Only $3.95 www.tsfmag.com February 2013
TIDE PREDICTIONS & SOLUNAR FEED TIMES INSIDE!
ABOUT THE COVER This month’s cover angler is Meredith Ramos. Meredith fished the Lower Laguna recently with Capt. Tricia out of Port Mansfield and, as you can see, she had an enjoyable day.
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Everett Johnson Everett@tsfmag.com VICE PRESIDENT PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Pam Johnson Pam@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-550-9918
CONTENTS
NATIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE Bart Manganiello Bartalm@optonline.net
FEBRUARY 2013 VOL 22 NO 10
FEATURES
08 Adaptive Angling 14 In Response to the Trout Tracking... 20 To Each His Own 26 Winter Fishing 30 On the Road Again! 34 Croaker Cravings
Mike McBride Kevin Cochran Billy Sandifer Martin Strarup Chuck Uzzle Joe Richard
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Donna Boyd Donna@tsfmag.com
14
DEPARTMENTS 40 44 48 50 52 54 56 60 64 93
44
Let’s Ask The Pro Jay Watkins Shallow Water Fishing Scott Null TPWD Field Notes Nicole F. Poulson Fly Fishing Scott Sommerlatte Youth Fishing Marcos Garza Kayak Fishing Chronicles Cade Simpson Science & the Sea UT Marine Science Institute Extreme Kayak Fishing & Sharks... Eric Ozolins Fishy Facts Stephanie Boyd Boat Maintenance Tips Chris Mapp
WHAT OUR GUIDES HAVE TO SAY
70 Dickie Colburn’s Sabine Scene 72 Mickey on Galveston 74 The View from Matagorda 76 Mid-Coast Bays with the Grays 78 Hooked up with Rowsey 80 Capt. Tricia’s Port Mansfield Report 82 South Padre Fishing Scene
Dickie Colburn Mickey Eastman Bink Grimes Gary Gray David Rowsey Capt. Tricia Ernest Cisneros
REGULARS
90
4 | February 2013
06 68 84 88 90
Editorial New Tackle & Gear Fishing Reports and Forecasts Catch of the Month Gulf Coast Kitchen
REGIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE Patti Elkins Patti@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-649-2265
78
CIRCULATION SUBSCRIPTION – PRODUCT SALES Linda Curry Cir@tsfmag.com ADDRESS CHANGED? Email Store@tsfmag.com DESIGN & LAYOUT Stephanie Boyd stephanie@tsfmag.com Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine is published monthly. Subscription Rates: One Year (Free Emag with Hard Copy Subscription) $25.00, Two Year $45.00 E-MAG (electronic version) is available for $12.00 per year. Order on-line: WWW.TSFMAG.COM MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine Attn: Subscriptions P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 * Subscribers are responsible for submitting all address changes and renewals by the 10th of the prior month’s issue. Email store@tsfmag.com for all address changes or please call 361-785-3420 from 8am - 4:30pm. The U.S. Postal Service does not guarantee magazines will be forwarded. HOW TO CONTACT TSFMAG: PHONE: 361-785-3420 FAX: 361-785-2844 MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 PHYSICAL ADDRESS: 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, TX 77983 WEB: www.TSFMAG.com PHOTO GALLERY: photos@tsfmag.com PRINTEd IN THE uSA. Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine (ISSN 1935-9586) is published monthly by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, Texas 77983 l P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 © Copyright 1990 All rights reserved. Positively nothing in this publication may be reprinted or reproduced. *Views expressed by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine contributors do not necessarily express the views of Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine. Periodical class permit (USPS# 024353) paid at Victoria, TX 77901 and additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983.
EDITORIAL
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE? through a tournament phase. What lights my wick these days is teaching and sharing fishing knowledge with anyone eager to learn. The things that I so enjoy seeing on the water are displays of sportsmanship: another boat idles toward my spot, stopping to watch the catching from a polite distance, a knowing wave and then moving on down the shoreline. Seeing a young family or husband and wife hitting the water for a fun day. Two old codgers that have fished together for years going through their smooth drill of launching a boat. A bunch of volunteers showing up in inclement weather to clean a beach or pick up abandoned crab traps. This journey that begins with the excitement of learning to catch a few progresses through needing to catch them all to prove our mettle and eventually takes us even farther. Fishing leads to a host of activities that are beneficial to the resource and also good for the soul. Joining a conservation organization and taking an active role, volunteering for a kid-fish event, introducing newbies young and notso-young to this incredible pastime are all worthwhile and can deliver satisfaction greater than that first limit of keepers. So where are you in your journey of fishing expectation? Have you begun to give back to others and the resource as much as fishing has given to you? Wherever you are, always remember to enjoy and cherish the experience, be a good sportsman, and lead by example.
JI M M
Y N ELSO
N
In last month’s editorial I gave my personal answer to Jay Watkin’s question, “What is it about fishing that you love most?” If you read it, even though I love and have pursued the art and lore of angling some fifty years, there was no mention of limit or trophy catches. Make no mistake size still matters in my book, but at this stage of my career these no longer fuel my passion as they once did. The opportunity to simply be out there and immerse myself in the beauty and serenity of it all tops my current list. Right behind that is a teeming fishery though I cannot tell you the last time I kept a limit of anything. Grinding it out and finally tricking a few to take my lure on a tough day is sometimes more fulfilling than reeling in three dozen. So I want to pose another question. “What do you hope to achieve in your fishing experience?” Obviously, not all anglers have the same expectation and this only natural. In fact, if you go back a few years my own was totally different. Depending where I fished, mine ranged from a limit (quicker is better – or so I thought) to the pursuit of a wallhanger. I wore out a bunch of fillet knives and I had a big trout skin-mounted back in the 90s. The memory of the fish suppers is long gone but I still admire that gaping yellow mouth and long thick body of that incredible fish. Since then I have been lucky to release many bigger and will likely never take another to the taxidermist. And I also went
6 | February 2013
Find the pattern - then work with what you found.
Adapting to changing
conditions during the day is important any time
of the year but even more so during the cooler months. Few of us can cherry pick our weather shots, so we just have to do whatever it takes to make the most of whatever we’ve got. Here is a very typical day where we did just that, going from hunting and pecking in the morning to pounding out a topwater bite in the afternoon. Yet…, we might have missed it all had we not done a little problem solving. It’s the same old different thing, so with that in mind, let’s go fishing. This particular morning was a few degrees below crisp, so said your naked finger tips riding a stainless steel helm. A strong norther two days prior had dropped the water temperature fully 20 degrees. That’s a big change and the fish reacted accordingly, bailing off the flats to more comfortable depths. At first light it was like the night before Christmas where not a creature was stirring. There was zero surface movement and the only wings in the air were those flushed by airboat props – the only noise on the planet disturbing an otherwise surreal morning. The water was slick and the sky hazy, lazy and low, meaning
8 | February 2013
there would be little warming for a while. All of Parker’s buddies had bailed on this adventure, but he came anyway figuring it may be a good time for a “private lesson” just like we do in golf or many other sports. Despite the dead-looking start we both held high anticipation. Something would surely happen sooner or later, or so we hoped. “We will know it when we see it.” But in the meantime they had to be somewhere so it was time for a little “bite management” – where you make something happen when it’s not. A successful adaptive angler is seldom far from a good tail; touts, worms, plastics, whatever you want to call them, but in the right hands they can often tickle a dormant fish into responding. While waiting for nature to resume active life we had to do what made sense; go on faith that although they were hunkered down they were still catchable. We walked towards a deeper shelf rimming some deeper water and started fan casting, exploring each contour and shade difference with various angles, slopes and slow drags. Often it took several casts to the same spot before we‘d finally feel that “tick” of a
STORY BY MIKE MCBRIDE
“Onomatopoeia” - where a word imitates its sound. Suck, shake and slurp!
TSFMAG.com | 9
Fishing the “BB” as we have dubbed it seems to make a difference.
subtle pickup. Work to find a pattern - then work what you found. We sorta cheated though….I slipped 5MM glass rattles into some Kelly Wigglers that the owner, Capt. Wayne Davis, had pitched on the front deck earlier. “Fishing the BB” has been seeming to make a difference, especially during down times. You could barely feel them even with braided line, and when you did, a little forced delay would ensure a good hookset. Most folks I see using no-stretch tend to hit non-active fish way too soon and miss them. Something I find interesting, another clue for the moment, is that when a fish is hooked dead center it usually suggests they are not really feeding. When they are, the hook is usually in the corner of their mouths because they are aggressively turning on the bait. All of these fish were hair-lipped for now, and yet another “down” sign was that every fish had little sea lice crawling on their bellies, betraying their location right on the bottom. We would stay with dredging the floor for now, but the low sky was starting to lift a bit. Calls from other anglers said most were blanking so far, but most were doing the same old thing, and it was comical to watch the drifters not drift in the eerie calm. Our fish were small for now but you take what’s offered at the moment, and right now they were all trophies. We watched the hand of nature wave a few more holes in the clouds, and a few broken spots of light started to sparkle the water with new promise. Puffs of wind from the east started to pick up, making just enough current to float your wading mud trail in front of you. A bait flip or two suggested some movement, then a lone seagull lit next to a lazy brown pelican, or pelicano in Laguna-speak. 10 | February 2013
I’ll never scoff at 4 to 6 pounders.
Our “dredge bite” stopped, then a tail was hit on the fall instead. Hmmm, well let’s just see! A quick loop knot on a Corky Fat Boy found a different attitude, a little faster, a little higher now. A few hard side to side twitches, a teasing stall… then thump! The quality of the fish became higher as well. One of Parker’s goals this day was to gain some Corky confidence. There is nothing like that classic double tap, and his eyebrows arched up and stayed up with each one. He was liking his little private lesson, and yes it’s awesome when you find that “zone” – where everything feels right and you just know you’re going to get hit. About an hour more of that and then a Corky suddenly got slammed right after it hit the surface. Echoing gunfire brought us out of our distraction, and where there was seemingly no life before now there was plenty. The wind veered full southeast and the air filled with thunderous wings of all kinds. Baitfish appeared finning nervously on the surface, and how coincidental that it was all happening right as the moon approached its transit. It’s amazing to watch how all of nature seems to work in concert – a perpetual mystery. We said we would know it when we saw it, and here it was in full 3D animation. Decision time; stay with what you know or go for possibly bigger. Every move is a calculated risk, but as the water was going from crystal clear to dusky, a couple of end-over-end mullet aerobatics said “Go for it!” We sparked the Mercury and “adjusted” to where bigger fish should be…moving up to feed on a shallower warming shelf. The water on this table-topped rim had absorbed an incredible ten more degrees, and some other heat was on it as well. Corkys
we were too well fed otherwise. We got to go through the whole process, from slow dredging to suspended action to topwaters. On any given day some will always catch more fish than others, but those willing to adapt to conditions, as Parker did, usually tend to fare best. We, as fishermen, can all too often be rule and checklist followers, which can easily take thinking out of an equation. Adapting is a deliberate process associated with problem solving, the ability to make effective changes as situations change. We can just fish from a chair I guess, but to me fishing means a whole lot more. Y’all have fun out there this February!
There is nothing like that classic “double tap” on a Corky.
12 | February 2013
MIKE MCBRIDE
CONTACT
were again hit high, this time by some able bodied and more mature feeders. Another adjustment, this time with a topwater. Three or four hard twitches with a chartreuse Skitter Walk, a long anguished pause, and it was “onomonopea” where a word imitates its sound. Suck, shake and slurp! We finished up not saying too much, easy to do when you’re in the “zone.” The activity shut down as quickly as it started, and with the sun subsiding they were done. No, we didn’t catch monstrous fish that day but, we could have, as both of us missed some heavy whitewater. However, I’ll never scoff at 4-6 pounders, especially when you catch them on purpose. We kept a few for supper. This wasn’t about meat,
Mike McBride is a full time fishing guide based in Port Mansfield, TX, specializing in wadefishing with artificial lures.
SKINNY WATER ADVENTURES Phone Email Web
956-746-6041 McTrout@Granderiver.net Skinnywateradventures.com/ Three_MudSkateers.wmv
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STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN
In the October, 2012, issue
of this magazine, Megan Robillard and Greg Stunz, PH.D. discussed a recently completed study in which they electronically tracked the movements of speckled trout in the waters of the Laguna Madre and its adjacent beachfront zones over a three year period. The study and subsequent analysis were done objectively and thoughtfully, and I’d like to applaud the two scientists for their work. I’d also like to review and comment on some of their important findings. Ms. Robillard enthusiastically asserted “catch and release does work”. Almost three quarters of the trout caught and tagged for the study lived to contribute data. Surely, if trout can endure having transmitters surgically implanted in their bodies, they can survive being quickly handled and carefully released. When I discussed this issue with another Texas Parks and Wildlife biologist, Scott Walker, PH.D., he identified TIME as the most important factor affecting the survival rate of trout caught and released. The longer a fish is held out of the water, the lower the survival rate is likely to be. This brings up an important point for those of us who like to take pictures of some of the trout we catch. In order to enhance the survival rates of fish after their release, it’s important to keep them completely submerged in the water TSFMAG.com | 15
Glenn Stanford caught this fat, splendidly spotted specimen on a pink worm designed for targeting bass.
while the camera is readied for the pictures, and even between shots. It’s also critical to handle them with a Boga Grip or other device which harmlessly secures them by their lip, rather than grabbing them around the shoulders with one’s bare hand. Ideally, a large trout released after posing for a few pictures survives to produce more of its kind, and to be caught again. In fact, the fish tracked in the study were recaptured at a rate of 17%, supporting the validity of the possibility of managing the trout resource partly as a “trophy fishery”, through the selective harvest of small keepers. Some of the trout tagged in the survey were large, particularly those obtained at “live-weigh” tournaments held in Flour Bluff, in the northern reaches of the Upper Laguna Madre. Ms. Robillard made intriguing comments about the 20 trout tagged and released from the docks after being weighed in tournaments. 15 of the fish generated data by swimming close enough to the receiving stations to provide evidence of their locations after their release. Of those, 14 headed south from the site where they were tagged, while one headed north, into Corpus Bay. Without knowing where these fish were caught, it’s hard to draw conclusions from these facts. It seems plausible that a fish transported a long distance from where it’s captured before being released will most likely behave differently than a fish caught and released close to where it’s captured. If this is true, the fish obtained from tournament anglers are more likely to provide an inaccurate “template” for the behavior of wild, unharried fish than those released closer to where they are obtained. Releasing a trout many miles from where it’s caught could render the fish incapable of returning to the area where it was originally found. At the least, a short-term disorientation of the fish seems likely. According to Scott Walker, the most important factors influencing the short-term behavior of the fish released at the docks in Flour Bluff would be aspects of the local conditions at the time of their release, most prominently the direction of movement of tidal currents. Regardless of my concerns about the potentially misleading results 16 | February 2013
gained through the tracking of trout obtained at tournaments, the study clearly supports one assertion— speckled trout move around over relatively long distances. All of the fish studied, including the ones caught and tagged in the surf, the bays, and at tournaments, showed a tendency to move around, and they made those movements in a somewhat unpredictable manner. Apparently, surf trout have a greater wanderlust than bay trout. On average, the trout tagged in the surf moved approximately two miles per day, some swimming as far as twelve miles in twenty four hours. The tendency of surf trout to move more than bay trout has been longsuspected by anglers who fish the beach front. Sweet spots are hard to find in the surf; catching trout regularly along the beach means staying mobile and searching for roaming schools. According to the study, one type of sweet spot does exist in the surf zone—the passes which connect the Gulf to the bays. All the tagged surf trout showed up in or near the passes at some point during the time of the study, suggesting trout which live primarily in the surf use the inlets to make forays into the bays. My own anecdotal evidence clearly supports such a claim; for years, I’ve noticed improved fishing for big trout on flats close to passes during seasonal changes. Significantly, not one of the surf fish ever provided a ping at one of the bay receivers, meaning none of them moved as far as six miles into the bay. This led Ms. Robillard to conclude surf and bay trout may, in fact, be separate “sub-groups”, with limited interaction. The scientists were, in my opinion, conservative in drawing some other conclusions from the data. For instance, they say their study neither proves nor disproves the validity of the “Tide Runner Theory”, which basically claims fish travel from the Gulf into the Land Cut every spring. I’d venture to say their study does render such an idea implausible, since none of the 22 trout they tagged in the ocean showed up in the Land Cut (or even near it) in three years. Other long-held beliefs touted by locals with plenty of salty crust behind their ears were challenged by the facts gathered in the tracking survey. Perhaps most significantly, the study did not provide evidence of bay fish moving into the surf. Some people believe trout flee from the bays when water temperatures become uncomfortably low, and when droughts drive salinity levels above normal. Apparently, neither assertion is based on fact, since no trout was shown to move from the bay to the Gulf, despite the occurrence of some of the coldest weather in decades and sustained drought conditions during the time-frame of the research. The study essentially supports what I already believed about cold-stunned trout in the bays. They ride out cold weather by sitting on the bottom in open basins and channels within the estuaries. I often catch big trout on shallow flats adjacent to such places soon after cold weather turns and begins to warm up. I’ve never believed
18 | February 2013
If a large trout like this one caught by Bruce Smiley survives after it’s released, it can be caught again when it’s grown even bigger.
management plans, but only if considered thoughtfully, within the context of other studies. Texas Parks and Wildlife should use all available data when deciding how best to manage the state’s population of spotted seatrout. This study can become a valuable tool in the ongoing process of learning more about trout and enhancing the strategies used to sustain future population levels of our most sought-after saltwater species. On the other hand, a truly alarming possibility is raised by the generally useful study. What if a private entity became capable of monitoring the movements of large numbers of trout with a method similar to the one used in the tracking study? Imagine a cell phone app with dots blinking on the screen to indicate the locations of tagged fish! The existence and availability of such technology would certainly be harmful to the fish. Texas Parks and Wildlife should immediately take steps to preclude such a possibility.
