March 2007
Texas Saltwater Fishing
Texas Saltwater Fishing
March 2007
March 2007
Texas Saltwater Fishing
MARCH 20 07
V o l u m e 1 6 N o . 11
in this issue… 10 Prepare Thyself!
Mike McBride
14 March Memories and What They Mean to Me
Kevin Cochran
20 Why Baffin Grows a Bigger Trout
Bink Grimes Martin Strarup
26 Signs of the Times
Billy Sandifer
30 Courtesy of a Corky Fat Boy.
Kyle Tomek
Jay Watkins
36 Fly Fishing
Subscriptions Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine is published monthly. Subscriptions available for $34.00 per year. E-MAG is available for $25.00 per year. Order online at: www.texassaltwaterfishingmagazine.com or tsfmag.com Or make checks payable to: Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine Attn: Subscriptions P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 * Subscribers are responsible for submitting all address changes and renewals by the 15th of the prior month’s issue. The U.S. Postal Service does not guarantee magazines will be forwarded.
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Send us Your Letters, Questions & Comments!
36
Casey Smartt
Brandon Jenewein
46 Offshore
Bobby Byrd/Capt. John Cochrane
50 Conservation
CCA-Texas
54 Science and the Sea
UT-Marine Science Institute
56 TPWD Field Notes Part II
Dr. Larry McKinney
62 Kayak Fishing
Scott Null
66 According To Scott
Aaron Cisneros
72 The Lore and Legend Part III
Raymond “Kutch” Albrecht
80 Chuck’s Sabine Scene
Chuck Uzzle
82 Mickey on Galveston
Mickey Eastman
84 Capt. Bill’s Fish Talk
Bill Pustejovsky
86 Mid-Coast Bays with the Grays 88 Catching up with Cliff
Cliff Webb Capt. Tricia
Ernest Cisneros
98
6
Editorial
8
Letters to the Editor
78
New Tackle & Gear
94
Fishing Reports and Forecasts
96
Photo Gallery–Catch of the Month
98
Gulf Coast Kitchen
92
Shellie Gray
90 Capt. Tricia’s Port Mansfield Report 92 South Padre Fishing Scene
62
Scott Sommerlatte
70 Youth Fishing
103 Index of Advertisers
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P.O. Box 429 Seadrift, TX 77983 Office: 361-785-3420 © Copyrighted 1990 All rights reserved. Positively nothing in this publication may be reprinted and reproduced. *Views expressed by TSFMag contributors do not necessarily express the views of TSFMag. Texas Saltwater Fishing
42 Tournament Trails
Texas Saltwater Fishing
24 The Haddon Cup Part II
32 Let’s Ask The Pro
Leroy Navarro is our cover angler for March. Leroy and his friends enjoyed a very memorable trip to Port Mansfield recently where he landed this beautiful Lower Laguna trophy.
30
Editor and Publisher Everett Johnson everett@tsfmag.com NEW ! L EM A I Business Manager Pam Johnson pam@tsfmag.com NEW !
EM A I
March 2007
L
Advertising Tracey Johnson Ph: 361-785-3420
Fx: 361-785-2844
tracey@tsfmag.com NEW !
L EM A I Subscription – Circulation Shirley Elliott Ph: 361-785-3420 shirley@tsfmag.com
NE W ! L EM A I
March 2007
Texas Saltwater Fishing
Regular readers are by now
aware that I frequently use my editor’s column to apprise advertisers, fans and friends of our progress along the pathway to delivering the very best fishing magazine we are capable of publishing. And so it is this month… we are on the grow again between the covers and we are expanding our circulation efforts as well. First let’s talk about the growth between the covers… the Lore and Legend stories we ran in January and February are receiving very good feedback; Lore and Legend will be continued as long as our readers are enjoying it and we would like to solicit content. If you know of anybody whose saltwater career might qualify them, we’d much appreciate if you would introduce us to that person. Last year we ran a series of technical articles from Louie Baumann Jr. of Baumann Marine Propellers in Houston. The Baumann family has been in the prop business almost since the advent of gasoline engines being installed in boats. Louie provided an interesting set of discussions as regards the technical ins and outs of prop manufacture and repair and our readers liked his stuff. Lately we have received many requests for more tech articles. We hope very soon to include a technical department with discussions covering many aspects of boats, motors, props, trailers, tackle and the other stuff that makes saltwater fishing so much fun… and yes, Louie will also be in the mix. Destination pieces have played well; our readers enjoy hearing the stories of fishing adventures in far-flung venues that readers have contributed to this magazine. In response, we are planning a Fishing Destinations department and will be inviting all readers who travel and feel the desire to write it about to participate. We hope to have this one up and going soon also. Largely through the urging of Billy Sandifer we are preparing to test reader acceptance of a coastal birding section. Billy is a walking encyclopedia of nature facts and a real whiz at identifying the avian species that inhabit and migrate through his beloved Padre Island National Seashore. Billy says that TSF readers are not all bubbas, “Our readers represent the top end of the saltwater fishing community and I can tell you from the folks who buy my fishing trips they want to learn more about the environment and eco-system of the sea… besides I’m sick of everybody referring to the various species of terns as liar birds!” Look for Coastal Birding to appear soon. And now a few words about our circulation… in answer to all those calls, letters and emails… we are taking a serious look at expanding into the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. During the past twelve months our efforts to increase circulation in the Austin-San Antonio-Interstate 35 corridor have been very successful and our magazine can now be located in more than 500 retail establishments in that part of the state. The Dallas-Ft. Worth area is home to enough saltwater enthusiasts that we believe we can be successful there too. If our preliminary studies yield the result we expect, we should be setting up rack sales there this spring. We’ll give you another heads-up as we get closer. Last but not least is a personal invitation to all of our valued readers who are planning to attend the Houston Fishing Show at the George R. Brown Convention Center February 28 through March 4, 2007. The Fishing Show is the largest and best in Texas and we especially look forward to everybody stopping by our booth to meet and visit. We have double space on a corner location on one of the center aisles this year, so we’ll have lots of room. Please stop by and see us, we love to meet readers and talk fishing!
Texas Saltwater Fishing
March 2007
March 2007
Texas Saltwater Fishing
Send letters to: TSFMag, P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983
ections, Dear Gulf Coast Conn s Saltwater Fishing ch for sending the Texa mu Thank You ver y ed the books you Mosul, Iraq and I receiv in rk wo I q. Ira to es for Magazin give the soldiers a copy , 2006, just in time to e sent on December 23 tur pic send you one joy them. I am going to Christmas. They all en happy to get a fishing Texas and she was so of a soldier that is from book from home. love to read them. ones the soldiers would old y an ve ha you if d An Thank you, Nancy Ferro APO AE 09334 KBR- MWR (H -2)
Texas Saltwater Fishing
Shirley, I want to thank you ver y much for the magazines you sent to our unit. They were distributed among all the saltwater fisherman in the company. Your genero sity is ver y much appreciated. Not onl y do we miss our families, but those of us that fish regularly really mis s the Texas Gulf Coast and the fishing. It is in my blood; I grew up fishing with my dad, two bro thers, uncle, cousins, and friends. My unit is an aviation ma intenance company with the 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, which is par t of the 36th Infantr y Division out of Texas. We provide maintenance suppor t for UH -60 Black Hawks, CH -47 Chinooks , and AH -64 Apache helico pte rs. I am attaching some pictures of the aircraf t here at LSA Anaconda. Anaconda is southeast of Balad and almost due nor th of Baghdad. The Tigris River runs righ t by the airfield. Also, the re is an attached photo of mysel f and some buddies sitting by Saddam’s palace swimm ing pool in Baghdad smoki ng cigars. I am on the left. The palace is now the U.S. Embassy and will be eventually turned back over to the Iraqis. Old Saddam left us some nice accommo dations. The photo was tak en around Thanksgiving. Thanks again for you gen erosity, Frank Moore
March 2007
March 2007
Texas Saltwater Fishing
I remember several years
again. It’s time to look over your gear like you
I desperately wanted that particular lure back
back when a day of fishing did not quite go as
mean it, and if necessary, head on back down to
too because I didn’t have another one like it.
well as planned. A series of simple things ended
the store. We don’t need a bunch of stuff, but we
(You know how it is with plugs… that was THE
up wrecking the whole day, but fortunately, all
do need the right stuff and we need it all to work.
one for the moment and the only one I had full
of the events were self-imposed and highly
Here’s another small reminder that it’s forever
confidence in.) When I went to string the fish,
preventable. As a full-time guide, I get to see
the little things that can have a big impact on our
the stupid spike on the stringer broke off. I
some of the same stuff happen on almost every
highly coveted time in the water. It’s called being
pushed the cord through raspy gill plates with
trip. The calendar says it’s March and many
prepared (or in this case, not being prepared), to
my fingers and then tied on a lesser option lure.
take advantage of what nature had to offer.
I also remember being cock-eyed and frustrated
of you are coming out of hibernation to hit the water
On the day in question, the comical events started early, but escalated quickly when a big
sunglasses. I had gotten them repeatedly
trout suddenly shattered the quiet world in front
splashed and didn’t have a dry thread on me to
of me. After four hours of nothingness (plus a two hour drive, a forty minute boat run,
In the next humorous instant, the front sole of my left bootie flapped half-open. I had to start
of hard won muck), it finally looked like a
high stepping like I was wearing clown shoes to
good bite was going to happen. It probably
avoid tripping over little chunky humps of grass.
did, but I didn’t get to stick around long
I tripped anyway, and shoved my reel, and my
enough to find out.
forehead, directly into the stinky mud. I tried to
with a violent surface walking headshake, a classic sign that she was deeply hooked. Sure enough, the plug was
swish the reel clean and did, but on the next cast, all of the line balled up on one side of the spool. The pall on the level-wind worm gear failed. When I finally got back to the boat, my back-up reel screamed like a short fingernail on
hopelessly lodged in the far
a long chalkboard. I promptly found an empty
reaches of her throat. I
bottle of reel oil to fix it with. Soon afterwards,
reached for my pliers,
Texas Saltwater Fishing
clean them with.
and what seemed like four thousand yards
This trout came out of the water
10
all day while trying to peer out of salt covered
my hat flew off my head while running to another
but horror of horrors,
spot. It was way too skinny to
they weren’t there.
shut down so I had to leave it
March 2007
lay. When I got home I looked like a burn victim because I had neither another hat nor appropriate sunscreen aboard. It was worse the next day because I had called in sick to work and then showed up with a bad sunburn. All of this (and a little more I didn’t mention) could have been avoided and some good fish probably caught. Let’s remember; life is short and time on the water is precious, so let’s go through a short checklist of what I’m seeing show up at my slip in the mornings. It just takes a little time to ensure a better day, so in no particular order, here are a few items to check which may help to make sure you don’t get a little mud on YOUR face. This is an often overlooked but an absolutely must have tool. Drop the five more dollars for a real pair of stainless pliers with good cutters, and then make sure your wading belt keeps them where they are supposed to be. It doesn’t take much time to turn your trusted plugs into nasty pieces of rust, but it used to take a lot of time to restore them. Keeping them flushed and clean helps, but you may have a big surprise waiting for you when you open that box after several months. If they get away from you, there’s an easier way now thanks from a tip by Capt. Ernest Cisneros. It’s a bathroom cleaner product called “The Works”. Spray it on, let it sit, then simply rinse clean. We have been enlightened and amazed (plus it’s also the fastest, no hassle way of taking all stains off of boats and all sorts of other stuff). Next step is re-hooking. Put some good
glasses are one of the most important tools we
by the gross. I think they’re about $2.50 per box
carry on the water. For inshore work, amber
and worth many days of clear fishing.
points on them. Many lures I see the guys tie
or vermillion lenses distort color and greatly
on are about as sharp as a #2 pencil eraser.
increase contrast, making that color change or
make a difference? They do, especially as far
We have gone to Gamakatsu black nickel, and
grass line much more distinct. Everybody has
as time savings and extreme frustration go.
are putting on those single hooks we have been
their preferences, but after sampling just about
Some of the standard off the wall stringers are
talking about on everything we can. Aside from
every pair brought down by clients, we chose
so limp and wimpy that it takes twenty minutes
the increased safety factor, they work as well if
Maui Jim’s because of their extreme quality
to untangle the resulting mess back at the boat.
not better than trebles. Be sure and carry two of
lenses and customer service. I used to see fuzzy
Find a stiff, thick gauge stringer with a sharp,
the lures you can’t live without.
things I thought might be fish, but now, thanks to
well attached spike on the end, and your day will
their no-line prescription HCL Bronze polarized
be much less complicated.
It may seem like a simple thing,
Who would think that they
but if we can’t see we can’t fish, not well anyway.
bi-focal lenses, I can just about count scales.
A hat is a hat, right?
There are several good glasses out there ranging
Treat yourself to a real pair of shades, and be
Wrong! A dark under bill cuts an amazing
from bargain prices to ridiculous, but polarized
sure to start buying those boxes of lens cleaners
amount of glare, and a good Velcro enclosure
March 2007
Texas Saltwater Fishing
11
makes them stay put comfortably. However, in
did something wrong, but they’ll take care of you
reality, the traditional ball caps do us little good
anyway with a lifetime warranty.
when it comes to sun protection. One day I’ll find
I can’t tell you how many decent
a big brimmed hat that works in a boat. By the
fishermen show up with inadequate reels. Not
way, it is extremely bad Karma to wear a golf hat
the brand, but the care. Screeching bearings,
while fishing.
sticky drags, half a spool of old, over-sized line, Sunblocks don’t work if we
and any number of ill-maintained symptoms will
don’t have them, don’t use them, or if the bottle
ruin an effort. Casting well, besides being on top
is all dried up. We need them… just asked my
of fish, is everything.
new surgeon friend. The best we’ve found which
Some do,
actually works in South Texas extreme is made
some don’t, but even in areas clear of line cutting
by Bullfrog. The gel is a chemical block and
structure, the back side of a barb is an ever
needs to be put on well before exposure. The
present danger. It’s cheap insurance, and we tie
titanium is a reflective block, needs to be put on
on a rod’s length of twenty-pound fluorocarbon
heavily, and makes you look like you’ve eaten a
with a line to line connection. There are several
cake with no hands. Bring it… use it… it helps
knots, but the double uni-knot is reliable and
us survive.
hard to mess up. Again, there are a lot of good rods
There is a ton more to talk about; such as
out there, but whatever we own needs a good
properly fitting waders and booties, packable rain
going over. Cracked inserts, missing inserts,
jackets, you name it, but this was just a sample
rusted and loose eyes under the wrapping,
meant to encourage the process of getting ready
hairline cracks in the blank itself, can all cost us
for what looks to be a great year.
a day on the water. We chose Fishing Tackle
Life is meant to be awesome. Fishing helps,
Unlimited’s All Pro Series for a lot of reasons,
but only if we are ready to make the most of it.
not the least of which is because they are light,
You really might want to look at your stuff before
strong, and won’t let you down. Full titanium eyes
you too trip over a good day. See ya there.
mean no rust… ever. If you break this rod you 12
Texas Saltwater Fishing
March 2007
March 2007
Texas Saltwater Fishing
13
The NCAA basketball
tournament isn’t the only unpredictable event that happens in the month of March. Winter ends and spring begins during this windy,
tumultuous period, and the feeding mood of fish mirrors the rapidly changing weather conditions. Nonetheless, this transitional month is one of the best for catching giant trout. I have some fond memories of trips made in March; looking back on them confirms that this time of year is ripe with trophy potential. One of my most cherished memories of trout fishing in March occurred nearly a decade ago. I was camped on Panther Point with my old golf coach Danny Ihrig and our friend Dick Welch. Danny always brought along as much stuff as his boat could hold, and we actually set up a generator and were able to watch some of the basketball tournament while perched on aluminum chairs atop a shell ridge on the shore of San Antonio Bay.
He said he didn’t want to wade the soft bottom, so I headed in there alone, parking my old eighteen foot Kenner just inside the mouth of the lake and rowing my kayak quietly along the shoreline for maybe two hundred yards before getting out. As darkness gradually gave way to light, I was throwing a Super Spook, and I did get some weak blowups on it, but I decided that the fish wanted something less obtrusive in the calm, shallow waters. I then tied on a clear 95M MirroLure with a blue head. The 95M is not popular, but perhaps it should be; its shape closely resembles a glass minnow. Soon, my quietly clicking minnow lookalike attracted the attention of fish, and I managed to catch five stocky and aggressive trout on it before seven a.m.. One five pounder stuck her wide purple head straight up out of the water, plucked the slender lure off the surface and ducked back under a mere ten feet from the end
I don’t remember who played in those games,
of my rod tip. When she felt my weight,
she exploded to the top and made a bubbling, muddy mess to emphasize her disgust. Another six pound trout walked on her tail for at least twenty feet after I hooked her, slinging her head from side to side, silhouetted between me and the just rising sun. I’ll never forget the way the droplets of water seemed infused with golden light as my darling danced and the way the chunky fish felt in my hands after I won my battles with them. By today’s standards, those trout weren’t that big, and I didn’t catch that many, but the satisfaction I felt with my decision to glide into old Panther Lake that day was only enhanced when I learned that Dickie had caught only small fish out on the reef. I’d already reached a point where I was willing to catch fewer fish if I knew that doing so would give me a better chance at a big one. Then, as now, it’s about quality over quantity. Certainly it was in the Troutmasters tournaments I fished. Another of my fond March memories
but I do vividly recall a wading session I had in the back of Panther Lake on the first morning of that trip. It was a relatively warm week, and the wind had been blowing out of the southeast for a few days when we arrived. Overnight, the noisy breeze subsided John Blackshear releasing his lifetime best trout (7 pounds) in the Lagoon. Note the water clarity!
to a whisper. While we discussed the day’s plans by the light of a pre-dawn campfire, Dickie said he planned to wade the reefs running off the point, and I warned him that he would be missing out if he didn’t come along with me into the muddy lake.
14
Texas Saltwater Fishing
Cody Maddox with a 7 pounder caught in March. March 2007
occurred in one such event, held in Rockport in
a wide raft of jumping mullet. Soon I discovered
flashes of lavender light accented by gold as
2001. While pre-fishing, I found some big trout
that a school of magnum trout had also found
they opened their ample mouths and ate. Once, I
on soft muddy grass and potholes adjacent to a
the ripple. The first of these fish I caught after I
saw a fish racing on top fully five feet to the right
sandy island.
watched her take aim at my Fat Boy from some
of my plug with her wide open, yellow mouth
It was chilly for March; a light, wet front
four feet to the side. She seemed to hunker
half in, half out of the water. I was so excited I
had blown in Friday night, bringing misty rain
down on the bottom before gathering herself
could barely hold my rod in my hands while I
and a northeast wind pushing twenty knots. I
and charging, mouth fully agape, snatching my
anticipated the bite; when she attempted to eat
started Saturday morning with a Super Spook
wobbling lure then racing away.
my plug, she made a sound akin to a kid cupping
as was my usual way back then, but after a
That first trout was “only” about six pounds,
his hand and plunging it into a backyard pool,
couple of blowups and misses, I switched to
but as I and two others stood in one small area
but I never felt a tap. She whiffed my Corky,
a chartreuse/pearl Corky Fat Boy and the fish
and watched, amazed, other bigger fish began
snapping her jaws together a few inches from
started to stick. By covering a productive set
to show themselves. Privileged to find ourselves
its rear!
of potholes thoroughly, I caught five trout, all of
in the midst of such a rare school of fish, we
which weighed between four and five pounds.
marveled at our luck, watching the long, black
when that one did, I walked over to the potholes
My weight was good enough to stand me in third
trout milling around in two small potholes next to
we’d cast to for fully three hours and spooked a
place at the end of the day.
a grassy ridge when the sun peeked out.
giant out of there that made the ten look like a
I was proud of the way I showed patience
The weather had been raw and overcast for
Eventually, all such sessions must end, and
little sister. She must have seen our lures come
and stuck with my Fat Boy to coax those fish
nearly a week, but on that morning, things turned
by a hundred times, but we couldn’t tease her
into biting on a day when big trout could be
warmer, and when the sky cleared, all hell broke
into chewing on them.
caught, but when the catching didn’t come easy.
loose in the knee deep shallows between us and
What I am not proud of is the way I performed
the bank. Throwing our Fat Boys onto the grassy
trout I spotted in Baffin in March of 2005. I’d just
the following day. Sitting at the boat ramp on
shelf, engaging the reel handle before they
caught and released our seventh trout of the day
Sunday, I noticed that the wind had become even
landed and skimming them off into the potholes,
over seven pounds and remarked to my client
stronger overnight and the temperature
where we worked them in a steady walk, we
that we ought to be able to sightcast a fish, given
had dropped. I decided that my shallow,
managed to make about two dozen of those fish
the clear water and bright sky. We watched my
muddy flat was not the right place to be in such
take a bite, landing thirteen. All of the trout we
fish swim away and made a mental note of how it
deteriorating weather.
caught weighed over six pounds, with five over
looked in the water.
