January 2012

Only $3.95 www.tsfmag.com January 2012

Paul Brown - The Corky Man

Legendary Texas lure maker still at it!

Texas’ Greatest Outdoor Scribes Joe Doggett takes us back to a golden era.

TIDE PREDICTIONS & SOLUNAR FEED TIMES INSIDE!

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Predator Boot

Reef Boots

Pro Net

Pro Wading Belt Kit Wading Boots

Flip Flop

Over The Shoulder Tackle System

Ray Guard Shields

ABOUT THE COVER The man behind the Corky! Legendary lure maker Paul Brown is this month’s cover angler. Paul recently moved to Lake Charles, LA where he and wife Phyllis still make one version of their famed Corky series. Paul fishes Lake Calcasieu often with Capt. Bruce Baugh (337-660-1814) and other friends. (Will Drost photo)

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

CONTENTS

REGIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE

JanUaRY 2012 vOL 21 nO 9

FEATURES

Mike McBride Kevin Cochran Billy Sandifer Martin Strarup Chuck Uzzle Joe Dogget Joe Richard Kevin Cochran Cliff Webb

Donna Boyd Donna@tsfmag.com BUSINESS / ACCOUNTING MANAGER Shirley Elliott Shirley@tsfmag.com

34

DEPARTMENTS 21 44 46 50 52 54 58 60 62 66

Coastal Birding Let’s Ask The Pro Fly Fishing TPWD Field Notes Conservation Kayak Fishing According to Scott Youth Fishing Cade’s Coastal Chronicles Fishy Facts

WHAT OUR GUIDES HAVE TO SAY

72 74 76 78 80 82 84

Dickie Colburn’s Sabine Scene Mickey on Galveston Capt. Bill’s Fish Talk Mid-Coast Bays with the Grays Hooked up with Rowsey Capt. Tricia’s Port Mansfield Report South Padre Fishing Scene

Dickie Colburn Mickey Eastman Bill Pustejovsky Shellie Gray David Rowsey Capt. Tricia Ernest Cisneros

78

REGULARS

92

4 | January 2012

Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-649-2265 PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

08 Simple Hacks, Mods, & Cheats 12 The Squall, the Players, & the Heron 18 Thankful on Thanksgiving 22 Images of Our Past 24 Good Vibrations 26 Outdoor Communicators 30 Offshore Boats: Bigger or Smaller 34 Paul Brown’s Inventive Success Story 38 Livin’ the Dream

42

Patti Elkins Patti@tsfmag.com

06 70 86 90 92

Editorial New Tackle & Gear Fishing Reports and Forecasts Catch of the Month Gulf Coast Kitchen

Billy Sandifer Jay Watkins Casey Smartt Noemi Matos CCA Texas Scott Null Scott Sommerlatte Jake Haddock Cade Simpson Stephanie Boyd

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.

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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.

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EDITORIAL HERE WE GO AGAIN. Time flies. How else could you possibly explain it?

And the part about having fun making it go faster must be true too. I swear it was just last week I sat down to write this same editorial a year ago, and I cannot recall ever having this much fun - in the office, on the water, or in the field.

No bones about it; 2011 has been one heck of a year for TSFMag and also for Pam and I personally.

Looking at this publication, our readership and circulation grew beyond anything I ever dreamed we might achieve and advertising support has been nothing short of remarkable. The natural outcome of such good fortune is the upgrade to layout and content we have been able to present and pray that our readers have been enjoying.

We are very proud of these accomplishments. We want to thank everybody that contributed - readers, advertisers, writers, and of course the staff that puts up with my crazy ideas and brings every issue together in time to make deadline at the printer. All I can say is we are blessed.

On the personal side, 2011 was a whirlwind of fishing and hunting between each issue of the magazine, just the way I like it.

With continued success in business and good health I am planning even more outdoor adventure of both flavors in 2012. I have always believed the best way to avoid growing old and losing your mind was to be too busy to allow either to happen. Pam agrees, but says she sometimes wonders if we’re going to kill ourselves proving the point. Meanwhile – do not expect to find us loafing around the office – unless it is production week. I recommend making an appointment well in advance and even these have been known to suffer in the jaws of a solid trout bite and sometimes subject to reschedule due to epic flights of doves and ducks. No telling what might happen during the whitetail rut. Kind of like that old Waylon Jennings song, “I’ve always been crazy but it’s kept me from going insane.”

Looking ahead, 2012 has a lot going for it. The national economy might still be suffering but with the uptick in energy markets Texas is doing much better. This bodes well for fishermen and the recreational fishing community as a whole.

Even with record-setting drought and red tide along some of our beaches and in some of our bays, inshore fishing has held up remarkably well. By all indications the bounty in our bay systems will continue to provide excellent angling opportunity in the coming year.

Now if we can just avoid those pesky freezes until spring arrives.

Offshore angling prospects are also very good. Luckily, the doom and gloom predicted following the Deepwater Horizon accident appears to have been greatly exaggerated and these fisheries too are in very good shape. Hopefully the federal fisheries regulators will come to their senses soon and stop all this short season and no-season baloney for species that are doing well in the western Gulf of Mexico.

Hang onto your hats; 2012 is a coming and she’s looking to be a dandy. Happy New Year!

6 | January 2012

BY Y R STO

DE BRI C EM MIK

Y’all know the drill. The fishing conditions suddenly become perfect, but because life is always busier than it should be, we just hitch up and gallop off in a hurry. Unfortunately all of our “stuff” isn’t so perfect. So when we finally arrive at the ramp with a less than tidy boat, after smoking a wheel bearing along the way, we find a few more attention-demanding demons. The single working navigation light will be blinking an SOS, our lures are worthlessly rusted up, and our reels will cast only a few yards. You wonder what else could go wrong. The answer is plenty!

8 | January 2012

For general cleaning starters, a product which absolutely rocks is LA’s Totally Awesome cleaner. It effortlessly removes just about everything, harms nothing, is nontoxic and even effective at a 50/1 dilution.

In a recent TSFMag reader survey, “how-to” articles scored very high.

This one probably won’t qualify as any “Manswer-class read,” but since fishing is the culmination of all sciences, let’s look at some applied elbow physics to help our gear, tackle and trim stay buff, tuff and ready to go.

Concerning those reels, besides disappointingly short casting distance, how often do we suddenly start back-lashing two out five times for no apparent reason? Numb thumbs aside; an often overlooked factor is the reel’s centrifugal braking system. Those little plastic brake collars weigh heavily in the casting distance equation and anything short of OCD clean on either the collar, collar stems or brake case ring robs distance and makes performance inconsistent. Eyeglass lens

better ones contain oxalic acid, which only attacks iron oxide and not other precious metals or even paint. (Good to remember for the trailer and truck!) A little soak time with some rubbing encouragement even gets those deeper stains embedded in teeth marks and tears. Follow with a bath of citric acid and watch the brilliance begin. Most any orange or green house cleaner will work. That sexy clear coat will be gone, but easily restored with a quick dip into a 50/50 mix of clear PVC glue and MEK. Hang to drip-dry smooth. A skinny shampoo bottle and coat hanger works great. Even those little holes and rips will be healed.

cleaning cloths (essential gear anyway) make excellent rescue pads. Wiping down the ring during the day can make a huge difference, as even one drop of water can make the spool sputter and you spit. If you really want to cast out loud; a little Reel Magic on the whole assembly will make even the best of thumbs deploy another brake.

Lures take an ugly corrosion beating just living inside the tackle box. Hard plugs are easily rescued, but even those nearly destroyed favorite Corkys can twitch unashamedly again. First step is removing nasty rust stains. Several products will almost instantly remove most traces, but the

As far as finding and keeping stuff in good order, I finally resorted to using old pill bottles as a simple way to keep jig heads, hooks and such from becoming a corroded, scattered mess after the packaging gets wet. Those rust inhibitor plastic chips are another great cheat. They are cheap and actually work very well, so tossing a couple in your topwater box or onboard tool kit is invaluable to avoid surprises.

One of the coolest organizers I’ve found comes from our troops. “Ruggedize” those zip-lock baggies by laminating them with duct tape, and you’ve got yourself an official “Ranger purse” - a nearly indestructible waterproof pouch with many TSFMAG.com | 9

On a lower side of higher tech, smart phones have become invaluable for inshore boaters with hundreds of critical helps such as animated radar and other real-time conditions. designer choices available for that “poser” in you. (Thanks Capt. Clint!)

Koozies can cool down more than just cans, including making convenient padded sleeves to contain those runaway bulk spools of line. Another mighty fine use is making your shades much shadier by creating quick side-shields out of them. It’s an excellent throw-down to fight blinding glare when you really need to see. I couldn’t believe the difference, like when sight-casting to some big midday trout last week. It helped so well they are standard gear now.

Other quickie gear tamers are those stretchy, self-adhesive athletic tapes such as Coach Tape by Johnson’s. Also excellent for harnessing big spools of line, extra rods or whatever else tries to get away. Reusable, porous and grippy, one of the best uses we’ve found is protecting bodily “hot spots” such as blisters under booties or shin abrasions from the tops of stingray guards during long marches.

Our boats can get nasty pretty quickly on us just by sitting, but most detailing issues are easily ransomed as well. For general cleaning starters, a product which absolutely rocks is LA’s Totally Awesome cleaner. It effortlessly removes just about everything, harms nothing, is non-toxic and even effective at a 50/1 dilution. I’ve just been spraying down some “needy” areas, and after cleaning the catch of the day, it’s now simply hose and go with totally unprecedented results. There’s a lot of sparkle in that bottle for about three bucks and most dollar stores have it.

Sometimes thousands of internet reviews are right.

Does your hull look like an old yellow tooth from absorbing the scummy topping on the surface of the water? If Totally Awesome doesn’t get it, cruise over to the fruit juice section and throw a dollar or two at a bottle of Real Lemon. We were using toilet bowl cleaners, which worked great, but rather harsh on things like skin, eyes, and most plastics. Spray on, wipe down with a terrycloth rag, and citric acid once again whitens and

10 | January 2012

brightens even the worst stains. (Thanks Andie!)

After she’s clean, that fiberglass skin can glow like new about as fast as you can walk around the boat. Vertglas Gelcoat Restoration System is a polymer-type sealer, absorbing into the gel coat instead of just covering it. It incredibly restores damaged surfaces and improves the good ones. It’s a thin solution that applies incredibly fast with basically a plastic trowel wrapped in fine chamois leather. It will last all year under heavy use. It’s just flat out cheating compared other products.

Even those battered rub rails can be coaxed back to luster

instantly sharing those catches and comical gaffs. However, most have capacitive touch screens…hard to use with greasy, wet or winter-gloved hands. The solution is a stylus, or to be a bit more precise, pen-like extension of your finger. These are available in stores of course, but depending on where you are they can be hard to find and darn sure easy to lose. I read several DIY ways to make your own, but many bordered on overkill or flat out silly. Enter the ‘McSpongeinator’, a little disposable that works as well if not better than most for mere pennies and seconds. Swipe a sponge off the sink and simply roll up a pencilsized slice of it with aluminum tape. It’s Find ‘em, assess ‘em, actually fun to use, address ‘em – in that order! and definitely more accurate than a fat, wet wading finger.

There are many chores left and we haven’t even touched on critical “metal health”, but if you like this sort of stuff, creative problem solving is fun. For me, half the fun is being a “fishing technician” which indeed makes us hackers of many sciences.

Sure, we can always buy new stuff but I prefer the character of homemade. Let’s with a little can of xylene and a rag. Heavy scratches and rashes remember though, “A clever person solves a problem. A wise can even be “liquid-buffed” using a fine Scotch Brite pad. person avoids it.” Have fun, and don’t let your passion get Results are impressive. rusty this winter.

Top mounted instrument gauges can get badly glazed and cloudy from sun exposure, and mine went to non-readable, useless ornaments in three short years. A headlight restoration product brought the clarity back to crystal. The final stage Mike McBride is a full time fishing guide polishing compound also works well for dulled windshields, based in Port Mansfield, TX, specializing and even resurrects those scratchy sunglasses you’ve been in wadefishing with artificial lures. attempting to peer through.

Skinny Water Adventures On a lower side of higher tech, smart phones have become invaluable for inshore boaters with hundreds of critical helps Phone 956-746-6041 such as animated radar and other real-time conditions. They Email McTrout@Granderiver.net Web Skinnywateradventures.com/ can even display your emergency location on Google Maps

Three_MudSkateers.wmv when out of cell phone range (checkout BoatUS). Never mind

Contact

Mike McBride

TSFMAG.com | 11

Mike Watts showed tremendous perseverance on this tough winter outing, landing his personal-best trout despite the excruciatingly slow bite.

12 | January 2012

&

squall, ThePlayers, Theheron

The

From time to time, a fishing guide finds it necessary to fish alone. If charters are scattered out with days between them, or if they aren’t producing as planned, wise guides head out on fish-finding missions.

Once, I embarked on just such an outing in the middle of December, hoping to locate a school of big trout to which I might repeatedly return throughout the coming winter.

A couple of hours into the morning, after a rather uneventful first wade, I noticed an ominous cloud barreling toward me over the northern horizon. The weather sources hadn’t predicted a frontal passage, but years of experience have taught me they’re wrong about as often as they’re right. The fast-approaching, violet wall of vapors urged me to find safe haven.

I’d parked on the north shoreline of Baffin, close to a cluster of floating cabins which line the edge of the shallow flats in the north Badlands, potentially offering refuge to boaters caught out in a storm.

I briskly made my way to the stern of the Haynie, climbed the ladder and raised the Power Pole, before idling over to the closest dwelling.

I’ve ridden out many rainy hours on the porches of these cabins, but had not previously pulled up to this particular one. As I’d predicted, the chilly cloud raced quickly over the water, shifting a gentle southeast breeze into a radically different gear--a stiff, gusty one with a northwesterly aspect. Accompanying the fresh gale, frigid, fat raindrops pelted the bay like bullets. The wind whistling against the walls of the cabin and the rain rattling on its roof created a soporific cacophony.

Soon, I dozed off to sleep, sprawled out on the damp, plywood patio floor of the rocking house, my back against the wall beside its front door. Though I don’t remember rising and walking to find one of the front windows James Cornett enticed this open, nor do I recall climbing eight pound trout to bite by slow-hopping a soft through the aperture, the plastic off the bottom on a next thing I knew, I stood in frigid winter day. the tiny kitchen inside the front of the place.

As I waited for my eyes to adjust to the dim, interior light, I smelled cigar smoke and saw blue-gray strands hanging in the air like webs; they seemed to be coming through a door which led to the great room at the rear of the structure. I started toward the door, intending

STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN

to announce my embarrassment at having disturbed the owners of the cabin, but before I could do so, I heard the unmistakable sound of shuffling cards, then the drone of a familiar voice.

“Hey, boys, look here. It’s the writer-guide, the one from the magazine,” the voice said. I saw the speaker, sitting on the other side of a small, round table, receiving cards from a second man, who sat on the near side, with his back turned to me.

A floppy hat pulled low over his eyes obscured the face of the man who’d spoken, but I recognized the profile protruding beneath the brim. The chiseled chin recalled a Clint Eastwood character from some old western; he was surely The Phantom. The sleeves of his pale green fishing shirt, faded from so many hours in the sun, extended well past his wrists, hiding age spots and cancer lesions I knew to be covering the backs of his hands.

Apparently, he and the other man were playing Gin. On the table between them, I noticed a scorepad and pencil, a bottle of sipping whiskey, two sweating glasses filled with iced, amber bourbon, and an ash tray, in which a pair of half-smoked stogies spawned twin wisps of smoke.

Both men chuckled at The Phantom’s announcement of his awareness of my presence, though neither turned to look or otherwise acknowledged me. Then I identified the second player. He was a famous fishing guide who’d tragically perished in a horrific crash while towing his boat home from a charter one day. I’d remembered him fondly in a piece I titled Just Like Heaven.

During decades of guiding and thousands of days on the water, he’d earned a reputation as a master guide, combining supreme fish-catching skill with an even greater ability to keep his clients happy. He was able to maintain productive relationships with many customers, without sacrificing his own priorities and preferences.

Contemplating the absurdity of the situation, wondering how I could be watching a card game between two deceased men, I slapped myself in the face, purposely loud enough for them to hear, hoping the sound would either rouse me from my sleep and end the dream, or cause the two to look up at me.

Neither thing happened, rather The Phantom spoke again. “Y’all think this guy can really fish?” he asked. “Or do his powers with the pen serve to make him seem like TSFMAG.com | 13

something he‘s not?”

While I paused to consider why he’d said “y’all” when making the query, the grizzled guru continued, “I’ll say this. He needs to work on his patience. Catching monsters on a consistent basis is all about steadiness and perseverance. He seems to get caught up in technique, in the nuances and minutia. But what he really needs to do is slow down and focus his fishing intensity in exactly the right places.”

I saw the head of the second player nod up and down to affirm his agreement with The Phantom’s assessment. To my shock and amazement, I then understood why the old salt had used the words “guys” and “y’all”, when I perceived a third figure in the room.

He lay supine on a bunk in the back corner of the cabin, cloaked in shadows. Tattered cotton pants covered his legs, but his bare feet extended off the mattress. Since he wore no shirt, I could see the hoary locks of his long beard mingling in confusion with wiry hairs on his chest.

His face, like those of the other two, was obscured by the beard and the shadows, and when he spoke, I did not see his lips move at all.

But I clearly heard him say, “What he really needs to do is work on his capacity for grace, on the ability to see exactly what’s in front of him.

After countless hours spent looking out this window, I learned I could catch a big trout on a fly tied to one end of a piece of twine, with the other cinched around my big toe. If (he paused and raised one hand ever so slightly for emphasis) I could identify the perfect time to dangle my foot in the water. Catching fish is all about recognizing how to properly seize upon the opportunity of the moment.”

His gravelly voice identified him to me. The Hermit had also been a guide in his prime, before moving out and spending his final years living alone in a cabin much like this one. He seemed sculpted from stone, like a prone statue, never looking up; he softly stated the words, as if talking to himself. And he never spoke again.

I thought about walking closer to the table and addressing the players, but I didn’t want to come across like Flounder in the movie Animal House, so I stood in place, trying to decide if I were going crazy or dreaming, whether to stay or go.

Then the second player pitched in his two cents. “You guys are right about what you say. But the writer guy mostly needs to know a guide’s life is more about people than fish. He needs to understand a satisfied customer Chuck Braddock releasing one who catches no fish of several big trout caught on a is better for business fabulous February outing. than an unsatisfied one who catches plenty. Once he truly heeds this creed, his days will become easier and more fulfilling.”

The other two snickered, The Hermit’s chest rising almost imperceptibly, The Phantom’s thin lips cracking to release a billowing cloud of silver smoke.

14 | January 2012

James Heard caught and released three fat trout like this one on a warm and memorable winter day.

16 | January 2012

sudden, surprising squall, I spooked a blue heron off the back porch of the cabin. The long neck of the predator let out a loud, guttural, primitive squawk, fully comprehensible only within its lanky flock.

I interpreted the sound as evidence of its displeasure over having been roused from its resting place. Watching the patient bird glide away, low over the water, wings stretched wide, my heart raced for a moment. Shuddering, I pushed the throttle forward, planed off, and headed back to work.

KEVIN COCHRAN

CONTACT

Suddenly, it all seemed like too much for me. Surely, I remember thinking, this isn’t real!

I climbed back out the front window and jumped onto the porch.

After I turned and closed the window, I tried to determine if I could still see the three men in the back room. I could not, though it might not mean much, given the faint light in the cabin and the grime on the glass.

Mainly, I just wanted to get out of there, to go back to fishing.

The storm had passed; the harsh wind and driving rain replaced by a softer breeze and light drizzle. These seem like the perfect conditions for catching some big fish, I thought.

Without hurrying, accompanied by a strong sense of inner calm, I untied the Trout Tracker from the floater and climbed onto the leaning post at her helm. Yep, I speculated, this afternoon will be good. I’ll camp out by those rocks over there and wait out a big bite. Then I made a note to myself to remember to bring a spare Laguna Rod along for my customer the next day. He’ll really love the difference it makes in his presentations, I mused.

