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Contents

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER

JULY 2011 Volume 21 No. 3

Everett Johnson Everett@tsfmag.com

FeatUres

20

08 Tournament Tales 14 A Different Perspective 20 A Strategic Withdrawal 24 First Aid…Plan First 28 First Ones Are Good Ones 32 When the Sun Beats Down Like...

36 Plugging the Texas Coast...

28

Mike McBride Kevin Cochran Billy Sandifer Martin Strarup Chuck Uzzle Joe Richard Joe Doggett

Coastal Birding Let’s Ask The Pro Fly Fishing TPWD Field Notes Conservation Kayak Fishing According to Scott Youth Fishing Texas Nearshore and Offshore Fishy Facts

72 74 76 78 80 82 84

36

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

92

NATIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE Bart Manganiello Bartalm@optonline.net

Patti@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-649-2265 BUSINESS / ACCOUNTING MANAGER Shirley Elliott Shirley@tsfmag.com CIRCULATION SUBSCRIPTION – PRODUCT SALES Linda Curry Cir@tsfmag.com ADDRESS CHANGED? Email Store@tsfmag.com DESIGN & LAYOUT Stephanie Boyd Office: 361-785-4282 stephanie@tsfmag.com

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

reGUlars 06 70 86 90 92

Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-550-9918

Patti Elkins

Billy Sandifer Jay Watkins Casey Smartt Alice Best CCA Texas Scott Null Scott Sommerlatte Jake Haddock Mike Jennings Stephanie Boyd

What oUr GUides haVe to saY

32

Pam Johnson Pam@tsfmag.com

REGIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE

departMents 23 40 42 46 50 54 58 60 62 66

VICE PRESIDENT PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine is published monthly.

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aBoUt the CoVer Joe Richard shows off a nice jetty speck while sporting lots of sun protection. The summer months are the worst for risk of skin damage. Joe offers lots of good advice beginning on page 32.

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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 don’t Forget

the kids Scott Null has a great story in this month’s Kayak Fishing Department explaining the role of family members in his development as a fishermen. In his words: “Most of us with a lifelong passion for fishing started as youngsters fishing with a parent, grandparent or possibly another family member.

I was lucky to have all the above. Some had no passion of their own but were kind enough to indulge mine.”

Now either some kids are awful lucky or that must happen a lot. I say this because it happened to me also.

My mother, bless her heart, drove me out to Big Run Creek well before daylight on many a school day before I was old enough to drive so that I could get in an hour or two of trout fishing before I had to be in class. When she picked me up I would change clothes in the back seat and then gobble breakfast before grabbing my books to beat the homeroom bell. She cleaned my catch. And by the way - Mickey D never invented the breakfast gut bomb. She had it perfected long before they ever dreamed of it. I still call it Egg McShirley.

My dad was equally awesome. He would help us mow the grass in our old Ford Galaxy’s headlights and helped us the same way in the garden so we could spend all day Saturday at Pymatuning Reservoir or Neshannock Creek. When he worked the graveyard shift, without going to bed Saturday morning, he would take us hunting and fishing all day. He was an avid outdoorsman with plenty buddies he could have gone with instead, but he went that extra mile for his boys.

I have written here of the joy of taking my own kids fishing and now my grandkids, but Scott’s story really hit home. Part of being a good parent, grandparent, uncle or aunt includes getting the younger generation on the water and out in the field. In this crazy busy time we live in we all have important things to do and fishing and hunting time is often scarce, a rare chance to get away and unwind. Taking a kid along can sometimes be cumbersome – I know. But in leaving them behind we miss a heck of a chance to make a difference in their young lives. And even if you have no kids, or maybe yours are grown and gone; I’m sure there are plenty of nephews, nieces, or youngsters in the neighborhood.

As Scott says, “Take a kid fishing is more than just a slogan, it is an important thing to do for many reasons.” I cannot help but think if more kids had the opportunity to learn and grow in the outdoors we would have far less trouble in our schools and our society in general.

I can remember my dad saying, “Son, you can only expect to get out what you put in.” As applied to parenting and mentoring, I think he hit the nail on the head. Fourth of July weekend is a great time to go.

6 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 7

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Story

by

Mike MCbride

It’s that time again when fishing tournaments rule most weekends.

Various formats will pepper the inshore calendar from semi-pro NASCAR-shirted deals to charity events and corporate team building. I don’t compete often anymore but recently fished the 24th Annual J.P Griffon Memorial here in Port Mansfield.

Competitive lessons from the past were remembered and related thoughts reinforced. Many will be registering for competitions soon, so I figured I might share some of our latest experience. Here’s hoping a few lessons learned the hard way might help others.

The “Griffon” is organized in memory J.P. Griffon who lost his life on the road traveling to fish Mansfield. It’s an invitational charity event with no purse, but clearly one of the more prestigious sausage pulling contests down here. Heavy hitting teams converge each year looking to hang a coveted plaque, protect their honor, or perhaps gain some. It’s almost comical what fishermen will do for bragging rights, but that’s another story.

Our team, “Doc & Sons”, sports two former TroutMaster foes besides other talent. Like many in the big trout brotherhood, we met during the days when Mickey Eastman was at the helm of Gulf Coast TroutMasters. I just needed to get them in the right zip code. As always, a good plan is everything. We thought we had one but conditions had to be perfect. A miracle must have happened because the weather guy actually gave us the favorable winds as

predicted. Good conditions give everybody strong opportunity though, so we knew the heat was on.

Despite early-bird intentions, I watched in horror (still nappy headed and spilling coffee on my underwear) as several boats were already leaving at 0400. We fumbled with a blinky spotlight, working better as a blinder in the pre-dawn humidity, and managed to squint into our area unchallenged. The thirty-minute wait for official time was agonizing, quietly listening to bait crashing in the dark above distant roars of approaching boats.

Cody Stripling, our youngest talent, chunked a topwater at T-plus two seconds. An aggressive three-pounder immediately rocketed out of the water ejecting the rest of us from the boat. Thankfully, increasing light betrayed a bait line fifty feet wide seemingly to the horizon, tightly hugging a shoreline contour. How awesome when the first part of your plan actually works? Time for the second part of any tournament equation - figuring out the bite for the best fish available.

The heavier sticks, Doc “Guitar” Saenz, Mark “Javelina Head” Trevino, and Cody, lined up shallow to deep and headed north, probing every feature. Ray, our least experienced but never to be underestimated (though still yanking on monofilament), eased south with me toward a little point working alive with bait. We literally started smoking trout every cast on topwaters, but basically

Team Doc & Sons with their hardware; (L-R) Ray, Mark, Cody, Mike and Doc.

8 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 9

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all clones pushing two to three pounds. We knew bigger fish were there though, seeing them following the smaller ones hooked. Time to adjust!

The other guys, nearly out of sight, had already figured it out.

Their better fish, like ours, were shallower and away from all the bait ruckus along a shin deep sand ridge pocked with grass. Location figured, it was time to figure presentation. Cody called up better fish on a junior-sized plug, so all switched and started dialing in. Doc, our topwater strength, finally strummed into the right rhythm, a slower cadence to Eric Clapton’s She’s Waiting. It worked.

Mark, seeing us good on trout, led the charge for equally important redfish poundage. Fishing as a team we managed a tad over fifty pounds, giving us a solid eight pound lead, with our trout averaging five pounds. Then it was time to put a plan together for day two.

The weatherman said fair conditions early so we tried to repeat the pattern. Wrong! The weather geeks might need to clean their crystal ball as once again the prediction fell way short of reality. The closer we got the heavier the whitecaps - from the wrong direction.

Our gimmie was gone. Time to punt.

A good defense can sometimes be a good offense. Knowing another “hero” was unlikely, we re-scripted the plan hoping that an average box boosted by an eight pound lead would be enough.

We opted for another spot with decent potential on the predicted strong NE wind that was to come later in the day. Wrong again.

That big wind kick never happened and the bite we counted on didn’t either. Like we learned in TroutMasters though, you just have to fish the hand you dealt yourself, or rather, fish your way out of your mistakes.

With no bite it was scramble time! Javelina Head starts rooting on hands and knees on the bank, sight-casting mid-slot reds. Not tournament class fish but a great save. Everybody split efforts using their best game; topwater guys going for upgrades, others going

neck deep ensuring a full string even if small, another going for flounder - every ounce critical. Can you imagine the goat ears we would have worn blowing an eight pound lead? We limped in still hoping and were fortunate to win. Sometimes you win because others fumble, but regardless; here’s some of what I either learned or relearned.

Pick your team: Depends on the format of course, but when you need aggregate weight from multiple species, sometimes your bro-in-law or nice neighbor needs to stay home. Mix guys who specialize or strong hybrids that can do it all. If you are going to sign up, might as well fish it to win. Being an “also ran” is boring.

Just ask me.

Agree on goals: Some of the best, simplest advice I ever got was from long time Corpus guide Joe Mendez. “You’re doing it all wrong,” he said. “Catch fish first…then upgrade.” Doing anything else, unless very fortunate, sets you up for either a hero or zero outcome. That’s what I used to do before getting smarter. Thanks Joe. Making a plan: Many factors here and it’s not always about being on the biggest fish. You still have to have opportunity to catch them. Logistics are crucial. “Where can I be, at the right time, to maximize efforts without being covered up by others?” Much depends on your boat, weather, tides, launching time, rules, etc. Put it all together and stay with it.

Brains to change: Like these guys did, work to figure out the strongest bite and adapt to whatever you are given. In our case, it would have been tempting to casually enjoy that every-cast three-pounder topwater bite, missing what was needed. Adapting to adversity and doing what it takes is also huge, and often means going out of your element. Trout guys begging for flounder or crawling on hands and knees for reds are examples.

Confidence: Like Jay Watkins always says, “Ya gotta know they are there and know you can catch ‘em.”

Adjusting Day Two plan: Depending on day one, where are

Graying muzzle not strictly required, the youthful Cody stayed bowed-up consistently.

10 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 11

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you on the board and what do you need to do; offense or defense?

Anybody can be a one-hit wonder but doing it two days in a row culls many from the herd. As Doc said, “We just needed to hold.”

Many leads have been blown trying to “hero” and not even getting all your fish.

Other practical considerations: Always maximize casting time. Use that toilet paper before you launch – by the way, where did Ray go?

You have to land what you hook, so avoid break-offs, straightened hooks, and other lost opportunities. Right Cody?

Taking care of your catch is also big. Just throwing fish on top of ice will cost you critical ounces through dehydration. Keeping them submerged in an icy slush is much better.

Choosing which fish to weigh-in is also critical. Handheld scales can vary. Test for accuracy using a gallon jug of water - should weigh 8.4 pounds. A half gallon should weigh 4.2 pounds.

Remember that Karma follows you. For every boat or wader you give wide berth, you will earn another blessing. I promise.

· · · · ·

It took Doc a while to find the beat but he ending up strumming some good ones.

Win, lose, or draw; tournaments can teach us much if we want them too. I probably learn more when I lose, but this was fun. The Griffon is great people, great cause, high challenge. Whatever your competitive intentions; good luck and enjoy.

Contact

Mike Mcbride

12 13 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Mike McBride is a full time fishing guide based in Port Mansfield, TX, specializing in wadefishing with artificial lures.

Contact Skinny Water Adventures Telephone 956-746-6041

Email McTrout@Granderiver.net Website Skinnywateradventures.com/ Three_MudSkateers.wmv

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Story

by

keVin CoChran

In early May, I had the opportunity to spend four days on the water with a trophy trout enthusiast from Virginia. Sheldon Arey and I caught and released probably 300 trout that week, about one quarter of which measured over twenty inches. We didn’t catch a monster, though we did take pictures of several impressive specimens, measuring up to 29 inches and weighing nearly eight pounds.

We caught our fish shallow on a variety of lures. On the first day, under the influence of a passing front, MirrOlure Provoker soft plastics on sixteenth ounce heads accounted for almost all the fish.

While steady northeast winds continued to blow the second day, we caught trout on Provokers, sinking Fat Boys and topwaters too. The topwater bite improved even more the third and fourth days.

My studious client caught on quickly to wading and fishing waters less than waist-deep, things he doesn’t do much back east. Effectively wielding one of my Laguna spinning rods, he caught plenty of specks and big ones too.

Sheldon came to Texas after purchasing and studying my books and DVDs and applying some of what he learned to his fishing back home.

Over the last year or so, he’d sent me several emails to let me know the techniques I describe and recommend were working for him. The pictures he attached to the messages documented some real monster trout, including one over twelve pounds! A partner of his caught the giant off his boat last winter, on a day when the air temperature stayed below freezing, the water temperature below 40°.

While we fished and talked during his visit, the retired Naval officer described in detail how he and his partners use Paul Brown’s Original Lures to catch big spotted seatrout, mostly in fall and winter. Later, he was kind enough to send me a written description of their techniques, some of which I’ve quoted below. What these guys do with Fat Boys in deep water is impressive, and completely different from anything I’ve heard of or seen here in the Lone Star State.

Applying aspects of their methods might be a way to catch more jumbo trout locally. The strategies Mr. Arey describes are used by him and a select few others in southeastern Virginia to target trout, primarily in tidal rivers adjacent to plants discharging warm water. “These rivers generally have a four to five foot tidal range and…a two to three knot current runs at times.” They “are deep, with flats falling off into staircase shelves that usually start at eight feet, then drop to 15 feet, then 25 to 35 feet or more.”

“The water in the rivers tends to be in the upper 30s to… low 50s temperature range from late December through early March, which… makes our trout lethargic. When the water cools to around 50°…we start looking for specks along the staircase shelves and other spots.”

When targeting fish on ledges, “we look for shelves with a moderate current and start where the water drops to eight or ten feet. If the current is not too strong, one of us will cast across the current up onto the flats….

The other angler will stand on the

Sheldon Arey holding a solid Texas trout weighing nearly 8 pounds he caught in knee deep water on a floating Fat Boy.

14 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 15

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

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bow and cast the lure as far up-current as possible and work the lure slowly back. When the water drops into the lower 40s, the fish are often in deeper water and we…try deeper shelves in the twelve to fifteen-foot depths.”

“Our rivers tend to have a few barrow and barge pits off the main rivers where trout congregate. These pits are usually twelve to twenty feet deep and have little current in them.

We apply our…methods in these locations until the water temperature [drops to] around 40 degrees.”

Among the most enlightening aspects of these NortheastCoast anglers’ methods are the presentation styles they prefer with their Fat Boys. They deploy what Sheldon describes as “low and slow” techniques, having developed them because they “did not know [they] weren’t supposed to use a Corky in deep water.”

One favored retrieve involves making “a long cast with a sinking Corky and letting it sink to the bottom [on] slack line.”

Sheldon states he will count “to twenty in most locations for ten to fifteen feet of water using the 1001, 1002 counting method

Sheldon Arey with a beautifully colored, fat trout caught in a riverside cove in late February of this year.

[and] will then pick up…slack and start a retrieve.” He will then point the “rod tip at the water and make four rapid sweeps with the rod while reeling in slack to make the Corky walk the dog in sharp jerks.”

Then he will “let the Corky fall back to the bottom using a count of at least ten” even more in deeper and/or colder water. Most strikes occur “as the Corky is slowly sinking back down toward the bottom.” He will then make four downward sweeps and another pause, repeating “the process all the way back to the boat, [and that] some fish follow…to the boat and can strike on subsequent pauses all the way up to the surface.” Significantly, he asserts, “when the water is very cold, it may be necessary for the lure to touch the bottom before the trout will strike it.”

A second described presentation involves making “a long cast and letting the lure sink all the way to the bottom before starting the retrieve for maximum effectiveness.” Once the line is tightened “after the cast, this retrieve calls for two short and light

Virginia’s Bill Stewart caught this 30.5 inch, 9.5 pound trout using the methods described in this piece.

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twitches with the rod tip again pointing toward the water followed by a slow retrieve to pick up the slack” while the lure is sinking.

The angler is basically retrieving line “at a slow, steady rate all the way back to the boat with two twitches after each pause.” He warns that the lure must be watched “carefully, as it is easy to operate the retrieve too rapidly, which will make the lure ride too high in the water column.” Sheldon also cautions anyone targeting winter specks in deep water with these lures and techniques to watch the line at all times when the plug is sinking, as fish often pick them up lightly and begin swimming off with them.

Sluggish fish in cold water often bite subtly, so any light tap or even a slight change in the feel of the lure should be assumed to be a fish. Maintaining contact with the lure is critical to feeling light

Sheldon Arey with a 29.5 inch Virginia trout.

Virginia angler Bob Sufficool with his 12.5 pound trout. The cold apparently made the angler’s hands and the camera hard to operate!

As Sheldon and his buddies have clearly shown, speckled trout in one state behave similarly to those in another, even one that’s more than a thousand miles away. Lures known to catch fish in one place will likely work in others, especially if the folks using those lures are open-minded and deploy them with intelligence and creativity in the proper locations.

Contact

bites, as is the use of braided lines, which facilitate better strike detection and sink faster than monofilament.

Several aspects of the methods used and described by the angler from the Old Dominion State seem to offer potential to anglers here in coastal Texas. Obviously, some might employ the countdown, low and slow retrieves to target fish in deep Here’s Bob canals and basins in winter. Others might attempt to apply Sufficool with these strategies in the warmest weather, when many trout seek a pretty trout caught in a cove cooler temperatures associated with deep water along ship alongside the channel spoil banks and around structures standing in deep, river channel. open-bay areas.

Experimenting with countdown times and retrieve speeds to maintain close contact with the bottom would be critical to making these techniques productive. A low and slow technique will Kevin Cochran only work if the lures are moving with the current rather than against it, especially if the current is moderate to strong.

Kevin Cochran is a full-time fishing Some might suggest placing weights on the Fat Boys to allow guide at Corpus Christi (Padre Island), TX. Kevin is a speckled them to be worked faster in relatively deep water. Sheldon and trout fanatic and has authored I disagree with such a practice, since adding weights to Corkys two books on the subject. Kevin’s changes the rate and manner in which they fall through the home waters stretch from Corpus water on slack line. This change is not a positive one, nor is it an Christi Bay to the Land Cut. acceptable consequence.

Email Trout Tracker Guide Service I won’t likely employ these techniques very often, given my KCochran@stx.rr.com Telephone preference for wading and fishing shallow water, but Texas anglers Website 361-688-3714 www.FishBaffinBay.com who prefer fishing from an anchored boat could definitely benefit from trying the deep-water methods described by the Virginia anglers.

18 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 19

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Story

by

billy SandiFer

Beach conditions remain rough with only very short breaks in the wind; sargassum still rolling in.

