Only $3.95 www.tsfmag.com February 2014
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ABOUT THE COVER The upper Laguna Madre has been providing a bountiful pattern for Capt. Kevin Cochran and his clients so far this winter. Photos courtesy of Kevin Cochran.
CONTENTS FEATURES 10 Practical Plastic 16 The Most Prominent Trait 22 Recipe for Success and Big Shell... 28 It’s That Time Of Year 32 Get Bold in the Cold 38 Texas Tuna in Winter 44 Green with Envy 46 The Hunter
FEBRUARY 2014 VOL 23 NO 10
DEPARTMENTS Mike McBride Kevin Cochran Billy Sandifer Martin Strarup Chuck uzzle Joe Richard Joe Doggett Mike Murry
48 Let’s Ask The Pro Jay Watkins 52 Shallow Water Fishing Scott Null 56 TPWD Field Notes Clinton Witherell 58 Texas Nearshore & Offshore Mike Jennings 60 Fly Fishing Scott Sommerlatte 62 Youth Fishing Marcos Garza 64 Kayak Fishing Chronicles Cade Simpson 66 Extreme Kayak Fishing & Sharks... Eric Ozolins 70 Fishy Facts Stephanie Boyd 72 TSFMag Conservation News CCA Texas 102 Science & the Sea uT Marine Science Institute 104 Boat Maintenance Tips Chris Mapp
10 WHAT OUR GUIDES HAVE TO SAY
78 Dickie Colburn’s Sabine Scene 80 Mickey on Galveston 82 The view from Matagorda 84 Mid-Coast Bays with the Grays 86 Hooked up with Rowsey 88 Capt. Tricia’s Port Mansfield Report 90 South Padre Fishing Scene
Dickie Colburn Mickey Eastman Bink Grimes Gary Gray David Rowsey Capt. Tricia Ernest Cisneros
84 6 | February 2014
66
REGULARS 08 Editorial 76 New Tackle & Gear 92 Fishing Reports and Forecasts 96 Catch of the Month 98 Gulf Coast Kitchen
98
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 NATIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIvE Bart Manganiello Bartalm@optonline.net REGIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIvE Patti Elkins Patti@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-649-2265 PRODuCTION COORDINATOR Donna Boyd Donna@tsfmag.com 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 Public scoping meetings are part of the process used by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department when considering revisions to fishing and hunting regulations. Revisions often become necessary, and for a variety of reasons. Chief among these are rapidly increasing human population, habitat decline, and growth in user participation. Sometimes – anglers and hunters seek the ear of policy makers for regulatory changes that might improve the average quality and size of fish and game harvested. The way the system works here in Texas, the agency is directed by a commission appointed by the governor, that establishes fishing and hunting regs, among other duties. Commission members are briefed on a range of facts by agency division staff on topics being considered, and part of the fact-finding is reaching out to users for comment and opinion before actually creating or revising existing regs. In this column last month I provided a heads-up that spotted seatrout and flounder regulations were back in the crosshairs for possible regulation changes. I urged readers to attend a scoping meeting in their region to gain understanding of management options and also to express their opinions. I hope you were able to attend, if not, you can still send comment to SWFishComments@ tpwd.texas.gov.
8 | February 2014
ScOPinG mEETinG
ETiQUETTE
Not all government agencies operate this way – I say we should feel very lucky and blessed that TPWD does. I have attended perhaps a dozen or more public scoping meetings when fishing regs were on the agenda and there has been a prevalent and disappointing theme. Without fail – a handful of individuals, for reasons I do not understand, evidently feel it their duty to dominate the discussion and put forth their best effort to derail the proceedings. Why must they be so rude; talking over other attendees and repeating themselves until it makes you cringe? Why must they argue with TPWD staff during data presentations? Hey – it’s OK if you disagree. But damn it, wait for the comment period. Maybe we need a traffic light system like they use at TPWD commission hearings. Attendees wishing to address the commissioners are required to sign in before the meeting and they are allotted three minutes to speak. upon reaching the podium a green light comes on and remains until the two-and-a-half minute mark when it turns yellow, the cue to wrap it up. At three minutes the light turns red and the mike goes dead. Everybody gets the same chance and everybody follows the same rules. Now wouldn’t that be a pleasant change?
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STORY BY MIKE MCBRIDE
Being a full-time guide,
one of the most predictable questions I try to dodge this time of year is, “Hey man, what is the best lure for a big trout right now?” We all know opinions are cheap, especially the ones we’re passionate about, but any response that starts with “I think” usually means the opposite. Let’s try to change some of that, although “I think” I do have an opinion. Truth of the matter is that we are mostly going to catch them on what we think we’re going to catch them on. And while confidence is huge, there is one little exception that can easily make ours false. “I think”, besides tenacity, the best big trout lure mostly has to do with
a little concept called practicality. In reality, a lure is but the tip of the spear, so let’s first try to define that little word practical, which as it turns out is perhaps the most realistic factor in any big-trout formula. Practical, in terms of lure selection, simply means that a lure is appropriate for the task (read conditions) and therefore likely to succeed. No matter how much faith we have in a particular lure knowing “when to throw what” is just as important as knowing “when to be where.” It would not be very practical to throw our pet topwater when they are not feeding on top. One dangerously passionate opinion of mine is that fish are usually
TSFMAG.com | 11
found in one of about three basic behavior modes: aggressive, neutral, or negative. So with that said, that “best big trout lure” needs to be the one that gets into the appropriate strike zone for that given moment. That productive zone can be anywhere from three feet to three inches and that’s exactly what makes the word practical…practical! Over the years I have honed and whittled at my wintertime lure box and the few that consistently make the cut are each highly applicable to one of those three theoretical situations I just mentioned. Y’all remember that price of opinion. When fish are on a truly aggressive feed, actually the rarest and most short-lived situation we are ever lucky to find them in, everybody can be a hero and a lot of different lures can become “the best” real quick. My definition of “aggressive” is actively out hunting for food with a big strike zone, and most anything moving in the water is subject to death. When this happens a topwater would be my first choice, probably just because I want it to be. For simplicity’s sake, two plugs will usually get it done, depending on conditions. When a bigger presentation makes sense, such as in heavy chop or thick bait concentrations, on goes a MirrOlure She Dog. The She Dog is a very irritating bait, sounds like a hex nut in a coffee can, and if I was a fish I would hunt down and kill that obnoxious thing too. In milder conditions, say with a calmer surface, perhaps shallow and clearer for example, I’d have to go with Rapala’s Skitter Walk. There just seems to be something right about its sound. Available in full-size and compact, big fish hit both very hard when it’s time. Colors? Sure, color can indeed be critical at times, but to me it’s more about contrast. Can they see it or is it too much? Equally important is whether I can see it! If I had to pick just one color scheme it would simply be the speckled trout pattern. I think (there we go again) that qualifies as 12 | February 2014
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being practical. It has decent contrast with a simple dark top and light bottom plus, I don’t have to keep second-guessing myself whether they don’t like a certain color for the moment. Just trying to keep things simple here…and they have simply worked for me. My experience says we mostly find fish in their “neutral” mode; not actively chasing and feeding but they can still be caught by attentive fishermen. However, the neutral mode does cause the strike zone to shrink a bit, and that’s the attention part of it. So just where is that zone? We just have to probe and find it and, during the colder months, I think I can usually get down to it pretty quick with just one bait; Paul Brown’s Corky Fat Boy, now lovingly brought to us by MirrOlure. But before we get into it, let me first say that I too tire of the endless opinion print we see on this bait every winter, but as long as we’re at it here, y’all might as well suffer through my opinion too. When I need a tool, I need a tool, not a big tool bag, and the Fat Boy can cover lots of situations. Kind of like Channellock Pliers and Crescent Wrench rolled into one; I call it “interactive” and easily fitted to many situations. Bend it up, bend it down, make it ruler straight. I can run it at most any depth and speed; it just goes where I tell it. Many say it’s not a “hunting” lure but I happily disagree. This bait is about as practical a weapon as I could ever wish for. Jack it hard and high, walk it just above the grass tips, or keep it exactly at a certain suspended depth. Add the fact that it casts to the backing with a profile that resembles a real meal deal, and well, there is that deal of catching them on what we think we are going to catch them on…again. “I think” I can catch a lot on a plain ol’ pearl/chartreuse or maybe pink/pearl/pink. The rest is up to my rod tip. I can’t very well cork this up without mentioning the new MirrOlure Soft-Dine, though. I don’t have a lot of time behind one yet, but I’m about as excited as I can be about what I know will be done with it, especially in those shallow and delicate situations we can have during norther recovery periods. It’s going to fill that gap between sticking a fish and spooking it…and we needed it. We often see fish go into what I call a totally negative situation. I don’t care who we think we are; things can get real tough at times. We need to be able to make dedicated presentations into some very narrow ranges: like right up in their lazy faces. Pessimists need not apply. For me, the best way to get on them is with a little piece of rubber and a jig head. This is your basic get down and dirty, go to work lure. I’m using Kelly Wigglers Ball Tail Shad for several reasons. Mainly, it’s tough and “it wiggles.” When things get real slow I can also cheat a bit and stuff a 6mm glass rattle in it, which it accepts quite well and will not rattle out. Despite a wide spectrum of seductive colors adorning the racks a simple plum/chartreuse seems to get bit consistently in a wide range of conditions. To summarize this whole deal, lure fishing in general allows all of us a lot of leeway for individual behavior. As long as we find the right speed and depth for the moment, there are countless options that should work for the most part. Another opinion of mine is that the very attraction of fishing with artificials is all about finding solutions to immediate problems, and although the ones I’ve mentioned are not magic bullets, they are what I have personally found to be good solid rounds to fire at the continual hope of a big trout. Eisenhower once said, “I don’t use worms. I want fishing to be a challenge.” Well hell, it’s supposed to be a challenge, right? But let’s not make it harder than it already is. Remember that little word “practical” or we can kid ourselves by continuing to throw our favorite but untimely lures. I seriously wanna draw a cartoon about the guys I get every week who say, “Hey, if I’m not going to catch them, I want to NOT catch them on a topwater…” Ya gotta love it. I sure “think” I do!
Contact
Mike McBride
14 | February 2014
Mike McBride is a full time fishing guide based in Port Mansfield, TX, specializing in wadefishing with artificial lures.
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STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN
The older i get, the
more i believe in the prominence of one
human personality trait above all others. People I know display this characteristic regularly, in a variety of ways. I describe this common mindset as “resistance to change”. Recently, I heard a good explanation of why this thinking mode prevails across human cultures. The assertion sounds something like this--because we are human, we recognize our own mortality and know we will die someday. So, while we live, while we are healthy, we don’t want things to change. Change becomes a sentinel of our impending doom. The concept rings with a melancholy tone, and generally seems pretty deep and dark. While I won’t linger too long on the somber aspects of how our tendency to resist change causes all kinds of sociopolitical problems, I will describe the ways in which this “conservative” mindset potentially limits the productivity of coastal anglers, particularly those who fish exclusively with artificial lures. When people go fishing, they don’t leave their personalities at home. The same traits which define their beliefs, assumptions and actions in other parts of life affect decisions made on the water. Resistance to change impacts anglers’ behaviors in several significant ways. 16 | February 2014
The mindset prevents people from exploring new areas, methods and lures, causing them to prefer sticking with “old familiar places and ways of doing things”. Certainly, running around like a chicken with its head cut off and abandoning proven productive places, patterns and plugs makes no sense; at some point, stubbornly sticking with the same old same old lacks wisdom too. Most novice coastal anglers rely far too much on a short list of spots, and return to those spots repeatedly, without regard for the conditions of the moment. Usually, this happens because anglers vividly recall some poignant outing in the past when results in the places met or exceeded their expectations. Essentially, these anglers fall prey to chasing a memory; they place too much faith in a spot, without factoring in other variables which might have played a much bigger role in generating the memorable day’s productivity. Basically, they perceive the spot as some kind of “magic bullet”. Similarly, many people employ the same methods every time they fish, without thinking of alternative ways, considering pertinent variables like tide level, weather, time of year, time of day and water temperature. In its most extreme form, this mindset expresses itself through an unwillingness to wade, or conversely, in the dogged
Fog bows like this one are not common, but the month of February probably presents as much opportunity to see one on Texas coastal waters as any.
insistence on wading. It might also cause people to target the same kind of fish in the same way every time out. I know this from experience, since I’m an acknowledged “trout snob”, one who targets trophy fish with artificial lures, almost always by wading. Sometimes, fishing would be much easier and more productive if I chose to target other species and/or used alternative methods to do so. I’ve made a conscious decision to make things tougher on myself some of the time, because I’m motivated by a single-minded pursuit. For the average angler, who generally just wants to have some fun and catch some fish, insisting on targeting one species one way all the time probably hampers their enjoyment of the activity most of the time. In addition to species targeted, an overly conservative mindset causes people to respond the same ways to environmental variables when fishing. For instance, most people tend to “hide from the wind in protected water”. If high wind speeds muck-up open water areas and shorelines on the windward side of the bay, heading into quieter pockets in the lee of the land and looking for “green” water makes good sense. In moderately breezy and calmer conditions, though, embracing the breeze and fishing windblown areas often proves more productive.
Additionally, when coping with wind, some anglers always wade and cast downwind, though walking and casting crossways at various angles to the breeze would allow them to cover more water more thoroughly, effectively and productively. Similarly, they also move through the water at the same pace every time out, without consideration of factors which might dictate the relatively higher potential productivity of moving slower or faster. When targeting actively feeding fish on flats with lots of equally productive terrain, moving steadily at a fairly brisk clip can work well. But when attempting to catch lethargic, finicky, inactive fish in areas with identifiable micro-spots which offer much greater potential than other parts of the area, standing and casting repeatedly to small-scale structural elements and features makes more sense. Thoughtful and accurate analysis of the conditions coupled with careful observations can help one make sound predictions about the feeding mood of the fish, which affects the likelihood of them being either mobile or stationary. Likewise, observations and analysis of the conditions lead the best anglers to the right conclusions about what lure will likely work best at a given time. Expert lure chunkers know variables like water temperature and clarity, rising or falling barometer, TSFMAG.com | 17
Jason King and Captain Kev started this cold day fishing with soft plastics, but when Jason proved the trout would aggressively strike sinking Fat Boys, both men put the worms back in the box
tide movement, wind speeds and other factors make some lures more productive, while limiting or temporarily eliminating the effectiveness of others. I’ve met more than a few people who not only target the same species all the time, they throw the same lure all the time. Some say, “I carry three lures--a white topwater, a white topwater and a white topwater”. Others throw a soft plastic, spoon, or 51 MirrOlure almost all the time, throughout the calendar year, through all the weather changes and tidal fluctuations. Some of these guys acknowledge their “tunnel vision” and its limiting effects, stating, “If I can’t catch ‘em my way, I don’t want to catch ‘em.” I can respect such a statement, as compared to guys who try to convince me, “Catching them my way all the time is more challenging.” To them. I respond by borrowing words famously uttered by Coach Lee Corso of College GameDay--”Not so fast, my friend!” Using one lure 95% of the time presents little challenge to the angler when compared with trying to master the arts of versatility and keeping the best lure for the moment on the end of the line as often as possible. In other words, if the fish aren’t blowing up on topwaters, proficient anglers switch over to some other type of lure or plug, ideally one the fish will actually bite. At some point, throwing any lure all the time verges on a form of insanity, a mindset which can be defined as “doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting the outcome to change.” This crazy need for stability infringes on people’s ability to present lures in productive ways too. Most anglers use each lure in their arsenal the same way every time they pull it out of the box. If the fish don’t bite regularly, they often descend into a state of consciousness where the mind shuts down, or becomes numb, and they begin 18 | February 2014
Cold water makes it more likely to catch really fat trout like this one.
fishing in what I call “auto pilot.” When fishing in auto pilot mode, anglers usually chunk the lure out and move it in the same way over and over and over again, without any variance in speed or intensity of movement. Their presentations become homogenous, repetitive and stale. Usually, they do impart some kind of rhythm into these generic presentations, because they rightly perceive the tendency of rhythmic movement patterns to attract the attention of fish. Unfortunately, while rhythmic movements attract fish, often to the point of making them follow a lure, they do not work well to trigger strikes much of the time. The best presentations include rhythmic movements of the lure and deviations from those movements. In other words, they include the elements of variable speed and intensity--pauses and speed bursts. Generating such presentations becomes nearly impossible for anglers who resist change and allow themselves to just “go through the motions”, Cloudy, wet weather barely warming up from previous days can cause big trout to feed ravenously, as it did on the occasion when Jason King caught this 29-inch specimen.
20 | February 2014
Of course, once a presentation with a particular lure proves productive, experts will repeat it until it stops working! All top anglers recognize the value of the old adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” Ironically, resistance to change becomes, at some point in the equation, a necessary and effective mindset. So we face a dilemma every time out. On the one hand, we must embrace the way changing aspects of the fishing situation affect our efforts and adjust our strategies accordingly; on the other hand, we must stick with what works once we identify it. until, of course, it stops working, then we must fight the tendency to resist change and begin systematically searching for something new all over again.
KEvIN COCHRAN CONTACT
without a focused mindset. Captain Kev loves One way to avoid this phenomenon to throw a morning involves making a conscious decision glory/chartreuse tail FatBoy into to experiment with a given lure while murky water under trying it. Years ago, when fishing a gray canopy. tournaments regularly, I used a cast counting method for this. When trying a new lure, I’d allow it say fifteen casts to produce a strike. I’d break the number down further into segments, and make five casts to the left, crossways to the wind, five straight downwind and five to the right. I’d make a conscious effort to vary some aspect of the presentation during each five-cast session. Executing such a plan causes the mind to stay focused on the details of the task, rather than descend into the abyss of auto pilot. The ability to focus on the most important details of the moment and properly adjust location, strategy, lure choice and presentation to match the most influential variables affecting the fishing situation separates expert anglers from beginners and novices. In general, experts carry a select few lures on a given excursion, rather than throwing “everything in the box” at the fish, but they also recognize the need to identify the subtleties of presentation which best trigger bites, acknowledging the specific conditions.
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.
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Nic at Roy’s Bait and Tackle with a Sabiki rig and rod.