Kevin Cochran Contact
those fish were returning from a trip to the Gulf, and the study supports my contention. The one environmental variable which was shown to cause fish to move in a predictable manner was low salinity levels. The floods of 2010 caused some of the studied fish in the Lower Laguna Madre to move northward, hypothetically in search of saltier water. Perhaps the trout moved away from the sweeter water because it made them uncomfortable, or maybe they were just following the schools of forage fish on which they feed. If a flood event displaces all of a predator’s food sources from an area, the predator will surely abandon the place too. Anglers on the Upper Coast have long known freshwater inflow can cause trout to leave an area. Trout respond predictably to changes in the amount of freshwater flowing into the upper portions of estuaries like Trinity Bay and Sabine Lake. Floods push trout toward the Gulf, while drier conditions draw them toward the river mouths. In the most extreme cases, floods seem to cause trout in riverine estuaries like Sabine Lake to move all the way through the jetties and into the surf. In big flood events, the surf zones immediately adjacent to the jetties often become crowded with trout. The evidence from a tracking study done on trout in Lake Calcasieu further supports this idea of bay trout moving from the bay to the surf in small bays like Sabine Lake and Big Lake. Perhaps trout inhabiting bays like these behave in slightly different ways than do those living in hypersaline ones like the Laguna Madre, since brackish bays are more regularly influenced by major rivers. Ms. Robillard suggests the Laguna Madre area might include different sub-groups of trout. It’s likely that additional sub-groups exist as well. In fact, I cited a study done by other TP&W scientists several years ago which identified four sub-populations of trout in Texas waters, through genetic analysis of the fishes’ bones. No such identification could be possible if all the state’s trout were swimming around and spawning with each other. The study done tracking Laguna Madre trout proves the fish move around more than many people thought. I am a little concerned about the exact words chosen for the title of the magazine feature, though. It’s true that Trout have tails...and know how to use them, but I fear some people might glance at the title, or give the article a cursory read, and reach false conclusions about what the study does and does not prove about the movements of our trout. In the end, the study does show our trout are moving around over long ranges. It also suggests they stay within their identified home regions and populate the regions in sub-groups. It does nothing to support the idea of significant mingling between trout from widely disparate regions. In essence, the study supports the need for regional management strategies for the species more than statewide
Kevin Cochran is a full-time fishing guide at Corpus Christi (Padre Island), TX. Kevin is a speckled trout fanatic and has created several books and dvds on the subject. Kevin’s home waters stretch from Corpus Christi Bay to the Land Cut.
Trout Tracker Guide Service Phone Email Web
361-688-3714 kevxlr8@mygrande.net www.FishBaffinBay.com www.captainkevblogs.com
I had a really
rare and pleasant treat recently.
PINS guide Jeff Wolda with a fat 23” speck from the surf.
20 | February 2013
I got stuck in a doctor’s office waiting room for five hours and I actually got to read the January issue of TSFMag cover to cover. The world moves at the same speed as always but our responsibilities take away the time to do the things we really enjoy and they often end up an overlooked treat. I was impressed with our publication, just as I always have been. I’m proud to be a small part of the TSFMag family. There is a whole lot of talent and information in each issue. It also highlighted an interesting point to me. Our writers are long-term, tried and tested veteran anglers but, each of us goes at it slightly differently. They say in the end we are the equivalent of our personal experiences and it’s easy to ascertain from reading our mag we have had varying experiences and thusly have settled into concepts, strategies and use techniques that work IN OUR INDIVIDUAL AREAS. For years my fishing customers would say, “Well ol’ so and so says to do it like this.” My reply was always the same. “Well then, I strongly suggest when you fish with him in his ecosystem you cling onto each word he says and fish exactly as he suggests, for he is the apex predator in that system. But, when you are out here with me you’d be way ahead to do it my way as this is my ecosystem.” Beyond any doubt there are similar parallels in any type of angling but there are distinct differences as well. My field of expertise is the surf and it has been for over fifty years. So there’s no surprise that my ideas concerning what works in the surf varies from those of others. I should never read articles on surf fishing as I am too opinionated on the subject and I am going to be critical to a fault. So I thought I’d write about how I do things just to put my two cents in. Then any who choose can disagree with my methods. Let’s start with the basics. Thinking on it, this may well end up the first of a “how to” series. That being the case we’ll start at the beginning. NEVER use a piece of PVC pipe for a rod holder. Sooner or later it’ll cost you a fine fish and may well cost you a rod and reel to boot. Use angle iron with one end cut at 45° and attach a short piece of PVC to the other in some manner so it will stay in place. Muffler and hose clamps work good. This type of rod holder can be worked into the sand without hammering.
STORY BY BILLY SANDIFER If you’re going to use a piece of PVC for a rod holder, after setting up camp and hammering your rod holders into the sand, immediately pull them back up and move to another location as the vibrations of driving those holders into the beach sand just ran off every fish within a mile. When camping at night DO NOT shine lights nor place lanterns near the water. Old timers would automatically pick up and drive off if you backed up and shined your headlights on the surf at a potential fishingcamping site. They genuinely believed the unnatural sudden light spooked all the fish in the area. When fishing light tackle with bait, one rod held in the angler’s hands will catch as many fish as two in rod holders. Our light tackle is just that; light tackle. BG15 Daiwa spinning reels and 8 ½’ medium action rods have served well for twenty-one years
using both bait and artificial. I load the reels with FINS 20 pound braid and top it off 10 pound Ultra Green Berkley Big Game monofilament. The braid is for increased line capacity and the mono is easier for customers to cast. I don’t use spider weights on light tackle I just described but opt instead for 2 or 3 ounce pyramid sinkers. If the bait drifts slowly with the current that’s fine with me. I MAY occasionally go as heavy as 5 ounce sinkers but these are actually too heavy for this setup and care must be taken when casting not to break a limber rod. I do not and for many years have not bought pre-tied leaders. Those Asian snap swivels will cost you many a fine fish. Instead I simply cut a length of 60 pound mono and tie a barrel swivel on the top end, slide 2 hooks down the line and finish with the only snap swivel on the other
Bird frenzy in the Padre surf. (Oz photo)
TSFMAG.com | 21
Big Shell Beach Cleanup The 18th Annual Big Shell Beach Cleanup will be held Saturday, 23 February, 2013. Volunteers will meet at the Malaquite Pavilion prior to 7:00AM and will be back at the Pavilion by 2:00PM. Volunteers with four-wheel-drive vehicles and trailers for hauling trash are key to our success. Volunteers without four-wheel-drive are also needed and will be provided transportation to the worksites. Bottled water and sodas will be provided in the work area and at Malaquite afterward. There will be no food in the work area, so bring lunch if you feel you will need it. We changed the date this year as there is a potential change of speed limits on the beach from 25 mph to 15 mph on March 1. At 15 miles per hour it would take most of the day to simply travel into and out of the work area. In addition; over the years we have received requests to schedule away from Spring Break. Work caravans will leave Malaquite at 7:00AM sharp. Arriving early to get your team assignment is a great help as things can get awfully hectic getting everyone lined out. Updates will be available on www.FriendsOfPadre.com and also www.fishingcorpus.com. Years ago some folks got to calling this event the Billy Sandifer Big Shell Beach Cleanup but to me it never was. This is OUR Big Shell Beach Cleanup; not Billy Sandifer’s. This is a grass roots event of volunteers who care about this wondrous national treasure and are willing to spend a day being good caretakers of it. It’s hard work but an experience you’ll never forget. Bring a slicker suit and warm clothing, inclement weather be damned, the cleanup goes on. Drivers are advised to carry fix-a-flat, tire plugs and a small air compressor, just in case. Wear sturdy shoes and long pants. Event T-shirts and goody bags will be given to all volunteers. Big Shell Beach is a one of a kind place and this is a one of a kind event. You are cordially invited to join us. Your brother in the sand, Capt. Billy L. Sandifer
22 | February 2013
The author’s recommendation for building a leader – barrel swivel at the top – the only snap is for attaching weight.
end for attaching the sinker. I evenly space two hook drops made using surgeon’s knots and have a very strong leader. If fishing live bait with a fishfinder type rig I again make my own with various sized sinkers. I also make a supply of light single strand wire for days when Spanish mackerel and bluefish are plentiful. For lure leaders I use 30 pound Big Game with a barrel swivel on the top end and an unusual “pig’s tail” connector on the lure end. Beware of mass produced ones made of wire that is too light. I use only the homemade connectors that are available from Roy’s Bait and Tackle Outfitters
The author recovered this surf board from the PINS “riding fence” for Friends of Padre. Luckily the owner had written his phone number on it and it was returned.
TSFMAG.com | 23
Indigo Bunting -Passerina cyaneaA small bird with length of 5-1/2 inches. Male is deep blue in summer brownish in winter, female is brownish year round. Present in Texas in varying numbers during April-May and again during September-October. Occasionally found in large flocks. Feeds mostly on insects in warmer months and seeds in fall and winter. Frequents lawns, grasslands and bushy edges. Sprinkling milo on the ground will often attract these beautiful little birds in the spring.
and I have for twenty years. There has always been controversy about whether or not one needs a swivel. Maybe you don’t need Angle iron and PVC make the best rod one; but I do. I use a swivel at the holders for surf fishing. top of all my leaders. If reds won’t eat live finger mullet simply cut them in half and throw them back out and they’ll eat them. Fish Bites is the real deal - chartreuse and pink colors in shrimp flavor seem to be the best producers for pompano. Stringers and dip nets have no place in the surf. Slide your catch up on the beach slowly and put him in the ice chest. When you get ready to go to sleep crank in all your rods; unless of course you are shark fishing and properly set up for it. Always take the baits off your hooks so an unassuming coyote doesn’t get caught during the night and stack all your rods and holders at your truck. Then if some fool comes high-balling through your camp in the middle of the night he won’t destroy half your equipment which you have left scattered here and there on the beach. Always leave a driving lane open between your camp and the high tide line. It’s not only courteous but it also safer for everyone as well. If sargassum is bad don’t try to fish several rigs. Just fish one per person and spend your time managing it. Cast at a 45° angle into the wind and current and you won’t grass up nearly as quickly. Never discard hardheads or other unwanted fish on the beach. It’s not only illegal; hardhead spines are a major cause of flat tires… and they’ll sure get your attention when you step on one in the middle of the night that has been laying there rotting for a day or two. I like writing this type article and hope you find it informative and as useful as I enjoyed writing it. We’ll do some more of it again soon. If we don’t leave any there won’t be any. -Billy
Phto by Jimmy Jackson
24 | February 2013
CONTACT
BILLY SANDIFER Retired after 20+ years of guiding anglers in the Padre surf, Billy Sandifer (“Padre of Padre Island” to friends & admirers) is devoted to conserving the natural wonders of N. Padre Island & teaching all who will heed his lessons to enjoy the beauty of the Padre Island National Seashore responsibly. Phone Website
361-937-8446 www.billysandifer.com
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TSFMAG.com | 25
STORY BY Martin Strarup
A lot of fishermen still
have their rods and reels put away this time of year, their shotguns, rifles and bows at hand. For them, fishing is a warm weather activity and if they can’t wear shorts while running the boat, they’re not interested. For them, winter is strictly for hunting, for being in the woods. Campfires, steaks on the grill, poker games in the camp house and hopefully a successful hunt is what is on their minds. They’ll have venison sausage, smoked goose and duck, teal gumbo and stories of the “Bull of the Woods” that they almost got a shot at for the rest of the year. But for those of us who look forward to the cooler days and nights with dreams of clearer water and less competition on the bays, and the call of the wild, we’ll make time for both hunting and fishing. This year my son and I both shot bucks with our bows early during bow season and then got busy on a project and haven’t had much time to hunt or fish; we plan on remedying that very soon. The cooler months bring a different kind of fishing to the Texas coast. The trout won’t usually be where we caught them during the spring and summer months, although, on some warm days, when the weather has been sunny and mild, it pays to revisit some of your old summer haunts. Instead of going through the same old “fish areas close to deeper water, and finding bait is the key,” I’m going to write about some
26 | February 2013
alternative methods of fishing during the winter months. Something that we have a lot of in my area that pays dividends during the cooler months when there isn’t a lot of rain, are the many creeks and rivers that feed into our bay systems. The two most frequented rivers in my area are the Colorado and the Tres Palacios. The Colorado, the largest and deepest of the rivers in my area, is usually fished from the FM 521 Bridge down to the Diversion Channel, and also the part of the old river south of the diversion channel to the Gulf. Fishermen find the drop-offs near the sandy banks and toss plastics while maneuvering with their trolling motors. I’ve caught some nice trout and redfish while plugging the Colorado’s riverbanks. Keep your depth finder on when you’re plugging…watch for deep holes and if you have a GPS, mark the spots when you find them. When it gets colder, go back to those holes and see if the fish are stacked up in the deeper water. Down river, just past the River Bend Tavern, you’ll see shell on the opposite bank. Look for things like this while you’re working your way along the river bank. I’ve caught a lot of nice fish where I’ve found shell on the edge of the river and you shouldn’t pass a spot like that. With many miles of river to fish, plan on spending several days just learning the holes and most productive and consistent spots. It will be worth your time and effort. The Tres Palacios River is a smaller river, not as deep as the
TSFMAG.com | 27
is a big deal on this river with fishermen after trout and reds. It isn’t uncommon to see boats with four or more rods trolling slowly up and down the river, hoping to see one bend when a fish grabs their lure. Here’s a good place to fish any surplus Hump Lures or old Bingos if you don’t mind risking them to the fishing Gods. I wish I had a Hump lure in my box for every one that has been lost in the Tres Palacios, there’s no telling how many have been sacrificed there. I’ve seen guys trolling their baits behind the boat under corks, keeping them suspended to avoid bottom hangs, and with great success. I tried that and had some success, but I prefer to control the depth of the lure with the speed of the outboard. If you’ve never trolled for trout before, it can either be very boring, or very busy. Having all of the rods bend at once isn’t uncommon and with two or three guys in the boat, it can be a three-ring circus trying to get them landed without getting the lines hopelessly tangled. 28 | February 2013
If you get a hookup and you stop the boat to bring the fish in, I recommend plugging the area thoroughly. Usually, you’ll pick up a few more fish before resuming trolling. Watch the banks for pods of mullet and key on that bait. Use your trolling motor and keep pace with them, fishing both the shallow bank and the drop-off. It’s a rare day if the water is pretty that you won’t catch your share of some nice fish in the Tres Palacios River during the colder months. If you feel like putting on the waders and checking for leaks then the area between the Baptist Encampment pier and the Pavilion Pier in Palacios is a good place to go. The bottom is hard sand with oyster shell and directly out in front of the sea wall about 50 yards or so is a really good shell reef. In fact, they built the new pier right on top of the reef much to my dismay. But that reef meanders in and out and is reachable with a good rod and reel and there are also many clumps of oysters scattered across the general area as well. Catching can be very good here in the winter and even if the north wind is blowing you’ll be protected from the blast. West of the Pavilion all the way to the public boat ramp is good wade fishing and I have caught some really nice stringers of fish casting towards the rocks on the boat ramp channel and working the lure back from deeper to shallower water. On a cold day when the sun starts to warm the shallows, Be There! Don’t forget the many turning basins that abound in our area. Many a fishing trip that would have been a total loss as far as fishing is concerned have been saved by these protected harbors and their deep water. Using your trolling motor, move in and out of the piers, plugging the area just as you would do if you were drifting a sand flat in the open bay. Bulkheads and sloping banks can be fished just as you would in a river situation. Flounder, trout and redfish can be found in these harbors all winter long. Some turning basins that you can easily access are the ones at Matagorda, Palacios and Port Lavaca and I’ve caught fish in the winter months in all three. So you don’t have to rely on the bays for your fishing fun this winter. The rivers and turning basins offer you protection from the hard-blowing northers and you won’t have to worry about crossing open water that can be treacherous. And if the weather is too nasty for you to fish in even these areas, then there’s always that cozy deer stand. Be safe, Martin
