June 2011

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PROBLEM 4: ETHANOL CAUSES LOST POWER, PERFORMANCE AND DECREASED FUEL ECONOMY Ethanol fuel does not produce as much energy as traditional fuel. This results in inefficient combustion, decreased performance, reduced throttle response and poor fuel economy.

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Excessive water in the fuel tank causes engines to run rough, stall, and can lead to internal damage to engine components. Ethanol provides a significant amount of the fuel’s octane, so when the ethanol/water solution separates and drops to the bottom of the tank, the remaining fuel is left without enough octane to properly operate the engine. Additionally, the ethanol/water solution can become partially combustible, which can lead to engine damage.

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Contents

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER

JUNE 2011 Volume 21 No. 2

Everett Johnson Everett@tsfmag.com

FeatUres

8

08 It’s the Little Things 14 Got MoJo? 20 A Time and Season for All Things...

26 You Don’t Want to Know What...

28 Fishin’ with Papa 32 Summer Party Crashers and Usual...

36 Happy Father’s Day 38 Plugging the Texas Coast...

48

60

24 25 42 44 48 52 54 58 60 62 66

92

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

Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-550-9918 NATIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE Bart Manganiello Bartalm@optonline.net REGIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE

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

reGULars

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stephanie@tsfmag.com

What oUr GUIDes haVe to saY

06 70 86 90 92

Pam Johnson Pam@tsfmag.com

Patti@tsfmag.com

Billy Sandifer UT-Marine Science Institute Jay Watkins Casey Smartt Bobby J. Johnson CCA Texas Scott Null Scott Sommerlatte Jake Haddock Mike Jennings Stephanie Boyd

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

VICE PRESIDENT PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Patti Elkins

DepartMents

72 74 76 78 80 82 84

82

Mike McBride Kevin Cochran Billy Sandifer Martin Strarup Tom Hancher Chuck Uzzle Ernest Cisneros Joe Doggett

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Order on-line: WWW.TSFMAG.COM MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine Attn: Subscriptions P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 * Subscribers are responsible for submitting all address changes and renewals by the 10th of the prior month’s issue. Email store@tsfmag.com for all address changes or please call 361-785-3420 from 8am - 4:30pm. The U.S. Postal Service does not guarantee magazines will be forwarded .

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aBoUt the CoVer Capt. Tricia of Skinny Water Adventures out of Port Mansfield is this month’s cover angler preparing to release a gorgeous Lower Laguna redfish. Tricia says the reds are really starting to school and watch out for trophy trout hanging right in there with them!

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Periodical class permit (USPS# 024353) paid at Victoria, TX TIDE PREDICTIO NS

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Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine (ISSN 1935-9586) is published monthly by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, Texas 77983 l P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 © Copyright 1990 All rights reserved. Positively nothing in this publication may be reprinted or reproduced. *Views expressed by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine contributors do not necessarily express the views of Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine.

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EDITORIAL Freshwater Inflows As I reported a while back, in 2009 I was appointed to the Guadalupe, San Antonio, Mission, and Aransas Rivers and Mission, Copano, Aransas, and San Antonio Bays Basin and Bay Stakeholder Committee (BBASC) to represent recreational water users (coastal fishermen) in this basin. Texas Senate Bill 3 that became law in 2008 provided a stakeholder-based, consensus approach to assist water planners in future decisions. Stakeholder interests vary widely from river authority, to municipal water supply, ground water districts, agriculture, industry, recreational users, etc. The BBASC is charged with the responsibility of hiring an expert science team to discover the environmental needs of the river systems themselves and also the bays into which they flow. BBASC committees were created for each of the major basins in Texas and each hired the own Bay and Basin Expert Science Team (BBEST). Each BBASC focuses on the challenges within their respective basins and bays.

Beginning in January 2010, the majority of our work has been to become apprised of water availability, water planning, water conservation, and future water needs. Now the direction changes to reviewing the BBEST recommendations, reaching a consensus of stakeholder opinion, and then offering advice for the direction of future water planning.

You may have heard this before, “Some day water will become more valuable in Texas than oil.” Whoever first uttered those words was a prophet and the day in reference is rapidly approaching.

As a conservation-minded fisherman and a member of the BBASC, what I have come to understand in terms of water availability and water needs is downright frightening. Applying population growth predictions along with growing industrial and agricultural needs makes the equation even more complex.

My first instinct, of course, is to pound the table and demand that rivers be allowed to flow unrestricted to the bays. Reality though demands that Texans need water and alternative sources of supply will not be readily and economically developed. My goal in all of this is to somehow convince my fellow BBASC members to reserve enough inflow to maintain the rich ecology of our middle-coast bays.

We are very fortunate that our major municipal water supply systems have practiced water conservation to the extent they have – without this we would have likely already depleted our aquifers and rivers with nothing left to sustain our bays.

Freshwater inflows are critical to estuarine ecology. Without them our middle-coast bays will become hyper-saline lagoons – not entirely void of marine life – but certainly not as vibrant as we know them today. Sometimes I think I should just stick to fishing, but being a good steward demands more of us. I have been praying for wisdom.

6 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 7

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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Story by Mike McBride

Being a busy fishing guide lets you see all sorts of stuff on the water. What I get to see quite often though, is who typically catches fish, who doesn’t, and perhaps some about why. Even with the abundance of fish we have right now, some will always catch more than others and some always seem to struggle. Here are a few little things I can’t help but notice, and for the newer fisherman, might be big in changing their day.

Fishing with lures says “he who casts farthest wins” - especially when blind casting. One of the biggest distance robbers is a reel not spooled to full capacity. Even veteran fishermen might show up with a $300 dollar reel only half full of line. It involves simple physics. Think about how many more times a short spool will have to revolve to spit out the same amount of line. If you have upgraded to braid (which I highly recommend), you can fill your reel all the way to the top with little problem as braid absorbs little water and won’t swell like mono. Also, braid is much smaller in diameter so you get even more distance by default. I’m thinking one reason many show up with under filled spools is because they buy 150 yard spools of braid and don’t The FTU All-Pro use backing. If your reel has a 150 yard Green Rod - McFast capacity of 12 pound line, 150 yards of version; due out either a 6 pound or 8 pound equivalent this summer. braid won’t even come close to what you need, so be sure to fill about a 8 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 9

quarter of the spool with mono first.

Another major odds buster is trying to depend on an outdated rod. Lure fishing absolutely demands a good stick; for casting, proper lure presentation, and the artful playing of a fish. Too wimpy, too stiff, or what I call a “dead” rod is a serious disability. By dead I mean no feel for the lure or the bite, especially when using monofilament. Many top of the line rods of ten years ago are now best suited for spark-plug-weighted bottom fishing, or perhaps a good dog switch.

There are many good rods out there, so make sure yours is too - highly sensitive and matched to what you normally throw. I’m using a 6’6” rod, as with modern lines, reels and lubrication, we just don’t need those old blunderbuss 7-½ foot popping rods anymore for distance. My choice is FTU’s All Pro “Green Rod” with recoil guides for many unsung reasons.

For starters, many folks don’t know that from butt to tip they are made of the highest quality materials that exist on the planet. Even the highend custom rod builders can’t find better materials, and that translates not only into a more responsive tool but greater reliability in the field, and you certainly can’t beat the warranty.

Five different actions means we can dial in our preferences, but as much as I love this stick, I can’t wait for the

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next generation. Every one gets better as technology improves.

It’s going to be an even lighter split grip version (2.8 oz) with some other useful changes as well - such as foam mixed into the cork for a better textured grip. It’s going to be called the “McFast” and should be on the racks by summer. If y’all think I’m wearing lipstick I’m not as I have done my research and testing, but whatever you choose, make darn sure your primary tool is well-made, wellmatched, and that you believe in it.

Speaking of rods, yet another fish losing issue I see is people not letting them do their job. Some freak out when they hook a fish and panic, cranking like a crazy person trying to get it in as fast as possible before they loose it. Pull back, reel down – pull back, reel down. Take your time and let the rod play the fish or risk another fumble.

Another little thing I notice is simply not keeping that lure in the water. Many reasons, but let’s look at some of the more evident.

Switching lures every five minutes isn’t productive, and you spend more time messing around than trying to be a fisherman. Mostly it’s the man and the plan and not the plastic, but the type of plastic you use can certainly make a difference. Some soft baits are good for about one fish. Plastic work, especially during the summer, will be a go-to method, so a tougher bait will help keep you fishing instead of rigging. For me, Texas Tackle Factory TTK II baits can be worth twenty or more fish, especially with screw lock jigheads. So can Kelly Wigglers. In addition, those old-fashioned prong-lock heads simply cannot compete with a screw lock for keeping that bait swimming. However, no matter what you use, put that lure on straight so it does not spin and works as intended. The total lack of linear understanding literally amazes me sometimes.

Presentation time can also be maximized by eliminating many easily fixed time-wasters. A strong bite is often short-lived, so the guys who can fish it instead of fight it will do best. Practical gear can help keep your lure wet and working. Taking twenty minutes to unhook a fish simply due to rusty non-working pliers, treble hooked plugs hopelessly tangled in landing nets, fighting wimpy

10 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 11

stringer tangles and backlashes, and whatever else holds you back are examples. Good pliers, such as FTU’s aluminum models, are dependable. And if you have to use a net, use a good one that won’t eat your topwater time and opportunity. Foreverlast’s new braid cutter pliers are great as well, and their rubber coated G2 Pro net will stop a lot of that hook fouling and get you back to casting. Good line will decrease a lot of that backlash picking time, and what we have found is that unless it’s just stupidly horrible, Sufix Performance Braid comes out amazingly easy. It stays round under tension, unlike a lot of other braids which go oval and dig into your spool like a knife. We are also looking at Fins Wind Tamer, and so far great results there as well.

We could go on and on about small things which can make big differences, but space is short so we’ll just hit one more. A good hookset is truly an art, and incredibly important whenever you actually want to land what you worked to fool. Another learning curve exists with braided lines. With mono, the fish almost has to commit suicide before

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Reef Boots

Pro Net

Pro Wading Belt Kit Wading Boots

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Over The Shoulder Tackle System

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solid hookup. With topwaters, be sure to wait for the weight before raring back. I can’t tell you how many fish are lost before they are even hooked.

Fishing time is precious so consider those small moves for bigger results. As said many times…

“It’s the little things that matter.” See you there.

you feel it, but the communication with braid is so instant that it is easy to set the hook too early. We need to wait until the fish turns on the lure so we can pull it into a solid purchase rather than right out of its mouth. What helps me is keeping the rod tip very high, and when you feel that little ‘tic’, reel down parallel and then ease back. It’s sort of a forced delay, and it works quite well to gain a

12 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 13

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Contact

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

Contact Skinny Water Adventures Telephone 956-746-6041

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

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Story by Kevin Cochran

On May 24, 1995, prior to a San Antonio Spurs’ playoff game with the Houston Rockets, NBA officials named David Robinson MVP of the league, presenting him a trophy during a mid-court ceremony.

Apparently, one supremely interested onlooker was not impressed.

Robinson’s opponent Hakeem Olajuwon played one of the best games of his Hall of Fame career, proving to all who watched that he, not Robinson, was basketball‘s transcendent player.

During the historic contest, the second game in a best-of-seven series, Olajuwon shucked and twirled his way around the taller Robinson, pouring in a total of 41 points. Awestruck onlookers watched him expand on his unique “Dream Shake”, making up new moves, some of which we’d never seen before and never saw again.

The Dream pulled down sixteen rebounds, dished out four assists, snatched three steals and blocked two shots, helping his Rockets forge a two-game lead over the Spurs.

The Houston center’s dominance over the newly-anointed MVP continued throughout the series, for which he averaged over 35 points and twelve rebounds. The Rockets marched steadily to a second consecutive league championship.

Later, coach Rudy Tomjanovich described Hakeem’s performance as “legendary”. Truly, the Nigerianborn center had a strong MoJo

14 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 15

Texas Saltwater Fishing

during the six-game set; he carried it over to the NBA Finals and played exceptionally well there too.

Athletes and teams experience ebbs and flows in their performance levels. When they’re on a winning roll, the force underlying their momentum is often described as MoJo. The existence of MoJo is a widely-accepted phenomenon in sports. Part motivation and part momentum, the MoJo is a force all athletes look to find and maintain; achieving that goal can be frustratingly difficult.

Clearly, Olajuwon’s MoJo against Robinson in those Conference Finals was partly spawned by his desire to prove MVP voters wrong.

His motivation morphed into momentum when he began to attack the rim with the ball, displaying a graceful, stunning, seemingly effortless agility. A superb player throughout his career, the Rocket’s star was for that series arguably unstoppable, the best of all time.

Late in game two, when he flipped a back-handed shot straight into the basket without even looking, it seemed as though invisible agents were controlling the action from some shadowy netherworld.

The mighty arms of destiny apparently carried the man.

Many other heroic sports figures have famously climbed onto MoJo’s broad shoulders while the world watched.

On a Sunday in April, 1986, playing the final nine of the Masters at

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Augusta National Golf Club, Jack Nicklaus surfed a MoJo tsunami. His celebrated ride included an eagle on the slippery par five fifteenth and a birdie on the par three sixteenth. While Jack’s five iron shot soared high above the water on sixteen, his namesake caddy pleaded to the golfing gods, “Be the right club.”

The Golden Bear winked at his progeny and said in the direct, matter-of-fact tone which characterized his will to win, “It is.” Then his ball nestled softly near the pin, leaving an easy putt we all knew would go in.

The greatest champion golfer of all time continued his sizzling streak with another birdie on the par four seventeenth, sinking a downhill putt which in retrospect appears to have “broken the wrong way“. Jack still claims a putt from the back of that green isn’t supposed to curve in the direction it did that fateful day. Those with enough MoJo seem able to will things to go their way. In the case of Nicklaus’ final major win, his competitors hacked and chopped through the back nine, hitting foul shots into ponds and grandstands.

The momentum side of MoJo can wear the competition down, making them behave as though they’re obliged to fail in the face of supremacy. Anyone who could bottle and sell the stuff would rise to rival Donald Trump as a financial icon. Though the mysterious element can be neither packaged nor sold, its components can be analyzed and understood, so it may be summoned up more often by those who actively seek to do so.

Certainly, anglers can benefit from grabbing hold of some MoJo. Obviously, tournament contestants and fishing pros need some, but it seems anyone out on the water waving a stick at the fish would want their share. What can fisherpeople do in order to increase their odds of finding MoJo more often?

First and foremost, they must create and maintain a strong, sincere internal motivation and proceed with dedication to the task at hand. If fishing in a competitive event, anglers must summon a genuine, burning will to win. Those fishing purely for enjoyment and entertainment can increase motivation by inventing contests with their fishing companions or even by challenging themselves to learn

The MOST

or achieve something specific.

Anglers fighting to gain an upper hand or to accomplish some identified task will more likely be motivated enough to turn desire into momentum. When motivation merges with momentum, MoJo can leap from the shadows into the heart of man, guiding the hands like a master puppeteer. In order for momentum to be accurately described as MoJo, it must have staying power. Finding the MoJo is similar to being “in the zone”, but MoJo can and indeed must linger longer.

An athlete or angler can be in the zone for a few casts, shots or plays, but MoJo can be sustained for most or all of a day or contest, even an entire season. Surely, the ‘07-‘08 New England Patriots rode their MoJo to an 18-0 start, though they lost in the end to a New York Giants team which wrestled it away from them. Tiger Woods’ MoJo carried him through a streak in which he won all four of golf’s major championships in succession, two of them by record margins.

Maintaining momentum is essentially sustaining excellence.

Doing so requires persistent effort combined with the grace to perceive possibilities and the skill to capitalize upon those opportunities. In lure fishing, this means correctly solving the puzzle related to locating fish and determining what plugs and presentations will best catch those fish from moment to moment, day after day.

I recall a run of fishing I made in 2010, in which my MoJo was spawned and sustained by unwavering confidence in a few spots and just a couple of lures. During a peak in the action, I and my clients caught trout over nine pounds five days in a row. After the fourth day, I left the dock disappointed by the fact that the previous day’s thirty one inch fish had weighed slightly less than ten pounds. The disappointment became my motivation. “If I get one bite in the first two hours, we aren’t moving all day,” I told my clients.

I simply knew the “right fish” was waiting within reach, and I knew exactly which lure and presentation would bring her to my hand.

Without fear or hesitation, I stayed in one small area after catching a four pounder about an hour into the outing. Almost four hours later,

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We’re pleased to once again bring you the Dargel Owners Tournament and Customer Appreciation Banquet to be hosted at the South Padre Island Convention Center on June 24th and 25th. Your entry fee will again cover dinner for both nights, entry to the tournament and tournament goodies such as shirt and prizes.

All proceeds raised at the Dargel Owners Tournament and Customer Appreciation Banquet will go directly to Operation Spots4Tots, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarship funds for kids of fallen heroes such as all military personnel, police, fire, and all public servants.

www.dargel.com

OPEN TO ALL DARGEL, EXPLORER, AND BAYQUEST BOAT OWNERS Entry fee is $85 for 13 and older and $45 for 12 and younger and will include dinner for both nights, tournament entry, tournament goodies, raffle tickets, and a Dargel T-Shirt. Please register by June 3rd to insure that you receive a T-Shirt. Kids will compete for kid division prizes not general division.

Special rates are available at the Howard Johnson and the Hilton Garden Inn, be sure to mention the Dargel Owners Tournament when booking and book early due to the summer crowds!

Full Name: ______________________________ Age: ___ Male: ___ Female: ___ Street: ______________________________ City: ______________ State: ___ Zip: ____________ Phone: _______________ Email: _________________ Captains Name: __________________________ Boat Model: ____________ Year: ________ Engine: ________________ Year: ________ $45 for kids 12 and younger., $85 entry fee required for 13 and older.

Payment: Cash __ Check __ Credit Card __ Master Card __ Visa __ Discover __ CC # ________________________________ Exp Date: _____________ Security Code: ____ Amount Enclosed: $_______ I have read and agree with the terms and conditions: Yes ____

Please visit www.dargel.com and click on owners tournament for more information.

From February through April of 2008, the author and his clients benefitted from a strong MoJo and caught a bunch of big trout, including this 10 1/2 pound specimen (right). The other fish depicted here were also caught and released during that time frame.

18 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 19

Through hard work and calculated effort, he replaced the awkward anxiousness of youth with mature, dynamic prowess.

Similarly, anglers should strive to improve the weakest parts of their skill sets.

By making proper, subtle adjustments to locations, strategies and techniques, a focused angler will sometimes seize the MoJo. The magical marriage of motivation and momentum may then be ridden like Secretariat on the home stretch at The ‘73 Belmont Stakes, free from the field, striding purposefully to places previously unknown.

Kevin Cochran

Contact

a second fish bit, nearly wrenching the rod and reel from my hands.

The fight was long and nerve wracking. Hooked under the throat, the great trout never broke the surface, instead pulling to the side in a wide, continuous arc like a redfish.