22 | February 2014
STORY BY Billy Sandifer
A recipe calls for
certain ingredients in very
specific amounts and when you think about it most endeavors in life are governed by their own recipes for success. Surf fishing can often be somewhat difficult because success requires just the right amount of a great number of ingredients and timing is essential to ending up with the desired results. That is a tough combination to come up with here in the Coastal Bend. As I write this at 4:40 AM the wind David Ainsworth’s Rollagon. is howling outside my door and I know that based on this fact there will be no quality surf fishing today and probably tomorrow as well. The wind will churn up the water and turn it murky, create high swells, and create a strong unfishable longshore current. So our recipe for today is totally spoiled based on the wind velocity alone. Even when the wind subsides it will be some time before conditions moderate sufficiently to provide good catching conditions. Wind direction is important as a northeast or east wind will stack the water high on the beach and fill the nearshore surf with debris. The presence of large amounts of sargassum can make driving horrible and fishing impossible. Since the early 1990s the sargassum has increased manyfold
and it seems to get worse every year. In 2013 it has remained a constant problem until mid-December and I fear this trend will continue. Likewise the number of coldwater currents impacting the beach and turning it un-fishably cold and muddy has greatly increased significantly over the past four years, as have the occurrences of red tide and resulting large fish-kills in late summer. On the beach, declining atmospheric pressure tends to slow
TSFMAG.com | 23
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down the feeding activity of fish while a steady barometer always seems to produce better. I’m aware that’s not the case in some other areas but it is in the surf. Now if you only remember one thing from all the Surf Fishing How-To I’ve written, then remember that the full moon absolutely turns the surf into a “no-life” zone and fishing during this time frame is to be avoided entirely if at all possible. It’s been a long time since we’ve had ideal conditions and when they loomed into view Tuesday and Wednesday I went in spite of the fact it was the full moon. During two days of constant grinding in near perfect conditions with bait present, I did not get a single bump on lures. Bait and shark fishermen didn’t fare much better. There are exceptions, when the full moon turns the fish on, but my records indicate this happens once in every fourteen months so that’s tough odds. Most noteworthy during full moon periods are catches of really large sharks on baits kayaked far from shore. James Clark caught, tagged and released a 7’ 5” female sandbar shark only to have her recaptured two days later 10 miles farther down the beach, by Brad Tabor. Brad also tagged and released her. Guess she was out to win a Darwin award. I also saw on television that a uS Marine caught a 9’ great white off the beach at Camp Pendleton, CA. That is the first great white I ever remember hearing of caught off a beach in the uSA. Wanted to cover procuring small finfish for bait a little more; and I’m
aware cast netting does not work for everyone. For years I’d tie three or four perch sized hooks in tandem and fish for small whiting that my customers could use as live bait. A much better set up is cheap, more productive and catches almost all small fish species including treasured menhaden and pilchards. The sabiki rig is usually four to six very small jigs tied up one below the other on a leader a couple of feet in length with a swivel on the top end and a small snap for a sinker on the bottom end. It is deadly effective but it is also an absolute nightmare to untangle after stowing it in a tackle box. The much-needed and welcomed solution is a fishing rod designed for using sabiki rigs. This is a specialized rod with a reel seat and one guide the line goes through on the reel seat end. Then the line is threaded inside the rod and comes out the tip. There is a special fitting on the rod tip. The rig is tied to the line and cranked up inside the rod and the small bell sinker is held in place upside down at the tip. No tangles and no mess. Just crank the jigs back inside the rod when not in use. Roy’s Bait and Tackle Outfitters has them for sale for a modest price and any fisherman who might occasionally want to use bait would be well advised to have one. No live bait works better than what the fish are feeding on at the time and a sabiki rig will put you in the game by having the capability of acquiring that species of bait. Time for an announcement - the 19th Annual Big Shell Beach Cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, 22 February. As committed to this event as I am and have long been, I must admit there have been years when I gritted my teeth and cringed at the thought of all the work that lay ahead putting the event together and then pulling it off successfully. It’s amazing to me that I feel no dread at all about the upcoming cleanup but am really looking forward to it. The reason is simple; the Friends of Padre team handles and divvies up the work so no one person gets buried in it. Island House Condos, Buddy Gough and I pulled off the first one pretty much by ourselves. Then Tyler Thorsen stepped up
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Sabiki rigs.
Least Bittern -Ixobrychus exilisThe Least Bittern is one of the world’s smallest herons. A secretive resident of dense marsh, often seen straddling reeds to forage on fish, frogs, crustaceans and insects in water too deep for wading. This is also thought to be part of a predator avoidance strategy. When danger threatens it points its beak skyward and sways, imitating windblown reeds. Present in Texas spring through the fall.
and has borne much of the burden these many years since. Mr. David Ainsworth of Ainsworth Trucking has been a major volunteer participant in the Big Shell Cleanup for many years. A couple of years ago he brought a big front-end loader to the event and pulled three trash trailers with it. It hauled plenty of trash out but was conspicuously too heavy to use in the soft sands of the Big Shell. He decided what was needed was a big-tired Rollagon (swamp buggy) and he spent a couple of years trying to find the perfect machine for the job. Well, this past year David found exactly what he was searching for and is having trailers modified for beach cleanup use. What can you say to such a wonderfully selfless gesture? This rig should be a tremendous asset to the event and I can’t wait to see it in action. Updates on the upcoming cleanup will be on our web site at www.friendsofpadre.com . No real big changes to announce from other years at this time but as always we will need volunteers with 4WD vehicles and twowheeled trailers to haul trash. Walking volunteers are welcomed and will be afforded transportation into and out of the work area. We will meet at the Malaquite Pavilion for team assignments with event will kickoff at 7:00AM and we will return to Malaquite at 2:00PM. Long trousers, jackets and long-sleeved shirts are advised, as are sturdy footwear and a hat. Water and snacks will be available in the work area and food will be served at Malaquite at the conclusion of the event. This event is a genuine hoot! You along with friends and family are cordially invited to participate. If we don’t leave any there won’t be any. -Capt. Billy
Length: 13 inches Wingspan: 17 inches Weight: 3.0 ounces
26 | February 2014
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. Website www.billysandifer.com
One of the best ways to test your waders for leaks is in a swimming pool!
28 | February 2014
So winter fishing is
upon us and we dream of the 10-plus pound trout that will place us on the “right side” of the ledger. I wrote a story years back in which I tongue-in-cheek stated all trout anglers are entered on the left side of the ledger when they take up fishing and the right side is reserved for those who have landed a ten pounder. Some will actually realize that dream either by sheer determination and skill or maybe just by blind luck, and some of us will not. Those of you who put the fishing tackle away for hunting season need to pull your reels out and do a little maintenance. Those who have continued to fish through the long deer and waterfowl seasons need to do a little TLC as well. I know I harp on this every year, but
Check for line wrapped in prop shaft.
STORY BY Martin Strarup hey, if I can save one reader some trouble, then being redundant isn’t going to bother me. Strip that old line off your reels, put a towel on the kitchen table and tear your reels down as far as your capabilities will allow. If you doubt your reel repair prowess, take it to someone who does it for a living and let him or her clean it for you. Clean all of the old grease and gunk out of the reels by using either hot water or a commercial reel cleaner that contains solvent that will melt that goop away. If you do use hot water, make certain that you’ve rid the reel of all traces of it before you re-lube. I use the cans of compressed air that you can buy for blowing dust out of computers to take care of excess water. Check the bearings, drag washer, springs and such and make sure that nothing has rusted since you last used it. If you need new bearings make sure that you get some. Don’t just place the damaged bearings back into the reel as you’re asking for a short day on the water if you do. After you get the reel back together put some fresh line on it and you should be good to go. What’s the condition of your rods? Any eye inserts missing or any wrapping coming off? Check them and make sure that there are no sharp edges in any of the eyes. If the cork handle and fore grip need cleaning Trailer bearings try using a wet SOS pad need repacking over the kitchen sink. Wrap during off-season. it around the cork and work TSFMAG.com | 29
it back and forth, rinse, and the cork should look as good as new. Have you checked to see if your waders still fit? You might laugh but if you put on some weight since the last time you wore them you may be in for some heavy breathing trying to maneuver around in them. Are there any tears or holes that you need to take care of before you slip into some cold water? Check straps or suspenders to make sure that they’re in good condition and replace or repair as you see fit. Check your wading belt if you use one and make sure that there are no surprises waiting for you when you put it on. Check the buckle and the stringer keepers for a tight fit. Speaking of stringers, is yours ready for another season? Check the knot at the float and take a look at the sharp end for any problems. If it needs sharpening, you can use a grinding wheel to put a point back on it, but be careful you don’t grind too much off. Is there any chance that some lures need your attention? Replacing hooks on your topwater and subsurface mullet imitations prior to the season can save you some “dang its” on the water. Check the split rings too and make sure that they are not parted or rusted and replace as needed. How do the colors look? If it’s supposed to rattle, does it? If a noisy bait has gone silent, try
30 | February 2014
removing the hooks and banging it on a hard surface, such as a 2 x 4 or something similar to loosen the ball that is inside. Don’t hit it too hard as you can crack the body of the lure and turn a nice expensive topwater bait into a water-logged bottom dragger. Go through your soft plastics and make sure that colors haven’t bled together. Sort them out, do a count and replace the ones that you use the most. Most of us have way more soft plastic baits than we’ll ever use and Check those reels! if you’re like me some you’ve never used and never will. While you’re checking the soft plastics you might as well go over your supply of lead heads. Make sure you have a good number of each weight size that you use and check the sharpness of the hooks. A little touch-up of the points will go a long way towards more hook-ups for you. How about cold weather fishing clothing? Check to make sure that your favorite wading jacket still fits and that the zipper works, the hood is still attached and that it will do what it is suppose to do…keep you dry and warm. Make sure that those warm wool socks don’t have holes in them or that you didn’t leave them at deer camp. See if your insulated underwear still fits and that there are no rips or tear in them. Check your boat and trailer for the
Check batteries and clean terminals
Check to make sure that the kill switch is in place and that it works. Check your batteries to see if they’re holding a charge and if not, replace them. Check to make sure you have all of the drain plugs and that they work and that all of your emergency equipment is up to date and in good condition. Check the springs and hangers on the trailer and make sure that the tires are in good shape. Check the winch and tie down straps and if anything needs repairing, do it now. As a rule, I usually take my boat to my dealer and have their shop go over it for me after a long period of non-use. Knowing that the outboard is running as it is supposed to leaves me less to worry about when heading out onto the bays. Be Safe, Martin
Martin Strarup
Contact
following: Gas, is it old or new and if old did you put fuel conditioner in it before you parked it? If not, you might want to think about replacing the fuel. Is the steering stiff? Grease the steering arm and all grease fittings on the outboard. Check the spark plugs and replace if need be. Check the cotter pin on the prop and make sure it’s in good shape, the nut as well. If not, then replace them. While you’re doing that it’s not too much work to remove the prop or props to make sure no fishing line is wrapped around the shaft and wearing out a seal.
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
TSFMAG.com | 31
STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE 32 | February 2014
For some unknown
reason here in texas we have
an “adjusted calendar”, it appears that January and February have become more like winter months than November and December ever will. Waterfowl hunters and baseball players will each vouch for the weird weather in their own particular way. It seems as if the temperatures and conditions for shooting ducks and geese are much better the closer we get to baseball season. You have never seen so many heavy coats in all your life as you will at a baseball game in January. Conversely you would think you were at a baseball game wearing short sleeves the weekend duck season opens up in November. Texas winters are just plain weird. When you speak of February on the Texas coast that means many different things depending on your location. The most obvious and well documented topic will certainly be the pursuit of big speckled trout. Anglers from all over the state and beyond will make the trek south to places like Baffin and Port Mansfield to search for that fish of a lifetime. A little farther up the coast there will be a crew of devoted big trout chasers digging around the mud and shell of East Matagorda
Bay every chance they get. Still farther up the coast the Galveston Bay complex will host plenty of anglers from the big city and beyond during those chilly February afternoons. And last but not least is the water I call home, Sabine and Calcasieu, two very unique places that can spit out big fish with just about any bay system out there. All of the afore mentioned bodies of water will be excellent choices for folks wanting to chase a big fish during what will most certainly be the coldest month of the winter. Fishing during the cold months can be best described with the old “hero or zero” designation. Lots and lots of fishless hours go into the making of an epic, once in a lifetime day on the water. Anglers who earn their stripes by being persistent and willing to tangle with less than desirable conditions can sometimes be rewarded for their efforts with what can only be described as “heaven on earth” for a saltwater fisherman. Every year the “underground” anglers, those who seek to stay out of the limelight and keep fish tales to themselves, invariably stumble upon the mother lode of great fish. Slowly but surely though the information leaks out to the cyber world and then the stories begin to surface of these days that only the average guy could dream about. You know the stories, the ones TSFMAG.com | 33
that make their way around the boat shows and allow the fish to get bigger each time the story is told. Regardless of the location, number of fish or size, all these incredible days on the water have one thing in common and that’s the fact that someone or a group of someones were willing to go do whatever it took to catch those fish. That’s the kind of attitude it takes in the wintertime. Now I know as well as you there have been countless articles dedicated to the pursuit of big trout in the winter, ones that cover lures and presentation, areas to fish, and other variables. All of these articles have some great information but all too often they continue to repeat the same things over and over. As anglers we have to adapt from time to time, change up our approach in order to discover new and better ways to catch fish. This is where you have to be “bold in the cold” sometimes. Perhaps the easiest way to change your approach to chasing these big fish in the winter is to try a different lure or perhaps a different presentation. Over the past several years I have really become fond of crank baits and jerk baits, especially over shell. I have found that theses baits work really well under these circumstances and are really user friendly at the same time. Lipped crank baits and stick type jerk baits that will go down and rattle around in shell or mud and stay at a certain depth on retrieve are perfect choices for winter fishing. The side to side wobble and noise that the plugs emit are perfect for drawing reaction strikes from less than enthusiastic fish. The crank bait is also a great alternative to other slow suspending baits that are more difficult for less advanced anglers to use. The feedback you receive from the plug while retrieving is instant and the results speak
34 | February 2014
Ships graveyard on Sabine River. Old war ships they decommissioned and burned. Scary stuff!
36 | February 2014
boats to offer assistance in case of emergency, and any number of other dangers await us during this time of the year. Perhaps the most dangerous is low water and the underwater obstructions that are now closer to the surface during the winter months. With tides routinely running low and a more constant north wind blowing water out of the bays it’s not uncommon to find that navigation is much more treacherous. The potential to run aground or run over something is multiplied and that can be a life threatening accident in the colder weather. Stay very aware of water depth and keep an eye out for potential hazards. And by all means wear your PFDs and always tell someone where you will be in case they need to come looking for you. Take care and enjoy the opportunity, it may be a trip you remember for a lifetime.
CHuCK uZZLE
CONTACT
for themselves. One other bonus is the fact that if you break off a plug in shell it often times will float to the surface where it can be retrieved. Try that with another plug. Running a crank bait or jerk bait along shell, rock, or other obstructions is a style of fishing that comes straight from fresh water fishermen. The technique of bouncing that plug off of underwater obstructions and letting it float back up will produce some of the most vicious strikes you can imagine. I routinely take crank baits and throw them around pilings and rocky shorelines in Sabine and just absolutely hammer redfish and trout that are lying near the structure but out of the current. The strikes almost always come after the plug bounces off an object or is stopped and allowed to float upward. Those fish just pound these baits, it’s vicious. For some anglers it’s just too much to ask them to change plugs and their way of thinking, that’s why every chance I get when fishing with other people I experiment. Get two or three people in the boat or along a wade that start catching fish on a regular basis, this is the perfect time to see if the fish will eat something else. By proving you have fish in the area with other plugs it makes it easier to see if those same fish will eat another offering. Sometimes this type of experimenting will really produce eye-opening results. Sometimes it doesn’t work and you have to go back to catching fish the old way which is a great problem to have if you know what I mean. As amazing as the fishing can be in February the potential for real world problems is always there as well. Colder water temps, fewer
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
STORY BY JOE RICHARD
Underwater shot of a yellowfin tuna.
38 | February 2014
A number of texas boat
crews watch and wait each winter
for precious weather windows, hoping to make that long run off the Texas coast for tuna. Each crew is exposed to the elements, but they know by now that the deepwater Gulf platforms out there host thousands of tuna. How to get there? The big center consoles are faster and wetter, but sleeping under the stars while their buddies gaff tuna isn’t for everyone. (We may assume here that many of these diehard center console guys are somewhat younger, say in their 30s). Bigger billfish boats are a little slower, though some today are quite speedy for their size, and each can handle a sudden, ugly weather change without soaking the crew. There are also a couple of big, 100-foot catamaran partyboats, based out of Galveston and Port Aransas that can stay on tuna for several days. The main target is prime yellowfin tuna, with a trip limit of only three fish per angler. However the more plentiful, smaller blackfin tuna up to about 20 pounds have no limits. There are also plenty of bonus fish species available, even during winter, including wahoo, amberjack and a dozen species of grouper. All of this potential adds up to a serious offshore run for fine-eating fish that are hungry during winter. The main obstacle is that they’re way over the horizon. Catching a weather window is the key and the ticket, the difference between glumly turning back in crashing blue seas and whitecaps, or hitting a potentially flat-calm Gulf full of hungry fish. Tuna feed off the Texas coast all year, but they hit better when the water temp is cooler than summer, and that makes later TSFMAG.com | 39
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autumn, winter and spring the best. In Texas, it’s all about the weather. If you can get out there, you’re going to catch a pile of tuna. One boat making the tuna run these days on a regular basis is the 54-foot Bertram Paparda Rey out of Freeport Marina. I talked to captain Ken Doxie about their tuna trips: “We try to stay out there two or three days at a time, it’s nice to have a roof over your head, and a dry bunk at night,” says Doxie. “Or during summer having AC, after fighting tuna in hot weather. We don’t have a typical departure schedule (like leaving the dock on Saturday morning). We watch for weather windows, and I have a few groups of fishermen who are on constant standby. If a window somehow arrives on a weekend, then we would actually leave on a Friday night. (Presumably as a norther peters out with a light north wind and following seas). These weather windows sometimes don’t last long, and it’s nice to be out there during their entire duration. “The typical tuna bite is from dark until 10 p.m., and then even better from 4 a.m. until first light. They feed under the big deck lights on the deepwater platforms. When the sun comes up, the action slows fast and most anglers want grouper and tilefish back inshore. Or troll for marlin.” Indeed, it seems like someone always catches Texas’ first blue marlin of the year in January. “For tuna, we have to be prepared,” Doxie says. “We catch blue runners on the way offshore. Once in deep water at the platform, we use long dipnets to catch flyingfish that swim right up to our lights. (Or even fly aboard). There are nights when only a flyingfish will work on tuna. Other nights, you could catch tuna on a hot dog. You never know, so we bring a variety of tuna baits. Doxie’s anglers also catch blackfin tuna, and use some of them for chumming up bigger yellowfins, a technique called chunking. It’s bloody work, filleting tuna and cutting them into small chunks, but someone has to do it. The smaller blackfin tuna are more of a coastal pelagic fish in shallower water than a yellowfin prefers, though they mix. Blackfins can even be caught behind anchored shrimpboats in blue water, while the yellowfin is most happy in water miles deep. The blackfin will hit diamond jigs, and the occasional yellowfin will grab on too, and that’s always fun. Plenty of Texas anglers have caught feisty bonito (little tunny) in the five to 10-pound class, a small tuna that never gives up. Imagine fighting endless 20-pound blackfins at night, and then the 50 to 125-pound yellowfins. The bigger don’t give up easily, and they’re much bigger than beach-running bonito. Yellowfins will pull drag for hundreds of feet, even a thousand, often diving straight down after getting stung by a hook. This ain’t perch-jerking on the Angelina River… Crew of a big center console boat gaffs and lands a yellowfin tuna during daylight.
unhooking a blackfin tuna caught with a trolled plug.