MARTIN STRARUP
CONTACT
Colorado, but still holds a lot of fish if the rains don’t keep it fresh. You can unload at the FM 521 Bridge that crosses it and go either upstream or down working the banks as I have already described. The Tres Palacios can be harder to fish due to being narrow and the amount of boat traffic that you sometimes find. One thing that I have noticed though, the people who fish there regularly tend to be courteous and I haven’t experienced many problems from other boaters there. Trolling
Martin Strarup is a lifelong saltwater enthusiast and outdoorsman. Martin is also a collector and dealer of vintage fishing tackle and lures, especially those made in Texas. Email
Trouthunter@swbell.net
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30 | February 2013
STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE
Ahh… the beginning
of a new fishing year. To Texas anglers and outdoor folks the beginning of the fishing year means many things and nearly all of them are good. Staring at a fresh calendar gives one a renewed sense of purpose, an outlook of promise, and hope for the coming days. Since we all made it through 2012, despite what the Mayan’s had to say, it’s only fitting we all look at what the next twelve months holds and make some grand plans. For many anglers this time of the year starts the epidemic of cabin fever. Symptoms include excessive
amounts of time spent surfing websites for photos and fishing reports, random urges to visit tackle stores, and a deep desire to change your address to the shore of Baffin Bay or any other body of water where the big trout are biting. This common ailment is often successfully treated with mileage - as in road trip. Now for many of my longtime friends, especially those really close to me, the thought of Chuck Uzzle writing about taking a winter road trip to fish, or any other trip to fish for that matter, borders on the humorous. For more years than I care to count I have let invitations to fish on nearly every bay in Texas go unused and that’s my fault, but in my defense it’s a little tough to leave Sabine and Calcasieu, if you know what I mean. I once stood in the middle of a group of guides from all along the Texas coast, a quality representation of some serious fishermen who at the time were having a big laugh at my expense for not having fished more Texas bays. As the evening wore on several of that group, after a cold beverage or two, came up to me and said, “I don’t blame you, if I lived on Sabine I wouldn’t leave either!” That was a strong statement considering the places some of these folks called home. A statement that is frequently verified by the sheer number of fishermen who will trek to the Texas-Louisiana border for an opportunity to fish. Now speaking of trekking, that seems TSFMAG.com | 31
to be the ticket for many anglers during the winter season. There are several groups who fit this mold and they vary by degrees. You have on one hand the folks who will make a trip every year to destinations like Baffin Bay or the Laguna Madre because it has become a ritual of sorts. These folks pick a time and go every year with a group of friends and hope the weather and fish cooperate. Then there are the other guys, the ones who will drop everything and take off for anywhere if all the variables look right. These anglers are the hardest of the hardcore and my hats off to them because they keep their finger on the pulse of the big fish world and are willing to take a swing at a big fish while others only sit and dream about it. For this legion of angler there is no mud too sticky or too deep, no water too cold, and no destination or area that’s off limits. These folks are the real road warriors and they earn their stripes with hours of effort on the water. Just because one is willing to make a road trip doesn’t automatically guarantee success by any stretch, there’s way more to this than just jumping in your truck and pointing it toward a distant bay. Serious preparation and scouting go into these excursions and more often than not the fisherman who is most prepared usually has more success. With the so much information at our disposal nowadays it’s certainly much easier to locate prime areas to not only fish but to also avoid. Satellite imagery, far more detailed charts,
32 | February 2013
weather broadcasts, and other fishermen’s info via reports posted on the web speed up the learning curve exponentially. Big fish hunters from years back did it the hard way and learned from both success and failure while spending countless hours in search of that one great fish. Many people learn a particular bay with the help of satellite imagery, GPS and depth finder; old school guys just plodded along and learned as they drifted and waded. I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for those fishermen who figured out the puzzle without the aid of today’s technology. I also have the same sort of respect for the new-age angler who has taken that search for a big fish to another level. When an angler decides to take a big trip they almost always have fishing gear prepared and a plan of attack as to what particular area they plan to fish. Most even go as far as to come up with several backup plans just in case weather or some other unforeseen factor gets in the way. One thing many road warriors often overlook or even neglect is their transportation for the trip, more specifically their tow vehicle and trailer. It’s amazing to see a group of fishermen out on the water wearing top-notch gear, using the best equipment, and running a fiberglass rocket of a bay boat get back to the launch and saddle up a trailer that looks about a week and a half from the salvage yard. I have had a couple of those early morning phone calls from friends or clients who have trailered their own rig to this area only to see the whole trip go up in smoke due to mechanical malfunction. Keeping your trailer and tow vehicle in proper and safe working order eliminates many of those hassles. Also carrying some spare parts or proper tools goes a long way as well. I don’t know if it’s my age, my conscience or both that has turned me into a “what if” person. What if we have a flat or our trailer lights go out, what do you do? I now carry way more stuff than I need on these trips but it sure brings you peace of mind, even if overkill. Simple things like a good jack, a few blocks of wood, electrical supplies, a backup battery, small air compressor or foot pump, emergency tire plugging kit and so on have become mainstays in my essentials box. As important as your fishing gear is to your trip, the transportation to get you where you want to go is equally if not more important. To see a fisherman go above and beyond the simple things to catch a fish and then skimp so bad on other things is mind blowing. We’ve all seen the trailers on the highway that you just can’t believe are actually rolling and parts aren’t flying off them like a special effect in a Transformers movie. The old saying about “an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure” really comes to mind when you are on the side of the road when you should be on your favorite flat plugging for that fish of a lifetime.
CONTACT
CHUCK UZZLE
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Chuck fishes Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes from his home in Orange, TX. His specialties are light tackle and fly fishing for trout, reds, and flounder. Phone Email Website
409-697-6111 cuzzle@gt.rr.com www.chucksguideservice.net
TSFMAG.com | 33
Medium-size croaker from Sabine Lake.
Keeper croaker caught on a cold winter’s day.
34 | February 2013
STORY BY JOE RICHARD
Coastal old-timers sometimes recall
when the croaker was a respectable fish on the Texas coast. They were plentiful, much bigger on average than today, easy to catch from shore, tasty and fed the masses. During autumn they’d make a big run for the Gulf (the croaker, that is) and much like flounder in those days, were caught by the thousands. If I’m not mistaken, they ran in October before the peak flounder run, though I was never part of the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd at Rollover Pass who caught so many. Loads of both fish were caught with simple cane poles. For that crowd, a sack of croakers was more valuable than any six-pound trout. That’s a head-scratcher for many of us today, who are happy to wade cold water with aching backs for a single shot at the trout of a lifetime. And bragging rights. But there are people out there who would rather fill a croaker sack with tasty croakers, if and when the population recovers. Most people don’t even know how a croaker sack got its name, that’s how low the croaker population has sunk. It’s difficult to find big croakers these days, so I was startled when a big one appeared on the end of my line in November, way back in the salt marsh on a chilly day. They’re decent fighters, actually pulled drag on the reel, and those same fish landed on our dinner table that very night. One of them had egg sacks big enough to fry. It was quite a meal. For the past 20 years, almost all croakers I’ve caught came from state waters offshore, from November through April. They usually hit along with sand trout, big whiting and almost-legal snapper. Anchor up out there on a wreck, artificial reef or old platform, drop down three small circle hooks baited with squid, and leave the medium rod with 40-pound line in a holder while you attend to other matters. When the rod takes a steady bend, crank it up; you should have two or three fish on the line, a mixed bag but with
Small croakers are now targeted by marina shrimpboats, because live croakers command a good price. As bait, their drumming sounds attracts trout even in murky water.
TSFMAG.com | 35
Side view of a big croaker. Their scale pattern helps give them the nickname “golden croaker.”
Big croakers ready for the fillet table. These puppies are better on the dinner table, than any coastal trout.
It isn’t every day that croakers dominate the icechest.
36 | February 2013
eventually several big croakers. A piece of cake. However, a quick check with friends reveals a very short list of big croaker caught in coastal waters during the past dozen years. I talked to Paul Straw, formerly of San Antonio, now retired to Florida, who caught the Texas state record croaker. Sure enough, he was out in the Gulf, his fish caught in April. But it was a shocking fish. “We were using squid on bottom,” Straw said, “in 75 to 100 foot depths, something like that. I cranked up this strange fish and said, ‘What the heck is that?’ His charterboat captain landed and examined it, and pronounced it a golden croaker—though of ponderous size, “maybe a state record.” “We weighed it back at [I think it was] Sea Ranch Marina and it came in at 5.47 pounds, and sure enough it really was a state record,” says Straw. His croaker was an amazing 29 inches long, caught on April 10 about 20 years ago, a record that stands today. My guess is that croaker was still living offshore after winter’s embrace. Big croaker bite inshore during hot weather, of course. We were tossing spoons and jigs in a deepwater harbor near Sabine last summer, the sun beating down like Perdition, when Pete Churton cranked up an almost two-pound croaker that attacked his big one-ounce silver spoon in about 20 feet of water. We’d just returned from offshore, and he still had wire leader attached to the spoon. (That day turned into something like a 12 fish species day, after we first ran offshore 10 miles, then the jetties, and lastly back in port for one limit of flounder and the big croaker). So, what happened to croakers? How was an important fishery almost destroyed on the Texas coast? The real culprit was shrimp trawls, whose bycatch of discarded fish included an estimated 400 million croaker annually during the late 1990s, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife records. One can easily surmise the toll was worse during the 1970’s and 80’s when croaker populations really plummeted. In 1975 after unpleasant events…finally ended in Southeast Asia, a great many new fishermen took to shrimping and crabbing along the Gulf Coast, especially in Texas/Louisiana. There was lots of new, relentless fishing pressure. Anyone who has ever approached a trawling shrimpboat, much less boarded them as I have, quickly notices dead croakers either floating alongside, or baking in the hot sun on deck. Apparently croakers were never designed to
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Mixed typical bycatch from a shrimpboat near the Galveston jetties. At bottom are two croakers and overall many species of fish. There’s even a few shrimp in the pile.
Most small croakers, once placed in a marina holding pen, adapt and seem to thrive—while finger mullet quickly bruise themselves, try to jump out, and then die off within a day or so. But the impact on croaker populations with this live-bait harvest is thought to be negligible. At any rate, I’ll be looking for a honeyhole one of these days, where big croakers still bite. One of our mentors from high school days, Doc Ferguson in Port Arthur, was fond of anchoring in 20 feet of water in the south part of Sabine Lake, hoping for a cooler full of croakers. We were young guns back then and often dragged Doc offshore (in his boat) on some choppy days, taking bruises, fighting big ling and hoping for snapper too. But Doc, a veteran of the grim campaign in Northern Italy during World War II, was perfectly content to anchor in calm water and load up on his favorite-eating fish, the modest croaker, and without taking punishment offshore. He liked to anchor around the drawbridge at the south end of the lake, fishing bottom, but that was too tame for the rest of us. To this day, the croaker fishery struggles to make a
evade shrimp trawls; these fish evidently hug bottom and are slow to react when a wide net plows through. The damage was plain to see, and the state took action. Since the mid-1990s, TPWD has bought out and retired more than 2,100 of the 3,231 commercial shrimping licenses then working state waters. It’s doubtful any new licenses have been issued, either. Shrimping efforts have been greatly reduced, and all those critters caught in the nets now have a chance to increase their numbers. That’s why croaker seem to be making a Boarding a shrimpboat near the comeback, but it’s a slow process. State net Bolivar pocket. A fishing buddy samplings in the bays show promise with digs around for useful bait, since increased catches. But the combination of it will all be shoveled overboard rampant shrimping and three fish-killing once the shrimp are picked out. freezes in 1983 and 1989 took a heavy toll. At least one coastal biologist believes that croaker have never recovered comeback. No size or bag limits exist; indeed, there aren’t enough fish from the ’83 freeze, though you would think sufficient numbers of for anglers to impact. And there is no state hatchery stocking program. those fish had migrated offshore by late December of that year, when Croakers seldom make headlines and never magazine covers. Many the freeze arrived, to escape the big fish kill going on back in the bays. guides would rather be crucified on the Apennine Road leading There is now a targeted net fishery for croaker, but these small into Rome (think Spartacus), than be photographed with a croaker. marina shrimpboats supplying the needs of weekend fishermen may Metaphorically speaking. Today it is trophy trout that have ascended not have much of an impact. They’re making short pulls with the nets, to the pinnacle of popularity, while the croaker has fallen off the radar. and anyway there are only so many live marina bait tanks along the Croaker still have one advantage—they’re better on the table. Fillet coast. Today’s “croaker soakers,” as anglers are called, know that the a big one and fry it in corn meal, and compare it against any coastal easiest way to catch a limit of trout is to buy a few dozen live croaker. trout: The croaker will make your eyes roll back in your head. Like it did For some reason, a speckled trout will do anything to wrap his lips for generations of Texans, before shrimpboats took their terrible toll. around a noisy croaker, even in murky water. Croakers work far better As the old-timers used to say, “A plate of fresh, fried croaker is a meal than finger mullet, which can be difficult at times to round up with a fit for the governor. And will set you to craving more.” castnet. They’re also impossible to keep healthy in marina live tanks.
38 | February 2013
Cold, damp overcast days in January and February can yield some of an area’s best.
J AY WAT K I N S
ASK THE PRO
HARd WORK ANd LuCK
RuN HANd-IN-HANd!
I am settled in at the Lone Star Lodge in Port Mansfield, my home away from home for January and February. I enjoy this sleepy little fishing town, nothing to do but fish is a good thing, right? I enjoyed a very good year in 2012 fishing my home water around Rockport. We caught more trout than in recent years and enjoyed some special days during early spring and late fall. Spring is always windy in Rockport. Water here holds up extremely well, thus the numbers of guides and fishermen. Our barrier islands provide more protection from SE winds than other areas on the Texas Coast. Add an abundance of sea grass and you have terrific water clarity, too clear sometimes. During the summer dog days I ran some half day charters to beat the heat and we did very well. I feel one of the main reasons was that the limited time available led me to run less and fish areas more thoroughly. They say, “If you build it they will come.” I think that we can also say, “If you lead they will follow.” I have always boasted about how good most of my clients are, still true today even in this instant gratification world. I think we have almost perfected the “manmade moving water pattern” here in Rockport. In July, August and September I would 40 | February 2013
actually plan my morning around the barge traffic in the ICW. Amazes me how it works and I think my clients get a kick out of the anticipation as a barge approaches and water starts to move. You can be catching smaller trout and IF there are larger ones with them, you’ll get shots at them during the time the water is moving. This is always a good pattern to have in your game plan on days with little to know tidal movement or no wind-driven currents. Our fall season had days that echoed of old with solid trout and a mix of redfish up shallow in the cooling water eager to eat. It impresses me how fast they can show and then go. Once I have seen them I am confident they are still close by even when visuals become scarce. Confidence, confidence, confidence, you gotta have it or your done in this game. Winter arrived later than normal and we still had many days when the air temperatures reached into the 80s. Now this is just me talking here but I have said many times over my career that during the winter months as it warms day by day the trout along our shorelines decrease in size. Cold concentrates bait and the larger fish take advantage of these concentrations. Fast warming shallows after prolonged periods of cold are
Why go fishing when you can go catching instead? Belle Chasse
Braithwaite
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Big reds often reside in same areas as trophy-sized trout - nice interruption when grinding a slow trout bite.
