June 2019 by Texas Salwater Fishing Magazine

June 2019

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ABOUT THE COVER Alexis Anthony poses with massive bull shark from surf of Padre Island National Seashore. Eric “Oz” Ozolins and Matt Ellis wrestled the beast back into the surf and accomplished a successful release. Story on page 68.

JUNE 2019 VOL 29 NO 2

CONTENTS

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

10 16 22 26 30

35 Father’s Day Gift Guide 44 Let’s Ask The Pro 48 Shallow Water Fishing 52 TPWD Field Notes 56 Kayak Fishing Chronicles 60 TSFMag Conservation News 62 Fishy Facts 68 Extreme Kayak Fishing & Sharks... 72 Plastic & Water Don’t Mix 100 Boat Repair & Maintenance 103 Science & the Sea

Summertime Strategies for Galveston’s... From Spring to Summer Pamela Comes to Texas: Part 2 What Happens When it Gets Too Perfect? Snapper Bite is On!

Steve Hillman Kevin Cochran Martin Strarup Chuck Uzzle Joe Richard

Jay Watkins Scott Null Jillian Swinford Dave Roberts CCA Texas Stephanie Boyd Eric Ozolins Everett Johnson Chris Mapp UT Marine Science Institute

WHAT OUR GUIDES

HAVE TO SAY

78 80 82 84 86 88 90

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

Dickie Colburn Caleb Harp Bink Grimes Gary Gray David Rowsey Wayne Davis Ernest Cisneros

REGULARS

8 Editorial 76 New Tackle & Gear 92 Fishing Reports and Forecasts 96 Catch of the Month 98 Gulf Coast Kitchen

6 | June 2019

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Everett Johnson Everett@tsfmag.com VICE PRESIDENT PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Pam Johnson Pam@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-550-9918 NATIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE Bart Manganiello Bartalm@optonline.net REGIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE Patti Elkins Patti@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-649-2265 PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Donna Boyd Donna@tsfmag.com CIRCULATION SUBSCRIPTION – PRODUCT SALES Vicky Morgenroth Store@tsfmag.com DESIGN & LAYOUT Stephanie Boyd Artwork@tsfmag.com SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Jen Shive Jen@tsfmag.com Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine is published monthly. Subscription Rates: One Year (Free Emag with Hard Copy) Subscription $25.00 E-MAG (electronic version) is available for $12.00 per year. Order on-line: WWW.TSFMAG.COM MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine Attn: Subscriptions P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 * Subscribers are responsible for submitting all address changes and renewals by the 10th of the prior month’s issue. Email store@tsfmag.com for all address changes or please call 361-785-3420 from 8am - 4:30pm. The U.S. Postal Service does not guarantee magazines will be forwarded. HOW TO CONTACT TSFMAG: PHONE: 361-785-3420 FAX: 361 792-4530 MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 PHYSICAL ADDRESS: 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, TX 77983 WEB: www.TSFMAG.com PHOTO GALLERY: photos@tsfmag.com PRINTED IN THE USA. Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine (ISSN 1935-9586) is published monthly by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, Texas 77983 l P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 © Copyright 1990 All rights reserved. Positively nothing in this publication may be reprinted or reproduced. *Views expressed by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine contributors do not necessarily express the views of Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine. Periodical class permit (USPS# 024353) paid at Victoria, TX 77901 and additional offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983.

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EDITORIAL

WANTON WASTE

Got quite a shock a couple of weeks ago. I was headed to town and at the intersection of Lane Road and TX 185 there was a flock of buzzards working on something in the ditch. Not at all uncommon to see a flock of buzzards gathered on roadkill – but it wasn’t roadkill. The carrion-eaters were having a fish dinner – a big fish dinner! Twenty-two flounder, two redfish, and a black drum, in total. What a disgusting display of disrespect for resources. Unlike a cat that at least tries to cover its mess. I was incensed and took a closer look. Examining the evidence at hand led me to believe the fish had been taken on hook and line. There were no punctures that could be associated with gig fishing, neither could I determine they had been taken by a gill net. Gill nets leave their own telltale signs. A strike net, perhaps, but outlaw fishing by gill net is far more common. Add to that, flatfish do not become entangled in gill nets as readily as other species. I learned this by

8 | June 2019

accompanying Coastal Fisheries staff during gill net surveys. An ice chest had also been left at the site, along with several empty ice sacks. Assembling the evidence; the number of flounder was well beyond that normally captured by hook and line on a one-day fishing trip, even by party of several fishermen. Whoever did this knew how to catch flounder. The ice chest and empty ice sacks seemed to indicate the catch had been iced but not cared for. The ice melted and the fish spoiled. The whole mess was dumped on the roadside. I have included a cell phone image and I hope the wanton waste of these fish disappoints you as it did me. A box of legally obtained fish makes for great bragging material but allowing them to spoil is not only illegal it is immoral. Let’s hope the individual or individuals responsible for this horribly disrespectful deed read this and change their ways.

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S â&#x20AC;&#x2122; N O S E V L A G rout & Reds T S E M I T R E MM

We caught and released more than a dozen mid- to upperslot reds from this school.

AN E HILLM V E T S Y STORY B

une kickstarts a several month stretch during which fishing becomes about as consistent as it ever gets. Not only is June one of the easiest months for me to put my clients on fish that are willing to eat, but it’s a great month to get the kiddos bit too, not to mention those who are somewhat apprehensive about using artificial lures. Water temperatures will stay in the upper 70s to low 80s. Forage species will take up seasonal residence over shell reefs and other structure. Trout and redfish will follow; trout will pretty much stay put for the next few months. More calm days will allow access to previously blown out areas. There will be less guesswork by folks like yours truly and game plans will come together more frequently. Of course, patterns can be altered by things like excessive rainfall, but let’s pray we don’t have to go through that again, anytime soon. To a lesser extent, fishing pressure and boat traffic can also push trout around a bit, but they usually don’t go far. In most cases they will temporarily swim out to nearby satellite reefs. I see this happen often, especially on weekends. Speaking of game plans, let’s discuss some of the best focal points and strategies for success. Birds Shrimp (mainly brown shrimp) will continue their exodus from the marshes, through the bays, and out to the gulf during early summer. There will be some hoppers (pink shrimp) mixed in with them as well. Remember white shrimp don’t make their main push until fall. Seagulls and terns will make finding schools easy as trout, reds and the less-desirable species such as gafftop push shrimp to the surface as they feed on them. The best bet for catching keeper-

sized trout and redfish under birds is to find them working over oyster shell or in shallow water areas. Most groups working over deep mud are small trout, sand trout, gafftop and lady fish. If you have kids or less experienced lure anglers on board, casting to these deep water schools can still provide plenty of excitement. However, I highly recommend using a pair of needle nose pliers to crimp down the barbs on the jighead hooks. This will not only help reduce the mortality of smaller specks but it makes releasing all species quick and easy. It’s important to approach the school properly. The front (leading edge) of the schools typically have the larger fish while the trailing edge can be made up of smaller fish and unwanted scavengers such as gafftop (aka snot sharks). However, there are times when focusing on the back end of a school can be beneficial. In recent years we have more and more open-water schools of over-sized redfish in our bays. Sometimes, our only hope of catching slot reds out of such schools is to cast to the trailing edge. Just like with speckled trout, it seems to be a pecking order thing. While just about any lure will get the job done while working birds, various soft plastics and swimbaits work great. Furthermore, I would much rather have 3 or 4 clients chunking plastic tails as opposed to them wielding topwaters with treble hooks. Bad things can happen during the heat of the moment. I’ve not only seen that movie before, I have unfortunately also starred in it.

Slicks By far, my favorite way to target trout is by focusing on slicks. There are several types of slicks. Some are caused by regurgitation. Some are the result of feeding (especially when feeding upon high lipid content forage such as shad). Last, but not least, we refer to some slicks as poop slicks. Regurgitation slicks tend to be the most well-defined. These thicksheened, hard-edged slicks are the easiest to identify. Feeding slicks tend to be a bit more faded or bled-out compared to regurgitation slicks. However, what they lack in definition they make up in quantity. It’s not uncommon to see 10 or 12 feeding slicks pop up all at once in a small area. While poop slicks are still a good indicator of fish in the area, they are the most difficult of the three to see. They are generally faint and easily stretched out by wind and current. Bait Concentrations While we don’t typically see the huge rafts of mullet in the bays that we used to see years ago, there are still enough concentrations of various types of bait to point us in the right direction. This is especially true when bait is concentrated over preferred structure such as oyster reefs. Mullet and shad are the predominant forage species observed throughout summer. I like to throw medium to large topwaters along edges of pods of mullet that are often seen congregated just

Wells like this one can produce all summer.

12 | June 2019

(bottom left) Nat tricked this solid speck while casting to a shallow oyster reef on a rainy windy morning.

Scott Medsger landed this beautiful red along with dozens of quality trout while working birds over scattered reefs.

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Revetment areas such as this can produce quality trout and reds at times.

Structure I frequently refer to oyster reefs as structure and they most certainly are, but also high on my list are several other prime targets which fall into the structure category. Wells and well pads rank right up there with reefs at certain times of the year. We typically troll-motor around a well until we start getting bites and then slip the anchor over the side. More often than not the fish are found on the down-current side. It’s quite common to see slicks and shad pods near wells, too. While I generally use an 1/8-ounce jighead most of the time, fishing wells and well pads sometimes warrants the use of 1/4 and even 3/8-ounce to get the lure down to the fish when the currents are strong. This is only a general rule as there are always exceptions. We won a large tournament one day throwing topwaters and wake baits near wells in 9 feet of water. On that particular day shad were getting showered out of the water by chunky specks. The best advice I can give is to let your eyes tell you what to throw. With the excessive wave action from an increase in commercial vessel traffic along with natural currents, the placement of revetment rocks has become rather commonplace throughout our bay system in recent years. The idea (and a good one at that) is to absorb energy from waves and currents to help prevent erosion. Guess what else these rocks can do? Yes sir! You guessed it! They can hold some 14 | June 2019

Chris Sizemore caught this upper slot red while casting to slicks over some gnarly shell.

really nice trout and reds. I like to troll along rock edges looking for bait and slicks. Corners, bends and openings tend to produce the best. You can pretty much pick your poison as far as baits are concerned. Last year, twitchbaits such as the Barboleta LeLe and Double D were responsible for a lot of our fish, especially the larger trout. Beach Front When it gets right the surf can be some of the most exciting trout fishing you’ve ever experienced. Calm summer mornings will bring clear water to the beach. Rafting mullet and the occasional jumbo white shrimp getting blasted out of the water is an exhilarating sight to see. Topwaters, swimbaits, 51M MirrOlures and, of course, soft plastics are all in play. While June in our area kind of marks the beginning of meathaul season for many, I urge everyone to just keep the fish you need and let the larger ones swim free when possible. We can all have a blast but let’s keep sustainability of the resource on the front burner. I hope everyone has a great beginning to the summer season.

STEVE HILLMAN

CONTACT

below the surface over reef edges. MirrOlure She Dogs and Rapala Skitter Walks are great choices. I tend to sling smaller surface plugs when casting into balls of shad. MirrOlure She Pups and Heddon’s Super Spook Jr fit the bill quite well. MirrOlure Marsh Minnows or Salt Water Assassin 4-inch Sea Shads won’t steer you wrong either.

Steve Hillman is a full-time fishing guide on his home waters of Galveston Bay. Steve fishes the entire Galveston Bay Complex, wading and drifting for trout, redfish, and flounder using artificial lures. Phone 409-256-7937 Email captsteve@hillmanguideservice.com Web www.hillmanguideservice.com

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Spring to Summer from

STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN

Carefully extracting hooks from trout hooked like this one can increase their chances for survival upon release.

ear the end of May, after the festivals memorializing the sacrifices of our veterans fall silent, summer starts in earnest, in the minds of most Americans. Typically, schools shut down for a couple months, and kids spend most of their time frolicking in neighborhood pools, playing in the streets, or working parttime jobs. In Texas, many anglers think of June as a time for heading to the coast and soaking live or fresh-dead bait, hoping to catch some of the numerous species prowling the shallows at the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. But for anglers devoted to chunking lures and targeting primarily speckled trout, this is a transitional month. Technically, most of June falls in the season of spring on the calendar, not summer, and productive patterns which prevail in the first part of the month differ slightly from those at its end, as the days reach their peak length and the water heats up. Chances of catching trout meeting or exceeding the eight-pound mark remain fairly high through the end of spring, but they diminish quickly once summer starts, as shown by the history of the trout division of the CCA Texas STAR Tournament. Normally, weigh-masters scroll several big numbers on the white boards within the first two or three weeks of the event, a span of time normally ending about the middle of June. After summer starts, the number of fish brought to the scales which meet the qualifying standard falls to nearly zero, attesting to the difficulty of catching a giant trout in the Lone Star State during the hottest season, regardless of methods employed. My own experiences and those of some of the best trophy trout anglers I know prove itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible to catch monster trout in the same shallow places during the height of the heat wave as is possible in much cooler weather. But the number of fish frequenting those spaces falls to a level low enough to discourage all but the mostdedicated trophy enthusiasts. Urging strikes from scattered sow trout surrounded by lots of shallow water can prove difficult in any season; on the hottest days of the year, doing so can become nearly impossible.

Many coastal anglers who love fishing with lures adjust to this basic fact by shifting the focus of their efforts, working on honing their presentation skills and increasing their knowledge of the bays, trying to have fun and catch plenty of fish. In June, several productive patterns assist the accomplishment of these dual goals. As the heat wave commences in earnest and trout begin to feel its effects acutely, the fish alter their daily habits accordingly. Starting early this month, and lasting throughout the warm period, a basic truth applies. Late at night and into the first hours of morning, trout venture more willingly into shallow, cooler water to feed, retreating to water of greater depths as the sun rises in the sky. Consequently, an old adage comes regularly into play: â&#x20AC;&#x153;the early bird gets the worm.â&#x20AC;? One of the most productive patterns available to trout anglers this month involves fishing shallow structures or shoreline areas lying within relatively close range of deeper waters during the last hour of night and into the early hours of the morning. On the Upper Coast, or anywhere strong tidal movements influence the bite, a medium to strong incoming tide occurring during this time-frame enhances the chance for success. I caught my first eight-pound trout fishing just such a pattern. On June 5, 1997, the fat sow blasted off on a full-sized Super Spook wobbling through numerous mullet huddled atop a grass bed in knee-deep water near Trout Bayou on the Aransas Bay side of Traylor

Small topwaters often work better than full-sized ones when light winds create subtle waves on the water, regardless of the season. Justin Whitworth used a pink Baby Skitter Walk to trick this pretty trout into taking a bite.

18 | June 2019

Island. I and a partner caught two more significant fish that morning, the first about half an hour before the sun peeked over the eastern horizon, the last an hour or so after, when an incoming tide lost its momentum and the rafts of bait scattered into small pods and singles. Back in those days, we kept on tossing topwaters, trying to urge one more heart-stopping strike. Today, I would react to the change in signs and decrease in bite frequency by switching to a slow-sinking twitch bait, then a soft plastic, in attempt to scratch out more strikes. Such a strategy often allows for extending the productivity of the pattern, regardless of where it occurs. On the Lower Coast, in places with minimal daily tidal flow, a similar pattern plays out on many early-June mornings. Trout harass mullet and force them into tight packs along main-bay shorelines, or atop large sand bars or rock formations. In the last hour of night and into the early hours of the morning, the predators often willingly take topwaters; some will still snatch slow-sinking twitch baits and soft plastics for a while after their appetites wane. During the first half or so of the month, the places where these life and death scenarios play out might lie hundreds of yards or more from water with depths of at least five feet. On the Upper Coast, this means the fish might appear inside shoreline coves or lakes, and on the Lower Coast, it means they might regularly feed on flats well away from the edges dropping off into the depths. And, in many places on the Lower Coast, where the amplitude

Topwaters tossed into the shallows fronting shorelines often draw attacks from prowling trout during spring. Matt Mauger used a floating plug to catch this thick fish during a recent trip with the captain.

