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Ernest Cisneros is this month’s cover angler. Ernest says the trout were hungry and staged in potholes; he fooled this one with a Z-Man Big BallerZ. He credits his FTU Green Rod and Bates Salty Hundo reel for precise lure placement.
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March Issue Highlights
WHY SO MUCH EMPHASIS ON OYSTERS?
I had a reader call the office recently, curious as to why we have been running so much content related to oysters; oyster habitat, oyster harvest, oyster regulations, etc. “Seems almost every issue there’s another oyster article; I thought this was a fishing magazine.”
“Indeed, we are a fishing magazine,” I told him. “But in order to better understand fish and fishing, we must first be able to understand some of the factors that create abundance or scarcity of the game fish species we seek. A biologist once told me that an estuary has many moving parts, and oysters are one of the primary keys to creating habitat in which game fish can thrive in Texas bays. So, yeah, we’ve been running a lot of oyster content in the magazine.”
You have likely heard that seagrass meadows are the foundation of the food chain and of vital importance to the abundance of game fish species in Lower Coast bays. And while this is certainly true, did you know that oyster reefs are potentially even more important to the overall health and productivity of our Upper and Middle Coast bays?
Oysters are a delicacy and in great demand as seafood, but the fact
of the matter is that we have been loving them to death. Texas has long been the largest producer of oysters from what are termed public reefs of all coastal states. Our oysters have historically been shipped all over the country. And as other state’s oyster resources have played out due to overharvest, the pressure on Texas oysters has increased to the point that our own reefs are being harvested beyond their ability to recover naturally.
Such that Texas can remain a significant producer of oysters to seafood markets without further endangering the ecological benefit of wild oyster reefs, TPWD has adopted a strategy based on two major themes – expansion of the private oyster lease program and “offbottom oyster farming” where oysters are grown in cages suspended from the water’s surface.
On page 40 of this issue you will find an article by Shane Bonnot that explains the expansion of private oyster leases – TPWD’s Certificate of Location (CoL) Program. CoLs have existed for many years in Galveston Bay and provide opportunity for controlled harvest and management as opposed to the often destructive derby-style of fishing. The program also provides for Conservation Leases that will be exempted from all types of harvest. We are also planning future articles covering the rapidly growing “off-bottom” oyster farming industry here in Texas. Stay tuned!
March is Spring Break month; make plans to get your family and friends together and enjoy springtime fishing in Texas!
Post frontal conditions pushed our fish down into deep mud-lined guts on this particular day. Nick Weinheimer tricked this thick late winter red along with many solid trout working his Laguna Shrimp Bass Assassin near the bottom.
AGoodPerfectlyBoat
STORY BY STEVE HILLMAN
Here on the Upper Texas Coast we probably do more drift fishing over a twelve month period than most of our friends to the south. It hasn’t always been that way, however. With the exception of a few areas, the Galveston Bay Complex has evolved into more of a “stay in the fiberglass for better results” type of bay these days primarily because of shoreline habitat loss and erosion.
This being said, there are certain times of the year when our chances for success are drastically improved if we ease over the side or down the ladder. One of those times of the year is now. I can’t even count the number of trips that I’ve run throughout the years when I said to myself, “Man! If only I would’ve had clients who could’ve waded today. We would’ve done so much better!” The numbers of clients I have tried to talk into wading through the years are many. I’d say less than 40 percent were amenable to the idea. It’s crazy to me how so many folks make such a big deal out of wading. They act like I’m asking them to go skydiving or something. Not just skydiving but without a parachute, I might add. I can’t recall how many times I’ve heard, “Why would I want to get out of a perfectly good boat?” My answers vary depending upon the time of year but let’s just go over a few of the reasons why we can definitely give ourselves an advantage by putting on our wading boots.
Let’s say it’s March and the water temperatures are running in the mid- to upper-60s. The wind is blowing 16 knots out of the east, the tides are high, and these pre-spawn trout are hugging the shorelines. Small forage species are finding their way out of the marsh drains while predator fish are gorging on them along shoreline ambush points. If I position my Whaler along the shoreline to drift through the area, we can probably pick off one or two specks - if we’re lucky. The problem is that when we drift through the area in two feet of water those one or two will be the only ones we’ll be able to catch because the hull slap and disturbance from my boat will cause the rest to be long gone after the first drift. Sound travels lightning fast through water, and when a fish’s lateral line picks up those vibrations, they can end up several hundred yards down the shoreline before you know it. That, or they’ll end up pulling out into deeper water in no-man’s land where we won’t be able to find them.
Now, if I anchor my boat 80 to 100 yards from the shallow area that’s holding fish, we can ease our way in while wading as quietly as possible, and then get into position to make cast after cast into the pods of fish and catch a lot more than one or two! Kinda reminds me of a joke a heard one time about a young bull and an old wise bull standing at the top of a hill with cows at the bottom. The young bull says, “Let’s run down there and….” Feel free to Google the rest. More often than not wading into the area quietly produces far greater rewards than the one shot –
one kill approach. Sometimes our “perfectly good boat” is merely a taxi that gets us to our destination and then we use our feet and our senses to do the real work. Being stealthy, patient and smart has its benefits. As mentioned, wind can have a negative impact if we stay in the boat, but if we understand how wind changes the dynamics of our fishing areas, we can use it to our advantage. Wind stirs up baitfish and creates off-colored streaks which present more ambush points for trout. Furthermore, hard easterly winds that are common this time of year push more water into the bay resulting in higher tides, which also shove fish up closer to the banks. A few years ago a group of clients and I took full advantage of the wind to catch dozens of hefty specks while fishing an area most would avoid. Why would someone avoid the area we chose to wade? Well, because we had about a 15-knot wind blowing directly into it. The water had a muddy appearance from a distance but only because the rest of the bay was so clear. We could actually see 6 or 7 inches down which was perfect for tricking big trout. We stood with the wind at our backs chunking Texas Custom
Lure Double Ds and Borboleta Leles, so close to the salt grass-lined banks that our lures didn’t miss much from landing on dry land. The tide was extremely high. The wind had all of these tiny shad forced up into the grass and the big trout were right there with them having a field day. We had quite the field day ourselves!
Speaking of tiny shad, this is what our trout will be mostly feeding upon this time of year (especially during late March and early April). These recently hatched morsels will be suspended, so it’s critical to use baits that stay in the strike zone. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, suspending twitchbaits such as Double Ds and Leles can be deadly, but soft plastics rigged on 1/16-ounce jig heads through the split can be bigtime winners as well. You can even rig them on weighted shank hooks such as the H&H Flutter Hook jig heads. A 5-inch Plum or Laguna Shrimp Saltwater Assassin rigged on a 1/16 or 1/8 ounce Flutter jig head will sink very slowly and it will remain horizontal in the water column, presenting a more natural appearance to those finicky, early springtime trout.
My late friend, John Havens, prepares to release a 6 plus pounder that he caught while casting over and over to a spot where he saw just one mullet flip. John was one of my favorite buddies to fish with. Always very focused and patient. Sure do miss him.
This is the time of year when fishing in low light conditions can give us a major advantage especially for above average sized trout.
Jeff James and his crew from Dallas had never wade fished before but it was blowing East at 20 mph so it was either wade or cancel the trip. The East Shoreline of Trinity Bay didn’t disappoint! (circa 2009)
Timothy, Chris and Paul Tran along with their dad, Minh, had to work a little for their fish on this late winter day but it was well worth it!
On the calm days especially with high barometric pressure, clear water and low tides, this is when we can sometimes benefit more from drifting as opposed to wading. Just the other day we were faced with such a scenario. Because of the wind direction and other aforementioned factors, we had to position the boat in about 9 feet of water while casting towards a mud and shell lined bank that would’ve been too sloppy to wade.
Of course there are always exceptions. I can remember my buddy, Randy Shipley, and I fishing a tournament in late February or early March when the sky was cobalt blue, the tide was low and it was as cold as a cave. We caught more than 50 nice trout on Corkys and Bass Assassins while wading the spoil reefs along the north shoreline of East Matagorda and casting into the deep cuts between the spoil reefs and even into the Intracoastal. In this particular case the wind wasn’t set up properly to effectively drift this area.
There will be some days, maybe more than we care to admit, that regardless of what we try to do these trout just don’t want to have anything to do with our offerings. I’ve seen this movie so many times this time of year. There are beautiful well-defined slicks popping up all around us, but the fish won’t even think about cooperating. It’s so
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frustrating because we know they’re there. When I’m faced with these circumstances, I hate to say it but I pretty much just accept the fact that it is what it is and I’m going to accept whatever they’ll give me. This is when I go into somewhat of a hypersensitive and micro focused mode. I’ve come to the realization that it’s not a numbers deal when this happens and one or two bites per hour becomes acceptable. I try to find focal points or targets when wading instead of just jumping out and taking off down a shoreline. One flipping mullet warrants a cast or maybe a small tern that just dove. I’ve cast to a swirl, a mud boil and even a floating water hyacinth in the back of East Galveston Bay one time and have been rewarded with photo-worthy trout.
Our success is hinged upon simply taking the time to access the situation and then using a common sense approach based upon what we’ve learned about how all of the combined elements affect the fish…and then determine if it would be more productive for us to jump out of a perfectly good boat, or not. Good luck my friends!
STEVE HILLMAN
Steve Hillman is a full-time fishing guide on his home waters of Galveston Bay. Steve fishes the entire Galveston Bay Complex, wading and drifting for trout, redfish, and flounder using artificial lures.
Phone 4 09-256-7937
Email captsteve@hillmanguideservice.com Web w ww.hillmanguideservice.com
Along with being the best beach in Texas, South Padre Island o ers incredible natural beauty and activities. Plan your trip at SoPadre.com today.
HEAVY-DUTY SPLIT RINGS
HYBRID TAIL DESIGN ENSURES LIFELIKE SWIMMING ACTION
The Man & His Mantra
STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN
Some events leave more lasting impressions than others. Our most important memories evolve over time. As we grow and age, our perception of the past changes, elevating the importance of some aspects of events, while diminishing the significance of others.
These statements apply to my recollection of the final game of the 1983 NCAA Basketball Tournament. In the season’s last event, played in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Houston Cougars faced the North Carolina State Wolfpack, with the winner claiming the prize as national champion. Heavily favored, the Coogs hoped to place the cherry on top of a supremely sweet season; they came in flying high.
The ‘83 Houston Cougars were more than a mere basketball team; they were a national phenomenon. Dubbed Phi Slama Jama, a fraternity of forceful dunkers, the squad featured several shining stars, most notably Clyde “The Glide” Drexler and Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon, both now widely ranked among the top 50 players to ever lace up the high-tops and step onto the hardwood. These dudes prided themselves on playing above the rim and dunking with flair, on sprinting up and down the court to run up the score. Their coach, Guy V. Lewis, did a worthy job of creating a system for them without stifling their creativity.
But in the biggest moments of the season and of his career, Lewis got in their way. Albuquerque is a mountain city; the air in the gym was thin. Olajuwon played brilliantly, but he showed signs of exhaustion as time wound down in the second half. Drexler had four fouls early in the second half and had to sit on the bench for nearly ten minutes. Attempting to nurse a modest lead, with Hakeem sucking oxygen from a mask at every time out, the coach decided to try and shorten the game when Glide went back in, directing his players to throw the ball around the perimeter each possession and kill some clock, rather than run their normal offense.
Famously, the strategy failed, and the Wolfpack won the game on a last-second dunk by Lorenzo Charles, ruining the season for Phi Slama Jama and their fans. To this day, the memory of those events haunts me. I’ll never forget the bitterness I felt when the game ended. And I’ll never forgive the Cougar’s coach for what he did.
Looking down the twin barrels of immortality, with the prize in his sights, Guy Lewis failed to pull the trigger. When he flinched, he disrespected the greatness of Glide and Dream, undermined the superiority of his team. He should have implored them to seize the moment, to drive to the hole, keep their foot on the gas and go. Instead, on the final lap of the season’s marathon of events, he told them to pull up. In essence, he asked them to quit, and all hope was lost.
Wolfpack fans, of course, loved the game as much as I and all the Phi Slama Jama fans hated it. When the buzzer sounded, their coach celebrated what he perceived as a fulfillment of his team’s destiny.
They’d already made several comeback wins to earn a place in the season’s final game, and they played like they knew they would win. All of this I remember, but four decades later, the actual events of the game and the identity of its winner matter far less to me than does the memory of the Wolfpack’s coach and what he became.
Most folks knew little about Jimmy V before his team won the ring in the mountains that day. But over the next decade, the people of this nation came to love and respect him. In 1993, while giving a speech at the ESPY Awards Ceremony, he became an American hero when he announced the formation of the Jimmy V Foundation, an organization dedicated to raising money to fund medical research in the fight against cancer. Less than two months later, he died of adenocarcinoma.
On the precipice, facing the abyss of his own mortality, Jim Valvano sealed his legacy. He provided living proof while speaking his truth.
Fishing along the King Ranch Shoreline is often great late at night and into the first hour or so of the morning in March.
As in all other months, a soft plastic on a light jighead often proves effective for catching big trout when the bite is tough.
