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Contents
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
MARCH 2011 Volume 20 No. 11
Everett Johnson Everett@tsfmag.com VICE PRESIDENT
FeatUres
14
PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
08 Playin’ with ‘Em 14 Tracking Trout and Setting Limits 18 March Beach Cleanups and Other... 24 Dead Water 28 A Bay Divided 30 User Conflict and Other Issues
Mike McBride Kevin Cochran Billy Sandifer Martin Strarup Chuck Uzzle Scott Sommerlatte
18
50 68
Coastal Birding Science and the Sea Let’s Ask The Pro Fly Fishing TPWD Field Notes Conservation Kayak Fishing According to Scott Youth Fishing Texas Nearshore and Offshore Fishy Facts
Billy Sandifer UT-Marine Science Institute Jay Watkins Casey Smartt Abigail Lashbrook CCA Texas Scott Null Scott Sommerlatte Jake Haddock Mike Jennings Stephanie Boyd
Dickie Colburn’s Sabine Scene Mickey on Galveston Capt. Bill’s Fish Talk Mid-Coast Bays with the Grays Hooked up with Rowsey Capt. Tricia’s Port Mansfield Report South Padre Fishing Scene
Dickie Colburn Mickey Eastman Bill Pustejovsky Shellie Gray David Rowsey Capt. Tricia Ernest Cisneros
reGUlars
84
06 60 76 80 84 88
NATIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE Bart Manganiello Bartalm@optonline.net
Patti Elkins
What oUr GUides haVe to saY 62 64 66 68 70 72 74
Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-550-9918
REGIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE
departMents 22 27 34 36 38 42 44 48 50 52 56
Pam Johnson Pam@tsfmag.com
Editorial New Tackle & Gear Fishing Reports and Forecasts Catch of the Month Gulf Coast Kitchen Index of Advertisers
Patti@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-649-2265 BUSINESS / ACCOUNTING MANAGER Shirley Elliott Shirley@tsfmag.com CIRCULATION SUBSCRIPTION – PRODUCT SALES Linda Curry Cir@tsfmag.com ADDRESS CHANGED? Email Store@tsfmag.com DESIGN & LAYOUT Stephanie Boyd Office: 361-785-4282 stephanie@tsfmag.com Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine is published monthly. Subscription Rates: One Year (Free Emag with Hard Copy Subscription) $25.00, Two Year $45.00 E-MAG (electronic version) is available for $12.00 per year. Order on-line: WWW.TSFMAG.COM MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine Attn: Subscriptions P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 * Subscribers are responsible for submitting all address changes and renewals by the 10th of the prior month’s issue. Email store@tsfmag.com for all address changes or please call 361-785-3420 from 8am - 4:30pm. The U.S. Postal Service does not guarantee magazines will be forwarded .
HOW TO CONTACT TSFMAG: PHONE: 361-785-3420 FAX: 361-785-2844 MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 PHYSICAL ADDRESS: 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, TX 77983 WEB: www.TSFMAG.com PHOTO GALLERY: photos@tsfmag.com
PRINTED IN THE USA. Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine (ISSN 1935-9586) is published monthly by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, Texas 77983 l P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 © Copyright 1990 All rights reserved. Positively nothing in this publication may be reprinted or reproduced. *Views expressed by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine contributors do not necessarily express the views of Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine.
aBoUt the CoVer This month’s cover angler is Brian Ko of Houston showing off a beautiful eight-pounder he landed in Baffin Bay. Brian has been on a roll lately with heavy-weight trout, all of which he releases. Way to go Brian and TSFMag kudos for your dedication to spotted seatrout conservation. 4 March 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com
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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983.
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User conflict (see also inability or reluctance of fishermen to share water) continues to be a hot topic. I spent January 7-8 at the Harte Institute in Corpus Christi as an invited participant in the Challenges to Sharing and Conserving Our Bays Workshop organized by Coastal Bend Bays Foundation. The stated purpose was to bring a diverse group of users together to seek solutions to coastal habitat damage; disturbance of fish, wildlife and birds; on-the-water safety; and user conflict. Grapevine sources suggested the workshop was merely subterfuge. The No-Motor Zone lobby had a lock on it – the rest of us were simply there to learn how to swallow it. Actually, it turned out quite differently. I was encouraged that a tone of sound conservation and practical education to reduce user conflict prevailed in major part, with the establishment of No Motor Zones gaining little if any traction. Scott Sommerlatte has a piece in this issue that discusses this in greater detail. I will bring further news on this front as it develops. Moving on; most regular readers understand my position on the management and conservation of our seatrout fishery. I have long held that we are privileged, through good stewardship, to enjoy uncommon angling opportunity. In short, we enjoy that which we help create. I was therefore quite disappointed when general sentiment ran hard against reducing seatrout bag limits during recent scoping meetings presented by TPWD Coastal Fisheries Division. In all but a few scenarios, the most effective tool marine fisheries managers can employ is the regulation of harvest. The intent of the presentation was to advise fishermen of the present status of the seatrout fishery (we have no bay system at record population level or carrying capacity) and offer a simple solution for improvement. I was able to attend only one of the meetings yet I received reports from attendees of all, along with a flood of emails and telephone calls. Mind you, there was no covert or preconceived scheme to coerce opinion or acceptance, merely a presentation of what the fishery might become given the implementation of reduced take – especially with regard to the ability of a highly-utilized resource to withstand the forces of nature. It should be a given that the best route to accomplishing a quick recovery from widespread natural mortality (i.e. fish-killing freeze) would be to enter the event with spawning age stocks in greatest possible abundance, and also that an unbalanced fishery (unnatural ratio of less than legal length specimens) can be improved. I found it quite ironic that the echo of discrediting and disparaging comments had barely faded when an arctic blast began its journey southward. Water temperatures fell into the high-30s along much of the middle coast for several days. And while reluctance to reduce the take of seatrout was still being analyzed, a fish kill of some magnitude was in progress. How sad it that? I will continue to support greater conservation of Texas seatrout and I pray the effect of this most recent freeze will have minimal impact. Please join me in limiting your take of seatrout with a goal of improving the state of our fishery.
Texas Saltwater Fishing
Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!
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Story by Mike McBride
Nature is such a fickle adversary. She easily giveth and more easily taketh away, and even a truthful fisherman will seldom admit having a firm clue about the whys of it all. I’m starting to think fish were created to remind us how silly we really are, especially when trying to pit our big human brains against little fishy brainstems. Even though we were given dominion we’ll never truly have the upper hand against nature, but there are still a few things we can do to increase our fishing odds, even if it means being a little “novel” at times. I got my waders handed to me a while back during one of those unexplainable no-feeding downtimes and have been scratching my receding hairline over it ever since. So I thought I’d share. Two favored regulars blasted down for another great adventure but this time brought along an accomplished artist to capture some of the magic on canvas. Benny and Margaret have been doing some serious sporting all over the world but chose the Laguna as their backdrop for a wall-enhancing mutual wedding gift. They invited David Drinkard whose work has adorned several of our TPWD saltwater stamps along with many other great works. Good stuff. But unfortunately, despite the incredible fishing we have been enjoying, nothing was happening this session…and I mean
8 March 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com
nothing! The weather was golf course excellent with zero wind, bluebird skies, and the water was “invitationally” clear. Sometimes the weather can just be too good, and for these two days it was. Despite seeing uncountable wakes (from both trout and reds) pushing in all directions over three-square miles of skinny flats, nobody could buy a bite no matter what we did. The bait was all down, suspended and lazy, and evidently the other fish were too. Benny and Margaret are no slouches and I’d like to think I’m not either, but even while standing in the middle of good fish we couldn’t draw so much as a sniff. Hey, I don’t care who you are, it happens! David finally got frustrated and said, “That’s it…I’m going back to my Palacios roots!” I thought he was going to pull out some white boots, but he instead began assembling a rig of a topwater trailing a paddle tail on a sixteen inch leader. “Yeah right,” I nearly said aloud. About three casts later we hear him laughing behind a bent rod. David soon began to put on a virtual clinic in conditions I wanted to call “uncatchable.” Even so, we three spectators still refused to resort to that mid-coast begging stuff. After we finally had enough of this freak show I convinced
Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!
Margaret to submit to the rig – just for “experimental purposes” of course. Next thing we knew she was laughing along with David. She soon did it again, and then again. Benny and I still refused. Embarrassingly enough though, by the end of the day we all tied on that stupid rig and we all caught fish. The second day was déjà vu all over again; same conditions, fish everywhere, but no bite all day. Seriously, the only way we were able to catch them was by chunking that wacky rig. I felt like a tourist and hoped nobody had binoculars, but hey, it worked! Just to be safe, I made them disassemble and stow everything before we idled back through the harbor. The bottom line is that it was actually refreshing to see someone do something different, especially when it worked. There’s technically nothing new about what David did, except that few of us dare think outside the box anymore. (Lord help us if we even think about deviating from tackle shelf protocol.) About 50 years ago Rudy Grigar developed his famous Rudy’s Bubble, which was basically a non-exciting topwater which you used to dangle a spoon or plastic tail, and it worked! You might think a Mauler-style float would have accomplished the same thing here but it didn’t. Different action I suppose, but what worked for David was chugging it five or six times, letting it sit so the soft plastic dropped on it’s tether, and then pulling a straight retrieve for five or six feet. I clearly remember him saying, “They’re hitting it on the straight retrieve,” and so we mimicked him with some surprising results. Who knows why it worked, but I do know I remember some similar scenarios where weirdness worked. I clearly remember catching an old TroutMaster competitor (and my new tournament partner) in his garage with a strange and nearly hidden rig dangling from a cluttered shelf. It was a Mauler tied in front of a floating Corky. He wasn’t going there with any explanation, but after a bunch of ribbing, he finally offered a smirky comment to the effect, “Yeah and we always catch the biggest fish in tournaments down there.” Hmmm. Another unconventional rig we snickered at was revealed about twenty-five years ago in the surf at Bolivar Pocket. An older gentleman was lobbing a Cordell Redfin below a popping cork of all things. “Yeah right,” we thought again, and assumed one of two things. Either he didn’t have a clue or knew exactly what he was doing. We settled that after about an hour when he pulled in a trout over seven pounds, which is really big for the surf. All of this started me thinking about weird stuff I had done in the past, some worked and some didn’t, but it was all fun trying. One time, during a desperate TroutMasters, I Carolina-rigged a Redfin in some cold and unproductive water. When you pulled it, the Broken Back would hit the muddy bottom with a “puff” and then wobble back up seductively. It actually worked, but unfortunately not on the big fish I needed. In the old Jumpin’ Minnow days, we got the bright idea of tying a baby Jumpin’ Minnow in front of a full-sized one, both in bone. When you got to jacking it around the action was incredible. I suppose it looked like one fish chasing another, but whatever, a lot of great fish came unglued on the trailer. I guess it just seemed too silly or too big a pain to rig and work so we soon lost interest. The point is that it’s fun to experiment and sometimes things we try actually work. The bigger point is that we can only try new things when “fishing” is our real goal, above the all-too-emphasized stuffed baggies at the end of the day. To me, the whole game of fishing with lures is figuring out what will work for the given place in time. And so then, the actual landing 10 March 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 11
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need to remember what this is all supposed to be about in the first place. Seriously, none of us do this for food anymore, and it’s more about pitting our brains against theirs. We shouldn’t have to do too many of these silly things for the next few months though, as it will typically be as good as it ever gets, but when things slow down…let’s don’t be afraid to play with them like our predecessors did. Hope y’all enjoy the painting, and let’s all try to get more enjoyment out of what we love. There will never be a shortage of baggies, but there will always be a shortage of fun time on the water. Let’s be novel and do that.
of the fish you fooled becomes anti-climatic compared to that awesome jolt of a solid strike on what you presented. Regardless, we all know there are many times where nothing seems to work no matter who we think we are, how many fish we know we’re on, or how many we caught yesterday. It is fun just playing around even if our efforts are “unconventional” and I think that may actually border closely on what the true definition of “fishing” is all about. I’m reminded of the Joker with his famous line, “Why so serious, huh?” Often times we let ourselves become too serious, and that’s when we
Contact
Mike Mcbride Mike McBride is a full time fishing guide based in Port Mansfield, TX, specializing in wadefishing with artificial lures.
Contact Skinny Water Adventures Telephone 956-746-6041
Email McTrout@Granderiver.net Website Skinnywateradventures.com/ Three_MudSkateers.wmv
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KEEPING OUR T R O O PS S AF E.
Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!
Story by Kevin Cochran
Recently, biologists inserted tracking devices into spotted seatrout in both Texas and Louisiana as part of studies to document the movement patterns of these highly regarded fish. Some of the early data suggests trout are more mobile than experts once thought. The studies definitely prove captured and released specks can survive and thrive, even when carrying foreign devices. A few fish have been observed to travel great distances after their release. Here in Texas, a number were tagged in Flour Bluff after being brought to the scales at a tournament. Subsequent to their release, some lingered in the vicinity of the weigh-in, but many headed south, presumably back in the direction of the sites where they were caught. A decent percentage reportedly made their way quickly to the Land Cut, where they stayed for quite some time. The willingness of those trout to swim the considerable distance (approximately forty miles) from Laguna Shores to the Land Cut is somewhat surprising to me. I’ve long thought of this species as being relatively sedentary, after reading reports published by biologists, who for decades drew conclusions primarily from tag, release and recapture studies. Apparently, speckled trout are not so sedentary, at least some of them. I would, however, caution anyone against jumping to strong conclusions based on the reactions of a few fish captured in one place, transported over long distances in a live well, tagged, then released in another place. Such treatment could have a significant impact on a fish’s behavior after release. In fact, I’d be truly amazed if it had no impact whatsoever. The willingness or tendency of a trout to swim over long distances when it has not been captured, transported and relocated might be completely different. Of course, the ongoing studies also include the monitoring of trout tagged quickly and released in the same place where they were caught, so the movement patterns of those fish can be considered. While reading Tide magazine recently, I came across an article describing a study being done on speckled trout caught, tagged and released in Lake Calcasieu, across the border in Louisiana. Several interesting points came out of that piece, including the fact that 85% of the tagged fish had (as of the time of its writing) stayed entirely within the boundaries of Big Lake. Only one fish, a six and a half pound female, left the lake and never returned. A few others ventured into the Gulf and returned to the lake. Perhaps more importantly, most of the fish were observed to be favoring the same areas repeatedly. One female frequently appeared and lingered in a small cove near the ICW along the northern fringes of the estuary. 14 March 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 15
Texas Saltwater Fishing
Others seemed to stay within relatively small parts of the lake which had no obvious structures or fish-holding features, surprising those doing the studies. They’d predicted most of the fish would relate to prominent points, reefs and other known “hot spots“. The study did support the veracity of some beliefs long held true by local trout experts. For instance, Big Lake’s specks seem to prefer wintering in the northern reaches of the lake and moving south toward the Gulf in summer. Overall, this study suggests the trout in Big Lake are more sedentary than nomadic, also that fish living in the estuary don’t mix much genetically with those outside the estuary. Understanding the species’ natural tendency to migrate over long distances (or lack of such tendency) is a critical component in determining whether a Gulf-wide, statewide or estuary-specific management plan is best. If spotted seatrout wander all over the Gulf, moving from bay to bay or even state to state, one plan for the entire Gulf Coast would be best. If the fish within each bay tend to stay in that bay,
Cody Stripling released this solid trout to live and grow, potentially to be caught again later. Current tracking studies prove released trout can survive and thrive.
Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!
Protection
for your “Stuff”
According to all reliable sources, reducing the limit will result in more fish surviving to larger sizes. That would be good for those of us who love trophy fishing. Here’s Ron Blackard set to release his lifetime-best trout, a 30 1/2 inch, nine pound specimen.
an estuary-specific plan would be optimal. While researching this piece, I came across another study, published on the internet in March 2010, which attempted to verify the existence of subpopulations of spotted seatrout in Texas waters. Texas Parks and Wildlife biologists Joel Anderson and William Karel used gill nets to collect their fish and analysis of the DNA in those fish to draw their conclusions. Basically, they identified four subpopulations of trout within Texas waters: one in Sabine Lake and its adjoining Gulf waters, another centered on the Galveston Bay system, a third stretching from East Matagorda to Corpus Christi Bay and the last including both the Upper and Lower Laguna Madres. (Some aspects of their research indicated separate subpopulations for the ULM and LLM). Their conclusions support Parks and Wildlife biologists who claim they can identify the region of origin of a speckled trout through analysis of its genetic material. Anderson and Karel believe their data suggests zones of low population density acting as barriers between subpopulations. They also assert that, “spotted seatrout exist in a series of overlapping subpopulations with sufficient migration as to prevent accumulation of significant genetic divergence. The evidence from the current data further predict that there may be areas on the coast of Texas in which small-scale migration is fairly limited.” Apparently, speckled trout do not form one continuous population throughout the Gulf. Subpopulations exist, though not on an estuary by estuary basis, except where those estuaries are somewhat distant from one another, with relatively narrow passes between the estuaries and the open ocean, as in the cases of Sabine Lake and Lake Calcasieu. Their data would, on the surface, support regional management of the speckled trout as the best choice, through implementation of region-specific recreational bag limits. In Texas, a region-specific limit was put in place in the Lower Laguna Madre a few years ago. The effects of that lower limit have been noted variously by recreational anglers and TPW officials. Recreational anglers seem almost universally to believe trout fishing in the LLM is much better for medium sized fish than it was before the limit was lowered. Parks and Wildlife verifies improved numbers of twenty to twenty five inch fish in their gill net and creel surveys, but as a whole, they are less enthusiastic about the positive impact of the lowered limit. A statement from their website indicates “Early results from the Lower Laguna Madre (where a 5 fish bag limit was imposed on Sept 1, 2007) may give us some indication of what a 5 fish bag limit might mean to other areas on the coast. In the Lower Laguna Madre more anglers are catching and keeping more fish per trip under a 5 fish bag limit than they did under a 10 fish bag Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!
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limits carry the potentially destructive effect of generating extra fishing pressure in areas with the highest bag limits, so I support a statewide limit. In spite of a recent announcement that no such change is coming this year, I‘m hopeful TPW will eventually lower the limit on trout to five statewide. Doing so would reduce the number of fish killed by those who regularly keep limits, while at the same time potentially increasing the number (and size) of fish caught by the average angler per trip. A statewide limit is easier for game wardens to enforce. Additionally, lowering the limit on the fish to five everywhere sends the clearest message to everyone who purchases and uses a saltwater fishing license in Texas. The proactive and enlightened message illuminates greater respect for the trout and the people to which their lives are inexorably linked.