42 | February 2013
ago Buddy Gough told me that the harder I worked the luckier I got. I am as lucky as a three bearded gobbler no doubt but surely some of it stems from hard work on the water. Here’s a tale of being luckier than good. I ran over a shallow sandbar WAY off the shoreline down south one morning in dirty water. When I felt the transom of the boat hump up and then the motor touching bottom I pulled back on the throttle which brought us to a stop. We weren’t bad stuck so no biggie. Just then a mullet flew out of the water and two slicks popped on the upwind side of the bar. After easing, well maybe a bit of straining, we got the boat to slightly deeper water. I stuck the Power Pole and proceeded to fish the upwind side of the bar. Numerous trout over five pounds were caught along with good numbers of two pounders. Marking the spot on my GPS, I have returned many times and, every time the water sands up and the bait shows up, the fish show. So – I was unlucky to hit the sandbar but lucky to understand several key ingredients for locating fish were present; structure, moving water, and food. Seldom does this combination disappoint. During the low tides of winter, take advantage to study and record all the changes in the bottom contour you can observe. I take photos and file them on my computer by bay system. This is an excellent example of that mental picture I describe often comes into play. A picture is certainly worth a thousand words and sometimes even a few more fish. May your fishing always be catching. –Guide Jay Watkins
C ontact
great for a few days. If the warming trend continues as it did many times this year I’ll see a decrease in size. Trout and reds alike acclimate to cold and once this is achieved they can be extremely aggressive and caught with many different types of lures given you’re in the right place during the feeding periods. Overall the late-fall/early-winter of 2012 was a little above average for me in Rockport. So how will the continuing drought affect our prime trophy trout season? Since I am not a biologist my thoughts are just a guess, prediction let’s say. Higher salinity levels to the south, even though normally a hyper-saline system, could stress game fish and promote undesirable algae growth due to a lack of micro-organisms in the water which feed on them. I have come to discover that there is a very small zone where water conditions are perfect. It’s always too much or not enough rain and large runoff events cause something to bloom. Feels like the bays are missing some vital piece of the puzzle that keeps things in balance. In the end it won’t matter all that much though – I’ll still be fishing and believing I’ll get a bite every cast. I’ll spend the first two months of the year in Port Mansfield. Jay Ray will join me for a few multi-boat trips and also with a few of his own big trout enthusiasts. Not fully understanding this system is more of an advantage than disadvantage. You see, what we don’t know can’t hurt us. Trust me you don’t always want to know the truth no matter what one tells you. Many times in my life I have had more truth than I cared to have. When I say what we don’t know can’t hurt us I am speaking only of patterns and little nuances of an ecosystem we’re not familiar with. I understand weather patterns; I can read water and can locate bottom structure so safe navigation isn’t the not knowing I am referring to. It’s those very small underwater pathways spotted with small areas of bottom structure that every area has and that hold the keys to truly understanding fish movements that I have not had time to discover yet. That’s the disadvantage. The advantage is twofold with me. First I think I am better than I am so confidence is not a problem. Second, knowing that I don’t know keeps me eager to learn, which forces me to work harder. An eagerness to learn and work for that knowledge will usually lend itself to success. Many years
Jay Watkins has been a full-time fishing guide at Rockport, TX, for more than 20 years. Jay specializes in wading yearround for trout and redfish with artificial lures. Jay covers the Texas coast from San Antonio Bay to Corpus Christi Bay. Telephone Email Website
361-729-9596 Jay@jaywatkins.com www.jaywatkins.com
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OUTFITTING AMERICA’S SERIOUS ANGLERS™ TSFMAG.com | 43 AllStar_ASM_7.5x4.875.indd 1
12/18/12 8:46 AM
Completely drained by north wind this lake normally averages 1.5-2.0 foot depth. Note the humps and other features.
C A P T. S COT T N U L L
S H A L L O W W AT E R F I S H I N G
Extreme Low-Tide Intel It took a while to get here, but peering out the office window it appears true Texas winter has finally arrived. Dreary mist coupled with a steady cold north wind is not exactly what sightcasting enthusiasts look forward to. I’ve had to reschedule more trips in the past few weeks than I did throughout the entire spring, summer and fall. It isn’t a matter of the fish refusing to eat. As I said in a previous article, “Fish gotta eat.” Rather it is a product of my typical customer who are more interested in seeing their targeted fish than spending the day blindcasting. For the guys throwing conventional gear a day of endless casting isn’t too much of a problem, but my fly guys tend to balk at the workout. Typical of winter, the cooler water temperatures have significantly cleared the water making it much easier to spot cruising reds in the marsh. However, even in the clearest of water you still need some sunshine and light wind to get dialed in. The good news is that the brief periods between the passing fronts often set up perfectly. If you can ditch work when it gets right there 44 | February 2013
is some awesome fishing to be had. And as an added bonus, you’ll often have the whole bay to yourself. So what does a sightcasting addict do during the stretches of poor conditions, besides stay home and catch up on those chores that got ignored during the non-stop fall fishing? For me it depends on which set of poor conditions are at hand. In the pre-frontal periods with the typical southeast winds, overcast and higher tides, I’ll just suck it up and go trout fishing with everybody else. Hey, I like sticking a big ol momma trout as much as the next guy even if it does involve mind-numbing hours of blindcasting. This year I plan on pulling out the fly rod more often than in the past. Tossing a big Deceiver into the right water is just as effective as slinging a Corky and at least I can get in some good practice with the buggy whip. Once the front passes and the north winds are howling, the water levels will drop to their lowest points of the year. These are the days I love to get out there and go exploring. Low water scouting is one of my favorite
The deeper slough that connects to a larger body of water revealed at extreme low tide; fish use these as travel routes.
winter activities. Over the years I’ve learned more vital information about the bays and marshes during January and February than the other ten months combined. Take away a couple feet of water and a whole new world is exposed. Add in the extra water clarity of winter and you suddenly start having some serious “aha” moments. If you’re new to venturing out in extreme low water conditions you’ll want to be sure to launch at a ramp that allows you to get where you want to go. There are a few ramps I use under normal conditions that are difficult, if not impossible to use when the water goes low. A couple others are located in places where the routes get sketchy. In
It may take more searching than normal but redfish can be caught during cold weather and low tide.
TSFMAG.com | 45
Fly-caught red on a blustery January afternoon.
46 | February 2013
vanish before you got in range? Chances are they’ve sensed your approach and are using a slightly deeper area to ease out. They’re usually not too spooked to catch at that point so knowing the layout of the area can give you an idea of where to look for them. Poking around the marsh in the skiff is great for checking out the lakes and drains adjacent to the deeper bayous, but there are many areas further into the marsh that aren’t accessible due to the low water. If you really want to learn those places it’s going to require some effort. My favorite way to go about it is hauling the kayak on the skiff. Not only will the kayak float skinnier than the skiff, it’s a whole lot easier to deal with when, not if, it gets stuck. When I’m feeling really energetic I’ll drag it across some areas if I know there’s water deep enough to paddle on the other side. Last winter I packed a lunch and spent the better part of a day learning new things about a place I’ve fished for years. That knowledge came in pretty handy this past year when the winds blew and muddied things up. The other option is to simply slip into your waders and go mudslogging. It’s not for everybody, but if you’re in decent shape it can be an interesting way to check out some of those places others seldom venture. And it sure beats the heck out of sitting here watching it rain.
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addition to the good “aha” moments, you’ll likely have a few “oh crap” moments when you run across something in one of your favored running lanes that you never knew was there. I had one of those a couple weeks ago when I came across a large hulk of heavy metal in an otherwise wide open mud flat that I run across all the time. Mental note made. The fun starts once you get through the gauntlet and arrive in your favored fishing area. Reefs, drains, flats, humps, depressions; they’re all important pieces to the fishing puzzle for a variety of reasons. We all know oyster reefs hold fish. You’ve probably got several that produce on a regular basis and in all likelihood there are certain places on these reefs that seem to hold more fish than others. With the reef exposed you can take a closer look at the shape of the structure. Look for cuts through the reef, odd points that jut out and humps that rise up. Look at the edges. Do they drop off abruptly or slowly taper? Also make note of which way the tides flow over and around it. The next time you start catching fish on a particular spot on that reef you’ll know why and possibly come up with a pattern that you can repeat on other reefs nearby. Shoreline flats and open lakes of the marshes will often go completely dry on these winter lows revealing their topography. Stop on the outer edges of the flats or at the mouth of a bayou leading into a marsh lake and take note of the various humps, depressions and drains. I’ll often take photos to aid my aging memory. Google Earth is an awesome tool that aids us in checking out new areas, but it fails to show the subtle depth changes that can be important. When you’re poling a boat that floats in six inches but not four, this knowledge can save a lot of frustration and work. It can also lead you to those disappearing fish. How many times have you stalked up to a school of tailing reds only to have them
Capt. Scott Null is a devout shallow water fisherman offering guided adventues via kayak, poled skiff, and wading. Telephone Email Website
281-450-2206 scott@tsfmag.com www.captainscottnull.com
2013-TX-pb-red.pdf
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B y N i c o l e F. P o u l s o n Summer Intern | Corpus Christi
FIELD NOTES
Future for Fisheries As a recent graduate from Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC) I was fortunate to have been selected to intern with Texas Parks and Wildlife DepartmentCoastal Fisheries Division (TPWD-CF) this past summer. The internship program is designed to provide students or recent graduates with valuable skills and experiences that will further the education of the individual and prepare them for their future career path. I participated in the harvest monitoring program and the marine resource monitoring program with the upper Laguna Madre management workgroup. To collect the data for both programs, I was introduced to field sampling using equipment such as: bag seines, gill nets, bay trawls as well as assisting at harvest surveys. Although most of my time was spent in the field collecting data, I was also given the opportunity to participate in other related activities such as SEA camp. “SEA Camp” is an educational program provided for students who have completed kindergarten through fifth 48 | February 2013
grade and is sponsored by the Texas Maritime Museum in Rockport, Texas. TPWD-CF staff located in Rockport provide the campers with activities to increase awareness of the organisms, habitats and ecosystems that make South Texas so unique. The overview is presented by TPWD staff in a fun and interesting way so that the students are engaged and, in theory, take valuable information with them. The students’ eyes grew wide in their excitement as they learned sampling techniques, kayaking skills and fish and bird identification. I believe that TPWD’s contribution to SEA Camp has a positive long term affect on the students as they become more knowledgeable of the coastal waters and the organisms that inhabit these ecosystems. Participating with SEA Camp made me aware of how many young minds are interested and fascinated in fish, birds and conservation efforts put forth by TPWD. As a young child I was inspired to study biology after attending a similar educational program in the United Kingdom
where I lived for the majority of my childhood. I distinctly remember the engaging activities attracting me to learn more about wildlife and the importance of protecting the environment. I feel very strongly that some of the individuals that attended SEA Camp were impacted by the experience provided to them and one day those individuals could make a contribution themselves. SEA Camp is one example of outreach efforts provided by TPWD and an important method to educating future generations. Even as a young adult I was equally as energetic and excited to begin my internship as the students were to learn about fisheries and the ecosystem from us. Over the past three months of the internship, the biology classes I had taken at TAMU-CC began to all come together and the connections were made. Specimens studied in ichthyology came to life and the scientific classifications were quickly recalled as I identified and measured organisms. I spent hours in the bay, learning how to use a GPS device, set and retrieve gill nets, pull bag seines and bay trawls. As an intern I was eager to absorb as much information as possible and learn from the resources provided. As the internship progressed and I continued assisting with field sampling, I realized how beneficial a botany class would have been for me to identify plants and seagrass. Along with the fish and birds, vegetation is a key element for a successful ecosystem in the Laguna Madre. I quickly learned the five species of seagrass found in Texas waters while sampling: turtle, shoal, widgeon, manatee and star grass. These species have distinctive characteristics to set them apart from one another and all provide significant benefits to the ecosystem. Todd Neahr, (TPWD- CF biologist) educated me on each species and how to accurately identify them. Seagrass beds support marine habitats for multiple purposes including a food source for numerous organisms and shelter for fish such as red drum. The roots and leaves facilitate to reduce erosion and turbidity in rough conditions and are a major contribution to the nutrient cycle as the leaves are decomposed. The unique ecosystem, characteristic of the Laguna Madre, is dependent on seagrass to provide stability and housing for finfish, birds and invertebrates that inhabit it (Green and Short 2003). Seagrass is part of the foundation for the Laguna Madre that continues to provide a healthy and successful environment. Knowledge is the key to a successful outcome and as the staff at TPWD taught me their knowledge we together reached out to the public and simultaneously taught students and younger individuals the value of our ecosystem. After a slimy and sweaty summer and many gallons of water later, I would like to acknowledge those who made this experience possible. The Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) who sponsored me, Dr. David Mckee (TAMU-CC Professor of Biology) for his mentorship and recommendation along with the upper Laguna Madre ecosystem team for their time and many hours of patience. I now have a more clear understanding of fisheries management and how the data collected is utilized and interpreted in contribution to sustaining the fish populations. As a final note, things truly are better outside and doing our part to protect our natural resources will provide for those generations still to come.
Check the TPWD Outdoor Annual, your local TPWD Law Enforcement office, or www.tpwd. state.tx.us for more information. TSFMAG.com | 49
A finicky red comes tight on the line.
S C O T T S O M M E R L AT T E
F LY F I S H I N G
FEED THAT FISH! There are of course many factors that come to play out on the flats and they change daily. Whether talking weak tides or currents, changing light or the type and availability of a food source, all can come into play when choosing the right fly and how to fish it in such a manner that the fish will commit to eating it. The long and short of itsometimes you have to “make” a fish eat. Fly Placement and Retrieve When I encounter fish that are unwilling to eat, the first thing I try to figure out is; Did the fish actually see the fly? It is really easy to figure this out if the fish eats or spooks from the fly but not if they seem to ignore it. When this happens, I tend to get a little more aggressive with my cast by shortening my lead right up until the point that I am trying to drop it right into their wheelhouse (on their nose) to trigger a reaction strike. I have seen this method work on numerous species of fish, especially snook, redfish, seatrout and even the occasional tarpon that are stationed in an ambush type scenario. Years ago, while fishing for some back-country snook in the glades, my friend Timmy Borski said to me, “The important thing is to put the fly on the plate, then it is time to think about the retrieve.” The plate he refers to can vary in size and is determined by the depth of water that the fish are feeding in meaning that it is larger in deeper water and smaller in shallower water. He explained further that the deeper the water the faster the retrieve can be. The key is to have the fly move in front of the fish. If this is not getting the fishes attention, then it is time to put the fly in the fish’s wheelhouse as I describe earlier but Borski described his method by saying, “In deeper water, to get the fly in a fish’s wheelhouse, you 50 | February 2013
can’t drop it on their head. It is important to do the math before making the cast and then have the fly intercept as close to, but still in front of the fish.” He also added, “Once the fly is on the plate, it is important to tailor the retrieve to stay on top of it.” No matter what species of fish an angler is pursuing, one of the most important aspects of deciding where the fly needs to be placed and how to vary the retrieve is experience. Seeing fish react to different presentations over and over will help anglers decide if the fly is in the magic zone or, if it needs to be represented in a bolder fashion. In other words- go fishing more often and it will be easier to learn how to place and retrieve the fly in such a manner as to entice the most finicky of fish. Choosing the Right Fly Most of the time, choosing the right fly is as simple as matching the hatch. For example, you pull up on a sand flat in Texas and the fish are tight to the shore cruising with their backs barely covered by the water. The fish are feeding actively as you witness them dart in and out of the spartina grass chasing small shrimp that are two to three inches long. It is a no-brainer, tie on a similar sized shrimplike fly in natural tan color and get after it and catch a couple of fish. But, what if you were to pull up to the same flat and the fish were holding in potholes in about a foot of water sitting perfectly still? You make a couple of wellplaced casts and the fish either follows the same fly you would have used in the previous scenario or worse yet, ignores it completely. Now it is time to get creative. The first thing that I do when choosing a fly to feed a finicky fish is to go to a fly that really moves. By this I mean a fly that will literally move all on its own. The finest
offer. “All the flash that any fly needs is to incorporate just a little black into the pattern.” So, movement has not enticed a fish and the removal of the flash has not done the trick. What is next? Well this is the point in which I like to down-size my patterns. I will start going smaller and smaller until I find something that works. This is something that I consider with just about any species of fish because I believe the smaller the pattern, the fewer details there are for the fish to notice and not like. There are advantages and disadvantages to taking this approach, mostly stemming from the species that is being pursued. Look at it this way, you might serve a whole chicken, some rice and some peas on a platter but what if you are only going to serve a drumstick or even just a pea? Well, to steal the analogy from Borski, the plate just got smaller. Downsizing to catch fish is not a new concept. Just look at the overall trend in the size of flies used for Florida Keys tarpon. Twenty-five years ago, tarpon flies were tied on 3/0 and 4/0 hooks whereas nowadays a 1/0 is more the norm. Heck, there are some that will even go down to a tiny #1 if the fish are being especially punky. When working through the equation of picking the right fly, color is always the first and last thing to consider. By this I mean, I almost always go with a natural color first and the last thing I do is go to some wild and crazy color combo that appears to be out of place on the flats or backcountry. As for what crazy colors- well I will just leave that to your imagination because I have no idea why fish like hot pink and purple. So, next time you are on fish and cannot make them eat, rather than running to the next spot- you might try experimenting with some different flies and retrieves. Be gude and stuff like that.