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Multi-Modulus Blended Carbon Fiber for the ultimate balance of weight and sensitivity Balance Induced Resins provide superior strength and consistent actions “What we typically see, though not always, is bigger blackfins inshore, and smaller six- to eight-pounders in deep water,” he said. “Last year we saw a lot of stud blackfins in the 20-pound class that kept us real busy.” “Off Freeport there are four or five deepwater rigs from roughly 110 to 135 miles out. Also a semi-submersible called West Capricorn. And a drill ship inshore of it, called Santa Ana. Just unbelievable tuna around there, lots of lights on all that equipment, attracting tuna.” Blackfin tuna are none too choosy and in my experience we always had plenty of action. We just tied our boats, in different years a 23 SeaCraft and a 26 Mako, to one of the deep platforms, and cast out frozen cigar minnow with kingfish tackle. Fought as many blackfins as we could stand, before taking a break. But catching yellowfin tuna requires a bit more refined technique on some nights. For one thing, try bump-trolling a frozen ballyhoo behind the boat. Let out 50 or 100 feet of line on two rods, and ease the boat around to the side of the structure where white water is flying, from tuna busting the surface. When you see yellowfins jumping, or blackfins flipping end-over-end like footballs, that’s a good sign. Ease in there with the boat, and hang on to that rod! Better yet, leave it in the rod holder and use circle hooks. You don’t have to set a circle hook, the tuna takes care of that when he hits. “Flyingfish are the primo bait, however, and it’s getting close to a sure thing if you can set one out behind the boat,” says Doxie. “These baits are so good, even a chewed one can be set back out on a hook. Or even one removed from inside a tuna while gutting it.” Topwater baits: “We typically don’t cast, but leave a floating
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THE EVOLUTION OF FISHING For more information visit us at:
www.castawayrods.com TSFMAG.com | 41
popper behind the boat, and move the boat off a ways. Then work that popper real good, as we ease along. Setting it out means we don’t have to worry about treble hooks flying around in the boat, or getting snagged in someone’s ear. (These guys are a long ways from the nearest Doc in the Box). We use different kinds of poppers. Our boat owner Randy likes to use spin tackle with them. He likes the big topwater poppers with rattles and a bucktail. He says a bigger lure lodges sideways in a tuna’s mouth, restricting water flow, and that makes the tuna give up sooner. “ “Tuna don’t typically jump and miss a topwater lure, like kingfish do back inshore,” Doxie says. “However, tuna will blow up on those lures, somehow missing them, fast as they are, until one connects. It’s pretty cool. Our biggest topwater tuna weighed between 120-125 pounds. (That’s a serious topwater strike). And it gets pretty exciting, when a gaffed tuna with a big treble-hooked plug lands thrashing on deck.” They’ve had no injuries from tuna to speak of, though four years ago their mate Jeff Irwin received a 12/0 single marlin hook in the cheek and out through his chin, while unhooking a barracuda. But that’s another story, saved for a rainy day. “We get some fishermen who have never caught tuna, but they’re sure enough experienced when they return to the dock. The trip limit is three yellowfin tuna, so we generally always try to limit out on them first, before going after something else.” Nice Warsaw grouper caught during a tuna trip.
42 | February 2014
Another happy angler with a yellowfin tuna from deep water.
Next big option out there, with considerable Happy Texas angler with dependability, is a night-caught tuna. deepwater grouper. “After tuna, we hit a few deepwater grouper spots. It’s hard to believe that you can keep more big grouper than you can red snapper. A few years ago I would have bet anything I owned that there would never be a limit on triggerfish, much less a closed season. It isn’t just weird, it’s piss-poor management. Anyway, we don’t fish the permanent, deeper Gulf platforms for grouper, it’s too easy to lose your gear. Although we might try for scamp grouper in 200-400 feet on the way back in. Our best deepwater grouper spots, mostly for yellowedge and snowy grouper, are rocks in 600 to 750 feet. (Neither species grows nearly as big as the troubled Warsaw grouper, with a current trip limit of only one fish per boat). Our best yellowedge drop and catch was the day we cranked up a double-header, and each fish weighed 25 to 30 pounds. Caught from a small rock that was marked by a friend who was billfish-trolling, one day. There’s a lot of little spots like that in deep water, that may have never been fished. “So, on tuna trips we have to be prepared for everything: live baits caught back inshore, catching blackfin tuna, then chunking some of them. Casting or dragging frozen ballyhoo baits behind the boat at night. Or dip-netting flyingfish. Topwater popper plugs, or using diamond jigs straight up and down. And then deepwater grouper fishing. And the tuna action varies from one year to the next. Two years ago was tough, but last year was very good and a lot of tuna hit the dock.” Capt. Ken Doxey can be reached at 713-301-4545 or contacted at: Offshorebiggame.com
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Green STORY BY Joe Doggett
King Xerxes, ruler of ancient persia,
once became so vexed at the sea that he whipped it. Well, that’s not quite correct. Apparently, the king didn’t want to get his feet wet. According to legend, Xerxes ordered his slaves to grab whips and rush into the water and flog the contrary sea to a froth. Buck me, will you? Take this and that! And that and this! The grumpy old despot might have been delusional but I submit that he is a candidate for the patron saint of coastal anglers. I mean, what plugger has not despaired over a rubble of sandy chops and, at least in spirit, wished to lash out with his cord stringer. Turn southwest on me, will you? Whap! Slap! Have some of this! A little stringer-whipping probably is good therapy, similar to the pillow fighting between feuding couples encouraged by some marriage counselors. This sense of frustration especially is true along the upper coast, where the grace of green water seldom can be taken for granted. The whims of wind and tide can erase primo conditions within scant hours. The fact that most of the upper coastal angling population lives inland only adds to the stress. A frantic drive of 50 or 60 miles often is required to reach the beach. There is a reason why upper coastal anglers are “green with envy” over their counterparts along the lower coast: The massive Mississippi River drainage belches its turbid runoffs into the Gulf, and the prevailing currents off the delta run west. This explains why we get the frog water and the brown sand while Florida Panhandle’s “Miracle Strip” boasts shockingly clear water and sugar-white sand. The on-going flushes of silt and sediment tend to suspend in the water column and, sadly, not much contrary influence is needed to stir things up. Assuming no funky algae blooms are at play (brown tides, red tides, etc), wind is the biggest factor controlling water clarity. Too much velocity can be a major deal killer. For example, you might reconsider the dawn patrol if the smiling 10 p.m. TV meteorologist says something to the effect of, “An area of low pressure developing along the upper coast is expected to intensify before moving inland in advance of the fast-moving Pacific front.” Actually, William Shakespeare knew how to put more flair into a weather forecast. In the play, The Tempest, Prospero says: “I have bedimm’d the noontide sun, call’d forth the mutinous winds, and 44 | February 2014
with envy
‘twixt the green sea and the azur’d vault set roaring war.” No question, the Bard of Avon would have been prime time. But, by either interpretation, when the wind starts honking and the surf starts churning the odds of “green sea” can take a serious hit. I should note that decent clarity occasionally will hold under whipping gusts from the east or southeast. The “sweet southeast” blows from the open Gulf along the curve of the upper coast. That straight-on angle helps groom the sandbars in the surf while providing protected bay water behind the barrier islands. But don’t count on this. Whenever a serious wind is freshening, try to confirm before committing. Worth note here, afternoons usually are windier than mornings. Looking at snapping flags and whitecapping chops under the rising sun is not the best foundation for an “ice cream” day. Years ago, Ray Fiveash and I were driving south on an ill-advised pre-dawn expedition. Heavy weather was pouring off the Gulf and a mini-twister plowed ashore ahead of our advance. We pulled into an all-night truck stop for coffee. Trash cans, broken signs and assorted debris littered the wet parking lot. The haggard waitress looked up. “They clocked a gust at 109 miles per hour just down the way,” she said. Fiveash pondered his coffee mug and looked up. “What was the wind direction?” “Dammit!” I exploded, knowing we were totally and royally screwed. “If it was 109 miles per hour, what the hell difference does it make!” If nothing else, the incident perhaps was the high-water mark for green-water optimism. On the subject of “mutinous winds” there is no heartbreak like that which stirs from the dreaded southwest. That soul-deadening sideshore angle runs right to left up the coast and quickly churns sandy currents. Not to mention lower-than-normal tides. You don’t need “roaring war” to wreck green water prospects along open beaches and exposed bays. A minor skirmish will suffice. A sustained SW of only 10 or 12 miles per hour can turn rich green to sorry brown within a single tide. It’s been claimed that a mere puff can muddy an open bottle of Ozarka on West Galveston Island, but that’s probably an exaggeration. A few exceptions exist – protected side-shore corners such as the Bolivar Pocket at the base of the North Galveston Jetty, and the beachfront side of the Surfside (Freeport) Jetty. But even these areas
wash out following a day or two of pumping southwest wind. A straight south isn’t much better, although traces of green may hold longer under light to moderate velocity. You really want some east in there somewhere. Water temperature also can be a factor. Sustained runs of green water seem more frequent during the cold-weather months – especially along leeward shorelines in the primary bays. I assume warm-water sediments suspend faster. This is just an educated guess; I am not a qualified marine biologist. But, for whatever reasons, summer tides often are froggier than winter tides. Ironically, as much as upper coastal pluggers lust for green water, there can be too much of good thing. Maybe you can’t have a car that’s too fast, or a girl that’s too pretty, or a rum that’s too old – but you can have water that’s too clear. At least it’s too clear for consistent success when chunking lures. Snook fishing in the Florida Everglades is a good example; the experts shun the super-clear grass flats and seek out the tannin-stained “red water” flowing from the various rivers. Lurking snook are more aggressive in the dark currents, more apt to slash out at passing lures. Much the same situation can occur in the Laguna Madre country of the lower coast. Veteran anglers often search for sandy-green belts of reduced visibility. Fish simply are easier to fool with lures when they don’t have the opportunity for deliberate inspection. A “gin clear” flat on a bright, calm day is great for spotting and sight-casting, but big trout and reds often are skittish. They certainly are quicker to spook with a careless approach or a sloppy cast. What the salty upper-coastal plugger looks for is the euphoric state
known as “trout green” water with a visibility of two to three feet. It has a rich oily look and the plankton-ripe tide even smells fishy. The conditions are excellent for aggressive sight-oriented strikes. If an upper coastal beachfront or bay gets too clear and too calm for too long, fishing often suffers. The water seems to stagnate. Of course, except during a major summer lull, too much clear water seldom is a problem. More likely will be a run of “sandy green” water. This is not all bad – not as pleasing to address as a trout-green tide, but certainly capable of producing good fishing. As long as visibility is a foot or so, you are in the game. And, a big plus, the sow trout cruising right over there has a harder time figuring you are a player. Under marginal visibility, lures that transmit considerable sound, flash and motion get the nod over slower, softer finesse baits. Or, you can semi-cheat and use one of the scent-impregnated plastic tails. They can be killers as the emphasis in sandy water shifts to scentoriented feeding. Suspending the tail under a popping or rattling cork helps attract fish. But I maintain that a slimy “artificial” soaking in a tub or pouch of noxious goo is not what green water is all about. Of course, the positive alignment of green water is no guarantee of success. Even a green tide popping with bait is no sure deal. But the sparkling water is a balm for the spirit – especially after several wind whippings from Old Man Gulf. Just doing it right, laying the long smooth casts across the shimmering expanse, reinforces the experience. In truth, the secret satisfaction of green water has more to do with the fishing than the catching.
When Old Man Gulf throws a fit and send a “froggy” tide the MirrOlure family of floaters and subsurface twitchbaits with loud rattles can make a difference.
TSFMAG.com | 45
The Hunter STORY BY MIKE MuRRY
it was maY 27, 2010,
the day I witnessed a spectacle so incredible I felt I had to share it with the trout fishing world. The event confirmed much of what we know about the behavior of large speckled trout, and perhaps introduced a new twist into the way they feed. I believe anyone who has pursued this great gamefish will be fascinated by this read, so sit back and enjoy the ride. I was fishing by myself that Thursday. When the weatherman predicted light southeast winds I knew my first stop of the day would be Tide Gauge Bar in Baffin Bay. For those of us lucky enough to regularly fish “the greatest trout bay on Earth” it is a well known fact that “the Bar” can be spectacular this time of year, especially for large trout. I had already logged four quality trips to Tide Gauge in 2010 and was most
Author with a nice Baffin specimen on a cold day.
46 | February 2014
excited about the potential of a fifth. Being on the front side of a full moon, I hit the bar early (just before sunrise), quickly catching three trout, all in the 21-23 inch range. Even though the fish completely shut down after the early bite I continued to grind until about 10:30. With the sun well above the horizon it was obvious that the Baffin water I was wading had unprecedented clarity, and sight-fishing for redfish could be in order. I made the short run to the north shoreline and proceeded to land four slot reds, all of which I sight-casted. While catching the reds I began to realize how remarkable the sightfishing conditions were this day with few clouds, no haze, very light winds and, most important of all, gin-clear water. Getting all of these
variables to line up is asking a lot of the fishing gods, but on this magical day they did. So at about 1:30 I made the decision to go back to Tide Gauge and try my luck at sight-casting trout. This turned out to be my best fishing decision of 2010. I came up behind the bar, waded in, and immediately started seeing fish. I don’t mean I was seeing a few fish; I mean I was seeing incredible numbers of 20-30+ inch speckled trout. The fish were moving parallel to the bar in both directions. I could stand in one place and watch trout swim by me. I cannot stress enough that I was only able to view this spectacle because of the exceptional sight-fishing conditions. The most amazing thing I witnessed was not the number of fish, but the size of the schools and their behavior. We all know speckled trout start out as school fish, and seem to become more solitary as they age. This is exactly what I observed. There were virtually no fish under 20 inches. The 20-24 inch fish would be in schools of five to eight; the 25-27 inch fish were generally in twos and threes; and the 28-30+ trout were always one or two. There were exceptions, but a pattern was obvious. The behavior of these big trout was the primary reason I wrote this article. These trout were hunting, and they were doing it with a pre-determined strategy. The groups of four or more best exemplified it. They would swim single file, with a few staggered slightly out of formation. They would approach the back of a grassbed in a stealthy manner and then either in the middle of the grassbed, but most often at the end opposite their approach, the school would bust out of single file into a wall of trout. The lead fish did not change speed, while the tailing members of the group would accelerate rapidly to create literally a 3-D wall of fish. This was obviously a hunting strategy whereby no matter which direction their prey fled, it would be met by a hungry trout. Up, down, left, right, it did not matter, all baitfish were in big trouble. The trout would then re-form their single file formation and continue hunting. The reason I think these groups of trout were single file is it made them one dimensional to the prey, and therefore much more difficult to see. A wall of moving trout would be far more visible to the prey and would potentially create more detectable vibrations to them. I can envision this cooperative hunting behavior being very effective in offcolor water when trout are themselves using primarily vibrations created by escaping bait fish to track them down. I find this hunting strategy fascinating because it seems these fish had to somehow be communicating to pull this off. Or, I suppose it is possible, trout are born with instincts to cooperate in such a manner. But I can tell any reader of this article that I witnessed this wolfpack strategy numerous times and it was not the least bit subtle. I was rewarded with hookups several times that day after launching my lure in front of a school as they burst out of formation. One other noteworthy thing I saw that day occurred when I would make a second cast at a group of fish. If I made a cast at a group and got a strike but did not hook up I would quickly lob my lure back into that same group. In several instances I then hooked up, but every time it was not the fish that hit the lure the first time. If I had been blind-casting I would have assumed it was the same fish, and I would have been wrong. I believe these fish got into a competitive mode and when that lure hit the water a second time they were all after it. Two points here are the second cast at a fish that results in success is often a fish different from the one that hit the lure the first time and, as we all know, once a school of fish is “turned on” they can be caught on numerous successive casts. In my journal I wrote that I saw at least 150 trout that day. I believe
it was more likely 200 or more. I could see so well that groups 40 yards away could be identified, though they were often just moving shadows of trout of undeterminable size. I saw two really large fish on this wade, both well over 30 inches. One in particular stands out in my mind. I was landing a 23 inch trout and this big mama swims within four feet of me. I felt like this fish was easily 32, and I bet over 10 pounds. It looked like it could eat the one I was releasing (just a slight exaggeration). At the end of the wade, which lasted about two hours, I had caught and released six trout between 21 and 27 inches. I had several other hookups and numerous rejections as the visibility was so good my white soft plastic probably looked like a white soft plastic instead of a baitfish to most of them. So I know readers are thinking, “right Mike, you can determine trout lengths and weights just by observation.” And I admit it is just a guess. But just a little background on me might give my judgment a little credibility. I live on the water and fish the upper Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay about 80 days a year. My sight-fishing skills come from some twenty years of doing it often in the clear waters around Port Mansfield. Redfish have always been my primary target, but along the way I have caught numerous 25+ trout. Sight-casting is my passion and I believe I have had enough experience to lay a fairly accurate guess on these trout. After this great day of fishing and an off-the-chart world-class day of observing, I could not wait for another crack at sight-casting trout on Tide Gauge Bar. My opportunity came on Tuesday June 1st when again I was fishing by myself (seems nobody likes hanging with me). On this day I caught fourteen trout on the bar between 19 and 28 inches. Eight of these, including the 28, were caught by sight-cast. I only saw about twenty trout that day as visibility was not as good as it was on May 27, though I felt certain there were fish present I could not see. I observed none of the single-file stalking I had observed five days before. The fish were biting much better on June 1 because the water was slightly off-color. So what can a trout angler take from the May 27 experience I had? What I do with this information is keep it in mind when I am blindcasting for trout, which is 99% of the time. We all know they like to hang out near structure, grassbed edges and color changes to ambush bait. This is how I have always envisioned trout feeding. But after my May 27 experience I believe those days we are catching lots of our yellow-mouth friends over a short period of time is when they are moving and hunting and competing, even though they are engaged in a cooperative strategy. They are probably often engaging in the hunting strategy I observed but I would be willing to bet they have other strategies as well. During that wade I contemplated, “How would the fishing be right now if the water was off-color and I was blind-casting?” The answer is I would have been hammering trout, no doubt, because with so many fish around, random casts would have yielded numerous strikes. As I sit here typing this on May 2 of 2013, Baffin Bay is in a quagmire of brown tide. Days on Tide Gauge Bar this year have resulted in quality fish, but they are far fewer in number. My angling friends (yes I really have some) and I long for clear water in the greatest trout bay on Earth. Right now the idea of sight-casting on Tide Gauge Bar seems a joke. But I am confident that we are in a down cycle, and Mother Nature will shine on us in the future and bring clear water to our beautiful South Texas estuaries. I can assure you that when the waters do clear I will be stalking my favorite gamefish, hoping to lay out the perfect cast, landing that fat sow, and then releasing her with the satisfaction of knowing she will live to be sight-cast another day. TSFMAG.com | 47
Custom Corky lures on the drying rack.