Annoyingly, I also did some negative self-talk while waiting to take off. “I bet I screw this up,” I
eight, the biggest a thirty one inch ten pounder. The size of those sows was memorable, yes,
said to myself. Then I went out and made sure I
but the way they attacked our Fat Boys in plain
fulfilled the prophecy!
sight was the sweetest part of all. Some we saw
I fished places I never had before, ran the boat aground and made a long, rough ride to
I had that same problem with another gigantic
slither out of the grass and rush toward our lures like silver streaks, their charges culminating in
a less-than-proven spot, then fished it for no more than ten minutes before turning around and making a sloppy return to where I’d been. By the time I realized that I should have started out where I’d caught the fish the day before, it was too late. I pulled up around 10 a.m. to find the water still barely fishable, but it quickly came to resemble a café latte. If I’d gone straight there, I might have gotten my three fish, or at least one. That would have been better than the skunk I threw up on the leader board. Even though I struck out, I only fell to eighth place, as most others in the event had a similarly difficult time catching fish that second day. The pleasant surprise I felt with the outcome was offset by my disgust at the scatterbrained decisions I made. No surprise was ever more splendid than
Eddie Cowart with a 7 3/4 pounder.
the chain of events that unfolded on Baffin Bay in early March of 2003. I found a light current rip running out of a tight slough on the shoreline into The author with a 7 3/4 pounder. March 2007
Texas Saltwater Fishing
15
I’ll never forget the way the droplets of water seemed infused with golden light as my darling danced and the way the chunky fish felt in my hands after I won my battles with them.
Skipper Shinn with a 9 plus pounder.
Moments later, he turned around and asked, “What’s that?” when he saw a mullet shadowed by a longer, darker form in the shallows. “Duh, it’s a big trout,” I said. Upon closer inspection, it looked identical in size to the one I’d just released. “I’m throwing at her. She might be the same fish I let go, but she might not.” We both began casting ahead of the trout, which seemed intent on staying close to the mullet’s tail, but not attacking. Eventually, our attempts seemed to spook the fish, and she began to swim purposefully, though not frantically away. I followed, still casting in the direction in which she was headed, and then I nearly stepped on a trout that could have been her grandmother. At least thirty two inches, maybe closer to three feet, she came off a grass bed onto the sandbar atop which I walked, passing no more than three feet in front of me. Needless to say, when her eyes looked up straight into mine, I knew she was not likely
to strike at what I was offering. Trembling, I tried her anyway, and when I found that she would not blow up on my Skitter Walk, I attempted to tie on a paddle tail, but while I was fumbling with that, she swam away, not to be spotted again that day. Later that month, in deeper and dingier water, we had another incredible day, on which I and six other anglers caught at least fifty trout over twenty five inches. Every single one of us had a trout at least twenty seven inches, the biggest pushing twenty nine. Pink and red were the colors of choice on that calm day, and Corkies outfished the floating plugs in the slick conditions, though I did most of my damage with a bone Super Spook, ripping it forcefully for several feet, then stopping it. It’s possible to trick a whopper with different sizes, shapes, colors and types of plugs in this productive, potentially puzzling month. Those who make the best adjustments in lure choices and presentations will be the most consistent in this time of many changes. The weather varies radically from day to day, as does the feeding mood of the fish. Undeniably, there is ample opportunity to catch some giant trout in shallow water during this transition from winter to spring. Anglers who sustain their efforts in water less than waist deep while chunking a variety
16
Texas Saltwater Fishing
Jimmy Strong with a 7 1/2 pounder.
March 2007
of fish-imitating plugs might find themselves attached to the trout of a lifetime in this month of madness. Going back over these memories reminds me that March is pregnant with potential, though the catching is sometimes tough. That behemoth trout I saw two years ago was finicky and hard to trick. I’m betting she’s even bigger now and I’ll be out there trying to find her again; she might be in an entirely different mood the next time we meet!
March 2007
Texas Saltwater Fishing
17
18
Texas Saltwater Fishing
March 2007
March 2007
Texas Saltwater Fishing
19
Why Baffin Grows a
Story & photos by Bink Grimes
R
Rain dripping from the roof of the Corpus Christi hotel welcomed me as I stepped out of the door to check the weather. Lightning and blowing precipitation kept me pinned to the dock until after sunrise. My destination was some 42 miles away and about 45 minutes into the ride the skies
began to clear and my teeth chattered from
the mixture of soaked clothes and steady
winds. I had come to brave the bad weather and doldrums of winter and early spring. Anywhere else and I probably would have blown the trip off. But, this was Baffin Bay, the big trout playground of Texas, maybe the world, short of the Indian River in Florida; and, I was here to roll the dice and take my shot at her bounty.
relocate during January, February and March. When winter wind blows hard in Sabine Lake,
Galveston Bay and Matagorda Bay, a fishing day is pretty much shot; when it blows in Baffin, it is business as usual. Baffin Bay runs east and west, giving its entire north shoreline protection from blistering winter winds; if the weather shifts to the south, bounce across the bay and work leeward waters. Ardent anglers learn to cast in gusty conditions, or stayed reclined in their favorite chair until the weather stabilizes in May. Besides its winter fishability, Baffin’s lure is its trophy speckled trout. The Texas state record was caught here, a 13.69-pounder duped by Jim
Baffin Bay’s propensity to yield consistent catches, even in the dead of winter, has prompted many upper coastal guides to
Wallace. There are reports and pictures to verify a 48-inch, 25-pound trout found floating during fish-killing freezes in the 1960s. Biologists believe the Laguna Madre’s hypersaline waters, which are saltier than
Catch the weather right and you can expect to catch a trophy pretty near anytime you go to Baffin.
20
Texas Saltwater Fishing
Biologists say that Baffin’s salinity contributes to the number of large fish this bay gives up every year.
March 2007
Bigger Trout
the Gulf of Mexico, contribute to the behemoth
from food and vitamins. The same holds true
— sometimes just one degree warmer — but,
growth of speckled trout. A trout in a hypersaline
for trout. A happy, well-nourished trout in a
that one degree can make all the difference.
environment does not endure the freshwater
constant environment grows larger, quicker,
swings upper coastal trout do. Flood rains dump
than one that has to swim long distances for
actual fishing acreage. What sets Baffin apart
fresh water into the bays by way of rivers; and,
food and a saltier locale.
from other Texas bays is its unique rocks. The
upper coastal bays need the freshwater for shrimp production and other shellfish.
The lore of Baffin Bay is much larger than its
locals would have you believe these rocks are Lack of fishing pressure is another
lower- unit-eating-machines; and, the rocks have
determining factor that builds a bigger fish. Baffin
ruined a day or two of fishing, prompting a few
Bay is a remote place. You don’t just decide to go
insurance claims, too. However, stay between
salinity, its inhabitants, trout for instance, can
fish Baffin for a few hours. From Corpus Christi,
the marked channels when on plane and you will
grow larger due to the fact they can absorb
it is at least a 40 minute boat ride. From nearby
have few problems.
nutrients more readily. Upper coastal trout must
Rivera, it is closer; however, sparsely populated
fight to keep their internal osmotic balance of
Rivera is not exactly on the beaten path.
However, if a body of water keeps a constant
blood chemistry when salinity rises and falls. In turn, upper coastal trout work harder to maintain
The rocks, according to authorities, were formed by prehistoric worms millions of years
There are places for fish to hide in Baffin
homeostasis, thereby missing out on some the
Bay that are not reachable by humans, and
nutrients their diets have to offer.
lack of pressure also results in easier
ago. They provide structure to baitfish, like shell reefs and grass beds, and are magnets for trout. John Dearman brings the rocks of Baffin to
homeostasis. Compare it to stress. Those
life in his watercolor paintings; though, seeing it
humans with stress live shorter, unhealthier
for yourself is priceless. Casting to a rock then
claim rest is the best medicine for recovery
lives, while those with few cares live long
watching a silver flash dart out of the shadows
since homeostasis is most easily kept when
and prosperous lives. Now apply that to
ranks up there with South Texas Boone and
docile. When at rest, the human body is able to
speckled trout — you get the picture.
Consider a sick person. Doctors often
absorb and use more proficiently the nutrients
Crockett bucks and banded greenheads. I will be bundled up in Baffin Bay this winter
Being an avid topwater freak, as much
and early spring. If you want the best odds of
as I hate to admit it, suspending plugs and
catching a heavy trout in Texas, and maybe even
soft plastics catch more fish in Baffin Bay in
the world, you will be too.
the winter and early spring. I am not saying a topwater will not work — it has its applications on warm sunny days between cold fronts. Nevertheless, the majority of cold fish stage on the bottom portion of the water column. There, temperatures are warmer than the surface
The remoteness of Baffin Bay means less pressure, and less pressure means fish can grow larger.
March 2007
Texas Saltwater Fishing
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Texas Saltwater Fishing
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March 2007
Texas Saltwater Fishing
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Last month in Part one
we left Bodie and his buddies enjoying the pretournament party at Haddon’s Place. The joint was jumping to say the least. Those who hoped seriously to win were draining their mugs and saying goodbye; some had other business on their mind, though. Let’s drift back in and have another look… Bodie finished his beer and said good night to his friends and fans and told Tommy that he had better get on home himself so he would be fresh for the tournament the next morning. Tommy said he was going to hang around for just a while longer but he’d meet Bodie at the boathouse on time. Bodie watched from the door as Tommy sat down at the table where his brother and friend sat with some other fishermen then headed to his truck. Bodie turned his truck down the highway towards the ranch but changed his mind, made a u-turn and drove to Tommy’s dock instead. He walked down the dock and climbed down into Tommy’s boat and turned the GPS unit on. He paged to the waypoint named Reprobate Slough 24
Texas Saltwater Fishing
and then edited the numbers that were unique to that location. Then he cleared the track, turned the unit off and laughed a little as he walked back to his truck. Vince Meyers fancied himself a pool player with 9-ball being his best “money” game. He made sure that anyone who would listen knew that he would play anyone in the bar for $100.00 a game; if they were stupid enough to take him on. Vince got a taker. Tommy’s brother found himself in the hole to the tune of $800.00 before the guy that was beating him decided it would be a good idea to collect his winnings before shooting any more games. Vince turned a little pale and told the guy that he was just a tad short but that he was entered in the tournament and would sure bring the money with him the next day to pay up. Tommy knew the guy and told him that he’d make sure that Vince showed up so the winner agreed to collecting his money at the tournament. “Vince what the heck is wrong with you gambling if you don’t have the cash to pay March 2007
off?” Tommy asked his brother. “Don’t sweat it Tommy… When I win the tournament tomorrow I’ll pay the guy back and besides that I know the guy was a hustler and I shouldn’t have to pay him anyway but I will.” Vince said. Tommy shook his head and told his brother, “You had better pay him. His Dad is the county sheriff.” Vince Meyers turned even paler than he already was. “Are you sure that this is the right way to the place that cowboy caught that big Trout Vince?” His partner asked. “Look dummy, all I have to do is punch this button that says Reprobate Slough and it shows me the exact way to the spot. Don’t concern yourself with this technical stuff… you’ll hurt your brain. Besides things just look different out here in the dark, things will look more familiar to you when the sun comes up now shut up and let me concentrate.” Vince growled. “I wonder where Vince was headed when he left this morning Bodie?” Tommy asked. Bodie smiled as waded towards the opening in the shoreline. “I don’t reckon I know Tommy boy but the last time I saw his stern light he was heading
out into the big bay.” Bodie answered. Bodie worked the Skitterwalk through a pod of mullet as Tommy cast his soft plastic bait towards the back of the slough. A big fish swirled on Bodie’s topwater bait then knocked it a good foot out of the water but the fish missed and he reeled in to cast it back. Tommy felt his lure hang on what felt like an oyster shell so he jerked back as hard as he could only to feel the oyster pull back. His drag started squealing as the big fish sped past him and out into deeper water. “Don’t horse him Tommy that’s as good a fish as you’ve had on your line in many a day!” Bodie yelled. Tommy had chewed a hole in his bottom lip by the time the big trout had given up. The big girl laid over on her side as Tommy slid her into his net. “Bodie, Bodie, did you see it, did you see her, oh Bodie, this is the fish, this is the fish that will get me my name on that cup right along with yours!” Tommy screamed. Bodie waded over to where Tommy sat in the water, his legs having given out when he got the fish into the net and Bodie knew that it was a fish that could indeed win the tournament. “Tommy I think we should take that fish on in and get her weighed.” Bodie said. Vince Meyer’s buddy told Vince again that they were in the wrong place. “We ran for over an hour to get here Vince and this place don’t look nothing like that place we were at yesterday.” “These electronic units don’t lie slipknot so just shut up and fish.” Vince snarled. “If we don’t win this tournament we’re still broke and I owe that hustler $800.00 so unless you want your head broken along with mine we better find that big trout the rube let go.” Tommy and Bodie both watched the clock until the weigh in time expired and Bodie was just as excited as Tommy was when old man Haddon fired his Government model .45 into the air and declared the tournament closed. Tommy had won the 15th Annual Haddon’s Open Trout Fishing Tournament by two pounds even and the Haddon’s Cup and $2,000.00 was his. Bodie picked his friend up and sat him on the bar while Eloisa poured a cold draft beer over Tommy’s head in celebration. Everyone cheered as old man Haddon handed Tommy the coveted Haddon’s Cup and let him know that Tommy’s name would be engraved right under Bodies as the new champion. The celebrating continued with the paying of the second and third place winners and the beer was flowing and there was fish frying and everyone was having a good time. Three hours later Vince Meyers and his friend dragged into Haddon’s looking worn out and defeated. The fellow that Vince owed money to met them at the
bar and Vince flatly told the guy that he just didn’t have the money but before things could get ugly Tommy stepped up and paid the $800.00 for his brother. Vince didn’t say thank you or goodbye he just nodded to Tommy and he and his friend left. Bodie looked at Tommy and told him that he needed to tell him something but Tommy interrupted him saying, “My brother had been following you Bodie, he told me last night after drinking too much that they’d seen you catch a good fish at Reprobate Slough and was planning on beating you there if possible so they could win the tournament. I couldn’t let them get away with that so I changed the numbers in the GPS for the slough to the numbers for the Devil’s Pocket.” “Vince is my brother Bodie but I guess he’s just no good, no good at all.” “What is it you wanted to tell me Bodie?” Tommy asked. “Oh nothing Tommy, nothing that won’t keep anyway, let me buy you a beer.” Bodie said. Tommy picked up the Haddon’s Cup and twisted on the lid until it came open then handed it to Eloisa. “Fill her up for me Eloisa, I’m going to drink from the sacred cup!” Eloisa filled the cup from the tap and Tommy hoisted it over his head and yelled to the crowd, “Here’s to Haddon’s and here’s to the best fishing partner a man could have!” The crowd cheered as Tommy drank from the cup. Old man Haddon walked over to Bodie and said, “Hey Bodie, that’s just plain nasty him drinking beer from that urn like that.” Old man March 2007
Haddon told Bodie what the cup had been originally and Bodie leaned over and whispered the secret to Tommy. Tommy blew beer out of his nose and dropped the old cremation urn and snorted and sputtered as always until Bodie slapped him on the back and kept Tommy from choking to death. There’s never a dull moment at Haddon’s Place.
Texas Saltwater Fishing
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My wife is lamenting
the presence of large numbers of red-winged blackbirds hungrily devouring all the bird seed she puts out in the yard daily for her beloved Inca doves. As I listen to her carry on I instantly think, “Won’t be long now.” Regardless of the fact that we are currently locked in winter’s grasp, it won’t be long ‘til the southeast winds began to prevail and spring will be upon us. As a lifelong observer of nature, I know that the brief presence of these birds is the very first sign of spring in Corpus Christi. At a speaking engagement for the Coastal Bend Audubon group last Tuesday somebody mentioned that the first purple martins of the year have arrived on the west side of Corpus Christi and the thought that spring has arrived is reinforced in my mind. When I mention these to my dear friend, Dr. David McKee, he will laugh and say, “That’s the Indian in you coming out, Billy. That is that old primeval instinct deep within you to take notice of the other inhabitants of the world around you that people closely tied with the outdoors have always used and
depended on — beats any weather forecast on the planet.” I know two brothers named Klanika who are retired farmers and have had a great deal of success with big trout in Baffin Bay; they always say the time to catch big trout is when the milo maize is booting out. For urban dwellers, let me explain that booting out means when the seed head is emerging from the stalk. I remember riding the school bus every day as a youngster and watching for the emergence of the pink primroses on the side of the country roads. My passion at that stage of my life centered upon tarpon fishing at Bob Hall Pier and I knew that when the roadside was covered with the blooming primroses the tarpon would not be far behind. To me it is all part of life lived in the Natural World rather than the world of man. Recently I watched a show on the Discovery channel that focused on the ten greatest threats to mankind’s continued survival on planet earth. Scientists and researchers consider CLIMATIC CHANGE to be the number one threat to mankind. I found it particularly intriguing since I am well aware that much of what I observe and write focuses on the constant and some times dramatic changes I am constantly seeing in weather patterns, species presence and life in general within the surf zone of South Texas. And rather regrettably, it makes me realize that an ol’ hunter/gather must always remember that as these changes are constantly
Story and photos by Billy Sandifer
Here’s a view of the vast amount of shell that has accumulated recently along the 12-miles of beach just north of the Mansfield jetties.
in progress, sooner or later some of these time-tested and proven signs may no longer be as accurate as in the past. Here’s an interesting scenario for you that is currently taking place. Typically during the winter months the water of the surf zone near Corpus Christi tends to be rather muddy much of the time, but the farther south one travels on the beach the clearer the water becomes, and the last 30 miles or so before reaching the Port Mansfield north jetty usually ranges from trout green to crystal clear. This has traditionally given us good water color for seeking our winter trout with artificials. However, for the past three winters this has not been the case and we are experiencing increasingly fewer days with acceptable water conditions to engage in this sport we have treasured for so long. From January 1 through 5 this year, the water color was good and good-sized trout were present in fishable numbers. But on January 6, the water south of the 25-mile had become muddy to dirty, and it remained in that condition until yesterday, the 8th of February. That’s 33 straight days of murky water. During that same period large amounts of southern quahog clam and other species of sea shells began to stack up on the beach for the 12 miles immediately north of the Port Mansfield jetties. Large numbers of pancake-sized pieces of grey clay began to appear along with the shells. Also present are many pieces of fossilized Pleistocene sea floor and scattered pieces of fossilized
Sifting through the shell deposit we have found fossilized bone fragments and several pieces of fossilized mammoth teeth. (Shown here below.)
A winter day’s grind, January 2007. Not too many years ago we’d have expected catches numbering 100 or more trout under favorable conditions in the PINS surf.
bone fragments with occasional pieces of fossilized Mammoth teeth. Expansive areas of black sand and black shell fragments abound. These are very old materials that have been buried beneath the sea floor for long periods of time. My guess is that the 33-days of muddy water and the appearance of these shells and fossils events are connected and that both are indicative of an up-welling of offshore current impacting that area for this extended period of time. But that’s all it is; my guess! Everyone seems to be in agreement that something needs to be done to get the Port Mansfield channel dredged. Lots of reasons it needs doing but the single most important to me is to protect the water quality and circulation of the Lower Laguna Madre. Lately an interesting thought has occurred to me… Is it possible that the decreased volume of water able to move in and out of this channel is somehow tied to the murky water and deposits of shell accumulating along the twelve miles of beach immediately north of the channel? Could be something to think about here. I know not everyone is happy with the spawning bio-mass assessment and proposals put forth by Coastal Fisheries to reduce the daily bag limit to five spotted seatrout in the Lower Laguna Madre. I almost have to chuckle at the irony of our having been preaching “Just Keep Five.” This decline is especially noteworthy since
trout stocks everywhere else are reported to be in better shape. Well I want to bring up something I never hear a word about in anyone’s data. How about the trout stocks of the surf zone? What condition is this population in compared to long term fisheries data? In reality the only data I am aware of on the condition of this fishery is my personal data, and my personal log book for the past 15 years says we are in a dramatically steep decline. The winter trout fishery in the surf of PINS began to decline at the same time the catches of bay trout skyrocketed in the early 90s. Since 1992, what I term a “good conditions” catch during the winter months has dwindled from anywhere between 30 to 120 fish to 6 to 12 fish. Summer surf trout catches have increased during this same time frame up until this past summer when they decreased at least 50%. As a life long proponent of the “Tide Runner” theory, I have no problem understanding any of this decline in surf catches of trout. The more that are harvested in the bays the fewer there are left to go to the beach in the winter. Also, the tremendous abundance of speckled trout present in the Upper Laguna Madre during this past year coincided with this past summer’s decline in trout numbers in the surf zone. The reason I have endorsed “Just Keep 5” from the beginning is that I have personally participated in and thoroughly March 2007
enjoyed a small segment of the trout fishery most of my life. In a short 15 year period it has dwindled to only a fraction of what we used to enjoy. I want to do anything I can to insure that doesn’t happen in any other place for any reason. Big Shell Beach Cleanup will be held March 10, 2007. Meet at the Malaquite Pavilion; we’ll form teams and leave for the work area at 7:00 am sharp. We will return to Malaquite Pavilion at 2:00 pm and refreshments will be served at that time. Y’all come.