Kevin Cochran
Contact
limit. It also appears that anglers are targeting larger fish since the 5 fish bag limit went into place. Overall, it appears that larger fish are being landed with more anglers landing more fish per angler.” Sounds to me like the fishing has generally improved, and that‘s a good thing! On the other hand, the evidence suggests some recreational anglers might have changed their behavior when harvesting trout in response to the lowered limit, perhaps by culling out larger individuals to harvest, in a conscious attempt to make the overall weight of their bags heavier. This response raises a flag of alarm, and points out a larger issue that needs to be considered as officials continue to evaluate whether to create regional or statewide recreational bag limits on trout. People sometimes respond to change in unpredictable ways. What is predictable is that they will respond in some way. For instance, it’s likely some number of people who had fished almost exclusively in the Lower Laguna Madre stopped fishing there when the limit was lowered. Many of them undoubtedly moved north, preferring the higher limits still in place in the Upper Laguna. The displacement of those anglers couldn’t have had a positive impact on Upper Laguna trout populations. If Anderson and Karel are correct, and all trout in both Laguna Madres are part of the same subpopulation, inadvertently increasing fishing pressure in part of the region was a counterproductive management strategy. TPW biologists recognize some areas of the coast as having greater “carrying capacity” for speckled trout than others. They also believe trout in different regions generally stay within those regions. Without considering the human factor, implementing regional bag limits would therefore seem to be the obvious choice. But regional
Texas Saltwater Fishing
Kevin Cochran is a full-time fishing guide at Corpus Christi (Padre Island), TX. Kevin is a speckled trout fanatic and has authored two books on the subject. Kevin’s home waters stretch from Corpus Christi Bay to the Land Cut. Trout Tracker Guide Service Telephone 361-688-3714
Email KCochran@stx.rr.com Website www.FishBaffinBay.com
Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!
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Story by Billy Sandifer
Well, I wrote last month’s article on the great late-December trip with the Hanson family of El Campo and if you liked it you’ll likely also get a kick out of this as it shows just how lucky we really were. The following morning the suburban was going to the mechanic’s to have that exhaust manifold leak repaired when two miles from the house the engine threw a rod. The vehicle had just turned two-and-a-half years on the beach and that is about the average amount of time a vehicle lasts me down there, so the decision to replace it was made. If drivers use good judgment they can get more time out of their vehicles than I ever will. The secret is not driving through the Big Shell on high tide. Years ago large cab over campers were the vehicle of choice but other than in an emergency they NEVER drove through Big Shell on anything but a low tide. They planned their trips that way. But as a guide I am usually day-tripping and that means I’ll get one good crossing and one hateful one. The other side of the coin is the people I regularly see driving high-dollar late model vehicles at high speed with two and sometimes all four tires actually in the water. I have a photo album containing pictures of these flipped upside down in the surf with the cabs smashed flat and often passengers seriously injured. DO NOT DRIVE IN THE WATER…PERIOD! Well my pals and big-time Big Shell Cleanup supporters, Stephen and Donna Gregory, gave me a suburban three years ago but they live in Oklahoma City and had been unable to get it down here for me. I was going to ride a bus up there to get it but my old pal, Clay Wernli, wouldn’t have it and he and his son drove me to Oklahoma City. Talk about people being a blessing in your life.
Park Service crew hustling junk off the PINS beach.
I got an excellent undercoating job done on it and it should be on the payroll in a couple of days. I’m going to try something different this go-round. I’m going to cover the entire exterior of the vehicle with roll on bed liner. My favorite color is of course baby blue and we’ll see if undercoat and bed liner add to the life of this one. I honestly bet it makes a real difference. I would like to offer a few tips for folks that do a lot of beach fishing/driving. No one ever thinks about it but if you park facing the Gulf all that salt air is steadily hitting your vehicle head-on and it will corrode holes in the radiator twice as fast than if you park opposite. Always carry an extra serpentine belt and know how to install it. Check it regularly for wear and replace at the first sign. You MUST regularly check external oil, gas and transmission lines and replace them immediately if you see they are beginning to rust badly. Carry a small copper tubing cutter and several short lengths of appropriately sized hoses as well as a variety of clamps. This will insure you can enjoy the unforgettable experience of lying in blowing sand for a couple of hours with transmission fluid running down your arms and onto your neck and face
Talk about a wide load!
18 March 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 19
Texas Saltwater Fishing
Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!
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Winter Texan Vernon Forman with 21 pound redfish, CPR in the PINS surf.
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while you tediously try to cut a steel line with a small copper tubing cutter. I carry ten quarts of both transmission fluid and engine oil. Know why…because regularly I come upon folks needing one or the other to get back up the beach. If I carry less and I give them what they need I’m being unfair to my customers because we could yet have problems and then wouldn’t have the reserve fluids we might need. Carefully check to insure all your fuel and coolant lines are routed in manner that precludes rubbing against the frame of your vehicle. This has been the cause of a goodly portion of the lines I’ve had go bad. If a line is rubbing against the frame, cut a piece of garden hose and attach with zip ties to protect it. First time your automatic transmission slips it is low on fluid. No problem if you have a reserve supply along, but if you don’t and you continue to drive, you will ruin the transmission and you better have some deep pockets. Always carry a few basic tools, some bailing wire and some Fix-a-Flat. You fish down there long enough and you will have the occasion to use them all. The Billy Sandifer Big Shell Cleanup is Saturday, March 19, 2011. Admission to the park will be free to volunteers. We will be meeting at Malaquite pavilion. Please try to be there by 7:00 a.m. If you get there late but have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, just drive down the beach until you encounter a working crew and join them. Walking volunteers are welcome and will be transported into and out of the work area. We need workers and four-wheel-drive vehicles with trailers to haul trash out. Sturdy clothing and footwear are recommended as are gloves. All
Rod Building 101: A basic primer for anyone interested in building their own rods. What’s New from Flex Coat with Roger Seiders. What’s New from FUJI with Don nie Paul, including their new Tan gle Free lineup of Guides and new SK2 Split Reel Seats. REC presents the latest in RECOIL products. From Guides to Fly Reel Seats, Paul Howarth has all the answers. Silvia Davis w/Bullard Int will go over her Famous Gene Bullard Epoxy line up and roll-out her new products to the line.
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Another great red from the PINS surf.
Contact Terry Jones or Danny Meyer at 281-481-6838 or terry@fishingtackleunlimited.com for more information . 20 March 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 21
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volunteers will be back at the Malaquite pavilion by 2:00 p.m. Bottled water and snacks will be available in the work area but feel free to bring a sandwich. Food and refreshments will be available upon your return to Malaquite pavilion. Sure hope to see you there. Do a bit of giving back to the environment and meet some really good folks while you are doing it. The Port Mansfield Cleanup started by Miller and Kathie Bassler will be in its third year and has been doing a bang-up job. As its size has increased we’ve all decided this worthy event is ready to fly on its own. This event will take place on Saturday, March 26. They will be meeting at the Port Mansfield Chamber of Commerce pavilion. Of course that doesn’t keep folks from the Corpus Christi area from driving down to the jetties in their vehicles, helping out and then fishing on their way back North. For a little over a month the NPS at PINS has been steadily hauling out buoys and other large debris off the beach. It has been miserable, backbreaking work day after day. Seems you always hear a whole lot about what people don’t like about NPS staff on PINS but when they are busting their backsides to make it a better place you never hear a word about it other than some complaining, “They’re taking all our land marks away.” Funny but I never notice anything but a more natural appearing beach and for those requiring land marks there’s a marker every five miles and it’s relativity uncomplicated to set your odometer at one of the markers and know where you are every foot of the way. My hat’s off to Facilities Manager, Larry Turk and his hardworking crew. Thank you very much. Those landmarks become a danger to vehicles as they rust away. Won’t be long until turtle nesting season so keep an eye out. Also won’t be long until the blacktips and jack crevalle will hit the beach in mass. What a hoot. If we don’t leave any there won’t be any. -Capt. Billy L. Sandifer
White-tailed Hawk -Buteo albicaudatusA non-migrating Texas specialty with none being found north of Texas. The only hawk that nests on Padre Island. Lives in oak savanna, coastal prairie mesquite savannas and chaparral. The only large Buteo that hovers while searching for prey; small mammals, birds, lizards and snakes. Pale gray back, white rump and tail with one black line vertically across the tail. Clean white below with dark inner primaries. The shoulders bear a rich chestnut patch. Young much darker. When seen in good lighting I believe this to be among the most beautiful of hawks.
Length: 23 inches Wingspan: 50 inches Weight: 2.3 lbs
Contact
Capt. Billy Sandifer Billy Sandifer operates Padre Island Safaris offering surf fishing for sharks to specks and nature tours of the Padre Island National Seashore. Billy also offers bay and near-shore fishing adventures in his 25 foot Panga for many big game and gamefish species. Telephone 361-937-8446
Website www.billysandifer.com
22 March 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com
Photo by Jimmy Jackson
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www.TSFMAG.com / March 2011 23 1/27/10 1:30 PM
Story by Martin Strarup
It was one of those perfect winter mornings. The wind was a tad cold out of the northeast but the water was green with the air temperature in the low fifties. It was cold enough for extra clothes, a good coat and knit cap and I was glad that when my friend Coby said that he wanted me to run his new 24’ modified-V Shallow Sport that I had remembered to bring my gloves along. The big 300hp Yamaha pushed the boat with ease and the light chop on the bay was barely felt. The quartering wind didn’t get any of us wet. I must say the boat really impressed me. The first spot we fished is an old favorite of mine. It is protected from both north and east wind and the water quality reflected that. We all have our favorite spots to fish, you know the ones that always hold fish and seem never to let you down, where you are intimately familiar with every ridge and ripple on the bottom, every gut and the depth of the water throughout the area. With high hopes and good intentions we set out to fool a few yellowmouth trout but after two hours and having landed only two oyster clumps we had no choice but to admit defeat.
24 March 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 25
Undaunted, we moved to another spot that historically rewarded good intentions and hard work with at least a few nice fish, but again our efforts were thwarted. No fish were fooled by anything we threw at them. We couldn’t even put an oyster clump in the boat much less a fish. So we did what we usually do when we have to regroup and rethink our strategies; we pulled out some drinks, summer sausage, cheese and crackers, and discussed our options which by the way were growing fewer by the minute. With hunger pangs relieved we could concentrate once again on fooling fish and we decided to do what used to work for us when fishing the small bays in the winter time, we pier hopped. Now if you’ve never tried pier hopping before don’t worry about it, there’s nothing scientific about it at all. You simply use your trolling motor to maneuver your boat throughout the spaces between piers and you fan cast the area until you’ve covered it well, then you move out and around the next pier and you do it again. Sooner or later you’ll find some fish or a fish as was the case with us. One fifteen inch kamikaze trout was fooled when I cast right up next to a pier and that was it. There were no more bites and it was time to head back to the ramp. We talked about the day while we made the run back to the boat ramp and we discussed the full moon and the fact that the water temperature didn’t get out of the 40’s until after lunch. We talked about the cloud cover, the brutal east wind and how the water was just too clear and all of the other excuses that we could come up with for not catching the fish that we thought we should have. But…we didn’t talk about the absence of bait. There wasn’t any bait action in any of the places that we fished, nada, zip, and when there’s no bait there’s really no reason for the trout to be hanging around the area either. It really doesn’t make much sense
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to constantly cast to dead water but when you’re there and when conditions prevent you from heading out into open water to get to a different place you play the hand that was dealt to you. There’s always a chance that at any moment rafts of mullet will move in or that fish will move from the deeper water up into the shallows to warm up. And all of us as fishermen and women take chances every time we head out, to, as my friend Mike McBride once said, “Match wits with something that has a brain the size of a pea.” We take a chance that the fish will be where we go and usually if the weather permits and the fish aren’t at the first spot then you move to another, then another and so on. It didn’t matter to us that we didn’t catch fish. Oh don’t get me wrong we would have loved to have felt a pull on every cast but that morning it just wasn’t meant to be and that was okay. Sitting on the leaning post of a fine boat out on that green water with my son and neighbor, laughing and telling stories of fishing trips long past and enjoying the day, well only a really good bite could improve on that scenario. So it’s the fish one and the fishermen zero for now but there will be other days and other chances to redeem ourselves and prove to the fish who has the larger brain by outsmarting them with our offerings of plastic, lead and steel and we’ll sure show them. But should we find ourselves again in dead water with no bait and no fish to be fooled by our offerings and with nowhere else to go, well there’s always the drinks, summer sausage, cheese, crackers and a million stories of fishing trips long past to entertain us. After all, on some days the memories of fish that we’ve caught on previous trips are all that we’ll be taking home with us.
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Contact
Be Safe.
Martin Strarup Martin Strarup is a lifelong saltwater enthusiast and outdoorsman. Martin is also a collector and dealer of vintage fishing tackle and lures, especially those made in Texas. Email Trouthunter@swbell.net
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Texas Saltwater Fishing
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Let’s Talk Boat Trailers Part of getting your fishing season underway should include making sure your boat trailer will provide a safe, legal, and trouble-free trip to the boat ramp. Folks who neglect their trailers often say, “I only go from the boat stall to the ramp,” or “My boat is in a sling, we never use the trailer.” Even if the trailer is only used occasionally, nobody wants a wheel to come off on the road or hear an axle snap turning a corner. Annual Boat Trailer Maintenance Schedule: • Remove hubs, clean and inspect bearings, repack with marine grease (or replace), install new seals. When bearings are replaced, the outer races must also be replaced. For badly rusted hubs, replacing with new galvanized hubs that includes wheel studs, bearings and seals may be cheaper in the long run. • Inspect spindles for corrosion, cracks and grooving on bearing and seal surfaces. • Bearing Buddy wheel bearing covers are a must. Bearing Buddy is the only setup with positive spring pressure forcing grease to the bearings while keeping water out. The built-in grease level indicator tells you when you need grease and when the hub is full. Bearing covers without indicators make seal damage from over-greasing possible. Installing a rubber “bra” over the Bearing Buddy protects from road grime and saltwater. • Boat trailers that are parked most of the time are the worst for bearing corrosion. • Test all lights, clean all ground connections on tail lights. • Trailer ball coupler should be inspected for fit on the ball, coupler should be tight and level on trailer tongue.
26 March 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 27
• Safety chains should be free from heavy corrosion and should always be crossed when towing. A hitch pin through the coupler latch is a must. • Trailers with leaf springs; inspect for corrosion (thick rust flakes) on spring leafs, mounting hardware, and also where the axle is welded to the spindle. Axles mainly rust and fail from inside out. Inspecting these areas can tell you what is happening inside. Axles rarely last longer than five years in saltwater. • Inspect winch strap for wear where hook attaches. Use a safety chain as back-up to the winch strap. • Trailer jack should be tested for smooth operation and safety pin inspected for fit. (Never trust a jack.) • Corrosion X HD (green) is great for protecting lug nuts, mounting/ connecting hardware, trailer jacks, tail lights, and side-light mounting studs. A new aluminum trailer with torsion axles and LED lighting is definitely the way to go today. Coastline Trailers in Seadrift, Specialty Aluminum Trailers in Victoria and McClain Trailers in Houston are all great builders. Never let anyone ride in the boat while trailering. Never trust the boat trailer ahead on the highway. Grease is your best friend. Maintenance is easy and saves you money. Chris Mapp – Coastal Bend Marine – Port O’Connor TX Phone: 361-983-4841 - Fax: 361 983 4676 - Email: mchrismapp@aol.com
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“Plants” of a Different Color In the ocean’s dim depths, it’s not easy being green; that’s why some plant-like organisms use different pigments to survive. Like terrestrial plants, marine phytoplankton and algae use the pigment chlorophyll to absorb light energy. Pigments take on the color of the light they reflect, not the color they absorb. Chlorophyll appears green because it best absorbs light from the red and violet ends of the spectrum, while reflecting green light.
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In the ocean, however, most of this red and violet light is absorbed by the water fairly close to the surface. At greater depths, algae and phytoplankton need help from accessory pigments.
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Accessory pigments are compounds that can harvest blue and green light − precisely the wavelengths that chlorophyll can’t absorb well. They then transfer this light energy to chlorophyll molecules for use in photosynthesis. These helpful compounds are also known as “masking pigments” because they conceal the green appearance of chlorophyll, giving an organism brown, yellowish, or even red coloring. So, accessory pigments determine both an organism’s color and its ideal depth. Brown algae, such as giant kelp and sargassum seaweed, contain a brownish accessory pigment and can live up to 115 feet deep. Red algae can thrive at even greater depths. This group’sscientific name, Rhodophyta, comes from the Greek word for “red,” indicating the color of the accessory pigment. The light-absorbing ability of some red algae is so efficient that they can thrive at depths of more than 800 feet! That means they can live on light in places where humans can’t see any light at all.
