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ABOUT THE COVER Russell Jenkins is our cover angler; proudly showing off a Lower Laguna ten-pounder. Russell stuck faithfully to advice from Capt. Wayne Davis and fished a topwater all day, for two whole days! The Lower Laguna is famous for heavy specks but…this is a postfreeze ten-pounder! Russell earns conservation kudos for releasing her to continue spawning.

JUNE 2021 VOL 31 NO 2

CONTENTS

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

8 Getting on the Right Track....

14 The Coping Mechanisms 20 Adding to the Arsenal 26 Catch and Release 32 Gatekeepers: The Evolving Role...

37 46 50 54 56 58 60 62 85 86

Steve Hillman Kevin Cochran Chuck Uzzle Joe Richard Quentin Hall

8

Father’s Day Gift Guide Let’s Ask The Pro Shallow Water Fishing TPWD Field Notes Kayak Fishing Chronicles TSFMag Conservation News Fishy Facts Extreme Kayak Fishing & Sharks...

Science & the Sea Boat Repair & Maintenance

50 WHAT OUR GUIDES

HAVE TO SAY

68 70 72 74 76 78

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

76

4 | June 2021

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

REGULARS 6 Editorial 66 New Tackle & Gear 80 Fishing Reports and Forecasts 82 Catch of the Month 84 Gulf Coast Kitchen

84

Jay Watkins Scott Null Hanna Bauer Dave Roberts CCA Texas Stephanie Boyd Eric Ozolins UT Marine Science Institute Chris Mapp

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

W O H S

D A D YOU E R A C

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EDITORIAL

JUNE IS FAMILY FISHING MONTH!

June is a very special month. June signals the beginning of summer, officially on June 20 this year, even though everybody in Texas knows summer begins on Memorial Day weekend. And, it might turn warm earlier, any day after May 1.

The two biggest headlines are that school will soon be out for summer and the opening of red snapper season. Both are very big events.

I say this because kids had to first be in school in order to be out for summer. Whether last year’s prolonged school closings were warranted Covid precautions or overreactions will be left to the individual. I personally believe kids develop and learn best in classrooms. So, View The Video Hallelujah! The kids are out of school and they Open Camera & hover need to be going fishing. over QR Code. When link appears, tap to Red snapper season will officially open June open in YouTube.

1, of this we are certain. The uncertainty that TSFMag June Issue remains however, is how many days we will Highlights – Red be allowed to fish this popular Gulf species. As Snapper Season – unlikely as it sounds, at the time of this writing, CCA Texas S.T.A.R. the Feds have yet to declare an allocation for recreational angling. A complete mystery to me, especially given red snapper abundance as described in the Great Red Snapper Count.

6 | June 2021

Sources who should be in the know are expecting a season in the 60-day range, similar to last year. But, never forget the old adage of counting chickens. Even a generous allocation can be thwarted by favorable weather and calm seas that result in increased angling effort during June. As much as I dislike saying this; Stay Tuned!

Some really great news is that CCA Texas has a full schedule of chapter fundraising banquets already underway in May and many to follow through June and the rest of summer. I’m sure you will recall last year when Covid precautions forced dozens of banquet cancellations, which resulted in only a handful of in-person events, replaced temporarily with virtual auctions and other forms of fundraising. With coastal habitat and fisheries enhancement being the primary focus of the organization, CCA Texas is the finest and largest organization of its kind and our fisheries benefit mightily from their efforts. I am therefore encouraging every Texas angler to get involved and support as many fundraising banquets as they can squeeze into their schedules.

Obviously, your local chapter comes first, but your attendance at any within reasonable driving distance also deserve consideration. This is our organization and no other does as much to insure the future of our fisheries. Take the family!

I will close with another reminder to conserve middle and lower coast seatrout to the best of your ability. Every fish you release will play a role in hastening the recovery of this fishery.

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Getting on the

Summertim

A sunrise start is a big part of getting on the right track.

Right Track for

me Success!

STORY BY STEVE HILLMAN

W

ow! I didn’t think the spring cold fronts were ever going to end but it’s beginning to look as though we’re finally in the clear. For weeks our trout have been bouncing back and forth with the passage of each lateseason front. One day they’re on mud and the next day they’re on sand. The only pattern for a while was that there was no pattern. Everything seemed in limbo. It was difficult to string multiple days of good fishing together because of sudden water temperature changes, extreme tide swings, and wind from every point on the compass.

Finally, we’re entering one of the more consistent times of the year to catch fish here on the Upper Texas Coast. The trout won’t necessarily be putting up neon signs everyday but they’ll at least be giving us a few indicators even if they’re sometimes not so obvious. A small slick here or a surface-hopping shrimp there can give us the signs necessary to make our trip worth it if we pay attention. Other days we’ll find groups of hula hoop sized slicks where trout will be jumping out of the water and catching will be a cakewalk. Either way, I’ll take it!

Good things are happening and we’re getting into that summer pattern that we all love. So, where do we start so we can get headed in the right direction for success? Well, we can never predict where the fish will be with 100% accuracy but stabilized water temperatures, established forage locations, and locally warmer water habitat will surely help us get on the right track.

The early part of June will most likely find us wading sandbars that taper off into troughs. These troughs (or guts) typically have slightly softer bottom than the sandbars themselves. On the calmer days we’ll catch most of our fish in the deepest parts of the guts, especially during low tide periods. On the windier days, and often when tides are above normal, shad and mullet will traverse along the edges where the sandbars and guts converge. Trout, reds and flounder will work those same edges for an easy meal. It’s not uncommon for us to catch fish on top of the bars during these conditions, especially if the wind and current cause mud streaks on top of the bars.

The areas mentioned can be especially productive when they’re located near passes, bayou mouths, and marsh drains. These seem to be areas where there are steady in-and-out flows of bait and subsequently, our target species. If I’m near a pass I prefer setting up on a low tide where I’m fishing as the tide changes and begins to flow in. My timing for bayou and marsh drains is a bit different in that I prefer starting at a peaked out high tide that’s switching to go out.

It’s important to set up shop in these areas well before the tides are scheduled to flip. This allows the waters around you to settle back to normal following your arrival and it puts you in a position to be locked and loaded when everything develops in front of you.

As water temperatures continue to climb throughout the month shoreline wading will give way to drifting open water oyster reefs. I’m certainly not suggesting that we won’t continue to catch fish wading shorelines. However, these may become more early morning target areas versus all day wades.

More and more shad will continue to fill our waters. We’ll see increases in shrimp and mullet populations and all of these aforementioned forage species will become larger in size. At the same time trout will become more active than they have been in months because of warmer water and increased metabolism. This will result in more frequent and more aggressive feeding periods.

This is when reef fishing will begin to kick into gear!

Large concentrations of shad and mullet will be found over some of these open bay oyster reefs. Some of the reefs here in the Galveston Bay Complex are public and many are leased from the Texas General Land Office (GLO) by commercial oyster dealers. Since massive siltation of many public oyster reefs dating back to September 13, 2008 (Hurricane Ike) I’ve had more consistent success catching trout while drifting private oyster leases 10 | June 2021

(top) Lance Vinson with a very nice flounder he caught while fishing after a late spring cold front! (left) Varun Gadiraju in from Scottsdale, Arizona with his first-ever trout!

(right) Haley Matthews with a solid catch and release speck he caught while working slicks over live oyster reefs.

TSFMAG.com | 11

versus public ones. The reason for this is because leaseholders routinely harvest and transplant oysters onto their leases. Live oysters attract more marine life than areas consisting of mostly dead shell (many of the public reefs). In addition, leaseholders are continuously planting cultch material onto their leases which promote new oyster growth. Substrate and live reef are two undeniable foundations contributing to the health of our fishery.

Just like every stretch of shoreline has its sweet spots, every reef has theirs. High spots in reefs and areas of live oysters will attract more fish than flat areas. A lot of times the slicks and bait concentrations will show us the J.B. Brown released this solid late spring trout on a tough high spots and the live oyster Jodi Fielding with her first redfish! day of fishing behind the full moon and cold front. areas. Not unlike sandbars, baits or fish finders. If I’m in an area where we’ve been catching but certain characteristics of oyster reefs tend to change over time. Swift we’re not getting bites I may throw a surface plug just to see if I can back-and-forth currents can change reef edges and high points over draw an agitation strike or two. This may tell me to stay in the area and time. In addition to natural changes, swells from ship traffic will cause wait for them to feed. contour changes and even shave down humps. The continuous We will find success over the course of this month by following harvesting and transplanting of oysters by oyster boats cause reef the progressions of the fish triggered mainly by water temperature bottom landscapes to change as well. changes and bait migrations. This is an excellent time of year to use I pay close attention to areas of the reefs in which oyster boats the senses God gave us. There’s nothing like seeing and hearing a are working and what they’re doing. When I see them dumping live group of seagulls squawking and fighting over shrimp getting blown oysters onto an area of their lease I mark it on my GPS. Often times into the air by feeding trout and reds. And one of my favorite smells we’ll start catching fish there within a week. If they’re dumping shell on the planet is the smell of fresh trout slicks! Paying attention to tides, or rock for reef restoration purposes I’ll also punch in the numbers solunar feeding times and all of the signs that cooperative summer but with the understanding that those areas may not produce fish for trout provide will get us on the right track. Best of luck to everyone! months down the road.

We’ll also find trout, redfish and flounder along rock groins throughout the bays and along the jetties as we get into mid to late June. Similar to reefs, these structures provide habitat for smaller View The Video marine organisms which in turn attract the fish we’re targeting.

Open Camera and hover over QR Code. When link Rafts of mullet travel tight to the rocks pointing us in the right appears at top of screen tap to open in YouTube. direction as do pods of shad.

Late-Spring/Early-Summer With regards to preferred lures, MirrOlure Lil Johns and Saltwater Fun on Galveston Bay Assassin Sea Shads provide probably more bites than any other baits this time of year. There are added advantages to chunking these soft plastics in that we can cover more water and change jighead weights to adjust for different water depths. As a general rule, we’ll use 1/16 ounce lead heads when wading and 1/8 ounce when drifting. When Steve Hillman is a full-time fishing guide on his home waters of Galveston Bay. Steve anchoring in deeper water (8 feet and deeper) or when there’s a lot of fishes the entire Galveston Bay Complex, current we will rig soft plastics on 1/4 ounce heads. wading and drifting for trout, redfish, and Topwaters such as MirrOlure Top Dogs, Rapala Skitter Walks and flounder using artificial lures.

Heddon Super Spook One Knockers are among my favorites when Phone 409-256-7937 the conditions are right. The right conditions would be seeing active Email captsteve@hillmanguideservice.com bait on the surface, slicks or birds hovering over fleeing shrimp, just to Web www.hillmanguideservice.com name a few. There are also times when we’ll use topwaters as indicator

CONTACT

STEVE HILLMAN

12 | June 2021

TSFMAG.com | 13

The

COPING ME Perry Shankle preparing to handle and release a nice trout while fishing with the captain in June a couple years ago.

ECHANISMS STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN

T

he first few times I headed out onto the water to run charters in the wake of February’s killing freeze, I experienced a consistently unsettling reality. A kind of uneasiness about the viability of my daily operating principles and procedures cast a dark cloud over my thoughts. The anxiety related directly to my ability to make productive decisions about locations, how long to stay at selected spots, also lure choices and presentations.

I felt a palpable sense of confusion, one spurred by an acceptance of the facts related to the loss of fish due to frigid temperatures. I’d pull up to a place, observe a seemingly meager level of bait activity and other signs of life, follow up with what seemed an unusually slow bite rate, then realize I had no strong opinion about what those things meant. In many cases, I thought, “If this happened last year, on the same date, I’d be ready to move already, assuming all this isn’t good enough. But now, I’m not really sure.”

Understanding the optimal ways to cope with an inherently tough situation suddenly made even tougher involves considering the main aspects of an all-important decision—the choice of when to stay and grind and when to raise the Power Pole and move to a new location. As I’ve written many times over the years, with increasing levels of complexity, anglers ideally use the analysis of five main factors to make this critical, often repeated decision: long-term reliability of the spot, recent results at the spot, observations of signs of life, bite frequency and catch rate, specifically of the desired size and kind of fish.

These five factors affect the angler’s perception of whether the spot holds enough of the right fish to justify staying and making more casts. All these factors reside on what we might call a “slide rule,” meaning they vary from season to season, with different weather conditions in

play, even from moment to moment, within a given day. For instance, expectation for bite frequency in January falls well below the level predicted in June. Additionally, the type and size of the spot chosen affect these factors, meaning, for example, a relatively large expanse of water with many similar features inherently deserves a longer test than a micro-spot defined by a small structural element.

Thinking about how a reduced number of fish in the body of water affects each of the five main factors contributing to the “move or stay” decision helps one draw conclusions about the most effective ways to cope with the situation created by the killing freeze, at least in the relatively near future. A reduction in number of fish affects some of the factors more than others, in obvious ways. In the end, two main truths emerge.

With regard to using the long-term track history of a spot to make a decision about how long to test it on a given day, one must accept the facts related to the altered meaning of the data. Results earned prior to the freeze provide potentially deceiving thoughts about the potential productivity of the spot after the chill, in terms of precisely how many bites one should expect to earn within a given span of time. But, long-term track record does indicate a general propensity for the spot to hold fish within the time frame, given the prevailing weather and water conditions. The reduced number of fish didn’t cause some spot to suddenly become less likely to produce, unless the spot lies within a general area hit hardest by the freeze, mostly meaning a vast expanse of shallow water. Avoiding spots within enormous shallow flats in the weeks and months following this event clearly makes good sense.

As does closely factoring in the recent track record of a given spot, once one develops. This part of the puzzle doesn’t really change much as a result of a sudden reduction in number of fish. If a place has a relatively high bite and catch rate one day, and a lower one the next, with the same general conditions in play, assuming it holds fewer fish becomes somewhat safe, as does assuming it holds plenty if the catch rate runs relatively high. The key word here is relatively, meaning both bite and catch rates will likely run at low average values for some

Over time, as more and more life forms populate the bays, the discrepancy between signs of life and bite rate will potentially cause greater confusion for anglers fishing in areas hit hardest by the freeze.

16 | June 2021

Trout were aggressively attacking topwaters cast around rocks in four to five feet of water in Baffin during March and April.

length of time, compared to long-term averages, given the low levels of biomass present in the bay systems today.

Certainly, when a freeze kills a bunch of fish and other marine life, one should reduce expectations about how many signs of life one expects to see in a given place at a given time. This part of the puzzle will likely confound many anglers, who will potentially keep looking for signs commensurate with what they’ve long become accustomed to seeing, denying the truth of the current situation. Others might recognize the significance of the presence of a relatively few of the right signs of life and use them to target the smaller number of fish more effectively.