Well, I turned sixty-four in June and Mother Nature sure is letting me know it in spades. Today is the eighteenth day I’ve had to battle staph infection in both legs from my knees to my ankles. As I have received no visible wounds the doctors don’t seem to know what caused it any more than I do but I fully know how miserable it is to attempt to keep your feet elevated for over two weeks. As such I’ve broken last month’s record – that is having run only one fishing charter in five months. I have always wanted and intended to guide all my life and it may well turn out that I will, but it’s time for some changes. I should have done so several years back but instead have been living in total denial of my age and extreme wear and tear factor.

I don’t know how many hours the average guided fishing trip lasts or how much it costs but mine have averaged thirteen to fifteen hours per day for the past twenty-one years. Now I am an old farm boy and grew up with daylight till dark work so I can live with that on light tackle trips but shark trips are a different story. Shark trips are dangerous and tremendously labor intensive.

Those of you who have honored me by going shark fishing with me know that already. Also many shark charters get re-scheduled for various 20 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 21

reasons and cost me prime season weekend dates when we could easily have fished for light tackle species. I charge $600.00 for 2 persons for shark fishing and $500.00 for two persons light tackle.

I have been hit by a bull shark, beat to pieces by kayaks, swam as

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PINS Beach, seven foot bull shark, tag-photo-release by Eric “Oz” Ozolins during a recent, brief lull in the wind.

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Last year I had several really close calls and the reality I have been avoiding finally became painfully clear to me. The years have taken a toll on me and if I don’t hop to it and modify my behaviors I am genuinely going to kill myself. As such, me and that leaking kayak are through. I am ceasing to do shark charters as of this time. All other charter services will continue.

We often sightcast sharks and I will continue to do that or fish cast baits for sharks in the first gut, just no more kayaking. Likewise I am canceling bay kayak charters. It’s simple, I have too many irons in the fire and some aren’t paying their way. Let’s see; twenty years hauling baits through the surf in a kayak, twenty-two years in a one man life raft using my hands as paddles, plus a few earlier years using inner tubes, swim fins, or surf boards without skegs.

Now I don’t know about you, but to tell you the truth, that sounds long enough to me. Things got a lot tougher when I was diagnosed with COPD and only 62% of normal lung function three years ago.

When you battle across a large swell on the sand bar and find yourself down in the trough and unable to force your chest to heave and lungs to give you much needed oxygen it sure gets your attention.

I’ll probably always occasionally shark fish myself or with friends but not on charters. Somewhere along the line I got so busy fighting to make a living that there was no time for me to take Billy fishing, and for those beloved extended camping trips “down island” or just going “walkabout” or playing nearshore in the Panga. Then too, there is that book people have been at me to write for thirty years.

So, I’m still available for charters; just not for kayaking shark baits on charters. I have no doubt whatsoever after this magazine hits the newsstands I will immediately receive a rash of phone calls from folks who have been putting off going shark fishing with me for 22 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 23

years begging me to take them. All I can say is you better be awful convincing.

As of 24 May, 155 Kemps ridley turtle nests have been discovered on the Texas coast with 96 of them being on PINS. So keep in mind that 69 of them have been Memorial Weekend – Amy found on other beaches. This is Wernli of Woodsboro was all more nests than the total number smiles landing her first shark found during the entire nesting on the beach – 5’6” lesser season last year. It is also the blacktip – tag, photo, release! largest number found by this date since the beginning of the Sea Turtle Recovery Program.

With non-ending sargassum and daily high winds and seas, it’s nice to see something is going well on PINS. I was nominated for another conservation award back in January. Sport Fishing Magazine’s “Making a Difference” award this time. There are a goodly number of candidates including Guy Harvey and I really haven’t paid much attention to it nor told you of it till the voting was over on June 1. Hell, I’m not a politician.

They have a website you could go to and vote once a day for your choice. There will be five finalists.

Two will be chosen from the website votes and the company will pick the other three. Sounds like politics doesn’t it. Hey, anything that helps conservation is O.K. with me. As of 27 May I am listed as the top vote getter from the voting that has taken place on their website. I’m strictly taking a “wait and see” attitude concerning this whole deal but do want to say A BIG THANK YOU to all who took the time to vote.

I have NOT been able to validate this but one of the internet message boards has been full of stories of numerous pods of good-sized adult tarpon in Corpus Christi Bay, and all the way in to Ingleside. That’s ol’ pre-70s traditional tarpon behavior. Adult sharks are being reported in the same areas, but then again there was an eighteen pound speckled trout reported last week too. Full moon does weird things to ALL species.

Well, I’ll go put my feet up in the air and y’all try not to get blown away. I’ll be like a kid at Christmas when this surf ever gets right.

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

Capt. Billy Sandifer

Contact

much as 600 yards after getting knocked out of a kayak by a tsunami and suffered more injuries than I can even begin to remember rolling around in the surf with sharks up to 820 pounds.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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.

Telephone 361-937-8446

Website www.billysandifer.com Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Great Blue Heron -Ardea HerodiasLarge gray-blue heron with a black stripe extending above eye. White fore-neck is streaked with black. Feeds on aquatic life which it stalks slowly and methodically. Breeds throughout North and Central America, the Caribbean, Greater Antilles and the Galapagos Islands. Found on rivers, streams, in marshes and swamps as well as the shorelines, mangroves and tidal flats. Nest is a large platform placed either in tall trees or more often in mangrove bushes. Colonial nester. Lays 3-5 large blue eggs which hatch in 28 days. While working for Audubon as a Coastal Warden we built nest boxes for these birds on spoil islands. Unfortunately it doesn’t take much human interaction to cause these birds to abandon their nests so it’s up to us to give them some breathing/breeding room when we see them bunched on spoil islands in the summer.

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Length: 46 inches Wingspan: 72 inches Weight: 5.3 pounds

Coming 2012 Watch for the newest most advanced Power-Pole anchor.

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Photo Credit: Jimmy Jackson Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 23

Story

by

Martin Strarup

The old saying among wade fishermen is that once we step out of the boat we enter the food chain. In the water we are no longer the apex predator we are on land where we rule supreme over the creatures of the wild.

We use protective gear designed to deflect or stop the barb of a stingray or we shuffle our feet, sliding along the bottom to avoid stepping on a ray and excite it to whip its tail in self-defense. If we are really proactive we have a well-stocked first aid kit with up to date items in it which are used to treat stingray barb wounds, hook punctures, cuts, scrapes and jellyfish stings.

We should keep onboard, peroxide and or bleach to clean the punctures, cuts and scrapes and antibacterial ointments or solutions to apply as a final prevention from infection and lessen the chance of vibrio vulnificus invading your system.

So what should a marine first aid kit contain? I can tell you what is in the first aid kit on my boat. I did some checking before I put one together and I wanted to avoid having to buy a ready-made kit, so I more or less followed what the USCG has in their kits and made my own modifications.

Bandages (Band-Aid to larger compression bandages.)

Iodine swabs Antibiotic ointment Eyewash Bleach Peroxide Burn ointment OTC pain meds - I carry aspirin, Advil and Tylenol Heat packs Cold packs Tweezers Here are some of the items I like to Scissors

It would be nice if we could keep prescription antibiotic in our kits but with federal laws the way they are and with the reluctance of physicians to prescribe antibiotics these days, it would be hard to do so. For myself though, I’m going to try and always have a broad spectrum antibiotic with me when I travel from now on.

Case in point is this past Memorial Day weekend when some friends and I went on an overnight fishing trip; I had some tooth discomfort a week earlier but with flossing and brushing the irritation went away and I thought no more of it. I figured that it could wait until my next dental appointment to get checked out.

We left on Saturday morning and stayed at a friend’s house out in the bay. The wind was howling and our hopes for finding clean water to wade was diminishing by the hour. At lunch I grilled some deer sausage and when I took a bite of my sandwich I was rewarded with a sharp pain in my upper left jaw. It really hurt and the throbbing that came with it lasted all night. I didn’t bring our boat so I didn’t have my First Aid kit but a friend had some pain reliever in his shaving kit and without it I doubt that I would have made the night without having to be taken to a clinic. Supper was miserable for me and if it wasn’t liquid – well I just couldn’t chew.

By Sunday morning I could feel fever in my upper left jaw with the gum swelling at the rear molar – I felt perfectly horrible. If anything touched the gum it felt as if my head would blow up so we packed up and headed in. It was a long two hour drive home and I had called my wife and had her calling the doctors and dentists but none were available on the long weekend. I debated going to the emergency room because I didn’t want to spend the money for one and for

keep in my on-the-water First Aid kit.

24 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 25

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

another I didn’t know how they would treat an oral disorder. So I called them and explained my situation. I was told that the attending physician would examine me and probably recommend that I see my dentist on Tuesday.

Good call not going in; I had planned on doing that anyway.

By Monday morning I was really hurting and sick too; without some leftover prescription pain meds I would have had to go to the ER. I finally got in touch with a dentist who prescribed me some antibiotic and got started on that, then went to see the dentist on Wednesday morning.

What he discovered was that I had cracked my upper rear molar at the gum line and food and other nastiness had gotten in and caused an abscess and the tooth couldn’t be saved. I was lucky that I had been taking the antibiotic as the swelling was down enough for the dentist to remove the tooth. So with a prescription for more antibiotic and some fresh pain pills I left the dentist’s office with a numb face but thankful that the whole ordeal hadn’t been worse. The dentist reminded me how close that infection was to my brain… that will make you think.

Back to wade fishing – we hear a lot of shark stories these days. To my thinking the best solution for dealing with aggressive sharks when wading is to avoid them. Why risk sacrificing valuable body parts when all you have to do is get in the boat and fish another spot?

Now not all areas of all bays are plagued with this problem. In areas where shark encounters have become notoriously common we see and hear of fishermen taking uncommon measures. Keeping your catch on a stringer is a bad idea in sharky places and more and more fishermen are inventing shark proof containers for their fish. Personally I can put up with a few pesky black tips but when bull sharks six feet and longer show up, I’ll be drift fishing the area for the rest of my time there.

Just recently a guy told me he nearly lost some fingers reaching to grab a trout splashing at his side in belly deep water. It seems he reached for the fish at the exact time a sizeable black tip decided it wanted it too. The only reason there was no loss of appendages is that the shark nailed it a split second before his hand closed around it. A quality wading net will set you back about $30.

As we move farther away from crowds to find solitude and fish, we also move farther Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

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Pressed by necessity, wade fishermen have developed various contraptions to protect their catch from pesky sharks.

away from easy access to hospitals and emergency rooms and in some cases far enough that our cellular phones cannot find a signal. Marine radios have come a long way over time and the waterproof models hold up very well these days. That radio can save someone’s life should an emergency come up and your iPhone has no service.

Dangers from what is in the water are only part of the concerns we should have when we leave the dock. How many of you are skilled

26 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 27

Contact

in CPR and have taken a basic First Aid course? There are many different courses offered online so you can learn the basics of First Aid and learn how to properly administer CPR from the comfort of your home. If you take people fishing you owe it to them and to yourself to complete one of the First Aid and CPR courses that are available.

So it’s not just things that are in the water that can cause us grief when we go fishing. Anyone can get sick, fall down and injure themselves, have a heart attack, heat stroke, or any multitude of maladies that can strike at any moment. Take it upon yourself as the captain to cover all the bases, emergencies can arise both in or out of the water.

Be Safe.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Martin Strarup 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

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 27

Story

by

Chuck Uzzle

Looking into your past it’s easy to reflect on “firsts”.

First love, first car, first house, and so on. They all hold a special place in the memory bank. As fishermen we have a whole section of our brain dedicated to firsts.

Big trout, big redfish, or perhaps that first fish on artificial. For a guide, one of the best things we get to experience is one of these firsts with our clients.

Easily at the top of the list is the first fish. I have been so very fortunate to be a part of the process where everyone from kids to anglers in their 80s have taken a first fish in my boat and that’s an honor I don’t take lightly. Many years ago as a young guide trying to figure it all out, my good friend, Dickie Colburn, put it all in perspective for me when he said, “Son you have to realize that when you take people out on the water this is their special day, they will remember it far longer than you will so it’s your job to treat it like that.” Those words still ring true and to this day I try to look at each day on the water with someone in my boat the same way, it’s a special day any way you look at it.

Jonah’s “first” topwater redfish!

28 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 29

Of all the “first times” I have been a part of as a guide, I have probably Hardly a “first” had more of them with for Hunter but he my friend Barry James was happy to get of Baytown. Barry in the action too. started fishing with me in the 90s when his daughters were young.

Barry had no idea what fishing was all about but he knew he liked spending time with his girls and fishing seemed like a great way to do that. Throughout the next several years both Barry and his daughters experienced several fishing firsts.

They caught their first redfish, first fish on artificial lures, learned to cast their first open-face reel, and so on. The whole family would occasionally come and it was awesome to witness how far each one of them had progressed from that first day we shared on the boat. To this day we are still good friends and I get messages detailing the girl’s exploits in the classroom, on the bay, and now in the deer blind. The memorable trips like those with Barry and his daughters are what it’s really all about when you get right down to it.

It may not be a true “first time” but it certainly has been a long time since we suffered through a prolonged bout with the wind like we did in May and early June. You can tell it was bad because all the guys I know now have trailer lights that actually work and really clean boats. These are things that most guides put off when the fishing is good. On the occasional day that we actually could peek our heads out into the bay it was just as good as we could have imagined. It was also as crowded as you could imagine since everybody and their first cousin had cabin fever. It was almost like a ghost town in the protected water of the Sabine River and ship channels, a mass exodus towards a flat lake and calm Gulf of Mexico.

And just as you might guess, the calm days only served to tease the local anglers for just as quick as the wind died it came back to life and once again pinned the masses to the banks and protected stretches of the river. Even my main program in the shallow water suffered since the winds made it hard to see fish and churned up everything from the lake to a street puddle. A more difficult start to the summer would be hard to imagine, unless you add in the fact that we haven’t had any sizeable amounts of rain in weeks. Hold on to your hat gang because this year is

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

shaping up as one for the books.

Speaking of lack of rain, we really notice that fact in a big way here on Sabine since the runoff from Toledo Bend has been reduced to a fraction of the normal flow. The lack of freshwater coming down the river has enabled saltwater to get into places where it normally doesn’t even come close. Miles up the Sabine River local anglers are finding redfish and blue crabs where it’s normally largemouth bass and crawfish.

The back lakes and marshes are also feeling the saltwater presence as the grass that normally starts to choke off many places is nowhere to be found. Due to the lack of vegetation it’s been a little tougher to pattern the redfish but a little rain will once again have the grass as thick as ever.

On recent trip to scout a few back lakes I had my son Hunter and his buddy Jonah Lemoine on the front as my fishermen for the day. Hunter has obviously been doing this for a while but Jonah was new to this style of fishing. Like many others his age Jonah fishes as much as he can, usually for freshwater fish.

“We’ll catch ‘er again this fall boys, bigger and meaner!”

The learning curve for a young enthusiastic fisherman is steep and Jonah was certainly up to the task. The weapon of choice for most days in the marsh is some sort of surface plug, a Stanley Ribbit or perhaps the She Pup or Spook Jr. Both Hunter and Jonah were throwing She Pups as locator baits since we had a little more wind than we wanted - which makes sight-fishing pretty interesting if not downright tough.

Jonah was not really comfortable chunking the topwater plug but got the hang of it after a little instruction. I knew all it would take would be that first big blow up and he would be as big a fan of fishing the surface as Hunter and me.

Sure enough we got that first big blow up and I don’t think Jonah’s eyes could get any bigger. When the big fish failed to get hooked we were on a mission to get Jonah another shot at his first topwater red and that didn’t take long. A solid fish gave his position away near a shoreline as he pushed along the bank leaving a fine wake.

Jonah made a great cast leading the fish by a few feet and working the plug right into the strike zone. In a textbook move the redfish inhaled the plug and Jonah buried the hook in a flash and the fight was on. After a good fight the redfish was brought to hand and the celebration began with pictures and congratulations. Another great first that I was fortunate enough to be part of and hopefully not the last.

Contact

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

Phone Email Website

409-697-6111 cuzzle@gt.rr.com www.chucksguideservice.net

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 29

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What A Ride: The XT Series bay boats start with a wave busting deep V entry for that soft ride which transitions to a 15-degree dead rise with a step at the stern for shallow water performance. The extreme flare at the bow will definitely keep you and your team dry in even the roughest of conditions.

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There’s room to flush mount up to a 12” screen GPS/Depth Finder right in front of you where it belongs. It includes full instrumentation, lighted rocker switches and dash mounted circuit breakers.

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

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provide lots of space to store rods when not in use. Aft, there is a protected storage area for your keys, wallet, etcetera plus a mounting surface for a stereo and a 12-volt receptacle for charging your IPod or cell phone. Cranking and trolling motor batteries are stored in an isolated storage area with cross ventilation. A locking tackle box storage compartment is accessible from the front.

non-skid finish, a dedicated reinforced landing for the trolling motor and a 12/24/36 volt heavy duty trolling motor harness and receptacle.

Comfortable Seating: At the helm you will find an elevated stainless steel flip back seat with a backrest that locks in to five different positions and a large removable cooler or the optional leaning post which comes standard with a removable backrest, flip down footrest, rocket launchers and large removable cooler. Integrated into the rear deck are two oversized flip up jump seats with drink holders that disappear into the deck when you are fishing. Additional seating is forward on the console. Fore and aft removable pedestal fishing chairs are an available option as well.

The Anchor Locker: Due to the extreme high winds we often experience and the diverse bottom conditions found along the Gulf Coast, it seems like you can never have too much anchor. These XT Series bay boats have an extremely large and impressive anchor locker with enough room for a 13lb Danforth style anchor, 6 feet of chain and 100 feet of 3/8” rope.

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Built For A Lifetime Of Fishing And Fun: Every Sea Fox boat is built to the highest standards. All composite construction means - No Wood = No Rot. Premium Cook isothalic gelcoats featuring a high flex rate and extreme UV protection keep boats looking like new. Transoms are made of 2.25 inch Penske composite board and have an aluminum plate glassed in for added strength needed to support high horsepower and heavier 4 stroke engines. Stringer system is CAD designed and precision cut by an automated router then totally encapsulated in fiberglass when installed in the hull. All thru-hull fittings are stainless steel, not plastic, and below waterline thru-hulls have safety seacock valves.

Wiring harnesses are custom made and color-coded to NMMA specs.

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For Fishing: Vast fore and aft casting decks with diamond non-skid finish, front and rear large oval aerated livewells with high speed pickups, dedicated storage in the floor for a five-gallon bucket and cast net, locking rod boxes hold up to 10 rods (5 on 20’ model), walk around gunwales also with diamond Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Take a look at the Sea Fox advertisement on page 3 of this publication or visit http://www.seafoxboats.com or better yet, go see one in person at a Sea Fox dealer near you. All Texas dealers are listed in their ad.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 31

Story

Ever wonder why desert dwellers cover up so much? It’s because they know the sun can ruin you. They can’t pick up bottles of SPF-80 sunscreen at their local pharmacy, like we do. But as it turns out, they may be ahead of the game. Recent studies suggest that covering up is by far the best method for avoiding permanent skin damage.