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example yet, is the Toad. The toad, as many of you know, made its name by feeding the very persnickety tarpon of the Florida Keys. Many attribute its appeal to the Toad’s very slow sink-rate and the ability of its marabou tail to “breath” in the current or with the absolute most subtle twitch of the rod tip. But, the Toad and all of its variations, can be tied to represent either a shrimp or a crab depending on what kind of tail is incorporated and how narrow the body is trimmed and can be used to fool almost any fish that swims in tropic or sub-tropic climates. I have seen tarpon, snook, redfish, sea-trout, snappers, grouper and cobia all fall victim to the enticing motion of a Toad. The motion can sometimes be the difference between feeding a fish and watching one swim off. The key to getting a fly to breath or undulate is achieved at the fly tying bench. It is important to have a material in the fly that is soft, subtle and tied into the fly in an unrestricted fashion. This is easily figured out by picking up a fly and moving it around. If the gravity and the air passing by it make the materials move and flop about, then it most likely is going to look twice as good in the water. One of my favorite flies for less than cooperative redfish, snook and sea-trout is a variation of Mr. Bob Clouser’s famed fly. What I like to do is build a Clouser with the lightest of bead-chain eyes and a liberal extension of ostrich hurl between the wing and collar. This fly, when attached to a leader with a clinch-knot (no loops) can be suspended in front a fish and wiggled in a very enticing manner. This particular fly was given the name, the “Spar-Tina Turner” by legendary angler, Flip Pallot after a day of coaxing shrimp-crazed redfish out of the spartina grass shorelines of the Texas coast. So what if movement is not the key, the next thing I like to look at is the amount of flash a fly has. On many occasions, I have watched fish repeatedly refuse or spook from flies with too much flash or just flash period. Sometimes it is as simple as pulling the flash from the fly or if there is just too much to remove completely, just change the fly. I would say it safe to say that the majority of the flies in my boat have very little to no flash at all. Borski tends to agree with me on this point but has even more to
Scott Sommerlatte is a full time fly fishing and light tackle guide, freelance writer and photographer. Telephone Email Website
979-415-4379 vssommerlatte@hotmail.com www.scottsommerlatte.com
TSFMAG.com | 51
MARCOS GARZA
YO U T H F I S H I N G
A Guys’ Day Out My past month was pretty eventful. I went duck hunting with my dad’s friend Dean and his son Austin. I also went fishing with my Uncle Joe who just got into fishing within the last few years. 52 | February 2013
At the beginning of the month, Dean and Austin drove down from Katy, to come duck hunting with my dad and me. We went out two days and hunted in both the morning and evening. Our mornings didn’t go as
planned, so we “had” to hunt in the evening to make up for what we missed in the mornings. We headed out to the same island that we hunted on when I went with my dad the last time which was with Julian’s group. With the cold front that had just come in from the north, we had lost close to two feet of water in the bay. When we set up the decoys, we had to walk at least 30 yards from the bank to get in deep enough water to have the decoys not sitting on the bottom. We sat up on the bank waiting for the redheads to come in. Our hunt was typical; we were done within an hour of setting up our decoys. We cleaned up our area and headed for home once we had finished our day. Dean and Austin had a great time on their first duck hunt in Port Mansfield. Now to talk about my fishing trip with my uncle, for my uncle’s friends who think that he can’t fish, he out fished me on this trip. We woke up at 5:30 and got our gear on and loaded the rods in the truck. We got to the boat slip, put gas in the boat, and we were off into the dark sky over the bay. We headed south to our first spot because we had gotten good reports of certain spots down that way. We hopped off of the boat into water that was in the 60s and about mid-calf in depth. We walked out and started throwing topwaters. My uncle was the first to land a trout and it was a solid one at that. We waded a few hundred yards without catching another keeper on top. We all switched to plastics and we started to catch fish. We walked another two hundred yards and the bite had stopped. We weren’t even catching small trout anymore. We left the first spot with four
keepers. The score so far: my uncle Joe: 1, my dad: 3, me: 0. We pulled into our next spot, which was packed, and stopped next to my dad’s friend Capt. Chad Kinney. Chad had put out his client and we jumped into the water. We were catching small fish quite often and my dad and my uncle were catching keeper trout. I was wading next to Chad and every time that I would lose a fish close up, he would cast right where I lost it and try to steal my fish. And then my dad went back to the boat and turned on the radio. My dad put on the local Tejano station because he likes to be funny like that. I looked at my dad and he was dancing weird and then I turned to Chad and so was he. It’s always like this when I’m around my dad and Chad for a while. Together, my dad and Chad do some crazy things but I will talk about this at a later time. My dad wanted to catch some bigger trout so went back to the first spot because that is where the bigger fish had been the day before. We got back out and waded for a while. Finally, I get a hit and set the hook. I land the trout and it’s one of the smallest trout of the day. That was the only fish on that wade so we went back to the second spot. Again, we started getting more hits and more fish immediately. I was still catching small trout and soon I wasn’t catching anything. We were going to head in at noon, it was already 11:30, and I still had one more lure to try out. I switched to that lure and on the first cast, I hooked up. I landed a solid trout and another three after that. We caught our limit, took some pictures and headed in to get something to eat. That was my month and it was excellent.
TSFMAG.com | 53
CADE SIMPSON
K AYA K F I S H I N G C H R O N I C L E S
Pierce Marsh
Bayou Vista/Jones Bay Where: Upper West Galveston Bay When: Winter Weather: Temps in 40s-50s. Winds around 8mph out of the north. Tackle: Conventional. Soft plastics on jig heads. HNL Map: F103 Hitting the Water: Louie’s Bait Camp is where you want to launch. It is a clean and accommodating facility and affords the easiest paddling access to Pierce Marsh and Bayou Vista. Paddle out and head due south along Highland Bayou. Go under the Hwy 6 Bridge and you will immediately see the Bayou Vista community on your left and Pierce Marsh on your right. I knew in advance the tide was going to be low and this eliminated fishing some of the back-lake area of Pierce but I was still able to get a good feel for the area and find a few fish at the same time. Some of the fish were roaming the shallow flats, slowing cruising and looking for prey. As is the norm, I 54 | February 2013
stealthily approached the fish in my kayak. One method of stealth I have adopted is not paddling any more than I have to. This sounds obvious but when I was a more novice kayaker I did not respect the sensitivity of the fish and therefore spooked fish I could have otherwise had an opportunity to at least cast at. My kayak is equipped with a rudder so I will paddle gently a couple of times then lay the paddle in my lap as I continue to slowly drift, steering myself with the rudder, into a reasonable distance/position to cast from. This could be compared to a power boat operator shutting down the outboard as he approaches a fishing zone or an obvious school of fish and drifting into the scene quietly. My first sightcast shot of the day was a tad off, it landed behind the fish about 8 feet. However, this fish must have been really hungry. At the detection of my lure hitting the water, the fish turned. I bumped my lure across the bottom once, and the fish darted towards it. I bumped it again almost as if to simulate an escape attempt, the fish stayed with it and slammed my paddletail minnow bait.
TSFMAG.com | 55
Science and the Sea
TM
Oil: the Breakfast of Champions The Deepwater Horizon oil spill that began in spring 2010 was one of the largest ecological disasters of recent history. The big question has been — how do we clean up all that oil? Maybe we don’t have to do it all: man’s disaster has been bacteria’s feast, and the amount of oil these microscopic creatures have chowed down is colossal. In the five months following the spill, naturally occurring bacteria digested 200,000 tons of oil and gas from the Gulf of Mexico. That’s equivalent to the weight of 415 fully-loaded 747 airplanes carrying maximum loads.
A vessel skims oil spilled after the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
All different kinds of bacteria came to the party. Crude oil is comprised of different hydrocarbons, chains of carbon molecules with attached hydrogen. Over a dozen different bacteria groups have evolved to feed on specific hydrocarbons. Many gobble up hydrocarbons on the surface or at the shoreline while others, remarkably, withstand the icy temperatures of the deep. University of Texas Marine Science Institute researcher Zhanfei Lui found the group Vibrio was responsible for over half the oil-eating bacteria in the oil being washed onto the salt marshes. In fact, the amount of certain toxic hydrocarbons in the oil decreased more than 95% as bacteria decomposed the oil drifting toward the marshes. These bacteria normally feed on oil that naturally leaks from the sea floor, but following a spill, their populations explode if there are enough nutrients, oxygen and nitrogen for them. They use enzymes and oxygen in the sea water to break down the hydrocarbons and release carbon dioxide. Scientists have tried to harness these creatures’ appetites for cleaning up spills with genetically engineered bacteria, but no one yet has come close to the efficiency of these naturally occurring tiny bacteria in the sea. Some of man’s greatest allies in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill cleanup have been tiny bacteria just having their breakfast.
The University of Texas
Marine Science Institute www.ScienceAndTheSea.org © The University of Texas Marine Science Institute
56 | February 2013
The fish ended up being on the small side, not making the slot minimum, but as redfish tend to do he fought like he was three times his size. He was a beautiful double-spotter with an awesome blue tail. The rest of the morning of fishing was mostly a repeat of that same scenario in the shallows and we also managed a few in some deeper channels running through the marshy area. With the favorable wind, Cliff was able to get a few hookups on the fly. I threw a Paul Brown Original (Corky) for a while in an area I thought may hold some trout but was not successful. I am still on my quest to find a big trout but I am learning it is not just a walk in the park.
One cast, y yO yOu’ll u’ll be hOOked. h OOked. OO ked. Get ready for the fishing trip of a lifetime. Houma, Louisiana is the gateway to the Saltwater Fishing Capital of the World,® where the fish are always biting and the adventure is always on. Whether you charter with one of our 30+ charter fishing services or bring your boat, the limits are high and every cast is another chance to reel in a trophy.
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Wrap Up: Pierce Marsh and the Bayou Vista marsh are great fishing areas. The paddle is easy, making it suitable for fisherman of all skill levels. I can definitely see that with a higher tide and more water up in the grass this would be a great summer-fall spot. One piece of gear I feel is important to briefly discuss is the use of waders in the kayak. I have read before that some people don’t
like the idea of using them for fear of water filling them if you were to turtle your kayak. My opinion is that they are an essential tool to cold-weather fishing. There really is no other way to do it comfortably. Before I had waders I just didn’t go kayak fishing when it was cold. Now, a day on the water when the air is a bit frigid is actually quite pleasant. If you are worried about taking on water in your waders, you could cinch an elastic belt around your chest outside the waders to keep them snug against your body. This will prevent air escaping your waders should you end up in the water and also help keep them from filing. As a training exercise, you might want to consider taking your kayak into a swimming pool while wearing your waders. You’ll probably get a surprise. Another plug for Louie’s – this is also the sort of home base for the Lone Star Kayak Series – a grassroots kayak fishing tournament. LSKS is comprised of some really good guys and is a great place to meet other kayakers and learn more about fishing the Texas Coast. Until next time have fun, be safe, and bring a friend. Contacts: Louie’s Bait Camp – (409) 935-9050
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E X T R E M E K AYA K F I S H I N G & S H A R K S F R O M T H E S A N D
ERIC OZOLINS
KAYAK WARS
The Ultimate Kayak Angling Battles Continue The definition of war is the act of engaging in hostile combat against another group or nation. Transferred to the water and armed with a paddle and an array of tackle, there is another type of war being waged. For seven years Kayak Wars has reigned supreme as the original and premier online kayak fishing tournament. Participants battle it out through a months-long season to see which “gladiators of the sea” will emerge victorious. Anglers from all over the country (and beyond) have joined the excitement in this unique tournament. Each year, Kayak Wars grows leaps and bounds gaining new anglers and adding regions and additional species. Battlegrounds are widespread as some aquatic warriors are trolling up tuna and sailfish along Florida’s east coast while others endure harsh conditions for monster stripers along the mid-
60 | February 2013
Atlantic. Closer to home, patient anglers are stalking tailing redfish in the shallow bays of Texas. It is important to note that the foundation and principal of the Kayak Wars tournament is and always has been quite simple – to provide a way of recording data, sharing photos and rewarding anglers for catches from the kayak – all the while promoting the most aspect of having fun fishing from a kayak. The fact
Calvin Martin with an awesome sailfish…in a kayak!
Dee Kaminski in on the action with a very nice red drum.
that this is a free-to-enter, non-profit tournament is another cornerstone of its huge success. We are very fortunate to have had sponsors jumping onboard since the beginning donating thousands of dollars in prizes to be awarded for angling achievements. A superstar among these has been Hobie Kayaks. Foremost, we promote the mentality of just going out to have fun on the water and enjoying the adventure. While we encourage participants not to “expect� to receive prizes, the truth is many anglers are happily rewarded for their year-long efforts. Not bad for a free tournament! Kayak Wars 2012 broke barriers on many fronts. Traditionally, Kayak Wars starts on February 1st and the battles rage until December 14th - virtually a full year of heated and exciting competition. During the 2012 event more than 250 teams (3 to 5 anglers) totaling 900 individual participants from all across the country and Caribbean duked it out for kayaking glory. During the 2012 tournament participants submitted an astounding 27,000 individual entries, all measured,
Eric Harrison’s amazing striper entry.
TSFMAG.com | 61
photographed, and logged online. With numbers like this it is easy to see how Kayak Wars has become one of the largest kayak fishing tournaments in the world, and that is something we are extremely proud of! Now for you paddling freshwater junkies, please do not feel left out. There is a separate freshwater division from which a good portion of those 27,000 entry-catches originated. Some spotlighted freshwater catches were incredible lunker bass, catfish, and even sturgeon thrown into the mix. Each species has its own scoring system which results in every submission earning points within that category. General points are awarded for each valid species, and additional points are earned through submission of trophy catches for the species. Key features that paved the way for explosive growth have been the simplicity and archiving ability of this tournament. Anglers can log-in and submit their fish info which is then recorded to an online database. The database stores all the catch info and photos and keeps detailed statistics for each submission (size, date, species... etc). The archival aspect is the first of its kind for a wide community of anglers. In addition, the tournament maintains a database and
currently five years of submissions data are available. This means anglers can log-on and check out their “personal career” statistics, i.e. how many flounder they caught in 2009, review their personal best of each species, etc., during their Kayak Wars participation. The possibilities are endless and this provides an interactive “league” feel
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that keeps people interested. This past year was the largest event ever, both in terms of anglers and submissions. And because of the massive participation, there were naturally some very admirable and mindboggling kayak catches. Multiple billfish and an onslaught of tuna showed a good presence this year for the southeast region. Texas anglers were split between bay and offshore action and contributed a great variety of species submissions. The northeast had some killer striper action and anglers in Cuba fared well on the reefs with snapper. There were also new species added, many of which were oddball freshwater specimens. With over 150 species eligible in Kayak Wars everyone was given an option to play with. More and more species and locations are added each year and the Caribbean and Hawaiian divisions were a warm welcome. Some key statistics for the 2012 Kayak Wars season were as follows... Team HOOK1 BLITZ! out of the Northeast Region were the supreme champions for this year with an incredible 28,080 points, led by kayak fishing icons Eric Harrison and Pat Gallagher. The team combined for 1737 individual fish submissions - very impressive to say the least. Team Reef Raiders of Texas earned top honors in the southcentral division, headed by Don Wilchek and a solid crew. Persistent anglers Robert Long and Doug Richardson helped Team Ship Face of Florida dominate the southeast with 15715 points. For the northwest region, Roy Marcum pushed Team NWKA1 over the top landing an onslaught of great rockfish. Some individual achievements have to be recognized as well. Veteran Brian Nelli was the Species Champion for the year with 33 species spanning the gamut of fresh and saltwater. Ironman Eric Harrison posted total leading score for Kayak Wars with 526 submissions and 13250 points. The 2012 Kayak Wars freshwater crown went to Team MKF led by loyal members Capt. Dan Marshall and Lucian Gizel. Overall Kayak Wars had a remarkable and memorable year. On the horizon, 2013 should shatter even more records. Each year, more and more anglers join the fun for this highly anticipated event. The season is scheduled to start on Feb 1st, with registrations being open through April. Projections show well over 1000 participants this year with even more prizes to give to happy anglers. Remember, Kayak Wars is a totally free event and all you need to compete is a kayak, measuring device, and a digital camera. We are quite certain the fun and memories of each and every adventure will remain for a long time. Sponsors are vitally important to the success of any tournament and we want to recognize those who have contributed to Kayak Wars. A special thanks goes out to Hobie, Yak-Gear, Yak-Shack, B&S, Sunjammers Watersports, Greenfish, and all the other loyal sponsors and supporters which make this event possible. We are anticipating the return of each of these supporters and are also currently accepting new sponsors for 2013. We are all very excited for what lies ahead and want to see you joining in the fun. So get your angler teams together and register today at kayakwars.com. It’s time to wage war on the water! For the past decade, Eric ‘Oz’ Ozolins has been a key figure promoting catch and release with sharks and assisting various shark-research programs. Oz is renowned in the kayaking world for extreme biggame fishing and runs Kayak Wars – one of the largest kayak fishing tournaments in the world. Email Websites
Oz@extremecoast.com extremecoast.com kayakwars.com TSFMAG.com | 63
Environmental chamber.
Genetic variance in the fat snook, Centropomus parallelus.