I kept telling myself not to hurry, to resist the urge to pull the fish to the surface so I could see it.

Inevitably, I succeeded in wearing the giant down, and when her wide tail jutted through the surface, verifying her size and species, I knew four days of momentum had flowed into five. She was a fullfigured specimen!

The sting of the previous day’s disappointment instantly faded when I pinched her lip with the Boga Grip, lifted her up and proved she was a true ten. The MoJo was with me that day; I rode it throughout the winter and spring.

In order for one’s MoJo to persist through a whole season of fishing, accurate and effective judgments must be regularly made. Consistently productive fishing involves concentrated effort and an ongoing, correct analysis of events. Making a strong and successful run involves both building upon strengths and eliminating weaknesses.

Great players spend more time practicing what they do poorly, not what they do best. A tenacious shot blocker and aggressive rebounder while playing college ball in the 80s at the University of Houston, Akeem (without the H) was not much of a scoring threat.

But by the time Hakeem the Dream schooled The Admiral in the Alamo City in ‘95, he displayed a polished offensive efficiency.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Kevin Cochran is a full-time fishing guide at Corpus Christi (Padre Island), TX. Kevin is a speckled trout fanatic and has authored two books on the subject. Kevin’s home waters stretch from Corpus Christi Bay to the Land Cut. Trout Tracker Guide Service Telephone 361-688-3714

Email KCochran@stx.rr.com Website www.FishBaffinBay.com

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Story by Billy Sandifer

On the table in front of me stands no fewer than twenty-seven customer inquiries stacked in a neat pile. There are more in my e-mail. It’s been that way all year. Business remained brisk through December for the first time in years. Then I blew the engine in my Suburban on 27 December and the phone kept ringing but I was unable to do the charters till I found a replacement. Finally found a replacement engine only to have it blow up after only one charter and had to rebuild it. Finally the truck was repaired and it should have been back to business as usual but the sargassum weed had showed up in very heavy amounts all along the entire Texas coast putting the kibosh on fishing the beach right up through today’s date. I drive the beach all the way to the Port Mansfield once per week to see if there are any stretches where the grass has diminished but week after week there has been no change except that the fuel bill per trip has risen to $100.

The one good thing about having fished down-island for 50 years is that I know this too shall pass. We never know exactly when as each year is different but we’ll wake up some mornin’ and the winds will have moderated and fresh grass will not be impacting the shoreline. It will be just another memory and driving will improve, fish and birds will be seen working the surface and reels will scream and rods will bend double. Each year we think is the worse ever but in fact this is a part of the annual cycle of life in the surf zone. I will, however, admit that this is the only time I’ve only had one charter in four months. That means I have 20 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 21

eight months to make a year’s wages and if the Creator is willing it will get awful busy around here.

I’ve noticed a very interesting thing while on these weekly scouting trips. Nothing I haven’t known for many years but many of you probably have never considered or realized it and should find it interesting. Sharks and most other fish feed by three methods; sight, smell and vibration. Year after year I’ve watched fish that were readily caught from Monday through midday Friday disappear completely, or as we say “they get lock jaw.”

Catching will be slow from noon Friday till at least late Sunday.

Why? Because the vibration of all the weekend four-wheel-drives traveling on the beach overwhelms the fish’s senses of vibration.

They recognize it as unnatural and they move offshore to escape it. The calmer the seas, wind, and waves; the easier it is to spook them. Take a minute and think about it; all those vehicles fighting to make headway in the sand has got to sound like an endless caravan of “Boom Boxes” to the fish. Not all fish species are affected in this manner but many of our target species are.

On two of the last three scout trips down PINS I saw but one truck on two of the days and none on the third day. One those days I saw two bull sharks of about five to five-and-a-half feet and one smaller blacktip working within fifteen feet of the shore in less than two feet of water. On another day I found two bull sharks of approximately seven feet length and four foot blacktips in various locations within ten feet of the shore.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

I have enjoyed sight-casting to sharks from the beach for many years. The first trick is don’t slam your truck door. In calm conditions I’ve seen blacktips of six foot-plus length cruising in less than two feet of water go totally ballistic and jump a half dozen times on their way to the horizon because someone slammed a door. And as with any type sight-casting it is imperative not to cast too close to the fish. Cast ahead of the fish and let it find the bait naturally; on his own. During the summer and fall months we sight-cast trout and redfish which we spot while driving along the beach. Extreme stealth is required and I emphasis to all customers that the first cast needs to be perfect and they need to wait till they know it is right. One bad cast will ensure you don’t get a second chance.

I used to get so tickled when I would read Cliff Webb’s articles about sneaking up on big trout on his knees because we have been doing that on the beach for many years. I always kind of figured most folks who read Cliff ’s stuff thought he was shoveling it on a bit thick. He wasn’t. These scenarios mentioned above are only practiced by a handful of accomplished anglers on PINS. The biggest enemy of finding success while fishing in this manner is speeding. If you are driving too fast you will spook the fish before you have any opportunity to try for them. Just hit the brakes hard while going 40 mph and watch those fish instantly flee in high gear. PINS is such a rare and wonderful place it’s sad when a few who know nothing or little ruin the day for many others.

As much weed as has stacked at the water’s edge for such a lengthy period of time should be a stern warning that we are going to have to be extra careful when driving “out front” at the water’s edge. Decomposing sargassum will become covered with fresh sand and soft areas of quicksand or “oatmeal” as it is called will instantly cause your vehicle to sink to the frame and trust me there is no fun in digging out of this stuff. It has the consistency of oatmeal and is almost impossible to shovel out of and actually I have found it easier to dig out with my bare hands or a can than a shovel. I’m poor so somehow I always manage to dig out of it although it is a hateful task. I think it was four years ago that fourteen vehicles were totaled out on PINS due to the owners not being able to get out of these sink holes. When stuck badly one must remember that your front and rear differentials are as buried as your tires are and they have to be cleared as well. Most long term beach goers use high-lift jacks to raise their vehicle up one wheel at a 22 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 23

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / June 2011 23

Painted Bunting time. The jack requires a substantial piece of wood under, otherwise it will simply disappear into the sand. Dig down and put wood under your wheels and in front of them as far as possible, let the jack down, put it in four-wheel low and give it your best shot. Don’t spin your tires excessively if your first attempt is unsuccessful, it only makes the second attempt that much harder.

The first Kemp’s ridley sea turtle nesting activity of the season was discovered on April 8, 2011 which is a bit early. As of April 25 eighteen nests have been found on the Texas coast, twelve on PINS. Historically speaking early nesters tend to nest high on the beach and then as the season continues the later nesters will be found closer to the water. That is not happening this year. Perhaps the drought has the sand too dry on the higher beach for nesting but at any rate they are nesting down closer to the water and even in the road. Please take a good look at the photo of a nest found at the 10-Mile yesterday that accompanies this article. Smack dab in the middle of the road and very, very hard to see. Sounds like a plan; drive slow enough to see sharks and other fish as you travel the beach, everyone but the driver and maybe one helper look for fish while the driver and his helper watch where they are driving and keep an eye out for turtles, coyotes, little people and all of the Creator’s other children. Can’t wait till things get right down there; it’ll surely be a hoot.

-Passerina CirisArrives in Texas from the south in April and nests across most of the state. Diet consists mostly of seeds. Head is a deep indigo blue; its back a bright, lime green. The under parts, rump, and a distinct eye ring are flaming red. Song is a continuous warble. The most gaudily colored North American bird. Picture was taken out my office window in Flour Bluff.

Length: 5.5” Wingspan: 8.75” Weight: 0.54 oz

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

Contact

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

Telephone 361-937-8446

Website www.billysandifer.com

24 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 25

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Science and the Sea

© 2010 Pure Fishing, Inc.

With SPIDERWIRE...

Nothing Gets Away. Period

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Exterior Decorator With shells covered in algae and barnacles, decorator crabs are experts at blending in with their environments. But for one species of crab, it’s not just camouflage that keeps the hungry fish away.

Found in shallow water and seagrass habitats, decorator crabs are part of the spider crab family.

A decorator crab’s shell is covered with specialized hook-shaped bristles, called setae. Crabs use the setae to attach materials from the environment, such as algae or tiny non-moving animals, to their backs and legs. This “decoration” camouflages the crab from predators.

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One species of decorator crab, however, uses decoration for more than just camouflage. Researchers in North Carolina found that longnose spider crabs adorn their shells with a species of brown algae that has its own chemical defense: a substance that deters fish from grazing on it. When crabs used this algae to decorate their shells, researchers found, they were less likely to be gobbled up by fish.

To find out whether crabs were seeking out this seaweed for its unappetizing properties, researchers coated different species of algae with an extract from the deterrent-producing species. Sure enough, crabs chose pieces of algae that had been coated with the extract over non-coated pieces when decorating their shells. The same chemical that deterred fish from eating the algae, the researchers concluded, was the one crabs sought out when choosing algae to decorate with.

Scientists have yet to discover whether other decorator crabs use this kind of chemical camouflage, but for this species, there’s more to decoration than meets the eye.

The University of Texas

Marine Science Institute www.ScienceAndTheSea.org

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SWLMangrove 3.6x9.8.indd 1

1/27/10 1:00 P

Story by Martin Strarup

Seriously, you can only clean a reel, change the line, grease the hubs on the trailer wheels, check every hose on the outboard, change the lower unit grease, check the trailer torsion bars so many times before it’s just overkill. I didn’t realize that I had so many reels to be honest. And I probably didn’t need to clean the old Daiwa PM and PR series reels; they’re antiquated to say the least but man it won’t stop blowing and I get bored easily. Anything fishing related seems to help right now.

For me, this time of year is my busiest work-wise so I don’t get on the water as much as I’d like but there’s no way with the wind blowing like it is that I would have pulled the boat anywhere to begin with. Oh

26 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 27

I’m sure people have been catching fish but I don’t think I’m that mad at them anymore; not to fight the kind of wind we’ve been having in my area. Farther south I’d go but even though it’s fishable in this kind of wind it’s not what I prefer and with the price of fuel…I can wait a while longer.

But not being able to go fishing gave me a chance to look over a lot of my tackle and to be honest I wasn’t happy with a lot of what I saw. Rusted split rings, rusty hooks and some that needed sharpening, cracked topwater baits that leak and hold water (tested them all in my wife’s sink until she ran me out of the kitchen). I threw away at least a dozen expensive baits due to cracks; some were so

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

I remember how to do it without looking at the handy little animation I found on the Internet. The knot is the Albright Special and it really holds well and glides through the eyes of my rods smoothly. If you’d like to have a look at the animation, you can see it here. http://www. netknots.com/html/albright_special.html But while all of the maintenance is a good thing and taking care of projects is a responsibility, I keep watching the trees bend to the strong southeast winds and wonder when it’s going to stop blowing and when it’s going to rain. And I’m quite certain that once the winds lay down and the rains come I’ll start whining about the rain and wonder when that will stop.

Be Safe, Martin

Contact

bad that the ball bearing inside that makes the nice rattle sound was rusted and wouldn’t move. I’m embarrassed to say how many jig heads I had to throw away that were rusted because I didn’t clean them properly after my last wade fishing trip when saltwater got into my lure box.

I replaced drag washers and bearings on a number of reels and found a cracked eye on one of my rods. Mr. Moller, a local rod builder, fixed that problem for me and KUDOS to him because when he finished you can’t tell that any work was done to that rod…he does great work and is fast and very reasonable.

I fixed a leak in my breathable waders that has bugged me since early fall. I should have fixed it earlier but since I was using them regularly and the leak only caused my right leg to get slightly wet below the knee I didn’t’ mess with it. Blah, I should have patched them right away but I figured I’d just wait for a rainy day. The rain never came so I settled on a windy day…one of many.

During the windy days of April and early May I took care of some projects that had been languishing for some time and that made my wife happy. One of the projects, a new reloading bench, made me happy. I organized my fishing gear, found some that I thought I had lost forever, (not really, truth be told I’d forgotten that I had it) and I put about a thousand image files into properly named folders on my laptop. I cataloged my articles by month and year and was doing great until I started looking at the fishing tackle online but I did get most of the computer work done, well a lot of it anyway.

I practiced tying new knots. I especially like the one for tying braid to fluorocarbon and I shouldn’t have to practice it much longer before

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

Sixty CCA STAR Redfish Released & Ready to Catch!

Sixty tagged redfish are the STAR attraction of the 2011 CCA Texas State of Texas Anglers’ Rodeo (STAR) sponsored by the Texas Ford Dealers and Tilson Home Corporation. CCA Texas/STAR officials released the tagged reds during the week of May 23, 2011 in coastal waters from Port Arthur to South Padre Island.

The STAR draws approximately 40,000 participants annually.

This year’s event kicks off at sunrise on Saturday, May 28 and will end on Labor Day, September 5 at 5:00p.m.

Keeper-sized prizes can be claimed by STAR anglers who bring in the first 10 tagged redfish. The first five winners will drive home in a 2011 loaded Ford F-150 “Texas Edition” XLT SuperCab, pulling a brand new 23’ Haynie BigFoot boat rigged with a Mercury 150 OptiMax motor and Coastline trailer. The next five tagged redfish winners will each claim a 23’ Haynie BigFoot boat with a Mercury 150 OptiMax motor and Coastline trailer.

And it’s not just about redfish! STAR contestants who catch the largest speckled trout in the north, central and southern regions of the Texas Coast will each take home the Shoalwater 22’ Legend, powered with a Mercury 150 OptiMax and McClain trailer. STAR bluewater anglers who land the heaviest kingfish, dorado and ling (cobia) in the Offshore Division will each win the awesome Explorer by Dargel 216 Blue Water Series boat to cruise the big waters along with a Mercury 150XL OptiMax outboard and McClain trailer. In the Inshore Division the Blue Wave 180V Bay Boat rigged Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

with a Mercury 90ELPT OptiMax outboard and McClain trailer will also be given to the anglers for netting the biggest flounder, gaff top and sheepshead.

For youth anglers, the STAR Scholarship Divisions offer a total of ten college scholarships in $20,000 and $50,000 increments. STAR participants, ages 6-10, who catch the largest flounder, sheepshead or gafftop will each be awarded a $50,000 scholarship. Participants, 11-17 years of age, who catch the largest flounder, sheepshead or gafftop, as well as, the largest speckled trout in each of the three Texas Coast regions (north, central and south) will each be awarded a $20,000 college scholarship. In addition, youth anglers ages 6-17 years old in 2011 are eligible for a bonus drawing that will net one lucky youth a $20,000 college scholarship – and they don’t even have to wet a line!

For more information, including a list of weigh-in stations, instantentry registration locations in your area and weekly leader board updates, go to http://www.startournament.org.

CCA Texas is a nonprofit organization of sportfishing enthusiasts and conservationist working to save the natural resources of Texas coastal waters. CCA Texas’ Web page can be found at http://www.ccatexas.org.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / June 2011 27

By Tom Hancher-M.D. They named him Tyler; son of Ryan and Heather Thomas – Heather is my daughter.

On the day he was born one of the first things that came to my mind was how long would it be before he could go wade fishing with me? Heather reminded me that first we needed to get him weaned. She also noted that infant carriers do not come equipped with floats. I see this as an obvious deficiency in our manufacturing system. So Papa had to settle for carrying him in his proud arms aboard the El Pescador while it was up in a sling.

My plans for making him a fisherman were plain to his mother. After all, I had Heather and her sister throwing Zebco 202s with a rubber weight when they were just three-year-olds.

More than once upon arriving home from work, Dad had to retrieve the Mickey Mouse Zebco from the oak trees or telephone lines. It made complete sense when Tyler turned three; Papa had him in the backyard throwing a Scooby Doo rod with a plastic fish

28 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 29

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

on the line. His goal was to hit either the cat or his sister with the orange minnow.

Never did hit the cat.

The next year, Papa felt it was time to give up the Scooby Doo and try a spinning reel which he learned with surprising ease. The release of line from the index finger perhaps being even easier than coordinating the thumb release on Scooby Doo. This was all in preparation for his fifth year when a sit-in float tube (Lost Lake from Bass Pro) was purchased and attached by line to Papa’s Wade-Aid belt.

That year, using a popping cork and shrimp, Tyler was delighted by anything that hit his line. What he didn’t like was not being able to cast every ten seconds like his Papa. Plus, that style float had him sitting low, inhibiting his backswing. No matter – mission still accomplished – he was wade fishing with Grandpa!

The following year, the low seat was corrected with the purchase of a Fish Cat (Bass Pro again) whose seat was much higher and allowed him to cast easily.

Much to Papa’s delight, he was more content throwing plastics than shrimp as it kept him occupied throughout the wade, bite or not. Fortunately, Tyler caught just enough fish to keep him thoroughly entertained. In one of the accompanying pictures one can see him fighting a redfish.

If he hadn’t been attached to me, he would have been dragged to China. The photo with him holding the red in question ended in tragedy. After the pic was snapped he turned to his left and the red slipped out of his arms and over the gunwale. Who said you shouldn’t cry over spilt redfish?

The Fish Cat with Tyler tethered to his Papa has yielded many hours of great fishing experiences from beautiful sunrises to great hookups. A few tips that would serve you well if embarking on a wade with your little one. Of course, a PFD should be worn at all times. Tyler prefers Spider Man. Sunscreen application is essential, and clear zinc oxide cream (CVS stores) is a good choice as it is water-resistant and doesn’t burn if it gets in the eyes. Cover all exposed areas well. On one occasion Tyler’s ears were forgotten and that night they practically glowed in the dark. Polarized sunglasses should be worn so snow blindness and possible eye injury can be avoided. Long pants and tennis shoes are important to protect from jellyfish. Try the Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

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old baseball pants with long socks tucked under the elastic cuff.

Don’t forget to take a snack and drink in a ziplock bag. Little ones are accustomed to having a snack break at mid-morning. In fact, it doesn’t hurt Papa to have an Oreo at 9:00 AM either. A waterproof camera comes in handy to record special scenes such as the dorsal fin just yards away from the tennis shoes, (cherished by all Moms, I’m sure).

Also, attach a short line with a stainless steel or brass clip from the float to the child’s PFD. This will ensure that if he falls out while you are fighting a twenty-eight inch trout, he won’t be in Port Isabel by the time you notice.

All the foregoing should help get your little fisherpersons into the water wade fishing far sooner than their mothers anticipated. Rest assured you will have many memorable experiences. Hopefully, that will not include your little munchkin hooking Papa’s ear. If that happens, don’t blame me. Blame Scooby Doo.

30 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 31

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

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Using the Right Boat Cleaner for the Job: Non-Skid Deck Cleaner

By Sandy Lindsey

Set down that bottle of bleach. It is a caustic agent that is best left in the laundry room where it won’t kill sealife. The same goes for the can of caustic powdered cleaners such as Comet, which are too abrasive for fiberglass and other boat surfaces. Likewise, leave the bottle of Dawn dishwashing detergent on the kitchen sink at home. Though Dawn may be gentle on hands, it will etch fiberglass. Additionally, water cops tend to frown when they see a bottle of Dawn aboard, assuming that the boat owner has it at hand because they are sloppy when filling the gas tank and use Dawn to disperse the evidence of the fuel that’s gotten into the water. Now that we’ve eliminated what you shouldn’t be using, what’s left? A specialized, very effective biodegradable boat cleaner.

