Captain James Sanchez is our cover angler for December, featured with an oversized redfish caught in the Upper Laguna Madre. James had a good trout bite going until this 11-pounder decided to crash the party. James tricked the big red with a KWigglers Ball Tail Shad and let it swim away strong and healthy after a few quick
8
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Warm weather lingering into early November can make discerning the seasons a bit tricky for Texas outdoors enthusiasts, but no matter the weather, we are knocking on December’s door and Old Man Winter can show up just about any day now. While this would likely please deer and waterfowl hunters more than year ‘round anglers, the fishing prospects remain very good for the month and some colder weather will only make them better.
The biggest change in the weather will be more frequent cold fronts arriving to the coast. Tides will recede to more normal levels and water temperatures will decline steadily. Both of these have great influence upon feeding patterns and concentrating fish into more predictable locations within the bay systems. Hopefully, the information from our contributing writers in this issue will provide a step in the right direction as you go looking for the bite on favorable weather days.
December Issue Highlights
And speaking of favorable weather days, I cannot stress enough the importance of monitoring coastal weather forecasts, and not just the day or night before, but also during your day on the
water. The pre-frontal bite can often be the stuff of legend but the last place you want to be is on the wrong side of the bay when a honkin’ blue norther comes crashing to the coast. Yeah, I’ve been there; ignored the towering clouds and first whisps of north wind a couple of times, and just flat stayed too long a few others because the bite was just that darned good. All I can tell you is they were all mistakes. Lord only knows how it would have ended had we lost power as we beat our way back to port amid billowing waves. I was lucky…your luck may not be as good.
December is also a wonderful month for spending quality time with family and friends, attending Christmas parties, and generally showering those we love most with affection and gifts as we celebrate the birth of Christ. I have great memories of Christmas seasons past, as a youngster, a parent, and now a grandparent. Among all those memories, what seems most important after so many years are the blessings of love, health, and happiness more than material things.
Now, please don’t take me for a Scrooge, I’m working on my Christmas list and hope to put smiles on the faces of the special folks whose names are on it. I guess what I’m trying to say is that love and kindness will last a lifetime, so be sure to give plenty. In addition to all the traditional celebrations, get your family and loved ones outdoors this Christmas and share your passion!
View The Video Open Camera & hover over QR Code. When link appears, tap to open in YouTube.
As pretty as these calm conditions are to look at they’re not always good for wade fishing this time of year. That’s when we have to adjust on the fly and drift deep shell. We can’t always catch ‘em the way we want to catch ‘em!
Have a Plan but be willing to change it!
STORY BY STEVE HILLMAN
As a professional fishing guide I don’t have the luxury of going fishing when all of the stars align. If that were the case I would not be one. It would be nice if every day was four days before a full moon with light southeast winds and good tide exchanges, and the trout were chewing the gelcoat off of the hull of my Whaler. But that’s unfortunately not possible. Instead, we deal with many different scenarios as changes occur month-to-month, week-to-week, day-to-day, and even down to the hour or minute during any given fishing trip. How we deal with them as they occur carries great weight toward achieving a successful day on the water.
and
There are some variables that make it easy for us to be proactive in our approach. Examples would include choosing a particular area to fish the night before, because a cool front just blew through, so the wind speed and direction dictate where we should fish. Other times we have to react on the fly to unforeseen changes that take place during our trip, such as when the wind switches direction from an unexpected squall. These are very simple examples but in my world it gets much more detailed than that. Every tiny detail has to be considered when putting a game plan together for each day’s fishing trip.
We can look at some of the broader elements before we go any further. This will help put us in the right area to start. Seasonal changes such as water temperature and bait migrations have to be considered when deciding fishing areas on which to focus. For the Galveston Bay Complex we can break down our trout focus into four general periods of time. Notice I said general as there are always exceptions that may somewhat alter the timing and locations.
• May – September: Slicks and bait concentrations over mid-bay shell and other types of structure
• October – November: Bayou drains, river mouths, working birds, back-lakes and shoreline reefs
• December – February: Mud and shell in and near deep guts and bowl areas
• March – April: Coves, drains, back-lakes and shorelines
Once we have determined the areas where trout live based on the time of year and conditions, we then need to dig a little deeper. Are tides low or high and are the tide exchanges strong or weak? There may be areas where we’ve been catching fish and we desperately want to go back there but realize that they’re too deep to wade, so we either need to drift or find another area. There are spots that aren’t productive on low tides. We have to study the areas we plan to fish to a point where we can instantly determine if we need to make other
plans. This scenario actually played out on one of my recent trips. I wanted to wade a particular reef but our tides were well above normal because of some tropical activity in the Gulf. The tide chart does not account for low barometric pressure and stiff easterly winds. Knowing how many trout were on this particular reef I went ahead and took my clients there anyway. Sure enough, it was too deep to wade, so we tried drifting it instead. We caught a few decent trout but the hull slap caused by the waves didn’t bode well for drifting along the crest of the reef where we could’ve otherwise stood stationary while casting into the school. It was a bad plan and I should’ve known it.
This is a trap a lot of us often fall into when we’ve caught so many fish in a spot. Recent memory bias can kill your productivity if you let it. We have to keep an open mind and look at all of the elements. After relocating, we ended up wading a windward stretch of shoreline that had streaky water and concentrations of mullet pushed against the grass. We did quite well chunking Slammin’ Chicken Saltwater Assassins towards the bank that would have otherwise been ankledeep on a normal tide. I was thinking to myself that I should’ve made that move right out of the box instead of trying to force the issue at the first stop. The moral of this story is be careful falling in love with a particular spot. In former Texans coach, Gary Kubiak’s words, “Sometimes you have to take what the defense gives you.”
This is the time of year when we’ll start getting some real cold fronts, which will cause water temperatures and tide levels to change drastically overnight. Wading a shallow flat near deep water can be awesome when it’s warm the day before a front; then drifting deep shell-lined troughs can yield excellent results the next day as bluebird skies and high pressure sets in along with colder water temperatures. Such changes also warrant a change in our lure selection. Good pre-frontal options include topwaters and soft plastics rigged on lightweight jigs. Better choices for post-front conditions would likely be Corkys and soft plastics rigged on heavier jigs.
Aubrey Smith released this solid trout he caught on a 4” inch Slammin’ Chicken Bass Assassin during a weak tide feed period when the trout just wanted a tiny morsel.
Haley
Tanner Mathews put on a clinic on a day when unseasonably warm water temperatures forced us to drift deep shell that’s normally not that great this time of year. Apparently, the fish don’t have a calendar.
Michael Tatum was on board with making the adjustment from wading to drifting deep shell ledges in high pressure, low tide conditions.
Should we match the hatch or match the mood? I don’t have a problem with the whole match the hatch thing, but to me it’s more about observing a trout’s behavior patterns, especially pertaining to where they are staged in the water column and how aggressively they’re feeding. If the trout are suspended, slow-sinking twitchbaits such as the MirrOlure MirrOdines or Corkys are great shad-imitators and have the ability to hover in the strike zone when presented properly. It may also be true that the trout are indeed feeding on shad. However, I believe that because the shad are suspended is the reason the trout are there. So what’s really important is that whatever we’re throwing, that’s where our lure needs to be. I’ve caught plenty of suspended trout by rigging a Bass Assassin or a MirrOlure Lil John XL on a 1/16 ounce Bass Assassin Pro Elite jighead. Last time I checked, neither of those lures resembles a shad. It’s more about lure placement and presentation. I’ll take that to the bank every time.
Habitat is king. Whether we’re fishing shallow or deep, the one common denominator is that there is some form of live habitat nearby. In Galveston and even East Matagorda (these days), it’s live oyster reefs or clusters. This isn’t to say that we can’t have success when fishing mud or sand, but the presence of live habitat greatly increases our odds. In addition, the forage species will be where the habitat is 98-percent of the time, not to mention the shell ledges create excellent ambush points for trout.
A lot of folks ask me if I pay attention to the Solunar Tables. The answer is yes, but they don’t necessarily control my decision making
December Trout Patterns View The Video Open Camera and hover over QR Code. When link appears at top of screen tap to open in YouTube.
process. I look at the major and minor feeding periods every day, but tide changes (at least in Galveston) often override the feeding charts. However, if we can get lucky enough to have a major feed prediction coincide with a tide change…then that’s awesome. As a general rule, in my mind anyway, the tides trump the moon.
The phase of the moon also matters as it tends to affect the timing of the feed. For example, on full moon days, it’s not uncommon to experience our best bite in the middle of the day. Also, the bites during these bright moon phases tend to be much softer (less aggressive), so having a very sensitive and lightweight rod like a Waterloo HP Lite or Carbon Mag contributes greatly to our chances for success.
Tides, wind, water temperature, salinity, water clarity, and many other variables figure into the equation when it comes to planning our fishing trips. Sometimes it seems like a game that comes down to us versus the fish. We must become better students of the game if we want to have a decent chance of winning. Lord knows it’s not always easy these days. Do your homework. Always have a good plan, and don’t be afraid to make adjustments on the fly when things change. Tight lines!
STEVE HILLMAN
Steve Hillman is a full-time fishing guide on his home waters of Galveston Bay. Steve fishes the entire Galveston Bay Complex, wading and drifting for trout, redfish, and flounder using artificial lures.
Phone 4 09-256-7937
Email captsteve@hillmanguideservice.com
Web w ww.hillmanguideservice.com
Jody Moses got this beautiful trout to commit to his Chartreuse/Silver Glitter Bass Assassin rigged on an 1/8 oz. Pro Elite jighead!
The small profile and high-pitch rattle of this MirrOlure She Pup was a game changer when it came to tricking full-bellied full moon trout in slightly choppy conditions.
3 Productive Places &
Their Defining Attributes
STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN
Many productive coastal fishing spots share several key attributes. Most lie close to a point of land, often one which separates two distinctly different bodies of water. The best include portions with shallow water containing cover element(s) on the bottom lying within shouting range of significantly deeper water. Further, the geophysical layouts of these spots provide protection from strong winds blowing from at least one direction, usually either the north or the southeast.
During my decades fishing from Corpus Christi Bay to the Land Cut, I’ve identified a list of spots which meet the description above, and which have produced remarkable catches for me and my friends and clients many times, in various types of weather. I’ll name three of them here, two of which lie in Baffin Bay, the other in the northernmost portion of the Upper Laguna Madre, where it borders on Corpus Christi Bay. I refer here to the flat in front of the tidal lake at East Kleberg Point, the west end of Cathead, and the sand bars at the northern entrance of The Boat Hole.
I’ve said it many times, and I’ll type it here. If someone held a gun to my head and told me I had to pick one location to fish, and then I’d have thirty minutes to catch a trout or redfish, I’d bet my life on the south end of the main sand bar lying to the south of the channel connecting the Boat Hole with the waters of Corpus Bay. Over time, regardless of the season and the conditions in play, I’ve found catching a fish at this location about as easy as any place I’ve ever visited. An analysis of this spot’s features provides clues about why this is true.
A long, narrow spit of land borders the northern edge of the Boat Hole, essentially serving as the western part of the line separating the Upper Laguna Madre from Corpus Bay. So, the sand bars adjacent to the channel running north to south out of the Boat Hole sit near a point of land which separates two major inland bodies of saltwater. The point provides a significant buffer against the potentially negative effects strong north and northwest winds can exert on the efforts of anglers. Also, the deep water comprising central portions of the Boat Hole
and the depths of the channel itself lie close to the sand bars, which are covered by water less than waist-deep on most tides. Thick grass beds adorn the tops of these naturally occurring bars, which have all the attributes inherent to many consistently productive fishing spots.
I’ve caught plenty of fish in the place, particularly around the main bar lying south of the marked channel, in wildly variable types of weather conditions. Certainly, moving water enhances the Boat Hole’s potential for productivity, since it’s so close to a prominent tide source, namely the Packery Channel. In late-summer, when persistent calm, hot conditions often make the fishing in the hypersaline lagoons south of the JFK difficult, the sand bars at the entrance of the Boat Hole offer tremendous potential, especially during prime parts of the tide cycle.
Anglers hoping to maximize their catching in this location should follow several sound operating principles. First, they should visit the place when the tide moves. The direction of movement matters little, but turns in the tide cycle prove most productive. The first hour of either an incoming or outgoing tide generally offers the best conditions for catching.
When fishing moving water, lure-chunkers should always set up their efforts so they can cast and retrieve their lures with, or at least cross-ways with the current. And, when fishing the shallow water around the grass-bearded bars, anglers should make most of their casts land atop the bars, or near their edges. Accomplishing this sometimes means wading in the depths alongside the bars, sometimes wading on their crowns, depending on the tide level.