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of moving water bears less significance which don’t fit the stereotype often than on the Upper Coast, the fish demand more radical adjustments to might feed aggressively in places with method and strategy. virtually no regular current. Some late-spring to early-summer Conversely, by the end of the nights end with winds whistling in the month, when summer has started not ears of anglers tossing lures around only in the minds of school teachers, shallow shorelines and structural housewives and teenagers, but also on elements lying close to deep water. the calendar, trout tend to hang closer In such scenarios, the efficacy of both and closer to cooler water. They still topwaters and twitch baits usually feed well on a daily basis at the end diminishes, creating a need to employ of the night and into the early hours soft plastics from the start of an of the day, but the places where they excursion. If and when the unexpected force lots of prey species onto shallow stronger winds die down, a bite on lures structures or shorelines lie closer to worked higher in the water column, deep basins, holes and channels. even right at the surface, can definitely By the time the month of July occur, but if medium winds persist right stands imminent on the calendar, spoil through the light change and into the banks lying adjacent to ship channels mid-morning hours, soft plastics usually and the ICW, and shallow structural draw many more strikes. elements lying in the midst of By the time our nation’s birth-month expanses of deep water become more arrives, the majority of our trout tend productive. This truth rings loud and to make shorter feeding forays into clear in all parts of the state. On the shallow areas, even those lying in close Lower Coast, in places with minimal proximity to deeper, cooler water with tide movement, spoils banks close higher levels of tidal movement. In to channels and sand bars standing response, savvy anglers target them in relatively deep waters regularly by making quicker adjustments to influenced by wind become preferred location, lure choice and presentation, over locations along protected favoring soft plastics more and floating Alton Morris caught this photogenic trout on a soft plastic shorelines or with basins of medium plugs less. They also make the move to tossed on the upwind side of a rock formation on a hot day depth, where the movement of water presentations made lower in the water in early July, well after the bite on topwaters ended. reduces to nearly zero on a daily basis. column earlier in the day, on average. In addition to this subtle, general change in the locations of the When water temperatures rise to a point where they don’t fall most productive places to find and catch trout on lures in the month much below 80° at the end of the night, many of the trout begin when the shift from spring to summer occurs, other alterations to staying in places with water at least seven feet deep, having no methods and strategies often result in more productive outcomes. shallow shorelines or structural elements within close range. When As mentioned above, the basic idea of starting off each day early, this happens, catching them on lures becomes more difficult, at throwing topwaters in the pre-dawn darkness and waiting for noisy times nearly impossible, especially for those firmly committed to the blow-ups remains a wise idea throughout the month, but the need to strategy of wading. This change normally takes place after the middle present lures lower in the water column begins to happen earlier and of July. Until that time of year arrives, wading anglers who get up early earlier on a daily basis as the heat wave intensifies. and make subtle adjustments to their methods to match the type of On average, light winds prevail during the morning light-change conditions they face can continue to catch numbers of trout on lures at the end of spring and start of summer. Generally, trout take on a daily basis, with a few big ones mixed in. topwaters worked slowly and steadily while winds whisper over calm, warm water. On a generic day, anglers can often extend the effective window for floating plugs by adding variable speeds into their presentations over time. Once the sun begins to cast shadows and Kevin Cochran is a full-time fishing guide at Corpus Christi (Padre Island), TX. Kevin wind speeds begin to rise, using the reel handle to create speed bursts is a speckled trout fanatic and has created with the lures, then pausing them and allowing them to bob up and several books and dvds on the subject. down on the water for a few seconds often causes trout to blast off Kevin’s home waters stretch from Corpus Christi Bay to the Land Cut. when a generic, steady pace of movement in the presentation won’t. On days when the calm lull lasts longer into the morning, slowTROUT TRACKER GUIDE SERVICE sinking twitch baits worked a bit under the surface often produce Phone 361-688-3714 more strikes than topwaters as the sun gains altitude over the Email kevxlr8@mygrande.net Web www.FishBaffinBay.com horizon. Adjusting lure choice and presentation in response to the www.captainkevblogs.com conditions thus aids in the quest for consistency of productivity. Days

CONTACT

KEVIN COCHRAN

20 | June 2019

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Pamela comes to STORY BY MARTIN STRARUP

odie dressed quietly and carried his boots to the kitchen before slipping them on. He scribbled a note for Pamela, poured a mug of coffee, and quietly slipped out the door. He needed to get to the ranch and review several projects with Monroe and deliver some ranch accounting and other paperwork to Mr. Connor. Driving to the ranch he prayed she’d understand why he had insisted she sleep in his bedroom while he slept on the couch. She did seem surprised, but then she was a little tipsy. Being a man of old school morals, he wasn’t going to risk messing up their relationship by letting things go too far too soon. Driving up to the barn he noticed that Monroe already had a trailer loaded with fence posts, wire and fencing tools. “Good morning, Monroe. You’ve either read my mind or you’re just an absolute all-around top hand,” Bodie offered in greeting. “Never been much of a mind reader, but I certainly try my best to be a top hand,” Monroe grinned as they shook hands. “Actually, Bodie, you mentioned this project last week, and since we just finished running the lines to the new water tank I figured we’d tackle this fence job next.” Bodie nodded approval and asked if all the regular hands were around to help with the fence building. “Yes sir, all present but two. I’ve already sent them to clear brush ahead of us in the old fence line. But, to be honest, I really wasn’t sure whether I’d even see you today,” Monroe replied. “Why would you think that?” Bodie quizzed. “Well, Tommy’s been running around telling everyone you had that good looking little filly out to your place last night, so I figured you might need to sleep late…you getting to be sort of long in the tooth and all.”

Part II

Bodie didn’t reply, just shot him one of those stern looks and turned away. Realizing he’d struck a nerve, Monroe cleared his throat for effect and told Bodie they really needed to head out and get to work. As Monroe climbed into the cab of the tractor and the crew leaped aboard the wagon, Bodie yelled to be heard above the engine… “The filly’s name is Pamela!” “Right! Her name is Pamela; I knew that!” Monroe called back to him. Bodie waved as Monroe throttled up the big John Deere and headed down the ranch road with his crew. Entering his office, he set about organizing the reports and receipts for ranch supplies he needed to deliver to Mr. Connor. Locking up to leave, his phone rang as he tossed the very worn leather briefcase over to the passenger seat. It was Pamela. “Well, good morning,” she greeted him. “Guess who just woke up to an empty house?” “Good morning to you, too! I had to get up pretty early so I let you sleep.” “You should have gotten me up, Bodie. I would have loved to tag along and see what you do all day.” “Well, I left at six o’clock and thought that might be too early for you.” “Oh, thank God you didn’t wake me; the sun’s not even up at that hour,” Pamela giggled. “I found the coffee and the note, which by the way was very sweet. They chatted a bit as Bodie drove and then she asked, “When do you think you can make it back here? I need to get over to Doug’s place for a change of clothes.” Bodie told her that he’d be there as soon as he could swing by Mr. Connors home and drop off the reports. He then went on to say TSFMAG.com | 23

24 | June 2019

hot sauce. “Careful with that stuff, now,” Bodie warned. “It has a pretty good bite to it.” Pamela smiled and allowed as how she believed she could handle it. She gave the bottle several generous shakes as the fiery liquid fell atop the bacon strips. “Bodie, this is absolutely delicious!” Bodie thanked her and watched as she continued chewing. Shortly he noticed sweat beading on her forehead and upper lip. He also noticed her eyes beginning to bulge out. “Are you okay?” he asked with concern. “Oh, I’m fine,” she squeaked, and then began choking. Knowing that she’d gotten a good taste of the Chipotle sauce, Bodie got up and filled a glass with ice water and handed it to her. Pamela nodded her head in thanks, downed it, and handed it back to him. “More?” he asked. Unable to speak, she nodded yes with a sense of urgency and immediately downed the second glass. Wiping her face, and with a few swallows from a third glass, she pointed to the bottle and asked, “Oh my Lord, what in the world is this stuff?” Bodie explained that it was a family recipe one of his Mexican cowboy friends made for him, and that it was best taken in small doses, until you got used to it. “Well,” she replied weakly, “I certainly won’t be eating any more of that for a while. Could I please have some orange juice or a glass of milk?” They finished their breakfast, well, Bodie did. Pamela asked that her second burrito be wrapped in foil to take with her. Bodie told her where to find a new toothbrush in his bathroom and to freshen up while he cleaned the kitchen. Bodie heard her coming up behind him and as he turned she threw her arms around his neck and gave him a big kiss. “Well, thank you very much!” he said, blushing brightly. “Thank you for being a gentleman and not taking advantage of a situation last night. Thank you for letting me sleep late. Thank you for breakfast and thank you for being my boyfriend.” And with that she planted another big kiss on the tall cowboy. Bodie blushed and stammered, telling her that they needed to get her back to Doug’s so he could go make a living. “Oh, Bodie, it’s going to be a wonderful New Year!” Pamela exclaimed as they walked hand in hand to the truck. “It already is my dear. It already is,” was all he had to say. To be continued...

MARTIN STRARUP

CONTACT

that he hoped to make them breakfast before taking her to Doug’s. Bodie found Pamela in his recliner looking at a photo album. “There’s a lot of good memories in that thing.” “I find it very fascinating, Bodie. Some of the men in these photos are wearing gun belts and I see rifles in saddle scabbards, like in old western movies,” Pamela replied excitedly. “That wasn’t actually all that long ago,” Bodie informed her. “Maybe the early 1900s?” she asked. Bodie walked over for a look at the photo she was pointing to. “Uh, no, more like 1971 or ‘72. Pointing toward the tall young man on horseback, he said, “That’s me right there, and the other guys were hands in the outfit I worked for at that time. “You’re kidding…that’s you?” Pamela asked in disbelief. “My goodness you’re just a boy!” “Yep, that’s me. Things were different then. The Brush Country wasn’t exactly a safe place. Nobody I worked with went into the brush unarmed. Now, if you would care to join me in the kitchen, I’ll make us some breakfast. Or, you could just sit here looking at photos of crusty old cowboys, most of whom aren’t even around anymore,” as he flashed his big old Bodie smile. “Well, I find it all very interesting, and you’re still around, boyfriend.” Pamela beamed back at him. “Yep. So far so good…girlfriend!” “You’re blushing!” Pamela said, poking his chest playfully. “I am not. It just a good bit warmer in here than outside. That’s all. Now if you’ll pour us some coffee I’ll get breakfast going.” “My pleasure, sir. And what is this handsome cowboy chef making for breakfast?” “How’s about huevos rancheros with bacon, refried beans and homemade tortillas; ever had that?” “I have not, but I’ll try anything once,” Pamela answered. “I can promise you, my dear, it’s better than that black pudding you folks eat in England,” Bodie said, holding back a belly laugh. “Oh, shame on you! Just so you know, I happen to love black pudding.” They had a good laugh and Pamela refilled coffee mugs and looked over the morning paper as Bodie got busy at the stove. “So how are the rancher’s eggs coming along?” Pamela asked. Bodie looked at her with surprise and she continued, “Oh, I know a little Spanish, enough to get something to eat and something to drink, sometimes.” Bodie had everything ready and was keeping it warm while he mixed the masa flour, salt and water for the tortillas. The big cast iron skillet had bacon grease beginning to smoke as he dropped the first ball of dough into it. He figured two of his big tortillas apiece would fill both of them up, with some leftovers for lunch. “Get it while it’s hot!” Bodie exclaimed, placing the food on the table. Reaching for a bottle of Chipotle hot sauce from the fridge he took a seat next to her. “So, tell me Bodie, exactly how does one prepare one of these burrito things for eating?” Bodie smeared a dob of refried beans on a tortilla, added a scoop of egg and chili mixture, and topped it off with two slices of thick-sliced pepper bacon. “This is how I do it. And I top it off with a few splashes of this hot sauce.” Pamela made her taco the same as Bodie’s and reached for the

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

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Taking time to revive them properly prior to releasing goes a long way toward their survival.

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Wh a

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W s n e p hen ap

STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE

’m guessing most everybody has heard the old Daryle Singletary song, Too Much Fun, where he sings about an imaginary situation… “A girl too pretty with too much class. Being too lucky, a car too fast.” Every once in a while fishermen run into days on the water when everything appears perfect – except the fish won’t bite. Trout green water you can see your toes in; bait so thick you could walk across to the other side. Light wind barely ripples the surface and the solunar major is about to go off. Conditions such as these conjure up a great picture for fishermen from Calcasieu to South Padre and all points in between. All the right factors are in place and it’s only a matter of time until the whole place goes nuts. Fast forward a couple of hours and our angler who had everything going his way still has an empty stringer. What gives? This scenario can play itself out many times during an angler’s career, especially in summer. During extended periods when rain and runoff become scarce and the water clarity gets so good it borders on ridiculous, many fishermen have a hard time catching fish. Upper Coast anglers especially struggle with these conditions because they are not anywhere close to normal for the waters we fish. In situations like these it pays to downsize your offerings, smaller baits are often just the ticket to get fish to bite. For the angler who desires to catch a little bit of everything, big fish and numbers, the juniorsized floating plugs such as MirrOlure’s She Pup and Rapala’s Model 08 (baby) Skitter Walk can be tough to beat. The smaller profile of these plugs will catch more fish in clear water on a day to day basis than just about anything this side of a bait stand. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, surveys of stomach contents from both speckled trout and redfish reveal that the average size forage eaten by both species averages about three inches in length. Sure, trout and reds will eat bigger offerings, but they definitely seem to prefer smaller forage, and thus more likely to take smaller lures. For my own personal preference, I would rather throw the smaller plugs, they seem to give me better results all the way around on both numbers of fish and bigger fish. If you really think about it, throwing the smaller plugs makes plenty of sense, you can easily throw a bait that’s too big but it’s tough to throw one that’s too small. The small plug presentations that really shine on the Lower Coast can be used just as effectively on any body of water. On Calcasieu, during the summer months when the trout are shadowing big schools of shad, you can bet the smaller plugs are going to produce. Many times I have seen fishermen save fishing trips by simply scaling their lures down one size. Get smart and back off the big plugs if you really want to tip the odds in your favor. TSFMAG.com | 27

The newest member of the Okuma baitcast family; the Komodo KDS-273 is a great combination of beauty and beast.

28 | June 2019

bet to accomplish this goal. Recently I put my hands on the new Komodo KDS-273 baitcast reel by Okuma and it is just what the doctor ordered for this task. The Komodo is a perfect blend of finesse and horsepower wrapped up in nice clean package. The Komodo features outstanding drag and ergonomics as well as a high speed 7.3:1 gear ratio. In the short time that I have had to test this reel I have fallen in love with it and what it does. If you get an opportunity to check one out, by all means do it, they are awful nice. Perhaps the early summer will treat us all to some decent weather and better conditions. The trout bite on Sabine is minimal at best and just a fraction better on Calcasieu, although both are showing some improvement. Small shad that will be targets for the predator fish have begun to show in greater numbers and that is at least a bit of good news going forward. Hopefully some pretty gulf water will breathe some much needed life into Sabine very soon - it’s been far too long since she had a noticeable pulse. Until that happens, all we can do is continue to fish and explore because you sure can’t catch them at home.

CHUCK UZZLE

CONTACT

Speaking of tipping the odds in your favor, small offerings will also shine in the shallow water marshes that surround both Sabine and Calcasieu. For quite some time my favorite way to catch redfish in these marshes has been on a plastic frog. The frog offers a variety of options as far as techniques go and my personal favorite is the 3.5inch Stanley Ribbit. The Ribbit allows you to present it the same as a topwater plug or work it like buzz bait when you want to cover more water. In the event you spot a fish, you can swim the frog to them and let it slowly sink into the strike zone. A subtle twitch at the precise moment will induce ferocious strikes that will leave you craving more. The capabilities of the frog are magnified when it’s rigged weedless, the possibilities become endless and there is basically no place you cannot fish it. At times the water in these marshes will be high due to abnormal tides or big south winds, in which case a conventional topwater will work wonders when presented above the normal mat of vegetation. The aforementioned MirrOlure She Pup and smaller Skitter Walk are right at home during these times. Not having to worry as much about vegetation when the water is high makes these shallow ponds a topwater fisherman’s dream. Some of the strikes from oversized redfish can border on the ridiculous. The only drawback occurs when these fish get balled up in the vegetation and quit fighting – anticlimactic to say the least. In many cases the release of these fish is critical to their survival. Please take plenty of time to be sure that they swim away strong and don’t turn belly up after a few feet. Nothing is more disheartening than seeing dead fish on the surface after a boat just left the area. One bit of advice that will greatly help reduce the mortality rate of shallow water fish is to use heavy enough tackle that allows quicker landings and greater overall strength when they are released. Ultralight gear, though more sporty during the fight, is not the best

Couldn’t ask for a prettier redfish than this one from the clear water of the Sabine marsh.

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 409-697-6111 Email wakesndrakes@yahoo.com Website wakesndrakes.com

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Keeper snapper caught while drifting past a Gulf platform.

