on a vintage Big K suspending lure.

months we are already back to “sifting dinks” to find keepers, and that is alarming to me. I offer this for whatever it’s worth.

Redfish have been quite abundant overall. We have them all across the flats in mostly knee-deep water. Water temperatures have cooled and there is no doubt the reds have responded favorably. While most of our reds have been running toward the smaller end of the slot their explosive blowups on topwaters still provides plenty of excitement.

Trout are also more numerous in shallow water. We are beginning to see a few good ones, up to 25-plus in small “wolfpacks,” which makes it nice because one will often take a lure out of pure competitiveness rather than hunger.

We’re back to wearing waders daily, which equates to “big trout” season, and I have already begun mental preparations for what is in store the next few months. Needless to say my expectations are high for what lies ahead. I’ll be sprinkling in some “good times fishing” while methodically wading the shallows for THE ONE. So, for those of you who have me booked this trophy trout season, I’m ready. I believe this could be the year we will see at least one true double-digit trout; last year our heaviest was 9.75 pounds. For three years we’ve been conserving our trophy class trout and it’s now time to see if we can land her.

It’s not too late to inspect your waders before getting a leaky surprise, but time is running out. I would also like to point out a few new items I will be using this year. First, I’m excited to get into the Simms G3 Guide Wading Pant. This is perfect for my application as I rarely wade more than thigh deep. I’ve worn them a couple of times and they are perfect for shallow water. Next, I’ll be using a new type of wader from Simms, the Confluence Wader, which is made of Toray, an alternative to Gore-Tex. These waders are also good for hunters because they have double-molded neoprene knee pads, perfect for getting in and out of a boat and also kneeling while waterfowl hunting.

It goes without saying I will be tossing Mansfield Knockers when conditions call for topwaters, along with lots of KWigglers when it is time to work em’ over with plastics. In the rod department I’ll rely on my trusty FTU G2 Green Rods in spinning and baitcasting versions, in both Finesse and the Classic models. A Shimano Vanford 2500 and Aldebaran will be my go-to reels.

I had another outstanding trip to Brazil chasing trophy Peacock Bass, Arapaima, and big Tiger Shovelnose catfish. Stay tuned for a full report coming soon in a special write-up in this fine magazine. It should be one heck of a read.

Until next time, remember fresh is better than frozen!

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62 | December 2023

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TSFMAG.com | 63

CAPT. ERNEST CISNEROS

SOUTH PADRE Fishing Scene

Everybody is saying that December arrived quickly, but not soon enough for me. This month marks the beginning of winter and winter is my favorite season Arr o y o for fishing. Why is winter my favorite?

C ol o ra d o First is because fish, especially bigger t o Po rt trout, become more predictable in I sa bel their staging and feeding patterns. No other season even comes close to the aggressive gorging behavior of trout A Brownsville-area native, when a strong front is approaching, Capt. Ernest Cisneros fishes the Lower Laguna Madre from and again when the weather settles a Port Mansfield to Port Isabel. few days after the front passes through.

Ernest specializes in wading The second reason goes back to my and poled skiff adventures for twenty-eight years as a school teacher. snook, trout, and redfish.

Watching the kids huddled in tight groups on the courtyard on cold winter Cell 956-266-6454 mornings always reminded me of trout Website seeking warmth as they crowd into www.tightlinescharters.com areas with deeper and warmer water.

Now, while there is likely no correlation between those school kids and fish, knowing that trout behave this way certainly aids us in our search for them.

How can I find areas where fish are likely to hold during winter? Get on Google Maps and look for areas of deeper water, like deeper guts on the flats and drop-offs along the ICW. These deeper areas will appear greener than surrounding shallow areas. Another way is to pay attention to the birds – pelicans and gulls. They don’t have to be actively feeding, just observe where they tend to congregate. You can bet that baitfish are plentiful nearby, which will also attract gamefish.