J AY WAT K I N S
ASK THE PRO
Air-clear water conditions Winter is definitely here and looks to be shaping up as a colder than average season. This tends to work in our favor, as long as daytime air and water temperatures climb to the mid to upper 50s. Surface warming is a must in the patterning process for me. I especially like to fish areas with visible and defined bottom structure. This equates to fishing shallow more often than not. This is also where daytime warming provides for more predictable patterns. This by no means is meant to make you believe that once the fish arrive in the shallows that they will always eat for us. Simple truth is that there first must be fish present to have any chance for catching one. This is where both the mind and skill level game begins. For the past almost 35 years I have gained a great deal of confidence in fishing shallow water for the biggest of trout. For more than three quarters of this time I preferred to have enough wind to slightly murk the clear shallow waters enough to allow me a few mistakes. Baitfish are way more vulnerable when water clarities are off versus periods of exceptional clarity. Hey, a gazelle has a much better chance of spotting an approaching cheetah in short grass on a clear day than with tall grass and overcast skies. But what happens when we have clear skies and clear 48 | February 2014
Robert Moll with solid trout caught on Cajun Croaker 5� Assassin.
water for days on end? Do the cheetahs stop eating? Of course not. But they definitely become more stealthy in their stalking. Earlier than normal winter cold has left much of the shallow water along the Middle to Lower Coast extremely clear. Air or gin-clear are terms many anglers use when referring to water clarity, so when you hear this term you now know the meaning. I know one would think this was selfexplanatory but I have many who still asked what I mean when I say it. Water temperatures below the 50° mark for any prolonged period will cause the algae and plankton to fall out, leaving air-clear water. This is a great time to take advantage of these conditions and do some bottom structure scouting. Mid-bay reefs and sand bars become visible and easy to mark. This knowledge will pay big dividends on future trips. Over the years I have located and marked some of the best areas that I frequent today. By the way, I also learned a bunch of them by hitting them with my lower unit while learning to navigate the bay. The old bump the bottom pop a slick method has been the savior of many a day for me. I get off track when writing just like I do when I talk. One pattern leads me to recall another and so on and so forth. So the water is air-clear due to colder than average water temperatures, winds are light and sun shining brightly. Good day to fish but not the best day for catching is a comment I have made countless times to eager clients. Enter new attitude along with highly efficient tools. I am talking about some new lure colors, better casting reels, higher grade mono and fluorocarbon lines, better casting braids and new rod actions and powers that allow me to do everything I need to do to get shallow clear-water trout to eat. It is an exciting time for me because over the past two winters I have truly learned things that have helped me put my clients on better days when water clarity would have left me less confident in prior seasons. I am fortunate to work in a field that allows for continual learning. This certainly keeps the competitive juices flowing through my veins. Confidence is huge in everything we do. I am confident not cocky, world of difference in the two. For the record, confidence is something from inside that one projects outwardly. Cockiness is a cover for lack of confidence. My dad taught me this many years ago, in my cocky stage. He’d say, “Son if you want to get to the bottom of a problem, start by looking in the mirror.” Jay Ray and Ryan heard this on many occasions growing up. To combat the clear water I have gone to using lures that have clear bodies with silver and gold glitter. I think the flash of the glitter is more than enough to draw the strike. For the backs of the lures I prefer pale color patterns. This seems to give the body silhouette slightly more color but without causing the bait to appear too dark. Over time I have added light blue, bone, pistachio, pink and chartreuse to the arsenal. When added to a lure these colors allow it remain somewhat transparent or at least translucent, and I believe this definitely increases the potential for strikes in clear water. For years now several of Bass Assassins worst selling colors have become my go-to numbers in clear water baits. Cajun Croaker, Opening Night and Bone Diamond are always in one of my pockets. Cajun Croaker was almost eliminated from the company’s inventory because larger tackle store buyers saw limited to no sales. Lucky for those of us who honestly know how deadly this bait is in clear water, the company decided to continue producing it. As for jigheads, I still prefer the 1/16 weight but the color of the head can vary. Chartreuse was my go-to for years but in clear water I often opt to use the plain lead-colored jig. For my suspending baits, Custom Corky and the owners Lowell and Deedee Odom are helping me develop color patterns that mimic my favorite plastic colors for the Corky enthusiast. Custom Corky was established so you the angler could create your own color patterns. They provide the canvass, you paint the picture. I can say without hesitation that our new pistachio-backed Fat Boys and Original Corky series are serious big trout lures. We are presently in the process of testing new colors as I write this article. To me, getting away from that solid-dark silhouette is what makes the bait work so well. In the dirtier stuff though, you can bet I’ll be throwing a darker color. So far this season I have found myself dealing with clear water conditions just as often as the dirty stuff so my game is constantly being revised. Big trout requires your A-game and I honestly believe the clear-bodied lures are producing more fish for me. My line selection is still braid in the diameters of 6 to 8 pound monofilament and you can bet I’ll be using clear mono or flourocarbon leaders at least 36 inches long. I learned the importance TSFMAG.com | 49
Norm Charlton with solid trout on cleargold Custom Corky.
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of a clear leader fishing redfish tournaments in the clear waters of the upper and Lower Laguna Madre. At times it was literally the difference in getting a fish to take versus having one turn you down. Pretty easy to be convinced when you can see it happening with your own eyes. Finally we are down to the rod and reel I use. A common factor for both is weight. The combination of my Custom Henri Rods; 6’6” ultra CS (Corky Special) Phoenix blank in a light power and moderate fast action paired with a Quantum EXO 100SPT in 6.6:1 make it possible for me to not only put the specific action on the bait that I feel draws the most instinctive strikes but it allows me to do so all day long. At 56 years old there are some back, shoulder and elbow issues starting to surface. Lighter is better for these ailments. So hopefully now you have a little better game plan the next time you arrive at your favorite fishing area and discover air-clear water conditions. I hope some of my suggestions help you catch a few more fish. Remember; take only what you need and leave the rest to fight another day. In closing I would like to express my condolences to my friend Mike McBride on the loss of his father. Tough thing for us when we lose one of our parents. May your fishing always be catching. -Guide Jay Watkins
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50 | February 2014
C O N TA C T
TM
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
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 IN G
Remembering Past Freezes I get a gnawing in the pit of my stomach every time the weatherman mentions an arctic blast. Any lifelong salt with some grey in his beard probably has the same reaction. Its been so long since we’ve had a fish-killing freeze that every winter seems like a roll of the dice; history showing that sooner or later we’re going to come up snake eyes. It’s been so long since the last killer freeze that we now have a full generation of anglers with no perspective of what such an event can do to a fishery. More importantly – they have no perspective of what fishing in the recovery years is like. The impetus for this month’s article came as I was talking with a group of 20-somethings at the Houston Boat Show earlier this evening. Temps outside were dipping into the twenties with a strong north wind, but nothing worth worrying too much about at this point. A true killing freeze is a whole different animal. I vividly recall the first time I came face to face with the real deal, thirty winters ago. It was Christmas break and my cousin was coming to town from college. I was a hardcore duck hunter back then and he wanted to give marsh hunting a try. The day before had been mild as I sat in the marsh off West Galveston Bay whacking a limit 52 | February 2014
of ducks. I had a can’t-miss pond on the old Hall’s Bayou Ranch and had total confidence that I could put him on a good shoot. My dad wasn’t into duck hunting but decided to join us for his first hunt. It’s hard for today’s youngsters to believe but we didn’t have live up-to-the-minute weather at our fingertips back then. The TV weather guy was about it. The nightly news said there was a hard cold-front coming but didn’t go into the sensationalism so common nowadays. I figured a front was a good thing and would push more ducks into the marsh. As we got out of the truck and prepared to march through the mud I seem to recall it was pretty mild. I briefly thought about leaving the heavy jacket in the truck and only brought it along because I figured there might be some rain before the front. Slogging through knee-deep muck and thigh-deep water was hard work and I kept telling them “we’re almost there” even though we weren’t. We got to the magic pond and tossed the dekes before settling into deep grass to wait for shooting time. Daylight arrived about the same time as the front with a force like I’d never felt. Pure and biting cold. The rather small pond immediately began to whitecap and every
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decoy flipped over. We huddled into our waders and donned the heavy jackets. I figured the worst would pass quickly and it would lighten up a bit. Young and stubborn, I was. Dad was older and wiser, “I’ll wait for y’all in the truck.” And with that he gathered a sack of decoys and beat feet. Cousin and I were too tough or too stupid to admit we were cold, maybe some of each. While dad was picking up his share of the decoys I righted the rest of the flock and moved them closer to the sheltered shoreline. We were good to go, again. After staring at a duckless sky for a while I glanced at the spread to see if they were still upright. They were, but something wasn’t right. Even with all the wind they weren’t moving much. About that time one flipped and there was an ice ring of several inches. Hmm…not good. I had no idea what the temperature was but I knew I’d never seen saltwater freeze. I made a little walk through the spread to knock the ice off and warm myself up a bit. I no sooner got back to my hide than the ice was forming again. Neither of us wanted to be first to cry uncle. “Let’s give it another hour…” We shot exactly one duck that morning. When it hit the by then solid surface of the pond and slid to the far-side grass, I knew it was time to go. The walk back was the easiest marsh march I’ve ever had. The water had blown completely out of most of the lakes and the exposed mud was frozen enough to support our weight. Having left shortly after the front hit, Dad apparently hadn’t had it as easy. There was a boot stuck in the mud, then the other, then a decoy followed by another every few yards. We made it to the truck with a double armload of dekes and a pair of boots. Dad still tells the story and I still laugh every time I hear it. The water was nearly gone and a crust of ice was forming when he lost the first boot. The next bootless step ripped his waders open and let the cold mud in. He knew he couldn’t sit down to put the boot back on and he was too cold to care. The next boot came off a few steps later and the other leg ripped. Then the strap on the decoy bag broke so he started dragging it. The ice ripped through the mesh and decoys started spilling out. He tried to stop and pick the first one up, but it blew away, tumbling across the freezing mud. At that point he made the decision to buy me some new decoys rather than freezing to death chasing plastic ducks all over the marsh. It was a miserable morning but a memory I wouldn’t trade. Being outdoors during extreme weather is an awe-inspiring experience. But back to the point of the story, the aftermath of that front and the cold that lingered was unbelievable. Along the upper coast the temperatures fell to below freezing ten consecutive nights, with a low point of 13°F. A sheet of ice extended several hundred yards from shore on much of Trinity Bay. Other reports included thick sheets of ice piled along the shores of the upper Laguna Madre. Millions upon millions of fish succumbed to the cold. I was working for Marburger’s Sporting Goods at the time and recall the game wardens coming in talking about a ring of dead fish several feet wide on every shoreline of the bay system. Fishing wasn’t the same for several years. The prior summer had been phenomenal; old salts who hung out at the store called it the best they’d ever seen. That next summer was tough to simply catch a fish, let alone a decent trout or red. Trout limits were cut in half while reds went from five to three and the hatcheries were ramped into high gear to restock the bays. About the time things were getting back to normal, along came double whammy freezes in February and December of ‘89. I recall a day in the spring of 1990 when I couldn’t lose a live shrimp, and we fished every major reef in East Bay. I finally managed a piggy perch soaking dead shrimp on bottom at the jetties. Since that time we’ve had some minor brushes with localized kills but nothing of the magnitude of ’83 or ’89. The moral of this story and what I was stressing to those twenty-somethings at the show; enjoy the bounty we currently have, do your part to conserve the resource, and pray we get to slide through another winter season without getting whacked.
54 | February 2014
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
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Figure 1. TPWD bag seine catch rates for spotted seatrout in the upper Laguna Madre.
By Clinton Witherell, Intern Upper Laguna Madre Ecosystem, Corpus Christi
FIELD NOTES
Big Trout on the Rise
in the Upper Laguna Madre If you have fished the coastal waters of South Texas, I’m sure you have heard that the Laguna Madre is one the best fishing destinations around. This unique bay system is a hypersaline estuary split into two major areas, the Upper Laguna Madre (ULM) and the Lower Laguna Madre (LLM) with both of them being broken down even more into smaller minor bay systems. Within the mother lagoon’s boundary you can find a variety of different habitats, many of which are ideal ecosystems for different fish species. These habitats consist of seagrass, beach rock, jettied inlets, serpulid worm reefs, mangroves, oyster reefs, wind-tidal flats, and open bay. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Coastal Fisheries (TPWD-CF) has two teams, the ULM and the LLM team, that closely
Figure 2. TPWD gill net catch rates for spotted seatrout in the upper Laguna Madre.
56 | February 2014
studies these bay systems. During 30+ years of TPWD-CF routine sampling both teams have had many chances to see what these unique bays have to offer. This summer I was particularly excited after reviewing the ULM gill-net sampling data. These data indicate that the ULM fishing destination may be even more popular for those anglers looking for big spotted seatrout. The Upper Laguna Madre is well known for its abundance of good fishing spots and ability to produce trophy size fish. One of the most sought after species in the Laguna, along with all coastal waters, is the spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus). The spotted seatrout, also known as the speckled trout, is the most important fish in the ULM ecosystem due to the large numbers of
recreational anglers fishing for this species. Harvest data from TPWD has shown in 2012, 63% of the total anglers were seeking trout. Due to the amount of anglers fishing for these fish they also have a large economic impact in the local community. The spotted seatrout is in the family Sciaenidae (the drum family), which also includes the popular red drum and black drum. The range of spotted seatrout stretches from the western Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico. TPWD-CF historic data and recent tagging studies have found that with the exception of large trout traveling offshore, most spend their entire lives within a bay area of 6 to 7 miles. Spotted seatrout are sexually dimorphic, meaning that there is a noticeable difference between males and females. The most common difference that we have seen is in size with females (reaching up to 30 inches and greater) being much larger than males (generally less than 16 inches). Additionally, male trout attain sexual maturity earlier (generally by age 1 or 2 and 8 to 10 inches) while females don’t reach sexual maturity until later in life (generally age 2 or 3 and 12 to 14 inches). Trout tend to have a high fecundity rate with larger females capable of producing more than 1 million eggs per spawn and spawning multiple times during the spawning season. This is why it is important to practice catch and release whenever possible, and to follow TPWD-CF harvest regulations which maintain optimal reproduction rates within the population. Spotted seatrout must be between 15 and 25 inches total length with anglers allowed to keep one trout greater than 25 inches per day as part of the daily bag limit of 10 fish per person. The daily bag limit in the LLM was decreased to 5 fish per person in 2007 to help increase populations within the bay system.
As part of my recent internship with TPWD-CF, I participated in fisheries resource monitoring which consisted of sampling fish populations in the ULM with gill-nets, bag seines, and bay trawls. The spring gill net season was particularly exciting because our data showed that 21% of our total spotted seatrout catch was over 25 inches in length. This is the highest abundance of big trout TPWD-CF has seen in the upper Laguna in their 30+ years of sampling. As a biology student, I began wondering where all these big trout came from. A possible answer was found when looking at TPWDCF bag seine data which assesses the abundance of juvenile fish populations. The data showed two consecutive years (2007-2008) of high recruitment (spawning success) for spotted seatrout in the ULM (Figure 1). Following these high recruitment years, TPWD-CF set a record in 2011 for the highest gill-net catch rates of trout with a vast majority of these fish in the 14-17 inch range (Figure 2). Since gill-nets target adult fish, it is believed that the large year classes of juveniles seen in 2007 and 2008 bag seines and later caught in 2011 gill-nets are now trophy trout in the 25 inch and greater range. Being one of the most sought after species in the ULM, it is important that we keep a close watch on the spotted seatrout population so that these fish will continue to stalk the grass flats and serpulid reefs of the Laguna Madre. There are few fish that are as beautiful and fun to catch and with so many large trout in the ULM, this may be the year to go catch that fish of a lifetime.
Check the TPWD Outdoor Annual, your local TPWD Law Enforcement office, or www.tpwd.state.tx.us for more information.
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MIKE JENNINGS
T E X A S N E AR S H O R E & O F F S H O R E
A new angle on Gulf fisheries management? Most all of us know the problems with the short snapper and grouper season and what it does to our offshore fishing experience. Many are losing interest in the sport due to lack of access to many species throughout the year. There have been many ideas and plans proposed to the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council that may or may not lead to a change in the season length and or even go so far as to change the entire way we approach the management of the fishery as a whole. To date, the Council has basically sat on its hands accomplishing very little in the opinion of most watching from the sidelines. Even ignoring and sidestepping some of the modern day technology that could greatly enhance things such as basic data collection. With all the ideas, proposals, plans, white papers and amendment’s to come out of the council in the last several years, one has finally come to fruition that takes a fresh new approach at how a fishery could be managed. 58 | February 2014
The newest program to be launched in the Gulf is the Gulf Headboat Collaborative Exempted Fishing Permit, or better known as the Headboat Pilot Program. Now before I start, I know this plan is fairly controversial and has it detractors as well as those singing its praises. I also know that no one likes the current way our red snapper fishery is managed or the short seasons that are a direct result. Basically what we have been doing over the last 25 years may have worked for the fish, but it has not worked at all for the fisherman. Maybe, just maybe, it’s time to take another look or try a new idea. This pilot program does just that and it will run for two years, at the end of which it will be interesting to see if the boats that volunteered for the program feel it benefitted their businesses and more especially if the anglers who fished on them liked the new approach. The Gulf Headboat Collaborative is a group of 17 federally-permitted headboat captains who are testing
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a new way to regulate fishing for snapper and grouper. This program will be an allocation based approach. Understand that this is a two year pilot and by no means a forgone conclusion as to whether it will be successful or implemented as a new management process. Anyone who has ever watched an episode of Deadliest Catch has watched in action, one of the first and most successful allocation based fisheries in the United States. Each boat was allotted a specific allocation of fish based on, and to reflect what they landed during the shortest ever 2013 season. This allocation was done through what is called an Exempted Fishing Permit. This permit allowed for the boats that volunteered for the program to be exempted from the requirements of the 2014 red snapper and gag grouper seasons, while still limiting them to a maximum of 2 fish, per person per day. It also prohibits them from taking part in the open season. Although they may choose to fish that time of year, any fish landed during open season will be deducted from their yearly allocation. They will not be allowed to overfish the allotted allocation and when it has been caught they are done fishing for red snapper and gag grouper for that calendar year. The program hopes to test the idea that the same amount of fish
that would normally be caught during the short recreational season can be stretched out over the year or when the anglers most want to fish for them. It also has with it stricter requirements in electronic monitoring and daily data collection along with collaborative efforts by academic researchers to help answer important management questions about this new approach to managing recreational for-hire fishing. The Program allowed the headboats involved to start on January 1, 2014 and will end on December 31, 2015. They may book trips and fish their allocation as they see fit and whenever throughout the year that the anglers are willing to fill the boats. The one thing that first struck me as a recreational angler is that this program took absolutely nothing from the normal recreational season. By setting it up through the Exempted Fishing Permit, there will not be a single day difference in the recreational season if the headboats were in it or not. So in other words, for those of us that are boat owners or charter customers, it’s basically no skin off our backs and takes nothing away from us. To the contrary we have the unique ability to take part in both seasons. That is correct, we can basically double-dip so to speak. I can jump aboard one of these trips outside the normal recreational season and then on a different boat during the regular season thus giving me a longer fishing season. Looking at it from that angle it will increase my ability to access that fishery if I so choose. Unfortunately we continue to experience shorter and shorter seasons and it may be time we look at the way we approach the entire management system. I for one am open minded enough to at least watch this program transpire and maybe even jump aboard a headboat and take part in it. But as long as it takes nothing away from other recreational anglers how can we not at least let it play out to see if it has merit. Captain Johnny Williams of Williams Party Boats in Galveston put it best when he told me that the current seasons don’t work for the fishermen, they don’t work for my business, and they don’t work for our coastal economy that relies on them. For years the government has been telling us when to fish for red snapper, this program takes that decision out of their hands and puts it in ours. That one thing in itself has to be an improvement.