Unfortunately for us, many of today’s sunscreens may not be providing adequate protection. Granted, living under harsh desert sun isn’t the same as weekends on the boat. But sun exposure is cumulative. Like punching a clock, the hours add up. Ever seen a coon-eyed bay guide with a face like beef jerky? They have lots of hours on the water, haven’t covered up enough, and are definitely higher-risk.

Long-sleeve sun-proof fishing shirts are stylish these days, and that’s a good thing. But most American anglers still depend on sunscreen to cover exposed skin during a long day on the water. And that ain’t so good. After my wife was carved on by the “skin doctor” in Victoria 15 years ago, we began to read up on skin cancer. In the midst of various sunscreen promotions, a few articles popped up suggesting problems with actual sunscreen use, so we gradually began covering up. It wasn’t easy after so many care-free days on the water. I had spent the entire 70s decade wearing tee-shirt and shorts, cranking a red reel on sun-blasted jetties.

A gradual cover-up followed, finally maxing out two years ago while fishing the entire month of August out of Port O’Connor in drought weather. Almost one hundred percent covered up with no sunburns. And now this article appears online last summer, called Study: Many Sunscreens May Be Accelerating Cancer by Andrew Schneider. (The article can be Googled). Mix the choice paragraphs below with news that skin cancer has more than doubled in the past 32 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com

by

Joe riChard

30 years, and fishermen have a problem to deal with.

Briefly, from Schneider: “The white goop, creams and ointments might prevent sunburn. But don’t count on them to keep the ultraviolet light from destroying your skin cells and causing tumors and lesions, according to researchers at Environmental Working Group. In their annual report to consumers on sunscreen, they say that only 39 of the 500 products they examined were considered safe and effective to use.”

“The report cites these problems with bogus sun protection factor (SPF) numbers: · The use of the hormone-disrupting chemical oxybenzone, which penetrates the skin and enters the bloodstream. · Overstated claims about performance. · The lack of needed regulations and oversight by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“But the most alarming disclosure in this year’s report is the finding that vitamin A and its derivatives, retinol and retinyl palmitate, may speed up the cancer that sunscreen is used to prevent.”

“The ideal sunscreen would completely block the UV rays that cause sunburn, immune suppression and damaging free radicals. It would remain effective on the skin for several hours and not form harmful ingredients when degraded by UV light, the report said. But in the U.S. there is currently no sunscreen that meets all of those criteria. The major choice here is between ‘chemical’ sunscreens that have inferior stability, penetrate the skin and may disrupt the body’s hormone systems, and the ‘mineral’ sunscreens [containing] zinc and titanium dioxide.”

An obvious choice between the two - the latter “mineral” type was highly recommended to me years ago by a dermatologist who

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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Angler on a sunny Navarre pier wearing a Buff.

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 33

specializes in a field where, these days, you may have to wait three months to complete an appointment. It’s a billion-dollar business, repairing sun-damaged bodies. I’ve squirmed under a few skin trimmings myself, though so far no stitches like others have acquired.

It’s just best to stick with sun-proof clothes, at least from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. So let’s cover the areas, so to speak, where fishermen are prone to burning during a long day on the water. And remember that your boat’s t-top may offer precious shade, but reflected light off water (or beach sand) assures you can burn regardless. Let’s take it

Pier, where they’re called Navarre Ninjas. One of the guys I talked to there, aged 60 or so, was covered to the sunglasses and said he’s had about 20 skin cancer procedures. He shook his head and muttered each time a family of Georgia tourists strolled by, their small kids not even wearing hats under a cruel sun. “They’ll learn, one of these days.”

In a pinch for a head wrap, grab a three-pack of bandanas from your local big box store for about $2.99. That’s enough for a threeday trip and you can toss them in the wash after returning. They’re more sun-proof than a Buff, but a little warm on still coastal days. If they’re too hot to wear while Author’s trout at a Texas jetty. Even fishing, at least try them while with sun gloves and long sleeves running the boat; they’ll cut sunscreen should still applied on the sun perhaps 100 percent back of hands, arms and shoulders. and the breeze while running keeps them cool. That knot behind your head means your ears are covered as well, which muffles outboard motor noise--another plus. While returning from offshore, you can trim hours of sun-time with a simple bandana. Tug it down and cover your neck while talking or sipping something cold.

That covers the head---if you’ve remembered wrap-around protective sunglasses like the military wears. Completely UVA and UVB proof, of course. To prevent eye and body fatigue and ultimately, cataracts.

How about the torso? Any sunconscience angler by now has from top to bottom: given up on t-shirts in the boat, when faced with a long day out there.

I started using the “pelican hat” (brown Lefty Kreh long-bill with (The billfish crowd can be excused here, since their boats have cabins a neck flap) back in the early ‘80s while offshore, to the amusement and air conditioning, and they do love their Guy Harvey t-shirts). Most of many at the Galveston tournaments. I was pleased with the bay anglers and the offshore center console crowd have switched hat, however. (Once while fishing around the famous Mark Sosin, I to what I generically call Columbia Wear, the long-sleeve sun-proof inquired why mine was so much saltier than his. He barked in my shirts made by a number of companies. They cover more of the body face, “Because you’re too cheap to buy a new one!” Turns out Mark than anything else. When the sun beats down, it’s time to button up. received a free case of hats for his TV show). They’re still the best Gloves: I was introduced to sun gloves (fishing gloves) three years fishing hats around; a big straw hat might throw shade and protect ago, and they’re great! The last digit of each finger is exposed, which your shoulders, but one gust of wind and they fly away. They’re hard allows for breathing and dexteriy when tying knots. There’s no telling to clean, as well. Great while kayaking in calm weather, they say. how many nicks and cuts I’ve avoided while grappling with fish and at Much more recently, the new Buff head wraps have hit the market. day’s end, no sun exposure on the hands, nada. Ever noticed the back These stretchable, breathable tubes, about 14 inches long, can be of old men’s hands after a lifetime of fishing and outdoor work? Not worn over the head in a variety of ways. And that favorite ball cap good…The skin is thin there and you don’t have much to work with, looks good with one. However, Buff fabric isn’t completely sun-proof if skin grafts are needed. Wearing gloves means you can handle live (like cotton) and it’s recommended you wear quality sunscreen shrimp without getting sunscreen on them, too. beneath it. Especially when the sun beats down like Perdition at It used to be satisfying to have sore fishing hands on Monday, but mid-day.

I’ve learned to forego that honor. Ernest Hemingway used to say that I started wearing Buff wraps last summer, because standard the first thing that deteriorates with fishermen is the hands, though bandanas were thicker and hot, though more sun-proof. The Buffs the guys he knew back then had no protection. I’ve tried itchy, hot have become stylish in Florida and in May I was shocked to see even fishing gloves, thin gloves more suitable for fly-fishing (and handling teenage fishermen wearing them on Florida Panhandle piers. Some of one or two fish per day), thicker gloves more suitable for winter, and the classic pier rats---those patient, sun-blasted older guys with skin then a combination of breathable thin material with pads sewed into like cured bacon, are now switching to wearing Buffs on the Navarre the palms. Wind River combined those two factors and so far for me 34 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 35

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Author in May 2011 with a ling. Last-

they’re the favorite brand. minute fishing trip running a small Okay, we’re covered down to the boat up and down a Florida beach, waist, but what about those sunburned where a bandana came in handy. legs? My solution has been to wear cooler shorts instead of long pants, until about 11 a.m. Beyond then, I pull out a pair of rolled-up doctor’s scrubs (that will fit into a sandwich bag) that easily pull over the shorts and drape down to the ankles. They’re light, sunproof, airy, dry fast and bug-proof. And cost about a dollar at the nearest thrift store. Back at the marina, tug them off for the car ride home. They’re probably splattered with fish blood, anyway.

Light and breathable fishing pants are available too of course.

That brings us to shoes. My cure for a dozen years, after witnessing sun burns, foot cuts and lame footwear that brought on fasciitis (a painful foot condition that will leave you hopping across the driveway after a day offshore) is this: My New Balance wear what they want; their big boats don’t toss them in the air like shoes have double inserts for a hard day offshore---inexpensive the rest of us. full-length pads, and then extra heel pads. It’s like walking on Sun protection to consider: If you want to go the distance, it air, compared to leather docker shoes with no padding that have pays to cover up. likely hobbled many an offshore angler. Again, the billfish guys

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 35

Joe D og ge t t

e Pa rt T hre

Surf wading for speckled trout remains a popular and productive (not to mention inexpensive) option on green summer tides all along the Texas coast.

The first segment of this three-part series on the evolution of inshore light-tackle fishing in Texas ran in the May issue of Texas Saltwater Fishing. It dealt with the “red reel” and fiberglass rod era between the early ‘60s and the mid ‘70s.

The June installment detailed the dramatic years between the late ‘70s and the early ‘90s, probably the most significant period in the history of Lone Star plugging. Many changes occurred, from the introduction of graphite rods and low-profile reels to the conservation movements and legislative mandates that turned the tides for the future of redfish and speckled trout on the Gulf Coast This final segment takes us through the golden era of the ‘90s and into the future. And, because of the dedication of the anglers and conservationists who went before, it is a bright future for inshore fishing in Texas. This is a fine time to tote a light rod and reel to the tide line.

Populations of reds and specks are good in all the primary bay systems, based on the annual net surveys conducted by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. This positive trend is a direct result of the tight sport limits and commercial bans imposed during the tumultuous ‘80s, and a generally favorable nod from Old Man Winter and Lady Luck since the last hardhitting freeze during the winter of ‘89.

In fact, the ‘90s brought a benchmark period for top-end speckled trout. The lower coast remained the mother lode for “double digit” fish topping 10 pounds and exceeding 30 inches in honest measure - truly career trout.

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

The Baffin Bay complex, especially, delivered consistent numbers of rhino-class specks. The potential of the remote bay system south of Corpus was dramatically underscored when, on Feb. 6, 1996, Houstonian Jim Wallace waded into a 13-pound, 11-ounce state record sow that taped 33 1/8 inches.

He was using a Corky, one of the new, super-hot slow-sinking, soft-plastic plugs designed and marketed by Paul Brown of Houston/Friendswood. Nor was the fish a fluke. During the same wade, Ed Stephens strung a 12-4 and Ronnie Sellers caught an 11-plus. These were among several giant trout hooked that day, all on Corky plugs.

Wallace’s speck broke the previous record of 13-9, set by Mike Blackwood of Corpus in 1975. Not coincidentally, Blackwood was wading Baffin and chunking a mullet-imitation plug. There’s a pattern there not lost on hard-core pluggers. Wading a flat or shoreline south of Corpus remains the percentage shot for a “sure ‘nuff ” trophy trout - and the first quarter of the year usually is prime time.

One of the great regrets of my coastal career was failing to make a run to Baffin the week following Wallace’s fish. Houston Chronicle colleague Doug Pike lined up a hurried half-day afternoon session with Corpus guide and Baffin veteran Cliff Webb; the plan was to leave Houston during the early morning and rendezvous at noon.

Conditions were awful when Pike called the night before, cool and windy, splatters of rain, and I blew it off. Plus I had a date that night.

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Pike went solo, hard-charging through the marginal conditions. The foggy afternoon slicked off and Webb and Pike drifted a flat and caught and released approximately a dozen trophy trout, mostly on dogwalker-type topwater plugs. The best, as bitter memory serves, was Pike’s 32 1/2 incher estimated at 12plus pounds.

I’m not doubting the call; I saw the photos. And my “hot date” wasn’t all that great; in truth, sadly, that was her estimation of the evening.

Misguided social sorties aside, many wonderful trout were caught during the early- and mid-90s. A friend of mine, J.D. Batten of Corpus, was a big-trout specialist who waded under the radar but caught numerous double-digit specks to 12-plus. He mainly used elongated, un-weighted soft plastics and hand-tweaked Rebel Jumpin’ Minnow topwater plugs. He seldom

Shallow-water guide Dale Fridy, on poling platform, and Dave Hayward on bow combine plug and fly to maximize sight-fishing potential.

Soft plastics on leadhead jigs have evolved as the most popular lure for reds and specks on the Texas coast. Padre guide Dale Fridy released this fine red.

ranged beyond knee- to thigh-deep water.

Truly, we had a golden era “down south,” then the top-end results started dwindling. The odd monster continues to be caught, for sure, but the consistent numbers of double-digit specks slacked off during the past 10 or 12 years.

Fishing pressure certainly was a factor. The ‘90s saw a major increase in boat traffic in the skinny water where the big trout roam and the redfish “tail.” The armadas of Texas shallow-draft scooters were joined by flotillas of Floridastyle skiffs. Paddle-powered kayaks tricked for fishing increased dramatically and opened many back “lakes” and estuaries.

All of these hulls are capable of fishing in mere inches of water; shallow fish previously insulated from V-bottomed center consoles and vulnerable mainly to determined waders literally had no place to hide. Aquatic bottom vegetation took a beating from the increase in highpowered traffic, so much so that several seagrass-friendly “no motor” areas were established by TPWD. And shallow-water anglers were becoming increasingly efficient. Sophisticated approaches (push poles, quiet troll motors, drift anchors, etc.) with specialized lures and lighter tackle increased the effectiveness of close-quarters Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

encounters. Fly fishing really took off along the middle and lower coast during the ‘90s, with most of the double-haul efforts aimed at visible redfish.

And, in deeper bays, the increasing use of live croakers became a highly controversial issue. It’s no secret that larger speckled trout feed heavily on baitfish, and a croaker can be a deadly choice when targeting specks topping, say, 22 inches.

This especially is true over defined structure, such as the “rock piles” (fossilized worm mounds) in Baffin Bay. The clumps of rocks concentrate bait and fish, and savvy guides and salty civilians took heavy tolls of trout in the mid-20-inch class. Most of these “near trophy” trout were boxed and the drain surely hurt topend potential.

A bay - any bay - can only produce so many big specks. You’ve got to let them grow. Keep the smaller ones for fillets but release most of the mid-20s. Some anglers did; many did not. After all, the statewide daily limit was 10 trout, minimum length of 15 inches. No maximum length limit was imposed.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Five-fish daily limit along the lower coast allows more average speckled trout, above, to be released to reach trophy class.

www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 37

Those regulations were issued following the killer freeze of ‘89.

For years, I supported protection for larger speckled trout. In my Houston Chronicle column on Aug. 14, 1988, I wrote: “As the limit reads, a 10-pound trout is worth no more than a 14-inch trout (minimum legal length prior to ‘89). Nor is a 14 pounder. That is wrong. Even if the bag limit remains at 10, no more than two trout longer than, say, 25 inches should be allowed per day.”

I tried again on June 23, 1993: “The longer I fish the coast the more convinced I become that we need regulation on the take of larger speckled trout. A total ban is not necessary, but some sort of cap such as one or two fish per day over a maximum size, say 24 inches, is required. That would permit the retention of a contest fish, or a trophy catch, while ensuring protection for most of the quality-sized fish.”

While I’m honking my own horn on the issue of coastal conservation, I’d like the record to show that as early as April 7, 1974, I concluded in a soap-box rant in my Chronicle column: “I would be perfectly willing to keep 10 trout, like black bass, if other sport fishermen would comply and the (commercial) nets were controlled, especially during spawning seasons.”

Keep in mind this was three years before the founding of the Gulf Coast Conservation Association, back when no laws whatsoever were in effect regulating the commercial and sport catch of speckled trout and red drum.

I was there and I was right and “they” (whoever that might be) were wrong. History proved me correct.

Finally, in 2002 the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission adopted a regulation limiting anglers to one speckled trout measuring 25 inches Redfish have been one of the great success stories on the Texas coast, and the future remains bright thanks to tight limits and growing popularity of catchand-release. (Note author’s vintage reel.)

38 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 39

Doggett shows fly-caught redfish from lower Laguna Madre. Note specialized shallow-draft boat and push pole.

or more on the 10-fish limit daily limit. The new laws also prohibited licensed fishing guides from keeping specks and reds when fishing with clients.

In 2007, the daily bag limit on trout was cut from 10 to five along the lower coast south of Marker 21 in the Land Cut. The push to place the entire Texas coast under the five-trout daily limit continues to gather support, and I’m inclined to favor the concept. Meat hauls are a thing of the past; so, also, are frost-burned baggies of forgotten fillets in the back of the freezer.

Take what you need for immediate needs and return the rest to the troubled old Gulf; a bounty of 10 fresh fillets from five “keeper” trout should be sufficient.

I’m convinced that tightening the limits will continue to improve trout potential all along the coast. Look at the fabulous success story of redfish during the past 30 years. The three-fish slot limit (20-to-28 inches) was a huge supercharger, an unparalleled turnaround that put Texas at the top of the finfish conservation movement. Overall fishing for reds probably is better now than at any time since the early ‘60s. At least, that is my impression.

This is not by accident, especially in the face of heavy fishing pressure. It’s because most Texas anglers respect the tight limits.

Catch-and-release was virtually unheard of on specks and reds during the ‘60s and early ‘70, but it has become SOP during the modern era. Fly fishing played a significant role in this attitude adjustment. This is not to say that the average level-wind plugger does not appreciate opening his hands on a fine trout or red - but the long rodders really embraced the concept.

After all, catch-and-release had been accepted for decades on

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Waders searching for trophy speckled trout often do best on lonely days of late winter and early spring.

cold-water trout streams, not to mention the saltwater flats of South Florida where fly anglers first targeted coveted species such as tarpon, permit and bonefish. Joe Brooks, the great flats pioneer, once wrote, “I’d sooner eat a relative as a bonefish.” Such was his respect for his quarry and his sport.

And such is the respect among many Texas fly anglers specializing in sight casting to redfish and big trout. Let’s be realistic: Both species are delicious but the smaller ones are superior on the table. The sensible catch-and-release angler can box several low-end fish and release anything with real shoulders.

This was the thinking of Carl “Bud” Rowland of McAllen when, on May 23, 2002, he sight-cast with a fly rod to a huge sow trout in the lower Laguna Madre. The fish was released, perhaps raising a few questions, but at least one on-site photo shows a mondo-giant house-wrecker sow a no-question giant beyond the conceptual limits of the average angler.

Rowland’s speckled trout was recognized under catch-and-release guidelines by TPWD as the state record. The official statistics: 37 1/4 inches and 15.60 pounds.

I must confess, I wish he had kept the fish as irrefutable proof of the top-end quality of spotted seatrout on the Texas coast. Southeastern Florida is not the only venue capable of producing world-class specks.

And, no doubt, fly fishing is an excellent method for targeting shallow reds and trout. Returns from the middle and lower coast during the past 20 years prove the effectiveness of an 8-weight rod, a floating line and a mullet-imitation fly.