Easing away from an eerie encounter with three players during a

Kevin Cochran is a full-time fishing guide at Corpus Christi (Padre Island), TX. Kevin is a speckled trout fanatic and has authored two books on the subject.

Kevin’s home waters stretch from Corpus Christi Bay to the Land Cut.

TROUT TRACKER GUIDE SERVICE Phone Email Web

361-688-3714 KCochran@stx.rr.com www.FishBaffinBay.com

Thankful

on

Thanksgiving STORY BY BILLY SANDIFER

18 | January 2012

Today is the 49th straight day of red tide on PINS. This is the most widespread red tide event I ever remember and there is really no way of knowing when it will end. I t seems as if the red tide has become more resilient and harder to get rid of nowadays than in the past. Used to we’d get a cold front or two at the most and it would dissipate, but in the past few years we’ve had them continue through any number of cold fronts with low temperatures and last

February. You can go on your computer and search for TPWD Red Tide Status and get the latest updates and the PINS website has updates as well.

Don’t take your dog to the beach during or for some time after the conclusion of a red tide event as eating fish killed by the red tide will kill your dog.

PLEASE - Trust me on this one. into

The Seventeenth Annual Big Shell Beach Cleanup will be held on Saturday, 25 February, 2012. The date was changed (from our traditional March date) to avoid the possibility of getting trapped by a change in speed limit from 25 mph to 15 mph on the first of March. That would leave little time for us to pick up trash as most of our work day would be consumed driving to and from the work area. Over the years we have consistently received comments about the event taking place during Spring Break and this will eliminate that issue. Upon checking the past six years of climatic data in my log books I find that in a typical year we have better weather conditions in late February than in March; so it’s all good.

Everything else regarding the cleanup will remain the same. We’ll be meeting at the Malaquite Pavilion and will start the event promptly at 0700. We need 4-wheel drive vehicles and stoutly built lowboy trailers for hauling trash. Volunteers without 4-wheel drive are welcome and will be provided transportation to and from the work area. All volunteers will be back at Malaquite by 2:00 PM. Sturdy foot wear is recommended as chances are that many fish killed by the red tide will be on the upper beach near the fore dunes and a constantly danger to folks wearing sandals and tennis shoes. Gloves, water, sodas and snacks will be provided in the work area and food will also be available at Malaquite at the conclusion of the event - if you

TSFMAG.com | 19

All that I have ever hoped for was to make enough money to continue to do what I was doing from one year to the next and living hand-to-mouth is an old story around my house. As time went on it seemed to get harder and harder to get by with each passing year. think you might want a sandwich during the event feel free to bring one. This event has never rescheduled due to inclement weather but it is possible that it could be rescheduled if the red tide is still active. I don’t expect that to happen as cold fronts are coming closer together now and hopefully it will be out of here before too much longer.

Updates will be available on my website www. billysandifer.com, the Friends of Padre, Inc. web site and the fishing message board at fishingcorpus.com. During the cleanup, be extremely careful to avoid driving among the many piles of dried-up fish carcasses located high on the beach near the dunes as it will result in flat tires. This will be an event where vehicle operators will be well advised to carry tire plugging kits, Fix-a-Flat and a small air compressor that plugs into your cigarette lighter. Of course these should always be standard items for beach travelers to carry all the time down island anyway.

The Friends of Padre, Inc (501-c-3 non-profit group) was thrilled to be presented with a $1,500 grant check on 03 November to aid in carrying out the Big Shell Cleanup from design engineer, Laura Paul, and all the fine folks at CH2MHill. CH2MHill is an engineering firm with an office locally. CH2MHill personnel have participated in the last

The MOST

two beach cleanups and even rented 4-wheel drives to use during last year’s event. The support of local businesses for this event has proven hard to come by but is increasing a little at a time and it’s most gratifying to see and is much appreciated. What doesn’t make sense to me is what appears to be the total lack of support of the event by North Padre Island businesses. One would think they have the most to gain of all from this event yet show no interest in it what-so-ever.

We’ve added two gung ho individuals to the staff of the Friends of Padre and shuffled some responsibilities around and I feel really good about the potential of this group to accomplish many good deeds in times to come. Jay Gardner is now the secretary-treasurer and Aaron Baxter has been added to the board and I could not be more pleased.

Since traveling long distances on the beach is not an issue for the Port Mansfield cleanup effort, Miller and Kathie Bassler will be having their third annual Port Mansfield-based cleanup on March 17, 2012. They tell me their event is a real hoot so you Rio Grande Valley residents might want to join in.

It’s Thanksgiving and I’ve sure got plenty to be thankful for this year. I believe that trying to make an honest living guiding in the surf of PINS is as difficult and demanding a career as saltwater Texas has to offer. No new revelations there; I was well aware of the demands and difficulties I would be facing when I started guiding there twenty-two

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years ago. In reality that is one of the main reasons I chose to focus on guiding in the surf rather than in the bays or offshore. Things that are accomplished too easily have never been of much interest to me. They seem of little value and I tend to thrive in the constantly changing and challenging environment that the surf affords.

All that I have ever hoped for was to make enough money to continue to do what I was doing from one year to the next and living hand-tomouth is an old story around my house. As time went on it seemed to get harder and harder to get by with each passing year. At first I was ready to blame it on me getting old but I soon realized that wasn’t the problem. Unprecedented amounts of sargassum that arrived earlier in the year in larger amounts than we were used to and stayed longer than in the past became the norm more than the exception. Cold upwellings of offshore currents that used to impact the surf zone occasionally began impacting the shoreline in peak fishing season almost constantly and turned crystal clear water to off-colored and the number of red tide events and the lengthy duration of these events all added up to make already tough times tougher.

As much as I loved my 25’ Panga I didn’t have enough charters on it in the current economy to break even and in June I sold it to a dear friend to financially ward off the wolf at the door. Then the V.A. gave me 70% service-connected disability and that helped me hang on but just barely.

Then we lost our wonderful fall fishing season to this lengthy red tide event and along with it all the charters I had to have to support my wife and me through the winter months when we have very few charters.

Then when I was in the process of considering what to do next I got a letter from the V. A. advising me that after 22 months of mulling it over they had declared me 100% military service-connected disabled on 31 October, 2011 for mental and health issues from serving two tours in South Vietnam. Wow. Talk about dodging the bullet.

I will continue to guide some surf fishing how-to trips, light tackle, and naturalist’s charters on PINS but I financially no longer have to depend on them for our sole support. I am downsizing and want to use my twilight years spending a lot of time down-island on walkabouts studying the island and taking Billy fishing for a change. Who knows, I might even take a shot at writing that book everyone has been ragging me about for the past thirty years. Here is wishing you and yours a healthy and prosperous New Year.

Semipalmated Plover -Charadrius semipalmalusName comes from the fact there is slight webbing between the toes. Nests in Arctic during spring and early summer, present in Texas August through March. A small, plump, brown-backed plover with a single dark breast-band.

Resembles killdeer but with only one breast-band, smaller.

Like killdeer, nests on ground and uses broken-wing display to lure intruders from nest site. Bill deep yellow with black tip except during winter when it becomes all dark. Legs are orange or yellow. Found on beaches, mud flats and estuaries. Eats insects, crustaceans and worms.

If we don’t leave any there won’t be any. -Capt. Billy L. Sandifer

Contact

Billy Sandifer Billy Sandifer operates Padre Island Safaris offering surf fishing for sharks to specks and nature tours of the Padre Island National Seashore. Billy also offers bay and near-shore fishing adventures in his 25 foot Panga for many big game and gamefish species.

Photo credit: Jimmy Jackson

Length 7.25 inches Wingspan 20 inches Weight 2.2 ounces

Phone 361-937-8446 Website www.billysandifer.com

TSFMAG.com | 21

(Below) Daddy and me at the POC Big Jetty circa 1965, the summer construction was completed.

Me and Sterling on an early fishing trip.

IMAGES OF OUR

PAST STORY BY MARTIN STRARUP

The holidays always bring back memories for me; memories of family gatherings during Thanksgiving and Christmas, memories of trips that I have taken, of places that I have been and of people whom I have known. And while some memories bring some sadness to my heart, for the most part they make me smile as I realize how fortunate I am to have been a part of those gatherings, to have made those trips and to have seen those places and to have known those people.

22 | January 2012

Sterling’s first trout, long about 1992-93.

For years I never took a camera when I went fishing or hunting and man the photographs that I could have taken had I only had one at the time would certainly help to enhance and jog my memory of those trips. But I’m blessed with a good memory and in my mind’s eye I can recall those images and while not as well as I could with a Polaroid the image is still there. But just like those old pictures that fade over the years so does the memory and while it may be cliché to say, I sure would like to have those moments back.

So while I’m feeling a bit melancholy about the past I want to share with you some excerpts from an article that I wrote in 2003 that dealt with photographs and memories and I want to remind you to take as many pictures as you can of trips that you take, of places that you visit and of people that you know. And use a digital camera; when you’re memory starts to fade those digital images will still be crisp and clear.

Oh and remember that the article was written over 8 years ago…I passed the half-century mark four years ago -- As I was reflecting on almost a half-century of life the other day, I started thinking about things that I would change if I could. As I was pondering things that I no longer have any control over, I picked up a fishing rod and thought about fishing trips that I’ve had and I realized that as far as fishing goes, I really have no regrets at all. Oh sure, being on the “wrong side of the big trout ledger” irritates me to no end (the side with the names of anglers who can claim ten pounders), but that’s not a regret as I fully intend on moving to the “right side of the ledger” before I hang up my rod and reel for good.

Picking up that rod was a good move because it took me away from thoughts of things that I should have done differently, and instead brought me back to the important subject of fishing. As I said, I really have no regrets at all as far as fishing goes. Oh sure, there were trips that were less than perfect, moments when my concentration was on something other than the lure at the end of my line and cost me a good fish, but those can’t be considered as regrets because I learned from my mistakes and didn’t allow them to happen again… well, not very often anyway.

So I started thinking about past trips, days spent on the bay with my Dad and what I’d learned from all of the free lessons that he gave me and I remembered friends who I fished with who are no longer here, and friends that I fish with today. I thought of my first big trout and of hundreds of long ago fishing trips that I still remember and that still can make me smile.

I remembered my son’s first fish and I thought of all the fish that he’s caught since. I’d frown when I’d remember fussing at him about a mistake he made but a second later I’d smile when I would remember him correcting his mistakes and moving forward. And isn’t that what life is all about; moving forward?

I’d like to think that I’ve left something behind for others to use, but

Good friends gathered recently at Port Mansfield.

if I haven’t, then I can find comfort in the fact that the real legacy that I leave behind can be found in my son. He loves fishing just as much if not more than I do and he approaches it with a youthful enthusiasm that is more vigorous than my approach these days. Oh not that I don’t love what I do, it’s just that I feel aches and pains after a day’s wade in places that he doesn’t even know exists…yet.

As I was reflecting on life and of days when I was younger, I pulled out some old fishing photo albums and I was reminded of that old Jim Croce song, “Photographs and Memories”, and I realized that a photograph is indeed a memory. A picture is a moment or event from the past, captured on film that can be viewed over and over to remind one of that particular moment or event. And that caused me to realize that I did indeed have some regret where fishing was concerned. I didn’t take a camera on enough fishing trips.

Don’t forget to take a camera! My excuse was always that I didn’t want my expensive Minolta ruined by the saltwater or salty air, and a lot of pictures weren’t taken because of that reasoning. Now days though, you can buy a waterproof disposable camera that takes good pictures for less than $10 so there really is no excuse not to have one with you for that “Kodak” moment. In fact I carry one of the waterproof disposables while wading and it comes in real handy at just the right moments. Digital cameras will take much better images than you could ever get from scanning a picture from one of the disposables, but you don’t have to have a $500 camera to capture a particular moment. So don’t make up excuses, get a camera and have it with you. You’ll enjoy the photographs and memories for years to come.”

A lot has changed in eight years. A good Olympus waterproof digital camera that you can carry in your pocket while wade fishing can be bought for under a hundred bucks now and all you have to do is connect a USB cable from the camera to your computer to view the pictures. Technology has taken the hassle out of getting your pictures quickly; you don’t have to take film to be developed and you don’t have to worry about the pictures fading over time.

I hope that you all will go out and make some memories and please, take plenty of pictures.

Be safe, Martin

Martin Strarup

Contact

My sister and me on the bow of Daddy’s old lapstrake Grady White. I’m the only one left.

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 | 23

Popular soft swimbaits (top to bottom) H&H Usual Suspect Swagger Tail Shad, Reaction Strike Diet Mullet, TTF Hackberry Hustler, Brown Lures Flapper, and Stanley Lures Wedgetail Minnow.

STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE

As a youngster growing up fishing every piece of water I could find from canals to stock ponds as well as the occasional trip to the river or lake, I can remember carrying what I thought was the ultimate arsenal of fishing lures.

On the top tray of my little orange two drawer tackle box was always a couple of spinner baits because they were just money in the bank as far as I was concerned. Johnson’s Beetle Spin and H&H’s spinnerbaits in all manner of colors still in the packages filled the other compartments. In every shade of water from stale Yoo-hoo to gin-clear it seemed like those spinners would produce.

24 | January 2012

Fast forward a few years to high school and my first few trips into the salt or at least brackish water of the Sabine and it was like déjà vu. There was no way in the world I would ever get caught without a genuine 1/2 ounce Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap in either chrome or gold.

I have no idea how many casts I threw or revolutions I cranked on that old Abu Garcia 5500C as my fishing partners and I covered every shoreline over and over in the old “chunk and wind” fashion. Most of those trips that were really memorable usually coincided with cold weather and low water conditions. The sound put out by the “Trap” was more than most any respectable redfish could ever ignore and it made no difference what the water looked like because they would track it down and just absolutely crush it. The violent strike against cold numb hands is a feeling that is difficult to describe but something you never forget. I still enjoy fishing that same pattern to this day even though I don’t do it nearly as much as I once did.

Again I roll the calendar forward several years and find myself doing many of the same things today. This has been the year of the

boats that actually ran right by them as they were signaling for help.

Thanksgiving Day I got a phone call at 4:45 AM from a fellow duck hunter on my lease telling me his boat had quit running in a high traffic area of the marsh. I hadn’t planned on hunting that day but I loaded up anyway to go help. The narrow winding canal was buzzing with hunters trying to make it to the blind before legal shooting time and it appeared that most of them were just blowing by the stalled boat. As I eased up to them to offer assistance I asked, “How many people stopped to check on you guys?” Much to my disappointment Wintertime - low water level the answer was, “Very few, only two even bothered makes spotting the structure to slow down and just one asked if we were okay.” (shell) easy to spot and also That just left me shaking my head in disbelief. In concentrates fish. the past I have come across the same situation and offered not only to pull the guys in but to let them Malcom Fletcher hunt with us first and then come back to grab the boat. You swimbait, either soft with a solid redfish that jumped all just have to figure that eventually those folks that don’t stop to plastic or hard crankbait over a swimbait. render aid will one day be in the position where they need help. style; these have been I hope they bring plenty of mosquito spray for the long wait the staple of almost every fisherman’s arsenal because like it or not that old saying, “What goes around comes around,” just might come into play. for months now on I have to say as this year comes to a close I have been really Sabine. If you took all excited about the shape our fishery is in and the overall health these baits and lined of the Sabine Lake ecosystem as a whole. We are seeing some them up it would be great specimens in all the major species. The redfish numbers obvious what they all are through the roof and the number of big flounder caught have in common and this year is mindboggling. About the only thing we have not that is lots of vibration seen so far is the big run on trophy trout. Now don’t get me or noise. Spinnerbaits, wrong when I say this because it’s really nitpicking at it’s finest, crankbaits, swimbaits, we haven’t had that many really big trout caught this year. and all the others in that There have been plenty of seven pound fish caught and those category provide that are great fish by any stretch, but they don’t turn heads like telltale vibration that is those that push up to nine and ten pounds will do. I’m hoping the equivalent of a dinner that some of those really big fish will show themselves in the bell to fish. The vibrations put out by these baits make it easy coming weeks as we really get into the big fish mode. If they for fish to find them as well as trigger strikes. don’t show that will be fine as well because 2011 was a really I’m a firm believer in the fact that 90% of the time vibration good year by anyone’s standard. Here’s hoping you and yours will not hurt you. The majority of the fishing population spends have a blessed holiday season. nearly all of its time in two to six feet of water unlike skinny water gurus such as TSFMag’s Mike McBride. The ultra-shallow crowd at times need the super silent approach afforded by other baits but that’s a very specific style of fishing. In general the average fisherman will certainly help their cause with a little Chuck fishes Sabine and Calcasieu extra vibration or sound.

Lakes from his home in Orange, TX. Another form of good vibrations is the common courtesy His specialties are light tackle and fly fishing for trout, reds, and flounder. displayed toward stranded boaters. Not sure the reason but I have towed more boats back to the dock this year than I can Phone 409-697-6111 ever remember. I felt like I worked for Sea Tow for a while during Email cuzzle@gt.rr.com the summer as it seemed every trip we ended up running into Website www.chucksguideservice.net somebody in need of assistance. It’s amazing when you talk to folks who have been stranded for a while the number of

Contact

Chuck Uzzle

TSFMAG.com | 25

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of features from Joe Doggett detailing significant contributions to the outdoor experience. I hope you find these works as entertaining and informative as I have. –E. Johnson

outdoor communicators

Most serious anglers and hunters were, at some stage, influenced by outdoor communicators.

The impact by these specialized media celebrities on the traditional “hook and bullet” culture is significant - perhaps more so than many participants might realize.

(Above Left) Joe Doggett and Bob Brister on Doggett’s first duck hunt with Brister, approximately three months after joining Houston Chronicle in 1972.

(Above Right) Lee Wulff plays sailfish off Costa Rica; he was a lifelong advocate of catch and release. He coined the phrase, “A good gamefish is too valuable to be caught only once.”

Bob Brister was the top outdoor writer in Texas for more than 30 years. One of his greatest passions was hunting ducks in flooded timber. He was a worldclass shotgunner.

26 | January 2012

STORY BY JOE DOGGETT

The outdoor communicators are entertainers and instructors but, most important, they stoke the fire of being “out there.” And, unlike many reporters, the outdoor writers and television show hosts are handson professionals.

At least, they should be.

Imposters quickly lack credibility among a dedicated audience. An outsider, no matter how skilled with keyboard or camera, doesn’t last long. The outdoor communicators that endure, the real pros, gain considerable respect and following.

Outdoor writing, especially, has an impressive legacy in the English

language. To say the least. The first book dedicated to sport fishing and written by a “fisher-man” was The Compleat Angler, penned by Izaak Walton in 1653.

Now, if you care to include the first fishing book by a “fisherwoman,” back it up to 1496, when Dame Juliana Berners wrote Fysshlynge Wyth An Angle in the Boke of Saint Albans.

There’s nothing new about this. Outdoor communicators have influenced generations, nay, centuries of enthusiasts.

When I was a kid growing up in urban Houston during the 1950s and

Angling great Lee Wulff, age 85, wraps sailfish leader for light fly rod, Costa Rica.

early 1960s, the “Big Three” outdoor magazines defined the world of fishing and hunting. The Big Three were Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, and Sports Afield.

Frankly, these monthly publications have nowhere near the impact now as then. They’re OK, nothing exceptional amid a myriad of solid choices. Concepts have changed, with dozens of regional and specialized outdoor magazines, not to mention fishing/hunting television shows and websites.

But, 50 years ago, the Big Three dominated in a way that never will be seen again. Each magazine had a distinct personality - take your pick, or religiously read all three. As I did.

F&S had the strongest stable of staff writers and Outdoor Life had the best photo layouts. Sport Afield was sort of in-between. And all were profusely illustrated by top sporting artists, beautiful paintings depicting specific stories and, often, the magazine covers. The arrival each month of the new and colorful editions was a major event for a junior-high kid stuck in the city.

The magazine writers were my mentors. They filled my simple surroundings with adventure, expertise and beauty. It’s enough to say that I still have boxes and shelves of vintage issues of the Big Three, and still enjoy thumbing through a dog-eared stack now and then.