STEPHANIE BOYD
F I S H Y FA C T S
Perry R. Bass
Marine Fisheries Research Station “Inquiry is fatal to certainty.” ~Will Durant Research is a critical asset for managing the Texas fishery. Among other applications, it is very beneficial for improving the current stocking methodology and developing procedures for new goals, such as successful mass stocking of southern flounder. To these ends, the staff at Perry R. Bass Research Station is divided into two groups: life history and genetics. The life history biologists examine age, growth, and reproductive characteristics of marine organisms. The geneticists study genetic variances between different populations of the same species. Together, the research from these two specialties provides information for the responsible management of Texas’s marine resources.1
Life History The goal of the life history program is to collect information on fish populations that are not adequately explored using routine monitoring data. The main areas of life history research being conducted at Perry R. Bass are reproduction, age determination, and temperature tolerance. Age determination is significant in “estimating growth and 64 | February 2013
mortality rates, population age structure, and other parameters needed for understanding the population dynamics of important Gulf of Mexico fish stocks and their response to natural phenomena and exploitation.”2 This information can then be translated into regulations that protect the fishery. For instance, spotted seatrout females are sexually mature at 13” (approx. 1.5 years). Therefore, the minimum size limit is 15”; this way, the trout has a chance to spawn (and contribute to the continuation of her species) before she is potentially taken out of the reproductive pool, permanently. Redfish are another story. With this species’ extended juvenile period, they don’t reach sexual maturity for 4 or 5 years, and once they do, they leave the bays! If the same strategy to regulate trout was used to regulate redfish, the bay fishery for them would essentially cease to exist. In response, and with the life history information for redfish, a slot limit and three fish bag was imposed: only redfish 20-28” are fair game (and one oversized red per day). This allows a strong upand-coming base and also protects a majority of sexually mature adults.3 The whole point of this, of course, is to not take at a faster rate than the population can replenish. We don’t want to end up with just one truffula seed.
The main vehicle for age determination is the otolith (fish ear bone). Though not all fish can be accurately aged by their otoliths, most along the Texas coast can, and it’s important to adopt “standardized ageing criteria for each species [in order to] provide comparable information necessary for age structured stock assessments at state and regional levels.”2 Kind of like how the SATs provide colleges with a level playing field (in theory) for evaluating applicants. Reading otoliths is like counting tree rings. For most fish, one opaque and one translucent ring form on the otolith per year, so the number of opaque rings is equal to the fish’s age in years. For fish that can’t be aged via their otoliths, alternative means include spines, finrays, vertebrae, and scales. Scientists can read more than just age on an otolith, though. They can often find “a cumulative historical record of changes in climate, nutrition, hydrographic environment, and other ecological parameters.”2 It’s like a CD-ROM of the fish’s life. For some long-lived drum species, the otolith can be tested for radiocarbon resulting from atomic bomb testing in the 1950s and 1960s. There’s even a way for scientists to evaluate the environmental conditions of long extinct populations.2 Yes, we know how fish partied in the Pleistocene. The original reasoning behind testing temperature tolerances was to discover at what age young hatchery fish could be safely stocked into growout ponds. Typically, the staff at Perry R. Bass studies reds, seatrout, and flounder (those being the principle stock enhancement fish) from two weeks to forty-five days old (depending on species and study goals). Using an environmental chamber, they can mimic natural temperature changes of any time of the year. A study was recently completed on young, post-metamorphose flounder (the age often stocked into growout ponds) to test their resilience to freezing
temperatures. Most of the flounder in this study (three tests, 30 fish each test) made it through an extended (south Texas) freeze of 48 hours just fine, proving that stocking this age group during the winter is not a problem. That’s great for a (semi)controlled environment, but results from these tests can also pertain to wild stock. For example, fish become more sluggish during cold temperatures, and some fish will move into deeper water, such as the Intracoastal Waterway, when the temperature drops. As they are slower to react to passing barges, and there are more of them in the ICW, mortality rates from barge run-ins increase during those periods of cold temperature. However, if we know the minimum temperature at which the fish can safely avoid the barges (provided they recognize the barges as a danger in the first place), the barge operators can be made aware of when their runs through the ICW are most harmful, and some may be able to reschedule or delay their runs to accommodate.3
Genetics The function of the population genetics lab at Perry R. Bass, according to the TPWD website, is to “apply genetic techniques to answer questions raised by fishery managers of the Coastal Fishery Division of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.”1 This is where the determination of genetic variances comes in. It is important to determine if multiple groups of the same species interbreed or not. If they don’t, they should be managed separately. If they do, they should be managed as one group. That is the chief value of genetics in management decisions. The stock enhancement program also benefits from this branch of research. It ensures that hatchery-cultured fish are released into the same genetic stock from whence their parents were drafted. For
TSFMAG.com | 65
example, flounder from different bay systems are genetically distinct, so the offspring of flounder from Matagorda Bay would only be stocked in Matagorda Bay. Seatrout are generally classified in one of three genetic populations: those from the upper coast bays, middle coast bay system, and lower coast system.3 Since redfish spawn offshore (as opposed to seatrout and flounder who spawn inshore), there is little to no genetic variance of the wild stock along the Texas coast (but those ones from Florida just can’t keep their Disney hidden). This research is primarily conducted to preserve the natural state of wild stocks. Maybe nothing would happen if flounder from Matagorda Bay were released in the Lower Laguna, but there’s no reason to take that chance when there are so many historical examples of environmental disruption after human interaction (carp in the Great Lakes, smallmouth bass in the Guadalupe bass habitat, etc). For this reason, there are also theoretical “what if” studies conducted. Cobia are offshore spawners, but what if someone cultured cobia in a bay system? How would that affect offshore population? Oysters also have genetically distinct populations within the bays. What if someone wanted to start an oyster farm or transplant a population? How would that affect the existing populations? These situations might never happen, but it’s good to know what the effects would be if they did.3 The way genetic variances are studied is through DNA sequencing. From fin clips (and using sophisticated government equipment), the biologist isolates a particular DNA sequence from a single fish and then compares that to sequences obtained from other fish of the same species. The optimal sequence is the one that has the most potential differences between individual fishes. Through past research, the choice is fairly predictable, though there is still a small amount of trial and error
66 | February 2013
involved sometimes. Depending on the study, 30-40 individual finclips (from separate fish) are needed per system (for however many systems are being compared) to have enough data for accurate conclusions. Typically, there is a 1-2% difference between sequences. If there is a 5% difference (or higher), there might be potential for considering the possibility of subspecies.3 Questions regarding fishery management are always available for genetic problem solving. There is an ongoing study into Gulf menhaden to determine whether or not there are distinct genetic populations along the coast and whether or not the commercial fishery might be stressing one particular population. Early results say no to the former (and therefore, no to the latter), but there haven’t been enough fish sampled to be sure.3 Fish seem to sustain a never-ending field of inquiry. For every puzzle you think you’ve completed, there always seems to be an extra piece leading you to some other anomaly. “There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.” ~J.R.R. Tolkien Footnotes 1 "Perry R. Bass Marine Fisheries Research Center," Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, 10 January 2013 <http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/management/hatcheries/prb. phtml>. 2 "A Practical Handbook for Determining the Ages of Gulf of Mexico Fishes: Second Edition," (Gulf States Marine Fisheries Division, pp. 10-15, 2009) 3 The excellent staff at Perry R. Bass Marine Fisheries Research Station
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TSFMAG.com | 69
DiCKie ColBurn
DiCKie ColBurn’s Sabine Scene
Sabine
Dickie Colburn is a full time guide out of Orange, Texas. Dickie has 37 years experience guiding on Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes.
Telephone 409-883-0723 Website www.sabineconnection.com
70 | February 2013
Unlike much of the state, a shortage of rainfall has not been a problem here on Sabine. I don’t know that there is such a thing as just the right amount of rain but, we haven’t experienced any flooding and both the rivers and lake are in excellent condition. Not surprisingly, the redfish bite is still all but a given most days. When we can’t find them roaming the shallow flats or patrolling the east shoreline of the lake, we can usually find them in the bayous or either of the two rivers. We have had enough fronts roll through to force them out of the marsh and they are traveling no further than the nearest deep water. I don’t think there is a lure they won’t attack when you find them bunched up. When they are holding on points or the mouth of a drain we are rigging Assassin’s new 4.5 inch Lit’l Tapper on ¼-ounce heads
using the tide to bounce it off bottom. When they prefer something a little bulkier we are doing well with the Die Dapper or TTF Red Killer. For my money, the most enjoyable approach has been getting on the troll motor and working the 4 to 6 foot breaks along the shoreline with crankbaits and swimbaits, River2Sea’s Cranky M or Biggie in any chartreuse pattern and H&H’s 3 inch Usual Suspect in cock of the walk or black back shad are hard to beat. Easily the best news of all has been the number of big trout caught over the past three weeks and the bite has shown no signs of slowing down. It is at its best during the brief warm ups between fronts, but anglers backing off the deep breaks along the Bayou still ICW on the coldest days are dependable following still catching nice fish. a strong cold front. A seven pound trout hasn’t
been a show stopper lately for the cold weather grinders able to wade or drift the shallow flats two to three days a week. I know of three fish over 30-inches, unfortunately none of them released, caught in the last week of December alone. All three of those fish came 5-inch paddletails in 8 feet of water. Without a doubt, the most consistent catches have come on incoming tides the last hour or two of the day. A few of the largest trout were caught by flats waders on the east side of the lake, but the better numbers up to nine pounds have come Another nice red on off the flats from the tip of Pleasure Island to a frosty morning. Coffee Ground Cove. Depending on water temperature, and it has been closer to 50 than 60 most days, suspending mullet imitations have worked best. The Corky Fat Boy in pink or day glow and the slow sink Maniac Mullet in the same colors have been very reliable. The floating version of the Fat Boy requires a world of patience and confidence to fish effectively, but our big trout just love it. The lure we didn’t fish much last winter was the Catch 2000, but we have done very well with it this year. It is a little smaller than most suspending baits and can also be fished on a quicker retrieve. When the trout are willing to exert a little more effort chasing their next meal the 2000 has been the hottest bait in the box. Mullet patterns and black/
chartreuse have worked best. The toughest decision on the better weather days has been whether to fish deep or shallow and then sticking with that pattern. Even when the surface temperature climbs on the flats during the evening hours there are still big trout that refuse to abandon the deeper water as long as the bait is there. I haven’t been catching as many good trout “scratching the wall” or vertical jigging as I have “strolling” the deeper breaks on the troll motor thus far. Covering more territory via strolling keeps your lure slowly moving yet still in contact with the bottom on a weak tide. Strolling is not as effective as vertical jigging in a strong tide as the largest of these trout are reluctant to chase a fast-moving bait. The 4-inch Usual Suspect swimbait and the Die Dapper rigged on a ¼-ounce head can be deadly choices, but I usually start with the Corky Devil or the Maniac Mullet. I also improve my hook up ratio and lose fewer baits by swapping the stock treble for one size larger and clipping off the opposite barb. It has been several years since we enjoyed this kind of run on big trout and I had forgotten how exciting it is to fish every day with the real expectation of possibly catching a double digit. Hopefully, this is a trend rather than just one of those special years!
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miCKey eastman
miCKey On Galveston
Galveston
Mickey Eastman is a full-time fishing guide out of Baytown, TX. Mickey has 26 years guiding experience on the Galveston area bays and is the founder of Gulf Coast Troutmasters, the largest speckled trout tournament series of all time
Telephone 281-383-2032
72 | February 2013
Old Man Winter has finally decided to move into Texas and is really beginning to leave his mark with extreme low water levels and nighttime temperatures down near or slightly below freezing when the fronts are passing through. Fishermen definitely need to be flexible this time of year and play the hand that’s dealt by weather changes. Frontal systems are becoming more frequent with some extreme blows before and during arrivals. Anglers need to take these changes serious and be off the water when these blue walls approach the coast. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the severity of fronts like I’ve seen these last couple of late-December and early-January systems. Looking back, I have to say Upper Coast anglers enjoyed a great year overall and if I could change anything it would be more rain for the entire Texas coast. The Middle and Lower coast regions are still in the grip of ongoing drought and I cannot help but think it is affecting the quality of fishing down there to some degree. The lack of rainfall has really hurt the shrimp and crab populations coastwide and will eventually trickle down through the overall health of our bay systems and hurt our reproduction and survival rates of all aquatic species. Freshwater runoff
is the life blood of our estuaries and bay systems. Everybody has a tendency to moan and gripe when the rivers go on a rampage and the bays turn fresh but in the long run this is exactly what they need to remain healthy and productive. Staying on the fish patterns is starting to be a little more difficult this time of year because we simply do not get enough decent weather days between fronts and those fronts combined with widely fluctuated tide levels can have a profound effect. Signs of baitfish are not as prevalent which makes it more difficult to locate fish and therefore requires a lot more trial and error style of fishing. Establishing a pattern is key to one’s success any time of year and even more important in winter. I’ve found many schools of trout and reds lately with my bottom machine running across open water as schools of shad and other baitfish appear on the screen. That improves my overall mental attitude to stop and really work over an area, especially if there’s bottom structure involved such as shell or humps and dropoffs. Soft plastics like Tidal Surge’s Split Tailed mullet and MirrOlure’s Lil John are go-to baits for covering the entire water column to draw more strikes. Then after
the fish are located other baits can be applied and used for one’s ability and confidence. The general areas the fish have been holding in throughout fall and early-winter are going to continue to hold fish in some number as long as water conditions hold up – meaning a freshout if we get a huge amount of rain. The north end of Trinity Bay should continue to be good in Jack’s Pocket, Anahuac Pocket, Trinity River, Long Island Bayou, Reds Bayou and surrounding and adjacent flats through the remainder of the cold season. Upstream winter haunts like Burnett Bay and the San Jacinto River areas are good and will remain so with good water conditions. East Bay is still holding good numbers of trout and redfish on reefs, in and around marsh drains, points, and larger bayous when decent water and weather conditions prevail. Shorelines near drains with mud and shell mixed bottom are usually your best bet on warming trends and deeper
Staying on a pattern is tougher this time of year but when we’re able to figure it out we find some nice four and five pounders.
structure is better on cool downs and post front conditions. West Bay will continue to get better as water temperatures stay colder and fish concentrate over deep shell throughout the middle of the bay between North and South Deer Island and over around Green’s Cut and Meacom’s Cut. Pay close attention to your tidal changes and watch for streaking water while drift fishing with soft plastics and MirrOlures to catch better numbers of trout and reds. On strong southerly flows beginning two days before approaching fronts, work over the shallow flats in warmer water. After the front passes and the north wind subsides, look toward that deeper structure off the northern shorelines. Stay warm and dry and above all be safe on the water. I look forward to seeing everybody at the Houston Fishing Show – March 6 thru 10 at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
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TSFMAG.com | 73 GulpSW_7.5x4.875.indd 1
12/12/12 9:09 AM
BinK Grimes
the VieW from Matagorda
Matagorda
Bink Grimes is a full-time fishing and hunting guide, freelance writer and photographer, and owner of Sunrise Lodge on Matagorda Bay.
Telephone 979-241-1705 Email binkgrimes@sbcglobal.net Website www.binkgrimesoutdoors.com
If February 2013 is anything like February 2012, there will be some impressive catches of speckled trout in East Matagorda Bay. Deep shell and mud gave up impressive catches of hearty specks on Chicken-on-a-Chain, Morning Glory and Roach Bass Assassin Sea Shads a year ago; and, if this month’s weather patterns allow for openwater drifting, those same fish are there to be caught. All is not lost when the north wind blows - enter redfish. The holes, guts, channels and bayous dumping from back lakes and marshes are locales for redfish stacked like a cord of wood. The Colorado River holds both reds and trout and the fishing only gets better there the colder it gets. Since I forgot to write a few New Year’s resolution to think about in the January
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www.hookspit.com 74 | February 2013
issue, consider the following: Treat big trout with respect. They are the prize of our estuaries. Do the same with redfish, especially the over-sized breeders. More reds are roaming the bays than ever before, thanks to a group of anglers bound and determined to remove deadly gill nets
from our bays. It is a true conservation-based success story. Treat our bays with respect. Think of the bay as your backyard pond. You wouldn’t throw trash in your pond, you wouldn’t keep everything you caught in your pond, and you certainly wouldn’t allow gasoline or oil to leak in your pond. The croaker issue continues to linger. Whether you consider the use of live croakers as detrimental to speckled trout stocks or not, they are a legal means of fishing. Without a doubt, croakers are the most effective way of coaxing trout to bite during the summer. They are
candy to trout – garnering a bite when all others make fruitless casts. I am a plug and soft plastic guy most of the time; and, I struggle certain days only to be embarrassed at the cleaning table by anglers tossing live finfish. I do, however, use live shrimp regularly on summer drifting charters in East Matagorda Bay. My beef has never been about the use of croakers as trout bait; rather, the number of big trout that are filleted by electric knives. Let me make myself clear: using live bait doesn’t make you any less of an angler, just like plugging doesn’t make you any bigger of a man. I am very aware there are plenty of big trout killed by artificial-only lips that claim, “the fish was hooked too deep and/or was bleeding so I had to keep it,” when the truth of the matter is the prize was killed and posted on the web for business. The truth of the matter is: Trophy trout should be revered, coveted and treated with respect by all. Whether you kill a gator trout with a croaker or Bass Assassin, you still killed it. Yes, I know, most anglers try and do the right thing, and despite their heartfelt efforts, a floating fish is the end result. However, a beautiful, lavender-backed speckled trout never has a chance to make someone else’s day when strung or tossed on ice. You can’t take-take-take and expect the resource to givegive-give. Sportsmen and women should err on the side of good judgment and conservation. Our oceans and bays are counting on it.
