July 2015

Only $3.95 www.tsfmag.com July 2015

TIDE PREDICTIONS & SOLUNAR FEED TIMES INSIDE!

about the Cover Spring and early summer have provided exceptional shark fishing from Padre Island National Seashore beaches. Beth Lucia landed this scalloped hammerhead recently—tagged and released!

Contents

JULY 2015 VOL 25 NO 3

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

10 Coping with Crowds 16 The Comprehensive Aid 22 A Sea Story 24 Tommy Has Some Trouble, Part VIII 28 Uh-Oh…Now What?

34 Spending the Night Offshore 40 Surf Savvy

46 Let’s Ask The Pro Jay Watkins 52 Shallow Water Fishing Scott Null 56 TPWD Field Notes Shane Bonnot 62 Fly Fishing Scott Sommerlatte 66 Kayak Fishing Chronicles Dave Roberts 70 TSFMag Conservation News CCA Texas 72 Fishy Facts Stephanie Boyd 74 Inshore | Nearshore | Jetties | Passes Curtiss Cash 80 Extreme Kayak Fishing & Sharks...

Eric Ozolins 108 Science & the Sea UT Marine Science Institute 110 Boat Maintenance Tips Chris Mapp

34

Steve Hillman Kevin Cochran Billy Sandifer Martin Strarup Chuck Uzzle Joe Richard Joe Doggett

66

WHAT OUR GUIDES

HAVE TO SAy

86 88 90 92 94 96 98

Dickie Colburn’s Sabine Scene The Buzz on Galveston Bay The View from Matagorda Mid-Coast Bays with the Grays Hooked up with Rowsey Capt. Tricia’s Port Mansfield Report South Padre Fishing Scene

6 | July 2015

Dickie Colburn Caleb Harp Bink Grimes Shellie Gray David Rowsey Capt. Tricia Ernest Cisneros

REGULARS 08 Editorial 84 New Tackle & Gear 100 Fishing Reports and Forecasts 104 Catch of the Month 106 Gulf Coast Kitchen

86

106

Editor and Publisher Everett Johnson Everett@tsfmag.com VICE PRESIDENT PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Pam Johnson Pam@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-550-9918 National sales representative Bart Manganiello Bartalm@optonline.net regional sales representative Patti Elkins Patti@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-649-2265 PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Donna Boyd Donna@tsfmag.com Circulation Subscription – product sales Linda Curry Cir@tsfmag.com ADDRESS CHANGED? Email Store@tsfmag.com Design & Layout Stephanie Boyd Stephanie@tsfmag.com Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine is published monthly.

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EDITORIAL

Fresh Water & Fishing Lessons

I have read and even written that fresh water is the lifeblood of an estuary. When fresh water inflows diminish, bay salinities rise as bay water evaporates. Salt becomes concentrated in the water that remains, sometimes exceeding the salinity of seawater in the Gulf of Mexico. There were times during recent summers (record drought of 2009-2014) when middle coast bay salinity reached as high as mid-40s parts-per-thousand, the historic average is more like mid-teens to low-20s. The open Gulf runs about 35 parts on average.

Unless you are new to coastal fishing you have no doubt heard that above average salinity over prolonged periods is tough on the mechanics of the estuarine ecosystem. Everything suffers to some degree; shrimp, crabs, oysters and many species of finfish that are estuarine dependent at some point in their life, even some types of sea grass and emergent vegetation take a hit.

Well, the salinity pendulum has finally swung. Right now you can nearly drink the water in every bay from Sabine Lake to Corpus Christi—surface water anyway. No doubt there is a salty layer down there somewhere as speckled trout, reds and flounder are still being caught across all these bays; the surface though, is U-G-L-Y! And while we probably have every right to whine and complain that we’ve had all the rain we need; please God make it stop, you’re not going to hear that from me. No sir, those words will never again cross my lips if I live as long as Methuselah.

8 | July 2015

Down in the traditionally saltier Upper Laguna and Baffin, David Rowsey notes in his column this month that the majority of the brown tide that has limited angling opportunity off-and-on for better than a year has mysteriously disappeared—almost overnight. More confirmation that “fresh water is good,” according to David.

Years ago I toured Sea Center Texas while working on a story covering TPWD’s stock enhancement program. David Abrego had just moved there from Marine Development Center, TPWD’s other major hatchery at Flour Bluff. Referencing the hatch rate of seatrout at Sea Center, David said, “The water up here is magic!” I will never forget that.

So what does all this fresh water mean for inshore anglers this summer? Well, for starters, it means we are all in for a bunch of fishing lessons. With the amount of fresh that has already arrived and the amount yet streaming down the rivers, this could go into the books as the year we learned to catch fish in miserably murky and fresh conditions. Add to this a tropical depression that may become Tropical Storm Bill as it approaches the Texas coast. Rainfall of another 10- to 12 inches is being predicted for some areas.

This issue of TSFMag is filled with fresh water strategies so please do not give up. Just like the Galveston System following Hurricane Ike, I believe we are about to see a rejuvenation of middle coast fisheries that could beat all we’ve ever seen. If you have never tried scented soft plastics, now is the time. By the way, Pam spanked me half to death throwing GULP! the other day, but I’m hardheaded that way.

STORY BY STEVE HILLMAN

We used to have some epic days on this little unmarked reef out in the middle of nowhere before the “livers” found it!

T

here is a laundry list of variables that help determine our success on the water; location, wind, tides, skill level, lure selection, boat traffic, etc. Up until just a few years ago boat traffic was near the bottom of that list. Nowadays, it has taken top consideration when choosing when and where to fish. I used to launch and go straight to where I knew I could put clients on trout. In recent years I find myself passing up fish to find less-crowded areas, fully aware of the risk involved. An astute fisherman who follows patterns and trout signs will put in hours on the water to locate trout. Generally, he is able to enjoy the rewards of his labor enough to justify the risk, even if it’s only for a few days before the arrival of others who lack the patience and work ethic.

At the onset it’s not all that bad, but once they call their friends and their friends call theirs, it spreads like a cancer. We live in a world of ego-driven individuals seeking instant gratification and it has most certainly spilled over into the fishing world. As with any sport, pride and ethics should be personal attributes to behold.

As our bays continually become more crowded we must adapt to the changes or play more golf. The topic of over-crowded bays has been beaten to death in fishing circles especially by those of us who remember the good ol’ days. Opinions of over-crowding vary among anglers depending on years of experience, the amount of time spent fishing and personality types. For some, 10 boats on a 300 yard stretch of shoreline may be acceptable. If I see two boats on that same stretch I’m going to continue on until we can find an area to work thoroughly without having to worry about getting in the way of others.

The same applies to drifting. Small reefs with dozens of boats milling around doesn’t provide enough room to work the area effectively and sooner or later boats will get too close to one another. That’s when tempers flare and the outcome is seldom positive. An inexperienced angler or one who doesn’t get to fish much will likely follow fiberglass instead of fish. The overzealous Type A personalities will motor right into the middle of a group of boats so they can get their photo ops for Facebook. Everything I’m saying sounds negative, but unfortunately these are real issues we experience almost daily.

a small part of the equation. None-the-less, too many boats in a small area can cause the fish to lock up and can cause side effects similar to some prescription drugs. The warning label would read… “Encounters with potlickers may contribute to a rise in blood pressure and shortness of breath. If symptoms persist, leave the area immediately, but not before humming a Super Spook into the side of their boat.” OK—I’m obviously joking here.

Plenty of elbow room and no crowd makes for happy clients (and captain)!

So, what can we do to avoid crowds and still catch fish? Don’t be a Liver!

Aside from what we all learned in anatomy class, a liver is someone who falls in love with a certain spot because it’s easy for them to catch fish there. They go there virtually every time they put their boat in the water and fish it until the fish are all gone or until they can no longer catch them. They should just put a mailbox on it because they live there. Living in one spot “Just hold your cast can be dangerous. Sooner or later that well guys. I’ve gotta will run dry. Moving around and utilizing troll us another 30 the entire bay system that you fish has its yards.” Having room to work is nice. benefits. By doing this you are less likely to draw attention to the spot and you’ll have more back-up plans when conditions change. Have confidence that you will find other fish and follow the signs (slicks, active bait, etc.). Don’t be afraid to fish in dirty water. “Trout green” usually isn’t the only water holding trout. It’s not smart to be a liver!

Over-crowding is not to be confused with over-fishing. Simple thinking would lead one to believe Bryan Cook agreed that that more boats on the letting the fish lead the way water would lead to (instead of the boats) and more trout harvested. fishing remote areas made for Nine times out of ten a much more pleasant day on the water. He said, “Wow! I though, the spectator actually learned some things.” boats have limited success because they don’t have the knowledge of the area nor do they understand the behavioral patterns (i.e. feeding times, lure selection, presentation, etc.). Often times they’re too busy punching in your location on their GPS to realize what’s happening around them. Or, they’re too occupied looking to see what you’re catching to notice slicks emerging 50 feet off of their bow. There are little techniques like casting your Bass Assassin cross-current to get more strikes or a straight retrieve versus a traditional “pop, pop, fall” routine. The “where” is only 12 | July 2015

Maintain a Good Attitude Inevitably, we will encounter potlickers from time to time. Regardless of the circumstances, sometimes it’s better to just leave the area. Other times I feel like it’s appropriate to offer some advice just in case your new friend is unaware of unwritten rules. It never ceases to amaze me how many folks just don’t know. It could be that they’ve seen so many others do it that they believe it’s OK. Here’s a funny story from one of my recent trips.

My clients and I were fishing a very small unmarked reef that I’ve been frequenting for the past few years with good success when two guys motor within 30 yards and throw their anchor. When we asked them what they thought they were doing they answered with probably the most comical reply I’ve ever heard. “We have sponsors!” I figured it was a lost cause so we just went elsewhere leaving them all alone in their 18 foot aluminum boat. I resisted asking who their sponsors might be. I’m not all that knowledgeable of the pyramid weight or double-drop orange-beaded leader manufacturers anyway. True story!

I thought we’d never catch up to this school.

A

C

B

D

Afternoon Trip The early bird doesn’t always get the worm, especially when dealing with over-crowded areas. Many times we’ll leave the marina at noon and fish until dark. This is a great plan not only during winter and spring months, but summer also. The trout tend to settle back down after being harassed all day. Late afternoon/evening wades can often produce above average quality trout this time of year as bait pulls up tight to shorelines.

14 | July 2015

Come Back Later When all else fails and cooperative trout cannot be found in your quest for less-crowded areas, just wait a while. Typically, more than half of the boats that were in the area in which you were catching fish before will be D Ah! Yes! Got ‘em! Looking gone by 11 or 12 o’clock. It can make for signs, not boats can pay for a longer day, but that’s just part of off if you’re willing to put what we have to cope with these days. in the time. Not a boat in Observe what the tides are doing for sight on a Saturday! that area while you’re buying time elsewhere. Try to time your return just before a tide change. In most cases we’ll get two good feeds over an 8 hour period this time of year.

Fishing is a fun sport and most who participate are great people. I truly believe that the “Bad Apple” idiom applies in most cases. However, I’ve come to the conclusion that things aren’t going to change any time soon. As frustrating as things can get at times, I still have too much passion for fishing to quit. And besides, I kind of suck at golf.

C

“Parking Lot” on the bay.

Surely this isn’t the only place to catch fish in this 600 square mile bay!

Time to move on.

Steve Hillman

Contact

Take a Step Back A How many times can we all remember Recent studies reveal that running an outboard running 20 miles across the bay only through schools of trout to find several boats where we were all may have a negative alone the day before? My inclination impact on their feeding used to be to simply leave. Of course, habits. It’s ok though; they have sponsors! a lot of it depends on the area. There are some large reefs in the Galveston B Bay Complex that obviously have Parking lot at boat room for more than a couple of boats. ramp at 5 AM. It’s gonna be a long day!

In some cases, the other boats that arrived first will push fish to different parts of the reef. By keeping your distance (100 plus yards) while trolling the perimeters, signs such as slicks or nervous bait can lead you to the trout. I like to have at least one person on my boat throwing a high-pitch topwater when exploring another part of a reef. Rapala’s Skitter Walk or MirrOlure’s She Dog serve as great locator baits when using this approach.

Steve Hillman is a full-time fishing guide on his home waters of Galveston Bay. Steve fishes the entire Galveston Bay Complex, wading and drifting for trout, redfish, and flounder using artificial lures.

Phone 409-256-7937 Email captsteve@hillmanguideservice.com Web www.hillmanguideservice.com

Join us in bringing back the mighty bluefin. Costadelmar.com/bluefin

STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN

I

recently finished production of the most complete and detailed fishing information package I’ve ever created. Five separate components combine to form the Comprehensive Aid to Fishing Baffin and the Upper Laguna Madre. Ideally, the parts work together as a unified and educational whole, one which will enhance users’ abilities to catch more and bigger trout in these waters, while navigating them safely.

The first, and arguably most valuable, portion comes in the form of a generic SD card containing the GPS data I use on a daily basis. My GPS file contains over 350 waypoints, most of which lie in Baffin Bay and the Upper Laguna Madre. I have spent a decade and a half accumulating the data in this file. It contains many productive fishing spots, anchoring sites, pathways to use to access areas and obstructions to avoid. Anyone hoping to gain a more complete knowledge of navigating and fishing the Baffin/ULM system can benefit greatly from the use of this data.

I have no GPS data west of Black Bluff on the south shoreline of Baffin, nor any in Cayo Del Grullo and Laguna Salada. My data covers the area from the JFK Causeway to the Land Cut, the eastern half of Baffin, and Alazan Bay. I also have a considerable number of waypoints and tracks in Nueces Bay and Corpus Christi Bay. I generally break my waypoints into three categories, using icons to place them: fishing spots (fish icon), anchoring sites (anchor) and hazards (skull). I use Track Lines as my “roads”, traveling on them most of the time, especially in treacherous areas or in dangerous navigating conditions, like darkness and/or fog. All the tracks in my GPS data file are Active Tracks. I keep my Active Track feature turned off unless I am making a line to use later as a road.

Users of this product will have to make a choice about whether Jeff Kirk coaxed this fat trout into to keep their own Active Tracks or delete them before installing my striking at a topwater in a remote data. One option is to convert all useful portions of Active Tracks location best accessed on a dependable boat equipped with a GPS enhanced with added data in the form of track lines, waypoints and marked obstructions.

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as Saved Tracks before deleting the Active Tracks. The user will need Garmin’s Homeport installed on their computer to do this. I recommend anyone purchasing this product who uses a Garmin device to install Homeport in their computer; it is free. I advise Lowrance and Magellan users to install the brand-specific software intended for use with the data on their computers.

In order to enhance the ability to use the information, I’ve generated a spreadsheet listing and describing pertinent facts related to each of the waypoints in the file. I have set up the spreadsheet to list the name (or number) of the waypoint, the icon used with it (if any), the lat/long coordinates, and most importantly to the user of this product, a brief description of why I have it in the database, and/or how to best use it to maximize angling efficiency.

If the waypoint is an obstruction, the remark might be as simple as the word rock, or junk. If it is a fishing “sweet spot,” the layout of the bottom might be described. If it’s an anchor site, the remark might say “wadable only on tides of 13.4 or lower” or “work southwest toward the dropoff of the sandbar, which runs east/west.” All the remarks are intended to aid the user of the GPS data in maximizing productivity when fishing.

Additionally, I’ve created a written document explaining how best to use the track lines in the data file. This document contains discussion of the issues related to various track lines, giving advice for safest and most efficient use of them. It identifies areas where the tracks pass close to major obstructions, mentions places where they pass over shallow spots and provides advice about which ones are safe to use on plane and which are intended for use at idle speed.

I generated this document to help members of my Lucky 7 Club, and they have found it quite useful. Everyone who purchases this product should take the time to read and study the document, cross-referencing the text with what they can see on their GPS/computer screens.

Taking one more step in the direction of completeness, I produced a DVD which provides a backup to parts of the spreadsheet and document describing use of track lines. I give on-the-water views of some areas, and use images of me at the computer screen to make important points about the GPS data, how it can help the angler, and how it could create danger for a sloppy user. For a visual learner, the DVD might be a more effective tool for mastering the safe and efficient use of the data, but it should not be used in place of or without the other two documents.

The last (some might argue “best”) piece is a copy of my Monster Maps and More book, comprised of over 100 pages of full-color graphics and text. I originally created this book in 2011, using Google Earth images overlaid with pictures, text and GPS data, to document the locations where I and my customers/partners have caught trout in excess of 27 inches throughout the Baffin/ULM system. I’ve updated the book since then, using new pages printed and inserted loosely. The book includes not only the images, but also written discourse related to the memorable catches made at the sites shown throughout the pages, offering advice on the best times to fish the areas, conditions conducive to catching there, techniques and even preferred lures.

the intellectual property as its owner. Generally, expert fishermen have tight lips. Most would not release so much data; some would assert the act represents a form of blasphemy.

I look at it differently. I don’t mind sharing specific, The author sincerely hopes those who purchase the detailed knowledge about what I’ve learned and product described in this experienced, provided I’m compensated properly, piece catch more big trout and that the anglers using the data do so respectfully like this one, which bit a and ethically. I will make all purchasers of the product “Hot Head” Spook Junior on April Fool’s Day. sign a disclaimer, in which they fully acknowledge the product is my intellectual property, meaning they agree not to share the information with others in any manner which might compromise its integrity. Furthermore, by signing the disclaimer, those purchasing the aid will release me from all liability related to its use.

Navigating the waters of Baffin Bay and the Upper Laguna Madre remains a treacherous prospect, even with the seemingly magical tools we have available today. To this moment, I continue to find obstructions in areas I frequent, ones which I’ve been lucky to avoid in some cases. No one could possibly claim to know everything about these waters, nor could they invent a product which would make navigating them 100% safe all the time. I stand by my claim that this product will, however, allow its user to access the areas it covers in a reasonably and acceptably safe manner.

Furthermore, a studious angler who uses The book Monster Maps this resource as a tool for making decisions and More uses Google should, over time, become more proficient Earth images overlaid at catching some of the large speckled trout with jpegs as templates for documenting the which make these bodies of water famous. As precise locations where I stated above, I am glad these statements ring Captain Kev and his true, not because I want to “give away” secrets, clients and partners but because I expect to be compensated have caught big trout all over Baffin and the ULM. adequately for selling valuable information.

I offer this detailed and thorough set for $999, if the purchaser agrees to pay me by check or cash.

I have also created buttons for purchasing it through my two websites, www.CaptainKevBlogs.com and www.

FishBaffinBay.com. Price when purchased through PayPal with a credit card is $1029. Those who wish to purchase the Comprehensive Aid to Fishing Baffin and the Upper Laguna Madre should contact me before submitting payment, either by emailing kevxlr8@mygrande.net or calling 361688-3714. Anyone who wants to learn more about the product can check the blogs page of CaptainKevBlogs.com or contact me with any and all questions related to it.

The book includes a list of specific lures used to trick the really big

20 | July 2015

Kevin Cochran Contact

fish referenced in the records and a portion of the spreadsheet which is part of this product package. Someone who reads and studies this book and cross-references the information it provides with the waypoints contained in the GPS file should gain insight about when and how to fish the areas covered in both. I’ve previously sold this book exclusively as part of a seminar, and have a limited number of copies to sell as part of this product. The cost of the book/seminar has been $500.