Though late-summer certainly ranks at the top of best times of year to visit the place, my best catch there occurred during the month of December. On the record day, north winds whistled near 20 knots, blowing water out of Corpus Bay and into the Boat Hole. Clear, cool currents washed over the sand bars for hours. Early on, I discovered
Christina Geer used a One Knocker to catch this and several other big trout on a warm December morning near East Kleberg Point.
Though the Boat Hole doesn’t produce as many giant trout as places farther south, it has produced many picture-worthy fish for the captain.
Matt McCollum with the smallest of the four trout referenced in the piece.
the fish wanted their meals on top and began catching trout at a fast clip, on a Spook Junior. My two customers did too, but they regularly switched up to larger plugs, hoping for a bigger trout. Each time, they basically stopped catching anything at all.
The catching proved easy, but only if we applied two important fundamentals when presenting our small floating plugs to the fish. They wanted the lures moving with the current, stopping and starting frequently. Casting the lures cross-ways to the wind so they’d hit the water already moving down-current, then using speed bursts and pauses with a fairly fast cadence worked well all day. In the end, we caught about 100 trout, at least 70 of which measured between 21 and 23 inches. We also used the little Spooks to land 9 reds, all measuring between 29 and 33 inches and weighing up to 11 pounds. I caught the lion’s share of the fish, including all but
one of the reds, because I rightly perceived the truth related to the Spook Juniors and how best to work them that day.
Similar winds in December sometimes create ripe scenarios at the west end of Cathead. Many savvy Texas trout hunters recognize the regal potential of this spot during cold snaps. Normally, in such a situation, slow-sinking twitchbaits or soft plastics work better than topwaters. Sometimes, working the shallow grass beds and potholes atop the grassy bar produces the biggest trout. More often, the best bite occurs along the transition from the shallows into the depths, either on the mushy flat lying on the north side of the spine of the bar, or on the rock-studded south side, which fronts the main basin of Baffin.
Like the bars in the Boat Hole, the rocky one at Cathead has shallow feeding stations lying close to deep water, and the north shoreline of Baffin protects them from the effects of north winds. The Point of Rocks, separating the waters of Baffin from the ULM, lies a short boat ride away. Though it’s famous for producing whopper trout in cold weather, Cathead can produce great catches in many conditions, including during the summer heat wave, with relatively strong southeasterly winds blowing across Baffin and breaking on the rocks and grassy humps. When tides fall to really low levels, wading into the depths south of the bar and casting back toward its spine with topwaters often works well.
Over the years, I’ve caught many monster trout at Cathead. One day, I and a customer caught three which weighed a total of 27 pounds, all on Fat Boys, in water hovering around 50 °F. On another, a young customer upgraded his personal best trout on four consecutive fish, over the span of maybe an hour, using a gold/chartreuse Catch 5 on a cool December day in water stained by brown tide. His fish measured 28 1/2, 29, 29 1/2 and 30 inches. This kind of catching helped make the spot referenced here famous in the community of people who love to chase big trout.
Similar catches recorded on the flat between the Tide Gauge Bar and the mouth of the tidal lake lying just east of East Kleberg Point have done the same thing. Like these other two spots, the flat lies close to a prominent main-bay
Boat Hole Bars
East Kleberg Flats
Cathead
point and includes shallow feeding stations lying close to deeper water. It has plenty of cover on the bottom in the shallow parts, and the shoreline provides a buffer against strong winds, in this case, northwest winds. The Tide Gauge Bar also prevents big waves from crashing onto the shoreline and mucking up the water, even when strong southeast winds blow at the bank in spring, which they regularly do.
I’ve caught an impressive number of big trout at this location, as have many others fortunate enough to have visited the place. In fact, this precise spot accounted for the greatest run of trophy trout catching I’ve had to date. During the time-frame, which started in early-December of 2009 and lasted until about the middle of April 2010, I and two of my buddies and our friends and clients caught over 50 trout measuring between 8 and 10.25 pounds, backing those up with at least 150 more weighing between 7 and 8 pounds. On most days, the best bite occurred on Fat Boys and other slowsinking twitchbaits, though a few of the big fish bit topwaters and soft plastics too.
Over the years, I’ve had the best luck just east of East Kleberg in the spring, with winds blowing onshore, but I’ve done well there
3 Productive Places View The Video Open Camera and hover over QR Code. When link appears at top of screen tap to open in YouTube.
in relatively cold weather a large number of times too, usually while water temperatures remain at 54 ° or a little higher. Often, good catching at this site happens when huge rafts of mullet cover the flat. Many people, myself included, view this area as a kind of highway for the fish to use when moving between the front and back of Baffin. Numbers of big trout love to lurk in the river of mullet which sometimes appears in this rightly famous place.
All three of these locations helped me refine my perception of the attributes which combine to create supremely ripe opportunity in a place. They’ve repeatedly rewarded me and my customers with picture-worthy fish. Accordingly, these spots have earned permanent residence in the dusty, dimly lit chambers housing my most cherished memories.
KEVIN COCHRAN
CONTACT
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.
T ROUT TRACKER GUIDE SERVICE
Phone 361-688-3714
Email kevincochran404@yahoo.com
Web www.captainkevblogs.com
December’s sunsets are some of the prettiest we see all year. I call them a bonus after a full day on the water.
functional NOMADS
STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE
According to the dictionary, a nomad is a person who does not stay long in the same place, a member of a people with no permanent home and who travel from place to place to find fresh pasture. I can’t think of a better way to describe myself and many other Texas outdoor enthusiasts this month because there are some fantastic places to go, and we want to see each and every one of them for a variety of reasons. Like many of us here in Texas we find it difficult during this time to decide between a fishing rod, shotgun, rifle, or even archery gear. To have to choose between fishing or hunting is both fantastic and tragic at the same time. To make the decision between staying at home or putting together a road trip is perhaps one of the more exciting dilemmas to be endured. A year’s worth of anxious enthusiasm comes to fruition with the hope of making some lifelong memories. I, for one, love this time of the year and all the options it provides both here on my home waters of Sabine Lake, or anywhere else on the map for that matter.
Sabine Lake during the fall and winter months can be as good as anywhere along the Gulf Coast due to the vast variety of fish that can be targeted and the areas where they can be caught. The extremely dry months of September and October contributed greatly to the late fall and winter outlook. Salinity levels during the late summer ushered in a nice population of speckled trout, oversized redfish, and some visitors from the gulf such as jack crevalle and plenty of sharks. As long as we don’t run into any unforeseen crazy weather, you can look for a steady bite on schooling fish under the gulls. A healthy population of white shrimp being pumped out of the marshes by constant cool fronts will keep the party going until temperatures finally force the fish to deeper and warmer water. If you like the blow and go, stay on the move, hectic style of fishing, you are in luck because this time of the year is tailormade for exactly that. Keep a selection of soft plastics, jig heads, and rattling corks handy because they will be the go-to combinations for these schooling fish.
For those in search of a more relaxing style of fishing, Sabine Lake again has you covered as the deep water that surrounds the lake also offers up plenty of options. With minimal runoff from the north, all of the saltwater species will begin to travel up the Sabine and Neches rivers and go as far as their food does. A good rule of thumb is to use the proximity of crab traps as your guide. The crabbers will follow the saltwater until they quit catching, so if you find crab traps it’s a good bet that you still have salty water and saltwater fish. Once you decide to fish these deeper environments think more along the lines of swimbaits and larger soft plastics with paddletails on a slightly heavier jig such a 1/4 or 3/8-ounce model. By using your electronics and locating breaks in the depths, you can easily zero in on these fish as they suspend and relate to either structure, temperature, presence of bait, or some combination of the three. The other option for these areas is live bait such as shad or mullet, either fished on a free line with a split shot or on a Carolina rig. The live bait option can provide an opportunity to take some big fish such as oversized redfish and black drum along with quality speckled trout. The deeper water also makes for a nice place to get out of the wind in case the weatherman blows the forecast.
Perhaps the pattern that Sabine is still trying to revive is the once very popular method of wading for trophy-class speckled trout that everyone dreams about. It’s been a few years since we’ve seen some of
those fish that turn everyone’s head and cause a stir on all the fishing forums. Regardless if those fish haven’t been as common as they once were, there will still be those dedicated enough to continue the chase because you can’t catch them sitting at home on the couch.
The pursuit of these big fish is one place where the “nomadic angler” excels because they are willing to go where the fish are, and beyond. Destinations like Baffin Bay, Laguna Madre, and East Matagorda are all proven destinations to travel while searching for one of these trophy-class fish. On top of the potential for catching the fish of a lifetime, these areas are quality places to get in on some great waterfowl action. For years I would take my son and several of his friends and head south to do the castand-blast thing during their winter breaks from school and it was always a highlyanticipated trip for everyone involved. Seeing new places and the thrill of doing it on your own was almost as much fun as actually fishing or hunting at times. If you are willing to do some work scouting and are up for a little travel, the potential is limitless as you head south. One trip down there will be enough to keep you coming back for more.
Personally, I have added another destination that many have grown to love when the mercury begins to plunge and that’s Baja Mexico. October through February is absolutely off the chart for anyone looking to tangle with marlin, sailfish, wahoo and more. The striped
Nick Dragomire’s dolphinfish (mahimahi) is the perfect size for dinner.
Prevailing higher salinity and generally greater water clarity seem to invite pelagic species such as jack crevalle to visit Sabine Lake.
Hard-fighting dolphinfish gave the Penn Battle IV a great workout.
The Penn Battle IV paired with a three-piece Laguna Travel Rod makes a fantastic combo for inshore fishing.
marlin bite on the Pacific side of the peninsula near Cabo San Lucas is nothing short of amazing as these fish gang up during their migration and eat virtually anything that swims in front of them. The sheer numbers of billfish make this an epic trip that must be witnessed to be believed. I certainly enjoy chasing those big fish, but absolutely love to target some other species to see how big a fish I can catch on my everyday trout and redfish gear. Dorado, yellowtail, tuna, and snapper are all targets that can be caught casting lighter jigs and lures. We routinely run the endless beaches and find fish within casting distance of the sand which makes for a fantastic fight.
On my most recent trip south of the border I packed a new tool in my traveling arsenal, the Penn Battle IV spinning reel, to see if it would hold up under extreme conditions. I never leave home without a pair of my Laguna travel rods and for this trip I topped one with the Battle IV 2500 series spooled up with 30-pound Suffix braid. The first thing I noticed about the Battle IV was the finish and the size of the reel. The finish is designed to combat saltwater and all the damage that comes from being in that environment. Penn added extra seals to keep water out of the inner workings and went with a solid spool design, no holes for water to intrude through in an effort
View The Video
Open Camera and hover over QR Code. When link appears at top of screen tap to open in YouTube.
to fight corrosion. In your hand, the reel looks small, but it has great line capacity, and the drag is top notch as well. I managed to boat several really good fish that put the Battle IV through its paces, and it exceeded my expectations. I was very pleased with performance and look forward to seeing how durable the Battle IV will be after a couple of seasons worth of abuse. I have a sneaky suspicion that it’s going to get plenty of opportunities in the coming months.
Now that you have a few recommendations to choose from, all that’s left to do is to just get out and go. Don’t be afraid to make a road trip, in fact, you should make it a habit. Get yourself prepared with the right gear and frame of mind so you can enjoy the opportunities that we are blessed with here in Texas and beyond.
CHUCK UZZLE
CONTACT
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.
Here are a few favorite fishing and sea adventure books, most of them from the Texas coast, that might well fit under the Christmas tree. These days, I’m all in favor of casting aside that addictive cell phone for a few hours, and getting immersed in a good book.
The Stubborn Fisherman, by Elda May Roberts
We met Elda May back in 1988 or so, and still have her signed book that details the trials and tribulations of their living in Port Aransas, beginning in 1929. Her husband was nicknamed Florida Roberts, because both of them lived near Boca Grande, Florida and were married near there. What possessed them to spend six days driving to Port Aransas and settling there, living in a shack made of driftwood, is a mystery, but then her husband did a lot of things that were a mystery. Hurricanes flattened their home a few times, but they persevered, she making breakfast for their guests before he took them fishing.
Florida Roberts did whatever it took to survive a life on the water. Commercial fisherman and guide, he would row out to the end of the Aransas jetties and load the boat with gamefish. Sometimes he caught a stringer of goliath grouper, which were towed back to town, presumably with a favorable tide. He also snapper fished offshore with sketchy equipment, and was lucky to survive, once blown south by a bad norther, before making landfall at Port Isabel. It was notable that while offshore, the Warsaw grouper were sometimes so bad, stealing his hooked snapper, that he had to pull anchor and move. They had no GPS, navigating only by compass.
His adventures and reputation were such that Robert’s Park at Port Aransas harbor is named after him.
Fishing Yesterday’s Gulf Coast, by Barney Farley.