Those guys were really good. A.J. MClane, Joe Brooks, and Lee Wulff were the American Masters that opened the world of angling. They were like movie stars with fishing rods. But many others provided classic outdoor writing. F&S had Robert Ruark, Ted Trueblood, Ed Zern, and Warren Page writing monthly columns. Sports Afield had the crusty old bass expert, Jason Lucas, and Outdoor Life had the great rifleman, Jack O’Connor.

A proven lineup of “freelance writers” (published regularly in all three) enriched the mix: Among the best were Erwin A. Bauer, Byron

Dalrymple, and Tom McNally. They were in such demand they used pen names when doubling up in single issues.

Bauer went by “Ken Bourbon” and Dalrymple doubled under “Christopher Michaels.”

I’m leaving out many A-List writers of the era, but these were the ones that consistently resonated with me.

And that’s the point of this essay: A particular outdoor communicator can connect with a specific reader or viewer.

You increasingly feel as if you know the guy. You share a bit of a bond. A really good outdoor communicator can take you along as a trusted companion and, in the process, teach quite a bit about the “how to.”

You don’t feel bogged down with facts but, at the end of an entertaining adventure, you realize, Jeez, I really learned something there.

That’s what these guys did for me month after month.

I was an only child and my father and mother didn’t fish or hunt. They were great parents, kind and tolerant. They didn’t discourage my outdoor obsessions; they just didn’t know anything about them.

And most of my junior-high friends were inept. Frankly, I was better than most because I absorbed the magazines with obsessive fervor.

I could tell you all about how to flush ruffed grouse behind a spaniel in New England, or troll for black marlin in the deep currents off Cabo Blanco, Peru - not to mention how to rig a Nick Creme plastic worm for bass in Houston’s Hermann Park lake.

The one exception was a school friend whose affluent and understanding dad was an avid fisherman and hunter. They had a boat and a farm and a hunting lease and I thought he was the luckiest kid in the world. He remains one of my oldest outdoor companions and I still envy his upbringing.

I mucked around the urban ponds and bayous and turned to the Big Three, to the writers I held in highest regard. The prospects of getting 12 or 15 great articles between the three issues in a given month was a mind-boggling prospect - better even than a new Uncle Scrooge or Superman comic book.

The Big Three influenced many sportsmen, young and old, during the 1950s and 1960s. Frankly, they didn’t have much competition.

Certainly, many specialized fishing and hunting books were available (too many to attempt to detail here), but not much outdoor-wise was showing on the scratchy, grainy televisions.

I recall one good fishing show, “The Flying Fisherman,” starring an old geezer named Gadabout Gaddis. He would fly his single-engine light plane each week to various freshwater and saltwater destinations around the country.

I recall at age 13 or 14 being shocked at how elderly Gadabout Gaddis seemed; it’s even more alarming to acknowledge that I’m probably 10 or 15 years older now than he was then.

TSFMAG.com | 27

(Near Right) The Big Three during the glory years of the 1950s and 1960s opened the world of fishing and hunting.

(Far Right) Two classic books, the Golden Crescent and Hunting and Fishing in Texas, helped define the outdoor experience in Texas.

But the concept of his “surgical strike” aerial approach was great, way ahead of its time, and I was mesmerized. The old gaffer zipped around and caught quite a few fish. If memory serves, the 30-minute show aired on Sunday afternoons.

ABC’s American Sportsman was a big success during the mid1960s. Host Curt Gowdy was a serious outdoorsman (as well as a bigname sports commentator) and hosted various celebrities on fishing and hunting trips. Many were high-budget expeditions to exotic locales, fabulous adventures.

The network eventually gutted the original fishing/hunting format (no doubt pressured by strident ranks of “anti’s”) and ruined the show but, for several years, it was a major window to the traditional outdoor experience.

And, in Texas, a guy named Jim Thomas had a successful run during the early 1960s with “The Lone Star Sportsman.” I believe he was from San Antonio. The 30-minute weekly show was sponsored by Lone Star Brewery. I feel safe in saying it was the first successful fishing/hunting television show in this region.

It was a bit rough compared to the smooth editing and filming of the star-studded American Sportsman, but Thomas was a legitimate Texas player and had a faithful audience. I still recall his sign-off: “Remember, enjoy the great outdoors but don’t leave your good manners at home.”

If that’s not word-for-word, it’s extremely close. The fact that I remember at all conveys the significance of the show. And, no doubt as a tribute to sly marketing, I gained a fondness for Lone Star longnecks - perhaps sooner than I should have.

But, for the most part, the written word carried the torch through the 1950s and 1960s. Most of the quality local coverage was provided by outdoor writers for the major daily newspapers. The only regional magazines with any staying power (as I recall) were Southern Outdoors and Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine.

A few - not many - books were dedicated to hunting and fishing in Texas. The best, oddly enough, was entitled, Hunting and Fishing in Texas.

It was written in 1946 by Hart Stilwell. He was an excellent wordsmith, a joy to read, and well-versed in the Tier One fishing and hunting options in Texas. For example, he championed topwater fishing for bass, and wading and plugging with light tackle for speckled trout and redfish. Not to mention South Texas quail, Gulf Coast waterfowl, and horn rattling for deer.

Stilwell’s out-of-print book was on the dusty library shelf at Lamar High School in Houston in 1964, and once I got it in my hands I sort of forgot to return it. I still have that copy and hope the statute of limitations from the Houston Independent School District has expired on tardy library books.

A couple of years ago, I attempted to make amends by donating a copy of my book, Outdoor Chronicles, to the Lamar HS library but I’m

28 | January 2012

not entirely certain the swap was equitable.

But most of the serious outdoor coverage was provided by the newspaper columnists in the big cities. In Houston, without question, the main man was Bob Brister, the outdoor editor at the Houston Chronicle for approximately 40 years. He had a huge following; one readership survey showed approximately 1/3 of the entire newspaper readership approved of his work.

Brister knew the outdoor pulse in Texas and, no small issue, he was a world-class talent in the field and on the water - as well as behind his Smith-Corona manual typewriter. He was larger-than-life and I grew up reading his columns.

When I was on active duty in the Navy, 1969 through 1971, stationed on an aircraft carrier in the Gulf of Tonkin off Vietnam, my mother faithfully sent Brister clippings.

A huge thrill at “mail call” was receiving an autographed copy of the Brister/Jack Cowan collaboration, The Golden Crescent. My parents went to a book signing at Meredith Long Gallery in Houston, and the magnificent leather-bound compilation of short stories and watercolors arrived on the ship a week or so before Christmas.

I never dreamed that several years later I would work side-by-side with Brister at the Chronicle until he retired in 1995.

Of course, being a professional changed my concepts of outdoor communicating. I suppose you could say I went from student to teacher.

My hope here is to show the influences of long ago, when I was “coming up” with rod and gun and a passion for the open spaces. All those guys, my heroes, are gone. Every one. But they left a huge legacy.

The same opportunities are available today; if anything, the options are overwhelming.

Print newspapers are shrinking but most of the dailies in major markets (at least in Texas) maintain full-time outdoor writers/ photographers. And, of course, the dailies have websites. The catchall format of the Big Three remains, and many regional and “vertical” (specialized ) outdoor magazines are available, filling virtually all niches from fly fishing to bow hunting to, well, “Texas saltwater fishing.”

And books are published each year, to compete with the dozens of weekly fishing/hunting shows on cable television. Internet websites, alone, can boggle the beginner with information.

If a drawback exists, some of this stuff is poorly done. To repeat, 50 years ago, the market was limited and the established magazines and newspapers could “cherry pick” the top talent. Now, it seems, overnight experts abound.

But many fine talents are available. The task for the avid enthusiast is to find the ones that resonate. And, despite all the advances in lightning-fast, lickety-split, cyber-space communication, I remain convinced that well-written words are the best means by which to pass the great torch of being outdoors.

Close-Out Specials!

203 W. MT. HOUSTON (1/2 mile east of IH-45) (281) 447-7689

B

TSFMAG.com | 29

OFFSHORE BOATS:

BIGGER SMALLER OR

STORY BY JOE RICHARD

It’s boat show season and the

offshore crowd is exploring new options, dreaming of new horizons.

30 | January 2012

“Having a bigger boat sure makes a 12-hour day more enjoyable,” he says. “It takes the headache out of planning trips to other destinations or preparing for out-of-town company.”

The trend today with saltwater anglers classified as “baby boomers” has been a slide towards bay fishing.

Many have grown tired of ass-whippings offshore, far beyond sight of land. Even twenty years ago, a tough weekend could make it difficult to climb a flight of stairs on Monday…today boomers are pushing age sixty and as a group they’re even less enthused over bouncing off fiberglass. But the next generation has picked up the flag, so to speak, and thanks to modern boat design, many boomers still fish with them offshore. The range and comfort of fast offshore boats today could only be dreamed of, thirty years ago.

Boomer friends and I still fish blue water in the non-yacht class of vessels, largely because we have sons who have taken up the sport. Bud Reynolds and I go back to high school in Port Arthur, and we’ve seen our share of offshore adventures, starting in boats now considered, shall we say, rather unsafe by today’s standards. We both nurtured an early fascination with big kingfish that far predates the 1980s tournaments. Our friends and adventures eventually became material for my book, The Kingfish Bible. (A sort of sequel called Kingfish Bible, New Testament is coming out this winter). After what Bud and I have been through, thoughts of riding small boats on a fickle

Gulf carries less appeal every day.

Fortunately, Bud’s son Alan is now thirty, a prime age for exploring the Gulf and hammering the tournaments, if you have experience offshore. Alan has the fire and runs a Contender 23T, (really a 25-footer) that we romped around in last summer, but he’s ready to move up. Bud and I won’t mind this, because a bigger boat means a better ride. Sunk into beanbag chairs in the stern while Alan drives, Bud and I jump up 50 miles offshore both rested and ready to go, when our favorite Gulf platform looms ahead and it’s game-time. The ride back is even more comfortable with Senior XX and maybe a nap. Even after a choppy day, we no longer feel like we’ve been beaten like borrowed mules, as we often did in Bud’s trusty 22-Stratos, compliments of a nagging SW wind and whitecaps that forced us to fish sketchy, off-color water.

These bigger center console boats, all the way up to 37 feet, are designed for a relentless pace, even in five-foot seas. And survivability in unexpected 12-foot seas…while on a calm day, the miles just flow by. True, the big center consoles roll some in choppy seas and they’re not as stable as a double hull cat, but Alan has the need for speed in tournaments, and there is a big CC out there with his name on it.

Offshore tournaments today are designed to bring contestants back to the dock by 6 p.m. or so, a sad change from the leisurely weekend tourneys of 25 years ago. Today tourney fishing time is greatly shortened and fuel consumption and cost isn’t even a consideration. To really compete, you need a fast ocean boat, period.

Not everyone is tournament fishing offshore, of course. Young TSFMAG.com | 31

Reynolds acknowledges that and he’s gungho for snapper trips in blue water with a mix of other offshore species, while always looking for a summer-long STAR tournament fish along the way.

“Having a bigger boat sure makes a 12hour day more enjoyable,” he says. “It takes the headache out of planning trips to other destinations or preparing for out-of-town company. I would hate to pull a smaller boat all the way to Venice and get beat up offshore every day. Or have a weekend planned with friends and have to fish sloppy two-to-four footers all weekend in off-color water. I had several 31-foot Contenders on the radar screen before I traded my 21T for the 23T; I just wasn’t sure I needed something bigger. Figured if it was that rough, I was staying home. Now I’m kicking myself for not making a bigger jump.”

Alan’s words ring true, and nowhere is a bigger, faster vessel needed than with tournaments. Or the bluewater crowd that spends the night 100-plus miles offshore, fishing floater rigs in deep water for yellowfin tuna, drifting nearby for swordfish, or making deep-drops for grouper and tilefish. Those are the guys on the real edge,

32 | January 2012

actually beyond the continental shelf. They fish at night and spend two days out there, and Alan is working in that direction. He realizes you can at least quadruple your fishing time almost with the same fuel, by staying offshore two or three days.

As for overnighters, I’m ready to try it again with the right boat. A three-day trip offshore feels like a month of action, compared with the long day-trips. As long as the boat is bigger, safer and has a little shade. Among faster boats, both the center consoles and cats offer t-tops of varying sizes for shade; any Texas angler in summer knows how precious a patch of shade can be offshore. The heat out there “will make your blooming eyebrows crawl,” as Rudyard Kipling said.

There are a few used boat web sites that offer beautiful pre-owned offshore boats for sale, and you can expect the cost to be at least half of retail price, perhaps even a third. Some kingfish boats are listed as far away as coastal North Carolina, where Alan currently has his eye on a 31-foot Contender. But Ye Gods, what a drive to check out a boat. Relegating his search to Texas would save a great deal of highway time. But he’s ready.

“I would like to find that boat,” Alan says. “Most anglers are looking for the edge in fuel economy,

but that goes out the window when you have a 125-mile one-way run and a tournament payout waiting at the dock. The boat with the most range carries the most fuel. When cruising at high RPMs, fuel economy is terrible, to say the least. But you can’t afford to slow down and run at an efficient speed; you need to run to your spot, load the bait well and then fish as late as possible.

“I realized my overall 25-footer is uncomfortable if I need to run 100 miles one-way in a confused three-to-four foot chop during a tournament. Leaving out of the Colorado River jetties last summer, we faced five-footers rolling by for the first 40 miles. My 23T could maintain a decent speed in the troughs and performed as expected. But when I had a triple-powered 34-foot SeaVee pass us at 35 knots---they seemed to be eating cereal and drinking coffee---I realized I couldn’t compete in those conditions. We couldn’t run to where we wanted to fish, because by the time we got there, it would have been time to return. The SeaVee placed in the Calcutta…

“Time is a huge factor, as all the tournaments are one-day and I can’t spend eight hours running and two hours fishing. I need

something I can comfortably run over 40 knots and 50 would be better, in a three to four-foot chop. Most of these boat also carry at least 300 gallons of fuel, which at 1.3 to 1.4 m.p.g. means a huge range with a great safety factor. My current boat carries 175 gallons of fuel and doesn’t give me a comfortable range, and the boat is still small when the seas don’t play nice.

“Anyway I like what my dad says: ‘Your boat will never be fast enough and it will never hold enough fuel,’” says Alan.

Turn young Alan loose in the Gulf with a quality 31-footer this summer, and watch what happens. First stop is the Houston Boat Show running from Jan. 6-15, and after that? We’ll see. I’ve made a promise to swing one more time from the boat onto a Gulf platform after I pass my 60th birthday, and maybe even jump off the lower deck for kicks, just to celebrate 45 years out there. Alan can drive us.

Joe can be contacted at: joe@seafavorites.com

TSFMAG.com | 33

PaUL BROWn’s inventive success story STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN

The

sTory behind The invenTion of The

original lUre, is a disTincTly a merican one.

corky, PaUl brown’s The Tale shows how The

combined effecTs of ingenUiTy, collaboraTion and Perseverance can lead To The creaTion of new and UsefUl ProdUcTs .

The narraTive

docUmenTs The way small , manUfacTUring - based bUsinesses are

ofTen bUilT UPon a foUndaTion of relaTionshiPs, boTh wiThin The organiZaTions and beTween The comPanies and The clienTs who PUrchase and Use Their ProdUcTs .

Big trout seem to approve of the jointed Fat Boy!

Back in the 1970s, Mr. Brown and his friend Bill Norton worked together in the aircraft industry; they spent much of their free time fishing in the Galveston area. Paul preferred using live shrimp under a popping cork, but Norton eventually convinced him to commit to using artificial lures, allegedly by throwing out all his live-bait gear! As they developed their shared interest in plugging the coastal waters, the two began to look for new, exciting places to test their skills.

They turned their gaze toward the south and found their way to the isolated, pristine flats of the Lower Laguna Madre, making many weekend forays to Port Mansfield. There they found more and bigger fish, which readily attacked and destroyed the Boone tout tails upon which they regularly relied. Industrious and frugal, the buddies decided they needed to start making their own soft plastics, first to try and save 34 | January 2012

money, later with the thought of making a profit.

Paul’s wife Phyllis had some molds lying around the house; she’d used them to make ash trays and other ceramic knick knacks. Paul borrowed and modified some of the gear to create a mold in which he could produce six tout tails at a time. At first, he shaped them like the lures they’d always used, but then a third friend suggested he should alter their design.

Pete Tanner urged Paul to elongate and streamline the shape of the worms; he’s the person who came up with the idea of making the long, slender soft plastics which are so commonly sold today. Eventually, Paul made several new molds and spent many evenings pouring out plenty of lures, giving a few away to close friends and fishing associates, like Bubba Silver. He also began selling them hand to hand.

Mr. Brown’s soft plastics slowly earned a reputation in the Galvestonarea coastal scene, partly due to the influence of a small tackle store on Pine Plaza in Dickinson, owned and run by Mike Carlisle. Mike organized a weekly fishing tournament, keeping the results and pictures posted on a wall inside the store. He required winners to disclose significant details related to the fish they entered, including what lures they used to catch them. Over time, Paul’s lures showed up repeatedly in the testimonials of those collecting prizes.

Naturally, Mr. Carlisle wanted to sell the lures in his store, so Paul began making enough to keep his shelves stocked. He also spent numerous afternoons on the deck behind the place, hanging around the cleaning table, sharing cold beers with Mike and his customers who stopped by after they came off the water.

While the brew flowed from the cans and lips were loosened, Paul listened and learned what he could from these successful anglers. He not only used the information to help him make better lures, he also recognized the value of close relationships between business owners and their clients.

Paul began to nurture similar relationships in his growing endeavor with the soft plastics, seeking advice and soliciting testimonials from friends and experts who deployed the lures. Over time, some of these people encouraged him to consider making other types of plugs. Bubba Silver’s son Jim, in particular, wanted him to make a soft version of a wellknow topwater plug, the Zara Spook.

Paul had by then developed a love for throwing topwater lures and relished the idea of inventing his own; he took on the task with vigor.

The first attempts to imitate the plug didn’t work out as planned, but they eventually led to the invention of the original Corky lure. Today, Paul says, “You know how it is. You set out to make one thing, and you wind up making something else. We wanted to design a knock-off of the Spook, and we didn’t do such a good job of that. But we did realize we’d stumbled onto something of interest.”

At first, the boys were disappointed the lure wouldn’t float, but as they realized how effective a slow-sinking twitch bait might turn out to be, they became excited over the new plug’s potential. One essential design feature had to be perfected; they’d need to figure out exactly what material to Paul Brown’s Fat Boys are place in the lure‘s the author’s favorite twitch center, to create baits. The nine pound trout in this picture liked a pearl/ the right amount pink one on a bright day in of buoyancy and February 2010. allow it to sink while Paul at work in the product testing lab – big grin!

remaining horizontal in the water.

Plastic was molded around many things which didn’t work--wood, plastic and other “stuff which melted when it got hot and made a mess.”

Bubba came up with the idea of using cork, after reading about an old bottle of wine which survived a long hibernation on the ocean floor.

Cork saved the juice in the jug; it also gave their slow-sinking plug an attractive set of attributes.

Soon after experimenting with cork in the center of the lure, the guys realized they had something special, and over time, their trips to the water to test the lures allowed them to refine and perfect the design.

Paul is always quick to give Pete Tanner credit for testing the lures and giving him necessary and effective feedback on how they work; he cites Mr. Silver’s main contribution as being more related to how to set up and run a productive manufacturing operation.

With Bubba’s help, Paul eventually transformed his garage into what he and Phyllis refer to as “the shop”, where they transformed raw materials into finished lures, one at a time, building each from the inside out, using wires, beads, cork tubes, reflective tape and raw plastic cooked in hot molds.

Paul didn’t stop making adjustments once he’d created the original Corky. Eventually he modified it in several ways, altering the shape of the molded plastic to make Fat Boys and Devils, placing rattles in all sinking plugs and adding more cork to create floating versions. He also tried other, less well-known modifications.