My Comprehensive Aid to Fishing Baffin and the Upper Laguna Madre certainly represents a long career of work and couldn’t have been created without a lifetime of experience on the water. As such, it carries special significance to me, and I’m sensitive to my rights to

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

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

Trout Tracker Guide Service Phone Email Web

361-688-3714 kevxlr8@mygrande.net www.FishBaffinBay.com www.captainkevblogs.com

STORY BY Billy Sandifer

Editor’s Note: The following is a tale of beach adventure and peril written by Billy Sandifer and published in this magazine back in January 2005. Billy has given us many fine tales over the years and during his current struggle to regain his health and resume fishing and writing regularly we are bringing our readers what we believe are the best of Billy’s works.

Not much particularly exciting going on in my part of the fishing world since the record Christmas snow fall so I thought I’d use that as an excuse to share a true and somewhat harrowing story from my past.

As those who follow my column monthly may recall, I mentioned a while back that I am actually a storyteller more than a sportswriter and that will likely never change. Hopefully this little tale will be entertaining while also helping a few understand some of the potential dangers that can confront beach anglers.

Young fishermen are always curious and frequently come to me asking, “What is the most important thing that we should learn in order to be successful down there?” Of course they’re talking fishing success in general on Padre Island National Seashore and my answer never varies and it always takes them by surprise.

I tell them, “The first and most important thing everybody needs to learn is that no matter how much you might love Mother Ocean, she doesn’t care on way or the other if you live or if you die. All of her children kill each other every second of every day in order to survive and she does not take sides. She cannot take sides or the system would simply cease to function. So before you bite it off, you better make sure that you can chew it because it could very well cost you your life.”

That always sets them back on their heels. You see, to a young angler seeking a quick fishing lesson, that answer seems more than a little extreme. But I have reasons for giving it.

For a number of years I fished alone for shark way down the beach using heavy tackle and large baits. Along the way I gained a lot of experience and today I do not advise anyone to fish for sharks by themselves; there are simply too many things that can go wrong, and when they do a person can sure get hurt bad or end up dead.

22 | July 2015

I remember one particular time when I bit off a rather large mouthful while fishing by myself down in the south end of Big Shell. It was late summer and the water was quite rough and there was a very strong current running south to north. The bait was about 15 pounds of jack crevalle with three big J-hooks in it and I knew it was going to be hard to hold that large bait any distance offshore in the fast moving current.

I took six large sinkers at two and one half pounds each and tied them about a foot apart using heavy copper wire and then attached this long string of weights to the leader. Determined to place this bait well offshore in the rough seas, I reduced the air pressure in the oneman vinyl life raft to a minimum as a fully inflated raft gets battered and driven back by the swells more than one man can handle. I had a really tough time making any progress offshore with all that weight in the raft and using only my hands for propulsion.

When an especially large ground swell approached, I would throw one leg out of the life raft and dig my heal into the bottom of the raft underneath me—best trick I ever found for successfully riding out the big swells in a raft.

There were really big ground swells breaking on the offshore bars but I was determined to get the bait out, well into the third gut. The second bar was around 7- to 8 feet deep. I was already physically exhausted, and just as I got in the middle of the second bar this absolute mountain of a ground swell appeared out of nowhere. The swell instantly picked the life raft up and violently tossed both it and me into the air. I distinctly remember doing a one-and-a-half gainer in mid-air before hitting the water hard and face down.

It knocked my remaining breath completely out of me and as I desperately tried to get a breath of air I swallowed three mouthfuls of seawater in quick succession. Then something really strange happened.

Instead of bobbing back to the surface, as one would expect, I was being steadily pulled under. I desperately tried to tread water, but the steady pull on my right foot repeatedly pulled me under.

Realizing that I was in bad trouble, I looked around and there was the life raft, just out of reach. I remember thinking, “now or never” and lunged towards it with my left hand extended just about the time a swell brought it with my reach.

A 1/4 inch nylon rope ran along the outer sides of the raft; secured in place by plastic keepers that were built into the raft. As I grasped for the raft my fingers came into contact with this line. Instantly there was tremendous pull from below and I lost my grip with two fingers but managed to hold on with the other three. Whatever had my foot kept pulling me under and I felt as if my body was being pulled in tow.

I fought to the surface long enough to get a gulp of much needed air and I remember thinking as I was pulled back under that if I survived I would probably be seven feet tall from all the stretching when this was over.

Evaluating the situation, I realized that my only chance was to free my foot and lower leg and that knowledge struck fear into my very being for I had already imagined that they were most probably in a shark’s mouth.

It is strange how things go through your head during times of great peril but that was all that I could figure out. A shark had been under the raft when the bait and I had been tossed into the sea, and in all the confusion and white water, the shark had grabbed my foot instead of the jackfish. I was in no pain which was strange but I also knew that shock can have that effect. And to be honest, all that I could hope for right then and there was that he’d eventually turn loose if I could somehow find the strength to hang on.

Now my situation was desperate and I couldn’t hold on for much longer so, I came up with a plan. I would locate his head and mouth with my free hand as best as I could and determine how much of my leg was in his mouth. Then I would find one of his eyes by feel and do my very best to gouge it out with my thumb. Yeah, I know; sounded a bit risky to me at the time too, but I really didn’t have any options.

I fought to the surface long enough to get a quick gulp of air and then bent as far over as I could underwater while maintaining my grip on the life raft. I ran my free hand down my leg towards my foot. Instead of a shark, I discovered that long string of sinkers had become half-hitched around my ankle. The combined weight of the sinkers plus that big bait bouncing around in the current was what kept pulling me under.

It took numerous attempts to free my ankle and to this day I don’t really know how I managed to survive that little ordeal. I figure the Creator probably had something to do with that, and I remember being very grateful for it.

Every time someone mentions to me that I am lucky to be alive after all the foolishness I’ve been through, I just say, “Yeah, I sure am. I sure enough am.”

And although I say, “Thank you,” every morning and every night of my life; writing this brings back the reality of that experience and it seems fitting that I end it by saying, “Thank you again boss… Thank you!”

Be careful, be courteous and be kind.

- Captain Billy L. Sandifer (still only 5’10” tall)

Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes The body length of the Lesser Yellowlegs is 10.5 inches, 4 inches shorter than his kin the Greater Yellowlegs we covered last month. The lesser’s all dark bill is shorter, thinner and straighter than the greater’s. Present in Texas July through April. Nests on tundra and also in woodlands and marsh areas. A wading bird that feeds primarily on very small fish. Many spend their winter in South America although a few are reported to winter locally.

Contact

Billy Sandifer Retired after 20+ years of guiding anglers in the Padre surf, Billy Sandifer (“Padre of Padre Island” to friends & admirers) is devoted to conserving the natural wonders of N. Padre Island & teaching all who will heed his lessons to enjoy the beauty of the Padre Island National Seashore responsibly.

Website www.FriendsofPadre.com

Photos by Jimmy Jackson

TSFMAG.com | 23

Part VIII

STORY BY MARTIN STRARUP

B

odie and Vince climbed the stairs into the cavernous restaurant and it occurred to Bodie that either they had huge crowds or the owners were extreme positive thinkers.

“My goodness, this place is enormous,” he quipped.

“They do a good lunch crowd, Bodie, we’re a bit early. At supper time they’ll be lined up out the door waiting for a table,” Vince replied.

A pretty Mexican girl showed them to a table and took their drink order while Bodie looked over the menu.

“They actually have cabrito here?” Bodie asked in disbelief.

“Best you’ll find this side of the Rio Grande. And their tamales are homemade, right here,” Vince answered with pride.

A waitress came to take their orders and people were starting to come in, lunch crowd early birds.

“Yes ma’am. I’d like the cabrito plate with rice, refried beans, pico de gallo and tortillas. I’d also like to try a couple of your pork tamales, please,” Bodie said to the waitress.

“Uh…that’s a lot of food, Bodie. They really pile on the cabrito,” Vince cautioned.

“Well, what I can’t eat here I’ll eat later at home,” Bodie grinned back to him.

Bodie and Vince shot the breeze about Vince’s job, his girlfriend and Tommy. Rather abruptly, Bodie looked him dead in the eye and said, “Tell me everything you know about Raymond Woodford.”

Vince related all he could about the man and finished up saying he had no idea why he’d be bothering Bodie—except maybe that since he had missed him in the hospital parking lot he had to make up for his mistake.

“He’s strange like that, Bodie, and he’s just a dangerous individual who I am very sorry I ever took up with in the first place,” Vince frowned into his tea glass. Shamefully unable to face Bodie, he continued, “And God knows that for Tommy’s sake, I wish I’d never brought him down and I sure as hell wish I’d never let on that Tommy had inherited all that money.” Vince was very sincere, almost to tears.

Lunch came and Bodie’s eyes widened at the heaped platters. No doubt it was more food than he could ever eat in one sitting. They ate quietly, mentioning only the huge portions and how good it was.

Sensing Vince’s mood, Bodie finally spoke. “I’m telling ya, Vince, this is some of the best Mexican food I’ve ever eaten.”

Munching a taco and staring away, Vince only nodded.

“I’ll darn sure make it a point to come back here, I can tell you that much,” Bodie said between forkfuls of the tender meat.

Tension eased as the pair reached their fill and Bodie commented, “I may have to get a room after that meal.”

“I know what you mean,” Vince replied.

Bodie asked the waitress to bring him a to-go box and as he watched her walk towards the kitchen he noticed a man at the register speaking in an urgent but hushed tone, waving wildly.

“Be right back, Vince,” Bodie said rising quickly.

Bodie walked toward the anxious man still babbling Spanish to the cashier. “Whoa there amigo…what’s the problem?” he asked, flashing his badge.

The lady running the register replied in English that her friend had just seen a man in the parking lot with a rifle pointed from a car window. Bodie turned to the man and in perfect Spanish repeated what the lady had said to him.

“Si un hombre con un rifle” said the frightened man. “¿Dónde está ese hombre? Bodie asked.

“En un coche negro en el lado lejano del estacionamiento,” the man replied.

“Gracias amigo,” Bodie said as he turned to the girl at the register.

“Would you mind calling the sheriff’s office and tell them what this man said, please,” Bodie asked.

“Yes, of course, right away.

Bodie walked back to the table and filled Vince in on what was going on.

“Well we sure can’t go out the front door if it’s Raymond out there.

We’ll be sitting ducks!” Vince said with fright.

“No, but you can stay right here while I got out the back and see if I TSFMAG.com | 25

can get to my truck without being seen or shot,” Bodie replied.

Vince was in mid-sentence as Bodie entered the kitchen and asked the pretty girl who seated them if he could get outside through the kitchen. She told him he could and pointed the way.

Bodie made a mental note…Food good. Portions huge. Kitchen spotless. Gotta come back!

Bodie reached the door without drawing so much as a second look from the kitchen crew. He opened it slowly guessing the black car might have moved round back. Seeing nothing he walked down the steps and hugging the wall made his way to the northeast corner.

Peeking around the building, the car was there as the man had told him—black Lincoln with dark tinted windows and what looked like a rifle barrel out the driver’s window. No way could he make it to the Lincoln without being seen, it was in a perfect spot to cover the front door.

Bodie tucked his .45 back into the waistband of his jeans and made his way back through the kitchen to advise Vince of the situation.

“I can’t get to him and I can’t get to my truck either,” Bodie told Vince with a frown. “If I could make it to my truck I could get my rifle but he’d cut me down before I got halfway.”

“Well then let’s wait and let the local law handle it,” Vince said hopefully.

“I guess we’re going to have to. I don’t want to be out there with a pistol in my hand when they pull up, and be mistaken for a bad guy,” Bodie said.

Within a few minutes three sheriff’s cars pulled into the big parking lot and sealed off the black Lincoln. A loudspeaker crackled as a deputy instructed the driver to exit the vehicle, place the rifle on the ground, and then to step away from it.

Four deputies were aiming black rifles at the car and in a moment the driver’s door opened and a man stepped out, tossing a rifle to the ground. He stepped back and away following orders and was soon lying face down in handcuffs.

Bodie stepped out the front door and whistled to the nearest deputy, flashing his badge. The deputy waved him in and he handed over his badge and ID. The deputy studied it briefly and handed it back.

“Can I be of some assistance, Deputy Allen?” he asked.

“I’d be mighty interested in talking with the man y’all just took down,” Bodie replied. “Been looking for a man of his description for some time now.”

The deputy motioned for Bodie to follow and they walked toward the facedown suspect.

Bodie glanced at the rifle being held by another deputy.

“What the…that’s a damn pellet gun!” Bodie exclaimed in confusion.

The deputies lifted the man from the ground and while his height was right, his build and face bore no resemblance to Raymond Woodford. Bodie was dumfounded.

“I’m telling you, I just wanted to scare the bastard!” the man began shouting. “My wife’s having an affair and I know they’ve been meeting here for lunch. I only wanted to scare him—that’s all. Honest!”

Bodie looked at the deputy and rolled his eyes. “Nope, not the one I’m after,” Bodie said with a frown.

“Too bad Deputy Allen, because if it was we’d sure be happy to give him to you. You sure you don’t want him anyway?” the deputy asked.

Bodie chuckled, said no thanks, and made his way back to the restaurant.

“Wasn’t him, huh?” Vince asked from the porch.

“Nope, not him Vince.

And to be honest, I have enough to do without worrying about this Raymond Woodford character right now,” Bodie said. “I would like for you to come and see Tommy and maybe if your job allows you could stay with him a while until he can get around better.”

“Well our rig is being moved and I have the rest of the week off so I’ll come down tomorrow, that is, unless there’s some warrant for me there,” Vince asked.

“No warrant, you need to settle that thing up north when you can, but the sheriff spoke with the county attorney up there and he had the warrant for you recalled due to you helping us with this investigation,” Bodie told him. “But I wouldn’t wait too long to straighten that out, if I were you,” Bodie added.

“I appreciate it Bodie for being such good friends with Tommy and for helping me,” Vince said.

“Tommy’s good people, Vince. I’m pretty sure you’ll succeed in getting everything in your life on track,” Bodie said with a smile. “Call me tomorrow.”

We sure can’t go “ out the front door

if it’s Raymond out there. We’ll be sitting ducks!

26 | July 2015

”

Contact

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

STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE

Cruising a backcountry marsh lake, everything going your way, and then‌

S

ooner or later it happens, the unexpected becomes reality and we are suddenly faced with some difficult decisions that test both our knowledge and common sense. Boat owners and fishermen seem to run into these situations about as much as anyone I can think of. Your day on the water is a constant process of choosing between success and failure and learning to cope with each in whatever amount is served up. Over the years I have certainly run into my fair share of unplanned events, mishaps, and scary situations as well as stumbling upon some crazy-good luck in the process. Looking back on some of these episodes I can honestly say the things I learned helped me become a better fisherman and a better guide, as well. When it’s all said and done, learning “what not to do” is often times as important as learning “what to do.”

The vast majority of problems or issues that come up on the water can be resolved with a little common sense. For whatever reason though, and I have no idea why, catching fish seems to deplete the common sense tank for many folks and they begin to get greedy and even a bit reckless. A prime example occurred during a rough day on the water in November. Despite a stiff breeze that had the bay rolling pretty good, my party and I decided to at least take a look at the open bay and see if we could fish in the tough conditions. Our efforts were rewarded for about an hour or so as we bounced between flocks of gulls hovering over schooling trout and reds. We had concentrated on the only area that afforded reasonable protection from the wind and that too finally gave way making the conditions much too uncomfortable (or safe) to fish in, so we headed for the protection of the Sabine River.

On our way we spotted another boat with a guy waving a homemade distress flag. You guessed it, a stalled-out boat and he needed a tow. As bad as I wanted to get to the river I couldn’t leave the guy out there so I pulled alongside to offer assistance. The gentleman was very thankful and told us we were the only boat he’d seen all day. Now this is where it got crazy. Towing him to the dock, we ran into a flock of gulls working over a school of hungry specks and the guy being towed started screaming for me to stop and fish. I told him we were heading to the river to get out of the wind and we’d drop him at the dock so he could get his boat on the trailer. In that moment the guy decided to go for fish instead of taking the ride and untied the tow line. “I’m good right here,” he said. “Thanks for the tow!” I just shook my head and left when he declined our second offer Threatening sky to continue towing him in. You just can’t fix stupid. but, redfish were tailing everywhere.

TSFMAG.com | 29

On another occasion I had two retired gentlemen, each had been a commercial pilot for a big airline so they had plenty of good stories and were very enjoyable to have in the boat. On this particular trip we were chasing redfish way back in some remote sections of marsh and having a great time as the fish were plentiful and cooperative.

At this particular time, pre-smart phone, I noticed some weather beginning to build to the south.

As we continued along the shallow shorelines I couldn’t help but be concerned as the weather appeared to intensify, moving toward us at a rapid pace. By the time I could crawl down from the poling platform the lightning was working its way across the prairie and I knew we were in trouble.

The water we were fishing was so shallow there was no place for us to try to get the boat up on plane and run to a safer location so we pulled up on the bank, got out, and braced for the worst. The storm was intense and the lightning was all around us for what seemed like forever. I have no problem telling anyone I was curled up in the fetal position in some marsh grass praying it would stop. The funny thing was that my two guests were sitting up watching the show and having a great time. I guess after flying big jets through storms like that for years this was just a walk in the park. A couple of times I happened to look out across the flat we were fishing before the storm hit and to my surprise

30 | July 2015

the redfish were tailing all over the place and didn’t seem to be bothered at all by the lightning and thunder. Eventually the bad weather passed and we went back to fishing and trying to dry out. To this day I am much more mindful of approaching weather and have no problem changing my plans to accommodate the conditions.

Besides weather events, other things pop up that force you to deal with them. One of the more dreaded ones has to be someone getting a hook stuck in their flesh. Most of the time when a person gets stuck it will be in the hand or forearm while handling a fish. I’ve had several of these occur and they are never fun. One of the things that shocks so many people that get stuck Uh-Oh! Would you know what to do? is how unbelievably tough your skin is. The conventional wisdom of trying to push the hook through your skin in order to cut the barb off and back the hook out sounds great, but it’s nowhere near that simple.

I have found that the best way to remove the hook is to first separate it from the lure or terminal tackle so that only the imbedded hook (and no others) have to be dealt with. Make a loop of strong fishing line and pass it over the eye of the hook, and up to the top of the bend of the hook’s shank. It is very important to follow this step to the letter if pain We stayed too long! and discomfort is to be avoided. Most importantly the loop of line must be at the barb end of the hook bend, and the pull must be up and away. Do not place the line at the back of the bend or in the middle of the bend, this will only result in the barb catching and causing pain when pulling. Once you have your line situated, push down firmly on the eye of the hook so the eye touches the skin. With a sudden and strong yank on the line loop, pull up and away from the hook-eye. The hook should come out the way it went in, and because it will curve out the same way it went in, the barb should not catch.

I have pulled numerous hooks with this technique and it works great.

There is no practical way to be 100% prepared for every situation that comes up when you are on the water but you can certainly put the odds in your favor.

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“UH-OHs� that boaters and fishermen face, you can put yourself well ahead of the curve. A few simple precautionary measures will often be more than enough to keep you out of trouble.

A first aid kit, a few tools, a set of dry clothes or emergency blanket, a handheld VHF radio, and communicating to others about where you plan to be are all great preventive measures.

Some folks go even farther with their preparations by also carrying spare props, batteries, spark plugs, fuel-water separator filters or other engine related fluids. Boaters still running twostroke motors are always encouraged to carry a jug of spare engine oil as well. If you can manage to cover the majority of your bases you can relax and worry about fishing decisions instead of accidents and maintenance issues, which translates into a much safer and enjoyable experience.