SNAPPER

BITE IS ON! STORY BY JOE RICHARD

his June marks the best chance for serious offshore snapper action in a long time, with the announcement of a projected 97-day season in Texas, or until the quota is filled. Charterboat skippers must be dancing a jig like the western miners of old, when they found the gold. (Or something like that). Texas fishermen only get 6.12 percent of the total allowable catch in the Gulf however, which means we still have redheaded stepchild status. (Florida and Alabama combined get 71 percent). More good news: The Gulf Council has approved allowing state management of red snapper on a permanent basis. So, in the future Texas will be setting its own snapper fishing seasons for private-boats in federal waters. Charterboat seasons in federal water will still be managed by the Feds, however. State waters out to nine miles will still be managed by Texas. (Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why our growing artificial reefs are strictly in state waters). The season can be shortened, however, if June is calm, fishing pressure is high and snapper take an early beating. Which doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen that often. Last June was miserably windy on the coast, and over the past decades there have been countless June weekend trips blown out because of persistent wind. We now have more fishing days, but the same daily bag and size limit in federal waters; two fish per person daily with a 16-inch minimum size in federal waters, and

four fish per person with a 15-inch minimum in state waters. This means anglers can pick and choose the fish they keep, releasing smaller fish. It’s better to target the bigger fish, say pick off a couple of (at least) 12-pounders, than keep a couple of “runts.” The better specimens are usually found suspended well above bottom in the water column. Keep in mind that without careful venting of a snapper’s air bladder or sending it back down with a device such as the Seaqualizer, mortality can result – the gas in a snapper or grouper doubles every 33 feet it is brought up. Bigger fish often prowl at mid-depth, and even cruise the surface when hungry enough. Forty years ago, it was the talk of our fishing group if someone actually saw the water “turn red” from surface snapper. Today, it happens fairly often. Chumming can certainly help make that happen when the current is light. Under such conditions, using shrimp boat cull, we’ve lured snapper up from the deep. (At sunset, I once saw a chummed up snapper break the surface, with the setting sun shining through his cherry red dorsal fin, something I never imagined seeing). At mid-day of course, we can see snapper prowling under the boat. In such conditions one could conceivably use 12-pound spin gear to catch them, if there are no obstructions nearby. Over the years we’ve caught a great many big snapper, first while using our Ambassador red reels with 20-pound line. With what was considered “ultra-light” tackle on the partyboats, we used to mystify the crews who only used pool cue rods and much heavier reels, waiting for

a bite. Meanwhile our bass/trout plugging rods were bent to the butt with snapper up to 15 pounds. It was delicate work, steering such fish around heavier lines. Bonus fish were 10-pound “black” snapper (mangroves) that also lurked at mid-depth. Back then for bait the partyboats provided frozen menhaden averaging six inches long, and that worked quite well. Or even a 3/4-ounce white striper jig with no bait attached; using the jig we could set the hook on multiple strikes before finally getting “bowed up.” What about using bigger baits? In recent summers I’ve cast-netted mullet from 8 to 12 inches long, icing them down for a trip the next day. Mullet can be found schooling on the surface at the jetties in calm weather, and out there they’ll swim by within easy throwing range; they seem to consider boats harmless when in water that deep. Often we’ll catch 50 to 100 mullet with only a few throws. Once offshore, lower a foot-long mullet deep, and you’ll get slammed by some pretty big snapper. Another trick is to acquire several dozen big, live pinfish before heading offshore. One POC charterboat captain has been doing that for years. Another old trick of ours was using stout, eight-foot fiberglass rods with an Ambassador 7000 reel filled with 40-pound line. With such an outfit we could cast a “free-lined” (unweighted) bait far from the other, vertical lines. We dragged in some hefty snapper. As a teenager we saw the same technique used by a deckhand on the Sabine Pass partyboat Bluewater back in 1968, except for bait he was using bluegills caught in Taylor’s Bayou… Big snapper are easily released, if handled quickly.

32 | June 2019

(bottom left) Port O’Connor crew with a keeper snapper.

Author show how to vent a snapper, before releasing it.

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With the low daily bag limit, we also like to target bigger snapper with small, strong reels, whether baitcasting or spin gear, which is far more sporty than using heavy boat tackle. The farther from structure, the lighter the tackle. Why? Big snapper will dive into structure and cut the line if they can. So, there’s no need to tie up close to a platform covered with sharp barnacles down below (unless you’re hoping for a patch of shade during midday sun). If the current is ripping fast, tie up and let out 50 or more feet of rope. If the current is light, there’s no need to tie up at all. Instead, try drifting past the platform out 30 yards or so from structure, beyond the bait-stealing “triggerfish zone.” Lower 2-ounce jigs tipped with a cigar minnow or even mullet 30 to 50 feet down, and watch what happens: Hard battles with big fish, and no structure close enough to aid them. Bonus fish here will be king and ling. One can also try the metal stick jigs, such as those made by Williamson, which sink fast and deep. Structure. Snapper are structure-oriented fish. For the past 50 years, Texans on private boats relied heavily on offshore platforms for easy access, weather permitting. However, hundreds of these structures were removed in the past decade. What’s left out there today is mostly natural rock formations, sunken wrecks, and artificial reefs. To fish any of these will mean using a good bottom machine and a GPS. And research from the Internet or other fishermen. One also has to learn the basics Keeper snapper in a landing net. The crew here is starting out young.

MAP SHOWING EXTENSIVE ARTIFICIAL REEF SITES

of anchoring accurately near a spot. And retrieving an anchor from fairly deep water, which is no fun unless a floating anchor ball is used. (Attach to anchor rope, hit the throttle in forward gear, and the boat yanks the anchor straight to the surface). I’ve provided a rough map of where Texas has built many acres of artificial reefs but be sure to acquire some GPS numbers before searching for them. Or just go on a Saturday this summer, and watch for anchored boats. There may be a small fleet of them, especially smaller boats, since these reefs are within sight of land. Cruise around them and keep that bottom machine going, and mark a spot of your own to fish. With rising gas prices it may not be worth it, running many miles offshore for two keeper snapper per angler. Check out these new reefs off the beach, because they’ve had several years for natural bottom growth, and to attract fish.

JOE RICHARD

CONTACT

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

34 | June 2019

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J AY WAT K I N S

ASK THE PRO

FINDING & CATCHING ON BUSY SUMMER WEEKENDS “So, Jay, why do you still fish weekends?” This question comes mostly from anglers who enjoy the luxury of flexible work schedules. Others may see me washing my truck or doing other chores on Saturday and ask, “No fishing today?” Finally, folks see me and my wife or buddy Lowell Odom, putting in at noon on Saturday and just shake their heads. Honest answers include; Some of my clients can only swing weekend trips. I take some weekends off to rest up or get things done around the house. Sometimes I just want to fish for fun with those that I enjoy spending a day with on the water. Last but not least; I like to test the skills and theories I have developed over the years, many of which I have written about in this magazine. With spring in full swing and only weeks away from schools breaking for summer, it might be time to start thinking about what you’ll need to do if life only allows you to fish weekends. Hopefully I can provide something here to help you deal with summer fishing pressure, enjoy your time on the water, and catch a few more fish. I search constantly for areas with good structure that are smaller and off the beaten path. Small patches of scattered shell along main shorelines, less defined points, small guts and sandbars along spoils that separated flats from main bays, and areas within well-known spots where boat traffic can and will drive fish away. Displace might be a better term, but over my guiding career I have definitely seen

Lowell Odom releases upper-slot red on Double D Toxic Tide.

44 | June 2019

boat traffic drive fish away from primary structure to similar secondary structure areas nearby. This requires setting up in a position where you’re actually creating a quiet zone in the secondary area. If you’re not a believer that boat pressure moves fish, you need to maybe try and be more observant the next time you’re out there. The Sunday Hole in Rockport earned that name for good reason. Quite often I see the effects of idling into a flat or shoreline by fish suddenly slicking (evidence of spooked fish) or mullet suddenly jumping erratically. Boat noise and hull slap will move fish from a greater distance than many believe. Not as prevalent years ago but to a certain degree, boat noise has always had a negative effect on the fish we are trying to catch. Today, with so many people involved in fishing and so many shallow running boats on the flats, fish are more aware of our presence than ever before. My many years of observations have taught me this, even without scientific backing. Hurricane Harvey changed our shorelines, mid-bay reefs, spoils, and flats quite drastically. If you don’t spend much time exploring with your feet, you might not have noticed as many of these as I have. Some can be seen easily from the deck of the boat. Such changes have created lots of smaller areas for fish to use on a daily basis, as well as during times of heavy fishing pressure. The fewer fish holding in a small area, the more likely that they might hold for us if we approach stealthily. This makes sense when you consider that there are fewer lateral lines picking up sounds of intrusion, and that even though there are fewer fish concentrated in the area, it’s also likely that there’s less bait. Which translates to equal or even greater competition for food. Many times I stick a nice fish in a small but well-defined area of structure and see other fish following it. Key here is to understand where the others came from and allow them to relocate or reload to their original position. I have great confidence in this pattern, which enables me to stand and wait for it to happen. When working with clients who haven’t experienced this yet, I am their confidence factor, and it is necessary that I stand with them from the time we get in the water until we leave. I honestly find few anglers that have confidence to believe fish can be present in large numbers and not be caught. There are simply days when the fish win. No matter what we do we have little success. More times than not, however, we are not seeing or sensing what the fish are wanting us to do but trying instead to make them do what

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46 | June 2019

Perry Shankle with a gorgeous 9-pound red.

Author releasing a good one to fight another day.

that the area you have chosen is the right area. Now we just have to make sure that we spend the best times of the day fishing it. Yes, boat traffic can disturb the whole area and totally mess things up. This is why you must focus on locating the secondary area adjacent to the primary. The secondary can be a small tabletop in a flat, a slightly deeper swag in the bay floor, or shallow white sand along a grassbed where traffic is minimal. Find the fish at the right time and your odds of getting that right bite goes up no matter that traffic might have forced them to relocate. You can bet it’ll be close to where they wanted to be in the first place. During the summer months I go heavy with soft plastics such as the 5” Shad Bass Assassin and the MirrOlure Lil John and Lil John XL. I like clear body colors during midday to afternoon; Cajun Croaker, Opening Night, Blue Moon and Bone Diamond. For early morning and days with overcast or slightly off-colored waters I like basic Plum, Watermelon and June Bug. If I feel I need chartreuse, I’ll usually opt for chartreuse colored jigheads rather than tails. Tail biters get tough in summer and I hate having the tails nipped off by non-game species. Texas Custom’s new Double D hardbaits by MirrOlure have truly earned a spot in my wade box, all year ‘round. These highly versatile lures have proven to be excellent producers of trout, red fish, black drum and flounder. The swimming action is unmatched and when paused the lures rise slowly and irresistibly to the surface. MirrOlure means quality and this lure is just that. Hope some of this helps this summer if you’re fishing in areas with lots of pressure. May your fishing always be catching! -Guide Jay Watkins

C O N TA C T

we want them to do. There are definitely times when you can bang your favorite topwater across shallow, gin-clear water and draw instinctive strikes from big fish. You can also spook everything in two counties. The best anglers make adjustments that allow them to gain insight into the day’s specific pattern, and then win the day. So, boat traffic will definitely move fish from primary structure to secondary. Simple key here, locate the secondary structure; which is typically fairly close to the primary, and then setup, fish, and observe. I often see boats running along a primary ledge 100 yards offshore in waist-deep water where I might normally prefer to fish and notice a handful of mullet frantically jumping toward me. What we don’t see is the handful of trout or redfish that disturbed that bait when they were spooked by the passing boat. One day last year on Cat Head in Baffin, a boat ran between me and the shoreline. I know that is the safest route to avoid the rocks there and had no problem with it. I made the comment that I was going to catch a fish due to the boat running some toward me from the shoreline. The boat wasn’t 100 yards past me when I hooked up. Just block out the distraction and do your thing. I had one of the best trout tournament anglers tell me that he had a boat run right over the line where the big fish they had located where holding. Instead of getting twisted off he thought about what I had told him, about boat traffic and how it can sometimes be used to advantage. Within a few minutes he noticed an eight-pound-class trout gliding his way. He caught the fish because he stayed calm, believed in the pattern, and had the skills to put it all together. Leroy Navarro is his name and he is an absolute top stick. The takeaway is this; fishing pressure and boat traffic affects fish movements and patterns, but we can use it to advantage if we position ourselves properly. Timing is everything. Mike McBride and Miss Tricia made a living timing the bite in Port Mansfield. Being in the right place at the right time is everything, but it is the when part of the equation that causes so many problems. Where is really not much of a secret anymore, given the abundance of information available today. You’re getting some right now reading this article. The when part is a totally different animal. I use the Solunar Table but Mother Nature can create situations of her own that can either enhance or totally defeat our chances, even during the best of solunar predictions. I think the best thing I ever learned from several great fishermen was to NEVER tromp through your targeted area. This goes back to pressure. Busting through an area they want to be at the wrong time can move them, making the right place the wrong place when the time gets right. It is best, I believe, to ease into an area and fish the fringes, creating a comfort zone between you and the fish. We can learn to detect the presence of gamefish by simply watching bait activity. As Yogi Berra used to say, “You can see a lot just by looking.” I try to take in everything. The way a mullet jumps or flips, the size of the mullet, its position relative to structure. The paths that the birds fly repeatedly, and water currents – wind-generated and tide movement. Putting all this information together aids in calculating the probability

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

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

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My personal favorite eyewear for sightcasting in shallow water. The Jose model fits me perfectly and blocks all side light. The copper lens with green mirror lets me see the redfish under a variety of conditions.

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

S H A L L O W W AT E R F I S H I N G

PROTECT YOUR EYES –

SEE MORE FISH! Sunglasses. It sounds so simple. You know you need some shades when you’re out on the water in bright sunshine, but which ones are best? This is a question that pops up on online fishing forums on a regular basis. Most hardcore anglers have a favorite brand, style, and lens color. Many are also quick to recommend that others follow their choices, but can they explain why they’ve made those choices? I thought I had a pretty good handle on the subject and felt pretty comfortable with my choice of eyewear. During a recent conversation a few points came up that I wasn’t sure about so I decided to do what we all do these days; I Googled it. I started my research early in the evening and the next thing I knew it was 2:00 AM, and I was still reading. The internet never ceases to amaze me. The amount of information available on this subject was staggering. I felt by sharing some of this information it might help a few of my fellow anglers make more educated decisions when selecting their fishing glasses.

48 | June 2019

First, the scary part. We all know the dangers of UV (ultraviolet radiation) to our skin. It’s been hammered into our thick skulls for years and now I see even the most hard-headed of my friends covering up and lathering themselves with sunscreen. Who among us does not know a fellow fisherman who’s had a few suspicious moles removed or even lost a slice off the top of their ear. However, not much has been said about the damage UV does to our eyes. There are myriad eye diseases including glaucoma, macular degeneration, and cancer that are thought to be directly related to UV radiation entering our eyes. On exceptionally bright days the amount of UV entering your eyes can cause photokeratitis, or simply put, a sunburn of the retina causing temporary and sometimes permanent blindness. I read an interesting study that found UV exposure is at its peak in the early morning and late afternoon during certain times of the year. I always figured

Costa Del Mar lens selection guide.