Captain Mike Jennings is a professional charter captain with more than 25 years offshore experience. Mike is the owner/operator of Cowboy Charters in Freeport TX and is known locally for running further and fishing harder for his clients.
Telephone Email Website
979-864-9439 texassportfishing@gmail.com www.cowboycharters.com
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S C O T T S O M M E R L AT T E
F LY F I S H I N G
cast & blast
part 2 of 2
If you are a regular reader of this column, you know that last issue I spoke of my love of hunting and the joy I have reaped over the years from participating in what we all know as the cast and blast. You might also remember, from past issues, that I have a fondness for tying flies. Well this month the two subjects become one. Over the years I have taken to the field with shotgun, rifle and bow to test my skills against all manner of game and fowl. It is something I truly enjoy but, like everything else I do, I still try to find ways to make the experience even better. I think that is why I took up hunting with traditional archery gear. I wanted more of challenge. Heck, thinking back it is why I took up fly-fishing. It was just too easy with conventional gear. In fact, I would have to say that stalking the flats with a fly rod in hand and then making that perfect cast is not too different than the challenge of getting close 60 | February 2014
enough to a deer to take it with a long bow or recurve. If there was a difference it would be- there is a lot less room for error with a bow. The last thing you want to do is cripple an animal. Anyway, I guess one of the reasons I love fishing so much is the fact that we can be greedy and take our successes to the extreme and yet still take a conservative
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stance through the practice of catch and release. This is rarely the case with the sport of hunting. In fact, unless you take to the field with a camera, a person pretty much has to kill an animal to demonstrate success. I of course do not have a problem with this however, I do have a problem with the wasteful nature of our society. One of the ways I have found to combat this waste is to utilize parts of the animal’s hide in my efforts to fool fish. Let me tell you folks, you just think it is a good feeling to take a fish on a fly that you tied. Wait until you have taken one with a fly that you tied using feather and fur from an animal you have successfully hunted. It truly adds to the experience. Probably one of the most obvious parts of an animal that can be utilized in saltwater fly tying is that white flag that a whitetail deer flies when it is spooked. And, let me tell you, there is not a finer bucktail to be found than that of a Texas whitetail, especially one taken closer to the coast. You see, unlike the stiff hollow tails taken from a northern deer, a coastal deer’s hair is fine and supple making it easier to tie with but also more lively when moving through the water. From Clouser minnows to Deceivers, a bucktail can be utilized to create a number a great patterns. Another favorite material of mine from the field is the tail from a coyote. Mind you, I do not hunt coyotes for food and truthfully, I would just as soon not kill one however, in some areas coyotes have become a problem especially on ranches where they prey on deer and young calves. By utilizing their fur for various fly patterns, I have found it somewhat easier to justify taking them as game. It is better to wait later in the season to take a coyote for its fur because it gets thicker and the quality is better after winter has been around a while. The fur makes for great collars on various shrimp patterns as well as nice wings on slider type patterns. As for the waterfowl hunter, the flank from just about any drake duck (especially pintails and widgeon), add detail and makes a good addition to a variety of patterns. I also really like to pull a few flank feathers from a snow goose to finish palmering the heads of my Sea-ducer type patterns. In fact, one of my favorite big trout patterns is created by using craft-fur for a tail and then palmering an EP dubbing brush forward to create a collar and then finish it off by palmering a flank feather from a snow goose. I feel like the stiffness provided by the goose flank helps push a little more water than the usually softer neck hackles. As for how to prepare the tails for tying, it requires little effort at all. In regards to the bucktail and coyote tail, no tanning is required. I have found that if you bone the tails about half-way out, you can then just throw them in a deep freeze and let the skin essentially freezer burn. It usually takes 3-4 months to completely cure and become odor free. This also works well with squirrel tails. As for the feathers, just pull them out and put them in a baggy or some other storage container. Over the years I have garnered a great deal of enjoyment by combining the joys of hunting and fishing. I hope I have helped you do the same. Until next month‌be gude and stuff like that. 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 | 61
MARCOS GARZA
YO U T H F I S H I N G
The Fishkateers
Strike Back My day actually started at around 6AM because that’s when Sonny, Dave and Derrick got to Port. We iced down the boat, got the snacks and drinks onboard, and then got our waders on. Today we would be fishing a tournament. It was an artificial lures only tourney, and there were only three boats fishing it because it was cold, and probably also because it was artificial lures only. We waited at the boat ramp for about an hour for some light to start showing before we left. Our mission for the day was to catch the biggest slot red, biggest flounder, and biggest trout up to twenty-five inches. Three fish – four Fishkateers – and many hours to find these three perfect fish. Our first stop was in an area that was reported to have been holding some nice fish. We got off the boat and spread out pretty good. I started off with a topwater and everybody else was using plastics. After about 20 casts, I switched to plastics. Now we were all set and focused on finding our fish. We walked for about 30 minutes without
62 | February 2014
a single hit. Then off to my left, Derrick hooked up. He brought in the first keeper trout and our only fish so far. That was the only bite that any of us had in that spot so we picked up and moved to another. We sped down the Intracoastal and saw thousands upon thousands of ducks flying and landing. We moved up into the shallows and started to see mud boils. Signs of redfish being spooked by us passing by. The further we ran down the shoreline the more mud boils we saw and so we eventually stopped. We drifted for a few minutes to observe the area. Then we heard a boat behind us. It was another boat from the tournament. As the boat passed us, Dave and Sonny decided to play a joke. Dave got his rod and Sonny got a net. They both got on the starboard side of the boat and Dave started splashing water with his rod tip and Sonny got down like he was about to net a fish. It was pretty funny and we all laughed as they were doing it. It was obvious that we were just there to have fun and that it didn’t matter
whether we won or lost. Now it was time to get serious again and so we got off the boat and did a short wade with no profit. We moved to another spot a little further south. We got off and started to wade. I was headed straight towards the shoreline when I jumped off the boat. I was looking for some reds or a bigger trout and I knew that they would be up on that shoreline somewhere. We walked and walked. Then Dave hooked up on a trout. We upgraded our trout but still not even in the game. Soon after, Derrick hooked up and caught a bigger trout than Dave’s. Sonny and I watched as we both had caught nothing. It was quiet for about 15 minutes and then I hooked up. I thought it was a nice trout that was on the other end of my line but it turned out to be a red that was about twentyone inches. Now we had a red. Now we had some weight. Then it got quiet again, nobody had any hits for a while. We decided that it was time to move again. Right when Sonny had picked up Dave, I hooked up
again. It was another redfish. This one was about 24” and weighed almost 5lbs. After that we moved around and we didn’t have any hits. We moved back up north and Derrick had one nice hit but broke off when he went to set the hook. We all knew that he had broken off a big red. We moved to another spot about 15 minutes from the harbor. We were going out on one last effort to upgrade both of our fish. We waded for a while and then we heard Derrick holler. He was hooked up on a nice red, a red that would definitely win the tournament for us with 30 minutes left for us to make it back in time for weigh in, we kept fishing. Soon Derrick hooked up again, it was another redfish but it wasn’t as big as the first one. We had a few minutes before we really needed to leave so we took the time to take pictures. We got to weigh in and we won with only two fish. We were surprised but didn’t complain. This was my first tournament win and it was with the Fishkateers, what could be better than that?
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CADE SIMPSON
KAYAK F I S H I N G CHR O N I C L E S
Winter
Trout/Gear It’s that time of year again when I have a big winter trout on my mind. Going into my third year of trying, I have yet to find the big fish of my dreams. Hopefully persistence will pay off one of these days. Unfortunately weather has kept me off the water on a few recent available weekends I had in my schedule but nevertheless I will press on. Speaking on cold weather kayaking, I’d like to take a look at the gear adjustment necessary to make fishing as comfortable as possible. Note that this is as much me asking for your advice and tips as it is me bringing up what I do to prep for cold weather. The first and most obvious gear change is wearing waders, no questions asked. Depending on the temperature, I will layer up underneath to keep warm. A lot of the fishing we are doing is posting up on reefs and wading, which as I am sure many of you know is cold on the legs if you aren’t insulated. I always wear a jacket of some sort, sometimes two. I might have a light jacket under a thicker jacket, that way if the air temp warms up some, I have options. Recently, after seeing my buddy Alex’s nice Simms 64 | February 2014
wading jacket, I have considered the upgrade to one. Y’all send me your opinions on these jackets (as well as good waders, and other cold weather gear). I don’t like wearing gloves, even when it’s really cold. I don’t like losing the “feel” of the rod and paddle and such. On a similar note, I don’t ever wear gloves bow hunting for the same reason. On a recent day I wasn’t able to hit the water, I took the
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opportunity to do a little spring cleaning if you will. I gave my kayak a bath and “treatment.” I also re-geared my crate and worked on building a few rods. After a thorough soap and water cleansing I let the kayak dry. I then broke out a bottle of WD40 and sprayed the kayak. As I sprayed, I wiped down the kayak with a dry cloth. This gave the kayak a like new look and shine. I also took some brass cleaner to the clasps of my seat. Though they don’t rust, over time they get tarnished to the degree that they are hard to open. Furthermore I checked all the nuts bolts and screws on the kayak. I actually found a couple of screws for my foot pedal rails were loose. I would love to see any photos of your big winter trout, preferably caught from a kayak. Send them to my email listed below. Until next time, good luck to all you kayakers in this new year. Telephone Email
936-776-7028 Cademan11@sbcglobal.net
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Oz with a black drum – Texas.
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
war on the water Since mainstream kayak fishing burst onto the scene will officially mark our eighth season that this remarkable nearly a decade ago there has been a growing fascination event has taken place allowing for nearly anyone to within this mesmerizing sport. To many, this is not participate. In 2013, we shocked the fishing world by just a hobby nor a recreational means to pass time. allowing participants from Canada, Australia, UK, Ireland, From novice to professional anglers, kayak fishing is an Germany, New Zealand, and several European nations addiction, a saline flavored adrenaline rush that often to compete. Within the excitedly anxious 1500-plus lands participants in Mother Nature’s turbulent lap. registered anglers that battled it out in their respective Being nested within the thin plastic hull presents aquatic regions, we racked up a mindboggling 40,000 catch freedom and opportunity that might not be otherwise available and, for many, a preferred way to Brian Nash with a tiger shark – Texas. pursue predatory fish. Whether it is for reasons of efficiency, athleticism, or financial ease, kayaking proves more and more popular throughout the world each year. For those who have yet to experience the thrills of this relentless addiction, I challenge you to take part in Kayak Wars. Splashing into this new year we have great hope for another stellar season in the Kayak Wars World Fishing Tournament. This 66 | February 2014
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submissions – surpassing 2012 by more than 10,000! I have been greatly honored to organize and run this phenomenal fishing tournament from the start. With great support and help, I continually make it a quest to exceed the previous year’s expectations and results. Whether bouncing around in the choppy bays of coastal saltwater or stalking bass on a pristine lake, your possibilities within this tournament are pure limitless. The way this event is organized is simple. You assemble a team of three to five anglers and register online. The teams are placed in their respective regions (i.e. Texas is under South Central, etc.) Being an online-based event, you take digital photos of qualifying fish from in the yak during your outing. When back at the computer, you simply upload the photo(s) (showing an accurate measurement) and you are awarded points based on species and size. Last year, Kayak Wars had an eligible 300+ species worldwide. I have to admit, programming the system for species in Europe and Australia interested me. Many of the fish I have never heard of but grew quickly fascinated with them. Unlike many tournaments, you are able to submit very modest yet above average fish allowing eligibility on most of your adventures. There are also separate specialized “kayak man” points awarded for various achievements. In the end, the anglers and teams with the most points are ranked within their region. An intricate part of this event is how it is set up; consider it to be somewhat of a sports league. Stats are compiled and stored, not just the current year, but essentially over your whole career. Since we went to this format there is now more than six years of detailed data in the system, with a heavy handful of individuals active since the beginning. Imagine being able to reflect upon how many redfish you caught in 2009, or how many species in total you caught during 2013. In addition, there is also a kayak fishing records database. The system also keeps track of your personal records, and the world records for the entire tournament. Knowing you are taking part in an interactive event provides far more “replay” value than traditional tournaments. I’ve had individuals say they really don’t know what they would do without Kayak Wars - it gives them additional reason to be out on the water - it makes catches that much more special and meaningful. As mentioned, Europe joined Kayak Wars for the first time in 2013 and took off in surprising fashion despite having been added late in
3925 FM 359
Liam Faisey with conger eel – UK.
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Antonio Flecha – Tarpon – Puerto Rico.
68 | February 2014
various teams from South Africa along with areas of Asia that have recently expressed interest. It is actually entertaining to go through the website and see what others are catching from their side of the world. The more interaction we can present within this kayaking community will lead to an even more highly obsessed event. For years, the general image has been of a very respectable and honest contest. We kick out the factors of greed and implement a more fun schematic to the scene. Since its humble beginnings Kayak Wars has thrived on the success of eager participants and supporters. It was founded upon the principle of just going out and having fun - with the possibility of being rewarded for amazing catches or feats. The interactive factor grabs a hold and keeps you keenly involved each time you are on the water. But there are many people to thank for the attraction this has caused. We are very fortunate to have some of the greatest sponsors in the industry supporting the event and providing prizes. While throughout its history I have done the entire running cost out of my own limited pocket, I am extremely fortunate for the gracious sponsors. Some of our loyal sponsors include Hobie Fishing, Pelagic Gear, Yak Gear, Sunjammers Watersports, Bending Branches, Yo-Zuri, DOA, and Grizzly Coolers just to name a few. Due to the generosity and gear donations of these fine companies are we able to provide countless prizes for the well deserving anglers of Kayak Wars. In 2014 we hope to see many new faces join the endless thrills, perhaps even yours! For more info on Kayak Wars and registration, please visit www. kayakwars.com.
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the season. Large zander, trophy pike, and freak-fish such as conger eel contributed to the nearly 2000 tournament submissions from that part of the world. From the land downunder, Australia contributed with an array of snapper species, bream, and sharks – some Dee Kaminski – kayaked being very impressive. Puerto Rico, while not red drum from Florida. new to Kayak Wars, includes a loyal following of more than twenty teams who from their Caribbean angling paradise submitted many trophy tarpon and reef fish. A little closer to home, the rest of North America compiled for the majority of Kayak Wars action. Team MKF reigned dominant again in the freshwater division with 19,220 points, totally annihilating the competition with bass and catfish species. But with epic catches of sailfish and other pelagics, the true team champions of Kayak Wars 2013 was the Florida-based team “The Hunted” with an astonishing 21370 points. A big congrats to all who competed in 2013! So what is in store for 2014? As in years past, Kayak Wars will continue to grow by leaps and bounds. There will be even more participants than ever before. The actual event dates are February 1st through December 14th, 2014. Registration will begin late January and continue through the spring time. Being a near year-long event helps cater to anyone who can only get out during limited seasons and schedules. We will also have the possible addition of
For the past decade Eric ‘Oz’ Ozolins has been promoting shark catch and release and assisting various shark research programs. Eric offers guided shark fishing on Padre Island National Seashore. Also renowned for extreme kayak big game fishing, Eric runs Kayak Wars; one of the largest kayak fishing tournaments in the world. Email Websites
oz@oceanepics.com extremecoast.com | oceanepics.com | kayakwars.com
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Goose barnacles on Mustange Island. Photo by Karen Morris.