Soon after Jim Wallace used a dark green Corky to pull a state-record trout out of Baffin Bay in 1996, demand for the slow-sinking twitchbaits rose rapidly. Remembering the successful interaction he witnessed at Mike Carlisle’s tackle shop in Dickinson, Paul modeled his business in a similar way, inviting customers to come to the shop in person and pick out the lures they wanted.

All the while, he kept experimenting, working on new things, giving out samples of stuff under construction and listening carefully to stories of how the lures he’d already sold were being used to catch fish. The two-laned highway of information passes back and forth between the inventor and the users of the tools he creates; it remains well-paved to this day, and has always been a critical component in Paul’s ongoing success as a lure designer.

Many accomplished anglers entered the shop over the years, bringing in stories and sharing secrets, leaving with bags of plugs, renewed hopes and bigger dreams. Mr. Brown’s place acted as a hub at the center of what was arguably the best fishing network ever developed on the coast of the Lone Star State, especially for people who love to target trophy trout. His enticing plugs are hailed by many monster trout fanatics as the most effective tools ever

(Right) Paul and Phyllis in their new shop, still making them the old fashioned way.

TSFMAG.com | 35

Only $3.95 January 2009

Tide Predictions & Solunar Feed Times Inside!

created for tricking big specks, especially when deployed in shallow, cool water.

Paul made these lures for the fishermen, openly acknowledging the fact he couldn’t have done it without their help. Most of the people who’ve been to the shop to buy lures go out of their way to actively promote the plugs for him. The synergy of this relationship is alive and well today.

Recently, MirrOlure purchased rights to make the Original Lure, Fat Boy and Devil from Mr. Brown. The company’s executives heeded Paul’s advice and continue to make the lures the same way Paul and Phyllis did. They even set up their factory to closely resemble

(Top of page) The Corky designs have always been angler influenced; here Capt.

Bruce Baugh shares thoughts on the latest version of the jointed Fat Boy with Paul.

(Covers) Fat Boys make the cover often!

Only $3.95 www.tsfmag.com

Only $3.95 www.tsfmag.com April 2011

March 2011

TIDE PREDICTIONS & SOLUNAR FEED TIMES INSIDE!

TIDE PREDICTIONS & SOLUNAR FEED TIMES INSIDE!

the Brown’s south Houston shop and purchase raw materials from the same sources Paul used.

The Browns now live near Lake Charles, Louisiana, in a home beside a bayou, only a couple of miles from the trout-rich reefs and flats of Big Lake. Paul still fishes out of the same 1968 Boston Whaler in which he shared space with Bubba and Pete for so many years. He also still spends time in the shop with Phyllis, tinkering with designs, always hoping to discover something productive and powerful.

These days, he collaborates with local guide Bruce Baugh on a regular basis. The two are currently working on perfecting a broken-back version of the Corky. Anyone interested in purchasing and trying them should contact Bruce’s Tide Line Guide Service, at 337-660-1814.

I suspect the new lures Paul is making are much like the old ones-deadly effective when presented effectively to hungry predators. Mr. Brown has always had a knack for creating lures which are effective in all seasons; they catch many kinds of fish in widely-scattered locations.

Astute anglers from Texas to Virginia now use them productively, in waters ranging from calf-deep to over twenty feet.

These plugs effectively mimic bait fish like mullet, shad and piggy perch; predators who dine on such prey find them hard to resist. All kinds of revered sport fish can be enticed to bite them, including spotted seatrout, snook, tarpon, striped bass and redfish. Mr. Brown and his buddies should be proud of the pretty plugs they invented; they revolutionized the sport of light tackle coastal angling (and the lives of legions of anglers) in the most delightful way!

EL CAMPO BOATING CENTER 3598 W. BU 59S Hwy, El Campo, Tx, 77437

Toll Free: 1-800-843-2201 or 979-543-2201/www.elcampoboating.com

• • • • • •

36 | January 2012

BOATS MOTORS TRAILERS SALES SERVICE PARTS & ACCESSORIES

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Let me get you up to date on Cliff Webb For those who have been reading with us for a while Cliff Webb used to be a regular monthly columnist. Several years ago Cliff decided it was time to hang up his wade belt and retired from fulltime guiding. A lifelong surfer and fisherman, Cliff ’s dream was to be able to spend lots of time doing both. Cliff now spends a lot of time in Costa Rica but the Laguna Madre is still part of his soul. So – a new chapter for Cliff – he calls this one semi-retirement. He runs a few select charters when back home in Texas and of course, he’s still living his dream in the Costa Rica surf. -Editor

I Dream have spent most of my life in the Laguna Madre, drift fishing and wade fishing, covering most of the lagoon. I’ve caught a lot of trout. I feel very fortunate that I’ve had some of the best of Baffin Bay’s big trout fishing under my belt.

Livin' the

38 | January 2012

STORY BY CLIFF WEBB

The past couple of years I’ve had the opportunity to do something I’ve always wanted to do and that is surf fishing in Costa Rica. I have fished in Mexico quite a few times and had great success on the beach and offshore. I heard of nothing but good things about Costa Rica so I wanted to give it a try.

I made several trips with my family and friends to the northwest coast where the surf fishing was just what I had craved. Miles of open beaches with no crowds or fishing pressure. There are river mouths and estuaries that flow into the ocean. Rocky headlands that attract all species and loaded with sea life.

The tidal movement is very dramatic. It moves from high to low every six hours and can be from ten to fifteen feet difference. This is some substantial water movement . You may be standing on the rocks and then a few hours later the same rocks will be six feet under water. The same thing with the open beaches. You walk down on dry sand then it’s underwater in a few hours when you walk back. This water movement really gets the estuaries to flowing, which accounts for a healthy eco-system. The fish travel with this tidal movement. Especially high tide which offers all new feeding areas being flooded.

On one trip down with my friend’s Mike Weaver and Scott Easterling, we stayed at a place right on the beach. We started early one morning, the surf was flat. The water was blue and clear all the way to the shore. We had brought our trout rods and reels from home. The reels had 20 lb braided line with 30 lb mono leader. Too heavy a leader and the fish won’t hit it and too light a leader and they will cut you off. Mike and I tied on a MirrOlure slow sinker in the mullet pattern. Scott used a MirrOlure Catch 5 suspending bait, this one rattles. We waded across a small estuary, a short walk from where we were staying. Then waded out on the sandy beach about knee deep and cast over the small breaking waves. You learn to time your cast.

If you throw it in front of the wave it just pushes it toward shore faster than you can work it.

I caught the first snook about six or seven pounds. Then Mike caught a good one too.

Snook were just what we wanted. Not the biggest but, they put up an incredible fight by launching out of the water and flipping in every direction. Hooking them and landing them are two different things. Mike and I were both successful.

Scott had worked his way down the beach toward a set of rocks and was still hard at it. We headed toward him and as we got closer we saw him set the hook. At that time we looked out in the TSFMAG.com | 39

surf and about 50 feet in front of him we saw a huge explosion of white water.

We thought it was a giant snook.

As we got closer we could see the rooster fish running through the surface with it’s head and gills out of the water.

Then Scott starts running as the fish starts to spool him. Luckily, the first hundred yards it ran parallel to the beach or Scott would have been swimming. Scott had an extra wide reel with 150 yards of line. The only thing he could do was put on tons of pressure and hope everything holds up. And that’s exactly what he did. He put the muscle on this fish. He worked it back and forth about 45 min.

He finally got the fish closer to the beach. The whole trick is to time the fish with the incoming wave and try to pull him on the beach.

We didn’t have any Boga Grip or gaff or net, not that a net would help, this fish was too big. Once you hook a fish this big it’s not near over until you get him on the beach. So, I went out toward the fish and I was able to grab him under the gills and help Scott land it.

What a monster, the biggest fish I’ve ever seen landed on the beach with light tackle. What a fight! What a catch! This rooster fish was close to 45 or 50 lbs.

After that trip I couldn’t wait to go back and I wanted to stay longer. My wife and I only imagined having an endless summer.

This past winter everything worked out to where we were able to do just that. We went back and stayed for January, February and 40 | January 2012

Science and the Sea

TM

Answers in the Ice Vast expanses of sea ice make the Arctic and Antarctic oceans perilous and inhospitable, but they’re also vital guardians of Earth’s climate.

Sea ice forms when ocean water is cooled to the freezing point by cold polar air. Freezing begins in fall, when the amount of light from the sun decreases, and ice continues to expand and thicken during the dark winter months. When summer returns, the sun’s energy warms the surface of the ice, causing portions of it to melt.

One important feature of sea ice is its white surface created by the snow cover, which reflects 50 to 70 percent of the sun’s light. Ocean water, by contrast, reflects only about 5-10 percent of solar energy; the remainder is absorbed and it heats the water. Sea ice cover acts as a barrier that prevents sunlight from warming polar seas. This is critical because our global climate is maintained by air and sea currents that distribute the coldness of the polar regions throughout the planet.

Monitoring the thickness, area and movement of sea ice helps scientists keep tabs on how polar temperatures affect – and are affected by – changes in climate. In field studies, researchers take ground measurements of ice or deploy buoys with data-collecting sensors.

To get a bigger picture of sea ice characteristics, scientists use satellites as remote sensing devices.

Imaging radar on satellites, for example, sends out microwave signals, which reflect off sea ice and back to the satellite. Researchers can analyze radar images collected over time and, in tandem with data from other study methods, search for patterns that reveal changes in Earth’s temperature and climate.

We’ll discuss how changes in sea ice affect Earth’s climate in our next issue.

The University of Texas

Marine Science Institute www.ScienceAndTheSea.org © The University of Texas Marine Science Institute

42 | January 2012

March. The weather was beautiful everyday. We found the perfect accommodations on the beach, on the northwest Pacific coast.

We could walk right out the door to the fishing.

The beach and ocean were beautiful, to say the least. I would see the sardines by the thousands then, whack, something from below would hit them. They would shower out and the birds would be on them. Diving down like crazy. The snook would follow the sardines up on the beach shelf with the high tide. I could tell when they were there, I could smell the sardines. It was a feeding frenzy. You couldn’t help but be excited even before you had a fish on.

The best run I had was a three week period where I caught fifteen snook , most were in the fifteen pound range with a couple even bigger. I also caught various other species but, snook were my main target. I fished with my same light tackle that I use for trout in the Laguna Madre. I maxed out the equipment. The most productive lures were the MirrOlure in the mullet pattern and red and white feather jigs. Snook caught from the surf are incredibly powerful and the most exciting.

The only thing I didn’t catch was a tarpon. The danged elusive Tarpon. I have hooked them before but, they’ve always gotten off.

Oh well maybe next trip.

I’m happy to be back here fishing in my old boat, in the old spots with my old clients. It has been very good fishing in Baffin Bay. The crowds haven’t been a factor and there’s good action fishing, much like the old days.

A most unusual thing happened in the middle of August. I’m out with some good client/friends, we’re fishing near Baffin Bay. It was calm and hot, 100 degrees easy. I was working the trolling motor down the shore. We were casting the MirrOdine XL lure in the mullet pattern. We all had caught some big trout and redfish, the day was going good.

I made a cast near the shoreline off the bow and as soon as the lure hit the water it just exploded. I dropped my rod tip and paused for a second. Then, set the hook hard. The fish jumped completely out of the water and did a back flip toward us.

Immediately, I could see it was a tarpon. In the back of my mind I’m thinking, it’s going to get off. Then, it jumped again and I gunned the trolling motor toward it and bowed my rod down as it leaped so as not to get any resistance. I did this several times. My clients were trying to take pics as it jumped. I think they enjoyed the fight as much as I did. I got it to the boat and snapped on the Boga Grip. Yes! Finally I had caught a tarpon. It was thirty-five inches long and weighed about fifteen pounds.

They took pics and I revived and released it. Thanks to my friends I’ve got great pictures.

It just goes to show, sometimes you don’t have to travel, it’s all right here in your own back yard.

I’m looking forward to doing some big trout fishing in Baffin Bay and making a few precision strikes to Costa Rica. I called myself retired there for a while but the fishing bug just won’t let go. I guess you could say I’m semi-retired now, still taking a few of my old clients and some of my friends fishing on the Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay when Carol and I are not in Costa Rica surfing and fishing.

Top - Nice winter trout, day after major cold front.

Left - CPR redfish, Mesquite bay winter 2011.

J AY WAT K I N S

ASK THE PRO

I hope you don’t mind but, in this months issue I just wanted to make you laugh a little if I could. Laughter is a wonderful medicine for the mind and the heart, I think.

Sometimes in my business I just have to stop being so serious and try to a little laugh.

On a recent Sport Center episode I watched the C’mon Man commentary by several of the former NFL stars. It’s a great spoof on things that happen during the week in the NFL. I had to laugh when I started thinking about how many times I have said this to myself on the boat over my lifetime of fishing. I want everyone to know that the episodes in this article are real but repeated only to give all of us a good wholesome laugh at ourselves.

Most people that know me understand the analretentive approach I have towards the serious side of fishing. Over the last few years, due to what I consider a lazy-minded and instant-gratification attitude among younger anglers, has probably cost me as much business from that sector as I am able to book. I believe that when you show up for a guided fishing trip you should be prepared; mentally, physically and also equipment-wise.

Show up unprepared and the smartass in me rears its ugly head. At five feet and seven inches it never gets too serious as I do not want to be on the wrong end of a good 44 | January 2012

old-fashion butt whipping. But my smart mouth hurts me, and sometimes in the tip department at the end of the day. So even I have to wonder why I continue doing it. To myself, I would have to say, -- “C’mon Man!” I have guys show up all the time with about 40 yards of three year old line on their reels. Your line is the ONLY thing between you and that fish of a lifetime. Not only is the line on the reel old, there is not enough of it to cast half the distance needed in our clear and shallow water conditions.

-- “C’mon Man!” So you don’t use a snap swivel? Don’t even own one?

Then how do you get the lure to stay on the end of the line? -- “C’mon Man!” What about the group that shows up at the dock without wading gear after six emails from me explaining the need to wade due to there being six in their party and winds forecast for 25-plus -- all because the guy at the local bar said they did not need to do any of that wading stuff to catch fish. -- “C’mon Man!” How about the party that thinks waders are not necessary in 60° water because they are from out-of-state where it’s really cold. Oh, and this is after repeated emails with specific instructions as to what will be needed to successfully fulfill their desires for the day. Blue lips and

May your fishing always be catching.

-Guide Jay Watkins

C ontact

numb lower extremities after only a few minutes in the water quickly equate to a very short day. Then comes the scene at the dock when presented with a bill for a full day of services. I guess they want a discount for being stupid. -- “C’mon Man!” Oh, this is a great one. “I don’t have much fishing experience but sure would like a ten pound trout to mount for the new office and could we do this by noon as I need to be back in the office by 2:00pm.” This is what I call high fence mentality and does not apply to trophy speckled trout. -“C’mon Man!” Here’s an even better one. “I have been fishing for twenty years with croaks and wanted to try my hand at chunking some arties.” Arties? Really? Who the heck talks like this in the fishing world? -“C’mon Man!” I had a guy show up one day and wanted me to talk “High Impact” to him, whatever that was. At the time, in my world, High Impact was a fishing line produced by DuPont. “Talk ‘High Impact’ to me?”

-- “C’mon Man!” Another group wanted to chunk crack backs. Puzzled, I asked, “You mean broken backs?” And the cool guy in the group replied, “Yeah, crack backs or whatever you call ‘em.” -- “C’mon Man!” Customer – “What type of boat is this?” Me - “Well it’s a 24 HO Haynie and I love it.” Customer again - “For a guy that loves to fish like me, what boat would you recommend?” -- “C’mon Man!” Wading in your flip-flops on any type of bottom anywhere along the Texas Coast. -- “C’mon Man!” Wading in your Wrangler jeans without underwear – can you say OUCH?” -- “C’mon Man!” Wading in the winter months in waist-deep water with your Simms G4 guide jacket on the INSIDE of your waders. -- “C’mon Man!” To me – “This trip is really for my wife, I just want her to catch some fish.” Then to his wife – “Now Honey, just go sit in the back of the boat and let your line drift out there a ways.” Oh Boy! We’re talking cut-off in the truest sense of the word. -- “C’mon Man!” Customer – “What type of lure should I throw today?” Me – “I think a plum 5” Bass Assassin would be great choice.” Customer – “What about a black and pink deep-diving Border Jumper?”

“C’mon Man!” “I don’t want you to show me any of your good spots, just a spot or two where I can come and get a quick limit whenever I am down.” -- “C’mon Man!” “I was fishing right out in front of my house before the front blew in and nothing. Granted, I never catch them there, but I thought it was supposed to be great as a front is approaching.” -“C’mon man!”

Troll-motoring or drifting in on other anglers catching fish because you’re a guide. -- “C’mon Man!” Pulling in on another team that is hooked up in a fishing tournament because the rules say its OK. Guess what, its not. I’ve done it and I was ashamed of it before the Power Pole hit the bottom. -“C’mon Man!” Sunscreen is meant to be rubbed into your skin, not globbed on like cottage cheese with chunks in your ears and nostrils. -- “C’mon Man!” Colored lip balm versus clear. I had the entire dock laughing one morning after lovely daughter Shayla slipped a bright pink shade into my Simms bag and I applied it in the dark. -- “C’mon Girl!”

(This one goes out to all of my fellow guides.) Do you really believe that your only value to your clients is the ride to and from the area where they can catch enough fish to fill their freezer? Is this all you believe your customers see you as? What about the knowledge you’ve shared, the instruction, the friendships forged, and the memories you have helped supply and been a part of? Our clients can put a price on just about everything except our knowledge…it’s priceless. – So, “C’mon Man!” I hope you laughed at some of these lines and just maybe learned something from some of them.

They are all presented in fun, and truly, these really happen on my boat. If we all take some time to think about some of the things we do, we’ll probably have to say to ourselves from time to time, -“C’mon Man!” Last but not least, believing everything everyone says all the time, including yours truly, -“C’mon Man!” Jay Watkins has been a full-time fishing guide at Rockport, TX, for more than 20 years. Jay specializes in wading year-round for trout and redfish with artificial lures. Jay covers the Texas coast from San Antonio Bay to Corpus Christi Bay.

Telephone Email Website

361-729-9596 Jay@jaywatkins.com www.jaywatkins.com

TSFMAG.com | 45

CASEY SMARTT

F LY F I S H I N G

TWO FAVORITES It has been a while since I have presented a fly tying pictorial here in Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, so this month I decided to show the tying steps for two fairly simple yet very productive flies- the Smartt’s Shrimp, and the Chrome Minnow. These are two of my favorite patterns for inshore fishing and they are also patterns that top the list of “how-to” questions I receive from readers. These flies exhibit what I consider to be a good combination of form and function, and have evolved over many hours on the water and behind the vise. They are proven producers.

Smartt’s Shrimp The Smartt’s Shrimp is a small translucent shrimp-like fly that lands softly and has a very lifelike appearance in the water. It is weedless, durable, and a good choice for sight fishing in shallow water where shrimp and crabs are on the menu. This is my first pick for sight casting to shallow redfish, especially in the spring when they feed on small shrimp and crabs.

Materials Hook: Mustad 34011 #2 to #6 Thread: Clear Nylon Mono (fine) Eyes: Burned/painted 60lb mono Whiskers: Tan EP fibers Antennae: 2 Strands Krystal Flash Body: Tan/Brown EP fibers (dubbed)

video

Check out Casey’s Fly Fishing Video Library at www.caseysmartt.com

46 | January 2012

www.froghairfishing.com

Weed Guard: 12 lb. Mason Hard Mono Head Lacquer: Sally Hansen’s Hard as Nails Step 1: Cut several short pieces of 60 lb. mono and burn the tips slightly with a lighter or candle to form a small ball on the end. Dip the ends in black nail polish and then a protective clear coat like Aleene’s Fabric Fusion or epoxy.

Make up a dozen or so at a time.

Step 2: Cut a 2-inch long piece of Mason Hard Mono and thread one end through the eye of the hook. Lash the end to the hook shank with thread wraps. Allow the tag end to stick forward- you’ll come back to it later. Wind the thread back to the bend of the hook and attach two eyes by laying them side-by-side and lashing them tightly to the hook shank.