TSFMAG.com | 49

C O N TA C T

it was worse with the sun high overhead. According to the study, Yours truly depends the amount of UV-B during these times was nearly twice that of the on high-quality midday periods in spring, summer, and fall. Costa glasses, As an example, during the autumnal equinox, the greatest definitely one of the exposure was found to be at 9:00 am and between 2:00 and 3:00 pm. tools of the trade. During winter the peak exposure moved back towards the middle of the day. This is something to keep in mind, not only for your eyes, but also for your skin. Now for the good news. Sunglasses can be coated to prevent UV penetration into your eyes. The sun’s UV rays are grouped into three classifications based on their respective wavelengths and frequencies; UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C. We are mainly concerned with the first two as the UV-C rays are absorbed by our atmosphere and do not reach the earth’s surface. UV-B has been found to be the main culprit in causing eye disease. The effects of UV-A on our eyes has not been definitively quantified but it is important to make sure your lenses block UV. This is easily done by purchasing The magic of polarized sunglasses occurs One of my fishing customers sporting Costa fishing glasses. sunglasses labeled as blocking “99 – 100% because they have a layer of vertically The fish nearly matched the dead bottom grass. The Costa of UV light” or “UV absorption up to 400nm” lens enabled him to pick it out and make a successful cast. oriented long-chain molecules applied to which would be equal to 100%. Do not the lens. These molecules completely block settle for anything less. out any light waves that are perpendicular Also, the American National Standards to their alignment, thus the horizontally Institute (ANSI) has provided a standard polarized glare is erased. Other light waves for non-prescriptive eyewear referred to are allowed to pass through as visible as ANSI / Z80.3. If your glasses have the light. Perfectly vertical light waves pass ANSI rating you can rest assured that through at full strength while other angles they meet or exceed these minimum pass through at varying degrees. Polarized safety requirements. However, ANSI is a lenses will be most effective when the sun voluntary organization so it is possible that is between 30° and 60° above the horizon glasses meet the requirements without with 37° being the absolute optimum. Keep having the ANSI label. in mind that we are talking about flat water. The next thing to look for is the Ripples and waves will change the angles “polarized” label. Unfortunately not all of light wave polarization and thus change sunglasses are, but there is a simple way the effectiveness of your glasses. to determine if your favorite pair really are Now, don’t you just feel all educated? polarized. But first, it helps to understand So, if you want to know whether your what the term means. The physics sites sunglasses are polarized you need to made my head spin but I think I’ve perform a simple test. Hold your glasses in front of you, aligned as if managed to boil it down to this. Sunlight is an electromagnetic wave you were wearing them, and look at the glare on the water or any other with electric and magnetic vibrations occurring in multiple planes. non-metallic horizontal surface. The glare should be mostly blocked. This is referred to as unpolarized light, meaning it is vibrating in a Slowly rotate the glasses and watch what happens to the glare. If variety of directions. you have polarized lenses the glare and brightness should increase There are several ways in which light becomes polarized. What and max out when the glasses are perpendicular to the glarewe are concerned with is polarized light caused by reflection. When producing surface. If you notice no change then they are not polarized the unpolarized light strikes a non-metallic surface, such as water, a and they’re not doing you any good out on the water. It might also percentage of the waves become polarized along a horizontal plane. explain why your buddy always sees the fish before you do. The angle at which the light strikes the water’s surface determines Next month we’ll take a look at the features you need to consider the degree to which the vibrations become polarized. The lower the when narrowing down your choices. Until then, get out there and sun’s angle the greater the reflection, or glare. We see the reflection enjoy the warming tides of spring. as white glare when the intensity of the light is above the level our eyes can absorb. Light is measured in lumens. Average indoor light is around 500 lumens. In the shade it is around 1000 lumens. We start Capt. Scott Null is a devout shallow water fisherman offering to get uncomfortable around 3500 lumens and see white glare when guided adventues via kayak, poled skiff, and wading. the level reaches 4000. Again, depending on the sun’s angle, we’re Telephone 281-450-2206 looking at upwards of 6000 lumens when looking at the glare on the Email captscottnull@gmail.com surface of the water. Prolonged exposure above 10,000 lumens can Website www.captainscottnull.com cause temporary or permanent blindness. 50 | June 2019

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By Jillian Swinford | Natural Resource Specialist, Perr y R. Bass Research Station

FIELD NOTES

LOOKING OUT FOR SHRIMP:

THE TPWD DISEASE MONITORING PROGRAM Shrimp: the prize of the Gulf Coast. It’s one of the most commercially lucrative fisheries in the United States and for good reason, too. According to NOAA, in 2017, fishers along the Gulf Coast caught over 225 million pounds of shrimp, valued at 440 million USD. Texan shrimpers caught over 79 million pounds, which accounted for around 35% of the total landings for the Gulf Coast. Shrimping is one of the most important state commercial fishing endeavors, and it supports thousands of jobs for Texans; however, the recent spread of diseases, like shrimp black gill (sBG) and White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV), in wild and farmed shrimp has increased concerns about the future health of these populations. White Spot Syndrome Virus (Image 1) is highly contagious [and lethal] in crowded shrimp farms, and it has caused

major economic woes to many shrimp farms in South America. Shrimp black gill (Image 2) is another problem entirely that is caused by a parasitic ciliate that infects the gills of shrimp. Ciliates are single-celled organism with short hair-like “appendages” called cilia, and cilia assist with movement of the organism. Shrimp produce melanin nodules that surround and kill the ciliate as an immune response for fighting off the infection, and excess melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color, makes their gills appear black. The immune response may help fight off the ciliate, but it makes it much harder to uptake oxygen through the gills. This response in shrimp is similar to the many immune responses humans have, such as a fever to fight off a viral infection or a runny nose for a cold. An immune response in shrimp means they are stressed and more Image 1. Visible symptoms of White Spot Syndrome Virus prone to exhaustion; exhaustion in tiger prawn, Penaeus monodon. Photo credit: www.agric.wa.gov.au/importing-miscellaneous/biosecurity-alert-white-spot-prawns makes them more vulnerable to things like predation and changes in the environment. Rapid fluctuations in water temperature and salinity can increase the mortality of shrimp infected by the ciliate and with WSSV. White Spot Syndrome Virus has the potential to spread from farmed shrimp to wild populations through shrimp farm wastewater entering bays and farmed shrimp being used as bait. In the wild, shrimp can also contract these diseases through mechanisms other than those associated with shrimp farming, and if these diseases have a high enough prevalence, native resources may be imperiled. Researchers at the Gulf Coast Lab at the University of Southern Mississippi recently found that other marine invertebrates in the Gulf of Mexico, such as humble grass shrimp, fiddler crab, and blue crab, can become infected with WSSV; since adult shrimp prey on these kinds of invertebrates, WSSV Image 2. Comparison of healthy shrimp to may be transmitted to shrimp if sBG infected shrimp with blackened, melanized gills. prey are infected. Shrimp black gill Photo credit: University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography https://gacoast.uga.edu/research/major-projects/black-gill/ has been present in the southeast

52 | June 2019

Your Catch Counts!

Report your Red

Snapper Landings

Get involved. Help manage the red snapper fishery for future generations.

At the end of each day’s trip, parties that land red snapper are strongly encouraged to report their landings via a mobile app or online. It’s fast, simple and easy!

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Anglers fishing from party boats are exempt as the captain reports for you.

FOR INFO ABOUT THE REPORTING PROGRAM Harte Research Institute iSnapper@sportfishresearch.org www.sportfishresearch.org

FOR INFO ON THE RED SNAPPER FISHERY TPWD Coastal Fisheries cfish@tpwd.texas.gov TSFMAG.com | 53 www.tpwd.texas.gov

Atlantic fishery for around two decades, and the direct source of the parasitic ciliate has not been identified, which indicates sBG is likely not a shrimp farm-based disease. Researchers at the University of Georgia have been monitoring the disease in wild populations on the east coast, and the current concern is that sBG may be contributing to a decline in landings. In 2010, TPWD tested white, brown, and pink bait shrimp for WSSV using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a technique that amplifies DNA segments, and it is useful for identifying diseases in organisms. The results of this study showed no evidence that any of the samples were infected with WSSV. Additionally, sBG has not been confirmed in organisms on the Texas Gulf Coast. So why does TPWD have an interest in understanding more about these diseases? Although Texas shrimp farming and bait regulations may be strict, other Gulf Coast states and bordering countries may not have similar methods to prevent the spread of diseases, and Coastal Fisheries field crews have observed shrimp with black gills in recent years during regular bag seine and trawl sampling events; therefore, TPWD has initiated a monitoring project on wild shrimp to identify the prevalence of WSSV and sBG in Texas populations. During the monitoring survey, white and brown shrimp will be collected across the entire Texas Gulf Coast to identify if WSSV and sBG are present in organisms using real-time PCR, a technique that will identify the presence of a disease and the severity of the infection in an organism. We will collect shrimp between March and November 2019, because this is when shrimp are at their highest abundance in Texas coastal bays, and research in other coastal areas have shown that sBG and

54 | June 2019

WSSV are more likely to be present when temperature and salinity are high. We will examine how prevalence levels of the two diseases change throughout the sampling period and how temperature and salinity influence disease levels. Our research on the presence and prevalence of both of these diseases will establish a baseline on disease prevalence in wild shrimp populations along the Texas Gulf Coast. This study has the potential to become a long-term disease monitoring program, and the methods we follow and the techniques we use in our initial shrimp assessment can guide future projects that look to detect other shrimp diseases, pathogens, and viruses. In the meantime, follow TPWD regulations and use only native shrimp species as bait, including white, pink, or brown shrimp, since it is illegal to use non-native shrimp species, and because they can be vectors for WSSV. If you catch or use shrimp with black gills, it is important to not discard any part of the gills into the environment, since infected gills, even from dead organisms, can transmit sBG to shrimp in the wild. These practices can help protect wild shrimp populations and prevent the spread of shrimp diseases.

Check the TPWD Outdoor Annual, your local TPWD Law Enforcement office, or tpwd.texas.gov for more info.

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DAV E R O B E R T S

K AYA K F I S H I N G C H R O N I C L E S

STILL CHASING MONTANA TROUT As mentioned in my last article, I made the trek to Montana for what was supposed to be a two-week work assignment. I’ve now been here almost two months. Even though I have been away from home longer than expected, I could not have asked for a finer place to work and enjoy the outdoors. Thankfully, most of the freezing temperatures have passed and the weather is getting better by the day. On top of that, I have had another opportunity to break away from the routine of long workdays and get to the water. I told you last month I’d been to the Bighorn River and landed a few rainbows, but one of my goals for this trip was to land a brown trout – one of my bucket list species. So naturally, I had my sights set on that and I pretty much refused to leave the state until I caught one. The hunt was on! Work came first but that didn’t stop me dreaming about my prized fish. It seemed like I was always finding new people to gather information from to help direct me toward that goal. I rather impatiently waited for my next day off so I could slip into my waders and hit the water. The time finally came and great excitement would be an understatement for how I felt that morning. I grabbed my gear, a cup of coffee, and headed to the river. On my way there I wound through the hills as the sun began to 56 | June 2019

peak over the mountain tops. The Good Lord painted a fine picture that morning. With that, my day was already complete and everything else could only be a bonus. Arriving at the river, the Canada geese were honking and the sun was shining, what a fine day to be fishing. I waded to the same point that had produced on my first visit, with hopes to start my day off right. I began with the same setup I had been using – two small nymphs under a strike indicator. I fished around the point for about 30 minutes before deciding to move on. Also at this point, my toes were numb and it was time for me to step out of the water; the temperatures might have been rising but the water was still bone-chilling cold. While warming up on the shore I began to plan my next move and decided to change my tactics and try something new. I flipped through my box and the thought occurred to get back to my usual style of fishing, which means covering as much water as possible to find fish. So, I tied on a streamer, nothing too flashy, I wanted to keep it natural. One thing I have learned, and this applies to anywhere in my opinion, when traveling some place new and you’re not sure what color to throw, match the bottom if you cannot match the hatch. In the case of the Bighorn, I decided to tie on a streamer that was an olive color to resemble the riverbed rocks.

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58 | June 2019

place is the closest to Texas I’ve had the pleasure to visit thus far. The people are wonderful, the land is beautiful, and the attitude toward conserving and caring for it is remarkable. I have visited Yellowstone National Park and it lives up to all expectations, a fine example of what conservation of natural resources can accomplish. My stay has been very enjoyable but I am ready to come home. I miss my family and friends and I also yearn to see the beauty of a Texas sunrise shimmering on the surface of a marsh pond. It’s been too long since I’ve heard the distinctive sound of redfish crashing bait on the flats. Money cannot buy these wonders of nature, you can only experience them by being there. Montana’s been great, but Texas, I’m coming home!

C O N TA C T

I came to a stretch of rapids a short distance downstream that looked promising. I slipped into the water and began casting upstream while making short, quick strips as my fly made its way down with the current. I continued downriver, knowing I had yet to discover how the fish wanted the fly presented, changing the angle of my casts and stripping style every few casts. I made a long cast and stopped to check the time before beginning to strip the fly. I no sooner slipped my phone back into my pocket when I felt a sharp thump. I stripped quickly, made a hookset, and it was indeed a fish. She made a good run and then leaped high in the air, shaking the hook in the process. I’d been late with the hookset, fooling with the phone. A beautiful sight to see and it was for sure a brown trout, more importantly, the light bulb had come on. I made another long cast but this time I followed up with long, slow, steady strips. The last bite came when the fly was just floating and I wanted to see if I could make it happen again. It wasn’t three or four casts later, right in the middle of a long strip, I felt a thump. A quick hookset pulled my rod into a beautiful arc. The fish made a few good runs downstream before yielding to the pressure. Making my way into shallower water to accomplish the landing I finally had a chance for a good look and, sure enough, I had a brown trout. Words could not describe how I felt. I tried not to hurry the landing, although I probably did, nonetheless I had my first brown in my hands. I snapped a few quick photos and released her back into the Bighorn. Check another species off the bucket list. After that fish I was pretty much mentally spent. I’d achieved what I came to do and doubted I could top that one, anyway. I rested for a few minutes to relive the moment and decided for another try, but I must admit my mood was halfhearted at best. Gathering what was left of my energy, I began making a few casts, same angle upstream, same slow strips. Bingo, another strike; except this time it was a rainbow. She fought well and I honored her with another catch-photo-release ending. I decided to call it a day. Regardless of how the rest of my trip went, I’d landed my brown trout and was entirely satisfied, and I’d fallen even deeper in love with the Bighorn. I stopped at the fly shop by my hotel to tell the owner of my success and thank him for all the tips and advice he’d given me. Montana is a beautiful state and I highly recommend all fishermen should make plans to visit here. While I haven’t been everywhere, this

Dave Roberts is an avid kayak-fishing enthusiast fishing primarily the inshore Upper Coast region with occasional adventures to surf and nearshore Gulf of Mexico. Email: TexasKayakChronicles@yahoo.com Website: www.TexasKayakChronicles.com

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10,000 plants were harvested from the NRG Eco Center and planted to replace washed out plants from Hurricane Harvey. (Photo Courtesy of Triton Environmental Solutions)

Story by John Blaha

T S F M A G C O N S E R VAT I O N N E W S

HABITAT AND ADVOCACY AT THE FOREFRONT OF CONSERVATION

Habitat creation and restoration, and a continued strong advocacy effort, remain at the forefront of CCA Texas’s conservation efforts. Habitat focus remains on oyster and marsh restoration, shoreline protection efforts, and nearshore reefing in Texas state waters. CCA Texas and its habitat initiative, Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow (HTFT), and Building Conservation Trust (BCT), CCA National’s habitat program, strongly believe in the continued support of projects once they are completed. This support comes in different ways including; public outreach to educate the public on the purpose of these efforts; follow-up studies and analysis to provide data that helps determine the success of a project, and creates best practices for creation and restoration efforts; and at times provides critical follow-up work to ensure the success and/or expansion of projects. Dickinson Bayou marsh restoration is a recent example of CCA’s commitment to ensure the continued success of projects. The last two legislative sessions have seen a focus on creating and making oyster management practices and penalties more stringent to ensure the health of oyster habitat along the Texas coast. (Photo Courtesy of Lisa Laskowski Photography)

60 | June 2019

Dickinson Bayou Marsh Restoration - When Hurricane Harvey rolled ashore in Texas in August 2017, it left a trail of destruction that is still being repaired today, and the recent habitat project along the banks of Dickinson Bayou put back repaired marsh that washed away in the storm’s extraordinary floods. CCA Texas supported the original Dickinson Bayou Restoration Project that enhanced and protected approximately 18 acres of tidal wetlands in 2016, but Hurricane Harvey took a heavy toll. With the understanding and desire to see projects succeed and flourish, CCA Texas, BCT, and Shell Oil Company funded the efforts to replant two acres of marsh that will continue to help protect an additional 18 acres of wetlands in the project’s vicinity. This is an area that is clearly vulnerable to erosion and so there is a need to make sure this project is solidly in place and can perform as originally intended. Real improvements in this area after the original project were