STEPHANIE BOYD
F I S H Y F AC T S
Barnacles An Ending When last we left our barnacle buddies, they were ready to start propagating the oceans with their progeny. However, it can be hard to find that special someone when you’re glued to a rock. Some sessile organisms, such as corals and sponges, solve this problem by pumping sperm and eggs into the water. Some just clone themselves. But barnacles are arthropods; they’re more sophisticated creatures, more complex than a coral polyp. By that, I mean they have a penis, and since they can’t walk around, they have a really long, stretchable penis. In fact, barnacles have the longest penis, relative to body size, of any animal. *Fun Fact – barnacles on wave-exposed shores grow thicker penises, not necessarily longer than those that live in protected areas, just thicker. This is most likely an environmental response to the water action. Thicker penises are less likely to break in the wave action and more likely to produce successful mating. However, these barnacles aren’t the genetic result of generations of barnacles evolving to live in rough water. Regardless of the type of penis its parents had, a barnacle living in choppy waters will develop a thick penis. (The motion of the ocean… this makes so much more sense now.) 70 | February 2014
Most barnacles are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female sex organs. Although it’s possible for barnacles to self-fertilize, it seems to be very rare. Prior to mating, a barnacle acting on its male personality polls the reproductive state of its immediate neighbors by tapping nearby barnacles with its elongated penis. If eggs are present, insemination occurs. After mating season ends, the penis is discarded; a new one will develop next year. Not all barnacles are hermaphrodites. Some goose barnacle species have two distinct sexes, though the adult males may be little more than tiny tubes of sperm attached to the females. Parasitic and boring barnacles are also either male or female. So what happens to a barnacle not stationed near any of its own species? Luckily, there’s a backup plan: spermcasting. Other sessile organisms, such as sponges, corals, and some mollusks, employ this strategy of capturing sperm released into the sea, but barnacles are the first crustaceans known to do this. It differs from broadcast spawning in that only sperm is released into the water, not eggs. Spermcasting goes nicely with a sessile existence and filter feeding. As filter feeders, barnacles already possess the
equipment to strain small particles out of the water. Solitary barnacles aren’t a common problem. Too many in one place is more likely. Since one of the settling cues is the presence of one’s own species and because living together can reduce the risks of desiccation, many individuals may be drawn to a single site, resulting in severe crowding. Sometimes, this results in a hummock, an area where barnacles are so densely packed that the group has developed into a dome-like, mounded shape. Typically, barnacles grow by increasing in diameter, but when they are surrounded, they have nowhere to grow but up, which causes a cylindrical shape instead of the classic cone morphology. Those that grow fastest also grow tallest and are surrounded by slower-growing, shorter individuals. Although the fastgrowing individuals are taller and have access to more nutrients in the water, their area of attachment is quite small. Additionally, because they are so crowded, their shells tend to be thinner and more fragile. Thus, hummocks are inherently unstable; the loss of just a few barnacles can result in large swaths becoming detached, a problem any boat owner with barnacled hulls would love to have. Barnacles may look nice and nautical, but on the hull of a ship, they increase friction and reduce the vessel’s speed, causing it to burn more fuel and emit more emissions just to maintain its cruising speed. A sixmonth growth of barnacles can result in having to burn forty to forty-five percent more fuel. To prevent barnacles from settling on ships, the hulls are usually treated with copper-containing paint. The paint forms a toxic film that deters cyprids. The leaching poison repels the would-be hitchhikers, but it also enters the marine ecosystem. However, various alternatives are cropping up to replace the toxic paints. A post-grad student from Sweden’s University of Gothenburg mixed an antiparasitic agent, called ivermectin, with regular hull paint. Unlike copper, very little of the antiparasitic leaves the paint; barnacles come into contact with it only when they try to penetrate the hull’s surface. Just 0.1 percent of ivermectin is sufficient to render a paint barnacle-proof and lasts many years. Another formula, developed at the University of Pisa, uses polymer molecules that are water-attracting on one side and water-repellent on the other. The checkerboard pattern that emerges on the painted surface confuses barnacles and mussels, making it harder for them to attach. If checkerboarding doesn’t work out, there’s yet another plan: create a surface so smooth that barnacles slip right off. This is achieved with fluoropolymer, a chemical similar to Teflon. The paint doesn’t discourage attachment, but once the vessel is traveling faster than ten knots, the water sweeps the barnacles off. For smaller boats, researchers from the University of North Texas and the University of Texas are experimenting, collaboratively, with a mixture containing the active ingredient of hot peppers and the active ingredient of cannabis. This concoction seems to be particularly effective against invasive freshwater mussels but could have some import on barnacle matters. Either way, there’s a lot of good coming out of this field of research. Reducing encrustations will save fuel, which saves money, and will also cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. Stopping the spread of invasive mussels is a bonus, making life easier for boaters in the fresh waterways of America and Canada. Of the over 1,000 species of barnacles worldwide, about seven percent (90ish species) occur in the Gulf of Mexico, not all of them native. The Gulf species are a mixture of goose barnacles, acorn barnacles, Rhizocephalans, and boring barnacles. Chthamalus fragilis, the fragile barnacle, is the most common acorn barnacle at the higher tidal levels of the Texas coast. It’s small, usually about five millimeters, but its size and shape can vary greatly depending on food supply and crowding.
Three other acorn barnacles are also quite common: Balanus improvisus (the bay barnacle), Balanus eburneus (the ivory barnacle), and Balanus amphitrite (the striped barnacle). Acorn barnacles are classified by their shell structure. Balanus species of the northwestern Gulf have calcareous, porous shells. Chthamalus’s shell is membranous, but its shell wall is calcareous and solid. The ivory barnacle is the largest acorn barnacle in this area. It can be distinguished by longitudinal grooves on the shell plates forming the door, and the broad zone of overlap between plates. The striped barnacle also has a broad overlap but lacks the grooves (and has thin gray or purple stripes). The bay barnacle has a narrow overlap and no grooves. The highest density of barnacles along the coast occurs in nearshore waters and on structures on the continental shelf. The upper limit depends on how tolerant the barnacle is of drying out. A barnacle can stay out of water for some time by closing its door tightly to keep water from leaking out. However, if the barnacle is not rehydrated by the returning tide, or at least by spray, for a longer time, it may die. A lower limit may be created by crowding or predation. Barnacles that are more resistant to drying out than their predators may occupy a higher tidal area. There are almost certainly more barnacles in the Gulf than those already documented, probably in the deeper waters of the basin or around oil seeps, methane hydrates, brine seeps, etc. Some are likely to extend their range in the future, and more invasive species will certainly hitchhike their way in. Darwin commented in 1851 that barnacles “abound so under every zone, all over the world, that the present period will hereafter apparently have as good a claim to be called the age of Cirripedes as the Palaeozoic period has to be allied the age of Trilobites.”
Where I learned about barnacles, and you can too! Texas Marine Species txmarspecies.tamug.edu/invertlist.cfm Think Quest library.thinkquest.org/J001418/barnacles.html Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution www.whoi.edu/science/B/people/kamaral/Barnacles.html Barnacles By David P. Lohse & Peter T. Raimondi Animal Planet animal.discovery.com/marine-life/barnacle-info.htm Rhode Island Sea Grant seagrant.gso.uri.edu/factsheets/597barnacle.html BogLeech www.bogleech.com/barnacles.html University of Washington courses.washington.edu/mareco07/students/nina/barnacleshome.html Nature: International Weekly Journal of Science www.nature.com/news/barnacles-trust-their-sperm-to-the-waves-1.12220 SeaWorld www.seaworld.org/animal-info/animal-bytes/animalia/eumetazoa/coelomates/ protostomes/arthropoda/crustacea/maxillopoda/barnacles.pdf GizMag www.gizmag.com/ivermectin-barnacle-boat-paint/28182/ Beachcomber’s Guide to Gulf Coast Marine Life By Susan B. Rothschild The Economist www.economist.com/node/21527029 Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, & Biota By Darryl L. Felder
TSFMAG.com | 71
Dickinson Bayou project shoreline.
By Kim Ogonoski | CCA
T S F M a g c O N S E r VaT I O N N E w S cca TEXaS parTIcIpaTES IN SMOOTh cOrDgraSS SEED harVESTINg FOr DIckINSON BaYOu wETLaNDS rESTOraTION The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Dickinson Bayou Wetlands Restoration Project will utilize a previously proven technology and conservation approach to maximize the restoration of up to ten acres of intertidal marsh complex habitat and enhancement and protection for up eighteen acres of existing intertidal emergent marsh. This technology and conservation approach has been extensively used for restoring wetlands and Jan Culbertson and Matt Singer collecting cordgrass seed.
72 | February 2014
enhancing fish and wildlife habitats during the widening and deepening of the Houston Ship Channel. This project includes constructing approximately 2,405 linear feet of earthen containment berms and 1,818 linear feet of rock-armored earthen berms to protect the 27.7 acre restoration site. Approximately 28,521 cubic yards of clay material will be used to construct three containment areas, and approximately 6,545 tons of
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limestone rock will be placed on the outer slopes of these earthen containment berms. Intertidal marsh complex will be created inside these containment units by mechanically or hydraulically dredging approximately 81,735 cubic yards of material from the shallow water areas within the main channel, designated as the project’s borrow site. These sediments will be placed at specific elevations to create intertidal and high level marsh habitat. “Without this project,” said Jan Culbertson, Coastal Ecologist for TPWD Coastal Fisheries, “the existing marsh would be lost through conversion to open-water habitat in the next twenty-five years.” This restoration project will protect existing habitats, restore wetland habitats, increase water quality functions in an impaired water body, enhance recreational fishing opportunities, and provide erosion protection for wetland habitats that are integral to the Texas Gulf Coast and the Galveston Bay estuarine ecosystem. The direct benefits of this project will result in improved fish and wildlife habitat, increased productivity of nursery fish and benthic species, as well as improved water quality and storm water filtration in Dickinson Bayou. Additional benefits of this project will provide increased natural resource educational opportunities and boating access to Dickinson Bayou. Coastal Conservation Association Texas (CCA Texas) is a non-profit marine conservation organization comprised of tens of thousands of recreational anglers and coastal outdoor enthusiasts. CCA Texas has provided $75,000 in funding to the Dickinson Bayou Wetlands Restoration Project. “I think the biggest challenge for most of these projects is funding,” said Matt Singer, Conservation Lands Manager for the Galveston Bay Foundation. “Funding is a major issue that we run up against. Fortunately we have great project partners like Coastal Conservation Association.” In November 2013, CCA Texas observed and took part in the collection of smooth cordgrass seeds in Dickinson Bayou. These Spartina alterniflora seeds are undergoing a stratification and storage process overseen by USDA Coastal Conservationist Scott Alford at NRG Energy’s EcoCenter. Once this process has been completed, the seeds will be distributed in the marsh grow-out ponds at the NRG EcoCenter later this year. These seeds will grow into mature plants that will be planted after the construction has been completed. Stratified seeds may also be distributed directly in the marsh containment cells at the project site in order to jumpstart growth of the marsh while the borrow material is still settling. “It’s the first step in restoration projects,” said Michael Bell, Fish and Wildlife Technician for TPWD. “In order to protect the existing marsh and shoreline, there has to be plants available because those plants root themselves in the sediment, and those roots help hold the sediment together and protect it against wind and wave action.” Planting fully grown plants harvested from the NRG EcoCenter’s ponds will begin once TPWD’s construction of the site is completed and the sediments have settled. “Whenever the construction is finished, they [TPWD] will give us the notification to go ahead and start planning a volunteer event to plant the site with volunteers,” said Singer. “Hopefully the ideal time will be Fall 2014.” To learn more about CCA Texas’ involvement in this and other projects, please visit www.ccatexas.org.
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Aqua Design Announces New Technical Fishing Shirt The Adventure Shirt has massive storage capacity in its 9”x15” hidden zippered storage compartments. Back mesh vent and button-down collar add to comfort and it good looks qualify it as appropriate for a business-casual dinner. Aptly named the “Adventure Shirt” this garment is ideal for long days on the water with its extra storage, excellent sun protection, moisture management fabric, and many functional features. Aqua Design General Manager Rex Bledsoe said, “The Adventure Shirt is a departure from the conventional bellows pocket cargo fishing shirt. Our design team was able to increase storage over 50% while giving this new shirt a slim, low-profile look. I believe guides, in particular, will appreciate the added cargo space and our stealthy skyward camouflage colors as a bonus. Adventure Fishing Shirt MSRP $69.95 | www.aquadesign.com
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76 | February 2014
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Zeiss has been the world’s leading brand in precision optics. ZEISS certificate is given to every consumer who purchases a Salt Life Sunglass so that they can log on to the ZEISS website and join the ZEISS community. Frames are handmade in Italy from premium TR90 material. You can feel the difference between our Italian frames and our competitions Taiwanese and Chinese frames. All Salt Life Optic Lenses are made of Polarized Polycarbonate material that is lightweight, offers crystal clear vision, 100% UV protection and is scratch/impact resistant. Zeiss technology offers perfect clarity so you no longer have to wear heavy glass prescription lenses. Zeiss lenses with 5 layer AR coating reduce glare and repel water, dirt, and sunscreen. www.saltlife.com TSFMAG.com | 77
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
78 | February 2014
As we fish our way into the more challenging winter months of a new year, we can only hope that 2014 is as fisherman-friendly as 2013. It started off with a bang last January and only improved in spite of gusting winds that eliminated much of the lake seemingly every day. Both the average size and numbers of trout were significantly better than we had experienced in years. Lots of visiting anglers caught personal best trout and even I caught and released more fish over seven pounds than I had caught since 2001. Ironically, every seasonal pattern was late to develop, but having to adapt might well have been the key to locating fish that we have been overlooking in the past. For no obvious reason, the redfish were AWOL most of the year, but they more than made up for it in December and that incredible bite is still going on. The majority of my fishing takes place from mid-lake north to the Sabine and Neches Rivers and we have literally been covered up with redfish. Catching and releasing thirty to fifty a morning has required little more than being there! While I don’t think it was as good as the year before, we also enjoyed a consistent bite on larger flounder. The “catching” during the annual migration wasn’t as prolific, but the average size throughout the year was excellent as we saw a lot of four to six pound fish. Because we
spent so much of the year targeting only trout, I may well have missed the spring bite, which is much more indicative of how well the flounder population is actually doing. Thus far, I have been covered up with folks hoping to take advantage of the redfish action. It has been so good, in fact, that we have been able to limit early and spend the remainder of the trip looking for trout. We haven’t gotten shorted on cold weather this winter, but even the smaller trout are still showing up on the shallow flats in the afternoons. We have spent the bulk of our time drifting rather than wading because the trout are not relating to any specific type of bottom structure like clam shell or sandy ridges surrounded by mud. Having said that, we are still able to bury the Talon as soon as we miss a strike or catch a fish and usually catch a few more before resuming our drift. The wind hasn’t really been a factor, but because we are forced to cover so much water we have relied on a Maniac Mullet more than the Corky or Catch V as we can effectively fish it a little faster. I fish every lure on a loop knot or occasionally on a speed clip for convenience sake when wading and I am convinced that the Maniac Mullet is far more lethal when it is not cinched down to the eye with a closed knot. By far, the majority of the strikes occur as soon as the bait starts to erratically sink following a twitch of the rod tip and tying dead to the lure eliminates much of that movement. The Assassin Die Dapper rigged on an 1/8 ounce Shiney Hiney head is also a great choice when fishing these more aggressive trout. Once the larger trout show signs of chasing bigger meals a shorter distance, it is hard to beat the Corky Fat Boy on Sabine. For the most part it is a painfully slow way to search for the one fish you covet, but it gets my vote. Don’t overlook the revetment walls over the next couple of months. The rock is home to large concentrations of mullet and while the bite is seldom fast, it can produce bragging size fish even with little tide movement. If the mullet imitations don’t work for you give a crankbait a try before abandoning the wall. This may or may not come as a surprise to some big trout enthusiasts, but my clients and I will enjoy some great days this winter fishing the same doctored up cork and tail rig that I rely on in the warmer months. I still fish a two and a half to three foot leader, but opt for the longer five inch tails like the 5-inch Assassin Sea Shad or TTF Big Minnow rigged on either an 1/8 ounce head or 4/0 Mustad Wide Gap worm hook. The lure stays in the strike zone throughout the retrieve, but the slower fall following each pop is the difference maker. Take the kids fishing!
TSFMAG.com | 79
mICKEY Eastman
mICKEY On Galveston
Galveston
Mickey Eastman is a full-time fishing guide out of Baytown, TX. Mickey has over 30 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
Well folks, here we are in January and the weather has been abnormally cold, at least by recent winter standards. Water temperatures have been running consistently below 50° for quite a while. Mid-40s range is pretty much the norm recently and with the arctic blast we’re supposed to receive early next week it could very well drive it down to the critical range. If you haven’t already figured it out, the fishing has been pretty slow. Looking at the bright side, barring anything freakishly cold coming down, we have lots of fish in the system and it’s but a matter of time until we get the warming trend that’ll literally start a firestorm of fantastic winter fishing. There have been some really solid fish caught during warm-ups recently on Tidal Surge Maniac Mullets, Corky Fat Boys, and the good old 52M MirrOlure. Most of these big fish are coming on the deeper edges of the flats on days when the flats water temperatures make it up to the level to trigger a good feed over scattered mud shell mix. Some heavy trout are also being caught when the
tides are very low just behind frontal systems by making long drifts and throwing Maniacs and MirrOlures. The trick to catching these fish is to align your drift parallel and adjacent to the flats in four to five feet of water. The trolling motor is a valuable tool for correcting the drift as the angle of the wind does not often run the same as the dropoff from the flats and the catching zone you need to stay within is narrow. Water clarity has not been a problem so far this winter; if anything, with only moderate rainfall and the cold water temperatures the water has been almost too clear at times. This clear water problem, if you want to call it that, is a primary reason that West Galveston Bay drift fisherman have been doing well with soft plastics and 52M MirrOlures drift-fishing streaks on the incoming tide over mid-bay shell. A combination of bait prevalence in the streaky off-colored water and a Gulf-warmed incoming tide is the logical answer why the pattern has worked so well over the years during the winter fishing season. I have been receiving reports that fishermen down
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80 | February 2014
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in the TriBay-Chocolate-Christmas region have also been making some solid catches. They say the best conditions have been the combination of warm-ups and higher incoming tides. Moving to the far north end of the Galveston bay complex, the smaller back bays like Scott, Burnett, San Jacinto, and Tabbs Bay have been fair as well behind northers for drift fisherman making long drifts on streaks and color changes over humps and dropoffs. A few fish have been coming from the deeper bends of the San Jacinto River on jigs and deep-diving crankbaits toward the south end of the river. Overall, fishing could be better but let’s face it, we are having a good old-fashioned winter this year. Water temperatures as low as we’ve been seeing on average bring a huge impact to the bay fishing scene, and when this happens you can bet it can be tough for the most part. Still though, as they always say, even a slow day on the bay beats the alternative. Get outdoors as much as you can and be sure to take your family. There’s nothing else like it and it’s good for you too! -Capt. Mick
David Schaffer with a Trinity Bay toad on a Corky, working dropoff.
ROY’S Bait and Tackle Outfitters Upon first impressions, the Stradic C14 posseses both ultra smooth and sleek panache yet resonates elements of aggression and power. Leave it to Shimano to create the ultimate combination of style and advanced technology! A rapid weight reduction is sure to set the tone for micro-sized spinning reels in the future, boasting up to 25% weight reduction to that of similar sized reels.
Introducing Shimano’s latest in comfortable and light weight footwear - the Shimano Evair Marine/Fishing shoes. The Evair features an ultra lightweight EVA material, meaning even after a full day of fishing or boating, your feet will not feel fatigued at all. Being an ‘open’ style shoe means they’re quick drying and allow your feet to breathe even in the hottest day time conditions. A non slip sole gives the wearer added confidence when navigating slippery decks.
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The Shimano Torium range of overhead reels are built on tough foundations for saltwater fishing. The range comes in four models ranging from a smaller but very versatile and capable Torium 14 size up to the tough and larger Torium 30.
The Shimano Curado bait caster reel has been a leader in the field for over ten years now and is set to continue its winning ways. The iconic green Curado with it’s superior drag and casting ability has made it a favorite amongst kiwi anglers chasing large snapper, blue cod, kahawai, and kingfish with lures.
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TSFMAG.com | 81
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
82 | February 2014
February is my least favorite month of the year for obvious reasons. The last football game has been played, the last duck has been shot and dreary gray weather normally persists. Except for the diehards, it is hard to get people excited about coastal fishing. I don’t enjoy bundling beyond motion just to survive the chilling boat ride, yet, if you choose your days and fish between cold blasts, truth of the matter is February is quite productive. The water was cold and dead and I was stiff with layers of neoprene and down. I did not have the highest of hopes. Ray Sexton and I looked for just one jumping mullet, but only saw a few redheads buzzing. We should have stayed in bed. Sexton parked the boat along a bar in close proximity to a deeper gut. When I say deeper, I mean like knee to thigh deeper, a foot deeper at the most.