Book summary: Renowned fishing guide Barney Farley worked the Texas coastal waters out of Port Aransas for more than half a century. In these stories and reflections, Farley imparts a lifetime of knowledge about speckled trout, redfish, ling, jack, and kingfish, and gives advice about how, where and when to fish.
Perhaps no one could chronicle the changes in sport and commercial fishing along the Central Texas Coast more ably and more passionately than Farley. When he came to Texas in 1910, he reported that he could get in a rowboat and using only a push pole, make his way “to the fishing grounds and catch a hundred pounds or more of trout and redfish” in a few hours. A couple of years later, the shrimp trawlers arrived. As they plied the Gulf in increasing numbers, they depleted the shrimp populations in the bays, and Farley watched the fish move farther and farther offshore, following their ever more elusive food source.
From his perspective in the mid1960s, Farley was not satisfied simply to lament the disappearance of once abundant species. He also strongly voiced his views on the need for conservation. Many of the problems he identified are still with us, and some of the solutions he prescribed have since been adopted.
Published by Gulf Coast Books, sponsored by Texas A&M/Corpus Christi.
Outdoor Chronicles, by Joe Doggett.
This 370-page hardback edition, with a cover painting by Sam Caldwell, contains top picks of fishing and hunting stories from Joe’s 35-year career with the Houston Chronicle. Classic stories, some of which I still recall reading over a cup of coffee more than 40 years ago, after retrieving the paper from my doorstep. Those stories were often the highlight of my week.
For readers of Texas coastal life, there are five fiction book titles by Miles Arceneaux. Written by my friend Brent Douglass, we go back to grade school days in Lubbock, a few years after his dad played football for Texas Tech. Our families then moved away to the coast, me to Port Arthur and he to Rockport. Many years later, Brent and two buddies in Austin co-wrote Thin Slice of Life, creating Charlie Sweetwater, a fictional character who lives near the Copano Bay
bridge. Charlie undergoes many coastal adventures, often dealing with bad hombres, in this 5-book series published by Texas A&M. Brent went on to write the remaining four books. Here’s a partial summary from their first book, set in 1979: Meanwhile, Fulton Harbor, where Charlie’s family has docked their shrimpboats for generations, has changed—and not for the better. Hard-working newly-arrived Vietnamese immigrant fishermen are under the thumb of Colonel Nguyen Ngoc Bao, a ruthless exiled gangster who aims to recreate his Asian criminal enterprise in a New World setting.
Brent’s remaining four titles with the same hero are: North Beach, LaSalle’s Ghost (raising LaSalle’s ship in Matagorda Bay), Ransom Island, and lastly, Hidden Sea.
I have dabbled in fishing books myself over the years, though none are still available in print. However, I hope to place my latest, The Kingfish Bible, New Revelations on Amazon Kindle by Christmas. I’ve also finished a novel about a fishing guide on Matagorda
Bay, and hope to upload that one next.
If you’re looking for a good high-seas read in fiction literature, a longtime favorite would be Far Tortuga by Peter Matthiessen. It’s about native turtle fishermen in Grand Cayman, who sail for weeks along the coast of Honduras, netting sea turtles for the market in Key West. The year is 1962 or so. They drag handlines behind the boat to catch fish, to supplement their meager diet of rice and beans. Lots of colorful dialog between the white captain and black crew; the author apparently made a similar voyage.
Another favorite book (part of a true trilogy) from that same period is Shark for Sale by William Travis. He’s a very descriptive British guy in the Seychelle Islands, who gathers a crew of natives to fish for sharks commercially in the Indian Ocean. And the sharks they dealt with are off the charts. Travis also wrote two more excellent books from his offshore adventures, Beyond the Reefs (Diving for valuable shell at many deserted islands) and Voice of the Turtle, about harvesting sea turtles on the coast of Somalia.
JOE RICHARD
CONTACT
Joe Richard has fished the Gulf since 1967, starting out of Port Arthur, but his adventures have taken him up and down the entire coast. He was the editor of Tide magazine for eight years, and later Florida Sportsman’s book and assistant magazine editor. He began guiding out of Port O’Connor in 1994. His specialty is big kingfish, and his latest book is The Kingfish Bible, New Revelations. Available at Seafavorites.com
A Visit to Sea Center Texas at Lake Jackson
In the late 1970s the Texas Red Drum population was on the brink of collapse due to low regulation and commercial overfishing. Non-profits like GCCA (now CCA), recreational anglers, and TPWD Coastal Fisheries advocated for protecting the red Drum. In 1977 the first step was taken in the Red Drum Act which classified Red Drum as a game species and set recreational and commercial limits. The 1981 Red Drum Bill also known as HB1000 strengthened the regulations and banned gill nets. With this momentum, the GCCA, CPL, and Texas established the first saltwater fish hatchery, the John Wilson Fish Hatchery in Flour Bluff, in 1982. In 1983 the hatchery released its first 2.3 million Red Drum fingerlings into the local bays. In 1984 the John Wilson Hatchery added Speckled Trout to the program. A decade later the Perry R. Bass Marine Hatchery was opened, just as DOW Chemical, GCCA, and TPWD announced that they would partner together to build the largest and most state-of-the-art Red Drum hatchery in the world in Lake Jackson.
What do they do?
Sea Center Texas opened its visitor center in 1996 to promote education and conservation along the Texas coast. Sea Center is open six days a week to the public with free admission, and hatchery tours can be scheduled if you call and make arrangements in advance of your visit. Inside there is a replica of every saltwater state record fish, a touch tank where kids can interact safely with many bay species.
Public fishing events are held three times a year in February, June and September for 16 and under. If you are a new angler or are raising one there are also several Intro to Fishing Basics classes offered during the year. The Sea Center also hosts 5 major events: Nature Day, Shark Week, Bull Red Run-A Palooza, Sea Center Spooktacular, and Christmas with the Fishes. Nature Day has the goal of introducing the public to
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the Houston area environmental organizations. Shark Week is a twoday celebration held each year with guest speakers and complete with a real shark encounter. A Sea Center Spooktacular is for the ghouls and goblins to enjoy. They are also paid a visit by Santa during Christmas with the Fishes event.
I met up with Paul Cason in September for a Hatchery Tour during Sea Centers’ 3rd annual Bull Red Run-A-Palooza event. All generations of anglers were greeted at the gate where Paul, the staff, and volunteers setup learning stations. Each station covered an era in Red Drum conservation efforts by TPWD and their partners up to the present day. After which the kids were able to go fishing in the brood ponds for some catch and release fun with big bull reds.
Red dRum and Speckled tRout
“The hatchery is active year-round, Red Drum and Speckled Trout being produced in the spring through fall,” Paul said as we walked into the first of two spawning tank areas. “In the wild, redfish spawn only in the fall. In the hatchery we adjust the water temp and duration of light to simulate the seasons in the tanks,” he added. “Doing it this way allows TPWD to have eggs available on demand. It takes roughly 150 days for a ‘year’ to pass and the brood stock to spawn in the tanks. Redfish eggs float. In the wild, as redfish become adults, they leave the protection of the bays and live the remainder of their lives in Gulf of Mexico. During the fall, they congregate around gulf passes to spawn. The fertilized eggs rely on the tide and good luck to end up back in the bays. There they spend their juvenile years. In captivity, the eggs are collected by a skimmer, like on a swimming pool, and TPWD technicians and biologists collect the eggs and transfer them to an incubation area.”
Each spawning tank holds five adult redfish, three females and two males. The morning I arrived a biologist had collected over 300,000 eggs. “By noon on Saturday, these will be in a larval stage. By Monday they will be large enough for us to transfer to the stock ponds,” Paul said. “After 30-35 days TPWD staff drain the pond and collect the fingerlings in fish hauling trailers. The fish-hauling trailers are then transported and emptied in various stocking locations along the Upper Texas Coast. During the peak of operation, Sea Center can harvest upwards of one million fish during a busy week. Speckled Trout follow a similar process with a few exceptions. They are smaller fish and the spawning tanks can hold between 20-30 adult fish. Speckled Trout spawn in the summer rather than in the fall so, the biologists adjust the timing of the tank’s lighting and water temperature. To date, all three hatcheries combined have released over 1 billion fingerlings into the Texas bay systems. TPWD biologists have also confirmed that the fingerlings are surviving and becoming mature in these systems.
Once the eggs have been collected they are placed in a hatching tank. Over the next 72 hours they will finish developing and be moved to a stock pond.
SoutheRn FloundeR
In 2006 Sea Center began experiments, trying to rear Southern Flounder in the hatcheries. “Flounder are significantly different in their spawning and early developmental stages,” Paul said. “It is only in the last 3-5 years that the team at Sea Center has been able to consistently harvest flounder for stocking because of three major challenges.
1. Flounder eat live prey as soon as they hatch. In 2018 Sea Center added a new flounder building to their campus. The building boasts fingerling tanks and rotifer culturing – tiny, near-microscopic animals for the larval flounder to eat. The Sea Center Flounder Kitchen can produce 1 billion rotifers a day. More than enough to double the size of the operation in a future expansion.
2. Before they become officially flat fish, they are extremely sensitive to any environmental changes, “They are much more fragile while they are going through a metamorphosis to a flat fish,” Paul said. “Once the flounder’s eye rotates to the same side as the other it becomes officially a flat fish, and they are much hardier at that point.
3. Harvesting eggs is way more labor intensive. In captivity, flounder do not spawn as reliably as red drum and trout. Sea Center biologists must determine which female is ready to spawn and manually ‘strip spawn’ the eggs. This is done in a manner that does not harm the fish.
The flounder will live in the fry tanks for approximately 45 days
before the flounder will leave the water column and become flat fish. During that time and a bit beyond it, the environmental conditions can change the sex of the fish from female to male. Sea Center and Texas A&M Galveston are currently conducting an experiment to determine at what point that occurs. “The females are bigger than the males. Once flounder reach the retention slot size they are most likely female,” Paul said. This means that right now recreational fishermen harvest a greater quantity of female fish than they do males. “We want to determine at what age and length that change can happen in flounder so we can stock more females,” Paul said. As production measures are improved, TPWD will adjust when and how they stock flounder in Texas. To date, the Sea Center and other Texas hatcheries have stocked over 1 million flounder in the bays.
Texas has gone from overfishing redfish to the point of near extinction in the late 1970s to becoming one of the best places in the Gulf for redfish because of the efforts of the TPWD and its partners. All fish involved in the program are retired after four years of service and released to an onsite pond or back to the bay. If you are interested in volunteering at the hatchery, check out the website https://tpwd. texas.gov/fishing/sea-center-texas/. You can also make your voice heard in the conservation efforts of TPWD by checking their website where they will announce scoping meetings for regulations and regulation proposals. If you can’t attend in person, you can take a survey and let them know what you think.
Grayson Rocha and dad Ronnie caught and released this 16 pound redfish at the kid-fish event.
The Flounder Kitchen houses the rotifer farm. TPWD biologists are constantly involved in culturing rotifers in order to provide live feed for the young flounder. As they begin to mature their diet will be switched to other foods like krill and blood worms.
Sea Center tour guide map.
Marian Campbell with a Sea Center volunteer and the last of four redfish landed on the day – 20 pounder!
Rob Munoz with a 17 pounder right at the end of open fishing on the ponds. Jim & Evan with a 14 pound redfish.
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REFINING THE FINESSE APPROACH
Fall is finally delivering some cooler temperatures that have made days on the water much more pleasurable. We are still seeing air temperatures in the 80s most days, but a huge difference between the 80s and the 90s we have been enduring. Along with cooler days, cooler nights are providing cooler water temps during early morning hours. The water temperature was 75° this morning but warmed to nearly 80° by day’s end.
Along with lingering warm water temperatures, I have also recorded unseasonably high tides over the past month. Multiple factors have contributed to these high water levels; basically two significant hurricanes in the Gulf and a full moon during the fall equinox period.
In this month’s article I want to talk about what I call finesse fishing. When we hear the term finesse fishing we tend to think more along the lines of bass and fly fishing. I had to really think about this article before writing it, to make sure that finesse was the right word for the pattern I see during periods of weather that create light winds, clear water, and high atmospheric pressure.
As fall turns into winter, we will see more frequent frontal passages and with many of the fronts high atmospheric pressure will prevail in the days right after the front. Tides will drop, winds will often diminish to near nothing, and waters will become air-clear on
shallow grass flats and in spoil areas. Last week we had extremely high tides during the full moon phase. Water temperatures had cooled to 73° and winds were light out of the northwest. While these conditions are not uncommon, the continuation of extremely high tides certainly was. Bait activity was unbelievable, and birds of all species were actively working the areas we were fishing. There were even a few small slicks popping, marking areas where fish were present and feeding.