Bend the bases of the eyes outward slightly and coat all thread wraps with Hard as Nails.

Step 3: Snip off a small tapered clump of tan EP fibers and lash them to the hook on top of the eyes. These fibers should extend slightly past the bend of the hook.

Overlay two strands of brown or orange

Krystal Flash to form the antennae. Coat the thread wraps with Sally Hansen’s.

Step 4: On the tying table, lay out a 4-inch long column of evenly trimmed tan EP fibers. Then cut three smaller bundles of brown or olive EP fibers and lay them on top of the tan fibers as shown. These darker bundles will form a banded appearance in the finished fly.

Note- the photo shows a dubbing spinner built from a bent coat hanger stuck in an egg sinker. You will need a similar spinner or a short length of wire with a hook bent in the end to spin the EP fibers in the following steps.

Step 5: Form a 4-inch long loop with the tying thread and bind it down at the base of the antennae. After you bind it down, wind the main thread up to the eye of the hook.

Step 6: Hook the spinner (bent wire) in the loop and then carefully pinch and stick the bundle of EP fibers between the legs of the loop. Pull down on the hook to tension the loop and spread the fibers out evenly. Then spin the hook in your fingers and the thread will wind tightly around the fibers. If needed, pick out the fibers with a piece of Velcro to untangle them and form a “pipe cleaner” appearance.

Step 7: Using the dubbing spinner, wind the loop forward on the hook shank, taking care not to overlap the wraps. When you reach the eye of the hook, lash down the tag end of the loop and snip the excess off. Pull the end of the weed guard back and make several thread wraps between the base of the weed guard and the eye of the hook. The weed guard should point slightly toward the barb of the hook. Tie off the thread and coat the thread wraps around the eye with Hard as Nails.

Step 8: Brush the fly with a Velcro or a small comb to puff out the body and untangle the fibers. Then trim the fly with sharp scissors to form an even taper that widens as it goes from the eye of the hook toward the bend. Take care not to accidentally trim off the weed guard or the antennae. You’re done!

Chrome Minnow I began tying this fly about 10 years ago and called it a Chrome Clouser. It was basically a lead-eye Clouser Minnow built from bucktail and a single giant clump of silver Krystal Flash. The fly has morphed considerably over the years and many of the original materials (eyes, hook, bucktail) have been replaced. These days I just call the fly the Chrome Minnow. I use it for most of my nonflats fishing (surf, channels, guts, potholes), and also for much of my freshwater striper fishing. I have more confidence in the Chrome Minnow than any other fly in my box. It is a great fly.

Materials Hook: #2 Eagle Claw EC413 or Mustad 34184D 60 degree jig hook Thread: Clear nylon mono (fine) Body: Large tapered clump of silver Krystal Flash Back: Slender tapered clump of gray Fishair Eyes: Medium stainless bead chain Head Lacquer: Sally Hansen’s Hard as Nails Step 1: Make a small ball of thread wraps halfway between the base of the 60° bend and the point of the hook. Coat the wraps with Hard as Nails.

Step 2: Mount the eyes by making crossing thread wraps TSFMAG.com | 47

Hard as Nails. You’re done!

It can be difficult to describe the subtle steps and tricks in fly tying with a few written words and photographs, so if

48 | January 2012

you have questions about how to tie or how to fish either of these patterns feel free to give me a call or send an e-mail. I’ll be happy to help you however I can. As always, good luck with your fishing!

C O N TA C T

and then “gathering” wraps which go fully around the eyes, cinching the cross wraps tight. Coat the wraps with Hard as Nails and rotate the hook 180 degrees.

Step 3: Snip off a large full clump of silver Krystal Flash and pull slightly at either end to create a taper. Fold the clump in half and snip it clean at the bend, then tie it snug between the eye of the hook and the bead chain eyes. The tapered ends should extend well beyond the bend of the hook. When tying down the Krystal Flash, take care not to wrap the thread too close to the bead chain eyes.

Step 4a & 4b: Snip off a slender tapered clump of gray Fishair and tie it over the top of the Krystal Flash, binding it tightly at the nose to create a slight taper. Tie off the thread and coat the head liberally with

Casey Smartt has been fly fishing and tying flies for 30 years. When he cannot make it to the coast he is happy chasing fish on Texas inland lakes and rivers.

Telephone Email Website

830-237-6886 caseysmartt@att.net www.caseysmartt.com

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it’s catching!

Evidence of fish kill in Aransas Bay.

B y Noemi Matos | Coastal Fisheries Resource Specialist | Brownsville Field Station, Brownsville, T X

FIELD NOTES

SEEING RED? Red tide was likely first documented by the Spaniards in 1530. Spanish explorer Nunez De Vaca recorded stories

by Florida Indians of toxic “red water”, resulting in the death of birds and fish. The first documented Texas red tide was made in 1935, off Mustang and Padre Islands.

The resulting massive fish kill, accompanied by aerosol that caused coughing, sneezing, and watery red eyes, was thought to be a result of an underwater volcano in the gulf. It was not until 1947 that scientists discovered the cause of red tide.

Red tide is caused by the overgrowth, or bloom, of a microscopic alga known as dinoflagellates. Red tide blooms occur globally and different dinoflagellates may be responsible for blooms in different regions. In Texas, as well as the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, red tides are typically caused by the species Karenia brevis.

Though research is ongoing to determine exactly what triggers a red tide, drought conditions are known to leave the Texas coast susceptible to blooms, as K. brevis prefers 50 | January 2012

warm, salty water. It is believed that the appearance of red tides in some locations is entirely natural, as some algal blooms are a seasonal occurrence resulting from coastal upwelling. In other areas, outbreaks may be a result of increased nutrient loading. In general, events in Texas begin offshore from late August/early September

The red tide organism photographed by Dr. Mark Fisher from a water sample collected in Rockport harbor.

Dead fish washed onto beach near Port Aransas.

and last as late as February.

The K. brevis cells contain a neurotoxin called brevetoxin.

This toxin affects the central nervous systems of fish causing paralysis, rendering them unable to move water over their gills and essentially causing the fish to “drown”. Filter feeding shellfish such as oysters, whelks, clams and mussels concentrate the brevetoxin in their tissue. When humans consume shellfish with concentrations brevetoxin, it can result in Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning (NSP). Symptoms of NSP include vomiting, nausea, and a variety of neurological symptoms such as numbness and slurred speech. NSP is not a fatal shellfish poisoning, and people generally recover in 2 to 3 days. The brevetoxin is heat stable and survives the cooking process. For this reason, the Texas Department of State Health Services restricts shellfish harvesting in bays when concentrations of K. brevis reach greater that 5 cells/ml and brevetoxin levels in shellfish remain.

Many residents unfamiliar with red tides have a common question, “Are the fish safe to eat?” Since the brevetoxin accumulates in the organs and not the muscle of a fish, fish that look and act healthy, and are caught by hook are generally considered safe to eat. Crustaceans, such as shrimp and crabs, do not accumulate brevetoxin and are safe to eat during red tides. However, it is best to avoid areas where dead fish have accumulated, and collecting the dead fish is illegal.

Karenia brevis cells are fragile and break apart easily and release the brevetoxin. It becomes air-born by wave and wind action, especially on the beaches where most effects are felt. Effects are temporary and include irritation and burning of the eyes and nose, and coughing. The brevetoxin is also known to have similar irritating effects on other mammals, such as dogs. In 2009 they were observed reacting to red tide, and a few mortalities of both coyotes and pet dogs were confirmed to have been associated with that event.

Residents and visitors are encouraged to keep pets away from the beaches during a red tide.

Texas has experienced a wide variation in intensity and extent of the red tide associated fish kills since 1935. In 1986

Texas experienced one of its most severe red tide events, killing approximately 22 million fish. A comparable event occurred in 1997, resulting in an estimated 20 million dead fish. More recently, the 2000 and 2009 red tides impacted 2 to 3 million fish. Despite the large numbers, each kill impacted less than one percent of recreational and commercial species.

For the 2011 season, the first report came September 10, and was confirmed to be in the Brownsville Ship Channel, and quickly spread to other areas of the lower Laguna Madre. October marked the first signs of red tide in gulf waters and the Intracoastal Waterway. By October 24, it was confirmed from South Padre Island to Galveston Bay, affecting Port Mansfield, Padre Island National Seashore, Port Aransas, Freeport, Palacios, Matagorda and Port O’Connor.

Coastal Fisheries staff continued to monitor the event during November and December. Before press time, minimum estimates of mortalities due to this red tide were 4.4 million fish. These impacts are higher than observed during blooms in 2000 (2-3 million fish), but not as high as those observed in 1986 and 1997 (over 20 million fish).

The author collecting samples.

For more information on red tide and the latest updates: Website links: TPWD HAB page, TPWD Facebook page, and the TPWD HAB Facebook page.

Call: TPWD Hotline at (800) 792-1112, select ‘fishing’, and then select ‘red tide’.

To report sighting of dead fish and wildlife, call TPWD’s 24-hour communications centers at 281-842-8100 (Houston) or 512-3894848 (Austin) As this year’s event continues to unfold, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Coastal Fisheries staff will be out on patrol. Though the impact to the local fish populations may seem large, it is all part of a never ending cycle. The fish lost to red tide will slowly decompose, releasing nutrients back into the water. These nutrients will help in the recovery of the affected fish populations by providing an abundance of food at the bottom of the food chain.

Check the TPWD Outdoor Annual, your local TPWD Law Enforcement office, or www. tpwd.state.tx.us for more information.

TSFMAG.com | 51

C O N S E R V AT I O N

CCA TEXAS TEAMS WITH

COASTAL BEND BAYS & ESTUARIES

TO ENSURE THE HEALTH OF THE NUECES RIVER DELTA Freshwater inflows are the life line to Texas’s coastal estuaries. Without the necessary inflows, the estuaries would be void of the critically important nutrients that are needed for Texas’s coastal resources to remain healthy. CCA Texas Executive Board approved $70,000 in matching funds during its November 2011 meeting at the request of Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow (HTFT), CCA Texas’s habitat program. These dollars will be used as matching funds by Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program (CBBEP) for the installation of a water management system that will ensure that freshwater inflows will stay within the Nueces Bay Delta.

Freshwater inflows to estuaries up and down the Texas coast have been continuously cut back over time due to upstream needs and the construction of reservoirs throughout river basins across the state. The Nueces Bay Delta has faced the same fate as many others. With the construction of Lake Corpus Christi and the fact that the Nueces River actual flows into the bay downstream of the delta, the delta has been starved for needed water flow for years and only receives water during flooding events, caused by over-banking of the river, and local heavy rainfalls.

“Restoration of historical freshwater inflows in river deltas should be a high priority in Texas. While we all know that freshwater inflows are vital to the health of our bays and estuaries, the location and timing of these inflows is just as critical,” commented Jay Gardner, HTFT Chairman. “Freshwater that flows into a bay and misses the delta doesn’t do as much good as it potentially could.

Freshwater flowing through a delta makes a freshwater/ saltwater gradient that defines what an estuary is; a great place for fish and crabs to grow up. These organisms

depend on that gradient, which is what your CCA dollars are helping to provide. We are proud to be partners with the CBBEP on this project that is improving fisheries habitat by managing critical freshwater inflows to our bay systems.”

Through agreement, the City of Corpus Christi is required to pump the equal amount of water into the delta as flows into Lake Corpus Christi. These events help replenish nutrients into the delta, but some of this water often backflows back into the river channel, never seeing the delta. This project will install water control gates into Rincon Bayou that will help ensure water stays in the delta and passes through the entire delta system providing the necessary salt gradients and nutrients that are important to a healthy estuary.

“We are pleased and excited to partner with CCA on such an important project that will have such a significant impact on freshwater inflows to our estuaries,” commented Jace Tunnel, Project Manager for CBBEP. “The approximate 15,000 acre marsh complex frequently experiences hypersaline conditions which inhibit growth for many important species such as plants that provide habitat for small fish that are food for larger fish. Through this project a more natural salinity regime will be achievable, and it will restore primary food chain processes back to this system.”

CCA Texas continues support of Texas Parks Wildlife Department Coastal Fisheries summer intern program

CCA Texas Executive Board approved $52,000 at its November meeting for Texas Parks Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) Coastal Fisheries summer intern program in 2012. This continued support brings CCA Texas’s contributions to this program to in excess of $175,000.

“CCA Texas is proud to continue supporting this program,” commented Robby Byers, CCA Texas Executive Director. “Good education is important for the future marine biologist of the state and there is not a better way than to get the actual hands on training that this program provides.”

Ecosystems that will be included in the program for 2012 include: Lower Laguna Rincon Bayou in Madre, Upper Laguna Madre, Corpus Christi the Nueces Delta.

Bay, Aransas Bay, San Antonio Bay, Matagorda Bay, Galveston Bay and Sabine Lake.

52 | January 2012

Silence is Golden

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You can thank us later.

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TSFMAG.com | 53

The new Cuda from Jackson Kayaks is sure to be a hit with shallow water sight fishers.

C A P T. S COT T N U L L

K AYA K F I S H I N G

STAND UP & CAST! Many years ago Everett (our editor) and I chanced to meet at Fishing Tackle Unlimited and naturally started talking fishing. Kayak fishing had been around a while, but was really just catching fire. He knew I was partial to standing up in my kayak to sightcast while he was of the opinion that staying seated and stealthy was the way to go. As we discussed the pros and cons he formulated an idea for an article debating the topic. We

54 | January 2012

each sat down and banged out our argument for our preferred styles. I didn’t change his mind and he didn’t change mine, but the articles were at least entertaining.

At that time standing up in a kayak was unconventional to say the least. None of the boats available were really suited for it. I made do with the old original Ride and accepted that I was going to take the occasional unplanned dive. The pontoon style hull

Here’s a close up the Slide Trax system in the 2012 Ride 135.

Lots foot room for standup fishing in the new Ride.

was more stable than anything on the market and gave me the best option for remaining dry. Every kayak is a compromise in some form or another, but the old Ride really suffered paddling performance in exchange for the necessary stability to stand. In other words, it was a true slug to paddle. However, I gladly gave up the ability to glide with easy paddle strokes in exchange for the higher vantage point.

I’d still suffer through that same grueling paddle today if it were necessary, but fortunately there were enough anglers on my side of the fence to catch the attention of kayak manufacturers. Today there are quite a few models with enough stability to stand and fish.

The real plus is that they’ve also managed to design the hulls for easier paddling.

The only issue left was comfort while standing. Even though the various kayaks had the necessary stability, they still lacked a really good flat area to stand. At this year’s Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City several models appeared with solutions to that problem.

Wilderness Systems showed up with their redesigned third generation Ride. I was a bit bummed that they were discontinuing the Ride 135 as I had a hand in the design. My mood changed when I laid eyes on the new creation. Once I got the chance to put in some fishing time on it I was completely sold.

The 2012 model Ride 135 received some minor tweaks to the hull design adding two inches in length and taking away a half inch of width while upping the maximum capacity rating to 550 lbs. It now paddles even better and the foot wells don’t take on a bit of water with me and all my gear. The really interesting improvements are on the top side. The cockpit length is increased by thirteen inches and now has a large flat area perfect for standing comfortably at the midTSFMAG.com | 55

point of the boat. It also received the new sliding, removable Phase 3 Freedom Elite Seating System. This seat is super comfortable with several adjustment points and it can be moved forward or aft to level the boat according to the load. When you get to your fishing grounds and it’s time to stand, you simply slide the seat rearward to

56 | January 2012

expose the large flat space.

Other nice additions include the Slide Trax system already in use on the Tarpon series. You can now add all sorts of accessories without drilling holes in your new boat. For those who like to store extra rods inside your hull, they gave you a large waterproof center hatch that is angled slightly. I slid two extra 7’ casting rods into the hatch with the tips pointed towards the rear of the yak. The rods were easily accessible while out on the water. I’ll have to give Bob McDonough and his design crew an A+ on this one.

I wasn’t really all that surprised to see the redesign of the 135 as the previous model had been around for several years, but what caught me The 2012 Ride 135; finally a off guard was the announcement boat that’s great for standing of a new 11.5’ Ride. I have to admit and still easy to paddle.

I was a bit skeptical of this boat as a fishing platform. I generally like a little more length because the shorter boats tend to “walk” back and forth when you paddle aggressively. My attitude changed after spending a couple days fishing from the little brother. It was very easy to paddle and tracked better than expected. The shorter length made zig-

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zagging through the winding marsh sloughs a pleasure. This model has all the same great features as the 135 along with an incredible 500 lb maximum weight capacity. The cockpit stayed completely dry and standing up was just as easy in this little boat as it was in the larger model. Color me impressed.

A relative newcomer to the fishing market, Jackson Kayaks, also introduced a couple interesting new models at the Outdoor Retailer Show that will fit the bill for the standing angler. Jackson has been well established in the whitewater market for several years and initially dipped their toe into fishing with the Coosa last year. The Coosa has gained a loyal following and will now be joined by two new models for the 2012 season, the Cuda and the Big Tuna.

The Cuda is a 14’ low profile sit-on-top with some pretty cool features. The hull is basically a shallow V shape with pontoons for stability. The floor of the cockpit has a 22” wide flat area for standing. It also comes with their hi/lo seating system that allows you to sit low for added stability when paddling rougher water or lift it up a few inches for increased comfort and better visibility while fishing. A long hatch down the middle of the cockpit gives you several options. You can store extra rods inside the hull or use the drop-in tank as dry storage.

They’ve also designed a soft-sided cooler that fits inside the hatch and is large enough for a couple slot reds or enough food and drinks to last all day. My favorite feature is a sort of hood on the bow designed to protect rod tips while paddling. I’ve broken a couple rods and had several more close calls when marsh grass or mangrove limbs have grabbed my tips while sliding through a narrow opening. The cover ends that worry. I haven’t had the chance to fish the Cuda yet, but plan on doing so as soon as FTU gets their demo model.

Jackson’s other new number, the Big Tuna, is due out around the first of the year. I’m not usually a big fan of tandem kayaks for fishing, but this one might fit the bill for those of you who need to take along a youngster on occasion. The removable seats can be set up with both facing forward or with the front seat facing rearward, a nice option for keeping an eye on the little one while fishing. For the times when you want to go it alone, the front seat can be removed and the rear seat situated at the center of the kayak turning the tandem into a single.

Another unique feature with this kayak is a covered thru-hull center hatch opening. A flow-through basket sits in the opening to serve as a livewell eliminating the need for carrying a bait bucket with aerator. I included the Big Tuna in this article because it also has a huge flat area for standing and is a bit wider and even more stable than the Cuda.

The unique features combined with the added stability are intriguing and I’ll certainly give this one a spin as soon as it’s available.

If you’ve always wanted to try stand-up sight-fishing but weren’t comfortable doing so in your current rig, you might want to demo one of these models. Being able to see your target will open up a whole new world.

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

TSFMAG.com | 57

The old bag on one of its earlier trips into the Glades backcountry.

S C O T T S O M M E R L AT T E

ACCORDING TO SCOT T

BUILT TO LAST An old saying declares that you get what you pay for.

Some may not put much stock in this bit of advice but I surely do.

This past summer, while hurriedly ramming gear into my Simms roll-top duffel for the return trip from Africa, the old bag sprung a leak or, to be more precise, burst at one of its seams. This threw me into full-blown panic mode wondering how I would get all my gear back. Fortunately, an old bushman with a rusty needle was able to sew it just enough to get it through all four flights. The old duffel finally gave up the ghost entirely, busting another seam as I struggled through the door, spilling its contents onto the kitchen floor. Now this might not seem like a good product endorsement. However, if you knew what the bag had been through over the years, you would think otherwise.

I purchased that giant duffel bag just prior to my departure for Belize in November of 2003 because I needed a bag big enough to carry not only my clothes and fishing stuff, but also a sizable collection of camera gear. Since that trip, the bag has been not only to Belize and Africa, but to 58 | January 2012

Mexico four or five times, Hawaii twice, Canada, up and down the Eastern seaboard, into the Everglades annually, and has ridden in the back of my truck back and forth from Lake Jackson to my fish camp in Seadrift more times than I can possibly imagine. And, to top it all off, it was loaded right to the 50 pound max every time I checked it with the airlines. Finally retired, it is one purchase that I can truly say gave me back every penny I spent.