When fishing before dawn or after dusk in clear water in March, dark sinking twitchbaits and topwaters usually work well, as C. Runyan and M. Curan proved while fishing with the Captain.
In his finest hour, the man and his mantra merged into one. Weak, barely able to stand and walk to the podium, he nevertheless summoned the energy to deliver an ageless speech. As the life of the man drew to an end, the life of the mantra began. His foundation provides help to cancer victims to this day.
Though Valvano’s message has little to do with basketball and less to do with fishing, I’d argue its message does apply to us as anglers. I openly acknowledge the superficial absurdity of using something so iconic, with all its depth and gravity, to make a point about something so seemingly trivial as fishing, and I’ve abbreviated and paraphrased his famous words below, also tweaked the message slightly, so it better addresses an angler specifically. I hope my version honors Valvano adequately. His words and his life pay homage to the enduring power of perseverance and the sometimes inspiring strength of the human spirit...
I applied these life lessons as much as I could in all the things I did, including in the world of fishing. I always believed in the value of working toward a goal. I’m proud to say I accomplished most of what I wanted to do on the water, though none of us can say we always picked the right plug, caught every fish who took a bite at what we offered or made the right decision with every turn of the wheel.
But I can honestly say I tried to win without losing sight of the need to play the game the right way. And I’m honored to say I put the interests of the resource above my own selfish needs. For this reason, I went out of my way to try and teach young people to do things to respect the resource fully. I wanted them to believe we should all try to leave the world in better shape after we’re gone than it was in before we came along.
Growing up, I had several mentors who taught me about life, fishing, all the things that matter most. Many of them looked up to my grandfather, who always seemed to get the most out of every situation. He told me something I never forgot, and I’ve tried every day of my life since then to heed his advice.
You should try and do three things each day, he said. You should wrap your mind around important concepts, think about them intently. You should also pause to see the humor in life, find a way to laugh at situations, even at yourself. And, you should allow the intensity of this life to stir your emotions, move you to tears. If you can do these three things, you’ll know you’ve made the most of your day.
Now, all these years later, I could not agree more. Any day you’re able to think, laugh and cry is a good day. A life filled with deep thought, laughter and sincere emotion is a life well-lived. But there’s more to life than fun and internal reflection. The best lives are filled with achievements and accomplishments.
My mentors all stressed the same thing to me, not only with their words, but in the ways in which they lived, the behaviors they modeled for me. They were all movers and shakers, motivated to be great at whatever they did. I learned the value of hard work and an intense focus on goals from them.
You need to find something meaningful to do, they said. When you figure out what you want to be, set some goals, then pursue them with every fiber of your being. Once you achieve some of the goals and feel like you’ve gotten somewhere, set the bar higher and start over. This cycle will lead you to a place where you can be proud of what you’ve done and indeed who you are as a person.
I learned sporting ethics from my mentors. From an early age, I knew the rules. A big one is this–if you kill it, you must eat it. I tried to add a wrinkle to this important mantra. If you don’t need it, don’t kill it. Release it to live another day. I taught my proteges this by releasing most of the fish I caught when others watched and also when they didn’t.
Now, as I stand here, I know my time is short. But I continue to do the things I was taught by the people who helped mold me into the man I am. I do so because the most important truth has not, and will never change. Today is all we’ve got. We should forget about yesterday and live like there’s no tomorrow.
Whether we pursue a goal purely for the sake of personal satisfaction, compete against our peers for a prize in some kind of competition, or simply want to share our passion for the sport and respect for the resource, we should do the thing the same way. Father Time and his ready agents will eventually win the war, destroy our bodies and minds. But nothing can steal our spirit, nor change what’s in our hearts and souls.
As long as the light of life shines, we should honor the flame by fighting the good fight.And by never giving up. Don’t ever give up. NEVER give up...
These days, when I recall Phi Slama Jama’s loss in ‘83, I focus less on the failure of the Coogs’ coach and more on the triumph of his adversary. One of these things carries more weight than the other. Guy Lewis lost a big basketball game; Jimmy V won the most important battle in the game of life because he fought with such amazing grace.
KEVIN COCHRAN
Kevin Cochran is a long-time fishing guide at Corpus Christi (Padre Island), TX. Kevin is a speckled trout fanatic and has created several books and dvds on the subject.
Kevin’s home waters stretch from Corpus Christi Bay to the Land Cut.
T ROUT TRACKER GUIDE SERVICE
Email kevincochran404@yahoo.com Web www.captainkevblogs.com
B. Mcdanald overcame the effects of some gusty March winds when he caught this handsome trout.
Warming days between fronts can produce plenty of
redfish action.
Hit the Ground RUNNING
STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE
As many Texas anglers awaken from their long winter slumber, like bears coming out of hibernation, March greets them with longer days and warmer temps that kickstart the desire to get back on the water. Many will refer to it as cabin fever, as the desire to get outdoors and shake off the rust that builds up after weeks of being out of commission, thanks to a few unusual Texas weather events. For the folks on the lower coast, the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025 could not have played out better as it seemed like a steady supply of great trout were being caught in several of the more popular bays. Middle and upper coast anglers had a few flurries of success during that same timeframe where the fish cooperated, but for the most part it has been uneventful for that crowd. However, if my outlook might prove accurate, we can expect that to change very soon.
March has historically been a fantastic month to be on the water for those of us who call the upper coast home. Several great programs will become available as long as the weather permits. It’s no secret that unlike our friends to the south we are totally at the mercy of freshwater runoff from the lakes and rivers to our north. Galveston, Trinity, Sabine, and Calcasieu receive more than their fair share of fresh water during spring, which means that conditions can change almost overnight. The volatile swings in clarity and salinity are prime reasons that anglers should take full advantage of the opportunities to fish good conditions when they present themselves. It only takes a day or two to drastically change a body of water from pristine to looking like a stale Yoo-hoo drink.
Obviously, much of the early spring focus will be on targeting speckled trout, after all, specks reign supreme as the most targeted inshore species in both Texas and across the river in Louisiana. This month we will continue to look for those better fish that have seemingly all but disappeared in the last 6 or 8 years, courtesy of any number of weather-related setbacks–freezes, floods, and hurricanes. It would appear that most of the Upper Coast bays escaped unharmed during the January snowstorm and frigid temps that set records all along the coast. Little to no fishkills were reported, except for a couple of isolated areas, and the majority of these were not sportfish. After a very productive late summer and fall on Sabine and Calcasieu that saw an increase in the average size of the speckled trout, I am personally hopeful that some of the better quality fish may make an appearance this spring. At times this all feels like déjà vu because it’s like we’ve been here before, over and over. The eternal optimist in me says at some point we finally get over the hump and get those big trout back. Only time will tell.
Now, speckled trout are not the only game in town this month, not by a long shot. March means flounder for many anglers and there are few places that have historically rivalled Sabine Lake. The Sabine jetties and ship channel will draw the most pressure as the flounder make their way in from
the gulf, headed for the marshes. Deep structure near flats along the channel will provide consistent action for those willing to dig around and find such spots. Others will focus their attention on the many marsh drains that line the shores of Sabine. Obviously, moving water is a key, so pay close attention to the tide changes and areas where there are current eddies and places for the flounder to ambush their next meal. One key thing to remember is that once you catch a fish don’t be in a hurry to move; flounder will often stack up in favorable locations. Be sure to give that area a couple more casts to see if any other fish may be hanging around that same area. You may be pleasantly surprised at what you find.
Over the years we have had great success on flounder with small profile swimbaits in 3 or 3.5 inch size due to their versatility with either a slow steady retrieve where you occasionally touch the bottom, or actually fishing on the bottom with short erratic hops.
The Minnow Z from Z-Man is one of my favorite baits for this type of presentation, plus they are both incredibly soft and exceptionally durable, thanks to being made of ElaZtech superplastic. Another soft plastic that really shines when targeting flounder is the Berkley GULP Grub. Berkley added another weapon to their Power Bait arsenal this year that has given us great success and that’s the Power Switch Shrimp. The PSS is a 3.5 inch shrimp body lure that comes pre-rigged
The ZMan MinnowZ and the new Power Switch Shrimp from Berkley are solid bait choices for springtime flounder.
Redfish are definitely the steadiest of all players in the Sabine estuary.
Jim Leavelle tricked this healthy fish while swimming a paddletail plastic over shallow grass.
Nic Vela with a beautiful 8-pound wintertime trout.
on a 5/8 ounce jig head and has the built-in fish attractant that so many fishermen love. This bait excels in deeper water locations and is definitely worth a serious look.
Having touched only on the so-called higher profile species thus far, it would be criminal in my opinion to not show a little love to the drum family–both red and black. Considered by many trout enthusiasts as a nuisance and capable of interrupting a good bite, the red drum is easily the most steady and consistent player in the Sabine estuary. I would have no problem betting you lunch that Sabine Lake’s population of redfish from slot-size to oversize may be the best on the Texas coast. To say the population is healthy is a huge understatement. These fish seem to thrive no matter what the conditions, and they will certainly be accessible in March for anyone who wants to get their string stretched. The black drum gets minimal pressure and even less respect from most anglers and that’s really a shame. These fish are excellent table fare and are relatively easy to locate and catch. Standard bottom rigs adorned with crab, shrimp, or even squid will get you bites and are capable of producing some hefty-sized fish, upwards of 40-plus pounds. Fly anglers have warmed up to the idea of the black drum as a target and are singing
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SHRIMP FOR DINNER
the praises of stalking them in shallow water, so perhaps the stigma of the “big ugly” is changing.
As noted, there will be more than enough options to go around for even the most discerning angler this month as long as the weatherman and Mother Nature play nice. March can go from fantastic to downright scary in the blink of an eye as storms and high winds can show up out of nowhere, so always be cautious. Some of my worst days on the water happened in March, so I am always doing my best to pay attention and not take any chances. As a precaution, in case you haven’t been out in a while, please check your boats safety gear and mechanical functions before you hit the water because that could be the difference between a great day and something else entirely.
Enjoy the good weather, and if you get a chance, please take a kid or new angler fishing.
CHUCK UZZLE
CONTACT
Chuck fishes Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes from his home in Orange, TX. His specialties are light tackle and fly fishing for trout, reds, and flounder.
Phone 409-697-6111
Email wakesndrakes@yahoo.com
Website wakesndrakes.com
Scan to learn more Flutter Tail Shrimp
Harbor scene with fresh porgy, called sea bream. The high ground beyond was attacked by different cultures many times over the centuries.
Porgies & Wine
STORY BY JOE RICHARD
Here on the sunny island of Sicily where there is wine on every table, they’ve fished for a long time, like a few thousand years. It’s a chilly day in January and we’re hoping to score a fishing trip on the Med where certain fish, members of the porgy family (like our common sheepshead in Texas) are still being caught after all these years. The Med, being bordered by many countries, is somewhat overfished without bag or size limits. This week we have wind and whitecaps blowing across from Libya, so we’ll skip any plans for going offshore. My son here has a neighbor with a boat, who keeps him supplied on occasion with fresh fish, usually red porgy (locally called sea bream) and we were hoping to catch our own. However, while sitting on the couch sipping coffee from our town’s perch high above the water, we can see big waves marching by five miles away and 800 feet downhill.
(Many Sicilian towns were built on the high ground after being constantly invaded for 3,000 years by many armies. There are still a few pillboxes downhill from us from more recent conflicts, such as the day generals Eisenhower and Patton came ashore just east of here. The local government building, made of local sandstone blocks, has dozens of deep pock marks that look suspiciously like bullet strikes. The Germans, mostly the 15th Panzer Grenadiers and the Herman Goering Panzer Division, fought back for 43 days but soon withdrew north, anxious to cross two miles of deep blue water at Messina, then onto Italy’s safer mainland. Marching off into history). Sicily is quiet these days, and there are just enough fish around for the locals to try their luck. A friend of the family, Bruno, fishes the jetties and harbors and provided the customary New Year’s fish dinner that is said to bring a year’s worth of good luck. (We’ll see how that works out.) The fried red porgy fillets, washed down with Prosecco, were excellent. Bruno also catches mullet, eaten in different countries and still a big favorite in Florida. One of his pictures showed a mullet so big, it would scare most Texas kingfish. Our new-found friend Gerlando fishes the marina harbor near the jetties almost every day, a real diehard who sets out six big spinning rods. Every now and then he catches a trophy Spigola “seabass” up to 16 pounds, a fish closely resembling our striped bass back home. A real prize here. Last time Gerlando hooked one, he was so excited he had a heart attack. (Not sure if he landed that fish or not.) He’s now 74 years old and just won’t quit. Locals say his wife doesn’t like him fishing, so he keeps his tackle at a friend’s house and claims he’s out visiting friends. After handling bait each morning, you would think she’d figure it out and probably has. After he fell into a crack in the 7-foot high jetty rocks and couldn’t climb out, that must have convinced him to play it safe and fish from the marina’s bulkhead next to his car, which provides warmth on a chilly winter’s day. (Sicily is the same latitude as North Carolina.) Yes, it gets cold even in North Africa, only 90 miles away. Something keeps Gerlando
coming back day after day to catch a fish. He says it’s been weeks since the last bite on those six spin rods. That’s true dedication. He would be shocked at the fish we have in Texas around our own jetties. His crowning achievement was catching a 600-kilo bluefin tuna only eight miles offshore.