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www.TSFMAG.com / March 2011 27 1/27/10 1:00
Story by Chuck Uzzle
If you cock your ear toward the upper coast and listen carefully you can hear a huge sigh of relief emanating from Sabine Lake anglers, especially those that live near this small yet extremely productive body of water. The much publicized campaign to explore public support for changing the speckled trout limits from ten fish per day to five was recently abandoned by Texas Parks and Wildlife Coastal Fisheries Division, effectively leaving the limits as they have been since 2003. The discussion over changing the limit sparked an unbelievable controversy among Texas anglers from all across the state and really stirred the Sabine folks up. A record number of comments poured into the TPWD website and town hall meetings were supercharged with feelings and sentiments from both camps. Internet forums ran wild with cyber debates as biologist’s data sets were twisted in more ways than a skateboarder at the X-Games. The subject was volatile and the outcome, as I see it, accomplished little more than to postpone the discussion until a later date. Like any controversial subject, most people think first about how it will affect them and then the rest of the world later. I am certainly no different in that regard. As passionately as some folks felt about the subject, I was especially torn and worried about the outcome. You see for us here on Sabine, we are in a very complicated situation being that we share a border with Louisiana. I cannot begin to tell you how many times at seminars I have been asked to explain the laws and how they work on Sabine Lake. All it takes is answering one question and it seems like you opened Pandora’s Box. One question leads to a dozen and before long you have a debate over fishing regulations instead of a discussion of fishing strategy and technique. I will admit that I had mixed emotions from the get-go when TPWD announced they would conduct a series of scoping meetings
28 March 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 29
to discuss reducing the limit to five fish. I may be wrong, and I certainly do not wish to be branded as meat-haulish in what I’m about to say, but I can’t remember a daily fish bag limit ever being reduced and then being restored. It seems like once it’s gone it’s gone forever. Regardless of that fact, Sabine Lake presents a whole different problem to anglers, resource managers, and legislators alike. I thought it was a significant step just a few years ago when Louisiana agreed to drop their limits and put restrictions on big fish on both Sabine and Calcasieu. The disparity between the limits at times was so great it was laughable and tempting. Many anglers came to Sabine just so they could keep the more liberal Louisiana limits. Eventually that loophole got smaller as new laws took away the option for anglers to retain Louisiana limits if they launched on the Texas side of Sabine and the Louisiana limit was eventually reduced from twentyfive fish per day to fifteen. Some folks still push the envelope even today, but as Dickie Colburn has always explained to me over the years, “Chuck, you cannot legislate morality.” What one fisherman perceives as a travesty is simply availing oneself to opportunity in the eyes of another. For all the confusion surrounding Sabine Lake and its fishing regulations there is another expensive side to the controversy and that is license fees. Anglers wishing to take full advantage of both sides of Sabine Lake are required to purchase both Texas and Louisiana fishing licenses. That is magnified further for Texas fishing guides who must purchase a non-resident fishing guide license to the tune of $1000.00 per year. That means guys like me end up shelling out nearly $1500.00 per year to be able to guide home waters – a great deal more than guides on other Texas bays are required to spend. Suffice to say that between laws, limits, and fees, it gets extremely complicated. Now if all that wasn’t enough, here comes the prospect of changing the Texas limit to five fish. Can you sense the wave of panic felt by Sabine anglers? Allow me to explain. By cutting the Texas limit in half we would again see that huge disparity at work and Sabine would become an even more popular destination. Check your road atlas; Sabine is but ninety minutes east of one of the largest cities in America. The number of anglers that would converge on this small body of water and fish it from the Louisiana side would be ridiculous to say the least and I do not believe Sabine could handle the pressure for very long. The traffic we see today on Sabine Lake may be thick to locals but is really miniscule when compared to Galveston. Take five fish away from Houston area residents that fish Galveston Bay regularly and see what
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happens. All of a sudden the masses jump on Interstate 10 and Sabine gets real crowded. That’s a terrible picture to paint for fishermen who call Sabine home, none-the-less it could become reality. In a situation like this I usually try to offer up a solution to the problem but in this case I can’t. For the life of me I cannot come up with an alternate management strategy that makes sense in my mind. Perhaps the closest I can get is some sort of regional plan that addresses the fishery management problems bay by bay and not a one-size-fits-all. Consider if you will the antler restrictions that TPWD has enacted in East Texas. You can bet everything you own that deer hunters in Central, West and South Texas would never hold with restrictions being placed on them based on management problems in East Texas. Not a chance! Rightfully, in my opinion, these restrictions are county-based, which seems the way it should be. Hence my position on regional fisheries management. Unless Louisiana would be willing to mirror Texas regulations on Sabine Lake all we would create is a bigger nightmare. I do, however, tip my hat to those who speak out and ask for change in the name of making things better; they are to be commended. Guys like our editor, Everett Johnson, set a great example for conservation-minded anglers everywhere. By practicing what they preach and educating those around them they are influencing more anglers than one might realize. As outdoorsmen we can make a huge difference on our own by being responsible and being good stewards of the resources. Keep what you are going to eat fresh and leave the rest. Rate the trip on the experience and not the numbers. Enjoy a fish dinner when you feel like it and don’t feel guilty for keeping a limit or mad at your neighbor if he does. Moderation and responsibility from many will eventually overcome the shenanigans of a few knuckleheads. Respect other “LEGAL” fishermen and hunters even if you disagree with their methods because we are all brothers in these pastimes (so long as we’re all legal) and there are plenty of folks out there going to great lengths to end all hunting and fishing. The last thing we need to do is divide our house.
Chuck Uzzle Chuck fishes Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes from his home in Orange, TX. His specialties are light tackle and fly fishing for trout, reds, and flounder. Phone Email Website
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409-697-6111 cuzzle@gt.rr.com www.chucksguideservice.net
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www.TSFMAG.com / March 2011 29
Story by Scott Sommerlatte
A few months back I covered the subject of “user conflict” in our bays. Now for any not familiar with the term, it refers to the conflicts that arise all too frequently between groups that use the water differently (i.e. kayakers, airboaters, duck hunters, skiff fishermen, wade fishermen, etc.) Since that column, I have been part of many discussions relating to how we might reduce or eliminate these issues and it seems there is no simple solution. There are some selfish individuals who choose to ignore that a problem even exists and then there are extremists who see immediate regulatory changes as the only way forward. In my opinion, new regulation would be a big mistake. Worse yet, though, would be to stand by the status quo.
waterfowl hunters and birders. The workshop’s purpose, the way I understood it, was to identify problems we face along the coast, whether between users or habitat destruction by the users, and then to discuss ways to solve these problems. While it was clear the majority of the group agreed that problems exist, it was not clear how to deal with them. As I mentioned in my forward, I see no solution in standing on status quo or pushing for regulation. So… my purpose for the rest of this piece is not to so much rehash the workshop verbatim but, to identify some key issues that were discussed and offer my personal insight as to how to deal with them.
I recently attended a workshop/symposium that was titled, Challenges to Sharing and Conserving Our Bays. The gathering was organized by several organizations and invitations were sent to members of every conceivable user group. Those in attendance ranged from guides who pole skiffs or run airboats all the way to those who come from the north every winter to enjoy the great weather and bounty of the Texas coast. Also represented were
Burning It is probably safe to say that much, if not most, user conflict and habitat destruction arises from poor etiquette exhibited by fishermen “burning” the flats in the name of “looking for” or “bumping” fish. Also to be included is the use of boats to herd or concentrate fish into tight schools for the purpose of making them easier to catch. Some people point the finger at certain
30 March 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 31
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types of boats but that is not a fair assessment. It is people (not boats) that are running around in the shallows tearing up habitat and disregarding fellow anglers who create the problems and I find their practices appalling. To be succinct- I find the practice of burning unsportsmanlike, unethical and unnecessary. I know some great anglers who catch more fish than most and they have never done more that idle to and from shorelines or maybe utilize their tunnel-hull to jump a sand bar only to come off plane in a gut or lake and then get out and wade. They do not have to run miles and miles of shoreline or run through the marsh to “find” fish nor do they have to run an airboat around the edge of a pond or lake to drive the fish into the middle to cast to them. It is not bad enough that these practices are irresponsible and at times dangerous; they also provide ammunition to those who believe the only way to stop it is to create “Low Impact Fishing Zones” (No Motor Zones). I have had many days ruined by burners and airboaters intent on running for twenty minutes and then fishing for only five before cranking up again. In addition, I have nearly been run over by boat drivers standing on the console with their eyes focused on the water looking for fish rather than where they were going. In fact, a couple of incidents made me wonder, “If they damn near hit us (three men standing on an eighteen foot skiff ); what would have happened if we had been in kayaks?” The point is, I witness it daily and would like nothing more than to see the practice of burning come to a screeching halt. However- I still believe creating zones that will limit the way we access areas is not the way to deal with the problem. In fact, the tools are already in place in the form of
existing regulation to address most of the problems and if the powers-that-be would make an effort to educate and enforce these regulations, most problems would become less of an issue. Under the Texas Administrative Code, Title 31, Part 2, Chapter 65, Subchapter A, Division 3, Rule 65.72 it states that is unlawful to use any vessel to harass fish. This law was originally written to read“it is unlawful to use airboats or jet-driven vessels to harass or harry fish.” But what constitutes harassing fish? Well it is complicated and can be interpreted in many ways. But to fully understand it, it is important to know the origin of the law. As it has been explained to me; the law was originally conceived because gill netters would use jet-drives and airboats on the flats to chase fish into their nets. A few years back, the law was rewritten to include any and all vessels because it was clear that guides and recreational anglers had taken up the practice of “bumping” fish and were also using boats to circle fish, essentially driving them together to then cast into the “herd.” Now based on all of my research and discussions with different game wardens and a friend who is a judge, I interpret the harassment of fish to be anything done to concentrate or move fish that deprives other anglers of the opportunity for equitable enjoyment of the resource. The problem with this law is that very few know it exists and more, it is difficult to enforce because game wardens must prove intent. My argument is that TPWD should make it known that this law exists and they intend on enforcing it. As for difficulty inherent with enforcement, I say rewrite the law to remove the
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difficulty. Most people are good and honest and if you tell them that it is against the law to do something, most will obey. For those who refuse, well… that is where a more readily enforceable law comes into play. This will help eliminate anglers running the shallows all day and should reduce user-conflict and reduce habitat destruction. With the education and enforcement of a law that already exists, we have mostly eliminated the need for any new regulation or the creation of zones, hence providing all a more peaceful and equal enjoyment of the resource. Rules of the Road Moving on, I want to mention that there are many laws that govern our conduct and movement on the waterways. The problem is that, again, few know they exist. These rules are published as a Commandant Instruction (Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard) and are commonly referred to as the Navigation Rules or NAVRULS. And to paraphrase Rule 1 in the NAVRULS book- these rules apply to ALL vessels upon the INLAND WATERS of the United States. They are also enforceable by both the U.S. Coast Guard and TPWD. Before actually getting to specific rules, I want to touch on two misconceived notions – the first being that a kayak has the “right of way” over a power-driven vessel because it is under oar and moves slower. Not the case. Secondly, I will make note that, despite the fact that the water is only inches deep at times, our flats and areas like the Lighthouse Lakes are in fact considered “navigable waters” and vessels operating there are subject to the NAVRULS. I will stand corrected if I am wrong in the above two statements however after having been tested over these rules numerous times while serving with the U.S. Coast Guard and having tested over them again to maintain my Merchant Mariners Document, I feel pretty confident in my interpretations. Having covered that, I will now delve into a few more very pertinent rules as they pertain to all of us. As I go into these rules, please realize that the allotted space for all of this is short so I am going to condense and paraphrase the best I can and try to make you aware of what I consider the most applicable rules when operating in the waters most frequented by the readers of this publication (anglers). Also know, that there are other rules that apply and notwithstanding, I urge you to learn them. Responsibility- …due regard shall be had to all dangers of navigation and collision and to any special circumstances, including the limitations of the vessels involved which may make a departure from these Rules necessary to avoid immediate danger. General Definitions-The word “vessel” includes every description of watercraft… used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on the water. The word “underway” means any vessel not at anchor, or made fast to the shore or aground. Vessels shall be deemed to be in sight of one another only when one can be observed visually from the other. Conduct of Vessels- Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing…as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision. Safe Speed- Every vessel shall at all times proceed at a safe speed so that she can take proper and effective action to avoid collision and be stopped within a distance appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions. Factors to be taken into account are; visibility, traffic density, the maneuverability of the 32 March 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 33
vessel with special reference to stopping distance and turning ability in the prevailing conditions, the state of wind, sea, current and proximity of navigation hazards and the draft in relation to the available water depth. Narrow Channels- A vessel proceeding along the course of a narrow channel…shall keep as near to the outer limit of the channel which lies to her starboard side…a vessel nearing a bend or area of a narrow channel where other vessels may be obscured by and intervening obstruction, shall navigate with particular alertness and caution and shall sound the appropriate sound signal…every vessel shall, if the case admit, avoid anchoring in a narrow channel. Overtaking- Any vessel overtaking any other shall keep out of the way of the vessel being overtaken…when a vessel is in any doubt as to whether she is overtaking another, she shall assume that this is the case. Head-on Situation- Unless otherwise agreed (through the exchange of signals or by radio) when two vessels are meeting on reciprocal or nearly reciprocal courses…each shall alter course to starboard so that each shall pass on the port side of the other. In addition to the NAVRULS it is important to know a couple of other pieces of pertinent information. There are a couple of terms used by the Coast Guard and I believe too, by the TPWD, and they are Negligent Operation and Grossly Negligent Operation of a motor vessel. The term “negligent operation” refers to the act of operating a vessel in such a manner that people could be harmed or damage can be done to property. “Grossly negligent” means that such harm or damage was actually done. To put this into perspective, when I was a boarding officer way back when, if I witnessed the operation of a vessel in manner in which it was not designed, such as say someone standing on the console of a boat steering it with their feet, I would consider that negligent. If that operator lost control of the vessel while operating in such a manner and the boat ran aground or someone was thrown from it as a result, I would consider that grossly negligent. Equally negligent would be a “poorly” marked or unlit kayaker paddling carelessly in an area of restricted visibility where motor driven vessels are known to frequent. All of these are examples of violations of the law and an individual could be cited. It is important to all that you are aware of these rules as you haphazardly zig and zag over flats and through the marshes or paddle your kayak into the path of another vessel that has the right of way. Should you be involved in any sort of accident and it comes under investigation, these rules will come into play and fault will be assigned. Like the old saying goes- ignorance of the law is no defense nor is “I was in a kayak and this bigger boat just ran into me.” Now the question might be asked- how does all of this apply to user conflict? Well my take is that, a great deal of conflict arises out of what many kayakers have argued as safety issues (many of which could be addressed by kayakers making their vessel more visible by utilizing a flag) and justification for new regulations. I again point out that rules are already in effect to guarantee safety on the water no matter where you. With a little education, common sense and courtesy, we eliminate the need for any kind of “zone” that will further govern how we access potential fishing waters. With what I have covered above, I have not even begun to
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that there is no other option but to operate in close proximity to each other, at least make an effort or pretend to give a damn. You might be surprised at how many conflicts are avoided and how far it will go to prevent the need for “new regulation” to govern our movements. I for one recognize that the day may come that we need to regulate and direct traffic on the bays for the sake of the resource and for the purpose of safety and I, personally, have everything to gain if and/or when these “Low Impact Fishing Zones” are put into place. However, I still believe that the implementation of such areas should not even be considered until we have exhausted every other effort to solve existing problems and I believe the first step is to start educating and enforcing the laws and regulations that already exist. Be good, go slow. . . and stuff like that!
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touch on every little issue in detail, and believe me – there are a great many more we could discuss. In addition, I have only briefly mentioned etiquette. It is a subject that many do not want to breach because it implies that we should slow down and think about others before blasting through them. Really? I should care whether or not I disturb another person, especially someone that I do not even know? The answer is yes! However, it is also to be expected, that if you choose to utilize a kayak to access the fishing grounds, you will be traveling slower than a powerboat and usually be fishing closer to the dock. You will encounter more traffic and you should not frown at those who have the ability and choose to leave you behind. So, I leave you all with this one final thought. I urge you to recognize that, the faster you go, the more noise you make and the more water you disturb. A lot of the issues surrounding etiquette would resolve themselves if we would all just slow down. I have preached this for years and will go to my grave doing so. If your enjoyment on the water is directly related to how fast and loud you can be, maybe you should quit fishing and get into racing cars where this attitude is acceptable and expected. Many of us choose to go fishing for the peace and quiet and do not like it when we are getting run over. At the same time, for those who chose to paddle, it is important for you to recognize that the method in which you choose to access the water limits you and, you will have to work harder to avoid high traffic areas. You do not have, nor should you expect to have any greater right than the next guy. And, in the case
Scott Sommerlatte is a full time fly fishing and light tackle guide, freelance writer and photographer. Telephone 979-415-4379 Email vssommerlatte@hotmail.com Website www.scottsommerlatte.com
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Jay Watk in s
“When you pull into an area, what do you see that tells you that it’s a good area?” I wish I had a dollar for every time one of my guys has asked that question. For starters, and a quick answer, I offer that conditions that can affect fishing are the first things you have to consider. After all, tides, wind direction and water conditions are factors that anybody can obtain easily. The real truth, though, is that one has to be way more observant, and getting the call right requires of the angler to visualize the unseen. Today in Mesquite Bay I had the opportunity to answer this question for a couple of anglers in a more in-depth way than ever before. The air temperature was 37° when we pulled away from the dock at Goose Island State Park. The water temperature was just above 50 degrees and the tide was extremely low and falling due to northwest wind. Over the several days prior, the tide had pushed up, allowing bait to work in closer to the shoreline. I like higher tides in the winter when wind switches to the north. A false tide is created for a few hours and windward shorelines sand up nicely allowing larger fish to slide into the cover of the off-colored water during feeding periods. These were the exact conditions that we had as
Incredibly fat slot redfish.
34 March 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 35
Texas Saltwater Fishing
Morning action along windward spoil bank.
we headed to our first destination. Local knowledge and thirtyplus years of doing this has its benefits. While I certainly have a reasonable idea of where I should go under such conditions, is this truly all that one needs to put himself in the right area? No, not hardly. Fact is, we’re still only scratching the surface. Easing toward the shoreline on the trolling motor, I commented on the water color change along the shoreline and a few terns hovering along that line. A wind-driven tidal line was causing a rippling effect on a point downwind of where the terns were studying the water. A quick glance at the water temperature gauge showed a 2° change for the positive from the colder waters of Aransas Bay. An osprey was perched on an old duck blind, tearing at a large mullet. The high pitched call of another osprey was heard and a quick observation found her eyeing something just upwind of the area where the terns were still hovering. “That’s it boys, right here,” I told my guys. “The fish are in the dirty water with the bait.” “What bait?” one of them asked. “The bait the osprey and terns are looking at?” “Nope,” I answered. “The birds see the fish, the trout and redfish; they’re waiting for them to push the bait to the top so they can grab breakfast.”
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a sk the p ro
Jay Watkins has been a full-time fishing guide at Rockport, TX, for more than 20 years. Jay specializes in wading year-round for trout and redfish with artificial lures. Jay covers the Texas coast from San Antonio Bay to Corpus Christi Bay. Phone Email Website
361-729-9596 Jay@jaywatkins.com www.jaywatkins.com
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Smirks all around – I could feel them even though I did not turn to confirm it. “Stand far enough offshore to where your longest cast lands right near the water’s edge,” I instructed. “DO NOT let the wind, waves or the fish we are about to catch draw you too close to the zone. Remember that article I wrote a while back?” I added for emphasis. Once in the water I saw a large black back rise to the surface and instantly a tern plunged and came up with what looked like some type of eel. Eels do their thing from about December through February, I’m told. A cast with the new 5” Die Dapper swimbait from Bass Assassin was met with a crisp double thump. A gaping yellow mouth attached to four pounds of winter-fat trout frothed the top of the water before coming to hand. For the next hour and a half it was a trout or a redfish bite on almost every cast. Not all were large but the call was right and a trout of a lifetime could have easily been caught in that location. So what was it that we saw that told us this was the spot? It was not just the water change nor was it the wind-driven current pushing around the point. Not the osprey munching on the morning’s catch. The terns, we see them all the time. How about that lone osprey chirping overhead trying to lay claim to her hunting grounds along our windward shoreline? All are pieces of the puzzle that when put together depict the perfect looking spot. For sure, experience and knowledge gained from years on the water contributed to the location selection process, but it was ALL of the signs that gave me confidence to get out and wade. Yes, at times, any single piece of the puzzle could have been the key to the success we had that day. Over the years individual clues have produced many successes. The key I think is not overlooking the single elements yet not being distracted by them either. For me, my money is on putting the most pieces of the puzzle together everyday. Given enough time on the water and a genuine effort towards training oneself to take notice of every detail will allow you to develop a mental picture of that perfect fishing spot. In closing, I would guess that by now all have heard the trout daily bag limit will not be reduced here on the middle coast. Personally, I have long believed that reducing the limit to five would be the right thing to do for our waters but I will harbor no bad feelings toward anyone who felt differently. I will not speak of it ever again. I’m going fishing and not going to worry about killing them. They say we have plenty!