Non-skid decks are great at gripping boat shoes when you need it most, like when you’re battling a really big fish or running in rough seas.

This same handy design, however, means these textured decks trap dirt in their pattern, making them much more difficult to clean than smooth surfaces. This can be especially true on boats which are used often and see their fair share of fish blood and guts, spilled sodas and general marine greasy stains, grime and dirt.

Which is why you want to look for a targeted cleaner such as Star brite Non-Skid Deck Cleaner. Most typical boat washes don’t have the horsepower needed to get the dirt out of textured surfaces. However, Non-Skid Deck Cleaner is specifically formulated to clean textured surfaces. It utilizes special chelating agents that actually break the dirt

loose from the surface so you don’t have to resort to heavy scrubbing. And it’s biodegradable.

In addition, it leaves behind a non-slippery PTEF protective coating to protect the newly cleaned surface and help make future cleaning easier. Even better, there’s no need to towel-dry the deck after using this product, unlike other deck cleaners that require this extra step, which, quite frankly, we don’t believe anyone in their right mind would actually do. Simply squirt Non-Skid Deck Cleaner (we agree that Star brite tends to use very little imagination naming their products, but the lack of originality is more than made up for by the impressive way they work) onto a moist deck, use a deck brush to spread it evenly and allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes for the chelating agents to break the dirt’s bond to the surface. Then use the deck brush to agitate the surface, rinse and you’re done. Cleaning non-skid really doesn’t get any easier than this, allowing you to spend more time using the boat instead of scrubbing it.

The same chelating properties that make Star brite Non-Skid Deck Cleaner work so well on textured surfaces make it an excellent cleaner for vinyl upholstery to help remove stubborn dirt. It is an ideal allpurpose boat cleaner that works equally well on all fiberglass, vinyl, metal and painted surfaces aboard to help even the most active fishing boat look great.

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Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / June 2011 31

Story by Chuck Uzzle

In all my years on the water I can’t remember ever having this much wind for as long as we did during the month of April and already May is off to a questionable start. It has just absolutely howled for nearly a month straight. For obvious reasons the folks wanting to get out on Sabine Lake or Calcasieu were pinned down to very

Lance Humbarger with a beautiful 15 pound Sabine redfish.

32 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 33

Properly rigged swim baits like the TTF Killer Flats Minnow are consistent producers around structure.

small areas that offer the most protection. These spots tend to get crowded in a hurry which only adds more misery to the equation.

Yet for a few anglers these poor conditions were just what the doctor ordered to force them to spend some time fishing water they wouldn’t normally look at.

Plenty of local anglers have given up, wind completely shut them out, and forced them into doing yard work or picking up the golf clubs. Those that just had to fish took to probing the river and surrounding bayous and finding some really good fish. There have always been a few dedicated anglers who never left the protection of the river for the wide open spaces of the lake. These guys are the ones you never really pay attention to as you run by them and they like it that way. They are catching good fish and don’t really feel like sharing that with the rest of the world. That pattern is even better during droughts and summer months due to the fact that lower river flows allow the saltwater to push up the river and naturally saltwater fish will move into the area.

Easily – one of the most alluring features of the Sabine Lake and

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / June 2011 33

Stanley Wedgetails rigged weedless will help anglers dig trout and redfish out of the rocks at the jetties.

River is the fact that you can catch so many different species of fish in a relatively small area. The brackish water holds both fresh and saltwater fish in good numbers as well as quality. It’s never uncommon to see a stringer of fish include flounder, redfish, speckled trout, and an occasional really nice largemouth bass.

If you play your cards right you may even throw in a striped bass just for good measure. The potential for all these fish to be in the same body of water makes each strike that much more exciting because you never know who will show up to crash the party.

Speaking of not knowing who will show up, it’s really going to get interesting as the summer progresses and we remain stuck in these drought conditions.

In years past when we have had dry spring seasons with little or no significant run off from either Toledo Bend or Sam Rayburn a whole new group of fish begins to show up. Species like jack crevalle, sharks, rays, and even tarpon will make the trek up the river as the saltwater slowly creeps farther inland. These party crashers often show up and make their presence known in the form of screaming drags and great “the one that got away” stories. Nothing gets your attention like the prospect of getting spooled and actually having to chase a fish down with the boat. In areas where lots of local anglers congregate it’s often an absolute circus when someone hooks up with a stud jack in the middle of the

Swimbaits are the go to lure once the fish back off of topwater offerings.

34 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 35

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

www.berkley-fishing.com

around or bounce off the rocks triggering brutal strikes from some hefty speckled trout and redfish. The other great thing about all the swim baits is that they allow you to cover lots and lots of water in a short period of time making you much more productive.

Barring any torrential rains or weird weather events it looks like this year is headed into the “dry” category. As I write this we are already at least twelve inches below normal rainfall and losing ground to drought almost daily. If this pattern holds up we will certainly see some exciting things develop on Sabine Lake that are uncommon for this part of the coast but everyday occurrences in other bays. There is no doubt it will be interesting and anything but ordinary. In years like this you just never know what will show up on the end of your line.

Chuck Uzzle

Contact

armada of boats. The chase scene that ensues is like something from the Bourne Identity, boats weaving in and out avoiding everything from anchor lines to fishing lines. Nothing like the prospect of catching “the big one”, it’s why we fish.

Speaking of big fish and areas where people congregate, you can bet that this month there will see some great fish taken at the jetties. A few very dedicated anglers will take advantage of the ultra-early bite before the masses reach the rocks. Good tide changes a few hours before dawn and all the traffic arrives is a winning recipe to help tangle with some big fish, especially trout.

There are very few strikes that are as vicious as speckled trout at the jetties on topwater plugs in the dark. I used to wonder what those boats were doing heading back to the dock as the sun was just breaking the horizon until I got a chance to try out the pattern myself. All I can say is the reward is well worth the effort.

Now if fishing in the dark is not your favorite don’t worry because you can still be successful during daylight hours with a just a small variation to the pattern. Topwater plugs worked in and around the rocks will still produce some fish when the sun comes up but swimbaits will just flat wear those fish out. There are several styles of swimbait you can use and they all work. The conventional soft plastic swimbait with a paddle tail is a great option, especially when it’s fished on a light jighead to allow for a slower fall and more subtle presentation. The other “swimbait” is a shallow running crankbait like the Swimming Image, Mann’s 1 Minus, or Rapala’s Xtreme Action Splashbait. These plugs are really user friendly and allow the fishermen the opportunity to dig

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

Phone Email Website

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

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www.TSFMAG.com / June 2011 35

2/22/10 12:57 PM

Er n es t C i sn eros

Guest feature by Captain Ernest Cisneros I was in history class sitting on the edge of my seat with one foot already out the door at Central Junior High - waiting for last period to end. The year was 1978. My Uncle Arturo had promised to take my cousins Art and Ruben and I fishing after school as he did many times during our teenage years. We knew exactly where he would be waiting in that old two-tone International Travelall. It was very noticeable with all the fishing rods tied to the luggage rack.

Flying out the front door of the school and literally diving into the truck, the trip to Gordon’s Bait Shop seemed to take forever.

Upon arrival we knew exactly which freezer to run to as we had done it many times. We would choose the biggest and freshest shrimp they had on-hand along with a box of rock shrimp if it was available. Out the door running - eager not to miss the beginning of the annual spring drum run in the Brownsville Ship Channel.

June 19th will be Father Day’s and I hope this story will rekindle fond childhood memories and experiences of long ago.

It is especially intended to give thanks and honor to those men like my Uncle Arturo that instilled the passion of fishing in us - a piece of them that will remain in us forever.

Growing up and hanging around my uncle was pretty neat because we never knew when he would get the itch to go fishing.

If he didn’t have it, it didn’t take very much convincing to load up and gas up the International. I now know that fishing was also

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his passion, and I thank him for instilling that enthusiasm in me and to those around him. In the beginning of our angling years my uncle didn’t have the resources or finances to buy us all a rod and reel combo so he taught us how to rig a soda pop bottle with monofilament and a leader tied to the end of it. For a year or two this was how we fished, or you could say “afford” to fish.

Nevertheless, we caught enough fish during those lean years to keep our interest going. I recall at that age any fish caught was like “WOW!” Actually, now that I think about it; it goes to prove how spoiled we’ve become because as adults the catch tends to sway more towards numbers or size of the catch.

Back then the only fishing we could do was off the bank and our regular stomping grounds were places like the Brownsville Ship Channel on both sides, the mouth of the Rio Grande River, the north or south jetties, Boca Chica beachfront, and a few other places that were accessible by car. I still hold great memories of each of them.

Some I remember because a great fish was caught there, and some strike a chord for the silly mistakes we made as teenagers.

Like the time my uncle took us fishing and the ground was still wet and muddy from a rain storm. We ended up getting the truck stuck so my uncle instructed us to stand on the back bumper so he could get more traction. He also mentioned that we were to jump off immediately as soon as the truck began moving. Well, my cousin Art didn’t jump as quickly as the rest of us and he just froze there on the bumper clinging to the edge of the roof as the truck gained speed.

Laughing as I write, I still vividly seeing him bouncing on the back of the truck like a cowboy riding a fierce bucking bronco.

We laughed so hard seeing him bounce across every rut and crevice for a good five hundred yards and there was no way my uncle was going to let up on the gas pedal until he made it back to firm ground. Thanks to cousin Art we all got a good old-fashion lecture but the laugh seemed Writer’s uncle and childhood well worth it. fishing mentor on a fun day out.

We thought the world of my uncle. In our eyes he was the world’s greatest fisherman. We imagined he knew everything there was to know about fishing.

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When we were all together fishing, he always found time to share awesome fish stories of his past. I realize now that it’s things like this that the world lacks nowadays with everybody moving at a faster pace, always too busy, never time to spend with kids outdoors and fishing. Unfortunately many important life lessons are no longer handed down through such storytelling.

When my uncle wasn’t able to take us we struck out on our own to fish local freshwater lakes. Our routine was to wake up at 5:30 in

Humble beginnings bottle used as a reel.

the morning to go catch minnows in a drainage ditch a mile away.

We would ride our bikes carrying a dip net and an empty milk jug through a dog-infested stretch of road. Our determination was so great that no mean dog was going to stop us from fishing that day. Even now I think those dogs had some kind of radar as they always knew when we were going fishing and never failed to show up and chase after us. The entire day was spent catching bass, catfish and gar until our arms ached. We had so many wonderful experiences growing up at the water’s edge doing something we loved - thanks to my uncle.

My dad never really liked fishing, but the few times that I did get to fish with him were special. I will never forget the time we were fishing on the Rio Grande River and he asked me if I owned a reel. My answer was no, so he handed me a $20 bill to buy one. I proudly went out and bought a Penn 103 that lasted me forever. It’s moments like this that will be engraved in my memory.

Yes, there are too many memorable moments to mention in this article, but for every one of them that still lives in me, I want to thank the men like my dad, my uncle Arturo, and others that have crossed my path and made me the man I am today. Thanks to all the dads and other father-figures that have given their time and effort to instill a passion for fishing and outdoors in children. May you keep your line wet for years to come and here’s wishing you a Happy Father’s Day.

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Joe D og ge t t

Pa rt Two

Unregulated beach seining for speckled trout, Bolivar Pocket – helped inspire conservation efforts and founding of GCCA. Late 70s.

The period between the late ‘70s and the early ‘90s was the most significant in the history of saltwater fishing in Texas.

Dramatic changes occurred in tackle and technique, and philosophies were forever altered. Anglers united, laws were passed, fish were stocked, even mutinous Old Man Winter got involved - not once but twice.

Truly, that span of approximately 15 years saw remarkable events. Here’s a condensed look at the occurrences that influenced our sport of plugging for speckled trout and redfish, and pointed the way to a confident future for the conservation of inshore marine resources.

Most of that pointing was done with graphite rods. The introduction and refinement of that space-aged material during the mid-’70s ended the era of fiberglass rods. With the first sweeps of crisp, fast graphite, the old hollow-glass sticks were outdated, rendered slow and heavy and awkward.

Early graphite blanks needed work - many were too brittle, unreliable against the demands of serious saltwater fishing - but even amid the echoes of snapping tips and splitting ferrules the potential was obvious.

Fenwick Woodstream was first with the HMG (High Modulus Graphite) construction. Fenwick dominated - the choice among most A-Team pluggers. Many of the long two-handed rods marketed for Texas inshore fishing evolved from the steelhead rods popular on the big rivers of the Northwest. Another early 38 39 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

front-runner, also with West Coast roots, was G Loomis.

Within a few years, Texas companies began offering quality graphite rods intended for specialized inshore applications.

All Star Graphite Rods of Houston surely was a standout, but others quickly followed.

Remarkably, prior to the late ‘70s, the serious use of surface plugs was virtually unknown in the deeper bay systems north of the Laguna Madre complex. Effective early choices “down south” were slush-type plugs with propellers but the zig-zag approach of the “dogwalkers” (inspired by the old Heddon Zara Spook bass plug) soon dominated the tides.

One of the first dogwalkers to skate its way north to the Galveston Bay complex was the Rebel Jumpin’ Minnow. The late Bob Brister, outdoor editor of the Houston Chronicle, helped popularize the plug for trout and reds. The topwater market became a coastal rage, especially for big trout.

Another big-time plug of the time (again drifting north from the Port Isabel/Port Mansfield area) was the Cordell Jointed Redfin - the original floating/diving “broken back.” First available in basic chrome/black or chrome/gold, the elongated, articulating plugs were very effective over potholes on the deeper grass flats. The floating lure could linger, flutter and dip into the defined pocket of open sand.

The downside of the broken back was that the long, flapping payload was not the easiest to cast, and really big Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

trout had a soul-deadening tendency to get leverage and twist free. But you got bit - a lot. Many old salts still swear by them.

An innovative lure concept was the original Mansfield Mauler, conceived during the early ‘80s by Mansfield guide Bob Fuston (Red Bandana Guide Service). The awkward and unlikely rig featured a trim cork with sliding rattle beads affixed to a length of short, stiff wire. The mono leader and trailing leadhead jig were knotted to the terminal swivel on the wire.

The dangling assemblage looked ridiculous but proved excellent on trout and reds. The huge advantage of the mauler rig is that it suspends the jig above the grass, and the slower retrieve tempo allows even absent-minded rookies to fish without repeatedly snagging.

This method became virtually standard-issue among guides and civilians drifting the primary bays along the lower and middle coast.

Regardless of rigging, the Ambassadeur 5500 casting reel (faster silver version of the original red 5000) pretty much ruled during the late ‘70s. Abu Garcia advanced the game with the narrow-framed 4500 and the addition of a plastic thumb bar (opposed to the metal push lever on the right sideplate) for quicker, easier free-spool activation.

The smaller, tighter 4500 allowed the use of 12- to 14-pound mono and 1/4-ounce payloads. The lighter touch was an advantage in clear water - and addressed the growing emphasis on shallow-water fishing. Sight casting for tailing or cruising fish gained popularity, and the first serious pokes with 8- and 9-weight fly rods occurred along the middle and lower coast.

Access to the “skinny” water was improved with an increased market for scooter-type hulls with wide flat decks. The Shallow Sport series from Port Isabel was an early standout.

The popularity of airboats waned as more scooters and flats-type skiffs with jack plates, jet drives and similar modifications made running in mere inches of tide a “doable” game plan - well, until maybe you center-punched an oyster reef.

The tides of coastal fishing continued to turn with the rising sun. Japan, led by Shimano, took a good reel concept and made it better. The first low-profile Shimano Pro

Catch and release on big trout began to take hold mid-80s; note early “All Star Rods” hat and shirt.

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

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Bantam reels served notice that a new force had arrived.

The impact of the sleek, light Shimano models staggered the round, heavy Ambassadeur, so much so that within a few years the Swedish company lost its Number One grip on the Texas coast.

Other quality casting reels were offered by Daiwa, Quantum, Lew Childre and Ryobi, but few veteran pluggers will argue that Shimano led the charge.

American classics such as Shakespeare and Heddon introduced occasional decent products but, in the sum, failed to keep pace.

Increased emphasis on catch But, while tackle and and release of redfish gained techniques were evolving, popularity in mid-80s. overall inshore fishing was declining. Unregulated commercial fishing and nolimit sport fishing continued to tax the Texas coast. By the late ‘70s, change not only was needed - it was necessary.

The attitude of reckless abuse changed in a huge way with the founding of the Gulf Coast Conservation Association during the winter of 1977. A small gathering of anglers met at Rudy Grigar’s Pro Tackle Shop in Houston and the concept was born.

Approximately fifty signatures were obtained. I was there.

I signed the ledger and wrote the first article on the fledgling organization (Feb. 15, 1977, Houston Chronicle). I’m proud of my early commitment but I was a bit player.

The list of influential sportsmen who launched GCCA and carried the fight to “Save the Redfish” is too long to detail here, but special credit must be given to the late Walter W. Fondren III of Houston.

And worthy of wholesale recognition were the early Houston GCCA banquets, major affairs in grand ballrooms (The Emerald Room of the old Shamrock Hotel being a standout) highlighted by unselfish bidding to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the cause. It’s unlikely that such freewheeling events ever will be seen again in any angling community.

An early stocking The late Bob Kemp, director of of hatchery fisheries for the Texas Parks and Wildlife produced redfish Department during the late ‘70s and fingerlings – early-80s. early ‘80s, deserves a statue somewhere.

If not a plaque at every public launch ramp along the coast. I’m totally serious.

If you value your great inshore fishing, then pay attention: Kemp faced the powerful commercial fishing lobbies in Austin and pulled no punches in documenting the alarming decline of speckled trout and redfish.

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He caught a lot of heat but pointed straight to the over-harvest by commercial nets and trotlines as the primary cause for the collapse.

Kemp’s stance and GCCA’s support were validated during the winter of ‘78 when, following a hard freeze, commercial shrimp trawlers netted more than 220,000 pounds of stunned speckled trout from the Houston Ship Channel. That one flagrant act of short-sighted greed, more than anything, swayed legislators to act responsibly on behalf of finfish conservation.

The Gulf of Mexico was not a source of endless bounty.

GCCA backed the first sport limits on trout and reds. The benchmark law, enacted in ‘79, held rod-and-reel anglers to 20 trout and 10 reds per day quite a pile of fillets, no doubt, but a definite statement against the no-limit days, and the precedent by which to establish tighter regulations. It also proved that sport anglers were willing to back off even as commercial netter continued to pillage. That was big.

The battle to conserve and protect the inshore fisheries sawed back and forth but GCCA prevailed with House Bill 1000, the monumental “Redfish Bill.” That one piece of legislation, signed into law by Gov. Bill Clements in ‘81, established red drum and speckled trout as “gamefish,” effectively protecting them from commercial harvest and sale in Texas. Some major celebrations were held among the plugging community.