TSFMAG.com | 75
CaPt. Gary Gray
miD-Coast Bays With the Grays
Port O'Connor Seadrift
Captain Gary and Captain Shellie Gray fish year-round for trout and redfish in the Port O’Connor/ Seadrift area. Gary started his Bay Rat Guide Service 20 years ago. The Grays specialize in wade and drift fishing with artificial lures. Gary and Shellie also team up to fish many tournaments.
Telephone 361-785-6708 Email Gary@BayRat.com Website www.bayratguideservice.com
Old man winter showed up the first of January in full force and as I write this we are on our twelfth day of blustery weather with overcast skies and high north winds. To let you know how bad it was, my customers showed up yesterday in waders for a boat fishing trip, two of the guys have never wade fished but they have hunted ducks. They knew that when they hunted in similar weather conditions they wore what they had on and it kept them warm. All I know is it’s a bad feeling when your guys meet you at the dock in waders and you show up in your insulated bibs and heavy jacket. Was this a wading trip? Did they change their mind about boat fishing and my waders are back at the house? It all turned out okay and my blood pressure finally settled back down and we had an excellent day of boat fishing. A lot of people I meet over the winter ask me if I relocate to Baffin Bay during February, March and April to chase the big trout. I normally reply in my cockiest voice, “Anybody can catch big trout in Baffin.” I always let them know I am joking though.
All joking aside, I have a real passion for chasing big trout here in my home waters. Sure we don’t have the rocks and, yes the big fish are fewer and farther apart than the famed waters further south, but I will not abandon my home waters until it is deemed necessary to do so to make a living. Besides that East Matagorda Bay is just a hop, skip and a jump from where I call home, and you have just as good of a chance for a behemoth in that bay as anywhere on the Texas coast. I spent many a day chasing my speckled friends in that locale during the seasons
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76 | February 2013
BOATS MOTORS TRAILERS SALES SERVICE PARTS & ACCESSORIES
when the Guadalupe River flooded me out of San Antonio and Espiritu Santo Bays. East Matagorda, Mesquite, Ayers and San Antonio Bays all hold the potential for a trophy trout extravaganza. You just have to put forth the effort and plan your strategies every time you get ready to slip over the gunwale of your boat. If you love the glamour of the rocks then just think of all our reefs as rocks. As far as the fishing along the middle coast; it has been nothing short of great! My time has been consumed with duck hunting, fishing, deer hunting and my new passion, turkey hunting thanks to John Davis, Shellie’s dad who has shown me that there is something you can do without a boat. When I have had the chance to chase my speckled friends of the larger variety I have done so concentrating on mud flats and
the backwater coves located along the south shore of San Antonio, Mesquite and Ayers bays. On recent trips we have released trout in the twenty-six to twenty-eight inch ranges, and all of these were caught while wade fishing. The lures of choice have been Bass Assassin Die-Dapper in the sand trout color rigged weedless, and the 4” Sea Shad in slammin’ chicken and sand trout colors on 1/16 Assassin heads. We have had to slow our baits down a little during the colder days but I would fish them normally until you feel the little tick of a cold trout before slowing your bait down. Another question I get often is; “I am only catching small trout out on the shell, where are you going to catch those good fish?” There are many reasons why you probably aren’t catching any big fish on the reefs. One answer might be you’re moving too fast and making too much noise - which I see people doing day in and day out. Another reason might be that you are in a location that doesn’t really hold many bigger trout. Try to find reefs that have a dropoff or guts running through. You need to be casting to the area where the mud and shell meet. Trout will lie in the mud during extremely cold days or nights. I have landed trout that still have the mud on them when fishing the shell. Learn to use your heads people; fishing is no different than anything else you do on a daily basis that. You are trying to catch a fish that is trying to elude you so put some thought into what you are trying to accomplish and before long you will become a more skilled and successful angler. Fish hard, fish smart!
TSFMAG.com | 77
DaViD roWsey
hooKeD uP With Rowsey
Every phone call and email I get regarding charters always has the general statement attached, “What is the best month to catch a big trout?” I honestly Upper reply, “Hard to say, each year is different, but February is tough to beat.” The truth is that anytime from Laguna/ December through May can produce legitimate giants Baffin that sport not only length, but girth too. February, being in the approximate middle of that time frame, traditionally wins out for some of the most consistent big catches we see each year. With hunting season David Rowsey has 20 years in the rearview, the trophy hunters come out of the experience in the Laguna/Baffin region; trophy trout with artificial woods, so to speak, and their determined focus is on lures is his specialty. David has a the wiliest of all Texas trophies - giant speckled trout. great passion for conservation As I sit here and bang out this article, it is 42° and encourages catch and outside with wind chill of 33°. As anxious as we are to release of trophy fish. get on the water and get it done, I feel obligated to try and reinforce the importance of being prepared Telephone on the water this time of year. Twice this month I 361-960-0340 Website have had clients on the boat that appeared to be www.DavidRowsey.com prepared, but were not. Both of them had old leaky Email waders, and in one case, only shorts underneath with david.rowsey@yahoo.com the water temperature holding steady in the low-50s
78 | February 2013
range. Human males are a proud bunch for sure, but pride is never going to beat hypothermia. Their pride got in the way of mentioning how miserable they were, along with being soaking wet. At the half way point of the day they were shaking, but never told me they were wet! It wasn’t until we hit the boat ramp that they divulged the information. If they would have said something on the water, I could have done something about it. Stuffed in a front hatch on my Haynie I keep a dry bag for these situations, and I would have gladly outfitted them in dry clothes, including Simms waders that don’t leak. As a guide, I feel responsible for everyone’s safety and wellbeing on my boat. Therefore, my dry bag includes the following: dry towel, waders, heavy socks, underwear, long-johns top and bottom, fleece pants, long sleeve t-shirt, two fleece tops, and a thin rain jacket. I vacuum seal all of this to make it as small as possible, and then roll it in a dry bag, hopefully, never to be used. The famed Texas artist, Herb Booth, ran into the above scenario with me a couple of years ago. In the mail following our trip I
received a beautiful book of his outdoor art that was signed, “Thanks for saving me from my leaky waders. Your preparedness was truly impressive.” -Herb Booth To this point, fishing has just been pretty average, but January has started giving up some brutes to make the on-the-water Boone and Crockett club. A trophy trout is in the eye of the beholder, but
I start getting pretty excited when we are consistently breaking eight pounds. I have had a couple of clients accomplish this so far, and one fellow that lost a monster. I tried desperately to get the Boga on her, but she had the hook in the thin skin on the upper jaw and was just too powerful to contain before we could land her. The client firmly believes she was a state record but somewhere between nine and ten pounds was the reality of it. Great fish, regardless. With all of the dead grass on the bottom of Matt Rotan is a model for being prepared the bay floor, I am using the lightest jigheads on the water, as he goes to land this trout. possible to work my trusty Bass Assassin through big trout water. The Bass Assassin Pro Elite Series jig in 1/16-ounce is the bomb for doing this. It looks small, but has a lot of attitude and can handle anything in our bays. If there is any surface activity, MirrOlure’s Floating Fat Boy (Corky) have been great over areas of dead grass. If I’m fishing in an area that has healthier grass and more potholes, the original Corky and Fat Boy are the ticket. With brown tide still hanging around in Baffin, I’m sticking with pretty loud colors. The Upper Laguna is much clearer and we are switching to more natural colors in all lures when fishing closer to home. Remember the buffalo - Capt. David Rowsey
TSFMAG.com | 79
triCia’s Mansfield Report CaPt. triCia
True winter patterns have finally kicked in down here, exactly what the fish doctor ordered. The Laguna seems to have returned more to her normal self and, as of this writing is sending some heavy hints about the potential for February. Excited? Yes I am! After scratching through Port mostly an unexplainably slow Mansfield 2012, the past few cold fronts have evidently changed much – all to the positive. The water temp thankfully Capt. Tricia’s Skinny Water dipped, into the upper-40s Adventures operates out of a couple of times believe it Port Mansfield, specializing in wadefishing with artificial lures. or not, and fish we assumed “gone” miraculously appeared out of seemingly nowhere. Telephone We can appreciate how all of 956-642-7298 nature goes through cycles, Email but the answer as to how any shell@granderiver.net Website area can go from tremendous www.SkinnyWaterAdventures.com to terrible to tremendous again (without any catastrophic events to blame) will probably always remain
80 | February 2013
a mystery. However, we can’t deny what we have been seeing lately; fish back to where they are supposed to be and more importantly, back to being predictable. Some days have been all about reds, other days all trout, some days a steady mix of both. Either way it’s sure nice to once again be We don’t see slotable to depend on basic sized ten pounders very often! strategies learned over the years. Winter months are all about working either pre-front or post-frontal conditions, and standard approaches are apparently coming back into play. During classic prenorther situations, with typically brisk winds pushing 20mph or so from the south or southeast, we have had some inspiring sessions working the expansive East Flats. Shallow grassy shelves dotted with sand pockets that rim deeper water have
consistently produced aggressive fat-bodied trout. Just yesterday for example, in the face of an approaching front, the topwater and Corky bite were both very steady. They weren’t really eating viciously but nearly every grassbed held fish that would respond – either taking the lure, blowing up, or swirling under it. They seemed to prefer larger baits; Fatboys and larger topwaters did better than tails. We saw very few surface signs save occasional mullet flips or a stray gull, so you just had to believe they were there and fish. No real trophies, but hey, we can do worse than consistently landing 3 to 4 pounders! Get in there – believe in it – do it! Post norther fishing has also picked up; the colder the better, best times have been when the water is warmer than the air. Contrary
to most winter thought, some of our best fish have been calf deep through this. Last week, first day behind the front, I ran across the mother lode of large trout and reds where it was too shallow to stop. Seeing this did help shape our strategy though. The water was 49° - put that in your book! Our heaviest trout thus far was a smidgeon less than nine but we are encouraged to have seen several groups in the shallows at least this size. It’s just a matter of timing, I’m sure we’ll crack double digits soon. Redfish have also suddenly become thick after a long absence, and it has not been uncommon to catch legal reds pulling ten pounds or more on the Boga. Another tidbit to consider is the notion that all big reds move to the surf during winter. I read that one somewhere too. One last item of interest, at least to me, concerns the “newer” winter crowds flocking to Port Mansfield. There are basically two groups; knowledgeable big trout hopefuls, and also the folks with more of a hope than a clue. It’s pleasant to say that among the serious fishermen, the politeness on the water has been an inspiring example to all. Unfortunately though, a lot of newcomers continue to cut people off and take deep draft boats into sensitive shallow waters, and basically just displaying poor manners in general. There will always be a learning curve, so let’s all do our part to train those who need it. In closing, February is looking mighty fine indeed. It’s OK to dream big and this year’s dreams are realistic. If you are so fortunate to have a big day, please remember “one trout over 25” if you are keeping and release the others with affection. Looking forward to seeing you at the Fishing Tackle Unlimited booth during the Houston Fishing Show. Till then, may your expectations be fulfilled by your efforts.
TSFMAG.com | 81
CaPt. ernest Cisneros
south PaDre Fishing Scene Trying to write this report I am constantly Recent trout catches and observations on the flats interrupted as my mind drifts to the scores of big lead me to believe we could be in for a banner year. trout we have been seeing on the flats recently. What Already this winter we have released three trout over brings me back to reality is the wind gusting to near the thirty inch mark and have caught lots of twenty30mph outside. This time of the year the weather two to twenty-six inchers. Numerous twenty-seven is most unpredictable, but I will say the days we to twenty-eights have been keeping it exciting. The have been able to get out have rewarded us with bigger trout we are finding have been unusually outstanding catches. shallow as well. A shallow flat that has plenty of On a recent outing a cold front had dropped potholes, mixed with a grassy mud and shell bottom the morning air temperatures into the mid-40s, the sky was overcast with a Another great fishing trip with Jesse Garcia. light north wind. The water temperature barely reached 50° throughout the day. To my extreme surprise we found a good concentration of redfish in knee deep water, long about mid-morning. I would have bet against it but, there they were in shallow 48° water. Redfish in general have been showing in smaller groups mostly near the Arroyo recently and though plentiful, not always evenly distributed - so this school really got my attention. Kelley Wigglers’ ball tail shads rigged on their short shank 1/8-ounce jigs have been very effective on them.
A rr oyo C olorado t o Port I sabel
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.
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and deeper water has been the ticket on colder the cold winter and hot summer months). I have overcast days. mentioned this before, and it’s certainly worth During the warmer periods big trout can mentioning again. If you truly want to become be seen roaming the sand flats or laying in a successful fisherman, I believe there are many slightly deeper potholes on those flats. In either factors to be addressed, but there are four very situation we have been throwing both Original important ones in my opinion that will get you Corkys and Floating Fat Boys with great success. going in the right direction. The trick is to throw beyond the pothole and First is to never stop learning; you can learn slowly working toward it, then letting it sink even on the slowest of days. Next, be sure that deeper. The pearl-chartreuse color has been every time you go out spend the last hour getting hit often by large hungry sows. Waist or more fishing a spot you have never fished to belly deep flats along spoils and old oilfield before. That’s how you learn new areas. In channels has been most productive for some addition, set yourself up to fish with fishermen keepers. Again, that Kelley Wiggler ball tail shad that are better skilled and have a greater is my go-to bait. knowledge of the area you fish. The whole This time of the year I’m looking for any signs experience in just one outing with them can of baitfish, especially mullet. On very cold days help boost your fishing skills tremendously. Cindy was very proud of her 30-plus I don’t care if it’s only larger mullet, I’ll spend Last, keep a detail log of your outings whether that weighed 9.25 lbs - safely released! some time checking it out. When nothing seems you caught fish or not; this information will aid to be moving on the surface, I will look for swirls, pelicans feeding, or you in the long run. I surely believe if you practice any or all of these mud boils. I will run shallow to deep and watch my GPS to keep track actions, it will aid you to be in the right place at the right time for of water temperature. Our best trout bite has consistently been found years to come. when the water is running 62-65°. Regardless of your present skill level, the most important thing to If your goal is to be more successful in the catching department, enjoy every outing like a little kid on his first one. In the mean time, you have to be willing to put in the time observing, studying, and go study the bay as we are experiencing some of the lowest tides learning every time you get out. Don’t put yourself into the category I have ever seen; you will see things you never knew were there. of that person that hooks up their boat without ever checking the Wishing all you the best fishing this winter. conditions, tides, moon activity, and water temperatures (especially in
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FISHING REPORTS
ORECASTS F from Big Lake to Boca Chica
AND
Lake Calcasieu Louisiana Jeff and Mary Poe - Big Lake Guide Service - 337.598.3268 Fishing in February can be great, or it can be frustrating. Weather plays a huge part in how your trip will play out. If possible, try to pick your day if you are wanting to catch trout; if you can't, then flounder and redfish would be great species to target. No matter the conditions, you'll always be able to find protection from the wind while fishing for these species. The flounder will be making their heaviest run inshore around Valentines Day. Both of these species will be found in deeper cuts leading to and from marshes around the estuary. If you are interested in catching trout, then dress properly and put the waders on. There are fish to be caught when the water temperature is low and the wind is blowing. Find flats that come up to a foot of water or less. Fish extremely shallow in the warmest part of the day. Fish slow, almost like you might for bass on a bed. The method can be monotonous, but February is one of those months that produces big trout year after year. Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 James will be going big trout hunting in February, and he expects to find plenty. “We had a real good run of fishing this fall. Caught a lot of trout and reds, and some big trout too. I expect more of the same, or even better as we move toward the end of the winter. Right now,
we've got some rain sending fresh water down the rivers into the bays, but the rivers were kind of low before it started, so I don't expect anything to get completely washed out. We have been catching fish in all the area bays, including Upper Galveston and Trinity. I'll be fishing as much as I can by wading, throwing lures like Catch 5s, Corkies and my old favorites, the 51M MirrOlures. Topwaters like the Top Dog Juniors and She Dogs work well in February at times too. On a lot of days, I find it's better to fish from the middle of the day on toward dusk, so we'll sleep in quite a bit and try to be on the water when the bite is hot. It is setting up good over all. Usually, fishing gets better for a while after we get some good rains, so I'm optimistic about what's ahead.” Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054 At the time of this report, heavy rains were inundating the Galveston area, and Jim says the freshwater will likely cause some changes in the fishing patterns in the near future. “Our fishing lately has been productive, and we're finding the fish in true winter patterns. Water got pretty cold for several days, and the trout and reds were stacked in holes in the bayous. You could catch plenty in eight to ten feet of water, some big ones too. A few big trout have been caught late in the evenings by waders throwing slow-sinking twitch baits in several parts of the back of the bay. With all this rain we're getting right now, though, things will probably change some. I don't think we'll lose all
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saltwatersoul.net 84 | February 2013
our fish, but if the bayous start running too fresh, it will cause fish to show up in new places, closer to the salty water. We'll just have to wait and see on that. Regardless of how much runoff we get, fishing late in the afternoons and into the first hour or so of darkness will still be the best bet on most days. Especially for people who want to wade and target big trout.” West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 Randall has been adjusting his fishing strategy to match the weather lately, and expects to continue doing so successfully throughout February. “Lately, we've been doing good out in the middle in deeper water when tides and water temperatures are low. Fish are biting salty chicken Norton Sand Eels really well. It's a typical cold-weather thing. We are targeting areas with shell scattered over a muddy bottom, and keeping the worms low in the water column. When the weather and water temperatures warm up and tides rise, it's a whole different game. We do more wading over solid shell reefs close to the deep water, and are catching some bigger trout on slow-sinking lures like Paul Brown's Original Lures, Catch 5s and Catch 2000s. The shallowwater wading pattern should only improve as we head into February. This time of years, full tides generally make for better fishing in my home area. I'm also due to receive my new JH Performance B240 boat this month. I can't wait to try it out.” Matagorda | Tommy Countz Bay Guide Service - 979.863.7553 cell 281.450.4037 In East Bay, February is mostly about targeting big trout. I like to focus on relatively deep guts connecting back bay areas with the open basins, especially those with a muddy bottom. We'll wade them and work slow-sinking twitch baits at a snail's pace. Some bait around
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gives me more confidence. It pays to be patient when trying to determine how much bait is in an area; sometimes, the mullet aren't easy to see in the cold water. When fronts first fizzle out, we often do well wading the mid-bay reefs with the twitch baits and dark paddeltails rigged on eighth-ounce jigheads. Medium to high tides make that pattern more productive. Of course, we do a lot of drifting in open areas of East Bay this time of year, too, using heavier jigheads to keep the lures in contact with the bottom. If tides get really low, I'm usually drawn to West Bay, where the reds stack up in the shoreline drains. They can be caught on soft plastics rigged on eighth-ounce heads, of course. Lately, Humpback spoons and Who Dat lures are working well too. Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 Winter has arrived, and the fish are hanging out in their usual coldweather holes. Trout have been holding in the Palacios Turning Basin on the far west end. We have been catching them in the deep holes using quarter-ounce lead heads rigged with pearl/chartreuse and salt/pepper Norton Bull Minnows. Another winter hole that has been producing is the Tres Palacios River. North and south of the 521 bridge, we have been working ledges. throwing pearl Gulp! shrimp on quarter-ounce lead heads and have been catching some solid specks up to twenty inches. The redfish bite has been good as well. We have been hammering big reds on pearl/chartreuse Paul Brown's Fat Boys on the mud flats around the mouth of the river and over shell around Palacios Point. In February, the patterns should remain the same. When water temperatures drop into the fifties, we fish the river and harbor, and when it creeps up into the sixties, we fish the flats, looking for mullet and shad.