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C a sey S m ar t t
F LY F I S H I N G D E P A R T M E N T
At first glance, modern sit-on-top kayaks seem to be a perfect match for fishermen. They are terrific watercraft for shallow flats, backwater marshes, and remote stretches of water. And few other boats, whether motored or poled, can match the stealthy efficient nature of the kayak. You can silently slip right up to the fish when you’re in one. When you add the fact kayaks don’t leave prop scars on the bottom or disrupt the neighborhood with noisy smoking engines, they seem like a slam dunk. And in many respects they are. But, just because kayaks do all these things well does not mean kayak fishing is easy. Kayaks will test you. They’ll tax your endurance and your decision making. When you are in a kayak, you alone are in charge of the outcome. At first, this is a little disconcerting, but it soon becomes liberating. It’s a great feeling. Having spent many years paddling and fishing from kayaks, I have made some good choices and a few I would like to have over again. Here are a few lessons that have stuck with me. Know Your Limits I remember the very first time I launched a kayak. I was excited, a little nervous, and frankly very curious how the whole thing would turn out. Once I got on the water I was amazed at how quickly I covered ground. It was almost effortless. Distant objects seemed easy to reach and the boat just zipped right along...piece of cake. Eventually, I swung the bow of the boat around and on the return trip I got a dose of kayak reality: Wind at your back is good. Wind in your face is bad. I made it back to the truck in one piece, but was keenly aware of how much strength and energy was required to paddle a loaded kayak into wind and choppy water. It was an important factor in the way I planned future trips.
video
Be Seen and Be Smart As the number of kayaks and power boats grows on the Texas Coast, near-misses between them have become more frequent. Unfortunately, close calls between power boats and kayaks often result in finger pointing and name calling from operators of both vessels. Power boaters argue that kayaks are hard to see and they paddle through busy boating lanes. Kayakers point out that power boats are at times operated carelessly and at unsafe speeds. There is some truth to both sides, but one thing is certain- in a collision between a power boat and a kayak, the dude in the kayak is going to lose. I might catch some heat for saying this but I believe it is true: You are ultimately responsible for your own well-being. Busy boat lanes and boat ramps are treacherous places for kayakers to be, especially on Saturday afternoons. Avoid them. You might have every “right” to paddle through a particular area, but that does not mean it’s a good idea. Entitlement has nothing to do with common sense, and as our waterways become increasingly congested, the issue will worsen. Yes it’s inconvenient, and we wish it was different, but that’s the way it is. Be smart on the water. You’ll Get Wet Within the kayaking arena, there is often a discussion of “wet boats” vs. “dry boats.” Boats touted as “dry” usually have raised floors, sleek hulls, or crafty scupper systems that combine to keep water out of the cockpit and off the butt of the angler onboard. And while it’s true some boats are certainly dryer than others, the reality is kayaking is a wet activity. A little splash here, a slosh or two there…you are going to get wet, and your stuff is going to get wet. Plan on it. Cell phones, cameras, wallets, and other valuables should be packed in a dry box if you value them. If you fish in cold weather, you’ll definitely want waders to keep warm and dry. My personal preference for kayaking is a pair of neoprene waders rather than loose fitting “breathables.” The reason I prefer neoprene is because they are insulated, buoyant, and their snug fit offers protection against catastrophic water penetration should the kayak roll in deep water. I am no authority on the matter, but I shutter at the thought of trying to crawl into an overturned kayak while wearing swamped/bellowed waders.
Check out Casey’s Fly Fishing Video Library at www.TSFMag.com
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Casting a Fly Rod is Tough! There are basically three ways to cast a fly rod from a kayak. You can sit with your feet forward and make a cast more or less over the bow. You can sit side-saddle and make a cast off the side of the boat. Or, you can stand up and cast. Unless you own an incredibly stable boat and are fishing in glassy conditions, forget about the standing up deal. It looks great in advertisements but is exceedingly difficult to execute. That leaves two “seated” options. My preference is to sit side-saddle. There are two reasons for this. First, in shallow water you can use your feet to crab-walk and keep the boat in a good position related to the target. Second, the side-saddle orientation makes all that loose fly line between casts easier to handle. You just let it slide over the side of the boat. I
If you are considering a kayak for fly fishing remember there is no such thing as a perfect boat. All vessels have strong and weak points, and each requires anglers to adapt and accept the good with the not-so-good. Kayaks are no different. They’ll make you work and make you think. They’ll also boost your self-confidence and give you a sense of freedom you won’t find elsewhere.
Casey Smartt has been fly fishing and tying flies for 30 years. When he cannot make it to the coast he is happy chasing fish on Texas inland lakes and rivers. Phone Email Website
830-237-6886 caseysmartt@att.net www.caseysmartt.com
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FlY Fish i nG depa rtMen t
find this much easier than trying to strip it into floor of the boat. It seems like it always ends up getting tangled there. Both positions will require you to maintain a high backcast. This is because when you are seated in a kayak it is as though you are wading waist-deep. The rod tip is close to the surface of the water and backcasts tend to slap the water unless they are kept high. Most anglers find they need considerable practice to make accurate consistent casts while sitting in a kayak. It can be tough. A fourth option is to slip the anchor over the side of the boat and hop out. This is probably the most simple and comfortable of all, assuming the depth and bottom is suitable for wading.
F I E L D
N O T E S
By Abigail Lashbrook | Brownsville Field Station
One does not expect to come face to face with a 7 ft. bull shark (Carcharinus leucas) at 7:30 am but there he was, a dark fin tip ominously emerging from below the surface near the white float on the gill net. As a summer intern for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Coastal Fisheries Division in Brownsville, Texas, I anticipated coming across a few strange organisms. Catching a large and angry bull shark in 4 ft of water at a well-known wading spot, however, was a little more than I had bargained for. Henry Gonzalez and Melinda Dunks, even as experienced technicians, were still a bit hesitant to bring the thrashing shark aboard. As we discussed the safest way to measure and record the giant, a huge tail struck the bow of the boat and sent up a wall of water. A loud ripping sound quickly followed. The bull shark had grown restless and torn his way out of the 4 in. mesh section of the 600 ft gill net. All we were left with was a gaping hole to repair once we returned to the station. As we recorded the rest of our catch (mainly red drum,
38 March 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 39
Texas Saltwater Fishing
spotted seatrout, and hardheads) I thought about how I often take our unique coastal ecosystem for granted. Just when you think you understand the lower Laguna Madre, a shark reminds you that there are surprises still swimming out there. Fortunately, we did not encounter any other unexpected sea creatures in the rest of our pick ups that day. We finished collecting the rest of our gill nets, double checked our water samples, and safely stowed all the gear and equipment. As we headed back to the boat ramp I took time to enjoy the bright, clear morning sky and calm seas. A job really could not get much better than this. Thanks to an avid sportsman as a father, I’ve grown accustomed to rising and being ready to work before the sunrise, which is a desirable characteristic for the type of work TPWD entails. Although not all of our spring gill nets contained unusual species like the bull shark, all of the nets (averaging 3-5 nets a week for ten weeks straight) had to be collected no later than an hour after sunrise, meaning work
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Fiel d notes Working to collect a bag seine sample in the Arroyo
days started at 5:30 am. Running perpendicular to the shoreline, our 600 ft nets collected an accurate representation of the diversity and abundance of species in the area. Besides gill nets, our research consisted of several other sampling procedures divided into two categories. Harvest sampling is comprised of creel surveys, which are done by interviewing anglers to determine fishing pressures at local boat ramps and identify which species of fish are targeted in the lower Laguna Madre. The other category, resource sampling, required hands-on field work utilizing bay and gulf trawls, bag seines, and gill nets. I learned that both types of sampling are crucial to understanding and managing an ecosystem. Essentially, creel surveys allow TPWD biologists to estimate what is being removed from the bay and gulf by recreational fisherman. Resource sampling helps determine how marine species are subsisting and what is available for harvest. Our research, both creel surveys and resource sampling, is double checked for accuracy and before being entered in the coastwide data base. The combined data helps determine Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!
Texas Saltwater Fishing
www.TSFMAG.com / March 2011 39
Conducting a harvest interview in Port Mansfield, TX
fishing regulations in order to maintain a balanced environment along the Texas coastline. Throughout the summer I looked forward to every day’s experiences whether it was the thrill of feeling the sun on my shoulders as Melinda and I pulled bag seines along shorelines, or
40 March 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 41
Texas Saltwater Fishing
learning scientific names from John as we recorded samples in the lab. Everyday was a new opportunity to learn from the crew in Brownsville and I was never turned down when I had a question. I learned the value of teamwork and patience when working aboard a vessel. More importantly, I realized the value of TPWD’s work. I thought it would be a fun experience to work outside for a summer, but as I return to the fall semester at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi my knowledge takes on a deeper meaning. Growing up in the Rio Grande Valley, I have always utilized the pristine coastal resources without a second thought to conserving our beautiful bay system. After my internship however, I feel that the research and sampling I helped with contributed to preserving our unique ecosystem for the enjoyment and enrichment of future generations of outdoorsman, or outdoorswomen in some cases.
Check the TPWD Outdoor Annual, your local TPWD Law Enforcement office, or www.tpwd.state.tx.us for more information.
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Women in the Wild 3rd Annual Outdoor Women’s Event April 30th and May 1st, 2010
The mission of this event is to provide women a safe and fun environment in which to familiarize themselves with some of the many outdoor recreational opportunities in the Coastal Bend. The intent is to help women become familiar with new activities without pressure to master any one thing. Personally, I find it difficult to learn from my husband or other close male relatives and seek to help women similarly afflicted. This is a Texas Outdoor Women’s Network (T.O.W.N.) Rockport Chapter event and club membership is not required to attend. Learn more www.townrockport.org. “Women in the Wild” also has a dedicated Facebook page that delivers updates on event status and provides a short video clip from last year’s event. This is a two day event with two courses offered each day. Women
will select four classes from the following list: Firearms (shotguns and bb guns) taught by Game Wardens, fly fishing taught by Chuck Naiser, kayaking by Seaworthy Marine, outdoor photography by John Martell, boat operation and equipment by Chris’s Marine, fishing, archery, game processing, camping, self defense, first aid, and Dutch oven cooking. These are all hands-on courses to allow the women to apply the skills that they have learned. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided along with non-alcoholic beverages. Dinner will also be provided on Saturday night during the mixer at Poorman’s Country Club. This is a day camp situation with women acquiring their own lodging. Register before March 15 and pay $125; registration after that date will be $150. Participation will be limited to 100 women, at least 21 years of age. Early registration will assure that you can sign up for your preferred classes. Registration can be completed online at www.townrockport.org with a small service fee or forms can be printed and mailed. Brandi Reeder | Texas Game Warden | (361)790-2611
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CONSERVATION PAGE
ContinUes to sUpport
Two years ago, as southern flounder stocks in Texas continued to decline, CCA Texas decided that something needed to be done to reverse the trend. Since then, CCA Texas has actively pushed for the regulation changes and scientific research needed to begin the recovery process of the species. In addition, these efforts have been backed by $63,000 in funding to Texas Parks Wildlife Department (TPWD) and University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) over the last two years. During the fall flounder run, heavy concentrations of flounder stage in channels and passes as they prepare to enter the Gulf of Mexico to spawn. This pattern has long made the species susceptible to angling pressure, and CCA Texas sought to lessen this pressure with regulation changes. After pushing for bag limit reductions, a fall gigging closure with the rod and reel fishery remaining open, CCA Texas applauded TPWD’s decision to lower commercial and recreational bag limits by 50%, close gigging in the month of November, and left the rod and reel fishery open year round. These regulation changes, adopted in November of 2009, have taken a great deal of stress off of Texas’s flounder stocks during their annual fall run. Another factor that has prevented the improvement of flounder stocks in the past has been their inability to successfully reproduce in captivity. This has prevented any viable restocking efforts by TPWD. As a result, CCA Texas has funded the purchase of new flounder tanks, egg collectors, temperature control equipment, and filtration systems for Sea Center Texas, and the CCA/CPL Marine Development Center in Flour Bluff to combat the issues that have kept these fish from spawning in captivity in the past. Thus far, these efforts have culminated in 98,000 flounder larvae at the Marine Development Center in Flour Bluff, and 350,000 at Sea Center Texas in Lake Jackson. Thousands of these larvae will grow into fingerlings and will eventually be released into Texas bays. CCA Texas also purchased a flounder boat for TPWD for the effective collection of brood fish to be used at these hatcheries. CCA Texas is confident that these measures will help improve the condition of flounder in our state, and is dedicated to the recovery of this invaluable sport fish. Banquet Season is Kicking Off CCA Texas has kicked off its annual banquet fundraising season with two banquets in February and three more on the books for March. These events are important to the success of the organization and every dollar raised at these events stays in 42 March 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 43
Texas Saltwater Fishing
the state of Texas for important conservation work carried out by the organization. Be sure to check the CCA calendar online at www.ccatexas.org for the next upcoming event in your area. • March 10, 2011 – Brazos Valley Brazos Center, Bryan, TX • March 10, 2011 – Sabine-Neches Port Arthur Civic Center, Port Arthur, TX • March 24, 2011 – Colorado Valley Knights of Columbus Hall, La Grange, TX • March 31, 2011 – Brazoria County Lake Jackson Civic Center, Lake Jackson, TX • March 31, 2011 – Texas A&M Brazos Center, Bryan, TX March is Beach Cleanup Month The Billy Sandifer Big Shell Beach Cleanup will be held Saturday March 19, 2011. Volunteers will meet at the Padre Island National Seashore Malaquite Pavilion. The workforce caravan will leave at 7:00 a.m., get there earlier if you can. Volunteers are encouraged to bring their four-wheel-drive vehicles and bring a trailer if you can to help haul trash. Transportation will be provided for volunteers without four-wheel-drive vehicles. Sturdy clothing is recommended; long pants, hiking shoes, warm jackets, gloves, etc. Bring a snack, bottled water will be provided. All volunteers will return to Malaquite at 2:00 p.m. where refreshments will be available. More information is available at www.billysandifer.com. The Port Mansfield Beach Cleanup created and organized by Miller and Kathie Bassler and originally associated with the Billy Sandifer Big Shell Beach Cleanup will be in its third year and has been doing a bang up job on the southern end of the Padre Island National Seashore. As the scope and size of this cleanup effort has increased it has been decided this worthy event is ready to fly on its own. This event will take place on Saturday, March 26, 2011. Volunteers will be meeting at the Port Mansfield Chamber of Commerce pavilion. Of course that doesn’t keep folks from the Corpus Christi area from driving down to the jetties in their beach vehicles, helping out, and then fishing on their way back north when the work is done. More information can be obtained by emailing Miller Bassler at miller@basslerenergyservices.com. Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!
2011
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Texas Saltwater Fishing
*POC Bash 3/12 – 3/13 (deadline: 3/1) www.TSFMAG.com / March 2011 43
Capt. S cott Null
K A Y A K
F I S H I N G
Hopefully by the time you read this we’ll be well on our way into the spring warm-up, but right now I’m holed-up in the house tying flies and nervously watching the water temps fall all along the coast. Having been around this block a few times I sure hate to think that we’re going to suffer through times like we had after the last deep freezes. All we can do at this point in time is hope and pray that the trout and reds got wind of the front and scurried to some deep water refuge. Well enough of the doom and gloom, I’ve got a new kayak to look forward to using once this weather breaks. I’ve been sampling boats from the Hobie line-up over the last couple of months, taking the rental boats from the fleet at Fishing Tackle Unlimited. The common advice to all new kayak buyers is to always try before you buy and I’m taking that oft dispensed advice to heart. I want a kayak that is versatile enough to cover a lot of different situations. My traveling and love for sampling all that Texas has to offer means that I might be on a shallow grassy flat, way back in the marsh or perhaps a mile or two off the beach chasing kings. In the past I’ve kept a stable of yaks, each with a specific purpose to cover a certain situation. I’m now trying hard to simplify. We’ll see how long that lasts,
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Texas Saltwater Fishing
but for now I think I’ve located the right boat for my needs. I figured I’d let you guys in on the process to see how I’ve arrived at my decision and hopefully give some insight into a few kayaks you might want to water test for yourself. I started off with the latest offering, the Pro Angler. Hobie considers this more of a small boat than a kayak, but it is sort of a hybrid between a sit-on-top kayak and a one-man boat. Very cool concept. It certainly has its uses and I really enjoyed my time in it. On the plus side it has a ton of storage. A guy who likes to bring along a good bit of gear would absolutely love this thing. On this day I had plans for bringing home a few fish for dinner so I put a 20lb bag of ice in the tub under the front hatch along with several drinks. There was still plenty of room for my limit of mid-slot reds. I likely could have added in a few trout, but I had redfish on the half-shell stuck in my head. It is a super wide kayak coming in at 38 inches which makes it a super stable platform for standing and sight-casting on the flats. I really liked being able to pole around without fear of falling. And by the way, the seat is awesome. If you have issues sitting in the typical kayak seat due to back problems or just plain advancing age you might Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!
Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!