The protection of trout and reds came none too soon. The winter of ‘82/’83 unleashed a brutal freeze, the worst in years, ice everywhere. A major fish kill occurred along the entire Texas coast. Had the catch numbers not been previously curtailed, the loss among the plundered resource could have been catastrophic.

As it was, overall inshore fishing suffered for several years.

The native populations of redfish received unprecedented transfusions with the implementation of TPWD’s marine hatchery program (greatly funded by GCCA) in ‘82. The John Wilson Marine Hatchery near Corpus Christi began turning out year-round hatches of red drum (manipulating “photoperiod” of light and water temperature to approximate the normal late summer/ early fall spawning season).

The redfish fry were held in rearing ponds for release as fingerlings with greater potential for survival, and the first batch of 2.3 million was released

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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near Port O’Connor in ‘83.

Subsequently, millions of redfish Rudy Grigar earlyfingerlings were introduced in all 80s. Note low-profile Shimano Bantam reel the primary bay systems. and long-handled rod; Fittingly, the first GCCA perfect for throwing the conservation stamp/print in ‘83 1/4-ounce Sprite spoon was rendered by the late Jack – his favorite rig.

Cowan, dean of the “sporting art” watercolor school. The painting of a lone shin-deep Texas plugger correctly sidearming a level-wind cast (to minimize splash) with a Johnson Silver Minnow spoon to a pod of redfish is perhaps the most iconic image in all of coastal fishing conservation.

Did all this make a difference?

Did saltwater fishing outgain freshwater fishing by 80 percent at the big Houston Fishing Show during the late ‘80s?

The program - the whole concept - was the gift of Texas pluggers to inshore sport fishing around the country. You’re damned right it worked. Our redfish and trout populations surged during the late ‘80s.

Other states with troubled fisheries stood in awe. The brash Texans had backed the bold talk with realistic limits, commercial bans, and recurring streams of hatchery redfish.

GCCA expanded to the Coastal Conservation Association, establishing chapters in other states, but I’m concerned here with Texas.

The Texas Saltwater Stamp was approved in ‘85 (fittingly, another Cowan redfish image), earmarking funds specifically for coastal environmental projects.

By ‘88, the daily sport limit was tightened to 10 trout and three reds.

Some professional guides complained bitterly over the restricted bag (as they Fly fishing began gaining popularity mid-80s. Early did with the introduction Orvis Graphite “Shooting Star” rod and “SSS” reel. of the 20/10 daily limit), but clients kept coming in increasing numbers. Hey, take a look, the fishing’s great and the tighter bag made a “successful” day easier - and you still have plenty of fresh fillets. Not to mention the option of catch-and-release.

Again, the cutbacks were fortuitously timed. Old Man Winter clobbered the coast for the second time within the decade. The freeze of ‘89 was not as devastating as ‘83 but the fish kill staggered portions of the coast for a year or two. And, no question, the tighter limits and hatchery supplements helped usher the quick rebound into the golden decade of the ‘90s.

PART THREE: The modern era, with increased support for catch-and-release, protection of larger trout, and growing emphasis on shallow-water plug and fly techniques.

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / June 2011 41

Jay Watk in s

Even though we have experienced numerous days during April and May with sustained 30-mph wind gusting into the 40s, it’s not over. June is often another windy month along the middle and lower Texas coast. Good news for those fishing the Rockport area is the amount of wind much of the Aransas system can handle. A combination of the layout of the bay and barrier islands coupled with abundant seagrass and coarse white sand helps retain water clarity. Even with strong south and southeast wind our leeward shorelines can be almost too clear and similar water clarity can be found at times along windward shorelines. The wind is definitely our friend as long as we know how to use it and trust our fish finding instincts. Since June is a kick-off month for lots of anglers due to schools letting out I thought it might be a good idea to throw out a couple of suggestions on the positive effects of the winds and fish finding.

I know, it sounds ludicrous to refer to 25-plus mph wind as a friend but allow me to explain. Wind simply moves water and moving water is always good. In the Rockport area we have plenty of protected shorelines that aid in navigation so getting to very fishable waters is seldom the problem. With

twenty-six miles of San Jose Island and at least that much of Matagorda Island, one is faced with what might seem to be an overwhelming amount of area to consider. Throw in the back bay regions and you’re faced with even more options.

For June, the preferred bottom structure along the shorelines will remain submerged grassbeds and the guts formed in the sandy bottom by wave action. Add some menhaden, glass minnows and finger mullet and you’ve got an ideal fish-holding setup. Now you look for points and shallow bars where wind or tide moves water across them. Time your effort to coincide with a major or minor solunar feeding period and good stuff is in store.

On a recent late afternoon major feed my wife Renee and I experienced one of our better fishing trips together. We had everything needed in the form of bottom structure and bait but water movement was at a minimum. When the magic time arrived it was almost as if someone flipped a switch. Solid trout of seventeen to twenty inches were brought to hand along with numerous three and four pounders, and then the redfish showed. Pictured with this article is an eight-plus red that fell just short of the twenty-eight-inch mark. In much of the southern portion of Aransas Bay the wind provides some

Ryan with solid trout caught over shallow submerged grass with slicks during a unpredicted lull in 30mph winds.

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a sk the p ro

Renee with CPR redfish during late afternoon major feeding period and 25-plus mph wind.

C o n ta c t

“sanding” to otherwise too clear water. Wind also provides water movement during the periods of the day when tides are slack. For those not able to plan according to the solunar tables and pick the best of days, wind can provide the water movement needed to create a feed during their time spent on the water.

So we know sort of where now and we are starting to see the wind as a friend but how do we locate the fish. It’s structure, bait, water movement and then signs of fish presence.

June is pretty simple when it comes to trout – it’s all about slicks. The shallower the slick the better the fish is my general thought. Menhaden are a primary food source for trout and reds this time of year. These baitfish have high oil content and therefore create slicks when fed upon. Slicks can be of two types, FEEDING and SPOOKING. Both accomplish the same end result to us, they give away the location of the fish.

Feeding slicks come from trout as they feed. Spook slicks, well they are from fish that have already fed but become spooked and they burp up that same oily stomach content – boats, dolphins, lots of things spook them in shallow water. Slicks can come from both ends of a trout but I won’t get into that; as some would say it’s a little too much information. Pelicans and gulls will also signal us in on fish this month as well. Again, the shallower the birds, the larger the fish I feel.

So hopefully we are feeling better about our relationship with the wind and it looks like we have some fish located – so what do we throw to catch them? Here in my water I am going with baits that have some silver in the color pattern. By now everybody knows I am a soft plastic addict but June is also a great month to go with topwater baits. On windy days MirrOlure’s She Dog is my first pick and my favorite colors are blue chrome (CRBL), chartreuse chrome (CRCH), and bone chrome (CRBN). Bass Assassin 5” Shad in Cajun Croaker, Bone Diamond and Opening Night are my go to baits in the soft plastic world. I will go to an 1/8 ounce jig if the winds are over 25 mph. With braided line the wind can keep the bait from falling into the deeper submerged grassbeds. I want my plastic to actually swim up and down on the top of the grassbed itself. Best fish will usually come on the edges or from within the larger grassbed itself this month.

Lo and behold, the wind is actually a friend to us. We have to form a positive mental attitude in order to use its benefits but this will come with time spent fishing in winds most often thought to be harmful. As is always the case, BE CAREFUL when navigating the bay waters in rough conditions.

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

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

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www.TSFMAG.com / June 2011 43

C a sey S m ar t t

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

The past few months have been riddled with very tough fishing conditions. Relentless winds (characteristic of our region’s returning drought conditions), have rendered large sections of the calendar unfishable, and left only a modest cluster of days that could be reasonably considered for fly fishing. There is really nothing any of us can do about it, but after a while nagging weather patterns become frustrating for everyone, and leave farmers and fishermen alike watching and waiting for a break.

Taking advantage of what promised to be a few days of tolerable weather recently, I met with a friend of mine, John Carpenter, in Aransas Pass for a kayak fly fishing trip. John is an expert fly-tyer who creates some very compelling flies. He’s also a talented artist with a keen eye for design detail. I always look forward to seeing what he can crank out at the vise.

When I pulled out of New Braunfels, loaded down with kayaks and fishing gear, the winds were light and the skies were clear. But several hours later nearing Sinton, the truck was wavering against a powerful southeast wind that laid the canebrakes over. It was obvious there would be no break in the windy weather after all.

John and I met outside of Aransas Pass and unloaded our boats in the 20-knot gusts. We were disappointed with the conditions, but happy at least to be going fishing. So, we strapped our hats down, cinched our life jackets

video

tight and paddled toward the protection of a place called the Lighthouse Lakes.

The Lighthouse Lakes is a labyrinth of shallow lakes, islands, and creeks near Aransas Pass. It is a well-known and popular destination for kayak anglers and skiff fishermen. In spite of its popularity among anglers and its location near congested tourist destinations, the natural beauty and integrity of the Lighthouse Lakes area has remained relatively unblemished. It is a wonderful place.

The water in the Lighthouse Lakes usually stays clear during inclement weather and the large stands of mangroves and cord grass lining its shores offer protection against strong winds.

During periods of very low tides, the lakes literally dry up and

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

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FLY FIsh I nG Depa rtMen t

are inaccessible. But when the tides return, the dormant flats and creeks magically come back to life.

Shallow poling skiffs and kayakers regularly venture into the lakes, and in the fall airboats show up with duck hunters. In general though, the Lighthouse Lakes has a quiet, pristine feel. It is one of my favorite places to paddle and fish, and I sincerely hope it remains clean and wild for years to come.

John and I crossed a short stretch of open water and then paddled our way about a mile up the South Bay shoreline on the west side of the Lighthouse Lakes. We cut through a narrow slough along the outer shoreline and entered the Lakes.

From there we paddled another half mile back to a slender passage that popped out on a large shallow hard-sand lake. A prominent and unpleasant wind raked across the lake, pushing against our boats and leaving the surface streaked in white lines.

To our right was a broad expanse of very shallow water with the east shoreline barely visible in the distance. On the leeward shore to our left, the mangrove roots and exposed sandbars were trimmed in foam and small bits of floating grass. No doubt, the wind was going to be a nuisance, but otherwise the conditions were tolerable. The temperature was mild, the skies were blue, and the water was clear. We were there, ready to fish, and that was good enough for us. We hopped out of our boats and started wading across the seemingly endless expanse of ankle-deep water.

About fifty feet into the wade we were greeted by a wonderful

sight. Directly in front of us was a large redfish plowing carelessly through the choppy water. He was moving away from the bank swimming directly into the wind with this tail waving above the surface. I stripped off about 60 feet of line and after making a couple of terrible casts I managed to drop a small gold fly about five feet in front of him. The red surged toward the fly, took one look at it and then blasted toward the horizon. “Well you blew that one,” I muttered to myself.

We continued ahead, wading quietly and scanning the choppy water for signs of fish. About twenty yards ahead we spotted two

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

Contact

more reds rolling on each other in the short choppy waves close to the bank. John made several false casts and then plinked his fly near them. The reds saw the fly and sulked away, clearly irritated at the interruption. It was disheartening. Things seemed to be quickly shaping into one of those frustrating deals where you find feeding fish, but you can’t catch them. I took it as a cue to try a more subtle approach and tied on a small brown shrimp fly that had always been a great producer. It was worth a shot.

We waded another fifty yards and I glanced back over my left shoulder at some “used up” water. I suddenly saw a group of three reds grinding down the bank headed away from us. We had missed

them. I made an awful-looking Hail Mary cast at them. I knew full well there was no way this cast was going to hit the mark, but figured, “Why not try.” Somehow the wind-blown fly landed right in their path. One of the fish rushed the fly, wolfed it down, and the fight was on. Yes! It appeared these fish must be feeding on small shrimp.

The same scenario repeated itself throughout the remainder of the half-mile-long wade. The wind was relentless and it made casting really tough, but fortunately there were plenty of fish. John and I both experimented with a variety of patterns and presentations, but the only flies drawing consistent strikes were small brown, nearly inert-looking, shrimp patterns. As the day drew to an end, we ended up landing a handful of reds, losing a few, and scaring the Hell out of a bunch. On the paddle back to the truck that evening, John and I talked about how funny it is that a rough old redfish digging aggressively through the sand can be so selective in what he chooses to eat. Just when we think we have them all figured out, they remind us we don’t! I guess that’s why we keep coming back for more.

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

Phone Email Website

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

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Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / June 2011 47

F I E L D

N O T E S

By Bobby J. Johnson | Summer Intern | Rockport Marine Lab The adventure began at 6:00 a.m. May 28, 2010. Winds were calm and waves were non-existent. I was aboard the Research Vessel Nueces with the Corpus Christi Bay Ecosystem Management team, which is part of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Coastal Fisheries Division. The crew was geared up for a highly anticipated shark longline trip offshore. Sharks have fascinated me since childhood and a trip out to target them for research purposes seemed like a dream come true.

Longline research is focused on monitoring populations of sharks in the Gulf of Mexico. National Marine Fisheries Service supports Texas and other Gulf states in this research. A total of 100 circle hooks were to be set along a one-nautical mile length of 1000 lb monofilament longline and fished on the bottom. The gear was to be set up, baited and fished in a manner that would

48 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 49

Texas Saltwater Fishing

target sharks, but often other fish such as red drum, gafftopsail catfish and hardhead catfish would also be caught.

When we arrived just offshore of the Port Aransas jetties, it was time came to cut up bait and prepare the hooks. Atlantic mackerel was the bait of choice. We cut each fish into three equal size chunks until we had enough to prepare 100 hooks. The bait was applied to the hook by passing the hook completely through the bait and then re-puncturing and passing the hook completely through again to ensure that it was secure.

The set began by deploying a buoy, known as a high-flyer, which was attached to the main line. Approximately 300 feet of line was let out and then two 20-pound anchors were attached to ensure the line was on the bottom. The first hook was about 100 feet from the anchors, with another hook approximately

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

FIeL D notes

every 60 feet thereafter. Additional anchors were set after the first 30 hooks and again after 70 hooks. After all 100 hooks were set out two more 20-pound anchors were attached to the line along with another 300 feet of line and a second high-flyer buoy. The whole setup resembled a giant trotline.

The line was allowed to fish for one hour before we returned to the first high-flyer to retrieve it.

Setting hooks was challenging at first since the technique required proper positioning and timing. The baited hook was attached to a 9-foot leader and a clip that attaches to the main line. The hook, line and clip are collectively called a gangion. The challenge was removing a gangion from its storage barrel, tossing each baited hook over the back of the boat while avoiding getting hooked, and clipping the gangion to the main line at just the right time to maintain the proper hook spacing. The entire longline deployment required fast but safe execution and constant focus. Many potential hazards exist that are not easily recognized at first glance.

Retrieval seemed like a never-ending dream with sharks of all

types and sizes that I have never seen. Fish and shark species were brought on board, identified and measured. Larger sharks were left in the water to protect their internal organs and reduce stress for both fish and crew. Lengths for larger sharks were estimated using graduated markings painted on the side of the vessel. Weights for

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / June 2011 49

smaller sharks and fish were recorded using hand held scales. Sexing sharks was performed by checking for claspers which extend directly off the pelvic fins of males. As many sharks as possible were tagged before being released. The tags help track movement and growth of sharks if they are recaptured. Organisms observed on this trip included the Atlantic stingray, Atlantic sharpnose shark, blacktip

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shark, spinner shark, finetooth shark, and scalloped hammerhead.

A feisty finetooth shark put up quite a fight as I pulled it aboard and quickly moved to gain control of its thrashing. I learned that sharks are much stronger than they look! The blacktips landed seemed to be relatively calm once aboard, which made data collection go smoothly. An agile spinner shark was quite a sight to see. Spinner sharks are often confused with the blacktips due to the black markings on their dorsal fins, but a spinner has a black tip on the anal fin whereas the blacktip does not. The big catch of the day was a beautiful male scalloped hammerhead measuring 8.1 feet!

All good things quickly come to an end.

Before I knew it, the day’s work was done and we were headed back to the dock. This research cruise as well as the rest of my summer internship was indeed a dream come true for me as it was a chance to participate in research crucial for the management and protection of one of the Gulf of Mexico’s most misunderstood natural resources, the shark.

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I am often asked; “How often should an outboard engine be flushed and what is the best location to flush from?”

The engine should be flushed after each trip with the engine running and preferably from the lower unit water intakes.

Using the garden hose with the engine running and flush muffs on the intakes, the flow of water is through the water pump, up the pickup tube, and allows time for the water to warm up, releasing salt and mineral deposits from the powerhead and exhausting it out of the engine.

This process is critical for engine longevity and will reduce costly repairs in the future. The salt/mineral builds up each time the motor is used and these microscopic deposits build on each other and can become so powerfully destructive it can push motor mounts forward causing shifting issues and premature gear case failure. This same buildup is what gets into and clogs passages that will restrict flow causing overheats and excessive engine cylinder temperatures.

The flush port on the front, side or back of the engine is the second location - not preferred - but is acceptable and should be used if the lower unit water pickup port is not an option. A boat in a sling over the water is definitely one of the applications where this

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

method is the only choice.

The hose should be connected and water turned on, engine started and allowed to run for five minutes. The water flow from the average household faucet is 45 psi and at this pressure there is not much time for the powerhead to heat the water up and discharge the mineral content; however some heat is better than no heat. The example I use to explain the benefit of heat is comparing two salt solutions that have dried on a counter top. Hot water will dissolve the deposit faster than cold and most of the time cold will not release it all unless left to soak or scrubbed off.

Using the flush port located at the powerhead forces water down the pickup tube to the pump instead of through the pump. It will still clean sand and salt, but is not as effective due to direction of flow.

Salt Away and Salt Terminator are good release agents and are a definite help when they can be used.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and, in this case, maybe more. Prevention is also more trouble-free time on the water.

Have a great and safe summer, Chris Mapp Coastal Bend Marine – Port O’Connor TX 361 983 4841 – coastalbendmarine.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / June 2011 51

CONSERVATION PAGE noaa FIsherIes annoUnCes shortest red snapper season ever Anglers Demand Reallocation The long history of upside-down federal management of Gulf red snapper continued this week with NOAA Fisheries announcing more good news about the health of the fishery contrasted against the shortest recreational season on record: just 48 days. Coastal Conservation Association has warned that such absurd measures are inevitable until the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council conducts a reallocation of the fishery based on modern criteria.

“It should be clear to everyone involved in this fishery that reallocation of Gulf red snapper should be a top priority,” said Chester Brewer, CCA National Government Relations Committee chairman. “NOAA Fisheries seems much more intent on forcing unwanted Individual Fishing Quotas and days-at-sea programs into this fishery instead of doing the one thing that matters most – reallocating it to reflect massive demographic and economic changes that have occurred since it was divided 51 percent commercial and 49 percent recreational.”