CAPT. BILLY SANDIFER
Billy operates Padre Island Safaris. His specialties are fishing for sharks to specks in the Padre Island surf and bayfishing for trout and redfish from a poled skiff. Contact Billy Sandifer Telephone 361-937-8446 Website www.billysandifer.com Texas Saltwater Fishing
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Texas Saltwater Fishing
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March 2007
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John Havens says the speed clip from Brown Lures is a winner.
Picture yourself as
a mature speckled trout resting in the shallows of a remote East Matagorda Bay mud flat. At last, a meager amount of light penetrates the winter clouds and warms the mud, energizing your lethargic attitude. Your stomach grumbles as the remains of the foot-long mullet you consumed days ago reaches the final stage of digestion. It’s time to eat. All ten pounds of you cruises along the now temperate flat soon reaching a patch of oyster shell. Approaching a familiar feeding ground sparks memories from seasons ago. Memories of gorging yourself with jumbo-sized shrimp and feasting over endless schools of finger mullet come to mind and fuel your hunger. You lay motionless where the black mud’s edge meets oyster; the tide begins to pull water your way. An appetizing mullet approaches; alarming you of a potential feast. Immediately, you propel at full speed and attack; exploding the water’s surface. The six-inch mullet is devoured instantly and lays to rest in the yellow interior of your mouth. You slowly sink back to the warmth of the mud bottom. Soon after, a wobbling, wounded-looking mullet pierces the water’s surface, several feet away. Vibrant in color, the four inch baitfish gently
The new junior-sized corky is already gaining fame as a producer. 30
Texas Saltwater Fishing
The author admiring a trout he caught at Port Mansfield during Christmas Break from classes at Texas State – Jan 07.
dances, flaunting its dazzling body as it sinks leisurely through the water column. to making erratic movements and irresistible Your spotted body jumps back into attack pauses,” states McBride. mode and seals the wounded mullet’s fate. Only Captain Jesse Arsola, trophy trout guide of this time the mullet fights back. Matagorda, swears that there is a science to A fierce headshake hurls the previously working Corky lures. “When trout are feeding consumed 6-inch mullet from your jaws; but the aggressively they will nail anything; the trick invisible, pulling force never ceases. You succumb comes when you have to work for them to bite… to the grip of a Boga at your lip. that’s when technique really comes into play.” “10 pounds!” is yelled by a man bundled Arsola went further, “I use this counting beneath layers of outerwear. system nearly every time I work a Corky. Count Two other men surround your beastly profile how long it takes for the Corky to reach the and cameras flash. bottom. Vary how many seconds you let the Corky Before you know it, you’re back in the water; fall before popping the slack out of the line. Figure water is flushed through your gills. Exhausted out which count you are catching your fish on. from the escapade, you finally muster enough This gives major insight in knowing which part of strength to break free from the angler’s light hold. the water column the trout are feeding in best.” “Courtesy of a Corky Fat Boy!” is faintly heard Captain John Havens, tournament angler as you dash back to the warming protection of and guide, relies on a chartreuse backed, white your feeding ground. bellied, gold-sided Corky Devil; which also If only you knew, you just made someone’s happens to be one of my personal favorites as dream come true. well. A pearl and chartreuse-backed Fat Boy Like an epidemic spreading across the gulf along with a couple pinks is how Havens hooks coast, trophy trout fishermen turn in record into the trophy specks that we all desire. numbers every year to an arsenal of Corky Fat “Make sure to stay in contact with the lure at Boys, Devils, and Originals when hunting for the all times to feel the most subtle of bites.” trout of their lifetime. Perhaps James Wallace’s When working a Corky Devil, Havens starts state record trout, caught on an original Corky his retrieves with a lift of the rod and a couple of in 1996 is to blame. Packing the dance steps of a topwater and the wobble of a brokenback, the tempting slow-retrieved Corky is just plain ol’ effective for trophy specks. “It got crazy when Wallace caught that fish,” states Paul Brown. “Anglers poured into our shop and literally bought every single Corky off the shelf; even after 13 years, this craze hasn’t slowed.” Captain Mike McBride knows a thing or two about fishing the Corky. Unlike most, he says he catches most of his fish by working the heck out of it. “Corky baits are worked differently across Capt Jessie Arsola with the coast, but I almost try to pop the knot off one the first fish landed on the new Corky while trying to keep up with the slack. The Junior lure. whole attraction of an original Corky boils down An East Matagorda heavy-weight March 2007
that fell for the Corky Fat Boy.
Everybody gets in on the act at the B&L Corky shop; Mrs. Brown working on a batch of original floaters.
twitches before allowing the lure to fall. He then repeats the process varying the time the lure is allowed to sink. Captain Havens prefers to use clips on his slow sinkers. He is fond of Paul Brown’s clips. “The clips make it easy to change lures and I have found that it does not change the action of the lure at all. If it does alter the action I have not seen it in the number of hits I receive.” Personally, when I fish with the Corky baits, I vary my retrieve speed as often as every five to ten casts. Last January, I was shown how important working a Corky in a particular fashion can be. My buddy stood next to me using a series of three sharp jerks before letting it descend for a few seconds. I witnessed the landing of a nine pounder as well as a five pounder using the same Corky before I switched my retrieve and landed a seven pounder of my own. Fishing the Corky in deep water is another option many are learning all along the coast. Weighting them with small finish nails in the nose allows them to drop down the water column at a faster rate. I found this very effective in the Colorado River this winter. Customizations, color choices, and varied retrieves are notably how many anglers dupe big trout consistently. Paul Brown is still at work designing new Corky baits and working to improve the proven designs with new colors and rattles. After speaking with Mr. Brown and his grandson, Jason Brown; B&L Corky fans should be all grins with the expanse of prototypes that are in the works within the walls of their family-owned shop. A quick morning trip in East Matagorda Bay last December proved to me that the new prototypes are going to be producers. Using what has been dubbed the Corky Junior, I found it very effective when the fish have an appetite for a smaller meal or have a tendency to short-strike; so have some others that have gotten their hands on the newest of slow sinkers. Jason Brown continues to create successful batches of lures since the introduction of the Devil Eye soft plastics. Rigged with eyes, this familiar “Devil” body shape continues to attract attacks from speckled trout and redfish. Jason also has a new lure up his sleeves. Its prototype name is “Solo” and it incorporates the fish attracting features of a split-tail and a Devil. It can be rigged weedless and will sink faster than the Fat Boy and Corky Devil styles. Trophy trout buffs have a lot to look forward to this spring. Next time you let your imagination run and you dream you are a 10 pound trout, stay away from that slow-sinking piece of dynamite they call Corky. To learn more about the Corky family of lures and Brown Lure Company’s Devil Eye baits; go to www.CorkyBandL.com and www.BrownLures.com. To contact Kyle Tomek: Phone: 979-240-9999 Email: KyleTomek@hotmail.com
March 2007
Texas Saltwater Fishing
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Story & photos by Jay Watkins
In February, the key to
for trips to and from the feeding grounds.
simple. Sometimes I think “bog” may be a better
shell or scattered grass beds surrounding the
word. The baitfish love it and so do the fish that
guts. This bottom structure allows for ambush
eat them. Most anglers hate it and many just
points. A platter sized clump of shell or grass
cannot physically do it, so it leaves some great
quite often holds one or more fish.
locating good numbers of fish is mud, plain and
areas for those that can. I personally try to stay
grass or shell of significant size up tight to the
best shot and tremendous winter fishing.
shoreline. This allows fish to stack up over the structure during higher tides and false tides
some coves or pockets so much more productive
associated with strong NE or ESE winds. It
than others?”
also allows for a terrific area just offshore of
I suppose the first thing we need to learn
the structure for fish to stage during lower tide
is that not all boggy-bottomed areas are
periods. The above structures have a tendency
created equal. As a hunter, you must be able to
to concentrate bait and gamefish.
recognize the subtle differences in the boggy
Concentrations of gamefish will more times
areas that you find fish in verses those that
than not create competitive feeding patterns.
seldom produce the results we are all looking for.
This is simply a greed thing; it plays in my mind
Let’s consider another species for a second.
like this. One fish slowing grubbing along the
Deer travel along edges and prefer to use creek
mud gut might or might not hit what I have to
bottoms and draws that run close to feeding and
offer during NON-FEEDING times. She is not
bedding areas. Even though the fish we seek are
hungry due to having already fed throughout
predators and deer are not, they still need similar
the night. Add a couple of traveling companions
contours to travel to and from feeding areas.
and suddenly the “I want it just to keep you from
Add food to our equation and fish are sure to
having it” mode button is pushed. I have seen it
show during tidal flows that coincide with major
happen a thousand times when the water clarity
and minor solunar feed periods. In the following
allows. It is greed and survival.
paragraphs I will describe what it is that I look for
in the coves theory is that it allows for solitude.
quality of trout and redfish.
Big trout are especially fond of separating and having their own little piece of ground. We know
during the months of February and March in
this by fan casting in such coves. Too many
the Aransas Bay Complex. Instead, I focus my
times, I have fished in a complete circle, catching
efforts on coves or pockets that make up in the
a fish or getting a bite on every piece of bottom
heads of our back bays. A cove must have the
structure I could cast too.
following in order for me to have confidence it its ability to consistently hold fish. First, the cove needs to have some type
I try to NEVER penetrate the sweet spot in concentrating on the edges. As fish exit the feeding grounds, one can experience slow but
or creek that dumps during tidal movements
steady action even throughout the non-feeding
or during run-off periods. The tidal movement
periods, but if you have already spooked them
carves a deeper trough in the cove. This slightly
out of there, you’ll never have the chance to
deeper, and most of the time softer, gut region
catch them.
holds warmer water and allows a good highway
Here’s another winter beauty, this one from the Spaulding area.
the cove. Fish instead around the targeted area,
of gut that runs along its shoreline or a slough
Texas Saltwater Fishing
We like to work coves and muddy pockets more than the main shorelines this time of year.
The other advantage to my scattered structure
this time of year for locating both numbers and I seldom fish the major bay shorelines
Winter trout fishing over muddy grass and scattered shell; notice the water depth and overcast sky, rather windy too.
Third, I prefer a cove that has an area of
in good physical condition just so I can have the A question I am asked often is, “What makes
32
Second, the cove must have either scattered
Coves with mud guts are probably my March 2007
Winter beauty from Carlos Bay on a floating Corky.
March 2007
Texas Saltwater Fishing
33
Talking, in my opinion, DOES NOT spook them. I talk a blue streak most of the time. I
am probably the
only guide that has to put sunscreen
on his tongue.
Here’s a good selection of suspending baits for working in clear water of late winter.
favorite. These are the hardest for most people
my son Jay Ray and his fishing partner and Uncle
having to pull the boat in to him to free him from
to fish; better yet, they are harder for people
Todd Adams the F.L.W. ANGLER OF YEAR in
the slop. Had he been alone it would not have
to find. Once located, wading is the best way
2006, tell jokes, laugh, and whoop it up all while
turned out very well if someone had not come
to truly define the gut and familiarize yourself
catching eight trout that weighed over 41-pounds
along. The bog can be great fishing in the winter
with its design. After this is accomplished, it is a
in Speedy Stop Stores Port O’Connor Bash.
months but it can also be dangerous if you are
waiting game. The large majority of the fish that feed in the
In shallow, air-clear water, on a calm day I believe we should be quieter; but in the bog
not prepared. When it comes to my lure selection, it is
cove will use this unseen gut to travel to and
with overcast and 15 to 20 mph winds you can
simple. I prefer suspending baits that are mostly
from the feeding area. By positioning yourself to
get away with a little more. The noise we create
clear in color with self-implanted rattles or
within casting distance of the gut, a day grind is
under the surface of the water signals the fish to
factory made. I like the Mirrolure Catch 5’s, the
set in motion. It takes a tremendous amount of
our presence more so than the noises above.
7M series, Tsunami Cork Lures and the original
confidence to stand in an area such as this and continue casting and waiting for hours. It has been my experience that baitfish
Another problem one can encounter while
Paul Brown Corky and Fat Boy. Add to this a
fishing in the bog has nothing to do with anything
lightweight super sensitive Waterloo HP Mag in
other than physics. The bigger the boy the
6’ 6” and you’re ready to do battle.
activity increases as predators draw near. Many
deeper the boy sinks into the bog, so common
have been the times that I have been given a
sense and a sense of self-preservation is
be cast great distances with Power Pro’s 6X20
heads up on a fish’s approach by an increase in
required. If you are a big ole boy, you need to
braided line. Distance is a key when dealing
bait activity around my targeted area. You can
be cautious. If you are out of shape, beware. In
with air-clear water. All of the above tools can
even call the shot at times.
addition, if you have heart related problems, you
become an awful lethal weapon when placed in
need to use a float tube, a kayak, or simply stay
the right hands. With this in mind, remember to
in the boat and drift.
practice catch and release on all of the big fish
Another important aspect to working the bog is not working it; confused, do not be. What I mean here has to do with your approach and
If you are like me and get stuck anyway,
your movements once in the bog. I want to move
you need to know how to get out. First, inspect
around as little as possible once fish are located.
the bottom and see how deep the bog is before
If you fish with me, you know I always say a bite
wading off into it. Second, never fight the bog. If
stops everyone, not just the one that got the bite.
your foot is stuck, lay your shin and knee flat to
If you move around too much you create
the bottom and pull or slide forward. Put your rod
unwanted noise and vibration in the water. With
in your mouth if you are afraid of getting it filled
this movement comes the stirring of the bottom.
with saltwater and mud. My Waterloo rod is so
Add some wind and current and your mud line
light I hardly notice it in my mouth… Ha ha!
might drift into the area of structure you are
34
Author’s son Jay Ray proves that finding muddy guts that lie close to shorelines of backwater coves can pay dividends.
The more surface area you place against
casting to. I am not sure this always hurts but
the bottom, the less you will sink. Third, when
if the fish are there when you get there, they
the first step into the bog lands you up to your
obviously like the water the way it is. Change this
thigh on that leg, abort the mission and move to
for some reason and it might affect your chances.
an area in the cove that is a little firmer, if there
Talking, in my opinion, DOES NOT spook
is one. Fourth, never fish boggy areas alone. If
them. I talk a blue streak most of the time. I am
you are stuck badly your friend can float the boat
probably the only guide that has to put sunscreen
to you and you can use the boat to pull up on. I
on his tongue. Just a few days ago, I listened to
sucked a man out of his waders one time after
Texas Saltwater Fishing
March 2007
These slow-sinking mullet imitations can
you catch that are not a personal best and taken to mount.
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35
means all my original ideas, but each can add a little fun and possibility to your game.
The Tapered Leader
The only phrase I find
more challenging than, “That won’t work,” is, “You can’t do it that way.” I don’t exactly know why, but whenever I hear that an idea won’t work, my mind gets cranking. I usually end up under a lamp in the garage or out on the water somewhere way past a reasonable hour. The real beauty of “wasted” hours inventing and testing and challenging the establishment is that you always learn about the problem you’re grappling with inside and out, and every now and then you find a way to solve it. And why question standards? Because doing the same thing everyone else is doing over and over and over gets a little boring. You hear a lot of, “That’s not gonna’ work” when it comes to fly fishing and fly tackle. Fly fishing is steeped in tradition and has long had a reputation as a carefully executed, methodical, highly focused, and overly pontificated form of angling. When it comes to fly fishing, I guarantee you that every time you try something out of the ordinary, someone is going to tell you why it won’t work and why you are going to fail. I’ve been on the receiving end of that deal plenty (and experienced plenty of failures). But I fish for me… not someone else, and the way I look at is, “If everything has already been figured out, why bother doing it.” So, I thought I would share with you a few unconventional ideas and tactics that are slightly off mainstream. They are by no
Laugh if you want, but this longnose gar bent my 8wt. to the handle and earned my respect.
There are basically 3 types of tapered leaders for inshore fly fishing — hand knotted, smooth factory tapered, and furled (spun). The design of these leaders follows the principles of physics. The purpose of the taper is to transfer and concentrate energy from the fly line through the leader to the fly. If all goes right, the net result is a smooth clean turnover. So… is a tapered leader required to successfully fly fish? Not always. If accuracy and delicacy are paramount (like sightcasting to spooky fish), a tapered leader is the best choice. But, in other circumstances where presentation is less important, monofilament straight off the spool works fine. These situations include blind casting flies in guts and channels, working flies on sinking lines, and at times when you are fishing the surf. For channels and guts I use a 7 foot section of 17 lb fluoro; same thing for sinking lines, but I shorten the leader to about 3-4 feet. These leaders sink quickly and don’t hang on weeds. In the Texas surf, tooth protection throughout the leader is important, so I’ll bump it up to 20 lb mono or more in a 4-6 foot section depending on wind, current, fish voracity, etc… Incorporating the options of using straight mono is helpful because it makes your game more flexible and keeps you from becoming solely dependent on a specialized leader. It’s insurance — no matter what happens, you can always pull some mono off the spool and keep on trucking.
Sinking Lines
There is a general assumption that sinking lines won’t work on the flats. True, if all you throw are small poppers. But, if you’re casting sinking flies like shrimp or baitfish patterns, sinking lines (intermediate) work quite well. The benefit of
intermediate sinking lines is that they ride slightly under the surface and beneath much of the floating debris that slides down floating lines and snags on the fly. Intermediate sinking lines also allow flexibility if you’re positioned along the edge of a drop or channel. On a wade, for example, you can work the spoil edges and flats one way, then turn and hit the channel on the way back. Your approach now is more versatile.
Backing and Drag
Many embellished stories and advertisements would have you believe that you need 200 yards of 20 lb backing and a steroid drag that can turn a wild hog if you want to land a fish in saltwater. For Texas inshore fishing (what most of us do), you don’t need anywhere near that. In fact, most trout and reds have done pretty well if they kept your backing knot submerged for more than a minute or so before they turned. Tuna they aren’t. I much prefer to load my reel with 100 yards of 30 lb Dacron, and set the drag just light enough not to backlash if I strip it really hard. If I need a little extra “umph” I’ll palm the reel or make a very slight turn of the drag knob. The 30 lb Dacron is tough against oysters, and won’t slice fingers as easily as the 20 lb stuff. It’s a simple matter of matching tackle to the environment and the quarry you’re after.
That Ain’t Fly Fishing!
I love probing deep water with fly tackle. It stemmed from my passion for chasing stripers, and has led me down a road of techniques that pushes the limit of what is accepted as “fly fishing.” Case in point — I was recently sitting side saddle and drifting in a kayak over 80 feet of water on a cold, dreary day. The fish were suspended at around 40 feet and I was experimenting with drifts to see if I could get a fly down to them. A boat approached and two individuals saw my fly tackle. “Look… he’s fly fishing,” one of them commented. The other guy noticed I was not casting, but dragging my fly line. He said, “That ain’t fly fishing… That’s cheating!” I kept my mouth shut because I wanted them to leave, but what I was thinking was, “Buddy, you go home and tie some flies, rig up your leaders and fly rods with heavy sinking lines, paddle your butt 2 miles out here in this 45 degree water and see how well you fare. Then you can talk to me about cheating.” The point of my story is that fly Kayaking over open water will make you modify your techniques.
Wind, waves, sand, and a memorable trout.
fishing is what you make it. If you are bound by the rules of the IGFA or a tournament or something, then you follow those rules. If not, then you are free to fish for yourself. It seems to me after you have invested the time and energy to learn how to fly fish, you are entitled to experiment a bit. Goodness knows, by choosing fly tackle you’ve already chosen the road less traveled. Be honest about your techniques, but experiment and have fun. You might learn something that will really improve your skills as an angler.
is based whether the fish is rare, or selective, or brash. Other times the order is strictly based on palatability. I have my own list and it operates off the “Oh yeah!” system. Fish that can leave a mark on you score pretty high, as do fish that can destroy your tackle. Other contenders include fish that should get some respect, but don’t, and fish that pull way too hard for their size. There’s also a “cool” factor — like redfish on hard sand, or specks in the surf. Each season the list re-distributes itself. What I am getting at with all these things is that the game is huge and opportunities abound. Angling is what you make it. There is absolutely no reason not to experiment with new techniques, try to unravel the unknown, and marvel at the diversity around you. That does work and it’s all good.