The presence of fewer fish certainly lowers the expectation with regard to bite frequency. One simply cannot expect to earn as many strikes with less fish to target. Similarly, one will not expect to catch as many of the right fish, with fewer of them swimming around. All these facts increase the likelihood of the average angler falling into two related traps, which inevitably exacerbate the difficulty of the endeavor.

For a lure fisherman, the ability to locate fish becomes inextricably intertwined with the ability to earn strikes. In order to prove a place holds fish, the angler must succeed in getting some bites within a reasonable amount of time. Thus, when some awful event like a freeze reduces the number of fish significantly, the ability to locate fish becomes more difficult, because using bites to prove fish swim within reach becomes tougher, on average.

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View The Video

Open Camera and hover over QR Code. When link appears at top of screen tap to open in YouTube.

Soft Plastics Basics

18 | June 2021

Michael Michell with two decent trout caught by him and the captain simultaneously on a recent charter in Baffin.

future, properly adjusting to the new reality means staying at a spot at least as long as one would have prior to the freeze, even when doing so seems or feels wrong. Similarly, the number of casts made with each lure and presentation should remain the same as before the freeze or increase, in order to provide legitimate results when testing efficacy.

Ironically, captains who experience a sense of uncertainty while trying to assemble the puzzle on the water these days have an advantage over those who don’t. People who acknowledge the effects of the event and rely on the legacy of successful fundamentals can wage a better battle against the tendency to make hasty decisions. These days, more than ever, consistent productivity requires more than skill and knowledge; no other element carries more value than patience.

KEVIN COCHRAN CONTACT

Taken to the extreme, zero fish swimming within the angler’s scope eliminates any ability to test a lure or presentation; a million casts made into a backyard pool will bring no speckled trout to hand. Conversely, if an angler stands in the middle of a vast school of ravenously feeding fish, a scrap of a flannel shirt impaled on a hook and trolled through the water might draw repeated strikes.

If one puts the Power Pole down in the midst of an ample number of fish, then proceeds to throw the wrong thing at those fish, one might reach a flawed conclusion about how many fish swim within reach and consequently about whether staying makes sense. This happens to some anglers more than others. Anglers who best understand when each type of lure in the arsenal makes the most sense to deploy will benefit more from an extended testing of the lure than those who make their choices without proper, rational reasoning, or who simply “throw everything they have at the fish” every time out, in a search for what I like to call a magic bullet. Water temperature, water quality, season, time of day and other factors determine which lure/presentation style stands the best chance of working at a given moment.

Most people, when confronted with the reality of relatively scarce signs of life and low bite frequency will switch lures too much, without giving each a fair chance to produce, and worse, they’ll start moving around too much, searching for a Katmandu that doesn’t exist. Many already showed a tendency to fall into this trap before the freeze reduced the number of fish available to them. In some cases, their irrational, non-productive decisions about lure choice and presentation partly urged them to run around like a dog chasing its tail.

In the final analysis, the mechanisms which best serve anglers in the quest to cope with the effects of the freeze become pretty simple, though they’re certainly part of a complex endeavor. In order to increase productivity in the new world into which we’ve all been forced, anglers should rely more than ever on the results of the past to choose locations, while considering the obvious effects of the freeze. Making sustained efforts in spots with proven track records which lie in close proximity to deep holes and basins where fish likely survived the deadly temperatures makes perfect sense. When on the water, anglers must also properly adjust their expectations to acknowledge the reduced biomass and signs of life, in order to successfully execute plans.

This reality will almost certainly change in a significant way, first in places which lie in close proximity to passes connecting the bays to the Gulf. In those locations, many species of fish and other marine life will make their move from the depths of the ocean into the shallow confines of the estuaries while spring turns to summer. As they do so, the signs of life in and around the passes, and eventually all over the bays, will return to what feels like a normal state. Then, the low bite rate will surely feel out of kilter to anyone with ample experience, potentially causing them to change their perception of when to stay and when to move.

Over both the short-term and in the long run, anglers who avoid the tendency to move around all over the place and switch lures constantly will fare better than those who make measured decisions about location, lure choice and presentation. At a minimal level, in the near

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

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

TROUT TRACKER GUIDE SERVICE Phone 361-688-3714 Email kevxlr8@mygrande.net Web www.FishBaffinBay.com www.captainkevblogs.com

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Adding to the

ARSENAL STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE

I

once heard a comedian say, “there is no cool way to ride in the back of a truck,” and when you think about it the guy has a point. I have said for many years, “there is no cool way to cast a popping cork or live bait on a baitcast outfit, especially when a spinning outfit is so much more efficient.” Right about now many of you reading this will immediately turn up your nose or quit reading altogether, and that’s exactly what you SHOULD NOT DO! Bear with me a few moments and be openminded. I promise what I have to say here will enable you to catch more fish and be more way more efficient in your casting and catching.

Several years ago while on a fishing vacation, “Howdy Tex” was a common greeting from other anglers as Bink Grimes and I strode down the dock toward our waiting boat.

“I wonder how they know we’re from Texas,” I thought to myself, then I looked down at my rods and it hit me as I gazed at the fist full of bait casters. We were in Florida and baitcasters are a dead giveaway that you are from the Lone Star State. Over in the Sunshine State spinning tackle rules the angling world. Now before you go get in a fired up huff because you think it’s another one of those “Florida is superior to Texas” propaganda speeches, take a minute to realize what the real story is about.

For whatever reason most diehard Texas trout anglers and fishermen in general, refuse to throw a spinning rod for any one of a myriad of reasons. Most testosterone junkies discount the gear as being for novices or beginners but nothing could be farther from the truth. Now I am not saying that the spinning rig is better than a baitcaster, let’s get that straight right now. I am saying, however, that spinning gear is generally overlooked and under-utilized in Texas saltwater. By adding a spinning rod to your arsenal of baitcasters you can cover just about any type of fishing situation that comes up along the gulf coast.

When I first started guiding, one of the most valuable pieces of information I received came from my good friend and mentor, Capt. Dickie Colburn. Dickie said, “son, a man can make a good living with a quality spinning rod.” Dickie should know, he’s has been doing just that for many years on both freshwater lakes and coastal bays. By using a light line presentation on a 6-foot spinning rod, Dickie has caught more flounder than you could ever imagine. “The spinning rod is perfectly suited to throw the tiny Road Runner jigs and Gitzit lures that flounder just absolutely love,” said Colburn. “You just can’t fish those little baits on a regular baitcast rod and reel.”

TSFMAG.com | 21

(above) My favorite weightless soft plastics that demand a subtle presentation are much easier to throw on spinning gear.

(below) L to R: The workhorses of my spinning Arsenal the Cedros and Trio from Okuma.

Freshwater fishermen have long been fans of spinning gear and with good reason.

Another area where the spinning rod shines is when the situation calls for delicate or subtle presentations, throwing weightless soft plastics over grass or when you are sight-fishing. The ease at which an angler can cast these offerings with pinpoint accuracy and minimal splashdown results in more fish caught and fewer fish spooked. I cannot tell you how many times during the summer I switch from a baitcaster to a spinning rod just for the ability to throw a subtle bait at a finicky redfish…it works like a charm.

Wade fishermen can also benefit from using a spinning outfit. I know several anglers who carry both baitcaster and spinning outfit while wading. The baitcaster is used for casting downwind and for throwing big topwaters, while the spinning rod is used for throwing into the wind and casting more subtle offerings. The spinning reels are excellent choices for throwing Corkys also. The slower gear ratios 22 | June 2021

helps you slow down your presentation and that generally translates to the lure settling into the strike zone for longer periods and more bites.

For close to twenty years I have been using Okuma spinning tackle and I have nothing but good things to say about their products. I have a couple of reels, the Okuma Trios and Cedros, that have both landed everything from perch to permit and more oversized redfish than I could even begin to count. From the poling platform on my little boat, spinning tackle really shines as I can make casts with minimal body movement, which automatically helps prevent spooking the fish I am targeting. Braided lines with 8- to 10-pound mono equivalent diameter allows packing these reels with enough line to handle just about any run a gamefish could make, and then some. The lighter weight of this class of gear in general contributes to reduced angler fatigue, something we’re always thankful for at the end of a long fishing day.

Over the years spinning tackle manufacturers have really made great strides in all areas including drag, gear ratios, and overall weight compared to earlier models. There are some amazing spinning reels out there that will really open your eyes if you haven’t ever considered them or even looked that way at your local tackle dealer. I highly encourage parents to think about spinning gear for young anglers because it takes a lot of stress out of the equation due to the simplicity. The spinning reel also allows young

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fishermen a much better opportunity to land a good fish compared to a pushbutton spincast model so many parents put in young anglers hands.

The spinning rod and reel is without a doubt a fantastic tool that more fishermen should take advantage of. Once you give this technique an honest try I feel sure many of you will see that there are some distinct advantages that you have been missing out on for a long time. Be open to the idea and see just what this gear has to offer.

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Realistic Shrimp Lure for Sight-Fishing

CONTACT

CHUCK UZZLE

24 | June 2021

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

TSFMAG.com | 25

& H C T CA

E S A E L E R E RICHARD STORY BY JO

T

exas had a lucky run of 32 years since the last big winter freeze that seriously crippled coastal bay fish populations, and we’re thankful for that. But overall we’ve now had four big freezes in the past 38 years, a sober reminder these events do happen, and have since records were kept. Last February’s cruel blast was matched with angler effort and fishing pressure now at historical highs. As a result, some bay tournaments have been cancelled or certain species eliminated from the lineup. Some have even turned to catch and release.

After last winter’s serious bay casualties, there is motivation to learn or practice catch and release, perhaps keeping only a couple of fresh fish for dinner, preferably something other than trout. Releasing fish helps one realize that the bays are not

John Milne releases a ling off Port O’Connor. These fish are tough to land, handle or toss back.

Kingfish up to 40 pounds can be grabbed by their bony tails, and brought aboard. Out of the water, they have to be quickly unhooked for a release.

Each year, thousands of red snapper are released. Those caught in water deeper than 80 feet or so have to their air bladders deflated, or they will float.

This female trout had its tail cut by the nylon landing net. Today we use a softer net, or grab them by the tail and lift up with the leader, before releasing these fish.

28 | June 2021

one big grocery store with a never-ending supply.

My attitude towards releasing fish traces back to 1987, when I set a difficult goal of tagging and releasing 1,000 Gulf fish (no catfish) during that calendar year. Not an easy task when you live in the middle of Houston, but somebody had to do it. Every tagged fish had its own data card to fill out listing species, length, location, date, etc. During heavy action we had to work fast, and those cards sometimes carried permanent bloodstains from me or the fish, and sometimes both. Imagine dragging kingfish into the boat one after another without using a gaff, flopping around with teeth snapping. Measuring and quickly jabbing deep a spaghetti tag. If memory serves, we tagged 172 kingfish and 107 ling that year, among other species.

We were told by non-believers that releasing fish was a waste; they always die, but it wasn’t true. Some of ours were recaptured in faraway lands. We tagged from Port Arthur to South Padre and our fish showed up sometimes years later, anywhere from Cape Canaveral, Florida to Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula. It was strong evidence that Gulf resources are in fact finite, they don’t always just disappear back into the waves. Amazingly, someone I knew in Alabama recaptured one of my Texas kingfish, offshore of Mobile Bay. It was proof that catch and release really does work. (Note: It’s a lot easier on fish to shake them off a hook back in the water, rather than land them in the boat, measure and stick with a tag. Catch and release can go too far on juvenile fish; there is no point in targeting dozens of small, delicate undersized trout with bait, just to throw them back).

A few friends showed interest in our catch, tag and release back in ’87. They gathered up some fishing buddies, and we had a tag tournament out of Galveston Yacht Basin (back when it was accessible and cheap). They were all experienced anglers. Boats were launched and spread out in perfect, late-summer weather. All fish were released, and data cards were tallied back at the dock. Even the little boats, including my 17-footer, were free to roam. I’d picked 10 top sport species that could be found in the bays or up to 20 miles offshore. A big (donated) ice chest was the prize.

There was no entry fee and we didn’t worry about cheating.

The day’s big stack of data cards was mailed in bulk to Fish Trackers in Flour Bluff, where they were sorted and entered into an archived data base.

The same thing could happen today, and that’s just one form of a release-all fish tournament. While participating, anglers may realize it isn’t that painful to release fish, especially not after a recent, devastating freeze in the bays. In recent years, it does seem like more anglers are receptive to the idea of releasing fish. In 1987, not so much. Back then it was the older generation, raised without size and bag limits of any kind on Gulf fish, who looked askance if we even mentioned fish release. I remember those days 50 years ago, when people in Port Arthur sold their fish to pay for the trip.

Another source of educating the public and promoting catch and release is from fishing guides. In my guiding experience, anglers have been generally open to advice

TSFMAG.com | 29

about conservation, keeping some fish and releasing others. The problem with guided trips keeping a pile of fish, sometimes filling wheelbarrows, is that the guides don’t offer an opinion on the matter during the entire day, or even drop a few tips on coastal conservation. I’ve found that people from upstate generally have little knowledge about the habits or population densities of coastal fish, or even the species available. They usually want to carry home “eating fish” but if you tell them that a big trout can carry up to a million eggs, they generally agree it should be released. That’s a speech I make before a big trout is landed. A quick picture, and off they go. I may have offended some people, but they never said so. They might not have returned to fish again, but that’s okay.

On some days I’ve even had customers at day’s end say they really didn’t want to keep fish, could I give them away? Which was annoying. Charterboat captains and guides going back almost a century, have hung up their fish at the marina as advertising, hoping to snag passerby customers for the following day. That’s especially true on docks with a lot of tourist foot traffic, and not so much in the smaller towns. Thankfully, with today’s social media, pictures of a good fish can be sent to friends or clients in a minute or less while the action is hot. (Often with the GPS number attached to the photo, a cellphone function that should be turned off and kept away from Facebook at all costs).

Uniformly cutting trout limits to five has certainly made a guide’s job easier, since clients almost uniformly want trout and it means half the work and more trout in the bays. The guide spectrum on release varies widely, ranging from indifference or scorn, all the way to guides in South Florida, where red tides in recent years have impacted their trout population. Today, some guides there won’t allow anyone to keep a trout if it doesn’t croak.

Croaking means it’s a male trout, not one of the precious females in short supply, fish that carry many eggs and batch-spawn repeatedly through the summer.

There are a great many Gulf species not affected by last winter’s freeze, and even a small boat will reach up and down the jetties, distant surf, or near-shore artificial reefs and rigs in the Gulf. I’ve always been partial to jetty action instead of wading the bays, and that’s probably why I’ve never been hit by a stingray. Along with a few friends, I have been crippled up from jetty miscues, slips and falls, however. Even pushing 70, I’m still fond of walking those Texas jetty rocks, slinging spoons for a variety of fish out there. Many of them migratory species that never even noticed last winter’s Texas freeze.