A tuna like that would be worth more than a million dollars these days, depending on its fat content and if it was promptly flown to Tokyo. He says that was before Japanese longliners arrived and worked over the Med from Gibraltar to Turkey.
Just down the bulkhead, two commercial boats dock each morning and sell their catch to the locals. The boats pull bottom trawls like our Texas shrimp boats. However, we saw no shrimp here, just eight or so species of small fish and rays. The locals, including wives, drive downhill from the city, park their cars on the bulkhead and buy straight off the boats. It’s a fair deal; there is no middleman fish market. There were big-mesh gill nets on one of the two boats; probably drift nets hoping for swordfish or sharks.
Cold and wet work, but Sicily enjoys the sunniest and warmest weather in Europe each winter. A coffee shop selling great pastry is always somewhere nearby, even at the marina. With steaming cups of Cafe Americana, also their super-strong Espresso.
Ironically it was porgies, specifically Texas sheepshead, that introduced our Port Arthur fishing crew to wine many years ago. Young people that year were having these wine parties with a new beverage called Boone’s Farm, something we hadn’t tried yet. One day an old man at the county boat ramp in Sabine Pass offered money if we’d bring him a few sheepshead. This was in late summer when it’s difficult to catch these fish in warm water. However, while offshore we often snorkeled at the oil rigs, hoping to spot a few red snapper (scarce back then) and where sheepshead always swarmed. Poking a few sheepshead took about five minutes, and we were soon back at the dock at sunset, selling the four sheepshead for the hefty sum of four dollars. We then drove straight to Bacque’s grocery and
Amy and our new friend on the docks, Gerlando, who fishes almost every day.
Haggling over fresh seafood unloaded off the local trawler boat.
bought Boone’s Farm’s Wild Mountain Grape. It was a little harsh, but at least it was purple. It’s true the heady stuff was only a dollar a bottle, but you have to remember a dollar back then went a long ways, like buying three gallons of gas for our two sticksteering bass boats that could run around offshore. That year or the next, local gas briefly dropped to 21 cents a gallon in our neighborhood. Each of our boats burned two, six-gallon tanks on a long day offshore, where we could sling jigs and spoons out at the Phillips rigs or the 18-mile light. We’d run and gun those long and calm summer days. Mostly; sometimes it was choppy out there but when you’re 20 years old, you can take a little discomfort. Our friend Bailey brought up the issue of aches inflicted offshore, and claimed wine would “ease the pain” after a long day. And he was right. That old guy’s wrinkled greenbacks were converted into wine that tasted better and better as all discomfort vanished. In retrospect, we should have been drinking water and Gatorade.
Back then, the waters off Sabine Pass held all manner of good-sized fish not found in the Med. Plus, we seldom saw another boat. Prime red snapper were in decline even in blue water, out of reach of our boats. We fished green water around the Sabine Bank (similar to Galveston’s Heald Bank) in 30-40 feet of water. We did expect to see ling every spring and summer trip, and often did. Today there’s been a switch; snapper have bounced way back while ling have greatly declined Gulf-wide.
Getting back to the porgy population, our sheepshead in Texas have been protected for many years with a five-fish bag limit. And they’re not really a targeted fish, except by winter snowbirds patiently lowering bait around the jetties at Port Aransas and South Padre Island. Further up the coast where you often need a boat to reach bigger jetties, these fish are still thick and hungry each winter. And they’ve only been fished a handful of years compared with Roman times. While in Sicily we toured a rediscovered Roman villa (estate) an hour’s drive away, that contained the world’s largest site of mosaic art (tiny floor tiles) showing all manner of life in 325 AD, with lots of fishing and hunting scenes.
And that was long after five centuries of Greeks who fished here before the Romans arrived. That’s serious time and fishing pressure. The Greeks, Romans, Saracens, and Normans are long gone from Sicily. Germans and Americans too, except for the tourists. But the fish are still here, though far fewer than those found in our Gulf of Mexico.
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JOE RICHARD
Joe Richard has fished the Gulf since 1967, starting out of Port Arthur, but his adventures have taken him up and down the entire coast. He was the editor of Tide magazine for eight years, and later Florida Sportsman’s book and assistant magazine editor. He began guiding out of Port O’Connor in 1994. His specialty is big kingfish, and his latest book is The Kingfish Bible, New Revelations. Available at Seafavorites.com
This bottom trawler returns each morning with small fish for the town.
Nearby Roman tile art finished in 325 AD. All manner of fish caught with hook and line, and also nets.
That Horrible WHITE STRIPE
STORY BY MIKE MCBRIDE
Editor’s Note: This story was originally published in our November 2013 issue and was always one of my favorites from McBride. Classic McBride humor peppered with some basic fishing sense…as only he could spin it. Check it out, but be careful not to kick the skunk!
Joe Richard came up with an interesting idea. Quoting his email “I’ve been thinking of doing a story on getting skunked in the presence of greatness, or something like that.”
Unfortunately though, I misread his invitation, so instead of sending a snippet about me that he could use in his story, I ended up just stealing his idea and using it for myself. Well heck, I never said I was all that bright. I certainly had plenty of examples of “where another guy in the boat or the guy in the next boat caught a cooler full of fish, while we sat there with the wrong bait or artificial and caught nothing.” And more inspiring was Joe’s additional challenges of “whose egos will allow them to relate such a story,” and lastly “this ought to be fun.”
The topic brought back more than a few memories. So, despite blowing his request, here’s just one of many personal episodes where an ego can make you zero. Well just heck again, I think half the fun in life is laughing at yourself anyway. So here goes: It was around 2002, I think. Back when this magazine’s operation basically consisted of just Everett, Pam and my new little eager self. Monthly travels up and down the coast made for quite a few gripping consequences, but for David Rowsey, one of the consequences was meeting me.
As we were just getting to know each other, he happened to “smirkingly” mention that he was on some big trout, and then naively quipped, “Come on down and get you some!”
I don’t remember many details but another relatively new victim also ended up becoming involved in the adventure. Somehow, the middle of the night found my (at the time) factory-sponsored 22-foot Pathfinder heading down Highway 77 behind Louie Baumann’s truck. This being the Louie of Baumann Propeller fame – Neanderthal-looking dude who with just the power of his wrist can gently lower a 20-pound sledgehammer to the tip of his nose – with either hand!
No, I didn’t even think to tell David I was bringing company, probably because I had yet to learn Rowsey’s name was synonymous with secretive anal-retentive tendencies, at least where big trout were concerned.
We pulled into Flour Bluff just before sun-up, and although it was dark and we were delirious from lack of sleep, I could easily see that Rowsey had sprouted a set of strange and fully erect antennae. Despite him going through a mental thesaurus of derogatory adjectives and expletives, we ended up launching anyway into some “theoretically” perfect conditions–a wintry pre-norther situation under the influence of a full moon.
A condensed version would be that it ended up being one of those nightmarish trips, where you end up sucking your thumb because everybody catches monster trout repeatedly and often, except you. Yeah, that’s funny as long as it happens to somebody else. Except this time the somebody would be me.
When we got to Rowsey’s Secret Squirrel location it was familiar to me. However, I wasn’t about to mention that my longtime partner, Mark Holt, and I had been plugging the same area for years.
We mostly did it secretly at night, but of course it’s always about knowing when to be where, and Rowsey certainly knew about both. He also knew how to catch them, and it wasn’t long before he and Louie started doing just that. Some impressively fat trout in the six- to seven-pound range were soon being landed, and here’s where that ego thing I mentioned started to build into yet another story.
It became one of those testosterone-driven moments where you fantasize that even though I am bearing witness to “near epicness” here, I’m just not going to participate
because I think I can do better.
There has to be a degree of risk for any game to be exciting, plus a fair chance of the prey vanishing. Somehow it occurred to me that these fish were fenced up like deer at a feeder pen, with an obviously predictable outcome.
“Anybody can catch them when you’re on them,” said ego. “The real skill is finding them in the first place.”
“OK then,” I thought. “If this class of fish is feeding right here; what class of fish might be feeding over there?”
Mark’s Mucky Hole as we named it, one of our tenured trophy spots, was about a short mile down the shoreline. I had to go do some research, or so I told David and Louie, but was honestly intending to trump the excellence David and Louie already had coming to hand.
David later commented that I looked like Flo Jo in wading booties, streaking down the bank. And yeah, I was hurrying to catch that classic midday-full moon feed. But that didn’t work.
In the meantime, Louie was addictively tucked inside his newest fishing god’s back pocket like a new can of snuff. No doubt it was high opportunity, if all you wanted to do was catch, but to me this whole game is more about discovery. If there’s sixes and sevens here, there’s gotta be eights and nines over there.
The bottom line is that I didn’t catch squat, not there, nor during the entire wade back. And unbeknownst to me, the
A much younger David Rowsey, circa the time of the great skunking.
A grainy and dated image of me, losing “the beast” on that fated afternoon of “near epicness.”
Time to go! Well, actually, it would have been much better if we’d left thirty minutes earlier.
dynamic duo had been hammering good fish the whole time, and the whole time they kept getting bigger.
I slinked back just in time to see Louie catch his personal best trout and, sucking it up, I wedged right in between them but still couldn’t catch squat.
Here we go again. They were smoking big fish on Corkys but; Oh no, I could easily see that was working, so I decided I wanted to catch them on topwaters instead.
The results of the skunk strip continued to gain contrast, but finally, at the very end, I hooked what I thought at the time to be the biggest beast I’d ever seen.
But before I knew it, Oh Hell Ego No – all I have to show for it is a picture of some questionable foaming whitewater. It pulled off. And it was time to pull out.
We had pushed the weather limit and a fiery black tempest was descending to devour an ascending orange moon. I just thought I was going home stinking, however, it ‘twern’t over yet. The humility demons wanted even more blood, and they got it.
The stronger than expected norther hit right as we were leaving and two-foot whitecaps were reflecting quite well in the light of the big moon, but not nearly as brightly as they soon did from a ten billion candlepower spotlight suddenly boring into us from the bridge of an approaching barge. It was right in our face and impossibly blinding. We couldn’t tell if she was fifty yards ahead or five hundred.
I backed down, wiped watering eyes, then pulled east and outside of the ICW, trying to make sense of the invading threat. After regaining bearings, we pushed back up on a slow plane, into the teeth of a 25-
knot north wind, but it wasn’t long before another seismic event came our way. Right after hearing a sickening thump, the bow shot up and we all shot forward.
A 14” diameter channel marker piling, evidently pushed over by an earlier barge, was lying in wait like a jousting pole just beneath the surface. And for me, it gouged another large hole in an already seriously damaged ego, and an equally gaping wound in the bow of the Pathfinder at the waterline.
As if that big white stripe down my back wasn’t enough, I ended up wearing a big red one right across my forehead where I face-planted the windshield’s grab rail.
Louie hit the console like a football player on a practice dummy. Rowsey, I think, was saved by the cushioning effect of his designer undergarments, but that’s another story.
We trimmed her to run bow-high to minimize taking on water and continued plowing northward. The looks we got when we finally made the ramp would have probably sunk any number of lesser vessels.
Morals? Well actually, there are several. Many different levels of ego exist but few actually put fish on the wall. Leaving fish to find fish is rarely a productive idea. There is no fishing in the “go for it” category that doesn’t come without great risks of humiliation, as nature will routinely send even the best of outdoorsmen to the bottom – if we don’t do it to ourselves. (I got double hauled on this one.) And lastly, if somebody puts you on “near epicness” it might be wise to be a gracious guest.
Yeah Joe, “this was fun!”
Realistically though, stuff like this is just all part of trying to live large, and I still tease Rowsey about the antennae.
JAY
WATKINS ASK THE PRO
FISHING IS NOT WHAT I DO; IT’S WHO I AM.
I am not sure at this point how to teach this. I have transformed from guide to coach over the past 10 years and find that coaching is way different than guiding. At times it is hard to effectively coach and still have finding fish at the forefront of my thoughts and actions. That said, at some point I have to put the clients in an area where bites are being received in order to confirm that all that we are talking about and working on is actually working. The reward is higher when you see the light go on in someone’s mind after beginning to understand a pattern at the end of a successful day.
Just about everyone that has ever heard me speak at a public event or seminar, or has read any of the hundreds of articles I have written, understands that I am a meat and potatoes sort of writer and will leave the colorful storytelling to all the others. Boring is the proper word but don’t kid yourself, boring can be effective.
I do work outside the box, probably more today than ever before. New technology and a force of young, high-energy anglers keep me on my toes. I absolutely love competing against these young studs. Recently, I shot a video for my Instagram account on how I organize my wading box up for an upcoming day. I realized that
my lure and color selection was based on two things –confidence in the lures and conditions that were forecast for the day. For the record, audibles are needed at times so don’t be stubborn and ignore what you know.
After 45-plus years in this business I know what I know and know that I don’t know everything, nor enough to get it done every single day. Maybe we never get to that point and maybe we don’t even want to get to that point. Not breaking the code might be the very thing that keeps us coming back time and time again. Actually, it is what I don’t know that keeps me focused and excited about going every day. There was a time when I complained when the fish won. Today, I applaud them and vow to be better the next time out.