Topwater baits, suspending baits, and soft plastics were all being used with very little production. Skipjacks and needlefish were also present and presenting problems. For the record, when we encounter these two species in the areas we are fishing we must be mindful of monitoring our lures and leaders. No matter whether you use monofilament or fluorocarbon, you must constantly inspect the knot and the last 6 to 8 inches of leader for damage. Skipjacks are the world’s best at cutting and creating scuffs and nicks in leader material, and slicing soft plastic baits to ribbons. Quite often there will be trout and reds under these guys and failing to inspect the leader and re-tie as necessary after tangling with one can cost you a prized fish and a lost lure. This is especially true in-between feeding periods when the game fish are not as active.
Dillard Glass with a nice fall trout – CPR.
Callie Glass with her personal best trout on a recent fishing trip – CPR.
On this day, the major feeding period was early, with a minor feeding period later in the afternoon. The area we were fishing had everything the fish needed but bites were just not being received. I am big on communication between anglers, especially when wading and covering lots water. I believe it’s important for anglers within a group to share observations, enabling others in the group to adopt techniques that are working. As the morning went on I noticed the guy closest to me jerk his rod tip in my peripheral vision. “Was that a bite?” I asked. “If it was it was super light,” he replied, “and probably not a good fish.” I made mention of the fact that large trout often pick up a lure very lightly as it falls, and what seems like something small might actually be a very large fish.
The same thing happened a few minutes later and I couldn’t help but think he had missed another bite. I instantly reeled in and fired my lure across a large area of deeper potholes and scattered grass beds. The Lil John XL hit the back edge of a large pothole and I lightly dusted the bottom toward the edge nearest me. I thought to myself, “dust the bottom and barely tickle the top of the grass as the lure exits the pothole.” As the lure tickled the first blades on the front edge of the pothole I felt a light but distinct peck. A quick crank into the fish followed by a stiff hookset produced a boil on the surface and a 5-plus pound trout.
So, my instruction to the rest of the group went like this. “Let the lure settle and slowly dust bottom as you twitch it across the pothole. Then lift slightly and let it tickle the tops of the grass as it exits the near edge. The take is very light.” For the next few hours we worked areas of both small and large potholes that had well-defined grass edges, and sometimes small patches of grass within the potholes themselves. The key to our success was the ability to decipher the type of feeding pattern the trout were in and be able to communicate that intel, develop a strategy, and then execute it.
I have said many times that I am blessed to have anglers that possess higher degrees of fishing savvy than most. It is true that I have helped coach many of them to this level, but it is also true that many came to me with good skills already in hand. I have become big on allowing all my guys to throw whatever lures they have the most confidence in, despite what I already know will likely work better for them.
In earlier years, I was stuck on guys throwing what I told them to throw and that was wrong of me. First, it started the day off wrong with them. And second, my way is not always the only way.
To restrict anglers in the usage of certain types or brands of lures is limiting them in their ability to learn. I am not a topwater fan but I do throw them at times. Today, I always try to allow those wishing to throw them to get after it.
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Jeff Steckler handed me “my you know what” in a tournament last year with a Super Spook. I got to see it up close and personal. Had I chose the lures I thought would have been the most productive; which I did and caught nothing, we would not have gotten a check that day. Had I listened and thrown what he suggested from the beginning, we would have gotten an even bigger check. Lesson learned. If we pay attention and we have an open mind, we will continue to grow our fishing knowledge and our fishing abilities.
On the day I was describing earlier, the trout only wanted to feed in the lower portion of the water column. On multiple occasions throughout that two-hour period, one of us would switch back to a suspending or topwater type of lure and would not get a single bite. The reason for the change was that the trout we were catching were solid fish at just under 6-3/4 pounds; fish that typically eat something like a topwater, Double D, Custom Corky Soft Dine, or Custom Corky Fat Boy.
However, on that day, that was simply not the case, and it was of great value to the group to see the importance of being able to react to the way the fish wanted the lure to be presented and the portion of the water column in which they were most comfortable feeding. The finesse part of the day was the way we worked the lure through the strike zone and the patience the group exhibited once the presentation and technique was established. My conformation in this finesse pattern became even more evident after the third day of applying it in several different areas with similar structure and conditions – and receiving the same results. Fishing smart works! May Your Fishing Always Be Catching! -Guide, Jay Watkins
CONTACT
Jay Watkins has been a full-time fishing guide at Rockport, TX, for more than 45 years. Jay specializes in wading yearround for trout and redfish with artificial lures. Jay covers the Texas coast from San Antonio Bay to Corpus Christi Bay.
Telephone 361-729-9596
Email Jay@jaywatkins.com
Website www.jaywatkins.com
Janice Glass with another personal best trout – CPR.
DAVE ROBERTS SHALLOW WATER FISHING BACK TO THE CHANDELUERS!
Earlier this summer I was hanging out at the house on a Friday night when my phone went off. My buddy Donnie had sent out a group text message with a website link and an invitation asking, “Who’s in?” Clicking the link took me to a website entitled Chandeleur Island Fishing and I didn’t have to read any further. I replied back to put me down and several other people in the group began to reply as well. A few months later we were all meeting at Ocean Springs Harbor over in Mississippi, preparing to take off to the Islands.
On a previous Chandeleur Island trip we all stayed on a mothership that would anchor just off the island shoreline. This time we stayed at The Pelican, which is a set of floating cabins tucked away in the back of a large cove. One of the plus sides to this service was that they ferried us and all of our gear in a large offshore boat; which made for a comfortable ride out across Mississippi Sound and within an hour we were at the bunkhouse and unloading our gear. Since we were able to get out there so quickly, it gave us a full afternoon to fish.
Upon arrival, we checked out the floating bunkhouse and all of the amenities it offered. It basically included three large
rooms which consisted of the kitchen and dining area, the bunkroom with eight full-size bunk beds, and the guides room with their own sets of bunk beds. Along with that there was a large front porch overlooking the cove, a back porch that overlooked the marsh, and a crow’s nest that could accommodate everyone up-top, perfect for sunset viewing and relaxing. The whole setup was beyond perfect! After we got settled in, we began putting rods together and the rest of our gear organized, and then began the process of deciding fishing team pairings. Being that Stoney and I were some of the first ones ready, we decided to jump in a skiff and take off. The skiffs were 16-footers and equipped with poling platforms, so we were able to hit the shallows and pole around for some skinny water reds. We picked a shoreline that was full of grass and decided it was as good as any to get started.
The wind was howling that day, so our drifting speed happened to be a little faster than we wanted. We saw a handful of fish but were never able to make a decent cast due to the wind and speed we were drifting. After the first long drift we decided to bounce around and explore the island, hoping to locate some good places to fish the next day. Arriving back at camp, we met up with the rest
of our group and enjoyed cold drinks, a beautiful sunset and perfectly grilled steaks. Our guides had decided to run out for a few hours of trout fishing while we were all out exploring earlier and returned at sunset with a pretty decent box of fish.
Everybody was up and around early the next morning and the main topic of discussion was the day’s fishing plans. Stoney and one of our guides had left before sunrise for some predawn trout fishing and arrived back in time for breakfast with news of success. Robert looked at me and asked if I was ready, so we were the first ones off. He looked at the map and wanted to head to the next cove over. Getting the sun and wind at our back, we could then see the large grass flat in front of us more clearly. It didn’t take long until we spotted a red but my cast landed too close and it spooked. That was when we realized that we had another four or five fish scattered in front of us. I picked one out, made a great cast and the fight was on. I got it in and quickly made a few photos before the release.
Moving on to the next cove brought a startling discovery. The tide had been dropping all morning and we had to idle in with the motor tilted up. Nearly to the back of the cove, I spotted a school of tailing fish and signaled for Robert to cut the engine. I jumped up on the platform and poled him directly into the wind, hoping to get within casting range. As we got closer we realized that my “school of tailing fish” end up being a few reds and about a dozen hardheads…talk about a surprise! Anyway, Robert made a good cast and managed to hook a redfish briefly, only to have it pull loose after only a few seconds. The other reds spooked to parts unknown and the rest of that beautiful flat proved to be empty. We made it back to the cabins for lunch and not surprisingly learned the other members of our group were also having a tough day. One of the groups had found a school of reds further down the island but only managed to stick one and, unfortunately, it also pulled loose before they
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could land it. Other members of our outfit had found a large sand flat littered with blue crabs and wanted to head back down there to scoop a bunch for dinner that night. Robert and I decided to head to the other end of the island and see what the tip looked like. We got there and found a pair a big fish but they were not interested in anything that I was throwing. All of the other fish we found there were very spooky. However, later that evening we all sat around on the porch eating fresh crabs…and you can’t beat that!
As the final day came we put all of the knowledge and information we’d gained together to formulate one last game plan. Donnie and I decided to fish together and we hit a big grassy flat with water deep enough to run a skiff and drift across. Sure enough we begin to see a few redfish right off and it didn’t take him long to stick one. We continued on with the plan to drift that flat although most of the fish were very spooky and hard to catch. We met up with another of our boats who were able to land a few reds earlier that morning along with a very nice sheepshead.
After lunch, Donnie and I decided to head to the end of the island and sit on the point, hoping to spot redfish passing over from the beach to the bay side on the currents. We sat and made a few drifts for a few hours and nothing was to be found except sharks and skipjacks. Calling it a day, we headed back and spent our evening on top of the crow’s nest. The sky was wonderfully clear and made for an epic night of stargazing.
Overall, we did not hammer the fish, but for such a picturesque place as the Chandeleur Islands, it really doesn’t matter. Catching fish out there is really only a bonus to an all-around fun trip. Add that the accommodations and crew at The Pelican were completely awesome and everything I expected it to be; and I can’t recommend it enough. The Chandeleur Islands are a beautiful place and I would highly urge every angler to make a trip down there at least once in your lifetime.
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
By John Blaha
CCA TEXAS APPROVES $503,000 IN HABITAT PROJECT FUNDING
8,000 Tons of Rip-Rap Goes Into Sabine HI-54 Shallow Site Friends of Sabine Reefs (FSR) along with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), CCA Texas, and Building Conservation Trust (BCT) moved forward with the next phase of deployments into the new HI-54 Shallow site, located roughly 1.9 miles off Sea Rim State Park and roughly 9 miles from the Sabine Pass jetties. Once again, the local business community was a part of the success of this effort. Port Arthur LNG (PALNG) donated 8,000 tons of rip-rap and transportation costs to get the materials to the Port City docks in Sabine Pass. The deployment was possible because of contributions from PALNG, Cheniere, Golden Pass LNG, Phillips 66, Motiva, and Valero. Along with the local community contributions, CCA Texas contributed $223,000 to the effort to ensure that all 8,000 tons of rip-rap were deployed into the new site. This is the second deployment into the new HI-54 Shallow site following one in June 2024.
“Since 2018 when Friends of the Sabine Pass Reefs was created using the Friends of the Rio Grande Valley Reef as our model, we have been able to create two artificial reefs, HI-20 and HI-54 Shallow,” commented Friends of Sabine Pass Reefs representative, Mic Cowart. Cowart continued, “Our first experience with HI-20 was no doubt one with a lot of growing pains but, with the collaboration of groups including Friends of Sabine Pass Reefs, CCA Texas, TPWD Artificial Reef Program, Laredo Construction and others that came together for the HI-54 Shallow deployment, I think we have assembled a Team that has the expertise, assets, and most importantly, a passion for creating and sustaining marine ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico. With this Team, the future of artificial reef development is unlimited!”
CCA Texas is excited to help bring the Friends of Sabine Reefs reefing goals to reality and to provide nearshore angling opportunities to the general public. The new HI-54 Shallow site provides a unique angling site for anglers in the Golden Triangle to easily reach by boat, and when conditions are right, kayak off the beach-front of Sea Rim State Park. This new site should hold an abundance of recreationallysought species such as redfish, spotted sea trout, cobia and more.
To date, Friends of Sabine Reefs have secured $710,000 in local industry contributions, CCA Texas has contributed $754,000, and in-kind contributions from Port City, BOMAC, Eldridge Construction, and Laredo Group have all made the Sabine Reef Initiative a reality to benefit the ecosystem and recreational anglers.
Galveston Island State Park – Lake Como and Dana Cove Oyster Reef Project
CCA Texas has committed $200,000 in funds to match a contribution of $200,000 from Building Conservation Trust for the Lake Coma and Dana Cove Oyster Reef project. Dana Cove and Lake Como encompass over 200 acres of important coastal bay habitats between West Bay and the northern shoreline of Galveston Island State Park (GISP). Previously restored marsh complexes and rock breakwaters protect estuarine habitat within the cove. This coastal complex provides valuable habitat for numerous species of fish and wildlife.