My longest speck, which taped 31 1/2 inches, was caught on a Seaducer streamer fly while sight casting on a Laguna Madre grass flat during the late ‘90s. The proper fly rod is a great addition to any coastal angler’s quiver, but plugging remains the core of the experience.

Plugging is a beautiful blend of power and finesse that evolved along the Texas coast. It is our school of fishing. It has been since the introduction of modern rods, reels and lines following World War II and, with refined equipment, plugging will continue to dominate the Texas tides.

I’ve attempted in this three-part series to trace the origins and impact of plugging during a span of almost 50 years. Mine was a sketchy effort based on personal experiences and “insider” information during my 35 years as an outdoor writer for the Houston Chronicle, but I hope it gives new anglers a sense of history and a feeling of pride.

The outstanding inshore fishing we enjoy today is no accident. The free-wheeling, lurechunking pluggers took it from the brink and, over several decades of controversy and commitment, made things happen for a positive future on the beautiful Texas coast.

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 39

Jay Watk in s

It seems to me that over the past seven or so years the - I want it and I want it now! - attitude has made its way deeper into our fishing world and I personally despise this mindset of entitlement. Just because you have the best gear and maybe even hired the best guide, catching will never come with a guarantee. Even though I spent over three hundred days a year on the water in the beginning of my career, my boys still had to learn how to FISH before CATCHING became part of their day.

Fishermen need to concentrate on learning how to fish rather than expecting to be able to fish when little to no practice time is given to the sport. Yes, fishing is a sport, it takes some athletic skill to be able to cast while being pounded by waves and good eye-hand coordination is a plus when trying to cast accurately to visible fish or structure. Quick reactions and a fine sense of feel are required during the presentation. Stamina is necessary to be able to perform when battered by sun, wind and wave for eight hours or more. Throw is some long wades over not-so-good bottom and you had better be in shape.

The way I see it; fishing is a privilege and it disturbs me seeing so many taking it so lightly. You owe it to yourself to at least try to be the best you possibly can. I promise you this, those that love it most are typically some of the best at it. Good work ethic can carry you a long way during a day of fishing and certainly a long way in life.

The reason for my opening paragraphs is the challenges we will face in July. Hot, humid and calm will be the forecast most days and with it comes tough fishing conditions. This will be especially true if the current drought conditions continue. Hot, shallow, and clear water can be the toughest to consistently catch fish in, especially speckled trout. You say you catch tons

of small trout this time of year. Well, good as that action can be, small is seldom what I am looking for. Luckily, as the result of thirty years of conservative regulation, redfish provide Texas anglers with an abundance of hard-fighting shallow-dwelling fish. They too at times can become finicky in the calm, air-clear waters of July but, more often than not, if we find them we can catch them.

First, let’s talk about what we need to do to find quality trout in July. Pre-dawn runs across the bay come to mind here.

An early start is usually the beginning of a good game plan as water temperatures cool slightly overnight in the shallows.

You should target areas along shorelines and flats where deep water lies close at hand. Overnight cooling of shallow water triggers feeding and I personally believe nighttime feeding is the predominant pattern this time of year. I also believe the biggest of the bigs feed almost exclusively under the cover of darkness much of the time.

I am a total believer in locating lanes the fish use when exiting nighttime feeding areas. By positioning along the deep water line, you can intercept these bigger fish as they slowly make their way back to cooler depths where they hold the rest of the day. I like to think that even the keenest predator is vulnerable to taking one last bite. I know that trout, especially upper-class fish, are suckers for small offerings presented along the edge of the off-ramp. I’ve seen it too many times and know I’ll see it some more. The last part of your game plan should include areas where you have strong early morning water movement. Wind-driven is less likely in July but can happen.

You’ll need to pay very close attention to your local tide and solunar tables.

Redfish, on the other hand, seem to enjoy wallowing in the hot, shallow stuff and some of the year’s best sight-fishing opportunity occurs in the hottest months. Tides are typically lower and, with light Redfish such as this wind, tailing and waking reds will be easy to 12-pound brute will become common in July. spot in July. Redfish too feed at night but they stay on the flat much longer. It is usually midday or early afternoon before they retreat to deeper water. In backwater areas redfish may live weeks in a foot or less and they do just fine. I am always amazed at how shallow a big red can get and still leave only the smallest of wakes while meandering the flats.

Redfish are notoriously noisy feeders and there’s never been anything remotely subtle in the way they knock a school of mud minnows against a clay bank in the early morning light.

Anglers should learn to use their ears as much as their eyes. That distinctive slurp leaves no question where your next cast should land. I will go on record saying I find more redfish along

40 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 41

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

places right into the waiting mouths of one another. We actually look for the telltale signs of bait jumping followed by the belly flash of reds eating within the school. On deeper flats the reds do not always wake the surface. I have seen schools as large as 500 fish making no more than occasional, slight ripples. It is one of the most awesome sights any avid redfish angler can be privileged to witness. It will happen in July and it will happen often.

So there you have it, my opinions on why you should strive to be the best angler you can be, and my game plan for what looks to be a hot and dry July.

C o n ta c t

May your fishing always be catching! – Guide Jay Watkins

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Jay Watkins has been a full-time fishing guide at Rockport, TX, for more than 20 years. Jay specializes in wading yearround for trout and redfish with artificial lures. Jay covers the Texas coast from San Antonio Bay to Corpus Christi Bay. Phone Email Website

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

www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 41

a sk the p ro

shorelines and rip-rap by hearing Nice 6-pound class more than actually seeing. trout caught as she July will also see our reds starting was trying to exit a to school. I believe this is due mainly nighttime feeding to water clarity. It is much harder for area around the mouth of a back lake. one or two fish to herd and attack bait in clear water. But, find a big school pushing across a flat and you have a virtual redfish shrimp net with a live tickler chain. If you’re familiar with how a shrimp net works you understand what I am talking about – if not I’ll explain. A shrimp trawl is wide at the mouth with planing boards or “doors” as they are called at the outside corners. As the boat pulls the net, the doors move outward, opening the net to its maximum width. The upper edge of the net has floats to keep it high in the water and lead weights to sink the lower edge. A length of heavy chain is also connected to the lower edge to “tickle” the bottom ahead of the net and jump the shrimp out of the mud and grass where the net can catch them.

Schooling reds do exactly the same thing, swimming in tight formation jumping baitfish, shrimp and crabs from their hiding

C a sey S m ar t t

F LY F I S H I N G D E P A R T M E N T

Like many fisherman, I have always carried a camera with me for the purpose of documenting the fish I caught and the flies I used to catch them. Nearly all my photographs were “grip and grin” although I would occasionally capture an image of a sunrise or sunset or an anecdotal plant or bird. Fishing came first, and photographs second. No fish landed usually meant no photos taken. For years that was the system and although I was tempted a time or two I never seriously considered trying to photograph a fish instead of trying to catch it. And then along came a freakish afternoon of fishing in the spring of 2007 and a chance at something new.

We had paddled our kayaks into a quiet back lake. The crystal clear waters were familiar to us and we knew which shorelines and sandbars would be dead and which would be alive with activity. But this day was different. As we entered the lake it seemed we had unknowingly stumbled into a redfish rally. As far as our eyes could see there were tails, wakes, and eruptions. We drifted across the shallow shoals in nervous disbelief and watched redfish in countless combinations feeding around and even under our boats.

Needless to say, fly lines started flying. But after landing four or five reds and staring toward the distance at dozens more, something seemed different. I had never before

video

seen so many redfish in one location and catching them was almost too easy. I glanced back at my camera and it occurred to me this would be a perfect opportunity to try to photograph some tailing fish. So I put down my fly rod and picked up my camera. I did not realize it at the time but that moment was a quiet turning point for me… an off-ramp toward new territory.

A few days later I anxiously downloaded the photos (nearly 600 of them). As I clicked through the images my mind began to race. Looking through dozens of sequential shots, I was disappointed. Many of the shots were of poor resolution, or the subjects weren’t clearly visible, or they were overexposed.

In short, most of the photos were real yawners and really did not illustrate the visual experience of the afternoon very well.

How could this be? I had a pretty darn good camera, plenty of time, and cooperative subjects. It became immediately evident that capturing a good photo of a fish was far more difficult than catching it.

The saving grace was that two of the shots in that first experiment turned out decent. I studied them carefully and tried to understand what made those two images so much better than the rest. I couldn’t. The images were what they were, and it was clear I had a lot to learn about the art and science of photography. It gave me a much deeper respect

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

42 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 43

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

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FlY Fish i nG depa rtMen t

for those who are skilled with a camera and I was challenged to learn more.

Since that first effort I have learned more about cameras and photography. The clearest lesson perhaps is that while I can get a good photo every now and then, I don’t yet have the skills or experience to do it consistently. And although modern technology allows us to inexpensively collect thousands of photos and “enhance” mundane work, good photographs and good

photographers still speak for themselves.

They are the product of painstaking planning and practice that places everything in the right place at the right time. Occasionally photographers get lucky, but most have devoted untold hours and expense to develop their skills. When I look at the collections of images produced by professional photographers, some of whom are friends, it is humbling because I know how much effort and natural talent have gone into making them.

But I also believe that practicing photography is something we all can enjoy. It is a pastime that gets us into the wild and it’s virtually non-consumptive.

Modern cameras are relatively inexpensive to operate and they are durable. And although it is true most dedicated photographers have made substantial investments in their equipment, it is certainly possible to capture very nice images with simple and inexpensive cameras. It is a matter of creativity and making the best use of available resources. Many people do it.

They understand their subjects, take advantage of good light, and compose wonderful photos.

Regardless of what brand of camera is used, the fundamental joy of photographs is how they are uniquely able to tell us a

beautiful version of a story we thought we already knew. This is why we sit and stare and marvel at a compelling photo. We see things we have never seen before. The visual stimulus is powerful and capturing it is an art. It is usually a bit of an experiment and the result is always a surprise.

To me, photography is not a substitute for fishing, or hunting, or anything else. It is an extension of these things and a compliment to them. Photographs are a way we save our memories, express our ideas, and tell our stories. Looking back on that afternoon in the marsh with all those redfish, I am glad I chose to pick up the camera. That choice has led me to something new and challenging

44 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 45

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Contact

- something to look forward to and think about. Maybe even something I can pass on to my kids. It has grown into a very pleasing way to experience and re-visit the natural world.

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.

Phone Email Website

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

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Science and the Sea

quantumfishing.com

© 2010 Quantum, a W.C. Bradley Co.

TM

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A Thorny Issue On the Great Barrier Reef lurks a creature straight out of science fiction, with many arms, stinging spines, and a monstrous appetite.

Meet the crown-of-thorns, a real Godzilla among sea stars. It can grow up to 3 feet in diameter, with up to 21 arms, and its upper surface is covered with venomous spines. The crown-of-thorns feeds on live coral, and in moderate numbers, is a normal part of the reef ecosystem.

Problems start when these sea star have a population boom, or outbreak. They devour coral faster than it can grow, even consuming slow-growing coral species they wouldn’t normally eat. This feeding frenzy can decimate a reef’s coral, and though reefs can recuperate, it takes a decade or more for coral levels to be replenished.

Scientists aren’t sure if crown-of-thorns outbreaks are natural phenomena, or if human activities help sea star populations grow out of control.

One suggestion points to blooms of algae caused by pollution and agricultural runoff from land. Algae provide food for crown-of-thorns larvae, and when more larvae survive, the population explodes. Another possibility is that fishing cuts down the numbers of the few fish that prey on the crown-of-thorns.

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Whether or not these outbreaks are a natural cycle, researchers worry that reefs under stress from human activities will have a tougher time recovering in the aftermath. Scientists are keeping tabs on water quality and other measures of ecosystem health to help ensure that, when the crown-of-thorns invade again, the reefs are ready for them.

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 45

F I E L D

N O T E S

By Alice Best | Program Specialist | Rockport, Texas

If you’re a regular at one of the many recreational docks in Port Aransas, you may have seen me, or my partner Katie, waiting for an offshore charter boat to return to dock. Last August we were hired as contractors for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to gather data for a pilot study on the effectiveness of electronic logbooks in the recreational for-hire fishing industry.

Anyone with a rod and reel or tackle box in the closet knows that recreational fishing in Texas is a big deal. Texas has the second largest recreational fishing industry next to Florida. In 2008 the industry brought a whopping $3.2 billion to the state. Unfortunately, many of our marine fish are too popular for their own good and many are— or have been—overfished. In 2006 the National Research Council independently reviewed the biological and financial state of the Gulf of Mexico and recommended the use of logbooks to manage a healthy fishing industry by collecting catch and effort data on for-hire recreational

Alice Best measures a king mackerel that was caught earlier that day.

The day’s catch of grey snapper and king mackerel waiting to be measured.

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

fishing. The use of logbooks was further endorsed in 2009 by a workshop hosted by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP).

So how are these logbooks used to manage a fishery and why should we bother? The concept of a logbook is to make it convenient to collect self-reported catch and effort data from fishermen that are both timely and accurate. By analyzing harvest (how many fish are caught) and how much effort (time and equipment used) it took to catch those fish, we can monitor a fishery for any problems and recommend regulations to protect or improve the fish populations. For example, if fewer fish are landed but fishing effort has increased - either by an increase in fishermen or the time fished on the water - it would indicate that the stock may be overfished or undergoing overfishing.

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Two greater amberjack on the dock, waiting to be measured.

The tools of the trade included a folding measuring board, a scale, gloves, and of course, data sheets.

Fish permit in these areas, have been participating and reporting to the program since last September 2010.

Charter boat captains enter data either on-line or via paper logbooks on each trip they took. For each trip they report their fishing effort (number of passengers and anglers, fishing time, gear type, and targeted species) and catch (number of fish for each species, general fishing area, depth fished and target species).

Katie and I helped set up each boat with the on-line reporting tool, but our main role is in a validation process we use to analyze the

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 47

Fiel d notes

The goal of fisheries managers is to find a balance between harvest of the fish and long term productivity of the fish populations to create a viable industry that can be sustained for future generations to enjoy.

Before logbooks can be used as a management tool, we first have to test their effectiveness. Two pilot study areas were chosen: the Panhandle area of Florida and the Port Aransas area in Texas, both of which have active charter boat industries. For-hire vessels, commonly called “six-pack boats,� with a Federal Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish and/or Pelagic

effectiveness of logbook reporting. up fishing the inland streams and lakes We do this through three methods: of central Texas. When our families A fisherman fights to reel in an Atlantic roving status validations, dockside brought us down to the Gulf coast for sharpnose shark offshore of Port Aransas aboard a local charter boat. intercepts of returning vessels, vacations we couldn’t wait to get on and at-sea observations of fishing the water whether it was surf fishing activity. We sample more often in the or helping out on a crab boat. Now we summer because of the increased are able to give back to the coast a bit, fishing activity. Roving status helping to keep the fishing good for validations are done three to five future generations. times a week and monitor who is out This project was initiated in fishing on a particular day. Between August 2009 when MRIP hosted a two and 15 times a month we will workshop on fishery management for wait at a specific dock for charter representatives of the for-hire fishing boats coming in that day. We ask industry, who voiced their support for each charter boat about their trip the use of electronic logbooks. It has including what they caught, how been the charter boat owners, captains deep they fished how many anglers and crew here in the Port Aransas area they had, etc. We also measure all of and their support which have helped the fish they bring back for biological this pilot study the most. Whether data. The final and most enjoyable it’s by reporting regularly, answering validation tool is at-sea observations survey questions or helping us hang where we tag along on a fishing trip fish on our scales they always go out of to observe the fishermen in action. their way to help us with this project.

While waiting on a dock for a Kudos and many thanks to them! charter boat to come in, a passerby will sometimes ask Katie or me if Check the TPWD Outdoor Annual, your local TPWD Law Enforcement we enjoy our jobs. I usually find it hard not to laugh, though I do end office, or www.tpwd.state.tx.us for more information. up grinning. Of course we both love this project. Both Katie and I grew

48 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 49

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Chris Mapp’s e Tips c n a n e t in a M Is there an outboard that can go three years without maintenance? The simple answer is, NO - not here on the Texas Gulf coast. With that said, I cannot think of a single outboard on the market that is anything less than awesome. Outboard motor manufacturers are currently offering the finest products I have ever seen. Still though, regular maintenance is the key to trouble-free boating. Why? Sand, salt, minerals, and ethanol are constants in the equation and must be dealt with on a regular basis.

Fuel additive should be used every time you fill the tank. The engine should be flushed following every trip in saltwater. Wash the entire exterior of the boat and engine after each use to remove salt and be sure to wash the hydraulic steering and jackplate area.

Fuel/water separating filters should be changed every 6 months minimum. Under-cowling engine filters should be changed annually.

If you do your own work, the plastic filter holder might swell and will be hard or impossible to put back on. Put it in the freezer for thirty minutes and this should shrink it back to normal, (effect of ethanol).

Battery cable connections need checked/cleaned monthly.

Every 100 hours: Lower unit should be removed and upper driveshaft splines lubricated, water pump inspected, lower-unit fluid changed, grease fittings lubricated. On the upper-end, spark plugs need changed along with under-cowling fuel filters, oil filter, and oil changed if a 4-stroke. Some spark plugs are pricey, but when owning a $10,000 - $20,000 outboard it is just good business. Also - remove oil from oil tank, clean tank and pick up tube, change internal filter. NEVER mix brands of 2-stroke oil repeatedly. Gelling in the tank will result.

Cheap outboard lube is not cheap in the long run.

Every 200 hours: Engine should be de-carbonized, high-speed filter changed, and prop inspected for wear.

Every month (more often during season): Pull the prop and check for fishing line behind thrust washer. When reinstalling prop, lube the shaft and tighten the jam nut to manufacturers specs; if specs not available, tighten until nut is snug, then turn one to two full turns, install new stainless locking device. Never hold a prop with your hand while tightening or loosening jam nut. Instead, lodge a short piece of wood between prop and anti-ventilation plate.

Wet cell batteries should be replaced every two years; fuel line and primer bulb every three years.

As marine dealers we are here to help and we want you to have a positive experience every time you come through our door. The trust you place in us to keep you on the water is not taken lightly and we feel good information is as good as good service. Please remember that maintenance is the owner’s responsibility, even during warranty.

Failures due to lack of maintenance are not covered and can end in a bad experience at your dealer’s service center.

Have a great and safe summer.

Chris Mapp – Coastal Bend Marine Port O’Connor Texas | 361 983 4841 | coastalbendmarine.com Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 49

CONSERVATION PAGE habitat today for Fish tomorrow Partners with TPWD in West Galveston Bay Marsh restoration CCA Texas’s Executive Board recently approved a $50,000 funding request by CCA Texas’s habitat program, Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow (HTFT). This request is for the first phase of a marsh restoration project in Bird Island Cove, located in West Galveston Bay. This project will be led by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and will have an estimated total cost of $1,300,000. HTFT’s $50,000 commitment will be used by TPWD as matching dollars in the overall grant request submitted for final engineering and construction of Phase I of the project.