So‌ just the other day I was looking at that worn out duffel trying to figure out what I might be able to do to coax it back into service. It just is not going to happen but, hey, it got me to thinking about the concept I am writing about here and, well, it got me into looking at all of my gear in a whole new way and wondering- what else do I have that has truly served me way beyond my expectations.

Well, let us see, there is of course my old Simms Guide Jacket that I have been wearing for over twelve years, my very first Stiffy Guide graphite push pole that I have been using for eleven years, a pair of Van Staal titanium fishing

C ontact

pliers that I have been using since ‘97, a Pelican case that I have kept camera gear in since I first picked up a camera in 1997, an old G Loomis Pro 1 eight-weight fly rod that is well over seven years old and has been in my skiff every day since I got it or how about the little old 25 hp Yamaha that I have used at least 150 days a year for four years.

Now, in the interest of not making this all about me, I decided to talk to other reputable and seasoned guides and anglers to find out what gear they have that has far exceeded their expectations.

As you read on, I am sure that you will notice that a couple of brands seem to stand out. I purposely went to others in hopes of this not happening but, it did.

Before I get to discussing the items, I will tell you that the only criteria I gave everyone that I talked to was that it had to be something that is still in production or at least, a very similar item from the same manufacturer can still be purchased.

My first call was to fellow skiff guide Tom Horbey. Tom was fly-fishing the Texas Coast before fly-fishing was cool and long before he became a guide. Anyway, Tom is pretty proud of an old Billy Pate reel that he purchased back in ’83, stating that he still uses it occasionally and has even put it in the hands of his sports from time to time. The other product he mentioned was the Boga Grip - no surprise considering that I have had equally great luck with mine.

Next was my great friend and mentor Chuck Naiser of Rockport. Chuck was quick to talk about a pair of Patagonia long-underwear that he happened to be wearing on that very blustery November day. “I have been wearing these things for over 15 years,” he told me. “My wife has wanted to throw them out on several occasions but I just haven’t been able to let them go.” The other item he mentioned was his Forschner fillet knife. “It takes and holds a great edge. The damn thing has the best blade ever.”

Moving on, I gave Mike Barbee over at Fishing Tackle Unlimited a call wondering if he might be able to share a little from the perspective of both angler and retailer. The first thing that came to his mind was one of the original pairs of Simms breathable waders and his old Simms Guide Jacket. Both have been in service more than ten years. In addition he mentioned a pair of Van Staal pliers, and then offered this comment, “The one product that leaves this store and I have never heard a single complaint about or seen returned is the original Boga Grip. They’re just bullet-proof.”

Legendary guide Jay Watkins had almost the same sentiments regarding his Boga Grip and even greater praise for his, now get this, Simms Guide Jacket. Jay also added Costa Del Mar sunglasses and MirrOlures into the mix. “I am still using 52M MirrOlures that I fished with before I started guiding,” he told me. “Talk about quality.”

Last but not least I spoke with good friend Ethan Wells who does the skiff guide thing from the Coastal Bend of Texas down to the Lower Laguna Madre and even takes his show on the road to Florida every year. Surprise, surprise… the first thing out of his mouth was the old Simms Guide Jacket and he even mentioned his original Simms WindStopper jacket. “But, probably one of my oldest pieces of equipment that I still occasionally use would be my first Stiffy push-pole,” he added quickly.

“It broke on me once but Kevin patched it up real good and it hasn’t let me down since.”

Now I know this piece is probably coming across like a giant Simms ad. Actually, I thought that wouldn’t happen if I included enough others but, oh well, it did. I’m OK with that given the caliber and reputation of the guys I included in my survey and also because I believe the folks at Simms strive to turn out great products. But, there is a point that I wanted to make and that is…You get what you pay for!

All the brands mention above are considered by many to be “pricey” meaning, there are less expensive alternatives and knock-offs out there for the more frugal consumer. The problem with some of these more economically-priced goods is that they may not provide value for money. Sure, I can go down to any big retail outlet and buy similar goods at half the price, and maybe get a year or two of service. But then I’d probably have to deal with product failures more often, and in case you haven’t noticed, you cannot always count on having a bushman with a rusty needle handy when you need him.

Happy New Year 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 | 59

JAKE HADDOCK

YO U T H F I S H I N G

CASTING & BLASTING Wow, what an awesome late fall and early winter fishing season it has been. The holidays are here and I have been spending many days on the water fishing and duck hunting with close friends and family. As I mentioned in my last article, red tide has been spotty around the midcoast, and unfortunately a small patch hit around some of my favorite fishing grounds. Yes, it killed fish, but it hasn’t come anywhere near wiping out our fishing. One thing is for sure though, it has made finding fish easier, because baitfish are few and far between. Therefore, when you do find a concentration of jumping mullet, you know there are going to be gamefish, no second guessing. Hopefully this will be the last of the red tide, and you won’t ever hear me talk about it again.

This time of year there are many distractions from fishing, like hunting. Duck hunting in particular for me. Fortunately, my hunting and fishing grounds are the same. So you can quickly switch to either activity.

60 | January 2012

Many know these adventures as cast and blast. This usually consists of a morning duck hunt followed by a mid-day and afternoon fishing expedition. It’s a very action packed, energy consuming trip, but man it is fun!

There really is nothing better than starting your day with decoying pintails, then finishing it with a big gator trout on the end of your line. Sometimes to be more successful in either duck hunting or fishing, I will devote a day to one or the other. This usually depends on the weather. Such as barometric pressure, winds, tides, moon phase, etc. But still some days you just can’t help but do both.

A few weekends ago I found myself in Port O’ Connor getting ready to enjoy one of these cast and blast adventures. I had time for a half day to fish and the next morning to hunt, before some bad weather moved in.

Without hesitation my dad and I set out in search of a big fish. We had time to fish two spots. The first spot I

caught several including a pretty big redfish that fought like no other. In route from point A to point B, I couldn’t help but notice a pond filled wall to wall with ducks. That got me excited!

The only bad thing is there was a duck blind in that very pond. The only question was; were those hunters going to hunt that spot tomorrow? That’s a million dollar question. So after I was so wonderfully distracted from my path to my next fishing hole, I idled the boat over to where I thought we should park it. Once we waded up to the sweet spot my dad immediately hooked up to a stud redfish. We continued fishing there, but the bite just wasn’t going on.

With hunger pains growing and the glory hole not producing any more fish we called it a day and went in to go have some tasty fish tacos.

The next morning, we quickly got our gear together, with high hopes of hunting the pond that we had found all the ducks in the day before. We were also accompanied by my uncle Mitchell who met up with us that morning. The jet drive cranked up very sluggishly with smoke boiling out of the lower unit. As we eased up to the spot where we had planned to park the boat we heard a gun shot. “Was that from the pond,” we were all asking each other.

Sure enough there was a group of hunters right there in their blind. They knew what was up, but that meant we had to make a last minute call. I drove the boat down the shoreline and anchored up next to a cove where a smaller group of birds were sitting the day before. This could work, I thought to myself, we’ve just got to give it a little time. We set up on a totally backwards wind and waited. A lone redhead came sailing in and I called on Mitchell who was sitting on the far right side for the shot. He rose up and smoked him. I felt better now that we hadn’t struck out. We sat a good while before a small group of pintails came in, and we managed to take four of them out. The next set of birds wouldn’t come for a while, and I was wishing for a fishing rod in my hands. Then a group of five redheads came skirting around the corner, all we needed to finish our redhead bag limit for the day. They got over the spread and I called the shot. We crumbled all five. That was a good way to end the hunt. If you have never experienced one of these cast and blast adventures, I would highly recommend it. There’s a few good weeks of ducks season left, give it a shot, you will be glad you did.

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C A D E ’ S C O A S TA L C H R O N I C L E S

CADE SIMPSON

FLOUNDERIN' AROUND Hi, I’m Cade. I’m just your everyday do it yourself kind of guy with a great passion for the outdoors. Like many of you, I have often found myself a little lost when planning a fishing trip to a new area. Well, break out your HookN-Line Fishing map and follow me each month as I travel along the Texas coast, learning the ins and outs of fishing the salt waters along the way.

Where In this month’s edition, I am headed to Port Arthur, TX. Port Arthur is located on Texas’ eastern border, separated from Louisiana

by Sabine Lake. Port Arthur provides an exceptional amount of fish habitat. My focus for this outing is on Keith Lake and Keith Lake Cut. My target is flounder and redfish from the kayak.

When and Weather Keith Lake is a decent fishing ground most of the spring, summer, and fall for several species of fish. I was excited about this trip because the first decent cold snap of the 62 | January 2012

year set in just a few days prior, and word on the water is when the weather gets colder the flounder bite gets hotter. Though not truly “cold” the previous night’s air temperature reached the low 50s and throughout the day remained a mild 70ish.

Tackle and Gear Rod: Castaway Go2 7’6” MH Reel: Shimano Citica

Cade with a nice pair of Keith Lake flatties.

Cajun Cabins offers a great setup.

Line: Suffix 15lb monofilament, clear Lure: White/Gray Berkley GULP Minnow on 1/4 oz chartreuse jighead I found a really nice tackle shop in Port Arthur – Daley’s Huntn-Fish Supply. You can get just about all the tackle and gear you need here. Don’t be shy to ask about the local fishing reports while you’re there.

If you are looking for live bait, fresh dead or frozen, drive south on Hwy 87 from the cut and look for Sportsman’s Supply. Or do like some of the locals and bring a throw net to catch your own.

Hitting the water There are two convenient places to launch your kayak or begin fishing. As you drive south on Hwy 87 and cross the Keith Lake Cut bridge, you will immediately turn right into the gravel parking area to find your first option. A little further south on 87 will lead you to Juniors Landing. I opted to launch at Keith Lake Cut. The cut creates a funnel for fish and bait coming in and out with the tides so this was a primary target area for me. It was literally put in and begin casting.

After a few failed minutes at finding some morning redfish, it was game-on with the flounder attack. Bumping the Gulp minnow across the bottom, somewhat like a Texas rigged worm, proved very enticing to the flat fish.

When launching at the cut, try paddling directly across the channel to the north shore. There is a tower structure in the middle of what is known as “The Pond.” I had some of my best luck in this area. At one point I landed keepers back to back.

Also try down at the end of the cut where the lake opens up.

There is extreme current in this area so be careful. However, on the edges of the currents you can regularly pull in gamefish.

The north grass line of Keith Lake is supposedly a hot spot for reds when they are on. Similarly, Redfish Pass(the cut from Keith Lake to Johnson Lake) is a prime spot for reds.

Where to eat and where to sleep In the immediate vicinity of Keith Lake you are not going to find any

Daley’s has everything you could need, including fishing reports and waterfront gossip!

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TSFMAG.com | 63

Cabin’s, and a fuel station. Jep’s is located on Pleasure Island, a good home base for getting right into the fishing action.

Bank fishing is very popular at Keith Lake Pass.

eateries or hotels. This isn’t to say that a few miles back into the heart of Port Arthur you can’t find a place to eat and sleep.

I am a big fan of breakfast, so an early morning stop at Waffle House off Hwy 287 started the day off well. It’s really a free for all as far as restaurants go. Port Arthur has all of the usual fast food chains as well as the regular sit down establishments. For those of you into BBQ, try Tony’s, it’s a small local chain I am fond of.

Hotels are also easy to come by. Take your pick from Super 8, Holiday Inn, Ramada, the list goes on. Most of these hotels and restaurants are bunched together on Hwy 287 in the middle of Port Arthur, adding convenience to the trip.

I always try to find something a little more niche to the area I am visiting. Jep’s Island Emporium is sort of an all in one spot for the traveler. It is comprised of a grocery store, deli, an RV park, the Cajun

64 | January 2012

The Other Angles Keith Lake and Keith Lake Cut are not just for the boaters or kayakers. I was impressed with the amount of people fishing from the bank along the cut; it’s almost as if it’s a good fishing area! There is a concrete structure that juts out from the parking lot parallel to the Hwy 87 bridge. A handful of fishermen were perched on their favorite fishing bucket, casting their lines near or under the bridge. I saw them pull several trout and flounder from under the bridge.

I would not advise trying to wade fish the cut. The current that runs through the cut is quite strong. There is a deep channel that drops off to 20+ feet of water, not something that I want to get caught in. If you wish to walk the bank of the cut out to the lake itself, then

You can find just about everything you need at Jep’s Island Emporium.

wading in the shallows is no problem. A couple of times, I parked the kayak and waded around a little in the lake.

Wrap up All in all I was pleased with the ease of fishing Keith Lake. On some of my fishing trips in other areas, I put in a fair paddle before getting to the desired hot spot. As I mentioned earlier in the article, at Keith Lake and the cut, it is simply a matter of pull up and cast. Of course you can paddle to your arms content to reach some of the farther channels and marshy areas branching off the Lake. For the purpose of an all around fishing hole, Keith Lake has it.

The old-fashioned throw net is popular with locals who catch their own bait.

Contacts If you would like more information on the Port Arthur area, visit www. portarthur.net Daley’s - daleyshuntnfish.com, 409.736.3999 Jep’s Island Emporium – 409.983.3822

C ontact

My buddy Lance with a nice flattie right at the edge of the grass.

Telephone Email

936-776-7028 Cademan11@sbcglobal.net

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TSFMAG.com | 65

STEPHANIE BOYD

F I S H Y FA C T S

RED TIDE “He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood. The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.” ~Exodus 7 The Bible may well contain one of the earliest accounts of red tide, though the earliest official recording of the phenomenon in Texas wasn’t until 1935, and even then the cause wasn’t known. Scientists had to wait until 1947 for the that secret to reveal itself.

Red tide is a worldwide, natural occurrence not caused by humans. Somewhere near the base of the aquatic food chain lie microscopic, single-celled algae (dinoflagellates). Occasionally, algae multiply rapidly causing a “bloom” of visible patches of color in the water.

Most species are harmless, but a few produce toxins. A “red tide” describes a bloom of toxic-producing algae that contain red pigment, though red tides can actually vary in color from yellow or brown to green or purple.1 There are several species responsible for red tides around the world, but the algae in charge of red tides in the Gulf of Mexico is Karenia brevis.

K. brevis is a member of the Kingdom Protista.

Like many other dinoflagellates, it is photosynthetic, 66 | January 2012

mobile via two tails (flagella), and asexual. Being a photosynthetic organism, K. brevis provides energy and nutrition to larger predatory organisms, such as plankton, in a most time-honored fashion: lunch. Along with similar organisms, K. brevis is part of the backbone of the marine ecosystem, funneling significant amounts of energy into the food web.2 In general, K. brevis leads a pretty laid-back lifestyle, but from time to time, something peculiar comes over these, otherwise beneficial, relatives of pond scum. In a toxic Occupy the Coast movement, massive numbers of K. brevis join forces on the ocean floor and rise together in “harmful algal blooms” (HABs), blanketing everything in their path with highly potent neurotoxins called brevetoxins. (This occurrence otherwise known as… red tide.)3 These toxins, which are released when the brevis cells are ruptured in rough water or through mechanical damage (i.e. being eaten by filter feeders), affect the central nervous system of fish, effectively paralyzing and consequently suffocating them.

It’s just a bit curious that these plant-like organisms make a neurotoxin affecting mammals that don’t share their environment or evolutionary history. It’d be kind of like oaks making a toxin that repels sharks. However, scientists have discovered several non-toxic algae with

something like animal nerve cells. Because K. brevis competes with these algae for resources, it’s possible it may have evolved specific poisons to target competitors, and the fact that the brevetoxins affect everything else is just an unlucky side effect…4 The exact conditions that trigger the mass murderer (or maybe

just mass procreator) personality of K. brevis are unknown, but some scientists believe high temperatures combined with a lack of wind and rainfall are the main suspects. However, there’s some new speculation in the scientific community that dust storms in Africa could actually be the culprit.5 Regardless, it’s pretty well agreed upon that this year’s continued drought is creating a booming environmental niche for red tides, resulting in the largest algal bloom in more than a decade along the Texas coast.

Typically, red tides occur, intermittently or continuously, August through February on the Texas coast.

There’s really no predicting when or where the red tide will make an appearance since the blooms (both photos) Red tide in San Antonio Bay. constantly change size and location in response to wind and tides. Plus, Photo by Alex Nuñez. red tides are usually isolated patches, not beach-engulfing blankets. Though they can create seemingly apocalyptic fish kills, the Texas marine environment has experienced them before and recovered.6 From the first recorded red tide in Texas (1935) to the 1986 bloom, there was, on average, one red tide every decade. Since 1986, the

TSFMAG.com | 67

blooms have become more frequent: four blooms in the 1990s and six in the 2000s. The most severe red tides occurred in 1986 and 1997, with estimations of over 20 million fish killed in each year. 2000 and 2009 also had their share of casualties, but only about one-tenth of what 1986/1997 experienced.7 However, these estimations don’t include the millions of dead, washed-up fish claimed by birds and other scavengers (who later regretted eating poisoned fish).

Red tides can be dangerous to humans as well. Though it’s technically okay, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services, to eat fish, crabs, and shrimp during a red tide bloom (because the toxin is not absorbed into the edible portions of these animals), it’s always advisable to NOT eat fish acting abnormally or appearing sick. It might not be red tide making the fish sick. Red tide does make shellfish, such as oysters, clams, and mussels, unsafe to eat.

These filter feeders are not affected by the toxins but still store them in their tissues. If a human eats one of these filter feeders that has accumulated toxins, the person can become ill with neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP). Even after red tide ends, the shellfish can be toxic for months, and the toxins are not affected by heat, so cooking the shellfish does not solve the problem. Shellfish you buy from restaurants or certified dealers should be safe because they are monitored by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Eye and throat irritation can also be caused when the brevetoxins are made airborne in rough surf, but these symptoms dissipate quickly if you just leave the immediate area (allergic reactions not included, of course).6 Several of these factors affect the coastal economies. The Texas oyster industry has already been hit hard by the drought, and then oyster harvesting was banned because of red tide before the season

even officially began. In recent years, the worst of the bloom has been gone by Thanksgiving, but K. brevis is thriving in this year’s warm, salty conditions. Cold weather and rain is the best bet to send it packing.

Luckily, the recreational and commercial fish species aren’t usually hit hard by red tides, so those industries shouldn’t feel anything akin to the oyster industry. Tourism takes a hit, though. People are certainly reluctant to visit beaches hit by red tide.

So the economy takes a stumble, and the environment goes out of whack just a bit. But red tide is not terribly predictable, and certainly not stoppable. K. brevis is just one of those eccentric neighbors you have to live with. It’s carved its niche, and it’s sticking around.

Footnotes 1 “In the Red - Explaining the Red Tide Phenomenon,” Reef Briefs, 15 November 2011 <http://ambergriscaye.com/reefbriefs/briefs45.html>.

2 Lindsay Key, “Tiny but deadly Karenia brevis’ Method for Poisoning,” UNCW, 15 November 2011 <http://uncw.edu/research/stories/tinybutdeadly/>.

3 Andy Lindstrom, “Unraveling the Mystery of Karenia brevis,” (Florida Wildlife: 2007).

4 Mona Hoppenrath & Juan Saldarriaga, “Dinoflagellates,” Tree of Life, 15 November 2011 <http://tolweb.org/Dinoflagellates/2445>.

5 “Red Tide Phenomenon,” Jr Science, 15 November 2011, <http://jrscience.wcp. muohio.edu/fieldcourses05/PapersMarineEcologyArticles/RedTidePhenomenon. html>.

6 “Red Tide in Texas: Frequently Asked Questions,” Texas Parks & Wildlife Deparment, 15 November 2011, <http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/water/ environconcerns/hab/redtide/faq.phtml>.

7 Rebecca Hensley, “Red Tide Talking Bullets,” Meeting notes about the ongoing 2011 red tide bloom (TPWD Coastal Fisheries, 2011).