The objective of this project is to develop an effort to enhance existing coastal habitat within this area. Efforts will include the placement of oyster shell material to create an intertidal oyster reef and bird island habitat adjacent to the north shoreline of Galveston Island State Park. The project will directly benefit avian and estuarine fish species by enhancing the existing habitat, which will support recreational fishing and birding opportunities within the park. The hard substrate will be suitable for oyster and encrusting species attachment and enhance oyster habitat in these protected coves that are not open to harvest. In addition to protecting and increasing valuable habitats, the project will also improve water quality and provide storm surge protection to the adjacent shoreline.
Thanks to the generous donation from Port Arthur LNG, 8,000 tons for rip rap were recently deployed into the
The project within Dana Cove and Lake Como will be unique in that it will utilize shell material from the University of Houston Coastal Center’s (UHCC) Texas Institute for Coastal Prairie Research and Education. This shell has been on site for decades and remains intact to be used as a cultch material to recruit future sets of oyster spat and grow into a healthy and bio-diverse habitat.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) will work
HI-54 Shallow site.
Sabine Pass industry partners proudly stand with materials recently deployed into Sabine HI-54 Shallow site.
cooperatively with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF) and the Coastal Conservation Association/Building Conservation Trust (CCA) and The Institute to implement the project.
Ayers Reef Restoration Monitoring
In November 2022, the Mesquite Bay complex was closed to all forms of oyster harvest from just north of the 2nd Chain of Islands (Ayers Bay) to Carlos reef. Restoration efforts are in progress to begin the restoration of reefs in this complex, and to create critical shoreline stabilization with the creation of oyster reefs in identified areas. One of the first projects will be a restoration and protection effort on the eastern end of Ayers reef. With these efforts comes the requirements of pre- and postmonitoring by US Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) permits and funding grants. The typical grant funding for post- monitoring is 12 – 18 months. CCA Texas and Building Conservation Trust (BCT) strongly support longer post monitoring periods to ensure methods and locations of restoration efforts are successful and beneficial. CCA Texas has approved $40,000 in matching funds to match a $40,000 grant from BCT to increase post- monitoring efforts by Texas A&M – Corpus Christi and Harte Research Institute.
Kate’s Hole Living Shoreline
Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program has secured funds from CITGO’s Caring for Our Coast program to develop a living shoreline to create habitat and protect the public access parking lot at Kate’s Hole in Corpus Christi Bay. While planning is still in the works, the early proposal is to create the living shoreline with bagged oyster shells and grass plantings, and to create a volunteer effort to construct this living shoreline. CCA Texas has committed up to $40,000 to help fund this effort scheduled to take place in 2025.
CCA Texas and Building Conservation Trust recently committed $80,000 total to extend post construction monitoring time to the Ayers Reef restoration project currently in the planning stages.
By Clair Cardwell | CCA-Texas TPWD Summer Intern
FIELD NOTES
SMALL FRY – HATCHING A GREATER APPRECIATION FOR OUR COASTAL FISHERIES
A splash breaks the water’s surface as a familiar tail attempts to escape into the deeper safety of the pond. On the other end of the line, determination sets in on the young angler’s face, fighting for their prize catch. Welcome to a Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) marine hatchery fishing outreach event, one of the many ways for the community to learn about TPWD’s conservation mission along the Gulf Coast. While the marine hatcheries are primarily concentrated on stock enhancement for species of the “Texas Slam” – Red Drum, Spotted Seatrout, and Southern Flounder – they also serve to provide a behind-the-scenes look at the processes involved, bringing people closer to the fish and the reasons we protect our natural resources.
Texas Parks and Wildlife operates three marine fish hatcheries strategically located along the coast of Texas: The Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Marine Development Center in Corpus Christi, the Perry R. Bass Marine Fisheries Research Station in Palacios, and Sea Center Texas in Lake Jackson. Annually, the hatcheries
release around 20 million Red Drum, Spotted Seatrout, and Southern Flounder fingerlings (1.5-inch-long juvenile fish) into Texas coastal waters to augment the natural supply of juveniles and to help optimize fishery harvests. In addition to year-round stock enhancement, hatcheries also play an important role in community outreach and educational events, which fishing licenses and equipment sales help to fund.
Educational outreach conducted by TPWD hatcheries aims to engage the public and create awareness of our coastal ecosystems, fishing, and hatchery operations. At the CCA Marine Development Center (MDC) in Corpus Christi, staff give behind-the-scenes tours to the public and conduct fishing events for school children. The MDC hatchery and Sea Center Texas host many fishing events throughout the year to get more people hooked on fishing and into the outdoors. These events are geared towards teaching kids how to fish and giving parents the knowledge to confidently take their kids fishing in our coastal waters. In addition to the time spent fishing, participants receive a tour of the facility, learn about what it takes to care for broodstock, rearing fish in ponds to be released into our local bay systems, and the history of the stock enhancement program. Visiting a hatchery might lend a newfound appreciation for Texas’ sport fish and introduce students to new and interesting job opportunities they might not have considered or known existed otherwise.
As someone who loved fishing as a kid but rarely had the chance growing up, I’m thankful that families and their children have this opportunity. The first time I came to the MDC was for the annual CCA Kid Fish Tournament as a volunteer with the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Islander Anglers Fishing Club. Watching the amazed looks on the kids’ faces was so much fun as they brought in fish as big as themselves after a long fight. Some are eager to carefully hold the fish and take pictures, while others are more apprehensive and need some convincing. Kids of all ages were delighted with their catch. Whether they had been fishing before or had never cast a line, we saw many young anglers created that day. Now, as an intern at MDC, I have experienced the other side of the outreach,
Image 1: The C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation Kid Fish Event at the CCA Marine Development Center.
helping conduct facility tours and fishing events over the summer. The best part for me is when children and adults alike enjoy the program together. It brings back memories of times when I was able to fish with my family. I’m happy to see how proud they are of catching something and to have played a part in helping encourage future conservationminded master anglers.
With recreational fishing increasing in popularity along the Texas coast, it’s especially important to get the younger generations outdoors and on the water with conservation in mind, but visiting your local hatchery isn’t just for novice anglers. Folks of all backgrounds might be curious about fish hatcheries, and it can be a great way to learn about how our marine stock enhancement works. Next time you’re visiting the Texas coast, come check out the nearest hatchery to see for yourself how anglers can play an integral part in being stewards of our coastal ecosystems!
Check the TPWD Outdoor Annual, your local TPWD Law Enforcement office, or tpwd.texas.gov for more info.
Image 2: Angler with large red drum caught in the CCA Marine Development Kid Fish ponds.
EXTREME KAYAK FISHING & SHARKS FROM THE SAND
MY SHARKATHON ’24 EXPERIENCE
After a long, exhausting summer spent battling giants, anglers gather for an authentic fall classic. Over the last two decades, a South Texas fishing tournament has garnered attention and built momentum in the sharking world. Appropriately dubbed Sharkathon, this unique event ranks as one of the largest surf fishing tournaments in the world.
In a tournament conducted with a very conservative mindset, anglers fishing Sharkathon must release all the fish they catch. Using a digital verification system, contestants submit photos of their catches at the closing ceremony. Officials then spend hours estimating the size of the many anglers’ fish to determine an ultimate winner for each of the various divisions. For folks of all ages, this tourney emphasizes educating recreational anglers about our resources. Despite having a track record of catastrophic weather and tedious conditions over the years, one thing is guaranteed when Sharkathon begins–exciting things will happen.
This year’s event marked the 20th anniversary of the tournament; I’ve been fortunate to have participated in all of them. Year after year, we witness crazy, chaotic things. After a lengthy official registration and checkin process, a mechanized herd of special shark-rigged vehicles stampedes the beaches, searching for places to pitch their weekend base camps.
Most years, we experience stormy, windy or otherwise difficult weather conditions. Often, the event
happens just about the time cold fronts start rolling over the coast. But this year, on the eve of the start of the tournament, conditions looked pleasant and accommodating for a serious sharking trip.
Donating sponsors are considered VIP entrants and assigned early release numbers for the event. This year, family obligations required me to run a couple hours behind the normal start. I checked in late and began my journey south to the Padre Island National Seashore with my good friend Clark. Though the tournament directors recently expanded the boundaries to include the beaches all the way to the Port Aransas South Jetty, we prefer fishing more remote locations, so we headed to the southern end of the PINS boundary.
With leaders and rigs all prepped and ready for quick deployment, we arrived at our destination and set up camp during the mid-morning hours. While Sharkathon has many divisions in which anglers compete, including trout, redfish and tarpon, I focus entirely on catching sharks, so that I can fully dedicate my time to being in the kayak when necessary to deploy baits and do other chores related to the quest. With light winds whispering over the sand, the waves in the surf ran small, with the exception of random swells spilling onto the first or second sandbar every few minutes.
In these nearly pristine conditions, I utilized stingrays exclusively to attract the attention of sharks. On this weekend, I tethered bullet-shaped floats to all my big baits, as I usually do when targeting big sharks. I do this for two reasons.First, it allows me to visually keep track of all my gear. Second, and perhaps more importantly, I can retrieve leaders when and if a line gets cut.
I quickly deployed four large baits, all between 500 and 800 yards from the sand. After about an hour, something scraped against one of the lines and cut it. Despite running 200 or 300lb braided line, cut-offs do occasionally happen. In the weeks leading up to the event, the number was much higher than normal. Fearing a repeat of recent trips, when I had multiple
Bite mark evidence left on the bait seemed to indicate that a giant hammerhead was the culprit in the “mystery fish” incident.
lines severed in a short span of time, I made the decision to relocate farther north. I zipped out in the kayaks and retrieved my gear, then ran up the beach a few miles and set up again.
This time, I deployed four slightly larger rays, hoping they’d last through the night, as the sun had already begun making its slow descent toward the horizon. With four delicious baits out, we began to wait for an encounter with a monster. But history repeated itself within the first hour, when one of my lines was cut again by a passing menace.
Watching the area near my floats, I saw a commotion. Numerous tarpon rolled, making large boils on the water’s surface. I wondered if one of them had cut my line as I tied a large snap swivel onto the kayak and began to row out to retrieve my leader. While I drew closer to the float, I witnessed more strange activity, lots of large boils, wakes and mud-stirs. I wondered if the tarpon were feeding aggressively, or if something else was happening.
Soon after I got to the float and clipped the leader onto the kayak, things took a turn for the worse. Within seconds, something ripped the leader out of my hand and started racing away, my float tracing a vapor trail on the water. My line, draped over the kayak, tangled briefly, and the force of the massive fish began dragging the kayak sideways, creating immediate danger. Luckily, I managed to quickly free the line from the boat, then watched as the shark dropped the bait after a run of maybe fifty yards. In the quiet beyond the gentle breakers, I sat stunned for a while, fairly certain of the identity of the culprit who had caused the chaos.
A couple hours later, in the gloaming, I kayaked out and retrieved two baits to swap for fresh ones, including the one that had been picked up and dropped earlier. On it, I could clearly see the bite mark. I had placed a 24/0 hook in the head of a roughtail stingray the size of a pizza. The arc cut by the shark’s teeth covered just 3/4 of the ray. The marks proved what I already suspected–a large great hammerhead, while patrolling and harassing the tarpon, had stumbled upon my bait and picked it up. Hammers have relatively small mouths, compared with other giant sharks. The radius of this one’s bite indicated a length somewhere between eleven and twelve feet.
Through the night, something chopped my lines, one by one. We killed time, surmising the source of the cuts, never clearly identifying one. The next morning, I retrieved all my baits and found them untouched, so I changed the plan and deployed them much closer to the beach, within no more than 500 yards. This accomplished one goal immediately, preventing more lines from being cut. Unfortunately, the rest of the weekend was quiet in my camp. I landed just a single six-foot blacktip.
Though this was clearly not my year to find glory in the Sharkathon, the weather made the experience enjoyable. The beautiful evenings provided some great opportunities to photograph the stars. I have to count my blessings and be grateful. After all, I’ve won and/or placed in five previous Sharkathons. I thank
Clark for being patient and motivating me while I rowed roughly fourteen miles on the kayak over the long weekend.
As people began to gather at the official weigh-in, word spread that all camps had an unusually high number of cut-offs, some far more than the nine I endured. Utilizing floats, I was able to retrieve every bit of my gear, but others lost plenty. While my would-be winning hammer never made it to the show, young Jeffery Reyes used images of his star, an eight-foot bull, to claim the top prize in the wild and memorable Sharkathon 2024.
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.
The somewhat surreal nature of the stars glowing brilliantly in the night sky set the tone for a most unusual Sharkathon experience.
Our lackluster performance in Sharkathon ’24 could never be attributed to inferior baits…of that I am certain!
NATHAN BEABOUT MOSTLY SIGHT-FISHING
DECEMBER SIGHT-FISHING OPPORTUNITIES
Now, if you get as excited about sight-casting, or redfish in general as I do, then you know December can be double-edged sword. It can offer many great post-front days to chase reds, but can also have a number of days that keep you at the dock. Let’s focus on the better days, shall we?