Triton Environmental Solutions employees plant freshly harvested plants. (Photo Courtesy of Triton Environmental Solutions)

evident, and the HTFT Committee felt strongly about continuing the support of the project. Mother Nature always has a hand in the success in projects, and CCA is committed to providing a helping hand when she produces unfavorable conditions. The Dickinson Bayou Restoration Project is ultimately expected to improve water quality in the area and provide erosion protection for the surrounding marsh. Even in the short time before Harvey did his damage, the project was observed to have improved fish and wildlife habitat in the area and enhanced stormwater filtration in Dickinson Bayou. CCA Texas and BCT have contributed $100,000 to both phases of the project. The current replanting work utilized 10,000 smooth cordgrass plants from the NRG Energy Eco-Center and was completed the first week of April 2019. Follow-up visits to the project site are planned during the first week of June and CCA looks forward to seeing the success of this effort. Oyster Management and Regulations â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The management of the oyster fishery has been at the fore of CCA Texas Advocacy efforts since the last legislative session in 2017. The 85th legislative session brought important changes to the management of the fishery and enforcement of regulations within the fishery. Some of the key changes from the 85th session included increased fines, closure of upper-estuary bays, and tightening of requirements regarding undersize oysters. Each year the commercial oyster fishery opens November 1 and closes April 30 the following spring â&#x20AC;&#x201C; effectively a six-month season. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) continually monitors public oyster reefs throughout the year by conducting random bi-monthly sampling in our bay systems. They will also conduct additional sampling before and during oyster season if feedback from law enforcement or the oyster industry triggers them to do so. Using metrics that TPWD has established based upon the abundance of oysters and the percentage of oysters less than 3-inches (minimum legal size) in their samples, they may close an area to commercial harvest. Once a bay system is closed it will take 1-2 years for the reefs to recover and then it can be re-opened by TPWD. The length of the closure period is highly dependent on environmental conditions and how hard it had been fished prior to the enactment of the closure. It is important that the reefs are given sufficient time to recover for the maintenance of a sustainable oyster fishery. While the management changes in the 2017 legislative session were positive and place more burden on the commercial industry,

there continues to be bad actors. These bad actors within the fishery continue to ignore the closures and continue to harvest oysters from closed waters, often targeting the undersized oysters remaining on the reefs. While there is an enhanced penalty structure for undersize oyster violations, there is no true deterrent for fishing in closed waters other than a Class C misdemeanor. That soon may change thanks to Representative Geanie Morrison (R-30) and Senator Juan Chuy Hinojosa (D-30), who both are sponsoring legislation (House Bill 2321 and Senate Bill 671) to clean up language in current statute regarding harvesting undersize oysters and increased penalties for commercial oyster fishing in closed waters. If these legislative measures pass this spring, persons committing harvest violations can expect the following: Class A misdemeanor for harvesting at night and either harvesting in closed waters or restricted waters during same criminal episode. Class B misdemeanor for harvesting undersized oysters or harvesting in closed waters if defendant was previously convicted at least twice for violation regarding undersize oysters (less than 30% of cargo) and/or previously convicted for harvesting in closed waters. Class B misdemeanor for second violation of possession of cargo of oysters greater than 30% undersize oysters. Class A misdemeanor with attendant license suspension for third violation of possession of cargo greater than 30% undersized or fishing in closed waters. State-level felony for harvesting at night and either harvesting in closed waters or restricted waters if the defendant has been previously convicted once before within five years for the same crime. CCA Texas is committed to making positive change in the oyster fishery and will work tirelessly to do so. The eastern oyster and their reefs play critical roles in the coastal environment. They provide habitat for a variety of aquatic species, serve as food source for coastal food webs, improve shoreline stabilization, reduce coastal erosion and sedimentation and improve water quality. We refer to these roles as ecosystem services and according to published literature, the annual value of said services wildly ranges from $2.23K - $40K per acre. Bottom line â&#x20AC;&#x201C; oysters are critical components of our coastal ecosystems and simply too valuable to be ignored any longer. For more information about CCA Texas habitat and advocacy efforts, please visit www.ccatexas.org, listen in on the Coastal Advocacy Adventures Pod Casts or contact John Blaha (jdblaha@ccatexas.org) or Shane Bonnot (sbonnot@ccatexas.org) with any questions you might have. TSFMAG.com | 61

My just-over-seven-foot sandbar, probably pregnant (according to Oz) – CPR! Originally tagged by Oz in March 2018. (Photo by Donna Boyd)

STEPHANIE BOYD

F I S H Y FA C T S

SANDBAR SHARKS My mom and I recently had the opportunity to go shark fishing with Eric Ozolins on North Padre, and I was lucky to reel in a beautiful sandbar shark. Even though I’d already written an article about sharks in general, Eric convinced me that this species deserves its own highlight, and after seeing one in person, I can hardly disagree. The sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus, is one of the largest coastal pelagic sharks, classically shaped, reaching up to eight feet in length and 250 pounds. Their genus name, Carcharhinus, which is of Greek derivation, translates to ‘sharpened nose of lead.’ Though the sandbar has a bluntly rounded snout, its profile is indeed sharp. Coloration ranges from dark gray to bronze or brown on top, fading to a lighter shade on the sides and white on the belly. Aside from a darker tone on the tips and outer margins of the dorsal and caudal fins, there are no distinctive markings or color patterns. The sandbar’s most distinguishing characteristic is its taller-than-average

62 | June 2019

first dorsal fin. Other identifying characteristics include a relatively heavy body, somewhat long pectoral fins, and an interdorsal ridge (a visible line of raised skin between dorsal fins). Additionally, they have widely spaced dermal denticles with no definite teeth and which don’t overlap as they do in most sharks of the same family (Carcharhinidae). Their upper (actual) teeth are broadly triangular and serrated with a high cusp. The lower teeth are narrower and more finely serrated. They have excellent eyesight, even in relatively dark waters, thanks to a reflective layer of tissue, called the tapetum, at the back of the eyeballs. Sandbars also have an extremely good sense of smell, sensitivity to vibrations, and the ability to detect micro electrical fields generated by other animals. True to its name, this shark prefers the sandy bottoms of coastal areas. They are found worldwide in subtropical waters, typically in waters less than 330 feet. Sandbars tend to occupy waters on continental shelves, oceanic banks, and island terraces but are also commonly found

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Still quite lively after being reeled in.

Tag visible just under the dorsal fin.

in harbors, estuaries, at the mouths of bays and rivers, and shallow turbid water. Despite this, they are exclusively a marine species and do not venture into freshwater. Although they frequent shallow waters, they are rarely seen at the surface, apparently preferring to stay in the lower part of the water column. As with many sharks of its genus, the sandbar shark undergoes seasonal migrations, influenced mainly by temperature, though ocean currents may also play a significant role. Males migrate earlier and in deeper water than females. Males also often travel in large schools while females exhibit solitary migrations. Due to the vast distances between known populations of sandbar sharks around the world, it is highly probable that they are capable of long, pelagic migrations. However, any long-range movements are more likely a result of accidental or irregular â&#x20AC;&#x153;ridesâ&#x20AC;? of prevailing oceanic currents rather than the regular migrations associated with seasonal temperature. Sandbars are opportunistic bottom-feeders that prey primarily on relatively small fishes, mollusks, and crustaceans. Common food items include various bony fishes, eels, skates, rays, dogfish, octopus, squid, bivalves, shrimp, and crabs. They may forage throughout the day but are generally more active at night. Feeding studies indicate that these sharks are very successful in their hunting techniques and, on average, eat more than many of their near relatives. Juvenile sandbar sharks may fall prey to larger sharks, such as the bull shark, but adults have few, if any, predators. In the northern hemisphere, mating occurs in the late spring or early summer. During this time, a mature male will persistently 64 | June 2019

A sandbar shark will have around 35,000 teeth over the course of its lifetime!

follow a female, occasionally biting her between the dorsal fins until she turns over. This courtship behavior, which is present in most carcharhinids, often leaves the female with permanent scaring. Once fertilization occurs, the gestation period can range from eight to twelve months, depending upon geographical location. The embryos are nourished via a placental sac, and the pups are born live, typically from June through August (in the Western Atlantic). The number of pups varies from six to thirteen and litter size is dependent on the size of the mother. The larger the mother, the more pups she will deliver. Typically the mother will select a nearshore, shallow water area to give birth. Shallow water habitats provide a nursery area for young sharks where they are protected from predation by larger sharks. The mother leaves the nursery area shortly after she gives birth and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t offer any assistance or care to her new offspring. She will only have pups every two or three years. Young sandbar sharks resemble miniature adults, although the characteristically large first dorsal fin may not yet be as prominent at this early stage. Juveniles remain in the shallows until late fall, at which time they form schools and move southward and further offshore where they stay until the following summer when they return to shallow waters. This seasonal movement between shallow and deep waters may continue for up to five years and is an important reason why programs establishing essential habitat for this species need to designate several different habitats for protection. Wild sandbars grow very slowly and mature at a relatively late age. In Western Australia, annual growth band formation was validated using vertebrae from

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tagged sharks. The oldest female Mom’s catch, a blacktip – CPR! You was estimated to be 25 years of age can see how it would be easy, to the and the oldest male was 19 years. untrained eye, to pass this species off as a sandbar. (Photo by Eric Ozolins) The ages at which fifty percent of female and male sharks were sexually mature was estimated to be 16 and 13, respectively. As with many shark species, shark finning and overfishing have devastated the sandbar shark population in recent decades. Until recently, it was the most important commercial shark species in the United States. Because of its numbers, moderate size, palatable meat, and high fin-to-carcass ratio, it was the primary targeted species along the eastern United States. Small litter size, slow growth rate, and a relatively long gestation period make this species particularly vulnerable to over-exploitation. Additionally, sandbars were often advertised to restaurants and seafood markets as blacktips, so people would not assume the meat was dirty, sandy, or in any way subpar in taste and quality based just on the name, so commercial catch numbers may have been underreported. Increased demand in the 1980s had a profound adverse effect on the numbers of sandbars in the southwestern Atlantic. Sandbar stocks were reduced 85-90 percent in just ten years and only continued to support a fishery because of the very large size of the original stock. Adult females became very uncommon and the average size of individuals has declined by about 70 percent since 1975. Although management was introduced in 1993 and the numbers were reported to have increased by 2002, a recent assessment estimated that the stock is still only 35-47 percent of its original size. In addition, it is believed that part of the recovery is due to a decrease in predation of juvenile sandbars by larger sharks, based on declining populations of large predatory sharks. All things considered, sandbar sharks are assessed as globally Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, based on “significant population declines throughout its northwest and western central Atlantic range due to target and bycatch exploitation by fisheries, which although now managed in US waters, is not the case elsewhere in the region.” Due to its preference for smaller prey and its tendency to avoid the surface, the sandbar shark poses little threat to humans, though its size does make it potentially dangerous. It is valuable to recreational fishermen as a game fish (I can personally affirm this). However, sandbars are currently listed as a prohibited species in the TPWD shark fishing regulations, so catch and release only! “Sharks are beautiful animals, and if you’re lucky enough to see lots of them, that means that you’re in a healthy ocean. You should be afraid if you are in the ocean and don’t see sharks.” ~ Sylvia Earle

Where I learned about sandbar sharks, and you can too! Eric Ozolins www.oceanepics.com/oecharters.php NOAA Fisheries www.nefsc.noaa.gov/nefsc/Narragansett/sharks/sandbar-shark.html www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/12-shark-facts-may-surprise-you IUCN Red List www.iucnredlist.org/species/3853/10130397 FishBase www.fishbase.se/summary/880 BioOne bioone.org/journals/marine-and-coastal-fisheries/volume-4/ issue-1/19425120.2012.700904/Reproduction-of-the-Sandbar-Shark-in-theWestern-North-Atlantic/10.1080/19425120.2012.700904.full Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org/accounts/Carcharhinus_plumbeus/ Chesapeake Bay Program www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/entry/sandbar_shark Florida Museum www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/carcharhinusplumbeus/ Monterey Bay Aquarium www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide/fishes/sandbar-shark Aquarium of the Pacific www.aquariumofpacific.org/onlinelearningcenter/species/sandbar TPWD tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_br_v3400_1162.pdf

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Amazing! Ron Ulseth, 75-yearsyoung, battled this pair of sevenfoot-plus bull sharks to the sand…at the same time on the same leader!

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

ERIC OZOLINS

SHARKING ‘FIN’ESSE I view shark fishing from the beach as an artform more than a rigid science, an activity that affords lots of opportunity for individual expression. Through my career I have benefitted from knowledge and information handed down from my surf fishing predecessors. These “brothers on the sand” helped direct me in my early years and I used these to perfect my own game, experimenting endlessly to develop techniques to outsmart the creatures on the other end of the line. With technology in heavy-duty sharking gear continuously on the rise, I try to stay a step ahead to exploit the possibilities. To me, shark fishing is more than just putting out baits. There are but a few companies producing terminal tackle directed to the shark fishing market – especially in the area of leader and hook applications. Of those, the majority are very basic and only capable of producing fish from time to time. Heck, I’ve even seen sharks caught on weed-eater line. Would I ever use it? Not a chance! What it boils down to is that there are specific reasons to use more reliable gear. With as much time as I invest chasing these apex predators, I firmly believe that quality and craftsmanship greatly surpass the average product on the market. There was a time when I was aware of only a single online tackle source that offered such quality. It also happened to be the only product line worthy of my personal endorsement. This small company, cleverly and rightfully named Catch Sharks, catered to shark (and surf ) fishermen nationwide. Their innovative leader designs made me 68 | June 2019

a fan from the beginning. A little over a year ago I had opportunity to acquire the Catch Sharks company. I knew I could expand on the foundation they had created, and in 2018 set about to re-launch the company and its product lines. I became obsessed with raising quality standards to levels hardcore sharkers had never seen, incorporating newer material technologies with personally-proven designs. The greatest innovation in the evolution of Catch Sharks products has been the introduction of Tru-Sand™ coating technology. This unique coating essentially camouflages the hooks and other terminal tackle to match the sandy bottom. With use of ultra-clear leader material and sand-mimicking coated cable, these leaders are as near to invisible as one can create. If even one shark chooses to take a bait from this leader over another brand or design, that within itself is an advantage. We were able to conduct many tests and trials with Catch Sharks leaders during 2018, and surf anglers all along the gulf coast succeeded in bringing some of the largest sharks of the year to the sand. Ray Cedillo used a Catch Sharks leader to land a fourteen-foot hammerhead, quite possibly the largest shark landed on any U.S. beach last year. I personally landed a great number of sharks that measured between 8- and 11-feet during last year’s testing. I am very proud of what I have been able to add to an already great product line and we are hopeful of even greater success in 2019 as further design improvements are incorporated.

New products for 2019 that utilize Tru-Sand™ technology include the Hammer-Time™ Series – Legend Edition™ and the Hammer-Time™ Surf-Saga™. The Legend includes a fixed, 20/0 non-offset circle hook with proprietary barb reduction for easier hookset and removal. (Note that effective September 01, 2019, new regulations from TPWD require shark anglers use only non-offset, non-stainless steel circle hooks for shark fishing in Texas waters.) The Surf Saga™ offers the ability to interchange the hook drops. While both of these were designed for hammerheads, they work equally well on other species. Being a fishing charter guide and having a tackle business provides uncommon opportunity to use and test products with my clients. With my charter schedule packed tighter than a can of sardines, I was quite excited in early April for the arrival of Ron Ulseth, a favorite client

from Minnesota. Ron and his wife Wanda have been happily married fifty-four years and have taken several springtime adventures with me. Their stay in Texas was extended to May this year which allowed for some heated shark action. Ron and I headed down Padre Island National Seashore to find the jack crevalle running rampart. Jacks often travel with big sharks in tow and jack action has been lackluster the past three years. Up to that point Ron’s largest shark was just shy of seven feet. The presence of the jackfish gave us confidence that we were about to beat that. After playing with the jacks a couple of hours, we rolled farther south where water and currents looked optimal for our outing. In early afternoon I set out big gear with big baits. I rigged roughly three-quarters of twenty-pound jack as single baits with two hook drops. I set two rigs, one on the Catch Sharks Tiger Tamer leader and the other on the new Hammer-Time. I typically set three big rods but the sharks found us before I could get the third one out. Ron climbed atop the truck platform and strapped in for battle. It was interesting and satisfying seeing a “northerner” strapped into the 80W and doing battle like a pro. Tru-Sand™ coating renders hooks Meanwhile, the other 80W bait was getting hit. I nearly invisible on the seafloor. let that one sit while Ron continued battling his shark in textbook fashion – a healthy 7’-2” bull. Being his career-largest fish, we celebrated briefly with photos and accomplished a successful release. With that done I instructed Ron to hop back up

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70 | June 2019

Alexis Anthony admires her massive PINS bull shark.

the largest Texas bulls I’ve seen. Together, Matt and I tagged, made photos, and release the beautiful giant. I am very proud of Alexis for her phenomenal catch. We are also ecstatic that she caught it on the newly designed gear. Did the recent design modifications play a role in enabling the catch? Such questions are difficult to answer conclusively, but the leaders are certainly producing great results thus far. Check out the continuous developments and innovations at CatchSharks.com

C O N TA C T

and check the other rod. Sure enough he was hooked up with far greater resistance on the line. Ron proceeded to conduct a lengthy but efficient battle with what we thought was his second fish. This one appeared to be of much greater mass than the previous and we were very optimistic. Roughly thirty minutes passed, Ron had the fish in the first gut and I went out to leader it. Once out there I was presented with a most unusual surprise. Not one, but two big sharks were on the leader. I grabbed the Surf Saga leader and worked them both to shore. Ron was exhausted but his fun factor was through the roof. At seventy-five years young, he had just wrangled two sevenand-a-half-foot bull sharks, at the same time, on the same rod! So, was Ron’s catch a testament to the quality of the gear and its design? Perhaps. But over the course of the following month we continued to put the gear to equally severe tests. On the very next trip, using the Hammer-Time Legend leader, we put a massive lemon shark on the sand. Stay tuned for the story in the July issue. The following weekend, on a three day charter, Molly Kuehl landed the first hammerhead on the new leaders, a large male scalloped hammer. With a break in my relentlessly busy schedule, I found a break at the end of More than 400 pounds the month. The weather forecast looked according to length and promising so Alexis and I headed down girth measurements – with our six-month old daughter for a that’s a lot of bull! beach trip. My primary goal was to get Alexis on a big shark since she has been missing out doing mommy duty at home. This trip turned out to be quite memorable. As on Ron’s trip I ran three-quarter jackfish for bait. It was slow through the morning but picked up by early afternoon. Alexis landed and released a quick blacktip. Not massive, but we knew bigger fish were out there. Then late in the afternoon a fish picked up a bait and took off for Cuba. I got her up on the truck and strapped in for business. My job at that point was tending the baby, who was acting delightfully goofy amid the excitement, while Alexis was hooked up to what appeared to have potential to be the largest fish she had ever battled. I was eager to see just how big it was, guessing by the way it fought and “bulldogged” it was a bull shark. After a 20- to 30-minute struggle, Alexis brought it over the second bar and into the first gut. I headed out to perform the leader chores with friend and fellow sharker Matt Ellis lending a hand. We pulled the beast up on the beach and were amazed. A massive female bull that taped 8’-10” with a hefty 63” girth – one of

For the past decade Eric ‘Oz’ Ozolins has been promoting shark catch and release and assisting various shark research programs. Eric offers guided shark fishing on Padre Island National Seashore. Also renowned for extreme kayak big game fishing, Eric is the owner of Catch Sharks Tackle Company. Email Websites

oz@oceanepics.com oceanepics.com | catchsharks.com

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P L A S T I C & WAT E R D O N ' T M I X

D ’A n n e W i l l i a m s | K e e p A r a n s a s C o u n t y B e a u t i f u l

AFFILIATE OF THE MONTH:

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HURRICANE HARVEY SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK Editor’s Note: Plastic has no place in coastal waters. Constantly on the lookout for newsworthy events and organizations engaged in waterways cleanup activities, I discovered Keep Aransas County Beautiful (KABC) and was very impressed with their mission. KABC was recently honored as Affiliate of the Month by Keep Texas Beautiful for the wonderful work they are doing in so many areas, postHurricane Harvey.