The shrinking season is tied directly to the recovering stock. As red snapper become more plentiful, anglers are encountering them more often and the fish they are catching are heavier. Since anglers are catching bigger fish more often, the recreational sector hits its quota more quickly, resulting in a 48-day season in 2011. Even though NOAA Fisheries announced that the recreational quota is increasing from 3.403 million pounds in 2010 to 3.525 million pounds in 2011, the season is projected to be even shorter than last year.

Evidence from offshore anglers indicates a booming red snapper population in the Gulf that has benefitted wildly from a variety of factors, including a 74 percent reduction in shrimp trawl bycatch that was mandated in 2007. The recovering status is good news for a fishery that has long suffered from baffling stock assessments and suspect catch data. A wild card this year is whether NOAA Fisheries will elect to heed calls from the Gulf State governors and the recreational angling community to add more than a million pounds of recreational quota that went uncaught last year due to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to the 2011 season.

“That would be a welcome stop-gap measure for anglers and the businesses that depend on them along the Gulf Coast, but it does not get to the root of the problem,” said Brewer. “There is something systemically wrong with the federal fisheries management system, and nowhere is it more obvious than in Gulf red snapper, where the most economically beneficial sector of the fishery will sit at the dock for more than 10 months this year. Before the Gulf Council embarks on any more controversial management schemes, it has to get the allocation right.”

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

Governors Go to Bat – CCA Applauds Effort

By Ted Venker-April 15 2011

Red snapper season in the Gulf is just around the corner, and if Texas Gov. Rick Perry and other Gulf state governors have their way, it will be a bit longer than anyone expected. In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon spill last summer, the recreational angling sector fell short of catching its quota of red snapper by almost one-third. Gov. Perry, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, and Florida Gov. Rick Scott have all presented letters to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council urging that more than one million pounds of red snapper uncaught in 2010 be added to the 2011 season.

“We are writing to urge the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council to recommend adding the 2010 uncaught recreational quota for red snapper to the 2011 quota to increase the projected length of the season,” Gov. Scott writes. “Given the present economic condition of Florida, we believe the addition of this quota, and the extension of the season, would provide a much needed economic boost to this region that is still recovering from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.”

“I acknowledge the red snapper population is currently being rebuilt and understand the strict calculations used in setting commercial and recreational quotas,” Gov. Perry writes. “As such, I ask that you consider the region’s economic recovery and health of the fishery in considering my request.

By building on the leftover 2010 quota, I believe we are satisfying both requirements, and I look forward to your swift and favorable action.”

Red snapper are an exceptionally popular sportfish, and have been the subject of federal management for more than two decades. After years of frustration, setbacks and sacrifice for recreational anglers, the population of red snapper is on a steady path to recovery, although strict rebuilding guidelines are still in effect to reach rebuilding goals set by fisheries managers. The red snapper season in 2010 was the shortest on record at just 53 days, even though anglers almost universally report a booming red snapper fishery in the Gulf.

“We are truly grateful to Gov. Perry and his staff for standing up for recreational anglers on this issue,” said CCA Texas Executive Director Robby Byers. “He is exactly on target – we need to be mindful of the health of the fishery, but with the underage from last year and the robust recovery our members are witnessing in the Gulf, it would be a tremendous boost to the region to create more opportunities for angling offshore.

Gov. Perry continues to be an excellent friend to Texas’ anglers.”

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / June 2011 53

Capt. S cott Null

K A Y A K

F I S H I N G

Why do you fish? Non-fishing friends and acquaintances have asked this more times than I can remember. My response has varied over the years growing from a kid working at Marburger’s, plumb eat-up with fishing, to a young man looking to prove myself to peers, and now as a guy trying to make a living from it.

Through it all a common theme has emerged; I love the challenge of putting the pieces together to outwit a fish with a pea-sized brain. Wind, tide, moon phase, temperature and a myriad of other factors need to be considered when searching for the pattern that will pay off on any given day. Then once you find the fish you still have to figure out how to make them eat the forage forgeries in your tackle box.

Thankfully, the years of experience have led me to a point where most of the above has become instinctual. I love that I grew up in a time when we didn’t have all of this information at our fingertips. We had a tide chart and the NOAA weather radio. Many trips were diverted to alternate locations based on pre-dawn flags along the Gulf Freeway that disagreed with the monotone NOAA weatherman and we pretty much flew by the seat of our pants. Looking back I wouldn’t trade the experience and knowledge gained for all the weather and tide sites I have saved in my “favorites” file. We were going fishing. And short of a storm with a name; the truck didn’t turn around very often.

I’m certainly not saying we caught fish no matter the conditions, but it happened often enough to teach us that we could be

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

successful even when conditions were not in our favor.

Now days, I cannot imagine being a newbie attempting to put it all together. I’m afraid I would suffer from information overload paralysis. With the click of a mouse I can know precisely what the tide is doing at any number of locations and I can also access weather forecasts that would turn any meteorologist of the 70s and 80s green with envy.

Combining that with conflicting fishing reports on the internet and the flood of “must-have” lure advertisements could lead one to believe that catching a fish is almost too complicated to accomplish.

It isn’t. The simple truth is that fish have to eat to survive.

They eat whether or not the wind is blowing. They eat on high tides and low tides. They don’t care if it’s raining. And they don’t read advertisements. My apologies to all the great advertisers in this magazine, but it simply isn’t that complicated.

The strong wind pattern this spring has kept many anglers on the couch, but those of us who went anyway have been catching some damn fine fish. Just go fishing. I’m not saying to go in dangerous conditions, but don’t let a less than ideal forecast keep you at home. Fishing in adverse conditions can make you a better angler if you’ll approach it with a positive attitude and pay attention to what the fish are teaching you.

Experiment with different lures, try a variety of locations, fish deep, fish shallow, fish slow, fish fast...just know that they’re eating something somewhere.

That’s how I grew up. My grandmother used to say I’d drop a line in the toilet if I thought I might catch a fish. Apparently she wasn’t far off. A buddy and I once fished a wastewater outfall in Florida because we heard monster tarpon hung out there. We didn’t catch one, but we saw plenty. It will forever be known as The Poopy Plant Expedition. Yes, I fished some pretty unlikely places over the years. Some paid off and some were a total bust, but I had fun trying no matter the outcome.

Clint and Cameron For a while I fell into the trap of Barghi with waiting on the right conditions. I had a nice pair of a young family and fishing was not tournament reds. always top priority. Too often I found myself avoiding the water if things Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Winners of last year’s Casting for a Cause kayak tournament.

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / June 2011 55

kaYak FIshI nG

weren’t perfect as I didn’t want to waste a precious kitchen pass on a water-haul. As the family grew up I found more time to fish, yet still found myself sitting at the house if the wind was blowing too hard or from the wrong direction.

I snapped out of it when I got into tournament fishing. Tournament dates don’t always fall on perfect weather. In fact, it seems the weatherman likes to throw a nasty slider at tournament directors.

Successful tournament anglers buckle down and go. And they catch fish. Yes there are always a few zeroes posted, but the majority bring something to the weigh-in. And the top tier is usually pretty impressive no matter the conditions.

Regardless of the wind, tide, temperature or location I’ve never seen a tournament with skunks across the board. Fish gotta eat.

Competitive fishing forced me out of my comfort zone. The challenges varied from unfamiliar water to adverse weather. Pride wouldn’t let me mail it in and I came back

around to fishing as I had in my younger years, thinking on the fly and putting pieces together for a successful day.

Think of it as the difference between putting a kid’s puzzle together versus a complicated jigsaw. Of all the tournaments I fished, two stand out in my mind as the most satisfying. The first was in the foreign waters of Tampa Bay. The wind was dead calm, it was hot and the tide was dead low with no movement. I spent the early morning paddling a beautiful grass flat void of life. I ended up taking a break on an exposed sandbar. As I wandered

around stretching my legs I saw several good-sized snook laid up in a sandy pothole just off the bar. I threw everything I had, even danced a DOA shrimp right on the lip of a thirty-incher and got no response.

As I sat on the sand staring at that fish I noticed the turtle grass start waving and then lay over with the incoming tide. The snook vanished. I immediately recalled the advice of a local that claimed their fish won’t feed unless the tide is moving.

In my earlier wandering, I had discovered a deep break in the sandbar about a hundred yards from where I was sitting. I beat feet to the cut and proceeded to have a ball catching some nice reds and trout as the current swept through. When the water crested above the sandbar the flow through the cut slowed and the action died. I headed for a creek opening on the shoreline that led to a labyrinth of mangrove lakes. The creek was deep with an oyster reef that would be the perfect ambush

point on the incoming tide. First cast alongside the reef yielded a nice snook to round out my tournament slam and take first place over eighty-five locals. While I enjoyed the win, I was even more satisfied to have solved the puzzle.

Jeremy Chavez with a 31 inch red – perfect for the Catch-Photo-Release format of the IFA kayak tournaments.

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56 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 57

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

If you would like to try your hand at competing against the weatherman and your fellow anglers there are several tournaments available to kayak fishermen. The Xtreme Redfish Trail Kayak Series and IFA Kayak Fishing Tour each have multiple events along the Texas coast. Both tours lead to a championship at the end of the season with cash and prizes for the winners.

If you don’t feel that you’re ready for the big league, the Casting for a Cause tournament will be held June 24 at Bluff’s Landing. They have divisions for boaters and kayakers and last year raised over $40,000 for charity. This year all the proceeds will go to National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Heroes on the Water.

The Rockport Yak Attack Tournament based out of Seaworthy Marine in Fulton is in its third year benefiting Camp Aranzazu, a camping retreat for children with chronic illness. The event date isn’t set in stone, but they are looking at the first weekend in October. For more information on these tournaments you can go to www.texaskayakfisherman.com.

Contact

The second was a cold, misty and generally miserable December morning on Galveston Bay. Even though it was cold it had been unusually warm in the preceding week. The cold had arrived on a slow moving front instead of barreling in and blowing all of the water out of the marsh. I had been catching some good reds way back in the marsh and figured the weak front hadn’t pushed them out. Before the sun cleared the horizon I had a huge red in my sights busting bait on a back lake shoreline. After catching him I went on to catch a half dozen more as I headed to a deep bayou exiting the lake to try for a trout and flounder to round out my string. The tide was just starting to fall and I knew the trout would be feeding at the drain, but being December, most of the heavier flounder were probably already in the Gulf. I decided to start deep. Bumping bottom with the first cast drew a solid thump. Flounder! Two species down, one to go. The next couple hours was some of the best marsh trout fishing I have ever experienced. Winning the tournament was cool, but having a banner day when I probably would not have fished otherwise was the real prize.

Neither of those situations were overly complicated. The water started moving and the fish started eating in the places they should have been. All I did was recognize what was happening and put myself there.

I no longer fish tournaments but I still use things I learned in those competitions every day I’m on the water. I also do not hesitate to venture into less than ideal conditions knowing that somewhere the fish are feeding, all I have to do is put the puzzle together.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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

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

www.TSFMAG.com / June 2011 57

S c o tt S om m er latte

ACCORDING TO SCOTT

I see it daily- people step on my boat with one thing and one thing only on their mind. They want to sightcast to redfish with a fly. That is great for me because that is what pays my bills however, it is that tunnel-vision attitude that prevents many from being able to truly enjoy one of the best parts of fishing and that is the catching. Sure, I am all about the challenge and more importantly the experience but let us face the fact that when we go fishing, we want to catch a fish or ten.

That is why I feel it important to master or at least be somewhat proficient in every aspect of fishing and become what I like to call a complete angler.

A complete angler is one that feels just as comfortable throwing a spinning or casting outfit as he/she does a fly rod and is content with doing what is necessary to catch fish no matter what conditions Mother Nature has dealt.

The simple fact is, there are going to be days when the fish are particularly punky and nothing short of a flawless seventy or eighty foot fly cast is going to get it done without spooking the fish. Unfortunately, I have very few anglers that

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

can consistently make perfect fifty foot casts much less tack on another twenty or thirty feet. Then of course there are the days when the sky is cloudy and/or the wind is ripping 20+ mph and shots are sometimes only fifteen to twenty-five feet. Casts must be quick and of minimal effort and fuss to catch these fish. In short, anglers must have great eyes for spotting them and must have their short game going or success will be sparse at best.

Again- this is a skill-set that very few anglers that step foot on my boat possess.

One way to address these issues is to practice with fly equipment. Sounds simple enough, huh? Well not for the guy who works 60 hours, has two or three kiddos, and who might only get to fish a half-dozen times a year. The answer lies in the willingness to revert back to the tackle that you learned how to fish with; i.e. spinning or casting gear. And, for those who have never used the stuff, well‌ learn how. It can sometimes mean the difference between catching one or two fish and catching twenty. Do not get me wrong, there are days when the competent fly angler will out-fish the conventional angler three-

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

so when I have the opportunity to get on the water, I use whatever method makes the most sense to get results outside of anchoring with bait. I mean there is plenty of sport to be had casting a spoon or jig along a shoreline or into potholes and I do not care what anybody says, it is just as fun to fight a nice fish on a light spinning rod as it is to fight one on a buggy whip.

Just this past fall I had a chance to share the skiff with two of my closest friends, Wright Taylor and Brandon Smith. We are all fly fisherman first and foremost but it was nice to get to share the bow with each other. To do so, we put down the fly rods and unsheathed a couple of spinning outfits. After a half day of multiple doubles we got down to business and caught a few on the long rods. It was one of the most fun days of fishing I had experienced in a long time.

I guess my point is – there is no shame in going out and enjoying a day on the water no matter how you do it. Sure we all say that a bad day of fishing is better than the best day at work. Well if that it is true, I would think it is not all that bad to set down the fly rod and pick up the “Bubba” tackle when the wind blows or the clouds roll in and just enjoy the day and catch some fish.

Contact

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

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

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aCCorDING To sCoTT

to-one but they are few and far between.

Not too long ago I had a couple sports on my boat and the fishing was pretty good at least from my vantage point. Although it was windy and cloudy there were feeding fish everywhere. Of course most of the fish we did not see until we were right on top of them but everyone that we came upon was doing a headstand while rooting the bottom with their tails barely visible below the surface. Well, these guys had absolutely no short-game to speak of and most fish were spooked by hurried casts that either lined the fish or dropped the fly way too hard on top.

After watching them struggle I suggested that we start blindcasting the fly ahead of the boat and towards the shore where we had been spooking the fish. They both looked at me like I was going to Hell for such a blasphemous suggestion. To give them credit, they took my advice and one of them managed to put a couple of fish in the boat while the other struggled to get the cast far enough from the boat to effectively cover the water.

The next day we had great conditions early and they managed to boat several fish and then the weather took a turn for the worse.

Mind you, it had not become dangerous; things just were not right for fly-fishing so I suggested breaking out the spinning gear and tossing a spoon. That is when they more or less said, “If we can’t flyfish, we would just rather prefer to go in.”

Now, I’ll be the first to admit, there was a time when I was a flyfishing snob. I would not touch anything but a fly rod and I would not let anyone step on my skiff with anything but a fly rod. Well here I am many years older and wiser thinking back to what an idiot I was. Now days, I rarely get a chance to fish myself or with my friends

Jake Had d ock

YOUTH FISHING

TEXAS SALTWATER

A few weeks ago, I went on a fishing trip in Port O’Connor that once again was phenomenal. I caught about fifteen redfish while fishing only a few hours. Only two of those reds were in the nineteen to twenty inch range. The majority of all the fish were caught on a fly rod in an ever so shallow foot of water. They were on the shrimp hatch pattern, which I discussed in my previous article, but these weren’t small schooling reds.

There were some pods of smaller tailing fish, but most were upper-twenty solos and doubles.

As soon as I walked into the cove, the cloud cover was too thick to really see anything well.

But, as I approached the back, where I always like to fish, the sun came beaming out. As the sun appeared, all of the redfish came out of hiding. I tied on a Hogie major minnow, which is what I always use for sight-casting and began looking for targets. I saw one coming down the shoreline and made a cast but got a quick refusal. “That was weird,” I thought.

I changed colors and tried again: same thing happened. When the lure got close the fish would just blow up as if they had seen a ghost.

I learned what they were feeding on when a red spooked the tiny shrimp along this quiet shore.

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

There were numerous singles and pairs of cruising reds in the back of the cove.

Now I really began to study the fish.

What are they eating? Why don’t they want what I am presenting? I walked over to a red that was nose up in the grass slowly eating at something. All of a sudden, I came to the realization that it was the shrimp hatch, tiny shrimp only about an inch long. That’s why they wouldn’t eat a shad tail. As I turned to go back to the boat to get my fly rod, I spotted a solo red about forty yards off. I launched a cast out to it and reeled it in as fast as I could to get a reaction strike. Surprisingly, he ate it. I still made my way back to the boat, leaving behind a lot of fish.

Maybe not the best idea, but that’s just not how I wanted to catch fish.

I got back to the Flats Cat, grabbed my fly rod, and tied on the smallest shrimp fly I had in my box. Then, I made the eighty yard or so wade back to the fish. I started to walk down the Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

shoreline and spotted my first victim. I made a good cast and pulled the fly right in front of his nose. Without any hesitation he flared his gill plates and sucked the fly right in. Without missing a beat, I released the fish. I looked up and spotted another red in front of me. I made the cast and hooked up. I then realized that the fishing was going to be easy.

The next fish I hooked into was noticeably larger than the other two, and got into my backing when I hooked him. It was unusual to see such large reds feasting on the newly hatched shrimp. The next red I spotted was about fifty yards off and I had to question if my equipment would hold up if this monstrous red just in case it engulfed my fly. Unfortunately, the red wouldn’t eat; he knew all the tricks. That may have been a good thing because I really didn’t want to burn up the drag in my fly reel, but it would have been fun in the process. I continued to catch reds until the tide fell all the way and the fish pulled out into a deeper end of the cove. I tallied up sixteen reds that day, only five on conventional tackle, and didn’t keep a single one. That is an impressive day; I don’t care where you’re at, especially when the smallest red was in the nineteen to twenty inch range.

Well, what did I learn from this trip? The term match the hatch

The day’s first prize for matching the hatch.

came to mind. Also, big fish don’t always eat big baits. You might want to pay attention to the fish if they’re not hitting your lure or fly. Then, backtrack and think what you saw them eating or was able to observe in the area and make a switch. Match the hatch and throw what they’re eating!

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www.TSFMAG.com / June 2011 61

YoUTh fIshING

THROUGH YOUTHFUL EYES

Mike Jennings

TEXAS NEARSHORE & OFFSHORE

With the shortest-ever red snapper season upon us and weather patterns (wind) that have produced an uncommon number of unfishable days already this year - I can’t help but wonder how many days any of us will actually get to fish for red snapper. The season is scheduled to open on June 1 but runs only forty-eight days, with July 18 being our last day to fish for them in federal waters. Most avid offshore fisherman view this as an atrocity, especially in light of the huge increase in the number of fish we are seeing every time we wet a line. The overall feeling among most people I talk to has risen to the point of anger and mistrust of the whole management process that governs our Gulf red snapper fishery.