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Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith Back Bay Guide Service - 361.983.4434 Lynn likes to focus on targeting the big trout during the month of February. “We'll do the typical winter thing most of the time, leaving the dock late in the morning and fishing through the afternoon. It's a great time of year to go after the big sow trout. Wading is the best way to do it for the most part. We'll spend most of our time wading muddy flats which lie fairly close to drop-off into deeper water. The mud will be mixed with grass in some cases, scattered shell in others. We'll throw dark soft plastics like red shad and plum/chartreuse and morning glory, rigging them on light jigheads. We'll also throw sinking Paul Brown's Original Lures a lot. Of course, locating some bait in the right locations is a key. I believe it's often easier to find the bait in the afternoons, when the daytime heating makes all the fish more active. Moving slowly through an area and fishing thoroughly make it possible to catch some of the biggest trout of the year in February. Slow presentations to match the slow movements are important too.” Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894 Blake was still targeting redfish when fishing after early-morning duck hunts when he gave this report, but he will be shifting his focus to trout in February. “The redfish thing has been easy this winter. I'm catching them after finding them in the shallows with the air boat. Some big trout have been hanging around with them, and plenty of drum too. The other day, I saw a true monster trout in one of the back lakes after a cold spell. In February, I'll go back to fishing more for the trout, since duck season will be over. Early in the month, I like to fish areas with a soft, grassy bottom and some mud. By the end of the month, I normally switch to spots with a firmer bottom, more
86 | February 2013
of a sand and grass thing, especially if it's a warm February. I like to use slow-sinking twitch baits like Corkies and also topwaters, on the warmer days, or just any time the fish are willing to bite them. Big plugs seem to attract the bigger trout this time of year. When the bite is a little tougher, I'll be reaching for my trusty plum/chartreuse and pumpkinseed Norton Sand Eels.” Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 February is a quiet month out on the water. The deer season is winding down, and the majority of our sporting thoughts switch to fishing. February is one of our coldest months as far as the air and water temperatures are concerned. This is a great time to go after that trout of a lifetime and wadefishing is definitely the best way to go after them. My fishing logs tell me the trout are in four to five feet of water early in the morning, so I’m usually standing in about three feet of water, casting to the deeper water. I prefer to cast an eighth-ounce Spring Lock jighead rigged with a natural colored Bass Assassin Die Dapper or Berkley Gulp! Ripple Mullet and drag it slowly along the bottom, feeling for a slight tap, signaling a strike. The taps that signal a strike will be hard to detect unless you are fishing with a braided line like Power Pro. The fish will come up into two feet of water or less, especially on sunny days a couple of days after a norther' blows through. When wading, don’t forget to wear your Ray Guards. Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.937.5961 The best choices for fishing in the Corpus Christi in February will be dependent upon the weather, Joe says. “If we have cold weather on a regular basis, and water temperatures stay down in the low fifties much of the time, fishing channel edges and flats adjacent to them will be the most productive option. As always, it will be necessary to adjust jighead sizes to match the conditions, using heavier ones
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Port Mansfield | Terry Neal www.terrynealcharters.com – 956.944.2559 With varying water temperatures, trout and redfish will be moving between the flats and the deeper water along the dropoff of the ICW
Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Janie and Fred Petty – www.fishingwithpettys.com – 956.943.2747 Super low tides and rainy, cold conditions are ramping up redfish catching. We’re also netting some exceptional trout when the weather is bad, and limits of trout when it’s warmer. The low, outgoing tides are concentrating fish in smaller areas and, of course, bad weather helps keep traffic to a minimum; one of the main reasons that winter is a great time to fish. We’re limiting most trips on reds averaging between twenty one and twenty seven inches and catching trout up to twenty eight inches. Freddy says, “Usually when it’s cold, you want to work your cork slowly and let it sit in one spot, but this year they’re hitting on several different styles of popping from slow to rapid retrieves. Cajun Thunder round corks are essential for success. Trail a fifteen-inch leader with an eighth ounce jighead and Berkley Gulp! three-inch shrimp in light colors, like glow or pearl white.” At the time of this writing, no dredging is evident in the LLM and there is definitely a difference from last year’s numbers because of it. Please help stop open bay dredge disposal.
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Padre Island National Seashore Billy Sandifer - Padre Island Safaris - 361.937.8446 Based on the weather patterns of the past few months it is totally impossible to have much faith in long-term fishing or weather forecasts. December brought us the weather and fishing we expect in November, so I guess beach fishing in February will depend entirely on the weather. Pompano have been in exceptional supply as have slot and oversized reds on cut mullet and incoming tides. Whiting are available, bluefish are sporadic, and we’ve even seen a few nice trout on lures recently. This is a real treat as they have been absent for several winters. Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come. Plan your trips to fish the second day following the passage of a cold front; it’s as simple as that. Do it and do well or don’t do it and have a miserable trip. Sharks are so far remaining in good numbers with bull, blacktipped, and sandbar being caught. Avoid traveling on high tides. Remember the Big Shell Cleanup is Saturday, 23 February 2013. Meet at Malaquite Pavilion no later than 7:00AM.
and other channels in the area. Tide levels will drop significantly during frontal passages; caution is advised when running, as some entries to backwater areas might become impassable. Bait fish activity can be hard to locate on cold days. Sometimes, a bird or two in the area is the only clue. There is evidence that flounder are still making their way toward the Gulf, and they can be targeted along the dropoff of the East Cut. Black drum will usually be found schooled in deeper water this time of year, but a warming period of several days might bring them back to the edges of the flats. The “head boats” are back in Port Mansfield. Most fishermen find this a fun and productive trip, especially if you have no other way to access the Gulf. They leave at 7 a.m. and return at around 2 p.m., usually with limits of nice sized red snapper. Keep what you will eat; release the rest.
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in strong winds and currents, lighter ones if less wind and current is present. All channels in the vicinity of the JFK Causeway will have good potential for both trout and reds, including the ICW itself. When water temperatures warm up, especially if it's generally warm most of the time, shoreline flats will produce better. The water is crystal clear in the northern parts of the area right now, which makes it easier to catch fish consistently in low light conditions. Foggy, cloudy weather, with light misting rain is perfect for catching fish in the shallows during the day. If skies are clear, the best action will be at night or at dawn and dusk.”
Brandon Gutierrez Bolivar Peninsula - first croaker!
Sandy Guerrero Lower Laguna Madre - 22.5" fllounder
Avery San Luis Pass - flounder
Noe Guerra, Jr. Arroyo - 33” alligator gar 88 | February 2013
Albert Smaistria Matagorda - 42.5” 24lb red CPR
Rudy Valdez Fish Pass - 44” red
Kay Fritsch Chocolate Bay - 43.5” redfish
Ruben Ramirez tarpon
Annette De La Rosa Port A Jetties - 47.5” kingfish
Abbie Droughton Surfside Intercoastal - 24” red
Tom Chrobocinski Padre Island - 52” 60lb cobia
Alexa Ramirez Galveston - 25” first redfish!
Sarah Reynolds Caranchua Bay - 22” first flounder!
Barbara Bruechner Lake Calcasieu - 30” red CPR
Jason Beery Matagorda - 23” flounder
Ed Bland & son, Dr. Ross Bland Airport Cove - 30” redfish
Will Sanchez Corpus Christi - 4’ tarpon
Cliff Cook Quintana Island - flounder
Jennifer Green Port O’Connor - 4lb flounder
Cody Jake Port Aransas - 40” 28lb first redfish!
Gabriel Uribe Port Isabel - first flounder!
Amber Jamison Matagorda - 37” 24lb bull red
Maribel Leon & Dayanara Arroyo - 24” redfish
Kellen Opela Rockport - 26.5” trout
Alan Parker Trinity Bay - 48” bull red
Please do not write on the back of photos.
Email photos with a description of your Catch of the Month to: Photos@tsfmag.com
Tommy Myrick Freeport - 41” redfish
Alexa Trevino Seadrift Barge Canal - first keeper red!
Mail photos to: TSFMag P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 TSFMAG.com | 89
Pam Johnson
Gulf Coast Kitchen
Got ideas, hints or recipes you’d like to share? Email them to pam@tsfmag.com or send by fax: 361-785-2844
Oyste r
BLT A ppetize rs
This recipe is one of the tastiest ways I have found to enjoy fresh-from-the-bay Texas oysters. It looks complicated to prepare but it’s actually quite easy if you make your Mustard Glaze and Bacon Mousse a day ahead. 12 slices French Baguette, 1/4 inch thick, toasted 1 lb fresh oysters Olive oil ½ cup Louisiana Seasoned Fish Fry ½ cup masa corn flour ½ cup flour 1 Tbs. corn starch ½ tsp. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
In a mixing bowl, blend well Louisiana Fish Fry, masa, flour, corn starch, and Tony’s Seasoning. Add oil to large frying pan or deep fryer. The oil should be about 3 inches deep. Dredge oysters in the mixture. Heat oil to 350° and fry the oysters until golden brown - 3 to 5 minutes.
Bacon Mousse
Mustard Glaze
Topping
1 Tbs. Olive Oil 1 cup thinly sliced onion 1 Roma tomato cut into 3 large slices 1 Tbs. bacon fat ½ cup fried bacon - chopped ½ package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese 1 tsp. smoked paprika salt & pepper
1 cup corn syrup ½ cup Creole mustard 2 Tbs. prepared horseradish 2 Tbs. prepared mustard 1 tsp. dry mustard
6 Cherry tomatoes sliced 1 shallot, shaved thin Baby arugula leaves 1 tsp. rice vinegar
Heat olive oil in large frying pan add onion and tomatoes. Cook until onions are caramelized. In a food processor, puree the caramelized onions, tomatoes, bacon pieces, bacon fat and smoked paprika until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill in the refrigerator for minimum 30 minutes, overnight is better. 90 | February 2013
Combine all ingredients in saucepan over medium heat. Reduce mixture by half or until it reached a syrup consistency. Let the glaze cool and transfer to squeeze bottle.
In small bowl toss baby arugula leaves, shallot and cherry tomato and rice vinegar.
To Serve Squeeze the mustard glaze in zigzag pattern on large platter. Spread ½ tablespoon bacon mousse on each toasted baguette slice. Place baguette on platter and top with one oyster, piece of lettuce, slice of tomato and shallot. Squeeze a few drops of the three mustard glaze on each oyster.
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teXas saltWater fishinG holes Port o Connor/roCKPort
Capt. Joey Farah Baffin Bay – Laguna Madre Trophy Hunting Speckled Trout & Redfish 361-442-8145 Jfarah72@yahoo.com Follow me on facebook!
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Visit Boca Chica Beach Shelling and Birding tours available Sharkmansurffishing.com
Port O’Connor, Texas: 3 Bedrooms, Sleeps 6, Fully Furnished. Great Location between the little Jetties & Clark’s Restaurant. Boat Slip upon availability. Guide service available with Capt Keith Gregory. Call Steve or Lydia at 361-983-4660 or 361-482-9095. Special winter rates available.
Dolphin Point 50 x 150 drive-through lot between Maple & Commerce, Port O’Connor. Wet Boat Slip included! 361-649-2265
t Chris Mappâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Boa s Maintenance Tip
How Important is
Fuel Quality?
I have mentioned fuel quality in previous articles, mostly in ethanol discussions; clogged filters, carburetors, fuel injection systems, etc. It is important to understand that other damage can occur when fuel breaks down and some of it can be severe. This engine is a four-stroke, less than two years old, with fewer than 50 hours.
Notice the edge of the piston, next to the cylinder wall. The etching you see is caused by predetonation from fuel that has deteriorated over time. The additives that preserve fuel octane have become so weak that when ignition occurs the fuel will not explode. Instead, it has been burning slowly, raising cylinder temperature high enough to melt the piston head and traces of aluminum have transferred through the valves and out the exhaust. Another condition that is occurring (not shown); the piston rings have collapsed allowing oil and compression leaks; which causes hard starting, poor idle performance, excessive fuel and oil consumption, and lack of power in the upper rev ranges. This particular boat has the fuel tank located under the console - exposed to sunlight. UV rays penetrating the plastic have a magnifying glass effect and speeds up the degradation rate of the fuel by about 40%. A console opening cover could have prevented this from occurring so quickly. Running the boat regularly is equally important. Engines equipped with a knock sensor are less likely to have this problem. Keeping fuel fresh and using fuel additive to preserve fuel quality is a must. Have a great and safe season. Chris Mapp Coastal Bend Marine Port Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor, TX 361.983.4841 www.coastalbendmarine.com TSFMAG.com | 93
94 | February 2013
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galveston tides & Solunar Table Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine February 2013
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Tidal Corrections Location Calcasieu Pass, La. Sabine Bank Lighthouse Sabine Pass (jetty) Sabine Pass Mesquite Point Galveston Bay (S. jetty) Port Bolivar Texas City, Turning Basin Eagle Point Clear Lake Morgans Point Round Point, Trinity Bay Point Barrow, Trinity Bay Gilchrist, East Bay Jamaica Beach, Trinity Bay Christmas Point Galveston Pleasure Pier San Luis Pass Freeport Harbor
High -2:14 -1:46 -1:26 -1:00 -0:04 -0:39 +0:14 +0:33 +3:54 +6:05 +10:21 +10:39 +5:48 +3:16 +2:38 +2:39 +2:32 -0:09 -0:44
Low -1:24 -1:31 -1:31 -1:15 -0:25 -1:05 -0:06 +0:41 +4:15 +6:40 +5:19 +5:15 +4:43 +4:18 +3:31 +2:38 +2:33 +2:31 -0:09
For other locations, i.e. Port Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor, Port Aransas, Corpus Christi and Port Isabel please refer to the charts displayed below.
Please note that the tides listed in this table are for the Galveston Channel. The Tidal Corrections can be applied to the areas affected by the Galveston tide.
Minor Feeding Periods are in green, coinciding with the moon on the horizon, and the last from 1.0 to 1.5 hrs after the moon rise or before moon set. Major Feeding Periods are in orange, about 1.0 to 1.5 hrs either side of the moon directly overhead or underfoot. Many variables encourage active feeding current flow (whether wind or tidal driven), changes in water temp & weather, moon phases, etc. Combine as many as possible for a better chance at an exceptional day. Find concentrations of bait set up during a good time frame, and enjoy the results.
Te x a s S a l t w a t e r F i s h i n g M a g a z i n e l
w w w. t e x a s s a l t w a t e r f i s h i n g m a g a z i n e . c o m