On a recent tough day, both weather-wise and bitewise, the fish won in a convincing manner. It bothered me for my guys, but a lack of effort from the entire group was not an issue. It might sound bad but what the fish proved to us that day will be used to help us understand and predict the pattern on another day. The work we must do is in the department of finding better methods of creating situations that allow us to get enough bites to have the confidence to camp in an area
Jay Lucas with the one we were looking for!
and make it happen. I am still of the mindset that if I can put myself in an area where there are enough fish, I can find a way to make some of them eat. If you’re not of this mindset, you need to get there. It needs to be said that much of the time when I am talking about tough conditions, the weather is actually very nice – light winds, clear skies and calm waters. Great for fishing; not so much for catching. If you look at posts on social media, you will discover that many of the photos and videos of larger trout are taken on days when weather conditions are less than favorable. Many of the toughest of days are those when high atmospheric pressure has set in and winds are light and waters clear. This does not mean that we cannot catch fish on days with weather conditions that are not favorable. Fish have to feed; so somewhere and at some time they will eat no matter how favorable or unfavorable the conditions might be. On the day that I mentioned earlier in the article, we bumped around a couple of areas that I knew for a fact had been holding
A great one for Charles Church…Sight-Casting 101.
larger trout. A shallow grass flat with some areas of heavy grass and scattered potholes, also with areas of big sand and sparsely scattered grass beds. The flat parallels the ICW and has a gradually sloping drop-off (swag) before it comes up to shallow spoils along the ICW. This pattern can be found from East Matagorda all the way to Port Isabel. Now this flat I’m describing, provided that a reliable food source is in place, has everything needed to consistently hold fish. Wind and tidal flows provide water movement and, believe it or not, so do ship and barge wakes. I call these manmade tides. Areas such as this allow me to fish all day and not really have to move much at all. This allows me the luxury of allowing patterns to develop around us as we fish. It’s easier to observe and see the small changes in feeding activities when we fish more and move less. Being able to drift the boat along with us and/or walk back and drift it up to my group of wading anglers adds an element of stealth to our effort. I know for a fact that today’s fish are
totally aware of outboard engine noise and boat traffic, and have witnessed their reaction to it.
During the winter months I like to position myself in areas where boat traffic will push fish our way. I have employed this strategy for many years and it is a pattern that can definitely work to your benefit. I sometimes wonder if those boat operators have any clue as to the numbers of fish present in the areas they’re running through. Most of the time, the areas where this strategy could be applied contain no distinguishing features, there is no fixed structure, no X so to speak. They do not appear on fishing maps or GPS charts. Which perhaps accounts for the number of anglers that simply drive straight through on their way to other places.
I actually target areas like this because there are no fixed structures. This does not mean that I don’t like to fish fixed structures because I do, but I also find that I can fish alone more on larger areas where fish-attracting structures are not so well known or noticeable. Fixed structures – rocks, reefs, drop-offs and such – allow one to pinpoint their
casts, dropping in and getting out quickly if bites are not received. Whereas larger areas of scattered structure take a lot of time to work effectively. I have always enjoyed stepping out in an area that requires some skill to navigate. What I mean is, it takes a fishing mind that can dissect the area, locate prime structural features and other productive areas, and then adjust accordingly as the pattern changes throughout the day.
This mindset is difficult to teach and takes tons of water time to become confident in one’s ability to interpret what needs to be done to be productive. If you are wanting a seasoned angler to teach you the finer points of navigating such an area you need to plan on investing a lot of time. Sounds like a sales pitch to get you to fish more days with me but it’s not. If at the end of each day one can take away just one thing that they have learned, then it’s a good day spent on the water.
I always travel light, I guess wade light is a better word. I carry lures that match the conditions of the day. Mirrolure Lil Johns and Lil John XLs dominate my soft plastic selections. Custom Corky Fat Boys
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Steve Henriksen of Henri Rods with a really nice fish.
and Soft Dines during the cooler months as well as Texas Customs Double D series make up my slow-sink twitchbait category. I will also occasionally have a topwater or two in my box – She Dog or She Pup, and maybe a Super Spook, One Knocker or Spook Jr. Clear water colors typically dominate the lures that I carry due to the fact that I fish relatively clear water most of the time.
Some get confused when I talk about darker colors that can still be effective in clear water. These are Plum, Watermelon, Golden Bream and, believe it or not, June Bug. Clear water colors in my box are usually Opening Night, Cajun Croaker, Clear/Red/Gold Glitter and Molting. I use all the jighead colors that Texas Customs makes, Watermelon and Silver are used the most but the Chartreuse/Blue Glitter and Black/Gold glitter are good choices as well.
I probably throw 1/16-ounce jigheads 95% of the time, but on rare occasions I will throw 1/8-ounce, and even more rarely I will throw a 1/4 when fishing into the wind or into a strong tidal current. I have a tremendous amount of confidence in all of the lures that I have in my small wading box and most days I will end up using all of them, especially if fishing a tough bite. This small selection of lures in which
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I have great confidence allows me the luxury of fishing all the lures multiple times during my search for the right lure for that day.
I believe it is very important that you pay careful attention to the exact location that bites are received throughout the day. The location can change. For instance, as feeding activity increases, the bite can rise in the water column. When the frequency of bites being received diminishes, we typically find them lower in the water column.
Trout especially can move from the edges of the grass beds to being well within the heaviest grass. This is why I say you need to be mindful of where bites are received in order to be able to duplicate the presentation, and also to target other pieces of similar structure in the same manner.
In the end, you see, it’s all the little things that we train ourselves to make routine that help us improve our fishing skills. You play like you practice, so practice hard and well.
May Your Fishing Always Be Catching! -Guide, Jay Watkins
Jay Watkins has been a full-time fishing guide at Rockport, TX, for more than 45 years. Jay specializes in wading yearround for trout and redfish with artificial lures. Jay covers the Texas coast from San Antonio Bay to Corpus Christi Bay.
Telephone 361-729-9596
Email Jay@jaywatkins.com
Website www.jaywatkins.com
GULF COAST TOOLS
OF THE TRADE
ROBERTS
SHALLOW WATER FISHING
THE TRANSITION MONTH
We had some unprecedented weather events here on the Upper Texas Coast this winter that included uncommonly cold temperatures and a record snowfall. For the first time in my life I was able to build a snowman (and a pretty decent one at that) while also having a full-blown snowball fight with coworkers in the parking lot. I guess no matter how old you get you still revert back to being a kid. As of now, though, we are on the tail end of winter, but not fully out of it yet. Typically this time of the year the weather pattern is starting to warm up but still capable of delivering another serious cold front or two. It’s like Mother Nature’s way of keeping us on our toes and reminding us that she’s still the boss.
My buddy and I had a conversation recently about fishing this time of year and naturally we discussed the prevailing migration and feeding patterns. Of course, like any other season, these are strongly influenced
by the weather. If winter seems to be dragging on and Mother Nature keeps throwing us late cold fronts, this will keep us locked in winter patterns. Likewise, a string of warm, sunny days will hasten the arrival of springtime patterns. After considerable discussion we agreed that March can be an odd ball month filled with highly variable weather, perhaps best described as the transition month.
What I mean by transition is that winter is still lingering around while spring is not quite here yet. I believe that fish are still hanging around deeper water just in case that another cold front comes through. They can also be found moving onto nearby flats and into some marsh ponds on warmer days. The thing is, though, regardless of where they might be found, they are never too far from seeking deep water refuge. When it comes to targeting these fish, I like to look at what the weather has been for the week or so prior
DAVE
before making any decisions. If there seems to have been a warming trend I will probably start shallow and see if I can find some fish hanging around in the marsh. Once the sun comes up, it usually doesn’t take too long to figure out if the fish are there or not. From what I have observed, you usually won’t find them tailing at this time of year but you should hear or see them crashing bait along the shoreline. By now, there should be balls of small shad coming into our bay systems and every gamefish is taking advantage of the easy meal. Since these shad are so small, the only efficient way for a large fish to feed on them is by swimming into the school with their mouth wide open. This is usually a dead giveaway of the location of a fish and it doesn’t take long to figure out what’s going on when you see it.
If I don’t see any signs of fish being in the shallows and marsh ponds I will revert back to the channels and bayous that feed that backwater area. A lot of times these fish can be found near the entrances of the ponds or main lake. Once again though, I will be looking for baitfish in the channel and will be keeping an eye out for the balls of shad. There are a lot of times that you will see fish crashing the shorelines of the channels, getting an easy meal and then sinking back down into deeper water. If everything looks right and there are signs of fish, then I typically like to focus on fishing the drop-offs of the bayous. Fish will often stage just off the edge of the shallower edge as it makes for a good ambush point for a hungry fish.
Moving on to lure selection, I typically like to downsize my offerings and throw something a little smaller during this early spring period. Whether it might be GULP, Keitech plastics, or Saltwater Assassins; I will stick with their 3” lures and have noticed that it helps when redfish tend to be keying on smaller prey. If I am fishing in the bayou or sight-casting, I will rig it with a 1/8-ounce jighead. If I’m in the marsh or backwater ponds I will likely have my soft plastics rigged under a popping cork.
Locating fish this time of year isn’t always easy but the good part is that if you find one or two there will likely be plenty more in the same area. Just keep in mind that if you’re not getting bites they’re probably not there. Keep moving and trying different areas. Remember that the weather is changing almost daily right now, and so are the fish. Wintertime is nearly over and it is important that you make the transition as well. CONTACT
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Follow the Baby Shad & Downsize Your Lure
Dave Roberts is an avid kayak-fishing enthusiast fishing primarily the inshore Upper Coast region with occasional adventures to surf and nearshore Gulf of Mexico.
Email: TexasKayakChronicles@yahoo.com
Website: www.TexasKayakChronicles.com
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By Shane Bonnot
TSFMAG CONSERVATION NEWS
TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE SECURES SIGNIFICANT VICTORY FOR OYSTER CONSERVATION
(Editor’s Note: check out the online version of this article to see highlighted links and access all the related background information.)
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (TPWC) adopted proposed amendments to the Statewide Oyster Fishery Proclamation that accomplishes a suite of actions, providing positive change for the oyster fishery, including the establishment of a Certificate of Location (CoL) program for restoration activities, opportunities for expansion of the CoL program for commercial oyster production, allowance for siting of CoLs on degraded oyster beds, and modernization of administrative processes for the CoL program.
At the TPWC meeting, Chairman Jeffrey Hildebrand emphasized that while existing commercial CoLs cover a mere 2,318 acres, all situated in Galveston Bay, they contribute over 20% of Texas’s annual harvest on average. He also followed up with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) staff, directing them to find ways to expand the commercial CoL program with the intent of providing greater relief to public oyster reefs.
CCA Texas supported the proposal and has publicly advocated for the expansion of commercial CoLs and the need for restoration CoLs for several years. Additionally, our article from the last edition of CURRENTS highlights the need for CoL expansion and provides additional recommendations for a path to a sustainable oyster fishery.
“For quite some time, we have requested restoration Certificate of Locations (CoL), and along with State Senator Lois Kolkhorst and State Representative Todd Hunter, fought to help pass the legislation needed to turn this concept into a reality,” stated Rocky Chase, Chairman of the CCA Texas Government Affairs Committee. “The more we can facilitate oyster restoration, the better. Having restoration CoLs will enhance opportunities and encourage investment in restoration efforts, greatly benefiting our coastal fisheries and angler opportunities to enjoy our valued resources.”
The CoL program can be a bit complex, but it’s helpful to think of it as a type of lease from the state. For restoration CoLs, organizations such as non-profits, research institutions, and NGOs can lease degraded areas of up to 100 acres to carry out oyster restoration activities, following active use criteria set by TPWD. During the lease term, these areas will be closed to commercial oyster harvesting. Commercial CoLs, on the other hand, follow similar criteria as restoration CoLs, but they grant the leaseholder exclusive rights to harvest oysters within their leased area.
Within the oyster community, it is well understood that CoLs are meticulously managed to promote sustainable harvesting. This includes the strategic placement of cultch to provide vertical relief on the reef, which supports the recruitment of oyster larvae for future harvests. This deliberate approach stands in stark contrast to the melee that occurs on public oyster reefs. Combined with a robust
At the TPWC meeting, Chairman Jeffrey Hildebrand emphasized that while existing commercial CoLs cover a mere 2,318 acres, all situated in Galveston Bay, they contribute over 20% of Texas’s annual harvest on average. Expansion of CoLs is a necessity for oyster reef conservation, offering a viable offramp for commercial oyster fishermen solely reliant on the public reef oyster fishery.”
FiSh AlL SuMmEr FoR OnE LoW
MaY 24-SePt 1 $2,000,000 In PrIzEs & ScHoLaRsHiPs 18 BoAtS • 5 TrUcKs • 5 UtVS
oyster license buyback program, the expansion of CoLs will reduce the oyster fishery’s dependence on public reefs. This approach helps protect oyster reef complexes, emphasizing their ecological and structural importance in coastal ecosystems.