Texas Saltwater Fishing
www.TSFMAG.com / March 2011 45
kaYak Fishi nG
want to give this a try. The downside for me was in getting where I like to go. It is set up with the Mirage Drive which works great in deeper water, but once I reached the back lakes I had to pull the fins up. That left me with two options, paddle or pole. Well to be honest, it isn’t exactly built for easy paddling and covering large areas of shallow marsh by poling doesn’t always mesh with the plan. I can certainly see where guys fishing the open bay or beachfront could really use this boat. And those who chase bass would love it. I’d love to have one for those situations, but unfortunately that wouldn’t fit into my simplification scheme. I went the complete opposite direction with the next test. I picked up the smallest of their options for fishing, a Hobie Outback. I knew that this was a fairly popular model along the Texas coast and figured it was worth a shot. This one is a touch over 12 feet and 33” wide. The short length makes it good for maneuvering and the extra width gives it great stability. I could easily stand up and fish which is a big deal for me as I really enjoy sight-casting. The added height allows for better visibility into the water. The downside for me with this one was the deeper seating area and higher sides. I like to sit sideways while drift fishing and that wasn’t really comfortable. If you only did this occasionally then I’d advise giving this one a look, but I probably spend as much time sitting sideways as I do facing forward so that was a deal breaker. I also knew that I really wanted a longer boat for crossing open water. The next trip was going to involve crossing a good deal of open water to reach a marsh area. For this I chose their longest kayak, the Adventure. I’ve always liked the longer, touring-style siton-tops having paddled a Tarpon 160 for many years. The Adventure is a smooth running boat that tracks like an arrow. I would expect that from a 16’ boat with a width of 27.5”, but what I hadn’t expected was the speed I could get using the Mirage Drive. I didn’t bring a GPS that day so I can’t give you the exact data, but I know I was moving faster than any paddling I’ve ever done. It just slices through the water. Once I got in the area, I folded up the fins and picked up the paddle. It was just as nice to paddle as it was to peddle. Sitting sideways was very comfortable, but standing up to fish wasn’t really an option. No real surprise given the narrow beam. So…too big, too small and too narrow. On to the kayak I had in mind when all of this started, the Revolution. At 13.5’ length and a width of
28.5” I figured this kayak would do most everything I need. After spending an afternoon on the water paddling, peddling and fishing I was convinced that this was what I was looking for. The day was windy and I crossed some open water to see how it would handle. The tracking was good and it rode over the waves without drenching me. The speed using the Mirage Drive wasn’t quite as fast as in the Adventure, but still faster than paddling in other kayaks. Paddling and maneuvering the boat was about what I would expect in a boat of this length. Sitting sideways was comfortable and the stability was solid. I could stand up in the calm water of the marsh and although it wasn’t as easy as the wider boats, I’m pretty confident I can use it this way when needed. I really like this kayak as an all-around fishing platform. It probably didn’t hurt my opinion on the boat when I found a
bunch of reds on the feed just prior to this cold front. Ten solid fish in a short afternoon trip will do that. The Revolution is a good all-around kayak that may not be the absolutely perfect boat for every type of fishing I like to do, but no single kayak could be. When looking for a kayak you need to understand that every kayak is a compromise on some level. You
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Texas Saltwater Fishing
ContaCt
can’t have the ultimate in speed and stability in the same boat. For my uses the Revolution has plenty of speed for covering a lot of water, enough stability to stand up or feel quite comfortable fishing far from the beach and it’s comfortable enough to fish all day. If I could have two boats I’d likely choose the Adventure and the Pro Angler, the two boats at the far ends of Hobie’s offerings. But that isn’t what I set out to do. I want a kayak that I can throw in the bed of the truck and head down the coast on a week-long exploring trip and know that it’ll cover all the bases. Now my only fear is whether there will still be plenty of fish out there to slime the new kayak when this cold snap breaks.
Capt. Scott Null is a devout shallow water fisherman offering guided adventues via kayak, poled skiff, and wading.
Phone 281-450-2206 Website www.letsgofishing.net
Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!
Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!
Texas Saltwater Fishing
www.TSFMAG.com / March 2011 47
S c o tt S om m er latte
ACCORDING TO SCOTT
Looking back at my childhood, I realize how truly blessed I have been. You see, unlike the kiddos today, my friends and I had all the room and freedom to roam. In fact, except for Saturday morning cartoons and a program called Emergency, I do not remember watching much television. Our parents felt that it was safe for us to get on our bikes and disappear for the day and we were allowed to come back as dirty and skinned-up as we wanted. Since those days way back when, populations have grown almost exponentially and, with this boom in population, has come the need for more housing. And, the need for more housing means less wilderness and less wilderness means fewer fishing holes; in short, progress has taken its toll on the lives of children all over this county. Happy to be the first to arrive because I would get first pick of the few open areas to cast from, I quickly rigged my rod. Now I do not exactly know how I remember this, but I do and am glad for it. That day, for some reason, I rigged this goofy yellow worm (a whole other story in itself) that I had in my pocket Texas style, but without a weight. On my first cast of the day, I tossed the worm out to a grass bed just offshore and started working it back just under the surface. When the worm was about halfway back, I saw a green flash in the clear water and reared back. The hookset provided me with a great show as the bass leaped several times flaring its bright red gills and shaking its head. Moments later
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Texas Saltwater Fishing
I lipped the five pound bass and stared at the yellow worm wondering what the heck that fish thought it was. Shortly thereafter my friends arrived and we fished until dark, but with no success. Incidentally, a few days later I went back with three more of those yellow worms to try to fool another bass. I was riding down the bike trail through the woods that lead to our little honey-hole only to notice that, the dark trail had an unrecognizable bright light at the end of the tunnel. I pulled my bike up next to my buddies and we watched in horror as a bull-dozer pushed dirt into our pond. Now someone’s home is built on my fishing-hole. That little bass pond, that was less than a mile from my childhood home, was the first of many fishing holes that I watched disappear in the name of progress. The next was a place called Shy Pond, although it was not filled in completely and remained decent for a short time after being developed. Originally, it was a wooded pond with dirt bike trails running to and from in many directions and it was a place where three to five pound bass were a dime a dozen and there were even quite a few that were on the plus side of seven. Back in those days, all that was needed to get a tug on the line was the ability to toss a white spinnerbait. Then one day the bull-dozers moved in and a year or two later, half of the pond was residential back yards and the other half was a city park. Like I said before, fishing remained good for a while. In fact, I had a friend, Bryan Hopkins, who if I remember right, pulled a thirteen pounder from there long after it was developed. However, like every other secret fishing hole that is shared with too many, the fishing declined and Shy Pond is now nothing more than a place to go feed bread to ducks. I could of course go on and on with examples but I will get to the point. I recently saw data presented by the TPWD that shows, despite the drastic increase in the state’s population, fishing license sales have remained relatively flat. How can that be? Well the reason is clear- kids do not go fishing anymore and they do not have the chance to fall in love with it. For one, there are fewer and fewer places for them to do so unsupervised as children. Two, it is not as safe anymore. Where I once had miles upon miles of backwoods to ride my bike through to get to my fishing holes, kids now days would have to cross numerous highly traveled roads and I have not even touched Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!
aCCorDING To sCoTT
on the subject of the number of freaks out there that would do a child harm. Then there is the litigious factor. Although not as wild and wondrous as they once were, there are still places to fish. The problem lies in property owner’s, whether private or corporate, fear of liability. A law-suit happy society is another downfall of what many like to call progress and has kept many children away from some great fishing holes and character building adventure. I have said it many times, had it not been for fishing and hunting, I would have probably ended up in jail or, at the least, cost my parents a lot of money that they did not have keeping me out of jail. I personally like the fact that our bays are not more crowded but, I also recognize the fact that the sport I love so much has no future if the children of today do not learn to love it. We need to find a way to get children out fishing more and teach them to love and respect the resource. We need to do it for our sake and more importantly- theirs. Wishing you all the best. . . and stuff like that!
Contact
Scott Sommerlatte is a full time fly fishing and light tackle guide, freelance writer and photographer. Telephone 979-415-4379 Email vssommerlatte@hotmail.com Website www.scottsommerlatte.com
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Texas Saltwater Fishing
www.TSFMAG.com / March 2011 49
Jake Had d ock
YOUTH FISHING
TEXAS SALTWATER
One of the things about fishing the flats of the mid-Texas coast is that you better either have a shallow running boat or a high endurance for wade fishing. Since there are so many islands and small areas of scattered land mass, there is a lot of shallow water that is only accessible with a flats boat. I’m not saying that if you have a deep drafting boat you can’t get into some good fishing. That is the farthest thing from the truth. However, for the type of fishing I like to do it is necessary from time to time to cross a mere few inches of water. About five years ago when my family and I decided Port O’Connor was where we wanted to spend the majority of our fishing time, we sold our v-hull bay fishing boat. Then after a lot of research and price shopping we purchased an 18’5” Flats Cat. The boat was everything we were looking for. It is dry riding, would get up and run in shallow water, and takes open water
Note how little of the prop and lower unit extend below the hull of a Flats Cat.
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Texas Saltwater Fishing
surprisingly well. This boat was perfect for fishing the middle coast. After we began fishing with the boat in Port O’ Connor, we were able to discover a lot of fishing grounds that we were never able to get to before. That was when I found my favorite way to fish; up in the shallow flats. There are a couple of reasons why a Flats Cat performs so well. One is the oversized full length tunnel that allows a ton of water flow to the motor. This is crucial for running and getting up in shallow water. Next, is that the pontoons of the hull are flat. There’s not a v-point sticking in the water, which allows more of a truly level weight displacement. The reason why the oversized tunnel helps you get up in the shallow flats is because it funnels a lot of water to the prop. The way we do a shallow water take off is to do what my family and I call, loading the tunnel. First, everyone in the boat, except the driver, gets on the “pivot point,” or where the bend of the bow starts to straighten out. This is usually right about where your cooler is, in front of the console. Then, put the motor partially up on the jack-plate and mostly trimmed in. Start forward into the wind, and make sure everyone is holding on. Turn the wheel to the left to make a half circle or until you feel the tunnel fill up with water then, increase your RPMs and you should start to come on a plane, and everyone can return to their normal seating. You always go in a counterclockwise circle because your prop is turning in the opposite direction. Thus, you are using the thrust of the prop to your advantage. The skill of getting a boat up in shallow water is not as easy as it sounds. Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!
The Flats®Cat is basically a catamaran hull that runs exceptional shallow without churning bottom yet provides a smooth and dry ride in bay chop. (Photo courtesy Flats®Cat Boat Co.)
Anyone can get one of these boats up in three feet of water, but if you’ve been around the marsh a time or two and know what you’re doing, you can get a Flats Cat up in one foot of water without chewing up the bottom or damaging your prop. Once you get the boat up and get on a plane, you can jack the motor mostAd.7.5x4.875 of the way up and1/5/11 trim it halfway Inshore 2:55 out. PM Then Pageyou 1 have the ability to run in four inches of water, or less momentarily if
Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!
need be. I remember one particular trip when I was with my uncle Mitchell in his gray Flats Cat. We were attempting to run in a back lake. The tide was out and we came around a corner that was a dead end. We were only in about five or six inches of water so we didn’t have a lot of motor in the water and couldn’t do a full turn around. The only other exit was a few inches deep with a mud bar nearly exposed and covered by only an inch or two. He said, “Hold on,” and I did. We gained speed and trimmed the motor out some more. I thought we were about to get stuck big time, but we didn’t. We cleared the mud bar and got slightly airborne for a second. The prop even came out of the water momentarily spraying a mist of water. Once the prop regained its grip in the water, it didn’t skip a beat and we continued on through the back lake. After that we were able to get out of the back lake and back to the bay front. This was by far the coolest boat ride I’ve ever experienced. A Flats Cat is by no means a “go fast” boat, or a technical polling skiff. It is a lean mean redfish machine. It will take you into the back corners of the marsh, but also keep you dry as you cross the open swells of the bay. If you ever get a chance take a ride on one, if you haven’t already, I think you will be impressed.
Texas Saltwater Fishing
www.TSFMAG.com / March 2011 51
YoUTh fIshING
THROUGH YOUTHFUL EYES
Mike Jennings
TEXAS NEARSHORE & OFFSHORE
Long about spring break lots of folks get the fishing bug. Even though daytime air temperatures will be pleasant most of the time, water temps do not warm as quickly making for a few more weeks of winter-style fishing. Speaking of winter fishing, this winter brought another stellar wahoo and grouper bite. From a fisherman’s point of view wahoo numbers are currently as good as ever, world-class some say, and the bite should hold strong for another eight weeks or so as they move in off the shelf to their shallower spring time pattern. With some species going through what seems a decline in overall numbers the wahoo fishery off the upper Texas coast is a blessing. The only downer is that most of the winter hotspots lie in excess of 100 nautical miles from either Freeport or Galveston. However as the days lengthen and the water temperature begins to rise, they will move to within easier reach. Most avid offshore fishermen are familiar with the places where kingfish begin to show up first. Places with large scattered live bottom in the 150 to 180 foot range. As these kingfish begin to show, the wahoo will too. The trick to
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targeting wahoo amid kingfish is presenting baits that kingfish don’t want to tackle, but even this doesn’t always work. There are times when no matter how big you go the kings still crash the party. I am still of the opinion that there is no bait like live bait when it comes to large predators and live is always my go-to
Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!
when I can put my hands on it. If its not available, or the kingfish dine on it before the wahoo get a chance, don’t hesitate to experiment with anything that you can pull in excess of about seven knots. While slower baits will defiantly catch wahoo, it has been my experience that slower presentations trigger more bites from the kingfish when they are thick and aggressive. With that said, if you are convinced the wahoo are there; throw everything including the kitchen sink. I have fed a dead sardine to many wahoo eating chum at the side of the boat. As with mackerel in general the only definite rule is that there are no rules, only preferences on a given day. The worst mistake you can make is
Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!
Texas Saltwater Fishing
www.TSFMAG.com / March 2011 53
Texas Nearshore & offshore
sticking to one bait or one approach simply because it worked the last time. Springtime also brings thoughts of the yearly migration of cobia that is just around the corner. Everyone’s eyes will be on Florida as we move forward to see what the numbers are like this year. Last year’s migration was concentrated in and about the Mississippi Delta when the Deepwater Horizon blew and for the most part they never seemed to make it to the Texas coast. During early June I usually catch four or five cobia a day. Last year I struggled to even see four or five a week. We can only speculate as to whether the oil spill killed a portion of the cobia population or if it just altered their pattern for the year. We can’t even get a decent read on how many fish stayed east of the Mississippi due to the fact that no one was fishing over there. I am looking to the early cobia tournaments along the Florida Panhandle to be
Contact
a gauge this year and I will be doing so with my fingers crossed, hoping to see reports of good numbers more so than who walked away with a paycheck. Another notable change to keep in mind as we go into this year will be the recreational closure on gag grouper. NOAA Fisheries Service announced a temporary rule effective January 1, 2011 that set the recreational bag limit for gags at zero. Gag is considered overfished (population too low) and undergoing overfishing (rate of removal too high.) The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act requires that overfished stocks be rebuilt and that overfishing be halted. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council requested NOAA Fisheries Service implement this temporary rule to address overfishing while they developed a long-term rebuilding plan. The Council stated from the start that it was their intent, when requesting this temporary rule, that there should be a recreational
harvest of gag in 2011; however, this season will be developed in future amendments. Thus we are left with a closed season until the amendments take place. I am optimistic that we will see some sort of recreational season set for 2011 during the April meeting of the Gulf Council in Orange Beach, Alabama. This is my glass half full talking here, but in light of the fact that the commercials will be allowed to harvest a 100,000 pound quota in 2011, I don’t see the council sitting on their hands for long. With all the uncertainties in our seasons and speculations of the oil spill impact on the long-term health of our fisheries, we have to wonder where we are headed. Well, I know where I’m headed. I’m headed right out the end of that jetty at every opportunity to enjoy one of the strongest and most diverse fisheries on the planet. We may face some challenging times ahead as we balance our fishing opportunities with our long-term conservation goals, but it is all part of keeping this fishery strong for the foreseeable future. If last summer’s stellar fishing, even during the height of the oil disaster, was any indication of what we can look forward to this year, we are in great shape.
Captain Mike Jennings is a professional charter captain with more than 25 years offshore experience. Mike is the owner/ operator of Cowboy Charters in Freeport TX and is known locally for running further and fishing harder for his clients. Telephone Email Website
979-864-9439 texassportfishing@gmail.com www.cowboycharters.com
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54 March 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 55
Texas Saltwater Fishing
Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!
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Texas Saltwater Fishing
www.TSFMAG.com / March 2011 55
F I S H Y
F A C T S
Stephanie Boyd
Marine Fish C olo ration “When you see a fish, you don’t think of its scales, do you? You think of its speed, its floating, [flickering] body seen through the water ...the flash of its spirit.” Constantin Brancusi, Romanian sculptor (1876-1957) What makes catching a mahi-mahi memorable? It’s fighting spirit, of course, and the flashing displays of color. Does anything compare to these brilliant hues? From these striking colors, the mahi-mahi derives another of its common names: dorado (meaning gold, or golden, in Spanish). Beside this fish, even some of the bright fish of the tropics pale. But what makes the dorado, or redfish, or flounder, or any fish, colorful? In their skin, fish contain specialized cells called chromatophores. There are two types of chromatophores: those that absorb light and those that reflect light. Chromatophores that absorb light contain pigments and include melanophores (black and brown), erythrophores (red), and xanthophores (yellow). Chromatophores that reflect light include leucophores (white) and iridophores (silvery). These cells are responsible for fish coloration. The
combination and overlapping of these cells creates the “overall palette of fish colors,” a complete spectrum across the species.1 So if genetics are responsible for the variety of colors, why are several fish of the same species and gender different colors? That really dark red redfish must have had a little too much sun, right? No, many fish can actually change their colors (flamboyantly evident in the mahi-mahi). When a pigmentcontaining chromatophore expands, the pigment is pushed to the top skin surface, and the color is visible. When it contracts, the pigment is pulled to the center of the cell, away from the surface, and the color is not visible. So a dark red redfish has expanded most or all of the pigment in its skin, and a pale one has contracted all of it. Similarly, the yellow visible on the mahi-mahi is a result of the yellow spectrum being reflected by light-reflecting chromatophores; different spectrums can be reflected to produce different colors. Why do fish change their color? Obviously not to match a new pair of shoes... No, there are a couple main reasons: camouflage (resembling the environment or other creatures) and advertisement (look at me! look at me!).