Seems I spend a lot of time of late writing about fisheries issues and talking about the latest decisions made by our management council. Even at the dock, or when I run into someone in passing, the questions will always turn to fisheries and the frustration that we all feel in the way things are going with our seasons and bag limits. I suppose that I brought this upon myself when I chose to get involved in the process and I

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

have learned some hard lessons along the way.

Most often the topic turns to red snapper and how the anecdotal information shows that the fishing is better than it has been in many years. I personally see this myself and with the numbers of fish that we are seeing it only makes sense to the average fisherman that our seasons should be getting longer. Unfortunately, one of the first lessons I learned was that what you and I see on the water has absolutely no bearing on how our fishery is managed, which leads to our frustrations and the inevitable feelings of mistrust when it comes to our federal management agencies.

Although the most recent red snapper assessment update declared that overfishing ended in 2009, and therefore, the total allowable catch (our quota) could be increased from the existing 6.945 million pounds to 7.185 million pounds, we received a shorter season. Even with this slight increase in the 2011 quota we lost days of fishing, six days off of last year’s already short season to be exact. The 48-day season is the shortest season to date since the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council chose to begin the season on June 1,

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / June 2011 63

Texas Nearshore & offshore

and is, in part, the result of the increasing size of the fish being landed. Since 2007 the data shows that there has been a 17.4 percent increase in the size of the fish being landed. Basically to put it as simply as possible, the data shows that the size of the fish

being landed is increasing faster than the overall fishery is recovering thus increasing faster than our yearly quota, leaving many to just down right discount the validity of the data itself.

Our Snapper fishery is managed using an array of information; stock assessments, dockside surveys, extrapolated numbers and, what seems to most of us as just downright finger-in-the-wind guesswork. All of this information is fed into a formula that ultimately determines our season based on a quota set in pounds.

I for one have learned that accurate landings data is indeed one thing that the National Marine Fisheries Service is definitely lacking, and they will admit, to a point, that it needs to be improved.

The problem is how we do this?

I use the word WE because it only makes sense that if better landings data is to be had , WE will have to be involved. WE have to come to grips with the premise that taking an active role in the management process is not only good for the fishery, it is also good for us. Providing accurate landing information is going to be essential in showing the National Marine Fisheries Service what you and I are seeing on the water and helping to improve the data that is currently not working to our advantage.

There may just be some improvements in the near future.

There are a couple of programs in the works to provide this

This experimental program, if successful, could be configured for just about any cell phone with internet access. The program is voluntary and for now is targeted at recreational charter boats from Port Aransas, Texas to Destin, Florida. A simple cell phone app holds the potential to open up all sorts of possibilities for better data collection in the future.

We have a very healthy red snapper fishery in the western Gulf and it frustrates all of us to see our seasons reduced to what they are today. With that said, I believe we can all see (no Ph.D. required) that we cannot manage a fishery if we really do not know how many fish are being removed from it. It is up to us to decide just how involved we are willing to be in the process. I for one have such a passion for this fishery that five minutes out of my day to provide a little accurate information is a small price to pay for the privilege of taking part in a fishery that I hold so dear.

In part, a better management system may rest in our willingness to get involved and I can only hope that if faced with the decision, we all can find the time.

Contact

much-needed information. Just this fall, NOAA implemented a one year pilot program that involves over 300 charter boats.

This pilot requires that the chosen boats use an electronic logbook system in the attempt to establish workability for a viable data collection system for the charter boat industry as a whole.

One of my boats is set to begin collecting data on June 1 in a program called “ISnapper�.

This program was designed to work on either IPhone or IPad . The Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi designed the application.

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

Telephone Email Website

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

The Sail & Ski Center gives you the best choice in quality fishing boat brands powered by the #1 motor in the industry Mercury, and offers the best choice in a boat dealer. Join the many others who trust their memories to the top ranked dealer in Texas!

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Stephanie Boyd

The Dawn of Sharks Merriam-Webster defines a shark as “any of numerous, mostly marine cartilaginous fishes of medium to large size that have a fusiform body, lateral branchial clefts, and a tough, usually dull gray skin roughened by minute tubercles; a typically active predator sometimes dangerous to humans.”

Well, that’s a start, in the most general sense. There are a few key characteristics that define sharks: replaceable teeth, toothlike scales, multiple gill slits, a cartilaginous skeleton, paired fins, jaws, internal fertilization, and lack of a swim bladder. The most infamous of these characteristics is, of course, the teeth. What makes shark teeth unique from the teeth of other fish is that they are continuously produced and shed, with older teeth rotating forward in the mouth to allow new teeth in the back, like a dental assembly line. A single shark may shed six-thousand teeth a year! The second shark-defining characteristic, which is also rather well-known, is their scales. Thousands of tiny, tooth-like scales give shark skin a sandpaper-like texture when rubbed in one direction, but a smooth feel when rubbed in the opposite direction. These scales are called dermal denticles, literally “tiny skin teeth.” 1 Another familiar feature of sharks is their multiple gill slits. Most shark species have five pairs of slits, but some have six or seven.

Sharks also have a skeleton made of cartilage, rather than bone.

Parts of the skeleton that require more strength, such as the jaws and backbone, have calcified crystals for reinforcement. Like most fishes, sharks sport two sets of paired fins which correspond to arms and legs in humans. However, unlike those of bony fish, shark fins draw support from “soft, unsegmented rays” instead of bone.1 Possibly less familiar are these last few characteristics: the upper jaw of a shark is separate from the cranium (the part of the skull enclosing the brain), allowing both jaws to partially protrude from the head, which is most apparent when a shark grabs its prey. All existing sharks reproduce via internal fertilization, as opposed to releasing eggs and sperm into the same area of water. Additionally, about seventy percent of today’s sharks give birth to live pups instead of laying eggs. Lastly, sharks have no swim bladder, an organ most bony fish use to control their buoyancy. Instead, sharks rely on an enormous, oil-filled liver to lighten their body load (a liver so huge, in fact, that it leaves little space for other organs).1 All sharks share these characteristics, not only with each other, but with the entire class of cartilaginous fish: sawfishes, guitarfishes, rays, skates, chimeras, etc. The main difference between the cartilaginous class of fish, Chondrichtyes, and the

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

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static entity in geologic time, perfect in it’s initial creation. In actuality, ancient sharks differed greatly from modern sharks. Some families of sharks died out completely, and half of the existing families of sharks have only been around half that long. Of course, despite the differences, ancient sharks still showcase the same basic structural characteristics mentioned earlier (that is, after all, what makes them sharks), but there are several variations on this elemental shark theme.

Since cartilage is notorious for leaving very few fossils, shark paleontology relies heavily on fossilized teeth and scales. If a tooth is well-preserved, the information gathered from it is accurate enough to identify basic groups, such as a genus, family, or order, and to correctly place the shark in an evolutionary time line. However, besides the natural erosion that can happen to fossils, the teeth of any given species are not necessarily uniform. They can vary with the age of the shark, location in the jaw, reproductive state, sex, geographic population, individual peculiarities, and malformities, making fossil teeth a veritable jigsaw puzzle.3 The earliest fossil shark teeth are about 400 million years old and were found in modern-day Europe. These teeth are tiny (three-four millimeters in length) and two-pronged. They belonged to Leonodus.

Based on the double-cusped teeth, Leonodus may be an ancient representative of a family of almost-exclusively freshwater sharks known as xenacanths. However, the similar teeth may also be simply an adaptation resulting from feeding on similar prey rather than a family trait. But with only teeth to go on Leonodus, like most of the earliest sharks, is a name without a face.1 The earliest partially whole fossilized shark remains are about 380

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / June 2011 67

fIshY faCTs

bony class is, you guessed it, bones.1 Sharks have two more senses than humans do: pressure sensors and common sense... I mean, electrosense. They also share the five we have. Vision: in an environment where long distance sight is hindered, vision means the difference between eating and watching lunch swim away, and sharks have excellent vision in the semi-dark, even better than cats. Scent: sharks have 10,000 times the sense of smell we do and can locate prey nearly a mile away using only this sense (depending on the concentration of prey and the currents carrying the smell). Taste: sharks only eat what tastes good to their well-developed sense, which is why they sometimes take only one bite of something. Hearing: sound travels much faster under water than on land, and sharks react most to lower frequencies, which travel farther than high ones. Touch: shark skin is very attuned to pressure and temperature which allows sharks to feel contact with other creatures or objects, water currents, and temperature changes, rather like an amplified version of our sense of touch. Pressure sensors: these may be connected to one of more of the aforementioned senses; some sensors in the skin conduct shock waves while others, called pit organs, may register physical stimuli, such as water current changes.

Finally, electrosense: this is a shark’s ability to detect the electrical fields of other living creatures. Only sharks and rays have this ability, and there’s no hiding from this sharky sense.2 Now, you have a basic knowledge of what sharks are today, but to better understand the roughly 1,100 living species, you should also know something about where they came from.1 Many people believe that sharks have remained unchanged for 300 million years, a

million years old, found in Antarctica. Other Leonodus fossil tooth impressions of various body parts from (left). Crown shape is similar to Xenacanthus this species have been found in Australia fossil tooth (right)..1 and Saudi Arabia. This sixteen-inch shark was named Antarctilamna and may also have belonged to the xenacanth family.

As a xenacanth, Antarctilamna would have had a long, backward-pointing fin spine just behind the head (xenacanth means “strange spine”), two-pronged teeth, an eel-like body, a long dorsal fin running along most of the back, and a symmetrical, tapering tail.

However, Antarctilamna’s fin spines are “cylindrical and ornamented with unique rows of small, thorn-like denticles,” which is more reminiscent of another group of ancient sharks, the ctenacanths (ctenacanth meaning “comb spine”). Though it’s not wholly settled whether Antarctilamna was a xenacanth with ctenacanth-like fin spines, a ctenacanth with xenacanth-like teeth, or something else entirely, there is no doubt that Antarctilamna was a “full-fledged, card-carrying shark.” 1 The first well-preserved, whole shark fossil dates back about 350 million years.

Cladoselache was found completely intact, including muscle fibers and kidneys, in Lake Erie. At about four feet long, Cladoselache

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was a mixture of ancient and modern shark characteristics. Like many ancient sharks, Cladoselache had a short, round snout, a mouth located at the front of the head (as opposed to the underslung mouths of modern sharks), long jaws attached to the cranium, multi-cusped teeth, and a prominent spine in front of each dorsal fin.

However, Cladoselache also had a longitudinal ridge preceding the tail and a crescent-shaped, symmetrical tail fin. These two characteristics resemble the modern Lamnidae family, a group including white sharks, mackerel sharks, and makos.1 In addition to being a mixture of ancient and modern features, this ambiguous shark had one trait in common with neither. Except for a few areas of small, multi-cusped scales along its fins, mouth, and

Antarctilamna may have looked like this reconstruction of a Xenacanthus.4

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Reconstruction of Cladoselache.1

eyes, Cladoselache’s skin was missing the tooth-like scales that partially characterize sharks. Essentially, Cladoselache swam the oceans naked.

Though Cladoselache was a bit of an oddball, like Antarctilamna, it’s still a member of the shark family tree.1 As illustrated by Antarctilamna and Cladoselache, ancient and modern sharks, while following the basic shark layout, had several distinct traits. Early sharks’ forward-located upper jaws were attached to the cranium at both the front and back. Modern shark upper jaws are attached at the back only. The brain and scent organs of ancient sharks were relatively small, suggesting at the least, a less welldeveloped sense of smell than modern sharks. Ancient shark teeth were smooth-edged and multi-cusped. While some modern sharks still sport this tooth type, the younger species have serrated, single-cusped teeth. The pectoral fins of early sharks were triangular, rigid, and broad-based, but most modern sharks have scythe-shaped, flexible

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

pectorals with narrow bases. Lastly, ancient shark backbones contained many simple, uncalcified vertebrae, while modern shark backbones are composed of fewer, complexly sculpted vertebrae. Different seats, more radio buttons, higher gas mileage... Thus, sharks are like automobiles: new models come and go, but a cadillac’s a cadillac from the very first to the very last.1 At least 425 million years old, sharks rank as one of the oldest surviving vertebrate groups, but as you now know, the popular belief of sharks as creatures who sidestepped evolution to arrive in our time fundamentally unchanged is pure poppycock. Over a time period “three times as long as the reign of the dinosaurs, sharks flirted with an astonishing variety of forms and lifestyles.” The sharks living today are the “stripped down, fine-tuned result of hundreds of millions of years of evolutionary tinkering.” 1 Footnotes 1 R. Aidan Martin, “Biology of Sharks & Rays,” ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research, 21 April 2011 <http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/evolution/evol_s_predator. htm>.

2

“The Evolution of Sharks,” Shark Foundation/Hai-Stiftung, 21 April 2011 <http:// www.shark.ch/Information/Evolution/index.html>.

3 “Shark Evolution,” ElasmoDiver: Sharks & Rays of the World, 21 April 2011 <http:// www.elasmodiver.com/elasmobranch_evolution.htm>.

4 Greg Tatum Art, Animation, Design: Ancient Sharks. 3 May 2011 <http://GregTatum. com>.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / June 2011 69

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70 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 71

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SPRO Adds Fat John 60 To Little John Crankbait Family

StreamTread Sandal A fishing sandal designed specifically for warm-weather fishing, the StreamTread features a Vibram sticky rubber wading outsole that will accommodate Simms studs and cleats for even more traction.

The sandal also comes with an anti-odor, quick dry footbed and a quick-pull lace for easy slipping on and off. MSRP $89.95.

SolarFlex Shortsleeve Shirt Light, roomy, quick-to-dry and with UPF 30 sun protection, the SolarFlex SS shirt is the perfect warm-weather fishing shirt. The crew neck is designed with a higher back collar for sun protection and it comes in four fashionable colors.

The polyester fabric features CORE3 Technology making it wrinkle and odor resistant. MSRP $34.95.

SPRO announces addition to the Little John crankbait family with the Fat John 60. The Fat John 60 weighs 1/2oz and will cover depths of 1ft to 3ft when fished on 10lb test line.

The new Wiley X Lantern delivers a sleek profile combined with an incredibly secure fit. With specially engineered features like its snug, comfortable rubber nose pads and temple gloves, these great-looking shades keep right in place despite sweat or sunscreen. The Wiley X Lantern has shatterproof 8-layer 100% polarized lenses in a unique bronze tint that improves contrast. Wiley X is the only premium performance sunglass company whose full line is certified to ANSI Z87.12003 requirements for safety. In other words, Wiley X combines great style, OSHA-grade occupational eye protection, and the highest optical performance standards in the industry.

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SPRO Adds McRip 85 To McStick Line Of Baits SPRO announces its newest addition to the McStick Family of baits designed by Spro Pro Staffer Mike Mc Clelland, the McRip 85.

The McRip 85 suspending bait is 85mm length, weights 1/2oz., and is equipped with 2-#4 Gamakatsu premium treble hooks.

SPRO Adds BBZ-1 Baby Shad SPRO announces new addition to the BBZ Swimbait family, the BBZ-1 Baby Shad.

The BBZ-1 Baby Shad is 2.5â&#x20AC;? long with a 4 segment body; weighs 1/4oz, and is equipped with 1 Gamakatsu #8 premium treble hook.

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / June 2011 71

DICKIe CoLBUrNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sabine Scene The only certainties for Sabine Lake fishermen over the past month are that the wind will blow even harder than forecasted and DICKIe CoLBUrN gas will cost more than it did the day before. Mother Nature took a Dickie Colburn is a full time guide four day break to catch her breath out of Orange, Texas. Dickie has in late March and again in early 37 years experience guiding on May and there has been Hell to Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes. pay ever since!

While the water clarity is still Telephone excellent due to the drought, 409-883-0723 Website daily gale force winds have all but www.sabineconnection.com eliminated any fishing in the open lake. The saving grace has been a better than average bite in the ship channel and the Sabine and Neches Rivers. Some bodacious incoming tides ushered in massive numbers of baitfish and that has been the key to locating trout and redfish in the deeper water.

The jetties and any semi-protected structure lining the ship channel south of the Causeway are currently serving up not only the best bite on slot redfish, but big trout as well. Tails, swimbaits, and

72 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 73

spinnerbaits have been very good choices for exploiting the redfish bite, but the largest of the trout have fallen victim to topwaters and crankbaits.

Both rivers as far north as I-10 have been surprisingly productive for this time of the year. Drains and major cuts exiting the marshes draw most of the attention, but small points and small clam shell reefs are also holding solid concentrations of both redfish and flounder.

The trout bite has not been that good in the Sabine, but we have had some pretty decent days in the Neches.

Easily the number one choice of lures for most of the river fishermen has been a single spin 1/4 ounce spinner bait. We are using a BLURP Sea Shad trailer as the scent factor helps and have also done better replacing the #3 gold Colorado blade with a #2.The smaller blade appeals to those flounder that think they are a redfish.

I have also spent more time winding on a crankbait over the past month than I have in the past ten years, but the bite has warranted the extra effort. While it all but eliminates the flounder bite, the larger redfish seem to prefer it. I basically raided my bass fishing arsenal and have done equally well with several different brands.

Color has varied as widely as the make, but a three-inch model with a square bill that dives three to five feet has been the ticket. I swap the lighter freshwater trebles with Mustad KVD elite hooks and

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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saBINe tie the bait on with a loop knot. The smaller lures also perform much better on 10 to 12 pound mono than on braid and the mono has just enough stretch to keep you from taking the bait away from them on the hook set.

Hopefully, by the time this edition of TSFM reaches you our daily winds will be down to 15 to 20 mph and we can take advantage of a lake that has seen very little pressure. Every time we have gotten even the most modest break we have done well drifting the 3 to 5-foot flats Andrew Hoyland used a crankbait to fool this slot red on the river.

with both topwaters and tails.

Look for the more consistent bite to be in that area from Blue Buck to the south revetment wall this month, especially on tide changes. The gulls will point the way most days, but fishing slicks and hanging around the scattered shell should keep you not only on the trout, but big schools of reds as well. A single shrimp or ribbon fish skipping across the water is all but a guarantee.

The north revetment wall and the shallow flats south of the islands are already covered up with bait. She Dogs in bone or black-chartreuse are hard to beat early and late fishing closer to the ICW or the islands.

Later in the morning the better bite takes place on the deeper breaks along the ICW or a little farther out into the lake in 4 to 6 feet of water.

We will be hunting those fish on the deeper flats with a tail rigged under a Kwik Cork or swimming a five inch tail rigged on 1/8 ounce head. The rat tail versions have always worked well, but we will also be fishing the longer paddletail models like Assassinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Die Dapper or a TTF Flats Minnow XL. Once we find those open water fish, we kick a buoy marker over the side and make several more casts rather than continuing to drift.

More often than not, we discover that the fish were holding tighter than we were!

Be safeâ&#x20AC;Śfish smart.

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www.TSFMAG.com / June 2011 73

MICKeY On Galveston Take away the wind – please!