“Expansion of CoLs is a necessity for oyster reef conservation, offering a viable offramp for commercial oyster fishermen solely reliant on the public reef oyster fishery,” said Shane Bonnot, CCA Texas Advocacy Director. “We are pleased that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission and department staff recognize the importance of this program and the opportunities it will provide to the oyster industry.”
The adopted amendments balance ecological restoration, regulatory clarity, and stakeholder engagement, positioning Texas as a leader in sustainable oyster fishery management. Future investments in CoLs for oyster restoration and commercial interests will leverage the immense benefits oysters provide to water quality, biodiversity, shoreline protection, and carbon sequestration. Furthermore, by addressing both conservation and oyster industry concerns, these regulations will yield significant environmental, economic, and coastal community benefits over time.
Moving forward, continued collaboration with stakeholders is encouraged to ensure the long-term success of future restoration efforts. To that end, CCA Texas has pledged $5 million specifically for oyster reef restoration and intends on utilizing a significant degree of the funds under the CoLs umbrella when possible. “Thank you to TPWD staff for their thoughtfulness in the development of these recently passed regulations,” stated Bonnot. “I’m sure CCA members will be excited about the chance to restore some of their favorite historic reefs to their former glory by means of the CoL program.”
By Stephanie Carter | Aransas Bay Field Office
Fish & Wildlife
Technician
FIELD NOTES
ALGAE OR ANIMAL? WHAT IS THE
SAUERKRAUT
As a fish and wildlife technician, my family and friends routinely ask me questions regarding inhabitants of the Texas coast. One that comes up time and time again is the age-old question – What is this? – usually accompanied by a photo of a seemingly alien species. While the more obscure plants and animals of the region may puzzle those less acquainted with the Texas coast, staff of the Coastal Fisheries Division of Texas Parks and Wildlife have become quite familiar with many of these species. One such species that we frequently get questions about is the sauerkraut bryozoan (Amathia verticillate). Nicknamed the “sauerkraut of the sea” for its resemblance to the delicious hotdog condiment, this plant-like organism is often seen washed ashore in clumps on the beach or tangled up
OF THE SEA?
in fishing gear. Its frequent summer appearances typically spark a flood of social media posts and inquiries, with people asking what it is—and more importantly, if it’s safe to touch. With its branching network of transparent-brown stalks, sauerkraut bryozoan is often mistaken for being a type of brown algae. However, this unusual organism is neither algae nor plant, but a colony of millions of tiny invertebrate bryozoans known as “moss animals.” Though it is difficult to distinguish the individual members of the colony with the naked eye, each individual bryozoan (zooid) plays a distinct role as either a consumer, reproducer, or structural supporter. Like many invertebrates found in Texas bays and estuaries, sauerkraut bryozoans filter plankton from the water, sharing nutrients to sustain
Washed up deposits of the sauerkraut bryozoan on Rockport Beach.
TPWD bay trawl fowled with large amounts of sauerkraut bryozoan colonies.
the entire colony. Their reproduction is equally intriguing: eggs develop through sexual reproduction and hatch into larval zooids, which attach to substrates like rocks, shells, seagrasses, or debris to establish new colonies. From a single ancestral zooid, these colonies can rapidly expand through budding, often growing over two meters long and 30 centimeters wide. They also reproduce asexually through fragmentation, meaning that even a torn piece can regenerate into a whole new colony, much like a sea star.
Much like the moon jellies (Aurelia aurita) that swarm our waters every summer, the sauerkraut of the sea is fond of the warm, salty waters of the Texas coast. These bryozoans not only prefer these marine environments, but they thrive in them, having adapted to withstand a wide range of water temperatures (between 50-95°F) and salinities (1535ppt). The generalist nature of the bryozoan has equipped them with the ability to survive in temperate and tropical regions across the globe, aiding the spread of this invasive species into areas where it was not previously observed. Unlike other varieties of bryozoan, scientists have yet to discover the original origins of the sauerkraut bryozoan. Its long-term presence within the Mediterranean Sea and the existence of a co-evolved predator in the Caribbean Sea, suggests that one or both locations are likely the native home for the far-reaching species.
Encounters with sauerkraut bryozoans have become more prevalent over the years, with masses of these organisms blanketing shorelines, fouling fishing gear, and biofouling sea-going vessels up and down the Gulf coast. With the bryozoans’ continued presence, beachcombers, anglers, and mariners alike often seek advice on how to deal with these invertebrates when they cross paths with them. Luckily, these moss animals don’t sting and if you touch them, they won’t touch you back. Feel free to pick them up to clear a space on the shore for your beach towels or remove them from your fishing gear and vessel hulls. However, as appetizing as these bryozoans may seem to some, the sauerkraut of the sea is not suitable for human consumption and should not be used as a condiment for hot dogs or Reuben sandwiches!
Lastly, don’t forget that this highly resilient invasive species can regenerate from very small fragments, so try to avoid cutting or tearing the sauerkraut colony and make sure to properly dispose of
any remaining pieces in the trash when possible. It is recommended to clean, drain, and dry any beach gear and fishing equipment in the same manner as you would to stop the spread of other invasive marine species in boats. The hot water and air-dry process should prevent even the smallest individual from anchoring, surviving, and reproducing elsewhere.
Tropical expansion, inadvertent transport, and their ability to reproduce at high rates have aided the spread of the species far and wide. Whether we like it or not, it seems the sauerkraut of the sea is here to stay on the Texas Gulf coast.
Image 2: Cluster of sauerkraut bryozoan colonies.
Close up image of a sauerkraut bryozoan stalk under a dissecting scope.
ERIC OZOLINS
EXTREME KAYAK FISHING & SHARKS FROM THE SAND
SUCCESSFULLY SELECTING AND DEPLOYING SHARK BAITS
Many decisions go into planning a big fishing adventure. Whether the fishing happens offshore, inshore or anywhere else, many essential choices affect the success or failure of a trip. Certainly, the types of gear brought along make a difference. Some people are inclined to pack a rod and reel for every conceivable purpose when they head to the water.
For wiser captains, practicality is key. They refine their plans more thoroughly and bring along only what they know they’ll need. Terminal tackle often costs as much if not more than rods and reels, so decisions related to gearing up in an optimal way matter plenty. Braided line ranks high on the list of most expensive parts of the arsenal. Over the lifetime of a reel, one might spend two to five times as much on line to keep the spool full as they spent on the reel itself.
All these things have significance, but out of all the essentials–rods, reels and other necessary gear–one item ranks at the top of the list of the most important, at least for some of us. For people who target sharks and other oceanic species, bait reigns supreme, playing the most critical role in determining the success of any outing.
In shark fishing, many types of bait will work, at least some of the time. Because sharks are apex predators, they’ll eat just about anything if they’re hungry enough. Sharks are not only top-tier hunters, they’re also supremely
efficient scavengers, so they might attack something alive and kill it, or they might pick up something dead. All that said, all baits are not created equal.
Sharking is an art, and sharkers should refine their craft after years of experience. Many of us become meticulous in our habits, maybe to a fault. When choosing when to go or where to fish, while rigging or deploying baits, we proceed in a precise manner. These meticulous habits certainly come into play in the process of selecting which bait or baits to use. Sometimes, I absolutely know a certain type of bait will out-perform all the others.
The best bait for an outing is affected by timing. As the seasons change, the relative abundance of species varies widely. Consequently, predators don’t always chase after the same things. The age-old saying “match
Tooth marks left in stingray bait that was deployed for sharks.
the hatch” applies strongly in sharking. When herds of jack crevalle invade the shallows fronting the beach, running whole jacks to attract the attention of large sharks makes perfect sense.
Some of the largest sharks landed on our coast have bitten hooks holding the bloody flesh of a jack. Giant tigers, hammers, bulls and elusive makos all find fresh jacks irresistible. If I had an unlimited supply of jacks, I might never choose to deploy another bait when targeting the biggest sharks.
But, unlike in times past, Texas sharkers can’t use traditional J-style hooks when targeting sharks. These days, laws require us to use non-offset, non-stainless circle hooks. Big baits prove difficult to properly rig on circle hooks. When putting a whole jack or a large chunk of a jack on a circle hook, the best bet is to put the hook in the bigger end of the bait and hope the shark eats it.
Jack crevalle is a phenomenal bait, but it’s not always readily available. When they disappear for the long summer season, other baits come into play. Primarily, sharks feed on stingrays during the hot season. We have several different species of stingray in our waters, two of which play the main role for us as monster shark baits during summer.
Among the largest rays in the Gulf of Mexico, both roughtail and southern stingrays can grow to over 200 pounds. These rays have a routine schedule; during the summer they come close to shore in the shallows to relax, feed and drop their pups on the sandy bottom. Each mother ray gives birth to about a dozen live pups. While the female rays are pregnant and vulnerable, large tiger and hammerhead sharks take advantage and prey on them. The giant sharks pin the rays to the bottom and eat big chunks of them until they’re full and content.
Jacks and rays are not the only effective baits to use when targeting sharks. Black drum, flounder and red snapper can all be used, provided they’re of legal keeping size and are counted toward a legal daily bag limit. Most people would rather eat these fish instead of using them to try to catch a shark, but they do indeed work.
The largest shark we’ve landed using flounder as bait on my charters is a twelve-foot hammerhead. Since hammers have smaller mouths
than other monster sharks, they prefer picking up slightly smaller baits, such as a medium-sized flounder. Blacktips and other species will also regularly take flounder precisely rigged as bait.
During winter, Texas anglers are able to target an impressive species which isn’t present during the warmer months. The incredible sandbar sharks resemble blacktips on steroids, and they fight with strength and vigor. Sometimes, the 200-pound beasts breach the surface when hooked.
While these acrobatic predators are present during my winter/early-spring adventures, I try to select baits I know they like, such as black drum, sheepshead and pompano. A large sandbar shark finds all of these irresistible. In addition, sandbars show affinity for large, whole whiting. Generally, when rigging up for sandbars in winter, cooler temperatures call for smaller baits.
One of the great things about land-based shark fishing is the freedom to experiment with techniques and baits. I’ve caught sharks while experimenting with baits I thought had little chance of working. I’ve deployed exotic offshore species and supercombo taco-style baits and succeeded with most of them. The most important quality a good bait has is its freshness. Fresh, never-frozen is best, but frozen baits will work if handled properly.
Vacuum-sealed frozen baits work as well as fresh ones much of the time. On the other hand, running freezer burned baits is a terrible idea. The man in the gray suit is not so smart, but he knows enough to pass on a bait that doesn’t smell just right. By taking some steps to provide the most attractive, tempting bait possible, thoughtful sharkers tip the odds in favor of making some sharking magic happen.
For the past decade Eric ‘Oz’ Ozolins has been promoting shark catch and release and assisting various shark research programs. Eric offers guided shark fishing on Padre Island National Seashore. Also renowned for extreme kayak big game fishing, Eric is the owner of Catch Sharks Tackle Company.
Email oz@oceanepics.com Websites oceanepics.com | catchsharks.com
Large tiger shark that was caught on southern stingray bait.
Ron Ulseth with a large pompano caught in the winter surf.
Wanda Ulseth with a large butterfly ray landed and released in the surf.
JAKE HADDOCK
MOSTLY SIGHT-FISHING
BEAR HUNTING WITH A SWITCH
When I was a kid, I recall being out at a local shopping center with my family. While my mom and sister shopped, my dad and I participated in his favorite pastime at the mall – people watching. When all of a sudden a woman rounds the corner with a physique suited for an NFL linebacker. My dad leaned over and whispered, “See that woman over there? I bet she could go bear hunting with a switch!” The mental image of that had me instantly rolling in laughter. It wasn’t the last time I heard that phrase, and it sometimes comes to mind while fishing. No, not a woman that can probably bench press more than I weigh, but being severely under-gunned while fighting a large redfish on fly tackle.
It’s a known fact that the 8-weight fly rod is standard issue for day-to-day redfish angling, and rightfully so. The 8-weight is typically regarded as having enough power to cast aggressively tapered lines and flies with lead eyes, but still enough flex to make a fight with a mid-slot redfish feel sporty. Sometimes, however, you encounter
a much larger redfish than expected, and typically there’s no time to reach under the gunnel for a bigger stick. This has happened to me twice while on the bow and, to make matters worse, my usual fly rod of choice is a 7-weight. Let me say it’s not that I was intentionally trying to catch a bull red on that light of a rod, but when one swims by and that’s what I have in hand, do you think I’m not going to cast at it? This is why it helps to “be rigged for bear” so to speak, and that starts with a strong leader.
As mentioned in previous articles, I prefer to cut off the factory loop of my fly lines and tie the butt section of leader directly to it. This aids not only in casting, but more importantly gives you the ability to reel the leader through your guides when fighting a fish boatside. This is especially important with bigger fish that often try dirty tricks – like diving under the boat. For clients that show up with their own gear and have factory loops still attached to their fly line, I simply use pre-made handtied leaders. These are constructed with a similar leader
Ian Roylance letting a big one go to fight another day.
formula to the ones tied to my lines but have a perfection loop on the end for a simple loop-to-loop connection. The downfall is that this type of connection does not go through the guides easily, so I prefer to “wire” the fish the last few feet to the boat.