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Texas Saltwater Fishing
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signal to the ladies: reproductive services now available.4 Of course, there are some other circumstances that cause color change, such as stress, pH balance, and salinity. A frightened fish produces adrenaline, which can cause pigment-containing chromatophores to contract, leaving a dull appearance.3 Temperature may have some effect, causing pigment to expand in response to cold and contract in response to heat.5 Deterioration of cells after death can also cause changes in coloration.6 That’s the why. Now the how. You know that color is caused by the contracting, expanding, and reflecting functions of chromatophores. But how are those cell actions triggered? Is it something the fish is aware and in control of? Could a flounder choose to be dark brown on a light tan bottom? No, there are two types of color change causes: physiological and morphological. Let’s look at physiological. There are two types of physiological color change responses: primary (controlled by the nervous system) and secondary (controlled by the endocrine, or hormonal, system). Both types occur quickly and are not permanent. Primary responses are a result of direct interaction between the chromatophores and light (no eyes involved). Light hits the fish’s skin; chromatophores react. Secondary responses are a bit more complicated, involving the eyes and the environment around the fish. The number of expanded chromatophores is calculated by a ratio: the amount of direct light perceived by the eye to the amount and quality of light
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fIshY faCTs
Camouflage is the most popular reason, and the purpose of blending in comes down to one relationship: predator vs. prey. If you’re a tasty-looking flounder looking to avoid being a shark’s mid-morning snack, it just won’t do to wear your best black coat while lying around on a beige sand bottom. By turning a light, sandy color, adopting a grainy pattern to match the bottom, and stirring up some sand around its fins, the flounder can hide from the view of any impolite passerby. Similarly, if that same flounder wants to snag a passing shrimp to be its next meal, it uses a hidden element of surprise. And if the next day, the flounder camps out in a sketchier side of town, it can turn virtually any shade brown (including nearly black and nearly white) and mimic most patterns, even checkered, to hide out.2 A common type of camouflage employed in deeper waters is counter-shading. Since open-water fish, such as tuna, may have predators and prey both below and above them, they have to blend in from either view. This is accomplished by expanding their melanophores on top and capitalizing on iridophores underneath. From above, they match the darker depths, and from below, they match the silvery surface. The two types of chromatophores gradually merge on the fish’s side.3 Advertisement is the second main reason for color change. This is when the fish wants to be seen. Poisonous fish often rely on being brightly colored as a warning, rather than trying to hide from predators. Colorful patterns can also specify territory disputes between neighbors, sexual readiness, or even job titles (such as cleaner fish). Male redfish, during spawning, turn dark red or bright bluish-gray above the lateral line and pale white underneath as a
“reflecting on the eye from the background.”3 Plus, chemicals and hormones in the body, such as adrenaline or estrogen, will cause a chromatophores reaction. So the fish is not consciously causing these reactions. Now the morphological causes of chromatophore change. Morphological color changes happen much slower, take much longer to complete, and are usually permanent. These changes are often inherent to growth, such as a flounder developing a white belly and brown back as it grows from larva to adult.7 Young trout have vertical or horizontal bar colorations on their sides as camouflage in their nursery stream habitat but will develop silvery sides and a blue or green back when they breach adult waters.8 The pigment itself comes from the fish’s diet. Fish can’t spontaneously create pigment in their skin; it’s second-hand color passed down from what they’ve consumed in their environment: recycling in one of it’s most beautiful forms.9 Some birds also make use of the pigment in their diet; roseate spoonbills have a pinkish color derived from the shrimp they feed on. Whew, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes in the mahimahi’s show. Makes you appreciate the intricate details Mother Nature engineered in the amazing animals of our oceans (or bays). Now you can enjoy that beautifully dark red redfish without worrying about whether he has some sun block at home.
<http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/salmon/chum/chum_colors.html>.
Footnotes
9 Terry Cusick, “Where’d the Color Come From,” North Florida
1 Jim Ames and Steve Schroder, “Chum Salmon Colors,”
Koi Club, 24 Jan. 2011 <http://www.nfkc.info/nfkconliine/ Where%27d%20the%20color%20come%20from.htm>.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 24 Jan. 2011
58 March 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 59
Texas Saltwater Fishing
2 “Flounder,” How Stuff Works, 24 Jan. 2011 <http://animals.
howstuffworks.com/fish/flounder-info.htm>. 3 Bob Fenner, “The Physiology and Behavior of Color in Fishes,”
Wet Web Media, 24 Jan. 2011 <http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ aqscisubwebindex/coloration.htm>. 4 Dr. Charles Wenner, “Red Drum: Natural History and Fishing
Techniques in South Carolina” (South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, 1992) 6, 16. 5 Dietrich C. Smith, “The Effects of Temperature Changes on
Chromatophores” 200. 6 Dr. Lee A. Fuiman, Marine Science Institute, Email interview, 31
Jan. 2011. 7 “Biological Info: Southern Flounder,” Louisiana Fisheries, 24
Jan. 2011 <http://www.lsu.edu/seagrantfish/biological/misc/ southernflounder.htm>. 8 “Color, Light, Sound, and Electricity,” ReoCities, 24 Jan. 2011
<http://reocities.com/RainForest/5530/fishes/ch19/ch19no02. html>.
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Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!
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DICKIe CoLBUrN’s Sabine Scene You can tie on darn near any lure in your tackle box and if you are close enough to reach the water you can catch a redfish on Sabine. DICKIe CoLBUrN That bite has not slowed down all winter long, even in the face of Dickie Colburn is a full time guide some seriously cold weather and out of Orange, Texas. Dickie has has only gotten stronger as surface 37 years experience guiding on temperatures begin to recover. Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes. It was that way throughout the spring and summer, but that bite Telephone 409-883-0723 usually slows down at least a little Website in the winter. Not this year! www.sabineconnection.com On the coldest of days with surface temperatures stuck in the mid-forties and low tides sucking the bottom out of the lake, we were still catching obscene numbers of reds in less than three feet of water. There was and still is no need to waste Corkys or swimbaits as they will hit anything you drag in front of them. I long ago learned to never complain about any bite, but the hordes of redfish have made it especially difficult to pattern solid trout this winter. Last year we could at least catch a few big trout wading the
shallow flats before the redfish would move in and scatter them. This year, rather than compete with the rowdy bullies for their next meal, the trout have apparently taken up residence in a little deeper water and we have done far better drift fishing than wading. Even after discovering that the better concentrations of trout were ganged up in deeper water, we have caught very few fish in the sevenpound class. Most of the trout we are catching, however, are twenty to twenty-four inch fish and that makes it a little difficult to seek out Eric Poole with another big red that slowed down the trout catching!
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saBINe greener pastures. The few been glow-chartreuse, trout that we have caught pumpkin-chartreuse and and released over seven Dustin Galmor morning glory. caught this nice trout pounds were taken in the Don’t overlook the north drifting deeper water. deeper water as well. and south revetment walls this While you have to month as you can fish from six inches develop confidence in any to six feet deep in the span of five feet and the trout patrol lure to consistently catch fish these rocks throughout the day. When they are hustling with it, there is no doubt that mullet just beneath the surface and tight to the wall, a Assassin’s new Dapper Die She Dog, Swimming Image or Catch 2000 is hard to beat. has been as much a part of Your favorite tail rigged on a 1/4 ounce head works well our success as the move to when they are holding at the base of the rocks. Regardless deeper water. It has been a of water clarity, for some reason opening night is a game changer since day one and works best for us when rigged on an consistently good color when fishing the walls. 1/8 ounce Pro-Elite head. The wild card this time of the year is drifting the deeper oyster reefs The sculpted body is more detailed, but it’s the larger profile that on the south end of the lake, but thus far that program has been slow makes this bait so lethal. Its unique shape all but eliminates any rollover at best. It is, however, a bite that can turn on overnight and the deeper on a steady retrieve and the throb of the tail keeps you in contact at all shell can yield not only good numbers, but big trout as well. times. It apparently also produces just the right amount of vibration as These patterns could all go on hold should the winter linger longer the majority of our strikes have been sure enough train wrecks! than we would like, but at the very least the redfish are still going to When the trout are feeding in the top column of water, we have provide a security blanket as we are absolutely covered up with them. also done well rigging a TTF Red Killer weightless on a 3/0 wide gap One other option is to fish the bayous on the east side of the lake and worm hook and fishing it under a Kwik Cork. It is smaller than the take advantage of a flounder bite that has improved daily. You are still new DD, but also has a wider body and finicky trout can’t resist its going to have to deal with the redfish, but that isn’t all bad. slow erratic fall after each pop of the cork. The hottest colors have Never take a day spent fishing for granted!
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MICKeY On Galveston As you know we have had quite a bit of cold weather with several nights into the twenties during the first week of February. We MICKeY easTMaN have received an inch or two of rain across the area and this Mickey Eastman is a full-time is definitely beneficial to the fishing guide out of Baytown, TX. Mickey has 26 years guiding bays. Everybody chewed their experience on the Galveston fingernails to the quick worrying area bays and is the founder of over a fish kill and rightfully Gulf Coast Troutmasters, the so. Luckily, it appears we came largest speckled trout tournathrough in good shape here ment series of all time in the Galveston region. Water conditions are good, the salinity Contact Mickey Eastman’s levels are right where we like to Guide Service see them all across the Galveston Telephone Bay complex. Weather is our 281-383-2032 greatest challenge right now and you just have to pick your days during one of the brief warm-up periods for the best fishing. With major fronts passing through every four or five days our water temperatures get down below 50° and while that is okay for redfish it slows the trout bite significantly. Staying on steady trout action is hard given the few days when we can really get on them
64 March 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 65
and start to put a pattern together. It would be nice to be a guide down in South Texas this time of year where it is always warmer and you have better conditions to fish. We have a lot of fish and they are still pretty much where they have been all winter but the weatherman doesn’t let us play with them very often. This time of year we all long for the water to reach that 60° mark and hold there. I have been pretty much sticking to deeper shell in anywhere from four to eight feet of water when looking for trout. Signs of bait can be kind of tough to locate sometimes because it just stays down and won’t come up when the water is cold. Probably the most consistent catches have been coming out of West Bay around North and South Deer Island and all that deep shell around there. What makes that area so good this time of year is all the deep guts through those reefs like you find around Anderson Ways and behind South Deer Island and along the Confederate Reef. I would guess that during the last big trout tournament up here that is where pretty much a good number of the bigger fish came from. The guys were wading Confederate Reef throwing Corkys, I am told. There was some really good fish caught and I’m pretty sure that was where the tournament was won. Those guys paid a dear price as it was very cold weather conditions and they had to grind it hard all day long to get their fish. My hat is off to them as it makes for a long and tough day! For a guide, it is really tough to try to get customers to stick with you all day and grind them out
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GaLVesToN looking for that one big bite but that’s the way most of the big ones are caught this time of year. As far as Trinity Bay goes, there are still a lot of redfish in the far upper reaches around bayou mouths and deep points off the bayous. They are not on every day so you can catch them one day and miss them the next. The feeding pattern has been inconsistent but water conditions are good. You just have to pick you time between the northers and hope for the best. All the smaller upper bays like Burnett have been producing fairly well for drift fisherman in seven to eight feet of water; keep making long drifts with soft plastics and MirrOlures. Catches have included some real decent fish in the two to three pound class. West Bay gets the nod for most consistent fishing right now. There is considerable Gulf influence throughout most of West Bay and those warm Gulf tides coming in sparks a more reliable bite when the rest of the Galveston system is colder on average. As we get into our early spring pattern with warmer overnight temperatures and some good sunny days, the coves in West Bay should produce lots of better than average trout and very good redfish action throughout the month of March. West Bay wade fishermen and kayakers should have lots to look forward to down on that end. Over in East Bay, look for the far upper reaches to turn around and really kickoff during late-February and early-March as the warming trends become more prevalent. Of course if we get a week or so of colder than average temperatures the pattern I’m describing could be delayed for a week to ten days. Theoretically the upper coast turns on
a little later than the rest of the Texas bays but it also stays on longer once the spring patterns fade into summer. That’s just the way it is up here. As far as fish population is concerned, we have plenty of fish. Look for East Bay to really crank up once we get that water in the mid to upper 50s and stabilized. Wading the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge a day or two behind fronts will be real good. Once all the water blows out, you have some real shallow mud flats back there, but as soon as that water returns the bait comes with it and the fish will pull right back in there making for some excellent fishing in late-February and all through March. In the upper ends of Trinity Bay, once the weather begins to warm up and stabilize, we’ll see the same thing happening up there. The fish will move to shallower water and will feed with greater consistency day to day. Until that happens, though, drifting out deeper will be the game plan especially when the tides are low. You can almost always guarantee being able to pluck a few fish off the deeper flats that have some amount of shell in Upper Trinity and East Bay while you’re waiting on them to pull into the shorelines. That’s it for now folks. We are pretty much at the mercy of the weatherman until we get further along into spring weather and then we’ll be fighting the famous non-stop March wind. Pick your days carefully and be safe on the water; everything else should fall into place as the water is in great shape and the Galveston Bay complex is full of fish.
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CaPT. BILL’s Fish Talk There’s just no ifs, ands, buts, or any two ways about it… March is a great month for big trout in both East and West CaPT. BILL PUsTeJoVsKY Matagorda Bay. Typically, being farther north, the kickoff to Bill Pustejovsky is a full-time prime time for big trout here guide at Matagorda, TX. Bill in the Matagorda Bays runs fishes year-round for trout and redfish in all the Matagoat least a solid month or so rda Bays. Wading and drifting behind Baffin Bay and Port for trophy trout and reds are Mansfield. February fishing his specialty. success was decent here locally with a fair amount of big Telephone trout being caught between 979-863-7353 fronts. Redfish stole the show, Email though, as strong numbers hit CaptBill@GoldTipGuideService.com Website the fish cleaning tables with www.goldtipguideservice.com considerable regularity. Most of these fish were caught on Corkys and Bass Assassins with your bigger trout found while wading shorelines in front of marsh drains from mid-afternoon until dark. Many trout and reds were also found while drifting over scattered shell and mud in the middle of the bay in streaky, off-colored patches
of water; mostly on Bass Assassins. February-like temperatures, both air and water, will likely prevail at least until mid-March when longer days and more sunshine will begin to chase Old Man Winter back up north. Of course this whole weather and fishing prediction thing I’m offering could get blown to smithereens by a couple of strong, late-season northers. We’ve all seen that happen a time or two. Don’t get discouraged though, even if that happens, my fishing logs say March can be a great month. I did not fish as many days in February as I have in prior years, spent a lot of time in the woods chasing whitetails on MLD lands. March though will find me fine-tuned and cruising the flats gracefully in my new 25’ Dargel HDX. This 25 footer is a full 8-ft 6-in wide and will float in nine inches of water while getting up in a foot and taking rough water like no boat I have ever been on before. It has plenty of storage and room to spare for drift fishing and is powered by a 250 SS Suzuki. My clients will appreciate the comfort this boat has to offer. Matagorda area anglers will soon find another attraction here locally with the establishment of a new full-service fishing and waterfowl hunting lodge. Bink Grimes and Mark Talasek joined together with a vision that produced Matagorda Sunrise Lodge. You can learn more by visiting their website: www. matagordasunriselodge.com. Anticipated opening date for this new lodge is sometime in March. The amenities, to mention a few,
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Texas Saltwater Fishing
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MaTaGorDa include full service kitchen with chef, sleeping accommodations for up to thirty folks, dockside pick-up and drop-off, and all fish cleaned and packaged for travel. This lodge will offer duck hunts, off-shore fishing, bay fishing, and even trips dedicated to bird-watching. On another note, Bass Assassin just hit the market with a brand new five inch swimbait they have dubbed the Die Dapper and it is available in all the great Bass Assassin colors. There is no doubt in my mind that this will be an excellent big trout bait for wade fishermen. I’ll be rigging it on jigheads as well as weedless-weightless on worm hooks. The Die Dapper is a larger-than-standard paddletail soft plastic that has a lot of darting action along with lots of tail flapping to create the
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vibration big trout can’t resist. My first impression was that it looks like a darting mullet in the water. Drifting over shell, I’ll use a standard 1/8 ounce jigheads. I know this bait works because we have caught fish on it already. We’re also looking forward to the new Matagorda jetties to be completed soon. This will offer an additional location to fish for trout and reds along with other species of fish. Who knows, we might be catching kingfish in the summertime at the end of this new jetty the way they do down at Port O’Connor. You know that all the new rock structure in the water will attract a lot of baitfish, which in turn will bring gamefish to the area. There seems to be a lot going on in Matagorda this year. One thing I don’t want to forget is my yearly reminder to get your boat, motor, battery, and trailer bearings checked out before you head out the door to the bay. Taking your boat to an authorized dealer to be checked out properly after winter storage can save you lots of headaches.
Pictured here is Will Toronjo with his firstever speckled trout. Way to go, Will!
God Bless… Capt. Bill
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MID-CoasT BaYs With the Grays As I sit here in my warm house bundled up to stay toasty, I can’t help but think of the impact this cold snap might have on our CaPT. sheLLIe GraY fisheries. With our tides being Captain Gary and Captain Shellie extremely low a lot of fish have Gray fish year-round for trout no doubt become trapped in and redfish in the Port O’Connor/ shallow backwaters with no Seadrift area. Gary started his Bay opportunity to escape to deep Rat Guide Service 20 years ago. The Grays specialize in wade and water refuge. It is these fish that drift fishing with artificial lures. will be most vulnerable to shock Gary and Shellie also team up to or death. Redfish fair better than fish many tournaments. trout but both species can end up losing the battle. Telephone This brings to mind the 361-785-6708 recent failed attempt to improve Email our seatrout fisheries. As Gary@BayRat.com everybody should be aware by Website www.bayratguideservice.com now Texas Parks and Wildlife’s proposal to reduce the daily limit from ten fish to five coastwide was shot down by the voices of many who attended the public scoping meetings. Public comment in
total was split very near 50/50. TPWD’s population survey data shows a significant general decline in mid-coast bays with an increased number of trout less than fifteen inches. This is no surprise to me as I had many days of catching nothing but undersize fish last year. Searching for “keepers” really kept me on the hunt. So as I sit here warm and cozy I am hoping and praying those small trout we found so plentiful last year survive this cold snap. It is too soon to tell but I will remain optimistic. I supported and spoke with everyone I could in favor of the bag limit reduction. The most common theme I heard from non-supporters was, “Well you know, once TPWD takes it away, we won’t be getting it back.” I think that is the absolute narrowest-minded position any angler could take. Why Dawn Mund is no in the world would longer a stranger to anyone not support catching redfish! a measure that has potential to make our trout fisheries healthier? Everybody is entitled to an opinion but I have yet to hear one that would change mine. We all know that
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PorT oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;CoNNor / seaDrIfT many factors influence the general health of our fisheries with weather topping the list. Droughts and freezes are natural events we cannot control. Fishing pressure has definitely increased over the last ten years. Boat and tackle technology contribute greatly to effective pressure and anglers use cell phones to â&#x20AC;&#x153;dial intoâ&#x20AC;? the bite every day. These also fall into the category of things we cannot change. What we can change, though, is our personal fishing habits and we can support TPWD when they propose a plan for improving our fisheries. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get off my soap box now and talk a little about cold weather fishing. Cold fronts will continue to move through our area in March making it somewhat difficult to plan trips. Back lakes will still be the go-to spots. If you could plan a trip based on weather, I would tell you to forget those pretty and sunny high-pressure days and shoot instead for overcast skies with some wind blowing. It is typical of our tides to be low Andrea Dugie with her first ever redfish.
this time of year unless we manage somehow to get a few days of hard south wind. So low tides paired with clear, calm days with little wind makes it tough to get within casting distance of fish without spooking them. Given a choice, I try to avoid clear water, look for off-colored water this time of year. Places like the banks of the ICW or the Victoria Barge canal can be excellent areas when the water temperatures reach the 50° mark. It is no secret these deeper holes hold fish when the weather gets cold. If you are one of those tough anglers that like to fish when conditions are at their worst, take note that TPWD will close some of the better known holes to fishing when freezing temperatures persist for more than a few days. My best artificial bite of late has come from using Bass Assassinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 5â&#x20AC;? Texas Shad in the Texas Roach color with chartreuse tail and also the plum-chartreuse rigged on an 1/8 oz jighead. Some days I even choose to place a Cajun Thunder above my lure to help slow down the presentation and add a little noise to my offering. Seems to really do the trick on those windy days. If using lures is not to your to your liking, I have also been having good success using Carolina-rigged live finger mullet when fishing for reds. The downside is that most bait camps do not keep a steady supply of live bait this time of year so catching them yourself becomes part of the fishing dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities.