Contact

Chuck Uzzle

32 | July 2015

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

409-697-6111 cuzzle@gt.rr.com

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I

have many fond memories of spending the night offshore in the Gulf, often in small boats, and thought I’d relate a few useful tips here. Useful for surviving.

We started out making overnight trips in boats of 18 feet or so, back in our newbie years, and somehow always returned to port. Back then we just camped on the platforms; it never occurred to us to sleep in the boat. The platforms were solid.

If it got rough at night, which it did on occasion, we’d lay uneasy in our sleeping bags, listening to whitecaps passing by only six feet below our pillows. Our boat, with maybe 60 feet of anchor line, pitched and jumped out there like a wild horse on a lasso. Of course, you had to turn the rig horn off. Other nights were glassy calm; when anchored at a snapper rock, we could see stars reflected on the water. It was almost magical. When we woke up at daybreak, the fish were ready for us. There was no trailering, launching and a long run offshore.

Ten years came and went out there, and then we found overselves in the three-day offshore tournaments. By then we were well-suited for staying out the entire time, though further out than we’d ever been, except on partyboats. We were encouraged in our first big event, when our biggest kingfish bit around midnight, a fish that put us in first place. It was the last big king we ever caught at night, however, probably we weren’t night owls. We learned to clean up about 10 p.m. and get some sleep. You can’t function out there safely without rest, and mistakes offshore can be costly. Out there in the Gulf, your luck can run out fast.

We caught plenty of fish after dark, but usually bottomfish, when bait-stealing triggerfish were asleep. (Yes, triggers actually sleep at night, while snapper and grouper prowl and feed. Hard to

Drifting at night with squid baits yielded this swordfish, about to be gaffed.

TSFMAG.com | 35

believe, but triggerfish during the day were The old Port Arthur crowd has been making overnight trips for many a big problem only a few years ago). years, where they sometimes get into The best thing about overnight trips is schools of kingfish under the lights. that you double or triple your fishing time, Dale Fontenot holds up a schoolie for the same tank of gas. There were many king, before tossing it back. times that sunrise and sunset produced our biggest tournament fish, and of course there were no other boats around when we did so. If you’re back at the boat ramp during those times, you miss out.

During midday lulls, we often napped when the fish quit biting. Went scuba diving. Took it easy. There’s no hurry, during a two or three-day trip. On our rare five-day voyages, it felt like two weeks out there. Those overnighters were great trips. Years later, we could only shake our heads at

more. That’s one scene where you don’t have to worry about getting home; the partyboats are safe enough and offer plenty of deck space late at night, after the rookies have collapsed Gray snapper are more easily from too much beer and sun. caught at night; they have keen But back to our own experiences in small eyesight during the day. They’re boats.

We generally stopped moving around at also a very nocturnal fish. night on dark water. Pick a good spot and get situated by sunset, and stay there. If you have to move at night, cruise at 10 knots or so, a speed calculated to be slow enough not to puncture the hull if you hit a floating object. Everyone can sleep, except the driver, who should be experienced. If we wanted to be somewhere by sunrise next morning, our speed that night could reflect that schedule.

It’s great to arrive at the next honeyhole at first light.

There were hazards, of course. After anchoring and spending the night on various snapper rocks in open water, we were startled awake at 2 a.m. when a small fleet of shrimpboats passed by on either side. They were cruising in a pack, headed for the Texas opener of shrimp season. Imagine boats passing by on both sides, one with a spotlight on you. We scrambled from our sleeping bags like a U-boat crew on emergency. Things Beaumont’s Pete happen out there that you can’t foresee. After Churton put his dad that, (since we didn’t have radar or an alarm Paul on nighttime kingfish action off Sabine Pass.

the frantic, one-day tournaments where you run a great distance in a single day, at high speed, with precious little fishing time, and every minute counts. Not exactly cost-efficient, when you compare fishing time versus cost. But then not everybody is cut out for overnighters.

Many prefer the dock or porch at happy hour.

And a stationary bed, instead of rocking the night away offshore. The tuna guys with their big center console boats are at the forefront of long overnighters, these days. The tuna rigs are far offshore and the fish often bite at night under the big lights, especially the choice yellowfin tuna.

Even some of the partyboats know this, and they’ve made great overnighters in the past dozen years or 36 | July 2015

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38 | July 2015

the boat towards the platform. Best sleep lightly out there.

Except for that epic storm, we often slept without a man on watch. A full day out there means you need rest.

We weren’t into getting strung out on caffeine drinks all night. Each night we’d clean up after a little snapper fishing, scrub down with soap and put on clean clothes, and hit the sleeping bags, sleeping under a million stars. Getting sleep meant you made the right decisions the next day, although it took at least one Mountain Dew to wake us. Our theory was, you can’t stay awake for two or three days out there without making mistakes.

When to move? Where to go next? When to start back?

Aside from getting run down by another vessel, puncturing the hull while underway, night-time storms, and a leak in the boat undetected until too late, night-time fishing is great. But it’s best to get a few years of offshore experience under your belt before doing so, because a night-time Gulf is just different.

As for overnight This yellowfin grouper was tournaments in caught at night in 180 feet of smaller boats, water. It was briefly the state they fell from record for that species. favor after July, 1995, when a huge storm at night caught a tournament out of Surfside, and nine out of 41 boats didn’t return. However, the bigger billfish boats, capable of crossing the Gulf to Mexico, now commonly spend the night offshore. They’re built to survive.

Joe Richard

Joe Richard has fished the Gulf since 1967, starting out of Port Arthur, but his adventures have taken him up and down the entire coast. He was the editor of Tide magazine for eight years, and later Florida Sportsman’s book and assistant magazine editor. He began guiding out of Port O’Connor in 1994. His specialty is big kingfish, and his latest book is The Kingfish Bible, New Revelations. Available at Seafavorites.com

Contact

for approaching vessels), Dropping deep at we simply tied off to big, night yielded this well-lit platforms. Nobody double-header of snowy grouper. was going to run us down at least, and the platform offered shelter of a sort, in storms. A handy ladder on a platform insures you can climb up to the lower deck very quickly. At least we could.

The big, lit platforms are preferable.

Slap an eight-foot rig hook on the best corner, and play out sturdy line. An inner tube serves as a sturdy shock cord. The rig’s overhead lights ensure you might have action, since ling and sharks and flyingfish are attracted. It’s almost bright as day, so you can check on the boat and there’s no confusion in darkness. You don’t want to wake up and find the boat half full of water, which has happened to boats much better than ours. A bow dodger or v-birth boat offers shelter from the wind, rig noise, overhead lights and possible rain.

Mistakes were made, though nothing serious. Once we tied off for the night at a tiny Elf rig where I’d caught a big king earlier in the summer. Unfortunately that small rig had no lights. Unless there was a blinker on top, which we couldn’t see when tied underneath. It was a pitch black night and we didn’t get much sleep in three-foot seas, and didn’t fish. The bigger, lit-up rigs are so much more friendly on a dark night.

Of course the tide changes and the current shifts, and that’s why you sleep lightly out there. Let out enough rope, and your boat just migrates around to the other side of the rig on calmer nights, if the wind is light. If the wind picks up and shifts, you have to move the boat, and be quick about it. You will also need someone sure-footed and decisive on the bow with the rig hook.

We finally got caught out there in a real storm one May, with amazing 12-foot seas most of the night. We weren’t about to leave that well-lit platform and strike off into a dark, bleak Gulf for home, so we waited until sunrise. In wet sleeping bags. Not too cold, since it was May. But it was quite a ride home next morning in a 26-foot boat, about 85 miles of surfing along in towering blue waves.

When in serious doubt under those circumstances, forget the rig hook, cut the rope and go. We were confident as a team and saved our hook that morning. Retrieving a cheap rig hook in bad conditions could lose the boat, if it gets jammed into the platform. Especially if the wind shifts and your hook is on the upwind side. Twice at night, we’ve been wakened by a slight shift of wind on our faces, sending

The dawning promise of a green tide is one of the great thrills in surf fishing, but the outside bar can be treacherous.

STORY BY JOE DOGGETT

T

he summer surf is an accessible wading option for able-bodied anglers all along the Texas coast.

And, when it’s right, this beachfront fishing is a satisfying and exhilarating experience.

You are on your own, one-on-one with the elements, and the solid strike at the end of a long cast, with nothing out front but surging green, can be addictive.

But it’s also dangerous. Each year, surf waders get into trouble.

And, occasionally, somebody drowns. Significantly, the roll call of casualties includes old salts, experienced waders who figured they had it covered.

I’ve been wading the surf for 50 years, starting in high school. And, relevant to this discussion, I’ve been surfing for 50 years. By “surfing,” I mean riding waves up and down the Texas coast, as well as venues such as Hawaii, Fiji, Costa Rica, California and Mexico.

Just last month, I was on a weeklong surfing trip with several friends to Punta de Mita, north of Puerto Vallarta.

I’ve never been particularly good at surfing— just stoked. I’m certainly no stranger to wiping out. Based on considerable practice in going through the rinse cycle (“It was my board’s fault!”), I believe I have a reasonable understanding of waves and currents.

Here are several observations gleaned from this soggy crosspollination that might help spare a drama for the beachfront wader during a rough-water session:

First, the surf is always bigger than it looks from the beach.

“Big” is a relative concept but the view from dry sand can be treacherous. If it looks rough as you are rigging tackle by the parked vehicle, I can promise you that the breaking waves out on the third bar will be an issue.

The prudent move is to remain on the second bar, where the reforming waves are smaller in the shallower water. No question, that is the wise choice—but gung-ho surf waders have a tendency to push the limits. You see birds working or rods bending, or maybe super-green water is hugging the outside bar. So you start hopping or stroking to get out there. The temptation is huge, especially if you are dragging an empty stringer.

And, worth note, when the wind and swells are from the prevailing southeast, green water with fishable clarity can hold in rough surf— prime conditions for summer species such as specks and mackerel. The turbulence provides “cover” and ignites the predators.

For the surf wader, an honest three-foot wave on the outside bar can be dangerous. This is too much water for safe fishing. Keep in mind that if you are shuffling along in waist-deep water an incoming three footer can be at eyeball level. And you are standing right in the impact zone, where the bottom is shallowest and the waves hit hardest.

The larger waves on a given day almost always travel in “sets.” A set, or pulse, typically is comprised of several waves, one following the next, each arriving at a parallel angle to the open beach.

The interval between waves in a set depends on the fetch across open water. The typical surf along the Gulf Coast is a wind swell created by localized onshore wind; it is a close-packed swell with a short period of maybe six or seven seconds between each wave. That’s not much time to regroup between bashings.

A ground swell is generated by a distant storm, for example, a tropical disturbance in the lower Gulf. A ground swell has nothing to do with localized wind; indeed, conditions might be dead calm on the beach as a thumping overhead swell shows in the dawning light. The period between ground swell waves Turning sideways would might be 10 or 12 seconds (even longer help wader, above, slice with across the open vaults of a major ocean). minimal resistance through The time between the major sets the breaking whitewater. varies depending on the energy source, but sets typically arrive every few minutes. This is not to say that the surf is flat between sets—just not as rough.

Just remember that it’s not a uniform procession of whitewater, and that larger pulses can occur.

This especially is true about midway through an incoming tide—not coincidentally the prime time to be plugging the surf. The tidal push encourages bait and fish to move close but it adds more punch to the waves.

The wader easing into a green tide with manageable two-foot surf on the outside bar can minimize the poundings by paying attention as each significant wave approaches. The unbroken wave typically forms in a line, rising to curl and topple as it reaches the shelving bar.

But, often, a flatter section will show. By 42 | July 2015

shuffling a few feet right or left, the savvy wader might be able to position for this softer section. By pushing forward and turning sideways, minimizing resistance, it’s easy to cleave the weak hump as it passes.

Well, most of the time.

Whether to advance or retreat is a judgment call. Moving forward into slightly deeper water may allow you to bounce over the lifting swell. But this aggressive tactic can be a sketchy call with a “sure ‘nuff” larger wave. If you misjudge the timing and the breaking wave catches you in mid-hop, the impact can slam you into el wipeout grande. It is astonishing how much power even a three-foot wave has when it smacks you dead-center.

Backing up and planting your feet might reduce the impact but it positions you near the inshore edge of the bar. And, worth The savvy wader watches note, the inshore edge has the sharpest the surf and anticipates drop-off. If you get blasted off your feet the larger waves. A and swept back, you may find yourself flotation vest should be flailing in the deeper water of the gut. worn on the outside bar.

Incidentally, while all this is going on, I hope you had the foresight to dress lightly and don a flotation vest and button or zip all pockets and pouches. A hat festooned with crusty lures looks salty but this is not the time to be wearing it. Save the bonnet with all the barbed frills upon it for calm days of feeble rollers.

Lures with single hooks such as jigs and spoons are the safest to work with amid rough conditions. Of course, you and I both know that mullet-imitation plugs with multiple sets of dangling trebles are excellent on big specks; so, no matter if you opt for an old school favorite such as a MirrOlure 52M or a new “killer bait” such as a

Bagley Rattlin’ Finger Mullet, be especially cautious when Doggett winds up for a longboard turn while attempting to grab or unhook a slippery, thrashing fish. researching waves and tides A good trout has a tendency to fight near the surface, last month in Mexico. At age working in a circle around the wader. As the gleaming prize 68, he remains in the Geezer draws close, the normal reaction is to shuffle as shallow Division of surfing. as possible and to turn your back to the incoming waves.

Watch out—this is an excellent way to get blindsided.

Whether you get blasted off the bar or opt for a calculated retreat, you may be forced to swim a few strokes. The parallel gut between the second and third bars might have been shoulder deep as you bobbled out against the rising sun, but several hours of strong incoming tide may increase the depth by a foot or more.

Unless you are a relative of Dwight Howard or Yao Ming, the bottom is nowhere to be found.

Aren’t you glad you remembered to wear that flotation vest? Oh, you forgot.

Well, start side-stroking for the beach, keeping your head and rod hand above water, and remain encouraged by the fact that you probably won’t have to swim far to reach stand-up bottom again. This is assuming you didn’t blunder off the edge of a free-running pass.

Wading or swimming, try to stay in the recurring washes of whitewater. The rolling foam helps push you towards the beach; use that energy to work for, not against, your progress. The whitewater also serves as a roadmap by defining shallow bottom. If the foam across the flow for the beach. It’s right there, not that far, so don’t dissipates into abrupt green, a “hat floater” hole or channel almost panic if you gulp a breaking wave or a frantic toe fails to touch. certainly waits ahead.

Rip currents running straight out into the Gulf are unusual along A nasty side-shore current might be running. The current is caused the flat, open Texas beaches (but occur often along irregular or by the tide (especially near a major pass) and by wind and wave steep coastlines). Texas rips are most common tight against piers action. All that incoming energy has to go somewhere and, typically, and jetties because these perpendicular structures redirect the it funnels parallel to the beach. For the inbound swimmer, a southerly normal lateral flow. wind/swell runs left-to-right, and an easterly angle moves right-to-left.

A pier/jetty rip can be dangerous for the uncertain wader-turnedA bit of lateral drift is no big deal as long as you keep stroking swimmer because it runs with accelerated force into deeper water. calmly for the dry sand. And, you lucky rascal, if you are towing a limit A trench often is gouged by the powerful flow—not what you of wallowing specks, try not to think about roaming bull sharks drawn want, either. If you are carried into a Even with single hooks close by all that incoming water. Seriously, stay loose and keep angling no-nonsense rip, use your whitewater on your hardbaits, a thrashing fish must be handled gingerly.

44 | July 2015

roadmap and try to stroke across the outgoing river to the nearest sandbar.

And hope somebody with qualifications spots your plight.

Rip or no rip, if the situation starts looking desperate, consider tossing the rod and reel to free both arms for serious stroking (although I must say that in 50 years I’ve never seen anybody abandon precious tackle in mid-swim, which must be a grand endorsement for companies such as Shimano and Waterloo).

And, after you reach the beach, you might dust off that old Junior Woodchuck swimming badge you earned at long-ago summer camp. Keep playing in the uncaring and unforgiving surf, lured again and again by the beckon of the outside bar, and you’ll probably need it.

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Jay’s redfish lure lineup; mostly spoons and soft plastics, occasionally a topwater or two.

J AY WAT K I N S

A S K THE P R O

Focusing on redfish Speckled trout own my heart; no denying that. But in this article I want to focus on redfish. True that I sometimes refer to trout as the “cats of the flats” to demonstrate my high regard. And, if you might have fished with me in the past, I may likewise have referred to redfish as “rubber heads” and in other not-so-glamorous terms.

A big part of my love affair with trout has always had to do with the fact that catching them reliably, year round, requires anglers to understand them in finite detail.

Their movements as relates to changes in habitat—daily and also long term, abundance or scarcity of preferred forage, preferred structure types through the seasons, sometimes quirky feeding habits, and so forth. Even still, knowing where and when they’ll show up is by no means a guarantee that you’ll catch them. These are what make this species an exceptional challenge, and what places them at the top of many angler’s trophy list. Catching upper-class trout consistently has never been by chance.

Put that in your book!

On the other hand, redfish for years played second fiddle in my fishing efforts and guiding career. I gave them nicknames they didn’t deserve. I have since matured and 46 | July 2015

now see them differently; mostly due to the fact that with today’s boating and fishing pressure reds are no longer the stumble bums we once thought.

Part of that early perception probably stems from the fact that in their (then) nearly always clear and shallow habitat they were easy to see. Seeing them regularly led to being able to predict their movements. Crabs and shrimp, redfish staples, thrive on shallow grass flats where the water is usually clear, so the presence of redfish schools could be verified for weeks or even months at a time.

But the flats have changed. Tons more pressure today than ever before. The reds have changed too. Much more challenging in my book, and that’s why I am writing about them.

Today, in what I call my home water (middle and lower Texas coast), redfish seem to prefer choppy to downright rough water, that contains some color. I still see them cruising the flats, but not as much. And when I do they are much harder to catch.

Let’s look at this piece by piece. From Port O’Connor south, we find lots of clear water along protected

shorelines. Lots of bottom grass. But while clear is great for seeing fish it usually complicates catching them. Anglers adept with the fly have fewer problems due to the size of the offering and the stealth by which it is presented. Light tackle anglers with traditional lures often spook more than they can trick into eating. This is why I personally seldom fish in the back lakes or spend as much time on leeward shores as I do windward.

Another point I want to make here—I have always found that larger and heavier redfish seem to hold to slightly deeper areas, and do most of their feeding during the grey hours of daylight, and/or in the cover of murky water. My best tournament reds have all come from areas where prevailing wind was blowing onto the shoreline, the water sanded up a bit, quick access to deep water if they got spooked, and especially if that is where the bait was holding.

Let’s go back to that “cats of the flats” thing and compare it to how fishermen sometimes refer to redfish as “acting like a bunch of hogs.” If you know anything about wild hogs you know they are quite intelligent and highly adaptable. Hogs will become almost totally nocturnal when pressured by hunters or other human activity, or they will simply vanish. I believe fish can react in very similar fashion.

In prior articles I have discussed how I use boat traffic to push fish into an area where I have created a “safe zone.” The way I position my boat along a shoreline and the way I arrange my guys wading in a line will force boaters to go around, the polite ones anyway. Those boats “going around” will push fish that have been holding deeper, toward us and into the safe zone our presence creates, further up on the flat.