In my thirty years of guiding fishermen on the Galveston Bay System I cannot remember MICKeY easTMaN a stretch when the wind remained as strong for so many Mickey Eastman is a full-time days in a row as we have seen fishing guide out of Baytown, in the past month and a half.

TX. Mickey has 26 years guiding Dealing with gusty conditions experience on the Galveston area bays and is the founder for a week or two is one thing; of Gulf Coast Troutmasters, anybody can work around the largest speckled trout that, but nearly two months? tournament series of all time Gimme a break! NOAA calls for 15-to-20 and it ends up more Contact like 25-to-35. Conditions like Mickey Eastman’s Guide Service that like for days on end wrecks Telephone everything but small patches 281-383-2032 of leeward water and, you guessed it, these do not always hold the kind of fishing our bays can offer. Hopefully June will be our month to finally get on them.

If we can get the wind to lie down we are going to have a super month, no doubt about it. We have plenty of fish; we knew that back in February and early March with the number and quality

74 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 75

of trout we were seeing. Right now it seems the best fishing has been down in West Bay, behind San Luis Pass, Tri-Bay Area, Bastrop, Chocolate, and Christmas. Those particular bays have been doing a lot better due to the protection area they have, plus the pass, a lot of the tide runners seem to be coming in. There are lots of baitfish, gafftop, croakers, and even the trout are doing it. When the wind stays less than say mid-20s and you get that good green tide entering the bay, the wade fishermen have been doing real good on topwaters. We had a few days when the wind laid down and lots of fish were caught in slicks in the middle of West Bay over shell. That is what we are looking forward to.

Coming around the corner into Texas City Flats, Texas City Dyke and all that shoreline around Moses Lake and San Leon, there has been consistent opportunity for decent trout given that these areas are generally protected from strong southerly flows. The primary key in that area has been that the trout seem to be favoring the shell bottoms.

Trinity Bay has been real tough, as you probably already know a due south wind just crushes it. We can bump around out there every time the wind lays a bit but it is no fun to go out there and get beat up for a couple of fish if you’re lucky.

East Bay has been the slowest I have seen it in years and I do not believe it is for lack of fish. My prediction is that as soon as the

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

GaLVesToN wind lays down, all the major reefs, from Hanna all the way through East Bay will light up like a pine tree on Christmas Eve and continue right through summer. Lots of folks will get limits; lots of folks will catch some real quality trout – everything we have been waiting for all spring.

There has been some wade fishing success in certain areas but it has been real sporadic and not consistent like the old days.

Sometimes I wonder if it might be due to the current lack of shrimping pressure – nothing going on in the main bays to drive the trout to the shoreline – all the shrimp are out in the middle so that’s where the trout are staying. We have the best shad crop after this real cold winter that I think I have ever seen. There is nowhere that you can go, anywhere in this complex, that you are just not totally covered up with shad, finger mullet, and glass minnows, the bait is everywhere and our fish are eating real well right now, anything but our lures. (Ha-ha.) That is just something we just have to go through right now and traditionally, if you talk to the oldtimers, early summer is when the fishing really takes off. Look for June to be a slugfest.

In closing I want to thank everybody that came out to the Bridgewater Events Center in Baytown for the Ultimate Galveston Bay Fishing Seminar that James Plagg and I presented on April 10.

The house was packed with nearly 150 present. Saltwater Soul

Apparel was our title sponsor and we thank them for all they contributed to the event. The sponsor list included American Rodsmith, Waterloo Rods, Costa Del Mar, Boyd’s One Stop, Big Nasty Baits, Bass Assassin, Stunt Grunt Lures, Tidal Surge Lures, Texas Sportfishing & Yacht Sales, East Side Honda, Reel Inn, and Fish-On Tackle Shop. The door prizes and raffles list was enormous. The DVD of the seminar is available at Marburger’s for any who missed it live. Next year will be even bigger and better!

Hold the presses!

I know this article seemed full of doom and gloom on the fishing scene and a general whine session about the weather…but looky here what just happened! The wind laid down for three days last week (May 5-6-7) and guacamole what a three day run we had.

Fishing was on like Donkey Kong from San Luis Pass to Baytown. I nearly missed getting this update in before the magazine went to print and I’m very happy I did. I’ve been saying all we needed was a break in the wind and as far as I’m concerned this proved it. Like I said earlier, I look for June to be a slugfest here on the Galveston Bays!

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CaPT. BILL’s Fish Talk Time is passing awfully fast with what seems like spring rolling right into summer. Fishing patterns have been very difficult CaPT. BILL PUsTeJoVsKY to interpret lately – it seems that when we find a decent bite Bill Pustejovsky is a full-time the wind does crazy things and guide at Matagorda, TX. we are right back to scratching Bill fishes year-round for trout and redfish in all the our heads. We finally got into Matagorda Bays. Wading and some steady action when the drifting for trophy trout and wind laid for three days the first reds are his specialty. weekend of May but it came right back with a vengeance.

Telephone Of equal concern right now is 979-863-7353 the drought. We need a couple Email of days of soaking rain to CaptBill@GoldTipGuideService.com Website break the pattern and sweeten www.goldtipguideservice.com the bays. My brow is already dripping thinking about all the vegetation that will need watering and all the hot and windy fishing days ahead. I have seen these conditions in years past and I’m here to tell you three or four inches of rain would work wonders for area farmers and fishermen alike.

76 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 77

Fishing in and around the wind has not been easy, pinned to protected shorelines, but a good number of fish came in on the new and full moons recently. We actually had a run of five days straight with limits over in West Matagorda Bay. No big trout but good solid 16-18 inchers. Some were caught on MirrOlure bone-colored Pups and the Okie Shad One Knocker Super Spook. The vast majority of these trout came off Bass Assassins as you might expect; Chickenon-a-Chain, Roach, and Hot Chicken paddletails were good numbers.

Redfish have been holding tight to the shorelines as they often do, which makes them rather easy to target. East Bay has produced

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Bert and Bruce Kivel had fun with the West Bay reds in howling 30+ winds.

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MaTaGorDa scattered trout action over deeper reefs on for me in West Bay and Drunk Monkey Bass Assassin under rattling I’m not planning to change corks, and fishermen who prefer live shrimp anything any time soon. The under corks have been getting some too. character in the gray suit showed up The shorelines that have been holding the other day scaring the wits out of one of redfish roaming flats close to the bank have my clients and initiating the shark bucket procedure. Get also been holding a fair number of trout yourself some kind of floating bucket device if you plan for mixed with them. keeping table fare.

Writing this on May 11, I can only guess Typical routine for fishing will entail an early rise to get to what the rest of the month will bring. My my spot before the crowd. Boat traffic is increasing by the prayer and I assume everyone else is for day and will continue to increase when school lets out. Once some much needed rain along with a there, I will start out fishing shallow and ease my way to the Mike Powell waded West Bay with decline in wind strength. With that said my deeper bars and grass beds. Usually by the time the sun is me recently – no big trout but some trips over to East Bay will typically consist of up my clients and I are in waist-deep water. If we happen 16-18” inchers for the fryer. wading reefs while throwing Assassins and to catch a bunch of trout on the grass beds early, I’ll move hitting the shorelines for reds. in tight on the shorelines aiming for reds. I might even cross the bay As anyone knows who fishes our bays, West Bay is a different headed for Oyster Lake. Another possibility is to fish the surf if and animal in the sense that fishing patterns and procedures usually when that door opens. I have yet to see any sign of “surf weather” on differ somewhat. As I’ve iterated many times, an incoming tide is the horizon but you can bet I’ll be keeping an eye peeled for it. your friend in this bay system. The glass minnows are in West Bay in Favored baits will be She Pup or She Dog on top and maybe some abundance along with lots of small shad. If we can just get a break playing time for the Okie Shad One Knocker. Plastics of course will be in the weather we will have lots of great days ahead. Even though Bass Assassins - Chicken-on-a-Chain, Hot Chicken, Roach, and 10W40 gas prices are currently still spiraling upward, I’ll point my boat in that in both 5” straight tail and 4” paddletail. direction for the most consistent action I can put my clients on.

Do not go fishing without checking the tide and solunar charts in Grassbeds and incoming tide has normally been most productive this magazine. Good fishin’ and God Bless.

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www.TSFMAG.com / June 2011 77

MID-CoasT BaYs With the Grays May is shaping up to be pretty much as expected here on the middle coast and catching has improved. The wind has decided CaPT. GarY GraY where we would fish a lot of days Captain Gary and Captain Shellie and some days you could fish Gray fish year-round for trout wherever you wanted and we and redfish in the Port O’Connor/ did. Calm days have been good Seadrift area. Gary started his Bay for wading the north shoreline of Rat Guide Service 20 years ago.

The Grays specialize in wade and Espiritu Santo and reef hopping drift fishing with artificial lures. in the middle of San Antonio and Gary and Shellie also team up to Mesquite Bays. Quality trout have fish many tournaments. been holding more consistently on the reefs. Shoreline wading Telephone often has us working through 361-785-6708 a lot of dink-sized trout to find Email what we wanted although when Gary@BayRat.com a good shoreline pattern is Website www.bayratguideservice.com established it usually holds for several days.

June should bring a more stable weather pattern and our speckled trout should be a lot easier to pattern. I will be trying to fish the surf

78 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 79

off Matagorda Island whenever the wind allows. If the wind causes the Gulf beach to be a little rough I will have the shorelines and the many sand bars of West Matagorda Bay to choose from. These bars located near the passes will hold good numbers of fish along the dropoffs and flats anytime you have a good tidal flow.

In the surf I will run Rob Chapman well off the beach until with a San I see some type of sign Antonio Bay red. that tells me I should stop and fish. No, I don’t mean a bent rod! Although that also works, it is not advised unless that rod belongs to one of your buddies. Obvious signs are pelicans swimming in the first and second gut – good for a starting point.

Pelicans or gulls standing on the shoreline is still a good sign and worth a try.

A slick in the second gut

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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PorT o’CoNNor / seaDrIfT or a single fleeing mullet Joey Barrett with close to the beach are two one of many signs I would never pass up.

SAB reds he caught with his Tidal movement (current) grandparents. is also needed in the surf to trigger the feed, just like in the bays. You will notice when the tide slows down the fishing slows; which also means that when the current increases the bite usually increases.

The lures I choose in the surf are pretty much the same as I use in the bay. What does change though is how long you can leave your topwater on. When fishing the surf the trout seem happy busting up your She Dogs long after the sun has reached its peak, and just like when fishing the bay, the fish will let you know when they are tired of coming to the top. As for soft plastics, you may need to change out that 1/16 ounce jighead. A 1/4 ounce jig will definitely help you probe the depths of the second gut more effectively.

A lure that for some reason gets overlooked nowadays (by me and many anglers) is the spoon. Back in the day this was one of the most-trusted and most-used lures in the surf. Next time you go to the surf tie on a 1/2 or 3/4 ounce Johnson Sprite or whatever your flavor might be and give it a shot. I think you just might be pleasantly

surprised at the result.

Whatever lure you choose to tie on, make sure it has no personal meaning for you or keepsake value because you could end up donating it to one of the many toothy critters that lurk along the beach. So don’t break out your old Queen Bingo and start tossing because odds are those toothy critters will take it from you before any other member of your party gets bit.

On most days I will start with a She Dog and I really don’t think color makes a big difference. The size of the topwater you choose will almost always make more of a difference to the fish than the color. Even so, my standby She Dog colors are the GCRRH (red head, chartreuse back, gold chrome belly) or the CHPR (chartreuse back and belly, orange throat, pearl sides). The red head of the GCRRH helps me see the lure while riding the swells.

As far as soft plastics, I prefer the five inch Saltwater Assassin in Red Shad and Baby Bass, but again color is probably not the big thing here. I have seen people that switch colors every couple of casts when all they had to do was keep throwing the one they started with and they would have ended up catching the same amount of fish (or perhaps more) but they would have a lot more lures left in their box at the end of the day.

Fish hard, fish smart!

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hooKeD UP WITh Rowsey Well it looks like we have made it through most of the wind, but dang it if May didn’t get off to very windy start and DaVID roWseY we can only hope it will calm David Rowsey has 20 years down soon. Luckily the grass experience in the Laguna/Baffin that disappeared over winter region; trophy trout with artificial has grown tall again and is lures is his specialty. David has a finally offering some filtration great passion for conservation to prevent the water quality and encourages catch and from turning into a “bad word”. release of trophy fish.

Amazingly, it can blow 40 mph Telephone out of the southeast and the 361-960-0340 Website entire King Ranch Shoreline www.DavidRowsey.com stays crystal clear. The South Email Shoreline, Rocky Slough, david.rowsey@yahoo.com Yarbrough, and Padre Island side have also remained clear in these windy conditions. With any break in the wind Baffin clears up really fast providing lots of options and opportunities.

Baffin’s rock formations have been my main target of late (when the wind permits). This pattern will carry on deep into the summer and provide for some easy fishing if you fish with your eyes before

making a cast. I mentioned in an article a couple of months ago about mullet being stacked on top of rock piles to seek protection from aggressive trout that lurk in the depths. Every rock in Baffin is not going to hold fish, but if you can locate the ones that have the mullet doing donuts around the top you will be on the right track.

Baffin is littered with hundreds of individual rock formations, and they are not all in depths we can wade – in fact most of them are not. Point being, a good trolling motor and a Power-Pole can be the difference in fishing and catching in these warmer months. Giving the rocks so much love is all good, but deep grass lines and potholes will produce throughout this time as well. Not to mention the big lonely girls that cruise around in less than a foot of water all summer.

There are lots of options. You just have to get out and fish.

Late spring and early summer have brought us a great topwater bite that has been most enjoyable to clients who refuse to take them off, regardless of the action. I rotate between about three lures, in a variety of colors, throughout the year. My wading box may tell a different story, but the bottom line is that the 5” Bass Assassin, MirrOlure She Dog and Corky are always my go to lures. I experiment with some others but I have learned over the years that if I can not get it done with the “big three” it is just not going to be done for trout. Redfish are a different story. They are crazy about the Bass Assassin shad paddle tail, and ¼ ounce gold spoons. Day in and

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www.coastalbackwatermarine.com 80 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 81

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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UPPer LaGUNa/ BaffIN day out we can catch all the reds we want if we should decide to go that route. While 99% of my clientele spend good money for a chance at a big trout, I hear very few complaints when the “mud ape” blows up on a topwater and makes their drag sing.

Our “snowbird” lure guides have headed north for the summer to their home waters, and the trout under 25” are damn thankful for it.

The end is not over though, as we are headed straight into finfish season for the local guides, and this is when they make their living. I have become friends with the out-of-town guides, the local bait guides, and everyone in between. All of us are trying to fulfill a client’s wishes and make a living off of a public resource. Personally, I am way past the point of worrying about

how people catch fish, (i.e. croaker), but am not past the point of careless harvesting of fish. TPWD says that there is nothing to worry about, so who am I to be concerned? Well the truth of the matter is the TPWD czars need to spend more time on the water to see what is really going on and less time crunching numbers.

So once or twice a year I will challenge my guide friends and rec anglers to buy a camera, let the trout over 20” go, promote the sport of fishing, and not measure the day on how close to the top of the Igloo the fish are stacked. A good photo is more appealing than a freezer burnt fillet.

The POC Bash was moved to Baffin this April due to a fish kill that occurred during the freeze. The Baffin Bash II was won by my good friends, Lee Roy Navarro and Travis McKee. They took the lead on the first day with 18.5 pounds and were able to hang on and pull out the win. Could not have happened to more deserving guys. Congrats!

“Some go to church and think about fishing, others go fishing and think about God.” -Tony Blake “Set ‘em Loose.” -Capt. David Rowsey

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TrICIa’s Mansfield Report Mother Nature has a reputation for being a moody woman and she has more than lived up to it recently. As soon as the CaPT. TrICIa northers became less frequent she threw us the next gauntlet Capt. Tricia’s Skinny Water of challenge. I’m sure most in Adventures operates out of the magazine will mention the Port Mansfield, specializing in wicked winds we have been wadefishing with artificial lures. fighting and believe me the Lower Laguna did not escape.

Telephone We often do very well through 956-642-7298 the 25 and 30-mph stuff, but Email shell@granderiver.net when afternoon gusts push Website over 45 and flirt with 50 it’s www.SkinnyWaterAdventures.com just not as much fun and can be downright dangerous.

However, for those determined to rear back and give it try, surprising good catches are being made in all-too-often blustery conditions.

Naturally we’ve had to re-do our fishing plans – mostly fishing where we could and not where we should. Depending on wind direction, and there is a big difference between south and southeast down here, we usually managed to find green streaks in leeward

shallows. On the worst days these would often hold until about noon or a bit later and thankfully we found fish in many of them. With a great rise in water levels many “new” areas have come into play.

Color changes with flipping bait and a pelican or two is where you wanted to start.

The topwater bite has become much more consistent and at times has been strong. Full-sized Rapala Skitter Walks and Heddon One Knockers have been go-to numbers. When things got really rough it was time to bring out the louder MirrOlure She Dogs. Color patterns seemed secondary to good presentations, but a good bet is always a darker plug in dark water and lighter patterns for clear. Solid colors like bone or black do well for me in the junk while I favor patterns such as Okie Shad or Speckled Trout in green and clearer water. The same concept usually applies with soft baits. When the fish went down after a strong feed, soft plastics loped across potholes and along the edges of grassbeds have continued to produce.

I am often asked what soft plastics are the best, and the truth is I like all of them. It’s more about getting a lure to where they are and then enticing them with moves that match their mood, not so much the brand. However, and having said that, I am basically a paddletail freak and some baits do have certain advantages. The durability of a Kelly Wiggler paddletail comes to mind as does the action of the Texas Tackle Factory Big Mino. My people who caught the most fish

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

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PorT MaNsfIeLD of in a good flush Gulf water that was absolutely On plastic baits - the truth is full of baitfish and many other I like all of them - especially the ones with paddletails! critters. We are seeing jellyfish, another sign of a good exchange. Higher water level means more places for both fish and bait to hide, but standard early morning approaches such as the first grassline next to the sand, back lakes and flooded shorelines will make sense.

What has also changed is the grasses, for both good and bad.

It appears as if much of the grassbeds that suffered during last summer’s freshwater flood are well on their way to recovery.

This is good. Not so good is a continuing explosion of that nasty green filamentous algae that can take entire areas away from you as the day wears on and it begins to float, clogging the water column from top to bottom. There is nothing you can do about it except move. Hopefully it will be gone soon with the approach of summer.

Everything looks good for June, a month that usually brings concentrated on good deliveries, and same as last month, it was still plenty of quantity and quality. Wind should back off to more all about the little grassbeds and who could put a bait where they fishable speeds while redfish action heats up in the shallows. I also were at the right speed and depth. Another productive paddletail expect excellent chances for heavy trout. If there was ever a month bait is the Gambler Flapp’n Shad which is easy to rig weedless when to introduce new anglers to the sport it would be in June. The water needed and we are about to address that issue more often. will become busier when school lets out, especially on weekends, so What has changed most is overall water level. Some years be on your toes and practice good boating manners. Always do unto we get a big push and some we don’t, but this spring ushered others as you would have them do unto you!