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hooKeD UP WITh Rowsey Before I get into what can be expected in the month of March, I have to vent about TPWD Coastal Fisheries Division DaVID roWseY and the recommendation to David Rowsey has 20 years the commissioners by division experience in the Laguna/Baffin director Robin Riechers to take region; trophy trout with artificial no action at this time to reduce lures is his specialty. David has the current liberal bag limits a great passion for conservaof ten speckled trout per day. tion and encourages catch and Really? With saltwater stamp release of trophy fish. sales approaching 1.2 million Telephone (all time high), record pressure 361-960-0340 Website on the fish, and some bay www.DavidRowsey.com systems showing as much as a Email 60% decline in the trout fishery, david.rowsey@yahoo.com status quo has prevailed yet again. Sounds like quality management to me, not! Maybe they will become proactive when it hits 90%. Bottom line here is that TPWD knows that they have this deal screwed up and have painted themselves into a corner of political correctness letting public opinion prevail over science. It is my opinion that they are scared to fight their way out of this. Boy, wouldn’t life be a dandy if all of us
could take the easy way out on our jobs every day? On to fishing: January and February produced some nice, heavy catches for me personally and also my clients. The largest so far this year was a ten and a half pound trout that was short of thirty inches and built like a fire hydrant. As we roll into March, I truly expect to see a fish larger than that come to the Boga Grip. It is no secret that true trophy class fish make up less than one percent of the trout population and the chance of catching one requires lots of time on the water, patience, and preparation. March is the time of the year that reminds me of Clint Eastwood’s spaghetti western, “The good, the bad, and the ugly.” She will give it all to us this month and we will have to be prepared for inclement fishing conditions, rude behavior, great acts of courtesy, muddy water, crazy shifting winds, and some of the biggest trout of the year. March trout will have those big winter shoulders with the addition of early developing roe. Find the right one, with a full belly, and there will be some personal-best stories flying around at the boat launch. March always brings a lot of southeast wind. I’ve gotten use to it over the years, but there are always those days when you just want to yell, “STOP!” When it gets over 30 mph, it can be pretty tough fishing, but under that, it can be very doable. I believe it beats up our minds
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UPPer LaGUNa/ BaffIN first, and the fish later. Point being you can catch them if you work for them, and don’t let the conditions beat you down. Shallow flats that lie adjacent to windward shorelines are a favorite for me and, luckily for us, we have miles and miles of them from the JFK Causeway to the south end of Rocky Slough, and Mark Rohne with a trout further back into the that went way over thirty Cayo Del Grullo and inches on a MirrOlure Laguna Salada. Corky Fatboy; CPR! With very little tidal movement down here, the fish rely on the wind to move the bait for them. Trout know every contour line across every inch of the bay floor and use it to their favor to trap the mullet and shrimp against these windward barriers. These trout routes are hard to spot in muddy water, and you may never know they were there if you are not
intimately familiar with or have never waded through the area thoroughly. All is not lost though as the mullet will let you know where to be. When fishing these conditions, do not allow yourself to develop tunnel vision on one area where you may have caught a fish before. Scan the shoreline and nearby spoil islands for the most activity and, if need be, relocate the 100 to 500 yards it takes to get to where the bait is concentrated. I’ve never been real big on paddletail-type plastics for trout, but if there is ever a time that they will whack some big trout, it is now when we have less than favorable water clarity. My go-to has always been the Bass Assassin Turbo Shad, but this year they have come out with a lure they are calling the “Die Dapper” that has a very large and aggressive tail with exceptional vibration. The lure also has a more robust body but still retains the flexibility that makes a Bass Assassin so life-like in the water. MirrOlure’s PBO (Corky) in the Fatboy design is also a top choice due to the water it displaces when walking the dog under the surface. Loud topwater lures such as She Dog and He Dog will also make the favorites list. My top color choices in stained water will be very dark or super bright on any and all lures I choose to cast to them. “If a man knows not what harbor he seeks, any wind is the right wind.” -Lucius Annaeus Seneca “Set ‘em Loose.” -Capt. David Rowsey
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TrICIa’s Mansfield Report Life on the flats has been move up skinny and we have enjoyed some good topwater bites as outstanding so far this winter well. The water quality is good to excellent with wind under 20mph, with great numbers of fish to bait is plentiful, and the grass seems to be doing just fine. share with some great people. We had Joe and Norma Meyer from Fishing Tackle Unlimited For the most part the bite has plus Pam and Everett Johnson with the magazine down recently for CaPT. TrICIa been consistent on solid, wellthree days and their trip proved typical of the past couple of months. Capt. Tricia’s Skinny Water Advenfed fish anytime we can wiggle Basically, you catch fish on what you want to catch them on and it tures operates out of Port Mansaround the weather. Barring has been more about presentation than lure choice. How wonderful field, specializing in wadefishing any catastrophic event March is that? The first two days were chilly early and most of our fish came with artificial lures. should only get better; if that’s from deeper water on tails. Although we have lots of small trout we possible! found a bunch between three and four pounds with occasional six Telephone For the past month it has to seven pound kickers. All of these are swimming together so you 956-642-7298 been all about grass just have to stay with it and go Email shell@granderiver.net beds. With northers through them. Website blowing through The afternoons found us on Three and four pound www.SkinnyWaterAdventures.com every few days it’s knee to mid-thigh-deep flats. trout have been right in there with the reds. been a chasing game With good sun you could see following fish as they move back and forth between deep individual grass clumps and and shallow. Everything is relative though, so deep here is most of them held a few good somewhere near your waist and shallow means well below fish. Ron Shepherd, our Pro-Staff your knees. During colder periods the better quality fish guy from FTU, was with us as have been coming off scattered dark grass on tails and well and he put on a virtual Corkys and as the water temperature recovers, many fish clinic with his day-glow floating
72 March 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 73
Texas Saltwater Fishing
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PorT MaNsfIeLD Fat Boy. His take was, “I’d just throw past a grass patch, reel up to it and shake it a little bit, and wham, fish on again!” What a great time, and seriously, how good can it be to just know you are going to get Joe Meyer confirmed that bit instead of working nearly every grass bed hard to find anything was holding solid fish. at all. I’m sure there are several reasons for this awesome up-cycle we are experiencing, and although I don’t have a strong opinion either way, I cannot help but believe the five fish limit is helping folks get bit often. It’s all about catching, right? Another fun part of the experience with these good folks (and for many other recent trips) was a mid-day bite in water almost too shallow for even a Majek Redfish Line to jump up in. When the sun finally peeked through on day three, we ran shallow and found countless Pam stayed busy mud boils being made by feeding redfish. Joe with her pink Skitter Walk. said he stood flatfooted and caught nine in a row. Besides our esteemed guests, Captain Mike
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McBride and I both had guided clients for each day, so it was quite a show with twelve or fourteen of us in a line and everybody staying busy. Although nothing would touch a topwater on day three, tails on a 1/16 ounce head or a floating Corky Fatboy ruled. Also as usual, there were some good trout mixed in with those reds. You just had to keep casting and changing lures as the reds would absolutely destroy whatever you threw….good stuff! Anyway, March will be here shortly after this goes to print and based on what has been happening we can probably look for fish with even heavier weights on a more consistent basis. Not much will change, but by mid-month the water levels will increase and fish will scatter a bit. Just watch for pelicans, seagulls and baitfish for an indication of how shallow or deep to start. Northers will come less frequently meaning patterns should hold for more than a few days and topwaters should attract lots of strikes. Everything is looking great here in the Laguna, so here’s hoping your March will be as good as we think ours will be. Take what you need and leave the rest to grow bigger. I hope to see many friends at the Houston Fishing Show March 2-6 in the FTU booth.
Texas Saltwater Fishing
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soUTh PaDre Fishing Scene I know that everybody sits on pins and needles waiting the arrival of spring, but wrapping up the best winter fishing CaPT. erNesT CIsNeros season I have ever experienced A Brownsville-area native, is actually kind of sad for me. Capt. Ernest Cisneros fishes Even with bone-chilling cold, the Lower Laguna Madre from nasty sea fog, and frequent Port Mansfield to Port Isabel. northers; my clients and I Ernest specializes in wading have been blessed to enjoy and poled skiff adventures for phenomenal fishing snook, trout, and redfish. over the past several Cell months. Like it or 956-266-6454 not the seasons are Website changing and spring www.tightlinescharters.com is about to bust wide open here on the Lower Laguna Madre. Our biggest challenge in the coming month will be finding “fishable” water that will “hold fish” in March’s infamous winds. My plan will be to hit the areas most vulnerable to wind early in the day and then head to protected shorelines, back sides of spoil islands, and areas with lots of grass where clarity will hold, later in the day. We
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have many areas on the east side of the ICW that will fit the bill even in 30+ mph wind. This past winter we experienced some of the lowest tides I can ever recall which was great for mapping bottom structure. I found sandbars, short stubs of PVC pipe, and lots of other “trash” I never knew was there. The good news is that this month will bring higher tides that will invade our shallow grassy flats. Along with the tides will come new sea life that will attract the predators. March marks the beginning of large schools of mullet roaming shorelines and shallow flats. Blue crabs will again appear on flats that were nearly dry during the winter months. We’ll still be in waders but the water will Elva’s first-ever wade warm enough to see a was a productive one. consistent topwater bite. My favorites will be the Super Spook Jr in bone, red head, and custom pink (that a friend makes for me) along with the hot pink Skitter Walk. All of my topwaters will be rigged with single Gamakatsu “Live bait
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arroYo CoLoraDo To PorT IsaBeL hooks W/Ring” in 1/0 or 2/0 for small to medium size topwaters. March will also mark the beginning of some bird action along the Laguna’s western shore from Port Isabel to Port Mansfield. Gulls will tend to hover above tailing redfish as they gorge on tiny brown shrimp in shallow mud flats. Do not Kent Martin caught be surprised to find trout mixed with this one on a plum/ reds, big ones too. This time of year chart Kelly Wiggler. every predator in the bay is ready to dine on those tender young crustaceans. If the fall of 2010 was any indication of what the bird action will be like this spring, we are in for some exciting tailing redfish action. When we are not throwing topwaters, my go-to will be Kelly Wiggler soft plastics. My favorite colors are plum-blue metal flake/ chartreuse, pumpkinseed/chartreuse and natural two-tone/ chartreuse. If you haven’t already noticed, I am a big believer in chartreuse tails on my soft plastic baits. We look forward to the prospects of landing those spotted silver logs (trophy trout) that like to roam the shallow banks and flats during early spring. Trout will begin to show big old potbellies full of roe while still carrying their winter shoulders to the delight of anglers hoping to land a personal best specimen. If chasing trophies is your
greatest passion, you really need to study the tide charts and solunar tables for the next three months. As you study, mark your calendar and target the days and times that indicate the best opportunity. As the spring weather pattern develops later in the month, sow trout will begin to take full advantage of the stronger tidal currents (especially during new moon and full moon periods) for their feeding and also their spawning activity. By late March, water temperatures should stabilize in the mid-60° range with warmer afternoons on the flats possibly rising to 70°. This will trigger the type of feeding you won’t want to miss. A late-afternoon outing during the last week of the month as we head toward new moon could greatly increase your chances for a trophy if the weather cooperates. Despite the nuisance and uncomfortable windy conditions that are always a big part of the picture in the month of March, mark my words, there will be plenty of fish caught and a true wallhanger could come on any cast you make. The Houston Fishing Show will take place March 2-6 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. I will be working in the Fishing Tackle Unlimited booth Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; please stop by tomtc saytsf hello and let me show you the FTU1:40 Green Rods. I think qp ad mar11.pdf 1 2/14/11 AM they are the best in Texas!
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FISHING REPORTS
AND
FORECASTS
from Big Lake to Boca Chica
Lake Calcasieu Louisiana Jeff and Mary Poe - Big Lake Guide Service - 337 598 3268 Water temperatures are starting to heat up and so is the fishing. Barring a major rain event, continue fishing the north end of the estuary. Areas from Turner’s Bay all the way up to Prien Lake should be productive since salinities are high. If we do get a major rain event, you will have to chase salinities south, down the lake. We have been catching good trout wading and boat fishing on the flats around Turner’s Bay. Most of these fish have been coming on coppertop and Texas chicken Paul Brown’s Devils. The MirrOdine XL has also been productive in mullet colors. We have also been doing very well on numbers of smaller, tastier school trout. Most of these are coming on eighth ounce. jigheads with opening night Sand Eels or MirrOlure Soft Minnows. There are redfish mixed with these trout, so tie your fishing partner a Gulp! on. All this is happening in Turners Bay and the flats and reefs in the same area. Also, if you are interested in redfish specifically, they are stacked on the east shoreline around the weirs. Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag - Silver King Adventures - www.silverkingadventures.com - 409 935 7242 Fishing has been good but not spectacular for James on days leading up to this report. “We’ve had some really low tides, so I’ve been wading some open water areas that usually are impossible to fish except out of the boat. We’re catching decent numbers of fish, no real big trout, but a good mix
of two to five pound trout and quite a few reds. Mostly, we are throwing 51 MirrOlures and pearl/black Fat Boys, and of course some five inch Bass Assassins in red shad and plum and pumpkinseed/chartreuse. I’ll continue wading a lot in the weeks to come; late February through early March is a great window of opportunity for the biggest trout of the year. The coves and reefs in West Bay can be good, as can the east shore of Trinity and the back end of East Bay. As the weather and water warm up, the catching should become more consistent and when the tides rise, wading the shorelines will become more productive. When winds aren’t too strong, the fishing is usually good from the boat out around the reefs as well.” Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409 996 3054 Fishing has been good during warm spells between fronts for Jim. “We’ve had good luck on both trout and reds. The trout have been mostly solid fish in the three and four pound class, with a few up to about six pounds, nothing giant, but better than average size. The reds are about as plentiful as the trout, more plentiful in some areas. We’ve had strong single tides lately, with low tides during the day, so the best bite has definitely been at dusk and into the first hours of night, especially when the tide comes in at that time. We’ve been throwing Catch 2000s and Paul Brown’s Original Lures exclusively and doing a lot of wading. This arctic blast will change everything and the fish will probably go into the deepest spots for a while, so we’ll key on bayous and deep holes. By
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March, everything should be different, meaning the morning bite will be more productive as tide levels and temperatures rise. We’ll start fishing the early hours again, and wading will still be best, since the fish typically stay pretty shallow early in the spring.” West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service - 979 849 7019 - 979 864 9323 Randall mentioned good to excellent fishing in his area before we talked, as long as the weather allowed him to get out. “We’ve been catching some pretty nice trout, even when the water’s cold. The fish will still bite, but you’ve got to be really patient and pay close attention to the details, especially noting any bait activity around you. We’ve been throwing mostly Paul Brown’s Lures. In the really clear water, the clear ones with silver glitter, like emerald/silver work best. And you have to work them at a slow speed, but keep them just off the bottom. Turning the reel handle slowly and keeping the rodtip up at twelve o’clock helps.” He looks forward to easier and faster action in March. “Once we get out of this deep freeze, we’ll see more patterns and areas producing. I’ll still be keying on areas with lots of shell and mud, working reef edges and points. We’ll use a bigger variety of lures, still throwing the slow sinking twitch baits some, but going with topwaters more and more and of course using the Sand Eels when fishing deeper.” Matagorda | Charlie Paradoski Bay Guide Service - 713 725 2401 March is the time to focus on shallow water along area shorelines targeting both big trout and redfish, Charlie says. “We’ve been catching a bunch of fish with some big ones thrown in lately, fishing mostly out of the boat around scattered shell on a muddy bottom around reefs in East Bay. That
pattern works real well while we are having fronts with cold air behind them coming through regularly. That usually ends toward the end of February and into March. Once we get past the really cold time of year, it seems that the bigger trout we are catching out in the middle move to the shallows along the shoreline. Then, we start wading a lot more and working the flats and reefs on both sides of the bay. Normally, we prefer slow sinking twitch baits when wading in March, but topwaters are also a good bet too. I’m getting reports lately that some people are catching more big trout on topwaters than they usually do this time of year, especially small, noisy lures like the MirrOlure ShePups.” Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979 240 8204 Fishing remains steady in our area bays over mud, grass and shell. Our local back lakes have been coughing up good numbers of small keeper trout on pearl Gulp! shrimp under popping corks. We have caught a few decent size trout up to twenty five inches, but our numbers on bigger trout are down from what they were last winter. Extreme low tides have made fishing easy for redfish in the guts and drains on the shorelines. Quarter ounce Johnson gold weedless spoons have accounted for most of the bites when we are fishing those areas. Night fishing at the local piers has also been good on nights with light north or northeast winds. Glow and white Beetle Grubs have been the best lures for small keeper trout and sand trout. March fishing should continue to be steady over mud bottoms. Locating bait will continue to be an important key to catching more fish. There should be more shrimp and baitfish showing up towards the end of the month and
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when that happened last year, birds were plentiful in East and South Bays. Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith - Back Bay Guide Service - 361 983 4434 “In March, I like to fish areas with plenty of muddy bottom,” Lynn says. “We’ll fish flats that are muddy and have plenty of grass beds and also scattered shell if possible. The best flats are those that lie close to dropoffs to deeper water. Those that are close to the deepest water in the area can be best of all, especially if the weather continues to be cold like it has been. Sunny days are most productive for fishing these types of flats, as the trout will come out in the sun to warm up. I like to leave the dock later in the morning and fish until dusk when working this pattern this time of year. That way, I’m on the water when it is at its warmest. We’ll throw a lot of soft plastics during March, but will also spend quite a bit of time throwing slow sinking twitch baits like Paul Brown’s Original Lures. These lures work well in the shallows, since they can be worked at a fairly slow pace over the grass and scattered shell without hanging up. Topwaters will come into play some, especially on those afternoons when we see lots of mullet and other baitfish jumping.” Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361 790 5203 - 361 441 3894 Blake plans on executing a familiar game plan in March. “Usually, starting in late February, our topwater action picks up, especially for trout. The trout fishing has been much improved this year, so we expect to catch some of the biggest fish of the year as we get into March and the spring arrives. Redfish have just been everywhere, as many as I’ve seen in a long time. They tend to be relatively easy to catch in March as well. I like to work both Aransas and St. Charles Bays a lot this time of year, and will also venture to other bays bordering those. Mostly, I fish shorelines in knee to waist deep water. I’ll focus on mud more in late February and early March,
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but the fish seem to begin to prefer the sand bottoms this time of year, so by the end of March, it’s mostly sand and grass that I key on. I also like to fish shell reefs this time of year, especially in calmer conditions which allow the water to clear. If the topwaters aren’t working, I won’t hesitate to bring out two old, trusted friends, the Norton Sand Eels in purple and pumpkinseed/chartreuse.” Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 563 1160 This is what I am reading when I look at the month of March in my fishing logs of the past few years. The air temperatures are on the rise and so is the water temperature. This means the fish are coming up out of the deeper holes and into shallower water. The key now is to look for and follow the bait because that is what the trout and redfish are doing. I am looking for mullet or shad just below the water’s surface, swirling on the surface or jumping. I’m also looking for seagulls hovering over a particular area or diving brown pelicans in addition to fish slicks. My logs remind me that the fish are in about three feet of water or less, especially after four or five days of warm weather. There are a variety of baits on the end of my line, like live shrimp under an Assassin Kwik Cork or an Alameda Float. If the perch are too hard on the live shrimp, I’ll tie on a four inch Blurp shrimp or a Berkley Gulp! shrimp. I will always be ready with a sixteenth or eighth ounce Spring Lock jighead and a natural colored Bass Assassin shad or Berkley Gulp!. Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361 937 5961 Joe expects to be working one of the classic springtime areas come March. “Usually, that time of year, I like to run south toward the Land Cut and fish in there, and on the flats just north of there along the Kenedy Shoreline and the spoil banks along the ICW. Especially in the second half of the month, the trout pile in the cut pretty thick and can be caught by making controlled drifts and throwing lures or live bait at the west drop off. When
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the bait is really active, topwaters work well, and when it’s not, soft plastics are a better bet. Heavier jigheads help maintain contact with the edge when it get really windy. If fishing north of the cut, I target rocks and deep grass beds along the edge of deeper water. If the action down south is slow, I’ll probably head the opposite direction, toward Shamrock and East Flats. The water over in that area holds up great even in strong southeast winds and the fishing is normally excellent in the spring. Over there, I target grassbeds and potholes unless it’s possible to see the fish and cast right at them.” Padre Island National Seashore Billy Sandifer - Padre Island Safaris - 361 937 8446 March is a very challenging month for fishermen in the Padre surf but it makes up for it in the variety of species available and the numbers of individual fish caught. Equinox tides can be extremely high and one must be vigilant in planning their trip to avoid high tides and incoming cold fronts. Many of the bay fish that migrated to the Gulf in the fall remain in the surf in March and Gulf fish that migrated to warmer waters in the winter return. Sargassum weed will be the biggest enemy if present but obviously we can’t tell this far in advance if it will be there. Sheepshead, black drum, whiting, redfish, pompano and several shark species will be available. Peeled fresh dead shrimp and “Fishbites” on double drop bottom leaders and whiting for the sharks, which often are available by casting into the nearshore gut early in the season. Lesser blacktipped, blacknose, sandbar, bignose, finetoothed, bull and lemon sharks should be available with a few tigers and maybe a mako possible. And the wind; she is gonna blow! Port Mansfield | Terry Neal www.terrynealcharters.com – (956) 944 2559 Looks like South Texas is in for some real winter weather. We are coming off several months of the most productive fishing I have seen in a long time.