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

30 | June 2021

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!

load n w o D pp the a ! today

Download the free app at

www.iSnapper.org or report online at iSnapperonline.org Each submittal is important to the management of the red snapper fishery off Texas shores and beyond.

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 | 31 www.tpwd.texas.gov

GATEKEEPERS: STORY BY QUENTIN HALL Research Specialist | Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation at the Harte Research Institute

Will Cocke has breathed new life into Port Aransas Fisherman’s Wharf and has gone out of his way to assist the Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation’s researchers on numerous occasions. His boats and crews have made some very difficult research objectives possible, and we look forward to working with them again soon.

The Evolving Role of

FISHING GUIDES on the

Texas Coast

A

s leaders in the angling community, fishing guides are the key to maintaining healthy marine sportfisheries. Guides provide knowledge and access many anglers need to fully use our state’s remarkable marine resources. It goes without saying that all of Texas’ fishing guides have a vested interest in the health of marine sportfish populations, as few people rely on these resources more to generate income and provide for their families. Throughout time, fishing guide’s reputations have been directly correlated to their ability to consistently put clients on enough fish to fill a limit. However, as fishing pressure and angler awareness increases, there is a growing client base interested in more than just filling a cooler. This, coupled with a rapid increase in the number of licensed guides in the state (Figure 1), has led to a growing group of charter businesses offering more specialized fishing services. These captains aim to provide unique experiences to their clients, and a quick internet search will reveal a growing number of guides offering trips specifically tailored to sightcast, flyfish, or target trophy fish with artificial lures. In addition to increased specialization, there is an emerging group of elite guides devoted to actively contributing to sound fisheries science, spreading the use of sustainable recreational fishing practices, and pursuing long-term sustainability of the resource.

Why is this important? Because for many client-anglers, fishing guides You can track some of the sharks Oz has tagged, along with the rest of provide the first contact with Texas’ marine sportfisheries and coastal our satellite tagged sharks, at www.meetoursharks.org. culture. There is no better way to teach wise angling practices than by Port Aransas Fisherman’s Wharf – Is there an angler on the Texas educating new anglers from the start. In addition, even experienced coast who hasn’t heard of “The Wharf”? New owner, Will Cocke, has anglers look to high-end guides for tips, tricks, and general fishing revitalized this landmark, transforming it into a state-of-the art familyinformation. When guides talk, anglers listen. friendly fishing destination. In addition, he doubled down on the It is for these reasons that the Center for Sportfish Science and Wharf’s longtime support of our work, extending every consideration Conservation has spent years developing relationships with guides imaginable to further our research and the health of Texas’ offshore representing many sectors of Texas’ recreational sportfisheries. These sportfisheries. His commitment to sustainable sportfishing has allowed guides, their clients, and the programs they support have provided our team to train his crews on best release practices for red snapper our researchers with data, resources, and insight highlighting issues (venting or using descending devices like the SeaQualizer™, yet within our sportfisheries needing additional research. The guiding another group of folks we are proud to collaborate with), capitalize community’s unwavering support for our research has become central on last minute weather windows, and even permanently modify to fulfilling our mission. There is not enough room in this article to his boats to accommodate our research needs. Furthermore, the give credit to every guide and charter service that we currently work professionalism of his crew allows us to integrate them into everything with, although we have plans to continue sharing the incredible work our other collaborating guides are contributing to. With that in mind, we would like to highlight some of the folks that we are proud to work with as collaborators and citizen scientists.

Hook-Down Charters – For those who don’t know him, there are few folks on the Texas coast with more zeal for our sportfisheries than Captain Wayne Davis. Besides consulting for KWigglers soft plastics, regularly contributing to multiple fishing publications, and being a full-time fishing guide notorious for connecting clients with trophy trout, Captain Wayne has been volunteering his time tagging large trout and common snook as part of a Sportfish Center pilot study. As if this was not enough, he and Captain Ernest Cisneros created the Empty Stringers Catch and Release Program. This initiative incentivizes guides and their clients to release fish caught during a guided trip.

Participating clients can win lucrative prizes just for releasing their fish. Captain Wayne has become a close friend to our research team and is a valued contributor to our work. We are excited to continue collaborating with Captain Wayne and Empty Stringers through both our research and the ReleaSense.org initiative.

Ocean Epics – Eric Ozolins, or “Oz” as he is commonly known, has been supporting our shark research since its inception. When it comes to releasing big game fish to be caught another day, Oz is as skilled as they come.

His world-famous land-based shark fishing charters are catch and release, making him an indispensable asset to our shark tagging program. For years now, Oz has routinely donated his time and effort to deploy Sportfish Center satellite tags on target shark species. His assistance with this research has led to multiple peer-reviewed scientific articles (the ultimate achievement for us fish scientists as these articles Figure 1: (A) Texas fishing guide license sales from 1987-2003. No distinction was made between are the primary method of communicating scientific guides fishing fresh or saltwater during this period. Fishing guide license sales more than data to resource managers) and is providing a new doubled during this period. (B) Texas saltwater or all-water fishing guide license sales from 2004understanding of how sharks use Texas’ waters. His hard2019. This graph illustrates the rapid growth of the saltwater guiding sector in Texas’ marine earned knowledge of shark movements along our coast sportfisheries. This growth benefits client-anglers looking to access their marine fisheries, but also requires new methods of attracting business and using our sportfisheries sustainably. continues to provide insight for our team and his skillset has been irreplaceable more times than we can count.

34 | June 2021

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Eric “Oz” Ozolins with a dusky shark he outfitted with a satellite tracking tag from the Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation. Oz’s efforts have helped researchers gain new understanding of how sharks use the Texas coast.

we do, from conducting remotely operated vehicle fish surveys to tagging 10-foot mako sharks. To put this in full perspective, our research team and Will’s crew were able to catch, satellite tag, and release 12 mako sharks in under 50 hours this spring, an unheard-of achievement. Our offshore research needs are constantly changing and often present technical challenges. Having the Wharf’s support has been essential to overcoming these obstacles and will allow us to continue our cutting-edge research on Captain Wayne Davis with a nice numerous offshore sportfish species. spotted seatrout he tagged as part of a The Billfish Pachanga – This offshore tournament is quickly becoming one of the premiere billfishing pilot study for the Center for Sportfish competitions in the Gulf of Mexico and is setting the standard for catch-and-release in offshore Science and Conservation. Captain fisheries. Many of the Pachanga planning team, such as Gabe Goodman, are looking to the future of Wayne’s commitment to the catch and release of trophy trout eventually built these tournaments by contributing back to a resource we all love, Texas’ billfish populations. Thanks to into the Empty Stringers Catch and his group’s effort, all billfish caught throughout this tournament are photographed and released. The Release Program, which incentivizes Sportfish Center is currently working on ways citizen scientist anglers can collect samples from these clients to release their catch. elusive fish during the tournament.

Texas’ fishing guides provide us with the meaningful participation Gabe Goodman releasing a nice Atlantic tarpon. Gabe and the rest of the Billfish and critical on-the-water experience necessary to carry out cuttingPachanga team are committed to using catch and release for billfish caught during edge scientific research. As we respond to the recent freeze and their tournament. The Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation is currently working with the Billfish Pachanga on ways to collect data from these released billfish. face difficult challenges within our fishery, Texas’ guides are now more essential than ever. The Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation is proud and fortunate to be affiliated with these dedicated individuals. During the upcoming year, we look forward to strengthening our existing relationships and creating many new partnerships as well. Our staff remains committed to the continued integration of many types of anglers into our citizen science opportunities. This is just a small sample of the great work and participation going on in our recreational fisheries. Stay tuned for more highlights of what these incredible folks are doing to help conserve our saltwater sportfish during the upcoming year.

Quentin Hall is a Research Specialist and Angler Engagement Coordinator for the Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation at the Harte Research Institute. He turned his lifelong fishing and hunting habits into a career, receiving dual bachelor’s degrees in Animal Science and Fisheries Management from the University of Missouri and his M.S. in Marine Biology from Texas A&M. While Quentin’s research focuses on a variety of studies ranging from juvenile sportfish recruitment dynamics to sportfish movements, his real passion is connecting anglers with the science supporting their fisheries.

36 | June 2021

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Rodney Daab with nice topwater redfish.

J AY WAT K I N S

ASK THE PRO

TROUT WATER IS TROUT WATER, NO MATTER WHERE YOU FIND IT! Water temperature two days prior to writing this was 77°, then another cold front dropped the air temperatures into the mid-50s. Wet wading one day and back in my Simms waders the next. Today, putting the finishing touches on this article, we have another front pushing into the Coastal Bend, bringing cooler temperatures and hopefully some much-needed rain. I think I’ll just store my waders in the truck for a few more weeks to be safe.

Fishing a little over two months since the freeze, I have discovered that my suspicions were correct. Right after the ’89 freeze we caught decent numbers of trout for a few weeks. I believe when fish become stressed they school tightly and stay in small areas until conditions stabilize, usually in deeper, warmer havens. As a young angler I learned where these deep water areas were and what conditions would push fish into them. These things have not changed; in fact, we have even more areas today that qualify, due to development of the coastline along the ICW south of Rockport.

When the temperatures began to rise following the February freeze, the fish in these deeper areas began moving toward nearby faster-warming flats. The flats have areas of slightly deeper water as well, and these became stopovers for fish returning to their normal 46 | June 2021

haunts. We caught decent numbers of good trout for almost a week. I kept telling myself that as the warming trend continued and springtime tides started to run, the fish that made it through the freeze would begin to scatter, the same way they did in ‘89. We were still able to find a few trout but the fish were definitely not everywhere that one would expect them to be.

I have a pretty good nose for trout and find myself stopping and looking at likely areas that I am not totally sure about. Many times as I ease along they show me small signs of their presence, trout sign language you might say. Never will it be more important than now for anglers to be in total tune with all the signs fish can show us. Over the past two weeks, areas that were holding some decent numbers of trout are now producing only a few bites per wade, although the trout we are finding are very nice fish on average. Most are solid spawners in the 20- to 23-inch class, so we really need to return these fish to the water. Okay, enough on what’s been taking place, let’s talk about how you’re going to find and catch them going forward.

My video this month speaks to focusing on small areas of structure along windward shorelines. These are areas that will attract spawning-age fish during the

John McDowell tricked this big red with a topwater.

Jay releasing a solid trout to continue her spawning chores.

next full moon phase. Most clients that fish often with me know that I am a believer in shallow grassbeds and shoreline guts for finding and catching the best trout the bay can offer. Gamefish need at least three things to hold them in a given area – food, cover and safe access routes to and from that preferred feeding area. Our barrier island and spoil island shorelines are loaded with areas that can fulfill these basic needs.

Bottom contours and submerged grass are always changing, so we have to be tuned in on what is below the surface at all times. My feet have been my eyes in this regard from day one, and I can associate the slightest changes in water color with water depth. Water color can also be associated with the composition of the bottom. I know it’s crazy to think of it this way but it’s a fact, and this knowledge has been the foundation of my confidence and successes over the years.

The greatest benefit from this knowledge is that it allows me to fish confidently in bay systems that I am not very familiar with. Trout water is trout water, no matter where you find it.

Right now I am focusing on what I call small washouts along shorelines. Hurricane Harvey drastically changed the bottom contours in all our area bays. The force of the storm currents cut into the shorelines, creating many small passes and washouts. In many areas the washouts have a U shape and reach almost to the shoreline itself.

Grass is now growing along the edges of the washouts where shallow sandbars have formed. Some of the washouts were cut in areas where scattered shell was present, creating shallow edges of shell, grass, and a gradual sandy drop-off. These areas are tremendous pieces of structure and many are quite small.

Smaller areas tend to concentrate baitfish and that in turn attracts predators. Small also provides the opportunity for quicker evaluation on our part. Smaller also allows larger, more dominate predator fish the ownership of the structure. My observations over the years suggest that loner fish are harder to entice than those traveling or resting with others. I have observed this so many times when sightcasting to larger trout. Add another fish or two and your odds go way up, one simply eats to keep the other from eating.

In springtime, when we start seeing increased slicking from trout along the barrier islands, a single small slick in shallow water tells me it was made by a single fish. It therefore stands to reason that if the fish are scattered and traveling solo, bites might be hard to come by.

The key here is locating the origin of the slicks. Discount the fact that you’re not getting bites and concentrate on the fact that you’re in the right zip code.

Prior to the last cool down we had water temperatures in the upper 70s and pre-spawn activity as well as shallow slicking was being observed. An 8° drop in water temperature, courtesy of an unseasonably cold front passing through brought this activity to an abrupt halt. This led to several tough days, days with little evidence that fish were present, ideal conditions for deploying aim small miss small tactics.

Small areas can be fished thoroughly in a rather short time. No bites after a brief but thorough effort tells us to move to the next small area.

Just so you know, I try to search out areas that supply my clients with multiple areas of smaller structure for each wading session.

The slow deliberate grind is a hard sell when bites are few and far TSFMAG.com | 47

View The Video

Open Camera and hover over QR Code. When link appears at top of screen tap to open in YouTube.

Post-Freeze Hotspots For June Trout Frabill-CN-Texas Saltwater Fishing-7_5 x 4_875.pdf

48 | June 2021

1

5/3/21

Bass Assassins, have been getting lots of playing time lately. I rig these on 1/16 ounce Texas Customs 2/0 screw-lock jigheads. This jighead really comes into its own as water temperatures rise and grass begins to float. The shape of the lead and the way it extends right up to the eyelet definitely helps shed floating grass and allows the lure to swim and dart more naturally. I round out my lure selection with the Texas Customs Double D Series for the way I can work across submerged grass and shell without hanging up.

In the coming months we will need to fish smarter versus just going fishing, if catching is to be a priority. I always enjoy being out there no matter the outcome, but I still fish for that bend in the rod and the rattling of gills as much as I ever did. I guess I’ll really never learn how to just go fishing.

Please try to release all the fish you do not need for dinner. Putting the fish first will result in a faster recovery from the freeze.

May your fishing always be catching! -Guide Jay Watkins

C O N TA C T

between. Many still have the belief that the more water you cover the better one’s odds will be, but I do not share that belief. Instead, I teach choosing the right water and fishing it thoroughly before moving on.