Coastal wetland loss in Texas and in the Galveston Bay system is significant and is a continuing concern because of the essential roles that wetlands perform. Wetland loss in the Galveston Bay system is greater than in many other areas of the state. The estimated loses between the 1950s and 1985 are 35,000 acres (20%) of its wetlands and 1,800 acres (70%) of its seagrasses (White et al., 1993). Based on historical information, most of seagrass losses have occurred in West Galveston Bay and these losses also include wetlands and adjacent habitats along the entire north shoreline of west Galveston Island and within the project area. More recent research and aerial photography indicate that wetland loss is continuing at a rapid rate.

“Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow (HTFT) continues to expand its efforts to help restore and create essential habitat that will benefit the coastal resources of Texas”, commented HTFT Committee Chairman Jay Gardner. Gardner continued, “Wetlands loss is a major concern throughout the United States

CCA will continue to partner with other groups to restore and create important marsh habitat along the entire Texas coast.

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

and those losses are substantial in Texas as well. HTFT will continue to work with like organizations and governmental agencies to help restore, create and conserve these vitally important habitats.”

This project is anticipating using approximately 4,400 linear feet of 15-foot circumference geo-textile tube as breakwater to protect the restoration of intertidal marsh complex. This intertidal marsh complex includes salt flat marsh; salt flats, intertidal marsh and protected shallow water areas that will be restored and created by hydraulically dredged sediments that will be pumped from nearby borrow areas. These sediments will be pumped to specific elevations to create intertidal marsh and to higher levels to restore salt flat marsh/sand flat habitats.

This restoration method will allow for the migration of intertidal marsh to higher elevations in response to sea level rise. This method of marsh restoration has restored hundreds of acres of marsh and segrasses in other areas of West Galveston Bay such as Snake Island Cove, Jumbile Cove, J-Cove, Delehide Cove, Starvation Cove, Carancahua Cove, and McAllis Point.

The end result of the Bird Island Cove project in Phase I will be the direct benefit to 114 acres of existing coastal wetlands through the construction of the breakwater protecting them from continued erosion. Phase I will specifically restore 52 acres of intertidal marsh complex (salt flat marsh, salt flat, intertidal marsh and protected shallow water) and provide protection and enhancement to the existing estuarine habitat.

“Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow is committed to the restoration of lost marsh and wetlands in Texas”, commented CCA Texas Executive Director Robby Byers. Robby further commented, “The organization has supported past projects in West Galveston Bay at Sportsman’s Road and Snake Island Cove and will continue its commitment to the restoration of these marsh habitats at Bird Island Cove.”

Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow is the habitat restoration and creation initiative of CCA Texas. HTFT was launched in November of 2008 and to date the program has funded in excess of $420,000 in habitat restoration along the Texas Coast. For more information about HTFT, please contact John Blaha at (800) 626-4222.

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 51

LDWF, and Partners Complete Historic Project at Independence Island Reef Story The Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) have completed construction on Independence Island Reef, believed to be the largest limestone inshore artificial reef project ever in Louisiana. Work crews finished the job on Monday afternoon.

“This project is the result of nearly two years of hard work and dedication by CCA volunteers, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and NOAA,” said David Cresson, CCA Louisiana Executive Director. “We are so appreciative of all of them for their incredible commitment to this important project. Anglers and their families will enjoy the benefits of this reef for generations.”

“The recreational fishing industry has sustained a number of challenges over the last six years – hurricanes, the Gulf oil spill and recent flood waters from the Mississippi River have and will continue to impact our inshore reefs along Louisiana’s coast,” said LDWF Assistant Secretary Randy Pausina. “Projects like this one are an essential component in restoring our recreational fisheries. We are incredibly grateful for Governor Jindal, Secretary Barham, CCA and of all our partners for their leadership in what is an essential effort to rebuild areas along our coast that have been damaged by erosion.”

Nearly 8,000 tons of limestone were dropped from barges onto four

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by

Ted Venker

acres about three miles Northeast of Grand Isle, where Independence Island was once located. The total site acreage is more than 50 acres.

The center of the reef is located at 29° 18′ 26.98″ N, -89° 56′ 01.01″W and will be marked by several mooring buoys. The buoys will be deployed later this month.

Cresson also thanked a number of additional partners who helped make the project possible, namely Shell Oil Company, The Paul Candies Family, Vulcan Materials and Bertucci Contractors.

“Without their generosity and their commitment to conservation, this project would not have been possible,” Cresson said.

Shell Oil Company made a lead gift to CCA’s Building Conservation Program and helped announce the project last December.

“Shell is proud to have been part of this project through CCA’s Building Conservation Program,” said John Hollowell, Executive Vice President, Deep Water for Shell Upstream Americas. “Shell remains committed to the Gulf Coast and to the people who live there, so the Independence Island Reef project was a great way for us to give back.”

Funding for the project was also made available through LDWF’s Artificial Reef Development Fund. CCA Conservation Committee Chairman John Walther says he expects the reef to start holding fish in the coming months.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Authorized Dargel Dealers

“Reefs we have built in the past have proven to provide great habitat for our favorite species, like speckled trout and redfish,” said Walther. “I expect anglers will be landing nice catches from the new reef before the end of the summer.”

The CCA Building Conservation Program was created to provide

funding for local, state and national marine fisheries and habitat conservation and restoration projects. Program funds are directed to CCA state chapters for grassroots-driven projects.

“Building Conservation combines the grassroots strength of CCA with the resources of Shell to allow our members to take the program to new levels,” said Pat Murray, CCA president. “It is an exciting time in marine conservation, and the restoration projects that will come from this initiative will play a key role in the enhancement of Gulf resources for today’s anglers, and for generations of anglers to come.”

For more information contact Olivia Watkins at 225-610-8660 or owatkins@wlf.la.gov. The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources.

For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb or follow us on Twitter @LDWF. CCA Louisiana is the largest marine resource conservation group of its kind in the state. With more than 30,000 members and volunteers in 24 local chapters, CCA has been active in state, national and international fisheries management issues since 1977. Visit CCA at www.CCALouisiana. com for more information, on Facebook or Twitter @CCALouisiana.

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

You’ve seen the all new Explorer by Dargel at several of the CCA Banquets this year and we're honored to partner with CCA in insuring that future generations can enjoy the resource that we’re all so passionate about.

When Dargel Boats decided to buy the Explorer Boats name and molds it was to continue a great hull design, built to Dargel’s exacting standards that we have been applying to our boats for more than 73 years now.

Foam filled stringer systems and hulls make for a solid fishing platform that is virtually unsinkable!

Combine the Explorer, BayQuest and Dargel models and not only are we one of the premiere shallow water boat builders in Texas, we now have models for all occasions including rough bays, light offshore, and of course what made us famous, shallow water fishing boats.

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www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 53

Capt. S cott Null

K A Y A K

F I S H I N G

School is out and the summer season is upon us.

It’s time to turn off the X-Box and get those kiddos outside. Take a kid fishing is more than just a slogan, it is an important thing to do for many reasons. Most of us with a lifelong passion for fishing started as youngsters fishing with a parent, grandparent or possibly another family member. I was lucky to have all the above. Some had no passion of their own but were kind enough to indulge mine.

Some of my fondest memories are of riding the dirt roads of central Texas with my Grandpa after he got off from a long day of work. He worked cattle for several area ranchers and had access to their places.

Drake Landrum gets a paddling lesson in the pool from Jason Bryant.

Erin Null, author’s youngest daughter, with a speck in the surf.

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We’d pull up to a stock tank, run a quick moccasin patrol, and then he’d settle into a lawn chair while I fished…and fished…and fished. I never really thought about it then, but looking back I’ve come to realize he didn’t care one bit about fishing. He simply cared about me.

Grandpa left us a good many years ago, but those memories are as fresh as if they happened only yesterday. How awesome would it be to have someone thinking fondly of the things you did for them long after you’re gone? You have that opportunity. Whether with kids of your own, nieces, Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

kaYak Fishi nG

Randi Null, author’s oldest daughter, landed a small jackfish after quite a struggle.

nephews, grandkids or just the youngster next door whose parents are too busy; I’m certain there is a potential young angler just waiting for a chance to wet a line.

My baby girls aren’t so little anymore. In fact, the youngest just graduated and the eldest is on her way to becoming a teacher. Both of them love to hunt, fish and spend time outdoors.

Earlier today Randi put a smile on my face as she buzzed through the kitchen between school and work and stopped long enough to ask, “With the new boat coming, can I expect to get in a few more days fishing this summer?” Well of course you can. Over the years some of the best conversations I’ve had with the girls has been while out on the water, sitting in a deer blind or riding in the truck on the way to some great adventure. The best way to get to know what’s going on in their young heads is to take them away from the everyday mayhem and relax a while.

Relax is the key word. Don’t put too much emphasis on the catch. We all enjoy pursuing the glamorous trout and redfish, the bigger the better. But for a kid starting out it’s all about the pull.

Who among us doesn’t fondly recall watching a red and white bobber sliding slowly sideways and going under? Or the tap-taptap on the line as some unknown fish showed interest in the dead shrimp impaled on the hook? It didn’t matter if it was a piggy

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 55

perch or hardhead, it was all about the pull.

The coolest part of saltwater fishing is the potential variety available when you toss a line baited with a dead shrimp. Most everything out there eats shrimp. Keep it simple and fun starting out. If they enjoy those first outings there will be plenty of time to kick it up a notch. Pushing them too fast involves the possibility they’ll get bored and not catch the fishing bug!

I’ve found that kayak fishing is a great way to get youngsters involved. Little ones easily fit in the tankwell, while the older kids can join you in a tandem or even paddle their own kayak. I can’t say what will work for your kids, but mine were capable of paddling on their own by the time they were twelve. The initial outings might be best planned without fishing gear and in protected water. Let them get a feel for paddling and just being out there. Spend

ROY’S Bait and Tackle

some time paddling a marsh or creek. Make it about seeing what’s out there and not so much of a paddling lesson. I’ve found that paddling comes naturally to most kids. A few pointers on how to make the kayak go forward and turn should suffice in

My daughters were accomplished paddlers at the age of twelve.

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124380_CDM-11154.2011_Texas Saltwater Fishing.indd 1

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

line. Find a place with some decent water movement, park it and drop a dead shrimp on the bottom. Something will come along and eat it. Keep the gear simple but don’t go cheap. The Snoopy rigs are cute but don’t fall for it. Nothing spoils the trip like a balky reel that quits working after a couple hours. There are decent quality closed-faced spinning reels available. Pony up and get them something that will last. There are also decent quality kid’s rods that will work just fine for most anything they’re likely to hook. Once I realized my girls were ready I shortened a couple quality popping rods and installed smaller handles that fit their hands. Another tip is to have them practice casting before going fishing. I made a game out of it with buckets in the yard.

Having them familiar with their gear and mechanics of casting made things go a lot smoother.

Data shows that the demographics of fishermen is slowly aging. The future of the sport depends on recruitment of young anglers. It’s time for all of to step up and - Take a Kid Fishing!

Contact

the beginning. Keep in mind that while the things we see every day on the water can become mundane for us, poking at crabs or watching a heron stalk minnows might be just the thing to flip the switch on a lifetime in the outdoors for your kid.

Safety first! Get them into a properly fitting and comfortable PFD. If they aren’t comfortable around the water it might be a good idea to get them in a pool wearing the PFD to show them how it works. Let them play around on the kayak to see just how stable they really are. A lightweight kid will just about have to jump in the water on purpose in a typical sit-on-top style.

Anything you can do to lessen their anxiety will make it easier for them to enjoy it.

You know your child better than anybody so base your first outing on that knowledge. Don’t plan an extended day if you know they can’t handle it. Several short, fun trips are worth far more than one long and potentially boring session. As they get older and show interest you can increase the duration. All of this might sound like common sense, but I’ve seen gung-ho parents push their kiddos too far and end up taking all of the fun out of it. What constitutes a good day on the water for the avid kayak fisherman probably isn’t going to be the same for a youngster.

Pre-trip planning is as important as the actual trip. Make sure they have proper clothing, footwear and sunscreen. Pack plenty of drinks and snacks. An uncomfortable, thirsty or hungry kid will not enjoy the outing. I can easily go all day on a protein bar and bottled water; my girls cannot.

Like I stated earlier, kids just want something tugging on their

Capt. Scott Null is a devout shallow water fisherman offering guided adventues via kayak, poled skiff, and wading.

Phone 281-450-2206 Website www.captainscottnull.com Email scott@tsfmag.com

Job#:CDM-11154 L/S:150 Size:7.5 x 4.875 5/19/11 1:24:47 PM

www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 57 Pub:Texas Saltwater Fishing

Texas Saltwater Fishing

S c o tt S om m er latte

ACCORDING TO SCOTT

What is in a name? Well everything if you ask me. Names are how we identify each other and how we recognize the unique qualities that someone or something has.

Names mean everything in the world we live in. Even in the world of fishing.

Names are a big part of what brings you to the pages of this magazine every month. Some of you come here to read what Mike McBride has written about or about what Jay Watkins has to say. Heck, there might even be a few of you thinking, “I wonder what that Sommerlatte guy has decided to ramble about this month?” Then there are of course those who come to these pages to learn what might be the “hot” bait out there right now. You might get excited to see the name Corky or Top Dog or something else along those lines. Some are names you recognize and some might be a name that grabs your attention. That is what marketing is all about - brand names.

Then there are of course those of us out there who name

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

our boats. “Don’t you know it is bad luck to have a boat without a name,” so said the old man to Forrest Gump. The name I choose for a boat can always be tied directly to my life in some manner. For example about ten years ago I named one of my skiffs the Anger Management. It was a trying time in my life where I was pretty unsettled and it did not take much to anger me. From there I moved on to the Compass Star, the Orion 831, the Compass Point and then to the Broken Compass. The compass thing as well as Orion (as in hunter constellation) both can be referenced back to a period of my life where I would have to say I was the happiest I had ever been. I guess it might be obvious by the naming of the last boat when that all came to an end. Regardless though, the naming of a boat is a very personal thing and in my opinion should not be taken lightly.

Moving on - how do you know where you are going to fish come the next day? Chances are you are heading to some place that might have a name like the Lighthouse Lakes or maybe

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

voyage of the Broken Compass and we went into an area that I love to fish in the spring. It is one of the first ponds every year where the widgeon grass starts to grow and we always manage to get three or four shots in there. For years I have been trying to find an interesting name for the pond but no event really stood out enough. That is until Marina saw and sight-casted to her very first redfish. I mean it was awesome to see the look on her face when she recognized the fish, made the cast, and then watched that red pounce on her little DOA shrimp. That was what I was looking for.

Not much can compare to the smile on a kiddo’s face when the drag is screaming and the event needed to be memorialized. Now, it will not be too difficult to relive twenty or thirty years from now when I have that chart in front of me.

As for how the Rattlesnake Ponds or “the Rattles” received their name. Well, I think the image says it all. What’s in a name?

You tell me….

Contact

Be good, go slow…and stuff like that.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Scott Sommerlatte is a full time fly fishing and light tackle guide, freelance writer and photographer.

Telephone 979-415-4379 Email vssommerlatte@hotmail.com Website www.scottsommerlatte.com

www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 59

According to Scott

you are going to make the long run to the Land Cut. If you look at any chart ever made it is spattered with names and behind each one of those names there is a story. It might be a story long forgotten but chances are, something special (good or bad) probably happened there some time ago and someone wanted to remember that event.

I once had a friend tell me, “I want you to leave me your charts in your will.” I of course asked why and he informed me, “You name every little spot and I know that if it has a name, it is going to be a good place to go fishing.” Well – we then got into a deep discussion as to why he thought he was going to out-live me but, that is neither here nor there.

But, he is right, I do name all the special little spots that I have come across and I do in fact have a master chart on my computer that I can go into and add any name that I want. It is kind of like my own secret code. Meaning, if I slip up and mention the area I have been fishing and being successful to someone that I do not want to have the information, well, no harm done, they will not have the first clue what I am talking about. What is new, huh?

Anyway….

Places like Crack Hole and Too Many Hole immediately come to mind or even Buck Lake or The Hatchery. These are all places where I have found success under certain conditions and are all places that impressed me as worthy of a special name.

As for two of the most recent additions to my chart - Marina’s Pond and the Rattlesnake Ponds. Two spring breaks ago I took good friend David Sams and his daughter Marina out for a couple of days of fishing. Incidentally, the first day was the maiden

Jake Had d ock

YOUTH FISHING

TEXAS SALTWATER

If you have been following along with me, in my very first article for TSFMag I wrote briefly that making my own lures is one of my hobbies. There is a certain joy in catching fish on lures and/or flies that you have made yourself. Hardly any of us gets to fish as often as we would like and related hobbies keep us occupied while anticipating the next trip to the salt. I have to credit most of my knowledge about making lures to episodes of Larry Dahlberg’s television show, Hunt for Big Fish.

If you have ever wondered how a lure company comes up with a new lure design, they first make clay master molds, then RTV molds, and finally the hand pouring of the lure. Once they get everything just right, then they make computer generated aluminum two piece injection molds. Actually, they’re more like huge sheets of molds that can spit out twenty lures or so at a time. The general process of creating a homemade lure is just as simple.

First, you have to make something called a master mold. For this you can use an old lure that you want to make some changes

to, or create a totally new lure by using a product called Sculpty Clay. All you need to do is form the clay to the desired shape and put it in the oven to harden.

The next step of the process is to make a mold box. The easiest thing to use is thin plywood, plastic or even balsa wood. The box needs to be about a half of an inch around all dimensions of the master mold to give room for the RTV rubber to settle in. One decision you have to make is whether or not you want a one or two piece mold. I have always stuck to a simple one piece mold.

However, the next time I have a need to create a lure, I think I’m going to go with a two piece because it will give me a more precise pouring of the actual lure. For a two piece mold, you need a stiffer RTV such as Alumilite’s 3110. For a one piece mold, you would use a more flexible RTV such as the High Strength 3. Once you get the mold box set and master mold created, you can pour your mold. The RTV is a two part mixture, which has to be stirred together, and then poured into the mold box to form the mold.

Now, you can start pouring your lures. With this process, you

The lures at the top of this photo are available in most tackle stores and I use all of them frequently. The two at the bottom are my own creations and they catch fish too!