We at Keep Aransas County Beautiful are humbled and honored to be chosen Affiliate of the Month for May 2019. We know there are many great groups in Texas that have been around a long time that are certainly also very deserving. As many may or may not know, Aransas County is now known as ground zero for Hurricane Harvey. When a community finds itself needing to evacuate because it’s about to get hit, one certainly expects to come home and see power lines down and homes and businesses destroyed. But, to see all the trees and plants stripped of all their leaves, 72 | June 2019

hummingbirds desperately looking for nectar, metal debris piled up in the bays and wetlands, our coastal birds missing for days, was a whole other shock in itself. The entire county was left feeling emotionally numb for weeks. For local residents, it took months before we could even think outside of our own lives as we juggled home insurance, contractors, some looking for work, and others for places to live. Many were displaced and even now, 500 students have not returned to our school district. Last April, after waiting for the government for seven months to clean up the mountains of hurricane trash, local skimmer boat captain Tommy Moore took matters into his own hands. With one Facebook post, he invited everyone to come out to Little Bay that weekend Harvey’s destruction to pick up metal debris, at Copano Cove. a recliner, cassette tapes, TPWD game wardens assisted with cleanup at Cove Harbor. Caller-Times photo)

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portacans, power poles and more. The turnout was fantastic. Everyone was excited and felt empowered. A strong dose of “We’re taking control now!” and “Take that Harvey!” was what we all needed. We’ve found that with destruction comes lots of silver linings and new beginnings. For our county, there is renewed openness in looking for meaningful partnerships to get the job done. Aransas County is still in need of “feel good” stories that our citizens can hear, see, and be a part of, to inspire us to keep up the long work of recovery. As KACB started navigating our way post-Harvey, we found that in order to be impactful and get Aransas County back to where it needed to be, we would have to work to build trust with local and state governing authorities with good planning and follow through. We needed to take the time to gain advice from industry experts and, most importantly, develop meaningful partnerships with local conservation agencies such as Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve (MANERR) and Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP), our Mid-Coast Texas Master Naturalists, Texas Game Wardens, Wings Rescue Center and more. We learned to not be afraid to ask for help because many area companies wanted to be a part of the narrative of impactful recovery and were unsure how to get involved. Our local lumber company, Builders First Source, has been super busy since the storm – they jumped at the chance to donate all the lumber and materials that CBBEP needed to rebuild 50 blue heron rookery nesting platforms lost in the storm as we partnered with CBBEP to restore Aransas bays. Dawson Recycling came onboard to help remove and recycle debris from Cove Harbor rather than allow it to go to landfill. Local airboat fishing guides partnered with TPWD game wardens to pull the debris from the same area and the restaurant that overlooks the wetlands fed everyone lunch. KACB partnered with CBBEP and local businesses to restore 50 blue heron nesting platforms.

KACB’s 2018 by the numbers • 18 tons of debris removed from waterways • 8 tons of debris removed from roadways • 5 tons of metal recycled from Cove Harbor instead of being sent to landfill • 2,502 man-hours by volunteers • KTB values KACB’s manhour services at $61,774.38 to the county

hookandtackle.com 74 | June 2019

2019 Moving Forward in Recovery We’ve now moved from strictly cleanup to fun re-greening and beautification projects. KACB restored the area’s damaged entrance monuments, installing native plantings that will attract butterflies and hummingbirds. And, we are on the lookout for unique ideas. Continued on page 95...

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New for 2019 ForEverlast will be introducing several new products for fishing in 2019, including our new telescoping Stow & Go G5 Landing Net. This net offers a sleek design, compact when folded, for easy storage in boat compartments. The rubber-coated net fabric resists hook snags and leaves slime on fish for greater Catch &Release survival. Crafted of durable aluminum, the telescoping feature makes this the perfect net for either salt or fresh water applications. Check it out at your favorite tackle retailer or always online at www.ForEverlast.com | MSRP 49.99

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Sullivan, Executive Vice President of Nanotex, “and Nanotex is at the forefront of engineering advanced textile solutions.” Nanotex’s unique technology enables Bimini Bay’s BloodGuard™ apparel to resist hard-to-clean stains such as blood, grease, dirt and grime, common elements encountered while fishing. “Whether stains are washed off immediately or days later, you will have confidence that stains will disappear after washing. We stand by our product so much that Bimini Bay Outfitters Ltd.’s BloodGuard™ technology is backed with a one-year limited warranty.”

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TSFMAG.com | 77

DICKIE COLBURN

DICKIE COLBURN’S Sabine Scene

S ab i n e

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

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

78 | June 2019

A steady twenty-five mile per hour southwest wind combined with driving rain that refused to lighten up for the better part of an hour forced yet another cancellation before we could even launch the boat this morning. We waited it out until the suggestion of breakfast at the Waffle House sealed the deal. It was still raining when we paid our bill. Oversize reds While our “catching” do a great standard has reached a job of putting new low over the past year, wide smiles on young I am pleased to report that angler’s faces. the wind has been a bigger problem this past month than reduced salinity. Angler confidence takes a hit when the wind churns the water into the color and consistency of a day old chocolate shake, but it doesn’t force the trout to pack up and leave. Our salinity level has actually improved some and we are now finding better numbers of small trout all over

the lake. It hasn’t been a bite that keeps you up all night in anticipation of your day on the water, but it is definitely a step in the right direction. We are still at a point where any realistic hope of keeping a limit of trout requires launching on the Louisiana side of the lake, but even catching trout of any size is a major improvement! Another negative effect of Harvey’s impact that has gotten little or no ink is the fact that it covered the bottom of the entire lake in a thick layer of very loose mud. That unwanted sediment not only buried much of the scattered shell on the north end of the lake but enables even the lightest of winds to quickly eliminate any clarity at all. The clearer water most days is to be found on the east side of the lake from Blue Buck all the way to the jetties. For that reason alone you will also find most of the daily fishing pressure.

The most dependable bite has been provided by schools of surface feeding reds that are not difficult to see or hear from long distances. They are usually immediately scattered by an armada of desperate anglers, but quickly show up again for the more patient folks. I haven’t found a lure they won’t hit, but a heavier offering will get you in the fray quicker. Because the majority of these fish are oversized, you are seldom able to win your initial tug of war before the fish go down anyway. I seldom fish a rod action heavier than medium light, but I have found these reds best fished with a seven foot medium or medium heavy Laguna stick. The faster action and added backbone not only help with the hookset and controlling the fish, but more easily delivering heavier lures as well. Kids and Color choice depends on water clarity to flounder go some degree, but when we are not fishing a well together. chrome Hoginar, Space Guppy and Morning Glory have been very good colors in a fourinch Usual Suspect. A Gulp body on a threeeighths ounce head works equally well, but there is little need to waste your Gulp on these brawlers! As mentioned earlier, the better numbers of trout are still being caught in the southeast portion of the lake, but the

majority of these fish are only Louisiana legal. While the bite has been anything but consistent, the better numbers of trout up to 24-inches have been taken off the revetment walls or wading points on the north end of the lake. The Catch 2000, Swimming Image and MirrOdine XL have been the most productive lures when fishing both walls. Live shrimp fished under a popping cork is never a bad option. I know it’s late in the year for patiently cranking on a Corky, but a pink or Day Glow Fat Boy continues to produce the largest trout for the waders. I recently saw a rare seven pound trout taken with this approach and while they are few and far between. The majority of the trout caught in the four- to five-pound class have been caught on these imitation mullets. Maybe the best news of all is that while we are catching fewer big flounder as of right now, the numbers of smaller fish have been incredible. They are stacked up along the shorelines and will readily hit a Gulp curly tail or small tail. I am encouraged by the improving bite as we move into the summer and very much look forward to sharing it with vacationing kids!

TSFMAG.com | 79

CAPT. CALEB HARP

THE BUZZ on Galveston Bay

Galve s t o n

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

Telephone 281-753-3378 Website harpsguideservice.com

80 | June 2019

The stabilization that’s been long overdue is finally here. Outside of a stray front here and there, everything seems to finally be moving into place. As a whole, our fishery is becoming more vibrant and lively than we’ve seen for the past few months. With the big uptick in fishing success, we have cause to wonder if it’s been sparked by the arrival of tide runner fish from the gulf to our bay complex, or it’s simply because the dreaded spring transition is finally over for good. I think it’s a little of both. As tough as the fishing can get during the spring transitions, it’s very hard to get a good sample of how many fish we have in our bay when they aren’t feeding regularly. We definitely DO NOT have as many resident fish in our bay as we’ve seen in years past but our saving grace is the tide-runners that are coming in through the passes. Tide-runner is a term that describes a fish that is not a full time bay resident, was likely born in the gulf, and enters the bay through gulf passes during the warmer months while following bait migrations. This occurs primarily on incoming tides. It is also believed that some of these fish will return to the gulf during fall when forage species such as mullet and others make

their annual spawning runs. Due to the recent mild winter and warmer-thanaverage bay water temperatures here in late-spring, the tide-runners have already started their swing and have infiltrated the bays in full force. This isn’t just a one-time deal either; these fish will come in spurts most of the summer. Given the number of tide-runners already inhabiting the bay, I think we have very good chances for an above average summer fishing season. The migration of fish through the Galveston jetties, coming up the Houston Ship Channel, can be quite impressive to watch. These fish will show up one day like crazy and keep riding the tide as far as they can. The gas wells in Trinity Bay are kind of their final stop, making this area so good during the late summer months. The key to fishing these tide-runner fish is to intercept their migration and find out where they are likely to hold for a period. The abundance of baitfish and shrimp are keys to understanding this phenomenon. The areas of Ship Channel spoils covered with oyster reefs provide excellent structure to attract both bait and large schools of gamefish. I am excited to see how this year plays out. Several

of the old timers are predicting a return to “normal” fishing. That would be wonderful compared to what we’ve endured the last five years. Pray we don’t get another flood! East Galveston Bay East Bay has been consistent for drifters on mid-bay reefs. Each reef is different and sets up differently in it’s own way, depending on how the tides are running and the bait congregates. It’s no secret that the reefs

Capt. Thomas Francis with a nice slot redfish from an open water school on Galveston Bay.

are a great place to catch trout in the summer months, especially after the last few years of madness that took place there but being on the right reef at the right time is critical. MirrOlure Lil’ John’s are my go-to reef bait most of all of the time. I like the Purple Demon whenever the water is stained to “trout green” and the Chartreuse Ice color whenever the water is clearer. Finding high points within the reefs will help you pinpoint schools of fish better and always keep an eye out for slicks to show you where the fish are moving. West Galveston Bay West Bay has been pumping out some good stringers for wade fishermen around San Luis Pass. Working guts and sand flats around the pass can be quite productive in late-spring, throwing MirrOlure She-Dogs. Redfish are thick on the grassbeds of the north shoreline. Throwing paddletails like weedless rigged Marsh Minnows is definitely hard to beat – especially in and around sand pockets in the grass. These patterns should stay true for most of summer. Trinity Bay I wouldn’t expect much action in Trinity until these sporadic heavy rainfall events go away. As I type this, we’ve gotten another twelve inches of rain in the last week and the discharge out of the Lake Livingston dam is reading over 54,000 cubic feet per second. To give you a visual, Niagara Falls is 67,200 cubic feet per second. Those memorable trips in Trinity will become a reality again one day but, for now, we’ve got to trailer around or stay to the south. Stay safe and enjoy your fishing.

TSFMAG.com | 81

BINK GRIMES

THE VIEW FROM Matagorda

M ata go r d a

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

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

I have said it before but I will say it again – I love June in Matagorda. “Southeast winds 5-10 knots, seas 1-2 feet” is sweet music when trying to concoct a fishing plan. East or west? Wade or drift? Surf or jetty? Topwaters or soft plastics? Working close to the jetty also offers quick access to the beach. The surf normally gives us a few days to fish in June and there is nothing better than watching a plug get crunched in the foam. We wade the first gut on an incoming tide but choose to fish from the boat when tides are falling, so we can safely fish the outer bars in 4-6 feet of water. We don’t forget about the actual jetty walls, either. Some days it’s large trout, others it all redfish. When wading the bays, we traditionally focus on the grass beds during the summer. Most of this

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terrain can be found leeward of barrier islands, protected from southerly winds, staying fishably clean even with gusty winds. Our grass beds are in West Matagorda Bay. June normally affords ardent morning incoming tides, perfect for walking a She Pup or Super Spook Jr. over the flats. We toss topwaters, Bass Assassins, Down South Lures, and MirrOlure Soft-Dines in some of the most beautiful water you will ever wade. We enjoy the dolphins, turtles, occasional tarpon and sometimes deal with sharks. We like to talk about the good ol’ days and the fish we caught, but I believe all the wet springs and winters over the past five years is rejuvenating the bay and the best is still on the horizon. So many anglers these days have never waded and really don’t want to try, so we stay in the boat; and, that’s okay. Many, many, many trout over seven pounds have been caught while drifting and fishing out of the boat. We are really seeing the fruits of a wet winter and spring. Freshwater runoff has done wonders for our estuaries. We are seeing lots of little crabs and many more healthy adults. Shad, shrimp, mullet – all manner of species are thriving. When baitfish thrive, so do our gamefish. There have been gobs of glass minnows this spring and shrimpers have had no problem filling bait tanks. We love to fish East Bay when we can. With light wind, all of East Bay is in play, including midbay reefs. Few bays in Texas rival East Matty for its potential to grow large trout; and, when the weather allows you to wade one of those coveted reefs in the middle of the bay, you better adjust your drag and hold on tight. I can’t tell you how many arm-length trout I have released over the years while tossing a topwater or Bass Assassin; and, how many big trout I have watched eat a 2- to 3-inch shrimp under a popping cork. Opportunities are endless this month. June for a plugger is a lot like November to a duck hunter. We just smile and lie in bed pondering the possibilities. Follow our reports daily on Instagram and Facebook, and weekly on the Texas Insider Fishing Report on Fox Sports Southwest. Sunrise Lodge video: http://vimeo.com/m/58631486

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TSFMAG.com | 83

CAPT. GARY GRAY

MID-COAST BAYS With the Grays

Port O'Connor Seadrift

Captain Gary Gray is a full time guide, born and raised in Seadrift. He has been guiding the Seadrift/Port O’Connor region since 1986. Gary specializes in year ‘round wade fishing for speckled trout and redfish with artificial lures.

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

84 | June 2019

Here we are in the first week of May and we are finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel. The tunnel being stable weather patterns. Springtime weather is always so changeable. Stable weather patterns for a week or more at a time usually means the fish’s feeding patterns will be similarly stable. Up until the first of May we would have several days of 70° short-sleeve weather, enjoying a good trout bite on San Antonio Bay’s south shoreline. A couple of days later a blue norther comes gusting across the bay. All you can do is bail to the back lakes of Matagorda Island or seek shelter in places like Pringle Lake and Shoalwater Bay. When you are forced to make such drastic changes in fishing areas it’s difficult to be on top of movements and feeding patterns. Tide levels and changes in water temperature are also part of the puzzle. Imagine how the fish must struggle to adapt to such radical changes. This played out all spring for us and for the quarry that we have been targeting. Now that we are getting into more stable patterns it will be easier for anglers to develop what we think are the best patterns to fish the areas we are targeting for longer periods of time.