Location is always a key ingredient but we all know there are no secrets out there anymore. With that said, it comes down to the individual angler and their ability to capitalize on all that each area has to offer. My confidence in this style of fishing speaks volumes through success. Both my boys acquired this same skill early in their fishing careers. We fished tournaments together and instead of running all day or chasing fishing reports, we picked areas that held the right stuff, for lack of a better word. We got out and we stayed there if all the right stuff was present. Throughout the day we were able to observe how fish moved in and out of the structure we had chosen. We allowed the pattern to develop as we fished and we learned from each and every event. In areas where we seldom fished, our lack of knowledge actually aided in our success, because… trout water is trout water, no matter where you find it.

The MirrOlure Lil John XLs and 5-inch Provokers, along with 5-inch

11:10 AM

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

TSFMAG.com | 49

Sandra Garza, wife of Capt.

Ruben Garza, is a very accomplished angler.

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

IS YOUR WIFE AN ANGLER? Spend any amount of time out on the water along our coast and it becomes quickly evident that saltwater fishing is a male-dominated sport. Not breaking any news here. But why is that? I know plenty of women who love to fish. Hell, I’m married to one. We’ve all heard the guys who are doing chores around the house to “earn” some time out on the water, the infamous “kitchen pass.”

Why not try getting your significant other involved in the sport you love? I know many happy couples who share time on the water. Those guys also seem to have an easier time acquiring new rods, reels, lures, and even boats.

I honestly can’t recall a time in our 34 years together that Camille has asked, “Do you really need that new (insert rod, reel, boat, etc.)?” Hell, she has more expensive rods and reels than I do.

50 | June 2021

Sandra Garza shows off a solid snook from the Lower Laguna Madre.

I was lucky, Camille’s dad had fired up the fishing bug in her long before I came along. And once we started dating it came natural for me to take her along because I had grown up with a mother who was always on the boat with us. When my girls got big enough we put them on the boat, too.

I know some of you guys don’t want to hear this, but there isn’t anything particularly difficult that we do while fishing that women aren’t perfectly capable of doing as well. You may have to be patient and teach them some things if they didn’t grow up around the sport.

In my guiding experiences it is usually easier to teach women things about fishing than it is us guys. Most of them are willing to listen to instruction. Most of us aren’t.

Besides getting the added time on the water and less resistance on new gear, you can also benefit from having that extra help. When I’m going out on my own or with customers it’s all on me to launch, dock and load the boat. When Camille comes along she backs us down the ramp with me already in the boat, parks the truck and then does the same when we return. She wasn’t born with the ability to back a trailer, but wanted to learn so she could help out.

Same goes for when we’re out fishing. I’m not babysitting, I have a fishing partner who can handle her own business whether that be dropping the anchor, tying on a new lure or landing her own fish.

Whether we’re jumping out to wade, taking the kayaks, or fishing from the Dargel, she is totally self-sufficient. The only thing she doesn’t do is pole the skiff around and that’s probably just because I haven’t asked her to. I get to be on the water a lot more than she does these days and I really enjoy watching her on the bow nailing shots at redfish, so I’ll pole daylight to dark if she wants.

I know there’s a bunch of you out there thinking, “Well that’s great for you, but my wife hates fishing.” Well maybe you should’ve checked their resume’ a little closer. Nah, I’m kidding. Do a little thinking on it and try to come up with why they don’t like it. Did their dad take them out on miserable trips when they were a kid? Did they grow up in a

My bride, Camille Null, is equally adept fishing from a kayak, sight-fishing from a poled skiff, and wading the flats.

That’s D.O.A. Lures pro-staffer, Capt.

Ruby Delgado, hiding behind the sun mask.

non-fishing household and have never really tried it? Did you take them out and force them to fish the way you do as a seasoned angler instead of as a beginner? Maybe you made them stick it out on a super slow day even though the weather was terrible.

Figure out the obstacle and work the problem. If they hate the heat, go early and get off the water before it gets too hot. If they hate cold, don’t make them fish all bundled up. If they get bored easily, use bait and get some bites instead of sticking with only lures. Also don’t force them to keep fishing. If they want to take a break to read or nap or whatever, go with it. If she tends to get hangry be sure to bring lunch and snacks. I can fish in whatever conditions non-stop for hours without eating and only getting a drink because I know I have to. Camille wants nice conditions, food and the occasional break.

If you’ve read my columns over the years and some of this sounds familiar, it is. It’s a lot of the same advice I give when TSFMAG.com | 51

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guys ask how to get their kids started fishing with them. Taking any beginner out expecting them to chunk lures all day for trout is a surefire way to lose them. Do what you need to do to catch some fish, any fish. If that means dead shrimp on the bottom catching whatever bites, so be it.

The catching is more important at this point than the method.

If it is enjoyable early on then maybe they’ll want to progress into fishing your way. I doubt very many of you out there stepped up with a baitcaster chunking a Corky on a cold, winter wade the first time you went fishing.

Another route would be to hire a guide. You want the right kind of guide though, one known for patience and willing to work with beginners. Most of us can tailor a trip to fit the situation if you let us know ahead of time. For

Carrie Scruggs, Capt.

Dean Thomas’ significant other, is another highlyskilled lady angler.

instance, I had a fella book a beachfront tarpon trip and then brought along his girlfriend who had never been on a boat and had never been fishing. She was pretty miserable and the dreaded seasickness started coming on. I wasn’t geared for jetty or bay fishing so the trip turned into a fishless boat ride and I seriously doubt she’ll be excited to go fishing in the future.

If her hesitation is in getting on a boat with a man she doesn’t know, try getting with one of the female guides. Some ladies are just more comfortable learning from another woman. I can think of three off the top of my head who would be great for introducing her to the salt. Shellie Gray has been at the game for a good while and fishes in the Seadrift area. Kim Goulden out of Port O’Connor is as salty as they come and I see her out with couples all the time. While I’ve never shared a boat with either of them their reputations are solid and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them. One young lady I have fished with several times is Ruby Delgado down in Port Isabel. She knows her stuff and is a lot of fun to spend the day with.

So there it is boys, the map to a better fishing future for you and for your marriage.

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Best Angler Sunglasses; Costa Del Mar Has You Covered!

C O N TA C T

Lawren Bacon, soon to become Mrs. Marcos Garza, is another accomplished lady angler.

Capt Scott Null guides in the Port O’Connor area specializing in throwing artificials and flies to everything from redfish to tarpon. He is also co-host of the very popular Bite Me A Saltwater Fishing Podcast.

Telephone Email Website

281-450-2206 captscottnull@gmail.com www.captainscottnull.com TSFMAG.com | 53

B y H a n n a B a u e r | P o l i c y a n d E d u c a t i o n Te a m

FIELD NOTES

$8.8 BILLION: HOW THE MONEY FROM THE DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL HAS ENHANCED FISHING IN TEXAS Many remember the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill that began on April 20th, 2010, when an explosion on a drilling platform killed 11 people and began releasing crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The well leaked 134 million gallons of oil and had lasting effects on the health of the public, the environment, and the economy of the Gulf. Readers may be less aware, however, of the resulting natural resource damages settlement related to the DWH spill, which provided funds to restore and enhance fishing opportunities here in Texas.

Settlements and penalties from the spill were recordbreaking. Billions of dollars of the civil and criminal penalties paid by the owners and operators of the rig (BP, Anadarko, MOEX, TransOcean and Halliburton) were allocated through new and existing government agencies to research, restore, and protect the ecosystems of the Gulf of Mexico. In 2016, as part of the settlement from the spill, BP agreed to pay up to $8.8 billion to the U.S. and Gulf states for damages to natural resources.

Of that money, $238 million was dedicated to the Texas restoration area. These enormous sums of money may leave readers wondering, “where did that money go?”

For simplicity (and to avoid even more acronyms), the remainder of this article will focus on the settlement for natural resource damages under the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process. These funds are allocated by designated federal and state agencies (trustees), working on behalf of the public, to make whole the injuries to natural resources and natural resource services resulting from the discharge of oil.

Please find a complete list of trustees at the end of this article. Trustees identify projects to be funded with NRDA money, which are then implemented by organizations such as Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).

54 | June 2021

Throughout this process, public comments and participation are encouraged. As part of the DWH NRDA process, 20 restoration projects in Texas have received funding so far, ranging from habitat acquisition to sea turtle rehabilitation. Saltwater anglers may be interested in projects aimed at improving recreational opportunities and ecosystem health.

Here in Texas, many of the NRDA-funded projects have benefited recreational fishing, largely through the preservation and restoration of fish habitat. The DWH spill harmed many floral and faunal species that provide food and shelter for fish. Funds have also been used to benefit anglers directly through the construction of amenities at fishing sites, such as restrooms and cleaning stations. While there are many restoration projects readers may be interested in, three projects are highlighted below: the Matagorda and Freeport artificial reefs and the improvements to Sea Rim State Park.

The creation of artificial reefs enhances fishing opportunities by providing novel habitat for fish in the Gulf. In the midst of the sandy bottoms of the Gulf of Mexico, these concrete structures or sunken vessels provide a surface onto which invertebrates, such as barnacles and sponges, can attach. Once established on the blocks, the energy of the food chain flows upward, and larger fish and sharks begin to inhabit the area. As many saltwater anglers undoubtedly know, artificial reefs serve as excellent sites to catch prized fish. Adventurous Texans may even SCUBA dive to see the reefs up close.

With NRDA funding, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Artificial Reef program, a new reef was created ten miles offshore from Matagorda county in 2017. The Matagorda reef consists of over 1,600 concrete pyramids that provide habitat for a myriad of marine life.

The reef sits in about 60 ft of water and now serves as habitat for snapper, grouper, mackerel, and more. In addition, NRDA funds were used to expand the existing Freeport reef in 2017. Six miles offshore from Freeport, Texas, over 800 concrete pyramids were added to the reef. Anglers are encouraged to check out the reef and the $2 million dollar additions.

The Freeport and Matagorda reefs are great examples of how prioritizing fishing habitat can lead to huge benefits for our angling communities.

Sea Rim State Park is another great example of DWH money at work. The park was first established in 1977 but several amenities were added in 2019 using NRDA money.

Almost $500,000 was granted to Habitat enhancement; concrete pyramid structures deployed into Keeping It Wild Reef off Matagorda Island. add a fish cleaning station, two wildlife viewing platforms, and a comfort station with a vault toilet. Anglers can fish from the surf, marsh, or by boat via the boat launch. Lucky visitors may also find alligators, Roseate Spoonbills, or other exciting creatures native to the area.

In addition to providing these practical amenities to anglers, Sea Rim Park also conserves important habitat for fish, such as marsh habitat. This type of habitat is vital for many juvenile and adult fish, like Red Drum and Spotted Seatrout, to forage for food and breed. By further protecting this area and ensuring that the public has the proper facilities to take advantage of this area sustainably, we can ensure that there will be more information on DWH NRDA restoration projects, please visit ample wildlife and recreational opportunities for generations to come. www.habitat.noaa.gov/storymap/dwh/.

When something as disastrous as the DWH oil spill happens, Texas DWH NRDA Trustee agencies: Texas Commission on it presents an opportunity to determine the value of our coastal Environmental Quality; Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; Texas resources and where money should be allotted to restore and General Land Office; U.S. Department of Commerce, represented preserve natural areas. NRDA is just one of many processes that serves by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; U.S. to protect these public resources from such damages. The projects Department of the Interior, represented by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife implemented as a result of DWH will both increase the resiliency of Service; U.S. Department of Agriculture; and U.S. Environmental coastal ecosystems and provide recreational anglers the opportunity Protection Agency. to take advantage of the bountiful living resources here in Texas. For

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

TSFMAG.com | 55

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

REDTOPIA! If you are a regular reader you have likely read my Snooktopia stories. I have been traveling down to south Florida for years now in hopes to catch a few big snook. Well the trip I made last year was a success and it is always good to see old friends. While having lunch with the group, we started talking about the incredible opportunities we have to catch redfish. Little did I know, on their side of the coast, the redfish population is not even a fraction of what we have. So we made the decision right then and there that they need to come to Texas to see what the hype was all about.

I created a Facebook page so that we all could communicate and get a solid plan together to try and put them on some decent reds. I knew that if they really

56 | June 2021

wanted to experience some of the best, we should meet halfway and go to south Louisiana. Fortunately I knew of such a place and it caters to kayakers. We ended up setting a date and picked Pointe Aux Chene for our meeting place. Between the great fishing, accommodations, and the friendliest owners anyone could ask for, it was truly a no-brainer.

The time came and I had everything loaded up and was headed east for a few days of fishing and catching up with old friends. I got there late but my buddy Josh and his dad were already on the houseboat trying to catch a few trout under the lights. Josh’s dad had driven down from Oklahoma and this was his first time to experience anything like this. We caught up and talked about what our plans were going to be for the next day and what areas we wanted to hit.

We crawled out a little after daylight and decided to hit the water. My plan was to stay close to the house because my brother was going to be showing up around noon.

No worries though, I knew a few ponds I have hit in the past and was eager to see if there were any fish hanging around there. I eased into the pond and could not have been greeted with better conditions – plenty sunshine, almost no wind, and clear water. I figured I would take advantage of the situation and decided to pick up my fly rod and have some fun. Fishing started off slow but once I got to a stretch of shore that was covered with grass, it was on! I must have caught well over a dozen redfish in about a 100 yard stretch of this pond. By this time, I knew my brother was near so I headed back to pick him up.

I grabbed him and we headed to another pond that I have never been to but it looked promising on the map.

We began catching right where I left off earlier. This time I was throwing a gold spoon and, of course, my brothers

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Redtopia Recap: Lots of Catching!

Once we finally made it back, the people that got on the water were able to pick up some decent fish throughout the day making Day 1 a success for everybody. After getting everyone together, I realized that there were a few new faces that I have never met, although they had been posting on the Facebook page. One of those faces was Ben Friedman, who flew in all the way from California. He had set himself a goal of catching 100 species of fish before he turned 40 and black drum, sheepshead, and redfish had not been checked off yet. He caught his first red that day and that made 99. Besides them, Bart and David were the last group from Florida that were still on the road and were not going to make it in until late that night.

The next morning we woke up to completely different weather conditions. The clouds had moved in and along with that, the wind started to pick up heavily. These are never easy conditions to fish but we all made the best out of it. Needless to say, most everyone cut their efforts short but this only means one thing – party on the patio! We ended up putting the music on, soaking some live mullet and hoping to catch a few crabs for dinner. After it was all said and done, we had one of the best meals that the Louisiana marsh can provide: blackened redfish, boiled blue crab, and homemade dirty rice. I’ll put that meal against any five-star fishing lodge any day of the week!

On the last day of fishing, my buddies from Florida decided to drive around and try the Cocodrie area. Conditions were better than the previous day but they still weren’t great. Ben came and asked me if I had room on the boat that day and I told him to hop on board. This was the first time he ever got to fish off of a raised platform and he quickly understood why we do it. We hit a few ponds and saw several fish but they were acting very spooky. Eventually though, Ben hung into a fish and lucky for him it was a black drum. That completed his Hundred Species quest and he was overwhelmed with joy to accomplish it on the trip. The fishing got better later that day and it was a great way to conclude the event. We headed back and at dark the Cocodrie crew arrived to announce they’d had a rather tough day but managed to land a few nice reds.