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

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have the ability to make hard or soft plastic lures. Making soft plastic lures is a lot easier than making hard bodies. All you have to do is heat up the liquid in a microwave until it turns clear, dye it your desired color, pour it into your mold and let it sit. Wait about ten minutes, and then it’s ready to hit the water. What I like to use to pour soft plastics is Alumisol. When you’re making hard plastic lures like a topwater or a stick bait, it takes a little more time. You have to weigh out the proper two part mixture to pour your lure. To make it float, you can add a product called Micro Beads. I’ve also carved a balsa wood insert to make a topwater. This works really well too.

The main lure I like to make is just a plain baitfish shaped lure about seven inches long for casting at jackfish and other large species. It’s a subsurface soft plastic that “walks the

Huge jack that fell for one of the author’s homemade lures.

dog.” I also make a smaller model for bass fishing in ponds around my house. This type of lure doesn’t look that realistic but its action is. I think this is why they work so well.

All of the products I have listed can be bought from a company called Alumilite over the internet. It’s not expensive to start out, but if you really want to reach perfection it could be costly. If you have always wanted to have your hand at making lures like I always did, but don’t have a clue where to start, check out www.makelure.com. This website has tons of information to help you get started like videos, volume calculators, and even a link to Alumilite’s website. Everything you need to know to get started is just a few mouse clicks away, so check it out!

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YoUth fiShing

THROUGH YOUTHFUL EYES

Mike Jennings

TEXAS NEARSHORE & OFFSHORE

As long as I can remember there has been a popular adage – “Ten percent of the fishermen catch ninety percent of the fish.”

That saying obviously refers to the pure level of skill and knowledge the upper echelon of the general fishing public possess, and the lack thereof within the remainder. While that was probably truer some years ago, and there is still no substitute for knowledge and skill in today’s fishery, technology has to some degree leveled that playing field. There is an array of toys and electronic gadgets that not only keep us up to date on what’s going on around us but makes us better fishermen at the same time. In the offshore fishing scene, this technology has definitely narrowed the gap between the upper echelon and the masses.

The first and foremost piece of technology that comes to mind is the GPS. This single piece of equipment changed the face of offshore fishing faster than any other in recent history.

President Ronald Reagan himself issued the directive making GPS freely available for civilian use in 1983 but it was not fully developed until the early 1990s. Now I seriously doubt that Ol’ Ronny ever envisioned how its release would impact the fishing world. His motives were more based in the safety and ease of modern world travel. Its impact has been felt none the less.

62 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 63

Texas Saltwater Fishing

The most novice fisherman with an affordable GPS can now readily pull up on a spot the size of an average compact automobile with precision. Just a few decades ago that was a chore for a seasoned old salt using Loran, not to mention the difficulty of finding a spot that small using nothing more than dead-reckoning.

Following the release of GPS signals to the public and the various iterations of electronic engineering that have come in

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Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

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Texas Nearshore & offshore

its wake, an industry has evolved encouraging fishermen to use them. There are currently any number of books, websites and marine cartographers selling waypoints along with the publishing of data to direct fishermen to TPWD-created public access offshore

reefs. Some sources on the web offer subscriptions to satellite-fed programs that provide an incredible amount of information, i.e. sea surface temperatures, currents, temperature breaks, water clarity and more. Programs that organize high definition bathymetric data (the measurement of ocean depth and contour) are also available.

Offshore anglers can now couple these with other mapping software that melts it all into an easy-to-use fish-finding conglomeration of wires, antennas and large colored screens neatly mounted on most every boat tied to the dock.

All this accompanied with faster more efficient boats and motors has led to an offshore recreational fishing industry that couldn’t even be dreamed of thirty or forty years ago.

The strong economy of the late eighties and nineties saw more boats purchased and launched than any other time in history, with a large portion of these boats being equipped and constantly updated with the latest and greatest of gadgets being peddled by a smooth talking salesman at the next boat show.

confused about our successes and failures as many of us are. The discussion inevitably turned to red snapper and the comments of many fishermen that are seeing red snapper in places they cannot recall ever finding them - and in numbers and size like never before.

We were politely interrupted by an elderly gentleman and former headboat captain that has seen more saltwater than any two or three of us combined.

He simply stood there for a moment , then looked up at me with his thinning gray hair and all, and said something to the effect; “Young man, we used to catch lots of snapper fifty years ago in places you’ve probably never heard of or ever thought of fishing.

And we fished them out.”

His comment led me to wonder whether we just might have gotten too good at killing them.

Funny how the simplest of comments can give one a new outlook on a complex issue - or at the very least - a perspective into just how shortsighted we can be. Today’s technology is a definite asset to all of us but as we grow more proficient in our pursuits we can only hope that fisheries management science progresses at a like pace.

contact

Where, I wonder, has all this brought us? Well first and foremost - it has allowed a larger portion of American fishermen to not only take advantage of our great recreational offshore fishery, it has smoothed the learning curve and provided us a level of success that was definitely more difficult to achieve in the not-so-distant past.

Second, it only seems logical to me that this wave of technology must surely have had an impact on the general health of our fishery. If I may be so bold; we are simply better at throwing fish on the dock than we were in the days of that elite ten percent we all strived to emulate.

This all takes me back to a group of fishermen I was talking to in Orange Beach, Alabama just a couple months ago. We were discussing the current fishery regulations and the lack of trustworthy data. Basically, the general frustration of the average fisherman at how the present scientific community seems just as

Captain Mike Jennings is a professional charter captain with more than 25 years offshore experience. Mike is the owner/ operator of Cowboy Charters in Freeport TX and is known locally for running further and fishing harder for his clients.

Telephone Email Website

979-864-9439 texassportfishing@gmail.com www.cowboycharters.com

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Sharks of the Gulf Sharks reside in nearly every marine environment on Earth (and even some freshwater ones). Having had millions of years practice at adaptation, sharks are often top predators in their environments. Some, such as the great white, are even classified as super predators, but even these giants are in equilibrium with the populations of their prey and play a crucial role in maintaining a stable ecosystem. Because they usually hunt the weak, sick, and old, sharks also help maintain the overall health of the prey population. Sick and weak individuals have less chances of reproducing and passing on their genes when they’re on the menu.1 This means that the fish people catch are more likely to be happy, healthy, and delicious!

Of course, sometimes fishers don’t reel in the entire catch they hook. Sharks do occasionally take a fee for their ecosystemstablizing duties. As explained by Walter Bubley, Ph.D. and Natural Resources Specialist for the Coastal Fisheries Division of Texas Parks & Wildlife, since sharks live in or at least pass through every area people fish, the ones most likely to interact with people are the most populous. Reef fishers are most likely to share their catch with one of the most abundant sharks, the Atlantic sharpnose. Fishing in bays and near shore could result in

quality time with black tips and bull sharks.2 These three species are common, but certainly not the only residents. Devil’s Elbow, which ranges from Corpus Christi down to Tampico, Mexico, is one the Gulf Coast’s most shark-laden regions.3 But despite their numbers and tough reputation, sharks are very vulnerable to fishing pressure because they 1) grow slowly, 2) take many years to reach reproductive maturity, 3) often do not reproduce every year, 4) have small numbers of young per brood, 5) need specific nurseries such as estuaries, and 6) are killed in many types of fishing gear such as gillnets, trawls, etc.4 Knowing more about these predators is the first step in successful shark angling and conservation. It’s good to meet all your neighbors, but for now, I’ll just introduce the aforementioned three.

Atlantic Sharpnose Sharpnose sharks are so named for their characteristically long, surfboard-like snout, which is longer than it is wide, matching the rest of the shark’s streamlined body. Corresponding points on the sharpnose’s snout are equidistant from each other. This is a considered a small species of shark, reaching only about three and a half feet in length. Like other small sharks, it’s only about

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66 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 67

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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midway up the food chain. Sharpnoses, along with many others in the family Carcharhinidae, are frequently referred to as sand sharks because members of this family look very similar and are difficult to identify, even out of the water. Atlantic sharpnoses are also commonly mistaken for young blacktip sharks because of their dark-tipped dorsal fins.5 Atlantic sharpnoses are the most commonly caught small coastal shark species. The meat is sold for food and as bait for larger sharks, but their small fins make them less valuable commercially than larger edible sharks. Large quantities are also caught as bycatch in shrimp fisheries and drift gillnet gear.6 A common resident of surf zones, Atlantic sharpnoses also visit estuaries and harbors, especially for nurseries Though they can tolerate low salinity, the don’t plan excursions into freshwater. As previously mentioned, this shark also cruises Gulf reefs for easy

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Blacktip The blacktip shark is named, appropriately, for its black-tipped fins.

It has a stout body with a somewhat long, pointed snout and grows to a bit over eight feet. It’s similar to, and often mistaken for, the spinner shark, which also flaunts black-tipped fins. However, the blacktip shark is missing a black tip on its anal fin; the spinner shark

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Blacktip Photo credit: Brenda Bowling, TPWD

www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 67

FISH Y FACT S

Atlantic Sharpnose Photo credit: Brenda Bowling, TPWD

meals, courtesy of recreational fishers. Currently, the Atlantic sharpnose is listed as “Least Concern” by the World Conservation Union (IUCN), a global union of states, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations that assess the conservation status of species.7 Atlantic sharpnoses are not considered overfished now, but there are fishing regulations in effect; check with Texas Parks & Wildlife for daily bag limits before fishing for any shark.

has that. Both species are known for leaping out of the water and rotating before dropping back into the sea. This behavior results from their feeding methods where they rocket themselves vertically through a school, spinning and grabbing fish 360 degrees, and hit the surface still going full throttle.7 Adult blacktips’ only common predator is man, and these sharks are more abundant in the central Gulf of Mexico than any other region. (Note: commercial shark fishing is not prominent in Texas waters, but blacktips are popular in the small industry.) In fact, blacktips are the second only to sandbar sharks in commercial fishery importance, and their meat is valued more. In the US, meat from other sharks of the same family is often labeled as blacktip shark because of the wide consumer preference. (Hmm, mislabeled food products? What a surprise!) The meat is locally eaten for the most part, though the fins are often shipped to Asian markets for use in shark fin soup. Some areas also harvest the hides for leather and extract oil from the livers.6 Blacktips inhabit warm and temperate inshore and offshore waters, but are not a truly pelagic species. Though often spotted in the brackish waters of estuaries, mangrove swamps, and river mouths, they don’t really penetrate into freshwater. Blacktips are currently managed by multiple organizations including the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Large Coastal Shark Management Group, and the IUCN, which lists the species as “Near Threatened” throughout its range, though the status of blacktips in the Gulf of Mexico is that they are not presently overfished.7

Bull Shark Lastly, the notorious bull shark, the boss of the Gulf. This is a relatively large shark, up to twelve feet in length, with all the attitude of a great white but not quite the reputation. They are named for their belligerent disposition, their tendency to head-butt potential prey, and their short, blunt snout. (Ironically, their genus name, Carcharhinus, means “sharp nose” in Greek.) They have thick, stout bodies, dark-tipped fins, and relatively small eyes.8 Bull sharks have a remarkable quality shared by none of their cousins; they can live in freshwater. They have been reported over 2,300 miles up the Mississippi River, and over 2,600 miles up the Amazon River! They’ve been found in lakes in Australia, New Guinea, the Philippines, Asia, Africa, and the Americas (North, Central, and South). Bull sharks can really live all over the world.

Having such a range of habitat allows them access to a greater

Bull Photo credit: Brenda Bowling, TPWD

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

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variety of prey, which they take full advantage of.9 Bulls don’t necessarily, or even commonly, live most of their life in freshwater though. Freshwater is simply another habitat they take advantage of. They always return to estuaries and other brackish water to give birth, probably because young bull sharks are not born fully able to process freshwater like their parents.

The bull shark is a commonly caught shark. Though they’re not specifically targeted in most commercial fisheries, they’re regularly caught on bottom longline gear. Like the blacktip, their meat is mostly eaten locally, the fins are shipped to Asia, and the hide is good quality leather. Additionally, bull sharks are popular game fish. Because they are unpredictable, sometimes aggressive, and often dwell in highly populated areas, both marine and freshwater, bulls are considered more dangerous than their Hollywood cousins, the great white and tiger sharks. Though humans aren’t on the menu, per se, we do happen to be about the size of other prey items, and bull sharks are very opportunistic feeders. However, it’s becoming painfully clear that the freshwater habitats bulls are so fond of are degrading from pollution and other impacts of human expansion. We may prove to be a greater danger to bull sharks than they ever were to us. Currently, the bull shark is listed by the IUCN as “Near Threatened.” 7 Bull sharks, blacktips, and Atlantic sharpnoses are three of the more common sharks you’re likely to meet on the Texas coast or in the Gulf. All three are integral parts of the ecosystems they inhabit, as are all the other sharks you’ll ever meet. We all benefit from the roles they play in the environment and the economy. Plus, they’re

fun to watch, catch, and make up stories about, so let’s make sure they stick around!

Footnotes 1 “The Evolution of Sharks,” Shark Foundation/Hai-Stiftung, 21 April 2011 <http://

www.shark.ch/Information/Evolution/index.html>.

2 Walter Bubley, Ph.D, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Email interview, 28 Apr.

2011.

3 “South Texas Sharks,” Texas Weekend Angler, 2 May 2011 <http://

texasweekendangler.com/south_texas_shark_fishing.htm>.

4 “NOAA Fisheries Fact Sheet,” NOAA, 2 May 2011 <http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/

sfa/hms/sharks/Fact_Sheets/blacktip.htm>.

5 “Atlantic Sharpnose Shark,” Discovery Channel, 2 May 2011 <http://dsc.

discovery.com/sharks/atlantic-sharpnose-shark.html>.

6 IUCN Red List, 2 May 2011 <http://www.iucnredlist.org>.

7 “Education: Biological Profiles,” Florida Museum of Natural History, 2 May 2011

<http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish>.

8 “Bull Shark,” National Geographic, 2 May 2011 <http://animals.

nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/bull-shark/>.

9 Aidan Martin, “Biology of Sharks & Rays,” ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research,

21 April 2011 <http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/evolution/evol_s_ predator.htm>.

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dicKie coLBUrn’S Sabine Scene Having lost more trips to wind thus far this year than I have in the previous 39 years, I am reluctant to predict that we will at last dicKie coLBUrn be enjoying more user-friendly conditions by the time you read Dickie Colburn is a full time guide this. As of today, upper coast out of Orange, Texas. Dickie has anglers are equally concerned 37 years experience guiding on about the long term effects of the Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes. prolonged drought as the salinity levels are sky high in both the lower Telephone Neches and Sabine Rivers.

409-883-0723 Website The good news on Sabine is www.sabineconnection.com that when we have been able to get on the lake the fishing has been nothing short of incredible. Sabine Lake is absolutely covered up with acres of shad and small shrimp and countless flocks of gulls are pointing the way to user-friendly fishing.

While we currently continue to average only a couple of days each week to exploit the bite in the open lake, the number of seven and eight pound trout caught last month alone was ridiculous. A few of them came out of the ship channel, but most of them were caught

72 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 73

by waders on the north end of the lake or by folks dissecting the revetment walls with topwaters.

Easily the most pleasant surprise has been the average size of the trout taken by anglers hustling the gulls on the calmer days. Three pound-plus trout have been the norm for those targeting the trout chasing shrimp to the surface rather than shad. A Geaux Naked She Dog has induced the most violent strikes, but longer 5-inch tails like Assassin’s Texas Shad and the TTF Trout Killer in stinky pink, bone diamond, and bug juice are fooling the larger trout as well.

Pre-dawn wades on the shallow flats south of Sidney and Stewt’s are also providing the opportunity to do a lot of catching and releasing.

Topwater explosions are the main reason for climbing out of bed that early, but the bite slows very little for anglers willing to stick with it well after daylight. Tails rigged on 1/16 ounce heads have extended the bite in slightly deeper water as have Crazy Croakers and MirrOdine XL’s.

The submerged grass flats from Johnson’s Bayou south to the Dredge Hole are still holding good concentrations of trout and redfish, but that area has been getting a lot of fishing pressure due to a prevailing southeast wind. All of the aforementioned lures are good choices along with swimbaits and a Gulp shrimp or four inch tail drifted under a Kwik Cork. Many local anglers are now drifting these flats with Carolina rigs to better access fish residing in the thicker vegetation.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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SABine A half-ounce slip sinker, three foot leader and 5-inch tail threaded on an open 3/0 hook has been the ticket.

Flounder and reds are rewarding the anglers patrolling the Roseau-lined shorelines from Coffee Ground Cove to Willow Bayou. Gold spoons, swimbaits and spinner baits are all deadly on small pods of reds and flounder nosing around in the roots of the flooded cane. High or incoming tides provide the optimum conditions for exploiting this bite.

It is a little ironic that many of the same fishermen that complained about excessive numbers of redfish all spring are now upset that they have been harder to find this month. It is actually just a case of looking in the wrong places as the food source has changed and redfish are pursuing an easier meal.

Virtually on schedule each day, huge schools of copper-hued slot

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fish pound away at the endless buffet The Bommer of shad in the open twins tag team lake in the hottest part another slot red! of the afternoon. While it is nothing short of miserable for the angler, the hotter and calmer the lake is the easier it is to locate these audible and visual feeding binges in July and August. Even if you never make the first cast it is something to behold!

The jetty and short rig anglers are hoping that this will be the month when they can finally take advantage of not only one of the easier, but more diverse bites available on Sabine. The jetty fishermen have already had some great days on trout while fishing the semi-protected side of the ship channel from the LNG terminal all the way to the last slabs of granite. The last three redfish tournaments were also won in this area so the wind is obviously the only thing holding up that show.

I very much hope to be complaining about the absence of wind by the time you read this report. Until then, stay hydrated, lather up with a quality sunscreen before you hit the water and take the time to share the thrill of catching a fish with a youngster!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 73

MicKeY On Galveston Howdy folks! Capt. Mickey here with another fishing report and forecast for the Galveston Bays region. Thank goodness the wind has finally given us a MicKeY eAStMAn break – believe it or not we are enjoying our second full week Mickey Eastman is a full-time fishing guide out of Baytown, of sweet southerly breezes and TX. Mickey has 26 years guiding unbelievable fishing. I mean all experience on the Galveston the open water is in play right area bays and is the founder now. We have been talking of Gulf Coast Troutmasters, about it for months hoping the largest speckled trout we could get off the protected tournament series of all time shorelines and work mid-bay shell; the catching is easy and life Contact Mickey Eastman’s is good.

Guide Service The patterns right now are Telephone real simple. No matter where 281-383-2032 you fish in the Galveston Bay complex, just remember Mickey’s Three-S Formula: Shell - Slicks - Shad.

We have been doing really well with these and you can hit it out of the park by combining any two. Putting all three together should get you a grand slam. Fishing over deep shell reefs with no other visible sign will likely give you decent action. Slicks over shell means you have arrived

74 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 75

during an aggressive feed. And, seeing balls of menhaden flipping nervously amid slicks over shell reefs means you are about to get in on a dynamite bite.