Currently, I would say our redfish population is good, but far from what I expect to see in the next couple of months. For the most part, the more significant concentrations of redfish have Texas snook can be already been in deeper water, holding caught all year round. on grassbeds and in potholes. My guess is that recently lower tides and boat traffic have pushed them waist-deep or deeper. Finding bait will play an integral part in finding reds as we get further into the winter season. Having a means of measuring water temperature also plays a critical role in finding the water temp they prefer. I always check temperature any place we find fish, and then use that information when searching for places with similar bottom structure and water temperature.

Remember, fish will tend to move slower on colder days, so a slow retrieve will often entice more redfish strikes. On windier days I suggest a bait with a vibrating tail, like Z-Man’s PaddlerZ or a DieZel Minnow in five-inch size. On calmer days, Z-Man Streakz in Pearl and Space Guppy, or the scented Jerk ShadZ in Sexy Mullet are all proven baits that have 64 | December 2023

fooled many fish for us.

Recently, I attended a TPWD scoping meeting during which they proposed a return to the three-fish trout limit. Many good points were made and great discussions were shared. The general consensus of the attendees strongly favored the proposed three-fish limit and I left the meeting hopeful that we would see it enacted into regulation soon.

Currently, smaller trout continue to dominate our catches, along with a few nice ones in the mix. I still believe it’s going to be a good winter trout year, nothing close to what we had before the freeze, but it has been getting a little better each year. Thankfully, we have many conservation-minded anglers practicing catch and release, and there is no better way to rebuild this fishery.

Look for mature female trout to show on the flats a day or two after a cold snap. Not only will they frequent shallow grass flats to feed, they also go there to warm up as the shallow grass warms faster than deeper water. The edges of land masses or spoil islands are also good attractors because land transfers heat to the surrounding water.

Z Man’s Texas Eye Finesse Jighead rigged with PaddlerZ and StreakZ plastic baits are amazingly weedless and can be fished in the heaviest of grassbeds without hanging up or clogging. This setup is what we will use when targeting big trout in the shallow grass beds as they come out to feed and warm up. When targeting trophy trout with topwaters in the shallows, I prefer smaller baits to avoid spooking them.

I will finish my report by stating that we have enjoyed outstanding summer and fall seasons for snook. Barring any significantly cold or freezing weather, I cannot help but believe the snook population will continue to increase in numbers. Winter snook season is now in full swing and already we are seeing a promising future for this species.

Best fishing to you and a Merry Christmas!

ZMan’s MinnowZ in Creole Croaker fooled this wintertime snook.

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The proper way of releasing a fish is moving it side to side and not forward and backwards.

TSFMAG.com | 65

FISHING REPORTS

ORECASTS F from Big Lake to Boca Chica

AND

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 James considers December to be a great month for targeting trout in the Galveston Bay complex. “Once we have enough cold weather to establish winter patterns, people who know what they’re doing will find the fishing more consistent. We normally see an end to the shrimp migration by December, certainly by the middle of the month.

When that happens, and the trout switch to a mostly mullet diet, fishing can be more predictable. In West Galveston Bay, where the water often runs really clear during winter, the trout bite can be best at dusk and in the dark hours, except out in the middle of the bay. In the deeper water, the bite is often good in muddy streaks in the clear water, especially in places where plenty of mullet are seen flipping and swirling. Most people throw soft plastics at those fish, but old school 51 and 52M MirrOlures work great, too. Best way to work them is by pointing the rod at the water and pulsing it gently while reeling.

Wading is often good too, late in the afternoons, on reefs and around drains, with topwaters and twitchbaits, during warm spells.”

Matagorda Bays | Capt. Glenn Ging Glenn’s Guide Service - 979.479.1460 www.glennsguideservice.com Glenn says, “In December, we begin to move from fall patterns into winter patterns, as cold fronts intensify, dropping both tide levels and water temperatures. The last of the shrimp are leaving the bays now, and our fish will transition to a diet of mostly finfish. Barring any heavy rainfall the action in the Colorado river will heat up. I like throwing Bass Assassin paddletails and curly-tails rigged on 1/4- to 3/8-ounce jigheads for river trout and redfish. Chicken on a Chain, Fried Chicken and Texas Roach are all good options. Wadefishing in East Matagorda Bay will also heat up this month and the hunt will be on for trophy speckled trout. Slow-sinking twitchbaits like MirrOlure’s Paul Brown Fat Boys and Soft-Dines are good options in places with mostly mud bottom and scattered shell. The redfish will be most active in kneedeep guts cutting through the shallow flats on the south shoreline of West Matagorda Bay. Dark paddletails rigged on light jigheads are often the ticket for some solid pulls from the prowling reds.”