The first thing I look at in December when planning a day of sight-fishing is the tide. We can have huge swings this time of year. Let’s focus on these scenarios, because the rest will start to fall into place on its own. I have seen flood tides last until Christmas, and I have also seen the tides 3- to 4-foot low the entire month. Then, of course, you have what we all call normal for the month. By looking at each of these we should be able to determine where to fish in any given bay system before we launch the boat.
Case one; the normal tide. In my thought process, a normal tide also means normal weather patterns, right? Typical daytime temps in the 70s to low-80s with ESE wind pattern, nothing out of the ordinary, with green to sandy-green water. To have conditions like this means winter hasn’t really shown up yet, and that’s fine. But what does this tell us about our bay
system? It tells me there are going to be a good number of fish that are more or less relaxed and not skittish in areas with good visibility. They should be comfortable where they are at, eating routinely. Think of this as a continuation of your fall pattern. No big changes have occurred and we have been fishing the same areas for months.
Case two; the extreme low tide. This tide can be the most nervewracking, with sandbars and oyster beds showing everywhere, navigational awareness needs to be at the highest levels. At times it can be a white-knuckle ride all day long. Slow down and pay attention to your surroundings. Remember that green water is your deepest water, white and dark are shallow. But why did the water get this way? Usually a big cold front, or a few in a row several days apart drains water out of our bay systems. Any wind of a northerly direction tends to drive water out of the bays. The harder and longer they blow, the more water we tend to lose. Not only are the cold fronts in December draining the bays, but we must keep an eye on November as well. Watching it’s weather patterns should tell us what to expect for December water levels, especially in the first part of the month.
Right off the top of my head, thinking about this scenario, is the fact that our air temps should be lower than the upper 70’s, and we know the nights are usually chilly under these conditions. This makes sight-fishing a little easier, for the fact that our water is going to be clean to almost bathtub clear in some areas. We know that the microorganisms that give our water that greenish tint cannot thrive in these cooler temperatures, so they die off and we are left with clear water. This usually starts to occur around the 70-degree water temperature mark, and becomes cleaner the longer we stay under 70 degrees. This is the part that makes sight-casting easier.
With colder temps in the mornings, fish will tend to linger along deeper drop-offs, or in creeks and drains. Which, most of the year, means reduced visibility with the prevailing water color and depth. Now that the fish have become exposed in these areas, slowing down your troll and making longer Power-Poled sets can be key, waiting for these fish to come up from the deep.
Post-frontal fish can be a little timid in their feeding. In my experience, smaller baits have done the trick, or even returning to the area later in the day when it warms up a bit. These deeper fish and
others will use the heat of the day under the right conditions to get up as shallow as they can, a lot of times with their back out of water, crawling around chasing small crabs. Know that these fish can be very frustrating. Most of the time the slightest noise from the boat spooks them, or they tend to stay just out of casting range. I, as well as my clients, love sitting and waiting these fish out. Just watching them, with them not knowing we are near is a lot of fun.
Case three; the flood tide. This is the result of weaker late November fronts that come in with a light NE or ENE wind. These winds can actually push or hold water in our bays. It can also be the result of late tropical weather events elsewhere in the Gulf that have no direct impact on the Texas coast. Both scenarios usually mean temps are a little warmer than normal for the time of year. For this we can play the Case 1 strategy of normal tide levels, but with more options because of the amount of water in our bays. If the water levels stay up for a couple weeks, you will see fish tend to push into small isolated ponds that usually do not hold much water. In this case, we see them eating small grass shrimp and chasing small crab into the flooded salt grass. When this happens, I tell the clients we are going to get lost in the marsh, trolling slowly from pond to pond, usually picking up 3 or 4 fish in each location. We spend most of the day on the tower and trolling motor, not needing to make big moves.
Whatever the case may be for parts or all of December, one thing is for certain. If the conditions are played correctly, it can be a non-stop action kind of day. Just remember to pay attention to the weather (winds), they will tell you everything you need to know while planning a trip. Be safe out there, be mindful of others, especially the duck hunters who were out there long before we began sight-fishing the marsh during duck season. Respect their areas because we have a lot to choose from for fishing. CONTACT
Captain Nathan Beabout
USCG/TPWD Licensed
Full time guide since 2007
Seadrift, Port O’Connor, & Port Mansfield, TX Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn
Phone 210.452.9680
Email www.nmsportsmansadventures.com
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Fishing Unlimited Tackle
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HIGHLIGHTS
Huk Rogue Wave Shoe
Abu Garcia Max X Spinning Reel
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Savage Gear VIB Blade
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Matagorda
Bink Grimes is a full-time fishing and hunting guide, freelance writer and photographer, and owner of Sunrise Lodge on Matagorda Bay.
December is one of those months many anglers forget about. I guess there are too many ducks to shoot, bucks to chase and Christmas parties to attend. With deer and waterfowl season in full force, fewer boats will be on the bay. I can remember a few Decembers where birds were still working along the east end of East Matagorda Bay and I believe that will be the case this year as well. However, by late mid- to lateDecember most of the white shrimp crop have left the bays and speckled trout adapt their diet to finfish. We will continue to make long drifts with Chicken on a Chain Bass Assassins, gently working the jig over towhead reefs and broken clumps of shell. My first stop will be over deep shell for healthy specks, wind permitting. That’s the key – wind – and how much cold air blows down from the north. Too much of it and East Bay becomes a mud hole, too little of it and the bay becomes so clear you can read a newspaper lying on the bottom.
Waders will begin to search for large trout on the east end of the bay over soft mud. Corkys and MirrOlures are the normal offerings, but if afternoon temps reach the 60s, never discount your favorite topwater. If you see a mullet flipping, fish it. If the water is cold, the mullet become less active the same as the trout, so work your baits slowly and methodically.
Locales receiving the most tidal flow often hold the majority of schools – that means reefs and mud flats adjacent to the Intracoastal Waterway in East Bay. Brown Cedar Flats, Chinquapin Reefs, Bird Island, Half-Moon Reef and the Log are all proven winter spots holding healthy specks. Raymond Shoals, Boiler Bayou, Pipeline Reef and Cleveland Reef also hold good fish
during the winter; and, when tides are extremely low, shoreline redfish move off the flats to these reefs in the middle of the bay.
If the wind blows and temperatures dip, the Colorado River is always a safe haven from the wind; and, the colder the better for the deep depths of the winding river. Most anglers work the edges with topwaters, while jiggers throw along the drop-off from into 5-12 feet of water. When it is really cold, we set out multiple rods and float down the middle of the river and allow soft plastics to delicately work the bottom in depths of 20 feet of water.
We will still be duck hunting most mornings and fishing the afternoons. It makes for a heck of an action-packed day for serious outdoorsmen. We really have so much to be thankful on the Texas coast and being able to hunt and fish on the same day with such success is priceless.
Around this time of year I normally write a Christmas gifts column in various publications to help spouses buy for their angler. So here are a few ideas:
-A new reel is always good; let your budget dictate.
-A light, sensitive piece of graphite to compliment the reel is even better; I use a Waterloo HP Lite, but any Waterloo model is a great choice.
-A pile of soft plastics stuffed in a stocking with fluorocarbon leader material and dozens of new jigheads is a thought, not to mention a load of Skitter Walks, Super Spooks, Top Dogs, Corkys and MirrOlures.
-A pair of breathable waders, wading boots, wading net or even a gift certificate for a guided fishing or waterfowl trip is always sure to bring a smile.
-A hard-sided cooler, pair of Bajio sunglasses, Power Pole for the boat or a gift certificate to fine stores like Matagorda Outfitters or Johnny’s Sport Shop would be a nice surprise.
I want to thank all anglers for the change in attitudes and actions concerning our fisheries. Thank you for practicing more catch and release. Thank you for treating the bay like its your own backyard pond. Thank you for doing what’s right for our fishery. Thank you for releasing more than you take.
Let’s keep the conservation momentum going in 2025. Our bays are responding to sound, conservative practices and bouncing back with a bounty. Pat yourself on the back – our success is a direct cause and effect of your actions.
Merry Christmas!
Video
Science Sea and
the TM
Making the Great Escape
When Pinocchio and his father, Geppetto, were swallowed by a whale, they started a fire to make the whale sneeze them out. That’s not exactly the strategy that juvenile Japanese eels use, but the eels have managed to find a way to escape the stomachs of predators that swallow them—and biologists have captured their Houdini-like feats on video.
Japanese eels split their lives between freshwater and saltwater. After hatching in the oceanic waters of the western North Pacific, they make their way to the estuaries, rivers and lakes of Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. At breeding time, adults trek back to the ocean to spawn, and then they die. Researchers previously observed young eels escaping through a predator’s gill openings, but they didn’t know how the eels did it. They suspected the eels reached the gills directly from the mouth, but an experiment using the dark sleeper fish, a likely predator of the eels, revealed a surprisingly different path.
Scientists injected a contrast agent into a dark sleeper so they could use X-ray videography after the fish captured the eels. They discovered that the eels had all been swallowed and were at least partially in the sleeper’s stomach. Most of the 32 eels they observed tried to escape. They did so by inserting the tips of their tails into the fish’s esophagus and pulling themselves from the stomach, through the esophagus, and toward the gills. Then, they extended their heads past the gills and swam away before they could be swallowed again. Of the eels that attempted to escape, 13 made it far enough that their tail exited the gill opening , and nine ultimately got away. This resulted in a 28% escape rate for the prey, and it only took an average of 56 seconds—not quite a full minute—to escape being digested. Even Houdini would be impressed!
Captain Gary Gray is a full time guide, born and raised in Seadrift. He has been guiding the Seadrift/Port O’Connor region since 1986. Gary specializes in year ‘round wade fishing for speckled trout and redfish with artificial lures.
Well, Mother Nature is still playing her tricks on us here on the Middle Coast. In October we were blessed with a couple of nice cool fronts. The kind that made you think about putting your waders on, even though the water temps were still in the upper 60s to low 70s. Cool, crisp air has a way of doing that. Just like in years past, though, the daily air temps slowly climbed back up into the upper 80s and some days reached the mid-90s. As I write this article the water temperatures have been running into the mid-80s. So much for an early fall season.
If those little cool-offs were any indication as to what the lower water and air temps did for the fishing, you better hang on to your hat. During the first cooloff we were running a five boat group of fishermen and they all had varying experience, but with large groups you just make the best of it. Everyone wore jackets to start the day and most (like me) kept them on until we got back to the dock.
The fishing was the exact opposite of the cool weather; it was on fire. All our boats brought in limits of redfish along with all them bringing in limits to near limits of black drum. Yes, most of these guys were throwing live bait but the artificial guys were having the same success. It has everything to do with the cooling of the water and the fact that it kicked off the mullet migration in the area. We went from having scattered mullet in most places to major mullet concentrations in every nook and cranny,
especially in shallower areas. The cooler temps also helped kickstart the shrimp migration from the head of San Antonio Bay.
Yes, the water temps have slowly been climbing, but not as warm as before the fronts arrived. The really good outlook is that we will have more cool fronts arriving soon and the cooling trend will continue.
With the cooler water I will begin focusing on wading mid-bay reefs in San Antonio Bay but, unlike during summer, we will be working the northernmost reefs, hoping to intercept migrating shrimp that will always have reds and specks following them. Yes, we will also be catching some flounder in the mix, but these are totally catch and release during the first half of December.
Lure selection will be primarily my go-to 4” Saltwater Assassin Sea Shad in Purple Chicken, Magic Grass and Copperhead colors. I rig these on 1/16-ounce Bass Assassin JA jigheads. Some mornings, the bay will be flat as glass, and we will be throwing small topwaters such as the MirrOlure She Pup and Top Pups.
We can expect lots of flounder bites in December; but remember the no-keep regulations November 1 – December 14.
On mornings when the wind is a little too high for the midbay reefs I will be hunting redfish and trout in the many backwater areas of Matagorda Island. When we target these backwaters I will always try to enter the area we intend to wade from upwind if at all possible to avoid disturbing the fish we are trying to catch.
Lure selection will change somewhat with wind and location of my fishing area. When focusing on backwater areas it’ll likely be more topwaters, along with my alltime favorite, the Texas Customs Double D in Crown Royal or Pistachio colors. These lures have been in my wading box since their introduction. As a suspending lure, you can vary the depth that you run it, meaning if you are fishing a knee-deep flat with grassy bottom you can slow your retrieve with less aggressive twitches and keep it just above the grass.
I find most strikes occur when you pause a second or two and it begins to slowly rise toward the surface. Another note I might add is that I have been backing my drag off a little, the same as I do with topwaters, because fish often strike the Double D so violently that they will become hooked in the side of the face or the midsection of their body. Backing the drag off keeps you from tearing the hooks out of an angry trophy. Just something you might try if you lose a lot of fish on topwaters or when using the Double D.