The following morning was Sunday and the wind was still blowing pretty good. My brother decided to head home and my buddies from Florida did as well. They had a long drive ahead of them and after paddling in the crazy wind the past few days, I couldn’t blame them. I asked Ben what his plans were and he mentioned that he was staying another night as his flight home wasn’t until late Monday. I invited him to jump on the boat and we’d fish a few hours. We struggled at first but around noon every cloud disappeared and the wind completely stopped. As soon as this happened we started to see fish and they began to eat. We caught several and it was an awesome experience to get to share with someone who had never experienced sight-fishing.

Other than the weather, I think it was safe to say that we had a great time down in south Louisiana. We were blessed with a great location on the bayou, great food, and great friends. I am really thankful for everyone who made it down and am already looking forward to next year’s Redtopia.

C O N TA C T

favorite Rat-L-Trap. We enjoyed the day and kept a handful of fish for dinner and figured it was time to head back to start cleaning. There were also a few more people getting in throughout the day and I was curious to see how they did.

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

TSFMAG.com | 57

Photo by John Blaha.

By John Blaha

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

CONSERVATION IN ACTION: HATCHERIES AND HABITAT CCA Texas Funds $152,000 to TPWD Hatchery Program Through an electronic vote, CCA Texas’ Board of Directors recently approved $152,000 to aid the Sea Center Texas Hatchery in Lake Jackson, Texas and the CCA

Photos by John Blaha.

58 | June 2021

Marine Development Center (CCA MDC) in Flour Bluff, Texas to ramp up their production of juvenile speckled trout and redfish. With these funds, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) biologists at Sea Center Texas will be able to purchase and install liner replacements for three rearing ponds, allowing them to immediately increase fingerling production as some of the ponds were entirely out of commission and the remainder required frequent repair. Additionally, CCA Texas funding will allow replacement of four vital heat exchangers for the speckled trout brood tank systems at the CCA MDC to ensure proper temperature control and allow staff to increase the spawning period and maximize egg production of speckled trout broodstock.

“It was a moment for immediate action to ensure a speedy recovery of all Texas bays and estuaries that were negatively impacted by the coastal freeze,” said Mark Ray, Chairman of CCA Texas. “I am proud that CCA Texas was able to step up quickly in this time of need for our critically important hatchery system, and we will continue to work with TPWD leadership as this effort continues.”

According to TPWD, a severe winter storm in February 2021 led to fish kills along the Texas Coast, with speckled trout being identified as a significant portion of

Photos by Shane Bonnot.

recreationally important species impacted. With the full scope of this fish kill still undetermined, CCA Texas is putting funding into action to ensure a thorough recovery in all impacted areas.

“To help Texas’ speckled trout populations recover from the impacts of the fish kill, it is imperative that hatchery production of fingerlings is maximized,” said Robby Byers, executive director of CCA Texas.

“Funding these projects will definitely help in the near term, but will also continue to produce long after the freeze damage has recovered.”

TPWD operates two fish hatcheries – Sea Center Texas in Lake Jackson and the CCA MDC in Flour Bluff. Each year, with the help from grow out ponds at the Perry R. Bass Marine Research Facility in Palacios, these facilities release approximately 15 million redfish and 10 million speckled trout fingerlings into Texas bay systems.

“Speckled trout and redfish fingerling production is a delicate effort that requires knowledge, precision and the correct equipment,” said Shane Bonnot, CCA Texas Advocacy Director. “We are fortunate to have gifted biologists and operators at Texas’ hatcheries and research facilities, and I am excited that CCA Texas is helping fund and increase those efforts again.”

Next Phase of Sabine HI20 Nearshore Reefing Site Underway HI20 Nearshore Reef is a 160 acre site already home to a 120-foot sunken barge and hundreds of granite blocks. It is set to be expanded with hundreds of tons of additional diverse materials, including reef pyramids, steel energy industry structures, low-level relief and concrete culverts. The HI20 reef site, 9 miles off Sabine Pass, is rapidly becoming one of the largest artificial reef projects on the upper Texas coast. Thanks to an impressive list of leading corporations, a massive array of materials is set to be deployed this week. Industry partners Sempra LNG, Chenier Energy, Golden Pass LNG, Motiva, Phillips 66, Shell Oil Company, Friends of Sabine Reef, Forterra Pipe and Precast, Bo-Mac Contractors, Eldridge Construction, and The CCA Music City Chapter, have partnered with Coastal Conservation Association Texas, Building Conservation Trust, and Texas Parks & Wildlife to make this major deployment possible.

“Massive nearshore habitat initiatives like HI20 show the scope of what can happen when grassroots anglers and conservationists come together in partnership with corporations, local and state government,

NGOs and other community leaders to make a real and lasting difference in our coastal waters,” said Mic Cowart, Sabine Pass Port Authority Manager. “I am proud to be a part of a project that creates marine habitat that will provide for angling opportunities for present and future generations of Texans. With the vast forest of energy structures that has dotted the Gulf of Mexico for decades slowly disappearing due to federal government regulations, artificial reefing initiatives take on an added importance. The Sabine area has lost more offshore marine habitat than any other along the Texas coast, making grassroots efforts such as the HI20 Reef even more vital for strong and dynamic marine resources. We cannot thank our local industry partners enough, for helping financially and providing ocean-going tugs and barges as well.”

“This project really has captured the excitement and imagination of the local community and beyond. It has been inspiring to be a part of the vital work being done through this unique partnership,” said Rocky Chase, chairman of CCA Texas’ Government Affairs Committee. “HI20 will undoubtedly have considerable benefits not just for the marine ecosystem and the anglers who enjoy it, but for the local economy as well.”

“The infusion of that much material is going to create an unparalleled reef ecosystem in an area that was largely devoid of any habitat just a few years ago,” said John Blaha, CCA Texas Habitat Program Director. “We are proud to be part of the incredible partnership that has come together to enhance our marine resources and provide a world-class destination for anglers,” said Will Ohmstede, past Chairman of CCA Texas.

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CCA Texas Continues Commitment to TPWD Hatcheries

TSFMAG.com | 59

STEPHANIE BOYD

F I S H Y FA C T S

SHRIMP LIFE CYCLES - A REVIEW Brown, white, and pink shrimp are the three main recreationally and commercially important shrimp species in the Gulf. They are most valuable ecologically (and economically) as dietary support for the growth and survival of larger species – though they do have another important task: recycling basic nutrients by feeding on organic matter in the sediment. It’s a thankless job, one the white shrimp, in particular, usually get stuck with.

These three species look very similar, but can be differentiated by a few key features. White shrimp are lighter in color than brown or pink shrimp, and their tail flippers (uropods) are black near the base with bright yellow and green along the edges. Brown shrimp tails are red, dark green, and occasionally light blue in color, and pink shrimp have light purplish-blue tails, and usually a dark red spot on the side of the abdomen. Brown and pink shrimp have grooves along the top of the head and lower abdomen. The grooves on pink shrimp are slightly narrower than those of brown shrimp. White shrimp don’t have grooves and typically have much longer antennae, 2.5 to 3 times longer than their body length.

Brown shrimp, white shrimp and pink shrimp are estuarine-dependent species and have similar life cycles, but vary seasonally in abundance. In general, adults spawn in the Gulf, where fertile eggs hatch into freeswimming larvae. These larvae develop through several stages into post-larvae. Once post-larval shrimp enter the estuaries, growth is rapid and is dependent on salinity and temperature. When they reach about 3 inches in length, shrimp emigrate to the Gulf as sub-adults where they mature to adults and start the cycle again. Shrimp typically live for one year and are considered an annual crop.

Brown shrimp. Photo

by Ryan M. Moody.

60 | June 2021

Spawning locations range from near the beaches to several miles offshore. Females release between 500,000 and 1,000,000 eggs (each) near the ocean floor and may spawn several times. The exact timing of the spawning period depends on water temperature. Brown shrimp typically spawn in deep water (150-300 feet), and while they do spawn year-round, the peak periods off Texas shores occurs September-November and April-May. White shrimp spawn slightly shallower (23-108 feet) when offshore ocean bottom water temperatures increase, generally March through September. Pink shrimp also spawn year-round (in similar depths to white shrimp), but activity increases as water temperature rises, peaking in late spring, summer, and early fall.

During mating, the male transfers a sperm packet (spermatophore) to the female. Brown and pink shrimp mate immediately after molting, when the female’s exoskeleton is soft. The spermatophore is then covered by two “plates” that hold it in place, and females may spawn days later. White shrimp mate between molts when the exoskeleton is hard. The spermatophore is glued to the underside of the female, and spawning occurs almost immediately. Eggs of both species are fertilized as they are ejected past the spermatophore, and sink to the ocean floor. Within 24 hours, the eggs hatch into tiny larvae that rise into the water column.

The initial larval stage (nauplius), during which the shrimp looks like a tiny mite, is followed by protozoeal, mysis, and postlarval stages, a process of about two weeks. Postlarvae look like miniature adult shrimp. Brown shrimp postlarvae remain in the ocean bottom sediments during the winter; as the ocean warms in late February and March, they become active and ride tidal currents into the estuaries. White and pink postlarvae move into the estuaries about two weeks after spawning, usually from April to June, moving further in with each high tide. After brown, white, and pink postlarvae enter shallow estuarine areas along the Texas coast, they assume a benthic existence and develop into juveniles (about 1 inch long), usually concentrating in estuarine waters less than 3 feet deep, where there is anchored vegetation and/or abundant detritus. Brown shrimp, in particular, tend to be found in significantly higher densities in vegetated marsh areas.

Growth is rapid, up to 1 mm per day / 1-2 inches per month, molting their exoskeleton to grow. Small shrimp molt several times per week, but molting slows as they become larger. As omnivores, they feed on algae, organic debris, polychaete worms, amphipods, copepods, small mollusks, diatoms, bacterial films, slime molds, and yeast.

Pink shrimp. Photo

by Rebekah Wallace.

White shrimp. Photo

by Tom Worthington.

Water temperature/quality/salinity, available food, and habitat affect growth. If the water gets too salty or cold, growth will slow down or stop – though they can tolerate quite a wide range of salinities.

Shrimp stay in this nursery habitat for a few months, until they reach 2-4 inches long. Brown and pink shrimp migrate to the Gulf from May to August, coinciding with ebb tides and full moons. Some pink shrimp over-winter in Texas bays, residing in estuaries for up to nine months. White shrimp exit the estuaries when water temperatures begin to decrease. Those that survive predation, trawlers, and disease become the next year’s spawning stock. Survival rates are very low for larval and juvenile shrimp; less than two percent of the eggs spawned survive to adulthood.

Size at sexual maturity for brown shrimp is about 4.5 inches for males / 6.5 inches for females. Their maximum life span is about 1.5 years, but few live past 1 year. They can reach up to 7 inches in length. White shrimp reach sexual maturity at 6.0 inches for males / 6.5 inches for females.

Their lifespan is less than 2 years, and they can grow over 9 inches. Pink shrimp mature at 2.9 inches for males / 3.3 inches for females, and also live less than 2 years. They reach about 8 inches in length.

When in inshore waters, brown and white shrimp prefer areas with muddy or peaty bottoms, though brown shrimp prefer the saltier, seagrass-filled water of estuaries while white shrimp gravitate to the fresher upper bay areas, without seagrass. Offshore, they’re most commonly found over soft bottoms of mud, sand, and shell. Pink shrimp, on the other hand, prefer bottoms of hard sand and calcareous shell. All three species are prey for almost any larger carnivorous or omnivorous predators. Cannibalism is also common among adult white shrimp.

The Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery is managed under the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Plan, often in conjunction with the State of Texas. The goals of this program are similar to TPWD’s: enhance the yield, both in volume and value. The annual Texas closure of the Gulf shrimp season serves to protect small brown shrimp from fishing until they

mature, providing a more valuable harvest size overall and lessening the waste of shrimp that would have been discarded due to small size. Brown, white, and pink shrimp account for a majority of the Texas commercial catch – particularly brown shrimp. The “other” commercial catch consists of seabobs, rough back shrimp, royal red shrimp, and rock shrimp. And there are some noncommercial shrimps caught in the sidelines, grass shrimp being the most common of these.

Roads, sewer facilities, power plants, and other conveniences of modern life unavoidably impact the surrounding environment and affect the populations of native species. Habitat, growth, feeding, and reproduction of a species lead to how a fishery is managed. By altering fishing regulations to offset natural and human-induced imbalances, the abundance of fast-growing/short-lived species, such as our shrimp, can be managed relatively quickly. TPWD took over management of the shrimp fishery in Texas bays in 1985. Since then, TPWD has had some success in shrimp management by adopting and refining fishery regulations and introducing the shrimp vessel license limited entry and buyback programs. The goals of all these changes are to reduce overfishing, to increase the industry’s economic value, to reduce bycatch, and ultimately to promote the sustainability of shrimp stocks.

That’s good news for your next shrimp ceviche.

Where I learned about shrimp, and you can too!

NOAA Fisheries www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/brown-shrimp www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/white-shrimp www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/pink-shrimp Texas Parks & Wildlife tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_rp_v3400_857.pdf Texas Marine Species txmarspecies.tamug.edu/invertdetails. cfm?scinameID=Farfantepenaeus%20aztecus txmarspecies.tamug.edu/invertdetails. cfm?scinameID=Litopenaeus%20setiferus txmarspecies.tamug.edu/invertdetails. cfm?scinameID=Farfantepenaeus%20duorarum North Carolina Environmental Quality portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/shrimp South Caroline Dept of Natural Resources www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/pub/seascience/shrimp.html Eagle Wood Farms www.eaglewoodgourmetfood.com/shrimp-life-cycle.html

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Reminder to only use Gulf shrimp as bait shrimp in Texas.

TSFMAG.com | 61

The very popular and abundant blacktip shark – released immediately after photo.

ERIC OZOLINS

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

A BLACKTIP AFFAIR Imagine a spiritual surf fishing journey made during a calm, pristine day on Padre Island. As the seasons progressed into early summer, hopes have risen for a chance to catch some South Texas surf trout. During a slow drive down the beach looking for the proper location to walk in, hopes evolve into expectations.

The moment becomes feverish when predators blast bait fish right up onto the beach. Destiny appears to be calling, in a surreal atmosphere created by clear waters, gentle whispers of wind and puffy white clouds passing slowly overhead. Suddenly, a He Dog topwater feels like the perfect tool with which to earn a massive blowup from a solid surf speck.