Jimmy West | Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054 Jim had experienced steady results when fishing in the days prior to giving this report. “Fishing is good bay-wide, right now. You can catch ‘em wading and also out of the boat. We’ve still had birds working recently, mostly over small fish, but if you find ‘em close to the shorelines, the trout are often bigger. Same is true the first day they start working after a front. Once the weather warms up, seems the bigger trout move back into the shallows, probably looking for mullet. Once we get into December, we’ll still have lots of patterns to choose from.

We’ve got fish in the bayous, on mid-bay reefs, and along shorelines, when it’s warmer. We also got a big push of ducks with this last front, so I’m looking forward to a great opener. And, there are mourning doves everywhere right now. We got a bunch in from the north right after the first season ended. The second split opens December 15th, which is a bit earlier than some years, so action might be fast once it reopens.”

Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 “We’ve had phenomenal fishing recently in the Tres Palacios Bay system. Trout fishing has been great under birds and over shell pads in 3-4 feet of water. Fishing the birds, we’ve been throwing Down South in Purple Reign and Magic Grass on 1/4-ounce heads. When drifting shell, we’ve been throwing live shrimp about three feet under popping corks and catching solid 15-18” fish. Redfish action has been great; we continue to have huge tides giving access to remote places.

Our best bite has been coming on grass edges and shell points on live shrimp rigged about a foot under popping corks. Many redfish we’re cleaning are full of grass shrimp and small crabs. Night fishing has really taken off on local piers with solid sand trout up to 14” and some keeper trout up to 17”. Best bite has been from about 4 to 6 a.m., with most catches coming on pearl/pink and pearl/chartreuse Norton Bull Minnows rigged on 1/16-ounce jigheads, worked from dark areas into the lights. Fishing should continue steady in turning basins, local rivers, and on flats close to deep water.”

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves | Groves Guide Service 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 The colder weather we normally have in December simplifies the patterns somewhat for Randall in the area around San Luis Pass. “The shrimp are mostly gone once December comes around. In some of the warmest years, we might have some left at the beginning of the month.

So, if we see working birds, we won’t ignore them. Normally, though, the fishing for trout is best in water too deep to wade. We mostly work areas at least six feet deep, where there’s a fairly muddy bottom overall, with some scattered shell. We like to fish mud streaks in the water and lots of rafted mullet. Best bite is on Norton Sand Eels rigged on relatively heavy jigheads, which allow us to keep them close to the bottom. We look for cormorants, pelicans, and diving terns when fishing this pattern. During warm spells, fishing for the bigger trout and the redfish gets better in the back-lakes and coves. In those places, we focus on stretches of shorelines where we find wading birds like herons and egrets, and we like to wade, throwing topwaters and slow-sinking twitchbaits.”

66 | December 2023

Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith Back Bay Guide Service - 361.935.6833 With the cooler temperatures of December, Lynn typically focuses more on midday and afternoon hours than mornings. “I prefer fishing the afternoon hours this time of year. The fish become more active and are easier to catch once the flats warm up after these cold nights. We do best in places with lots of grass and relatively soft bottom, usually in water less than waist-deep, but lying close to much deeper water, either of the open bays or some kind of channel. Finding bait is a key as it is at any time of year, but in December, even a few mullet jumping or flipping in an area can lead to some excellent catching. We do have a good topwater bite at times this month, but the action is steadier on soft plastics and slow-sinking twitchbaits. We often catch some of our biggest trout of the year between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and they seem to run fat, at least

when they’re biting well and we’re able to catch them. This all assumes we’re having some cold weather, of course.”

Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894 By the time this reports gets into the hands of readers, Blake will be immersed in cast-n-blast season. “This is a great time of year to spend time outdoors in the Coastal Bend. We have so many fun options, and we can fit several into the same day’s outing. We normally start off the morning hunkered down in the marshes in a duck blind. We have an excellent variety of ducks in the marshes close to Rockport in any year, and with dry conditions inland, we might have even better diversity this season. Once the shooting is over, we normally spend some time targeting redfish in the nearby back-lakes and coves. If tides and temperatures are relatively high, we have good luck catching them in the shallows. If conditions are colder and tides lower, we find more reds in the deeper guts and drains. The bite is usually fairly steady, either way. The trout bite can be less consistent, but often productive on warmer days on grassy, muddy flats adjacent to the mouths of marsh drains.”

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata | rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 Hunting season is now in full swing and with reduced boat traffic most days things have fallen really quiet on the water. December’s weather patterns typically include fronts arriving more regularly, with periods of several warm and sunny days between fronts. Water temperatures will fluctuate and it’s important to keep an eye on this when planning your fishing trips. If the water temp drops below 60° the best action will occur in deeper water on soft plastics fished slowly, close to the bottom. I like the Bass Assassin Die Dappers in colors like Trickster, Plum/Chartreuse, Salt & Pepper/Chartreuse and Chicken on a Chain, rigged on an 1/8-ounce Spring-Lock jigheads.

When water temps rise above 60°, rigging with 1/16-ounce jigheads and fishing the shallows works best. This is also a good time to use the MirrOlure Catch 5 lures in colors BNSBO and CHBL. I like the deep thumping noise the rattles of the Catch 5 produce. I also recommend rigging with at least 20-inches of 20-lb fluorocarbon leader to prevent fish from seeing the line.

Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez - www.sightcast1.com - 361.877.1230 The most reliable December patterns in the Upper Laguna and Baffin revolve around bottom structure that provides shallow water adjacent to deep water. In many cases, these are found along the Intracoastal Waterway and connecting channels that run east and west. “We do well throwing at the edge of the ICW when it’s cold. The trout and redfish often suspend close to the ledge. Matching jighead size to conditions is critical when fishing this pattern. Heavier heads are necessary to keep the plastics close to the ledge when winds and currents are running stronger. When conditions moderate, meaning when winds die down and temperatures rise, we often do better targeting the fish on top of the sand bars and rocks which form the spoil banks, sometimes catching plenty of fish on grassy flats lying a short distance away from the ditch, especially in places where secondary channels shoot off to the east or west. These concepts also apply in the Land Cut and on the Kenedy Ranch Shoreline, where we do well throwing plastics around rocks lying close to the deep edge of the drop-off.”

P.I.N.S. Fishing Forecast | Eric Ozolins 361.877.3583 - Oceanepics.com December is sometimes dicey in the surf; it can be excellent, but if we get an early arctic front things can fall apart.

Slot red and black drum should be present in good numbers. Bull reds will also continue to roam the surf, feeding on mullet, whiting and crabs. Pompano action should remain steady, especially on calm days with clear water. Long-casting shrimp and Fish-bites will produce most of these incredibly delicious fish. Trout will be best to target on calmer days with clear water. Working slow-sinking twitchbaits will likely be the best plan. Most sharks will leave the shallows this time of year, but we will have sandbar sharks arriving to mate, some of which can push the 200-pound mark. Baits such as whiting, sheepshead and small rays are optimal for sandbars. It is important to note that this species is federally protected, and all must be released after they’re caught. Those desiring to harvest a shark should target the Atlantic sharpnose, which can make good table fare. Other late-season possibilities on the beachfront will be Spanish mackerel and jack crevalle.

Port Mansfield | Ruben Garza Snookdudecharters.com - 832.385.1431 Getaway Adventures Lodge - 956.944.4000 Cold fronts and nasty weather will likely complicate the planning of fishing trips this month. Once we get past Thanksgiving, we tend to receive strong fronts more regularly. Post-front, Gladys Hole is generally a great place to fish. In most cases, the middle section between the west shoreline and the ICW produces best. The area around the mouth of Little Bay can also be productive. The flats on the east side from Dubb’s Island to Butcher’s Island also hold promise, especially the potholes in mid-thigh to waist-deep water. Closer to Port, the area north of East Cut to slightly past the Weather Station can be another good producer, especially potholes in mid-thigh depths.