The simple fact that this tactic has worked innumerable times is proof 2015-04- Texas Salt Water RS Ad 06-15_2 copy.pdf

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enough for me. Trout and redfish alike react to pressure. Knowing how fish react to pressure is one thing but, more important (I believe), is knowing where they were holding in the first place.

Redfish are known to frequent shorelines with submerged grass, back lakes, drains, reefs and drop-offs that run parallel to shallow flats.

That’s too much area to search during any one fishing day. So let’s not make it any harder than it needs to be.

Redfish like edges and walls. Edges of grass, whether submerged or standing above the water, are ideal places to concentrate you efforts.

On windward shorelines wave action washes out submerged grass leaving an area of bare bottom. I refer to these as fish highways. What I call walls, reefs and bars away from shorelines, have very similar features. Wave action pushes bait into the highway and up against the wall, where reds commonly travel and where they can also often be found holding slightly deeper offshore, in ambush mode.

In some of our back bays we have clay banks where wave action forms cut-outs into the main bank. During high tides redfish will cruise up and down, bobbing in and out of the cut-outs. It’s cool to listen to them busting bait in the cut-outs.

Drains (sloughs) that connect back lakes to bays are prime areas for setting up when the tide is moving and waiting for fish to come to us. To me, a perfect drain has many twists and turns along its course. In each turn, moving water will create an eddy where bait will gather to gain relief from the moving water. These then become ambush points for predators.

Recently I watched an upper-slot red position itself into the current along an eddy and remain almost stationary with only the occasional

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curl of its tail to keep it perfectly positioned. I was amazed how little effort was required to perform this feat. You can bet that with one strong tail sweep it could have nailed a hapless shrimp or finger mullet fighting the current.

The newest form of redfish structure in our bays is rip-rap. Brick mats and rock laid along shorelines and spoil islands to prevent erosion.

Cord grass grows up through gaps in the material above the water line, oysters and seagrass below. Crabs and other small crustaceans take refuge in the cracks and crevices of the rip-rap and this is what attracts the reds. Reds will slide up on a brick mat and have half their body out of the water at times. This structure is undoubtedly one of the easiest to fish. One can literally just ease along and cast whenever you spot a wake or a cruising fish.

I’m about to run out of space here but I want to mention again how comfortably redfish seem to hold along windward shorelines when the wind comes up enough to add color to the water along the bank.

The line where deeper, greener water over submerged grass meets the sanded-up area is your strike zone. Reds love it, trout too. On days of calm mornings it is usually best to wait for midday wind to create this scenario.

My list of redfish lures isn’t very long. I love my Bass Assassins and lately the MirrOlure Provoker 5” shad has joined the go-to lineup. I rig both on the new Bass Assassin swim hooks and my old faithful 1/16 ounce Bass Assassin screw-lock heads—2/0 Mustad black-chrome hooks. I also rely on 1/4 and 1/2 ounce spoons because they fly like bullets into the wind. Copper is my favorite but hard to find. Silver works well on bright days with cleaner water. In air-clear water its best to go with black, paint some if you can’t find any in the store. I learned that from my dad. Bagley Bait Company no longer makes a copper weedless spoon but their gold and silver weedless (hammered or mirror finish) work very well for me.

May your fishing always be catching. -Guide Jay Watkins

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50 | July 2015

C ontact

TM

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

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

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

S H A L L O W W ATER F I S HIN G

Excited to turn the page A good life is like a good book. Chapters come to a close around Galveston don’t often get the respect they and lead to expectations for the next one. Life generally deserve as a sight-fishing venue. Most folks have it in moves forward at a steady pace and then there are their mind that sight-casting starts about midway down sudden shifts that signal a time to turn the page. the Texas coast. I love it when someone who has lived in For Camille and I, that time has come. A couple this area their whole life tells me they never knew these chapters back I retired from being a homicide detective places existed and had no idea you could actually target and went into a new career in outdoors sales with visible reds here. Many of these people have become a little guiding on the side. At that time we also regular customers as well as good friends. purchased some acreage between Port O’Connor and Over the past year I have stepped off into the second Seadrift, very near the home offices of this magazine. The purchase was made with the thought that someday we’d make it our home surrounded by deer, turkey and quail. “Someday” seemed a long ways off and at times felt more like a dream than something that would actually happen.

We still had kids to raise, jobs to work and too many bills to pay.

Several years ago I created a little subchapter by moving into full time guiding in the Galveston area. I have truly enjoyed taking people fishing in the areas Future home of Capt. Scott Null’s guide service.

I prowled as a youngster. The marshes 52 | July 2015

flounder will happen. If you’re in for a fly fishing challenge there are plenty of picky sheepshead and puppy drum to test your presentation skills. And to test your endurance there are usually some bruiser jacks available along the edges of the flats.

Once we move into the hot and calm dog days of summer, slipping through the jetties and seeing what species wants to play is an option.

Unlike the upper coast, deeper water comes in a lot closer, providing greater opportunity for smaller craft to venture out. Legitimate shots at tarpon, kings, ling, tripletail and jacks are a possibility. This is something we can make plans to do, but Mother Nature will always have her say as to whether it’s a go or no-go. If you’d like to try it we’ll just have to remain flexible and know that redfish in the protected waters will be the fallback plan if the wind blows.

After we get settled into our new life I plan to pick up a larger boat to allow getting out to run the jetties and beachfront more comfortably and safely. East Cape has a new 24-footer on the drawing board that would fit the bill quite nicely. Hopefully the unveiling of this craft will coincide with my plans to acquire it. The idea is to build it out with fly fishing in mind. I don’t really know for sure how many fly fishermen will be interested but, I’m going with the “build it and they will come” theory.

As a bonus, this boat can also be used as a mothership for taking kayaks over to the back lakes of Matagorda Island. I may not have a clear handle on the number of offshore fly guys, but I know there are adventurous kayakers out there who would love a chance to go exploring.

It’ll still be pretty easy to talk me into coming back to Galveston during the awesome October-November marsh fishing and I already have some dates booked for that with longtime customers. Shoot me an email if you’re interested and we can take a look at the schedule.

And, of course, I’ll still be heading to Louisiana for sight-casting bull reds in the marsh come January and February.

Well there you have it, time to turn the page and see how this next chapter plays out. Camille and I have lived our entire lives in and around the Houston area along with 6.5 million of our closest friends. Moving to an area where the population of the entire county is barely over twenty thousand will take some getting used to but I think we can adjust.

C ontact

half century of life, watched my two beautiful daughters stretch their wings as they left the nest, and become a granddaddy to the cutest little girl who has stolen my heart. Just last night I learned there will soon be another grand baby to spoil. Life is good.

With all these changes taking place Camille and I suddenly realized there was nothing holding us back from turning the page and starting the next chapter. All the dreaming, planning and scheming is finally coming together. Building the infrastructure of roads, electricity, water well and such, were completed a couple months ago. By the time you read this the boys at M&M Unlimited will have the first structure completed, a big metal garage/shop that will eventually have an apartment inside. After a rocky start searching for a contractor to get this done, working with Caleb and Jeremy to complete this phase has been smooth and easy. I would heartily recommend these guys.

So I say all of that to say this; I’m transitioning my guiding from Galveston to the Port O’Connor/Seadrift area. Between the new building and the travel trailer I’ll have a comfortable base of operations allowing us to move down there while we work on the real home.

I first began fishing this area when my father-in-law, Chuck, took me on a long weekend trip in the mid-80s. At that point in my life I had only known the typically off-color waters of Galveston. I’ll never forget the first time, pulling up to the shoreline just east of the old Army base, and looking at the crystal-clear water and a bottom covered in grass.

Chuck dropped me and a buddy off for a wade while he took Camille to do some drift fishing. David and I eased along the shoreline casting topwaters over sandy potholes catching trout and reds. I was hooked.

Over the years I’ve fallen into lust with various ports up and down the coast. There have been periods when I only went to Port Mansfield, Matagorda, Aransas Pass and Corpus. I have great memories from all of these places but I always seemed to end up back in Espiritu Santo Bay. I love the variety of fishing opportunities from kayaking or poling the back lakes to wading the sandy shorelines to making the short run through the jetties for shots at pelagics.

So here’s the plan. For now, I’ll still be running my East Cape Fury poling skiff guiding light tackle and fly fishermen. Sight-casting to cruising or tailing reds will be the main focus, but in the clear waters, getting a shot at a big trout is always a possibility and incidental

54 | July 2015

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

Telephone Email Website

281-450-2206 scott@tsfmag.com www.captainscottnull.com

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By Shane Bonnot | Hatchery Manager T P W D C o a s t a l F i s h e r i e s D i v i s i o n | S e a C e n t e r Te x a s

F IE L D N O TE S

TPWD Getting Kids Hooked on Fishing Most people that are aware of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Coastal Fisheries Stock Enhancement Program have a fairly keen understanding of its role within the TPWD. Yes, we do release millions of red drum and spotted seatrout fingerlings into the bay systems of Texas. Yes, we are working to develop protocols to incorporate southern flounder production into our program. And yes, that tiny 2-inch fingerling can survive to become a slot sized fish that you will be able to catch in a year or two. However, did you know that we also offer free youth fishing opportunities in our ponds?

The Texas Parks and Wildlife/Coastal Conservation Association Marine Development Center (MDC) located in Corpus Christi and Sea Center Texas (SCT) located in Lake Jackson have public and youth fishing ponds that afford people the opportunity to catch and release black 56 | July 2015

drum, red drum, southern flounder, sheepshead, Atlantic croaker, and even spotted seatrout. The intent of these events is to provide Texas youth as well as adults the opportunity to fish and get “Hooked on Fishing.�

Both facilities offer group youth fishing opportunities in ponds with fishing piers and accommodations that are sure to make for an enjoyable experience. Youth fishing events are extremely popular and Texas youths 16 and younger are not required to purchase a fishing license.

CCA Marine Development Center in Corpus Christi: At the Corpus Christ hatchery, advance reservations are required by phone for youth fishing events and are free of charge. Visitors can bring their own fishing gear, but rods & reels are available to guests as well. Visitors are required to provide their own bait and dead shrimp is the preferred

choice. Two youth-fishing, handicap accessible piers were recently donated and constructed by the Coastal Conservation Association—Mid-Coast Chapter.

TPWD’s Basic Angler Education classes are held on a Saturday of each month here at the CCA Marine Development Center.

The class is a hands-on format that covers the basic knowledge and skills necessary for students to become successful anglers and are modified for all age groups. The instruction starts off for an hour in the classroom to teach basic skills in how, when and where to fish; assembling tackle, identifying fish, understanding fishing regulations, ideal weather conditions, etc. A hatchery tour is provided before marching to the two youth-fishing ponds to test skills learned while catching fish.

The final step is graduation time in which students receive a fish pin and a Basic Fishing Certificate to frame at home.

Sea Center Texas in Lake Jackson: There are three public youth-fishing events scheduled annually at SCT. These events are open to youth accompanied by an adult with no reservations required.

For these events you will be asked to bring your own fishing equipment, dead bait, and lawn chairs. We require the use of barbless hooks. For the safety of the anglers and the fish, we ask that you refrain from using treble hooks, bobbers, lures, or fly fishing gear. SCT staff and volunteers are on hand to assist with netting and handling the fish, all you have to do is bait your hook and cast away! The next public event will be held on Saturday, September 20 from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. The other two events will be held in late February and early June of 2016. Details will be posted on SCT Facebook page and the SCT webpage at www. tpwd.texas.gov/seacenter.

In addition to public fishing events, SCT offers fishing for youth groups by reservation. As mentioned, if you would like to schedule a fishing event for a group, please do so well in advance of the desired date. The 58 | July 2015

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youth-fishing pond at SCT is handicap accessible and has a covered pavilion that will provide you with some relief during those hot summer months. There are several city parks nearby if you would like to have a picnic when your event has concluded. If you schedule a fishing event, it is highly recommended that you schedule a hatchery tour afterwards. Here are rules and guidelines for youth group fishing activities at SCT. • Fishing events are scheduled on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month. Only one event per a Wednesday is scheduled.

• All fishing events are scheduled for 1-1.5 hours depending on the time of the year.

• All fishing events are catch and release.

• A minimum of 10 participants and a maximum of 20 participants are allowed to fish per event.

• At least one adult chaperone per four participating children.

• Make your reservations 6 months to 1 year in advance. A $50 refundable deposit is required to reserve the fishing pond.

The deposit must be received by SCT within 2 weeks after the reservation is made.

• Children must be at least 7 years old and not older than 16 years old to participate and accompanied by an adult.

• Fishing equipment will be provided, however some personal gear is allowed.

There truly is nothing more rewarding than watching a young child catch his or her first fish. Their joy, excitement, and exuberance seem to light up the entire pier as they reel in that huge redfish. As detailed in the image (on the previous ), getting children in the out

60 | July 2015

of doors teaches them life skills, builds character and self-esteem.

We encourage you to take advantage of these free opportunities at one of our facilities to show your children or youth group that “Life is Better Outside.” To learn more about these facilities and programs offered throughout the year please visit the SCT Facebook page or website www.tpwd.texas.gov/seacenter/ To schedule youth fishing events at Sea Center Texas in Lake Jackson, contact: Patty Cardoza – (979) 292-0100 ext. 21 or by email at seacenter@ tpwd.texas.gov To schedule youth fishing events and angler education classes at the CCA Marine Development Center in Corpus Christi, contact: Rodney Gamez – (361) 939-7784 or by email rodney.gamez@ tpwd.texas.gov

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

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

F LY F I S H I N G

Gear Ideas

for Fly Fisherman After two decades of guiding I like to think I have it all figured out. But that of course is my ego doing the thinking. In reality, I routinely come across new and better ideas that make my job easier. So this month I thought I would share some ideas and things I have either stumbled upon or been shown. Hopefully there is an idea or two you can put to use while searching for that next fish to chew on your fly.

Seat/Platform For years I have placed a Sea Deck pad on the lids of my Yetis and turned the T-Latches around (neat trick on Yeti website to make the Tundra ice chest more fly line friendly) to make a makeshift bow platform. Well recently I got a new skiff which ultimately meant that I needed a new Yeti. I debated whether I should put a Sea Deck pad on it or perhaps a seat cushion to make long boat rides more comfortable for my customers. I decided on the cushion and everything was fine for a month or so until one day I decided to take the bow platform off of my skiff. It just so happens that the next day I wished 62 | July 2015

that I had the platform back on the skiff. We came across a situation that required some elevation for the angler to see fish and so, I popped the cushion off and placed the Yeti on the bow. Needless to say my customer nearly busted his butt a couple of times before it occurred to me—why can’t I have both? In short there was no reason I could not have the Sea Deck under the cushion. This set up has served me well a couple of times so far this year. yeticoolers.com Two-piece Push Pole Ferrule Fly fishermen are a restless bunch. None of us can seem to sit still very long before we are packing a bag and heading off in search of something more exciting. And, for the do-it-yourselfer, this usually means hooking up to the skiff and putting Texas in the rearview. Being one of these nomads I have always been nervous while traveling cross-country with my $1K plus push pole riding in its holders on the skiff. Yes folks, I have had them stolen while traveling. The solution of course comes from push pole king, Kevin Shaw, down at Stiffy. Shaw has

Every shirt should feel this good.

AVAILABLE @ Surfside Marina, SURFSIDE BEACH TX Good Sports SAN ANTONIO TX or shop www.montauktackle.com © 2015 Montauk Tackle Company, Inc. Montauk Tackle Co., The Double Hook Logo and, “Off The Hook” are registered trademarks of Montauk Tackle Company, Inc. .

developed the ultimate, screw together push pole ferrule that allows you to not only break down your push pole and tie it down to the luggage rack of an SUV but also to be able to have it short enough to be brought inside a motel room. In addition, the ferrule seems to be as strong as the pole itself and when put together, seems to be unnoticeable. stiffypushpoles.com

tying is to create nice flowing tapers whilst utilizing short, less than sharp tying scissors. Mr. P. obviously felt the same when he started using a pair of longer barber-grade scissors for creating his perfectly tapered EP flies. Again, a solution that is a little pricey in the grand scheme of things. But in my opinion, worth every one of the sixty-six hundred pennies. epflies.com

Ultimate Fly Tying Vise I have certainly gone off the deep end with this item. A year or so ago I had the pleasure to tie side by side with the master himself, Enrico Puglisi. After watching him tie for or a while on this very unique and monster-like vise, I finally had to question him about it. After hearing how great this vise that he had designed was and why, I was sold. I had to have one. Then I heard the price. Nope, I will not be spending that kind of money on a vise. A few months went by and I was at a buddy’s house and he had gotten one. I asked him if he thought it was worth the price. “Every bit of it,” he said. I sat down at his tying desk and knocked out a couple of bugs and was sold. The next day I was on the phone with Mr. P ordering one. I am not joking when I say, this vise allows you to put a fly at any angle you can possible imaging and by doing so, makes tying much more enjoyable. epflies.com

Ultimate Trolling Motor Plug This is one that you should consider if you are buying a new boat or taking a skiff in to be refurbished. One of the biggest hassles of having a trolling motor on a fly fishing skiff is the snag factor that not only comes from have the trolling motor on the bow but also having the power outlet in the forward bulkhead. Mr. Brian Floyd of Islamarine came up with a way to not only eliminate having to run long wires (which means extra resistance for all you electrically savvy individuals) but also the line snagging potential of a plug in the bulkhead. In addition, it moves the plug inside the front compartment and out of the elements to help prevent corrosion for longer, trouble-free operation. He does this by utilizing a waterproof deck fitting with a cap that can be removed/installed when the trolling motor is in use or not needed and some PVC pipe fittings. For older skiffs needing a refurb, I recommend taking a road trip to the Florida Keys and having Islamarine not only install one of these plugs, but also to make your skiff like new again. Fortunately, the Maverick Boat Company was able

Barber’s Scissors Here is another great idea from Mr. P. One of the toughest things in fly

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Parallel Jaw Pliers First let me say that I will never, on purpose, leave the dock without

my titanium Van Staal pliers on my hip. However, there is another set of pliers that my boat never leaves the dock without. For many old-school skiff guides, there is only one pair of pliers that you will ever need—Manley Super Pliers. I remember the first time I saw an old rusted pair in my father’s tackle box and did not think much about them. Then one day, many moons later, I had the chance to share a skiff with my dear friend and mentor, Flip Pallot. I was pretty surprised when instead of a pair of Able or Van Staal pliers on his hip he carried pliers like my Dad’s. Then he explained the attributes of “parallel jaw” pliers. They can grip or cut anything with “unparalleled” strength. Pun intended. However, there are two downsides to the Manley’s—made of carbon steel they require a lot of maintenance and also that they have a short reach. It is a good thing that they are inexpensive. tackledirect.com Anyway, I hope I have shared some information that you will find helpful. Until next month…. Best of tides and stuff like that.

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to factory install this on my new skiff. If they had not been able to, I would have been trailering down to the keys for sure. islamarine.com

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

Telephone Email Website

979-415-4379 vssommerlatte@hotmail.com www.scottsommerlatte.com

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DAV E R O B E R T S

K AYA K F I S H I N G C H RO N I C L E S

Wishing I Was Fishing Unfortunately fishing is not my first job, so there comes a time when I have to put my hobby to the side and work a little more than I would like. I have been stuck working long hours and just about every day of the week. Despite being locked away from my passion, fishing is always on my mind. I cannot help but think about the tactics and fish I have caught in past summer months.