We worked toward the gut with Chicken on a Chain Bass Assassin Sea Shads and crawled the bait on the bottom. The slightest twinge of the line signaled the first bite. It was more like a peck, but the sharp lead head found lips. That’s what I look for this time of year - the slightest sign of life. One mullet in February is like
an acre of mullet during the summer. Though, many times it’s hard to find one mullet. We like the water temperature around at least 53° at the coldest. It seems the trout bite a little better. Anything lower and it’s 50/50. The middle of East Matagorda Bay is where we like to drift, but you have to pick your days. A typical February sees a good bite every other day. The key is choosing the right “other” or “every other.” Really, we guides have tried to figure out why, but I can’t answer that question. We just go fishing.
If speckled trout don’t cooperate, redfish are readily available in guts and bayous up and down the coast. Some of the lowest tides of the year occur this month, so you can eliminate lots of water. Concentrate on the areas that fall from waist to chest deep during the summer – those same areas are probably shin to waist deep in February. Find points of sloughs and bayous and anchor within casting distance. These points normally hold the deepest water as outgoing and incoming tidal flow provide depressions. Live shrimp under a popping cork works every time, but plastics like Gulps and Bass Assassins draw plenty of attention. A great winter fish that rarely gets rave reviews is the sheepshead. Sure, it is not the sexiest of inshore marine species, but the convict-looking fish with human-esque teeth is a winter staple along reefs, pilings, walls and granite. Most sheepies hang just below the surface and dine on crustaceans and organisms clinging to hard structure and substrate. Live shrimp under a popping cork is the most effective bait; and, once you get past its motley mug, the sheepshead’s white meat is not bad. Sand trout are another winter option that requires minimal skills. Channels and bayous with ardent tidal flow to and from the Gulf holds plenty of sandies. Carolinarigged fresh shrimp and squid gets plenty of pulls. Large drum and redfish will begin to hang around the jetty as well. Finger mullet or crabs bend poles for hours. The best way to figure out February is to keep fishing.
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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
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Writing this article, the north wind is bending tree branches to the breaking point and the temperature is hovering around 30° with a forecast calling for a dip into the 20s overnight. I was supposed to be running a cast and blast trip tomorrow morning but my clients ran into trouble with flights and can’t make it until the following day. I didn’t mention how glad I was. Don’t misunderstand me, this type of weather brings more ducks to the middle coast but it also makes for a very cold airboat ride in the pre-dawn. It really doesn’t hurt the fishing in the areas we have been catching but it does make you have to think more about your game plan. Having a game plan is the most important thing you can do to prepare for your outdoor trips, whether fishing, duck hunting or deer hunting. My game plan for blustery days is to hunt ducks until about 9:30, or until we limit and/or they stop flying. Then we head for area drains that are deeper than the surrounding backcountry flats. It is common for fishermen to think that when the tide falls with a passing front all the fish evacuate the back lake regions. This is not the case! Some redfish and larger specimens of the speckled variety
will linger in deeper guts and sloughs, along with a variety of forage, until the tide rolls back in. One of the coolest things in this kind of weather is that you don’t have to worry about other fishermen potlicking your spot. Most of the potlickers will be up the Victoria Barge Canal in search of easy prey, trolling and throwing soft plastics at the dropoffs. At least while they’re up there they can keep an eye on each other; it does get crowded. Dr. Sam Williams and groomsmen with the results of a cold-morning slough wade.
Back to our game plan; during these blustery fronts we will wade the deeper guts that give our quarry sanctuary from the colder temps, it might be a small temperature difference, but enough to sustain them through extended cold snaps. Not all the sloughs can be waded, so when fishing the deeper ones we frequently walk the sides, casting down the slough with Bass Assassins crawled along the bottom. This is the perfect place and time to pull out your favorite Corkys also as their slow sinking ability will really get the attention of even the most sluggish fish. The lure we have been relying on most when slough fishing is the Bass Assassin 4-inch Sea Shad in either Baby Bass, Bone Diamond or Bundled up on the bank of a large backcountry slough.
Opening Night. We rig with the 1/16 ounce Assassin screw lock jig. Quite often this bait will out-produce all others, hands down. I believe the tougher texture of other lures, that becomes even stiffer in cold water, is a handicap and they cannot wiggle and swim like an Assassin. I also believe fish will hold onto softer baits longer, allowing for a more successful hookset. When fishing these extreme weather changes it is best to use braided line as some of the bites you will get are so subtle that you will not really feel the tap of the cold trout on monofilament. Don’t get me wrong, if you’re not into braid I’m not going to harp on it, but once you get used to throwing the braided stuff you will catch fish that you wouldn’t have if you were using mono…just saying. I won’t name any brands because I have tried many and have not found one that truly stands out from the rest so far. If someone has a brand they think out-performs the other products they have tried, please give me a shout or an e-mail and I will try it. I do a lot of switching back and forth between my 12# Trilene Big Game and 30# braid during the year but during these colder months I will definitely be sticking to the braid. Another tool that has allowed me to catch fish that I believe I might not have caught otherwise are the new 6’7” Waterloo HP Lite and the 6’6” Waterloo Ultra Mag rods I have been using. I will always have both rods with me, rigged and ready to go. If you have not tried one yet you are seriously missing out. You owe it to yourself to give Jimmy at Waterloo Rods a call or, better yet, if you catch me at the dock you can make a few casts with both and decide for yourself. Fish hard, fish smart!
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DaVID RoWsEY
hooKED uP WIth Rowsey
It seems like just yesterday that the story of Jim Wallace’s new state record trout, out of Baffin Bay, broke all over the Texas coast. The date was February 6, 1996, almost 20 years ago. That lifetime catch was significant for a number of reasons. Number one, it Upper solidified that February is a top month to land monster Laguna/ trout. Secondly, it would begin the well-warranted Baffin Corky lure craze that has yet to lose steam. In the end it would prove to be the catalyst that brought a whole new generation of diehard grinders to the table, young and old. The proof lies in the pudding, as the David Rowsey has 20 years cold months of every year prior to 1999 only consisted experience in the Laguna/Baffin of a couple of underpowered boats on any given day region; trophy trout with artificial lures is his specialty. David has a in Baffin. Almost twenty years later, the flats of Baffin are dotted with diehard enthusiasts, overpowered great passion for conservation boats, and enough testosterone to make even Martina and encourages catch and release of trophy fish. Navratilova a little nervous. I officially open my books for charters around Telephone September 1 every year and you can bet that 361-960-0340 February dates get swooped up quick. If patterning website www.DavidRowsey.com trout over the years has taught me anything, it has Email taught me that late winter and early spring days are david.rowsey@yahoo.com a must-do if you want the shot at a trophy trout. It
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is not going to happen every time you step in the water, but yours odds are greatly improved if you are fortunate enough to be down here now, wading in crotch deep water on the warming side of a front. As long as I have been doing this down here, I still get shakes of excitement just thinking about it. With all of the technological advances we live with today, I wish there was a way that y’all could just hit the rewind and play button on my memory and relive them with me. Trust me, it has been and will continue to be a great adventure in the outdoors. My preferred method for seeking the best trout February has to offer typically begins with a muddy flat that contains both grass and slick/sandy areas. These areas abound throughout Baffin and the Upper Laguna; however, they do change annually due to new grass growing in and covering up areas that may have been ideal a year ago. The flats themselves are a constant, for the most part, so they are always a good starting point if you find yourself down here for the first time since last spring with no clue as to where to start. Once you have established the flat has all of the right ingredients, regarding bottom structure, just add
Come get you some! Notice the extra definition in muscle tone and fat that we see at this time of year.
a food supply, i.e. mullet, shad, perch, etc, to the recipe and you should be on your way towards some top shelf trout fishing. A major key to daily success, and one that so many have a tough time with, is to slow your wade down and fish the area properly. When you are trying to catch a trout that makes up 1% of the total population it is very easy to walk right past them. On my boat this is easily resolved with a shock collar. A couple of buzzes to Mr. Hot Foot’s neck and he usually complies within no time. Of course I’m joking, but it has been threatened to repeat offenders. Now that the movement (and noise) through the water is at a minimum, make repeated casts in a fan shape to cover as much area as possible. One mistake I see on a daily basis is fishermen getting into the horrible routine of just constantly casting downwind. You have to move it around to be thorough. In fact, a crosswind cast is my favorite and most productive cast with any lure I choose to throw at the big ‘uns. I make as many as ten to fifteen casts before I take another three to five steps, and then I start it all over again. Slow down, be patient, be confident, and you will be successful. My go-to lure is the 5” Bass Assassin when I am picking the flats apart. The BA rigged on a 1/16 ounce jighead dominates when I am in “find ‘em” mode of the process. This lure can be fished in all sections of the water column; high, low, fast, and slow. It is as lethal on big trout as any lure I know of and is a must have in the arsenal. Floating grass permitting, the MirrOlure Fat Boy is a big-time favorite to seek out the largest of the trout in the area, once the locating has been done. Remember the buffalo. -Capt David Rowsey
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CaPt. tRICIa
tRICIa’s Mansfield Report Ol’ Man Winter has finally arrived here in deep South Texas. Apart from having to bundle in more layers than we are accustomed, with just a bit of luck the Ol’ Man should usher in some heavy potential for February’s trophy trout program. After scratching my head much of early winter, attempting to understand Port patterns and stay on a decent bite, the most recent Mansfield cold fronts could turn out to be exactly what this guide has been waiting for. Hopefully we’ll see some changes toward the positive. The water temperatures dropped into the mid-40° Capt. Tricia’s Skinny Water range during the Christmas and has remained there Adventures operates out of since New Year’s Eve. We have had a fair showing of Port Mansfield, specializing in trout and redfish on east flats grassbeds, shorelines, wadefishing with artificial lures. and spoil banks; north and south. Many of the redfish are upper slot and, in the mix, we’re finding a sprinkling of winter-fat trout of 26-30 inches. The real Telephone 956-642-7298 heavyweights have not shown up as of this writing, Email but we hope that will change soon enough. shell@granderiver.net February should be very similar to January with a website www.SkinnyWaterAdventures.com slight twist. The arrival of colder water temperatures always pushes and stages fish in predictable areas but, conditions in February can be more “survival based.” By that I mean they cannot stay holed-up and
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lock-jawed forever. As with all other winter predators, the trout have got to acclimate to the cold and begin eating eventually. This is when we will devote a lot of time to stalking the “Big One.” Some of our best chances will be when latemorning down comforters with coffee in front of the TV are hard to leave. Large fish will often concentrate themselves in sheltered areas during the coldest period of a norther, making the needle in the haystack easier to find. It’s the typical cold water “stack-up” scenario, and often where you find one you
will find many. In front of the television is no place to be when they decide it’s time to feed. February last year provided some very notable rewards on the first warming day after each successive front. The first few days after a front came through we could move with them from deeper holes to warming shorelines pretty regularly. When we found them, they were often willing and voracious participants, especially when Mother Nature informed them another blast from the north was approaching. Remember, it is always about timing and the cycle of survival. In the real estate business they say, “Location, location…location,” and it is never more true than in wintertime fishing. We need to be where they are when they eat, and often these places can be very tiny. And when they eat, the type of lure we are using matters little. Having said that, I must also say my regular go-to lures have never let me down. There is no doubt the Kelley Wigglers’ Ball Tail Shad rigged with their excellent 1/16 ounce 1/0 jig head is a game changer. It is remarkable in floating and bottom grass which is very bothersome in Port Mansfield; it
just plain glides and twitches right through it. In water that is knee-deep or less I find the 4” paddle tail to be a straight shooter, fast or slow, it stays where it needs to be in the skinny water column. Colors depend on water clarity; when murky I usually pick electric grape/char belly, midnight metal-flake with chartreuse tip, and plum metal-flake with chartreuse tip are great winter colors. When the water is air-clear as it sometimes is in winter, smoke and mirrors, sand, and moonbeam are a smart choice. No wade box is complete without a few Corky Fatboys, and also a topwater or two when conditions warrant. When fish are not responding to a tail, a slow moving bigbodied surface plug is sometimes the lure selection I rely on to entice a strike. February promises lots of potential and I am dreaming big. Hope you are too! Tricia’s Tips 1.The marina still has gas available. The corner convenience store on TX-186 does not. Be sure to fill up your boat and tow vehicle in Raymondville before heading to Port. 2.We will have a new restaurant soon at the old Fisherman’s location. Pelicans Cove, The Windjammer and Gregory P’s BBQ are all great too. Gregory P’s is open for breakfast.
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CaPt. ERnEst CIsnERos
south PaDRE Fishing Scene
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.
cell 956-266-6454 website www.tightlinescharters.com
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Winter on the Lower Laguna is by no means as cold as in the northern parts of the state but I think everybody would concur February is the harshest of the winter months all along the coast. February is usually wet too and this can interfere with fishing plans more than cold temperatures. The good news is that we are right in the middle of trophy trout season. If you can bear the elements, February offers some of the best trophy trout fishing of the year. Colder weather means you have to plan carefully, starting with marine weather forecasts. Foremost, I want to know the predicted wind direction and strength. Specific areas of shorelines can benefit from strong wind while others become rough and murky; knowing which area might be a good producer only comes with experience. Air and water temperatures are critical as well and observing changes in both during the course of the day are important keys in fishing success. Quite often we begin our day in deeper guts and troughs but knowing when to shift focus to adjacent flats might well be the most important decision of the day. And as if this wasn’t enough, I like to know when the strongest tidal flow will occur. Even though winter
tides are often weak, being on the right structure with moving water will positively add to your success. Colder weather also means dressing correctly and it’s always better to overdress than to be caught Moudy with one of five trout over five pounds he caught that day.
shivering all day. If you are not familiar with the Simms brand of GoreTex Thermal and Windstopper products, I highly suggest you visit their website or one of two Fishing Tackle Unlimited stores in Houston and do some research. I recently fished with a client that would have made a Simms display mannequin look naked with all his Simms gear from top to bottom. At the end of our miserably cold and rainy day of wade fishing that never warmed above 46° he said, “I’d have never made it without my Simms.” Over the last few weeks I have fished the Lower Laguna from the Land Cut to Port Isabel and everything in between. I observed that currently our fish are not widespread throughout the bay system but are concentrated in what I call their winter holes, and generally more abundant the further south you go. Of course, all this can change on a daily basis. Even though as of this writing we have yet to land a giant, my confidence remains very high for what lies ahead. I believe the suddenness of the arrival of cold water temperatures is playing a role in this and it is only a matter of time until the bait and the fish become fully acclimated. For now, locating the big-trout bite is a game of trial and error. However, over the course of the next few weeks, I’m positively sure many of my clients will display big smiles, grasping a personal best or a trout of trophy caliber. Water temperature nudging back up to the mid-50s range should
bring a 180° turnaround. Shallow flats with plenty of deep potholes and edges of spoils with deeper water adjacent have been holding the greatest bait concentrations and also producing our best catches during warming periods. What’s surprisingly and very noticeable this winter is that the redfish and trout have been sharing the same areas. Several times recently we have pulled into an area that has produced good numbers of trout up to seven pounds and also given us 10 to 15 redfish during a wade. During the colder periods we have concentrated in deeper guts with plenty of mud. At times we have had to trek through knee deep muck to get a bite; it’s not fun but it fuels our passion. Our top baits continue to be Corkys from Devils to Fat Boy floaters and sinkers, and the good old reliable Kelley Wigglers in dark colors. Along with the requirement for good planning I would like to mention the osprey, my favorite bird to watch in winter when I’m on the water. Even on the coldest days the osprey will pinpoint the bite for you. When the osprey is sitting on a piling, there is no bite. When he is soaring high and only looking, the bait and the bite is scarce and scattered. If you see the osprey dipping and diving, the bait is on the surface and the bite is on. Bank on it! Be as patient as the osprey. We often catch A personal best for our best wintertime trout when the bite is slow. this winter angler.