We are seeing an incredible amount of bait so far this summer and it really comes as no surprise to me. A really cold winter like the one we just had seems to create an explosion in the shad population. On the up-side, it means that finding bait is easy when you are hunting the bite. On the down-side, I believe an overabundance of bait hanging on structure or in the general area you are fishing makes it tougher to get bit, especially on lures.

One thing is sure though, this bumper crop of shad is good for the trout and reds. We had a twenty-two inch red the other day that weighed over five pounds – crazy – and our trout are looking like footballs too! Just to give you a better idea, in Trinity Bay a couple of weeks ago, I got on a school of shad up close to the mouth of the Trinity River that stretched probably a quarter mile wide and a couple of miles in length. As far as you could see the trout and reds were just blowing them up. We spent maybe three hours working those fish and we just couldn’t get ‘em going. We caught a few but too much natural food was my guess as to the origin of the problem.

Look for the action at the Galveston jetties to really take off. While fish can be caught on the rocks year round, the bigger trout really congregate there during the hottest part of summer. Calm winds and flat seas enable you to work close to the rocks and observe bait and

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gamefish activity. Topwaters, crankbaits, soft plastics, and of course live bait, will work. My pick would be topwaters early in the morning right along the edge and then soft plastics the rest of the day, trying to bounce them down the wall without getting hung up. Lots of big trout have been caught in summers past using this approach.

West Bay has had a really good year so far and still giving up lots of fish. The major reefs along the old Intracoastal have been paying off steadily when conditions allow and I expect they will continue to do so right on through the summer. Then you have Campbell Bay that I call a “freeway bay”, not because it lies next to the Causeway, but because lots of fish migrate through there. Look for this area to have tons of working birds over “keeper” trout when the shrimp move through.

There are always a lot of smaller schoolies but there will be some decent “keepers” too.

East Bay; can’t say enough. The south shoreline took a steady beating when the wind had everybody pinned down but, now that the wind has laid, there are lots of really nice trout coming off the deeper structure in open water.

Same way with Trinity Bay. Deeper structure is really producing on calm days and there are big schools of trout along the east shoreline.

Wade fishermen working Hodges Reef and the submerged Vingt-et-un (Vantoon) Island area are doing very well. Here again shell is the key.

Along the Ship Channel, when the ship traffic isn’t too heavy, you can find lots of trout on the humps, ledges and shell piles, from lower Galveston Bay all the way up to Trinity Bay. We normally work this area in May but the wind kept us off it this year. The currently

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light winds have g A L V e S t o n changed that whole picture and now is the time to zero in on it.

For two weeks now the live baiters have been tearing up the trout on live shrimp but my plastics are working too. I have been having some stellar days with the Big Nasty Voodoo and the Bass Assassins. Old standby swimbaits like H&H Cocahoe Minnows are working for us as is the new MirrOlure bait they call Lil John. We nicknamed it “the suppository” because of its shape. This bait has a unique darting action, unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Rig it on an 1/8 ounce leadhead and you might get a surprise.

Now we’ve been hearing a lot about pier fishing under lights all year. The night fishermen have absolutely been laying the trout out. I have to say this style of fishing has never been my personal favorite, but some enjoy it. With the water conditions and quality of catching we have right now I just cannot imagine giving up a day on the water to sit on a pier all night. To each his own.

I hope all is well with the fishermen who read this and everybody can find time to get on the water and take advantage of what we have going on. I think this will be an exceptional summer season as long as the wind continues to cooperate and the dog days that will come soon do not alter the pattern too significantly. I am praying for rain for everybody as we all need it very badly. Have a safe and happy Fourth of July and take your family fishing!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 75

cAPt. BiLL’S Fish Talk Here it is the end of May Memorial Weekend - with winds still blowing 28+ gusting to 33 mph - near gale force. This has cAPt. BiLL PUSteJoVSKY been the scenario for the past couple of months and for this Bill Pustejovsky is a full-time fishing guide it is getting very guide at Matagorda, TX. old. I’ve actually had to rebook Bill fishes year-round for trout and redfish in all the one of my clients four different Matagorda Bays. Wading and times due to conditions. Seems drifting for trophy trout and like a weather pattern from the reds are his specialty. dark side. Let’s see what July brings…unpredictable as it may Telephone appear.

979-863-7353 Trying to fish East Matagorda Email Bay has been somewhat CaptBill@GoldTipGuideService.com Website challenging to say the least. www.goldtipguideservice.com Despite muddied waters, fishermen using “hop-a-matics” under a popping cork have been averaging between eight and twenty trout per day, and occasionally with a few scattered reds.

Wading the reefs has been pretty much a no-go because of the dirty water and wind.

76 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 77

On the other hand, West Matagorda Bay has been more accommodating. Wading sand bars and grassbeds on the south shoreline, even with the wind screaming, has been a godsend. We have seen good catches of trout 18-25” on topwaters and Bass Assassins.

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Trey Heath waded West Matagorda grassbeds – great topwater speck!

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MAtAgordA Taking a telescopic lens look at cooler water logic, don’t overlook July at this point may be a futile effort the well pads out in the middle of given the weather patterns of the past the bay. Places like Shell Island, Twin Island, Mad Island Cut, and even Half-Moon several months. I feel like chunking all Reef should pay off. Might get lucky and even my records out the window right now because they haven’t really been much catch a tripletail fishing the pads in West Bay. help due to the unpredictability of the Perhaps the cards will soon come our way and the surf will get winds. Normally in July, I’m wading right. When and if this happens, there’s absolutely nothing in this reefs over in East Matty. Usually I area that can match it this time of year. I recommend the same will get out there pretty early to beat baits there as you would use in the bay — She Dogs, Super Spooks, the heat and back in by say 1:00 Skitter Walks, and Bass Assassins. I personally like the She Dogs in pm. Sometimes, I’ll leave the dock at the surf because of the extra-loud rattle. By the way, MirrOlure is Trey Heath and Jake Ruby 4:00-4:30. If the winds are light I may coming out with the She Dog and She Pup in the Okie color. Can’t decided to take a break from even try to do a little night fishing. wait to get some — I’m thinking it is going to be a great bait. fishing and do a few cannonballs.

MirrOlure She Dogs and Pups along One more thing before I sign off ; my hat is off to Academy Sports with Bass Assassins will fit the bill most days. & Outdoors. A friend of mine gave me two H20-Xpress reels to try. I Chances are we may even drift out in the middle of East Bay over was a little skeptical at first because of the $50 price tag but thought scattered shell. In the past, we have caught most of our July trout I’d give them a try as he reported good service out of them. After in East Bay via the drift method in the middle of the day over shell. putting them through the test, bottom line is best bang for the buck I hardly ever wade the shorelines unless we are looking to catch I have ever found. I’ve been using one for three months now through reds. Trout seem to favor the deeper, cooler water during July so my thick and thin and it hasn’t missed a lick. For the price of $50 you just primary plan of attack is adjusted accordingly. can’t go wrong. The fact that it is light-weight, has a smooth drag, Over in West Bay, fishing the sand bars and grassbeds has been and can be thrown a country mile will definitely keep my attention. relatively productive all through spring and early summer and I Great job Academy! expect it will remain so during July. Also, keeping with that deeperUntil next time, God Bless! -Capt. Bill

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Mid-coASt BAYS With the Grays The first half of 2011 was consumed by extreme winds here on the Mid-Coast. If you fish often this is no news flash. Redfish were cAPt. SheLLie grAY our saviors most days when were Captain Gary and Captain Shellie unable to fish our favorite trout Gray fish year-round for trout locales. The fishing was nothing and redfish in the Port O’Connor/ short of awesome the few days we Seadrift area. Gary started his Bay were able to work the unprotected Rat Guide Service 20 years ago.

The Grays specialize in wade and waters of San Antonio Bay. drift fishing with artificial lures.

Now that the summer Gary and Shellie also team up to pattern is coming together I look fish many tournaments. for things to really shape up, especially if we get some much Telephone needed rain. San Antonio Bay, 361-785-6708 West Matagorda Bay and the surf Email will be the areas I frequent most Gary@BayRat.com this time of year. If the wind is Website www.bayratguideservice.com calm it is really hard to beat the surf whether you choose to stay in the boat or wade. For whatever reason the fish that we catch surfside are so much more aggressive than the ones we catch in the bays. The

78 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 79

variety of species we catch in the surf is pretty cool as well. It is not uncommon to hook up with Spanish mackerel, pompano, tarpon and even the occasional tripletail.

The Ranch House shoreline in West Matagorda along with the Matagorda Ship Channel spoil banks are two other areas that shouldn’t be overlooked during the summer months. These areas were mostly off limits when the wind Nick got into the was at its worst but flounder – gotta love now that our summer those flatties! pattern is coming into full swing the wind won’t be an issue most days. When fishing the Ranch House shoreline remember it is usually imperative to wade out deep in order to find a good trout bite. That is not to say you won’t catch trout up shallow, but the numbers will be out in the waist to

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Port o’connor / SeAdrift chest deep water. If redfish is more to may still catch some Haley had fun your liking then hang up tight next dinks in the mix but trout reelin’ in the reds. to the shoreline to better your odds of keeper-size and better will of hooking a coppery brute. Grass be more abundant. beds are thick right now so choosing a Now that we are in the middle weedless setup is about the only way of summer I can’t stress enough how you can fish without getting caught important it is to getting an early start to your day. I will up in the grass. A 1/2 ounce weedless make sure I am at my fishing spot before the sun begins to gold spoon or a Texas-rigged Gulp peek over the horizon. I am not saying that you will catch Jerkshad will be my go-to selection NO fish in the mid-afternoon hours but I can tell you I have when fishing grassy areas. greater confidence and better success when fishing the Birds working out in the open bays early morning hours than I do in the hottest part of the will be more common now that the day. The use of a spotlight comes in handy when leaving shrimp are on the move. I have many out before sunrise to help you avoid markers, obstructions customers that get really excited when and such. Those nifty headlamps that fit on your hat come they notice a flock of birds working in handy too when it comes to tying notes and situating over an area of water. I wish that I could your gear once you get to your spot. share their excitement but I know what A note to end on - Remember people, it is never okay to lurks under our birds is almost always dink trout, skipjacks and gafftop. I pull in close to anglers when you see they are on a good bite. Not only know many anglers have great success working the birds when fishing will you more than likely NOT get in on that same action, but you will in East Matagorda Bay but it just isn’t the case in our area. With that ruin it for the anglers that worked hard to find it. Take pride in finding being said, there is one exception to this scenario. If you ever notice your own fish. It will make things a lot more fun for everyone. Of course I birds working close to the crown of a reef then you are in luck! The trout am probably preaching to the choir here because if you are reading this that are under the birds close to a reef are usually better quality with article then you are already a step ahead of the rest trying to gain tips to fewer of the less desirable species mixed in for whatever reason. You improve your catching.

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 79

hooKed UP With Rowsey If you have ventured south of the JFK Causeway often this summer you have no doubt been impressed with the dAVid roWSeY quality of the bay water we David Rowsey has 20 years have been enjoying – reminds experience in the Laguna/Baffin me of the Caribbean! With region; trophy trout with artificial record wind-speed and gusts, lures is his specialty. David has a the water just holds its own great passion for conservation as if to say, “No excuses!” The and encourages catch and water quality has allowed for release of trophy fish. some great opportunity in the Telephone Upper Laguna while Baffin will 361-960-0340 Website have more of a tendency to get www.DavidRowsey.com blown out. If there is a pot of Email gold at the end of the rainbow david.rowsey@yahoo.com it would be that it clears up in a hurry, allowing for some beautiful fishing conditions. If you have not been down yet this summer and are planning a trip; be aware that the jellyfish are really thick and long wading pants are a must! The past two freezing winters saw a big die-off of green sea turtles and I am curious whether that might be part of the scenario - jellyfish are a big part of their diet. Whatever the reason, I know there are more this

80 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 81

year than I have ever seen.

Fishing has been superb this summer and should continue on through July and August. Being a trout enthusiast I start my days early and do most of my running to the first spot in the dark. I am a big believer of the moon phases, major and minor (solunar) feeding periods, and always try and have my Haynie HO positioned in the best area for the best chance at a trophy at first light. Knowing it and utilizing it throughout the summer is a big part of my game on the water, but years of trial and error has also taught me that the best big trout bite is going to be early when the water temperature settles into the 80°-plus range during this time of year. If a solunar feed period happens to occur at that time it is just icing on the cake for me. As a wade fisherman, I have a few choices during the heat of the summer.

I roll on the trout until about 10:00 a.m. and then turn the rest of the day into catching redfish in the shallows or I start hitting deep structure using the Power-Pole and trolling motor for more trout (big ones too). At one point in my career I was such a purist (or just plain hardheaded) that I would not consider fishing from the boat, but as a charter captain I quickly realized that fulfilling client’s expectations of large trout far outweighed my once purist tendencies.

My top lure choices for wading will be a MirrOlure She Dog in the early morning, and switching to 5” Bass Assassins on 1/16 oz jigs as the sun comes up. If fishing the shallow potholes on area shorelines

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UPPer LAgUnA/ BAffin at first light, the MirrOlure Fat Boy Corky will be a heavy favorite. As the sun comes up and my clients opt to go for deepwater trout instead of redfish, I will stay with the 5” Bass Assassin, but will go to 1/8 or 1/4 oz jigheads to probe the depths. Digging through my old bass boxes, I have also started using more lipped crankbaits on deep structure with awesome success.

I mentioned this last July but feel it is worth saying again: Whether Paul Laudadio Jr coaxing a big I am wading or fishing summer trout - morning glory deep structure from Bass Assassin - CPR. the boat, I am always pro catch & release and conscientious in the handling of the smallest to largest trout. As the water temperatures rise above 80° we do not have much time from

the setting of the hook to the release before she starts getting weak. To insure that fish are released healthy enough to fight another day in these warmer months, a few simple practices will go a long way.

Land the fish as soon as possible.

• Use a Boga Grip or similar device to land the fish. Hand gripping behind the gills or thrashing in a landing net is bad news for fish that are to be released.

• If possible, remove the hook without lifting her from the water so she can continue to breathe.

• Keep the fish’s head and gills in the water once attached to the landing device. Keep her upright until you are absolutely ready for your buddy to snap a photo.

• Take a quick weight, set her back in the water upright, slide back and forth to get the water flowing over the gills, cut her loose at the first hint of strong tail movement.

“We took the lead and were in 1st place forever…then the second boat came in.” -Capt. John Little “Set ‘em Loose.” -Capt. David Rowsey

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triciA’S Mansfield Report Hallelujah – I think the wind is finally gone! The Laguna has been very kind, but even with the friendlier winds of early cAPt. triciA June, not all days have been gimmies. Being in the right Capt. Tricia’s Skinny Water place at the right time is still Adventures operates out of what fishing is all about and, Port Mansfield, specializing in success will always come easier wadefishing with artificial lures. with a “Go For It” attitude, a good eye for what’s going on Telephone around you, and keeping your 956-642-7298 lure wet.

Email shell@granderiver.net Let me bring you up-toWebsite date since my last article. We www.SkinnyWaterAdventures.com battled wind for most of the past month. Sustained 20-25 mph was very common and several days gave us steady blows of 30-35, gusting into the 40s. This would mean a total blowout in most Texas bays but the Lower Laguna Madre is a tough old gal. We couldn’t always fish where we wanted but small pockets held decent clarity, even through the worst of it. Most of our fish (trout) were caught shallow over sandy bottom, near and around grassbeds. Early mornings

usually offered good windows, with clear streaks of water holding for a few hours depending on wind direction. Small topwaters did well when baitfish were active but plastics were most consistent as usual.

Redfish action has slowed as the schools we had been seeing are now gone from the flats – probably to deeper environs than we have been targeting. We are catching more flounder than in recent years and we are glad to see them thriving.

On to July. It will be hot with many near-windless days when it will be tough to find a steady bite. This happens every year and no matter how good a fisherman you are or how good the fishery is, we just have to deal with it. Early morning will bring the best surface action so don’t

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Port MAnSfieLd be late. In this desert-like environment, skinny water cools rapidly overnight through a process called radiant cooling. You will notice it the second you step out of the boat. The fish like it too, so find bait in the shallows early and, you’ve also more than likely found fish. Calm and shallow water will require smaller, more subtle surface lures; Top Dog Jr, Super Spook Jr., smaller Skitter Walks, Spit’n Image, etc.

Fish will hold shallow for longer periods on cloudy days, especially redfish. Throwing at wakes or exposed tails and fins in shin-deep water can make the rest of the world go away. Look closely as not all of those wakes are redfish. A square, black tailfin (trout), is the ultimate sightcasting target but they are usually pretty spooky. Pinpoint accuracy in lure placement and ultimate stealth required!

Some of the best sight-casting opportunities for spot tails will occur a bit later in the morning after the sun is high enough to allow anglers to better see the fish. Well-placed shots with light jigs and spoons should get hit, especially when fish are in small groups as they will feed competitively. Now some may raise their eyebrows in disbelief but we really do have opportunity for sight-casting for trout down here, even in the middle of the day. The East Cut area spoils and Drifting into waist-deep clear shorelines with deep drops nearby come water when the shallow to mind. Incoming tides of cooler Gulf water do action fades will keep amazing things. you on the bite.

As the day wears on, the majority of the trout

will begin backing off into deeper water. The opposite of radiant cooling is superheated water from the sun. In the extreme shallows far from deeper water, we can easily see temperatures of ninety degrees and higher late in the day. Keep this in mind when you see water draining late in the day from very shallow areas. It may be cooking the area it’s draining into.

As usual in hotter months, the standard routine is to start early, start shallow, and simply move down towards deeper structure as the day wears on. It should be a great season here, and if the Memorial Day crowds were any indication, a lot of folks are counting on it. It’s going to be crowded, so let’s just plan on it and act responsibly.

Speaking of acting responsibly; we had a case here recently involving shockingly irresponsible behavior.

A family had overturned their little flats boat in deep water, kids floating in life jackets and the mother lying on the overturned hull needing CPR. Three boats went right past them in full view and never batted an eye. Thankfully a humane boater stopped to render aid and no lives were lost. Sure hope we can do better than that if it ever happens again. Practice good manners and good boating safety. Catch a big one!

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SoUth PAdre Fishing Scene The summer doldrums are almost here. If you considered the beginning of summer hot, July’s temperatures will really cAPt. erneSt ciSneroS have you sweating. While the A Brownsville-area native, wind has calmed considerably Capt. Ernest Cisneros fishes it continues to play a big role the Lower Laguna Madre from in where we fish. Many of the Port Mansfield to Port Isabel.

Lower Laguna’s prime big Ernest specializes in wading trout and redfish areas on and poled skiff adventures for the west side of the ICW have snook, trout, and redfish. been difficult to fish with poor Cell clarity and lots of floating and 956-266-6454 suspended grass. The good Website thing is we are finding fish www.tightlinescharters.com where they should be for the time of the year, making good numbers easy when the conditions are favorable.