In closing I would like for everyone to take a deep breath and think good thoughts when you are fishing. There are a lot of anglers sharing the water nowadays and it takes everything I have to not cuss every discourteous angler I encounter out there…I like to think I’m getting better.
Fish hard, fish smart!
Here’s Clara Evans showing off a nice December red!
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Upper Laguna/ Baffin
David Rowsey has 30 years in Baffin and Upper Laguna Madre; trophy trout with artificial lures is his specialty. David has a great passion for conservation and encourages catch and release of trophy fish.
Dang, time is flying! Seems every time I wake up there is an article due, which means another month has passed. That’s great in summertime when it’s sweltering outside, but I need this clock to slow way down during late fall to have more time to balance quality bigtrout fishing with kicking rocks in the Hill Country and West Texas. Blessed to have such tough decisions to make.
December used to be a pretty quiet month with regards to boat traffic and fishing pressure. The more folks that have fallen in love with my longtime obsession of chasing the biggest trout in the bay, it’s only natural that the cat would eventually get out of the bag on what had long been a very quiet time on the bay to work on some big bites. Yep, December was always a sleeper… but not anymore.
My little foray into writing in this wonderful magazine has always been focused on what is taking place in Baffin and the Laguna, and I’m going to continue doing that, but my memory took me on a pleasant journey recently of great things learned and enjoyed in Decembers gone by. There are a lot of things you can gripe about when it comes to aging, but memories like these are not on that list. Indeed, I have been blessed, and I have a few memories I want to share with you.
Baffin and the Upper Laguna have always been my home turf and where I fished on weekdays before and after my day job, back when I had one. On weekends, though, I would venture into any number of bays, often as far north as POC. I had lofty goals as a young man to learn as much water as possible and, not really knowing why I was doing it, it paid off handsomely when I got into tournament fishing.
I learned much about the effects of falling December tides fishing oyster reefs in Copano and Port bays. I also learned about trout corridors in and out of Estes Flats, Redfish Bay, East Flats and dozens of other places most fishermen only motored past.
Another incredible experience was earned in the surf at Cedar Bayou. Not knowing a damn thing about surf fishing, I wandered out there one early December day and was greeted by the most ferocious trout bite I have ever experienced in the surf – even after several hundred good ones since then.
Very late November 2007 (almost December); I had a client begging to cancel a trip as the forecast was cold, wet, and windy. He always fished by himself and didn’t want to spend the money on a bad weather boat ride. I was so confident that the fish would be hunkered in this gut off of a certain spoil island that I told him, “If you don’t have your best big-trout day ever, then the trip is on me.” Looking back, I was crazy to have said that, but I was very confident and, y’all need to keep in mind how many big trout we had in the bay in those days. Anyways, after the
first hour I thought I might be donating my services when, finally, the moon got overhead, and we slipped into a feed period. Old-school Fat Boys in white with a chartreuse back was the ticket. For several hours we caught 7- to 8-pounders – the absolute best day of my client’s career.
That same year, the fishing never missed a beat as November faded into December. To tell you how good it was, I had multiple days of 70plus pound “stringers” when the limit was still 10 fish – all released, of course, and never actually placed on a stringer.
Another December tale I’ve written about in past articles included our good friend Mike McBride as witness – two days back-to-back –my best ten trout each day averaged 85 pounds. Man, Oh Man, those were the days.
This little trip down December’s memory lane is just that, great memories from better days, but I would be remiss to not point out that they are the reason I am so passionate about conserving our trout fishery. You see, it’s not about fulfilling some lifelong mission or accomplishing a long strived-for goal, it’s because I know where we have come from, what our bays are capable of producing, and what we can have again. Conservation is a must if any of y’all younger than fortyfive want to witness those kinds of days for yourself. We are finally on the right track. Never let off the gas!
Remember the buffalo. -Capt David Rowsey
Wayne Brock Jr getting it done in some nasty NE wind. The Soft Dines by Texas Custom Lures were making some magic on 5 – 7.5-pound trout on this “Should we stay or go?” kind of day. All were released to play again.
Port Mansfield
Captain Wayne Davis has been fishing the Lower Laguna-Port Mansfield for over 20 years. He specializes in wade fishing with lures.
Telephone 210-287-3877
Email captwayne@kwigglers.com
WAYNE’S Mansfield Report
Greetings from Port Mansfield!
This month’s article will simply be a forecasting report, something that many might relate to since some angler’s plan well in advance of their fishing trips. It only seems appropriate to cover forecasting topics since I will be in Brazil and Argentina during the time I typically draft my December report.
In my mind, December kicks off trophy trout season and anglers who know, know that big things can happen in December. If you recall I caught one a little over eleven pounds in early January last year, so December has all the potential one might desire.
Let’s take a look. Two thoughts come to mind for December. One, if we have early northers that really pack a punch, we can expect lower water levels in the bay system. Two, if we only experience weak fronts we can expect fairly normal water levels. Additionally, we need to consider air temperatures associated with the fronts. The colder the fronts the heavier weights we can expect game fish to attain. With each passing front this time of year, fish will gorge until they establish the appropriate sustainable balance. December also is a great month for what I call overrunning cloud cover associated with the cold fronts. Once a semi-strong front makes its way to the Lower Laguna Madre, we may see cloud cover along with some light rain and drizzle. This alone supports the thought of big trout, and rightfully so. This scenario is associated with low barometric pressure which is a variable you want in your fishing equation when targeting trophy trout. We can surely catch them under bluebird skies that follow a blustery front, (although these can be extremely challenging conditions) but I prefer that cloud cover and low ceiling. Water temperatures should be hovering in the high 60s all the way to the upper 70s. This tells me right away that topwater’s will be in play a high percentage of the time. After catching my career- best trout on a topwater, you might guess I have great confidence in them, most of the time. There is so much to like about topwater fishing, you can see what is happening, and because of that you have the challenges of trying to “talk the fish” into eating your bait. If they are swirling under it or popping it out of water, or possibly trailing behind and making no effort to eat it, you can work it different ways to try and get them to take it. By comparison, with a subsurface lure you typically cannot see how they are responding. Topwaters also tell you if you do need to switch to a soft plastic or suspending bait. All of this is part of
learning to become a better angler.
December also supports slowing down, and for me, that even means not leaving the dock until the sun is well up. Although it is tough to beat a good sunrise on the water, its just not “required” as it is in the warmer months.
Most wade fishing anglers will need waders this month and I have to say if you have not checked your Simms waders prior to December you might be a little late to the game. This should have happened in October or even earlier. I know Simms gets busy this time of year with repairs and it might take a while to get your waders back before your next trip, so you might end up having to buy another pair if you just have to go fishing. That said, if you are reading this and have not checked your waders, do it now! I find it easiest to just put them on and get in a swimming pool for about 20 minutes or so, a leak will not be hard to find. If the leak is small enough you might be able to repair it yourself.
My preferred tackle choices will be Shimano’s Vanford and Aldebaran reels paired with my trusty Fishing Tackle Unlimited G2 Green Rods (Finesse and Classic models). I will be tossing Mansfield Knockers and KWigglers Wig-A-Lo for the most part during December; holding steady in less than two feet of water. I will be looking for bait activity before committing to a wade-fishing spot, which should not be hard to find in the Lower Laguna this time of year.
I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I know I will.
Remember, fresh is better than frozen. -Capt. Wayne
Preston Beck also scored big last December – CPR!
Derek Kidd landed this great specimen during late December 2023 – CPR!
Arroyo Colorado to Port Isabel
A Brownsville-area native, Capt. Ernest Cisneros fishes the Lower Laguna Madre from Port Mansfield to Port Isabel. Ernest specializes in wading and poled skiff adventures for snook, trout, and redfish.
Cell 956-266-6454
Website www.tightlinescharters.com
SOUTH PADRE Fishing Scene
It must true; the older we get the faster time flies. Only a few weeks ago we were experiencing the transition of summer to fall fishing patterns and here we are headed into December. The single greatest influence affecting fishing patterns this month will be the more frequent arrival of cold fronts. While some fronts might last only a day or two and relatively mild temperature-wise, others might be more severe, lasting several days, with prolonged cloud cover and much colder temperatures. Adapting our fishing strategies to the way fish will react to each of these weather systems will be the key to successful fishing in the weeks that lie ahead.
Each passing frontal system will produce a decline in the level of the tides and water temperatures. The greater the severity of the event, the more likely we will see our fish becoming concentrated in deeper water and the longer they will remain there. Areas to focus on will be deeper flats adjacent to old oil field cuts, edges of the ICW, and the jetties. These will all be worth looking at this month.
Generally speaking, right after a cold front and as high atmospheric pressure sets in, we can expect bluebird skies, the wind will become light or completely calm, and the water will become flat as glass. If you desire to learn winter fish patterns, a quick and easy way is to look for V-wakes as you run the flats. Pay attention to whether the fish making the wakes are redfish, trout, or both. How far are those fish from the ICW? Is there also bait present in the same areas? The depth where you see the most wakes will aid you in knowing what depth the fish desire, and be sure to make note of the water temperature so that you may target other areas with the same temperature.
Redfish are still running in smaller schools, seemingly more plentiful north of the Arroyo Colorado than to the south in the Lower Laguna. As the tide drops somewhat and the sun rises higher in the sky, they will retreat to the grass flats in slightly deeper water. Since the water will be cooler this month, the redfish will likely begin feeding later in the morning hours. Seeing and targeting them while they feed in clear water can be great fun. It’s a sight-caster’s dream! This pattern will continue this month, especially during the warming trend right after the passing of a cold front.
Trout are far more sensitive to cooler weather than redfish, which can drastically change their movements and feeding habits. Water temps dipping to the upper-50s and lower-60s for prolonged periods will cause them to become lethargic and likely to not feed regularly until they acclimate to the drop in temperature. Saying that, they will also be quick to begin prowling the edges of flats near deeper water as soon as a warming trend begins to develop. Often, by the second warm day, they are back to lying in sandy potholes and have resumed normal feeding.
A good strategy for targeting trout in potholes is to avoid spooking them by plopping the lure right in the middle of the pothole. These fish are keenly aware of their surroundings and any unnatural noise will send them scurrying. I recommend the recently introduced four-inch version of ZMan’s Big Ballerz, and also their five-inch StreakZ – both in the Space Guppy color. The cast should be landed far enough away to avoiding spooking, and then drawing the lure toward the pothole. A slow retrieve bounced off the bottom will draw reaction strikes, even from wary fish.
I would say our prospects for the coming trophy trout season are very promising as we are already landing some very nice fish during late fall. As all diehard trout aficionados know, the colder it gets the better the trophy trout potential will become, and December is only the beginning. December is also the greatest month for giving of gifts and I would like to make a suggestion if you might be looking for something really nice for that special angler in your life. Visit one of Fishing Tackle Unlimited’s stores in the Houston area. Each location has plenty of everything fishing related, including their wonderful G2 Green rods. Merry Christmas!
On colder days, focus on muddier bottoms, deeper holes, and edges of the ICW. The colder it gets, the more predictable the redfish will become. Fishing for redfish will take a turn for the better this month.
Bill Sanford did very well this day throwing ZMan soft plastics.
Scott Buyajian fooled this beauty with a ZMan DieZel Minnowz.
FISHING REPORTS AND FORECASTS from Big Lake to Boca Chica
Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag
Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242
James enjoys fishing the main parts of West Galveston Bay and the satellites surrounding it in December. “This time of year, the wading usually produces best, if the goal is to catch some of the big trout in this area. The best conditions are dependent on the type of weather we’re having. If the weather’s warm, with light southeast winds, fishing can be great on incoming tides early in the mornings on main bay shorelines, and around some of the shell humps. If the tide falls way out after a blast of cold air, the fishing during the day will become tough for waders in the clear water. Then, folks fishing soft plastics and old-school MirrOlures will do better, drifting deeper areas over a bottom of mixed mud and shell. The lures have to move slow and stay close to the bottom in this situation. On the day when the winds die down after a front and the water comes gushing back in around sunset, waders will catch some big trout right at dusk and into the early hours of the night on reefs and shorelines with plenty of shell on the bottom, throwing topwaters, Catch 5s, and Catch 2000s.”
Jimmy West | Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054
Jim says he expects the fishing and hunting to be good in the Christmas month. “We start hunting ducks a lot this month. The season starts in November, but the action usually gets better toward the end of the year. We don’t have a bunch of birds yet, but by Thanksgiving we should get a few significant fronts to drive some birds this way. We’ll be spending time in the blinds during December, for sure. And, the second half of dove season opens about halfway through the month. As long as we don’t have any floods or crazy weather, we should continue to have good dove hunts. It’s been great so far this year. On the fishing side, December is a good month for both wading and fishing out of the boat. During the warm spells, the wading is better. Best bite is usually around drains with water pulling out of the marshes and dumping into the bays. It can also be good at times on the shallower reefs. When the tide pulls out and the water temperatures drop, the fishing is better out of the boat, either around some of the big reefs in the middle of East Bay or in the bayous and ditches.”