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www.TSFMAG.com / June 2011 83

soUTh PaDre Fishing Scene Summer is here and with it comes the need for sun protection unless you are willing to get roasted every CaPT. erNesT CIsNeros day and possibly run the risk A Brownsville-area native, of developing skin cancer. I Capt. Ernest Cisneros fishes have been wearing the Simms the Lower Laguna Madre from Sunclava for protection on my Port Mansfield to Port Isabel. face, ears and neck. Over the Ernest specializes in wading years I have gone from wearing and poled skiff adventures for no protection to wearing the snook, trout, and redfish. best I can find. I feel qualified Cell to say the difference is night 956-266-6454 and day. Your skin will not only Website remain cooler in the hot sun but www.tightlinescharters.com you will no longer have crispy ears and lips at the end of the day. The Sunclava is rated 50-SPF; check it out online at http://www.simmsfishing.com/site/sunclava_2011.html#.

As I write on May 9, we had a couple calm days last week and we were encouraged but the wind is back. Despite reaching near gale force at times the fishing continues to be really good. Getting an early start and working protected areas have led us to some nice catches. I mentioned in a recent article that some areas of our bay system will

84 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 85

hold decent clarity even with strong southerly wind. This remains true and with the recent rise in the tides these areas are also holding lots of bait, trout and redfish. Fishing unprotected areas means you will need to find lots of grass and then work the edges of those grassbeds. Early morning high tides have helped us find fish up shallow at the edge of the sand. Receding and lower tides have produced best along deeper grass and potholes.

The topwater bite is getting better everyday and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let anybody tell you they do not work in windy conditions. The Super Spook Jr. and the Skitter Walk plugs are still producing for us. Soft plastics on 1/8 ounce jigs are what you need when the surface slows done. We

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Richard and Charlie scored a double on solid reds with Kelly Wigglers lures.

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arroYo CoLoraDo To PorT IsaBeL are currently seeing lots of small flounder have been fairly plentiful compared to previous years. Targeting brown shrimp so let that steer your choice of baits – color and them along channel drops, guts and sloughs all across the Lower Laguna is not also size. always a “gimme” but we are seeing quite a few.

Lately when we catch a red or two we usually get into them The general tide pattern for June will be higher tides in the morning pretty good. Schooling tendency and falling (lower) tides in the evening hours. As you well know, is usually pretty strong in early current almost always improves the bite. Keeping track of tide and summer and I expect to see this current schedules can help you be in the right place at the right time. pattern increase. By their nature, Ditto the Solunar feeding periods. Start shallow early and retreat when redfish find an area they toward deeper water as the day progresses. The best evening action like, they tend to stay a while. is often found in deeper regions within a generally shallow flat. On Two factors that always seem to rising (incoming) tides I focus on shoreline points and out-of-the-way A common dictate how long they remain flats. Don’t be surprised to find them hunting breakfast with their occurrence in a particular area are how backs partially exposed or their tails waving in the breeze. lately in the long the bait holds and also the We have already noticed a significant increase in the number of LLM – flounder! boat/fishing pressure on them. boats at the ramps and with the school year ending we can only The best part of finding them schooled up is that they’ll take almost expect to see more. Exercising care and common courtesy on the water anything you throw. this summer will ensure that everyone will have a good time and be Recent trips have taken me north and south of the Arroyo. Judging safe. Always give your fellow anglers plenty of room whether wading from our catches I would say that the further south you travel from the or drifting – no matter who was there first. Protect yourself from the Arroyo (closer to SPI), the better chance you have at catching solid trout. scorching sun. Don’t forget to sharpen and polish your gold weedless I must also tell you that the steadiest redfish action is further north. The spoons and always keep one handy – they’re dynamite on schooling areas within a few miles either side of the Arroyo seem to be offering summer reds for anglers of all skill levels. about equal shots at both species. I wrote in an earlier report that

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www.TSFMAG.com / June 2011 85

FISHING REPORTS

AND

FORECASTS

from Big Lake to Boca Chica

Lake Calcasieu Louisiana Jeff and Mary Poe - Big Lake Guide Service - 337.598.3268 Its hot! Times are tough in the lake, but fishing in the shipping canal, jetties, and offshore are as good as any time of the year! Most of the trout will be coming out of deeper water with good tidal movement. Some of the reefs in the lake will also produce good amounts of both trout and reds. Most of the action will be found in depths ranging from seven to ten feet. When the tide is really rolling, a heavier leadhead works better, since it will sink better. Another thing that helps is casting up current. We mainly use quarter ounce heads, but we sometimes prefer three eighths or half ounce. When fishing at the jetties, look for green water and bait to locate trout.

We stick to natural colors in pretty water and go to something brighter whenever it’s a little stained. Be sure to work the entire water column. Trout are known to suspend. Huge schools of bull reds will be feeding under birds in the middle of the lake. Look for water flying and birds picking, and they’ll be willing and ready to eat whatever you put in front of them.

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver King Adventures - www.silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 The key to good fishing this time of year is lighter winds, James says.

“Just this past Friday, everybody I talked to had great fishing, because the winds were light. Most of the guys were keying on slicks and rafted bait and catching plenty of fish out in the middle. On my boat, we had our limit of trout by nine o’clock, fish up to about four and half pounds. We are catching most of the fish out of the boat on red shad and pumpkinseed/chartreuse Bass Assassins. When it’s windy, we are wading protected shorelines. That’s been a little hit or miss. On the good days, we’re catching limits, and bigger fish too, up to twenty seven, twenty eight inches. On the tougher days, we aren’t catching very many at all. Topwaters are working better when we’re wading, especially the bone/silver Top Dog. We’re also using the Flutter Jigs with the Bass Assassins when we’re wading and throwing at shallower structures. All this should remain consistent right into June. Every time the winds get light, it will be lock and load time.”

Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054 As is normally the case, the amount of catching lately in the Galveston area depends heavily on the weather, according to Jim. “We’re whackin’ ‘em when winds are light. There are lots of fish out in the middle. You can get some on top early, but then soft plastics work better through the day. Just the other day, I had a group that caught forty trout by ten o’clock. It was easy because the wind let

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up and the water was pretty. If it’s windy, though, it’s much easier to catch fish wading than out of the boat. On most any wind direction, there are places to hide and have success, if you wade. Fishing out of the boat in the middle when it’s windy isn’t nearly as good.

We should see these patterns continue into June. I’ll be chasing birds and working slicks around the reefs when winds are light and heading to protected shorelines and into the marsh when it’s windy.

The potential for catching in the surf will also pick up this time of year.

As long as there’s no east in the wind, the Bolivar Pocket can produce some great trout during June.”

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service - 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 The high winds have made fishing a challenge lately, but Randall, as always, is up for it, especially since his new JH Performance boat makes navigating easier in the chop. “Had to use the old Navy Seal training today. Water was mucked up pretty bad and the guys wanted to take home some fish anyway. We wound up with a limit of reds. Had to cut up mullet to get ‘em, but we did get ‘em. Topwater fishing has been great on the calmer days. We’ve had the best luck on the One Knocker Spooks. Glowsickle Norton Sand Eels have been working great too; I think they do a super job of imitating a ribbonfish. I like to fish ‘em fast on a three eighths ounce head. The heavy head allows you to work it fast and deep at the same time. I’m looking for things to get even better in June. We are seeing lots of shrimp and mullet in the bays already. As summer gets closer and starts, the fishing should kick off in the surf and behind the Pass.”

Matagorda | Tommy Countz Bay Guide Service - 979 863 7553 cell 281 450 4037 June fishing in the Matagorda area is usually excellent and there are different places and different ways to catch plenty of fish. “West Bay is normally my top option this month. I’ll work the shoreline grass beds early, throwing small topwaters like the junior versions of the Skitterwalk and Super Spook, then switch to dark soft plastics later, normally a black magic Sand Eel or Bull Minnow. It pays to be thorough when working the grass beds and guts associated with the bars outside the coves over there. If winds are lighter, I like to wade the mid-bay reefs in East Bay. Some quality fish will also be caught drifting scattered shell in the west end of that bay, keying on slicks.

Another thing we look to do in June is fish the surf. We need a couple of days of light winds and green water to the beach, then we get there as fast as we can. I’ll also be looking for signs that the tripletail have come into the bays. With light winds, we are able to get at the pipes, wells and buoys where these fish like to hang out. They are among the tastiest fish of all.”

Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 Fishing has been tough lately due to all the high winds. Most of our fishing has been in protected areas of the bays including local rivers and creeks. The bait has definitely arrived in our bays and all the fish we have been catching have been fat and healthy. Our best method

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of fishing the last couple of weeks has been fishing Gulp!s under popping corks on windward shorelines.

New penny, pearl, and nuclear chicken have been the best colors, rigged on quarter ounce chartreuse jigheads. On the occasional days when we’ve had lighter winds, SheDogs in black/ chartreuse and bone/chrome/bone have been the best topwaters.

I am looking forward to June. Once these winds will lay, we can get out to the rigs in West Matagorda as well as into the Matagorda Surf. These two hotspots hold lots of fish in the summer months and would be a good place for someone catch lots to fish.

Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith - Back Bay Guide Service - 361.983.4434 Lynn reports steady fishing on reefs in Port O’Connor area bays as of the time of this report. “The reefs are just covered with trout. We’re catching multiple limits of keepers in the seventeen to eighteen inch class, with a few twenty inch fish mixed in. The best bite has been on soft plastics, with a little topwater action. In June, I expect the topwater action to pick up, especially when I’m able to target grassy shorelines with sand pockets. I’ll fish areas like that in West Matagorda and Mesquite bays in June, keying on rafted mullet and trying to work the areas with a good mix of sand and grass on the bottom. The reefs in Mesquite and the other little bays in that area will also be good at times, particularly when winds are lighter.

Topwaters will work around the reefs, but often, soft plastics work better over the shell. As always, when summer starts, we keep our eyes turned toward the Gulf. We look to fish the surf as much as we can. Normally, when the surf is right, you can catch all the trout you want on top in the first two guts off the sand.”

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 Every angler should like the month of June, because it’s such a consistently good month for fishing. The water temperature and the weather during June are consistently good and so is the catching.

The trout are still spawning, although not as much as in April and May, so I’ll be looking for them in shallow grassy areas up until mid-morning. I’ll be starting in the mornings in less than two feet of water and then moving to three or four feet of water if the water temperatures get up into the eighties. The trout will many times suspend themselves about two feet below the surface, so this is a good time to fish with suspending baits like the MirrOLure Catch 5 in the color CHBL or “sardine”. If the water clarity is good, I’ll be fishing with a sixteenth ounce Spring Lock jighead rigged with a plum/ chartreuse, bone diamond, pumpkinseed/chartreuse or pearl five inch Salt Water Assassin, an Assassin Die Dapper or a Berkley Gulp!

Ripple Mullet. If the fish are playing hard to get, there’s always live bait, like croakers free lined on #5 Mustad Croaker hooks.

Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.937.5961 Joe reports excellent fishing lately in the areas around the Land Cut, and he expects the catching to continue through June. “Fishing has been good down south for a while now. It’s kind of funny. I’ve been

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Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 - 361.441.3894 Blake reports that the fishing in the Rockport area has been on a steady roll this spring. “We had a great run on topwaters recently, and crowds were really light up until just recently. The fish have been numerous in quite a few different types of places, including on mid-bay reefs and

along area shorelines with lots of grass dotted with sandy pockets. The topwaters work great on the grassy shorelines especially. When they stop working, I won’t hesitate to switch over to my old standby Norton Sand Eels in pumpkinseed and purple/chartreuse. I will be looking to head out and try the surf starting this month. In some years, the best trout fishing of the summer will be had along the beachfront. I’ll also look to venture a little further off the beaten path and fish some areas that don’t get as much traffic as the crowds get bigger with the coming of summer. Eventually, I’ll also make a switch to fishing live bait a little more, if the lures aren’t working as well. The hotter the water gets, the better the bait seems to work.”

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using an old-school lure most of the time, a strawberry Kelly Wiggler shrimp tail. I started throwing those back in the late 80s, and they still work to this day. Back in those days, these were basically all we had in terms of soft plastics, the strawberry one and the root beer one.

Now, there are millions of soft plastics out there on the market, but the old school lures still work. We’ve had a big shrimp hatch this year, and anything dark that looks like a shrimp will probably catch plenty of both trout and reds. I like to use a quarter ounce jighead when throwing at ledges in the Land Cut or at rocks. Sometimes, I switch to heavier heads if it’s windy, so I can maintain contact with the edge and feel the lure better. Our water is in pristine shape right now, so I expect the action to continue to be hot through the summer.”

Padre Island National Seashore Billy Sandifer - Padre Island Safaris - 361.937.8446 June is one of the best fishing months for surf fishermen. All the sharks but makos can be expected and the biggest fish (tiger shark) ever landed from the beach was in June. King mackerel and large jack crevalle may be encountered. Speckled trout and redfish are available on a wide variety of artificial lures or live bait. Tarpon schools may be encountered migrating up the coastline. Ice chests will be filled with whiting on fresh, peeled, dead shrimp and “Fishbites.” Spanish mackerel and ladyfish will be abundant. Best bet is to slowly drive the shoreline carefully observing everything but most especially the birds. You can actually pick your target species by the type and size of birds working bait. Tiny birds mean small anchovies and they mean mackerel and ladyfish. Birds a bit larger mean pilchard and Spanish sardines and they lead to trout, reds and a variety of other fish species. Pelicans and mixed flocks of big birds means bigger bait and jack crevalle, tarpon and possibly kings. Grass is usually fishable in June with pretty water and moderate winds.

Port Mansfield | Terry Neal www.terrynealcharters.com – 956.944.2559 Summertime and the fishing is easy! All you have to do is find a

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

concentration of bait. Five or more mullet jumping at the same time is usually a good sign. Gulf tides coming through the East Cut continue to flood the flats on a regular basis. Along with that crystal clear water, huge schools of mullet and their natural predator, spotted seatrout, also roam the flats. We have also begun seeing an amazing number of flounder along the East Cut - mostly small ones but the number of more mature flatties seems also to be increasing all the time. While we are enjoying excellent fishing, the areas available are fewer than normal. The die-off of our seagrass as the result of last summer’s deluge of freshwater continues to be a problem. When the wind gets up we lose water clarity very quickly in some areas and there’s lots of dead grass moving with the wind. The Gulf is warming up and should bring blue water fishing in close. Keep what you can eat and release the rest.

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Janie and Fred Petty – www.fishingwithpettys.com – 956.943.2747 It’s hard to believe, but the only clear water we’re seeing is right before and a couple of days after a norther comes through, when you can catch fish on everything from gold weedless spoons to topwaters.

The majority of the time, we’re battling 20 to 35 mph onshore winds.

Since we lost most of our turtle grass last summer, there’s nothing to keep the silt from stirring, so we’re learning to live with muddy conditions, throwing the Cajun Thunder round cork trailing a Berkley Gulp three inch shrimp and popping it hard. We’ve been able to limit on trout fairly easily most trips, but reds are harder to find when we can’t see wakes or potholes. We are limiting on redfish, but they’re on the smaller size when the tides aren’t cooperating. When we get a strong outgoing tide early, the fish are bigger. Freddy says, “We’re starting to see shrimp jumping in the cloudy water and cleaning trout that are stuffed full of brownies. Normally, this time of year, perch peck everything, but the lack of grass on the west side has the little predators hanging out elsewhere.”

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / June 2011 89

Colby Nall Galveston Bay - 29.5” 8lb trout Christopher & Zachary Morales Dorado Fishing Derby Winners!

Jesse James Rodriguez Port Mansfield - 30” red April Northam Adkins - 40” king fish

Julie Smith West Bay - first redfish!

Dylan Friesenhahn speckled trout

Cliff Cook Quintana - 6lb redfish

Kylee Thompson Hog Island - 22” first redfish!

Jackson Vicic West Bay - 12” first redfish!

McCoy Wolthoff Laguna Madre - 23” first red!

Bobby Yu Sabine Pass - 27” personal best trout!

Paige Chilcoat San Antonio Bay - sheepshead CPR

Jacob Zatopek Jason Adkins Galveston Bay - 27.5” red, 18” flounder East Matagorda - 20” redfish 90 June 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com

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Kemberly Crawford Matagorda Bay - 22” redfish

Jim Morrissey Sabine Ship Channel - 8lb trout Travis Bigham & Randall Nelson Aransas Bay - reds

Jack Stallings Port O’Connor - 27” redfish

Luis Douglas Baffin Bay - 41” red

Rachel & Reagan Davis Boat Hole - 31” redfish Chase Gregory Bolivar Peninsula - 24” first trout!

Michael Castner 37” 25.2lb - redfish Steve Fleet Laguna Madre - post-Hurricane Alex

Jayce Adkins East Matagorda - first fish!

Joe Ruben Reyes III Galveston - 22” speckled trout

Cody & Nicholas Eckert Rockport - first redfish!

Harrison Vicic West Bay - 12” first redfish!

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

J.C. Rodriguez Port Mansfield - 27” & 28” reds

George Hanst Galveston Bay - 27.5” red

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Joshua Zatopek Galveston Bay - 24” redfish Texas Saltwater Fishing

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

GULf CoasT Kitchen Jim Dennett’s “Slap Ya Mama” Baked fillets PaM JohNsoN Got ideas, hints or recipes you’d like to share?

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

Creamy Dill Dipping sauce A great accompaniment for Jim’s “Slap Ya Mamma” fillets.

1/2 Greek Gods Yogurt 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill 2 TBSP minced onion 1 teaspoon lemon juice salt and pepper to taste

We were blessed to share a day of wade fishing recently with Jim Dennett and Capt. Tricia of Skinny Water Adventures at Port Mansfield. Jim and I yakked all day about fishing and the various ways to prepare your catch. Turns out Jim is from Monroe, LA and loves to cook seafood as much as fishing the Lower Laguna.

We tried one of his recipes and found it delicious. We hope you do too.

In small mixing bowl, combine yogurt, dill, minced onion, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.

Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours before serving.

Ingredients 2lbs fresh fillets (speckled trout, redfish, flounder – they’re all good) Butter flavored non-stick cooking spray “Slap Ya Mama” seasoning (HEB Plus Stores) 2 Tbsp fresh chopped dill weed Method Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.

Rinse fillets and check for bones.

Spray liberally with butter flavored cooking spray.

Sprinkle lightly with “Slap Ya Mama” and chopped dill.

Turn fillets and repeat.

Bake at 375° until flaky, but not dry, about 15-20 minutes depending thickness.

Serve ‘em up right from the oven with Cajun dirty rice, steamed asparagus, and garden fresh tomato slices topped with crumbles of Gorgonzola cheese.

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GALVESTON TIDES & SOLUNAR TABLE Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine JUNE 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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