That’s not a Gamefish
No matter where you go, anglers have established a fish pecking order. Gamefish occupy the top. Sometimes this pecking order
Gary Soucie has led a distinguished career as a writer, lecturer, and teacher. He has authored numerous books on fishing and the outdoors and contributed countless articles to angling, nature, and science magazines. Soucie has served on the editorial staff of American Angler, Audobon, and National Geographic Magazine. His latest fly fishing book, Woolly Wisdom, is an encyclopedic collection of everything related to Woolly Worms and Woolly Buggers- two of the most effective fly patterns ever created. In Woolly Wisdom, Soucie provides and insightful history of the Woolly Worm and Woolly Bugger flies, shows how to tie and fish them, and includes recipes for nearly 400 versions. Each fly pattern is illustrated in a crisp Jim Schollmeyer photograph, and accompanied by a brief story describing the fly’s origin and uses. To say Woolly Wisdom is, “comprehensive” is an understatement. If you have been suffering from “Tyers Block,” or just want some simple inspiration to get your creativity moving, you should get a copy of Woolly Wisdom. Woolly Wisdom By Gary Soucie 232 pp. Frank Amato Publications, Inc. $35.00
ISBN: 1-57188-351-7 March 2007
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Woolly Buggers aren’t just for lakes and rivers
basic Woolly Bugger fly and is meant to mimic
— they make great saltwater patterns too. If you
the general shape and spindled features of a
thumb through fly catalogues and recipe books,
small shrimp or crab. You can substitute a variety
you’ll find many different flies that are in fact
of colors and materials for the tail, a body, and
based on the original Woolly Bugger pattern.
head depending on what size and shape of fly
Most have catchy names attached to them
suits your needs. I have chosen rusty-orange
(evidently “Woolly Bugger” sounds too wimpy
(one of my favorite redfish colors) and used bead
for saltwater anglers), but they all share similar
chain eyes so the hook point inverts to an upright
features- extended fibrous tails, leggy bodies,
weedless position in the water. This pattern
rounded heads/eyes, and bits of flash thrown in
is a good choice for tailing fish or shallow/
been around the freshwater fly fishing world for
here and there. This ubiquitous design creates a
spooky sight-casting situations where a subtle
a long time. They are known for their simple
buggy illusion crustacean-eating fish love.
presentation is needed. It’s simple to tie, easy to
Woolly Bugger flies have
construction and foolproof effectiveness. But
The pattern shown here is a variation of the
4
5
6
7
8
Finished!
Hook: Mustad 34007, Tiemco 800S, or equivalent #8 through #2 Thread: Clear nylon mono Tail: Marabou or craft fur Body: Chenille, Estaz, or braided flash Legs: Saddle hackle Eyes: Bead chain or lead dumbbell Head Cement: Sally Hansen’s Hard-as-Nails 1. Attach eyes to top of hook shank using criss-cross wraps. You can use bead chain or lead dumbell for the eyes. 2. Attach tail fibers to upper portion of hook bend. Fibers should extend down the bend slightly. 38
cast, and redfish love it.
Texas Saltwater Fishing
You can use craft fur or marabou for the tail. 3. Attach a short section of body material. You can use chenille, sparkle braid, estaz, or leach yarn for the body. 4. Attach a single large webby saddle hackle. 5. Palmer the body material forward, zig-zag several wraps around the eyes to form a head, then tie off material behind hook eye. 6. Palmer hackle forward, tying it down behind the eyes. Tie off thread. 7. Poke a hole in a scrap piece of foam or paper, slide it over the head to shroud the hackle, and apply liberal amount of cement to the entire head. 8. After cement dries, stretch the tail fibers against a flat surface and color thin segment lines using a fine tip permanent marker. March 2007
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What does it take to win a
fishing tournament? Ask many anglers and you will get many answers. I will say that anyone that wins a tournament had to have some amount of luck involved. In fact, the factor of luck is what makes tournament fishing appealing to many people. It allows any person to win on any given day. So how can certain teams or anglers continuously do well, continuously place high in tournaments and continuously bring home a check? Winning tournament fisherman will have some amount of luck, but they have also learned to leave nothing in their control to chance, they purposely work at reducing luck and make it the smallest factor in the winning equation. I have never been to a tournament where during the final weigh in, conversations do not dwell on heartbreaking stories of broken lines, fish that didn’t get hooked or fish that died and caused someone to just miss out on the big bucks. For me, it really doesn’t matter, the goal of the tournament game is to win and when I don’t win, I try to figure out what I could have done to do a better job. What could I have done to reduce luck in my winning equation?
Pre-tournament preparation should always include research. If the venue will be a familiar one, do you count on checking out proven spots or do you force yourself to check out new areas and new fishing techniques? Dedicate some time to try new spots, the spot you always pass and think, “That is a good looking area”. Don’t fall prey to the “I know this area and know all the good spots” mentality. Many times you are at a disadvantage on your home turf because of the inclination to fish the same old locations, the ones that have paid off in the past. If you are going to a new venue, one you have never fished, what is the normal routine? Personally, I like to start with maps of the area and based on structure and features pick certain “fishy looking” spots. Look for areas you will be comfortable fishing, areas that you
So what can one do to increase the odds of winning? Being a firm believer in “it’s the little things that count”, preparation in every facet of the game is necessary. Tournaments can be broken down in to 3 phases: pre-tournament, the tournament itself, and post tournament. Let’s take a look at these 3 phases and discuss a few things that anglers can do to better position themselves to win.
Don’t forget all the details prior the game day. Checking out equipment on the boat, re-spooling reels, sharpening hooks,
It all starts here with pretournament preps learning about new areas.
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can have confidence in because they have all the right ingredients. It can be a marshy area with coves, sloughs and oysters or it could be a large grass flat with nearby deep water escape routes, but by staying with something you are familiar with in an unfamiliar area, confidence in catching fish can be maintained. After looking at area maps, review aerial photos of spots selected as potential fishing areas. Go over the photos several times before hitting the water so that a visual image is formed of the area you will be scouting. If done right, landmarks and features will be familiar and make scouting easier because of a mental map that is already imprinted in your mind. Other information about potential areas can be found in magazines, newspapers or on the internet. Now don’t expect to read the exact GPS coordinates of spots that will win the tournament, but obtaining patterns and finding what baits are effective in new areas can be a big help. If you are arriving at your tournament destination and you don’t have a plan on what you are going to do, you are already behind the eight ball. Homework upfront will help payoff and save time scouting.
Aerial photos are a great source of information to begin your quest to the top. March 2007
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You just don’t get lucky and win the Redfish Cup. It is a year long effort and takes effort and preparation. Jimmy West and Tommy Lamonte.
Preparation begins long before getting here. The boat ramp is too late to be getting ready.
The Watts Brothers, the most successful and consistent redfish team in the nation have learned to not rely on luck.
retying knots, laying out a good GPS route to your spots are just a few items of the many that need to be taken care of. I actually had to help a team on the second day of a FLW Redfish Tour tournament that ran out of gas approximately two miles from the weigh in. When I asked what happened, they said they thought they had enough gas from day one to get to their spot and back. Was that bad luck or poor planning? Make a pre-tournament checklist and keep it updated so your team doesn’t miss a key item that will be regretted later on. Once the tournament starts, what is your team’s routine? Are frequent checks of hooks to ensure they are sharp every cast the norm or is one more cast to keep from tying on a new lure the order of the day? If an oyster is snagged, a quick touchup with a hook sharpener can be the difference between winning and losing that one critical bite. The same goes for checking the line, especially near the lure. A few nicks that may be no big deal on the numerous rat reds that have
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Texas Saltwater Fishing
been landed can immediately give way when papa red decides to eat. Take the few minutes to keep fresh line tied to your lure. What is the lunch drill? When the munchies or dry throat hit, do you take a quick break to down some food and get a drink or do you cast out and start reeling, then take a bite to eat or take a swig to quell your thirst. Inevitably, as soon as you grab your Coke, the fish will decide to bite and all you will be left with is an empty livewell and a mouthful of fizz. Is your livewell filled and ready to put fish in or is that 27 7/8” fish lying on the deck while you fill the livewell and breakout your oxygen system and Rejuvenade? Again, planning and preparation will help add to the winning equation. After the tournament, if a check is not residing in your pocket, what is the typical ride home? Is it a quiet, solemn journey where your team contemplates all the things that went wrong and how your luck stinks? The tournament is over and feeling sorry for yourself is not going to change anything. Take the time to go over things you could have done better. What planning needs to be different next tourney? What can you do to make your chances of winning increase? There should never be a missed opportunity on learning and never miss an opportunity to eliminate “bad luck”. I have heard many teams say that they are done with tournaments after having a bad finish or not catching a fish. A zero for the day now turns into a pity party where one has had enough. Well it happens to most March 2007
everyone, the difference between ending it all and improving is what you learned and what you do with the information you gathered during the day of not catching fish. It should cause you to question why were the fish not there, what could I have done different? What piece of the equation did I miss? Yes there is luck in winning, but by spending some time before each tournament and thinking about every facet of your fishing game (preparation, equipment, fish care, navigation, etc.) one can become more consistent and control the factors that can lead to a win. Will the best prepared team always rise to the top? No, but over time, the best prepared and learned team will get better and have more shots at being at the top. So don’t let Lady Luck have all the fun and decide your fate, take time to go over all the individual pieces that it takes to win and put Lady Luck in the backseat on the way to your victory.
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Well, it’s the beginning of spring,
will have plenty of chance to practice. If your
get it done while the wind is blowing. Check all
hunting season is over and big game fishermen
boat is not radar equipped, the white stuff can be
roller guides by taking them off and cleaning and
are ready to get offshore. Everyone talks about
scary and dangerous. If you can get out, you can
lubricating each one. A bad guide can cause
going fishing and picking a day to get out there.
catch wahoo on the rocks or tuna at the deep
you to lose a fish that you spent a lot of time and
But making plans in advance this time of year is
rigs, but most of the time you will be at the dock,
money trying to catch. Lures and leaders need
tough. The odds of you picking a future weekend
watching the wind blow (or feeling it blow the
to be checked and re-rigged. Hooks need to be
and being able to get offshore are slim. Cold
fog.) Last month you flew to Mexico for a week
replaced and sharpened. Knots need to be retied
fronts are rolling through and its usually cold and
and had a great time, but your vacation funds
and snap swivels checked. Go over your tackle
windy. The sea surface temperature is still very
are low, so you’re stuck here and you want to go
box and make sure you have plenty of everything
cool. It’s frustrating — you’re ready for winter
fishing — NOW! OK… settle down… don’t get
you need. Check your drags. If you don’t have a
to be over, ready for warm weather, warm seas
mad… relax… it will be time to go fishing soon!
drag scale, get one. It will help you keep the right
and hot fishing. But it’s not quite time yet. On our
Our suggestion is to take this time to get your
amount of pressure on a fish without guessing.
coast the spring winds blow. Yes, you can sneak
boat and tackle ready for the upcoming season.
It will also help you keep from breaking a fish off. You can take this time to try new knots,
out here and there, but you really have to watch the weather and be ready to go on a moment’s
Now is a great time to make sure your
crimps or other connections. We usually end
tackle is ready to go. Don’t wait until right before
up in the parking lot behind the truck, pulling on
summer when tackle repair shops are super
things until they break. Find out if a new knot or
busy. Do it now while there is plenty of time.
connection you read about in some magazine
time for fog. If you want to practice your captain
Reels need to be serviced and it’s a good idea
is going to work right now — not later when you
skills — piloting by radar — you’re in luck! You
to dump the old line off of your reels and put
lose a 500 lb. blue marlin.
notice, any day, any time. Did we mention fog? Oh yeah, this is a great
on fresh new line. If you are using dacron or superbraid backing with a mono front, you only
Outriggers typically need to be checked
need to change out the front. It takes time to
each year. The sun takes its toll on bungees
splice the mono back on to all of your reels, so
and nylon, so fix it now, not offshore hanging on to the side of the boat. Don’t forget to check all
Learning about the damage to this leader the hard way could account for losing a fish you spent a lot of time and money trying to catch.
outrigger nuts, bolts and other connections. We know one guy that put out his riggers, started trolling along and one rigger decided to come loose and fall in the water. It’s amazing what a little water pressure can do to aluminum! While you’re at it, coat you riggers with a Inspect all your lures and leaders while you have time to do it right.
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while the fish are biting. Don’t put it off. Get it done now. The Houston Fishing Show will be going on February 28 through March 4 at the George R. Brown Convention center. It’s one of our favorite shows and it’s all about fishing and everything associated with fishing. You will see lots of tackle, dealers, trips, guides, seminars, electronics, new products and new boats. This time of year many boat owners decide to sell their boat and move up to a bigger boat while there is still time before the fishing season starts. Come see us at the Tops-N-Towers booth and talk about fishing, rigging your boat or moving up to that next boat. Byrd Triple servicing required... get it done before the bite turns hot!
Installing new fuel tank, a good winter project.
Intercoolers should be checked for corrosion and
last a lot longer. While you are checking your
build-up. Check your engine manual or with your
outriggers, look at your antennas. They take a
local mechanic for any other maintenance items
lot of abuse whipping around all of the time. We
that might need to be done periodically.
have had them whip right off the boat, so look for cracks and bad connections and get them taken
As far as your boat is concerned, common
care of now.
yearly maintenance items include compound and waxing, cleaning the hull and running gear,
Your engines need annual servicing, so take
bottom paint, replacing zincs, paint work, prop
this time to get them ready. Changing engine oil
work, and trailer work, depending on what kind of
and transmission or lower unit gear oil is standard.
boat you have. Some work you can do yourself,
Whether you are running outboards or gasoline/
some is usually done in a boat yard. This is also
diesel inboards, fuel filters and impellers need
a good time to add new items like underwater
changing, especially if the boat has not moved all
lights, transducers, teak decks, T-tops, leaning
winter. It’s much easier to change these items at
posts, rod holders, electronics and anything else
the dock than 100 miles offshore. For inboards
that needs to be added, repaired or replaced. It always amazes us when we see boats in the yard in May and June, working on their boat
(Left) Winter is the time to have your boat hauled out for prop work, bottom paint and other projects you can’t do in the water. (Top) Boat yards are never as busy in winter and greater attention to detail can be applied. 48
Texas Saltwater Fishing
Yacht Sales in the Houston area. Fox is the exclusive Cabo and Riviera Yacht dealer in
metal wax. It will prevent pitting and make them
you should check all belts, zincs and hoses.
& Cochrane is the authorized broker for Fox
March 2007
Texas and we also have an extensive inventory of brokerage boats. For more information call our yacht sales office at 281-291-0656 or check out our website at www.byrd-cochrane.com or www.foxyachtsales.com.
March 2007
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Recently, CCA Texas joined the Galveston Bay
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Foundation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NRCS, and NOAA in
Service has announced $18.8 million in grants to 14 states under the
a partnership on the Sportsmans Road marsh restoration Project in
National Coastal Wetlands Grant Program to help conserve, restore
Galveston Bay. This is a great opportunity for CCA Texas to put forth its
and protect coastal wetlands. This includes an important project
resources to directly help the estuarine habitat in Galveston Bay.
to protect habitat for fish and wildlife in the delta formed where the
The marsh area at the West end of Sportsmans Road in Galveston, Texas, has been in a downward spiral for the past 50 years. A
Guadalupe River flows into San Antonio Bay on the Texas coast. National Coastal Wetlands Grants are used to acquire, restore or
combination of natural and human causes has led to massive shoreline
enhance coastal wetlands for long-term conservation benefits to wildlife
degradation and loss of vital marsh habitat for numerous marine
and habitat.
species. Since 1956, the shoreline protecting 300 acres of marsh
“One of this program’s many strengths is its support of the states’
has slowly eroded away. Unless drastic measures are taken, this
own coastal conservation priorities,” said H. Dale Hall, USFWS
shoreline will be completely washed away exposing this delicate marsh
Director. “The coastal areas supported by this program represent
environment to further damages.
essential habitat for aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals. Not only
This project consists of three phases and will ultimately provide not
will these funds be used to support recovery of imperiled species, they
only protection to this shoreline but will also rehabilitate the condition of
will also help prevent species from becoming threatened by restoring
the marsh.
and protecting the coastal areas where they live.”
Phase One is the planning and permitting phase which is already
The Service awards the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation
under way. Phase Two will take place in mid May of 2007 and will
grants to state agencies through a competitive process. The program
consist of the placement of almost 1000 linear feet of breakwater along
is funded under provisions of the 1990 Coastal Wetlands Planning,
the exposed shoreline of this marsh. The breakwater will consist of
Protection and Restoration Act, with money generated from excise
“Lo-Pro Reef Balls” or dome like concrete structures which will stop
taxes on fishing equipment and motorboat and small engine fuels.
the erosive wave action on the shoreline and promote the development
For one grant project, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has
of oyster growth on the structures. Once the breakwater is in place,
partnered with the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority and Guadalupe-
Phase Three will incorporate the planting of marsh grasses to
Blanco River Trust to leverage nearly $400,000 in federal grant funds
accelerate the re-growth of the marsh.
with nearly $200,000 in partner funds. This will aid Guadalupe-Blanco
Many species of fish, plants, and crustaceans breed and develop in this habitat thus making it a crucial part of the ecosystem. “This marsh habitat is vital to the estuarine life in Galveston Bay,” said Robby Byers,
River Trust in acquiring fee title to approximately 689 acres of coastal habitat for perpetual conservation. The property is 93 percent wetlands and contains 4.35 miles of
CCA Texas Executive Director. “This is a great opportunity for CCA
riparian streams in the Guadalupe River Delta. The diversity of habitats
Texas volunteers to participate in a hands on project that the entire
and its proximity to the coast make the delta a key breeding, stop-over
ecosystem will benefit from.”
and wintering habitat for migratory birds as well as an important nursery
Although many people and organizations are working on this
for fisheries species. It is part of the San Antonio Bay system, which
project, there is still a need for public involvement. We are in need of
is the winter home of the world’s last wild population of endangered
volunteer participation in all three phases of this project and urge you
whooping cranes. The project will help create a corridor of conserved lands, benefit
to get involved and help preserve
existing projects and promote future partnerships. The project builds
Galveston Bay. For information on how
on the fact that 147,377 acres of land are already protected in the area,
you can get involved please contact
including the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge and the Guadalupe
Matt Bunn with CCA Texas at
Delta Wildlife Management Area.
matt@ccatexas.org or 713-626-4222. This photo shows one “Lo-Pro Reef Ball” that was placed at the Sportsmans Road site to test the aptitude of the Bay bottom. 50
Texas Saltwater Fishing
We look forward to the success of this project and the continued effort of conserving our coastal resources.
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Field Notes
The biological basis for developing
worsen as fishery biologists predict. Additionally,
require some level of change on the part of
a regionally based approach was presented in
the impact of a severe freeze anytime in the
anglers, local guides, and businesses. It is as
Part I. In Part II the other factors that go into
near future would be greatly exacerbated should
likely to have no significant effect at all. It may
developing effective regulations and the various
current trends (aka spawning stock biomass)
also be an opportunity to promote the unique
options being considered are presented…
continue downward as expected. In that situation
character of the LLM fishing experience to a
management options would most likely be more
special advantage. Regardless, the potential
restrictive than those now being contemplated.
economic impact of regulatory decisions is an
Regional Management of Spotted Seatrout in the lower Laguna Madre – Management Issues. The biological data makes a strong case
important consideration for the Texas Parks and The dilemma is a classic one in fisheries.
regulatory action. TPWD has and will work
on anglers may be more concerned about
closely with affected parties to minimize any
for taking corrective management action. The
the possible immediate adverse economic
short run impacts while taking those steps
question of what action to take and when to take
impacts of regulatory change than the future
necessary to assure the future of the fishery.
it brings a broad array of additional factors into
benefits that would occur because of that
consideration. Recreational fishing on the Texas
change. It is understandable because small
coast is big business annually providing over
businesses which depend on the resource are
regulation of recreational fisheries in Texas in
$1.3 billion in economic impact and thousands
often looking at the situation from a short-run
this regard. When the bag limit for red drum
of jobs for the coastal economy. Such decisions
business perspective. Any disruption in the
was proposed to be reduced to three in 1988
should not be taken lightly and they are not.
business may leave some of these businesses
similar dire predictions were made about the
and local communities harmed in the short run.
economic impacts of such a decision. Suffice it
One policy option to consider is to take no
It is instructive to recall past history in the
Of course, the “no action” alternative may also
to say that those predictions did not materialize.
action. In the case of spotted seatrout (SST) in
leave these businesses and local communities
In fact, as recently as last year when TPWD
the lower Laguna Madre (LLM) the consequence
harmed in both the short and long run. There is
opened the discussion of a possible increase
of such a decision might not be immediately
a considerable body of case studies that shed
in red drum limits our constituents responded
felt. As noted population levels of spotted
light on situations where no action was taken
with an overwhelming negative response. It is
seatrout are currently about the same as the
and there is a common theme and it has never
gratifying as a fisheries manager to have that
statewide average. Fishing should remain as
been positive.
kind of conservation-minded attitude in the
good as anywhere along the coast for some time to come, but if no action is taken, the fishing
56
Wildlife Commission whenever they contemplate
Anglers and the coastal businesses that rely
angling community. The assumption that a specific regulation
conditions will likely not return to the historically
in the LLM would have significant adverse
better fishing conditions as compared to the
economic impact to the region is not necessarily
The advantages of maintaining statewide
rest of the coast. Maintaining the status quo
a sound one. The LLM is a unique and relatively
regulations have been discussed. It was also
or taking no action would address the fears
isolated waterbody that provides a very
noted that the scientific basis upon which to take
of those concerned with the potential loss of
special fishing experience. Many guides and
regional action is strong and well developed.
business if regionally based regulations were
businesses recognize and promote this aspect
Regionally based fishery management is
implemented. The downside of a “no action”
rather than promoting the ability to take limits
widespread. The Inland Fisheries Division
decision would be that it would take far more
of a species each trip. Being successful under
of TPWD routinely employs this approach to
drastic action to correct the problem should it
the contemplated regulatory proposal may
address specific management needs. Other
Texas Saltwater Fishing
March 2007
Regional versus Statewide Management.