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TSFMAG.com | 71

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

72 | January 2012

While Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn continue redfish, flounder and stripers above I-10 on the shrinking to unprecedented levels, the never-ending Sabine and the bite on the Neches is equally good drought has been the gift that keeps on giving for nearly that far upriver. Stripers are always a bonus, Sabine Lake fishermen. However, as good as it has but the bigger surprise thus far has been the size of been for the short term, I the trout. Not only has the still can’t help but believe average size fish been very that the entire ecosystem good, but we caught more will suffer from these high trout over seven-pounds in salinity levels in the future.

November than we caught in Only Mother Nature the lake in the past two years! can remedy that problem Surprisingly, we have been somewhere down the line able to catch as many big and for the time being, trout in 2 to 8 feet of water as Sabine Lake anglers could we have at depths of 15 to 20 not be happier with the feet. That in itself is unusual phenomenal bite that we as vertical jigging deep have enjoyed over the past structure traditionally yields two months. Due to the high not only the larger trout, but salinity levels in both rivers, our stripers and reds as well. any wind that churns the A Hoginar, Assassin’s 5” Texas open lake into an unfishable Shad, a Trout Killer or a Split sea of whitecaps are little Tail Mullet rigged on 1/4 or Another nice trout off the more than an inconvenience.

3/8 head are all deadly when river for Dr. Jason Jordan.

We are catching trout, lowered straight over the side

and bounced on bottom.

The fish obviously have to be there to catch them, but I took a lesson learned last winter in the lake to the river this year and it has proven to be just as effective in the shallower water. When the redfish absolutely dominated our wade fishing last winter I started drift fishing in 5 to 6 feet of water as a last resort only to discover that the trout had been hanging out there all along.

A Corky Fat Boy, a Devil and a Catch V were all excellent choices for those suspended fish most days, but the lure that was even more consistent was an Assassin Die Dapper retrieved like a swimbait on a 1/16 head.

It sinks ultra-slow and the big paddle tail vibrates like a spinner bait on a slow retrieve.

The larger profile more closely resembles a mullet and every strike is an all out assault.

Long story short, it has been working the same magic on big trout in the river holding on the shallow points and small flats. We are finding a lot of these fish with the Corky Devil or a Maniac Mullet only to follow up missed strikes with the Die Dapper to close the deal.

The bite under the gulls has finally slowed down but there are still some working the ICW and the bayous on outgoing tide. The trout under them are usually 15 to 18 inches at best, but it is not unusual to find slot reds mixed in. You can catch them on a variety

of lures, but the better option is to lob a tail on a 1/4 head into the melee and hope that it sinks through the smaller fish.

I haven’t gotten my new Gulf Coast breathables wet enough days thus far to fairly assess the numbers of redfish prowling the shallow flats versus the numbers of trout, but that will have changed by the time you are reading this. It was redfish nirvana by this time last year, but thus far there has been a pretty good balance.

The last time the main lake was this clear this late in the year, we enjoyed the best big trout bite I can ever recall. At some point every afternoon sow trout would leave the ICW and wreak havoc Alex was pleased with on schools of mullet on the shallow flats. this arm load of trout.

Nearly every day someone would catch and release a new personal best and we may very well see the same thing this year as I don’t see the lakes releasing much fresh water any time soon.

If that same bite occurs, I truly hope you have opportunity to drive over and catch your own personal best. We are much smarter and more efficient fishermen than we were back then so I also hope that you will practice catch and release should you find yourself waist deep in a herd of dream trout.

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TSFMAG.com | 73

mICKEY Eastman

mICKEY On Galveston

Galveston

Mickey Eastman is a full-time fishing guide out of Baytown, TX. Mickey has 26 years guiding experience on the Galveston area bays and is the founder of Gulf Coast Troutmasters, the largest speckled trout tournament series of all time

Telephone 281-383-2032

74 | January 2012

Well it’s Captain Mickey coming to you again with Christmas and New Year greetings and a look at the fishing prospects for the month of January. Man how time flies when you are catching fish! You can pretty much take my article from last month and just slide it over to this month. That’s how similar everything is.

There are just fish everywhere right now. I am doing off the wall stuff for the last 3 or 4 weeks; going up the San Jacinto River, the Trinity River, all the bayous and sloughs into the marshes, as far up as you want and still finding trout and redfish. I’ve never seen anything like this - it is absolutely crazy.

Here’s a clue as to how many trout and redfish we have in this system – we have salty water ten and twelve miles upstream of the bays – areas that are normally completely fresh are just full of fish – and the bays are still full of fish. No matter how you slice it that’s a lot of fish. Like I tell everybody; this beats all I ever saw!

Whether you prefer to wade flats or stay in the boat and drift deeper water, all the places that you would normally expect to produce at this time of year are giving up good catches. Over here in Trinity

Bay, the area around Jack’s Pocket and Anahuac Pocket there near the river mouth are especially good right now. Lots of solid fish running two to five pounds hitting plastic like it’s going out of style.

We are drifting those deeper flats throwing the MirrOlure Lil John and also the new bait from Tidal Surge Lures they call the Maniac Mullet which is kind of like a hybrid of their old Crazy Croaker and their Split Tail Shad.

I have always liked hard twitchbaits this time of the year and there is a new one out called the XCalibur EEratic Shad Xt3 that I’ve been having fun with. The trout are loving them too. We’re working them real hard with braided line, pumping ‘em down about two to three feet and then letting them suspend. Crank down real hard and then let it kind of wobble to a stop, those bigger trout will rip your rod right out of your hand. Topwaters have been producing a few for us but the action has not been consistent. One day they’ll crush them and then they won’t even take a second look for two or three days.

East Bay is full of fish right now and the action has been very steady just about anywhere you care to go. West Bay is holding good fish too but the action

gets kind of spotty in-between the northers. Catch it right those first two days after a northern and it’s real good but as the weather improves and warms up and the wind lays down they’ll slow way down on you. To be honest though it is early for West Bay. The best that West gives us usually kicks off right around Christmas and continues through January.

You’re probably thinking I’m pulling your leg about the fish moving way up into the parts of the system we’ve never seen them before but it is true. I took some guys fishing the other day and we wandered all around just marveling at how many fish were so far up the river – and there we ended up in an oxbow just nuking the reds on Lil Johns and watching cars go down Highway 90. Is that crazy or what? We caught a bunch but I’ll just bet you that if I’d had some spinnerbaits we could have really clobbered them, it was nuts, like twenty-five nice slot reds working about 200 yards of shoreline. That ought to tell you something.

One of the greatest things about this river fishing is that you have it all to yourself, everybody else is still down in the bay. I am using my bottom machine charting sandbars, clam shell bars and things like that where you have a real good undulation on the bottom and we’re finding that when the tide is going out of the bay there is a pretty good current up here too. The incoming is OK but nothing like the outgoing. The key is to find you a sandbar that runs generally 2 to 4 feet deep tapering down to about 8 or 9 feet. The prime depth is right in between. Work it with the trolling motor until you get on them and then put the anchor out and enjoy the show. Once you get it figured out you can actually chart these fish on your screen.

Let’s talk flounder. They have been pretty consistent around the passes like they should be this time of year but lots of guys are saying they’re scarce elsewhere in the bays. I think I have discovered what that’s all about – they’re way the heck upstream.

I have no clue what they are doing way up there fifty or sixty from the Gulf of Mexico when they are supposed to be out there spawning, maybe it is because of the elevated salinity levels, who knows. I’m guessing they’ll be moving down pretty soon to do their spawning thing and lookout when they do, the guys that know how to catch flounder are already having a banner year down at Sea Wolf Park and along the Galveston Channel.

Bird action has been a pretty slim this year and the few that have been working are usually covering small fish. Just not a lot of shrimp but there is still plenty of shad and mullet and the fish are keying in on them. We are going to see some really big fish caught over these next couple of months – mark my words.

Water conditions are generally very good, too good some places, and by that I mean too clear unless the wind stirs it up.

Picking your days will become increasingly important and please be sure to heed those weather warnings. Some of these fronts will come screaming in hours ahead of schedule and the open bay is no place to be when they hit. Best bet is to let it settle out for at least a full day following a frontal passage and then you’ll get at least two or three really nice days to get on the water before the next one comes through.

Hope all have a happy and safe New Year’s holiday season and good fishing to you in 2012!

TSFMAG.com | 75

BIll PustEJoVsKY

CaPt. BIll’s Fish Talk

Matagorda

Bill Pustejovsky is a full-time guide at Matagorda, TX. Bill fishes year-round for trout and redfish in all the Matagorda Bays.

Wading and drifting for trophy trout and reds are his specialty.

Telephone 979-863-7353 Email CaptBill@GoldTipGuideService.com Website www.goldtipguideservice.com

76 | January 2012

This is the time of year to reflect on all that has happened in the preceding twelve months and then to look forward at what might or, what we might hope, is coming our way. I doubt anybody will say 2011 did not leave a mark – and in more ways than one. It started off with record cold and then came non-stop west and southwest wind in early spring that blew all the way into summer. We endured scorching heat and grueling drought and then one of the longest runs of red tide in modern times. Given all it’s been through you’d think our fishery would be looking pretty sorry. Amazingly, Matagorda anglers fared quite well through the whole ordeal with decent trout catches and probably average numbers of trophy fish were caught and released. We’re hoping 2012 will be better even though 2011 wasn’t too shabby given the extreme weather variables we had to put up with.

January is normally pretty chilly and the trout will be slowed down; that means I’ll be throwing lots

of Corkys. The Bass Assassins and MirrOlures will remain part of my arsenal but I’ll start most of my days with the good old Paul Brown Original Fat Boy. My standard wintertime pattern is wading and drifting in East Matagorda Bay while keying in on slicks and a few jumping mullet when we are lucky enough to find such signs. Remember to fish slow – especially on colder days and always during the

Kirk Templin with a nice West Matagorda Bay red.

morning hours.

We will likely head to the Colorado River on days when gusting northers make bay fishing impractical. The Diversion Channel is another good windy day spot, especially after a cold front. Usually, the colder it gets, the better the river fishing. The salinity in the river is way higher than normal this year given the drought and there are lots of trout and redfish as far up as the FM 521 bridge and beyond. As much as I would hate to lose this excellent river fishing option I am still praying to get a flood of rain and a big rise in the river to balance the bay salinity. We need this desperately!

Frequently when we get a big blow from the north, redfish are a good bet over in West Matagorda Bay, especially on the low tides the day or two after the front goes through. These redfish will bunch up in different places on the south shorelines.

When you find them, you’ll definitely get a line stretched in short order.

January can be a very good month for fishing depending on the conditions. If our water temperatures become colder than usual, you may want to try your wading or drifting trips starting out around noontime so that the surface water temperatures have an opportunity

to warm up which should entice fish to feed.

Don’t forget about maintenance and try to use your down days to spruce up your equipment—replace hooks on topwaters and Corkys. Get your reels cleaned and possibly some boat and trailer servicing. I’m sure many of you will still need to slide in some deer hunting as the whitetail rut in most of deep South Texas doesn’t get going until Steve Kees had a good time around Christmas and then continues wading East through much of January. We also have Matagorda Bay. waterfowl seasons open all month and the late South Zone dove season opens on December 23 and runs through January 23 and these will likely keep some fishermen busy in the fields and off the water.

So, yes there is a lot to do in January.

As for me, I’ll be fishing for some big girls in East Matagorda Bay. Hope to see everyone at the 56th Annual Houston International Boat, Sport, and Travel Show—January 6-15, 2012. Charlie Paradoski, Bink Grimes, Mark Talasek, Tommy Alexander, and I will be working the Bass Assassins and Matagorda Sunrise Lodge booths. Hope to see you there.

Until next time; God Bless. -Capt. Bill

TSFMAG.com | 77

CaPt. shEllIE 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

As I give thought to how a whole year has just weeks the algal bloom advanced slowly through zoomed by, it also occurs how differently I view a Espiritu Santo and then eventually on down to San calendar year since having become a fishing guide Antonio Bay and up the Victoria Barge Canal. It didn’t - not so much by day, or even months, but more by always effect your eyes and nose and the water color seasons. Fishing patterns can remain pretty consistent often seemed OK but the dead and dying fish let you and stable for days and even weeks, but each season know it was there. has its own distinct signature. Learning to apply daily We’ve seen more dead fish in the last couple changes in tides and weather dictates where and how of months than any prior red tide outbreaks with we will fish to achieve success. menhaden, mullet and hardheads taking the worst With that being said there are other factors that can influence John Berryhill happy to where and when fish will pose with one of the many congregate – take for example this reds he caught this day. month’s long siege of red tide in middle coast bays. Gary and I first noticed it on October 6 while fishing near Mule Slough. Menhaden appeared disoriented and struggling to breath at the water’s surface. Gary quickly called Texas Parks and Wildlife to give them a heads up. Come to find out the red tide effects had started to show up the day before on the Gulf side of Matagorda Island. In the following

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hits. Certain areas did have some trout, reds and flounder floating.

Birds died too, probably from eating contaminated dead fish. The Lagoon and Shoalwater Bay looked like the Dead Sea for a few days and some of the Matagorda Islands lakes had significant numbers of floating dead fish. Saddest of all was seeing many huge flounder lying dead.

As of this writing the red tide is still with us in certain areas.

The Department of State Health Services has closed oyster season indefinitely for the entire Texas coast. Most experts agree that cooler water temperatures along with much needed rain will help dissipate the deadly toxin. The fronts are coming through regularly now to cool the water so let’s all pray for rain!

January and February tend to be our coldest months; gamefish and baitfish alike will move off the flats and head to warmer waters of the back lakes so this, of course, is A redfish with a where I will be spending the majority very unusually of my time. Wade fishing with artificials shaped lip. is my favorite way to spend my days on the water; however, most of our back lakes have muddy bottom. We always have to match our wading plans with client’s physical abilities and desire to trudge through the tough stuff to find the bite. Some days it’s just better to stay in the boat.

Bass Assassin’s Die Dapper and Berkley’s GULP Jerkshad are my go-to choice most days. Rigged on a 1/8 jig

under an Alameda or Cajun Thunder rattling float can be beneficial this time of year to help hold the lure in the strike zone of these sometimes slow feeders.

One of the beauties of winter fishing is the “warm-up days” as I call them following the passage of a cold front. It may not prove practical early in the day but quite often in the afternoon we see a really good topwater bite come together. I prefer the smaller plugs this time of year and the bone Super Spook Jr. is probably my all-time warm-up day favorite.

Keying on active bait is vitally important to wintertime fishing success but you may have to be a little more observant to pick up on it. Colder temperatures will keep baitfish subsurface most days so instead of the obvious jumping bait you will need to look for other signs just as swirls and ripples. Redfish will still be doing what they do best, hugging shorelines looking to ambush any smaller fish or crabs as they move out of the protection of the grass.

January can be a fantastic time to get out on the water and enjoy a little of that saltwater therapy so don’t let the colder temperatures keep you away.

This time of year the weather is less likely to cooperate for a weekend trip so it may be time to (insert fake cough here) call in sick! Best wishes for the coming year – great health and financial success – and great catching!

TSFMAG.com | 79

DaVID RoWsEY

hooKED uP WIth Rowsey

I would like to thank all of you that have already booked charters with me throughout the winter, Upper spring, and on into the summer. Your confidence Laguna/ in what I do is humbling and your business is appreciated more than I can express. For those of Baffin you who are considering a trip to Baffin, there are still plenty of good dates available, and I would be honored to take you for the chance at a monster trout.

In anticipation of doing some yard work today, David Rowsey has 20 years I am dressed in flip flops and shorts, and here it is experience in the Laguna/Baffin the fi rst week of December. Winter has been warm region; trophy trout with artificial lures is his specialty. David has a so far this year. In fact, it has been just like the two great passion for conservation past winters. If the pattern holds true we may have and encourages catch and a arctic blast that pushes water temps into the 30s release of trophy fish. again. I sure hope not, but seeing diver ducks rafted up in Baffin in early October may have been a sign Telephone of things to come. We have been lucky and dodged 361-960-0340 Website any fish kills this far south, and the fishing after www.DavidRowsey.com these fronts has been phenomenal, so there is some Email upside if it happens. david.rowsey@yahoo.com Big trout fishing was, let’s say, hit and miss throughout November and early December. As far as

I am concerned it has everything to do with warmer than average water temperatures. The fish just never went into full-on winter mode, but everyday gets them closer, and I expect it to be outstanding by the time this article reaches your Corky stained fingers.

We have been fortunate and picked off some healthy “scout” trout that are leading the way towards winter patterns for the masses, but the biggest push will start in January. When it happens, you can expect some big days on the salty old bay. Prefrontal, and a few days after the fronts have come through will be my favorite days to be on the water. In some cases, depending on the air and water temperature, we may find ourselves leaving at midmorning and fishing until dark. This is something that I like to do when the coldest fronts make themselves present.

The afternoon bite of a sunny day, following a front, can be unbelievable if you are willing to change up the routine a bit. Seriously, who doesn’t want to sleep in on a super cold morning? I know the trout and I do.

I had a guide friend (who specializes in live bait)

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ask me the other day, “Rowsey, how do y’all catch all those big trout?”

I told him, “It is nothing more than mojo; I have a deal with the big trout. They bite for me and my clients because they know we are going to let them go.”

He found the humor in it, but a more serious conversation followed with actual techniques discussed specifically slowing everything way down. The overwhelming truth is that most fishermen lack patience and walk right past them. I swear, some days it’s like trying herd up a bunch of tom cats, trying to keep my guys focused on what is right in front of them versus what might be on down the road. Large female trout know their hunting grounds well. They do not need to be porpoising through miles of shoreline to find a meal. If you are in their area, slow down and fish methodically, casting at every inch of structure from different angles, never walking through any structure, and repeating casts from Shalor Craig with a 8.5 different angles as you walk past a pounder on a Corky. Released! set of structure you think you have already fished out. The vast majority

of the time, this time of year, the big trout are cold and move slow.

Probably 90% of the time they are not in the mood to chase a lure down, but if you keep presenting it over and over, you will eventually make that magic cast that just makes it impossible for her to resist. Some guys refer to the process as grinding.

I think it is just fishing smart. (I think I just quoted Watkins).

Three lure choices reign supreme for me this time of year. It will not be a surprise to most of you – the 5” Bass Assassin and MirrOlure Paul Brown Original (Corky) will both see so much play time that they will be begging to get off the field at the end of the day. Calm days (and muddy water) will call for many casts with MirrOlure’s Catch 5. If you are headed my way, you would be well advised to have your wading box stocked with them Happy New Year and Set ‘em Loose.

(It really is good mojo.)

-Capt. David Rowsey

TSFMAG.com | 81

tRICIa’s Mansfield Report CaPt. tRICIa

What a great year we had in 2011! We can only hope to making sense for the conditions, yet no two days lately be so blessed again in 2012. We fully expect continued were created equal. One day we are overrun with great trout fishing, so we can either make excuses for dinks and the next they are all four to six pounds. Still not catching our personal best or fish enough that we early in the winter season, like the size, they are not don’t need an alibi. No matter the outcome – we are yet consistently thick around the middle. Some of the primed and ready for the excitement of another round longer fish have been lean while some of the 22 and of winter trophy season so get on down here.

23 inchers are already pushing five pounds. Good Port Water conditions of late have swung from way friend and owner of Kelly Wiggler lure company, Capt.

Mansfield too clear to unexpectedly murky beyond hope. Our Wayne Davis, got on a school of excellent trout several seagrass meadows still aren’t what they should be trips in a row, and in addition to numerous 28s and following the floods of 2010. Some areas have rebounded quite well, others not so much.

Capt. Tricia’s Skinny Water The waters north and east of Port have stood Adventures operates out of the test of wind the best, but the clearer the Port Mansfield, specializing in water becomes the fewer fish we find. Down wadefishing with artificial lures. south it has not been the wind stirring things up as much as it has been wings. The duck Capt. Wayne Davis sets Telephone numbers are just incredible this year and they back on another good one.

956-642-7298 are just flat destroying the fishing in some areas Email with their rooting and feeding activity. When shell@granderiver.net the muddy water clarity doesn’t get you the Website www.SkinnyWaterAdventures.com floating grass they’ve uprooted will! Quality fishing is about dealing with adversity though, so we learn to adapt.