As we all know, Texas always brings scorching summer days but when timed right it can really work out to a kayaker’s advantage. Due to the warmer temperatures in the middle of the day, I try to key in on fishing right at daylight and just before sunset. The topwater bite at these times can be nothing short of epic and can produce some solid trout, even wall-hangers.

My favorite topwater is the MirrOlure She Dog in the 66 | July 2015

glow or a Rapala Skitter Walk in a holographic bone and chartreuse color.

Late June, five years ago, a buddy and I went and fished a deeper channel that ran directly into the Intracoastal Waterway. We had our kayaks launched and were ready to paddle at first light. The horizon began to glow and

we started our paddle to the center of the cut. We commence to drift parallel to the shore, chunking She Dogs as far as our reels would allow us. Not long into it my buddy hangs into a solid trout and I am not far behind him with a keeper. We continue to land trout after trout and the sun has not even crested the skyline. Not long after I get a blow-up and when I set the hook, my kayak started to move forward; an obvious sign that you have a good fish on the other side. She begins to pull drag and the first glimpse I get of her is when she decided to leap out of the water. She cleared at least two feet and was a silvery sight to see. After landing her she went 28� and I got a few pictures before I released her. We caught trout until you could feel a noticeable change in the temperature and just as fast as they appeared, they vanished without a trace.

The same time frame but the following year, I made a paddle out to the short jetty and found a small break in the wall. Again, I was there just before daylight; I could not even see my topwater land when I casted it but I could hear the trout popping it. I landed several trout just before the sun hit the horizon. I stopped getting blow-ups so I switched to my black and green Norton Sand Eel and picked up right where I left off. After a few more fish I then feel a thump and knew right away it was a better fish. As I set the hook she is already shaking her head at the surface. I fumble this sow around on the jetty before I can get her to calm down and lay long ways on the wall. She was so big that she would slide over the opposite edge by trying to pull her in sideways. I am by myself with no witnesses, no camera, no net, and no measuring stick. It was just me, a handful of lures, and my kayak. I butted her up to my reel and she was just shy of the second eye on my rod. I admired her for a minute in the rising sun before I sent her back on her way. I later measured my rod and the second eye was at 30�. Looking at it now I probably should have had her mounted but the memory of that fish is far better than anything hanging on my wall. I came that morning just to catch fish and so I did. That was one of the best days of fishing I have ever had and I will always remember it. Not too many people believe that story but that is fine with me, it is forever locked in my memory.

My one and only day I have had off in a while I spent down on the coast line. I sat with a strong south wind blowing salty air into my face while watching the waves churn and crumble at my feet. I know the Texas wind is relentless but there are a handful of occurrences during the summer that the wind changes out of the north. When this happens, the surf is almost glass and can make for an incredible day of fishing. If you are able to go, the second day of the north wind is the day to be there for the trout. The water has calmed just enough to TSFMAG.com | 67

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be sandy but not enough to be crystal clear. In my opinion, I feel like the baitfish have the advantage from predators when the water gets to a certain clarity—the trout know that too.

I will start the morning throwing a topwater for the first hour and then usually will switch to a soft plastic or a MirrOlure Catch 2000. I typically will have my kayak tethered off to me or anchored near me.

The reason being, I keep my cooler there so I won’t have to have a stringer full of trout attached to me—sharks can be a big problem when wading the surf. Also, the thing about the surf is that when

you hang into a fish, you are never certain of what exactly is attached to the other end of the line. I have had surprises such as skipjacks, jack crevalle, and even tripletail. With an ideal day on the Gulf Coast the opportunities are always endless and that is where you can find me when the time comes.

The itch of getting on the water grows more and more every day. I am constantly thinking of what and where I would be if given the opportunity. I like to think I would be back at Sabine Lake on a day where my reflection is just as visible as the scattering of nervous mullet. The sound of a knocking topwater and the sight of a trout shattering it is an everlasting image that I hope to replay soon.

Enjoy Life!

Dave Roberts is an avid kayak-fishing enthusiast fishing primarily the inshore Upper Coast region with occasional adventures to surf and nearshore Gulf of Mexico.

Email: TexasKayakChronicles@yahoo.com Website: www.TexasKayakChronicles.com

the only stop for your fishing needs

Story by John Blaha

T S F M a g C o ns e r v a ti o n N e ws

Cow Trap Lake Marsh

Restoration and Protection

C

ow Trap Lake is located within the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge, approximately five miles west of the San Bernard River, on the north side of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.

After decades of significant erosion caused primarily by wind-driven waves, United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) staff feared the loss of shoreline and degradation of the surrounding marsh along Cow Trap Lake’s northern shoreline would continue unless some form of intervention might be applied.

In a joint effort between USFWS and Ducks Unlimited, twenty-one marsh terraces covering approximately 45 acres were constructed and will protect approximately 5,100 linear feet of shoreline from future erosion, as well as protect another 100 acres of existing, interior marsh from loss and degradation. The project was completed in the summer of 2014 and early indications are that the project is a success and cord grass plantings on the terraces are flourishing.

“Birds, fish, and many other coastal wildlife species will benefit from the Cow Trap Lake Project,” said Greg Green, regional biologist with Ducks Unlimited. “Support from a diverse group of public, private, and other conservation interests are also represented in the Project. This shows the appreciation that exists for wildlife and the public 70 | July 2015

users that enjoy them.”

CCA Texas contributed $50,000 to this project and other funding partners included North American Wetlands Conservation Act, San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Coastal Program, NOAA – National Marine Fisheries Service, Phillips 66, NRG, and Houston Endowment. Partnerships are key to the success of projects such as this. Dollars contributed by CCA Texas are often used as matching dollars which can be matched 1:1, 2:1 or even higher by different grant programs administered at state and federal levels.

“Houston Endowment is pleased to have provided support to leverage the federal funds needed to restore the shoreline along Cow Trap Lake,” shared Elizabeth Love, Program Officer at Houston Endowment. Love commented further, “We congratulate the project partners, and look forward to substantial and long-lasting ecological and recreational benefits.”

The use of staggered marsh terraces in open water, as applied in this project, is a proven method for providing shoreline protection. The terraces reduce wave energy, erosion, and turbidity within the area and provided favorable conditions for emergent marsh vegetation to establish along the edges. To date, the emergent grasses are doing well and benefiting from a wet fall and winter of 2014 and spring of 2015. The calmer water conditions

can also allow for improved growth of submerged aquatic plants, which are valuable to juvenile fisheries and wintering waterfowl. A submerged reef structure was also added for additional wave break and for providing and supporting marine organisms such as oysters.

In addition, this submerged reef structure will also help restore subtidal habitat in the area.

The twenty-one terraces were constructed using excavated materials adjacent to the placement area. The terraces were shaped in “S” patterns to serve as wave breaks and to protect the adjacent shoreline. The NRG-Eco Center Nursery in Baytown, Texas provided 25,000 bare root plugs of smooth cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora, at no cost for planting along the fringing edges. NRG’s participation in this project as well many others along the Texas coast is invaluable in the

ongoing efforts to protect and restore coastal shorelines and marsh in Texas. CCA Texas recognizes NRG’s efforts and thanks them for their continued support of conservation projects along the Texas coast.

The artificial reef structure was constructed between the two large terraces in open water. More than 900 cubic yards of crushed stone material was placed at the site and resulted in almost two acres of sub-tidal and submerged habitat. The reef structure is approximately 2,000 feet in length, 25 to 40 feet wide at the base, and up to 12 inches tall. This type of structure and bottom relief offers excellent habitat for many species and provides wave-breaking structure as well. Additional crushed stone was also placed at the lakeside of the outer terraces to provide shoreline protection and additional sub-tidal habitat.

“As a recreational angler, I see this project as a great benefit to Cow Trap Lake. Not only does it protect the eroding shorelines, but it provides for more fish habitat and areas to target fish,” said Dan Johnson, CCA Texas Brazoria County member and chapter volunteer. Dan continued, “This project offers new habitat for shorebirds and other species and will protect important shoreline grasses along the northern shores.”

CCA Texas and its habitat initiative, Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow (HTFT), are proud to support projects that continue to restore and protect Texas’s coastal habitat.

Since HTFT’s inception in 2009, CCA Texas has been involved in twenty-five (25) habitat projects and contributed $3,981,600 dollars to these habitat restoration and creation efforts. For more information about CCA Texas and the organization’s efforts, be sure to visit www. ccatexas.org.

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Yellow super moon rise on Galveston Bay. Photo by Steven Ng.

STEPHANIE BOYD

F I S H Y FA C T S

Solunar Theory Full moon or new moon? Major or minor period? Which is best? Does any of this moon mumbo jumbo actually work? Solunar theory* has amassed a sizable following in many fishing communities. Nearly every fishing publication today has some kind of monthly solunar table, tide chart, moon calendar, mobile app, etc., all claiming to predict daily fish feeding activities. Many seasoned anglers swear by these moon-centered strategies. Some, however, remain unconvinced, so… just what is solunar theory?

For centuries, people living off the land have observed animal behaviors. In the woods, there are times of no perceptible noise or movement, and times of constant scurrying and singing. Many have tried to find the pattern.

One of the earlier of these people was John Alden Knight.

An avid fly-fisherman, Knight delved into fishing and 72 | July 2015

hunting folklore, taking into account everything that could possibly have any bearing on animal behavior and, in 1926, emerged with 33 factors he believed affected fish and game’s general habits. All but three were rejected: the sun, the moon, and the tide. Knight dubbed his new idea on the patterns of animal movement, the solunar theory.

The solunar theory is a hypothesis that animals move according to the location of the moon in comparison to their bodies. Although this hypothesis doesn’t directly associate the boost in general activity with an increase in feeding activity, that is certainly the premise Knight used, along with most anglers and hunters. The times of day in which animals are more active are called solunar periods.

There are four periods in each lunar day. Remember that a lunar day lasts 24 hours and 50 minutes, so a solar day

* “Theory,” in this context, refers to the everyday meaning of the word (an idea or speculation), not the scientific definition of a theory.

(24 hours) will often, but not always, experience all four periods.

The four periods are divided into two major and two minor periods.

Major periods last about two hours and begin the moment the moon is directly above our heads and again when it is directly below our feet (the other side of the world). These are normally the hours of greatest activity during the day. Minor periods last about an hour and correspond to the rising and setting of the moon. These hours have less activity than major periods, but still more activity in relation to the rest of the day.

The solunar theory makes many assumptions based on the idea that fishes’ biological clocks run on “lunar time” (unlike ours which run on solar time, or the solar day). This is used to explain why fish feed up to an hour later each (solar) day. But even if that’s not the case, and the fish couldn’t care less about the moon’s rising, setting, or any part of its astronomical voyage, the moon’s effect on the tides still make it indirectly responsible for many of the most important habits of marine life.

The dependency of marine life on tides has been well documented.

For example, many saltwater fish species depend on high tides and strong tidal currents to help transport eggs or larvae from offshore regions to shallow, protected estuaries. Tides also disturb the seabed, stirring up those tasty little organisms living on the bottom. Bait fish notice this surge in activity like Pavlov’s dogs hear a bell. Game fish feed on bait fish, anglers prey on game fish, and a healthy food chain ensues.

Peak times of activity occur when a period falls 30 minutes to an hour within sunrise or sunset. When moonrise or moonset take place during that same period, activity will be even greater, especially if the moon is new or full. The peak day of the month occurs during a new moon; the gravitational pull of the sun and moon work in tandem, causing the highest tides of the month. The next best day is during a full moon. The increased tidal activity during these two lunar phases is the reason many anglers recommend fishing in the days prior to, during, and following the full and new moon. The peak month of the year is June. June has more combined sun-moon influence than any other month. We know that dawn and dusk are also prime fishing times, so if it’s a new moon overhead at dawn in June, it might be worthwhile to check the International Game Fish Association’s recordsetting regulations before going out.

Of course, even if the major period coincides with a full moon at dawn in June, your fishing trip may still go awry. After all, other factors, such as weather, air pressure, location, etc. will often override whatever the moon’s effect on fishing may be. If a cold front moves in, not even two full moons will do you much good. The solunar theory points the way to the best fishing, but is not a guarantee. Solunar forecasting can take into account the normal long-range variables, but it cannot (and does not) account for short-range factors, the most common of which is weather.

For best results, use solunar tables intelligently.

One important piece of information I should add – fishing by the solunar theory is not a consensual stance of the angling community.

There are anglers who will confidently give you the exact opposite advice, extolling the first and last quarter moons as the most advantageous lunar phases for fishing, or asserting that full-moon fishing produces more results at night (the theory being that the moon’s light lets the fish see, and feed, deep into the night, and consequently be less likely to bite throughout the following day).

These differing opinions naturally lead to the question, has any of this stuff actually been proven?

To substantiate his hypothesis, John Knight attempted to systematically analyze lunar circumstances surrounding record catches (both large fish and large numbers of fish). About 90% of them were landed during the new moon, and more importantly, during the actual times of solunar periods. He also made extensive studies of game birds and found the same result. Another experiment that seems to support Knight’s hypothesis was conducted by Dr. Frank Brown, a biologist at Northwestern University, Chicago. Brown ordered a delivery of live oysters to his lab near Chicago, put them in water, and removed them from all sunlight. Oysters open their shells with each high tide, and Brown wanted to observe the behavior of oysters sans tides, to see whether or not the oysters were affected by the movement of the moon. For the first week or so, the oysters continued to synchronize their shell openings with the high tides back home. But after several days, they adjusted their shell openings to when the moon was directly overhead or underfoot (two major periods of the solunar theory). These findings all clearly suggest the validity of solunar theory… but some research remains that counters the theory’s main assumptions.

Sam Mossman, special-projects editor for New Zealand Fishing News magazine (as of 2013), wanted to find out if the lunar cycle held any clues for striped marlin fishing. He borrowed all the yearbooks of New Zealand’s Bay of Islands Swordfish Club (the second oldest gamefishing establishment in the world), starting with the year 1929. After some number crunching, he discovered a decline in the catch rate leading up to both the new and the full moons, although the catch rate increased exponentially a few days after the full moon (which could still be consistent with solunar predictions). However, the data showed a relatively equal catch spread throughout all of the moon phases. The worst day saw 315 striped marlin caught in the Bay, whereas the best day produced 462 catches (less than a hundred more than the worst day). Overall and regardless of the moon phases, there was decent fishing to be done. Commercial fishing seems to swing both ways. One study found that most swordfish caught by longline were during the first and last lunar quarter, but albacore catch rates were the highest during the full moon.

From a scientific standpoint, the solunar theory has yet to be unequivocally proven. Any moon phase can produce trophy catches or, equally, give you the worst fishing day of the year. Plan your days on the water (or in the field) so that you are where your target is most likely to be. If solunar predictions are what make that happen for you, stick with it. But if life chores prevent you from planning your escapades in relation to a particular moon phase, don’t fret. A “bad” moon phase is certainly not enough reason to cancel your trip. The best time to go fishing… is whenever you can!

Where I learned about solunar theory, and you can too!

Solunar solunar.com/the_solunar_theory.aspx | solunar.com/the_real_scoop.aspx FishingBooker: fishingbooker.com/blog/casting-beyond-moon-can-solunartables-moon-phases-help-catch-fish/ The Fishing Nut: www.thefishingnut.com/articles/solunar.html Tides 4 Fishing: www.tides4fishing.com/solunar-tables/solunar-theory Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solunar_theory

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Ol’ Jaws comes in many sizes!

CURTISS CASH

I N S H ORE | N EAR S H ORE | J E T T I E S | P A S S E S

Jaws and July Tarpon I recall vividly my first shark, a few months following the debut of Jaws. That movie terrified me to the point my mother later joked that I took baths with the bathroom door wide open. I even flunked out of swimming lessons that summer. Looking back I was most likely having panic attacks in the pool.

Like the many fishermen that summer I had a goal of catching a shark. Fishing was always fun for me, but the pursuit of my own Jaws changed my outlook dramatically.

I became infatuated with catching this demon, needing to face my terror head-on.

Every trip to Port O’Connor was more exciting than the last; I started paying more attention to details while anticipating the catch. Each time I hooked a fish I was nervous as the rod bowed not knowing if it was the ONE. Somehow my dad talked me into holding the shark for a photo, all 30-inches of it. I remember wetting my pants while standing there with a death grip. My dad took forever getting his camera out of the bag in the stern of the boat, probably trying not to laugh. Surely my dad noticed my pants but never said a word. After the 74 | July 2015

Gripper-faced gloves are invaluable for gripping tarpon by the jaw and also when handling leaders.

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catch I felt more alive than ever and somehow at age five I knew that whatever challenges greeted me in life I would handle them just fine.

Going fishing changed everything for a little fat kid that day by providing a lifelong bond with his father. I miss my dad greatly and I think about him every time I’m on the water. But I guess my eyes tearing up occasionally is better than wetting my pants in front of clients.

Double hook-ups are common when tarpon are running in tight-knit schools.

www.power-pole.com

76 | July 2015

SHARKS Whenever you find tarpon there are usually sharks nearby shadowing the schools and picking up scraps. Using natural bait almost always guarantees a shark hookup when targeting tarpon. Even lures are eagerly attacked by blacktips, spinners and the occasional bull shark.

For targeting inshore sharks of 25- to 75 pounds I fish depths of 8-feet and more in the open bay.

Good areas are near channel edges, sand humps and large bait schools.

Sometimes we anchor and chum but drifting with several baits strewn behind is more effective.

I like live mullet of 9- to 12 inches below a balloon inflated to grapefruit size. The balloon will keep the bait off bottom and the bait’s distress signals will bring sharks from a distance. The balloon also keeps live bait from swimming back and tangling other lines. The ballooned bait is normally positioned farthest back, approximately 75-yards.

Fresh ladyfish chunks about the same size as the live mullet are hard to beat. Smaller pieces of bait work also, but the gafftop often consume them before a shark shows up. I

Albert Barrera poses with his first big shark just prior to release.

like to drift the ladyfish pieces 2/3 the distance to the balloons. This bait is fished without a float or weight.

Occasionally the bait will bounce bottom which helps spread scent and creates vibrations.

Live or fresh-dead menhaden of 6 to 9 inches are very effective, especially for blacktips. I weight these baits lightly and place at half the distance toward the ladyfish. The amount of weight varies according to

Big smiles! Landing a tarpon will do that.

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depth and drift speed. A bank sinker of 2- to 6-ounces affixed by a #32 rubber band works well, looped through the sinker eye. The rubber band is now placed on the leader in front of the steel trace by the same “looping” technique. The rubber band allows the weight to be removed quickly once near the boat or to break free if the shark jumps. Lead weights swinging as a fish comes boatside can easily chip gelcoat or take out a row of teeth.

Leaders are 72-inches long of 100 to 150 pound mono with a 200-plus pound black barrel swivel at each end. A 24-inch trace of 108-pound single-strand wire for mullet or menhaden and 178-pound for the ladyfish is attached with haywire twist to the swivel and same for the hook at the business end. My circle hook preference for menhaden is normally smaller due to the bait size, I like a Mustad 39941D 9/O and a 39965D 14/O or 16/O for the other baits.

Catch and release is usual practice on these apex predators.

Removing the circle hook if caught on the outside of the jaw is best.

Using a pair of 18” bolt cutters keeps hands away from sharp teeth and rough skin if the hook cannot be removed. Cutting the hook in the bend is a very humane approach to releasing them in good condition.

Sharks should not be brought aboard unless being kept for table fare.

Gloves should be worn when handling heavy mono or steel leader with shark attached.