One thing that I advise against is using a store-bought tapered fly leader. I, like most beginners, used them when I first started fly fishing but have since learned not to trust them. A quick trick to beef them up is to cut off the last few feet of the tapered leader and tie in a stronger section of bite tippet. However, they can be prone to snapping if you have to grab the leader to turn a big fish at the boat. I’ve seen it too many times. So, if I have any thoughts that we might encounter some larger fish that day, there will be no tapered leaders used on my boat.
The next most common thing that has led to the loss of many big fish would be flimsy hooks. This is one reason I like my anglers to use flies that I tie myself, because I know what hooks they were built on. I wish I had one brand and model number to give you, but unfortunately different flies require different hooks due to size, shape, sink rate, and hook orientation. I’m constantly trying new hooks and strive to find that magic combination of strength and stickiness. Some of my personal favorites that always seem to be available at local shops are the Gamakatsu SL12S and SL12S 1x Short. There are many others that also work well, like Umpqua’s heavy jig hooks and some new offerings from Mustad that seem promising. For some reason people think that freshwater hooks like the Gamakatsu B10S is as strong a hook as you need for redfish, and maybe so for the dinks they’re used to catching. But, when a real one jumps on, light gauge hooks such as that one simply won’t cut it. There are some things you can cheap out on, but your hooks aren’t one of them.
Something I have seen several times when a customer does hook a large redfish on a lighter fly rod is they don’t pull on them hard enough. They usually try and play the fish out like a smaller slot-sized fish and that simply won’t work. While you can crank your drag down for the first couple big runs, it’s a trickier game when working the fish close to the boat. The last 20-30ft or so of the fight, I like to have only a couple pounds of drag on the reel. Reason being – these bigger fish fight dirty – and will often go shooting under the boat in a last ditch
effort to gain their freedom. Having a lighter drag at this point makes it easy to keep the line clear of all obstructions and lessens the chance of breaking your line, or worse, your rod. That being said, you need to create more pressure to finish the fight. To do so safely, simply squeeze the fly line against the cork with your fingers. Once it’s gripped firmly you can pull like hell, but don’t lift the rod too high, as you can put more heat on them by pulling at low angles. Your goal is to turn the fish away from the direction they are trying to swim. If you can break their spirit a few times the fight will be over in short order.
Also, I want to say I feel privileged to be fishing in an era when these large specimens are roaming our waters. This class of fish takes many years to produce, and the good news is there seems to be an uptick in sightings up and down the Texas coast in recent years. Hopefully, people are starting to realize these great sportfish are worth more in the water than in a frying pan. Don’t get me wrong, a 20 inch redfish is a delicacy, but once these fish approach the breeding size/age they have little food value in my opinion. We need to do a better job taking care of this age-class of fish and why we are even allowed to harvest over-slot fish is beyond me. If you were going to head out for a fun day of fishing, wouldn’t you rather catch multiple 28-plus redfish than 18- to 22-inch juveniles? I think this is possible if we manage our populations accordingly.
But enough ranting, I could write up an entire article on my views of redfish conservation, and someday I just might. In closing, be sure to rig up with strong leaders and hooks. You just never know when you may find yourself bear hunting with a switch.
CONTACT
Jake Haddock grew up in the back bays of Port O’ Connor where he developed a great passion for saltwater fishing. In his younger years he was a youth writer for this publication. In present day he enjoys guiding light tackle and fly clients in Galveston and occasionally Port O’ Connor.
Phone 713-261-4084
Email frigatebirdfishing@gmail.com
Website www.frigatebirdfishing.com
Sandy Saxe with an exceptional redfish.
Dan Schuler with a fish that was larger than we first thought.
Note that the leader knot is inside the rod guides, making a solid case for slim joining knots.
Science Sea and the
A Noisy Courtship
If you thought dating other humans was complicated, wait until you hear about the complex courtship behaviors of wild leopard seals. These apex predators are the second largest Antarctic seal species after southern elephant seals. At 8 to 11 feet long and weighing up to 1,300 pounds, their only natural predators are orcas. These ice-loving pinnipeds are notoriously difficult to study, but a team of researchers led by a Baylor University biologist managed to observe a two-hour courtship interaction between a male and female in Laguna San Rafael, Chile.
As with many species, the male leopard seal did most of the work, while the female spent her time lying out on the ice, even remaining completely still for nearly an hour and a half of the interaction. The male, meanwhile, remained underwater, spending less than 15 minutes of the whole interaction at the water’s surface. While underwater, he made 65 vocal calls toward the female, which included low-double trills, highdouble trills, and other types of trills—a sort of vibrating warble that sounds a bit like a long-winded frog. She responded with seven of her own calls, including some growls, blasts and “thump pulses,” in which she vibrated her throat, neck and chest while lying down.
The researchers continued to hear underwater calls for another 8 hours after leaving the area. The next day they observed the male with a swollen genital opening, suggesting that the male likely attempted to mate with the female, but it wasn’t clear if he succeeded. What was clear, given these observations and sightings of newborns and pups in the area, is that leopard seals are mating in South America, beyond their usual stomping grounds of the Antarctic pack ice.
Leopard seals have been observed in Southern Chile performing a two-hour courtship that included a variety of vocal calls. Credit: Christopher Michel, CC BY 2.0.
PRODUCT
Introducing the Reel Lite – The Ultimate Wading Pouch for Every Angler!
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Coastal Nail & Tool
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ThruFlow is perfect for docks, decks, marinas, and walkways, offering a reliable and eco-friendly solution that’s as functional as it is aesthetically pleasing.
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Berkley Gulp! Saltwater Dragon Tail
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HIGHLIGHTS
Z-Man Introduces Big BallerZ
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DAIWA KAGE LT Spinning Reel
The new KAGE LT spinning reel sports rich features, including a lightweight, rigid, and corrosion resistant ZAION body. Its AIR ROTOR is incredibly rigid and with minimal flex, especially at high drag pressures. Critically designed cut-outs reduce the weight of the rotor itself while adding stability and almost eliminating rotor “wobble.” It also sports a tubular AIR bail, which further reduces weight and offers more rigidity than standard wire, minimizing concerns over flex, bending, or breaking. The reel’s A7075 aircraft-grade aluminum
TOUGH DIGIGEAR® technology is especially hard, lightweight, and precision machined and digitally cut, making it considerably more resistant to wear than traditional gearing. Anglers will also appreciate DAIWA’s Advanced Tournament Drag (ATD™) when setting the hook and fighting fish. Available in sizes 1000-4000, and only from independent brick and mortar dealers. MSRP $249.99
www.Daiwa.us
Matagorda
Bink Grimes is a full-time fishing and hunting guide, freelance writer and photographer, and owner of Sunrise Lodge on Matagorda Bay.
Telephone 979-241-1705
Email binkgrimes@yahoo.com
Website matagordasunriselodge.com
THE VIEW FROM Matagorda
Punxsutawney Phil says winter will run through March. I don’t buy it. I saw the first green buds on branches in mid-February–trees don’t lie. Hopefully March jump starts the official spring fishing season. There will still be a cold front or two in March, so revert back to winter patterns when the north wind blows the tides out.
Regardless of the weather, we will still be chasing speckled trout and redfish along the deep shell and mud of East Bay. January and February were stellar for drifting with Down South Lures, Bass Assassins and MirrOlure plastics. Some days the fish want the swimming paddletail, while other days they want the 5-inch traditional straight-tailed jerk bait.
Make no mistake, we expect to catch some heavy trout in March while wading and drifting. You would be surprised how many big trout we release in East Matagorda Bay while jigging soft plastics out of the boat.
Redfish are usually everywhere. Move to the mouths of the lakes. The water and bait will be pouring out of the back lakes and the fish ride with the tide and bait. Camp out and wait for the redfish to come through. Spots like Lake Austin, Oyster Lake, Crab Lake and Boggy are great March hideouts. Make long drifts with soft plastics under a popping cork, or anchor on reefs. The cool thing is we can still catch fish when the wind blows hard.
Redfish are not the only drum in abundance in March, juvenile black drum, the eating kind, frequent reefs in West Matagorda Bay. Twin Islands, Shell Island and Oyster Lake are all proven drum haunts in March. Live shrimp under a popping cork is the best bet.
Over-sized black drum, those over 30 inches, are the spawners and are only catch-and-release, but that doesn’t mean they are any less fun to catch. Big black bruisers frequent the channels, rivers and jetties leading to the Gulf, and a cracked blue crab is the most popular offering.
We never discount West Matagorda Bay this time of year. Trout hang on the edges of the guts and sloughs and we gingerly wade these areas with plastics and Corkys. West Bay’s grass shorelines hold fishable water when spring blusters blow; and, depending how mild March becomes, the first signs of glass minnows could show around Spring Break.
Spring Break in Matagorda comes alive with lots of families spending time together on the water and on the beach. We will run both morning and afternoon trips and are kid and family friendly.
We are excited to see what 2025 will bring with warmer temps. Our fishery is in better shape than it was in 2024. We have seen some really good catches during the winter of 2024 and on in to 2025.
It is encouraging and a credit to sound conservation and better attitudes of taking care of our fishery and giving more fish a chance to grow and reproduce through catch and release. Much like America, our fishery is improving daily. Keep treating our bays and beaches like you would your backyard bass pond. Catch and release is cool.
Sunrise Lodge and Properties is a full service lodge and real estate company specializing in waterfront rentals, farm and ranch and coastal properties.
Port O'Connor Seadrift
Captain Shellie Gray was born in Port Lavaca and has been guiding in the Seadrift/ Port O’Connor area full time for the past 22 years. Shellie specializes in wading for trout and redfish year round with artificial lures.
Telephone 361-785-6708 Email bayrats@tisd.net Website www.bayrat.com Facebook @captsgaryandshelliegray
MID-COAST BAYS With the Grays
We were fortunate here on the mid coast that the one very cold snap we endured for a few days in January only killed a small number of fish in our area. I witnessed mostly dead bait fish with a small number of redfish and unfortunately a few larger trout as well. Nothing like what we saw in the freeze of February 2021. I don’t want to jinx us but I’m feeling like we are safe in thinking the worst of the cold is in our rear view for this year.
I think it’s funny how eager I am for the warmer weather to return when it wasn’t very long ago I was ready to move to a cooler climate because of our prolonged summer heat. Yet, here I am, enjoying the longer and warmer days as we welcome the spring season. Officially, spring season starts on March 20 but we have already been experiencing springlike fishing patterns.
As of late, I am still spending the majority of my time in the back lakes. The grass is at a minimum making for easy conditions when throwing artificials. I haven’t seen very much feeding activity on the outside sandy shorelines of the local major bays but that could change quickly if this warming trend continues and is not interrupted by any strong cold fronts.
The bait fish have been very active on the surface making for really good topwater opportunity. I always tell clients that I love good topwater action, not because it catches the most fish, but because of all the blow ups, explosions, slurps and smacks we get to experience. If filling the ice chest is more to your liking than sticking with soft plastics almost always produces better catch ratios. But as I get older, I am more about the challenge and behavioral quirks that fish display
when attempting to eat a sure lure.
I don’t believe I’ve ever mentioned how I came to love topwaters so much. I have to give all that credit to my husband, Gary, for introducing me to a method of fishing I had yet experienced up till that time. It was a cool night in April, 25 years ago, when he took me out for a nighttime wading trip under a full moon. I was 28 years young and had plenty of fishing experience under my belt up to that point but I had never thrown a topwater, or even had the desire to. Soft plastics, gold spoons and even speck rigs were my choice of baits and I had always been successful with them. Throwing topwaters was never something I gave much attention to and I didn’t think I was missing out on anything special. Boy was I wrong.
Gary tied a MirrOlure Top Dog 94MR 808 on my line while he opted for the same lure but in 11 color (red head, white body). I remember asking him why he chose those two colors and told me he wasn’t as selective of the color as he was the sound the lure made. Some surface plugs emit lower frequency rattles while other types can be louder and almost obnoxious. Since it was not a terribly windy night he opted for the quieter Top Dogs.
As we slipped off the boat into shallow water you could hear mullet jumping nearby. Even though we were fishing during a full moon I remember not being able to see much but the shoreline off in the near distance. He gave me good guidance in how to “walk” the lure and within a few casts I was hooked up. What I didn’t realize at the time was that fishing a surface lure under the cover of darkness kept me from reacting to all the blowups and near misses, and not trying to set the hook prematurely. Something that is hard for a beginner to learn; not setting the hook until feeling the full weight of the fish on the line. Fishing that night with Gary was one of the best learning experiences I have ever had in my lifetime of fishing and it will always be one of my fondest memories.
I share this memory while fishing with many of my clients who are new to topwater game. I never want someone to get discouraged after many failed attempts of hooking up. I hope sharing my story reminds everyone that all anglers “start” somewhere before they can become better.
Spring break is a great time to get the kiddos on the water.
Warmer temperatures each spring brings the question whether to wear waders or wade wet. I’ll wet wade every chance I get.
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Upper Laguna/ Baffin
David Rowsey has 30 years in Baffin and Upper Laguna Madre; trophy trout with artificial lures is his specialty. David has a great passion for conservation and encourages catch and release of trophy fish.