With a huge arctic system settling over the region we are all praying and hoping there will not be a fish kill in February. Barring a killing freeze, I have every expectation the spring months will be a replay of the “good ol’ days” in terms of fishing success. The west shoreline, if you can find a vacant space, should be hot. The bait has been scattered in 3-5 feet of water. Once the bait starts to school on the shoreline, hang on, fishing should be very good. Everything is subject to change, especially when you’re dependent on Mother Nature. Just about the time we think we are pretty smart she hits us right where it hurts. If you like to eat trout, keep the 16 to 20 inchers and release the rest. The bigger ones are more fun to catch and you could end up being the one to do it, again! Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Janie and Fred Petty – www.fishingwithpettys.com – (956) 943 2747 At the time of this writing, we are experiencing the coldest temperatures of the season. If we have a hard freeze, in the next couple of days the fish will begin moving out of the LLM towards the warm, deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. During extremely cold weather, the fish will group up in predictable areas. These areas will be closed to fishing by Texas Parks and Wildlife. For future reference, the following areas will be closed during hard freezes as deemed necessary by the executive director of TP&W: the highest point of the Queen Isabella Causeway on a straight line to the old causeway including from Queen’s Point to the swing bridge…the harbor at Port Mansfield…out 1,000 yards off shore to half a mile south of the South Jetties only. Freddy says, “We’re limiting on reds every trip when we have wind throwing the Cajun Thunder round corks with Berkley Gulp! three inch shrimp in glow and new penny. When it’s cold, the trout don’t bite well, but as it warms up, we’re also limiting on trout, with some nice ones in the 18” to 25” range. Very low tides can make boating difficult.”
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Kendrick Baros Th e Bar - trout
Pat Bower Baffin Bay - 27.5” trout C&R
Dan Bacskai Lake Calcasieu - 31” 8lb 8oz trout
Edward Chaidez Sylan Beach - jack Maurice Hall Rockport - 24.5” trout
Lauren Frazier Sabine Lake - first trout & flounder!
Dennis Gau Arroyo City - 31” trout
Mike Bedo Port Mansfield - shark Joe Janiszewski Arroyo City - 24” first keeper trout!
TJ and Georia Lee Griffith Galveston Bay State Park redfi sh 80 March 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com
Susan Jung Port Aransas - 25” red
Macey Matula Shoalwater - 29” redfi sh
Chad Pierce Arroyo City - trout
David McMurtray Redfi sh Bay - 27” redfi sh C&R
Texas Saltwater Fishing
Charlie Garrison Port Mansfield - 30” 8.25lb trout
Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!
Neil Appleby Lake Calcasieu - 27.75” 7.14lb trout
Reed Caughey Seabrook Flats - 36” redfi sh
Andrew Aluiso Freeport Park - 16.5” first flounder!
Linnea Weatherly Baffin Bay - 45” redfi sh
Sandra Rivas 27” 7.5lb redfi sh
Doug Ramsey Sabine Lake - 27” 8lb redfi sh
Sonya Brandenburg Holly Beach - 29.5” trout
Erica Faught Baffin Bay - 28” 6lb personal best trout!
Rudy Hall Rockport - 25.5” trout
Mike Galindo Jr Port Aransas - 6’11” hammerhead
Sean Vernor Dagger Island - 28” red C&R
Rose Gerstenberger & Cory Jones Baffin Bay - redfi sh C&R
Please do not write on the back of photos.
Email photos with a description of your Catch of the Month to: Photos@tsfmag.com
Mike Escobedo Port Mansfield - drum
Mirandah Cheatham Port Aransas - 28” redfi sh
Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!
Alice Johnson ICW - 28” gafft op Texas Saltwater Fishing
Mail photos to: TSFMag P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 www.TSFMAG.com / March 2011 81
The day started out like the others, except we were very tired. Sissy, my but when I opened my mouth to tell Sissy, all that would come out was, wife, and I, had been fishing for six days straight. It isn’t as easy at fifty“OOH‐OOH‐OOH!” five as it was in my twenties. Anyway, I told her that with two nephews I quickly placed it in the ice chest asking Sissy to see if it was a CCA graduating and parties to attend, this would be our last day. tag as I was not wearing my reading glasses. She said she could make We launched at 5:30 AM under an ominous forecast. The weatherman out CCA but was having trouble reading more. I asked her if it had was calling for 50% chance of rain and southwest wind at 15 to 25 mph. any numbers and she said that she could make out, “…something 88.” Boy, I’m glad he was wrong. We anchored at 6:00 AM and immediately Anxiously I blurted out, “No – I mean is there a date on it?” Sissy looked caught a twenty-seven inch red. more carefully and found the date For the next hour and a half we to be 2010. “Let’s go,” I said, “We caught trout and an oversized red have to get it verified at the Yacht that we released. Around 7:45 I Basin.” hooked another red but he shook What happened next I can’t off close to the boat. I joked with explain. Emotions came over me Sissy that he probably had a CCA that I have never felt before. I tag. She fired back jokingly, “Every stopped the boat and tried to gain fish you lose has a tag in it.” composure. Sissy was asking if I We were actually enthusiastic was alright and I asked her to just but realistic about our chances give me a minute. I could feel Gayle of catching a tagged red as my there with me. I was trembling and younger brother Keith had caught crying and I don’t care who knows. one on June 7, 2009. You see, my The emotion was just too great to Keith (on left - 2009 STAR winner) and Rob McLaren (2010 winner) with their CCA Texas STAR Tagged Redfi sh Division prize boats. The brothers little sister Gayle and her husband contain. I think about her all the also won new Ford pickup trucks (not in photo.) The brothers christened were murdered on May 13, 2009, time I’m on the water. I miss her their boats Gayle Ann and Gayle Ann II in memory of their deceased sister. three weeks before Keith caught terribly, but I know she’s still with his fish. My youngest sister Lisa says that Gayle sent that fish to Keith me every day. I love you Gayle, and always will. from Heaven. Of course, I don’t know if that is true, but it would be just Well, as I said, we were off to the Yacht Basin where Raymond Berry like Gayle. She was the most kind-hearted and caring person I have processed the CCA STAR paperwork. He was as happy that I caught the ever known. fish as I was. Of course, there were lots of pictures taken and we made Around 8:00 AM I felt that telltale thump that only a red will give you. calls until our cell phone batteries died. I set the hook and after a few passes under the boat slid it into the net Thank you CCA Texas for all your excellent conservation programs Sissy was manning. Actually, she’s quite good at netting, and fishing too. and also for the STAR Tournament. I love fishing with her as she is a trooper and will hang in there no matter what conditions. R.E. “Rob” McLaren – Texas City, TX I reached into the net and pulled the fish out with the right side facing me. I took the hook out and placed it on the measuring board with the left side up. THAT’S WHEN I SAW IT. A beautiful reddish-orange tag like Keith’s. I cannot explain the excitement
Boat Lifts PWC Lifts & More 82 March 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 83
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GULf CoasT Kitchen Chipotle Baked Oysters Two dozen oysters 2 cups bacon bits 1/2 cup bell pepper 1/2 cup purple onion 1/2 (7oz) can chipotle peppers chopped fine 1 1/2 lb. cream cheese 1/4 cup cilantro 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 1/2 tsp. garlic 1 1/2 tsp. salt and garlic pepper Bread crumbs Parmesan cheese Melted butter
PaM JohNsoN Got ideas, hints or recipes youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to share? Email them to pam@tsfmag.com or send by fax: 361-785-2844
Brown bacon and break into bits. Add onion and bell pepper, cook until onions are soft. Add chipotle peppers w/sauce from can and garlic. Cook another minute or two, then add the heavy cream and cream cheese. Mix until cheese is melted and mixed. Add salt and garlic pepper and cilantro.
* Place oysters on half shells, top each with chipotle mix. Sprinkle with bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until it starts to bubble in pan. * If you do not have oyster shells use a 24-cup muffin pan.
Zesty Lemon Mousse 6 eggs yolks 2 whole eggs 3/4 cup Splenda powder
zest of whole lemon 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (usually 2 lemons) 1 1/2 cups fat free Cool Whip, thawed Cook on medium heat in a stainless steel pan, egg yolks, eggs, Splenda powder, zest, and lemon juice. Stir constantly until pudding consistency. Put in bowl in and refrigerate 30 minutes. Once cooled in refrigerator, fold in Cool Whip. Serves 6-8
Champagne Oysters 24 fresh oysters 6 oz. unsalted butter 3 cups brut Champagne
6 Tbsp. chives, minced Sea salt to taste Rock salt as needed
Preheat your oven to 400°. Heat your saucepot over a medium heat, and add the Champagne and chives bringing it to a boil. Allow the liquid to begin to evaporate until the Champagne has reduced by half. While you wait for the liquid to reduce, place the oysters on half shells on a baking sheet. Placing rock salt on baking sheet helps stabilize the shells and prevents tipping. Put the oysters in the oven and roast for 5 minutes. When you take them out of the oven be careful not to lose any of the juice inside the shells. Turn the heat on your reduced Champagne down to low. Slowly (a tablespoon at a time) whisk the butter into the reduced Champagne. Whisk quickly in order to emulsify the butter and Champagne, and remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt. Fill a serving tray with rock salt and arrange the oysters on top. Spoon about a teaspoon of Champagne butter sauce over each oyster on the half shell. Serve immediately. This recipe can also be applied to fresh raw oysters. Just skip the roasting step.
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I N De x of a DV e r T I s e r s For more information about these advertisers visit: http://www.texassaltwaterfishingmagazine.com/contact_advertisers_product.html ADVENTURES
Marshall Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Texas Tackle Factory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Big Country Outdoors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Mt. Houston Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Third Stone Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Solunar
Cabo Magic Sportfishing . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Rockport Marine, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Waterloo Rods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Sail & Ski Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Wiley X Eyewear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Sea Fox Boat Co, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Yeti Coolers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
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Bass King. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Montauk Tackle Company . . . . . . . . . . . 75
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Yo-Zuri America, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Peligac Offshore Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Building Products Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Quantum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Salt Water Soul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
D & P Coastal Marine Contruction . . . . 82
AUTOMOTIVE
Legacy Lifts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
FISHING RETAIL LOCATIONS
Marine Lift and Dock Supply LLC . . . . . 26
Academy Sports/Outdoors . . Inside Back Cover Fishing Tackle Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover
General Motors Communications . . . . 5 Mac Haik Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
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Xtreme Fuel Treatment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Bash Tournament . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
FTU Rod Building Seminars . . . . . . . . . . 20
Fishing Show Limited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
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Galveston Bay Complex Seminar . . . . . 69
Roy’s Bait & Tackle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Boat Lift Distributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Outdoor Texas Camp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Seaworthy Marine Supply . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Breakwater Marine Electronics . . . . . . . 78
Redfish Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Speedy Stop Solunar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Solunar
Coastline Trailer Mfg., Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Texas International Boat Show . . . . . . . 19
Fishing Tackle Unlimited Quantum . . . 11
JEWELRY
Coveralls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Fibertex & Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
FISHING PRODUCTS (RODS, REELS, ETC.)
Gulf Coast Trolling Motor . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Burlison Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
House of Fiberglass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Costa Del Mar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
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Power Pole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
D.O.A.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
2Cool Fishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
South Texas Trolling Motors . . . . . . . . . 79
Falcon Rods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Braman Winery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Specialty Aluminum Works . . . . . . . . . . 38, 74
ForEverlast Hunting/Fishing Products 17, 45
Exmark’s Mfg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Golden Lure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Trout Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
BOATS, KAYAKS, OUTBOARDS
Green Rod-Fishing Tackle Unlimited. . 49
TSFMag Subscription Form . . . . . . . . . . 83
Bayside Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Mirrorlure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
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Bernie’s Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Line Keeper Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Busha Boat Works. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Marsh Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
PLACES TO STAY
Coastal Backwater Marine . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Mud Hole Tackle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Baffin on the Rocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Coastal Bend Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
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Floating Cabin Rentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Dargel Boat Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
All Star Fishing Rods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Serena Residences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
El Campo Boating Center . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
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Serena Residences Tournament . . . . . . 76
Flatstalker Boat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Spiderwire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
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Hobie Cat Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Sufix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Bentley’s ICW House Rental . . . . . . . . . . 87
Fishing Jewelry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Coastline Marine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover, 1
Reaction Strike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Gulf Coast Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover, 1
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Shallow Sports Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover, 1
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Rick BonGiovanni - Condo 4Sale . . . . . 87
The Sportsman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover, 1
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SERVICE
Kresta’s Boats & Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Simms Fishing Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Kevin Severance Insurance . . . . . . . . . . 73
Kroll’s Marine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
SPRO Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Majek Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
St. Croix Rods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
88 March 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com
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GALVESTON TIDES & SOLUNAR TABLE Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine MARCH 2011
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TIDAL CORRECTIONS Location Calcasieu Pass, La. Sabine Bank Lighthouse Sabine Pass (jetty) Sabine Pass Mesquite Point Galveston Bay (S. jetty) Port Bolivar Texas City, Turning Basin Eagle Point Clear Lake Morgans Point Round Point, Trinity Bay Point Barrow, Trinity Bay Gilchrist, East Bay Jamaica Beach, Trinity Bay Christmas Point Galveston Pleasure Pier San Luis Pass Freeport Harbor
High -2:14 -1:46 -1:26 -1:00 -0:04 -0:39 +0:14 +0:33 +3:54 +6:05 +10:21 +10:39 +5:48 +3:16 +2:38 +2:39 +2:32 -0:09 -0:44
Low -1:24 -1:31 -1:31 -1:15 -0:25 -1:05 -0:06 +0:41 +4:15 +6:40 +5:19 +5:15 +4:43 +4:18 +3:31 +2:38 +2:33 +2:31 -0:09
For other locations, i.e. Port O’Connor, Port Aransas, Corpus Christi and Port Isabel please refer to the charts displayed below.
Please note that the tides listed in this table are for the Galveston Channel. The Tidal Corrections can be applied to the areas affected by the Galveston tide.
Minor Feeding Periods are in green, coinciding with the moon on the horizon, and the last from 1.0 to 1.5 hrs after the moon rise or before moon set. Major Feeding Periods are in orange, about 1.0 to 1.5 hrs either side of the moon directly overhead or underfoot. Many variables encourage active feeding current flow (whether wind or tidal driven), changes in water temp & weather, moon phases, etc. Combine as many as possible for a better chance at an exceptional day. Find concentrations of bait set up during a good time frame, and enjoy the results.
Te x a s S a l t w a t e r F i s h i n g M a g a z i n e l
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