TARPON

By Independence Day tarpon will be frequenting the jetties and nearby surf line. The sizes of fish and methods to target them can vary widely according to the daily tides. Often fish from 15 to 150 pounds can be hooked from the same schools, making tackle selection difficult. The only way I have found to skew my catch size is to gear up with larger lures or bait. As with elephants, large tarpon often eat peanut-sized offerings, so the possibility of being under-geared is great.

Many books have been dedicated to techniques for tarpon. So to simplify I will concentrate on the little guys. Smaller fish are more apt to feed by sight, closer to the surface than the larger breeding stock that often sulk in the depths. These “schoolies” can be targeted with standard bay gear and as a bonus many other fish species often jump on the hook.

I always say, “Find the current—find the bait—find the fish.” Keep this in mind when fishing the rocks. Juvenile tarpon will most often be found within the last 100 yards of jetties toward the gulf. I typically began seeing them under 48” around late-June and early-July. Their appearance often coincides with the arrival of pods of glass minnows and dusky anchovies.

Casting your offering up-current will provide a presentation similar to forage being swept by the flow. Casting parallel to the current seam or the rocks in the vicinity of rolling fish will also get you in the strike zone.

Favored lures for blind-casting are the Bomber Super Pogy and Rapala X-Rap XR-10. Freelined live shrimp, finger mullet or croaker rigged on circle hooks work great, too. I like to toss live bait into the current and keep a slack line allowing the bait to settle into the moving water and sweep past the boat before retrieving for another cast. Adding split shot weights helps keep the bait swimming below the surface.

Another very effective tarpon rig is a downsized “coon pop” based on modified 1/8 to -3/8 ounce jigheads. To make a “pop” I cut the shank of the hook halfway between the lead and the bend, retaining the head with wire spiral bait keeper intact. To attach the circle hook (MUSTAD 39944BLN or 39950BLN 4/O - 6/O), I use 10 inches of 78 | July 2015

Mini-pops: 1. Cut ten inches of braided line or waxed thread.

2. Attach line to hook using three square knots.

3. Snip hook with cutters and attach jighead eye with three or more square knots 4. Push trimmed jighead shoulder into soft plastic lure. A drop of superglue on the shoulder helps secure attachment.

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10-pound braid cinched onto the jighead eye with three square knots and do the same to attach hook to the jighead. This arrangement allows the circle hook a good bite into the tarpon’s hard jaw and also allows for the jig to break free or “pop off” during the fight or when hung in rock crevices. To finish the lure I like a 3” DOA shrimp on 1/8 ounce modified jig, 3-½” YUM Money Minnow on the 1/4 ounce and a DOA Airhead on the 3/8.

Juvenile tarpon are very energetic and often make multiple fast runs and jumps. Leaving the fish in the water boatside allows them to revive without additional stress. Bringing a fish into the boat often makes them thrash violently leading to possible injury and removal of their protective slime.

Replacing stock treble hooks on plugs with single hooks is far kinder to these youngsters. Using circle hooks with bait makes better hookups and an easier release with less chance that the angler happens to get hooked boatside.

Capt. Curtiss Cash offers charters in the Port O’Connor area; specializing in fishing the bays, passes, jetties, surf and nearshore waters. Species targeted include speckled trout, redfish, flounder, tripletail, black drum, bull reds, sharks, snapper, kingfish, ling and tarpon, when seasonally available.

Phone

361-564-7032

TSFMAG.com | 79

E X T R E M E K AYA K F I S H I N G & S H A R K S F R O M T H E S A N D

ER I C O Z O L I N S

One Night Stand on Padre It has been a while since the scream of a shark reel rang from atop my truck in the dark of night. Sure, we were blessed with a great number of respectable shark catches through the spring of 2015, however, nearly all of that action occurred during daylight hours and this will forever be remembered as the year of the hammerhead.

In beach terms, copious landings of scalloped and greater hammers were made from South Texas beaches, and the prevailing daylight provided incredible photo opportunities. There were also a nice handful of stud bull sharks landed, more than your typical year. Once again, all of this having to do with near total absence of nuisance sargassum seaweed on the beach. Even now, we have seen very little if any weed on most South Texas beaches.

Good beach conditions, plus a lot of anglers taking to the surf for toothy giants equals impressive catches. As we make our way into early summer things were bound to change. Daytime activity has slowed and the night has come alive on the sands of the Coastal Bend.

April and May were some of my busiest months yet in the charter business. Many new and regular clients wanted to take to the surf chasing adventure and dreams. Conditions remained promising, other than 80 | July 2015

more rain than we wanted during much of May. I had purposely scheduled two weeks off to allocate for much needed personal sharking adventures. Traditionally, the time around Memorial Day has always been a sort of kickoff for “big shark” season. I therefore planned my trip around a 2-3 day period that coincided. It turned out that conditions were mediocre, but not as tough as the wind and rain that had ravaged the surf during much of May. My time is precious so I really wanted to make sure it counted.

I made it down on Friday morning at sunrise for a solo trip. The swells from earlier in the week were still showing yet were forecast to dwindle. I can say I was honestly excited regarding the prospects. There had been a lot of sharks in the area and there were no reason for them to have left.

That morning I scouted the beach and set up at a promising area which had a unique structural aspect.

Here, the second gut makes what we call a “pinch and pool up” configuration. Sharks and other gamefish find their way into these pools and usually stick around for a bit before finding a way out, over one of the sandbars.

My only downfall was the lack of fresh bait. I had

brought a relatively fresh stingray and ran it out. Initially, it got blasted later in the morning. Leaving it out, I had a large blacktip shark pick up the remnants and get hooked. Meanwhile, another rod went off as I was reeling in that first shark. Not long and I would have two sharks on the beach from a double hook-up. Both were blacktip and, while not monster man-eaters, they are always a load of fun to catch. Both were tagged and released. The afternoon began to slow and stayed quiet until around 4:00 pm. Then, as mysterious clouds began to form inland and hide the sun, the action began to pick up once again.

I continued to have small sharks destroy my baits without hookup

and finally one wasn’t so lucky and I was able to get a hook into it.

Reeling that one in, I had another rod go off. Another double!

Both sharks were again blacktips, in the 5-1/2’ range. This was a good day already but I knew there had to be bigger fish prowling.

My bait stocks were bleak, especially to entice a large specimen. My good friend Kevin who had been practicing to perfect his fly-fishing skills had caught two large jack crevalle on the drive down. Coming to the rescue, Kevin handed me some absolute rockstar baits for the evening and that was a game changer. Hitting the beach as hard as I have through the spring season, needless to say I was out of jackfish in

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TSFMAG.com | 81

82 | July 2015

about the catches of the night up to that point, I thought there was no way I would hook up again. Well, Summer-Santa returned with the final and biggest present of the night!

The last remaining bait would finally get picked up. I jumped up and got harnessed in. The feeling was surreal. The wind had increased to the point of making humming and whistling noises with any fixed object nearby. Being hooked up in this dark, magical environment seemed nothing short of an adventure movie—better yet, one of those heart-pounding dreams you never want to wake from. I was strapped to the reel atop my truck with several hundred yards of line between me and the final beast of the evening.

Initially, this shark took line fairly consistently as it ran offshore. My gut reaction was that I was fighting a large tiger shark. While having caught a handful of tigers, it had indeed been a while since my last, but the way it was acting and fighting was textbook tiger. I managed to get it turned and moving toward the beach. Like the first shark, it would still do as it wished whenever it desired. Ultimately, this fish would swim in for the last portion of the fight. However, it would NOT come over the first sandbar and fought stubbornly swimming up and down the gut. I was still confident it was a tiger. Finally I got it over the first bar and go down to grab the leader.

Expecting a wide head and tiger stripes, I was presented with the biggest surprise of the night—a greater hammerhead.

While this hammer may not have weighed as heavy as the earlier bull, it was a good deal longer. With tag gear and camera already setup I made short work of tagging and releasing this mesmerizing creature.

To have three large sharks caught off the beach in just as many hours is an overwhelming feeling. For a minute, it seemed as if my mind and soul had escaped this realm and been transported back to the sharkfilled era of the 60s and 70s.

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my bait freezer. I happily accepted Kevin’s delightful gift. Think kid on Christmas with an unexpected surprise—that kid was me.

The day had dwindled into late- afternoon with just a little over an hour of daylight remaining. I got to it and rigged up two “big-boy” baits, three-quarters of a bloody jackfish each. Even I would eat this if were trapped on a remote island for weeks. With the wind forecasted to pick back up overnight I prayed the time had come.

I deployed both baits via kayak, roughly 500 yards. I even replaced two “close” baits with fresh skipjack and whiting. And the waiting game began. Darkness fell and the moderate sea breeze kept the bugs off while I prepared dinner on the grill. Anticipation was in the air, but tempered with knowing that I have also been disappointed on so many occasions when everything seemed “just right.” Would this night be different? The atmosphere had that eerie feeling, and for Friday evening on a holiday weekend, I was surprised to be one of the few anglers on the beach with baits out. Then, roughly around 9:00 pm, the calm and relaxing beach life got real interesting.

One of the large jackfish I had out got picked up. I kept a close eye on the rod and hopped up on the truck. Within a few minutes it began moving offshore. I got the rod and set the hook—BIG FISH! This is what I’m talking about! Even the scalloped hammer I’d caught a couple weeks earlier put up less fight. This fish was all mass... all power. I knew it was big by the way it fought; seeming to swim effortlessly offshore with a 20-pound bait in its mouth and dragging a large weight, not to mention the 30-pounds of reel drag on my end.

I knew I’d fought much larger fish, but this was a quality specimen, my heaviest for the year thus far. Eventually I was able to turn the head and steer it inshore. It would have its way at times, turning back offshore when it desired. Nonetheless, I managed a smart fight. Then about 20 minutes into battle the shark was on the second bar but would not come over. A few more minutes of brute force and the fish gave in and swam over the bar. Another couple minutes and it was over the first bar. I jumped down to go leader the fish, expecting a tiger, only to be that kid on Christmas again with another surprise gift—a massive bull shark.

It took everything in my power to get the shark beached with the tail rope. Until then my largest bull was just under 8-1/2 feet and this one appeared longer. The final taping revealed 8-feet 7-inches.

This shark had a massive head and large empty body, telling me she had probably dropped her pups quite recently. I was able to get a few photos and during the release noticed one of my inshore rods was going off.

After a couple of minutes I jumped up and started reeling in the shark that was still on there. The shark had swam down the beach and I had to bring it back up into the current. While not as large as the previous, I knew it was not a blacktip. About 10 minutes later I had it over the bar and I once again went out to leader my catch. And yet again, the Summer-Santa delivered to this wide-eyed kid as I noticed the fish is a decent lemon shark—first of the year from a Texas beach, that I am aware. I managed a couple of quick self-timed photos and tagged the male and let him go on his way. What a night!

Well, the evening wasn’t over, yet. It was about 11:00 pm and I still had two baits out. It was but 15 minutes after releasing the lemon that I got hooked up on the other inshore bait, this one turned out to be another a blacktip. Pretty cool, still.

And then there was one. The remaining bait was the other threequarter jackfish which had been sitting patiently. I was so ecstatic

For the past decade Eric ‘Oz’ Ozolins has been promoting shark catch and release and assisting various shark research programs. Eric offers guided shark fishing on Padre Island National Seashore. Also renowned for extreme kayak big game fishing, Eric runs Kayak Wars; one of the largest kayak fishing tournaments in the world.

Email Websites

oz@oceanepics.com extremecoast.com | oceanepics.com | kayakwars.com

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Dickie Colburn

DICKIE COLBURN’S Sabine Scene

Sabine

Dickie Colburn is a full time guide out of Orange, Texas. Dickie has 37 years experience guiding on Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes.

Telephone 409-883-0723 Website www.sabineconnection.com

It is déjà vu all over again and I am once again the jetties and even the jetties have been iffy, due to reluctant to attempt to predict what to expect for the wind and daily storms. upcoming month as we are currently in uncharted The north end of the lake has been next to water, and lots of it! impossible. We have caught just enough trout jigging I have no idea how the weather service calculated at depths of 16- to 22 feet in the ICW to be assured this rainfall statistic but, it is reported that Texas they are still there and only waiting on more favorable received seventy-five trillion gallons in the month of water to move back up on the shallow flats.

May. I don’t know how many zeroes it takes to even As you would expect, fishing pressure on the south write that number, but I do know that a helluva lot of end has been significant and that isn’t exclusively that water has found its way into Sabine Lake via the due to the fact that it is the only game in town. Daily Neches and Sabine Rivers.

In addition to the water (runoff ) yet to arrive from the Dallas area, we continue to absorb at least one rain event locally every day. In fact, we lost power this morning due to lightning no sooner than I turned on the computer. With both generators at T-Bend currently running 24/7 and nine gates cracked open, the SRA is doing all it can just to maintain pool level The amazing thing is that in spite of all of this fresh water we are still managing to A shared moment catch enough trout to stay in business. The that lasts a lifetime. majority of the catching is still taking place from the extreme south end of the lake to

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School is out and fishing is in!

storms and prevailing southeast that seemingly howls from daylight to dark tend to hem anglers up in the only semi-protected water available.

Based on my latest trips, I think it would be a challenge for a visiting angler to put together a successful program on Sabine on a single visit.

The most obvious options would be to join the crowds drifting the breaks on the ship channel from the Chenier Plant to Lighthouse Cove, drift the deeper reefs north of the Causeway or find your own scattered shell in five to seven feet of semi-protected water.

The key to locating trout on the south end has been keeping your bait in contact with shell. We are occasionally seeing shrimp on the surface with trout in hot pursuit, but that is little more than window dressing. Slow your retrieve and hug bottom!

No doubt the water clarity is much better below that top layer of dirty water engulfing the entire lake and salinity is better down deep as well. The biggest change in tactics of late is that we have done much better crawling a tail across shell very slowly or simply shaking it in place with the rod tip. The bites can be very subtle, but that’s no indicator of the size of the trout—many are in the 18 to 20 inch class.

With the exception of watermelon or avocado-red flake, the best color for us has been white or glow with a green or silver flake. We have done well with the Die Dapper in the 3.5 and 5 inch sizes as well as a Lil’ John rigged on 1/8 ounce heads.

We have recently been rigging Seas Shads and Die Dappers on Assassin’s new weighted swimbait hooks and it has effectively turned every paddle tail in the box into a legitimate swimbait that doesn’t roll over on the retrieve. The weight on the shank is spoon shaped and hang ups are greatly minimized when the barb is “skin hooked” in the back of the bait.

You can still catch decent numbers drifting deeper shell on the Causeway reefs regardless of the crowd when you catch the tide right.

The same colors are working for us, but we rely on 1/4 ounce heads to compensate for the strength of the tide. That bite could progress from decent to stupid good overnight as the water improves.

If nothing else, dealing with tough conditions has not only made us better fishermen, but even more appreciative of how incredibly good this lake is year round. Can you imagine how many trout and reds haven’t even seen a lure over the past two months? It is going to be unreal!

Sign the kids up for the S.T.A.R. tournament today and fish with them all summer.

TSFMAG.com | 87

Capt. Caleb Harp

The Buzz on Galveston Bay

Galveston

Capt. Caleb Harp has fished the Galveston Bay System since childhood and, now a charter captain and fishing guide, he uses his knowledge to enable clients to enjoy the excellent fishing the area offers. His specialty is the year-around pursuit for trophy trout and redfish with artificial lures

Telephone 281-753-3378 Website harpsguideservice.com

88 | July 2015

Fresh water has been a problem almost since the first of the year in Trinity Bay and now it’s at an all-time high. Surprisingly though, fishing is still very good in other parts of the Galveston Bay System.

That old CCR tune, Who’ll Stop the Rain, plays over and over in my head as the flows currently running from Livingston Dam are averaging 68,200-73,600 cubic feet per second. We haven’t seen this volume of water coming down the Trinity in at least 15 years.

The San Jacinto River is also running stronger than it has in a very long time.

There are good and bad things that come from a flood. Some of the bad includes having to fish where we can instead of where we’d like. Areas that have not been heavily impacted by fresh water are becoming very crowded. An advantage of the flood is that it has stacked fish in certain areas where they wouldn’t normally be found. Generally during a minor flood fish will stay on the bottom in the salt layer and wait out the freshwater inundation on top. During a flood of this magnitude the fish have to evacuate.

I’m afraid Trinity Bay is gutted and over with for a few months. IF the rain stops NOW, we MAY be back in Trinity by late August. At the present time this bay

is filled with floating debris. Huge uprooted trees and trash of every description are serious hazards to navigation so be extra careful if you do get a wild hair and want to check out the “mud pit.” Too much fresh water can be a bad thing for species that cannot evacuate—rangia clams and oysters in particular.

They’ll eventually make a power comeback, just like the trout. It just sucks for now.

West Galveston Bay has been good with all the rain pushing new schools of fish into places you wouldn’t traditionally be catching them this time of year. There’s been a lot of bird activity in the middle of the bay.

Waders are experiencing excellent catches down toward San Luis Pass and also the north shoreline with topwaters and soft plastics. Redfish have been abundant on grass flats with Bagley spoons and also on shell piles adjacent to deep water drop-offs. An excellent deeper-water bait is the MirrOlure Marsh Minnow rigged on heavy BAAD Marine “KnottyHooker” jigheads, bounced on bottom.

The jetties, surf and beachfront are on fire when the weather is favorable. The fresh water seems to have pushed a great amount of specks down the channel to the jetties. Don’t let the live-baiters lead

you to the dark side, even having been through record fresh water and presenting holding deep, these fish are still most definitely catchable on lures.

East Bay is producing consistent catches of trout. The exodus from Trinity has relocated a lot of fish toward and into East Bay. The back of East has its own fresh water inflow, so a lot of fish that would normally hold there are getting pushed out into the middle. Drifting oyster reefs has been the most The flood has productive strategy but congregated also the most crowded. the big ones.

It’s not unusual to see 50 boats per reef right now.

The fish are stacked and so are the people. Probably 90% of East Bay is murky but that doesn’t mean the trout have vacated. Dark plastics such as the Tidal Surge Split Tail Mullet in “Hulk” and “PlumChartreuse” have been doing very well in these dirty water conditions.

The name of the game lately has been fishing ON THE BOTTOM because the freshwater on top has

pressed the fish down. We have incredible numbers of juvenile shad this year which translates into outstanding forage availability. Some days they’re super hungry and the bite is ferocious, other days they’re already full and the bite is soft. I’ve found that the best bait for a soft bite is the Lil’ John by MirrOlure.

The Lil’ John is but 3-3/4 inches in length which makes it a great lure for times when trout are short striking or less than eager to take “normal size” offerings.

Bryce Tippett with a solid That could all change “muddy water” speck. though with rising water temperatures increasing fish metabolism.

Please be courteous while fishing in East Bay. It gets hectic in the midst of those crowds so please take your turn. Don’t burn through the middle of the reef and, if the guy in front of you slips his anchor over the side, use your trolling motor to get around instead of your big motor. We’re all in this flood together.

Stay tight!

-Capt. Caleb Harp

TSFMAG.com | 89

Bink Grimes

The View from Matagorda

Matagorda

Bink Grimes is a full-time fishing and hunting guide, freelance writer and photographer, and owner of Sunrise Lodge on Matagorda Bay.

Telephone 979-241-1705 Email binkgrimes@sbcglobal.net Website www.matagordasunriselodge.com

It’s getting hot out there. We like it hot. We just get on the water a little earlier and get off the water a little earlier.

West winds push dry, blistering air off the Mexican desert and give us arid days while sucking water out of the bays and draining tides from the shorelines.