Jill Hollis learning the ropes of wading. Specs 101.

Mark Odom landing a nice San Antonio Bay trout.

Through the rest of May and into the summer months you will find my Shallow Sport X3 headed to areas near the passes that connect the gulf to the bays – areas like Mesquite Bay and West Matagorda Bay. Both of these bay systems have what you need to be looking for this time of year. The passes will be where the incoming tides will bring the schools of menhaden and other forage species into the nutrient-rich bay systems – thanks to Mother Nature’s generous rainfall and runoff events that dominated our weather from September through much of the winter. Following these migrating baitfish you will find hungry surf-runner trout coming into the bay systems. It is always my plan to intercept these fish as they are on average a more quality fish than what the bays have been holding. For all you naysayers, I said on average, we all know there are some pigs that live in our bays but I’m talking average size. There are a few tips that will help you and I locate and catch these tide-runners which, by the way, do comingle with your local resident trout during the summer months. When I’m fishing near the passes this time of year I will look for shorelines that have irregularities to change the direction or flow of incoming or outgoing tides. Irregularities such as a point jutting out or a shell reef along the shoreline. A slough that connects a backwater area to the main bay shoreline is great also. Scattered grass and sandbars will do the same trick, they are all structure. These irregularities are what the gamefish that we target will use as ambush points to catch their next meal – and we will use as focal points to target our gamefish. When fishing these shorelines you will have to pay special attention to your surroundings. Are the baitfish hanging close to the banks or are they out deeper? Are there slicks popping in certain areas? Are the menhaden and larger mullet daisy chaining down the shorelines? Once you start fishing and you have your target areas identified, you will need to match your lure to the baitfish present in the area you’re fishing. If you have a lot of shad or larger mullet you could go with the MirrOlure MirrOdine XL, they come in many colors with chrome sides to add flash. MirrOlure also has the Soft-Dine XL which will also do the trick. Bass Assassin 4” Sea Shads will always get the job done also. I choose Magic Grass and Slammin Chicken for dirtier water and colors such as Sugar and Spice, and Boodreaux in areas with better water clarity. I am not a hardcore topwater enthusiast but if that’s what the fish seem to prefer I will certainly join in. MirrOlure makes the She Dog, Top Dog and the larger He Dog. I use all of them. Heddon makes the Super Spook and Super Spook Jr. I find bone to be my most productive Spook color. All of these surface plugs will get the job done; what it comes down is personal preference and confidence. Hopefully this will help you target and catch some of the tide-runners we have entering the bay systems this time of year. Fish hard, fish smart! TSFMAG.com | 85

DAVID ROWSEY

HOOKED UP WITH Rowsey

Upper Laguna/ Ba f f i n

David Rowsey has over 25 years in Baffin and Upper Laguna Madre; trophy trout with artificial lures is his specialty. David has a great passion for conservation and encourages catch and release of trophy fish.

Telephone 361-960-0340 Website www.DavidRowsey.com Email david.rowsey@yahoo.com @captdavidrowsey

Summer sure showed up in a hurry this year. I dumped my waders and was enjoying the pool after a day on the water much sooner than in previous years. We all have “our thing” we hate doing every day; mine are as silly as the routine of getting in my waders every single morning and walking across the parking lot to put the boat back on the trailer at the end of every charter. Yep, that’s it…. but at least I’m dropping the Simms waders for a pair of Simms flip flops walking out the door. Now if I can only find a youngster who would have the Haynie filled with ice and launched for me, life would be even more excellent. Late spring and early summer thus far have been pretty darn windy. When it gets too high it can become a real nuisance, as the waters from Baffin and south of there have had a much lower tolerance for high winds this year than they have in the past. My exploration trips down that way have been discouraging, but I’m hoping the lighter winds in June will open up tons of new water to chase trout that have, mostly, been unmolested during the winter and spring season. For the record, wind is a good thing for fishing in this area. With very little tidal influence; our currents

are predominantly wind-generated; it just becomes too much when it muddies everything up. Wind less than 20 mph is actually much better for fishing and catching than slick-calm days. Being surprised with some folks that showed up to the dock for a charter, I was spotted scratching my head as they informed me that they had no interest in wade fishing. They had to be fished out of the boat. YIKES! Now drifting is not what I like to do, not how I fish, and not what makes me successful as a full time guide. The upside to the scenario was that they were diehard bass fishermen and knew how to work lures. As we idled out of the marina into a 20 mph wind, I scratched my head again and pulled a page from the playbook of legendary fishing guide, now retired, Doug Bird. I pointed the big Haynie and 350 Mercury south and never let up until we were in the far reaches of the Land Cut. I had made this run a week prior without much success. The water was dirty and I had issues with the trolling motor. This trip looked more promising. Bait was prevalent almost the whole way through the Land Cut and my optimism increased as I shut the boat down. I put out

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Adriana Felts closing out our last warm day in waders with some hot redfish action.

a drift sock and dropped the trolling motor. I had one of the two gentlemen tie on a MirrOlure She Dog, while I tied a Bass Assassin on a 1/4-ounce jighead. I heard the water explode before I could get the drift sock to open and the trolling motor deployed. I looked up to see Johnny Bass bowed up on what turned out to be a fat 5-pound trout. Jimmy Bass was watching the show and let his She Dog sit motionless in the water, paying it no mind. Apparently that motionless topwater was just what the next trout wanted and she crashed it. Jimmy fought her like a pro and I got lucky to grab her on the first pass with the Boga Grip. A beautiful 7-pounder. We spent the rest of what turned out to be an exceptionally rewarding day on about a one mile stretch of ledge in the Land Cut. We landed over 100 quality trout, with maybe 20 going over 5-pounds. That early-morning 7-pounder was the largest of the day. In all my years of fishing down here, I had to mark this one up as my best day ever, quality-wise. And off of the deck of a boat at that. Thank you, Capt. Doug Bird for the years of advice on how to do it in the Land Cut. In closing, our days are already getting hot. Your best trout bite on artificial is going to be before 0930. If you want to stay on trout all day, you will, generally, be wading deeper for the rest of the day and working Bass Assassins off the bottom for the most action. Saying that, you are in Baffin and there is always that big, lone, rogue trout that insists on staying skinny. If big trout is your game, stay skinny. Remember the buffalo! -Capt David Rowsey TSFMAG.com | 87

WAYNE DAVIS

WAYNE’S Mansfield Report

Port Mansfield

Captain Wayne Davis has been fishing the Lower Laguna-Port Mansfield for over 20 years. He specializes in wade fishing with lures.

Telephone 210-287-3877 Email captwayne@kwigglers.com

Greetings from Port Mansfield, where I’m happy to report its officially time to clean your Simms waders and store them until fall. Done properly, a good spring cleaning and storing correctly will extend the life of your wader and prevent leaky surprises when you least expect them next fall. Check out Simms Fishing on the web for best cleaning and storage practices. Now let’s talk fishing. Our morning water temperatures are hovering around 73° to 74°, which might sound a little cool for wet wading, but you get used to it relatively quickly. Come mid-afternoon the water has warmed into the upper-70s to around 80°. Early morning; baitfish are as thick as I’ve seen in the clear shallow flats where you can literally find rafts of mullet stretching hundreds of yards. This is an interesting talking point – I recently fished an area full of mullet early in the morning, just as the sun was breaking the horizon but, to my surprise, we only landed a couple trout, not what I expected. So, after an hour or so we moved on and fished out the day. The next day, same scenario, but to avoid being fooled again I went with another “first spot” and we enjoyed a good early morning bite tossing topwaters

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88 | June 2019

and plastics. By the time we finished up it was mid- to- late morning and the wind had picked up substantially – as it does in Port Mansfield this time of year. We had to drive back by the area where all the mullet were spotted the day previous, but now I noticed they were not active, but just milling around subsurface, which is common. Just as expected, a distinct color change had formed just outside the rafts of mullet as a result of the 20+ mph SE winds. I thought to myself, I bet those reds and trout are staging in that dirtier water, so we decided to fish just inside the murky zone. They were there! What I learned in the days that followed is that the gamefish were always out there, just outside that gin-clear water, even in the mornings. This pattern worked wonders for me and my groups because we would simply start our mornings in the murky water, just outside the bait, not in the midst of it. Keep in mind this pattern is variable, sometimes the gamefish are intermingled with the bait, you just have to explore both zones if and when the opportunity presents itself. As noted above our flats have come alive with not only trout and redfish but other “reel screamers” such

as jack crevalle. I used to Carson Walker welcome the challenge with tricked this sleek these bruisers but nowadays seven-pounder I’d rather not cast toward with a KWigglers one. If you don’t get spooled Ball Tail Shad. almost instantly you might end up in a 45 minute battle wrangling them to hand. I’ll pass, thank you. Another cautionary tidbit worthy of mention would be stingrays – lots of stingrays. I had an angler get dinged pretty good last week, luckily (if you can associate luck with a stingray hit), the hit came right on the ankle bone. A painful jab to be sure but the wound was shallow with no barb left behind. He described It like being struck by a hammer, followed immediately by intense burning and stinging. I highly recommend that wading anglers wear stingray guards and shuffle their feet. Our fish are still coming relatively shallow, around John Hays also thigh deep on average, even found a beautiful though we are sometimes springtime casting into deeper water. The seven-pounder. KWigglers Willow Tail Shad rigged with on the 2/0 size Spring Lock heads weighing 1/16-ounce, or the weedless Willow Maker Jig in 1/8-ounce still seem to dominate the shallow water. The Ball Tail Shad rigged on a 2/0 size, 1/8-ounce black nickel jighead, is my pick when casting deeper. The dredging project I mentioned several months ago is now underway. As of this writing the dredge is working just outside the harbor near the ICW. Although the pipes are well marked you need to be mindful as some of the dredge pipes are just below the surface throughout this area. In addition to the dredging project is the increase in boat traffic. To put the boat traffic in perspective, I was wading a popular flat on a recent Saturday and counted 28 boats within eyesight – now that’s a lot of boats. Until next time, stay safe and consider catch and release on some of your fishing trips.

The owner of Diamond J, James Rosalis, was a partner in Circle J Enterprises at the time our office and son’s home were built by Circle J. Workmanship and attention to detail were both excellent! – Everett Johnson, Editor/Publisher, Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine

TSFMAG.com | 89

CAPT. ERNEST CISNEROS

SOUTH PADRE Fishing Scene Arr o y o C ol o ra d o t o Po rt I sa bel

A Brownsville-area native, Capt. Ernest Cisneros fishes the Lower Laguna Madre from Port Mansfield to Port Isabel. Ernest specializes in wading and poled skiff adventures for snook, trout, and redfish.

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

Summer is here and a lot lies between the letters s and r in that word. For starters, the sun is about to get blazing hot. It will feel even hotter as winds become generally lighter in June. For the r, water temps will rise to the upper-80s as afternoon air temperatures approach 100°. Boat traffic will increase dramatically and so will the fishing pressure. Fishing tournaments will be held every weekend. We can only hope our catching will be as busy and hot. Fishing will generally improve compared to the spring months as lighter winds open the playing field. In recent weeks we have been noticing shrimp moving through the ICW. Trout and redfish drive shrimp to the surface where flocks of gulls hover to snatch easy food. Trout action for anglers who drift within casting distance can be fast-paced. Mostly small fish, but there will likely also be enough keepers to keep it interesting. Larger trout tend to hold lower in the water column under birds; slower lure presentations can aid in finding them. Fishing working birds can be productive throughout summer. I mentioned that the winds would lay in June, some mornings will be slick-calm. Wakes and mud boils made by redfish fleeing boat noise in shallow water

are a dead giveaway. On the flipside, they’ll likely be spookier and harder to target. Experience has taught me that larger schools will settle down and resume feeding sooner than singles and small groups. Anglers in the practice of keeping fishing logs have probably noticed that redfish seem to favor certain areas year after year – so long as tide, water clarity, and bait availability are favorable. If you are not into keeping a logbook, your next fishing trip is the best time to start. I make daily log entries and refer to them frequently to assist in patterning the fish. Redfish are known to seek deeper water when boat traffic is heavy and also when water temperatures reach summertime highs. We might not be able to see them in deeper water but their habit of grubbing soft bottoms while feeding can tell us they’re there. Look for murky zones, maybe the size of a swimming pool, amid generally greener water. Maybe not a surefire method, large mullet and black drum do the same thing, but thinking outside the box can sometimes pay solid dividends. My go-to list of redfish lures includes weedless gold spoons in grassy conditions and KWigglers plastics. I really like the Ball Tail Shad in Plum-Chartreuse and the

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Willow Tail Shad in Lagunaflauge and Mansfield Margarita. We have enjoyed an exceptional run of large trout in recent weeks. Unfortunately, even though the lengths and some of the weights have been impressive, the weights have declined in general now that they are spawning. Bigger trout have become scattered. This is evident by the fact that we are finding them only in ones and sometimes twos, whereas we were able to achieve multiple landings in certain areas several weeks ago. Like redfish, these big trout have withdrawn from the crowds and noise. Isolated spoil banks, shallow sandbars and potholes on flats away from busy travel lanes have proven most productive. Common themes in large Bill Adams scored his first trout landings have been large snook on a recent charter. concentrations of bait in the area and numerous fresh slicks. Mark Wherry fooled this Topwaters have been taking a solid Lower Laguna trout good number of bigger trout but on a KWigglers Willow Tail. floating grass makes it a losing game in many areas, unless you rig with single hooks. When the topwater bite fades we rely on KWigglers plastics – same styles and colors we throw for redfish. Nice flatfish surprise in recent weeks. Flounder in considerable numbers have evidently completed their spawning run and found their way back to the Lower Laguna. Ledges along the ICW and old oilfield cuts have been holding enough flounder to actually target them. Small plastics fished slowly along the structure is probably the best technique. Carry a net. Landing one without a net would be like me hitting a homerun in the bottom of the ninth in Game Seven of the World Series. Historically speaking, fishing will be good this month, but quarters will be tight as there will be lots of activity on the water. Fish moving tides as much as possible, watch for slicks, and keep an eye on water temperature to determine the desired depth. I will end this article saying that proper etiquette will be of utmost importance on the water and also at the launch ramp. The busiest season of the year is upon us – be a good steward of the resource and be kind to your fellow anglers. Tight lines and try to stay cool.