South of the East Cut, at the transition line of sand to grass usually holds lots of solid redfish. Southwest of the pipeline, to the east of Bennie’s Island, the grass and potholes are home to plenty of fish. The Saucer area is a consistent producer during milder weather this time of year, and the area behind the cabins always has potential for trout and reds if the water’s not too cold.

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Aaron Cisneros | tightlinescharters.com - 956.639.1941 Cooler weather, lower tides, and bigger trout is what we are looking forward to in the weeks ahead. Trout fishing in general has picked up quite a bit since the cold front in late-October. Best action has been in depths averaging 2.5 to 3 feet over grassy bottoms. Z-Man StreakZ in Sexy Mullet on 1/8 ounce Eye Strike Trout-Eye jigs have been steady producers. Working low in the water column helps avoid the smaller trout that are prevalent in many places. Redfish action has remained steady over the past several weeks. Early morning wades along shorelines showing bait activity have been a reliable plan for getting into a steady bite. Reds are currently taking Spook Jr topwaters; gold 1/8-ounce weedless spoons are a great back-up plan whenever floating grass becomes a problem. Redfish can often be found mixed with trout on grassy flats during late-afternoon when the wind kicks up. I expect these patterns should hold several weeks into December, barring any really cold weather arriving. Be sure to keep an eye on the weather forecast; things can happen very quickly this time of year.

TSFMAG.com | 67

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Lillian Rose Galveston - 22” speckled trout

Robert Benavidez III Upper Laguna Madre- 29” red 68 | December 2023

Abigail Hagar Galveston- redfish

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Jay Gonzalez Baffin Bay- 31” trout

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Jase Imhoff Galveston- 22” trout

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Joseph Hagar Galveston - sheepshead

Henry Humphries Matagorda - 22” 5 lbflounder

Jessica Riemer Matagorda - red snapper

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Skyler Stephens Redfish Bay- 26.5” redfish

Ethan E. Arroyo Lower Laguna Madre- first redfish!

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PAM JOHNSON

Gulf Coast

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

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

Shrimp Saganaki (Greek Shrimp with Tomatoes & Feta) I found these wonderful products from Lakonia Imports at the Houston Fishing Show this year. If you are an olive lover, you will love these. They are soaked in Lakonia’s fine olive oil, herbs and spices. This recipe is quick and delicious!

INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

1/4 cup extra-virgin (Lakonia Fine Olive Oil) 3/4 cup finely chopped shallots 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional) 1 Tbsp honey 1½ pounds extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined 6 ounces feta cheese 3/4 tsp dried Greek Herbs & Spices (lakoniaimports.com) 2 Tbsp roughly chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 400°F; set one oven rack in the middle position and another about 5 inches underneath the broiler.

70 | December 2023

2. Heat the olive oil in a wide oven-proof skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Do not brown.

3. Add to skillet the tomatoes with their juices, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and honey. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Off the heat, arrange the shrimp over the tomato mixture in an even layer. Crumble the feta over the shrimp, and then sprinkle with the Greek Herbs & Spices. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the shrimp are pink and just cooked (the cooking time will depend on the size of the shrimp). Turn on the broiler and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the feta is golden brown in spots. Remove pan from the oven. Let stand for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve as an appetizer with fresh bread or over Basmati rice.

Yields - 4 servings

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Truly Greek gift this year!

Our village is in Lakonia Greece, which is a region known for producing the finest olives and olive oils.

It is often referred to as the Napa Valley of Greece.

Our olives are pressed within 1 to 4 hours of being harvested guaranteeing the best flavor and lowest acidity possible.

Our renowned Greek Country Olives are submerged in 100% Greek extra virgin olive oil and our special blend of Greek Herbs & Spices giving our olives an exquisite flavor.

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