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FISHING REPORTS
Lake calcasieu Louisiana Jeff and Mary poe - Big Lake guide Service - 337.598.3268 February is a tough month in terms of catching fish, but at times, the action can be very rewarding. Some of our heaviest fish of the season bite in the month of February. If you love to fish for big trout, this is the time to do it. We will be wadefishing at this time of year, so bundle up with extra layers under the waders and be ready to hop out of the boat. This will provide us more advantages when compared to fishing from the boat. Wading allows for a quieter approach, so we can really slow down and fish an area thoroughly. Low and slow will be the program for the whole month until we start getting several warmer days in a row with air temperatures in the mid to upper-70s. Most of our fish will be caught on Paul Brown’s Lures and soft plastics rigged on weightless hooks. Shallow sand flats and oyster beds will be our preferred target areas. Shallow areas with mud and shell on the bottom adjacent to oyster reefs and sand flats will be good as well. Fish prefer the mud on warmer days and the hard sand and oysters on cold days. Trinity Bay - East Bay - galveston Bay | James plaag Silver king adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 James mentioned the fishing in weeks prior to him giving this report had been excellent, with full limits caught every time out. He expects the excellent results to continue on through February and into the spring, and that the fish will likely move shallow some time soon. “I
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ORECASTS F from Big Lake to Boca Chica
AND
usually start fishing by wading almost all the time about the third week of January. We’ll stay shallow and throw several old stand by lures, trying to catch some of the biggest trout of the year. We like to throw 51M MirrOlures in pink/gold and gold/chartreuse, also Paul Brown’s FatBoys in pearl/black. The 18 color Catch 2000s work great when the water is clear. too. That’s the one with the green back, silver side and white belly. Lots of times, we are able to catch them on a really simple retrieve, just throwing the lures out, letting them settle into the water and reeling them straight in. On some days, they bite it when you reel it slow. On other days, they like it faster. With all the fish we have been catching out in the middle this year, the wading should be really good soon.” Jimmy west - Bolivar guide Service - 409.996.3054 Jim reports excellent hunting and fishing over the recent weeks. The hunting was winding down as we talked, and Jim expects to be in fishing mode during February. “I’ll be fishing as much as possible. We like to wade if we can this time of year, and we often find that the afternoon and early evening offer the best opportunity for catching some big trout. Lately, the best bite has been on sinking twitch baits like Paul Brown’s Lures and Maniac Mullets. Catch 2000s and Catch 5s work well too. The best bite is usually on days right before the front. Best scenario occurs when a strong east or southeast wind pushes warming water back into the bay. The fish seem to feed up good along
the shorelines and in the shallows when that happens. After the front, the tide often gets blown out, and we have better luck fishing out in the middle, out of the boat. If we get some warm spells, topwater action should heat up too. Mostly, it’s about the weather, just like it almost always is in Galveston. Things are set up to be really good.” west galveston - Bastrop - christmas - chocolate Bays randall groves - groves guide Service 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 Randall talked about variability in the fishing when we talked. “When it’s cold, we are staying in the boat and focusing on depths of six to eight feet in protected waters. On incoming tides, we’re using quarter ounce jigheads, and on low tide, three eighth ounce heads are working better. Catching is best on red magic and plum/chartreuse Norton Sand Eels. When it warms up a little, with water temperatures in the mid-50s, we’re drifting open bay areas, assuming we have at least a little wind to work with. Out there, we’re targeting areas with a mix of mud and shell, catching on soft plastics mostly. If it gets even warmer, the wading is better, and we’re seeing some good action on topwaters, specifically pink Skitterwalks. I had one day lately, with water temperatures in the upper-50s, when we crushed the trout on those floating plugs. Next day, they wouldn’t touch ‘em, but we caught a bunch on Pearl FatBoys. This kind of rapidly changing action should continue through February, with more and more of the good topwater days thrown in.” Matagorda | Tommy countz Bay guide Service - 979.863.7553 | 281.450.4037 Tommy raved about the options available for good fishing in the Matagorda area during winter. “Right now, the Colorado River is producing nice catches of trout. On the colder days, we like to ‘dredge’, dragging a paddle tailed soft plastic behind the boat. Lures like the
Creme Little Fishie and others which produce a lot of vibration work best, on jigheads that keep the lure in contact with the bottom. On warmer days, we cast lures at the bank in the river, looking for active fish. We also catch a lot of fish working the open areas in the west end of East Bay this time of year, using heavy jigheads to keep soft plastics close to the bottom in areas with scattered shell. Some of the deep reefs like Cleveland Reef produce well too. All of the drains leading out of the back lakes on the peninsula offer prime opportunity for waders during February. Lots of big trout can be caught on Paul Brown’s lures and other twitch baits. Of course, working the same kinds of drains in West Bay produces more reds. I like to use weedless Johnson spoons for that drill.” palacios | capt. aaron wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 Old man winter has our fish behaving their winter patterns. Water temperatures have been ranging from the high-40s to high-50s for a good while now, and we have the fish located. Trout have been thick in the Harbor, since it holds the deepest water we have in our area. We have been trolling the deep holes, throwing three eighths ounce jigheads rigged with pearl/chartreuse and chicken-on-chain soft plastics for best results. Best method has been to let lure reach the bottom and barely jig it. The fish usually bite it on the drop. When we’ve had warmer days, FatBoys in pearl/chartreuse have been by far the best lures on the flats, adjacent to deep water. Redfish have been in area bayous and have been caught best on Gulp! lures rigged about eighteen to twenty four inches under corks. Pearl/chartreuse and root beer have been best colors. We will continue to watch for bait and monitor water
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temperatures, fishing deep when they dip below 55 degrees, and on shallow flats when they rise higher. port O’connor | Lynn Smith Back Bay guide Service - 361.983.4434 Lynn was finishing off deer season when we talked, but anticipating getting back into the fishing once February rolls around. “I’ll be targeting muddy flats with scattered shell adjacent to drains leading from shallow backwater areas into deeper open water. I like Ayers Bay and Mesquite Bay this time of year, places with a lot of soft, muddy bottom, a good amount of shell and some decent variation in depths. The trout really like to move up onto those shallow areas with a muddy bottom and some shell scattered around when the sun comes out and heats things up a little. Mostly, we’ll be throwing slow-sinking twitch baits like Paul Brown’s Lures and Catch 2000s and Catch 5s. We also use a lot of soft plastics this time of year, particularly the dark red colors like plum and red shad. We rig them on light jigheads and fish them slowly, dragging and bumping them on the bottom and using short twitches of the rod to hop them up from time to time. On the colder days, we’ll hit some deeper areas and use slightly heavier jigheads on our soft plastics.” rockport | Blake Muirhead gator Trout guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894 Blake will be trying lots of different areas this month, now that the hunting seasons have wound to a close. “I’ll be fishing in various areas, checking most or all of the local bays, targeting shallow areas with a mix of mud, shell and grass mostly. For quite some time now, we’ve been catching best around shell reefs, so I’ll start out looking for fish in the same areas where they’ve been biting. Mostly, the best fishing this time of year occurs in shallow water fairly close to deep areas where the fish like to ride out the cold snaps. We’ll be using lures like Norton Sand Eels and some
twitch baits too, but I anticipate a good topwater bite on quite a few of the days. Normally, February is the month when we see a significant upturn in out topwater action. Especially on warm days, the blow ups can come fast and furious. Trout fishing has been steady for a while now, and we usually catch some of our best fish of all this month. I expect it to be really good, especially if we get some stable weather settling in.” upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land cut robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 The water in Baffin Bay seems to be clearing up just in time for the serious trophy trout hunters. If you are coming out of your hunting season, it’s time to make sure the waders are in good shape, and don’t forget the ForEverLast Ray Guards because sting rays are likely to be in the same areas as the big trout we are looking for. The cold water temperatures are driving the trout into deeper water as night falls, but as the sun comes up and warms the shallows, the trout will come up to the shallow water also. The trout will be moving slowly, and I will be moving even slower and as quietly as possible, being careful where I step and fanning my casts out in front of me as much as I can. I’ll be targeting my casts to potholes and grass lines where the trout will be waiting for a slow moving bait attached to about 18 inches of fluorocarbon and my Power Pro braided line. Go-to lures will be Bass Assassin Die Dappers in plum/chartreuse, chartreuse dog and salt & pepper silver phantom. On sunny days, I’ll sight-cast reds and drum with Fish Bites. corpus christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.937.5961 The water in the ULM has been crystal clear lately, with all the north winds and cold temperatures. Trout have been biting steadily along the drop offs in the Intracoastal and in channels leading from it into shallower adjacent areas. Best lures are soft plastics rigged on eighth ounce jigheads when winds are light, up to three eighths or heavier when winds are blowing hard and currents are running strong along the
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www.tobyhoganfishinglures.com Authentic Site of the Original Toby Hogan 94 | February 2014
edges. Boat control is critical when working these edges. Maintaining contact with them means keeping the boat at the right distance and angle to them; often this can only be done through the use of both a trolling motor and a drift sock. On warmer days, muddy grassy flats close to the channels and those on the King Ranch Shoreline are producing too. Some of the biggest trout of the year will be caught around here in February, by people fishing these kinds of flats with slowsinking twitch baits and topwaters. The presence of bait in the area is always a good sign of fish activity. Dusk offers prime opportunity.” Padre Island National Seashore Billy Sandifer - Padre Island Safaris - 361.937.8446 Traditionally, fishing in February is focused on bottom-fishing with freshdead shrimp and Fishbites or cut bait for slot and oversized redfish, black drum, whiting, pompano and sheepshead. Large speckled trout and bonito have been available in some years but there is no way of knowing if or when they’ll show up. You have to go to know. Shark fishing will depend totally on the severity of winter temperatures. It’s starting out to be an unusually cold winter and extremely low numbers can be expected if this continues. Should we experience warmer weather we could see blacktipped, bull and sandbar sharks taking kayaked baits. Tides are usually somewhat low and sargassum is generally absent in any amount to interfere with fishing. Avoid periods of high-velocity NE or E winds which will put the water up to the dunes and try to plan your trip to fall on the second day after a cold frontal passage as this is typically the most user-friendly time. Have all your emergency supplies with you as crowds will be low, the weather cold. Port Mansfield | Ruben Garza Snookdudecharters.com – 832.385.1431 Getaway Adventures Lodge – 956.944.4000 February is by far my favorite fishing month. Most of the month we’ll
have light north wind unless a front is moving through. I have two main focuses in my game plan for the coming month; fishing around the many ICW spoil banks and also the northern portion of the west shoreline. I like to start my mornings with topwaters on the spoils if conditions warrant and if these draw no interest I will switch to Kelley Wigglers Ball Tail Shads on quarter ounce jigheads for a more thorough look. Expect the bite to be super soft, almost as if you have grass on the lure. Braided line is ideal for detecting these bites. The west shoreline can be expected to produce some nice trout along with a few reds. Don’t let the reds discourage you, these banks give up big trout in February! Work thigh to waist-deep and fan your casts shallow and deep. Paul Brown’s FatBoys are great too and sometimes I run them like a topwater to see if the fish will respond on the surface. Tight lines and calm seas! Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Janie and Fred Petty – www.fishingwithpettys.com – 956.943.2747 Dumping dredge material directly into the middle of the Lower Laguna Madre, with no attempt at containment, is going to catch up with us very quickly. With north winds, we can still see potholes, but water temperatures drop and we have difficulty getting fish to bite artificials. While the sun is out, it warms up a little, and it’s a different ballgame, and trout will hit a Berkley Gulp!. But when the wind is out of the south, the slurry being pumped into the bay between the Intracoastal and Holly Beach makes visibility so poor, it is not possible to see the potholes on the west side. We’re limiting on redfish every trip by using cut ballyhoo, which is making the best of a bad situation. Freddy says, “If we continue to allow open bay dredge disposal, we will not be able to enjoy fishing the clear, grassy flats. This practice clouds the water with drifting silt, which doesn’t allow sunlight to reach the bottom and ultimately can destroy habitat.” We urge everyone to help stop open bay disposal. Please check out the KGBT Channel 4 News website under Nature Report.
TSFMAG.com | 95
John Wallace POC - 29.25” trout
Victor Garcia South Bay - 26” redfish
Lindsay Hardy Chocolate Bay - trout
Heath Harris Port Aransas - mahi mahi 96 | February 2014
Anna Featherston Sabine Pass - first trout!
Madison Guess first CPR!
Kelli Tompkins Sabine Pass - first slot red!
Ben Featherston Sabine Pass - gaff top
Rick Fabian 27” trout & 28” red
Kailynn Bradley first redfish!
Marisol De La Garza Port Mansfield - 5.45lb flounder
Mike Garcia Matagorda - amberjack
Jim York Laguna Madre - 23” & 21” trout
Jeremy Tompkins High Island - 44” bull red
Jordan Jasso POC - 37” redfish
Thomas Mullenix Port Aransas - wahoo
Christy Silva Corpus Christi - 44” drum
Dane Kirchheiner Port Aransas - 23” first redfish!
Steven Osina POC - jack crevalle
Alec Sudtelgte & Josh Dickson Galveston - redfish
Luke & Ruben Delgadillo Galveston - 36” redfish
Ily Muniz 42.5” redfish CPR!
Ashley Perez Corpus Christi - drum
Luis Rueda Port Mansfield - 29” red
Ethan Swanner Rockport - 17” trout
Mario Ruiz, Jr. Brownsville - first fish!
Please do not write on the back of photos.
Email photos with a description of your Catch of the Month to: Photos@tsfmag.com
Gilbert Torres Cape Carangahua - 28” red
Tyler & Trey Seymore Baffin Bay - 28” redfish
Mail photos to: TSFMag P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 TSFMAG.com | 97
Pam Johnson
Gulf Coast Kitchen Oyster-Artichoke Soup
Got ideas, hints or recipes you’d like to share? Email them to pam@tsfmag.com or send by fax: 361-785-2844
1 Quart fresh oysters; drained, reserve two cups juice 6 Tablespoons butter, melted 1/2 Cup shallots, chopped fine 1/4 Teaspoon thyme, chopped 1 Bay leaf 1/2 Teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 Tablespoons flour 14 Ounces chicken broth 1 can (14 ounces) Artichoke hearts (not marinade) 2 Teaspoons salt 1/4 Teaspoon Tabasco Sauce 1/2 Cup whipping cream 3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
– In a 3-quart saucepan, melt butter and sauté shallots. When shallots are translucent add thyme, bay leaf and cayenne pepper. Add flour and whisk well. – Add broth, oyster water, artichoke hearts, salt and Tabasco. Bring to a boil. – Add oysters, whipping cream and parsley. Simmer on medium heat, partly covered, for five minutes. – Serve immediately. Serving Size: 6
Skipper’s Oysters – Melt two sticks butter in skillet. Roll approximately one quart fresh raw oysters in flour, salt and pepper. Sauté oysters in butter, turning once until slightly brown and crispy. Do not overcook. Remove oysters from skillet, leaving drippings in skillet. – Continuing at low to medium heat: Stir 1 Cup Madeira wine into skillet drippings. Add 1 Tablespoon A-1 Steak Sauce and 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce, stir well. Add 1 cup heavy cream and stir until slightly thickened. Place oysters back in sauce and heat. – Serve two or three oysters on a small plate with a generous drizzle of sauce. Garnish with chopped chives or thinly sliced green onions. This recipe is contributed by Judge Skipper Koetter of Victoria, TX. We hope you enjoy your oysters prepared this way…we thought they were delicious.
98 | February 2014
Unsurpassed Fishing
Check out what Rockport-Fulton has to offer. www.rockport-fulton.org @ visitrockportfulton Photography by Diane Loyd
TSFMAG.com | 99
tEXas saltWatER fIshInG holEs mataGoRDa
PoRt o ConnoR/RoCKPoRt
M ATA G O R D A B AY Speckled Trout / Redfish
USCG Licensed Captain Stan Sloan
832.693.4292 fintasticcoastalcharters.com
GalVEston • Bay Fishing, Offshore, Floundering, Waterfowl, Dove • Night Fishing off Lighted Pier • Right On The Water • Lodging with/without Meals www.matagordasunriselodge.com 979-241-1705
TROUT REDFISH FLOUNDER
Capt. Lynn Smith’s Back Bay Guide Service Port O’Connor Area
Wade & Drifting the Back Bays & Surf
Call 361.983.4434 (cell 361.935.6833) Email lynn@tisd.net (tswf.com/lynnsmith)
CoRPus to PoRt IsaBEl Designer & Manufacturer of Specialized High Performance Fishing Rods Office: 361.573.0300
805 B. South Bridge Victoria, TX 77901
Fax: 361.573.0304
Sharkman Surf Fishing South Padre ISland
Specializing in big game & light tackle for Shark, Pompano, & Snook.
Capt. Billy Penick III
USCG & TP&W Licensed • Galveston Bay System • Full and Half Day Trips • Trout, Redfish, Flounder
281-415-6586 www.gypsyguideservice.com penickbilly@yahoo.com
Vitamin Sea Charters Galveston Bay Complex Redfish, Trout, Flounder, & Shark Captain Chad Handley USCG# 3475367 CaptChadHandley@gmail.com www.VitaminSeaCharters.com 281-755-3643 100 | February 2014
956.566.7744
14 years
Guiding Experience Kayak & Shore Fishing
Adventures
Sharkmansurffishing.com
tEXas saltWatER fIshInG holEs fIshInG REtREats
ClassIfIEDs
BENTLEY’S INTERCOASTALS HOUSE RENTALS 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
Split Ring Pliers
New, “PATENTED,” Easier/Faster/Better •Roy’s Bait&Tackle •Cabela’s •Fishing Tackle Unlimited •TackleWarehouse.com •Henry’s-Pitman Creek
YOUR AD COULD BE HERE! for rates call 361.785.3420 or email ads@tsfmag.com
TSFMAG.com | 101
Science and the Sea
TM
The Sweet Smell of Romance? Getting a good whiff of your partner to decide if he’s the right man for you may sound familiar – a good cologne can certainly attract women as much as a nice perfume can pique a man’s interest. Similarly, female lobsters seek out their mates using males’ smell, but the details may not seem as familiar – or pleasant.
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Lobsters use pheremones in their urine to help find their mates. Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In fact, both male and female lobsters check out the “pheromones” of the other partner before mating. Pheromones are chemical signals released by an animal to create a certain response by another individual of the same species. But lobsters release these pheromones in their urine. It has only been in the past decade or so that researchers have understood how lobsters use their pee for mating. One long-time misconception, mostly among the public, is that lobsters mate for life. While lifetime monogamy is not the lobster way, these crustaceans are mostly faithful to one female at a time: a male mates with one female for a week or two before inviting in the next one. Another misconception is that the male is more interested in the female’s scent. But it is females who decide to enter a male’s den based on the chemicals he emits.
Corpus Christi, TX 78418 Phone: 361-657-0555 Fax: 361-939-8973
Console covers and full boat covers custom fit
As a female hovers outside a male’s den, he releases urine from small ducts on the front of his face. She investigates his pheromones to determine if she wants him as her mate. Her choice is doubly important: females want strong offspring, but they also need reliable protection. After all, the female molts her protective shell just before mating, which leaves her naked and vulnerable. A strong male can protect her until her hard covering grows back. Once it does, she moves along, possibly seeking another partner, while the male again releases urine to attract his next mate.
The University of Texas
Marine Science Institute www.ScienceAndTheSea.org © The University of Texas Marine Science Institute
102 | February 2014
Mojo Shrimp… it’s not just for trout
NEW H2O Xpress 4-In. Mojo Shrimp - Two Pack • Black nickeled mustad hook • Great for trout, redfish, flounder and snook • Soft plastic and Kevlar construction • Natural colors with luminous eyes • Weight: 1/4 oz.
CHRIS MAPP
B O aT M a I N T E N a N c E T I p S Did you ever wonder what the most expensive part of boat ownership is? Is it the boat note? Is it the insurance? Is it storage? Is it the gear? Is it the fuel? Is it lack of knowledge? Lack of knowledge is the area of boat ownership that is the most overlooked and is the most expensive. Chris Mapp, owner The old phrase – Knowledge is Power – is a very Coastal Bend Marine. accurate way to describe the most expensive part of Yamaha, Evinrude, Suzuki, boat ownership. Mercury, Honda, BlueWave, Corrosion from saltwater is one SilverWave, Haynie, El Pescador of your boat’s greatest enemies and Service, Parts and Sales. a family of excellent products can help you fight it; CorrosionX Red, CorrosionX Green. The use of Corrosion X, Red and Green, are the best you can use and each has its place. Here are my recommendations: application interval twice a year - CorrosionX Red should be sprayed under the engine cowling on all surfaces, avoiding the starter bendix, (this is where the starter teeth engage the flywheel). Spray the fuel water separator filter
For all Cleaning and Repair of your Rods and Reels
Professionally Trained
Tidal Surge baits are available. Mail order available on reels, we pay postage to you. See website for details.
www.thereelinn.com Susie Montgomery 281-703-7982 / 281-383-3205
ON THE WATER
Saltwater Fishing Clinics WITH
Capt. Robert Zapata
If you are having difficulty catching fish on a consistent basis, the clinic is designed for you. Learn Capt.Robert Zapata’s secrets to finding and catching more fish from his 25 years of experience as a professional fishing guide.
For Information Call 361-563-1160
104 | February 2014
assembly, battery cable ends, Power Pole pump and jack plate pump. Each trip – Spray the hydraulic steering cylinder stainless shaft on each side, this will keep the seals from getting hard and the shaft from pitting. Also spray the steering cable, jack plate slides/rollers after the boat is washed and before storing for next trip. application interval annual - CorrosionX Green, one dose on annual basis, is generally sufficient on the following areas; tilt and trim assembly, tiller arm, galvanized rims over the lug nuts and the trailer hubs. Please note that CorrosionX Green is not favorable for use on electrical wiring or fuel hose. Hope this helps and if you have any question feel free to call. We go over these and other tips daily with our new boat/engine owners and service customers. Chris Mapp | Coastal Bend Marine Port O’Connor, TX | 361.983.4841 www.coastalbendmarine.com
The BEST Choice‌ Any Place, Anytime!
To find a location near you, please visit us at www.speedystop.com
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 O’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