As the wheels on the truck stop rolling, an impressive piece of structure along the beach reveals itself. The bars pinch and converge, creating a deep hole in the wading gut, one known as a “suck out.” As the He Dog waddles back and forth through the hole, confidence rises. On the first cast, a trout smashes into its side.

62 | June 2021

When the big trout rises and thrashes its head, all seems right in the world. But, the feeling is short lived.

Suddenly, chaos ensues and line begins to smoke off the reel. When the reel falls quiet again, the lure comes back in holding only the head of the prized trout. It’s impossible not to admire the stark beauty of nature’s handiwork; a curving bite mark reveals the moment’s assassin as a blacktip shark.

Found in all tropical and subtropical waters around the globe, the blacktip is one of the most common shark species frequenting inshore waters. In Texas, most encounters with sharks in the surf involve this species. While not as large as tigers or as ferocious as bulls, these are supremely adapted predators, evolved perfectly for the waters they inhabit. Sleek and fast, blacktips can catch most any prey they chase.

Whether targeted specifically or hooked by mistake, these toothy critters inhabit our beachfront waters for the majority of the year, serving up entry

level experiences from which most Texas shark fishermen gain their initial obsession.

Visually, blacktips exhibit a truly iconic sharklike appearance. At first glance, their superbly hydrodynamic dorsal fins send shivers through the average beachgoer’s body. This alone makes them an exceptional thrill to battle on rod and reel.

Because they occur in large numbers and feed on various types of prey, these are perhaps the easiest sharks to target. Maxing out at around six and a half feet in length, a one hundred pound blacktip can put up a memorable fight against medium-weight tackle. During March and April, blacktips move into the surf zone, with many large females carrying offspring, ready to drop their pups at any moment.

As the calendar creeps toward summer, the blacktips school up and begin chasing bait balls just offshore. When shrimp season starts during the second half of July, they venture farther offshore in great numbers to follow the shrimpers in search of easy meals. In September, when the anchovies begin to run the beach, they move back to the beaches and start a feeding frenzy. During this time, blacktips can be seen cruising in less than knee-deep water, devouring copious amount of small fish. The presence of many blacktips typically indicates a healthy state for the fishery.

Fishing for blacktips is perhaps easier than many think, as long as the angler possesses adequate gear. Offshore tackle suitable for marlin is not required, but landing a mature blacktip on a trout rod is almost impossible. Tackle of medium weight is best utilized.

Unlike many shark species, blacktips are not picky about what they’re willing to eat. I’ve caught these sporty sharks on just about every bait imaginable, from cut mullet to 20 lb. jackfish. My favorite baits for blacktips are either whiting or skipjack; when fresh, both rarely last long when placed in front of these sharks. If neither fish is available, hardhead catfish often suffice. Blacktips sometimes seem to crave the slimy cats, passing up chances at other baits to swallow a slob hardhead pitched into their midst.

When hooked, blacktips are one of the few species of sharks that take to the air during the fight. Most times, they immediately jump, spin or flip in the air as soon as they taste the hook.

Many anglers believe a hooked shark jumping and spinning must be a spinner shark, but this is a misconception. The vast majority of the time, the shark providing the aerial displays turns out to be a blacktip.

Here in Texas, we have blacktips of all sizes.

While we do have a fair number of three and four footers, it’s important to recognize other species

Angler Ron Ulseth landed this blacktip from the Padre Island surf – released.

Double-stacked whiting rigged as shown make prime blacktip bait.

Blacktip shark making its way back to the ocean; released by author on Padre Island.

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64 | June 2021

Another blacktip.

C O N TA C T

which novice anglers often confuse with blacktips. Fine-tooth, sandbar, blacknose, and sharpnose sharks have all been falsely labeled as blacktips over time. In the past, it seems like blacktip was the common term used to refer to any and all mid-sized sharks. Thanks to the effects of education associated with conservation, average anglers today know more about the sharks they catch.

Smaller versions of the classic cult monsters made famous by the movie JAWS; blacktips are indeed a wonderful species. On my charters, we target them frequently, since they’re plenty big to provide memorable thrills for kids and other anglers who’ve never caught a shark.

Though they’re certainly edible, I typically tag and release all blacktips fit for survival.

These are the most common sharks tagged by recreational anglers, providing researchers a metaphorical mountain of useful data.

I once captured and released a previously tagged blacktip, noting the number on the tag. Almost a year to the day later, I recaptured the same shark. The moment gave me great pleasure. Though I do dream more often of tigers and hammers, it’s important to acknowledge the fun factor blacktips provide when battled on tackle which provides a fair fight.

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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66 | June 2021

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TSFMAG.com | 67

DICKIE COLBURN

DICKIE COLBURN’S Sabine Scene

We have gotten a little bit of everything from hail to what we consider to be a mini-drought over the past month, but none of it has negatively affected the improving bite on Sabine Lake.

Area anglers continue to reS ab i n e learn the lake and more productive patterns due to the rash of hurricanes and while I wish that weren’t necessary, it has been challenging.

Dickie Colburn is a full That would not be the word I used to time guide out of Orange, describe it if not for the fact that our Texas. Dickie has 37 years trout population continues to grow in experience guiding on Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes. both size and numbers.

It is still unrealistic to hit the lake Telephone expecting to catch five to seven pound 409-883-0723 trout all day (even one for that matter), Website but most of the limits going home with www.sabineconnection.com anglers consist of trout in the 16- to 19inch class. Only a year ago a sixteen inch trout was not a given and five fish that size were not an everyday occurrence.

With Mother Nature being more forgiving, the only bump in the road concerning an even more robust recovery has been questionable conservation practices by a handful of the anglers.

Texas fishermen that equate success with meat versus dollars spent continue to make the short run across the Causeway to take advantage of more liberal limits.

That has been going on for years, however, and is not nearly as concerning as occasionally observing fishermen culling limits from

68 | June 2021

fish that have already spent time in the ice box. That practice is far more prevalent amongst folks fishing the more restrictive five fish Texas limit.

The trout bite has been good enough that fewer and fewer anglers are running all over the lake looking for one more fish. Depending on the wind, I have fished both ends of the lake recently and I can see why they are staying put. The only difference that I have observed is that there seems to be a little more bird activity on the south end.

I haven’t bothered to fish that mixture of gulls and terns, but other guides I’ve talked with say most of the fish under the birds are either smaller trout or redfish. You can quickly determine what you have found by tying on a Hoginar and lobbing it into the melee. It sinks a little too fast to be a trout favorite, but any redfish with functioning eyes will immediately assault it.

You can still catch trout on a Fat Boy, but it is quickly giving way to a swimbait or plastic tail rigged on an eighth-ounce jighead. Our water clarity seems to change on a daily basis, but glow-chartreuse has really made a comeback. There have been days when color made little difference, but lure length is critical.

When throwing a four-inch tail we have relied on a Sea Shad or Lil John and had no reason to experiment with anything other than an Assassin or Down South tail when the fish want the larger offering.

Regardless of which end of the lake I am currently fishing; my best bite is taking place in three to four feet of water.

Rather than keying on any kind of structure we are looking for balls of shad on the surface while drifting. The aforementioned tails are equally deadly for this type fishing when rigged on a two foot leader under a cork. When we aren’t having to deal with gafftops we also add a dab of menhaden scent to our lures.

The flounder bite has also gotten a lot of attention lately, but that is in part due to the fact that the Game Reserve is now open. Yes, you need a Louisiana license to fish there. The major bayous on the east side of the lake like Willow offer all but a guaranteed shot at a few solid flatfish every day.

I prefer to fish them on an outgoing tide and my approach is simple.

A lead head just heavy enough to compensate for the tide threaded inside a two or three-inch curly tail is the ticket. You can enhance your chances by adding a small piece of shrimp or replacing your tail with a Gulp curly tail. Do not be surprised when a solid slot red crashes the party.

It’s that time of the year to include big hats, lots of sunscreen and the kids on every trip. The love of fishing lasts a lifetime and few things are Preparing to release; maybe more rewarding than sharing that gift they will share another tug with the kids! of war in the future!

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TSFMAG.com | 69

BINK GRIMES

THE VIEW FROM Matagorda

As I have mentioned many times in this space over the past decade, June is probably my favorite fishing month of the year. Summer is finally here, ardent M ata go r d a incoming tides bring ocean recruits through the passes and every piece of water in East Bay, West Bay and the Bink Grimes is a full-time fishing surf is a potential player. and hunting guide, freelance We have had some solid writer and photographer, and days for trout, though owner of Sunrise Lodge on Matagorda Bay. most of the spring has not afforded us much opportunity to work openTelephone 979-241-1705 bay reefs. However, the days Email that have allowed us to work binkgrimes@sbcglobal.net green water in East Bay have Website been productive. matagordasunriselodge.com We have been releasing our trout, including multiple 7-pounders, some 6-pounders, and a bunch of 5s. Those days have been refreshing, feelgood mornings indicating that some amount of our fishery survived the freeze and recovery is on the way.

Trout catches in West Bay have been tougher to come by through the spring months. There have been some good days, but there have been many slow days as well. Traditional spring haunts have not been holding trout with consistency on the shorelines.

At the time of this writing we had just received our first real spring bull tide to hopefully bring more fish from the gulf and the deep reaches of West Bay. We realize this is a different year and are keeping our eyes open and watching signs.

As taxing as the Freeze of 2021 was on people – shivering with no electricity and no running water for days – the same hangover could be had by the fish.

The coming days will tell the tale.

Don’t read into this that I am being pessimistic. Not at all. We are patiently waiting for things to return to normal and I am happy to say our spring catches of redfish and black drum have taken pressure off our precious trout. Back bays with shell are turning good catches on live shrimp and small topwaters. Many days the wind has made it the only game in town; and, we are grateful we have so many “hiding” spots to save a good day of fishing.

I look forward to many days of wading this month and tossing a 70 | June 2021

topwater along a mullet-laden flat. I look forward to hopefully many days in the surf this summer, tossing a topwater along a mullet-laden gut. I look forward to a morning on Drull’s Lump, tossing a topwater on the edge of the mullet-laden shell.

You can guess I am ready to ditch the memories of the freeze and all the misery and gloom that followed and return back to smiles and waterthrashing blowups. Matagorda is still alive and well. Normalcy is returning.

Coastal Q barbecue has opened back up in town. We are a blessed community with a prized natural resource.

Attitudes concerning conservation are changing. The meat-haul mentality is disappearing, and that’s a good thing.

Please continue to take care of our estuaries. When you see me grinning at the dock, you will know trout were banging my topwater.

Bink Grimes is the owner of Sunrise Lodge and Sunrise Properties in Matagorda. Follow our catches and releases on Facebook and Instagram.

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Matagorda Bays - Topwaters in June!

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TSFMAG.com | 71

CAPT. GARY GRAY

MID-COAST BAYS With the Grays

Fishing in the POC-Seadrift area has been up and down for the last couple of weeks. Not so much because of the February freeze, it’s mostly because of the game Mother Nature plays with us every spring. It’s called the wind game.

Port O'Connor Although it helps aerate the water, the Seadrift wind can cause our tides to fluctuate abnormally high or low, depending on the direction it’s coming from. While Captain Gary Gray is a full these tide fluctuations can definitely time guide, born and raised in interfere with our daily fishing plans, I Seadrift. He has been guiding would say they are beneficial overall in the Seadrift/Port O’Connor that they bring mullet and menhaden region since 1986. Gary into the bays from the gulf along specializes in year ‘round wade fishing for speckled trout and with gamefish. Springtime is when I redfish with artificial lures. consistently prowl main bay shorelines stalking schools of menhaden and Telephone larger horse mullet, hoping to pluck 361-785-6708 unsuspecting trout or redfish from under Email bayrats@tisd.net the bait schools.

Website Cold fronts are still arriving weekly, www.bayrat.com which means the southeasterly flows Facebook that provide the best springtime fishing @captsgaryandshelliegray opportunity last only a few days. It is this back and forth wind pattern that is keeping me and my crew jumping from the south shoreline to the more protected north shorelines and back lakes during a blowing norther. Luckily the fronts are going to be arriving less frequently and with less strength as we move into June. Stable weather patterns make it easier to pattern fish and lends consistency to where they can be located.

During June you should be seeing more of my Shallow Sport X3 headed through Pass Cavallo to take a look at the surf. Anyone that knows me knows very well also knows that I love the surf. The fish are much more aggressive in the cooler Gulf water versus the bay, especially during the heat of summer. When the surf is too rough to fish safely I will fish as close to the passes as I can to intercept the tide runner trout that will be coming into the bay.

When fishing near the passes this time of year, I look for shorelines that have irregularities that will change the direction or flow of incoming or outgoing tides. Points jutting out from shorelines and reefs extending into the bay are the irregularities I am describing. A slough that connects

a back lake area to the shoreline can be great also. Scattered grass and sandbars will do the same trick; they can all be productive structure.

These irregularities are what the gamefish that you are targeting will use as ambush points to grab their next meal, and we in turn will use as focal points to target our gamefish.

When fishing these shorelines you will need to pay special attention to your surroundings. Are the baitfish hanging close to the banks or are they out deeper? Are there slicks popping up in certain areas? Are the menhaden and larger mullet daisy-chaining down the shorelines?

Once you start fishing and you have your target areas figured out, you will need to match your lure to the baitfish in the area you are fishing. If you have a lot of shad or larger mullet you could go with the MirrOlure MirrOdine XL; they come in many colors, and with chrome sides to add flash. MirrOlure also has the Soft-Dine XL which can certainly do the trick for you.

Bass Assassin 4” Sea Shads will almost always get the job done. I usually go with Magic Grass or Purple Chicken unless the water is gin clear, and that’s generally not going to be the case this time of year. I rig the Sea Shad on 1/16 ounce Assassin jigheads.

Another species that gets my attention while I am fishing for trout and redfish in the surf is tarpon, AKA Silver King. Years ago, up until about the early 2000s, we would chase tarpon schools and single tarpon all around the San Antonio and Espiritu Santo bay region. Sadly, we no longer see them coming into these bays, although we are occasionally still able to find them in West Matagorda Bay. Tarpon migrate north through our nearshore gulf waters and then back south toward Mexico in early fall.

Tarpon fishing has grown in popularity during the past five years, and I have seen a dramatic increase in the number of anglers chasing them.

We use a wide variety of lures and natural baits to entice these Silver Kings to strike; my favorite is sight-casting a “Coon Pop” to tarpon rolling on the surface. Talk about a thrill! When they take the bait it feels like a large trout thumping the lure. But when you set the hook they are more like a freight train.

Fish hard, fish smart!

Robert and Travis Gilliland enjoying some redfish and flounder action.