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FISHING REPORTS

Lake Calcasieu Louisiana Jeff and Mary Poe - Big Lake Guide Service - 337.598.3268 At the current time, trout fishing has been a bit challenging. We are putting fish in the boat consistently, but it is tougher than we were expecting at this time last month. The torrential rains we’ve experienced over the last few weeks have freshened the estuary and muddied the waters. The bright spot has been redfish for the last week or so. The bite at the Cameron Jetties has been fantastic on the incoming tide. Looking ahead to June, we expect things to settle down and become more productive. The freshwater should be gone, opening up options all over the estuary. Typically, June is our best month for catching large numbers of trout. Normally, weather patterns start to calm, which opens our nearshore options. The jetties, surf, and short-rigs should all be productive places this month. These are always some of our most memorable trips of the year, because the pace of catching is often fast, hard to keep up with. We look forward to seeing all of you on the water soon. Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 In June, James usually finds the wading good for a while, then sees something of a shift towards fishing deeper, open waters out of the boat later in the month. “We like to wade reefs and shorelines in the area bays early in the morning this time of year, especially when the tide is coming in. Areas behind San Luis Pass, shorelines close to the ship channel, and cuts and drains in both East and Trinity Bays have good potential this time of year. It's a great month to throw topwaters. I tend to favor SheDogs and ShePups, which are pretty easy on the wrists, and the fish eat 'em up. The red and white ones and the pink and silver ones have been working well lately. When the topwaters aren't working, the shrimp-colored Sea Shads are working better. By the time June rolls around, we should have more birds working, catching some easy limits under them, and we should also be able to do some effective slickhopping, keying in on schools of trout feeding in places not too far from the ship channel out of the boat.” Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054 Heavy rains were inundating Galveston during the time Jim gave his report. “I'm watching the news, and some places have gotten seven or eight inches of rain already. So fishing in the near future will depend on how high the rivers get. Shoreline fishing will get tough if it gets too fresh over most of the area, but fishing out in the middle might get even better. Lately, we've been catching pretty good wading some of the shorelines in East Bay, throwing slow-sinking twitch baits and topwaters. Good numbers of solid trout to about five pounds are biting them. If and when we're forced out into the middle by the freshwater, into depths of seven to ten feet, we'll switch over to catching everything on tails. The key out there will be to match the size of jighead to the conditions. In order to catch the fish hugging the bottom in the layer of salty water down there, you've got to keep the lure close to the bottom. If tides and winds are light, eighth-ounce jigheads might work; stronger winds and tides will dictate the use of heavier ones.” West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 Randall was optimistic when he submitted this report, predicting a 92 | June 2019

ORECASTS F from Big Lake to Boca Chica

AND

productive summer of fishing in the San Luis Pass area. “We've had a big run of brown shrimp moving into the bays recently. We've been catching fish steadily. Had seventeen trout and a couple reds today, which has been pretty typical. We caught pretty good on soft plastics rigged on three-eighths ounce jigheads today, fishing out of the boat. We also did decent wading with some of the custom Paul Brown Lures, including the silver one with black spots. Any day now, I expect the ribbonfish to start migrating into the bays from the surf. When that happens, we usually catch pretty good for a while, throwing pearl SkitterWalks and the large Sand Eels, which more closely resemble the long, slender, silver ribbonfish. And, speaking of the surf, we look forward to spending lots of morning targeting our trout out there, when winds are light and morning incoming tides make it productive. I think we're heading for a really outstanding summer of catching around here.” Matagorda | Tommy Countz Bay Guide Service - 979.863.7553 cell 281.450.4037 Like most every other month, June presents plenty of options for anglers in the Matagorda area. “When I'm wading, I'm usually in West Bay, throwing topwaters on the shallow grass beds close to the shorelines early, then switching to soft plastics like a glow Lil' John later in the morning, rigged on a sixteenth-ounce jighead. If the tide is dropping out, we wind up on the outer beds and bars. Of course, we like to walk over the island into the surf any time we can, meaning when the wind lays down. Out along the beach, we usually fish in a similar way to what we do in the bay, working topwaters in the shallow guts early, then moving out deeper with soft plastics later. If we're fishing out of the boat, we're probably drifting over the big artificial reef in West Bay or in either end of East Bay, using paddletails rigged on heavier jigheads, either quarter or three-eighths ounce, bumping them off the bottom. Sometimes, we fish with live shrimp dangled about four feet under a popping cork, which keeps us ready to target tripletail if and when we see them.” Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 Fishing is on fire in Palacios! Trout fishing has been great over deep shell, throwing live shrimp rigged three to four feet under corks, underneath the lights at night on 1st St. and East Bay Piers, free-lining live shrimp, and on grassy shorelines, throwing bone Spook Juniors. The size of most of our trout right now are sixteen to nineteen inches, with a few over twenty. Redfish are on scattered shell and grass shorelines in less than two feet of water, chasing glass minnows and grass shrimp. Gold quarter-ounce spoons and chartreuse/pearl/chartreuse ShePups have been effective for them. Late-season fronts are keeping our flounder gigging strong, with easy limits on good light north winds. June can be a great month in the surf on the peninsula, early mornings in the first gut and in deeper water as the sun rises higher. SheDogs in green/chrome and chartreuse/chrome are favorites. Tripletail will be showing up and should be around any visible or floating structure in the bay, readily biting live shrimp rigged five to six feet under popping corks. Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith Back Bay Guide Service - 361.983.4434 Lynn likes fishing shallow, sandy, grassy flats close to Pass Cavallo when the calendar switches over from spring to summer. “We like to try to stay close to the big rafts of mullet moving into West Matagorda Bay.

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We usually catch some pretty big trout this month, throwing topwaters as much as we can. They work really well early in the mornings, especially when an incoming tide peaks not long after daybreak. We will also throw soft plastics around the concentrations of mullet on days when we've had a good topwater bite for a while, then it plays out. When not fishing flats close to the surf, we will spend some days in the surf itself, working the part right on the beach early, moving out as the day progresses. In the bays, we like to fish some of the mid-bay reefs, particularly those with relatively deep, open water close by. Trout fishing is usually steady in places like that in June. We'll still focus on catching redfish in the back-lakes. The bite is good for reds on soft plastics in areas with scattered shell, mud and grass, also lots of bait.” Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894 Blake looks forward to fishing in the surf as much as possible, once June rolls around. “I like to fish in the surf this time of year. It can be really productive. We usually start off close to the beach, throwing topwaters, then move out to the deeper guts and throw MirrOlures and soft plastics later. But I don't count on the surf so much, because the productivity of it is so weather dependent, especially now that Cedar Bayou has sealed up again. Mostly, I like fishing hard sand bottoms in the local bays this time of year, when the wind is up, or shell reefs out in the middle, when winds are lighter. Wherever we're fishing, we like to throw topwaters early when we can, soft plastics later. And, of course, I do quite a bit of wading with live croakers this time of year. Locating large concentrations of bait makes a big difference once the warm season starts. It doesn't make much sense to be fishing somewhere without plenty of food for the trout and redfish, since so many places have such a good variety of small fish and crustaceans in them.” Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 The month of June is one of my favorite times for fishing. The weather is consistently calmer than earlier in the spring, and that translates into better catching. This is still a great month to start out the mornings fishing with your favorite MirrOlure SheDogs or TopDogs, as long there is not too much floating grass. If you get many blow ups on the top waters but no hook ups, switching to the MirrOlure Catch 5 and working it just under the surface sometimes improves the catch rate. If there is too much floating or suspended grass, use the Bass Assassin Die Dappers in colors like sand trout, chartreuse dog, or chicken on a chain, rigged on a sixteenth-ounce Spring Lock jighead. These will produce good numbers of trout and redfish. On sunny days, with less than twenty knot winds, the sight-casting game will be very good in water less than twelve inches deep, fishing with shrimp-flavored Fish-Bites. Of course, the live croakers will be catching many trout, redfish and flounder along grass lines and in areas with sandy potholes. Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.877.1230 June usually brings calmer conditions than the previous months, which creates improved opportunities for catching trout and redfish in a variety of ways, Joe says. “Wading with topwaters on shorelines and around shallow sand bars along the ICW will produce excellent catches of both trout and redfish, especially when winds die down late at night and the calm lull lasts into the early-morning hours this month. If a bunch of fish bite the topwaters early in a place, then stop once the sun rises further over the horizon, it's usually possible to keep catching by switching to soft plastics and throwing them in a little deeper water. Fishing out of the boat, along grassy edges, over deep potholes and around rocks on shorelines with deep water close by also works great

94 | June 2019

in June. Since the water is so clear lately, it's possible to throw soft plastics along the edges of potholes and around the rocks without getting hung up often. During the middle of the bright days, sight-casting options for drum, redfish and trout also present themselves regularly.” P.I.N.S. Fishing Forecast | Eric Ozolins 361-877-3583 | Oceanepics.com Summer is coming soon! June can be prime-time for speckled trout in the surf; my favorite method out there is throwing topwater lures early and late. Walking the dog has produced some of the largest trout I've ever seen from the surf. When driving the beach, look for suckouts in the first bar, deeper holes, and wrecks. Expect to see some jack crevalle still hanging in the surf and they too will take trout lures… and wreak havoc on trout tackle. Spanish mackerel and skipjacks, while slow to show this year, should be making their presence known very soon. Spoons of any size and color often do the trick with these guys, especially under birds. It is not uncommon to hook a tarpon while targeting them. June also marks the arrival of large tiger sharks and great hammerheads, which feed on the large stingrays that come to the surf to birth their pups. Waders should keep their feet on the sand at all times; anyone struck by stingray barbs should seek medical attention immediately. Soaking the wound in hot water provides temporary relief. Port Mansfield | Ruben Garza Snookdudecharters.com – 832.385.1431 Getaway Adventures Lodge – 956.944.4000 The spring months on the Lower Laguna are quite windy, but June is generally calmest. This month, topwater action is normally best in low light, early and late, sometimes all day. West Bay, Peyton's Bay, The Saucer, and spoil banks along the ICW and East Cut all offer great opportunity. My favorite floaters are full-sized Super Spooks, Spook Juniors, and SkitterWalks, large and small. The best colors vary from day to day, so an assortment in the wade box is recommended. When surface action fades, best bet for trout will be soft plastics and gold spoons for reds. KWiggler Ball Tails on eighth-ounce heads are my go-to plastics wherever I’m fishing. Trout action has been best in thigh-deep water along the Pipeline, the old Weather Station, Wagner’s Bar, and south of Dubb’s Island. Redfish have been fairly steady east of Bennie’s Island, around Green Island, Butcher’s and Dubb's Islands. The east side sand flats are legendary for mid-day sight-casting opportunities for redfish and occasional big trout, another of many great June options. Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Aaron Cisneros | tightlinescharters.com – 956-639-1941 Tide levels have been increasing over the past several weeks, normal for this time of year, which means we have more areas to fish than during the colder months. Flats, spoil islands, and back bay shorelines are virtually all in play at this time. Large rafts of mullet can be found in many areas and solid trout have been concentrating where the bait is most plentiful. Best trout action has been coming from mid-thigh to knee-deep water over grassbeds. We are throwing natural-colored KWigglers plastics for the most part on 1/16-ounce jigheads. Redfish have been mixed with trout along many of the shallow sand and grass shorelines and back bay regions. Weedless gold spoons have been working very well for reds in grassy situations, as well as the Super Spook Jr rigged with single hooks. Winds will continue to lie down, in general, as air and water temperatures continue to rise. Summer fishing patterns will soon be the norm and daily trout and redfish movements will become more predictable. Come on out and enjoy the fishing. You cannot catch them at home!

...continued from page 74

Rockport-Fulton ISD athletic department, especially the football squads, have donated their efforts to assist in cleanup and restoration projects.

For example, at our local post office, we are teaming up with local Master Gardeners and 4-H to install an all-native discovery garden teaching the benefits of native plantings and also installing a cigarette butt disposal container to educate on the harmful impact of throwing away cigarettes improperly.

getting involved in their rescue. We intend to try and keep up these meaningful partnerships, getting advice as we move forward in planning. We want to make this a win for each other but even more a win for our beloved waters, birds, lands, and the like. Again, on behalf of Keep Aransas County Beautiful and all of Aransas County, we wish to thank Keep Texas Beautiful for this honor. We hope we continue to do you proud. Lastly, we are now forming Eco-Tourism opportunities! We’d like to invite you to come to Aransas County for a fun weekend that includes a KACB project on a Saturday morning! If you are interested, please email us or like us on Facebook info@kacbtx.org. To make a donation to our efforts or the historic Blue Crab statue so long a part of Rockport’s landscape, please visit www.kacbtx.org

Local youths volunteering to remove storm and other debris from local roadways.

Greening and Beatification With the help from our 2019 Governor’s Community Achievement Grant with KTB and TxDOT, we are eager to restore our roadways and install litter prevention signage. This summer we are ramping up efforts to getting our famous Big Blue Crab landmark rebuilt. We’ll always do two cleanups each fall and spring – one on land with KTB and one in our coastal waterways with Texas Adopt a Beach Program.

Regreening projects have attracted support by many local residents.

Education We’ve initiated a Summer Youth Program allowing students who participate in conservation activities to qualify for a pizza party to celebrate. We will continue to work with the National Park Service in not only educating about debris impact on our federally protected sea turtles and coastal birds, and also

TSFMAG.com | 95

Kristan Dugi POC - 45” personal best black drum!

Candace Stapp Demit Point - 38” redfish

Luis R. Guzman II Port Mansfield - 25” trout

Guillermo Munguia Port Mansfield - 29” speckled trout

Hector Torres, Jr. South Padre - 51” red CPR 96 | June 2019

Kaden Ackley 74 lb first alligator gar!

Phillip Schulze PINS - first pompano!

Noah Hagan Rockport - 42 lb black drum CPR

Benno Schulze PINS - first pompano!

Tommy Hermosa Port Aransas - 45” bull red

Eloy Gutierrez South Bay - 24” speckled trout

Tessie Wightman South Padre - 43” 22 lb bull red

Mark Smith Matagorda - 27” trout

Nicole Guzman South Padre Island - 23” speckled trout

David Christian Point Comfort - 42” 23 lb redfish

Jason Castro Galveston - 43” redfish

Emma Matthews Land Cut - first speckled trout! CPR

Lyann Garza 15 lb first red snapper!

Jonathan Parsons Matagorda - shark

Nick Marsh Matagorda - 28” trout

Myra Spurgin Lower Laguna - 29.5” trout CPR

Jackson, with Uncle Curtis Sabine - 32" redfish

Brandyn Kyrisch 24” first keeper trout

Fernando Estes Flats - redfish

Ashley Harris POC - 33” bull red CPR

Aden Viet Johnson Galveston - black drum

First come – first published! Photos are judged on artistic merit and sporting ethic displayed. No stringer, cleaning table, or hanging board images allowed. Digital images only. Adjust camera to high or best quality. All images become property of TSFMag. Email to: Photos@TSFMag.com Include short description of your catch with name, date, bay system, etc.

TSFMAG.com TSFMAG.com | 97

PAM JOHNSON

Gulf Coast

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In large frying pan: -Heat olive oil and sauté pepper, celery, carrot, onion and garlic to become translucent. Sprinkle with bouillon powder, cayenne and black pepper. -Place tomatoes in blender on stir cycle three seconds (you want to leave some chunks) then add to sautéed veggies. -Bring to simmer for about ten minutes and add shrimp. Continue simmer three minutes stirring often until shrimp are cooked through, cover and remove from heat. While Creole mixture is cooking: Prepare fettuccini pasta, six servings, to package instruction for al dente. Strain and return to pot, stir in butter to prevent sticking and cover. Place pasta on serving plate and cover with Creole sauce and shrimp mixture. Top with a sprinkle of grated parmesan and crushed red pepper. Serve with green salad, garlic toast and grilled veggie of choice.

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S P O N S O R E D B Y C O A S TA L B E N D M A R I N E

C H R I S M A P P ’ S R E PA I R & M A I N T E N A N C E

COSTS OF ETHANOL The boating industry has been dealing with the side effects of ethanol in fuel for many years. Ethanol, or corn alcohol, extracts Chris Mapp, owner of water from the atmosphere. Coastal Bend Marine. The boat’s fuel tank, fuel lines, Evinrude, Suzuki, Yamaha, carburetors or vapor separator tanks Mercury, Honda, BlueWave, are recipients of the contamination SilverWave, Shallow Stalker Boats, Coastline Trailers, if the fuel is not sealed from the Minnkota & Motor Guide atmosphere. Water from the Trolling Motors. atmosphere interacts with the Great Service, Parts & Sales ethanol and the by-product is an “What can we do for you?” acid. Ethanol is not added at the refinery, it is added to the fuel at the depot. The concern of producers is the corrosive effects on pipelines. On the environmental side, ethanol production requires repeated application of fertilizers and pesticides. Heavy rains deliver such toxins to streams and rivers, which then accumulate in the Gulf of Mexico. A 6000 square mile dead zone in the gulf lies near the mouth of the Mississippi River. Toxins produced by the production of ethanol are not considered, and they do not reflect the social cost of

100 | June 2019

groundwater contamination or destruction of marine life. The opportunity cost to save air quality by our government has left a trail of undesirable consequences. In addition to the taxes we pay at the pump, we pay a higher cost of ownership in the form of maintenance due to ethanol in our fuel. In conclusion, the accompanying photo of fuel line separation is just one example of the corrosive effects of ethanol that occur in fuel systems in the boating world. Have a safe summer! Chris Mapp Coastal Bend Marine – Port O’Connor, TX coastalendmarine.com – 361-983-4841

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CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS

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The Goddess of Love… in the Twilight Zone As much as people have learned about the oceans and the animals within them, nearly 2,000 new marine species are discovered every year. One of those newcomers so enchanted the scientists who discovered it that they named the small reef fish after Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love in classical mythology.

Kyle Nethery

The male Aphrodite fish stands out with his yellow body and hot pink stripes. Credit: Luiz Rocha, California Academy of Sciences.

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So far, the deep waters below St. Paul’s Rocks, a remote, unpopulated archipelago off the coast of Brazil, remain this new species’ only known home. But, the ocean’s twilight zone is an underexplored area because it’s too deep for recreational scuba diving, but shallower than the pitch black midnight zone where submarines and remotely operated underwater vehicles typically gather data. Now that they have started to explore the twilight zone, scientists have been discovering rich communities of marine creatures there, and they may find other populations of this species as well as species yet to be discovered.

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In the gleam of an underwater flashlight, the bright fluorescent yellow of Tosanoides aphrodite and its hot pink stripes are hard to miss, but the pink actually helps protect this brilliantly colored fish. When a pair of biologists found it, T. aphrodite was hiding in the rock crevices of a reef 400 feet deep. That’s in the ocean’s twilight zone, where very little light— and no red light at all—reaches. Without any red light, the Aphrodite fish’s pink stripes help it disappear into the darkness, shielding it from the eyes of passing predators. Only the males display flamboyant pink stripes. Females are solid blood-orange, which similarly helps them vanish into the twilight zone’s darkness.

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