West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays
Randall Groves | Groves Guide Service
979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323
Randall likes to target some of the bigger trout in the bays around San Luis Pass in December. “We like to wade in the bays close to the pass during the warm spells this month. The best areas have at least a few significant live oyster reefs and lots of muddy bottom with shell scattered around. When the weather’s relatively warm and the tides pretty high, we do well targeting the bigger trout by staying in places like these and throwing slow-sinking twitchbaits like Paul Brown Lures and others, working them slow, with some rhythm. On the best days, when we see lots of mullet jumping or at least bunched up at the surface, we do well on topwaters, too. When the temperatures drop and the tide falls out, the fishing is much better in deeper parts of the main bays. When we’re fishing out of the boat, we like to target our fish in places with lots of signs of active life, like rafts of mullet and birds, including pelicans, cormorants, terns and gulls. Most of the time, we catch best in the deeper, open water on Norton Sand Eels, in colors like cayenne gold and other dark, natural ones.”
Matagorda Bays | Capt. Glenn Ging Glenn’s Guide Service - 979.479.1460 www.glennsguideservice.com I always look forward to December fishing. The crowds get much lighter as everyone focuses on hunting season, the holidays, football and all the other fall and winter activities. The fall fishing should continue strong well into December. The last of the shrimp should be leaving the bays, so our fish will start switching back to a diet of mullet and other finfish. As the last of the bird activity winds down, look for trout on mid-bay shell in five to six feet of water as well as up on the shorelines around drains and reefs in the shallows. I’ll be throwing lots of Bass Assassins in December, both paddletails and jerk baits, typically on quarter-ounce or three-eighths ounce jigheads. Topwaters and slow-sinking twitchbaits like Paul Brown Lures will be mainstays as well. Redfish action should be good under the birds until the water temps drop into the 50s. After the cool down, marsh drains and guts running through shallow flats will stack up with redfish when water levels drop from passing fronts. Gulp! shrimp dangled under corks will produce plenty of reds in winter, as will soft plastic paddletails rigged on light jigheads, either sixteenth or eighth-ounce.
The water is finally cooling off a little bit and the fishing is heating up! Trout fishing has exploded this fall. We’re catching trout everywhere, on all kinds of baits and lures. Close to town, we’re catching trout on shorelines in shallow water over sand and shell, throwing green/chrome She Dogs and pink Skitter Walks. Lately, the best time has been about 30 minutes before sunup to about an hour after. We’re also catching lots of trout drifting over shell pads in three to four feet of water, using live shrimp. Pier fishing at night has been phenomenal with the light winds, with lots and lots of keeper trout and solid sand trout coming to anglers’ hands. They’re biting glow, and glow/pink spec rigs. Fishing for reds has slowed down a little, but we’re still catching a few on falling tides around bayous and drains. The big tides have pushed most of them far back into the marsh. Black drum fishing has picked back up, and we’ve been catching them close to points and rocks with Fish-bites and peeled, freshdead shrimp. In December, as we get cooler temps, we’ll be focusing on finding bait close to the places where fish retreat to deeper water.
Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith
Back Bay Guide Service - 361.935.6833
Lynn mentions a specific pattern he likes to fish once the weather gets cold for the first few times each year, normally in December. “This is a great month for targeting some of the biggest trout in the bays. On the sunny days after a front hits, the water in the shallows warms up faster than the deeper water. Of course, the trout retreat into the deeper water of the channels and other holes when the temperatures fall fast, then they come out into the nearby shallows once the sun heats them up. When this happens, the trout aren’t always easy to catch, especially when they first come into the shallow water. It’s like they’re wanting to warm up some before they eat. But, eventually, places like these will produce big trout for patient waders. In these spots, the bottom is usually soft mud, and there’s some oyster shell scattered around. The best places are usually within a stone’s throw of a channel or deep hole. Some of the bays in
remote parts of the Coastal Bend have several spots which meet this description. Catching in this situation usually requires a persistent effort with soft plastics on light jigheads or slow-sinking twitchbaits.”
Rockport | Blake Muirhead
Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894
December ranks high on Blake’s list of favorite months for fishing and hunting in the bays of the Coastal Bend. “We will be doing the cast-nblast thing most days this month. We like to hunker down in the blinds to take our chances with the ducks early in the mornings. Things look good for big duck season, if we get some strong fronts in November. We’ll keep shooting at the birds as long as they’re coming into our spreads, or we get our limits. Then, we like to start fishing our way out of the marshes, targeting the redfish and a few bigger trout in the backwater areas first, then moving out to shorelines later in the day, mostly to target trout. Our best bite on most days in December comes on soft plastics, usually dark Norton Sand Eels with bright tails. But, on the better days, when tides are higher and the water’s moving some, we do well on slow-sinking twitch baits and small topwaters like Spook Juniors, too. One of the key signs indicating the topwaters and twitch baits will work is jumping or rafted schools of mullet. We see these signs mostly when winds are blowing at moderate speeds.”
Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata | rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160
During December, many people head to the legendary ranches of South Texas in search of a monster whitetail buck. When this happens, the crowds on the waters of the Upper Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay fall to their lowest levels of the year. This makes the fishing better and easier for those of us who fish year-round. The last month of the year offers ripe opportunity for catching redfish and big trout in our bays. Fishing for them on the King Ranch Shoreline can be productive, especially after fronts hit and the weather makes a slight turn for the better. The fishing is often best late in the afternoons then. Baffin Bay also produces plenty of big trout this time of year, mostly for waders working the grassy flats, rocky bars and sand bars on the north side of the bay. The best catching usually happens while water temperatures are below 60º, but the action can also be good during warm spells in places like the Badlands, Los Corrallos and Penascal Point. She Dogs work great when the water’s warm, but slow sinkers like Catch 5s work better more of the time. Bass Assassin Die Dappers work best when the bite is tough.
Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez - www.sightcast1.com - 361.877.1230
Fishing typically perks up significantly for the bigger trout in the bays around Corpus Christi and areas south of there in December. If water temperatures fall below 60º and stay there for at least three days, anglers in the know will catch more big trout than if water temperatures stay warmer. Cold weather pushes the trout into the channels in parts of the Upper Laguna Madre close to the JFK Causeway, where they’re relatively easy to locate. In these situations, anglers fishing out of a boat catch plenty of fish by throwing soft plastics around the edges of the channels. Matching jighead size to the conditions plays a big role in this drill. Lighter jigheads work better when winds are light and currents run weak. Stronger winds and currents dictate the use of heavier heads, up to and beyond one-quarter ounce. The key tactic is to keep the soft plastics close to the ledges and walls of the channel as they fall. During warm spells, the trout generally bite better on shallow flats close to the channels and basins, and waders catch them better on twitchbaits and topwaters. One of the best scenarios occurs on the first calm afternoon after a front passes.
P.I.N.S. Fishing Forecast | Eric Ozolins
361.877.3583 - Oceanepics.com
If we have a warm December, we’ll have stellar fishing in the surf until the end of the year. Regardless of the temperatures, the drum (both red and black) will be in the surf. The oversized redfish will continue to roam the surf, feeding on mullet, whiting and crab. Black drum will feed mostly on crustaceans. On calm days with clear water, the pompano action should be fierce. Long-casting shrimp or Fish-bites will work best to target this delicious species. Winter is always questionable with regard to trout. With any luck, we may see some surprising results. Trout will be best to target on calmer days, in clear water. Using slow-sinking twitchbaits increases the odds of catching trout in the surf in cold water. Most sharks have left the shallows. Mainly, we’ll have sandbar sharks pushing 200lbs, along with our common blacktips and a couple smaller species. The mature sandbar sharks are in our waters mating and breeding in the winter. Baits such as whiting, sheepshead and small rays are optimal. It’s important to note that this species is federally protected and must be released. If desiring to harvest a shark, the Atlantic sharpnose species can make good table fare.
Port Mansfield, Texas | Ruben Garza Snookdudecharters.com - 832.385.1431
Getaway Adventures Lodge - 956.944.4000
Fronts are slowly becoming more frequent in South Texas. Going from south winds to north winds can be confusing for some anglers to figure out. In most cases, I prefer going north after a front rolls through. There are times when heading south is a good idea, though, especially for folks who don’t want to make a long run. Those running south should consider fishing West Bay, focusing on areas around the sunken barge on the shoreline and working toward the duck blind with the American flag. This stretch is most productive if winds are light. The spoil dumps north of Bennie’s Island often produce well, too. If those areas are crowded, the flats around the cabins in the Saucer are a good choice. Up north, the north side of Gladys Hole is often loaded with fish, as is the stretch of the west shoreline just south of there. Sometimes, the flats around the Weather Station produce good catches of both trout and redfish. This time of year, the KWigglers Wig-A-Los and Willow Tails are productive soft plastics. Mansfield Knockers and Floating Paul Brown Lures produce more big trout in the right weather conditions, usually when the water warms a bit after a cold snap.
The weather feels great on the Lower Laguna Madre as cold fronts have moved in. The tide has begun its descent, which has made for some great trout fishing. The trout bite has been fast on most trips; we’re finding all sizes to be schooled together. Our go-to lure has been a 5-inch ZMan StreakZ in opening night color rigged on an eighth-ounce jighead. Early in the mornings, ledges along sand bars have held plenty of trout. We’re catching best by working our baits slow and tight to the bottom. Later in the day, spoil islands and grassy flats in two to three feet of water have been productive. Once the winds pick up, faster retrieves work better. Redfish numbers have been steady and they’re becoming easier to catch as winter moves in. Shorelines and sand flats with active bait have held plenty. The reds are attacking topwaters aggressively early in the mornings. We’re walking the dog fast for best results. Later in the day, once the wind picks up , 4-inch StreakZ and DieZel Minnows in redbone rigged on eighth-ounce heads work better. As temperatures cool more, the bait and predators will move to deeper water, changing our patterns some.
Blake Abdo Galveston Bay - 36” 17lb bull red
Cameron Garcia Dewberry Island - 26” redfish
Alfred Garcia Corpus Christi Bay - bull red
April Thompson with Aaron Stuart Matagorda Beach - first bull shark! CPR
Patrick Garcia Corpus Christi - 24.5” personal best trout!
Christina Garza Port Mansfield - 27” trout
Orlando Sauceda Port Mansfield - 28” trout
Paige Halberda Upper Laguna Madre - 18” flounder
First come – first published! Photos are judged on artistic merit and sporting ethic displayed. No stringer, cleaning table, or hanging board images allowed. Digital images only. Adjust camera to high or best quality. All images become property of TSFMag. Email to: Photos@TSFMag.com Include short description of your catch with name, date, bay system, etc.
Photo Gallery
Carson Dunk Corpus Christi Bay - shark
Roman Garcia Corpus Christi Bay - bull red
Cannon Dunk Corpus Christi Bay - shark
Grey Vlaskovits POC - 27” first redfish!
Fernando Lazo Gayman’s Bridge - black drum
Shane Vlaskovits POC - trout CPR
Faith Cox Pringle Lake - 26” redfish
Sarah Cox Shoalwater Bay - 24” Shoalwater Bay
Sam Hughston Port Mansfield - 26” trout
Got ideas, hints or recipes you’d like to share? Email them to pam@tsfmag.com or send by fax: 361 792-4530
Gulf Coast
Shrimp and Bean Stew
INGREDIENTS
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp fresh lemon zest and 1 Tbsp juice
1 tsp sweet or smoked paprika
2 garlic cloves minced
Kosher salt and black pepper
½ cup pancetta
4 Tbsp unsalted butter (½ stick)
2 large leeks, trimmed, using white, and light green parts. Halved lengthwise, then sliced crosswise, ½-inch thick (or 1 large onion, minced)
1(15-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed
3 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Shaved Parmesan cheese
Dash of red pepper flakes
Toasted bread, for serving (optional)
PREPARATION
Step 1
Combine lemon zest, paprika, garlic, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper in a medium bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat.
Step 2
Fry the pancetta in a large Dutch oven. When it begins to brown, add shrimp and sauté until shrimp are pink and cooked through. With a slotted spatula, remove shrimp and pancetta set aside. Melt butter over medium-high heat, add leeks and cook until soft and begin to brown on the edges, 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add rinsed beans and chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat and simmer 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in reserved shrimp and pancetta, along with any juices from the plate. Now add the parsley and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with toasted bread and a leafy green salad. Yield - 4 servings
Reel In Big
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