With tides low and water temperatures feeling like bath water, a change in fishing tactics is in order.

Though winds do dip below 10 knots this time of year, weak tides often do not allow bays to clear, especially when water temperatures are in the upper-80s and tides are two feet below normal. When the water gets around 85⁰ it takes the bay a little longer to clear.

That’s nothing new for July we deal with it every year.

Those low tides congregate fish in guts. All those redfish that have been hanging out tight to the shorelines in June, school in the middle of East Bay. Often we catch more reds than trout while drifting 4-5 feet of water. If you happen to

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90 | July 2015

see a slick you better fish it.

Pick and choose your times to fish. Know when water is coming or going.

While wading, I like to be somewhere around the pass or jetty.

Tides are going to be strongest around the pass. I like to work the grass beds within sight of Port O’Connor. Fish there love a Super Spook Jr. or She Pup and plastics like Bass Assassins, Down South Lures and MirrOlure Soft Dines.

Trout there seem to be a bit more aggressive, much like surf trout, probably because the trout flood in and out of the surf through the pass and jetty.

We pray for light north wind that drops the humidity and flattens the surf. The attractive aspect of Matagorda is the miles of beach available to anyone with a 4x4; and, it’s just not good fishing, it is great fishing.

Whenever we can get in the surf we go. We have had some incredible days while drifting and wading the beach. Last year pompano showed tight to the beach a few weeks along with schooling bonito chasing large balls of small bait fish.

It’s important to try and fish the surf the first day it greens and flattens. It’s been my observation that by the third day of a green surf the trout get tougher to catch.

Predators like sharks, mackerel, huge redfish and tarpon find the clear shallows and try to find an easy meal. Yes, all of these fish eat speckled trout. We prefer they eat all those shad, pogies, mullet and shrimp roaming the first gut, but often specks get caught in the fury.

Since July is synonymous with westerly wind, water clarity can become an issue. Trout and redfish continue to eat in off-colored water, you just might have to throw live shrimp at them.

If we can find streaky water—off-colored water with hints of green streaks—we feel like we can find fish to catch.

Vacation time is here. July is no better time to get the family on the water and catch a fish.

TSFMAG.com | 91

Capt. Shellie Gray

MID-COAST BAYS With the Grays

Port O'Connor Seadrift

Captain Shellie Gray was born in Port Lavaca and has been guiding in the Seadrift/Port O’Connor area full time for the past 12 years. Shellie specializes in wading for trout and redfish year round with artificial lures.

Telephone 361-785-6708 Email bayrats@tisd.net Website www.bayrat.com

92 | July 2015

The abundance of fresh water flowing into our bays has definitely kept us on our toes. Finding a consistent bite has been somewhat difficult but I look (hope) for things to return to nearer-normal conditions in the next few weeks.

In this month’s article I will be talking bay fishing, even though in year’s past I have said that July and August are the prime months for surf fishing. My reasoning is that there will be many days when the weather (mostly wind) will not be favorable to venturing out into the surf.

It was on a recent trip that it occurred to me how patience is the greatest key to fishing success during the hottest months. I took my customers to the first spot of the day, an area that I knew had been holding good fish for at least a week but, due to recent high wind had not been favorable area till this particular morning. The scenario could not have been more perfect.

We were on a sandy outside shoreline of San Antonio Bay with many guts and pockets of grass. Bait was abundant and water clarity was what I prefer, not too

clear, just a hint off-color. Considering recent fresh water problems, finding this area with decent water color was a bonus. Before even getting out of the boat we witnessed several schools of bait fleeing for their life. Something big and hungry was under them.

Needless to say this increased our excitement.

With all the jumping bait I opted for a clear Super Spook Jr on my 6’7” Waterloo HP Lite. It is my opinion that while topwaters do not always produce as many hook-ups as plastics, they are exceptional fish finders.

Jake Cotton with Costa Del Mar sunglasses landed a healthy summertime trout.

Many, many times when surface plugs brought numerous blow-ups, a rerun, I decide it was best to change everyone’s lures to Bass Assassin quick switch to soft plastic sealed the deal. scented 3-1/2 inch Die Dappers in the “Houdini” color, rigged weedless.

I suggested my customers start with 4-inch “Mama’s Chicken” Bass My thinking was that it was now a good deal warmer than when we Assassin Sea Shad on 1/8 oz heads. And so we began our wade parallel started. I wanted my anglers to be able to slow their presentations to the shoreline. I had one customer who really favors redfish so I without hanging up in the grass. The fact that the Die Dapper is placed him up tight to the grass while the rest of us took positions impregnated with B.A.N.G. attractant had me hoping the scent might further offshore. We covered a lot of water and managed to string entice the finicky fish we’d found earlier to strike more aggressively. some keepers but it was no way as productive as we’d hoped when we Over the next couple of hours we doubled what we got earlier in arrived at sunrise. the morning. I had some very happy customers when it was all said It was late morning when we climbed and done. They sheepishly told me at first they back into the boat. After satisfying our thirst were somewhat skeptical about fishing the and hunger, they were eager to ask, “What’s same area over again, but so glad we did. They next, Captain?” also said that it was one of the best lessons To their surprise I told them we were going anyone could have taught them. They, like to hit the same area again. You see, it was a hot many other anglers, have grown accustomed day, Saturday, and I’d already noticed at least to fishing through an area quickly and then ten boats running by while we were wading, blasting out to the next potential location. searching for their next “best” spot. While we They also admitted that because of that may not have enjoyed steady action the first mentality they had often wasted more time couple of hours, each of us had managed boat riding than they actually spent fishing… to land at least a couple decent fish. Most and usually would come up empty handed. importantly, we knew our area was holding fish; So just remember, when it’s hot and the even if they’d been a bit reluctant to bite. And, water is crowded most of the time, patience we knew they hadn’t been disturbed by boat and staying put in an area that looks favorable traffic. Two things you’re never sure of when (and known to be holding a few fish) can make Points such as these should receive thorough investigation, whether “you leave fish to find fish.” the difference between having fish for dinner wading or drifting, in summertime.

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TSFMAG.com | 93

david rowsey

HOOKED UP WITH Rowsey Sometimes these articles can be a bit tedious to write as one month’s fishing pattern is so similar to the next, and there are only so many angles you can say it in different ways. Well, I’m here to tell you that things have been “shaken up” down here on the coast and Upper there are plenty of new things to inform y’all of.

Laguna/ The recent rains and flooding throughout the state have not skipped the coastal bend. My little spread Baffin in Flour Bluff caught over fifteen inches in May alone.

All of the water is great for the bay system and I am watching Mother Nature change things for the better, right before my eyes, daily.

David Rowsey has 20 years In the past, small showers to me meant that there experience in the Laguna/Baffin region; trophy trout with artificial would most likely be an outbreak of brown tide lures is his specialty. David has a in the bay. I have always believed that runoff from great passion for conservation the mainland (Ag chemicals, old septic systems, and encourages catch and wastewater discharge, manure, etc.) and poor water release of trophy fish. circulation from the gulf were the main culprits to spawn the nasty algal blooms. It’s impossible to Telephone forecast what the long term affects will be, but the 361-960-0340 Website seasonal tides and recent deluge of rainwater has www.DavidRowsey.com worked some miracles.

Email Large portions of the bay have become troutdavid.rowsey@yahoo.com green again. In many areas the water is air clear. It

happened almost overnight!

Throughout the entire Baffin Bay system and south into the Land Cut the water is very green and pretty.

Potholes, shoreline grass beds, and rock formations are clearly visible. Predominant southeast winds have pushed the brown water north into the Upper Laguna Madre where it is dissipating slowly as the JFK Causeway acts as an unintentional dam preventing much water movement towards the gulf. The design of the JFK Causeway and its engineering, regarding water flow, is another story within itself.

To say I am overjoyed with the current water conditions would be an understatement of epic proportions. Your mind instantly clears of any fogginess created by brown tide, your focus becomes sharp as a razor and, you wish there were ten of you so that you could be fishing in as many areas at one time.

It’s a good state of mind to be in.

With the bay looking as good as it has in the last four years, places to fish successfully have become numerous. I have fished or ran my boat through the entire system over past ten days. There are countless options to set your anchor down and start a confident wade. Baitfish or shrimp have been

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plentiful in all of them, and catching is the norm in most places we choose to Power-Pole down.

For me, the south shoreline of Baffin has not been very rewarding this year. That has all changed now. The clear water has exposed miles of potholes and structure virtually the whole distance from east to west. Besides great trout fishing in the area, it has been one of the more consistent areas to hold redfish also. I generally start my wades shallow here.

Keep your eyes peeled for active mullet. If you are not getting bites up skinny, do not hesitate to adjust your position so that you are on the drop-off of the flat, where the bait is most likely to have staged.

Baffin is famous for Eight-year-old Houston its rocks but fishing Joy is an amazing them during poor young fisherman. On water conditions can his birthday charter he landed at least 40 be tough. Now is the trout and 15 redfish. perfect time to sightCasts like a grown man, cast the edges of all very accurate, and a visible rocks you can great understanding of working structure. It was muster up the nerve my pleasure to have him to get close to. Not fish beside me all day. every rock is going to

produce monster trout, or small ones for that matter. You have to locate the rock piles that are holding mullet consistently to catch trout. Save time and your lower unit by utilizing your trolling motor to search large areas of scattered rock piles on both the north and south shorelines of Baffin, and south into Rocky Slough.

Fishing the edge of the rocks is always the most productive in this scenario.

No reason to overthink lure selection. Whether in the rocks or shallow grass, my preferred jighead is the Bass Assassin Pro Elite Series 1/16 oz - 1/0 hook. This hook is tiny, with as much backbone as you will ever need in the bay. Rigged with any favorite 5� Bass Assassin, it’s just a lethal combo down here.

MirrOlure topwaters are always in play throughout the day for us. The rougher the chop becomes, the louder pitched lure is my first choice.

Most any color will work, but I am putting lots of confidence in the chromed-sided plugs.

Remember the buffalo! -Capt.

David Rowsey

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TSFMAG.com | 95

Capt. Tricia

TRICIA’S Mansfield Report Port Mansfield anglers have been blessed to enjoy very consistent fishing over the past several weeks.

The Laguna offers pretty much everything fishermen could ask for and, here lately, a whole bunch of people have been asking. Plenty of everything—boats on the flats being no exception. Fishing tournaments are Port quite the rage, apparently, so expect a lot of company Mansfield on the water on Fridays and weekends. Regardless—if everybody behaves kindly there are good times and great fishing ahead for us all.

Trout have been very thick in many areas and this Capt. Tricia’s Skinny Water also includes a great number of small fish. We are Adventures operates out of seeing lots of small shrimp and crabs are all over Port Mansfield, specializing in the flats, very good signs that our bay system is wadefishing with artificial lures. healthy, thanks to the recent abundance of rain. In the areas with smaller fish, good fish are also there with them in most cases but dedication and patience Telephone 956-642-7298 are required to find them. Let’s all remember to be Email careful unhooking and releasing the small ones as shell@granderiver.net they are our future.

Website There has been a good topwater bite early in the www.SkinnyWaterAdventures.com shallows, unfortunately though, the summertime armada of boats running shorelines and skinny water can push them down and out in a hurry. I recommend

96 | July 2015

getting out very early if you enjoy fishing in knee deep or less. If you have a whole day to fish, deeper grass beds have been producing excellent trout catches during low wind conditions such as we have been enjoying thus far in June. Weather has been almost August-like; near zero wind early and soaring afternoon heat under clear skies.

Lack of strong current and clear water makes deeper structures attractive, and although we have had some Jennifer and Justin Dodd – murky water red!

great shallow topwater action, soft plastics on 1/8 ounce jigs have when trailing a stringer of fish. I’ve had a few close encounters and let been the best baits. As is usually the case lure color has been taking a me tell you they can be pretty scary. back seat to location, depth and speed of retrieve. Straight or “rat-tail” Redfish continue to be somewhat scattered and holding deeper plastics can often be more effective than paddle-tails over deeper than normal. I wholeheartedly agree with what Capt. Ernest Cisneros grass structure, due to the dive and dart they provide through the said in his report last month; increased shallow-running boat traffic is water column. I also believe they appear more shrimp-like with certain changing the Laguna’s historic redfish patterns. Think smart and focus “deep-hop” retrieves. on deeper grass-edged potholes and “streaked” water versus clear Last month I mentioned the filamentous algal bloom and, as during high traffic times. predicted, it is still flourishing. Floating strands of shoal grass are now An early start to beat the traffic (to take advantage of fish that may becoming an equal nuisance. Mornings following light overnight have moved shallow overnight) is a good plan. Quite often in this winds have been relatively grass-free but as the desert-like environment, water in the shallows Marisol Delagarza is crazy heat and winds increase many areas become can be amazingly cool at daybreak. If the fish for flounder… and darned virtually unfishable toward afternoon. (Another are there they can be as aggressive as they are good at catching them! reason to get out there early.) in cooler seasons.

Your topwaters can still work with accurate In closing, the Lower Laguna is a unique and casting between “lanes” of floating grass; wonderful ecosystem. Last summer’s legion swapping treble hooks for singles helps greatly. of anglers have returned, and they’ve brought When fish want a topwater the hookup ratio their friends with them. That’s great—we with singles is just as high as with trebles, just have to be extra cautious and courteous. which is a surprise to many who haven’t tried.

Many boaters new to the region seem not to Besides the floating grass issues, sea nettle grasp that endless buzzing and burning will jellyfish are beginning to make barelegged not improve fishing—hopefully they’ll catch wading interesting, especially north of the East on soon. The objective is enjoying the gift of Cut. Bull and blacktip shark sightings have nature the Laguna provides, so please respect been interesting as well. I personally have the fish as much as our fellow fisherman. It’s seen many, and it seems there are more each going to stay nuts down here until Labor Day, summer. It is certainly something we all need so let’s just all keep our cool. There’s plenty fun to be aware of while wade fishing, especially stuff here for everyone.

TSFMAG.com | 97

A rr oyo C olorado t o Port I sabel

A Brownsville-area native, Capt. Ernest Cisneros fishes the Lower Laguna Madre from Port Mansfield to Port Isabel.

Ernest specializes in wading and poled skiff adventures for snook, trout, and redfish.

Cell 956-266-6454 Website www.tightlinescharters.com

Fishing is an awesome sport but, how do you know if you have become addicted?

I was running a charter one day when my clients brought up Wicked Tuna, the TV show. They asked whether I had seen it and I replied that I had not but, from their conversation it was obvious they really enjoy it.

Three weeks passed and one evening at the gym, making a steady 4.9 mph on the treadmill, Wicked Tuna appeared on the screen in front of me. As the camera rolled and a rod at the stern bowed sharply, I reached with both hands to set the hook, and ended up on the floor.

Picking myself up, I looked around and of course everybody saw it. They all tried not to laugh but I knew they had to be cracking up inside. Had they understood the true cause of my fall I doubt they would have been so polite. Let’s just call it addiction.

Luckily though, it is this addiction that gets me through July’s heat and fishing doldrums that are sometimes inescapable.

Looks like we could be headed into a normal summer pattern, not the horribly windblown experience of recent years. Calm water puts redfish

on high alert. Any unnatural noise or a glimpse of movement will send them fleeing. Wind or no wind, I like to stop the boat a minimum of 100 yards from a target zone and quietly drift up or wade slowly forward.

The basic stealth of this technique gives anglers a definite advantage in the shallow water game.

Thus far in June, with predominantly calm early mornings, I have been targeting skinny water redfish against shorelines and grass flats that contain a good amount of active bait. Believe it or not, an area with an abundance of stingrays also draws my attention. Not

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only to avoid stepping on them but also because rays feed primarily on small crustaceans and finfish; shrimp, crabs, small mullet and pinfish—the same as redfish. Find plentiful rays and find redfish, too.

I also like to fish skinny early in the morning during calm conditions because it gives me opportunity to perhaps see tailing reds. When redfish are tailing, rooting bottom with their head down, you can usually get close enough for a well-aimed cast. In this situation I prefer bone diamond KWigglers and sometimes 1/4 oz weedless gold spoons.

Our redfish catches have improved significantly with the recently light wind.

Schools are still not common but cruising singles and pods have been more numerous in areas with lighter boat traffic. I will continue to target reds in this manner well into July, as long as the wind remains calm and we can find decent numbers. Of course a lot will depend on the boat traffic but when we hit it right it’s worth sticking with it until midday.

When the shallow flats become too warm and the reds retreat to deeper water, we will work toward thigh-depths and switch often to topwaters. I have recently been using Bagley’s new Rattlin’ Finger Mullet with good success and have been impressed with the July usually brings durability of their finishes. The design of the schooling reds. plug allows long casts and the reds seem

to like the rattles. Their “hammer finish” gold spoons have also been working well for us.

Trout numbers remain steady with limits or near limits on most trips. Topwaters have given rather limited success but the KWiggler Ball Tail Shads never vary. Plum with chartreuse and Flomingo have been great producers. Late evenings have been providing good action under birds. Moving tide and enough wind to ripple the surface have been the keys to getting on fish. I’m usually on hard sand, shell and slightly muddy bottoms this time of year with potholes in solid grass also being favorites. The preferred depths have been thigh- to waist deep early, bellyto chest deep as the day warms up. Lots of little trout around so try to be careful in your handling and releasing.

As hot as summer can be, make sure to cover up as much as you can and use good sunscreen on exposed skin. For years I sported that raccoon look but now I don’t dare leave without my Simms sun hood. A good pair of polarized sunglasses is always very important; they not only protect your eyes from harmful sunrays but they also allow seeing fish with greater clarity.

However your fishing addiction afflicts you this summer, enjoy it to the fullest and try not to have a “wicked fall” before fall comes around!

TSFMAG.com | 99

FISHING REPORTS

ORECASTS F from Big Lake to Boca Chica

AND

Lake Calcasieu Louisiana Jeff and Mary Poe - Big Lake Guide Service - 337.598.3268 Fishing in July is some of the best of the year. Trout are more prone to feed in the deeper, cooler waters of the ship channel and over mid-lake reefs during mid-day; however we still find them along the east and west bank of Calcasieu in shallower water early in the morning. The shallow water trout bite during July produces a lot of nice fish, but the time-frame in which they feed is short. Mid-lake feeds and channel feeds are best, but are totally dependent on tides. The beginnings and ends of outgoing or incoming tides will produce most of the fish. Trout still bite during the middle of the tide, just not as actively as they do at the start and finish of it. Redfish will be shallow during July as well as schooling in the middle of the lake under birds. Shallow ponds behind Lambert and Grand Bayou are great places to sight-cast for fish. Our lures of choice this time of year are MirrOlure Lil’ Johns and MirrOlure Marsh Minnows rigged on eighth-ounce Yellowmouth jigheads.

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 ??? Like others submitting reports for the Galveston area, James mentions fast catching for trout and large crowds on the water. “This is the best fishing I’ve seen for trout in many years. All the freshwater flowing down both rivers has emptied large parts of the bays of fish, and driven them toward the jetties and areas immediately adjacent

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to the channel. Lots of boats in that area lately, and everybody seems to be catchin’ ‘em. We are having best luck using slammin’ chicken Sea Shads, dragging them right along the bottom. The water is freshest on top, saltiest on bottom, so the fish are hunkered down and looking down. If you don’t keep your lure in contact with the bottom, it will come right over their heads. Bay fishing should stay the same pretty much throughout July, because both rivers are still running so high. The surf is on fire too, when conditions allow, and we’re already catching a few tarpon. I will be cranking up the tarpon hunts in earnest in the near future. Expecting a good year chasing the silver kings.”

Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054 All the freshwater flowing down the Trinity and San Jacinto Rivers has stacked the fish up in certain areas closer to the Gulf, making for some easy fishing, Jim says. “We’ve had a run of really good fishing lately, because the winds have been light, and we’ve been able to get out in the middle where the fish are, allowing us to get at ‘em. With all the freshwater, the bay water is silty, so it won’t handle much wind.

Normally, we can keep catching with winds up to around fifteen to seventeen miles per hour, but with all this freshwater, winds over about twelve really mess things up. We’re catching some pretty solid fish, using relatively light jigheads and forcing ourselves to slow way down to keep our lures in contact with the bottom in six to eight feet of water.

The fish are hugging the bottom in the deeper water because it is a

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bit saltier than the water higher up. I’ve been using Tidal Surge lures like the Split Tail, in bright colors. Mostly, I use white with some kind of fluorescent or bright color on it.”

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 As of the time of this report, Randall says the fishing in the surf has “busted wide open, buck wild.” He reports catching limits of trout easily on Norton Sand Eels and Sand Shads. He says the chicken on a chain color has been best when he’s throwing Sand Eels, while Sand Shads in voodoo are working better. The topwater bite has been a bit slower, and he says he thinks that’s because the trout are chasing shrimp right now. He expects things to stay much the same in July, with potential for hot catching in the surf when winds are right. When fishing in the bay, he’ll be looking for areas with a hard sand bottom, which he feels hold a bit cooler water as compared to places with soft, dark mud and shell on the bottom. He also mentions that all the rain has helped produce a bumper crop of shad this year, which has made fishing easy at times, when the schools are visible and the fish are busy chasing them. It has also made for some difficult days, probably those on which the fish are fat and full and burping.

Matagorda | Tommy Countz Bay Guide Service - 979.863.7553 cell 281.450.4037 “Any time I’m wading in July, it will be in West Matagorda, keying on shallow grass beds adjacent to the shorelines early, using topwaters, then moving out to the guts further offshore later in the morning.

When the tide is coming in good just after daylight, that is usually a reliable pattern. The MirrOlure Lil’ Johns in dark colors work well when the fish move out to the beds along the bars away from the

bank. We like to drag them on the bottom on eighth-ounce jigheads. When we’re drifting, we’re keying on slicks and bait around towheads and using soft plastics on a bit heavier jigheads to maintain contact with the bottom. It goes without saying that when the surf gets right, we will head out there as fast as we can. July is normally one of the very best months for catching trout along the beachfront. I also expect the fishing for tripletail to heat up.

Fishing for them has been somewhat slow to get started this year, I think because of all the freshwater flowing down the river. But that probably just means it will bust wide open in July.”

Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 Fishing has taken off with a bang with all the rain finally coming to an end. We have been on our best trout bite in many moons, drifting shell in four to six feet of water, throwing popping corks and live shrimp.

We have been drifting until we come across multiple hookups, then putting the anchor down and fishing ‘em out. The fish have not been monsters, but solid sixteen to eighteen inchers, the perfect eating size.

The wet spring has also brought about huge amounts of drum. We have been catching lots of fifteen to twenty inchers on fresh dead and live shrimp. These have been caught over scattered shell in three feet of water or less. Our tripletail bite has not been as good as normal so far this summer. I don’t know if it is due to lower salinity levels with all the fresh water, or they just haven’t showed up in numbers yet. July will bring about the dog days of summer, with fishing being best early and getting off the water by noon. The Matagorda Surf, the wells out in West Matagorda, and the local rivers will be good spots to hit this month.

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Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith Back Bay Guide Service - 361.983.4434 In July, Lynn plans on fishing the surf as much possible. “ We’re gonna be hammering the surf. Already been out there a lot. We like to fish topwaters along the beach, staying close to the sand early, then moving out toward the deeper guts as the sun gets higher. The chrome/blue, Clown and white/chartreuse head Super Spook Juniors are really effective for us this time of year. When not in the surf, we’ll focus on sandy shorelines with some grassy areas, for the most part. And we’ll also hit a few of the spoil banks with shell reefs on them at times. I do hope to stay close to the pass area and work the flats adjacent to the surf. When the topwaters aren’t working, I like to switch over to Hogies, Kelly Wigglers and Down South soft plastic lures this time of year. We’ve been catching limits of trout on a daily basis lately. All this fresh water coming into the backs of the bays has the fish stacked up in areas close to the Gulf. July should be an awesome month indeed.”

Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894 Blake says the surf has been good this year already, and he hopes to keep heading out there when conditions allow. “Believe it or not, though,” he says, “we are finding fish along shorelines and on reefs in all the area bays lately. We’re having one of the best topwater bites I can remember in a long time. The last couple days, we’re going through periods of time where we’re getting blow ups on every cast for numbers of casts in a row. We’re catching some solid trout too, with quite a few around twenty four, twenty five inches, up to about twenty seven inches.

I expect our good fishing to continue as we get into the hotter part of the summer. Normally, we’ll start fishing along drop-offs, a little closer to deeper water in July. We usually have better luck on that pattern once water temperatures climb really high. We usually see the bite on

102 | July 2015

soft plastics improve a lot. Topwaters still work, but not necessarily all day. And, we’ll start throwing live bait when necessary. Overall, this is as impressive a run of trout fishing as I’ve seen in a long time.”

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 The weatherman’s forecast and my forecast for the month of July are the same. It’s going to be hot! The weatherman is referring to the air temperatures being hot and I’m referring to the fishing and catching being hot. Much of the water in our end of the Laguna Madre is in pretty good shape, with better water clarity than I’ve seen in several years. The speckled trout and reds will be along shorelines and grass lines in less than two feet of water during the early morning hours. This will be a good time to fish with bone diamond or plum/chartreuse Bass Assassins rigged on a sixteenth-ounce Spring-Lock jighead. With the calm winds in July, it will be a good time to fish with natural colored MirrOlure She Dogs. As the day progresses, the fish will move into deeper water away from the shorelines, and a slightly heavier jighead, eighth-ounce, might be necessary. Potholes, grass lines and drop-offs in about three feet of water will be good targets to fish with free-lined croakers using #3 Mustad Wide Gap Croaker hooks.

Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.937.5961 “Hopefully the weather conditions and fishing will stay as good as they have been,” Joe says. “I sight-casted a twenty six and twenty eight inch trout yesterday. Caught them both on an old standby lure, a strawberry/white shrimptail. Also had a forty one inch redfish the other day too, which I also sight-cast. The water is so clear and with the calm winds, we can troll around some of the deeper rock structures and grass edges and see the fish better than we have been able to in a long time. This pattern should keep working well right on through the summer, now that the brown tide has gone away. I’ll be fishing areas

close to deep water, where rocks and ledges allow fish a place to feed without moving too far away from the cooler depths. We’ll be throwing soft plastics mostly, targeting the edges when we can’t see the fish, throwing at all the fish we see. I think we are set up for some of the best summer fishing we’ve had in a long time, due to the incredible improvement in our water quality.”

Padre Island National Seashore Billy Sandifer - Padre Island Safaris - 361.937.8446 Speckled trout action should be fair to good throughout summer. Calm, clear waters and absence of sargassum will make good catches possible around various beach structure in mornings and late afternoons.

Artificials and live bait will all produce. As we progress through summer, expect more bait (anchovies, menhaden, shad) to make their way closer to the beach. While much of the activity will still stay just offshore, any bait that makes it to the surf zone will have tarpon, jacks, and sharks in tow. Mornings and evenings with tide movement will be your best bet in general for most species. Hot and clear water means slow midday activity. Patterns of cold water upwellings in recent years create water temps 5⁰-10⁰ colder down near Mansfield jetties compared to Corpus beaches—though no sign of it yet. Kings, redfish and occasional tarpon and even snook could be landed from Gulf piers and jetties. Forecasts for tropical activity seem low but squalls can occur randomly and quickly.

Prepare to be mobile if storms threaten. PINS beaches will be crowded— drive carefully and camp respectfully.

Port Mansfield | Ruben Garza Snookdudecharters.com – 832.385.1431 Getaway Adventures Lodge – 956.944.4000 Early summer weather and fishing patterns have stabilized nicely for us. Light SE wind in the morning and building stronger by the afternoon has been predominant for two weeks. The topwater bite has

been very good. Pink and orange Skitter Walks have been the ticket.

The Saucer, West Bay, Pipeline area and Greens have been producing solid trout with some oversized reds daily. Also, fishing right on the ICW drop-off has been producing solid trout for waders and boaters keying on bait and slicks. KWiggler Ball Tail Shad, Lagunaflauge and Flomingo, on eighth-ounce jigs are my first choice here. Now that the wind has laid down, the jetty fishing has really taken off. Signs of tarpon and kingfish are frequent around bait concentrations. Snapper fishing has been unreal. Most boats have been taking limits of snapper and kingfish with occasional ling. The CCA Reef has been providing lots of action. Good weather is the key to this. I predict these patterns and areas mentioned will remain very good.

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Janie and Fred Petty – www.fishingwithpettys.com – 956.943.2747 Fishing is exciting this time of the year, especially for limits of trout.

There are plenty of redfish in the shallow water early, until boat traffic becomes a factor. Since there are multiple fishing tournaments every weekend, finding reds is more of a challenge. Having said that, we’re limiting a couple days a week and averaging three to five nice reds on other trips. Freddy says, “Stick with what works in the water depth you target. We find the Cajun Thunder round cork and three inch Gulp! Live shrimp perform best all-around. Trout, redfish, flounder and many other species will hit the suspended Gulp!, when proper adjustments are made to the weight of the jighead and leader length.” If you are a water enthusiast, here are a couple of suggestions: always wear sunblock and a hat and long sleeves and gloves are also important protection from the sun. Buffs provide fishing fashion and function, serving multiple purposes, including protecting your ears from wind lash! Remember to put life jackets on your kids! Stop open bay dredge disposal!

TSFMAG.com | 103

Ivan Coronel & Son Galveston - 29” trout

Jennifer Meeks Rockport - 26” redfish

Sarah Hennessee North Padre - mahi-mahi

John Morgan long billed spearfish CPR 104 | July 2015

Eugenio Cárdenas Laguna Madre - 29” speck

Tanya Flores Laguna Madre - 28” 8lb redfish

Christian Hill Padre Island - 48” kingfish

Rolando Gonzalez South Padre - 37” jack crevalle

Joe Burke Baffin Bay - 30.5” trout CPR

Brenton Bouchillon Port O’Connor - twin kings

Jagger Fishbeck Pringle Lake - 24.5” first redfish!

Drew Crower Rockport - 17” first red!

Kay Hicks Sabine Lake - 22” speck CPR

Mike Garcia Port Mansfield - 38” red

Joe Howard Matagorda - 27” speck

Nicolas Lopez Port Mansfield - 26.5” trout CPR

David Longoria Baffin Bay - 28.5” 7.5lb trout CPR

Brandi Reed 38.5” redfish

Will Lau Seadrift - redfish

Austin Thompson POC - 24lb jack crevalle

Dian Riojas Quintana Beach - 38” red

Tonya Jean Lopez West Bay - 27” redfish

Karina Lopez Port Mansfield - 27.5” trout CPR

Brian Wimmer 8.75 lb 30” trout CPR

Maddox Smith first shark!

Jennifer Taylor POC - 22” first redfish!

Please do not write on the back of photos.

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

Lee Trevino, Jr. Arroyo City - 24” trout

Madison Pennington Oyster Lake - first flounder!

Mail photos to: TSFMag P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 TSFMAG.com | 105

Pam Johnson

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

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

Buffalo Shrimp Appetizers INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

Blue Cheese Dip:

Prepare Blue Cheese Dip: Combine mayonnaise,

1 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cups sour cream (regular, low-fat, or fat-free) 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese Juice of 1 lemon 2 tsp. onion salt 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

sour cream, blue cheese, lemon juice, onion salt, garlic powder, and pepper in small bowl, mix well.

(Dip can be prepared a couple of days in advance.)

Shrimp: 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter melted 1/4 cup Frank’s RedHot® Buffalo Wings Sauce 8 cups peanut oil or vegetable oil 1 cup flour 1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, leave tail attached

106 | July 2015

Prepare Buffalo Sauce: Combine melted butter and hot sauce in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Frying Shrimp: Pour oil into large sauce pan, iron skillet or electric deep fryer. Heat to 375⁰.

Dredge shrimp in flour and shake off excess. Fry shrimp, about 10 at a time, for about 1 minute, or until lightly browned. Remove shrimp from pan with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Toss hot shrimp in butter/hot sauce glaze, coating completely. Serve warm with the blue cheese dip and celery sticks.

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TSFMAG.com | 107

Science and the

Sea

TM

Lighting Up to Stay Alive

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Not all sharks are at the top of the food chain; some are small enough to be a potential meal for dozens of other species. Diminutive sharks as small as 8 inches long, such as the smalleye pigmy shark, have evolved characteristics to stay off the menu of predators.

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The easiest way to attack one of these tiny sharks would be from below.

Their dark silhouette against the bluish water above would make them easy to spot. Instead, smalleye pigmy sharks use bioluminescence for camouflage. Organs called photophores on their undersides emit just enough light to create a bluish glow that disguises their outline and allows them to blend in with the blue water above them. Scientists have discovered that the sharks use two different hormones to control the brightness of their glow. The hormone melatonin, the same one that tells humans that it’s time to go to sleep, triggers the bioluminescence and lightens their bellies. Prolactin, the hormone that stimulates milk production in mammals, dims the glow.

Another small shark, the velvet belly lantern shark also uses bioluminescence for its own benefit. It communicates with others of its species in the deep sea by sending messages with its glowing tummy.

The two species share a common ancestor, but the smalleye pigmy shark has remained truer to its roots, relying on its bioluminescence solely to hide from predators.

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The spined pygmy shark, which is similar to the smalleye pygmy shark, also uses bioluminescense for camouflage.

Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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

ON THE WATER

Saltwater Fishing Clinics WITH

Capt. Robert Zapata

If you are having difficulty catching fish on a consistent basis, the clinic is designed for you. Learn Capt.Robert Zapata’s secrets to finding and catching more fish from his 25 years of experience as a professional fishing guide.

For Information Call 361-563-1160

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M ATA G O R D A B AY Speckled Trout / Redfish

Capt. Billy Penick III

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281-415-6586 www.gypsyguideservice.com penickbilly@yahoo.com

USCG Licensed Captain Stan Sloan

832.693.4292 fintasticcoastalcharters.com

PESCADO PARK

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Galveston Bay

RV PADS & BOAT STORAGE

281-814-0119

Baffin Bay

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• Bay Fishing, Offshore, Floundering, Waterfowl, Dove • Night Fishing off Lighted Pier • Right On The Water • Lodging with/without Meals www.matagordasunriselodge.com 979-241-1705 TSFMAG.com | 109

CHRIS MAPP

B OAT MA I N T E N A N C E T I P S

How well do you know your boat?

Chris Mapp, owner Coastal Bend Marine.

Yamaha, Evinrude, Suzuki, Mercury, Honda, BlueWave, SilverWave, Haynie, El Pescador Service, Parts and Sales.

110 | July 2015

Running a marine dealership in a bustling coastal town, we see a wide range of boat and outboard motor problems, especially during the busy summer season. A common root cause of boat problems is that owners of brand new and/or new-to-them pre-owned rigs have not been properly educated in the operation and care of their equipment. Some problems are easily rectified at little or no charge but, unfortunately, some are not.

Drain plugs are a major recurring issue. Often, new owners have no understanding of the quantity, location, and purpose of drain plugs within the hull of recently acquired boats.

Overboard drains and the plugs that seal them are found in many locations, some of these are quite obvious and some are not. Baitwells, for example.

Baitwell drains can be found in the bottom of the baitwell, where they drain into the bilge, while others drain through the transom or side of the boat, just above the water line.

Some boats are constructed with sub-hulls, meaning that the floor you see in the bottom of a compartment may actually have another lessaccessible compartment below it—the drain plug for which may not be visible except from behind or even under the boat.

Some boats have a drain in the battery box compartment, hidden unless you know where to look, and quite possibly below the waterline when the boat is in the water.

Perhaps the number two issue on used boats is when new electronics have been installed and the plastic thru-hull depth-finder transducer fitting that was used for the original electronics was damaged or abandoned and this was not disclosed to the new owner.

Another great example is seen when an owner purchases a new trailer for the boat. The bunk configuration may be slightly different than the old trailer and therefore contacts under-hull surfaces and fittings differently –or– when loading the boat onto the new trailer with the sling and high-lift method, the old thru-hull fitting becomes damaged or ripped completely out, and nobody notices.

We highly recommend against the use of plastic thru-hull fittings or installing transducer cables by simply drilling through the hull. Bronze or brass fittings, preferably flush-mounted or tapered to the hull configuration, are highly superior.

Always look for yourself and inspect carefully for leaks or water entering or collecting in the hull when the boat is launched for the first time following any type of maintenance and/or electronic installation, and also following trailer replacement.

There are two types of drain plugs commonly used; snap type—where the plug expands and seals the thru-hull fitting when the “snap” is engaged; and also the twist-tight type—where a screw is turned to obtain a good seal. We recommend the twist-tight plugs be used on all applications where the plugs are installed external to the hull. Snap-type drain plugs installed externally have an uncommon tendency to become loose and/or lost during normal operation.

Have a safe and fun summer boating and fishing season!

Chris Mapp Coastal Bend Marine, Port O’Connor, TX 361.983.4841 www.coastalbendmarine.com

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classifieds BENTLEY’S INTERCOASTALS HOUSE RENTALS Port O’Connor, Texas: 3 Bedrooms, Sleeps 6, Fully Furnished. Great Location between the little Jetties & Clark’s Restaurant. Boat Slip upon availability. Guide service available with Capt Keith Gregory. Call Steve or Lydia at 361-983-4660 or 361-482-9095. Special winter rates available.

Designer & Manufacturer of Specialized High Performance Fishing Rods Office: 361.573.0300

805 B. South Bridge Victoria, TX 77901

Fax: 361.573.0304

TSFMAG.com | 111

Since 1983 POWERED BY:

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Introducing Shimano’s latest in comfortable and light weight footwear - the Shimano Evair Marine/Fishing shoes. The Evair are an ‘open’ style shoe, meaning they’re quick drying and allow your feet to breathe even in the hottest day time conditions. A non slip sole gives the wearer added confidence when navigating slippery decks.

Utilizing the new CI4+ material for construction, Stradic CI4+ is the ultimate in lightweight reels designed for the ultrafinesse angler using lightweight fluorocarbon, braided or monofilament lines. From drop shotting to shakey heads and small texas rigs, this reel has you covered.

The Shimano Curado I Series Low-Profile Baitcast Reel features an aluminum frame that is lightweight and durable. X-Ship technology ensures great gear durability and a high gear ratio allows for fast retrieves, while the SVS Infinity centrifugal brake system provides smooth control.

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The Shimano Chronarch 200-E7 Baitcast Reel features 7 bearings for precise, smooth casts. The Super Free bearingsupported pinion gear system helps prevent friction on the spool shaft for increased freespool. Super Stopper II antireverse with a 1-way roller bearing helps eliminate backplay for instant hook-setting power.

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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 O’Connor, Port Aransas, Corpus Christi and Port Isabel please refer to the charts displayed below.

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

Minor Feeding Periods coincide 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 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