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Gary Gray Loves Shallow Sport X3 72 | June 2021

TSFMAG.com | 73

DAVID ROWSEY

HOOKED UP WITH Rowsey

February’s freeze was dang bad for all of us, on many different levels, but this heat holding steady in the 90s already is not any more fun for me. I’m forever thankful that I have a pool to jump into everyday when I get off the water, wash the salt off and swim with dogs instead Upper of jellyfish. Life is good and can’t Laguna/ imagine having it any other way.

Ba f f i n I’m proud to say that the majority of anglers and guides have really taken to catch and release of all trout down here on the Upper Laguna and Baffin.

David Rowsey has over 25 years Of course, there are some holdouts in Baffin and Upper Laguna that don’t get the big picture and are Madre; trophy trout with too close-minded to comprehend that artificial lures is his specialty. the fishery can’t forever withstand the David has a great passion for relentless amount of pressure by all conservation and encourages catch and release of trophy fish. users and the wrath of Mother Nature at the same time. Bottom line, my Telephone opinion, we need to have at least two, 361-960-0340 if not three years of the three fish bag Website limit up and down the Texas coast. www.DavidRowsey.com Email Long term, the 2021 freeze could david.rowsey@yahoo.com ultimately be a good thing for the numbers and quality of trout on @captdavidrowsey the Texas coast, if…big if…TPWD sees fit to manage the bays for not only numbers but quality as well.

I am often asked, “How has the trout fishing been since the freeze?” My most honest assessment is that trout bites are probably down by 70%. Saying that, there are many days we will go out and catch 50-70 trout, which makes for a fun day.

However, of those numbers, the vast majority measure less than 17-inches. Having said that, we are managing to stick a few solid trout from 3- to 4-pounds (up to 6 pounds on special days). The flip side of that is the very next day you may have only 10 trout, with no obvious reason or change in conditions. It’s a headscratcher to say the least, and one of the strangest seasons I have ever experienced.

Redfish seemed to have done very well, coming through the freeze much better than trout. We are catching lots of them on a daily basis. For that reason they are getting more pressure and thrown in the box at a much higher rate than I’ve seen in the past.

Captain Joey Farah made a social media post on the subject the other day: “Everyone is hunting redfish! In the last few weeks every guide and sport fisherman is targeting reds. I’ve seen more dead redfish on the hooks than were killed in the freeze for sure, hands down. With the drop in trout numbers there is more and more pressure on redfish and drum. SPORTFISHING is not kill as many as you can! It’s elevating your skills and bringing fish to hand after outwitting them with casting equipment.”

Well said, Captain. I couldn’t agree more. It gives me hope that more and more seasoned guides are taking Joey’s stance and doing what 74 | June 2021

needs to be done to insure we have a great fishery for the future.

For myself and clients, June has always been a top month for pure fishing and catching. The girth of the trout is not what it was in March, but skinny bellies still need to eat. With a fresh bait supply coming in from the passes, followed by some migrating trout, many days will be “more catching than fishing.” Redfish and black drum will be filling the flats on a daily basis, and after a morning of trout fishing, sight-casting these mud apes makes for a great day of sport fishing. If this mixed bag of fishing interests you, call and set it up…. sooner than later.

My wade box will be undergoing some modifications for the rest of the summer. Topwaters will come into play much more than they have during the cooler months. MirrOlure’s Pro Dog and She Dog will both be stacked deep in the lure box. While the Paul Brown Originals (Corky) produce year round, I rely more heavily on the MirrOdine for its faster sink rate and exceptional flash that imitates all species of baitfish so well. Of course, I am never without my trusty 5” Bass Assassins (rattail).

As far as redfish, I lean heavily on paddletails, especially the Bass Assassin 4” Sea Shad. My latest top pick of reels are the new Concept A2 and C2 models. These ball bearing reels of are of the best quality and longevity that I have used in a long time. I’m spooling all reels with 40# Seaguar Smackdown Braid.

Remember the buffalo! -Capt David Rowsey

Mr. Ronnie Bose, still catching strong in his 70s. Bass Assassin, always. Fish was released to continue spawning!

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Bowed Up on Texas Redfish!

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WAYNE DAVIS

WAYNE’S Mansfield Report

Greetings from Port Mansfield!

First, I would like to report that the East Cut dredging project has been completed and the channel depths now average twenty Port feet from the Gulf of Mexico to Mansfield a couple hundred yards inside the Port Mansfield harbor.

The long-awaited completion provides safe access for deepCaptain Wayne Davis has draft offshore fishing vessels and been fishing the Lower greatly increased tidal flows from Laguna-Port Mansfield for the gulf. The ebb and flow at the over 20 years. He specializes intersection of East Cut and the in wade fishing with lures.

ICW has been remarkable and will greatly enhance our inshore Telephone 210-287-3877 fisheries in the Lower Laguna.

Email On the fishing scene, we are captwayne@kwigglers.com continuing to do quite well on redfish, but the freeze impact on speckled trout is clearly evident. Landings are much reduced compared to last year; just a few here and there. Even prime grass-edge habitat is giving only a few bites. This causes me to ponder a unique aspect of living through a significant fish kill – there is always opportunity in the wake of a harsh event. You see, we (Gen X’ers and Millennials) will be able to say we worked through the aftermath of the 2021 freeze and proclaim with credibility, “I was there.” We will also be better fishermen for the experience and we will have witnessed good conservation practices enabling the spotted seatrout fishery to flourish again. I’m by no means trying to justify the freeze but I am definitely looking forward to the future. We can all better anglers and better stewards of the resource because of it. Heck, this might even be the paradigm shift that has been so long overdue.

Our tides remain high and opportunities are abundant in back lakes.

As noted in my previous article we are loving this pattern and as of now it’s still very reliable. Just recently I was cruising slowly on plane in my 24-foot Shallow Sport Classic powered by Mercury Pro XS 300 and spotted a good number of redfish. We hopped out and waded about Capt. Ruben and Sandra Garza enjoying back bay redfish action.

20 yards and stood in that spot catching redfish after redfish.

This went on for about two hours and the fun could have continued but we decided to “fine tune” our trout fishing skills and move on. Just as expected, when I hopped on plane there were still an abundance of reds in the area. I only know a handful of folks who don’t love catching redfish and those folks are mostly from Louisiana and Mississippi. But that is to be expected, I suppose.

As mentioned, we are finding a few trout and when doing King Hardy with a so I’ve been working areas nice flounder landed that are known to produce on a recent charter. big trout this time of year. Fish have a way of finding their way back to the same areas that attracted their predecessors and that point should be noted by all anglers. It just so happened, the day before this article was written, I landed a solid seven-pounder and my lucky client showed me up by landing one in the “double digit” weight class! More to come on that story – stay tuned!

Moving forward I’ll eventually pull out of the back bays and start working the knee to thigh-deep shoreline stuff. My focus will be small lips and ledges along with grassbeds and potholes. Our winds should start backing down within the next month or so and that will allow us to work western shorelines more effectively. Areas of interest will be slightly off-colored water along points and small coves. My lure choices will be the proven KWigglers Willow Tails when fishing shallow along shorelines and the Ball Tail Shad as we wade toward thigh and waistdeep water farther from shore.

I have valid reports that our shrimpers are filling their nets by 9:00 am most days and they say the bay is full of small crabs and small croaker in addition to tons of shrimp. Boat traffic is strong, and folks are out fishing, so that’s a good thing.

I’m glad to see the temporary reduction in bag limits for trout in play and I know TPWD has been conducting their annual spring gill net surveys. Hopefully, there will be some reliable population data forthcoming to enable TPWD make reasonable rule/law changes for our fishery. We can all help by doing our part as we move into the busiest season of the year. Keep a red or two if you are looking for a good meal and consider letting the trout go, at least until the survey data is compiled.

You just might be doing more for the resource than you realize.

Until next time, stay safe and be a role model for our fishery.

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Capt. Wayne Davis: Tag & Release Lower Laguna Speckled Trout!

76 | June 2021

TSFMAG.com | 77

CAPT. ERNEST CISNEROS

SOUTH PADRE Fishing Scene

I will forego my usual opening paragraph analogy this month and dive straight into current fishing conditions in the Lower Laguna Madre, and Arr o y o compare what we are seeing with prior C ol o ra d o year’s experiences. As most of you are t o Po rt aware, the February freeze had a serious I sa bel impact on our fisheries. Three months later we are seeing and feeling it. This is not to say fishing is terrible because A Brownsville-area native, we are still catching fish. In fact, we’ve Capt. Ernest Cisneros fishes the Lower Laguna Madre from had some truly outstanding days. On Port Mansfield to Port Isabel. average, though, our trout landings Ernest specializes in wading have been significantly fewer and the and poled skiff adventures for size of the trout is much smaller. snook, trout, and redfish.

Shortly after the freeze we were landing many big trout that were Cell 956-266-6454 staged in ten- to twenty-feet of water Website along deep channels by bouncing soft www.tightlinescharters.com plastics rigged on 3/8 and 1/2-ounce jigs along the bottom. As the water warmed to the mid-70s the trout disappeared from the deeper water and we have yet to pattern them on the flats. Even smaller trout are scattered and in fewer numbers.

There’s no doubt our trout were hit hard by the freeze. With the new trout regulations being enacted April 1, 2021, my sincerest hope is that the three fish bag limit (with slot size 17- to 23-inches) will create greater spawning success to restore what was lost. We realize it will take several years, but by practicing more catch and release than ever before we can hopefully speed the recovery.

Our redfish population is in much better shape, considering that they too suffered during the freeze. The main difference we’re seeing lately is that reds are concentrated in smaller areas, mostly tucked away from boat traffic, something we do not expect until late-summer. The good news is that they are taking topwaters very readily and have been a lot of fun to catch. I attribute this to the overall shortage of baitfish following the tough winter.

Redfish have always been willing to hit plastics and our go-to lure continues to be the KWiggler Ball Tail in plum/chartreuse, rigged on 1/8 and and 1/4-ounce jigs. One thing that determines my bait choice is the number of mud boils I see while wading. If the mud boils are frequent my first choice will be the Ball Tail worked low in the water column. Lackluster strikes without commitment on topwaters are another sign to switch immediately to plastic.

Most of our steady redfish action has been around schools of finger mullet against shorelines and in back lakes on incoming tides. The flooded back lakes often have numbers of tailing reds visible, some cruising with their backs exposed, on calms mornings. On some lucky 78 | June 2021

days we have seen as many as 50 redfish in small schools. Competition for food when they’re grouped this way makes for exceptional action.

Also, on days when the wind reaches 25-mph and stronger, we have been seeing lots of gulls and terns hovering above the schools, picking off shrimp rooted from the mud by the feeding reds. Bird action should continue as long as windy days are part of the daily weather pattern.

I wish I could report steadier trout action. The trout we are catching have been around potholes, shell, and semi-muddy bottoms. Topwaters have been producing only a few solid strikes. We have been extra cautious in handling and releasing our trout, and if you want to see the trout fishery flourish again, I suggest you should do the same.

The best times to target the larger females will be during full and new moon phases as these are peak spawning times and this will continue through summer. Trout, especially, feed more aggressively when the water currents tend to be strongest. New and full moon phases typically give us two tide days with strong flows, which is another good reason for targeting larger fish at these times of the month.

Flounder are just recently starting to show in small numbers along the ICW and near Gulf passes. We haven’t had a stellar spring season on these bottom-dwellers but we are hoping their numbers will increase soon.

It would appear that our snook fared quite well through the freeze, from the Arroyo Colorado down to Port Isabel. Weather patterns have been keeping them off the flats but that should change as soon the weather stabilizes and summer heat sets in. From what we experienced and caught this winter there should be plenty of linesiders to target this summer.

June will be a busy month on the water. Please be courteous and extra cautious, especially on crowded weekends. Wear your kill switch at all times when underway. Best fishing!

Gus Henggler and a bruiser redfish; 31-plus!

Ricky Wallace with a 34 ¼-inch snook on soft plastic; fishing deep water from the boat.

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FISHING REPORTS

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 James was coming off an excellent run of catching trout when we talked. “We’ve been fishing the same pattern for nearly two months.

The fish are over a hard, sandy bottom with some shell scattered on it.

We’ll catch ‘em good on topwaters like ShePups for a couple days, then the bite shifts over to Lil’ Johns and Sea Shads for a few days, then swings back up top. Lots of three to five-pound fish biting. Here last week, the birds started working really steady over schools of brown shrimp. We should see more of that action as we head into the end of spring, beginning of summer. But really, the thing that seems set up just right is the Pass area. I expect it to blow up any time. In fact, we’ve already caught ‘em pretty good over there a couple times. I’m looking at the Gulf right now. The green water is in sight. As the wind settles down, the green water should move right up to the beach. When that happens, it should be on for real. Lately, we’ve been catching 20 or 30 keeper trout a day, not killing ‘em all, of course.”

Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054 Jim was watching reports about the volume of water coming down the Trinity River when we talked. “We’re about to get a pretty big influx of freshwater up in Anahuac. It’s been wide open up there, but with all this flood water coming in, the fish will likely get pushed around Smith Point, and the catching in East Bay should get better. Lately, the water in all the bayous has been salty, so we’ve been able to hide in there and keep catchin’ on the windier days. The surf has already shown some promise, but just for little short stretches of time. Normally, we get our first sustained run of good fishing out there in June, so we’re looking forward to that. We’ve been catching some on topwaters lately, and that pattern can work really well around some of the main reefs in East Bay on the calmer days in June. Most people throw tails when they’re fishing out of the boat in the middle, but it’s possible to catch some pretty big fish on top out there this time of year, especially early in the morning, when it’s calm and the tide is rolling in pretty good. Overall, things are looking pretty good.”

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 At the time of this report, Randall was witnessing the arrival of the brown shrimp around San Luis Pass and in the waters of lower West Galveston Bay. “The brownies have arrived, and the pelagic fish seem to have followed them in. Catching has been easy lately.

You can catch ‘em on whatever you want, most of the time. I’ve been throwing Norton Sand Eel Juniors in tequila gold some of the time. But the bone One Knocker bite has been crazy too. In June, I anticipate the arrival of the ribbonfish in the surf and on the flats inside the Pass. When they show up in numbers, a white or silver SkitterWalk seems to be the best lure to trick the bigger trout. I like to work it with pretty erratic action, to mimic those long, flashy fish. It’s a great time to fish this area, for both trout and redfish, and of course, offshore season soon kicks off. On a sad note, I want to remind everyone of the importance of wearing a kill switch when at the helm of a boat. I just lost my best friend to a boating accident, one I fear might have been avoidable.”