March 2007
Texas Saltwater Fishing
57
state like Alaska and closer to home Florida,
From a management perspective it makes
included raising minimum
use regional approaches to manage marine
no sense to “fix” a problem if it does not exist. If
catch lengths in conjunction
fisheries. Regional regulations are common in
you have a flat tire you do not buy four new ones
with decreased bag limits were not
the commercial fishery here in Texas.
— you repair the flat.
significantly different from model runs
Monitoring data show that SST populations There are two primary reasons for
that assessed a decrease in bag limits alone.
in Texas (excepting the LLM) are headed in the
One of those analyses was included in Table 1
considering regional management approaches.
right direction for both overall abundance and
as an example. The one aspect that did change
The first is to address resource based concerns
for the numbers of “big trout”. The numbers of
significantly was the mean catch size, which
for populations or species that are confined
larger trout taken in the upper Laguna this year
increased as would be expected. Changing
geographically. Spotted seatrout is one that
was exceptional and barring something like
the minimum length had little impact on other
meets this criterion. The second reason is
a freeze such catches should continue. Data
important aspects like spawning biomass and
to address issues of fishing pressure, again
indicates that the upper Laguna Madre region,
total population but had a greater overall impact
where that pressure has defined geographic
directly adjacent to the LLM can withstand any
on the total harvest (landings) in the fishery. The
boundaries. The Lower Laguna Madre meets
reasonably expected increase in pressure.
decision was made to restrict staff consideration
such a criterion as well.
Should a regional approach be adopted that will
to changes in bag limits to keep any regulation
be something that will be closely watched.
recommendation as simple as possible, as well
It has been argued that if something must be done to address spotted seatrout in the LLM
as to balance the gains in total biomass and spawning stock biomass against the direct cost
One of the fundamental goals of the
it would be better to also apply that remedy
TPWD Commission is to expand opportunities
of harvest. Minimizing the overall impacts to
statewide rather than to that specific area. The
for Texans to enjoy the benefits of our fish
harvest is critical to maintaining the economic
idea has been expressed as “spreading the
and wildlife resources. Any action to restrict
interests that are concerned over the changes
pain”. The support for this idea can largely be
opportunity when it is not necessary for
being discussed.
characterized as three key arguments/opinions.
conservation reasons would be contrary to
One argument is that anglers would not come
that guidance.
Four possible LLM specific regulations are
to an area where bag limits were lower thus causing adverse economic impacts to that region. Another argument is that fishing pressure
shown on Table 1 as the most likely range of options for further consideration and include
Regulation Options for the LLM. TPWD biologists used monitoring data to
a reduction in bag limits of: 7, 5, 4 and 3 fish.
on adjacent areas would increase to deleterious
model SST population changes under a range
The percentages shown indicate change above
levels. The last argument can be described
of bag and size limits. In Table 1, four aspects
(an increase in population or weight) or below
as “the camel’s nose under the tent” or if
of life history impacts were assessed: total
(a decrease in population or weight) what
regional management was ever adopted it might
population, spawning biomass, harvest, mean
would be expected under the current 10 fish
eventually come to my bay and that would be
catch size, and increase in number of fish greater
bag. As might be expected none of the options
bad for me.
than 25 inch length. Initial model runs that
modeled had much impact on the mean catch size. It would remain around seventeen
Total Population Spawning Biomass
10 Fish 16” Min
7 Fish 15” Min
5 Fish 15” Min
4 Fish 15” Min
3 Fish 15” Min
+4%
+1%
+3%
+5%
+7%
changes were proposed in minimum lengths. As bag limits are reduced there is a proportionally greater positive impact on total population, spawning biomass and the number of SST over 25 inches. Harvest is
-1%
+6%
+15%
+22%
+33%
also proportionally reduced. It is clear that
-25%
-5%
-13%
-19%
-27%
restrictive bag limit. Responsible fisheries
Mean Catch Size
18.2 in
17.3 in
17.4 in
17.5 in
17.6 in
Population >25 inches
+4%
Harvest
Texas Saltwater Fishing
the quickest route to recovery is by the most management decisions must also consider and incorporate where possible the range of possible socio-economic impacts of that decision so it is not a simple matter of
+14%
+38%
+58%
+90%
Table 1. Anticipated changes in spotted seatrout populations in the Lower Laguna Madre under different length and bag limits. Changes are relative to those that would likely occur if bag and size limits remained unchanged. 58
and a half inches primarily because no
March 2007
picking the lowest limit possible. Regardless of the option chosen one common result was evident. Positive changes in total population and spawning biomass react to a proposed regulatory change fairly
March 2007
Texas Saltwater Fishing
59
quickly, with about 50% of benefits realized after
favorable conditions we can achieve hatchery
for several years making
just one year of implementation and almost 80%
production of up to 2,000,000 Lower Laguna
sure we have assembled the
after just two years. That is good news. The
SST fingerlings per year starting next year.
pertinent data before recommending
effect on larger fish (+25 inches) is, as might
Some have suggested that we could address the
a course of corrective action. We now believe we
be expected, slower to appear. About 20% of
spotted seatrout issue in the LLM by this means
are at that point.
benefits are realized in the first year and 40% by
alone, without the need for regulatory “fixes”.
the second year. Most of the total population and
This is not the case primarily because the data
the spawning population are concentrated in the
do not indicate a recruitment problem at this
no mention of means or methods in regards
first three to four year classes so these benefits
time. Hatchery related strategies are principally
to live or artificial baits. The proposal does
accrue more quickly than in older populations.
directed at addressing recruitment problems,
not increase the minimum retention length,
It is a sobering point to note that it can take nine
not the case for SST in the LLM. We will take no
addressing bag limits only. If a trophy trout
years for the impact of any regulation to be fully
chance, however, and include this action as one
fishery was desired that would be a logical
realized in the population. That is because every
of our management strategies. The possibility of
inclusion. Larger trout will likely result from the
trout in the population has to be exposed to the
catastrophic freezes remains a concern and we
proposal because the overall population will
new regulations for their entire lifetime (average
want to be ready to respond if needed.
increase. Staff has chosen to recommend a five
life span of nine years). TPWD’s goal would be to
fish bag limit as that should generate a readily
take all possible steps to accelerate recovery as
Regional management for the future.
measurable response in a reasonable timeframe
quickly as possible.
The decision to propose regional
to see if the regulations are being effective in
management for SST was not an easy one for One action we have already initiated is to
60
The proposal before the Commission makes
reversing the downward trend in the population.
us in Coastal Fisheries for all of the reasons
focus hatchery efforts on stocking SST in the
previously mentioned. Serious consideration of
LLM. This is not a quick action as brood stock
the idea began two years ago when it was first
a concept that will remain a management option
and capacity issues must be increased but this
proposed at the in-house regulatory meetings
for the future regardless of what specific action
is already underway. It is anticipated that with
held in the mid- to late- summer of each year.
may be taken regarding the LLM. The Coastal
Texas Saltwater Fishing
The use of regionally specific regulations is
This is the meeting where
Fisheries monitoring program was designed to
all the division biologists
accommodate such a need. The management
come together to propose
focus of TPWD’s Coastal Fisheries Division
and review new rules
has been to build a strong and sustainable
that might be submitted
recreational fishery in Texas since the
for the annual TPWD
designation of red drum and spotted seatrout as
regulatory process. Two
sportfish and commercial fishing for them ended.
years ago it was decided
In this effort, with the support and leadership
that additional information
of our constituents we have been successful
was needed. That need
beyond our greatest expectations. The fishery
initiated a new coastwide
today is in better shape than at any time in the
stock assessment for
previous 30 years. Our goal is to sustain those
SST. After this years
gains for the next generations of Texas anglers.
meeting where all of the
That is a challenge of increasing difficulty due in
information was presented
some part to our own success. The popularity of
and debated it was the
saltwater fishing is growing at a rapid pace and
clear consensus that
those pressures are added to the environmental
a regional approach
pressures of decreased freshwater inflows,
was necessary and
habitat loss, etc. We need every management
appropriate. Some have
tool available if we are to succeed. Fisheries
tried to make the point that
management in Texas is at the point that we
TPWD is only reacting to
no longer need only a driver in our bag of clubs
a small but vocal group
— we need them all. We are in the enviable
advocating smaller bag
position of having the capacity to fine tune our
limits, trophy trout and
fisheries only as needed and where needed to
even a ban on live bait.
sustain them. It is a new paradigm, a new way
This is not the case as our
of managing our fisheries. It is something we
fisheries biologists have
should embrace and celebrate as an indicator of
been assessing the issue
our success — because it surely is that.
March 2007
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Texas Saltwater Fishing
61
Sunrise in the Florida Keys.
SLIDE 1
SLIDE 2
SLIDE 3
SLIDE 4 In addition to the detailed text, photo series such as these are used to further illustrate the techniques discussed.
Tonight I’m feeling like
a trophy trout wrangler about to grasp a fat sow. This afternoon my publisher sent me the final revision of a book Joel McBride and I have been working on for over a year. It has now gone to the printing company and the finished product will come to hand in the next few weeks. Similar to grinding out a long wade on a cold February day and scoring a personal best trout, it has been an incredible experience. It all started with a simple phone call from Joel in the fall of 2005. A friend of his, Ken Whiting, had contacted him asking if he would be interested in doing a book on kayak fishing. Ken owns Heliconia Press and has produced a number of paddling related books and videos. Joel and Ken decided that a joint effort was the way to go. Joel has many years of experience with paddling and I’ve got plenty of time on the water chasing fish from these little plastic boats. How hard could it be? Well, I now have a new respect for anyone who has taken on the task of writing a book. Without Ken’s experience and steady guidance I seriously doubt we would’ve ever made it. I may be a bit biased, but I truly believe this book will be a great tool for kayak fishermen. We set out to write a fairly simple how-to book for kayak fishing rookies. The various kayak 62
Texas Saltwater Fishing
fishing message boards were a great source for discovering just about every question a newbie kayak fishermen could ask. Between reading these message boards and answering questions at demo days and shows, it became evident that there was a need for a more detailed and comprehensive-style book. Neither of us will ever pretend to know everything there is to know about kayak fishing. Hell, I learn new things on every trip. But I do think that between Joel and I, we’ve got a pretty good handle on it. The bare rookie first-time kayaker will of course get the most out of the book. However, even the well-seasoned kayak fisherman can glean some very useful information in these pages. I know, because I did. Joel is a serious paddler. He’s been on some big, bad water in his nearly 20 years of kayaking. I always knew I wasn’t a technically correct paddler, but I got the job done. I never wanted to take the time away from my fishing to learn. Why should I? I always got to where I was going and back. It didn’t take long on day one of the first photo shoot for me to realize I needed to improve. Watching Joel and Ken glide around effortlessly was a wake-up call. I wasn’t exactly struggling, but it was obvious there was an easier way. Their strokes were easy and efficient. That evening at the hotel room I went to March 2007
my computer and read over Joel’s sections on paddling technique. Forward strokes, turning sweeps, and draw strokes suddenly made more sense. The next day I put these strokes and techniques to use and it was pretty amazing. With just a little bit of practice my paddling experience became much more enjoyable. The long crossings into the wind are now a lot less work and my days on the water are less tiring. Turning my sixteen foot kayak was easy. Guiding my boat up alongside another kayak became a smooth maneuver. It was somewhat ironic that my own book taught me how to better enjoy this sport. After the photo shoot trip I was so into the paddling aspect that I began working on becoming more proficient paddler. The thought of going to the water without a rod and reel never crossed my mind in the past. Believe it or not I now find myself going to the water just to paddle. I’m out there surfing along the beachfront and looking forward to hitting the rivers for a little whitewater. An Eskimo roll had never been on my “things to do before I die” list. Now I’m perfectly comfortable flipping upside down and popping back to the surface. The best part in all of this has been how much more at ease I am in a kayak. The confidence in my abilities has made my fishing days even more enjoyable.
March 2007
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63
Pam Johnson was our guide to the backcountry of Matagorda Island for video and still photography of redfish action.
Throughout this long and winding road from a simple idea to a completed book I’ve met a bunch of great people and learned quite a bit about writing, publishing, photography, and paddling. The book may only have me and Joel listed as the authors, but it couldn’t have happened without a host of people helping us out. Everett & Pam Johnson, Dean “Slowride” Thomas, Brendan Mark and Charles Wright acted as our guides at the various photo shoots. We really appreciate everything you guys did to make those trips successful. Jock Bradley’s incredible talent as a photographer greatly enhanced the look and feel of the book. It was easy working with Jock. He let us fish and got the shots without getting in the way. If you’ve ever tried to fish with a photographer around, you know it can be a daunting task. Ken Whiting and his staff at Heliconia Press have been working their tails off behind the scenes to make us look good. Thanks to each and every one of you. But most of all I’d like to acknowledge my wife and daughters for putting up with the all-night writing binges and the long trips away from home required to get this book in the net.
Although kayaks are
very stable, it’s common sense to be prepared for the unlikely situation that requires you to re-enter your kayak from the water. One of the huge advantages of sit-on-top kayaks is that they are so easy to get back into from the water. Divers have used these types of boats for years for the simple reason that they can easily hop into the water and make a dive from them. When the dive is over they can throw their tank and gear back on top and climb aboard. Sit-inside kayaks simply don’t provide this flexibility… but with a little practice and some help from a friend, you can learn to quickly and reliably re-enter a sit-inside. The problem remaining is that since sit-insides aren’t self-bailing, you’ll have a lot of water to pump out of your kayak once you’re back in the seat. 64
Texas Saltwater Fishing
The most important thing in having the confidence to re-enter either style of kayak is practice, practice, practice! Do not just do it once and think you’ve got it figured out. Start off on flat, calm water and get your technique down. Once you get comfortable with your abilities, move to some rougher water and try again. We suggest this because it is much more likely that should you be faced with this situation in the real world, it won’t be in calm conditions. If you live near the coast, the surf is the perfect place to test yourself. Always wear your PDF and have at least one buddy with you while practicing. RE-ENTERING A SIT-ON-TOP If you fish from a sit-on-top kayak for long, there’s a reasonable chance that you’ll find yourself taking an unscheduled swim and needing to get back on top on your kayak from the water. Hopefully your kayak didn’t actually flip over, and if it did, any equipment that wasn’t stored inside was tied down. If it did flip upside-down, you can right your boat by approaching it from the side and scrambling over the hull to grab the far edge. In this position, you will have the leverage necessary to right the kayak by pulling it towards you. Pushing up on the near side is much more difficult. When practicing, try both methods to get a better understanding of what we’re talking about. Once the kayak is right-side-up, getting back in is a fairly simple process, but is does require a small amount of explosive power. Start by positioning yourself alongside the kayak by the seat. You can keep your paddle in one hand, slide it under your deck lines so that it doesn’t get away from you, or give it to your paddling buddy. With a firm grip on the kayak, let your legs float to the surface behind you. You’ll then give a powerful kick with your legs and push with your arms to haul your chest up onto the kayak. Once you’re up on the boat, twist your body around and settle into the seat. You can then swing your legs back onto the boat. The whole process may not look pretty, but it works! RE-ENTERING A SIT-INSIDE A sit-inside kayak presents a different set of problems. It holds water and will be unstable while you climb on top of it right up until the point that you are settle back into the cockpit. For these reasons, re-entering a sit-inside kayak is much easier with the help of another paddler. If you’ve found yourself swimming from a sit-inside, chances are very good that your boat is upside-down. The first order of business is to flip your boat upright. When your boat is upside-down, air gets trapped inside. The trapped air keeps water form flooding the interior. This means that the quicker you can flip the boat upright. The less water will get scooped inside. Although you can flip the kayak upright yourself from the water, it is easier if your paddling buddy helps by lifting an end as you roll the kayak. With the kayak upright, your paddling partner can then stabilize the kayak as you get back in. A partner can actually provide an incredible amount of stability, although it requires a lot of commitment on his or her part. To assist, your partner positions their kayak parallel to yours and gets a good grip on the empty kayak with both hands, then leans his whole body over onto it. As long as he has a good grip on the kayak, there’s virtually no chance of his flipping himself as the two “rafted” kayaks will be extremely stable. You can then use virtually the same re-entry technique as the one we just outlined for getting back into the sit-on-top kayak. You need to remember that your center of gravity will be high and this will make your kayak unstable until you’ve got your butt back in the seat. Of course, once you’re back inside, you’ll have a fair amount of water in the boat to deal with. This is where a bilge pump comes in handy. Be sure to keep your pump stored in such a manner that it is easily accessed, but also secure enough that it doesn’t float away during the capsizing. Although a bilge pump is a great piece of safety gear for any sit-inside kayak, it’s a good idea to make a practice of staying close enough to shore so that you can easily head to dry land and empty your boat there. March 2007
March 2007
Texas Saltwater Fishing
65
This past November,
beach and catch all of the snapper that I wanted
of pounds of red snapper while carefully
while grouper fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, I
along with many other species thinking that two
measuring each one to ensure they exceeded
fumed as I watch a pair of fifteen pound red
or three of us keeping legal limits were doing
the minimum size as well as measuring and
snapper float off in the current. We were fishing
no harm. This is an event that rarely occurs any
counting the catches of many recreational
in the EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) where
more… Why you ask? I say it is because we,
anglers. You would be surprised at how many
NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) has
the recreational anglers who can do no wrong,
recreational anglers violate the fishery laws.
jurisdiction and had closed the snapper fishery
have picked clean damned near every piece of
to recreational fishermen; so to comply with
structure within 20 miles of the shore. Now-
As I listen to so many anglers complain
the law we returned the bycatch to the water.
a-days, to be successful on an offshore trip,
about the reduction in limits, I cannot help but
Of course we tried but were unsuccessful in
anglers often have to run from 30 to 100 miles
to feel the blood vessels in my head start to
deflating the air bladders of the fish and they
out to enjoy the success of 25 years ago.
throb as my blood pressure rises in anger. I got
perished. What a shame and what a waste. Now several months later I have been
Another activity that I took part in earlier
Now — back to my soap box…
into a very heated debate with one angler over
in my life was the enforcement of the fishery
this very topic recently. Now to put things into
notified through a CCA (Coastal Conservation
laws of this country as a Boarding Officer in the
perspective, this angler fishes offshore 15-20
Association) newsletter that the recreational
United States Coast Guard. While in the Coast
days a year and can often be found bringing,
daily bag limit on red snapper has been reduced
Guard I did hundreds, if not over a thousand,
along with his boat mates, legal catches of
to two fish — when the season is open. And,
boardings of both recreational and commercial
many different offshore species that weigh in
of course I have already begun to hear anglers
vessels operating out of Freeport, TX. During
at 500, 600 and even 700 pounds. Catches
screaming about it.
that time I can assure you that I cannot recall
of this size usually produce between 100 and
seeing a single red snapper in the net of shrimp
200 pounds of fillets. Do the math — divided
am going to do, let me detour and give you a
boat (I am not saying it does not happen, I
between three to five anglers, we are talking
little information about myself. In high school
just never personally witnessed it) as bycatch
about taking home and freezing 30-50 pounds
I worked on a couple of charter boats and
(which is often cited as the biggest threat to
of fish and then to do it 15 times… again, I
routinely fished offshore out of 21’ Boston
the snapper population). However, I did wade
asked him why he needed that much fish. His
Whaler. I quit the charter boat thing because I
waste-deep in ice holds filled
was disgusted at the hauls of fish that we would
with thousands
Now before I get on my soap box, which I
response was that he uses the fish to barter with. And we wonder
make and did not want to be a part of
why the limits are
what I thought then was grotesque
being reduced.
over-harvest of individual
The sad part is — we
locations. And even
are headed in the exact same
though I found the
direction with our bays, although
charter industry
many do not want to admit it. There
offensive, I would
is of course talk about regional
often run out to
management of our trout fishery
rigs within
because recruitment is low (result
sight of the
of over-harvest). But the changes are damage control just like the changes in the snapper fishery. TPWD, just like NMFS, has always taken a reactive approach to fisheries management rather than a proactive approach. By this I mean; they react to declines rather than to prevent the declines in the first place.