The trout action has been consistent in areas

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29s, he landed an impressive 32 incher. A rare fish lengthwise but the Boga said barely eight pounds. Meanwhile – just a short distance away we picked up several 26s that weighed near 7 pounds – go figure! This brings up the ages-old question whether we should rate a trophy by length or weight.

By the time this issue hits the newsstand the winter pattern should be in full swing. January will require good planning and good gear to make the most of the opportunity. I will be layering headto-toe in Simms under-wader and outer garments to ward off the chill that always seems to accompany those epic fishing days this time of year.

Hitting pay dirt often in January will require finding and reading the mood of the bait. Basically, I’ll be looking for three things to go with that bait - color changes, temperature changes, and water movement.

Down here in our part of the Lower Laguna, water movement is wind generated for the most part. Color changes too are products of wind. Temperature changes are often found near backwater drains and sloughs.

Putting the whole equation together should land you smack in the middle of excellent wintertime action.

You hear a lot about “warming mud” this

time of year. Now I’m not going to pretend to know which bottom can absorb and hold the most heat because my feet get just as cold wading that “warming mud” as when I cover expanses of hard sand on a cold day. But let me tell you this, we have caught many a great fish over hard bottoms during winter. Bird and bait activity, whether over hard-packed sand or soul-sucking mud, should never be left unexplored.

Now, just because there might be fish in the area does not always mean we can catch them. We just have to get in there, go for it, work and wait. Also remember that fish tend to be more concentrated this time of year, so another major the key is to stop(!) when you start getting hit and work the area thoroughly.

As obsessed as we can become with wintertime trophy fishing, nothing has really changed from the last two hundred articles we’ve all read about it. It’s still a time to be patient, enjoy the day, be confident and just keep casting. I love those mega-trout as much as anybody, but I also just love to catch fish. All the big reds leave the bays in winter, right? I’m going fishing, for trophies I’m going fishing, or just catching, and I’ll expect the best. for trophies or just Wanna go? catching. Wanna go?

TSFMAG.com | 83

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

84 | January 2012

Out with the old; in with the new! As 2011 departs I would rate it as very good, not necessarily a recordsetter in all categories, but a good year indeed. What has me excited right now is what lies ahead in 2012.

Trout fishing in the Lower Laguna Madre continues to be good with strong numbers coming on most trips recently. Fish running twenty-six to twenty-nine inches have been fairly plentiful for anglers willing to brave the discomfort of the cooler weather. The bonus of wintertime fishing is that the trout pack on a lot of weight. If a nine to ten pounder is on your bucket list then January is a great month to land it.

Cold January nights have a way of concentrating fish in deeper guts and holes.

Early starts are not as critical this time of year as feeding does not get underway until the sun has a chance to work its magic. Fewer boats on the water means we do not have to race to be first to arrive at a

good spot. One of our keys to successful wintertime catching is intercepting these fish as they move onto the warming flats to feed, long about mid-morning.

Also, waiting for periods of good tidal movement has certainly increased our odds. We are finding solid trout on mud flats near deeper channels. Most of the big fish have been laid up in potholes with soft bottoms, sunning and waiting to feed on moving tides.

I mentioned earlier my excitement for this coming year and I can tell you from running the flats this winter I have seen more big trout than I have seen in a very long time. Coupled with our recent and past month’s excellent catches; I’m thinking 2012 will be a banner big trout year.

I recently got back from my annual trip to Lake Calcasieu in Louisiana and every time I fish there I learn something new. Calcasieu has lots of I highly recommend Fishing Tackle Unlimited’s fish gripping tool and precision pliers for careful handing and release of large trout.

fish-holding structure and what caught my attention this time was deepwater humps and points and I have been applying this to my fishing at home. I like to fish spoil banks in the winter and applying what I learned about the points and drop-offs in Calcasieu around our ICW spoil banks in the Lower Laguna has really been paying off – especially when the tidal current reaches its peak strength.

Weather and water conditions dictate what baits we throw, and given that temperatures have been fairly mild lately with lots of sun we have had some great topwater days. On cooler and overcast days the Kelley Wigglers on 1/8 heads have produced very well and we have also been catching lots of fish on Corky Devils and MirrOdine slow sinkers on these days when the action is not happening on the surface.

Although feeding schools have not always been easy to find in the past several weeks, redfish are feeding very aggressively when you get into them and the fight they have been giving us makes you wonder if they’re on steroids. Small topwaters have been especially effective on the flats which is not much of a surprise as they seem to feeding on schools of small pinfish.

Look for the reds to be the first to venture back to the flats following a

cold norther, especially later in the afternoons with good sun.

Tides will run seasonally low in the month of January, which is a perfect opportunity to get out and learn more about the bottom structure you cannot normally observe at other times of the year. I like to encourage anglers to take lots of notes and mark as much structure on their GPS as possible to better understand how, where and why the fish will stack up in other months.

Patterning winter fish is much easier than other seasons and I believe one of the main reasons is the lack of boat traffic and fishing pressure. We sometimes find their staging and feeding patterns to hold for weeks at time in winter while this just doesn’t happen often in the warmer months when everybody seems to wear these spots out day after day.

Remember to practice catch and release on the big sow trout this winter and handle them carefully so that they will live to fight another day. I highly recommend the Boga Grip and other fish-gripping tools and also the precision fishing pliers for hook removal available from Fishing Tackle Unlimited. Checkout their on-line store at www. fishingtackleunlimited.com This is the reason I’m so excited; the best is yet to come!

TSFMAG.com | 85

FISHING REPORTS

ORECASTS F from Big Lake to Boca Chica

AND

Lake Calcasieu Louisiana Jeff and Mary Poe - Big Lake Guide Service - 337.598.3268 January can be great for those who don't mind gearing up for the frigid temperatures. Redfish should be the easiest to target, since they can be found around the weirs as usual. On many days, Gulp! lures, or Lil’ Johns will work fine. If they don’t, fresh dead shrimp or cut bait will usually get plenty of action. Reds can also be scattered along the shorelines. Pay attention to the water level-- lower tides push them farther from the bank, while higher ones bring them closer. Trout, on the other hand, are tougher to locate and catch. After air temperatures dip into the twenties, fish will be found in very shallow water during the warmest parts of the days that follow. Warmer days ahead of fronts are normally the most productive. The afternoon bite is usually best.

Slow presentations with big baits work best. Good lures include Paul Brown Lures, weightless original Norton sand eels and MirrOdine XLs. Locating mullet is the most important key to locating trout on the flats. Even the slightest sign of bait fish can indicate the presence of plenty of predators.

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 James is not known to make a big deal out of nothing when it comes to giving a fishing report; he says the trout bite lately is as good as he can remember since 1983. “We’re catching limits every day we have good enough weather to go, and the size of the fish is phenomenal.

In a short span of days just after Thanksgiving, we caught nearly thirty fish that measured twenty five inches or more, including five over twenty seven. The biggest weighed a little over eight pounds.

All the big ones we’re catching by wading, concentrating on soft bottoms, using slicks to locate the fish. The boat fishing is good too.

One day, we caught forty trout on two drifts, and the next day, we pull up to one flock of birds and catch thirty seven trout, and not one fish was undersized. The best bite everywhere has been on pink and chartreuse lures, whether it’s a Catch 5 or a 51 MirrOlure. It’s salty, so the back parts of the bays have lots of fish, including the rivers and bayous, especially when the tide is high. On low tides, they move to open water.”

Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054 Hunting and fishing have been really good recently, Jim says. “I’ve been hunting more of the time, but when I’ve fished, it’s been incredible. We’ll be hunting doves and ducks around Christmas and beyond, and fishing when we can. With this drought, we have salty water all the way up into the bayous and marshes, and it seems to have concentrated the fish in the backs of the bays. Wading is the way to catch the bigger fish; it‘s possible to catch trout up to and above eight pounds if you have decent weather and tides for it. We will probably see some big ones caught in the right weather windows in January, meaning in the warmer, calmer periods between the fronts.

Fishing out of the boat is good lately too, and the average size is good,

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86 | January 2012

BLACK PEARL

but it’s hard to catch fish over about five pounds when drifting. You can catch the fish on a variety of lures, but the most important key is to find the fish. Figuring out where to fish means learning how the fish react to changing tide levels and water temperatures.”

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service - 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 Randall is still having excellent luck fishing around reefs in his area, catching both trout and redfish. “When the tide is high, almost covering the reefs completely, we are casting up onto the shell and catching all we want. It’s easy to figure out which reefs are holding the fish, because the predators force the mullet to school tightly on top of the shallowest part of the shell. We are catching some on topwaters like the pink Skitterwalk when the weather’s warm, but mostly we’re throwing red magic and glass minnow colored Norton Sand Eels. If the fish are up on the shell, we’re using eighth or quarter ounce heads. Of course, when the tide is lower and the water is colder, we’re targeting the same fish in deeper holes with softer bottom and scattered shell adjacent to the reefs. Then, we typically use a little heavier jigheads, mainly three eighths ounce.

We’ll probably be fishing those deeper areas quite a bit in January, since it is normally the coldest month of the year, and we usually have a stubbornly low tide.”

Matagorda | Charlie Paradoski Bay Guide Service -713.725.2401 With the ongoing lack of significant rainfall, the Colorado River is running green and salty, providing Matagorda-area anglers another option heading into the cold period. “We mostly like to fish East Bay this time of year, either drifting over scattered shell and mud, wading mid-bay reefs or wading shorelines. We catch a lot of redfish on the good days during the winter, especially when drifting; it’s not

uncommon to catch them by the hundreds. We usually catch some pretty big trout drifting too, but wading is a better way to consistently pull some of the best sows out of East Bay. We throw a lot of soft plastics on really light jigheads this time of year, favoring colors like space guppy, limetreuse, purple/ chartreuse and chicken on a chain. When the water is super clear overall, the best fishing is usually in the dirty streaks. As long as we have these high salinities, the water will probably stay clear like it has been. And the river will be productive too. It’s full of fish and is always a great option when it gets too windy for other areas.”

Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 The fall trout frenzy is well under way. The fish have showed up over deep shell, under the birds, and out in front of area drains leading out of the marshes into the main bays. Root beer colored shrimp tails fished about a foot and a half under popping corks and slow sinking Catch 2000's in mullet and chartreuse have been the most productive lures. Flounder fishing has picked up as well. On almost every trip, we’ve picked up a couple, which is something we haven't seen in recent years. Slowly working Gulp!s in front of drains on falling tides have seemed to work the best. Redfish are still plentiful on mud flats in less than two foot of water. Small topwaters and quarter ounce gold spoons have been the ticket for catching them lately. The local rivers (Tres Palacios-Lavaca-Colorado) ought to be awesome in January, with lots of fish moving to the depths to escape the cold weather. It may sound like a broken record, but in the winter months, the ability to catch fish starts with the location of bait fish.

TSFMAG.com | 87

Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith - Back Bay Guide Service - 361.983.4434 Lynn expects to be focusing on soft, muddy bottoms as the temperatures go down with the arrival of the new year. “I like to fish scattered shell on a mud bottom this time of year. I normally prefer wading, staying on flats that are somewhat shallow, but also that have close access to deeper water. The deep water can be a main bay basin or something else, as long as it’s close by. We throw a lot of soft plastics this time of year, rigging them on light jigheads. I like Bass Assassins in red shad and morning glory. Of course, we also throw slow sinking twitch baits like Corkies on most days, and won’t hesitate to throw topwaters if the weather warms up enough and we see plenty of mullet jumping around. The potential for a good topwater bite in January usually occurs in the afternoons. I don’t get up and go early too often in a cold month like this. I’d rather sleep in, leave the dock around ten and try to take advantage of the warmer afternoon temperatures and fish until dark or a little later.”

Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 - 361.441.3894 All three of Blake’s major winter activities will still be in full swing in January. He’ll be fishing for trout and reds and hunting ducks and doves. “January is the tail end of the cast and blast season,” he says.

“We’ve been having good luck hunting and fishing so far, and it should stay that way. The weather’s been kind of warm for the most part so far, but you never know what it might be like come January. If it stays warmer, I’ll be targeting main bay shorelines mostly in Aransas and Corpus bays, fishing in water around knee to crotch-deep, focusing on areas with soft grassy and muddy bottoms. I might also spend some time in the deeper holes in the bayous leading from the bays into the back lakes, particularly those closest to the open water. If the

88 | January 2012

weather gets colder, I’ll generally fish a little deeper water. As always, I’ll be throwing my old trusty favorites, the pumpkinseed and purple/ chartreuse Sand Eels and also topwaters on days when we see lots of bait activity on the surface and the fish are willing to rise to the bait.”

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 It was quiet on the water during December, and it will be even quieter during January, because so many deer hunters are out looking for Muy Grande. This will make things easier for those of us hunting for the elusive trophy speckled trout. By now, your waders should be in proper order, along with your ForEverLast Ray Guards. I’ll be doing a lot of wading in areas with a mixture of mud and gravel bottom. I have a lot of confidence in scented lures like Bass Assassin Die Dappers in colors like plum/chartreuse, pumpkinseed/chartreuse, morning glory/limetreuse and Berkley Gulp! four inch shrimp in colors like pearl and new penny, rigged on eighth ounce Assassin Screw Lock jigheads.

The same plastic lures can also be very productive when rigged on quarter ounce heads and cast along the edges and drop offs of the bigger channels like the ICW. The lures should be retrieved slowly during this time frame, basically dragged along the bottom. After a few warm days, MirrOlure Catch 5s can become productive too.

Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.937.5961 January is the classic time to fish the edges of the ICW and other channels in Corpus Christi area bays, Joe says. “By the time we get into 2012, the weather should be cold enough to concentrate most of the trout and redfish in the channels. I like to fish areas around the JFK Causeway this time of year, where there are many channels intersecting each other and crossing over the ICW. Often, areas around these intersections are more productive than long, unbroken stretches of the channel. It’s also possible to locate fish by watching

bird activity over the main channels and on the shallow bars next to the channels. Given the cold water temperatures, it’s important to work the lures slowly and try to maintain contact with the bottom. If winds are light, it’s fairly easy to do so with lighter jigheads like eighth ounce, but as it gets windier and if currents are stronger, heavier jigheads will be necessary. Most of the fish caught in channels this time of year will bite within a short distance of the drop off, and close to the bottom.”

Padre Island National Seashore Billy Sandifer - Padre Island Safaris - 361.937.8446 Oversized and slot redfish, Atlantic bluefish, whiting, pompano, black drum and sheepshead are all possible in the January surf as are sandbar, bull and blacktipped sharks. Live and cut mullet and whiting will be best for the reds and bluefish while fresh dead shrimp and “Fishbites” will produce whiting, pompano, black drum and sheepshead. Nighttime shark fishing seems best during winter and kayaked baits are more productive than cast baits although wise shark fishermen will always have one cast bait out. Scattered speckled trout are possible and while numbers are small the size tends to run large. Various 51M and 52M MirrOlures retrieved at snail’s pace produce best on the trout. January fronts tend to come from the northeast rather than from due north or northwest and care must be taken as this can really push the water high on the dunes and trap drivers in all the dead fish killed by the red tide and cause flat tires. Insure that you have plenty Fix-a-Flat, tire plugs and a portable 12-volt air compressor available.

Port Mansfield | Terry Neal www.terrynealcharters.com – 956.944.2559 Hope everyone had new waders on their Christmas list; these last couple of northers have put a pretty good chill on the water. A good

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layer of Under Armour is a must, followed by a good upper body layer of polyester, then your favorite fishing shirt. This will keep you warm and let you shed some of it and stay comfortable as it warms throughout the day. A waterproof parka as a top layer is also a good idea to break the wind and keep you dry while wading. The saying goes, "One day chicken, next day feathers." Wintertime in South Texas is a little different than the rest of the coast; for one thing the fishing is usually pretty consistent, but no matter what you hear, fish don't bite every day. And how do all those boogers decide not to bite at the same time? But when it’s good down here it’s really good. The other day every mature trout had at least one 8-10 inch mullet in it; so they do eat well in winter. Patience! Happy New Year!

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Janie and Fred Petty – www.fishingwithpettys.com – 956.943.2747 In the end, 2011 is going to be one for the record books. We’ve continued to limit out on redfish for the last two months straight. Trout have been a little sketchier, depending on weather and the debris that is swirling downwind of the dredge pipes. Flounder were down in numbers at the end of October and the beginning of November, but are picking up again at the end of the year. The red tide is no longer an issue for folks on Padre Island and was never a problem in the bay.

The Lower Laguna Madre is still not looking good as far as bay grasses are concerned…the west side especially is covered with a layer of silt that has stacked up in front of the Cullen House, and is easily stirred when there’s wind from any direction. Freddy says, “We’ll be able to get a better idea of what will happen with the turtle grass next spring, since it’s dormant during winter months. That’s when we’ll see if the silt is hurting normal growth.” Dredging is a necessary evil, but maybe we could have less impact from it if the dredged material were deposited differently.

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Jillian Aransas Bay - 25.5” red

Tommy Taylor Rockport - 28” redfish CPR

Carlo Taino Mesquite Flats - 27” trout CPR

Bruce & Kit Kivell Matagorda - 31” 10lb bull red CPR

Lamar May Lower Laguna Madre - 27.5” speckled trout Daniel Barker Port Bolivar - 20lb redfish

Colton Knipling Baffin Bay - 27” 7lb trout 90 | January 2012

Stefon Stevens Galveston - 6’ 2” blacktip shark

Cooper Port Mansfield - first redfish!

Derrick Greene & Stefon Stevens Texas City dike - double drum CPR

Dino Gutierrez Baffin Bay - 26” & 27” drums Clarence & Richard Roussett PINS - drum CPR

Cathy Colomo Riojas Nueces Bay - 26” red CPR

Dax Riley 43” 32+lb - drum CPR

Spencer Bell Redfish Bay - 32” red CPR

Juliana Bernal Point Comfort - 18” first sheepshead!

Colin Fletcher 25” redfish

Russell Braun Baffin Bay - 30” 9lb trout

Johnny Brisco Port O’Connor - 25.5” redfishbiggest to date!

Kealey Brisco Port O’Connor - first sheepshead!

Charles DeJarnett Port Aransas - 36” redfish Sara Buhr POC - 26” personal best red!

Travis Bryant Port O’Connor - 27.5” redfish

Caroline Burkett Aransas Pass - 26” first keeper red!

Becca Rozsypal Mitchell’s Cut - 50+" bull red

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James Adamczyk Arroyo City - 18” first redfish! CPR

Tom Gardner Galveston Jetty - 37” redfish

Mail photos to: TSFMag P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 TSFMAG.com | 91

Pam Johnson

Gulf Coast Kitchen CRANBERRY PICO DE GALLO From the kitchen of Camille Null…

Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe.

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

Email them to pam@tsfmag.com or send by fax: 361-785-2844

Chef Joe recommends Braman Winery C10 Chardonnay or Sparkles Sparkling White as a compliment.

1 pkg fresh cranberries; rinsed, drained and finely chopped in food processor 1 cup chopped green onion 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro 2 or 3 chopped fresh jalapeño peppers 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice 3/4 cup sugar

Mix and serve with crackers and cream cheese.

Better on second day after flavors come together.

ANCHO-HONEY GLAZED SALMON From the kitchen of Chef Joe Braman

16 to 20 ounce portion fresh salmon fillet 2 Tbsp olive oil 1/4 cup honey

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp ancho chili powder 1/2 tsp salt

-Sprinkle salmon fillet lightly with salt and marinate two hours in olive oil.

-Whisk together honey, mustard, chili powder and salt to create glaze.

-Preheat oven to 400ºF. -Place salmon fillet on greased baking sheet and brush half the glaze mixture.

-Bake 10 minutes and then brush remaining glaze mixture onto fillet - continue baking for about 10 more minutes.

-Serve with rice and steamed asparagus. (Serves two adults.)

Cooking Hint: For less “fishy” salmon remove skin before marinating and cooking.

92 | January 2012

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GALVESTON TIDES & SOLUNAR TABLE Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine JANUARY 2012

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

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