80 | June 2021

ORECASTS F from Big Lake to Boca Chica

AND

Matagorda | Bay Guide Service Tommy Countz- 979.863.7553 cell 281.450.4037 Tommy touts June as a great month for fishing the Matagorda area, since both air and water temperatures haven’t peaked yet. “If I’m fishing out of the boat, I’m usually in East Bay, working areas in the west end, where the bottom is a mix of mud and shell. If winds are light and the water’s clear, we’ll throw artificials, but we will use live shrimp if the water’s murkier. The east end of the bay, on the big mud flat, can be good this time of year too. When I’m wanting to wade, I prefer heading to West Bay, working places like Cotton’s and Green’s, starting off early with topwaters, staying tight to the bank. We target trout primarily over there, but we catch a lot of reds too. As the day wears on, we usually move out farther from the bank and switch to dark soft plastics, working them repeatedly over visible grass beds growing on top of the bars between the guts. This month is normally the start of tripletail season for us. We find them in West Bay around pipes and poles and other permanent structures, also under rafts of floating vegetation, or pieces of junk.”

Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 Aaron reports, “Winds have really hampered our fishing efforts lately. We’ve been limited to fishing areas inside the rivers, creeks and bayous, and in places where ditches create breaks in the shorelines, mostly on the leeward side of the bay, whatever that is, given the wind direction. We’re spending most of our time casting in and around washouts created by water flowing out of the marshes into the bays and main waterways. Outgoing tides have been producing the best bite. Rafts of bait flushing out of the shallow backwater areas have drawn the attention of the predators. The redfish have been hanging out near structures in the river, waiting to ambush bait. We’ve been catching them on live shrimp rigged three feet or so under popping corks when the shrimp are available, using three-inch white Gulp! shrimp when they’re not. Once the winds lay more of the time, fishing over shell and along sandy shorelines with scattered grass beds will pick right up. The surf should become a viable option in June. Fishing around the jetties has also been productive, and should continue to be, for both trout and reds, as we inch closer and closer to summer.”

Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith Back Bay Guide Service - 361.983.4434 Lynn was anticipating an uptick in the catching action within a couple weeks or so of offering this report. “We’ve got brown shrimp and croakers moving into the Pass area right now. This time of year is a great one to target the trout that take advantage of the new sources of food in that area. Most days, I’ll be fishing in places close to the Pass, working sand bars with some grass on them. The ones lying in close proximity to the channels used by the shrimp, croakers and trout to move in and out of the Gulf usually produce best. We like to key on the signs of life to pick our specific spots. Places where we see plenty of riffling mullet and some jumping shrimp normally produce best.

As in any year, we’ll keep our eye on the beachfront and remain ready to head out there when conditions get right. And, the catching has been really good for bull reds at the jetties lately. As more and more shrimp and other prey species populate those waters, the fishing for

trout should improve. It’s possible to catch some pretty big trout on topwaters tight to the rocks this time of year.”

Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894 Blake was out fishing, watching a customer fight a good fish when he gave this report. “We’ve been targeting the reds more than the trout.

We are catching a decent number of trout, and some pretty good ones, but generally we’re doing so while putting a priority on the reds. That will likely change somewhat as we move into June, when the surf usually becomes more reliable on a daily basis. I’ve already made some trips out to the beachfront and done well, and I expect it to be even better next month. We’ve had a decent topwater bite on some days lately, and that usually becomes more consistent in June too. Of course, if the fish aren’t blowing up, I don’t hesitate to switch over to my dark Norton Sand Eels with chartreuse tails, or the splittail Gulp! lures in a pinch. In the bays, multiple patterns have great potential as spring winds down and summer settles in. It’s possible to catch fish on the outer parts of shorelines with a mix of sand and grass, also around some of the main-bay reefs. It’s a great time to be on the water in the Coastal Bend.”

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 Robert says, “Two words pop into my mind right away when I think of the fishing in my area during the month of June—consistent and confident. Usually, nice weather conditions lead to consistently better catching than what has occurred during the more tumultuous months of spring. Better catching on a daily basis causes my confidence to soar to new heights. The topwater action is almost always great early in the mornings this time of year. I like to throw MirrOlure SheDogs. Later in the day, as the sun climbs in the sky, I normally switch over to a Catch 5, since the fish more readily take something a foot or so under the surface when the sky is bright. If floating grass makes fishing the hard baits with trebles too much of a hassle, I switch to Bass Assassin Die Dappers in colors like salt & pepper/chartreuse or chicken on a chain, rigging them on sixteenth-ounce Spring Lock jigheads. This time of year, the live bait of choice is a live croaker free-lined on a #5 Mustad hook. For those who enjoy sight-casting fish in ultra-shallow water, chartreuse Fish-bites in shrimp flavor on sixteenth ounce heads produce plenty of red and black drum.”

Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.877.1230 In June, when the hot weather settles in for the long haul, Joe likes to spend some time fishing around the edges of structure and cover elements lying fairly close to deep water. “We still have some trout and reds shallow early in the mornings. Finding them on calm days often means seeing the wakes they push as the boat passes them. This is especially true of the reds, which can be caught in water less than two feet deep most mornings. After the sun heats the day up, the wind usually starts blowing harder, and the catching is often best around the outer edges of the deepest grass beds on the flats, close to the basin where no grass will grow, in places like Beacroft’s and Emmord’s holes. Throwing soft plastics around visible rocks in water too far from the shore to reach by wading along the Kenedy Shoreline, at Rocky Slough and in the vicinity of Penascal Point, Cathead and East Kleberg Point also produces bites at a fairly steady rate in the middle portions of these hot days. Our trout bite is rebounding after the freeze; most of the fish we’re catching are pretty good sized.”

P.I.N.S. Fishing Forecast | Eric Ozolins 361-877-3583 | Oceanepics.com June is a highly anticipated month along the Texas surf. With

warmer water temps, bait is usually abundant. Calmer weather tends to create clear water. All this means June is a great time to pursue trout along the beachfront. Throwing topwaters early and late, walking the dog steadily, often draws plenty of strikes from aggressive specks in the surf zone. Generally, surf trout tend to weigh more per inch than their relatives who spend more time in the bay. A true 28” surf trout looks like Godzilla compared with a fish of the same length found in the bay. Aside from the trout, expect to see the first run of skipjacks, or ladyfish, this month. They’ll normally hit just about any lure we throw. Redfish and jacks will also be encountered by anglers targeting specks this month. Sharks of all sizes are also around. As we get later into summer, the shark action becomes much better at night, especially when the bigger sharks are the targets. This month, some of the biggest bull sharks inhabit the shallows of the surf. Encounters with tigers and great hammerheads are also possible. Beware of the stingrays, which are numerous in the guts this time of year.”

Port Mansfield | Ruben Garza Snookdudecharters.com – 832.385.1431 Getaway Adventures Lodge – 956.944.4000 “In the Port Mansfield area, redfish action remains outstanding.

Trout fishing is slowly improving. The recently dredged channel between the jetties has increased tidal flow, which is a good thing.

We might see the fastest improvement in the trout fishing in areas close to the pass, where tides bring some trout in from the surf.

Targeting trout lately means fishing around deep grass beds and potholes lying close to the break into water too deep for grass to grow. Eighth-ounce jigheads carrying KWiggler Ball Tail Shads in colors like Mansfield Margarita and Lagunaflauge have been working best. Topwaters are also drawing strikes, and some folks are better at making more casts for fewer bites with those. The redfish have been holding tight to area shorelines, especially those in the middle of the slot. The over-sized fish seem to be in deeper water.

The topwater action has been fantastic. Gold, weedless spoons also work well. Soft plastics should be rigged on super light heads for best results in such shallow water. When winds calm, fishing around the jetties should be good in June. If lots of bait balls show up, tarpon should be biting regularly.”

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Aaron Cisneros | tightlinescharters.com – 956-639-1941 “With the waders put away for good, we’re waiting for true summer patterns to emerge and stay. We’re catching fish in all sorts of places lately at different times of the day. Overall, our trout bite has been best in water about three to five feet deep, over sand bars with some grass beds dotted on the bottom. Best bite has been on KWiggler Ball Tail Shads rigged on quarter-ounce Spring Lock jigheads. Plum has been the best color most days. Slowly jigging the lures off the bottom has been earning the most strikes. Fishing for reds has been easier and more consistent. The topwater bite has been excellent early in the mornings, with bone Spook Juniors earning the most strikes the past couple weeks. The fastest action has been quite close to the shorelines in most places. When the bait becomes less active, switching over to KWigglers on eighth-ounce heads has been working much better. Making erratic presentations with some quick, jerky movements has been working best to get bites in the shallows with the soft plastics. Best bet is to make the lure race into a pothole with lots of action, or work it right along the edges.”

TSFMAG.com | 81

Bronc Cunningham Laguna Madre - 36.5” redfish

Hannah Sendejas Galveston - 35” bull red

Damon Collins Matagorda Bay - 28” redfish 82 | June 2021

Charmel Rodick & Case Jennings Galveston - trout

Juan Cepeda 27” redfish

Ella Oaks Galveston Bay - 21” redfish CPR

Kristi Barnes Lower Laguna - 27.5” trout CPR

James Murray Matagorda - keeper trout

Scotty Huffman Bastrop Bay - 4.5 lb flounder

Juan E 6’ 11” alligator gar CPR

Theron Korol Colorado River - 31” redfish

Kevin Gerold Gulf - wahoo

Skyy Bingham Baffin Bay - 20” first trout!

Ben Cipione Matagorda Bay - redfish

Mason Ramsower Houston - 8 lb personal best goldfish!

Photo Gallery Guidelines 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.

Emery Sadler Galveston - 32” redfish CPR

Lynn Preiss Shoalwater Bay - 31” first oversized red! CPR TSFMAG.com | 83

PAM JOHNSON

Gulf Coast

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

Email them to pam@tsfmag.com or send by fax: 361 792-4530

Grilled Coconut Scallops INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

10 Large white meat scallops Thin sliced bacon Coconut oil (Melted) Cajun seasonings

Drain scallops of excess water by placing on paper towels .

This recipe was given to me by Pinney Kettler.

Pinney says they prepare scallops this way often at their bayhouse in Sargent, TX. Equally great for appetizers or main course, believe me when I say they turn out delicious however and whenever you serve them! -Pam Johnson 84 | June 2021

Place scallops in melted coconut oil for 15 to 20 minutes.

Cut bacon in lengths to wrap around the outside of each scallop and secure with toothpick.

Sprinkle both sides with Cajun seasonings.

Place scallops on medium to hot grill.

Medium heat – 5 minutes per side. High heat – 3 minutes per side. Scallops will be slightly firm when properly cooked.

Brush with remaining coconut oil after removing from grill.

For spicier flavor – sprinkle with more Cajun seasoning after grilling.

Science and the

Sea

TM

The Self Control of Cuttlefish If you receive a slice of pie but learn you will get a whole pie to yourself if you can wait ten minutes, could you wait? Scientists previously thought only humans and other apes could delay gratification. Then they learned crows and parrots could wait for better rewards too. It turns out cuttlefish, a relative of octopuses and squid, have the same ability to forgo one treat to wait for a more desirable one.

Main Entrance to Nine Mile Hole LOOKING FOR:

1 to 3 cabin partners brberryman@gmail.com

Experiments show that cuttlefish are able to wait longer for better rewards. Credit: Wikimedia Commons, Nick Hobgood / CC-BY-SA-3.0 Scientists at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts designed an experiment for cuttlefish based on the famous marshmallow study, in which children could receive one marshmallow right away or wait a bit longer for two. The researchers tested six cuttlefish, one at a time, in an aquarium with two chambers containing prey. The researchers had already trained the cuttlefish to understand how the chambers operated—including delays in opening and that approaching the prey in one chamber made the other chamber inaccessible.

One chamber contained a raw king prawn. Previous tests showed cuttlefish would eat prawn if nothing else was around. The other chamber contained live grass shrimp, a much more appealing item to a cuttlefish. Then the scientists tested whether the cuttlefish would eat the prawn immediately or wait for the chamber with the live grass shrimp to open.

The cuttlefish waited one to two minutes, similar to self-control seen in chimpanzees, crows and parrots. The cuttlefish that could wait the longest also performed best in other mental tasks, showing a link between their ability to delay gratification and cognitive ability. But why did cuttlefish evolve this ability? The researchers suspect it has to do with the need for cuttlefish to camouflage themselves and wait, out of sight from predators, before snatching up a meal. Those who could wait, survived.

www.ScienceAndTheSea.org © The University of Texas Marine Science Institute TSFMAG.com | 85

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

MAINTENANCE IS AN ALL-SEASON THING! Summer is finally here and fishing is the top priority. The boat is now in use more often and maintenance is only an off-season thing…or is Chris Mapp, owner of it? The truth is that maintenance Coastal Bend Marine and is year-round for Texas anglers. No Flats Cat Boat Company. matter the season, salt can cause Great Service, Parts & Sales. rust or oxidation if left unattended.

“What can we do for you?”

The results are pitting and scaling.

Metals will fatigue or become so thin that the strength is diminished, thus producing failure of all manner of components.

A few small steps following each outing can save a lot of headaches and money. Flush the engine with freshwater for at least five minutes while running to achieve normal operating temperature, whenever possible. If you are using the flush port at the powerhead, make sure water runs out the bottom of the inlet screens and flush at idle speed only. Pay attention to any alarms and never leave the engine unattended when flushing. Consult the manufactures owner’s manual for details.

86 | June 2021

Spray the hydraulic steering cylinder and tilt and trim casing with Corrosion X Red after flushing and before short or long-term storage.

Corrosion X Red is excellent for wiping down stainless hinges, latches, and protecting all hardware. A light spray on the battery terminals and fuel/water separator filter is a good idea, too. Leave the hatches open during storage, at least partially, to avoid mildew buildup.

Removing the engine cowling and applying a light spray with Corrosion X Red every month or so is another good practice to help prevent corrosion. Check the engine oil and look for signs of anything abnormal; white salt trails or oil stains. Take a minute with the grease gun and lube all engine fittings that appear dry.

Have a great summer and stay safe!

Chris Mapp Coastal Bend Marine | Port O’Connor, TX 361-983-4841 | chrismapp@coastalbendmarine.com

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TROUT REDFISH FLOUNDER

Capt. Lynn Smith’s Back Bay Guide Service Port O’Connor Area

Wade & Drifting the Back Bays & Surf

Call 361.983.4434 (cell 361.935.6833) Email lynn@tisd.net (tswf.com/lynnsmith)

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

805 B. South Bridge Victoria, TX 77901

Fax: 361.573.0304

TSFMAG.com | 87

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FISHING EXCURSION

TM

This rod is great for saltwater trout and redfish fishing and is made with a 1-piece construction for long-lasting use. The cork handle allows for secure, comfortable casting and retrieving, while the rubber butt cap helps you reel in tough fish.

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