Telephone 361-960-0340
Website www.DavidRowsey.com Email david.rowsey@yahoo.com
@captdavidrowsey
HOOKED UP WITH Rowsey
Seems that our winter, if you could call it that, turned out to be short-lived, and the few cold spells experienced were equally short as well. March has come upon us fast and I only got to use my electric socks a few days this winter due to water temps in the 40s. The good news is that I can now trade my socks in for topwaters. Not a bad deal.
I’m asked often about the best month to book a trip for the largest trout of the year. March and into April are hands down when their winter belly fat and roe development are maxed out and therefore at the heaviest they will be all year.
For me, it’s an extra special time of the year, as it took what seemed like a lifetime to learn how to deal with the March winds and all of the curveballs that they can throw at you. Eventually, cracking the code to some degree, certainly made all the efforts worthwhile but, trust me, the trout gods still humble me daily. One thing that I try and sell my clients on is that, “the wind is your friend.” Anyone with any salt on them in this area knows that if the wind is slack we are in for a nice boat ride, but the bite may be somewhat of a challenge. Looking at the glass half full, slack winds are rarely an issue in March; so you will have ample opportunity in the conditions that are coming.
Catching mature trout during spawning season with consistency is full of trials and tribulations. I’m lucky enough to get more than my share of it, but humbling it can be. A perfect example was zeroing on Day 2 of a big tournament after leading on Day 1. My good friend and fishing hero, Jay Watkins, said, “Rowsey, what’s the moodiest, most irritable and uncooperative thing on the planet?” Having no idea where he was going with that, I asked him to humor me with his fish sense, “Well, you don’t have any kids, but let me tell you, it’s a pregnant woman. And that is exactly what you are trying to coax into playing with you.” Which got me to thinking…maybe he’s right!
I still remember that little analogy when I find them feeding one day, only to be shut out the next. Yep, chasing big females this time of year can be that tricky, but the reward certainly makes it worth the effort. I’m always writing about my home water, Baffin and the Upper Laguna, but the same plays out in other grassy bays up through Port O’Connor. In one sense the largest of trout become somewhat predictable as they seek shallow grassy areas to release their eggs, but the flip side is just getting
them to eat when they are in “one of their moods.”
If you are an impatient sort, being consistently successful could pose some challenges when chasing the best of the species this time of year. Having said that, though, something that works for me now and also when sight-casting during summer is downsizing my baits and sticking with natural colors when the fish are right under my feet but won’t eat. What I have eventually concluded is that all the cool lures and colors work great when the feed is on, but that is a best case scenario and hardly a real-world test.
The Bass Assassin 5” SW Shad (rattail) is about as big as I go in these scenarios and their Little P&V lures are just perfect for the situation. I’m a huge fan of MirrOlure’s Fat Boy and MirrOdine XL, but for this kind of bite I’m scaling back to the original MirrOdine 18 series or the floater diver known as the Double D (made exclusively by MirrOlure for Texas Custom Lures). In the bass realm I believe they call this finesse fishing, so I guess their big girls get moody, too. One thing I know for certain is that if you’re not casting you have zero chance of success.
Conservation Alert: If you fish between Rockport and Baffin you need to keep an eye on the proposed water desalination plants between Nueces Bay and Port Aransas. A reliable water supply for this area is definitely much needed, however, discharging the super-saline effluent into the bays would be about the same for bay ecology as spraying Roundup on weeds. Please get educated on this and get involved. Voice your opinion to local and state government!
Remember the Buffalo! -Capt David Rowsey
Robert Ambs with a new personal best, a bit over eight pounds, taken on a plum-color 5” Bass Assassin. Starting to see these with consistency again…Conservation Works!
Port Mansfield
Captain Wayne Davis has been fishing the Lower Laguna-Port Mansfield for over 20 years. He specializes in wade fishing with lures.
Telephone 210-287-3877
Email captwayne@kwigglers.com
WAYNE’S Mansfield Report
Greetings from Port Mansfield. We’ve had a couple of good cold snaps. As of this writing we had one back in mid-January that came close to being an issue for our trout fishery. I documented 25° air temperature at my house in Port and surface water temperatures dipped to the low-40s and upper-30s around the bay. I was not able to check bottom temperatures as I did in various locations back in 2021 due to intermittent power outages and icy conditions. Our harbor was full of fish seeking refuge from the bitter cold and in short order anglers figured it out and were catching both big reds and trout from the sea wall.
As the weather warmed, those harbor fish started making their way back to the Lower Laguna Madre where they became more active as the water temperatures continued to rise. During this period, we were able to stage up where they were headed, which made for some great fishing (catching). It was also during this period when we had some of our heaviest fish. Redfish were the stars of the show when water temperatures were upper-40s to low-50s but as we hit about 57°-58° the trout also started to play.
Unfortunately, we did not land any really long fish but trout in the 24- to 27-inch class were certainly heavier than normal. I would like to point out that we were getting some surprisingly good topwater trout action in 58° water temperature. Keep in mind we had ample sun and both air temperatures and water temperatures were on the rise. Something worth noting for future reference.
As we move further into the spring fishing season, I am encouraged by the quality of fish I am seeing all across the LLM. If it has not happened yet, I anticipate at least one double-digit trout coming this season and I sure hope it is one of my anglers who comes fishing with me for that very reason. March can produce some of the most exciting action for anglers and I am optimistic about April as well.
toward plastics that put off lots of vibration, particularly because we will likely be fishing off-colored water and, in some instances, downright dirty water. The Wig-A-Lo and 4-inch paddletail come to mind as those baits have been tried and true for dirty water conditions. Based on the windspeeds I will also be considering a heavier jig head; 3/16 and 1/4-ounce as opposed to my more usual 1/16-ounce. These heavier heads help to keep the lure in the strike zone despite the strong wind-driven currents tugging at the line, causing the lure to rise in the water column. Topwaters will obviously be in play in all water clarity conditions and will produce some exiting blowups, even in high winds.
As of late I have been using the Corky model of Fishing Tackle Unlimited’s G2 Green Rod. This is a fairly stiff rod with great backbone but still with a lot of sensitivity and feel for any subtle bites. I have been using it simply because of my pointing out using heavier jig heads in windy conditions and it is also very good for topwaters and any heavier suspending baits.
March will be an excellent month for a big trout, so if you can get out and want that shot, this might be the time. I would focus on strong solunar periods, weekdays if possible, and concentrating on areas holding bait with deep water access and a semi muddy bottom. Isolated grass beds as well as staying less than thigh deep is another zone to concentrate on. If you keep all this in mind I feel confident you might just land your personal best trout.
Until next time, stay safe and remember that fresh is better than frozen.
Our water levels should start increasing some as the weather patterns shift toward more southerly flows. This will become more consistent later in the month and into April, which also leads to a more “active” fishery. I mention this because I try to mentally balance the present and what might be around the corner.
With the anticipation of windy days approaching, I will be leaning
Preston Beck was very pleased with this Lower Laguna specimen.
Dwayne Wilson found some nice trout this day.
Arroyo Colorado to Port Isabel
A Brownsville-area native, Capt. Ernest Cisneros fishes the Lower Laguna Madre from Port Mansfield to Port Isabel. Ernest specializes in wading and poled skiff adventures for snook, trout, and redfish.
Cell 956-266-6454 Website www.tightlinescharters.com
SOUTH PADRE Fishing Scene
I’m sure you’ve heard the expression; Go fly a kite! This can be interpreted in a number of ways. One is a way of saying leave me alone, and another more literal usage could be somewhat of a command or encouragement to take your kite outdoors and enjoy the windy weather. If the latter might be most applicable, there’s a good chance it’s a windy March day and a great one for kite-flying.
March is famous for wind, sometimes gusting to 30 mph, sometimes even higher. In terms of weather events, I can take thunderstorms and lightning; all you have to do is dodge them and keep fishing. I can also take rain, freezing temperatures, cloudy conditions and extreme heat. But the thing I dislike most is strong wind. You cannot escape it. It churns the water to a light chocolate color making it difficult for fish to see your lures. Quite often in March a trip can turn from looking for fish to looking for fishable water, but fishable water doesn’t always have fish in it. So, what’s my strategy during windy conditions?
Number one is to find fishable water, which will usually be around protected shorelines on the east side of the ICW, where sand flats can keep their clarity even on the windiest days. Areas with abundant seagrasses are usually better than bare bottom as seagrasses help hold bottom sediments in place. After locating water of fishable clarity, I’m looking for signs of bait flipping and jumping, and maybe some birds feeding on the surface. Both are solid indicators that fish could be present and actively feeding. March is a great month to catch the trout of a lifetime. In the colder months the bigger trout tend to school up in deeper holes, but now that the water is warming up the bigger fish spread out and head to the shallows as
they prepare to spawn during ideal tide and water conditions. These big fish don’t eat every day though, so relying on the science of tides, solunar tables, and lunar phases becomes important elements of fishing strategies. Just remember that the science is not always an indicator of instant success. Bites will often be few when chasing these big fish, try to remember that you are after quality, not quantity. Sometimes, it may take all day to get that one trophy fish to bite, and you may not even get a big bite at all, but that’s trophy hunting for you.
In general, we can expect lots of bites from undersize and keeper-size trout during March along the ICW, flats that lie adjacent, and also on the eastside sand flats. Paddletail soft plastics create vibration and work well in early spring due to the often murky water conditions created by the wind. Z-Man’s PaddlerZ and the new Big Ballerz are great choices to throw this time of the year. I like to throw Sexy Penny, Pearl, Plum/Chart, and Troutcicle in both bait styles.
With the windy conditions and water levels rising this month, look for redfish in back bay areas, feeding on shrimp and small crabs. This time of year, it’s common to see redfish shadowing stingrays, feeding on small crustaceans the rays spook from the muddy bottoms. My go-to redfish baits this time of year are naturalcolored to resemble shrimp or blue crab patterns. Z-Man’s four-inch Big BallerZ, Paddlerz, and StreakZ are all excellent bait choices to have in your box.
As you fish this month and the wind is howling, think of yourself inside a washing machine and someone running a chainsaw next to you. If you were a redfish, where would you hide? Look for areas where fish can find protection in constant harsh wind but still have access to food.
If you’re hunting trophy trout, be prepared to put in lots of time chasing them. And when you find trophy fish, either by seeing them or actually catching one,
be patient and wait until they are ready to feed and let their guard down just enough to fool them. The photos and memories will be worth the effort and time.
Here’s one last suggestion. If you prefer to fish from a drifting boat, I highly recommend you carry two drift anchors this time of the year. Having two drift anchors out will slow you down enough to fish an area more thoroughly than simply cruising at the mercy of the wind.
Best fishing!
View The Video Open Camera and hover over QR Code. When link appears at top of screen tap to open in YouTube.
José Chavez and Ryan Harder from Z-Man had a great day recently fishing the Lower Laguna Madre.
José tricked this fine specimen on a Z-Man Big BallerZ lure.
FISHING REPORTS AND FORECASTS from Big Lake to Boca Chica
Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag
Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242
March is something of a transitional month for James, offering great potential, but also presenting challenges. “Generally, wading continues to be really good in March. When we have warmer weather and steady onshore winds, and the bays fill up nicely with water, wading along protected shorelines is usually the way to go. This works well on the south shorelines of both East and West bays, also on the east side of Trinity. This can be a good month to catch bigger than average trout on hard baits and topwaters. Those work best when plenty of bait activity is seen, meaning jumping mullet mostly. Towards the end of the month, glass minnows sometimes make an appearance. When they do, matching the hatch with smaller lures and fishing close around the clouds of minnows are ways to keep the catch-rate up. If and when stronger fronts blow through this month, the fishing can be tough. If tides fall out and the water in the middle gets mucked up by the winds, catching will be hard for a few days. Then, when the tide gushes back in, the catching will pick back up, especially if the strong tide rolls in the afternoon.”
Jimmy West | Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054
Jim mentions several key factors everyone fishing in the Galveston area during the end of winter and beginning of spring should consider. “It can really be a timing thing this time of year. When the fish are biting, they can be really easy to catch. But when they aren’t, trying to catch ‘em can become a waste of time. Mostly, the factors that determine how much catching is likely to happen involve the tide cycles and the weather. The fish bite well right before the fronts hit, then they shut down for a while after they pass. On the back sides of the fronts, a good bite will often happen late in the afternoon, or into the first hours of darkness. Especially if the water’s really clear and the sun is bright. So, people who time their outings to maximize their potential for catching often do best as long as fronts are passing with some regularity. Another key factor in this particular area is the amount of freshwater pouring into the bays. We’re likely to see a fairly big release of water at the Livingston Dam in February, and this might mess things up in the upper parts of Trinity Bay.”