66
Texas Saltwater Fishing
March 2007
March 2007
Texas Saltwater Fishing
67
Pat Murray, director of conservation for the CCA, recently wrote in an article, “A recovering fishery is harder to manage.” If that is in fact the case — then why not manage proactively and prevent the decline in the first place? Not only does that make sense to me, it fits the mold of what conservation is all about. I once heard your illustrious editor (E.J.) give a very concise and accurate definition of the word conservation — wise use. It seems wise to me that we prevent over-harvest. And, of course, to do this you need to reduce the limits. Almost twenty years ago I started practicing some pretty serious catch and release fishing for redfish and trout and I still manage to have a fresh fish dinner three to four times a month. The question that many of you need to ask yourselves is — what is more important? Filling a gallon ziplock with fillets that will likely freezer-burn, or seeing your kids and grandchildren enjoying a day on the water the way you once did. It is time to step up and support not only the regionalizing of trout limits, but to reduce limits on all species statewide.
68
Texas Saltwater Fishing
March 2007
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69
Baby 1-Minus strikes again.
The weekend finally arrived.
I was filled with excitement because not only were we going to fish all weekend long, but we were also going to spend the night at a friend’s house on the Arroyo Colorado. It was there that we met up with Richie Homminga who has fished with us before. Unpacking in the home filled with a large variety of mounted game in every room gave me the sense of being in a lodge. The mallards, pintails, rattlesnakes, snook, deer of different species, bear rugs, and the huge moose that hung in the living room made it all more comfy. Part of going fishing is getting your equipment prepared the night before, so we each got our wading stuff together, made sure the reels were working properly, and placed our favorite lures in our boxes. I made sure a Baby 1-Minus was in my box. After all the preparation, we went to bed around mid-night looking forward to the next day. In the morning we woke up to chilling temperatures, so getting an early start was not that important. We put on our waders before leaving the dock and made a quick run to our first spot. The water was a bone chilling fifty-one
Double hook-ups were the norm on this day.
Richie and author enjoying a redfish feeding freenzy day. 70
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degrees, and a brisk north wind made it a very cold morning. Our hands went numb shortly after they made contact with the cold water. Our first stop showed no signs of bait around, so we moved on to the next which showed some promise because it had a few jumping mullet. As we waded into a small area with a muddy bottom, we got into a short lasting redfish bite with each one of us landing one redfish apiece. Our next stop produced a few trout, but by this time we all realized it was going to be a tough bite day. We did manage to land a couple of more reds later in the day. All day Richie kept enticing us about how great his gumbo was. As the first day came to a close, Richie’s gumbo started an appetite in me as we headed back to the dock. He was right; the gumbo was delicious. At the start of the second day we awoke to even colder temperatures and a breezy morning. A front had blown through over night. My warm bed was starting to sound good to me. But, the idea of catching a big trout won over the warm bed situation. We fished different areas than the previous day. The slow bite continued to come our way, but our expectations were still high. Other areas we waded faired no better than the rest. It was in one of these areas that Richie brought forth a challenge. He said the person with the least amount of fish would wash the dishes and clean up. Being that we were releasing all of our fish, we had to keep an honest count. My father quickly replied that he needed a handicap because he was the one retrieving the boat. Both Richie and I gave him no leeway. It was every man and kid for himself. By this time it was around 2:00 PM, and Richie and I were head to head with two trout apiece. We moved on to the next location; it was there that we ran over a big group of redfish milling around a mud hole. My dad suggested that we should leave them alone, so that they could regroup. We tried our luck at sight-casting, but it was very difficult due to the glare. My dad and I did witness something that we had never seen before. On one particular pothole there was a big trout sitting on the bottom. We all saw it, and each one of us got a chance to cast at it several times before we drifted away. At this March 2007
point Richie was so determined to catch it, that he jumped off the boat and continued to cast at it six more times. The entire time that this was happening, my dad and I were laughing really loud because we could not believe what we just saw. He did not catch the trout, but his effort was great. It would have made a great story if he had caught it. By this time we moved into the very spot where we had seen all the redfish. Richie reminded us of the dirty dishes and off we went as my dad anchored the boat away from the area. From the second cast on, it was redfish after redfish. Immediately, Richie and I started to double up as the action got red hot. The funny part is that my dad was still messing around with the boat. Richie then yelled at my dad and asked him, “Who is washing dishes tonight?” A short time later my dad joined us; Richie and I had ten reds apiece. My dad instead of fishing began taking pictures and recording the incredible bite. I personally thought he used the camera to have an excuse to why he didn’t land as many as Richie and I. The action did last into the late evening, and we made sure we kept a count of how many fish we caught and released. The bite was so good that we stopped counting double hook ups and went for triple rod bending hook sets. At one point I tied on a baby-minus one, and the redfish gobbled it up. Anything you threw at them was like eating Richie’s gumbo. The bite was non stop, but we finally decided to call it a day as the sun was setting. The final tally was Richie twenty-eight reds and two trout. I had twenty-five reds and two trout, and my dad, the dishwasher, had ten reds. What a way to cap off my weekend. As we headed back, all you could hear was my dad’s excuses and how he hated to wash dishes. This time around we did give him a break. While he cleaned up the boat, Richie and I washed the dishes and cleaned up the place. The finale to a fun filled weekend was eating a hamburger at one of my favorite restaurants, Chilly Willies, in Arroyo City.
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Raymond “Kutch” Albrecht
Raymond “Kutch” Albrecht was born June 28, 1925 in Victoria, Texas and has fished the Texas coast for almost 76 years. Kutch’s parents loved to fish and they began taking him along on their trips to San Antonio Bay when he was only six years old. Kutch has remained an avid angler and hunter his whole life. The only time he didn’t hunt and fish was during his service years in WW-II with the U.S. Navy, but he got back to it as soon as the war was over. Kutch’s fishing career spans a period when technology and manufacture of tackle, boats and motors changed at an amazing rate. In the beginning, things ran at a different pace and folks approached the sport much differently than we do today. Kutch was kind enough to sit down and tell us his story and we have already been through Part I and Part II. We left off last month with Kutch telling of some tomfoolery he and his father got into mounting two outboards on his little Yellow Jacket to see how fast it could go. Well, when he took his mom fishing with the twin motors they were having so much fun speeding across the bay they ran over a reef and knocked a hole in the bottom. Kutch says that incident was enough to cure him and he hasn’t been much of a boat racer since. Let’s sit a spell and listen to some more of Kutch’s story.
We talked a little bit last month about how much things have changed with our boats and motors and fishing tackle, well let me tell you 72
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there’s lots of stuff that has changed and I’d say pretty near all of it is for the better. I hear folks talking sometimes about how great everything was back in the good old days and I just have to question how good their memory is. You know it is simple things that people just take for granted, you know like your weather channels and VHF radios and GPS stuff on boats now days. Something as simple as having an outboard that will crank when you want it to is pretty nice if you ask me. Little things like knowing what the weather will be in a day or two sure makes life easier. Getting caught in a storm is serious business and we couldn’t look at the TV in those days and get a long range forecast before we headed out on a three day fishing trip. We had to keep a good eye on the weather and know when to make a run for it and maybe when to just stay where we were until it went through. I remember more than once we just stayed out there on the islands overnight until it was safe to come back. Fog was our worst nightmare. I remember one time in late winter, that’s a really bad time for fog you know, Mother and Dad and I got in the boat and pulled out of Hopper’s and we were going to fish up toward the head of San Antonio Bay where the Guadalupe River comes in. Dad was driving the boat and we probably had not gone a half a mile and we ran into a bad fog bank that just seemed to swallow us up. He just kept on going like it wasn’t there and when I asked if we were headed the right direction he assured me that we were. We drove on for what seemed a really long time and couldn’t see anything except each other. It was getting really eerie and pretty soon he shuts the motor off and I could tell he was as lost as I was but he never said anything. He sat there like he was thinking or listening for a few seconds and then just fired it back up and kept going. Finally we ran up into some shallow water and he said we’d made it. I got out and walked up the bank and we’d made it alright, we’d made it right back to Hopper’s Landing. March 2007
I was very lucky that my folks owned a boat, I knew lots of people who never knew such luxury; they just fished wherever they could, from the bank, or off bridges, and on the piers. It was popular back when I was young to rent boats. Ed Bell had a place over there near Magnolia Beach at Powderhorn Lake. He rented row boats and motor boats and you could rent a boat for fifty cents a day or you could rent a boat and motor for a couple of dollars. We rented from him a few times; fishing was good back then in Powderhorn Lake but I couldn’t tell you what it’s like today, I haven’t fished there in years. Another thing that we did a lot more than you see today is fish the rivers. When the weather is dry for a long period in the winter the saltwater will push way up the rivers and trout and redfish will go up the river a lot farther than you would think possible. There will be freshwater at the surface but down deep it can be pure saltwater and those trout will get in there thick. I can remember when everybody with a boat would hit the Colorado River on a nice winter Saturday. Trolling was very popular and we used the old Hump and Bingo lures. The Tres Palacios River was also popular with winter fishermen, as was the mouth of the Garcitas Creek. Me and Raymond Adcock came back from fishing the river one time and our motor wasn’t acting quite right so we decided we’d work on it and get it tuned up a little bit. We started taking it loose from the boat so we could run
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it in a barrel of water and those old screws in the clamps were a mess with salt and rust. We got to tugging on it and all of a sudden the whole top half of the motor comes off and the bottom part is still there. The heads had rusted right off the bolts that held it together. Anyway we set it back on there and got it tuned up and it was running pretty good but the bolts were still broken. One of our fishing buddies drove up and we fired it up to show him our tune up job and Raymond winked at me. We lifted the powerhead up and carried it over to the workbench with it still running. We had literally fished that old motor to pieces.
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Hurricanes have always been scary but let me tell you they were even scarier before weather radar and all the forecasting tools they use today. I started working on the powerline crews for CPL and whenever we had a bad storm we’d have to ship out and help the other departments fix all their downed lines and get the power back on. I saw a lot of stuff firsthand that taught me to respect the weather. The big storms would create quite a mess and it would take weeks to get everything back online. I remember going to Palacios right after Carla in 1961 and then to Port Mansfield in 1967 when Hurricane Beulah came in; they kept us at Mansfield for 15 days straight. Then they sent us to Corpus Christi to help out after Hurricane Celia in 1970 and that was a really bad one too. It’s been a long time since we had a bad one and I hope I never see another. Getting back to the fishing, I’ll tell you one that nearly got me in trouble right after I got home from the Navy. Me and Raymond had caught a bunch of fish and we decided we’d sell some of them to pick up a little extra cash when we got back to Victoria. We always got twentyfive cents a pound and this guy we always sold
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to comes up to us on the street corner and says, “I’d like two pounds but I’ll have to go home and get the money.” Raymond was handing him the fish when I saw a policeman coming around the corner. I said real loud, “Here, go ahead and take these home and I hope you enjoy them.” Naturally the cop asked if we were selling fish and since we did not have a vendor’s license I said, “No we’re just giving them away. Here, would you like some?” He never took any but he stood there talking and asking where we got the fish and such as that. Pretty soon that guy comes back and tries to pay me for the fish with the cop standing there and I thought we’d get arrested. I said, “Now you know you don’t have to pay us for those fish, we just want you to have them.” Raymond was trying to give him the high sign but he wasn’t catching on too quick. Pretty soon he thanked us and walked off. The cop was evidently in a good mood and he left too. We ended losing a good fish customer though, that guy never would pay for the fish again after that little incident. Continued next month… hope you’ll join us again!
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A Boat Show as Big as Texas
Texas International
A p r i l
2 6 – 2 9 ,
2 0 0 7
Boat Show
T
The following is a paid advertisement.
he Texas Riviera finally becomes a reality in 2007 as Corpus Christi completes one of the most ambitious marina construction projects seen in the region for more than 30 years. The brand new, and state-of-the-art, Corpus Christi Downtown marina, with space for 200 wide beamed motor yachts, will make cruising the Texas Gulf Coast a reality. Boaters from Houston and Galveston will be able to clear their waters and sail south with the guarantee of sandy beaches, blue water and, most importantly, slip availability at the Corpus Christi facility. Sailing further south to Port Isabel, after one or two nights in port, now becomes a possibility and enables boaters to, at last, expand their sailing horizons. To celebrate this achievement in marina planning and construction, Corpus Christi will host the Texas International Boat Show, the first ever blue water and in-water show for the whole Southwest region of the USA. The annual Boat Show will take place from April 26-29, this year, and four hundred boats, both in-water and onshore, plus a classic car expo, will await visitors from Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Monterey and much further afield. An impressive list of exhibitors has already signed up for the event with vessels ranging in size from 10ft up to 120ft; SeaRay, Hatteras, MasterCraft, Viking, Azimut, Fountain, Hunter, Cabo, Formula, Boston Whaler, Donzi, Grand Banks and many more will be displayed and ready for demo by potential buyers at the show.
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The opportunity to “test drive” a boat is something never before heard of at boat shows in the Southwest, most of which take place indoors at the convention centers. Sponsored by: American Bank, Budweiser, CocaCola, Southwest Airlines, Texas Parks & Wildlife and Whataburger, the Texas International Boat Show opens the door for buyers from Texas, Louisiana, Mexico, and the whole region to visit a “Florida” style boat show in their own backyard. Peter Fox, Jr., of Fox Yacht Sales, one of the longest established companies in the region, who will be displaying a selection of Cabo and Riviera sportfish models, says “We have needed a boat show like this for a long time and we are all looking forward to the opportunities this will bring to the South Texas region.” Texan’s who currently keep their boats on the east coast USA, with all the time related problems and inconvenience this entails, can now think again with the new facilities at the Corpus Christi downtown marina. Convenience, realistic slip rates, blue water cruising and great offshore fishing takes Corpus Christi closer to becoming the boating capital of the Southwest. Whichever way you look at it Texas has just taken a huge step forward as a boating and cruising region. For more information on the Texas International Boat Show and a complete list of exhibitors please visit: www.texasinternationalboatshow.com
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All Star Coastal Classic™ Offshore Rods Light, Strong, Powerful AvAll Star Graphite Rods® goes offshore fishing in 2007 with the launch of the meticulously designed Coastal Classic™ Series. Superior actions, excellent craftsmanship, and quality hardware make this series a sure favorite with the offshore crowd. Available in 7 conventional actions from 6 to 7 feet in length and 4 spinning actions from 6’9’ to 7 feet in length, the Coastal Classic™ Series will be a sure bet to handle all your offshore applications from 12-50lb line class. Features and Components of the Coastal Classic™ Series include: • High strain graphite and E-Glass blended blank construction • Blank is fully epoxy coated • Stainless steel wide frame guides with aluminum oxide inserts • Genuine Fuji® heavy-duty graphite reel seats • EVA contoured triangle shaped fore-grips • Aluminum gimbals with rubber butt covers www.allstarrods.com
Spivey Rattlin’ Whacky Shrimp Rig This rig consists of a weighted Reddi Rattle float connected with flourocarbon line to a 1/4 oz. jighead and whacky shrimp. Very user friendly, you cast it out and periodically give it an upward jerk or popping the cork as most folks say. The Reddi Rattle float creates a surface slurping and the cork sends out a rattlin’ sound. At the same time the whacky shrimp is lifted upward and then it slowly descends. This is when the strike from attracted and hungry gamefish occurs. Excellent in grassy areas and shallow water, a real bonus in catching schooling fish too. It comes in 3 cork colors of red, yellow and orange. The whacky shrimp comes in 8 new fish attracting colors. Tie one on and brace yourself!
GAMMA High Performance Copolymer Lines New for 2007! GAMMA’s High Performance Copolymer Lines are now available in Moss Green, Clear Fluorescent Blue, and Hi-Vis Gold. GAMMA is the only company to offer a “processed line” that is produced using Nano-Technology that provides up to double the break strength for the stated size! GAMMA’s exclusive Nano-Technology process alters the molecular structure of the material to increase its flexibility and shock resistance while achieving super high strength and abrasion resistance. GAMMA is also offering a Buy 2 Get 1 Free manufacturers promotion that runs from January 1, 2007 through September 30, 2007. With the purchase 2 filler spools of GAMMA High Performance Copolymer or Edge Fluorocarbon Line between get a third spool of equal or lesser value FREE! Rebate coupons can be obtained at the local GAMMA dealer or by visiting our website. www.gammafishing.com
Adventure EGO landing net series The EGO landing net series – born from the quest to set a new industry benchmark for landing net design and functionality – has shattered the myth that a “net is just a net”. Adventure Products’ engineers rethought traditional hoop handle connectivity, developing the EGO grip to provide superior hoop/handle rigidity while aiding in precise net control. In addition, the innovative grip effectively eliminates all sharp edges and bolt protrusions protecting mono line from being frayed or severed. The quest for product excellence pushed us to territory uncharted by any other landing net manufacturer. The result – the only landing net series that floats! Superior design, unique functionality, industry leading strength-to-weight ratio, innovation… for the savvy angler, the difference has always been in the details. Net models available in either non-tangle/hook free nylon or rubber mesh.
www.adventureproducts.com
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Navionics Fish’N Chip Free Fishing Chart Upgrade Available From Navionics All customers of U.S. Navionics award winning Platinum and popular Gold+ charts are eligible to receive a free high-definition fishing detail card. Designed for serious anglers, Fish’N Chips provides greatly enhanced bathymetric detail that is ideal for viewing near shore and offshore structure, ledges, canyons and other structure that holds fish. The card is available for U.S. waters and is designed to be used in conjunction with Platinum or Gold+ navigation charts. Boaters simply use Navionics cartography to reach a destination and then switch to their ‘Fish’N’ Chip’ card to view unparalleled bathy information. Fish’N Chip is an indispensable tool for fishing or for use by any sportsman who require highlydetailed accurate bottom contour information. To take advantage of this offer, owners simply fill and mail the card included in their packaging to Navionics. www.navionics.com
Costa Del Mar Frigate and Osprey Frames Removable Side Shields Give Sportsmen a New Advantage over the Environment Costa Del Mar, the premium polarized sunglass brand of choice for water enthusiasts, has added two new sport frame styles, the Frigate and the Osprey, to its collection. Named after birds of prey found in the Galapagos Islands, the Frigate and the Osprey are seriously smart sunglasses for the avid angler and outdoor adventurer. Perhaps the most unique aspect of the two new styles is the removable side shields that provide maximum protection against wind, dust and glare, giving sports enthusiasts a new advantage over their environment. “We designed the Frigate and Osprey primarily for our customers who demand the most performance from their gear. The new side shield designs really allow us to provide the functional benefits that hard core sportsmen need in a package that is much more pleasing to the eye than traditional side shields,” said Chas MacDonald, president of Costa Del Mar. The Frigate frames are small to medium-sized, while Osprey is designed to fit the smaller-featured face. Both are available in black, shiny tortoise and silver, and lens options span the full palette of COSTA 400 or 580 glass or opticalgrade CR-39 polarized offerings. www.costadelmar.com 800-447-3700
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Endless expanses
of shin deep water conjure up images of wide-backed redfish and long-as-your-leg trout. The shallow water that is just a cast or two away may as well be on the other side of the world if you are in the wrong boat, though. The 21st century fiberglass rockets that will take you from 0 to 60 in a matter of seconds are useless in a situation like this and wading some of these areas just isn’t the ticket either. What you need is a skiff, a bona-fide shallow water stalker that will take you where few others go and even fewer fish. Now I have had the good fortune to run some of these high tech skiffs like the Maverick HPX and they are incredible machines to say the least. Not everyone can afford the highend skiff, but that’s not the end of the road, you have some other options and they are quite practical. One of the drawbacks to a top of the line skiff besides the price tag is the fact that they are so nice you feel like you really need to be careful in order to protect your investment. Not many people are going to put a duck dog and decoys in a poling skiff with a 30K price tag and take off hunting. Many coastal anglers not only fish but they also hunt so a small boat that doubles as a way to get into backwater for fishing and hunting serves many purposes. The more you can use the smaller boat for the easier it Here’s the author’s homemade poling platform. Low-cost, easy to assemble, and highly effective!
is to justify having one; this comes in handy when you are negotiating with your spouse. My lovely bride once told me during a conversation that “you need two boats, you can’t run your business without them”, did I mention how much I love my wife? Now that we have made convincing arguments for the small boat, which way do we turn? In my part of the world up here on the upper coast, I have seen two styles become really popular, one is the flat bottom fiberglass outfit like the Carolina Skiff and the other is the aluminum tunnel hull. My good friend Capt. Ron Begnaud of Lake Charles Louisiana has tricked out a small Carolina Skiff and it works great. The best part of the whole process is customizing the boat just like you want it and not spending a fortune in the process. Ron had a poling platform welded up, added a jack plate to his 25 horse Yamaha outboard, installed rod holders, pop up cleats, push pole holders, and low profile lights for a fraction of what they might cost on a high end craft. All in all Ron has less than $9K invested in the whole rig and believe me it floats super skinny and many redfish have made the trip over the gunnels. Now the other option is an aluminum boat, preferably a tunnel model if possible. I have been running an Alumacraft 1650 with a 40 horse Yamaha for 2 years and I love it. The little boat is tiller steer so I have a ton of room for gear and less stuff to get in the way for my fly fishing clients. The floor and sides have all been covered in a thin sheet of aluminum so no ribs are exposed; it gives the boat a clean finished look. Under the floor there is extra floatation so the noise is reduced considerably. I had a custom poling platform fabricated and also had float boxes welded on the back for even better shallow water performance. Before I got the platform welded Aaron Hommel and I went to Home Depot and bought two of the folding work stations that carpenters use, cut tops to fit them out of 3/4” plywood, and added eye bolts to strap them down. Each work station folded up and stored easily while running and unfolded to make a very steady platform from which to pole or fish when strapped down properly. These platforms were pure Cajun ingenuity at its finest. I added holders from Pole Cat Push poles to cradle the 21 foot Stiffy Carbon push pole. A set of $20.00 rod holders, 4 industrial mats from Home Depot cut to fit the floor and decks, along with a pole holder for the platform round out the modifications. The rubber mats in the floor and on the deck
Another view of the homemade version.