Our redfish population is pretty healthy right now. Multiple areas on the east and west side of our bay system from Port Isabel to Port Mansfield are holding good numbers of redfish and in some cases large schools which makes for good prospects of finding and catching them each time out on the water. If you happen to come

84 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 85

across a school of redfish and want to catch more than one while wading or drifting, the key element is to disturb them as little as possible. These fish can be caught on topwaters, but a gold spoon or soft plastic lure will assure you of a solid hookup and quicker hook removal. A topwater in these conditions can sometimes make too much commotion on the surface that might spook or disperse the fish when you get a big blowup. When I set the hook on a fish swimming in a school, I try to horse him away from the others by using a tighter than normal drag setting on my reel. Set the hook and then quietly back away when wading, dragging the fish with you before the alarm goes off. This technique has worked very well for me over the years.

I have found that in the month of July the feeding patterns are tied strongly to the speed of the tidal currents. Meaning – if all other factors remain consistent – the fish you found today will feed similarly on tomorrow’s tide. This applies to all species; trout, reds, snook and flounder.

The trout population on the LLM has been just amazing. When you’re catching eighteen to twenty-four inch trout out on the skinny sand flats and seeing fish in this class trailing sting-rays, it tells me our trout population has rebounded very well. I like to back that up with the generous numbers of trout in the five to seven pound class that we have been landing from the traditional grass flats and sandy

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ArroYo coLorAdo to Port iSABeL potholed areas.

Working topwaters over sandy potholes has been very effective in enticing the larger trout. When the fish seem less willing to explode on a surface lure, Kelley Wigglers rigged on 1/8 oz jig heads have certainly brought in their fair share of quality trout. As an added bonus we have been catching lots of small to keeper size trout under flocks of gulls and late evenings have been the best for cashing in on this opportunity. The action is easy to spot.

Currently, the only bad news, (if you want to call it that), would be the large amount of seagrass I mentioned earlier. The strong winds of May uprooted tons of it that is now floating on the surface and suspended within the water column in many places.

This has really played havoc with artificial lure presentations, especially when daily afternoon breezes arranges it in rows across our bay. In some cases even our single-hooked topwaters have been no match for the amount of grass on the surface.

During July we will experience

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exceptionally lower tides that will mimic the water levels we see during winter. Anglers can take advantage during these low tide periods by finding and targeting the deeper areas where trout will naturally congregate to escape the heat. Anglers can also take advantage of the best sight-casting opportunity of the year during July by wading up real shallow on windless days. Early to mid-morning is usually best when wakes of cruising fish are easiest to spot before the breeze puts a ripple on the surface. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re quiet and concentrate your efforts in some of the backwater bays, you may even see redfish with their dorsal fin exposed Yvette Brysch was all going about their normal smiles after landing business. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always a challenge her first trophy snook and exciting to target redfish - CPR - June 2011. up shallow, literally stalking the fish you want to entice and then landing it. Remember, think cool and shallow early and hot and deeper later in the day. Good luck and may your catching be red hot!

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www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 85

FISHING REPORTS

AND

FORECASTS

from Big Lake to Boca Chica

Lake Calcasieu Louisiana Jeff and Mary Poe - Big Lake Guide Service - 337.598.3268 It’s hot and the majority of our fish have made the transition to their summer patterns. Most of the bigger fish have abandoned the flats and gone to deeper water. A good July plan is to fish deep water or somewhere close to it. The shipping canal is a great place to catch fish this time of year. We are catching most of these fish in seven to twenty feet of water. Be sure to cast upcurrent and work your bait back toward the boat with the flow. It is very important to work the entire water column because a lot of times trout will suspend in deeper water. Another great place to fish is at the Cameron Jetties. Both trout and reds hang out there in abundance beginning in July. Again, fish upcurrent and work back toward the boat. Often times, there is very strong current around the rocks, so a heavier jighead is needed. I stick to quarter and three eighths ounce jigheads when offshore. The beach and close rigs around Johnson Bayou are very good this time of year too, and topwaters work well along the beachfront.

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver King Adventures - www.silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 As usual, the weather was dictating the ease or difficulty on recent trips when James gave this report. “When it’s calm, we’re catchin’ ‘em

up,” he says. “When it gets windy, it’s a lot tougher. The first week of June was outstanding. We caught limits or near limits of both trout and reds every day, with some of the trout running pretty big, up to seven pounds. We’re working six to eight feet of water and staying in the boat, keying mostly on slicks, but we’re also paying attention to mud boils and balled-up schools of shad as well. The bite has been steady on bone flash Top Dog Juniors when winds are light, but the three inch pumpkinseed/chartreuse Bass Assassin Sea Shad has worked better when it’s windier. If the winds cooperate, this will be an excellent summer of fishing. We’ve got a bunch of fish and the water is in great shape. Mostly, the key is we need light enough winds to get out to where the concentrations of fish are, and to have decent water clarity to allow us to catch ’em.”

Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054 Since the wind let up around the first of June, the fishing has been pretty easy in the Galveston area, Jim says. “When it’s so hot that the sweat is pouring down the crack in your back, you should be whackin’ em! We’ve had a lot of days with easy limits of both trout and reds lately. Location is the key; you can catch the fish on pretty much whatever you want to once you find ‘em. Topwaters and tails in all colors and sizes are working about equally well. We are keying

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on slicks and bait to find the trout out in the middle in five to eight feet of water. The reds are schooled up in tight packs, and we’re finding them either by seeing them push wakes or by finding their slicks or mud boils. The surf has been on fire too. Really, the key to good Galveston fishing is good water quality, and with these light winds, we’ve got it. If it stays calm, this will be an awesome summer of fishing in the deeper parts of the bays and along the beach. The wading is a little spotty right now, but we’ll get back to that if the wind kicks up.”

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service - 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 Randall reports hot fishing in the surf in his part of the coast lately.

“I had a trout about nine pounds on the third cast this morning. I was still in my flip flops, hadn’t even got into the water yet. She hit a chrome/green SheDog in the first gut. We wound up catching a bunch of solid fish. Only had one trout that was out of the norm, about a sixteen incher, but the rest were solid three and four pounders, and they were loving the topwaters. This type of fishing should be steady through July if the weather pattern holds. We didn’t catch any reds today, but we’ve been catching plenty in the bays lately. They are liking topwaters too, especially when it’s not too windy. When it blows a little harder and the water gets some color in it, we have been switching over to the full-sized Norton Sand Eels in the needle gar color pattern. It’s got kind of a white flash to the belly and it shows up good in the dirtier water. I look forward to a great summer of fishing for both the trout and the reds, targeting whatever makes sense given the weather.”

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Matagorda | Charlie Paradoski Bay Guide Service - 713.725.2401 The story from the Matagorda area sounds much like the one from other areas lately. Charlie says fish are being caught all over, but the surf is the hot place.

“Once the wind died, the surf went off big time. We are catching plenty of trout on top out there right now. We have the advantage of the green water to the beach and the right tide cycles. As long as the tide is right, the surf will be good in July too, but catching out there does depend on water moving at the right times. If the surf isn’t good, both our bays are loaded with fish. The grass beds in West Bay are covered with fish lately, both trout and reds. The biggest trout have been coming off the mid-bay reefs in East Bay. You’ve got to figure out the pattern and be in the right place with the right tide movement to make that work. The shorelines in East Bay are holding incredible numbers of reds, mostly schooled up in pods of twenty to maybe two hundred. When winds are light like this, it’s possible to catch ‘em however you want, including on flies.”

Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 Despite the steady, strong wind lately, fishing has been outstanding in the Palacios area. Trout have been plentiful this spring around shell pads in the local bays and around the wells and barges in West Matagorda. Live shrimp rigged under popping corks have by far been the best ticket to catching quality keeper fish. The trout have mostly ranged from 16 to 19 inches, with a few mixed in over 20. Redfish

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 87

have been steady on lures around bayous and drains.

Super Spook Juniors in bone and white/red head have been the best topwaters for the reds. Morning glory and pumpkinseed/chartreuse have been the best-colored tails.

Tripletail have been showing up in decent numbers; we just haven’t had many days to go after ‘em. A few up to 18 pounds have been landed around the wells out in West Matagorda. July should bring some outstanding surf fishing to the area, with keys being schooling mullet and birds marking feeding fish. Night fishing along the seawall with white and glow beetle tails is also good this time of the year.

purple/chartreuse and pumpkinseed/chartreuse is good too. We’re mostly fishing sandy shorelines with good amounts of grass next to drop offs to open water that is deeper, targeting the sand pockets within the grass beds. The other thing that’s working well is the reefs and shell humps in open water. The hotter it gets, the better the fishing close to deep water gets. Of course, we want to get in the surf and try that some too. Since the wind stopped blowing so hard, doing that is a better option. Overall, things shape up well. Lures are still working good, but as we get further into the summer, live bait might start to pay off more of the time. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep catching fish.”

Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith - Back Bay Guide Service - 361.983.4434 Lynn loves to fish in the surf all he can during the summer months, and he’s already found good success doing so this year. “We’re catching a bunch of trout, quality fish too, both in the bays and in the surf. I’ll be looking to stay out along the beachfront as much as possible, working topwaters out there mostly.” He remembers seeing a giant trout in the surf a few years back. “It came up under the trout that was after my lure. In fact, I caught the smaller fish, which turned out to be about 23 inches, and the monster followed it to within about ten feet of me. She had to be close to three feet long. I could see the dots on her back. Still gives me chills to this day.” Sounds like a reason to hit the beach a few times! “When fishing the bays, I like to stay close to the pass area, on shallow flats adjacent to deep water. I’ll try topwaters pretty much every day, but if I’m having trouble getting plenty of blow ups, I’ll switch over to soft plastics fairly fast. The key lime Gambler and the plum/white tail Texas Trout Killers have been working great lately.”

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 The forecast for the month of July: it’s going to be hot, for fishing that is. The temperatures will be hot, but the fishing will be hotter.

The quality of the water in the Upper Laguna Madre is in very good shape and winds should be calmer than it has been for the last few months. This will open up many more locations where we can go looking for that trophy fish. I will be starting my days looking for fish along shallow shorelines with a mix of sand and grass. A really good producer in shallow water is the four inch Bass Assassin Sea Shad and Sea Shad Blurp in natural colors rigged on sixteenth ounce Spring Lock jigheads. As the sun warms up the shallows, the fish will move into slightly deeper water, two to three feet, and then I’ll switch to the five inch saltwater Die Dapper in colors like plum/ chartreuse, salt and pepper, and silver phantom. Another bait I will be using is the Berkley Gulp Ripple Mullet swim bait. Fishing with croakers will also be very effective along the edges of drop offs and grass lines in three feet of water.

Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.937.5961 The outstanding water clarity in the Corpus Christi area has allowed Joe to have success in some of his favorite ways lately. “I’m fishing a bunch of different areas, all the way from the JFK down to the Land Cut. Since the water’s so clear, it’s possible to see not only what you are casting

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Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 - 361.441.3894 The summer’s fishing started off hot in the Rockport area, Blake reports, and things shape up well for the rest of the season. “We’re catching plenty of fish lately, both trout and reds. The topwater bite has been good at times and the bite on the old standby Norton Sand Eels in

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at, but also the fish much of the time. Down south, it’s productive to drift the Kenedy shoreline and bounce Kelly Wigglers on quarter ounce heads around the rocks. We’re catching a lot of trout and a few big ones doing that. Up north, it’s more of a redfish thing. On the calmer mornings, we are able to find the schools when they push a big wake as we go by. When the sun gets higher and the wind makes it easier to see in the water, we can usually keep track of the schools by sight and use the trolling motor to stay with ‘em. Mostly, these are oversized fish, so catching them is basically just for fun. And fun it definitely is! We’ve got great potential for fly fishing too, with this super-clear water. In fact, we caught a bunch of reds on flies this week.”

Padre Island National Seashore Billy Sandifer - Padre Island Safaris - 361.937.8446 2011 has been thus far very unkind to surf fishers but July is usually the beginning of lighter winds and calm, green water and very little sargassum weed - so we’re hoping everything comes together.

July is a good month for big tiger sharks with the great majority caught at night on kayaked baits. Bull, blacktip and smaller species are also possible. Schools of ladyfish (skipjacks) will be quite the spectacle feeding on anchovies. Watch for birds working bait; the water beneath them is usually boiling with fish. Plenty of Spanish mackerel and some Atlantic bluefish will be mixed in and there is always the possibility of sharks and tarpon joining these frenzies. A hint on mackerel and skipjacks: Buy some speck rigs and replace the 25-test mono with abrasion resistant line such as Mason 30lb test leader material. Makes a world of difference. We have had so much sargassum for so long that it is going to make for dangerous driving for some time. Enjoy the beach but be alert and avoid areas where the sand appears black.

Port Mansfield | Terry Neal www.terrynealcharters.com – 956.944.2559 July will usher in the warmest water temperatures of the year; mid

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to high 80s both in the bay and offshore. We should expect some excellent fishing ahead of us. We have already seen ling and kingfish brought in along with some really good snapper. When it gets too hot and still in the Laguna Madre, look outside the jetties for some real excitement. Once you drop a bait in the water you never what your going to hook on to. Sailfish have been caught within sight of the “Goodbye” buoy. The blue water brings lots of bait in close to the beach. Tarpon, kings and Spanish mackerel are plentiful during this time of the year for anyone willing to venture out and look for something different. Bay fishing is very good right now and should continue through summer, exceptional catches of trout and redfish are being made daily. Flounder too are more plentiful than past years. The rebound of this species is noticeable and impressive.

Keep what you will eat and release the rest. Good Luck fishing.

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Janie and Fred Petty – www.fishingwithpettys.com – 956.943.2747 The wind has finally stopped blowing like crazy and we’re enjoying calmer days, but the water is not completely clear on the west side.

By the beginning of July, we should see even less wind, but the LLM is still blanketed with the silt and mud left when the Rio Grande flooded last summer. We’re limiting on trout ranging from small keepers up to twenty seven inches under birds, and the flounder comeback is in full swing. We’re catching flatties that are increasing in size at a rate of an inch per month. Reds are easier to get to when the wind’s blowing, but because they roam the flats instead of ambushing prey like trout, working the potholes is the best strategy. We’re drifting into some schools of slot fish, but the oversized ones are coming in as singles.

Freddy says, “Now that we’re getting some clearer water, we can go back to faster retrieves and smaller corks, like the Cajun Thunder cigar cork. Rig your Berkley Gulp! three inch shrimp on a quarter ounce jighead with twelve to eighteen inches of leader line and switch colors to find what’s working.”

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 89

Summer Clark First redfi sh while fi shing with Nana and Papa!

Reagan Heger Surfside - first king!

Ryan Luna Corpus Christi - 29.125” speckled trout

Jaxson Polasek Dewberry Shoreline - first legal trout!

90 July 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com

Mrs. Morales 21” trout

Bill and Dillon Keltner East Matagorda - fi shing

Gavin Small Port Aransas - 26” trout

Tony Prado Baffin Bay - 45” redfi sh

Kayla Martin Port O’Connor - 40+” bull red

Lupe Robles Jr, Raygan Longoria, & Noah Hambrick Winnings from 9th annual Hard Head Derby Tournament Texas Saltwater Fishing

Dan Huerta Baffin Bay - 46” personal best red!

Blake Martin Port O’Connor - 45+” bull red

Jaycen Perez first redfi sh!

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Nick Marsh Jr. redfi sh

Estela Lopez Port Mansfield - 27” speckled trout

Catherine Christina Land Cut - 30” trout

Glenn Brown Corpus Christi - 35.5” red

Natalie Lloyd Mitchell’s Cut - 23” redfi sh

Dani Lopez Port Mansfield - 25” speckled trout

Sherry Johnstone Freeport - 70lb ling

Stephanie Christina Land Cut - 26” trout

Loma De Sha Ace’s Hole - 22” flounder

Shane De Sha Baffin Bay - 28” trout

Laura Arroyo City - 29” first red!

Abe Perez 30” trout C&R

McKenzie McGuffin Copano Bay - fourth birthday!

Please do not write on the back of photos.

Email photos with a description of your Catch of the Month to: Photos@tsfmag.com

John Lee Wysack Baffin Bay - 50.5” bull red Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Jake Carlile Matagorda - 23” personal best trout!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Mail photos to: TSFMag P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 www.TSFMAG.com / July 2011 91

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A Most Unusual Baffin Landing There is an old saying that you never know what might bite next in saltwater. Such was the case for Ben Little of San Antonio while wade fishing in Baffin Bay last summer.

Ben was throwing a Berkley Gulp! Jerk Shad – and lo and behold – a most unusual fish took his lure. The fish was a long way from what most of us would consider “tarpon water” and proved a worthy adversary on Ben’s light tackle.

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GALVESTON TIDES & SOLUNAR TABLE Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine JULY 2011

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Tidal Corrections Location Calcasieu Pass, La. Sabine Bank Lighthouse Sabine Pass (jetty) Sabine Pass Mesquite Point Galveston Bay (S. jetty) Port Bolivar Texas City, Turning Basin Eagle Point Clear Lake Morgans Point Round Point, Trinity Bay Point Barrow, Trinity Bay Gilchrist, East Bay Jamaica Beach, Trinity Bay Christmas Point Galveston Pleasure Pier San Luis Pass Freeport Harbor

High -2:14 -1:46 -1:26 -1:00 -0:04 -0:39 +0:14 +0:33 +3:54 +6:05 +10:21 +10:39 +5:48 +3:16 +2:38 +2:39 +2:32 -0:09 -0:44

Low -1:24 -1:31 -1:31 -1:15 -0:25 -1:05 -0:06 +0:41 +4:15 +6:40 +5:19 +5:15 +4:43 +4:18 +3:31 +2:38 +2:33 +2:31 -0:09

For other locations, i.e. Port Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor, Port Aransas, Corpus Christi and Port Isabel please refer to the charts displayed below.

Please note that the tides listed in this table are for the Galveston Channel. The Tidal Corrections can be applied to the areas affected by the Galveston tide.

Minor Feeding Periods are in green, coinciding with the moon on the horizon, and the last from 1.0 to 1.5 hrs after the moon rise or before moon set.

Major Feeding Periods are in orange, about 1.0 to 1.5 hrs either side of the moon directly overhead or underfoot.

Many variables encourage active feeding current flow (whether wind or tidal driven), changes in water temp & weather, moon phases, etc. Combine as many as possible for a better chance at an exceptional day. Find concentrations of bait set up during a good time frame, and enjoy the results.

Te x a s S a l t w a t e r F i s h i n g M a g a z i n e l

w w w. t e x a s s a l t w a t e r f i s h i n g m a g a z i n e . c o m