West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays
Randall Groves | Groves Guide Service
979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323
Randall eagerly anticipates rising tides and water temperatures during the Spring Break month. “We’re anticipating higher tide levels, which will usher in some of the pelagic prey species like glass minnows and shrimp, and also allow us to wade some of the area shorelines again. I like to target the trout and reds in places with some grass beds this time of year. When we’re wading, we like to throw Catch 2000s, Paul Brown Lures and similar slow sinkers, working them methodically around the grass beds if we can see ‘em. On the warmer days, when we see lots of bait activity at the surface, we’ll give the topwaters a try, too. But we’re always ready to switch back to the twitchbaits if the blow-ups don’t come fairly easily. When we’re not wading, we like to target our fish with Norton Sand Eels on light jigheads in deeper parts of the bays, concentrating our efforts in places with lots of bait and water birds present. Most of the best fishing is around reefs, or in areas near the reefs, where a decent amount of oysters partially cover the bottom. March can be great for big trout and plenty of reds.”
Matagorda Bays | Capt. Glenn Ging - Glenn’s Guide Service 979.479.1460 - www.glennsguideservice.com
March brings the beginning of spring, and Spring Break is always the kickoff of our busy season, and for good reason. March offers us a number of good fishing opportunities. Redfish and black drum show up in good numbers this month. I look for them around shallow shell reefs and on shallow mud flats, especially ones in close proximity to deeper channels or guts. Shrimp and crab are good options for reds, but a Gulp! under a Coastal Cork works great as well. Smaller eating-sized drum love both shrimp and Fish-Bites suspended under a cork. Look for them on shallow mud flats and around small reefs. Larger black drum can be caught off the jetties and along the river and ICW on cracked crab or cut bait fished on bottom. Speckled trout fishing remains good in March, with wading and drifting both being solid options. On days when the wind cooperates, drifting deep shell with soft plastics like Bass Assassins, Coastal Brews and Down Souths can produce some impressive catches. Wading reefs and shorelines with mullet imitations like Paul Brown Lures and topwaters will continue to produce quality trout as well. The trout will almost always be found close to concentrations of mullet.
Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204
The fishing in Palacios has been HOT this winter. Because we’ve had some colder than normal weather, the fish have retreated predictably to deep water. So, trout fishing has been fantastic in the Harbor, with some fish up to 24” and mostly solid 18” fish coming to hand. Paul Brown Fat Boys and Tsunami Swim Shads slowly rolled over the deep shell in the basin have accounted for most of the catching. The Tres Palacios river has been on fire as well, with DSL in white ice and chicken of the sea being the best colors in there. River fishing has not yielded as many of the bigger trout, but it is holding a good percentage of keepers. Targeting the ledges and bends is a must. The fishing for reds has been decent, but not as good as for trout. The flats along Collegeport have been holding a few on the warmer days, with quarter-ounce Johnson spoons working best. Next month, as we head into early-spring, I will continue to fish the same patterns, focusing my efforts on deep holes and fishing extra slow. As we get warmer days after strong fronts, I’ll move up onto the flats and follow the bait.
Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith
Back Bay Guide Service - 361.935.6833
As winter ends and spring begins, Lynn will continue fishing the same patterns he has throughout the cold months, but he’ll anticipate a shift if the weather justifies it. “The beginning of March is more like winter than spring, typically. So we continue to sleep late and head out after the sun comes up and heats up the flats. The fishing is usually best in places with a soft, muddy bottom, in shallow water lying close to some kind of deep hole or channel. We catch best on soft plastics most of the time in these places, rigging them on light jigheads, but we’re always looking to switch to slow sinkers, if plenty of bait is showing. Bait is a big key, as always. At the beginning of March, this mainly means mullet. But, as we get into the second half of the month, things can change dramatically. If strong incoming tides bring in a bunch of shrimp and smaller baitfish, the patterns can change. Rising tides usually happen with onshore winds blowing
and temperatures rising, which might elevate the bite during the morning hours. These factors can make March challenging, for people who aren’t willing to adjust to the changes.”
Rockport | Blake Muirhead
Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894
Blake has been experiencing pretty fast catching on most of his trips lately, and he expects the action to perk up even more by the time March rolls around. “The first part of spring is typically a great time to target the reds and some of the bigger trout in the Coastal Bend in backwater lakes and marshes. As long as tide levels stay high, we find most of our fish on muddy flats in these places, often around some grass beds or patch reefs. When north winds blow the tide out and lower the temperatures, the fish sometimes retreat to the deep holes and guts in the bayous connecting the backwater areas to the main bays. Topwaters and twitchbaits work well on the warmer days with higher tides; soft plastics like Norton Sand Eels work better when the water’s cooler and tides fall out. Late in the month, once the fronts fizzle out more, we will see the sand and grass pattern pick up. Then, we’ll start targeting our trout on stretches of main-bay shorelines with hard sandy bottom and some ample grass beds, and we’ll throw our lures tight to the bank most of the time.”
Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay
Captain James Sanchez Guide Service - 210.260.7454
With March approaching, we can expect some late cold fronts to chill temperatures between warm spells. Many days, especially before these fronts, will see southeast winds blowing at 20 to 30 mph. Additionally, by the end of the month, tidal levels will rise during the new and full moon phases. During warm spells, you’ll notice that fish will start spending more time in the shallows. This creates a fantastic opportunity to catch good numbers, including trophy trout for lucky anglers. My strategies includes wading windward shorelines, spoil islands, and flats near drop-offs. Look for fish to be holding in seagrass beds with potholes in thigh- to waist-deep water. As for the right depth, wherever mullet are most concentrated is where you should be fishing. If temperatures drop after a front and fish go deep, we’ll use a KWigglers Ball Tail Shad in plum perfect or naked margarita rigged on eighth-ounce jigheads, Soft-Dine XLs, or a Fat Boy worked near the bottom. Once temperatures rebound and winds increase, I recommend working a Mansfield Knocker or slow-roll a bone diamond Wig-A-Lo through shallow sets of potholes for a chance at redfish and bigger trout.
Corpus Christi & Baffin
Bay
Capt. Chris Elliott’s Guide Service captchriselliott@yahoo.com - 361.834.7262
Right on schedule, Old Man Winter settled in on the Texas Coast in late January, sending temperatures plummeting. Our tides are low, and water temperatures are hovering in the mid to low-50s. Lately, the redfish and trout are carrying a little extra weight from the mullet-rich diet they are eating. Look for this to continue through February and into March. Lure selection for me these next several weeks will be very simple; I like larger soft plastics like KWiggler Ball-Tails or full-sized WigA-Los. Paul Brown Lures, Soft-Dine XLs and Fat Boys also work well, as does a full-sized topwater on the warmer days, when we’re seeing lots of bait activity at the surface. We’ll be looking for signs of bait every second of the day. On the cold days, if I see a single mullet flip on a shoreline, my boat will be coming off plane to investigate. Besides the flipping mullet, the other thing to be focused on right now is water temperature. Best bet is to monitor it all day and key in on the areas with warmer than
average water. Just one or two degrees warmer can make the difference between casting and catching.
P.I.N.S. Fishing Forecast | Eric Ozolins
361.877.3583 - Oceanepics.com
The red drum and their cousins, the black drum, have been thick in the surf lately, with most caught on traditional shrimp baits and Fish-bites. In clear water, pompano are around and hungry on days with calm seas. We’ve had a subpar pompano season thus far but it is not over yet; things could still explode with activity. The most strategic way to target pompano is to use a small 3/0 hook with a small piece of shrimp tipped with a Fish-bite. These are best deployed in a stretch of surf where the sandbars appear closest to the beach. Best bet is to launch the bait as far as possible. Most bites come in the gut beyond the second bar. As we transition into spring, we expect various migrations to take place. We will still have some of our cooler water species, but we also expect to possibly see jack crevalle make their first appearances of the year. Lures or live baits will work great for the jacks if they’re running. The shark fishing has remained steady all winter and spring is looking excellent for increased activity. Blacktip sharks will come in thick and are suckers for a giant whiting or pompano.
Port Mansfield, Texas | Ruben Garza
Snookdudecharters.com - 832.385.1431
Getaway Adventures Lodge - 956.944.4000
Cold fronts will arrive less frequently in March, but with chance of rain increasingly likely. Fishing will improve with noticeably longer feeding periods as warming trends produce rising water temperatures. The Saucer area is always a good bet in March, with consistent topwater action. Mansfield Knockers in Ruby Tuesday and Zombie should be good producers. If you prefer plastics, KWiggler Ball Tails in Plum/ Chart and 801 Orange Creamsicle on 1/8 jigheads will do the trick. West Bay is another excellent choice if you’re looking for a quick boat ride. Focus on the areas with ledges and depth changes. The north side of East Cut, just north of the oysters and also toward the Weather Station, are almost always worth a look. Start in the knee-deep, working slowly toward deeper water for redfish with weedless spoons and smaller topwaters. Paul Brown and Texas Customs floating Fat Boys will also work and can produce trout and reds in this area. When headed further north, toward Gladys, do not pass any place along the west shoreline that shows bait activity. Keep an eye on the weather, especially the wind forecast.
Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel
Aaron Cisneros | tightlinescharters.com - 956.639.1941
Lower air and water temperatures along with lower tides has become the recent norm on the Lower Laguna. Our trout fishing has been consistently good with a predictable bite occurring on flats adjacent to the ICW in 3- to 4-foot depths most days. The top producing trout bait has been ZMan Big BallerZ with Plum/Chart a reliable color pattern. We are rigging these on 1/8-ounce Eye Strike Trout Eye jig heads, worked slowly near bottom with only light pops and twitches of the rod tip as the fish have been holding low in the water column. Redfish action has also been steady. The bite has been best in depths of 1- to 2-feet; over mostly soft and muddy bottom on the colder days. ZMan MinnowZ in Redbone, rigged on 1/8 Eye Strike Texas Eye jigs has been our goto lure, working the plastic over potholes and along grass lines. On warmer days the redfish will move to sandy bottoms. Following the bait is a key factor in finding the reds this time of year. If you find the bait you’ll find the fish – it’s that simple.
Caleb Loafman Port Aransas - 37” personal best red! CPR
Mason Stueber West Matagorda Bay - first red!
Tim Evens 32” trout CPR
Joey Hagar Galveston South Jettyredfish
Lucas Loafman
Port Aransas - 47” personal best red! CPR
Kristine Stubbs Galveston Bay - bull red
Mike Gartner West Galveston Bay - 48” alligator gar
First come – first published! Photos are judged on artistic merit and sporting ethic displayed. No stringer, cleaning table, or hanging board images allowed. Digital images only. Adjust camera to high or best quality. All images become property of TSFMag. Email to: Photos@TSFMag.com Include short description of your catch with name, date, bay system, etc.
Photo
Julia Vargas Matagorda - 28” first bull red!
Ryan Rubio South Bay - 24” redfish
Maryjane Zamora Brownsville Ship Channel - black drum
Kenneth Baumann 27” redfish CPR
Preston Dunavant 28” redfish
Myriah Streams Matagorda Bay - redfish
Perry Baumann West Galveston Bay - 29” redfish CPR
Thuan Cao Port Aransas jetty - 46” personal best red! CPR
Got ideas, hints or recipes you’d like to share? Email them to pam@tsfmag.com or send by fax: 361 792-4530
Gulf Coast
Fish Veracruz
I want to thank Kacie Skalak for sharing her version of this wonderful recipe. I made it recently for my family and they absolutely raved about it. I decided to make it with red snapper fillets but I’m certain that any flakey, white-fleshed fish, including speckled trout and redfish, would turn out just as delightful. Other suggestions would include ling (cobia), grouper, and cod.
INGREDIENTS
4 Tbs avocado oil
4-6 Tbs butter, separated
1 small white onion, finely diced
6 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
2 Tbs capers
2 Tbs caper brine
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup Castelvetrano Olives, sliced
2 pounds filets, your choice trout, redfish, snapper, etc.
1 lime, cut in half
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs fresh oregano, chopped
1 cup parboiled long grain white rice
3 cups chicken broth
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 400° - Only if fillets are over two inches thick to complete cooking.
Rinse fillets under cold water and dry well, place on baking sheet and set aside.
Prepare your onions, garlic, jalapeno, cherry tomatoes, olives, oregano, lime, and capers.
In stock pot; add rice, garlic powder, salt, and three cups broth. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and cook 20 minutes.
On the fillets; squeeze half a lime, dust lightly with cayenne, flip and repeat on other side.
Heat cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. When slightly smoking add avocado oil and butter, then sear fillets for 2 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet and set aside on clean baking sheet. Add 1- to 2 Tbs of both Avocado oil and butter to skillet, add onions and scrape all bits from bottom. Once translucent, add garlic, when fragrant add jalapenos. Cook 2- to 3 minutes (add more butter and avocado oil if needed) then add capers and brine. Add tomatoes, salt lightly, and cook until beginning to break down. Add olives, stir to heat through, then turn off heat and add tablespoon of oregano. Place a little butter on each fillet, spoon sauce over each, and place in pre-heated oven until internal temperature reaches 140°. Remove from oven and rest; internal temperature should rise to 145°. Serve over white rice with a squeeze of lime and fresh oregano.
Yields – 4 Servings
Call 361.983.4434 (cell 361.935.6833) Email lynn@tisd.net (tswf.com/lynnsmith)
SERIOUS BRAGGING RIGHTS
Stylish rigging, impressive floor layout, increased speed, and a n improved ride. Whether you run southern bays or midwest lakes and rivers, our bay boat can do it all.
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