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Custom-built aluminum platform. Note the float boxes attached added to transom… greatly improved shallow water performance and handy stepping points for waders as well as retriever dogs.
View from the rear... efficient, functional, and very tidy.
make clean up easy after hunting season, add to the “quiet factor” of the boat, and make walking on the aluminum floor in the summer much more bearable if you know what I mean. The little Alumacraft is surprisingly quiet for an aluminum boat; it really will surprise you. I love using less gas and going where the crowds fear to tread, there are very few places this little rig won’t go and the best thing is you don’t have to worry about scratches or dings. My black lab Sally appreciates the float boxes on the back after a long retrieve and I really like them when I need to get back in the boat from a long wade. In fact one of the best things about the little boat is how much fun I have had customizing the rig to my own specifications, the creativity and ergonomic appeal is top shelf. The idea of a small boat or second boat is one that many folks are embracing and for the money it’s an awful tough concept not to fall in love with. Take a look at a small “budget boat” you will like what you see I guarantee it.
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Not really too much
excitement to report on here; if I had to use just one word to describe the weather I’d say, “Horrible.” We started February with a few days of sunshine and it looked as though things would warm up but that too fizzled under cloud cover and more rain. I cannot remember too many winters with so many cold and rainy days, in January we had 21 days of rain and a lot of cloud cover, only 3 days of sunshine the entire month. Water temperatures are in the 40’s and fishing is a bit slow. One thing about being in this business, you learn soon enough that no matter how bad things might seem they’ll always get better and I’m sure we’ll be crying, “it’s too hot and sure need some rain,” before too long. So let’s go ahead and pretend that
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we’ve got a warming trend coming and we’re looking for things to pick up. I always tell people that a cold winter and a gradual warm up are very favorable for West and East Bay. These bays have lots of muddy coves and these are always the first to warm up and turn on. Trinity Bay is such a big, deep bay that it takes longer to warm up for our spring run. During the latter part of February and early March I will be concentrating on fishing the south shoreline of West Bay. The coves down the south shoreline are usually our best bets for catching big trout this time of year. Trophy-sized specks are our big bonus this time of year and everyone is wade fishing with high hopes. I always start by scouting the coves that are holding the most bait. Outside of these coves you have guts running up the shoreline that schools of trout follow in their movements from deep water to the back of the coves as weather and abundance of bait will provide. There is bound to be some topwater action, especially during late afternoon hours of warmer days, but mostly the big trout tend to prefer our Corkies and 51-series Mirrolures. It’s always a good idea to carry a 7M Mirrolure for quiet surface work in the back of the coves when the wind lays down, but primarily it’ll be those two types of sinkers I mentioned that’ll pull most of the bites. For the days when the trout do not pull up on the flats, we usually just wade down the edges of the guts and throw tails out deep in order to find them. East Bay is the same thing. The far north end holds the warmer water; it has a softer muddier bottom with scattered shell in it. We have been doing quite well on the warming trends before these fronts. Good sunny days help get the shallows warmed up and naturally the bait pulls up and the fish come in right behind it. We are using the same lures over here as well, Cory’s Mirrolures and some soft plastics. That is pretty much the way we have been fishing. Trinity Bay has been sitting on the back burner for a while now. The water color is off due to the runoff we have had from all the rain, plus the cold temperatures aren’t helping. It will come back around unless the rivers get back up and flood us again. But we are not looking for that to happen. Now upstream in some of the back bays like Burnett Bay ,Scott Bay, San Jacinto Bay and Tabbs Bay, they are catching a few fish out there while drift fishing. I have not been fishing it much because I am out for the big bite right now. On the smaller back bays they are catching solid fish in the 2-3 pound class using soft plastics and Mirrolures. That is pretty much it. We have not been able to get out much due to the weather, and when you do go it can be pretty miserable some days. Nobody wants to stay out on the water for more that 6-8 hours because of the cold; it just gets you down. We are looking forward to a good spring, usually when you have a cold winter it makes for some good shallow water spring fishing. Hopefully that will be the pattern again because we still have ample fish out there. We dodged a lot of bullets with the cold weather and no freezes, no fish killed. I think we are going to have a good spring along the upper Texas coast. Good Luck and Good Fishing! March 2007
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A flip of the coin
is what it seems sometimes; trying to predict what next month’s fishing scene is going to be here in the Matagorda Bay System. I know that this difficulty exists most everywhere so let me just say that February proved quite successful for most of our diehard fishermen. As the water temperature continues to rise, my best guess is that we’ll see even better fishing during March. With some 70 degree weather finally coming our way during the first week in February we saw great catches pulled out of East Matagorda Bay. Water temperature from 42-55 degrees helped in setting the scenario for these solid 16-24 inchers to congregate where we could get on them. If this mild weather pattern continues through March we could be in for one of the best fishing months we’ve seen in years. On the other hand if the tables turn and we see a predominantly cold and windy trend, you might want to look for another way to enjoy your extra time. We’ll just have to wait and see what’s in store. While you’re doing your waiting and seeing, don’t forget to maintain that high-dollar fishing boat. Have your engine checked out by your nearest dealer as well as your trailer’s wheel bearings and do not forget about the tires. There’s nothing more frustrating than having an otherwise well-planned trip with long awaited and near perfect fishing conditions going to waste because you are stuck at the dock with engine problems or because you’re stuck on the side of the road with trailer trouble. Simple gear checks and timely preventive maintenance can eliminate these unpleasant complications. By the way, I practice what I preach and my boat has been thoroughly checked out and overhauled, as well as, my trailer and tires. Ouch, not cheap but unavoidable. I’ve found that it makes my life a little easier down the road. Now with my boat and gear ready to go I’m headed over to East Matagorda Bay to try out the near same tactics I used in February to see if they’ll still work for March. Remember the water temperature will continue to be somewhat cold early in the month so you’ll need to fish slowly. As the month winds down and our water temperature rises you’ll be able to up your retrieve a little faster. Since we’ll start out the month on a cooler note, Corkies, Mirrolures, and Bass Assassins will be our best bet. If 3 to 4 days of sunshine wind up on our front porch, expect our water temperature to rise a bit and maybe we can throw some topwaters for that big bite. FYI, Bass Assassins came out with a new bait called the Slurp and it stinks, in a good way of course. You can find it in the Shrimp and 5 inch Sea Shad varieties. I haven’t had 84
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a chance to use them yet but Cliff Webb and his clients down in Baffin Bay are doing well with them. While out in East Matagorda Bay you’ll need to look for your fish in mud and scattered shell in places Will Ohmstede catching a 31” like Brown Cedar Flats, redfish on a Bass Assassin while Oyster Farm, and Kain Cove drifting East Matagorda Bay. to mention a few if you are wading. Drifters can try in the middle of the bay from Half Moon Reef on the east end to the south shoreline. Also drifting on the west end by St. Mary’s, and out in front of Chinquapin; all the exposed reefs on the north shoreline could pay off. Your best bet is to try and find some jumping mullet or maybe sitting birds but not ducks. Look for seagulls or diving pelicans. Diving pelicans means baitfish, which in turn means gamefish! I receive lots of questions regarding the tides in East Matagorda Bay, and let me tell you, predicting them is not easy. It has taken me many fishing excursions to reach an understanding of how the tides within this bay system work. Lacking a direct connection to the Gulf of Mexico, East Matagorda Bay does not have tidal flow like West Matagorda Bay. On the east end, at Sargent, we have Mitchell’s Cut which is not very wide or deep. Some of this flow enters directly into East Matagorda Bay and some goes into the Intracoastal Canal. On the west end, the connection to the gulf is through the mouth of the Colorado River. The mouth of the Colorado is heavily silted and very shallow; so shallow that you can wade across most days when the tides are low. This is a sad thing but we hardly have time for it here, that’ll have to come in another chapter. From the mouth of the river to the first cut into East Matagorda Bay, which is called the Gulf Cut, is about 13 miles, and this by way of the Intracoastal. So you don’t have a great push and pull of water into East Bay from this source either. Adding still more confusion and interruption to the natural flow we have the Matagorda Locks on the Intracoastal Canal. If the locks are closed you will get a stronger push into East Bay. On the other side of that, if the locks are open East Bay receives less. Now throw in the barge traffic coming and going and displacing huge amounts of water and it won’t take long to figure out that predicting the tide in East Bay can be a real challenge. I have been at the Gulf Cut countless times and seen the tide pouring into the bay. In a matter of minutes the flow would suddenly slow down and come to a halt; then in as few as five to ten minutes it would begin running in again. This my friends happens too many times to count. As far as predicting tidal times, my best guess is that we are about 45 minutes to 1 hour difference to the Freeport Jetty tides to Mitchell’s Cut and maybe 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes to the Matagorda Jetties. As I mentioned, I’m just putting my experiences to trial here in making these comments. I’m not sure it is scientifically possible to get it on the money based on all the variables. Until next time God Bless the Fishermen.
March 2007
March 2007
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85
The weather since
the first of this year has definitely not been what I consider ideal for fishing excursions. Too many days of constant rain, very little sunshine, and cold temperatures has left me with more time on my hands than I care to mention. Fortunately for those that have to have their “angling fix” better weather conditions are right around the corner. March is the month that many anglers look forward to every year and it is also the beginning of my busy season. The more the sun shines the more my phone rings with eager customers hoping to get in some quality fishing time. This month also marks the time of year when you will see water temperatures stabilizing for longer periods of time. Fish become better acclimated to their surroundings, allowing them to feed for longer periods. And while many anglers choose to take advantage of this scenario in hopes of snagging the almighty trophy trout, I opt to cast for a different species… flounder. Numbers of flounder travel to the deeper waters of the gulf in the fall to spawn and then return to the bays in the spring once the shallows have started to warm back up. Now I know March is a little early to expect to catch numbers of flatties since the water temps can still be a little on the cool side, and most of the flounder will still be in the deeper waters, but I am looking to target the more challenging resident flounder. Not all flounder migrate to the gulf waters, for whatever reason some seem to stay here, and these are the ones I consider the resident portion of the population. Flounder are very fond of hanging in and around deeper cuts and channels where they have easy access to back lakes or open bays and can be anywhere from 2 to 5 foot deep. You should look for cuts that offer shallow flats on either side enabling the flounder to move out of the cuts to gorge themselves on moonlit nights or warm up in the shallows during the day. After selecting an area that best fits the description above make sure to study the tide charts. An incoming or outgoing tide is a must when trying to fish for flounder. If you don’t have tidal flow where you are at you might as well find something else to do until the current starts to move. Now that you have chosen your location and determined the best time for good tide flow, you will need to choose what tools you will use in order to lure in your catch. Flounder tend to be a little picky when it comes to their table fare so I usually stick with the lures and natural bait that I have 86
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found to produce the most hookups for me over the years. Personally I prefer to use artificial lures when I am fishing for the flatfish simply because I don’t care to mess with the ins and outs of bait. However, I have used natural baits many times in the past and know many people are curious about this technique; so let’s start there. Mud minnows are known to be a mainstay in a flounder’s diet but these fat little guys are not always readily available. Not only are these minnows tough to find some days, they can also elude a cast net with great ease; so instead of using up time chasing them down I opt to use a more easily obtainable bait called dead shrimp. I choose to attach the shrimp to a 1/0 Mustad wide gap hook by threading the body of the shrimp onto the hook starting at the tail and running it completely up the shank until the entire bait has covered the hook. My hook is connected to a 30lb leader approximately 8 inches in length with a small swivel connecting the leader to the main line. Above this swivel I use a ¼ oz slip weight and sometimes will opt for a heavier weight if the tide is too strong not allowing the bait to drop to the bottom. Now for lures, I have enjoyed success with the Salt Water Assassin 4-inch Sea Shad attached to a 1/8oz jighead. My best colors have been the Texas roach, strawberry/white and the purple canary. Another artificial bait I have recently included in my arsenal and has recently become my most favorite is the Berkley Gulp 4” Minnow Grub in red and the pumpkinseed. This lure combines the action of a soft plastic with the scent of dead shrimp. I came across this bait one day last year when I was surfing the Berkley web site. It comes in three different sizes and several colors, but after ordering many I have narrowed it down to the best producers mentioned above. I heartily suggest that once you open the bag the lures come in, place the whole package in another re-sealable plastic bag or container. The original package can leak if not sealed perfectly and while the flounder love the scent of this bait you won’t get too many compliments from your buddies if the juices leak out on you. Whether I am using lures or natural bait the retrieval technique is the same. Make sure to position yourself on the side of the channel where the tide is flowing towards you. Begin by casting your offering to the middle of the channel then allow the bait to drop to the bottom. Retrieve your line slowly dragging it along the bottom of David Anderson with a nice baking-size flounder he lured with a Texas Assassin.
March 2007
the channel and giving it a short twitch every so often. The bite of a flounder can be very subtle almost, as if you have hung up on a small piece of shell or maybe even These young men enjoyed the fishing and are some grass. It is looking forward to a delicious fish dinner. important at this point to avoid the instinctive hookset. Instead slowly raise your rod tip as if you were teasing a kitten. This is usually when the flounder will try to swallow your offering, allowing you to get a good hook set. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t hook up within the first few casts. It can take many casts and several drags along the bottom of the cut before you get the first tug; be patient. If you have thoroughly worked one cut with no luck, move on to another. Some days I may have to try 2 to 3 cuts before I hit a pot of gold. Flounder can be difficult to collect by hand once you have reeled it to you so I highly recommend carrying a net with you if you intend to keep a few for dinner. One more tool that is a must is a good pair of pliers.
March 2007
Flounder boast some of the sharpest pearly whites I have ever seen and tend to get lockjaw once they have been captured making it very difficult to unhook them. The last thing you will want to do is struggle against a flounder’s mouth with bare hands. If you have never cooked flounder before and need some help, try looking through the past issues of Texas Saltwater Fishing. Pam Johnson has posted many great recipes for the flat fish and you should try every one of them. I am convinced the wonderful flavor of the flounder will send you back out there, casting for more.
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It’s finally looking
A word of caution; there
like spring. This is the time of year
has been a dredge working
that I am experiencing the calm
just north of Baffin Bay
before the storm. Baffin Bay has
near Marker 171 along the
been quiet, not many boats around
Intracoastal Waterway. They
just a commercial rig or two. I’ve
are dumping the fresh dredge
had the last couple of months
material near those spoil
pretty much to myself on the Bay.
islands where a lot of people
Now that hunting season has
like to wade fish. Be careful
ended people will start getting their
and make sure the bottom
boats out preparing for the spring
is hard where you wade. If
time action.
you happen on that dredge material it’s soft, you could sink
The water temperatures have
straight down five to six feet.
Cliff with the coldest trout he’s ever caught.
been the coldest that I’ve seen in a long time. Not so much the
Recently the fishing has picked up with the few days of sunlight that
extreme cold but a steady cold
we’ve had. We were using the Corky and getting some hits then they just
for an extended time. The water
shut down. I could tell the fish were still in the area because the bait fish
temperature stayed in the forty’s for weeks. This made for a slow bite,
were there. So we switched to a Bass Assassin in Drunk Monkey color
the fish were hardly moving. I’ve been fishing over deep mud bottoms in
and in six casts caught four big trout, working it slow and letting it sit. So
depths of six to seven feet. One day the air temperature was forty three
it just goes to show you that instead of switching places it’s sometimes
degrees and the water temperature was forty-five degrees. I put an extra
better to switch lures.
weight on a Corky and worked it real slow across the bottom and caught an eight and three quarter pound trout. The poor fish could barely move, it
Working the lure deep with a soft plastic can be very effective. So try
was like dead weight, too cold to shake as I reeled it in. It was a very slow
other lures and even go back to the boat and wait for the bite to start up
bite; we only caught a couple more that day. But, I still had people that
again. That’s what I’ve noticed this time of year, I’ve found it better to be
wanted to try so we stayed and ground it out.
patient, because the bite will turn off and in a short while turn on again.
Farrell Jackson with a 30 1/2” trout, right at 10 lbs, Feb 08, 2007. 88
Texas Saltwater Fishing
This is Jonathan Weischwill with 30” trout released. March 2007
Dwain Garber with a 28 1/2 # trout, Feb 07, 2007.
You’ll see the bait start flipping or you’ll see some slicks and you know the fish are there so stick with them. With spring here the bays will become busier with boat traffic. I hope everyone will be courteous to the fishermen. I hope that the guys that are running along the shoreline will watch for wade fishermen and go around them giving plenty of room. It takes time and effort to set up for a nice quiet wade. If boats run by the fish will shut down for a while. I expect the fishing to really turn on with the warmer temperatures. They will be on the move covering the whole bay system. It should be great!
March 2007
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The prolonged cold
blast we experienced during the last half of January changed the over-all patterns here in the Laguna, perhaps for the better, as we swing into March. The coldest sustained water temperatures we have had here for several years prevailed for over two weeks. Readings in the harbor hovered in the low fifties but the shallow flats were much colder, staying in the low to mid forties for many sunless days. Everything left the vast shallow flats to the point of it all appearing sterile. Our trout and redfish exited to the deepest water we have, which is of course the ICW and a few other mid-bay safe havens. Although it’s unfortunate that we lost many large snook in the harbor, and even several green turtles in the ICW, we escaped yet another long overdue fish-killing freeze. This was only a small hint of what might have been. Nature can give and nature can take away, so we all need to remember to appreciate what we have while we have it. The good news is that after three gloomy weeks, when the sun came out so did the fish! Almost every locale that held bait held a bunch of good fish. The redfish were the first to return, following huge schools of mullet into shallow, off-colored water. They were caught on a variety of baits and our little Devils from Brown Lure Co. on 1/8th oz. jigs did a good job, mostly in darker colors. However, it wasn’t long before topwaters came back into play. The Top Dog Jr and Skitterwalk seemed to be the best offerings with color schemes counting less than time and place. Ten to fifteen inches Based on what we have already of water was a good place to experienced in fish of three to look, and several species of five pounds, confidence is high birds helped us do that. The for spring catching. 90
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average size of these reds was encouraging. As far as trout went, during the first warming trend of February it was all about thigh-deep grass beds near deeper water. They pulled up to the nearest warming flat adjacent to where they bailed during the sustained cold. Find where a deep contour came close to a shoreline, mix in some good bait activity, and the potential for excitement was there. As the water warmed the best techniques went from pulling dark tails low to twitching suspending plugs in the middle of the water column, and finally to the topwater action I described above. Once again, keying on a good presence of bait with a mid-sized topwater was a good combination. As of this writing we have not seen the over thirty-inch trout the Laguna is famous for, but we know they are here and we think we know what to do about it. As mentioned, the cold water seems to have changed a few of the patterns. Most of the trout have yet to move very far from the bomb shelters they were forced into. They may not move far until the first spawns begin in late March and early April. During last year’s mild winter, we didn’t see a lot of the shoreline activity we expected, but this year we think they will use them more because of where they were driven to. We are looking forward to concentrating more effort in areas closer to deep water until the water temps on the flats recovers and the fish re-inhabit those areas. In other words, patterns of years ago when cold weather was more common, may be back on the March agenda… we
Confidence is also high for our beloved redfish.
March 2007
If you are serious about your time on the water, saving for the “best of the best” gear will pay dividends for years to come.
shall see. Based on the numbers of 3-5 pound trout we found before the cold snap, our confidence is high right now. Confidence is also high for continued good redfish action. It won’t be long before we are sight-casting to these brutes over clear sand and adjacent shallow grass lines. Even with the stronger south and southeast winds that March traditionally brings, much of the Laguna can remain a clear paradise. The same baits will apply; soft plastics on light heads when they are down, and topwaters when they are up. Big trout are awesome and a high priority during March, but never discount the challenge and sheer pulling power these ‘other’ fish have to offer the sportsman. I am excited about many new and improved tools I have to use this year, much in part by way of the knowledgeable folks at Fishing Tackle Unlimited. Windstopper jackets and breathable G3 waders from Simms, Gamakatsu single hooks for our topwaters, new lures from MirrOlure, Suffix braided line for our Mark Keator working thigh deep grass beds. discriminating spinning reel clients, and of course Fishing Tackle Unlimited’s 6’6” All Pro rods to make it all happen with authority. March can be a challenging month with strong southerly winds, small bait hatches, and more boats on the water, but the rewards can be great with large aggressive trout and big redfish prowling the shallows. Whatever equipment you choose to help meet that challenge, if you are serious about your time on the water, saving for the “best of the best” will pay dividends for years to come. Here’s wishing you a “heavy” spring season. March 2007
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A double hook up is always a good thing, just ask Pat and James.
When I think of
March a most memorable trip comes to mind. I was drift fishing with a friend and his wife a few years ago in the beginning of the spring season. We were drifting over a shallow sandy bottom and we kept seeing balls of disturbed mud. The further we drifted into the shallow flat the more mud disturbances we saw. It was then that my friend’s wife used a word that always sticks in my mind. She called the mud disturbances, or mud boils as most fishermen call them, mud puffs. I immediately thought the same thing you’re thinking right now. That word sounded like something we made up as a kid. Knowing what she meant, I still asked her what a mud puff was. She described it better than I ever could. Mud puffs are the sediments that are left behind when a redfish or other fish species high tails it from danger. In the spring, fish tend to rest on shallow bottoms and when they feel a threat they take off leaving a mud puff behind. These mud trails can give you some indication as to what the fish are doing. For one — they are not moving much, which usually means they are not actively feeding or chasing bait. Your approach to these fish should be as quiet as possible and a low profile certainly helps your chances in landing one. Another thing to consider is that these fish could be basking in the warmth of the shallow water; when you see a few there could be many others. This is a signal that your presentation should be made quietly without a loud commotion. Perhaps throwing out a little further than normal past
Bill Wearden got more than he expected on a recent winter wade. 92
Texas Saltwater Fishing
Sometimes trout can have the last word, as this trout splashed cold water on Jeff’s face.
the fish is a good thing when mud puffs are the norm. Remember — if all you’re seeing is mud puffs and no bites are occurring, it could mean your approach is spooking them. You might want to switch to a smaller lure or a lighter jighead. A quieter approach can be achieved by slowing down if you are wading or maybe attaching your drift sock to the transom. Most boats will make less noise when drifting bow forward. Even though your engine is not running, you should always slip it in gear when drifting. With the control in neutral the prop can spin as water moves through the blades; a spinning prop can alert fish to your approach. I’ve seen many days when paying attention to little things is all that’s needed to get them into the biting mode. This winter has been a rather cold one so far and the fish been displaying what I call a typically deeper water pattern. But, as the water begins to warm up the fish will begin to frequent the shallows more often, and this is where you can experience mud puffs for yourself. During the past few months it was sure nice to see our bays empty of all the boat traffic that comes with warmer weather months. The cooler temperatures and wet weather we experienced in the latter part of January and February certainly caused most fishermen to stay home. Those that were brave enough to bear the cold were rewarded with days of gorging redfish and eager to bite trout. If you found a small break in the weather, it was well worth getting out. Probing through extensive miles of flats that usually hold fish in the winter, I found that the fish bailed out to deeper water for an extended period of time right after the cold snap of January. The chilling water temperatures caused us to witness on several occasions miles and miles of dead water, not a single visible saltwater creature could be seen. On the days that did allow us to get out we concentrated on guts with deep mud, areas around spoil islands that had quick access to the ICW. The bite was not an easy one, patience and perseverance was the key to acquiring late afternoon bites. But, one thing is for sure, when the fish decided it was time to feed, the action was incredible. Recently, there was a five day stretched where my clients and I had some unbelievable action. And I bring this up to make a point, grinding it out and waiting for the fish to turn on can bring great rewards, but you’ve got to be willing to put in the time. I had just finished an outstanding two day trip and was looking forward to the next. Joining me on the next trip were Bill Wearden and Steve Hamman, they were anticipating a great day on the water, so was I. Our first couple of stops produced very few bites. March 2007
But, in the back of my mind I knew I had an ace in the hole, a spot that had been producing good numbers of big fish. Around 1:30 PM, I headed in that direction. And before they jumped off I gave the guys the game plan and tried to give them a good visual map of the area. I also commented to them if the action was like it had been, they Steve Hamman displays one of many fish caught might have their wives rub some while wading the LLM. Ben-Gay afterwards for their sore shoulders. They laughed it off and jumped out of the boat. It wasn’t five minutes later that they began to experience what they said was their best fishing day ever. Every other or third cast was a redfish tugging at the end of their line; I could hear and see the excitement they were having. I gave up my rod and held my camera to record their memorable moment; by the way they weren’t camera shy. The very next day I fished with a father and son team whom are regular clients and understand the highs and lows of fishing. We hit a few spots without even a nibble, noon time was approaching and I decided to relocate to “the spot.” I got off the boat with great confidence that the fish would be there. Well they weren’t and it was already 2:30 PM and not one of us had landed a fish much less a bite. Talk about being discouraged and trying not to show it. I knew they could not have gone far, so we relocated to another area
March 2007
near the dried out honeyhole. At this locale we were pleased to find more bait than all previous spots put together. Tying on Corkies and working the grasslines was the key to a very successful day on the water. The last Jim proudly displays a solid trout three hours of daylight that found his Corky irresistible. brought us not stop action on big reds and many trout up to five and a half pounds. Classic example of waiting for the bite to occur, most anglers would have put up their rod and would have said something along the lines of, “maybe next time.” Well done Jim and Jeff for hanging in there and having what it takes to catch solid fish in the not-so-ideal conditions. I hate to see February pass because of all the outstanding action and fun it brought us, but if February is a hint of what is to come, you too better go out and get you some Ben-Gay. Get out there and go find some mud puffs, but always remember, it’s not about the mud puffs, it’s about chasing the trout and redfish that pulled the disappearing act in that puff of the mud.
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93
I hate March, and I love March!! March is a two faced month in terms of the weather. It can’t make up its mind if it’s winter or spring, so you have to fish according to what the season is that hour, day or week. Early in the month, the large trout should still be holding on the flats with twitch baits still producing well. Later in the month, with warmer water temperatures, you should start finding some trout over oyster reefs in depths up to six feet. Best baits will be soft plastics both with and without a cork. Topwater baits should also produce well if the water clarity is good. Flounder will still be coming in from the gulf with the best fishing around the bayous and cuts going into the marsh. Soft plastics and live mud-minnows will be your best choice of baits. The redfish will be everywhere this year from the Cameron jetties to Lake Charles. We have a lot of redfish this year. Spinner baits, soft plastics, spoons, cut & live bait, topwaters and anything else that hits the water will get eaten, so don’t fall in!!
In spite of the fact that it will not quit raining, thus far January and February have produced some of the best big trout fishing I have experienced in several years on Sabine. Most of the lake is fresh and muddy, but the big sow trout couldn’t care less. I have had a number of clients already catch and release their personal best this year. We have made a living with the Catch V, the new Mirrodine, and the five-inch Assassin rigged on an eighth ounce head. Most of our fish are coming out
with some big fish coming out of the coves, the open water in front of Green’s and even out of the deeper channels running out of the bay on both sides. As soon as we get our salty water back, we’ll be having good days again.” He says he will be wading whenever the tide is higher, drifting when it’s low. “I like afternoons better in March for catching numbers and bigger trout, especially when the tide is high and it turns to go out. Match that with an approaching front and you can catch a bunch of big fish. If it’s colder and the water’s lower, drifting out in the middle or in the drains and ditches is better. Any moving water will help you then.”
Randall reports that the fishing has been inconsistent lately, tough when the weather is rough and rockin’ when it’s nicer. “We had some nice trout the other day, wading and casting Corkies and topwaters over mud and shell. The trout ranged up to about seven pounds, with several others in the five to seven pound class. They were mixed in with some chunky slot reds. The action was on pearl Skitterwalks and silver/holgram Corkies. We also got them to eat the pearl/ chartreuse Sand Eel too. But when it’s like that and you can catch them the way you want to, I want to feed them my Skitterwalk!” On other days, he says that the drifting is better. “When we’re drifting on the colder days, we’re focusing on deep holes and areas with a mud and shell mix. Slow presentations near the bottom are key on days like that.” He expects the fishing to become more consistent in March. “This is one of our best months around here. We get some sow trout coming in out of the surf and a run of glass minnows too.” He’ll be following both migrations closely!
of less than four feet of water. Thus far, structure has not played a big role as the fish are ranging all over the shallow flats hustling finger mullet. Rita buried a lot of our scattered shell along the Louisiana Shoreline, but the fish are still using those flats. I look for the same pattern to only improve with warmer temperatures and a little less rain in March. Add more slot reds to the mix as they are already showing up on the warmer days and this should be a spring to remember. Bring along a youngster and respect the resource.
“West Bay has some good fishing right now,” James says. “With the big heavy rains, the fishing in the upper reaches of Trinity, Galveston and East Bays kind of shut down, but over here in West Bay where the salinity stays higher in those conditions, catching remains consistent. There are big trout coming out of the shoreline coves for the waders who know how to target muddy guts and find the bait schools. Topwaters, Catch Vs and 2000s will be the ticket in there. Also, drifting mud streaks out in the middle around Mecom’s and Green’s cuts and Carancahua Reef will be consistent into March. Sometimes, we get some high tides this time of year and when we do, the coves will be really good. On lower tides, focusing on shell and mud drop offs will be better.” “If we don’t get any more big rains, the fishing in East and Trinity will pick back up. There are usually some big trout in the back of East Bay and on the East shore of Trinity this time of year. Keying on slicks and jumping bait should be productive.” Jim has put the shotgun up and is back to fishing hard. “Just got back from Florida working the redfish, but I’m about to crank it up here in East Bay. Fishing was tougher behind the heavy rains before I left. The bayous dumped a lot of fresh water into the back of East Bay and the fish scattered. It should rebound nicely now, though, since it’s been drier. Lately, the fishing in West Bay has been better, 94
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Don has been having good luck in East Bay lately, drifting almost all of the time. “Some of the other guys are doing well wading, but I’ve been sticking to the drifting mostly.” He’s been focusing on scattered shell over mud, keying on water depths of four to four and a half feet. “The fish that are out in the middle seem to be hanging out in that depth. I’ve been catching them on the woodpecker and space guppy Bass Assassins, rigged on eighth ounce heads, fishing them real slow, basically just dragging them on the bottom and making short hops. We’re catching redfish mixed in with our trout. Most of the trout are between 15 and 20 inches, but we did have a 27 1/2 the other day. On the better weather days, limits are not a problem, especially in the afternoons when the water warms up.” In March, he says he will continue to key on East Bay for trout, though West Bay will become a good place to target reds in the guts on the shoreline. “If the river clears up, we’ll be in there too, especially on windier days.”
The recent cold snap has trout and redfish ganged up in deep holes in the Palacios area. The water temperature as I am writing this is 48 degrees. Trout ranging from fifteen to twenty six inches and small slots reds up to twenty three inches have been coming from the deep guts of the Palacios Harbor and South Bay Marina on Berkley Jerk Shad rigged on quarter ounce leadheads in watermelon, rootbeer gold, and natural color patterns. Slow rolling these baits along the bottom until you feel them stop has been the best retrieve to use for catching these fish. The flats along the Palacios Ship Channel produced several trout from twenty four to twenty seven inches on Corky Fatboys in pearl/black and chartreuse/gold/orange this past weekend as the sun warmed the flats in the afternoon. March should be an outstanding month as temperatures start to rise and bait starts to move back into the bays. The area shorelines with mud/grass/ shell mixed together would be good spots to look for springtime specks and reds. March 2007
Lynn expects to be on a trophy trout mission in March. “We’ll be wading as much as possible, targeting big trout in areas with a lot of soft muddy bottom and scattered shell. Locating large concentrations of bait is a key to making this pattern produce. I’ll still be leaving the dock a little later on the cool days, especially early in the month while the weather is more winter like. The warm afternoons on the muddy flats with jumping bait are best on days like that.” He expects to be throwing soft plastics and Corkies a lot. “I like the Bass Assassins and the Norton’s too.” He mentions morning glory and pumpkinseed/chartreuse colors in the worms. “Of course, this time of year is great for the Corky. I like to throw the Devil most of the time lately. I’ve been having good luck on the dark ones, primarily one that is kind of a root beer color. When you have dark skies like we’ve had most of the time lately, the dark colors seem to produce best, both in the Corky and the worm.” Knowing Lynn, he’s likely to reach for his Super Spooks too, especially on the warm days.
Blake’s been on some consistent action in his area lately, mostly in back bays around Lamar and Rockport. “We’ve been catching trout on a variety of lures on recent trips, everything from topwaters to the Berkley Gulp. That Gulp is a favorite of some of my customers, and it really does work. I had some guys throwing them today and they caught a lot of fish. I like it when someone in the group uses them, as they tend to prove that fish are there. I was catching my fish on a green Fatboy, and even caught some on a black/chrome Super Spook. My fish were slightly better sized, but the guys with the Gulp caught more. Our fish were shallow today, even though the water was in the mid fifties; they were on knee to thigh deep flats. The topwater worked best on a windy shore.” He expects to wade a lot in March in the back bays, and also fish Aransas Bay some too. “We tend to have some really shallow fish starting in March. They start to prefer a harder bottom, lots of sand with a little firm grass mixed in.”
March marks the return of several shark species and large jack crevalle to the surf of PINS. The blacktipped sharks are typically near full-term pregnant females and are at their heaviest. Male scalloped hammerheads averaging 8 feet in length also pass through during this time frame. All of these fish are available on cast or kayaked baits. Redfish, black drum, sheepshead, whiting and pompano are available on dead shrimp and Fishbites. Speckled trout and little tunny are possible throughout the month when conditions are appropriate. The little tunny are feeding on tiny fry and anglers targeting them successfully are usually slowly driving the beach, spotting a school and then sightcasting with spec rigs, Manno lures or light silver spoons. Tackle capable of throwing these ultra light lures into head winds is required. The ultimate way to go after these fish is with 8 wt. fly tackle. Overall, March is marked by tough fishing and driving conditions with high tides associated with the spring equinox and extended periods of high winds and rough seas.
The month of January was a month for the diehard fishermen. It was cold and rainy, but the fishing was still quite good. All of the cold fronts that came through our area had quite an effect on the water temperature and the wind direction. The objective was to take advantage of the leeward sides of islands and shorelines that have shallow water with mud and shell bottoms adjacent to deeper water. The March 2007
water temperatures dipped into the low fifties and high forties right after some of the cold fronts and that means that we had to work the soft plastics very slowly along the bottom in order to convince the fish that is was worth the effort to expend some energy and take a bite. The catches in January had a good mixture of speckled trout and redfish, with some of the trout reaching 30 fi inches. February is a notorious month for me in which we catch some very big trout and as we move into March the trout will get a little bit heavier. I’ll be using smelly soft plastics like Exude RT Slugs and the MirroLure Catch V in CHBL, CH, #11 and #18. Joe says he’s excited to be fishing from his new boat. “The guys at Ronnie’s Marine did me right. I’ve got a new Majek Illusion that is beautiful. I think it’s going to work great for me in my shallow water sightcasting excursions.” Fishing has been good lately, he reports. “We’ve been fishing everywhere from the JFK Causeway to the Land Cut. The water is really clear lately, so I’ve been throwing the Exude Dart some. I like the clear one with glitter and the natural shrimp color when the water is letting the fish get a really good look at the lures. That Dart seems to make the finicky fish take more bites sometimes. We also had some good days around the bridge working dropoffs with the Exude RT Slugs, same old colors I always like there, the bloody white and pumpkinseed/chartreuse.” In March, he plans on fishing around the Cut some, working the Kenedy shoreline throwing at rocks. “We should be able to sightcast some big trout this month along with our reds. This clear water is a real blessing.”
Bruce says that the fishing in Port Mansfield for big trout has remained consistent from December through the time of this report. “Even though we were close to having a pretty significant fish kill behind that big chill, we are still catching good numbers of trout over 7 pounds. Around here, you are usually either catching small fish in the 15 to 18 inch range, or you are catching big fish over 27 inches. We don’t seem to have the good numbers of the medium sized fish. The snook faired more poorly in the cold waters. We saw quite a few dead fish in the 8 to 12 pound class floating in the harbor when the water was at its coldest.” He mentions that most of the big trout have been biting Corkies and Catch 2000s thrown over muddy bottoms slightly off the beaten path. “I have been switching to the baby Bomber in gold/black on the calm days when the fish are finicky.” In March, given a warm up in the weather, he expects the fish to move shallow onto hard sand and grass in a pre-spawn mode. “Then topwaters rule.”
Despite the thunderous roar of a dozen or more airboats working nearby and poor water quality, which is the result of brown tide mixed with drilling debris from seismograph testing holes, we’re limiting on reds daily. We’re throwing Maulers, but alternating the Gulp baits with Freddy’s Miracle Lures in the original color (pearl and gray with glitter) with a chartreuse tail, or we’ll substitute a gold weedless spoon when we drift the super skinny waters, because the fish we’re cleaning are packed with perch. The spoon seems to imitate a perch better than most other offerings. The trout are biting a little slower, so we’re dragging a jighead with a red and white shrimptail through potholes in about two feet of water. When it’s calm, we’re rounding up large, spread out herds of redfish that are milling around on shallow bars on the East Side. Freddy says, “We’re picking up some nice fish, but the ambiance is not what it used to be.” Texas Saltwater Fishing
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Edward Romero shows off one of many red snapper caught while fishing off shore.
(Left) Casey Gunn with a nice trout and redfish. Both were over 30 inches and both are on their way to the taxidermy.
Sara Krejci tricked her first keeper trout while fishing with her family at San Louis Pass.
Bubba Thomas tackled his first wahoo while fishing off shore in Freeport.
(Right) Jake Merta caught and released this 36” stingray while surf fishing for the first time. Lewis Garcia of Corpus Christi caught and released this 34” snook while fishing Mustang Island State Park.
Marj Bowen of Austin caught and released this 37 1/2” black drum. 96
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Bailey Northington of Sugarland with her first legal sized red. March 2007
Christi Gilbert caught and released this 30 lb black drum while fishing the Lower Laguna Madre.
Payne Fueslier of Angleton landed his king fish on his first off shore trip. John Otto boated this 37” red while fishing for trout with his grandfather in Port O’Connor.
Amber Jones grins from ear to ear as she shows off her first redfish. Way to go!
Luke Merta landed this 41 1/2 red while surf fishing. Cameron Quick landed this trout on a Norton Sand Eel Jr, glow with chartreuse tail.
Tracy Muzyka landed this 230 lb blue marlin while fishing off shore in Hawaii.
Billy, Gary and Steve Kees show off their triple hook up, caught while fishing San Antonio Bay.
Austin Thompson and Grandpa Rusty Thompson proudly show off Austin’s first redfish. March 2007
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Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes Baking Time: 15 minutes Serves: 8 to 12 for appetizers 1 jar Artichoke and Caper bread spread and dip, drained‌ (this is from The Bread Dip Company) 1 can of crab meat 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 cup mayonnaise Ÿ cup of parmesan cheese l Place cream cheese in a medium to large mixing bowl; set aside
to soften. l Heat oven to 350 degrees. l Coat a 1-1/2 quart casserole or baking dish with non-stick spray. l When cream cheese is very soft, add mayonnaise, artichoke dip and basil; blend thoroughly. l Stir in crab meat. l Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and transfer to prepared baking dish. l Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until heated thoroughly. l Broil for 5 minutes until top is golden brown and bubbly. Serve Artichoke-Crab Dip with Kashi Crackers or toasted baguette slices. (I found this quick and easy dip recipe at our new HEB Grocery in Victoria, TX.)
2 lbs jumbo shrimp 1 stick butter 1/4 cup chopped green onions 2 cloves garlic - minced 1 package of fresh fettuccini pasta 1 cup grated parmesan cheese 1 Tbs. spoon smoked paprika 1 Tbs. red pepper Salt to taste l Start large pot of water to boil, add 1 tsp salt and 1 Tbs olive oil. l Peel, de-vein and butterfly shrimp. In large frying pan or griddle, melt butter, add green onions, garlic and place shrimp on top. Grill shrimp for about 3-4 minutes and flip. Grill other side for 3-4 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from heat. l Add fettuccini
pasta to boiling water follow cooking instruction on package. Drain, place back in boiling pot, add grilled shrimp, 3/4 cup of parmesan cheese, paprika, red pepper, and salt. Mix thoroughly and add remain parmesan cheese to top. Serve with salad and French bead.
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